Seasonal Eating

Spring Stir Fry

2013-05-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Spring Pea Pods Kick it up a Notch

Recipe by Bruce

It’s a perfect day when your CSA share provides all the veggies you need to make a tasty springtime dish, and then the Farmers’ Market fills in the exact veggie that will make the dish fabulous (& publishable!). It’s even better when that missing ingredient comes from the tried, trusted, and true farm that provides your CSA shares. Thank you Live Earth Farm and the Felton Farmers’ Market for the fresh spring snap peas. What’s even better than that? LEF gave us a discount for being CSA member and double-dippin’ at the Market! Better still? Bruce is the family stir-fry king, so I got to take the photos with two hands instead of the usual one! And of course, stir fries are delicious and healthful.

Healthful Spring Veggies

We’ve been getting a lot of Chinese greens, mostly bok choy, pak choy, and mei qing choy, both from our CSA and our garden. These take up lots of room in the fridge, and stir-frying them is an effective way to reduce their volume while adding a perky green note to heftier veggies. Bok choi and pak choi are quite similar related species. Bok choi often has a lower, chubbier profile and stems are thicker and waterier than the taller, thinner pak choi. Mei qing choi packs a spicy flavor, especially when large. You can use these greens interchangeably or in combination, with the awareness that mei qing choy will add a radish-like flavor to the stir fry. You might want to balance the latter with something sweet (honey or hoisin) and/or salty (salt or tamari).

Poetry (and Stir Fry) in Motion

It’s still green garlic season, and this recipe is quite heavy on that. Feel free to reduce the quantity, or to substitute a few cloves of dry (regular) garlic. Also, you could add fresh ginger. We intentionally left it out to change the flavor focus, since Bruce’s other stir fry recipes are gingery. Bruce says he would like to add mung bean sprouts and/or water chestnuts to this next time. Improvisation befits stir fries, so handy for using up assorted on-hand veggies--so go ahead and adjust the sauce as you like. If it isn’t quite perfect (or if you want to start some conversation), put tamari, honey, chili oil, and rice vinegar on the table and let diners fine tune to their heart’s content.

For best stir fry results, follow Bruce’s Tips for Successful Stir frying. It’s best practice to use a timer.

Serve without Sesame Seeds if you Prefer

Springtime Stir Fry

serves about 8

~ ¾ lb. carrots

3 stalks green garlic

2 large bunches pak choi, ~2 lb.

1 lb. snap pea pods

½ bunch cilantro, ~1.5 oz.

~1 tbsp. peanut oil

2 tbsp. tamari

1½ tbsp. rice vinegar

1½ tbsp. dry sherry

2 tsp. hoisin sauce

½ tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Salt and hot chili oil, for serving

Wash, trim, and slice carrots about 3/8 inch thick. You will have about 3 cups.

Peel and slice green garlic bulbs and soft stem parts about ¼ inch thick. You will have up to 2 cups.

Wash and slice the pak choi about 3/8 inch thick, keeping stems and leaves in separate containers. They will be added to the wok at different times. You will have about 8 cups.

Wash snap peas and remove stem ends, strings, and any blossom remnants.

Wash cilantro and remove leaves from stems. You will have about 1/3 cup.

DON’T SKIP THIS STEP, for best results. Dry off all veggies with a kitchen towel. A little dampness is okay, but excess water will dilute the sauce and make the stir fry soggy.

Mix the stir fry sauce by stirring together tamari, rice vinegar, sherry, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch.

Heat a wok over high heat for about 30 seconds. Add peanut or other high-temperature cooking oil to wok and continue heating for another 30 seconds. Test by sprinkling in a few drops of water (carefully!) When they sizzle, start adding the veggies.

Add carrot to the wok and stir fry for two minutes. To stir fry, use two utensils, sliding both down the sides of the wok beneath the veggies and lifting up to toss the veggies when you reach the center. Apply this action continuously throughout the stir fry to cook the veggies evenly.

Add green garlic to the wok. Continue tossing and frying for 30 seconds.

Add the pak choi stems. Stir fry for 1 minute.

Add the snap pea pods. Continue stir frying for 30 seconds.

Add the leafy green parts of the pak choi. Continue lifting and tossing the veggies until the greens are evenly wilted, about 1 minute.

Add the cilantro and the sauce to the wok. Continue stir frying until sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Remove stir fry immediately to serving platter or bowl to avoid overcooking.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Serve with salt and hot chili oil as optional condiments.

Colors and Textures of Spring

Strawberry Trifle

2013-05-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Just a Trifle for Dessert

Recipe by Robin

Seasonal Eating has just passed the 100,000 mark for individual pageviews. Thank you, readers! In celebration, here is a recipe from another recent celebration, the Celtic/UK Themed 50^th Natal Anniversary of my friend Rox, an enthusiast of all things British, from King Arthur to Stonehenge to fine tea. As Ms. Rox was garbed in uncharacteristically royal attire (stitched up locally by the Royal Dressmaker, no less), this queenly dessert was perfect for the occasion. But let me back up. How many non-Brit readers have ever tasted a trifle or know how they’re made? If my research is any indicator, not many…including myself until just recently.

With Extra Ladyfingers Lining Sides of Trifle Dish

What is a trifle, anyway? (Bear with us here, British readers.) Similar to the Irish Tipsy Parson, it’s layers of leftover cake or cookies soaked with significant amounts of alcohol then layered in a straight-sided glass dish with fruit, custard, and whipped cream. Raspberries are traditionally used, but any soft seasonal fruit is acceptable. It’s also traditional to use berry jam in place of fresh fruit, and I’ve even seen recipes for trifles with stewed, semi-pulverized pears. UK-based food blogger Ms. Dolly over at Eating Kent suggests breaking tradition with cocoanut cake layers sprinkled with rum. And the UK-based Caked Crusader alters tradition by stacking up layers in a springform cake pan.

Final Layer: Whipped Cream and Decoration

The cake or cookies are broken up into bite-sized bits, then sprinkled with sherry, rum, brandy, liqueur such as Grand Marnier, or a combination of one of these fortified spirits and white wine. Angel food cake, sponge cake, pound cake, and even wholewheat raisin cake (especially here in Santa Cruz) can be used. You could also make or buy sponge fingers, which are known as ladyfingers in the US. Dry, packaged ladyfinger biscuits, macaroons, amaretti, or biscotti (broken into chunks) are also possibilities.

Very Important: Mix Milk and Custard Paste Well

As far as custard, most traditional recipes call for Bird’s custard, made in the UK and available at World Market and through Amazon. Bird’s magic thickening agent is cornstarch (cornflour in continental lingo), and it contains no eggs. Any type of milk can be used. It’s not overly thick, so it seeps into the cake and fruit layers most deliciously. Don’t cook Bird’s too quickly or you’ll burn it (as I did). Use low to medium heat for best results. You could choose to make a classic vanilla custard with both cornstarch and eggs instead.

Pouring the Last Custard Layer

The trifle will need to chill for 8 or more hours before adding the whipped cream layer and serving. Don’t make the mistake that I did and fill the trifle dish to the top before adding the whipped cream, especially if you need to transport the trifle. Whipped cream is surprisingly heavy and will cause the dish to overflow. I recommend at least ¾” space at the top of the dish. For best results, apply the whipped cream and decorations when you get to your party destination.

One final note: be sure to use enough alcohol. Even when cake layers smell alcoholic enough to make you a little lightheaded, remember that custard, fruit, and whipped cream will dilute the booze. Adding a touch of alcohol to the whipped cream layer adds subtle flavor and lovely aroma to the trifle. As always, feel free to get creative and/or adapt the recipe to use ingredients on hand. Enjoy, and thanks again for your readership!

Don't Fill This Full!

Strawberry Trifle

serves about 20, for 10-cup dish

4 tbsp. Bird’s custard

2 tbsp. sugar

1 quart 2% fat milk

3 pints ripe strawberries

4 dozen ladyfinger biscuits (1 package) or ladyfingers

~1½ cups dry sherry, divided (can use part white wine)

1 pint whipping cream

~1 tsp. sugar

Custard layer prep:

I made the Bird’s custard first, to give it a little time to cool before adding it to the trifle. I also found that making the custard in two pint-sized batches, per instructions on container, made it less likely to burn,. Perhaps you are better at finessing larger quantities. I did not have good luck with the Bird’s microwave instructions.

Mix 2 tbsp. Bird’s custard with 1 tbsp. sugar in heat-proof bowl. Mix in 1 – 2 tbsp. milk taken from 1 pint. Stir vigorously into a smooth paste. Transfer remaining milk from pint to heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium low heat until almost boiling (don’t scald).

Pour hot milk into custard paste in bowl a little at a time, stirring constantly. Stir until well combined; the success of your custard depends upon thorough mixing.

Return custard to saucepan, and heat over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.

Repeat the process for the second custard layer.

Fruit layer prep:

Wash strawberries. Reserve about 5 of the largest, ripest, shapeliest to decorate the trifle top. Slice the remainder. Sweeten with a little sugar if under-ripe.

Biscuit or Cake layer prep:

Break biscuits or tear ladyfingers into ~1 inch bits.

Assembling the Trifle:

Place half of the biscuits or cake into the bottom of the trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. dry sherry or combination of sherry and white wine for milder taste.

Add sliced berry layer and press down gently to even it out.

Pour on 2 cups of custard.

Add second layer of remaining biscuits or cake. Sprinkle with ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. sherry and/or white wine.

Add second layer of strawberries. Many cooks like to place some of the strawberries upright along the edges of the trifle dish in this layer to show off the fruit and make the trifle look a bit fancier.

Add the second layer (2 cups) of custard.

Chill the trifle thoroughly, from 8 hours up to 24 hours.

