Grow. Cook. Eat.

Spring Garden Plans (and Giveaway Winners!)

I really enjoyed reading about everyone's favorite garden vegetables. Most of you mentioned tomatoes and herbs, but also enjoyed seeing the variety of what people grow.

.... And the winners of the packet of Even' Star Organic Farm seeds are Amy and Sylvie. Please email me your mailing address to [julia] at [growcookeat] dot [com]. Yes, I decided to pick two winners, since I think I have enough to share.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my own spring garden plans. Especially last night… when I wanted something green with my dinner, but had no vegetables in the house and a barren garden.

Every year, I plant a few staples and try a few new things. Like every year, I will plant a variety of lettuces to make a mesclun mix: arugula, mizuna, romaine and tatsoi. I also plant sugar snap peas with the idea of getting pea tendrils when the plants are young and tender, and snap peas as the plants mature.

In past years, I’ve planted “braising greens” in late summer for fall harvest. Unfortunately, I have yet to harvest a crop because the first snow always comes before the greens are mature. This year, I will plant in the spring. I know that the summer heat can be the enemy of leafy greens as they get bitter and go to seed. My thought is to plant them in a less sunny area. Hopefully, this will keep the plants cool enough and buy me enough time to finally get a harvest. This same spot that I’m thinking for the greens, I planted zucchini last year. You may recall, I got nothin’ from those plants but a few dozen squash blossoms -- can you feel the disappointment? Too cool for the zucchini, perfect for kale? We’ll see.

Toy Soldier Mick grows beets in his garden... which makes me wonder why I have never grown them.... On this year's list! I’ve never bothered with radishes either, for no particular reason, but this year I think I’ll try. I have some wonderful heirloom seeds from Even Star’ Farm.

A collapsible greenhouse set it up in the backyard allows me a two-week jump start on the season. The greenhouse traps in the warmth of the sunlight, thawing the soil a little earlier. Not only can I get the seeds in the ground sooner, but I also protect the young seedlings from overnight, freezing temperatures.

So to recap…
1. Radishes
2. Lettuces
3. Collards and Kales
4. Brocolli Raab
5. Sugar Snap Peas
6. Beets


I still have another month or so to think about my summer plantings, even if I start some seeds indoors. Stay tuned!

Capers

I normally buy capers in the big 32 ounce, wide mouth jar. Packed in a salty brine, they last several years. But I usually go through them quicker than that. When I crave chicken picatta or egg salad, I don’t think much about how I’ll get the capers out, I just use a fork.

Last week, I ran out and the only jar I saw at the market was the thin tubular jar. As I reached into the jar, I realized this would take more thought. My fork was too big to fit in. I didn’t want to pour out all the brine. And I didn’t want to strain the brine in a sieve, take the capers and then pour the brine back in.

The solution: a melon baller. The scoop fits perfectly into the jar, grabbing a perfect teaspoon at a time. And the hole in the base, lets the brine drain back into the jar. Problem solved!

Taramasalta: Greek Mayo?

Don't forget about the giveaway of Even’ Star Organic Farm Seeds. These heirloom seeds are of the highest quality, and are cultivated to yield the most flavorful, hardiest plants. All you need to do is leave a comment on my blog between now and Friday, February 27th at 5pm EST.

Who doesn’t love mayo? I use it in everything, though mostly as a base for something else. I’ll mix it with chipotles to make a dip for corn fritters or with herbs for green goddess salad dressing. Rarely do I just eat it on its own. Which is probably why I like taramsalata so much. It’s essentially mayo that is served with crackers. This Greek dip blends carp roe (fish eggs) with olive oil. Tarama, the actual carp roe, are bright orange and salted. Both the roe and the dip are sold in jars, usually in the cheese case.

The basic technique of making taramasalta is the same as mayonnaise, but the fish eggs are used in place of the chicken eggs. Starting with a spoon of tarama in the food processor, slowly drizzle in olive oil, until it becomes thick and pale orange. The flavor benefits from the addition of raw onions and lots of lemon juice. Most recipes will advise on blending in a slice of water-soaked bread (don’t ask me, I just do as I’m told). And Peter M. suggests also using a touch of smoked onion or liquid smoke. Since he is the authority on Greek food, I accept this as gospel.
Taramasalata
1 slice bread
1 heaping tablespoon tarama
1 1/2 cups oil - all olive oil or a 50-50 blend of olive and canola
1/2 small onion
1/4 cup lemon juice

1. Soak bread in water. Squeeze it out.

2. Put bread and tarama in the basin of a food processor. Turn motor on and let run for 30 seconds.

3. Slowly, slowly drizzle in the oil. When it starts to thicken, add the lemon juice and onions. Continue processing until all the oil is added.

