Panko-crusted salmon and salad.

If you really want to impress company, serve up this restaurant caliber salmon dish. It’s easy to make and takes only 30 minutes from prep to the plate. It’s so good that even reluctant salmon eaters will love it.

This recipe is also perfect for anyone on a Mediterranean diet (see other Mediterranean diet recipes here). And if you’re on a paleo diet, simply substitute finely chopped almonds for the panko.

The secret to this recipe is in the cooking process. You fry the salmon on the stove top and finish it off in the oven. This makes for crispy skin on the bottom and browned panko on the top. Serve it up with a green salad and you’ll have the perfect meal.

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) salmon fillets, skin on
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the panko, green onion, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated. Set aside.
3. Place the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a plate. Mix the mustard and mayonnaise together and generously brush the top of the fillets with the mixture.  Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Press the panko mixture thickly on top of the mustard mixture on each salmon fillet.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or large heavy, ovenproof pan. When the oil is very hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes, without turning, to brown the skin.
5. Transfer the pan to the hot oven for 5-7 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked and the panko starts to brown. Remove from theoven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve the salmon with lemon wedges.

Recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?

The post Panko-Crusted Salmon – KFG Recipe of the Week appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

The Union Square Greenmarket is located in downtown Manhattan.

A few days ago I had the opportunity to visit the world-famous Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. The market, which began with a few farmers in 1976, now features 140 regional farmers, fishermen, and bakers during its peak season.

Located in Union Square, where 14^th Street meets Broadway, the market connects New Yorkers with local farmers and the food that they grow on farms in the region. You can find everything at this diverse market, including fresh seafood, heritage meats, artisan cheeses, breads and baked goods, jams and jellies, flowers and just about every vegetable you’ve ever heard of. Heck, one vendor even sells bison and ostrich jerky!

As many as 60,000 shoppers a day buy fresh, local and seasonal foods at the market. Local chefs buy produce, meats and seafood here for their Manhattan restaurants. And because the market is near the Food Network’s Manhattan headquarters, famous chef sightings are not unusual. On the Monday morning I visited, I saw Mario Batali, outfitted in his famous orange Crocs, walking his red labradoodle and buying some produce.

A school tour sponsored by The Greenmarket Youth Education Project.

But there’s one more thing that makes the Union Square Market special. Through the Greenmarket Youth Education Project, the market offers tours to thousands of New York City schoolchildren every year. The tours help children connect with local farmers, understand where their food comes from, and discover how good food choices can improve their health. On the morning I visited, there were a half dozen classroom tours in progress.

Flat bread topped with broccoli, tomato and cheese.

Lastly, here’s a rundown of what I purchased and ate on my visit. I sampled a spinach & sweet onion tart and devoured some flat bread topped with asparagus, tomatoes and cheese. I left the market with some aged goat cheese, several jars of sweet and spicy jellies, some fresh spinach and a variety of salad greens.

So if you’re visiting New York City, be sure to stop at the Union Square Greenmarket, sample some local food and buy a few things to take with you.

And keep an eye out for celebrity chefs!

The post Visiting the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

I found these flat breads at the world-famous Union Square Greenmarket in New York City. They are baked by Buon Pane & Focaccia Inc. using local flour, produce and cheese. The ones in the foreground featured asparagus and fresh tomatoes on top. These treats were exceptional!

Read an interview with the owner of Buon Pane & Foccacia Inc. here.

The post Flat Breads at the Farmer’s Market in NYC – Image of the Week appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

I recommend using small to medium eggs in this recipe. This allows you to keep most of the avocado fruit intact. Using larger eggs means that you will have to scoop out more fruit to hold the larger volume. If you have to do that, just serve the scooped out avocado on the side with the tomato.

Eggs Baked in Avocado

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 avocados
• 8 small to medium sized eggs
• Chopped flat leaf parsley
• Chopped chives
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• Toasted bread

Preparation

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 450°F.
2. Cut each avocado in half and remove the pit. Using a small spoon, scrape out the center of each halved avocado so that it is large enough to accommodate an egg (about 1 tablespoon).
3. Place halved avocados on a foil-lined baking sheet. Break an egg into the center of each avocado, keeping the yolk intact (some egg whites may spill over).
4. Bake in the oven until whites are set and yolk is runny, about 10 to 18 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on size of egg and whether it is at refrigerator or room temperature. Check every two minutes after the 10-minute mark. Cook longer for stiffer yolks.
5. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley, chives, salt and pepper and serve with toast and sliced tomatoes.