DIY Pastry Bag

Whipped Cream and Decorations Layer:

Mix the cream with about ½ - 1 tsp. sugar and 2 – 4 tbsp. sherry. Taste and adjust amounts. Whip cream to form medium-stiff peaks. Drop or pipe onto trifle. If you don't have a pastry bag, fill a ziplock bag with the cream and zip closed. Cut a small hole in one corner, and squeeze the cream out onto the trifle.

Choose the most perfect strawberry and place in center of cream topping. Slice other reserved berries in half and place in pattern around center strawberry.

Serve immediately (or chill again before serving). Acknowledge your compliments gracefully and be prepared to return home with an empty trifle dish.

Topping Perfection

Quick Ginger Pickled Beets

2013-05-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ruby Red Pickles

Recipe by Recipes from the Root Cellar

Our garden is getting more complicated and time consuming this year. In addition to the new raised beds and the usual containers, I just put in a few winter squash hills and have alpine strawberries and sunflowers to plant. But in spite of all of this springtime effort, we’re still awaiting the majority of our harvest. Meanwhile we're finishing up our wintery root veggies like beets. Here’s a simple recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Recipes from the Root Cellar. Unlike the Polish-style beets and other hot-dressed beets I’ve blogged about, this recipe is served cool, and is more of a true pickle than a side dish, but with an unexpected pop of ginger.

Cook up Brine while Beets Cool

Since the original recipe was written for winter, I’ve chosen some spring-ier options. Instead of oven-roasting the beets, simmer them on the stove (or toss them on the BBQ if you’re adventurous). I’ve reduced the sugar from ½ cup, and you could try reducing it to ¼ cup if you like. The original recipe suggests eating these at room temperature, but you might prefer them chilled, as we did, during warmer weather.

Note that these beets are called “quick” as compared with classic pickled beets, which are preserved and sealed for long-term storage using a time-consuming jar-in-the-boiling-water-bath method for sterilization. These quick beets dispense with the canning operation, but they do need to marinate overnight in the fridge to develop their intended flavor.

Pickles: Beets and Onions

Quick Ginger Pickled Beets

serves 4 – 6

4 – 6 medium beets, ¾ - 1 lb.

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

~6 tbsp. evaporated cane juice (sugar)

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger

1 cup thinly sliced onion (~1 medium)

Scrub the beets and trim the tops and roots. Place beets in pot of water and bring to a boil. Let simmer till beets are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 30 – 50 minutes, depending upon the size. Let beets cool in their cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, stir together vinegar, water, sugar, salt, chopped crystallized ginger, and sliced onion in non-reactive (stainless steel or enamel) saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer about 10 minutes, till slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour liquid into a large bowl and let cool.

Peel beets when cool enough to handle. Cut into slices or wedges. Stir beets gently into marinade to coat. Cover and let chill overnight in refrigerator.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

May Veggies and Recipes

2013-05-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Old English Rose in our Garden

May Flowers Despite Few Showers

May is skipping by, and I’ve not yet posted May’s in-season veggies and favorite recipes. I blame both the balmy weather and the intensive gardening projects that seem happen every May. This year has been particularly hot and dry, perfect for planting tomatoes, peppers, and sunflowers. Longer days make it easier to find time to garden, and easier to become overly ambitious in the number of plants to be added to the garden. With weather so beautiful, though, I’m probably not the only one who’s choosing to putter in the yard rather than plan in the kitchen.

Beautiful, Edible Roses

Still, hubby Bruce and I have been saying we’ll plan some menus for more than a week. Our bountiful CSA harvest has filled our fridge with green garlic, lettuce, pak choi and other cooking greens, and strawberries. As creative as Bruce is about making a spontaneous stir-fry, it’s time to do a bit of planning. Even a spontaneous stir-fry requires plenty of chopping time. Enjoy your month!

Favorite Flowers of May

May Veggies & Fruits

Artichokes
Arugula

Asparagus

Avocados

Beets

Broccoli, Broccolini

Cabbage 

Carrots 

Dill

Chard 

Cilantro 

Collards

Fava beans

Green garlic

Greens: bok choy, mei qing choi, tatsoi, mizuna

Kale 

Leeks 

Lettuce

Mint

Oyster mushrooms (cultivated year round)

Parsley

Radishes (beginning of season)

Spinach

Spring onions

Scallions

Sugar Snap Peas & Young Peas

Turnips

Meyer lemons

Strawberries

I'm a Bit Rose-Crazy

Favorite & New May Recipes

Moroccan Fava Bean Dip

Carrot-Cilantro Soup

Springtime Borscht

Escarole and White Bean Soup with Bacon

Arugula & Strawberry Salad

Spring Veggie Salad

Strawberry Salad with Strawberry Dressing

Marge’s Coleslaw

Ginger Pickled Beets

Fish with Lemon-Dill (or other herb) Sauce

Grilled Sustainable Salmon

Chicken with Green Garlic, Onion (or Leeks) and Tomato

Tagine of Chicken and Fava Beans

Spring Chicken with Peas & Dill, courtesy Jodi’s Kitchen & Home

Baked Chicken with Lemon & Cilantro

Balsamic Grilled Spring Lamb with Mint Sauce or Jelly

Spaghetti and Broccoli

Pasta a l’Olio

From Our Dear Friend Joy

Simply Sautéed Fava Beans

Pak Choi, Carrot, and Green Garlic Stir-fry

Fresh Spring Peas with Mint

Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Sauce

Springtime Veggie Stirfry

Sunshine Golden Beets

Hot Kale Salad with Balsamic & Hot Chili Oil

Honey Kissed Baby Turnips and their Greens

Sauteed Radishes with their Greens

Braised Chard with Leeks

Creamy Lemon Pie

Double Strawberry Muffins

Lemon Poppyseed Mini Muffins

Simple Strawberry Trifle

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Mojito or Nojito
Meyer Lemonade

Hope You Enjoyed the Rose Garden Tour

Top 7 Plants for Container Gardens

2013-05-08T22:10:00.000-07:00

Classic Container Plant, courtesy FuchsiaMagic.com

Plus 3 Container No-nos

Container gardens are all the rage right now, according to popular garden periodicals from budget-conscious Better Homes and Gardens to spare-no-expense Sunset Magazine. Containers come in all shapes and sizes, and more container-friendly plants are hybridized every year. Containers can provide inexpensive patio décor, and can be moved around during the growing season as temperature and light exposure changes. Container gardens require less soil and less manual labor to get started than larger beds, but they also require more frequent watering and fertilizing during the growing season. Be prepared to check the soil moisture and plant wiltiness every day when it’s hot out. Some plants will need daily watering when the weather is especially toasty.

Here are a few easy-to-grow plants that adapt well to containers, plus a few that I wouldn’t recommend under most circumstances. For other ideas, check your local garden store for new container-friendly varieties. Try chatting up workers and shoppers, if the opportunity presents itself.

Top 7 Container Garden Plants

Fave Four Perennial Container Herbs

Herbs: Marjoram, winter savory, and several varieties of oregano and thyme are container-friendly. In mild Bay Area climates they’ll even overwinter, if protected on the coldest nights with shade cloth. It’s possible to raise these from seeds, but faster and more reliable to start with small plants and pot them into 10-inch diameter pots. If plants are small, protect them from marauding squirrels with strawberry baskets or inverted gopher baskets.

2013's Basil So Far: Thai and Lime

Basil: I know, technically this is an herb, but I separated it because basil is a tender annual that requires special handling. All varieties including Thai basil can be grown in containers. A favorite of slugs and snails, container-grown basil is easier to protect than garden-grown. Simply wrap the containers with self-stick copper foil tape near the top. Be sure that no other plants can contact the container above the foil if a snail-size weight is attached to them. This includes branches from above, adjacent plants, and weeds that are taller than the container. Snails are surprisingly resourceful. I prefer seedlings to seeds, because they produce more basil quicker. Trim off flower spikes as they appear to produce larger and more numerous leaves.

Beefsteak (left) & Super Bush

Tomatoes: There are plenty of tomatoes designed for containers these days, but according to the UCSC Farm (as well as my own experience), any variety including heirloom slicers can be grown in containers, provided that you do three things: use a big enough container, water frequently, and fertilize at least once every six weeks. Fertilizer in particular will affect the size of your yield. For the heirloom slicers, use a pot that’s about 16 inches in diameter. Container-friendly varieties like Super bush and prolific cherry tomatoes such as Sungold and Isis Candy (both recommended) can take smaller containers, about 12 inches. Most tomatoes need plenty of sun and warmth to produce. If these are in short supply where you live, try the classic Early Girl (requires fewer sunny days), or ask at your garden store about fog-friendly varieties.

Sweet peppers: OK, I have never tried these, until this week. The same farmer at the UCSC Farm who recommended planting tomatoes in containers says that peppers do well if given plenty of water and fertilized frequently. Like tomatoes, peppers prefer a sunny, warm climate. Look for fog-friendly varieties if you’re on the coast, and/or place them in the hottest, sunniest spot in the yard. I don’t recommend growing either peppers or tomatoes from seed, especially in cooler climates. To make the most of the growing season, start with already-established plants.

Persian Mint courtesy FromSeedToTable.blogspot.com

Mint: Decorative as well as culinary, mints grow equally well in containers and the ground. Be sure to place them in a mostly-shady area. I’ve grown spearmint, Persian mint, peppermint, lemon mint, orange mint, chocolate mint, and Himalayan mint in containers (the latter is fuzzy and decidedly not culinary). Lemon verbena, also a mint, botanically speaking, also grows well in containers. During winter mint dies back, but typically re-emerges early in spring, especially if protected under shrubbery or near the house covered with shade cloth.

Poppies Also Attract Bees to the Garden

Poppies: Both culinary poppies and wild poppies (California poppy cultivars) sprout readily from seed and look beautiful in containers. These are best started in cool weather. Stick to seeds rather than plants, poppies don’t transplant well. I like using large containers, like oak half-barrels, so that poppies can reseed and come up again every spring. You could plant mid-to-late summer bulbs like dahlias in the same container to fill in the season with color after the poppies have bloomed.

