GardenCuizine

Grilled Clams and Oysters

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:05:00 PDT

New England-style
Grilled Clams and Oysters

Is there anything more ideal than grilling by the garden the day after a romantic and picturesque Cape Cod summer wedding? My Aunt and Uncle's New England summer BBQ featured locally grown corn-on-the-cob, tomato-basil salad, steamed lobster, and Cape Cod's local clams and oysters cooked right on the grill.

The weather couldn't have been more beautiful, with low humidity and a caressing, bug-less, summer breeze that kept us cool and refreshed. While the jubilant bride and groom were long on their way across the sea to honeymoon in Italy, family and friends gathered around tranquil flower and vegetable gardens, complete with garden statuarys, frog pond, and garden arbor. A wide, yellow umbrella shaded us from the bright, late day sun.

A mouthwatering array of locally grown vegetables enticed our palates. Fresh garden tomato-basil salad was made with tomatoes and basil picked fresh from my relatives' home garden. Sliced tomatoes and hand torn basil leaves were tossed with soft balls of creamy mozzarella and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The delectable seafood Cape Cod is known for was a real treat. Have you ever tried to cook clams or oysters on the grill? This was our first time; it was easy and delicious. Here are the recipes:

Grilled Clams
Simply place rinsed clams over a hot grill and cook until they open; that's all there is to grilling clams. They steam in their natural juices and open when cooked. Remove the clams from the grill (we used tongs) as soon as they open. Try not to spill out the flavorful clam nectar. Pile the cooked clams in a serving bowl garnished with sliced lemon and fresh parsley. Serve with homemade cocktail sauce.

Clam Nutrition

Clams are very low in sodium and saturated fat, and high in protein and vital nutrients. A small serving is an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Iron, Phosphorus, Copper, Manganese and Selenium. Clams are also a good source of Vitamin C and Riboflavin. Shellfish are high in cholesterol, yet can be part of a healthy diet if eaten in moderation.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA Nutrient values
Serving size: 5 small clams (48g), Protein: 12g (24%DV), Vitamin C: 11mg (18%DV), Riboflavin: .2mg (11%DV), Vitamin B12: 47mcg (78%DV), Iron: 13mg (74%DV), Phosphorus: 161mg (16%DV), Sodium: 53mg (2%DV), Copper: .325mg (16%DV), Manganese: .5mg (24%DV), Selenium: 31mcg (44%DV), Cholesterol: 32mg (11%DV)

Harry's Grilled Oysters

My husband, Harry, was eager to recreate his version of the fantastic chargrilled oysters he had at Drago's Seafood Restaurant while in New Orleans... but first, he had to learn how to shuck an oyster. My cousin Richard, an expert oyster shucker - he grew up on Cape Cod - quickly showed him how. "It gets easier, the more you open," Rich told us.

Once shucked, and the top shells removed (garden note: oyster shells make lovely borders in the garden), it was time to whip up a butter sauce.

Garlic butter sauce

As you know, butter adds fat. To add flavor with less saturated fat, melt the butter using 1/3 butter blended with 2/3 oil. Harry added garlic too, with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (one of Drago's secret ingredients). Next time, we'll add a squeeze of lemon, a splash of hot sauce and a pinch of fresh herbs to make the butter sauce even more amazing.

Drizzle garlic butter over the oysters on the half shell, place on a hot grill
Grill just long enough to heat through
Serve immediately

Oyster Nutrition According to The National Institutes of Health, oysters have more zinc per serving than any other food. Six medium oysters have a whopping 77mg of zinc, 7 times the RDA! The RDA of zinc for men (age 19+) is 11 mg. The RDA of zinc for women (age 19+) is 8 mg (pregnancy, slightly higher: 11 mg).

In addition to zinc, oysters (mollusks) are an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Iron, Copper, and Selenium. Oysters are also a good source of Protein, Magnesium and Manganese. As previously mentioned, shellfish are high in cholesterol - enjoy in moderation.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA Nutrient values
Serving size: 6 medium (84g) wild eastern mollusks, Calories: 57, Total Fat: 2.1g, Protein: 5.9g (12%DV), Vitamin D: 269IU (67%DV), Vitamin B12: 16.3mcg (275%DV WOW!), Iron: 5.6mg (31%DV), Magnesium: 39.5mg (10%DV), Phosphorus: 113mg (11%DV), Sodium: 177mg (7%DV), Zinc: 76.3mg (509%DV Incredible!), Copper: 3.7mg (187%DV), Manganese: 0.3mg (15%DV), Selenium: 53.5mcg (76%DV), Cholesterol: 44.5mg (15%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

Buon Appetito!

Congratulations Kristine and Matt!

Thank you Aunt Jo, Uncle Richard, Richard, Brenna, and Philip

Related Links
Grilled Oysters by Jaden, Steamy Kitchen
AboutSeafood.com
Are Shrimp and Shellfish still considered bad if you have high Cholesterol?

Donut Peaches - Prunus persica ‘Saturn’

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:06:36 PDT

Donut Peaches
A real good-for-you Donut!

Yesterday an unusual peach variety caught my attention while visiting South Jersey Healthcare's Jersey Fresh farmer's market located on the hospital grounds in Vineland, NJ. A.T. Buzby's Farm in Woodstown, NJ provided their weekly selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, which included the rare, strangely shaped, peach - Prunus persica 'Saturn'. Strange indeed, the fruits were not round like regular shaped peaches, instead they were flatter. And with some imagination, these unusual peaches resemble the ring around Saturn, or a donut without the hole - hence their name, Saturn or Donut Peach.

I don't seem to recall ever seeing them before, but according to Wikipedia, Donut peaches have been around for awhile. They were first introduced to the U.S. from China in 1869, and gained popularity in the 1990's. They seem to be making a comeback now; my family recently spotted them in our neighborhood grocery stores produce aisle too.

Grow your own

Peach trees are easy to grow in USDA zones 5-9. The large, showy double pink blooms are self-fertile (meaning they self-pollinate), with flowers that have both a stamen (the male part with anthers that carry the pollen) and a carpel (the female part that receives the pollen). Deciduous Saturn peach trees grow 10-15 feet tall and prefer full sun.

Health Benefits

Did you know there is no food on this planet besides whole fruit that contains as much as 80% water? Eating whole fruits each day provides your body with water in addition to fiber, vitamins and minerals. Eating a Saturn peach is a fun and delicious way to get more fruit in your diet, especially during the summertime.

Peaches are an excellent source of Vitamin C, and a good source of dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, and Potassium.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: one large peach (175g): dietary Fiber: 2.6g (10%DV), Potassium: 332mg (10% DV), Vitamin C: 11.6mg (19% DV), Vitamin A: 570IU (11%DV)

Related Links
Top 10 Reasons to Try a Donut Peach Mother Earth News

Country Peach Tart Recipe Stark Bro's
Local produce at RMC's doorstep By Kristi Funderburk - The Daily Journal.com South Jersey Healthcare's Farmers Market Vineland, NJ: NJ Secretary of Agriculture - Douglass Fisher; Steve Moré -manager of food and nutrition SJ Hospital-Elmer; Carolyn Heckman - Executive Director of the SJH Foundation; me (Diana Wind, dietetic intern); and employees of South Jersey Healthcare

Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

Passion for Pickles Video

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:58:54 PDT

Passion for Pickles

If you think pickles are just cucumbers or beets soaked in vinegar, water and salt... think again. Alex Hozven opens our eyes to the wide world of pickling using alternative methods for food preservation. She has built a business using traditional Asian pickling techniques, which use sea salt and natural brine (drawn by salt) from fresh garden vegetables, versus pickling using a wet acid (vinegar) solution.

According to the Obsessive Video documentary caption, posted on CHOW, Alex craved pickles when she was pregnant with her first son. Her passion for pickles led her to opening a family pickling business called The Cultured Pickle, located in Berkeley, CA.

The Cultured Pickle shop makes everything you can imagine in pickles, ranging from a Vintage Sauerkraut with green cabbage, caraway seed, juniper berries, green apples and sea salt, to seasonal specialties, such as summer Armenian cucumbers with fresh turmeric. The Cultured Pickle produces a range of pickled products, including 'Super Sauerkraut Salad' made from green cabbage, beets, carrots, ginger and sea salt, and a house Kim Chee made with pickled green cabbage daikon, carrots, ginger, cayenne pepper and sea salt.

Alex takes pride using Japanese techniques to make her company's fermented vegetable creations. According to her website, she purchases their veggies from an impressive range of locally grown, organic produce suppliers. Green thumbs up from GardenCuizine!

Note: Pickled products are very high in sodium, enjoy their intense flavors in moderation along with daily exercise and home cooked meals. Cooking at home helps to control your daily sodium intake.