4. Let sit overnight.

5. Serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Jute Leaves: Moloukia

My college apartment was down the street from a Lebanese deli. Instead of eating in the campus cafeteria, I’d head over to the deli to satiate my cravings for falafel and hummus. Having spent much of my youth eating in the Israeli and Arab restaurants of Jerusalem, this was my comfort food. After many visits, I became friendly with the owner and he steered me towards the daily specials – each day his wife would make a traditional, home-style dish for lunch. Sometimes it was a lamb dish scented with cinnamon, others it was fish, but my favorite was “Molokhia” -- chicken simmered with a leafy green vegetable served over rice-noodle pilaf and topped with toasted pita.

I never saw this dish in another restaurant again, so began a quest to recreate it. Every time I met a Lebanese, I would interrogate him to figure out what this dish really was and find out how to make it. Finally, I was able to find a good recipe and a source for the distinctive “Moloukhia” leaves.

Moloukhia are the leaves from a variety of the jute plant. They have a unique texture that some describe as a cross between okra and spinach. Other descriptions include, “slippery” and “gelatinous.” The nutritious leaves thicken the chicken broth and give a rich flavor to the stew. A heavy dose of lemon juice at the end balances the creaminess. It’s an unusual flavor, but highly addictive.

This dish originates from Egypt, but has spread across the Middle East. Spellings can vary, including moloukhi, molokhya and moolkhia, as can its botanical name: jew's mallow, nalta jute, tussa jute, corchorus olitorius. Fresh molokhi is not available in the U.S. but can be purchased dried or frozen in most Arab Markets.

To coax out the best flavor from the stew, it needs at least 30 minutes of simmering. Unfortunately, the long simmer does not bode well for a bright green dish. When prepared with rabbit, it’s fit for a Pharaoh.

Molokhia
1 lb. chicken or rabbit meat
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 cups chicken broth or water
4 tbs. butter
3 cups dried moloukhia leaves or 10 oz. frozen
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs. coriander

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or pot, combine chicken, onion and broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to simmer. Let simmer while preparing the next steps.

In a small skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Saute crushed garlic with coriander for 2-3 minutes until garlic starts to soften and the coriander becomes aromatic. Take some of the liquid from the chicken to deglaze this pan and add to above.

If using dried leaves, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Stir leaves for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and crush. Add leaves to the simmering pot. Continue simmering for 30 minutes. Total cooking time should be about 45 minutes. If using frozen leaves, simply add to the chicken pot with remaining butter. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over rice pilaf, or rice mixed with pilaf noodles

Planning Your Spring and Summer Garden (and Give-Away)

Last week’s article in the Boston Globe reminded me that I need to begin my spring and summer garden plans. It’s hard to believe with temperatures hovering around 30F that spring will ever come, but I remain optimistic. In fact, I can start seeds indoors on March 15th so that when the ground begins to thaw in April, I’m ready!

I’m fortunate to have a decent sized backyard (especially for Cambridge). But you don’t need a large backyard to reap benefits from fresh herbs and vegetables. Whether you have a balcony or even a window sill, options abound. Your specific needs and constraints will dictate what you plant. Here are some things to consider.


Limited space
When I lived in an apartment in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, I grew herbs in a window box outside the kitchen and cherry tomatoes on the fire escape. The yield was just enough to enliven much of my summer-time cooking. In one box, I fit four herbs: my favorites: basil, thyme, tarragon and chives.


Bang for your buck
If you have limited financial resources (and who doesn't these days), you want to get the most out of your gardening dollars. Many components go into this. First on my list is avoiding waste. Second, is getting high yields for low square footage, and finally the cost of the seeds vs. seedlings.

Too often, herbs at the supermarket are packaged in quantities greater than what I need. Further, if I have a recipe that calls for 2-3 varieties, I can spend $10 on herbs alone, and half will end up in the compost bin. For $10, I can buy seedlings of 4 or 5 varieties. And as I cook with herbs throughout the summer, I just snip off what I need, and the plant keeps growing. Better yet, some herbs, like sage, tarragon and thyme, are perennial. I bought two plants each several years ago, and the herbs just keep coming back year after year with no financial reinvestment.