See FuchsiaMagic.com for More Varieties

Fuchsia: This is a classic container plant, often seen in hanging baskets. Many shades and combinations of pink, purple, red, and white are available, with single and double blooms of all sizes. Fuchsias require shade. They bloom throughout summer into fall. Fertilizing makes blooms even more prolific, as does pinching off the old, spent blossoms. Water when soil starts to feel dry. Most winters they will die back, and if left semi-protected under shrubbery or shade cloth will come back the following spring. Fuchsias are named after Leonhard Fuchs, a 16^th century German botanist. Remember this and you’ll not contribute to the epidemic of misspelling of this flower name.

3 (Mostly) Not Container-Friendly Plants

Parsley: Yes, it seems like it would take to pots like most other herbs, but this has not been true in my experience. Grown in a bed, however, it tends to reseed easily and come up the following years in rather inconvenient semi-shady spots, such as the cracks in the patio below the picnic table.

Most Squash: Typically squash likes to be planted on top of a mound and trail down on the soil. Usually two plants (or 3 seeds) are planted and trailed down opposite sides of the mound. I’ve not been successful at fooling squash into thinking that it will “trail down” from a pot. So I’m planting my butternut on a classic squash mound. Renee Shepherd introduced a container-friendly bush-like zucchini plant that I’m planting in a pot this year, though. Given the success of Renee’s Super-bush tomatoes in small containers last year, I’m optimistic.

Artichoke: In the Bay Area, artichokes are extremely happy in the garden and will overwinter and produce throughout the years. They need more space than a container provides, and will spread out to 4-5 feet in diameter. Where winters are mild they essentially produce forever, so it’s best to locate your artichokes in a spot where you’ll enjoy seeing them for many years.

Do you have other favorite container garden plants? If so, please share in a comment!

Arugula and Strawberry Salad

2013-05-05T20:08:00.000-07:00

Arugula, Berries, Cheese, Simple Dressing, That's It!

Recipe by Let’s Cook and Chef Eric Carter

I’ve already blogged two strawberry salads, one with butter lettuce, radicchio, and feta topped with strawberry dressing and another with arugula, spinach, pine nuts and Parmesan. This is the simplest and quickest one yet. Ironically, I learned it at a Succulent Seafood class at Let’s Cook, taught by Eric Carter, culinary program director at Cabrillo College. This was our simple accompaniment to our stewed, seared, baked, and grilled fish and shellfish. Yes, we made four entrees, including bouillabaisse, in less than 3 hours. So Eric and Let’s Cook owner Patricia decided upon a quick salad with just a few ingredients to pair with the seafood. This recipe can be handy for your own cooking-intensive menus, especially during spring and summer when strawberries and fresh arugula abound. And it's delicious. My husband, who formerly said "No more arugula in salads!" had two helpings. The recipe can be doubled, as we did, for larger groups.

Be sure to use high quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil for best results. Very little is required, and they are the only dressing ingredients besides a sprinkle of salt. More about the Succulent Seafood class in another post!

Eye and Tongue Candy

Arugula and Strawberry Salad

serves 4 - 6

2 cups quartered strawberries (1 pint or less)

1 tbsp. quality Balsamic vinegar

3 cups arugula

¼ - ½ tsp. olive oil of quality

~2 sprinkles salt

2 – 4 oz. goat cheese

Toss the quartered strawberries with the balsamic vinegar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile wash and spin dry arugula. Remove any tough stems and discolored leaves.

Combine arugula with strawberries, a sprinkle or two of salt, and a olive oil ¼ tsp. at a time.

Toss gently and serve with crumbled goat cheese.

Use High Quality Balsamic; You only need one tablespoon

Shrimp Braised with Kale and Green Garlic

2013-04-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

US White Shrimp: Large and Reasonably Sustainable

Recipe Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar

I love shrimp and have noticed that readers do too. However, in years past it’s not been easy to find sustainably produced shrimp. Old school fisheries involve dragging a net along the bottom of the ocean, with a huge amount of bycatch: about 4 lbs. for every 1 lb. of shrimp caught. Many shrimp farms are open to the ocean, leaching antibiotics, commercial fish food, and shrimp waste into the environment. Some shrimp farmers destroy native mangrove ecosystems to build farms. Luckily, the Monterey Bay Aquarium publishes sustainable shrimp guidelines, and they are getting easier to follow. Trending now are hook-and-line caught shrimp and closed-system farms. The rebuilding of the US Gulf of Mexico fisheries after Hurricane Katrina and the pioneering of closed-system farming enterprises in Thailand and Vietnam are both great news for shrimp eaters. And if I’m reading the guidelines right, we can now buy sustainable shrimp at Costco for under $10 per pound.

Shrimp and Kale: Colorful, Healthy & Yummy

US wild-caught white shrimp, though not a best choice, is considered a good alternative. Costco is selling this fresh (not frozen) right now. The shrimp are large, which makes sense since they are caught by hook. Of course, there are environmental costs to transporting the shrimp across the US, in terms of greenhouse gas production. Continuing to eat shrimp sparingly if you’re not near the Gulf or south Atlantic is still best practice.

Cutting Kale into Strips

But I digress, because originally I was looking for a new recipe for kale, not shrimp, when I was once again inspired by Recipes from the Root Cellar. A most amazing crop, kale is available in Santa Cruz year-round, and in many varieties. And with our extra-warm spring weather this year our CSA is providing large amounts of it. Great for health, because according to WebMD, eating kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits including and cancer protection and lowered cholesterol. I’ve used a bunch of large Red Russian kale, though Recipes from the Root Cellar author Andrea Chesman prefers Lacinato kale (AKA Dinosaur kale), which requires less cooking. I’ve adjusted the recipe accordingly. If you’re using more delicate kale, consider cutting it into thinner strips and add it along with the shrimp, like Andrea does.

With Shallots & Green Garlic

I’ve added some extra shallots, because I had them on hand from last fall, and used the green garlic we’ve been receiving in our CSA share every week. You could substitute any kind of finely chopped onion, and use 4 regular garlic cloves, minced, in place of the green garlic. I upped the quantity of shrimp, since Costco sells it in 2 lb. packages. Feel free to use the smaller (original) amount. A few word about balsamic, as this recipe calls for a high quality vinegar that is thick and sweet. The Modena (Italian) vinegars are excellent choices for Europeans, but sometimes quite expensive in the US. Trader Joe’s carries some inexpensive Modena balsamics, though I haven’t tried them yet. Napa Valley Naturals Grand Reserve is a thick, rich, and relatively inexpensive US-produced fancy balsamic. Please leave a comment if you have a favorite balsamic to recommend!

Drizzle with Balsamic when Plated

Shrimp Braised with Kale and Green Garlic

serves about 6

2 medium shallots

2 – 4 stalks green garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large bunch of Red Russian kale

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1½ - 2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined

¾ cup chicken or veggie broth

¼ cup dry white wine

~ ¼ tsp. salt

A few grinds of black pepper

1 – 3 tbsp. high quality balsamic vinegar

Cooked Rice, to serve over, or crusty bread (optional)

Mince shallots and green garlic. You should have about ¾ cup of each.

Wash kale and remove thick stems. Stack up leaves and cut into ½ inch or smaller strips. Douse with water and drain. You should have about 10 cups.

Peel and devein/clean shrimp. Pat dry with towel.

Heat oil in electric frying pan at 325 degrees (medium high). Add shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.

Add damp kale a handful or two at a time. Stir and sauté each handful until it begins to wilt, then add the next handful (unless you can fit all the kale into the frying pan at once). After about 4 minutes, all kale will be semi-wilted. Reduce heat to 275 degrees (medium), cover and steam until kale starts to get tender, about 5 minutes.

Turn heat up to 325 degrees again. Add shrimp and sauté about 2 minutes, stirring constantly to partially cook the shrimp.

When all shrimp are partially opaque, stir in broth and wine. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes, then open lid and stir so that shrimp will cook evenly. Cover and cook until shrimp are just opaque, another 1 – 3 minutes depending upon size of shrimp.

Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 1 – 2 tbsp. vinegar, depending upon how much shrimp you used.

Serve immediately over rice or with crusty bread. Drizzle a little extra vinegar over each serving, or let diners add their own.

Perfect in Color, Texture, and Taste

DIY Square Foot Garden (SFG): Making a Hoop House

2013-04-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Easy, Functional Hoop House

Instructions by Bruce

My last two posts were about making a square foot garden: building the raised beds, and mixing the soil and planting. Today is the final chapter, on what it takes to sustain the garden: water, fertilizing, and temperature control. Making an inexpensive hoop house will allow you to plant earlier and get growing despite nighttime temperature dips. You can also use the hoop house to foil most bugs while providing the diffused lighting that seedlings prefer. I’ve also included a few tips on early-season garden maintenance. So without further ado, let’s get to it.

Plastic Option Might Need Ventilation During Day

PVC pipe can be fashioned into cheap and serviceable hoop house. Be sure to get Schedule 40 (thin wall), not Schedule 80 or 125, which it too hard to bend. To cover the hoop house, there are two main choices: non-permeable plastic or a permeable covering like white shade cloth or row covering. Non-permeable is best where it rains and/or temperatures drop below 40 degrees or so at night. Use a UV-resistant plastic at least 3 – 4 mils thick. Plastic will trap more heat, so needs to be monitored and opened up in direct sunlight on hot days. It’s not flexible so it can rip if stretched too tightly. Permeable covering works well if there’s no rain and temperatures are more moderate. It can be left on during most days, with the added benefit of blocking hungry insects and birds and providing diffused light. In Santa Cruz and surrounds, we start the season with plastic and switch to row cloth when it stops raining for the year and nighttime temperatures get moderate.

Let us know with a comment if you have more advice for a DIY SFG!