Related Links
Pickles: Helping Preserve Memories of Home by Lucy Morris, author of Pickled
Sodium in the Diet

Special thanks to Jill Nussinow, MS, RD for posting about The Cultured Pickle Shop on Facebook. Jill is known as ‘The Veggie Queen’ -- Growing Vegetable Enthusiasm - Vegetable, vegetarian, vegan and pressure cooking expert and Food and Nutrition Strategist

Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

Operation Frontline Chef

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 07:05:32 PDT

Operation Frontline® Chef

Cooper’s Poynt, Camden

I'm not fond of public speaking, but I went ahead and made the commitment to participate as a Chef - Nutritionist for Operation Frontline ® at our local food bank, The Food Bank of South Jersey. The program is founded by Share Our Strength ®, a national organization that wants no kid in America to grow up hungry. The program involves Chefs, Nutritionists and Registered Dietitians and stresses that when children and families learn how to shop for and prepare healthy, low cost meals; they can avoid the undesirable health and economic effects from hunger and poor dietary nutrition.

Operation Frontline currently operates in 17 states and the District of Columbia. The curriculum is fun and is designed to teach children ages 8-12 about nutrition, foods, cooking and food safety. Operation Frontline workers volunteer to share their knowledge. The Nutritionists teach why it is important to make eating well part of a healthy lifestyle, and the Chefs teach how to easily prepare and cook healthy, affordable meals. This exciting new program made its debut in January 2010.

Operation Frontline involves several of my favorite interests, including cooking, nutrition, food safety and, depending on the class, planting seeds and vegetables. I want to blog about this to help spread the word about this beneficial program, especially since they depend on volunteers like you and me. Operation Frontline needs your help to bring this program to as many at-risk children and families as possible. They could also use financial support from corporate and culinary school sponsorships. Check out their website for details and to see how you can help (link posted below).

My first class experience was to watch an Operation Frontline team in action. I went to the last day of the program at Cooper’s Poynt Professional Development School, a pre K – 8 family school in North Camden, New Jersey. And it was serious business! The children (ages 8-12) were doing their grand finale ‘Iron Chef’ cook-off. The frenzy of excitement filled the former Home Economics room, as the children concentrated on what they needed to do to create a meal, without a recipe, using their knowledge and skills learned from the previous classes.

Iron chef is a Food network television show, which was a spin off from the Japanese series that ran in Japan from 1993 – 2002. Iron Chef America entered the scene in 2004. Iron chefs quickly prepare their culinary creations using given ingredients, while feverishly working against the clock.

The children 'Iron chefs' were quite impressive as they showed off their newly learned skills. Eager student leaders from each group presented and explained to the head chef what they had made, how they had made it and what food groups it contained. It was exciting to see such bright and talented children enthusiastically preparing healthy, low-cost, and tasty meals in the Operation Frontline program. The program's hands-on cooking and nutrition education activities really energized the kids participating in the program.

Names of the participants withheld to protect their identities and privacy.
Operation Frontline ® is nationally sponsored by ConAgra Foods Foundation.

Related Links:
Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline
Let’s Move
Hunger in America 2010

GardenCuizine Recipe: Antioxidant-rich Blueberry Cobbler

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:46:24 PDT

All American Blueberry Cobbler

Antioxidant-rich
Berry Delicious
Kids love it!

Berry Nutritious

A 1 cup serving of fresh blueberries is an excellent source of Manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K and a good source of dietary fiber.

Ingredients

Batter
1 cup (125g) unbleached all purpose white flour
1 teaspoon (tsp) (4.6g) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1.5g) salt
zest of 1/2 lemon

2 eggs (100g)
1/4 cup (50g) plus 2 T (25g) granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons (T) (28g) unsalted butter (or soy margarine), melted
2 T (30ml) reduced fat milk (or soymilk)

Fruit filling
6 1/2 cups (962g) blueberries
1/3 cup (73g) brown sugar, packed
1-2 Tablespoons (T) (12.5-25g) granulated sugar (optional)*
1 T (15ml) lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/3 cup (79ml) orange juice
1/2 tsp (1.3g) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract

Decoration
American Flag toothpick

Putting it all together
Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C)

Prepare a 7x11 (2L) baking dish with a light non-stick spray or thin coating of butter, set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside

Rinse the fruit, drain in colander and pick off any stems
In a large bowl toss fruit with the brown sugar (reserve the 1-2 Tablespoons granulated sugar), juice, zest, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. While the fruit is cooking, make the cobbler batter.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar, add the butter and milk - mix well to combine; then add the flour mixture, mixing just to combine.

* After taking the baking dish with blueberries out of the oven and before topping it with the cobbler batter, I like to sprinkle an additional Tablespoon or two of granulated sugar over the berries and gently stir it in

Using a small cookie scoop or spoon, place scoops of batter over the hot fruit leaving spaces for some fruit to show
Bake 20-25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Cool on a cake rack
Add a flag to decorate for Memorial Day or Fourth of July
Delicious served with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt or low-fat ice cream

Eat a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables every day!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA Nutrient values
1 cup raw blueberries: Total Fat: 0.49g (0.7%DV), Sodium 1mg (0%DV), total dietary Fiber: 4g (14%DV), total Sugars 15g, Vitamin C: 14mg (24%DV), Vitamin K: 29mcg (36%DV), Manganese 0.50mg (25%DV)
Percent Daily Value (%DV) is based on a 2000 calorie diet
Related Links:
Fruits and Veggies, More Matters
History of Memorial Day
Jersey Blues by Diana Wind
Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

Let’s Move to fight Childhood Obesity

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 05:04:27 PDT

First Lady’s Fancy Footwork

Mrs. Obama's contagious enthusiasm inspires Americans of all ages to get up and move. In fact, while you view the video, why not stand up and move around?

The First Lady kicked off the White House South Lawn Series on May 25, 2010, attracting nearly 100 local children and coaches to have fun and participate in sports and activities. Obama's clear message in the first of this series, was for children to get at least 60 minutes of activity a day and to spread the word to their families and friends to do the same.

I’ve never seen an American First Lady wearing sneakers and running and exercising. Her fancy footwork reminded me of PE class moves I did in grade-school, back in the days when there was always time made for kids' gym and fitness classes.

Exercise and Eating Right

Last year the White House debuted the WH Kitchen Garden, bringing national attention to local fresh fruits, vegetables and gardening, and as Michelle Obama said, "...It helped us start a conversation about eating right..."

Eating right is one of the many things Registered Dietitians are able to help you do. The American Dietetic Association, with over 70,000 members, stands strongly behind First Lady Michelle Obama’s nationwide Let’s Move campaign to fight the childhood obesity epidemic.

Related Links:
Find a Registered Dietitian
ADA Supports Michelle Obama's Childhood Obesity Initiative
Let’s Move
Let's Move Blog Mrs. Obama Kicks Off the South Lawn Series by Melissa Blaustein
White House Garden 2009 Video

Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Mother's Day Mango Mama

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:11 PDT

Mother's Day

Agave Sweetened

Champagne "Mango Mama"

God bless our Mama, who is now in her late 70's. She worked all day today in our backyard garden. Back when Dad was alive, they both shared a memorable vacation in the Bahamas. To this day, Mom still remembers a drink they shared, called a Bahama Mama.

Since it is time for Mother's Day and Mom needed more energy to garden, and I was in need of revitalization from recently completing my Nutrition finals at Rutgers University, we concocted this special beverage that your Mom may enjoy too. This special nutritious, fresh fruit smoothie tastes:

Delicious
and is Energizing!

Enjoy this quick and easy Mother's Day "Mango Mama" recipe. Actually, you don't even need to follow a recipe, since you can't go wrong in making fresh fruit smoothies. Simply blend together fresh fruit with some yogurt and enjoy!

We used Organic Valley brand pourable yogurt with live probiotics, inulin and agave nectar. If you can't find that brand, use your favorite vanilla yogurt (dairy or non-dairy). Also, if you can't find Champagne Mangos, you can use any variety of Mango.

Putting it all together

Serves: 4
Yields: ~ 5 cups (1,037g)

Ingredients

2 Champagne (Ataulfo) Mangos (or one regular Mango, 207g)
1 small (101g) banana
~25 ounces (720mL) low-fat, pourable Organic Valley vanilla yogurt
1 Tablespoon (9g) brown sugar

Peel and slice the mango and discard the pit. Peel one banana. Add the fresh fruit and the rest of the ingredients into to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy. Serve in your favorite fancy glasses (special for Mom) with sprigs of garden-fresh mint.