The post Eggs Baked in Avocado – KFG Recipe of the Week appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

Now I’m no couch potato – I’m active and regularly hike with my 13-year-old son. And I do engage in a lot of garden work in my back yard. I love to do these activities and they keep me healthy, fit and strong.

Due to knee pain, I started using garden kneeling pads years ago. These inexpensive products are a godsend to anyone who suffers from knee pain when they are weeding and working at the ground level in their garden.

But now I’m thinking that the simple garden kneeling pads are not enough. I think I’m ready for an upgrade.

So I’ve turned to the Yard Butler GKS-2 Garden Kneeler and Seat. Sounds impressive, doesn’t it! Well it’s really a basic kneeling and bench device that I believe will help ease my pain.

I am purchasing this item because it provides some key benefits for people suffering from joint pain when gardening. Additionally, it folds flat (5 inches thick) for convenient storage. I also anticipate that it will be useful for camping and household chores like cleaning out floor-level cabinets.

So here goes – I’m buying it to use for the 2013 gardening and camping season. Is this the one tool to ease my knee and back pain in the garden? I’ll let you know if it holds up to my great expectations.

Yard Butler GKS-2 Garden Kneeler and Seat.  Available at Amazon.com for $33.40:

• Sturdy, lightweight and portable
• Reduces strain and injury to your lower back and knees
• Protects your clothes from dirt and grass stains
• Weighs 8.5 pounds but easily holds 250 pounds
• Lifetime warranty

If you buy one, let me know what you think about it!

The post One Tool to Ease Your Knee and Back Pain in the Garden appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

But when I looked out the window this morning, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a flurry of white flakes comparable to the best snow squalls I’ve seen in the dead of winter.

But wait – snow flurries in May? In 60° weather?

No, these white flowery flakes were black locust tree blossoms flying off the tree in my front yard. This tree produces thousands of clusters of white flowers that bloom every May, and when the flower petals begin to drop it looks like winter has returned.

I love to watch this flurry of blossoms every year. The cherry tree blossoms in my neighbor’s yard also produce this phenomenon, but the flurry caused by my black locust tree is a blizzard compared to the cherry tree’s mere shower of petals.

Unfortunately, I do have to sweep and rake up all of the fallen blossoms. This also reminds me of winter, when the beauty of a snowfall is followed by the chore of shoveling.

Oh well…. The drifting blossoms will make for great compost!

See Also: My Love-Hate Relationship With My Black Locust Tree

The post Snow Flurries in May! No, Just Locust Tree Blossoms appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

Make Her a Garden Gift Basket. Include seed packets, small garden tools, a garden “how to” book, nice garden gloves and other garden accessories. Put them all together in a straw garden hat and tie it up in a bow. If she’s a gardener, I guarantee you she’ll love it! Garden Gift Basket Ideas.

Give Her a Cookbook. Look for cookbooks that feature foods that she loves. Explore cookbooks that offer recipes on desserts, certain diets (like Mediterranean or vegan), or entertaining for guests. See some of the best cookbooks of 2012 here.

Give Her a Potted Plant. This is the easiest gift you can give your mom on Mother’s Day. And the options are endless – it can be an indoor plant, something that can be transplanted into the garden, or a plant for the deck or to hang from the porch. Choose something that is at or near peak bloom for a better “wow” factor.

More ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts for the Garden and Kitchen:

Last Minute Kitchen & Garden Gift Ideas

Gifts for Gardeners

Best Cookbooks of 2012

Mother’s Day Kitchen Gift: Indoor Herb Garden

The post Mother’s Day Gifts for the Garden and Kitchen appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

The rhododendrons in my garden are really starting to pop. I have three different varieties, with white, red and lavender blossoms. Every year I dutifully take pictures of the blossoms, sometimes in shade, sometimes in full sun and sometimes in rainy weather. And every year the shady and rainy images win out over the full sun photos.

Another trend I notice is that the lavender blossoms always produce the best images. I know I can adjust camera aperture and shutter speed to account for the bright white and red blossoms, but over and over again the lavender blossoms win out for “most photogenic.”

So here’s this year’s image of my backyard lavender rhododendron in bloom.

See last year’s (2012) rhododendron image.

Tips on pruning rhododendrons, azaleas and lilacs.