Success! Bean and Squash Seedlings

Hoop House for 4' x 4' or 5' x 3' Raised Bed

1 – 20' piece ½" schedule 40 PVC tubing

Ratcheting PVC pipecutter or hacksaw

Yardstick or tape measure

Pencil or scribe

6 – ¾" pipe loops (strapping)

12 – ¾" #6 wood screws

18 volt cordless drill

Screwdriver bit for drill

~10' square sheet of 4 mil UV resistant plastic or white row cloth

Box (12) of large (2") binder clips or other clipping devices

Cut bell-shaped end off PVC pipe with pipecutter or hacksaw. Cut into 3 equal pieces, approximately 6.5' long.

Measure and mark the center of the longer sides of the raised bed. Attach pipe loops (strapping) to inside of bed, approximately 1" from top of board, driving wood screws with cordless drill. Add one loop on each end and one in the middle on each board.

Put one end of PVC pipe into pipe loop and bend to fit into pipe loop on opposite board. Repeat with other 2 PVC pipe sections. This is your hoop house frame.

Unfold plastic or row cloth and lift to cover bed over hoops. Clip in place with binder clips, a minimum of 3 clips on each end hoop. If your bed is in a windy area, you can also clip to the gopher wire on the bottom of the bed, or pull in the corners at the bottom and clip. Don’t pull the plastic tight, it needs to flex in the wind, otherwise it will rip.

Thermometer Transmits Temp to Receiver

Garden Maintenance Tips

Water check: test garden every day when plants are small (and before germination) to determine whether water is needed. Use a hygrometer, or just stick your finger 2” into the soil and see if it feels damp. If not, add water.

How to water: classic SFG procedure is to fill up a watering can and leave it in the sun to warm, and use that water in mid afternoon. In practice, you might need to check and water early in the morning before work. Don’t water in late afternoon or at night.

Logging Max and Min Temps to See Trend

Temperature check: You might want to get a maximum/minimum wireless remote sensing thermometer for the garden to monitor how cold it gets at night. We bought ours at LL Bean several years ago, < $20. This is useful to determine why plants don’t germinate, which could be caused by low temperatures, inadequate water, animals in the bed, or bad seeds. It’s also useful for monitoring high temperatures if plastic is used in the hoop house, to know if it’s best to remove the plastic during daytime.

Fertilizer: Not needed during first month or so, but be prepared to add compost to bed as plants grow and level of soil falls.

Our First Goal is Realized!

DIY Square Foot Garden (SFG): Making Soil and Planting Seeds

2013-04-24T23:11:00.000-07:00

Bruce in Action

Instructions by Bruce

Once you have a raised bed built for your square foot garden (details in Sunday’s post,) you’re ready to fill it with soil, make the square foot grid sections, and plant your seeds. You can also build a hoop house to protect small plants from cold temperatures; I will give hoop house instructions in my next post. All New Square Foot Gardening, the latest and greatest book by SFG pioneer Mel Bartholomew, recommends soil made from equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite, and organic compost from several sources. Vermiculite holds moisture and reduces the amount of watering necessary. But there is considerable debate about it due to its high cost and sustainability (it’s mined). Bruce reduced the amount of vermiculite in the mix. He noted that a high quality compost mixture also holds substantial water as well as loosening the soil—vermiculite’s other soil-building contribution. Bruce replaced the classic SFG wooden grid with a woven grid of nylon twine secured by wood screws, both of which we had on hand. Without a grid, as Mel Bartholomew points out, it’s not a square foot garden.

Making the SFG Soil

As far as plants, anything goes, according to Bruce’s research, and mixing it up is part of the fun and science (ideally you’ll rotate crop placement each year to maximize fertility). Observe the plant spacing instructions on each seed package. If the package says to space 4” apart, three plants will fit in a square foot, if 6” apart, two plants, if 12” apart, just one plant. Some seeds, like lettuce and braising greens, can be sown close together and thinned out as they grow. The thinned baby plants can be added to salads. Bruce placed all of our peas and beans in the back row, where we plan to add a trellis or add bean poles when plants get bigger.

Keeping Track of What's Planted Where

One last word about planting: be sure to make a chart of which seeds are planted in each grid section. You might think you’ll remember without a diagram, but you don’t want to be confused if some seeds don’t come up. You could accidentally replant a duplicate of something you’re not crazy about, while skipping your favorite. Marking the sections themselves seems like a good idea, yet markers can disintegrate or become illegible, and sometimes mysteriously disappear or get buried (personally I blame squirrels). It’s best practice to back up any onsite markings with a diagram.

Square Foot Garden: Soil, Grid, and Plants

Materials & Tools:

7.5 cubic feet quality organic compost

6 cubic feet peat moss

22 quarts (2 small bags) vermiculite

Landscaping rake or small shovel

Yardstick or tape measure

Pencil or scribe

18 volt cordless drill

Screwdriver bit for drill

12 – ½-inch #6 wood screws

~40 feet nylon twine

Allow Space to Wrap or Tie Nylon Twine

Making the Grid Framework:

With yardstick or measuring tape and pencil or scribe, mark off 1-foot increments on the top edge of one side of the raised bed. Starting one foot from corners, use drill to screw wood screws into the center of each mark. Don’t tighten screws down flush, leave a small space to tie the twine around. Mark other sides of the raised bed and add screws.

Adding optional Hoop House Hardware:

Now is the most convenient time to add the hoop house hardware, before making the grid. Alternatively, you could add it after making the grid and even after planting. Hoop house instructions in Friday’s post.

Making the Soil:

Instead of the standard SFG practice of mixing the soil on a tarp (and getting the tarp all gritty), Bruce mixed it up directly in the raised bed. He added compost first, followed by vermiculite, and peat moss on the top. Then he used the flat side of the rake to mix it together. You might prefer a shovel. Using the tine side of the rake runs the risk of snagging and breaking the gopher wire. Mix soil components together well, then level out.

Tie Both Ends of Twine to Same Screw

Making the Grid:

Start stringing nylon twine on shorter sides of bed. This means you’ll be making the longer dimension of the (twine) grid first. It’s easiest and strongest to double the twine: tie twine to one screw, stretch twine tightly across bed around screw on opposite side, then bring twine back to original screw, pull tight and tie securely. Cut twine and proceed to adjacent screw, completing the short sides of the bed first.

The Basics of Weaving

Next you’ll string shorter pieces of twine from the longer sides of the bed. The key to a good grid is that it’s woven to form an integrated unit. The twine that is already in place is, in weaver’s terms, the warp (lengthwise) twine. The shorter pieces you will now add are the weft. See illustration for basic weaving technique: essentially the weft strands alternate over and under the warp.

"Trapping" Warp with Weft

Use the same technique of doubling the twine on the weft as you did on the warp: tie one end to a screw, weave through warp twine, and wrap around opposite screw. Then weave back through warp (alternating passing weft twine over and under warp twine) to the original screw, “trapping” warp twine with weft, (see photo), stretch weft twine tight and tie off. Proceed from one end of board to the other, until you have a woven network, which is your planting grid. Each section is one square foot.

Planting the SFG:

Water the bed well and let it drain. Make sure it’s moist. Meanwhile, make a diagram of your bed and its grid and label each section with what you will plant. You might want to start with short plants in front: lettuces and other greens, and tall climbing plants like beans in the back row where you can prop up stakes during the season.

Check the seed packages for recommended plant spacing and planting depth. Follow these instructions for each seed. Note that if recommended spacing is 12 inches, you’ll only one plant will occupy that section; if it’s 6 inches, two plants will go in the section, etc. Make a note of the germination time for each seed variety from its package. Lastly, make a note of the date you planted the garden.

Classic planting technique calls for 2 seeds to be planted in each hole, in case one seed doesn’t sprout. This means you’ll have to pinch off the weaker plant as the plants start to grow. It’s hard for some people (including yours truly) to kill off a seedling like this, so if you prefer, plant one seed to each hole. You can always replant a section if no seedlings come up. In fact, double planting is not a guarantee that all sections will germinate (especially if temperatures get low), and replanting one or more sections isn’t unusual. Replant a section if the plants don’t come up during the germination time listed on their package.

Water the beds again after planting. More tips on watering and temperature control, including hoop house construction, in Friday’s post!

DIY Square Foot Garden (SFG): Raised Bed Construction

2013-04-21T20:46:00.004-07:00

My Hero of the Raised Beds

Instructions by Bruce

After doing a fair amount of research, hubby Bruce built some raised beds with a protective hoop house over the top. He’s made a set of raised beds once before, and made some improvements this time. An IT guy by trade, Bruce made the construction sound easy. We were both intrigued by square foot gardening (SFG), a method of dividing the garden into square foot sections and planting one crop per square foot. The space requirement for a SFG is only 20% of that needed for a conventional garden. And you’re less likely to grow more than you can eat. It’s a great method to get food variety in a small space. We’re growing beans, lettuces, chard, squashes, braising greens, dill, and cilantro, despite recent near-freezing temperatures in the yard at night. I’m sharing Bruce's method for building the raised beds and hoop house over the next three posts. I encourage you to build your own too!

Today’s post will concentrate on making the raised beds. After some deliberation, we decided to use 2" x 12" redwood for the raised beds. This is heftier than the 1" x lumber that Bruce used last time, so the beds will be sturdier and last longer. Frugal Dad uses 2" x 6", favoring lower lumber and soil costs. We wanted a deeper bed that we wouldn't need to bend over as much to harvest—remember that you’ll be harvesting from the middle of the bed as well as the edges, and that plantings will be dense. Redwood is cheapest in our area, but cedar might be a more economical choice where you are. Both are fairly bug-proof. Use untreated lumber, otherwise chemicals could leach into your organic garden.