Happy Mother's Day!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA Nutrient values
Excellent source: Vitamin C, Calcium and Riboflavin
Good source: Dietary Fiber, Protein, Potassium, Vitamins A, B6, and B12

Serving size 1/4 recipe (259g), Calories 185 (9%DV), Dietary Fiber 3.1g (12%DV), total Fat 2.1g ( 3%DV), total Omega-3 fatty acids ~ 26 mg, Protein 5.8g (12%DV), Vitamin A 712 IU (14%DV), Vitamin C 16.5 mg (28%DV), Vitamin D ~12 IU (~3%DV), Riboflavin .4mg (22%DV), Vitamin B6 .2mg (11%DV), Vitamin B12 .7mcg (11%DV), Calcium 233mg (23%DV), Potassium 463mg (13%DV), Sodium 66mg (3%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

Related Links: ADA Mango Nutrition Fact Sheet

Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.
Nutritional data image courtesy of www.NutritionData.com.

Sweet Bay, Laurus nobilis

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 07:44:00 PDT

Sweet Bay

Laurus nobilis

Aromatic, dried or fresh, bay leaves add unique and pleasing herbal essence to sweet and savory foods, including: sauces, custards, soups, stews, rice, wholegrains, vinegars and many Mediterranean dishes. Sweet Bay leaves are the signature ingredient used in bouquet garni and Old Bay Seasoning^®.

Historic Bay Laurel

Did you know Bay leaves are symbolic and were prominently used throughout history? References to bay leaves can be seen in artist renderings and stories of how bay was used to adorn wreaths. Head crowns made of bay leaves were worn by heroes and noble Greek scholars even before crowns were worn by Olympic Games champions in 776 BC.

Bay laurel artwork is often seen on money and is on the U.S. dollar bill, as well as in Japanese currency. Bay references can also be found in Greek mythology, Chinese folklore and the Bible.

The bay tree has also influenced the English language. From bay laurel, we get the expressions, "winning your laurels," and "resting on your laurels." Language derivatives include the words baccalaureate and poet laureate.

Turkish Bay Leaves

Since Turkey is such a large exporter of bay leaves, you'll often see Turkish bay leaves sold by spice companies throughout the U.S. Bay leaves also arrive from other countries, including: Spain, Morocco, Israel and France.

Sweet Bay in Cooking

Bay leaves make a useful kitchen herb and enhance the flavors in so many recipes. Besides soups, Pomodoro sauce and stocks, one of my favorite uses for bay leaves is to steep and infuse bay flavor into dairy products, especially in creamy, scalloped potatoes. Watch for the recipe, I'll post it soon!

Growing a Bay Tree

Slow growing bay trees can easily be grown in pots and make a great garden addition, deserving a spot in all kitchen gardens. Bay trees can not tolerate freezing temperatures - we over winter ours indoors. Hardy to USDA zones 8a-11, sweet bay trees can grow 15 to 30 feet tall, which I was surprised to learn.

Our little bay tree was a slender 2-foot stick for several years, until it finally began to branch out in its third year. I have yet to prune our bay laurel, which would enhance its growth and branching out; I just can't bring myself to prune such a small stick! Even so, our sweet bay is growing, little-by-little, and is now a few inches taller than 3-foot, making it an ideal plant to be featured in the garden.

Bay Laurel Topiary

Topiary's are not my style, but if you want to be fancy, and if you have the time (it may take longer than 10 years), your bay laurel tree can be pruned into a formal topiary.

Related Links:
Dave's Gardens - Laurus nobilis
Bay Laurel, the 2009 Herb of the Year by Carrie Lamont
Herb Society of America: Laurus nobilis Fact Sheet
The Herb Companion: Bay (Laurus Nobilis) Article, Recipes and Tips by Susan Belsinger
All About Bay Leaves and Basic Chicken Stock Recipe by Sandra Bowens
Photograph: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons: Laurus nobilis ;Family:Lauraceae Original book source: Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'' 1885, Gera,
Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

Plant a Row for the Hungry in your Garden

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 05:35:08 PDT

Share your harvest

Plant-a-Row

for the Hungry

Plant-a-Row for the Hungry is an ongoing, annual campaign sponsored by the Garden Writers Association (GWA)
GardenCuizine blog is by Diana Wind, member of the GWA
Plant vegetables, fruits, and herbs
Bring your extra produce to a GardenCuizine drop off point, or a soup kitchen or food pantry nearest you
Diana can mail you receipt(s) to have verified at the drop off site

If you would like you, your family, your group or company to be recognized in social or print media, email GardenCuizine a copy of the verified receipt, along with any photos you wish to have included. Diana will gladly write a press release about your efforts for your local paper, GWA and GardenCuizine's blog.

You can make a difference!

2010 Plant-a-Row Supporters include:

Whole Foods Market, Marlton, NJ - at their new community organic garden, Marlton Garden at Springside, breaking ground Friday, April 16th! For those in need of a garden plot contact: Marlton.Garden@WholeFoods.com or http://twitter.com/MarltonGarden

Would you like to Plant-a-Row?

www.foodbanksj.org The Food Bank of South Jersey - a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help eliminate hunger and malnutrition in the four counties it serves in southern New Jersey - Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem.

www.cathedralkitchen.org Camden Cathedral Soup Kitchen

Search for a Food Pantry: www.AmpleHarvest.org

For more information contact:

Diana Wind - GardenCuizine @gmail.com

Plant-A-Row for the Hungry is sponsored by The Garden Writers Association -
www.gardenwriters.org or Call Toll Free (877) 492-2727

Related Links:
USDA Food Security
Fruits and Veggies, More Matters

Italian Easter Bread

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:37:25 PDT

Italian Easter Bread

Italian Easter bread makes a spectacular and festive addition to an Easter table setting. My tradition has been to make the bread dough Easter morning before church, cover it and let the dough rise. Then Easter day, after church, I assemble and braid the dough into a ring with eggs and let it rise again. The Easter bread is baked off around 4 pm or so, just in time for dinner. Of course, if you plan to have Easter dinner earlier in the day, you could move up your baking schedule to either earlier in the morning, or the day before.

To color or not to color the eggs?

My mama recalls the Easter bread Granddad would bring home came from an Italian Bakery in New York City. She remembers it having white eggs, not dyed - similar to how Ferrara's Bakery makes their Easter bread today.

Traditional Greek Easter bread, tsoureki, incorporates red dyed eggs to symbolize the blood of Christ. I like baking the bread with pastel colored eggs - the choice is yours. The eggs are placed uncooked in the bread dough and will become hard cooked when the dough is baked in the oven. I find it works best to color the eggs the night before Easter, so the color can thoroughly dry.

Growing Anise

Anise seeds add a hint of traditional Italian licorice flavor to the Easter bread dough. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) plants are lovely and easy to grow in the yard or garden.

The plants grow similar to fennel with flowers that bloom in umbels. After flowering the blooms will go to seed. The seeds can be collected by cutting off the umbels and drying them on sheet pans. Anise seeds enhance breads and baked goods, such as Anise Biscotti and Pizzelles.

Related Links

Diana's Anise Biscotti
Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

Gardens Teach Children Nutrition

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:36:08 PDT

Gardens Teach Children Nutrition

March brings us National Nutrition Month, an annual program sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. This year's theme, 'Nutrition from the Ground Up', brings to mind my favorite subjects: gardening, food, health and nutrition. We all know that in order to live, we need nutrition and energy from food. And, where does all food originate? Wholesome, nutritious food, both for us and for farm animals, grows from seeds planted in the garden! Gardens and farms offer learning opportunities that can provide meaningful experiences and influence healthy-lifestyle changes for all of us - especially children.

Grains, grasses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and edible flowers, all come from a farm or garden somewhere. Children find farms and gardens absolutely fascinating and welcome the opportunity to participate. Children actually enjoy, and even ask for more, fruits and vegetables after having a helping-hand in planting and harvesting them. Children who experience gardening have multiple opportunities to learn about working cooperatively, science, math, art, reading, writing, weather, wildlife, insects, and all about plant life, food, health and nutrition.

Gardens do not have to be located just in your own backyard either; school, camp, and public children's gardens are gaining popularity throughout the nation. During recent years, I have had the pleasure and opportunity to visit and research several children's gardens. Look for my top 10 Plant Picks for a Children's Garden in articles published on www.davesgarden.com.

'Celebrate National Nutrition Month by Gardening with Children'
Part 1- Best Plants for Gardening with Kids

Related Links:
Camden Children's Garden
HealthBarn USA
Fruits and Veggies, More Matters
Benefits of Gardening for Children
"Mommy, look what I picked!" Improving Children's Nutrition and Health through Gardening by Diana Wind

Credits: Eat Right logo is a registered trademark of the American Dietetic Association. Children in Garden Photograph taken at HealthBarnUSA with permission.

Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

Celebrity Chef calls for support of Michelle Obama's Let's Move initiative

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:57:21 PDT

Chef Jamie Oliver’s Power of Food

2010 TED Award Speech

Fight Obesity

A quick observation will confirm that obesity in America is much more prevalent than ever before. The Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention (CDC) confirm that after smoking, obesity has become the primary lifestyle-related cause of disease and death in the United States. Obesity tops the list of growing global health concerns and is one of America's primary health and economic concerns. British celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver, well known on The Food Network, took his passion for fighting obesity in the UK to the obesity battleground right here in America. Jamie Oliver was the recipient of this year's prestigious 2010 TEDPrize award.