Celery is another example of the package size being larger than my need. I buy two or three plants ($5 total) and break off a single stalk as I need it – usually for chicken, tuna or egg salad. Unfortunately, celery does not regrow after the stalk has been harvested. So if I cook a recipe that requires a full head, then I’ll buy it at the market, saving the garden variety for when I need a small amount for a recipe.

Most lettuces are “cut and come again.” That means that if you harvest the lettuce properly (at least 2 inches above the roots) it will continue to sprout leaves. I can cut a mixed lettuce salad throughout the spring and summer with an investment of $6 in seeds (3 packets – arugula, romaine and mizuna).

Cucumbers proliferate in my garden, and can grow upwards on stakes offering economy of space. The fruit can be used in salads or pickled. Last summer, my three plants produced cucumbers well into September and yielded many snacks, salads and pickles. Last year I bought a packet of seeds for $2 and still have enough left over for this year’s planting.

Radishes sprout early. They offer an early fix for locavores craving garden fresh vegetables. Better yet, their season is quick and short, opening up the garden space to other summer vegetables.

A final, but very important consideration is the greenness of your thumb. Do you buy seeds or seedlings? For sure, seeds are cheaper – two dollars, for example will buy you dozens of seed or one seedling. However, some vegetables, like tomatoes, require careful attention to get them from seed to seedling into the ground producing fruit. I have attempted for several years to start tomatoes indoors to transplant them in the late spring. I have never had success, and end up buying the seedlings anyway.

I only buy seeds when I can direct-sow: that is, I can directly plant the seeds into the ground. Seeds that work well in this fashion include: lettuces, cucumbers, zucchini and peas. If you are unsure if a seed can be direct-sowed, check the back of the packages, the information is usually printed there.

Can’t Beat Homegrown
Perhaps the most enticing reason to grow your own vegetables is that nothing beats home-grown – especially when it comes to tomatoes! Supermarket tomatoes and even farmers’ market tomatoes will never compare to homegrown, because they are always harvested before they’re ripe. When growing at home, the tomatoes can absorb sugar producing sunshine until the very second you pluck it from the vine. Better yet, you can grow the most flavorful heirloom varieties such as Cherokee Purple.

Some years, I’ve grown zucchini for the squash blossoms because I never see them in the markets. I enjoy their floraly soft texture that’s perfect for stuffing or just using in a quiche or omelet.

Lettuces taste spicier and crisper home-grown. Potatoes are sweeter and less starchy. And Brussels sprouts can stay on the stalk in my garden until after the first frost so I get sweet, tender sprouts instead of earthy, stringy baby cabbages.

And now for the giveaway…. To help you plan your spring garden, I'll be giving a packet of Even’ Star Organic Farm Seeds. Seeds from Even' Star Farm are cultivated to yield the most flavorful, hardiest plants. They are organic and heirloom and can also be purchased at FedCo Seeds. To give you a sense of their quality, they retail for 10 times the price of similar varieties. I have several varieties of seeds suitable for spring planting and harvesting, so the winner can select his or her favorite. All you need to do is leave a comment on my blog between now and Friday, February 27th at 5pm EST, telling me about your favorite fruit or vegetable to grow.

Asian Pears with Salt -n Pepa Shrimp

Asian pears are a cross between apples and pears -- juicy like a pear, but crisp like an apple. The round shape resembles an apple, but the brown skin more closely looks like a bosc pear. And unlike their pear-cousin, the flesh is firm when ripe.

Though they are good eating, I typically use them in a sauce -- for Salt -n Pepa shrimp or with Avocado-Lemongrass Springrolls.



1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbs. corn starch
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. Sichuan pepper
1/8 tsp. five spice
2 scallions, cut into rounds
2 serranos or Thai chilies, cut into rounds
1 tbs. oil

Toss shrimp in corn starch.

Heat a large sauté pan over a high flame. Add oil. Add shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes, or until they begin to turn pink. Add spring rolls to pan.

Sprinkle in spice mix (you will have extra) and coat shrimp with spice, scallions and chilies.