Avoid This by Making 3' x 5' Bed

Our bed is 4' x 4', but this turned out to not be the best plan for gopher country. Gopher wire comes on a 4' roll. To gopher-proof, you must cover the bottom plus overlap the sides of the raised bed by 3" on all sides, according to gopher-proofing guru Thomas Wittman. This means that on a 4' x 4' bed, the gopher wire must be pieced and the overlap "stitched" or "woven" together with more wire, a time-consuming and futzy task. Make the bed 3 ' x 5' and you won’t have to overlap the gopher wire. NOTE: use wire mesh with 1" mesh or smaller, specifically for garden use. Don’t use aviary wire, which is designed for above-ground use and will disintegrate. Gopher wire typically comes on 25' rolls, and one roll will cover 4 beds, unless you have a source to buy it by the foot. To learn more about nontoxic gopher control, check out Thomas’ Gophers Limited and my previous post 12 Tips for No-Poison Gopher Control.

If you have another method of building raised beds, please share in a comment!

3' x 5' Raised Bed with Gopher-Proofing

Materials & Tools:

16' length of 2" x 12" redwood

4' x 6' length of gopher wire

12 – 3" x 3/32" deck screws, redwood color

5/8” galvanized fence staples (U nails)

Newspaper (no color ink) or cardboard (optional)

Carpenter’s square

18 volt cordless drill

3/32" drill bit

Screwdriver bit for drill

Hammer

Method:

Cut redwood board into 2 – 3' lengths and 2 – 5' lengths, or have them cut at the lumberyard.

Stagger Corners to Get Square Foot Sections

To sure your “square foot” garden sections are square, stagger the joints on the corner of the bed where the boards come together: 5' board outside the 3' board, 3' board outside the next 5' board, etc. (see illustration). If you make the joints by joining both 3' sections to the outside of both 5' sections, your “square” foot sections will be longer than they are wide.

Lay the boards on your work surface roughly per diagram. Square one joint with carpenter’s square, and drill pilot holes for 3 screws, through the side grain of one board into the end grain of the other. NOTE: use the same size drill bit as the size of your deck screws. Drive in deck screws using screwdriver bit in cordless drill.

Repeat the squaring, drilling pilot holes, and screwing in screws on 3 other corners.

Stretch gopher wire over frame evenly. Crimp edges, making folds on corners (don’t cut wire). Hammer in fence staples every 6" or less to hold wire in place. Staple as close as possible to top of wire.

Turn bed frame over and put in place in garden. Move bed frame aside and remove weeds from where it will sit. Or if preferred, put down a layer of cardboard or 5 sheets of non-glossy black and white newspaper under bed to control weeds. Put bed frame back in place and check that it sits evenly on ground. Add dirt below bed frame as needed to level it. Put bed frame back in place.

You are now ready to fill the bed, which I’ll detail in my next post.

Shredded Root Vegetables over Pasta

2013-04-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Cheerful and Healthy Root Veggies

Recipe Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar

It’s that time of year when it’s officially spring, yet the temperature in our DIY “hothouse” where we’ve started garden seeds was 34 degrees last night. Looks like it will be a few weeks before we enjoy local spring veggies like snow peas, snap peas, and asparagus. In the meantime, we have winter root veggies like carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips—and most of us are darned tired of them. Here’s a recipe for those wintry veggies that’s light-textured and sunshine-colored, the perfect antidote for a locavore’s early springtime blues.

Shredding is Key

Shredding the root veggies is key to the lightness of this dish. This also cuts way down on the cooking time, in fact the veggies need only the amount of cooking time that the pasta requires. Use a food processor to shred, and save even more time and effort. Spend your extra moments enjoying the longer--if still chilly--days, or tending to your garden-to-be (DIY hothouse instructions to be blogged soon!).

Golden Beets Turn Pasta & Most Veggies Yellow

According to Recipes from the Root Cellar, the genius cookbook for cool weather veggies that is the source of this recipe, you can use any mixture of these veggies: carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery root, rutabagas, golden beets or red beets. I’ve chosen to use golden beets because they turn everything except the carrots a cheery post-winter saffron yellow. Note that red beets reportedly turn everything pink, which could be fun for certain occasions. It’s good to mix different flavors and colors of veggies, for example I wouldn’t use only rutabagas and turnips. I shredded roughly equal amounts of celery root (celeriac), carrots, turnip, and golden beets. The flavors blended beautifully.

Beautiful Array of Root Veggies

As far as pasta, my husband and I like low-carb, gluten-free Miracle Noodles, made from shiritake mushrooms. They don’t need cooking, but smell almost fishy when first removed from the package. Draining, rinsing, and blanching them in boiling water helps subdue this. You can, of course, use any standard wheat pasta, rice noodles, or even rice as a bed for your sautéed root veggie sauce.

The number of leeks and garlic can vary with their size and your taste. I added a fair amount of salt and quite a few grinds of pepper. You might prefer less. We had cilantro on hand from our CSA, so I used it to garnish, a perfect raw green counterpoint to the cooked roots. You could use young parsley leaves instead, or serve the pasta with a side salad.

Recipes from the Root Cellar is worth owning. Andrea Chesman gives basic how-tos for all sorts of cool weather veggies, as well as 270 innovative recipes. Most recipes can be made with ingredients on hand. I just broke my “no more cookbooks” rule and bought a copy (the library insisted upon having theirs back), and Seasonal Eating is better for it. Stay tuned!

Closeup of Yum

Shredded Root Veggies over Pasta

serves 4

1 lb. linguini, fettuccine, or other pasta

~ 8 oz. carrots

~ 8 oz. golden beets

~7 oz. turnip

~7 oz. celery root (celeriac)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium or 2 small leeks

3 – 4 cloves garlic

1 cup veggie or chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

~ ¼ tsp. sea salt or to taste

~ 12 grinds black pepper, or to taste

~ 4 tsp. cilantro leaves, optional garnish

Heat a large pot of salted water for the pasta.

Wash and peel carrots, golden beets, turnips, and celery root. Grate with food processor. You may grate by hand if you prefer. You will have 4 – 5 cups packed grated veggies.

Heat olive oil in electric frying pan at about 350 degrees. Add leeks and garlic, stir and sauté till slightly cooked, about 2 minutes. Add grated veggies to frying pan and increase heat to 400 degrees F. Sauté, tossing frequently with two wooden spatulas, until veggies are somewhat limp and evenly cooked, about 8 minutes.

Pour broth and wine into frying pan. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer, about 275 degrees F. Simmer until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.

While veggies are simmering, cook pasta according to package directions. If using Miracle Noodles, rinse thoroughly then add to boiling water. Bring back to boil, simmer 2 minutes, and drain. Keep warm. If using wheat pasta, reserve about 1 cup of cooking water before draining. You can add some of this to the pasta and veggies if they seem too dry.

When veggies are tender, add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Put pasta in a bowl and top with sautéed veggies. Toss together. If dry, add reserved pasta water by the tablespoon until moist. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

Perfect Early Springtime Fare

Top Ten Reasons to Join a CSA Farm

2013-04-14T14:22:00.002-07:00

LEF Strawberries on the Vine

LEF Strawberries in the Basket

Ideas Collected from CSA Subscribers

Springtime is the perfect season to join a CSA farm. CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is an arrangement where consumers subscribe to a local organic farm and receive a “farm share” of produce every week. You get a box of perfectly ripened local fruits and veggies straight from the fields, fresher and more flavorful that from any market. In turn, your CSA subscription gives the farmer resources to purchase seeds, soil amendments, and farm equipment, and assures him or her of recipients for the farm’s produce when crops are booming. Most CSA farms offer several box sizes and a choice of payment options. If you’re in the Santa Cruz/South Bay/Monterey area, I highly recommend Live Earth Farm, which has spaces for a few more subscribers this year. Our first boxes have included lettuce, cilantro, spinach and other greens, young carrots, beets, green garlic, and LEF’s legendary strawberries. I’m not exaggerating…you’ll not find any better strawberries anywhere. Folks from other US locations can find a farm on the CSA map provided by LocalHarvest.org.

Green Garlic: Not Found in Supermarkets

Here’s a list of things that subscribers like about belonging to a CSA, according to an informal poll I’ve taken over the past couple of weeks:

Top Ten Reasons to Belong to CSA Farm

1. Local veggies and fruits in season are the freshest and most flavorful produce available.

2. All produce is organic, healthfully pesticide-free. More consumers buying organic reduces overall pesticide levels in the environment.

3. Eating locally grown food from nearby farmers creates community, putting you in touch with what is grown around you at different times of the year.

4. Receiving produce every week requires you to eat your veggies just about every day, a healthy plan. How many servings do you need per day? Check out the calculator at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

Most CSAs Have Farm Visiting Days for Members

5. CSA helps you discover new and unusual fruits and veggies. Sometimes even veggies that you think you don’t like are delicious when eaten fresh from local sources, or prepared in a way recommended by the farm. Most CSA farms email weekly newletters with recipes for the week’s produce.

6. Eating locally grown food reduces transportation costs and reduces our food’s carbon footprint.

7. CSA shares eliminate decisions and shopping trips to the market. This one was submitted by my lovely accountant Maura, who has been quite busy lately. Check her out if you are a local with personal or business accounting needs. After April 15. :-)

8. Buying from nearby farmers supports local small businesses and spends your dollars within your county or state.

9. CSA subscriptions increase the amount of organic produce that is purchased. This encourages agriculture business as a whole to move towards organic.

10. It’s fun. This is actually the #1 reason, cited by almost everyone, including me.

Mild Green Garlic: Slice and use like Onion!

Try it for a season! Support nearby businesses while enjoying plenty of fresh, organic, local produce. If you need to know what to do with all that produce, that’s what this blog is all about…check out my Recipes by Ingredient tab, or click on a veggie or fruit in the left sidebar. And do leave a comment if there’s another fruit or veggie for which you need recipes or how-to-prepare advice!