What is TED?
In 1984 a small, nonprofit group dedicated to Ideas Worth Spreading began to bring together inspiring people from Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED). Over three decades since then, TED has grown and has an annual conference in Long Beach, California and in Oxford UK (TEDGlobal). TED also boasts a community program, TEDx, a video site, TEDTalks, and TEDIndia.

Take a look at the video of Chef Jamie Oliver's recent TED prize award speech, shown below. This speech, along with Jamie's ongoing efforts, will aide in generating increased funding and public awareness about the seriousness of obesity on public health.

Chef Jamie stressed how we must make healthier choices, increase education about food, continue adding gardens, and bring back simple cooking techniques in the home. He urges all Americans to support first lady, Michelle Obama, in her Let's Move initiative calling for healthy choices, healthier schools, physical activity and affordable and accessible healthy food for America's children.

What caught my eye most about Jamie’s award speech was his passion and obvious dedication to improve America's school lunch program for the sake of our children. Chef Jamie points out the importance of food and nutrition education, along with the need for healthier recipes using more locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables.

Children Deserve Better
Jamie Oliver's energy and fight for this cause was fueled by the lack of nutrition that also faces school lunch programs in his homeland, the UK. Jamie Oliver created the UK's Feed Me Better campaign, which generated interest from over 200,000 people, prompting the government to pledge $550 million towards improving school lunch programs in the UK.

Chef Jamie also starred in the award-winning UK series Jamie's School Dinners and Jamie's Return To School Dinners. His shows generated a public outcry for change in the school meals system and his work continues to be recognized by the British government.

Fruits and Veggies More Matters logo is the registered trademark of the Produce for Better Health (PBH) Foundation, Wilmington, DE

Related Links:

Healthy Meals Resource System (HMRS)

The Food Network

TED

Chef Jamie Oliver
Obesity A Growing Epidemic
American Diabetes Association Applauds First Lady

Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Nutty Ginger Streusel

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:11 PDT

Nutty Ginger Streusel

Topping for Baked Goods, Squash

and Sweet Potato Casserole

Streusel topping adds crunch, sweetness, nutrients, and eye appeal, not to mention delicious, sweet cinnamon flavor to baked goods, squash and sweet potato casseroles. This recipe contains nuts* and aromatic spices of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. These spices, along with walnuts or pecans, add to outstanding flavors in addition to contributing a variety of antioxidants and phytonutrients to your healthy streusel recipes.

Streusel is also made with butter and sugar, so use it sparingly and make a little go a long way. Doing this will enable you and your family to reap the benefits of increased consumption of fruits and vegetables that streusel so magically enhances.

Popular ways to use streusel topping is to sprinkle it on top of: homemade fruit crisps, fruit pies, muffins, coffee cake, sweet breads (such as banana, pumpkin or zucchini bread), sweet potato casserole, or atop baked squash. You'll find a GardenCuizine link posted below for Baked Nutty, one of our family's favorite winter vegetable side dishes using streusel to stuff acorn squash.

Streusel is quick and easy to make, and stores great in the freezer. It may be best and most practical to make a batch of streusel at a time when you are home that is most convenient to you. Streusel can be used immediately after it is made or as needed from your freezer stash.

*Nut Allergies

If you or those you are cooking or baking for have allergies to nuts, streusel topping can be successfully made omitting the nuts.

Health Note: If you are a pastry chef or have made streusel before, I should point out that for this recipe I have reduced the amount of butter as low as possible, so it will take a little bit longer to come together and form the streusel. Be patient, it will come together. It just takes longer to coat the flour granules using less butter than traditional streusel recipes call for.

Putting it all together

Yields: 1 lb, 7 oz. (699g)
Ingredients:
1 cup Pecans or Walnuts, toasted
1/2 cup (62.5g) Flour, all purpose, unbleached
1/2 cup (60g) White whole grain wheat flour
1/2 cup (40g) Rolled oats (instant quick cooking type)
1/2 cup (110g) Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
1 Tablespoon (7.8g) Cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon (tsp) (2.2g) Nutmeg, fresh grated or ground
1 tsp Ginger, fresh grated or ground (optional)
1/8 tsp (0.3g) Cloves, ground

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 3 Tablespoons Butter (155.6g), no salt (or soy margarine)

First roast the nuts in a 350° F oven. Make an even layer of the nuts on a baking sheet or cast iron pan and bake until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and all the spices, mix to combine. I use a KitchenAide mixer with a paddle attachment.
Cut the butter into small cubes and sprinkle onto the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until you notice the butter lumps mixing completely with the flour and as it does you will notice the flour granules becoming a darker color.

Mixing is the only tricky part to making streusel. Once streusel gets over mixed, it becomes a smooth, dough-like mass; you can still use it, but it will not be the proper, crumbly texture of a well-made streusel. The best way to avoid over mixing streusel is, when you think it is almost ready, stop the mixer and pulse it "on" and "off" with frequent checking until you are pleased with the consistency. A good streusel will be well combined with 1/4-1/2-inch clumps throughout.

When your streusel is ready, add the nuts and pulse again just until the nuts are incorporated -- then stop! That's it.

Streusel can be used immediately, stored in the refrigerator for up to one week, or stored for a longer period of time in an air tight container in your freezer.

Related GardenCuizine Recipe: Baked Nutty ~ Streusel topped Squash
Related Links:
McCormick Spices for Health
Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables Every Day

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis
...coming soon...
Copyright © 2010 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Baked Nutty (Streusel stuffed Acorn Squash)

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:11 PDT

Baked Nutty
~Streusel stuffed Acorn Squash~

This recipe was inspired by good friends, who made us a memorable acorn squash vegetable side dish for a holiday get together. Their recipe used crumbled crackers in a buttery, aromatic, filling, and we all loved it! Name the dish whatever you would like, our friend's family calls it Baked Nutty, and now we do too.

Today, we serve this slightly revised version of Baked Nutty, with a streusel filling. Streusel is made with butter (or soy margarine), brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, spices and optional nuts. I love to have it ready-made and available to use, so we always have a tub of streusel handy in our freezer. Streusel can be used to top squash, sweet potato casseroles, muffins, coffee cakes, fruit crisps, etc.

The below short and sweet recipe is our favorite way to cook, garden fresh, acorn squash. It is stuffed with homemade sweet, nutty streusel and baked in the oven. For something so delicious, you would expect it to be more complicated to make, but It couldn't be any simpler. Winter squash is outstanding on its own in both flavor and nutrition.

Winter Squash

Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Sweet Dumpling, and Spaghetti squash are just some of the many types of winter squash available at the market, or that can be grown in your garden. This coming summer will be the first time we are going to grow our own acorn squash (Cucurbito pepo).

Acorn squash is our favorite for this dish because when cut in half, the hollow part in the center forms a bowl shape that is perfect for filling. Each half can be served as its own serving, or if they are really large, they can be quartered after being cooked. This elegant vegetable is suitable for company or holiday meals, especially Thanksgiving. Baked Nutty has become a regular on our fall and winter menus.

Putting it all together
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C)

Ingredients:
2 acorn squash
1 cup streusel (our favorite is streusel made with roasted pecans and ginger)
olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
sprinkle salt (optional, we usually leave it out because some of us have high blood pressure)

This recipe is short and sweet:

First wash and dry each acorn squash
On a cutting board, carefully cut a sliver off the ends, and cut each squash in half
On a baking pan lined with foil, drizzle some olive oil
place the squash halves hollow side down and rub the cut sides around on the oil
Bake for 30-40 minutes (do not over-bake or the squash may collapse)
When bottom edges are lightly caramelized, turn them over and carefully scoop out the seeds
Season each half with salt (optional) and fresh ground black pepper
Fill each half with streusel

At this point, I may let the filled squash sit on the stove-top until the

rest of the meal is just about ready

When you are almost ready to serve dinner, return the squash to the oven for a final 20 minutes

~ Buon Appetito!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis ...coming soon

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

Related GardenCuizine Recipe: Nutty Ginger Streusel
Related Links:

Winter Squash Nutrition and info CDC, Fruits and Veggies More Matters
Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard and White Beans EatingWell Magazine Recipe

Many varieties of Acorn Squash Dave's Garden

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Italian Sesame Cookies

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:11 PDT

~Low Sodium~

Sesame Regina Biscotti

Italian Sesame Cookies

Italian Sesame Cookies can be part of a healthy diet, when enjoyed in moderation as a snack. Their nutty aroma and wholesome taste make these cookies delicious anytime of day. They are low in sodium and not as sweet as traditional American cookies.

The fact that Sesame Regina are lower in sodium is what I like most about these Italian favorites. In addition to being low sodium, they have added calcium and nutrition from the coating of sesame seeds.