The post Rhododendron in Bloom – KFG Image of the Week appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

The salsa recipe is a scaled-back version of my 6-pint recipe for making canned salsa. The recipe below makes one pint, which will last for up to 7 days in your refrigerator. This is a medium-heat salsa that uses Anaheim chili peppers, but you can kick up the heat by adding some chopped jalapeno.

The guacamole recipe also features Anaheim peppers. I recommend using milder varieties of Anaheim peppers to preserve the traditional coolness that guacamole offers when you are eating spicy foods. An alternative to Anaheims can be red or yellow bell peppers. And however you celebrate Cinco de Mayo, make sure good food is at the centerpiece and stay thirsty my friend!

Anaheim Salsa

Makes 1 pint

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups peeled, cored and chopped Roma tomatoes, (about 1 1/3 lbs of whole tomatoes before processing) (See Note)
• 2/3 cup seeded, chopped green, red or yellow Anaheim chili pepper (adjust amount for heat to taste)
• 1 seeded, chopped jalapeno pepper (optional, adjust for heat to taste)
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. In a stainless steel sauce pan, combine tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, garlic, vinegar, cilantro and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and gently boil for 20 minutes. Let salsa cool and store in glass jar or plastic container in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Note: To easily peel and core tomatoes, first hull the tomatoes, then place them in boiling water for 20 seconds. Immediately remove them to a bowl of ice water to cool for 2 minutes. Drain, peel off the skins, cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the core. Drain again and chop to desired size.

Guacamole with Radish and Roasted Anaheim Chilies

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1-2 radishes, minced (about  ¼ cup)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Anaheim chili, roasted, seeds removed, minced (or substitute roasted red or yellow bell pepper) (See Note)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime (1/2 reserved)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Preparation

1. Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel and put in a mixing bowl.
2. Using a fork or potato masher, mash the avocado until smooth but slightly chunky. Stir in the chopped onion, radishes, cilantro, Anaheim chili, cumin, salt and pepper.  Juice ½ of the lime and stir in.
3. Press plastic wrap onto surface of guacamole to prevent browning and rest for one hour at room temperature. Adjust seasoning and serve or seal and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
4. Stir in fresh chopped tomato and squeeze in the last half of lime just before serving.  Garnish with red radishes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: To roast Anaheim chilies, set your grill on high, or oven on broil.  Roast peppers, turning frequently for about 5 minutes, or until the pepper’s skin blisters and turns brown.  Remove peppers immediately into a paper bag and let them sit for 10-15 minutes.  Cut roasted peppers in half, remove seeds and peel skin. Slice or chop according to recipe.

¡Feliz cinco de mayo todo el mundo!

The post Guacamole and Salsa Recipes for Cinco de Mayo – KFG Recipe of the Week appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.

Heinz does makes a ketchup with no high fructose corn syrup. Now they need to eliminate the food additive from all of their products.

By now, most everyone knows that high fructose corn syrup is bad for you. The proliferation of this food additive has greatly expanded the problem of obesity in America and elsewhere in the world.

As a result, many people are starting to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from their diet. They are scrutinizing food ingredient labels with a watchful eye for this bad boy of food additives. In a trend toward avoiding high fructose corn syrup, people are switching to alternative food and drink products made with real cane sugar. Good for them.

But you need to pay careful attention – high fructose corn syrup may still be lurking in your refrigerator. It’s in more foods than you think – condiments like ketchup and relish are good examples.

Luckily, major brand name companies are responding to the public’s growing awareness and disdain for high fructose corn syrup. For example, Heinz now sells a version of ketchup called “Simply Heinz” which uses cane sugar instead of the high fructose corn syrup used in their regular ketchup.

So good for Heinz, right? Well not exactly. You see, they still sell most of their ketchup with the bad stuff in it, and they aren’t really making a large marketing effort to tell the public about their healthier alternative product.

Let’s face it, high fructose corn syrup is cheaper for these food companies to use in their products and they will continue to use it until people stop buying the stuff.

So be vigilant. Read ingredient labels. Ask grocery store clerks for alternative products with no high fructose corn syrup. We as consumers can change food manufacturers’ behaviors and the ingredients they include in the products we buy.

You can start by switching to ketchup that is free of high fructose corn syrup.

The post Want to Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup From your Diet? Start With Ketchup. appeared first on Kitchen Food Garden.