LEF Plowing Under Cover Crops

April Veggies and Recipes

2013-04-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

April Dogwood in my Yard

New Year in the Garden

As I said last year, April is one of my favorite months. Flowers burst into bloom in such rapid succession that we lose track of those whose blooms have faded. My husband built a cold frame for our garden last week, and tiny lettuces, beans, squash, and herbs are up already. We just received the first produce box of the year from our CSA, Live Earth Farm. Despite all of the springtime growth activity, our local veggie and fruit choices are still somewhat limited. Yet we’re assured, as days grow longer, of more variety and more food bounty soon. In the meantime, Santa Cruz locavores can check out Santa Cruz Local Foods.

Fruit Variety Box: 40 Kiwis, Apples & Assorted Citrus

SCLF gleans organic produce from many farms around Santa Cruz county, including our beloved Live Earth Farm. Then they sell both individual items and variety boxes to consumers year-round. They also provide dairy products, breads, nuts, oils, honey, cheese, and meat from local sources, all delivered to a number of pickup locations throughout the county every Tuesday. This helps small-scale farmers and artisans to market their goods and gives locavores a venue for one-stop shopping. We find it’s an especially good way to add a wider range of fruits to our standard farm share. We like more fruit variety at the beginning of the season when harvests are limited, and during the "fruitful" season when extras can be canned or made into preserves for next winter. SCLF currently has plenty of local citrus, plus our favorite Live Earth Farm apples.

First Live Earth Farm 2013 CSA Share

As we plant seeds in anticipation of future harvests, here's a poetic seasonal quote from Farmer Tom, who owns and operates Live Earth Farm. Enjoy the beginning of our new growing season!

“Dressed in vibrantly colorful flowers, tender green foliage, accompanied by bird song and sweet perfume, I surrender to her intoxicating energy and demanding rhythm…renewing my vows of stewardship while she whispers a promise of bountiful harvests and nourishing treasures.”

Alpine Strawberry in Yard: Promise of More

April Veggies & Fruits: Click links for recipes

Artichokes

Asparagus

Avocados (beginning of season)

Beets

Broccoli, Broccolini

Bok choy (baby)

Cabbage 

Carrots 

Chard 

Cilantro 

Collards

Fava beans (beginning of season)

Fennel

Green garlic

Greens: arugula, mei qing choi, tatsoi, mizuna

Kale 

Leeks 

Lettuce

Oyster mushrooms (cultivated year round)

Onions (stored)

Potatoes (stored)

Radicchio

Radishes

Scallions

Turnips

Winter squash (stored)

Meyer lemons

Oranges (end of season)

Strawberries (beginning of season)

Apples (stored)

Kiwis (end of season)

Violets

End of the Violet Season

New and Favorite Recipes

Deviled Eggs

Simple Borscht

Carrot & Cilantro (or other herb) Soup

Spring Tonic Soup

Potato Leek Soup

Green Salad with Oranges & Orange Dressing

Ruby Red Root Veggie Salad with Miso Dressing

Baked Chicken with Lemon & Herbs

Chicken with Oranges

Chicken with Green Garlic, Onion, and Tomato

Un-stuffed Cabbage Casserole (with ground turkey)

Crispy Tilapia with Lemon Onion Relish

Psari Savori: Greek Fish Fillets with Tomato & Vinegar Sauce

Sustainable Seabass with Orange Ponzu Sauce

Shrimp Sauteed with Kale

Golden Beet Borani

Honey-Kissed Baby Turnips & Their Greens

Fava Beans & Radishes with Mustard Dressing

Spicy Mustard Greens (or Arugula) with Cumin

Braised Leeks Mexican Style (with Lime)

Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Sauce

Hot Carrot Chard Salad

Braised Whole Fava Beans with Lemon

Mushroom Carrot Kale Stir Fry

Orange Spiced Carrots

Roedkaal: Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage

Pineapple-Orange Stuffed Yams

Fruit Stuffed Butternut Squash

Carrots or mixed root veggies in Citrus Vinaigrette

Pumpkin Something (with pumpkin from 2012 harvest!)

Kiwi Something (have ‘em & still figuring out best use)

Lemon Poppyseed Bread (seeds from 2012 harvest also)

Creamy Lemon Pie

Banana Pecan Pancakes

The Ultimate Lemon Drop

April Fools Blue Violet Tea
Candied Violets (if you can find violets that are perfect)

Another Excellent Plum Season is on its Way

Pineapple Orange Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or Yams

2013-04-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Two Giant Yams Divided by 6

Recipe adapted from old photocopy

During the early days of spring, many of us await strawberries and other early-season produce none too patiently. In the meantime, I’m drawn to tropical fruits that are harvested year-round, like bananas and pineapples. ‘Course, they’re not exactly local, but are still “in season.” It’s a perfect time to use up the last of the wintry veggies, before we start harvesting their spring counterparts. Like the two gigantic yams (or sweet potatoes?) I've had since January. It’s also the perfect time to enjoy oranges; soon their season will be just a memory.

3 Yams are Best (see recipe) but Any Quantity Works

In a recent post I talked about my huge box of loose recipes. I suspect that many readers have a similar box o’ recipes, whether physical or virtual (I’m a little envious if yours is digital and/or organized). This is another recipe from my stack, and it sounds very much like a recipe from the Hawaii Kai cookbook, a compendium of Hawaiian-influenced recipes concocted at a NYC restaurant in the 1960s. Alas, I don’t see this recipe in their index. Memory fail!

Mixing Ingredients Couldn't be Simpler

It’s really hard to create a not-delicious dish with yams, oranges, brown sugar, rum, and butter. The pineapple and nutmeg add unexpected flair to the recipe. In addition to assuaging the palates of winter-veggie-weary awaiters of spring harvest, this dish can lend a nontraditional element to winter holiday feasts. Thanks to the unknown source that provided the basics of the recipe. I’ll post their name if I locate it.

Last of the Yams for the Season

Pineapple Orange Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or Yams

serves 6

2½ lbs. uniformly shaped sweet potatoes or yams

1½ tbsp. butter

1 (14 oz.) can crushed pineapple

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. rum

1 tbsp. grated orange peel

1/8 tsp. salt

a few dashes white pepper

~¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

It’s ideal to choose 3 equal-sized yams so that each diner is served ½ stuffed yam. However, any combination of yams totaling about 2½ lbs. will work in this recipe.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash yams and scrub with brush, but do not peel. Bake yams till tender. Test by squeezing. Timing depends upon the yam size and variety, but plan for about 1 hour. Check at 45 minutes. If not soft, check again at 15 minute intervals.

Drain pineapple thoroughly in sieve. Press out as much moisture as possible with a wooden spoon.

Cut baked yams in half lengthwise evenly with sharp knife. Scoop out contents of each half carefully; you will be re-stuffing and reheating the skins, so leave them in the baking pan. Put yams into small mixing bowl and mash thoroughly with potato masher.

Add butter to yams and mix until melted. Add drained pineapple, brown sugar, rum, and orange peel. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper and stir thoroughly to distribute.

Spoon or pipe yam filling into yam skins. Dust yams with nutmeg to taste.

Return yams to oven and reheat until slightly browned on top.

Use Tea Strainer to Sift Nutmeg Evenly onto Yams

Deviled Eggs

2013-04-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Easter Eggs Becoming Deviled Eggs

Recipe by Robin

Got Easter eggs? My husband and I had 26 left over after my natural egg dyeing experiments this year. Unless you’re Cool Hand Luke, that’s too many eggs to eat in a few days. Enter Daev’s perfectly-timed birthday potluck. Deviled eggs are one of the US’s most popular appetizers, and full of good nutrition. Web MD states that eggs are high-protein, vitamin-rich “powerhouses of disease fighting nutrients.” True that mayonnaise adds some fat, but the quantity per egg half is low. Try a low-fat mayonnaise to cut it down even more.

Post-Easter Eggs

Oddly enough, there is a lot of variation between hard boiled egg yolks. Some are quite dry and lumpy, and for this reason I sieve them before adding mayo and mustard. I also sieve the mayo if it seems lumpy; this also removes some of the yolks that cling to the sieve. After sieving, the yolks will stir together with other ingredients like a breeze. If you’ve ever eaten deviled egg filling that’s lumpy with dry spots, you’ll appreciate sieving.

Sieving the Egg Yolks

Also because hard boiled egg yolks vary in dryness, the amount of mayo needed can vary. I start with 1/3 cup, then add more a couple tablespoons at a time until texture is soft but still holds its shape. If you are using a cupcake filler/decorator (recommended) or pastry bag to pipe the filling into the eggs, aim for a texture that’s stiff enough to hold the fancy-shaped peaks of yolk. If filling with a spoon, mixture can be softer. Note that the cupcake gizmos are vastly easier to clean than pastry bags and are easier to maneuver than a spoon or scoop.

Display Deviled Eggs with Easter Eggs

White pepper is a preferred condiment because it’s more or less invisible, but black pepper can be substituted. I like sweet paprika and chives for toppings, but a smoky paprika or chili powder topping will add an unexpected touch. Some people add paprika, pickle relish, bacon, and/or chili powder to the egg filling itself. Use your own judgment when adding non-traditional elements to this classic recipe.

Piping the Filling into Eggs

Deviled Eggs

makes 24 half-eggs

1 dozen hard boiled eggs

1/3 – ½ cup (and maybe a bit more) mayonnaise

2½ tsp. Dijon mustard

scant 1/8 tsp. salt

scant 1/8 tsp. white pepper

¼ - ½ tsp. sweet paprika

1 – 2 tbsp. chopped chives

If you don’t have leftover hard boiled eggs, use the hard cooked egg method at about.com. Cover eggs with 1 inch of water in saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to full boil with lid off. Cover pot with lid, remove from heat, and let stand 17 minutes to cook. Remove eggs from pan and let sit in cold water for 15 minutes.

Peel eggs and slice in half lengthwise using a sharp knife. Remove yolks with a small spoon or melon baller. Be sure that eggs are at room temperature or colder before proceeding.