Italian cookbook author, Victoria Granof, writes in her book, 'Sweet Sicily, the story of an Island and her Pastries', that when she attended an All Souls' Day carnival in Palermo, Biscotti Regina were sold everywhere. My mama would love it there, since Italian Sesame cookies are one of her favorites!

I asked Mom if she remembered having sesame cookies at home growing up. She said, "We had them throughout the year. Whenever Dad (Alexander Salottolo) would go downtown, he would bring us home sesame cookies from Ferrara's (NYC bakery); especially during the holidays...they were my favorite." Apparently, my Grandmother didn't bake these. As you could probably guess, unlike my Grandmother, I bake these cookies often and throughout the year especially for Mom; they have become a regular in our cookie jars.

On my quest for home-baking the best sesame cookies, I came across Paula Laurita's recipe (the Italian food editor of Bella Online). I have tried other recipes in the past and made many a variation in industry and restaurants, but it was this -- ever so slightly modified -- version of Laurita's recipe that got the nod from Junetta, my Italian Mama. This authentic Italian cookie recipe was the closest to what she remembered and enjoyed growing up.

About this Italian Cookie Recipe

The base recipe was already low in sodium. My healthy recipe modifications were few, primarily substituting some of the saturated fat (butter) with unsaturated fat (oil), along with adding a hint of fresh grated lemon zest. I did try to reduce the egg yolks, using two eggs and one white (rather than three eggs), but the three eggs were preferred in GardenCuizine's test kitchen trials.

The amount of sesame seeds in the original recipe were not reduced, even though the seeds do contribute some fat. The fat they contribute is "good" fat. Yes, we do require some fat in a healthy diet. Fat is important for many reasons, such as for healthy skin and hair, and to help our bodies absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds contain healthy fats as well as nutrients. Sesame seeds contain essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 as well as mono and polyunsaturated fats. The sesame seeds add additional nutrients too, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese and fiber.

Sesame seeds are best stored frozen until ready to use to avoid going rancid. I usually store all our seeds in the freezer in airtight baggies or freezer-safe containers.

Cookie Gifts
Have you ever noticed that cookies in general, seem to taste even better when they are shared among family and friends? For a thoughtful homemade gift, place your homemade cookies in a cookie jar, tin or air tight container. For an added touch, attach some curling ribbon and a personalized card made on your computer.

Putting it all together
Yields: Approximately 6-dozen, 72 cookies
Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C)

Ingredients
3 cups (375g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (6g) salt
2 1/2 teaspoons (10g) baking powder

1 cup (245g) 2% reduced fat milk
1 cup (144g) sesame seeds, hulled*

4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons (56g) canola oil (sometimes I use a canola/olive oil blend)
1 cup (200g) sugar
3 eggs (150g), large
1 teaspoon (4g) pure vanilla extract
2 lemons, zest only

* available at Natural food stores and specialty markets

Sift together the dry ingredients except for the seeds
Put the seeds in a small bowl and set aside
Pour the milk into a small bowl also and set aside
In a mixing bowl (or mixer with paddle attachment), cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light and well blended
Add the eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Mix to combine, stopping periodically to scrape sides and bottom of mixing bowl
Add the dry ingredients, mix to combine. Stop when a dough is formed
Pick off, or portion out, small pieces of dough and roll into small 2-inch by 1-inch logs using your hands*
Dip in milk, then roll in the sesame seeds
Place formed cookies on lightly sprayed, foil lined, cookie sheets and bake 375° F (190° C) for 25 minutes or until golden

* Note: The cookie dough could also be rolled in long logs, brushed with milk, rolled in seeds, then cut into 3-inch pieces.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis

Serving size 31g (~2 cookies): Calories: 115; Calories from Fat: 47; Total fat 5g, Saturated fat: 1g, Trans fat 0g, Cholesterol: 21mg; Sodium 58mg; Dietary fiber: 1g; Sugars: 6g; Protein: 2g; Calcium: 66mg (7%DV); Iron: 1mg (7%DV); Manganese: ~0.2mg (~9%DV); Selenium 5 mcg (7%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

Related Links:

Sesame Cookies by Paula Laurita, Bellaonline.com

Santa's Adopting a Healthier Lifestyle, How About You?

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:52:37 PST

Santa's
Adopting a Healthier Lifestyle

How About You?

We all know how important it is to eat right and exercise; some people are better than others at fitting exercise into their daily routine. Statistics reveal that in just the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic increase in obesity throughout the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the only state in 2008 that had a prevalence of obesity less than 20% was Colorado. Thirty-two states showed a prevalence of equal or greater than 25%. Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.

Why should we care?
An obese population means more health problems and potential consequences from obesity, such as the increase of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Unless we reverse this trend, diabetes alone could become a major public health crisis. Can we reverse the obesity trend across America? Time will tell -- I sure hope we can.

Healthy Santa
Simple physical activity and exercise can reduce your and your family's risk of premature mortality, in general, and of coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and diabetes mellitus. If Santa can do it, we can too! Just don't forget to get a medical check up first and get your Doc's okay.

Enjoy this humorous Santa's Boot Camp video, which was made a few years ago courtesy of the Ministry of Fun Movies on YouTube. The message is timeless:

Whatever your inspiration, incorporate exercise and physical activity into your lifestyle!

Happy Holidays from GardenCuizine
and
Best Wishes for a Happy,
"Healthy" New Year

GardenCuizine Recipe: Healthy, Homemade DOG Treats

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:12 PDT

All Natural
Healthy, Holly DOG Treats
with Peanut Butter and Molasses!

Today, a member of the Food and Culinary Professionals Group of the American Dietetic Association asked me if I had a recipe for healthy, homemade Dog biscuits. Hmmmm, I thought...of all the recipes and baking that I do, I really didn't have a tried and true recipe for dog biscuits. Usually we cheat and purchase store bought.

After a quick look at the ingredients on the box of our dog, Holly's favorite dog biscuits, I whipped up this recipe for a quick and easy homemade version. Holly responded to her invitation to be our taste tester with a series of happy barks, before devouring her doggie samples. Watching Holly lick her chops and bark for more was her approval that dogs will love these healthy, all natural treats!

Holiday Fun
Don't leave out your dog owning friends. Healthy, Holly Dog Treats are a fun change to bring to a Holiday or dinner party. Just be sure to baggie them up and clearly label them as DOG treats with peanut butter.

Bow-Wowzer Gift
Doggie treat jars can be purchased at discount stores, then filled with these healthy treats and decorated with festive ribbon and a homemade gift card.

For families and friends with peanut allergies, be sure to let them know the ingredients, or omit the peanut butter and substitute SoyNut Butter.
Putting it all together
Yields: approximately 4 dozen, 2 inch (5cm) treats
Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (312g) unbleached white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (40g) rolled oats
1 Tablespoon (10g) milled flax seeds
1 Tablespoon (4g) nonfat dry milk
1 Tablespoon Brewers yeast (optional)
1/2 teaspoon (2g) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1g) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (3g) salt

2 eggs
1/4 cup (59g) water
1/4 cup (65g) peanut butter
1/4 cup (54g) canola oil
1/3 cup (112g) black strap molasses

In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, set aside
In another, main mixing bowl - mix together the peanut butter and oil; add the eggs
Beat in the molasses and water
Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended
Divide the dough in half, forming even balls with your hands. Flatten them into round disks and wrap in clear wrap
Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before using
Roll out the dough just like people cookies and cut out using cookie cutters -- have fun! They all don't have to be dog bone shaped; Holly loves all shapes, especially dogs and cats
Place on foil lined baking sheets (no need to oil or spray)

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove and cool, leaving on baking sheet. Turn the dog biscuits over and bake again for another 8-10 minutes. This will make the cookies harder and more crunchy, similar to twice-baked biscotti cookies.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis ...coming soon

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Unknown Cats in your Garden?

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:48:55 PDT

Unknown Cats in your Garden?

If the unknown cats in your garden are not your own or your neighbor's, it is likely they are neighborhood feral cats. I was shocked to find feral cats in our backyard garden. And now that my family and I are aware of them, we see feral cats everywhere.

Maryann Mott, of National Geographic News reported in 2004, that according to feline experts, there were 70 million feral cats living in the United States. Today, 5 years later, we know the estimate would be even higher. Mott suggested the high feral cat population was due to weak efforts in controlling populations, and the fact that cat's reproduce so fast.

After finding -- not one, but four -- feral cats in our home garden, I was inspired to write the story, 'Tango the Garden Cat'.

Tango, the Garden Cat part 3: Home for Christmas
'Tango the Garden Cat' is a 3-part mini-series. The third and last part of this feral cat garden story, 'Home for Christmas', will be published December 23, 3009 on the website of Dave's Garden. You can read the story that day or you can find the story anytime after that on Dave's Garden, or by an online search (Google, etc).