Asian Pear Sauce

1/4 cup dashi or water
1/4 c. soya,
1 tbs. sugar
1 - 2 Asian pears, cored (no need to peel)
1 tsp. chili paste
1 1/2 tbs. mirin
2 tsp. rice vinegar
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
2 tsp. sesame oil

Put everything in a blender and puree.

Inspiration: Cinnamon

For as long as I’ve been cooking, cinnamon has been an integral part of my pantry… its sweet and spicy scent enhances so many dishes, both sweet and savory. I add it to chocolate desserts for a little kick or blueberries for a warm accent. Since I’m not much of a baker, I more often use it in savory dishes: Moroccan Style Chicken, Italian-Style Braised Chicken or Grilled Lamb Kebabs.

Beyond my staple recipes, I never really thought about cinnamon beyond the basic ground or sticks I keep in 4 oz. jars in the spice drawer. I first learned about Vietnamese Cinnamon just a few months ago, when reading White on Rice Couple's blog…. I was intrigued! First, because of its particularly spicy flavor, it seemed better suited to my style of cooking. Second, I knew I’d be traveling to Vietnam, so I’d have a chance to buy at its source.

Indeed I purchased several quills of cinnamon on my recent trip. When I returned home, I scoured on-line and in my cookbook library for recipes that use cinnamon, but little other spicing. I wanted the cinnamon to really be able to shine. Then, as I was procrastinating one day, reading “Equal Opportunity Kitchen” I noticed that Psychgrad had cinnamon rolls on her list of recipes she’d like to try. This seemed perfect... and even more fun, I thought we could cook together! I invited Psychgrad over for a virtual cooking party.

Cinnamon Rolls are a spin-off from Brioche or Challah. All three use a similar enriched yeast dough; the richness coming from either butter or oil, and eggs. The cinnamon roll dough gets an extra kick from the swirls of sugar and butter in the middle.

The Vietnamese quills of cinnamon, which come from the bark of a variety of evergreen tree, are huge – 15 inches long and 4 inches around.

I used my coffee bean grinder (which I cleaned first, of course) to break down the sticks into a coarse powder. I’ve normally kept my pantry stocked with both ground and stick cinnamon, and pull out the jar that is necessary for a given recipe. I’ve never actually ground my own cinnamon, so my initial thought with the coarse grind was that this is a liability. In fact, I rather liked the little bits of cinnamon sprinkled throughout – they offered an unexpectedly pleasant, spicy burst.

I further modified the traditional cinnamon bun recipe by adding a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the actual dough – ignoring Penzy’s recommendation to use less of the Vietnamese variety than what a recipe suggests of the usual variety.

Be careful with these… if you’re like me, and can’t tolerate a lot of sugar, you could be in trouble… the spicy sweetness is addictive. The neighbors have been complaining about the noise from me bouncing off the walls with too much sugar.

½ cup warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast
½ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
½ stick butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs
3 ½ cups flour

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter

1. In a small bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Stir to dissolve. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast activate.

2. In a small skillet, melt the butter with the sugar. Removed from heat and whisk in the milk. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

3. Combine milk/butter mix, yeast and eggs in an electric mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook. Add ½ cup flour and begin mixing. Add salt and cinnamon.

4. Continue mixing and adding flour until the dough comes together in a firm ball, you may not need all the flour… or you could need a little extra depending on the day’s humidity.

5. Knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes or until it’s smooth and elastic.

6. Let dough sit covered in a warm area until doubled in volume. About one hour.

7. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter with ¾ cup of brown sugar over low heat. Stir until combined and sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 13 x 9 inch pyrex dish. Mix together remaining sugar and cinnamon

8. When dough is doubled, roll it out on a well floured table into a rectangle, about ½ inch thick and 18 x 14 inches. Brush with butter. Sprinke sugar mix on top.


Tightly roll up dough. Cut into 1 inch slices. Put slices in baking sheet. You don’t need to crowd the pan as the rolls will expand as they rise and bake.

Pre Rise....


Post Rise....
9. You can bake the rolls immediately, or refrigerate them overnight and bake first thing in the morning. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

10. Let cool for 5 minutes before flipping out of pan. Serve warm with coffee.

I'm submitting this recipe to Southern Grace's Cinnamon Celebration.