Force egg yolks through sieve with wooden spoon into small mixing bowl. If mayonnaise seems lumpy, force it through the sieve into the mixing bowl following the egg yolks. Add Dijon mustard, salt, and white pepper to yolks. Stir well until smooth and uniform.

Set the egg white halves onto a serving plate and/or storage container, open side up.

Cupcake Filler Gives Eggs Eye-Appeal

Fit a cupcake filler/decorator with a large star-shaped tip. Fill with egg yolk mixture, using a rubber spatula to pack the decorator. Fit syringe end of decorator on, pointing tip towards mixing bowl (some egg is likely to leak out as you tighten it). Fill each half egg with egg yolk mixture.

If you don’t have a cupcake filler/decorator, you can use a pastry bag to squeeze in filling, or scoop it in with the melon baller or small spoon. Either of these methods is likely to be messier.

Put ¼ tsp. paprika into small (tea) strainer. Lightly tap the strainer to sift paprika evenly over each egg half. Refill strainer with more paprika if you run out.

Eggs taste better when served chilled. If possible, store in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Right before serving, sprinkle eggs with chopped chives to taste.


Always Bring Extra Eggs to Potlucks, People Love 'Em!

Natural Egg Dyes Recipes and Tips

2013-03-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Experiment Results

Methods by Staff of Life and Robin

For many years I’ve wanted to color Easter eggs with natural vegetable dyes. I’d heard that preparation is more work and takes longer than dropping a few tablets into a cup. I’d heard that the colors are more subtle and that eggs take longer to dye. I’d heard that results are not predictable. All that is true. Still, the act of making dyes from common seasonal vegetables, with all of its unpredictability, is a fun and intriguing science, provided that you and yours can allow some time to play with it.

Staff of Life in Santa Cruz provided some basic recipes at an egg-dyeing event earlier this month. Unfortunately I misplaced these and experimented with extra-large batches of recipes by Lakewinds, also provided by Staff at the event. Below are instructions for the tried and true Staff methods, plus the quickest and most successful method that I discovered.

Eggs Dyed at home with Onion Skins

Keep the spirit of experimentation in mind as you work with these methods. Pick a few veggie ingredients to try so you don’t get too overwhelmed. Provide plenty of cups for the kids, since each egg will need to sit in the dye for awhile. Or, soak them overnight in the a large container of dye in the fridge. Or try hard boiling them with the dyestuffs. Staff of Life suggests boiling the eggs for 30 minutes, to get a deep color. I boiled mine the usual 10 minutes with the dyestuff, then stored the hot eggs in dye baths in the fridge overnight and up to 24 hours.

Here are some tips:

Washing the eggs before dyeing can result in deeper coloring.
Turmeric works relatively fast and can be used hot or cold.
Onion skins are easy to use, make pretty patterns, and can be relatively fast.
Wrap thick rubber bands around the eggs before dyeing to make stripes.
Use crayon to make patterns on the eggs, either before or after dyeing. Stickers can be used as decorations after dyeing.
Strain the dyes to make egg color more consistent. For variations in color and texture, leave plant materials in dye.
Rub with cooking oil after egg is dry to enhance sheen, but be aware that if you rub too hard colors might start coming off.

Have fun with this. Post a comment if you have a success story!

Eggs Dyed by Kids at Staff of Life Event

Staff of Life Method for Natural Egg Dyeing

Yellow

2 tbsp. ground turmeric

3 cups water

¼ cup white vinegar

Blue

½ head purple cabbage

3 cups water

¼ cup white vinegar

Red

2 red beets, coarsely grated

3 cups water

¼ cup white vinegar

Eggs

Combine ingredients in stainless steel pot. Bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes to make the dye. Strain if desired (for more even, less varied color and texture).

Put hard boiled eggs into dye and put refrigerate overnight. Or pour dye into cups and dip eggs.

You may also hard boil the eggs in the dye as you make it.

How to Wrap an Egg

Robin’s Method for Onion Skin Dyed Eggs

1 – 2 cups onion skins, either yellow or purple

4 cups water

¼ cup white vinegar

4 - 6 fresh eggs

Thick rubber bands

Put onion skins, water, and vinegar into stainless steel pot and cook for 20 minutes. Don’t discard the cooking water. Remove onion skins and cool until they can be handled.

Separate the onion skins and wrap them around the eggs using the rubber bands to hold them in place. You want as much of the onion skin to contact the egg as possible.

Place onion-covered eggs into the stainless steel pot with cooking water. Add more water if needed to cover eggs. Add any leftover onion skins.

Bring to boil. Simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove the eggs and cool until they can be handled. Remove rubber bands and skins and inspect patterns.

If you want to add more color, cool cooking liquid enough to be refrigerated, and strain if desired. Place eggs in cooking liquid in fridge overnight.

Clockwise From Bottom: Boiled with Beets, Wrapped and Boiled with Purple Onion, Soaked overnight in Combination of Staff of Life's Purple Cabbage and Beet Mixtures with Plant Materials Left in, Wrapped and Boiled in Yellow Onion Skin, Soaked overnight in Combination of Staff of Life's Purple Cabbage and Beet Mixtures with Plant Materials Left in

Chicken with Oranges

2013-03-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

Try Chicken with Oranges Over Rice

Recipe adapted from old magazine clipping

Does anyone else have a box of old recipes clipped from newspapers and magazines in the 90s, 80s, and before? I’ve got a giant box, and the unending project of re-evaluating the recipes one by one and putting them into a binder by type. Some of these retro recipes have readily-available modern counterparts, others seem odd and dated. But some are pure treasures, reflections of simpler times before ingredients like balsamic vinegars and fresh herbs were available year round at the local grocery store. Chicken with oranges is one such recipe, combining sweet and savory with a touch of salt and green herb, featuring the fresh taste of orange.

Chicken with Oranges a la Carte

Although the oranges make this a good winter recipe, it’s also perfect for early spring while we still have plentiful oranges, but peas and asparagus haven’t started coming in. It’s ideal to use two varieties of oranges: one for juice and one for the sections. Valencia or “Florida juice” oranges are good juicy choices. You’ll need about 3 to make 1 cup of juice, but get an extra or two in case they’re dry. Navel oranges, per the original recipe, are best for sections because they’re seedless, sweet, and hold up well to cooking. For best results, remove as much white rind and fibers from the outside and inside the Navel oranges as possible.

Use These Plus Chicken

The original recipe calls for white vinegar and dried basil, and the flavor is perfectly balanced without “upgrading” these to more expensive ingredients. The oil type is not specified in the original recipe. A high heat oil is best for browning the chicken; I used organic canola (non-organic canola contains GMOs), but peanut could be substituted. Light flavored olive oil, a medium-high heat oil, can be used in a pinch. I reduced the amount of oil by half, feel free to add some more as needed. I also modernized the meat to boneless, skinless chicken thighs; feel free to use the old-school equivalent—in that case go for the larger quantity and drain off most of the oil before adding the orange juice.

Spotlight on Delicious Orange Sauce

Enjoy this retro recipe during the last part of orange season. Try the savory orange juice-based sauce over rice or other grain, or just scooped up with a spoon. This recipe tastes even better the second day, so I’ve planned the quantity for leftovers. You could reduce the amount of chicken and oranges proportionally, if you like.

Chicken with Oranges

serves ~10

Cut Up Oranges Like This

1 tbsp. organic canola oil

2½ - 3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 medium cloves garlic, pressed

4 navel oranges

2 tbsp. minced ginger

1 tsp. dried basil

4 tsp. white vinegar

1 cup orange juice (from ~3 oranges)

½ tsp. salt

A few grinds of black pepper

Rice or couscous (optional, for serving)

Heat electric frying pan to 375 degrees. Add canola oil and continue heating oil until it shimmers. Add chicken thighs and sauté until brown on one side. Turn to brown second side, and add pressed garlic to frying pan on top of chicken.

When chicken is cooking, peel oranges. Remove white pith and fibers from outside and inside. Break in half along segments, and cut in half crosswise (see illustration). Separate oranges into sections.

When chicken is brown, add ginger, basil, vinegar, orange juice, salt, and pepper to frying pan. Top with orange sections. Cover and cook over medium heat until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.

Serve over rice, couscous, or other grain.

Original Recipe: I changed recipe title
because modern Orange Chicken is deep fried

9 Steps to Planning a Perfect Garden

2013-03-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

Springtime Joy in the Garden

Method by Robin

It’s officially spring, and sometime between early April and late May, folks in the 48 contiguous states will start preparing their gardens. Soon we’ll be digging the beds, removing the weeds, and amending the soil—or preparing the containers. Then we’ll be planting the seeds or seedlings, slug/bug-proofing, watering, fertilizing, and mulching. And later, feasting on our harvest. But first, for a productive growing season filled with just enough of the veggies that we love without overworking ourselves, it’s best to do some planning. Here are some tips for looking at your space, time, energy, and budget before you start planting.

Garden Perennial Persian Mint has Just Reappeared

9 Steps to Planning a Perfect Garden

1. Start small. It’s tempting to want to plant a large variety of things, so remember that upkeep is more work than planting. Most plants require regular watering, weeding, and fertilizing. Some may need to have suckers trimmed or be trained to climb strings. Harvesting can also be time consuming, for example if you have 11 tomato plants (as I found out last year).

2. Figure out where you have space to garden, and observe how much sun the area gets. This will help you to determine which plants are best suited to your potential garden plot/s. For most veggies, a sunny place protected from the wind is best. You might have several places in mind. Choose the best place to start (step 6) and complete that plot before starting another.

Forget Me Nots: Easy Care Perennials

3. Decide which garden plants you’d like to grow. Some questions to ask: Does homegrown taste noticeably better than commercial (tomatoes for example)? Do I have a good source for this, like a farmers’ market, already? Is it expensive or cheap at the market? Do I have a favorite veggie that I’d like to eat almost every day, or an herb I’d like to pick spontaneously? Or a favorite flower that I can’t find in the store? You could also check out my top 12 easy-care plants list.