What can you do to help feral cats in your community?
Trap, Neuter, Return (TNR). TNR has been shown to humanely reduce unwanted feral cats. Learn more from this informative video presented by The Humane Society of the United States.

Tango Story
Tango the Garden Cat part 1: Tango Arrives by Diana Wind
Tango the Garden Cat part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure by Diana Wind

Related Links:
Keeping cats out of gardens and yards, Neighboorhood Cats
The Humane Society
Effectively Managing Feral Cats DVD, The Humane Society
Alley Cat Allies
Managing a feral cat colony, Neighborhood Cats
ASPCA
U.S. Faces Growing Feral Cat Problem by Maryann Mott

http://www.mooresartgallery.com/ Carol Moore, ARTIST for the Tango mini-series

Video by The Humane Society of the U.S. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a strategy for improving the lives of feral cats and reducing their numbers.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Cranberry Acai Jelly

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:12 PDT

Whole Berry

Cranberry ~Açai Jelly

Fresh whole berry cranberries line the markets during the holiday season of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Cranberries freeze great, making November and December a good time to stock up on whole cranberries. Cranberries can add nutrition to your meals throughout the year.

This year, our fresh whole cranberries were purchased at Wegmans at one of their South Jersey locations. The berries we happened to buy were from Cranberry Connections, a Joesph J. White corporation. White's Cranberry farm is located in South Jersey's Pine Barrens and is on the National Registry of Historic Landmarks.

Cranberry Health Benefits
Fruits, especially berries, provide high quality phenol antioxidants.[1] Phenol antioxidants protect low density lipoproteins (LDL-the bad cholesterol) from oxidizing. Why is this good? One reason is that when LDL gets oxidized it can lead to foam cells that build up (along with other cellular matter) in the subendothial space of blood vessels, contributing towards atherosclerosis and heart disease.

Interestingly, cranberries are not ranked among the top in U.S. per capita consumption. According to the USDA, the top three consumed fruits with phenol antioxidants are Bananas, Apples and Grapes; even though the top three fruits highest in phenol antioxidants are: Cranberries (#1), Pears, and Red Grapes.

Cranberries have other health benefits too; they have flavonoids, Vitamin C and naturally occurring proanthocyanidins.

Proanthocyanidins
Cranberry juice and products are known to help maintain urinary tract health. The majority (80-90%) of all Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) are caused by E. coli bacteria. Individuals with diabetes are more susceptible to UTI infections. Cranberries help this condition by their proanthocyanidins that contain strong bacterial anti-adhesion properties. Proanthocyanidins keep the bacteria from adhering to cell walls in the bladder.

Cooking with whole Cranberries
Whole cranberries are tart and are usually prepared with an added sweetener. Cranberries are excellent for juices, as well as in side dishes, sauces, muffins, breads, pies, tarts, fruit crisps, cobblers and the all American favorite -- cranberry jelly. Cranberries are naturally high in pectin, which is why added pectin is not required in homemade cranberry jelly.

For something different and to add even more nutrients to Cranberry jelly, I added freeze-dried Açai berry powder, which you can find in health food stores and gourmet markets.

Presentation
For the best table presentation, pour the cooked liquid mixture directly into your chosen serving dish. The cranberry jelly gels directly in the serving dish. We have a favorite glass dish that I use, that I would not want to see crack from heat stress, which is why it is important to let the hot jelly cool a few minutes before transferring.
Putting it all together
Yields: 735g, (approximately 2 1/4 cups) serves 12

Ingredients:
12 oz (1pkg, 336g) whole berry Cranberries
3/4 cup (150g) Sugar
1/2 cup (118ml) Mango nectar or Orange juice
1/2 cup (118ml) Water
Orange zest from 1/2 orange, or 2T minced candied orange peel

6 grams organic Açai powder

This recipe is fast and easy and is best made a day in advance for optimum gelation.

Wash and strain the berries
In a small stock pot add all the ingredients except the Açai powder. Over high heat, stir to incorporate. When the mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to medium.
Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The berries will burst open as they cook. Sometimes, I squish some of the berries on the sides of the pot with a wooden stirring spoon. When the mixture appears to be a desirable texture, turn off the heat.
Stir in the Açai powder. Do not stir after this point.
Before transferring to your serving container, set aside to cool for 7-10 minutes (not much longer or it will set up)
Pour into serving bowl, allow to cool unrefrigerated
When no longer steaming hot, refrigerate overnight or until well chilled and set

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA nutrient values
Good Source: Vitamin C

1/12 of recipe, serving size: 61g, Calories 69, Calories from fat:2.9, total fat: 0.3g (0%DV), Saturated fat: (0%DV), Omega-3 FA:10mg, Omega-6 FA:64mg, Vitamin C ~7mg (~12%DV), Sugars: ~14.g, Dietary fiber: ~1.3g (~5%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.
Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Related Links:
Superfruit ~ Acai Berry, Euterpe oleracea
About Joseph J. White Cranberry Farm
Classic Cranberry Orange Relish
Ocean Spray® Cranberry Recipes

USDA Database for the Proanthocyanidin Content of Selected Foods

References:
[1] Vinson J.A., Su X., Zubik L., Bose P; Phenol Antioxidant Quantity and Quality in Foods: Fruits, J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, 49, p 5315-532

GardenCuizine Recipe: Healthy Borscht

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:12 PDT

Healthy Beetroot Borscht

Beets (Beta vulgaris) are easy and fun to grow, with excellent heirloom and hybrid beet cultivars to select from. We've only tried 'Chicago Red' so far, a typical all-purpose, red beet. Next season I hope to try Italian heirloom 'Chioggia (Bassano)', a jazzy, two-toned, red and white striped variety that arrived in the U.S. before 1865.

My favorite photo with beets was featured in my first Dave's Garden article, 'Mommy, look what I picked...'. Little Michalah shows off her bountiful harvest of fresh beets that she helped dig up with her Grandmother.

All parts of the beet can be used in recipes. Beet greens can be added to soups or sauteed. Beet leaves are a bit thick to add raw to salad, but taste good when picked young and tender or sliced thin enough. Beet roots can served many ways, including in juice bar drinks, pickled, shredded raw, cooked and diced on salads. Beets are the star in borscht -- a more sweet than sour soup.

Beetroot borscht can be served hot or cold, but is truly a comfort foot when served hot with a side of wholegrain bread. Borscht is a favorite in many countries including Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Romania. Poland, borscht (barszcz) is made with dumplings and parsnips. Ukrainian recipes often add potatoes. Romanian borscht (borș) includes fermented bran in the broth base. Your borscht can include meat, potatoes, parsnips, beans, bay leaves, lemon juice, vinegar or whatever your fancy.

You'll see in my soup recipes, unless the soup is a meat flavored soup, I prefer veggie bases made on the spot from carrots, celery, onions, fresh herbs and spices. The flavors are always delicious, and your vegetarian family and/or friends can enjoy it too!

GardenCuizine's borscht is nutritious, low-fat and on the lighter side, making it a nice accompaniment to a full course meal.

A few tips about this recipe

Don't stress out or get hung up with measuring ingredients. Soups are not an exact science like baked goods -- a bit more or less will not ruin the recipe.
Our garden was a hot pepper factory this summer! Hot peppers make a tasty addition to borscht. If you don't have any hot peppers around, season to taste with a little hot sauce. Adding just enough hot spicy flavor is a great way to trick your taste buds into enjoying lower sodium foods.
I used regular canned tomato sauce in this recipe, rather than salt free. It is main contributor of sodium in this soup. You won't need to add additional salt.
Fresh dill lends itself to freezing well. Rinse it and place it in an airtight baggie in the freezer and use as needed. It will stay green and will always be available for recipes when needed.
Use the beet cooking liquid in your soup to avoid losing water soluble vitamins and nutrients, such as: thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin, vitamin B6, folate, biotin, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C.

Putting it all together
Yields: a healthy pot full! 10 Servings

Ingredients:
3 large (or 4, 2-inch) fresh beets
10 cups water (approximately 8 cups beet cooking liquid and 2 cups water)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup (128g) chopped carrots
1 cup (160g) chopped onions
1 cup (101g) chopped celery
1 small hot pepper (or hot sauce to taste)

1 teaspoon (1 clove) minced garlic
1/2 green cabbage (454g), sliced thin
8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh dill

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
sour cream, plain yogurt or creme fraiche
fresh dill or parsley for garnish

Rinse off the beets and cut of the greens, save them for future use in other recipes. Place the beets in a large (non reactive) stock pot and cover them with water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender when pierced. Turn the heat off and let the beats sit in the hot water while you work on the rest of the prep.

Reminder: save the beet cooking liquid for the soup

Chop carrots, celery and onion, set aside
Save the beet water for the borscht. Take the beets out of the hot water using tongs and let cool off in a bowl
In another large soup pot, on medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion) and the hot pepper. Let cook for 5-10 minutes. While this is cooking, return to the beets.
Peel all the beets. The skins easily rub off cooked beets with your fingers.