Craving Summer, Part 2 - Black Bean-Quinoa Salad

Another 6 inches of snow fell in Cambridge this week, and the warmth of Vietnam seems so far away. Since, I know we have another few months of winter, I try to conjure up memories of steamy summer nights… sitting on the back porch eating a light summer meal – a cold salad, maybe, with grilled meat or fish… the scent of honeysuckle wafts through the air; a few beads of sweat trickle down my back. And the warm breezes that bring relief… aaahhh summer…

This is when I begin to break into my stash of tomatoes that I canned last summer. And the basil I froze in ice cube trays

What I didn’t tell you this summer, when I was knee deep in tomatoes and jars, is that I really don’t like canning. It’s a long process. The largest pot I own only holds 8 pint jars... and with this pot on the stove, I only have enough room for a second pot of simmering tomatoes. It takes many, many batches and a solid day or two to process enough tomatoes and peachy mama peppers to get me through the winter. But now that it’s the dark days of winter, I’m so grateful for my stash!! And indeed my appreciation stays with me through the summer canning process.

Simple pasta tossed with a can of tomatoes and a basil “ice cube” offers the quintessential taste of summer. Still simple, but with a more complex ingredient list, I toss quinoa and black beans with the tomatoes and basil and serve it with grilled chicken sausage. Can you feel the warmth?

Black Bean Quinoa Salad
1 cup dried quinoa
1 cup cooked black beans
1 pint jar of summer canned tomatoes
1-2 ice cubes of basil
2 scallions, cut into rings
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse quinoa under cold running water.

2. Put quinoa in a pot with 3 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cover pot. Cook quinoa for 10 minutes, or until grains pop open and have a little tail. Drain any excess liquid.

3. Toss quinoa with remaining ingredients. Serve with chicken sausage.

I'm submitting this recipe to Andrea's Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves.

Do You Save Money by Growing Your Own?

Today’s Boston Globe featured an article promoting vegetable gardening as a way to save money in these challenging economic times. I have always enjoyed growing my own vegetables, but I would never tout it as being economical. Unless, of course, you have inherently good soil in your yard.

The house I live in was built in 1929 during the era of lead paint and asbestos. My neighbors (who have lived in the same house for over 50 years) tell me my backyard was paved over before developers dug it up and put in a lawn. When I moved in, I started a garden. I picked out the sunniest spot and started digging. Just inches below the grass were bricks, concrete blocks and assorted debris and rubble. The first summer, I dug out two patches – 8 feet by 4 feet – and replaced the “dirt” with a mix of peat moss, manure and top soil. I built up the patches with raised beds so that I had a solid foot of good soil. Each bed had, literally, 800 pounds of fresh dirt. And I moved every pound of it. The next year, I built two more raised beds… my backyard became a patch work of crab grass and vegetables.

Finally, two summers, I excavated the entire backyard and filled it in with rich soil. Okay, this time, I didn’t do the work, but I “supervised.”

Before... (can you see concrete blocks and bricks mixed in with the dirt)

After....
The tomatoes I grew were worth their weight in gold. But you can’t put a value on the pleasure I derive from gardening… coaxing fresh vegetables from the earth... to know that within 30 minutes, I can harvest an eggplant or salad from the garden and serve it for dinner.

Given the constraints of good soil, one can still make economical choices when plotting a garden. Stay tuned for tips on how to get the most from your gardening dollars.

Adina Kebabi

Meatballs are a great way to utilize the lesser cuts of meat. And by lesser, I mean tougher. Grinding the meat breaks down the muscle tissues, yielding a product that's tender and cooks quickly. What makes these cuts tough also makes them more flavorful. The meat we typically eat are the muscles -- legs, tenderloin, racks and flank. The more use the muscles get, like the legs, the tougher the meat. But this means more blood flows through them, so the meat is also more flavorful.

Just about every culture has its version of meatballs -- Swedish, Italian, Chinese. Each culture imprints its own style with the different seasoning. The Turkish version, Adina Kebabi, gets its kick from mint, chilies and cinnamon. Typically it's served with a parsley-sumac salad which offers a refreshing contrast to the highly seasoned meat.

Adina Kebabi

1 lb. ground lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
½ cup chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbs. mint
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

1. Gently mix all ingredients together. Form into a sausage shape around a skewer.
2. Grill (or saute) over medium high flame, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with Salad, Roasted Tomatoes and Roasted Onions.

Salad
1 red onion, finely sliced
¼ cup flat parsley leaves
1 ½ tsp. sumac

1. Mix everything together.

I'm submitting this recipe to Southern Grace's Cinnamon Celebration