Toss the beet skins in your compost pile!

Dice half of beets, set aside
Puree the remaining beets with 2 cups of the beet water. You can do this in a blender or in a deep pot (to avoid getting beet juice splashed on yourself) using a hand held submersion blender (one of my favorite kitchen tools). Return to your cooking veggies...
Stir in garlic and dill
Add sliced cabbage, continue to stir, cooking down for another 5-10 minutes
Add tomato sauce, save the can
Refill the 8oz. tomato sauce can two times with water and add it to the pot.
Add beet cooking water to the pot too. Note: when beets boil some sediment settles to the bottom of the pot. Try not to add that part.
Add more water to the soup pot if you think it needs more liquid
Add sugar and black pepper
Stir, cover and simmer until all the ingredients are tender
Stir in fresh parsley
Serve with a dollop of sour cream, yogurt or creme fraiche
Garnish with a fresh sprig of parsley or dill

Related Links:
We Got the Beet Dave's Garden article by Tamara Galbralth

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA nutrient values
Excellent Source: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Good Source: Dietary Fiber, Folate, Manganese

1/10 of recipe, serving size: 380g (~1cup), Calories 60, Calories from fat: 13, total fat: 1.5g (2%DV), Saturated fat: 0.2g (1%DV), Omega-3 FA ~13mg, Omega-6 FA ~190mg, Vitamin A 2449IU (49%DV), Vitamin C 26mg (43%DV), Vitamin K ~41mcg (~51%DV), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 152mg, Dietary fiber: 3g (13%DV), Protein: 2g (3%DV), Folate: ~65mcg (~16%DV)%DV), Manganese: ~0.2mg (~12%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.
Nutrition Label courtesy of NutritionData.com
Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Halloween Deviled Spider Eggs

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:12 PDT

Deviled Spider Eggs

I have seen some fascinating spiders and webs in the garden, especially Orbweavers (Argiope). These spider deviled eggs were inspired by a recipe in Sunset Magazine and were created for a devilish Halloween appetizer. They can also be prepared without the spider olive décor, and served as classic deviled eggs.

You will love this recipe for healthy deviled eggs with ZERO saturated fat and LOW, practically zero cholesterol. That’s right, these hard cooked eggs are LOW in cholesterol with absolutely ZERO saturated fat. Regular deviled eggs, even if made with low fat mayonnaise, would contain saturated fat and over 100mg of cholesterol!

How can these healthy deviled eggs be possible? Get rid of the yolks. Chickpea hummus is the perfect color and a healthy alternative for the egg yolks that are notoriously high in cholesterol. Hummus can be easily made from scratch at home, or is readily available at the market. I used a commercial mild garlic flavored hummus for this recipe.

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 cup hummus
1 Tablespoon sour cream
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon dried mustard
Sprinkle Hungarian paprika
Olives for spiders
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Putting it all together

Hard boil the eggs, cool and peel. Slice the eggs in half and dispose of the yolks.
Season the egg whites with salt and pepper
In a small mixing bowl mix the remaining ingredients and fill the egg white halves.
Sprinkle the tops with Hungarian paprika
decorate with sliced olives to make a spider design as shown

I used olives (with pits) that come in different colors, rather than canned black olives. Actual spiders (arachnids) do come in all colors. And just fyi, they have 8 legs.

Happy Halloween!

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA nutrient values
1/12 of recipe, serving size: 38g, Calories 44, Calories from fat: 18, total fat: 2g, Saturated fat: 0g, Cholesterol 0.5mg, Sodium 106mg, Dietary fiber: 1g, Protein: 3g, Folate: 18mcg (4%DV), Riboflavin: 0.1 mg (5%DV), Manganese: 0.2mg (8%DV), Selenium: 4mcg (6%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are reference values for adults and children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your personal daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs.

Related Links:
Spiders by John A. Jackman, Extension Entomologist, The Texas A&M University System

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Antioxidant Pomegranate Smoothie

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:12 PDT

Antioxidant Pomegranate Smoothie

Pomegranates arrive on the scene in U.S. markets during the months of September and October. Pomegranates (Punica granatum L.) offer nutrition high in antioxidants; they are considered a superfruit and functional food.

Functional foods offer health benefits to the body. In a study by researchers from the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California-Los Angeles' David Geffen School of Medicine, Pomegranate juice was shown to have the highest antioxidant content, activity and protective benefits of eight different beverages tested.

Pomegranates are loaded with seeds that can be eaten straight out of a cut in half pomegranate. The seeds can also be scooped out and added as a nutritious garnish to entrees, desserts or atop healthy garden salads. Don't be intimidated by how to use them. The edible, juicy seeds are delicious and easy to use in a fruit smoothie.

Harry and I made up this Pomegranate smoothie recipe using Pom seeds. We found the seeds left crunchy fibrous bits at the bottom of our glasses, so we recommend straining the seed pulp.

Freezing Fruit
Do you have extra fruit that is getting overripe on your counter top or in your refrigerator? Rescuing, overripe, extra bananas and fruits can be easily done by freezing them for later use in recipes. Try frozen berries or banana in this pomegranate smoothie recipe for a healthy treat that company and kids love.

Bananas are super easy, and can be frozen right in their peels. When you are ready to use them simply allow the bananas to soften for a few minutes before peeling. Frozen fruits add a nice chill and viscosity (thickness) to fruit smoothies, not to mention additional flavor and nutrition.

Putting it all together
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 cups (735g) plain or vanilla low fat yogurt (or soy, non-dairy, yogurt)
1 (4 inch, 282g) pomegranate
1/2 (60g) ripe banana (frozen even better)
1/4 cup grape sauce* (or 1-2 Tablespoons honey or agave syrup)

Cut the pomegranate in half, save a few seeds for garnish if desired. Scrape out the remaining seeds into a blender, blend the seeds
Strain, return strained pomegranate juice to blender
Add the rest of the ingredients, blend thoroughly
Pour into glasses and serve

Serving Suggestion for company
Serve in special glasses on doily lined plates. Garnish with 3 pomegranate seeds per smoothie with a sprig of fresh mint on the side.

* Smoothies are a great way to use and enjoy ungelled grape jelly (sauce)! Honey or Agave nectar will work just as well. Grape sauce is one of those ingredients not often on hand. It was added for flavor and sweetness from grape jelly we had that did not gel, an event that inspired me to write the article: 'Beginners Guide to Making Jam or Jelly'. Check it out on: Dave's Garden.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA nutrient values, dairy
Excellent Source: Protein, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Calcium, Phosphorus
Good Source: Dietary Fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc, Selenium

Serving size: 290g, 1/4 of recipe: Calories: 283; Calories from fat: 28; total Fat: 3g (5%DV); Saturated Fat: 2g (8%DV); Trans Fat: 0g; total Omega-3 fatty acids: ~22mg; Cholesterol: 9mg (3%DV); Sodium: 130mg (5%DV); Potassium: 637mg (18%DV); Total Carbohydrate 56g (19%DV); Dietary Fiber: 3g (14%DV); Sugars: 47g; Protein: 10g; Vitamin C: 12mg (20%DV); Calcium: 326mg (33%DV); Vitamin K: 12mcg (15%DV); Riboflavin: 0.4mg (25%DV); Folate: 52mcg (13%DV); Selenium 10mcg (14%DV); Zinc: 1.8 mg (12%DV)

Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Related Links:
This recipe submitted to Pomwonderful.com 2009 recipe contest!
Pomegranate Punica granatum L. Cultivars and information; Purdue University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Functional Foods Fact Sheet: Antioxidants ~ Int’l Food Information Council

What’s Cooking at the Academy of Culinary Arts: Vegetable Sushi

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:33:19 PST

Garden Vegetable Sushi

This video features Chef Bruce Johns from my alma mater, with a recipe from the Academy of Culinary Arts in NJ. Chef Johns demonstrates how easy and fast it is to prepare Garden Vegetable Sushi Maki. Maki is sushi rolled in nori (seaweed) that is served cut into bite size portions. Maki sushi does not contain raw fish and can be served as a delicious, low fat, healthy appetizer or light bite.

Putting it all together
You will need:

Nori (dried seaweed)
Rice (preferably brown)
Rice wine vinegar
Sugar
Garden vegetables
Fresh herbs of your choosing
Wasabi paste
Pickled ginger
Soy sauce (reduced sodium)

You will also need a sushi mat to roll the sushi, but can use clear wrap or a clean dish towel if you don't have one. Sushi mats, wasabi (horseradish paste), and nori can be found in Asian Markets, some Natural Food stores and usually in Asian sections of most supermarkets. Nori is available toasted or un-toasted, and tastes best toasted. Un-toasted nori has a slight chewy texture. To toast nori, place it on a baking sheet and briefly heat it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for approximately 5 minutes, or if you have a gas stove, hold the nori with tongs and pass it over the flame until it turns green in color.

For best flavors, Chef Johns precooks garden vegetables over dry heat. He roasts red peppers and grills carrots, yellow squash and zucchini before incorporating them into the sushi roll.
White sushi rice can be substituted with organic, short grain, brown rice.

Once you get practice with the technique, you can become quite creative, varying your selections for filling ingredients and combination's.
Favorites in our house include: Kappa maki (cucumber rolls) and California rolls (crabmeat, avocado, cucumber). Have fun!

Related Links:
SushiEncyclopedia.com: Sushi Recipes and information
Maine Coast Sea Vegetables: Toasting Nori
Academy of Culinary Arts: NJ Culinary School

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Sun-dried Tomato Herb Bread

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:53:12 PDT

Grandma's Sun-dried Tomato
Farmhouse Herb Bread

This wonderful bread was inspired by a recipe from Neil, a professional gardener and chef from England. The recipe was from his Grandma. He says, "My Grandma was in service in a big house in North Yorkshire from 1911 till 1921. She started as a scullery maid and ended up as Head cook! Luckily she kept a diary of what she cooked and for who. She cooked for the King and Winston Churchill, amongst many others."

This herbal bread dough can yield dinner rolls, boules, or farmhouse loaves of bread. I divided the dough in half and made one round, free-form, boule loaf and the rest into dinner rolls. Neil likes to divide the dough in half and press the dough into loaf pans. The choice is up to you.

Our finicky Mama prefers super soft, sweet dinner rolls made with eggs, milk and more sugar. But even she agreed that this bread is delicious! When you want a good, wholesome and tasty bread, try this recipe. Nothing beats the smell of fresh baking bread wafting throughout your home. This bread freezes well too.

Putting it all together
Yields: 2 boules, or 1 boule and 10 dinner rolls, or 2 loaves, or ~20 dinner rolls
Preheat the oven to 425 °F (218°C)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 teaspoons (10g) instant dried yeast
1/2 cup (125mL) warm water (not hot or it will kill the yeast)
pinch sugar

1/3 cup (18g) sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 1/2 cup (125mL) water

1lb 10oz (737g) white whole wheat flour
2 cups liquid (500mL): left over sun-dried tomato soaking liquid with added water to = 2cups
2 teaspoons (8g) sugar
1 teaspoon (6g) salt
4 Tablespoons (59mL) olive oil
1/4 cup (25g) grated Parmesan cheese (or grated Soy cheese)

Herbs of your choosing: Neil has used oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme and tarragon. We used:
1/3 cup (20g) fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon (2g) fresh rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon (3 leaves) fresh sage, minced
2 Tablespoons (8g) lemon balm leaves
2 1/2 Tablespoons (8g) fresh chives, minced

egg - whisked with a splash of water for egg wash (or plain water if vegan)

Notes: Fresh herbs can be substituted with dried herbs. Use less - around half of the amount called for - dried are more concentrated in flavor.

As always, wash your hands and sanitize your counter tops before working with food. Prepare the herbs by washing, drying and chopping, set aside. Drain the soaked sun-dried tomatoes and save the liquid. Chop the hydrated tomatoes and set aside.
In a small bowl mix the yeast, warm water and pinch sugar. Set aside until you begin to see activity reassuring you that the yeast is alive. (Tip: Instant dry yeast can be stored frozen. We keep a large bag in the freezer and use it as needed)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Add in the prepared herbs, tomatoes and cheese. Whisk together to combine. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the oil, some of the water and tomato soaking liquid, and all the yeast mixture.
Slowly incorporate into the flour using a wooden spoon. Gradually add the remaining liquid. You may need a bit more or less, use your judgment.
With your hands or in a mixer with a dough hook, mix and knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth stretchable mass.
Form the dough into a round ball and place in a large, lightly oiled, bowl to rise. Cover the bowl. I use a dampened linen cloth, some prefer to cover rising dough using plastic wrap.
Allow the dough to double in size in a draft free warm place. Punch down and divide the dough in half.
Form the dough into desired shape(s): rolls, loaves, or boules. For loaves, form the dough and place in lightly sprayed 5x9 loaf pans. For dinner rolls or boules*, after forming place on lightly sprayed sheet pans, allowing space in between them for expansion as they rise
Allow the dough to rise again until the dough responds with a slow rebound when gently pressed with your finger.
If desired, carefully brush the tops with egg wash before baking to give the bread a slight gloss. Neil adds a sprinkle of grated cheese and herbs to the top too.

*Boules can also be placed on a piece of parchment or baking peel dusted with cornmeal or flour to rise, so they will easily slide into the preheated oven onto a baking stone or oven bottom. Advanced bakers also like to add steam at the onset of baking by squirting a light spray of water directly into the oven right after the bread is added.

Bake until golden brown. Baking time will vary depending on your bread shape and size. Dinner rolls don't take too long, ~15 minutes. Loaves will take longer, ~30 minutes or more. I usually test for doneness by feeling the weight of the bread. Bread will feel lighter when it is fully baked. Some bakers test for doneness by listening for a hollow sound when tapping on the bottom of the loaf.

~Bon Appetito

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: Calculated from USDA nutrient values
Excellent Source: Vitamin K, Thiamin, Folate
Good Source: Iron, Riboflavin, Niacin, Selenium, Manganese

Serving size: 71g, 1/20 of recipe (one dinner roll): Calories: 169; Calories from fat: 31; total Fat: 4g (6%DV); Saturated Fat: 0.7g (3%DV); Trans Fat: 0g; total Omega-3 fatty acids: ~23mg; Cholesterol: 1mg (0%DV); Sodium: 157mg (7%DV); Potassium: 89mg (3%DV); Total Carbohydrate 29g (10%DV); Dietary Fiber: 1g (5%DV); Sugars: 1g; Protein: 5g; Vitamin A: (2%DV); Vitamin C: (3%DV); Calcium: (2%DV); Iron: 2mg (11% DV); Vitamin K: ~19mcg (~23%DV); Thiamin: 0.3mg (20%DV); Riboflavin: 0.2mg (13%DV); Niacin: 2.4mg (12%DV); Folate: 81mcg (20%DV); Selenium ~13mcg (~18%DV); Manganese: 0.3mg (14%DV)

Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Special Thanks: Special thanks to Neil for passing on his Grandma's recipe. My interpretation of her recipe is slightly different, but for the most part it is the same. I used wholegrain flour, added more liquid, and reduced the salt, since grated cheese adds sodium. For the original recipe, see Neils comment at the bottom of my Rosemary article under the post by NEILMUIR1.

Saving Heirloom Pepper Seeds Video

GardenCuizine@gmail.com (GardenCuizine.com) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:33:25 PST

Saving Heirloom Pepper Seeds

Hot peppers and peppers in general (Capsicum annuum), delight many gardeners, cooks, and folks who like their food hot and spicy. They are a healthy-favorite veggie to grow in a home, work or school vegetable garden. Other than an occasional stake or two to support tall plants, peppers rarely have problematic insect attacks and grow easily, without much fuss or attention. Peppers thrive in the heat and sun of the summer, which is why they grow so prolific in Mexico and warm, tropical regions like Jamaica and Hawaii.

Heirloom peppers will come true from seed. The end of the summer and early fall, when your pepper harvest is at its peak, is the best time to save seeds for next seasons garden. Saving seed is easy to do. This video by Rita Heikenfeld shows how to do it in a method that vertically cuts the jalapeno (or any kind of pepper), leaving the seeds attached to the center core membrane - (membrane is the hottest part of the pepper, even more so than the spicy seeds).

Once the peppers are sliced and the seeds exposed, the peppers can be hung or placed on a plate to air dry. When dry, the seeds will easily fall off the membrane. Dried pepper seeds can be stored in spice jars or added to spice blends, and most of all, they can be planted when you are ready in the Spring. Peppers take longer to mature than tomatoes, it is best to try and plant the seeds indoors (under fluorescent lights) a week or two before tomatoes. I try and start ours here in the Garden State (NJ, zone 6b), just before St. Patty's Day in March.

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis: calculated from USDA nutrient values
Excellent Source: Vitamin C
Good Source: Vitamin B6

Serving Size: One hot chili pepper (45g); Calories: 18; total Dietary Fiber: 0.7g (3%DV); Iron: .46mg (3%DV); Potassium: 145mg (4%DV); Manganese .08mg (4%DV); Vitamin C: 65mg (108%DV); Thiamin: .03mg (2%DV); Riboflavin: .04mg (2%DV); Vitamin B6: .23mg (11%DV); Folate: 10mcg (3%DV); Vitamin A: 428IU (9%DV); Vitamin K: 6.3mcg (8%DV)

Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Related Links:
Thousands of peppers in the Genus and Species: Capsicum annuum
Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.