4. Hinted at in step 3: consider flowers as well as veggies. Many draw bees, which will pollinate your veggies and produce larger harvests. Poppies (culinary and ornamental), cosmos, zinnias, and nigella (love in a mist) are easy to grow. Alyssum can be used for decorative scented borders. Calendulas, nasturiums, and borage are edible and add interest to salads, but be aware that the latter two can spread quite a bit.

Pumpkins & Squash Reseed Easily

5. Research the conditions and care needed for the plants you’ve identified. Check with gardener friends, garden supply stores, and/or suppliers on the internet. Is it easy or harder to grow? How much sun will it need? How much water and care will it require during the growing season? How forgiving is it if you forget to water? Are any of these plants perennials or reseeding annuals? If so take into account that they’ll likely become a permanent part of your landscape.

6. Now that you’ve narrowed down the plant varieties that you like, assess which will fit into your available garden space from step 2. Consider both amount of sun and amount of space each variety needs. If a plant has high nutrient needs, or needs significantly unlike the soil that you have, are you willing to put time, effort, and money into soil amendments? If not, choose a less finicky plant.

Culinary Poppies Reseeding in Planter

7. Consider your ideal total number of plants as well as the variety of plants. Make an educated guess as to the amount of time you have available to water, weed, fertilize, and harvest. Too many plants can make a gardener quite grumpy (just ask my husband). Also, consider plant quantity in terms of cash investment (step 8).

8. Find out the approximate price of soil amendments, mulch, and fertilizer, and estimate the amount needed for the whole season. Price out containers, tomato cages, etc., as well as any garden tools and gloves you’ll need. Add in the estimated cost of the plants (usually minimal compared with other stuff). This will give you a good idea of how much to budget for the garden. You might also want to factor in water usage, and how much money you’ll be saving on veggies at harvest time to estimate your cash flow.

Fruit Trees: Subject for Future Post

9. Consider containers. A container garden is easier to plant and slug-proof, requires less soil, and has the advantage of being able to relocate if you didn’t judge the light conditions quite right. More varieties of container-friendly plants are available every year. Containers require more watering and fertilizing during the growing season, which can add up to a surprising amount of work. On the other hand, containers are suitable for small spaces and can be attractive yard or patio decor.

Got some ideas about what to plant this year? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Tangerine & Greens Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

2013-03-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Tangerines, Spinach, Arugula = Bright, Delicious, and Healthy

Recipe adapted from Field of Greens

Today marks the second year since I started Seasonal Eating and I’d like to thank each and every one of my readers, Facebook fans, and especially my followers…349 posts later! Normally I’d bake a cake to celebrate, but I’ve already posted both Meyer Lemon Cake and Ginger Frosted Pineapple Cake this month--and Bourbon Pecan Cake shortly before that. So for the sake of balance, I’ll get back to our March theme of keeping our immune systems strong by enjoying high nutrient foods disguised as delicious dishes. Spring arrives tomorrow, and a light and sunny salad seems like the perfect way to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. Tangerines won’t be available much longer, so let’s grab the last of them now, to use in both the salad and the dressing.

Spinach Plus Colorful Ingredients

Leave it vegetarian pioneer chef Annie Somerville at Greens Restaurant to provide the perfect recipe for healthfulness disguised as deliciousness. Her idea is to combine sweet spinach, bitter greens, and bright tangerines, and top them with ginger-sesame flair. Annie uses frisee, so feel free to substitute that or any bitter green for the arugula. Change up the proportions of spinach, bitter greens, and tangerines if you like. Or use a larger amount of mature spinach and remove the stems. You could also try a base of shredded cabbage (Napa or green) for a simpler and cheaper salad.

Salad Fresh as Spring

Note that Greens removes all the seeds and white stuff from the tangerine sections in this salad. This is time consuming, but IMO worth the effort. You can choose to remove less of the bitter white stuff, if time is short, but it the dish won’t look as pretty. Try to use sweet tangerines without many seeds, like Mineolas, Satsumas, or Fairchilds.

The original recipe calls for 2 tbsp. light olive oil. I’ve substituted 1 tbsp.walnut oil plus 1 tbsp. water. You can use any light oil, but it’s important to pair it with toasted sesame oil, which gives the dressing much of its character. I added a teaspoon of sweetener to the Greens’ dressing, but you could skip that.

Enjoy the last day of winter. Next time we (virtually) meet, it will be spring here in the Northern Hemisphere!

A Few Main Salad Ingredients

Spinach Tangerine Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

serves about 8

~8 oz, bunch of arugula

~9 oz. baby spinach

2 oz. red onion (1 small)

rice vinegar (for sprinkling)

4 tangerines, or to taste

1 tbsp. sesame seeds

1¼ tsp. tangerine zest (~1)

2 tbsp. tangerine juice (~1)

2 tsp. grated ginger

2½ tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. walnut oil

1 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. agave or thin honey (optional)

Wash arugula and remove tough stems. Tear into bite sized pieces and dry in salad spinner. Blot off remaining moisture with kitchen towel. You will have about 3.5 oz. after removing the stems.

Wash baby spinach (if not pre-washed). Dry in salad spinner. Blot off remaining moisture with kitchen towel. Mix greens together in salad bowl and refrigerate.

Thinly slice red onion. Toss onion with rice vinegar in small bowl and set aside to bring out color. Refrigerate when pink.

Peel and section tangerines. Remove all seeds, pith, and white threads. Refrigerate tangerines.

Toast sesame seeds by heating over medium low in a skillet. Stir frequently until fragrant and lightly and evenly golden brown. Remove to plate right away to avoid overcooking.

Combine all dressing ingredients except tangerine zest in immersion blender cup: tangerine juice, grated ginger, rice vinegar, walnut oil, water, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, and agave or honey. Blend until smooth. (You can use a traditional blender instead.) Stir in tangerine zest. Pour into decanter to serve with salad.

In salad bowl, arrange tangerines and red (pink) onions on top of greens. Sprinkle with about 1 tsp. sesame seeds.

Serve with dressing and remaining 2 tsp. sesame seeds on the side.

Salad Day: Celebrating Two Years of Blogging

Ginger Frosted Pineapple Cake

2013-03-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Pecans: In the Pineapple Ginger Cake, or On the Side

Recipe adapted from Cooking By Moonlight

This pineapple cake is unique in several ways. First, there is absolutely no fat or oil in the cake itself (note: the frosting is another story). Second, it requires an entire can of crushed pineapple including the juice. This acidic juice interacts with the baking soda to make the cake rise. Lastly, I’ve already blogged several recipes from Cooking by Moonlight, my very favorite cookbook, so planned to just make this tropical-ish cake for a luau and not blog it. And then some lovely ladies at the luau wanted the recipe, and asked where to find it on Seasonal Eating. And so, by popular demand, here’s an easy cake that’s always a hit at parties.

Slice of Pineapple Ginger Cake Yumminess

It’s important to allow enough time for the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting, which is mostly cream cheese and butter. Instead of being served on a platter, the cake is frosted and served in the baking pan, saving time and effort. Use a baking pan with airtight cover to keep cake freshest. Chopped walnuts or pecans are a delicious component of the original recipe, but serve them on the side at potlucks to accommodate those with nut allergies. At no-nut-allergy birthday parties, cakes with 1 cup chopped pecans in the batter and a generous sprinkling of pecans to decorate the top have received rave reviews.

Frost Cake with Rubber Spatula or Spoonula

The original recipe calls for 5 pieces of crystallized ginger, finely chopped, in the frosting. I use about 12 pieces, plus more for decoration, especially if I’m not sprinkling crushed pecans on the top. You can start with 5 pieces, mix it into the frosting, taste it, and keep mixing in chopped crystallized ginger until it’s just right. Or just go for the full amount in my adaptation. I have never heard a complaint about too much crystallized ginger. The cream cheese base mellows out the usual gingery sharpness.

Cake = Dry + Wet Ingredients but no Fat

Note that this recipe calls for a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, and at this time organic pineapple is most readily available in a 14 oz. can. The smaller can will work, but the cake won’t rise as much in the center. No one at the luau noticed, because I filled the “dip” with extra frosting. Next time I’d add a tablespoon of lemon juice (to interact with the baking soda), or a teaspoon of baking powder to make the middle rise more. I might also lower the heat to 325 degrees after putting the cake in, because the cake’s edges cooked much faster than the middle and got a bit too brown with the smaller amount of pineapple and liquid.

Try this never-fail cake at your next party, and remember that any imperfections can be covered with frosting and decorations.

Ginger Message on Pineapple Cake

Ginger Frosted Pineapple Cake

serves about 24

2 large eggs

1 (20 oz,) can crushed pineapple, with juice

2 cups unbleached or whole wheat pastry flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

¼ cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz.) package Neufchâtel or cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

2 – 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

¼ tsp. ground ginger

½ - ¾ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Extra chopped crystallized ginger, optional decoration

Chopped pecans (~¼ - ½ cup), optional decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 13” x 9” baking pan.

Beat eggs until light and fluffy in a large mixing bowl. Stir in pineapple, including juice, until well-mixed.

In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, until well blended and uniform.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Do not overmix. Fold in chopped pecans (optional).

Turn out batter into prepared baking pan. Smooth evenly into pan with rubber spatula. Place on middle rack of oven.

Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (check first at 40 minutes). If cake is getting too brown but is not done in the center, lower heat to 325 degrees and continue baking.

Cool cake completely in pan.

Make frosting: Cream butter until light. Add Neufchâtel or cream cheese and

vanilla, and beat until smooth. Gradually add the confectioner’s sugar: measure 1 cup and beat in thoroughly. Add second cup, and beat in well. Add another half cup and beat in, and so forth until desired consistency is achieved (I typically use 1½ cups total). Add ground ginger and beat until smooth and creamy. Sprinkle in chopped crystallized ginger by hand a few pieces at a time to avoid clumping. Use ¼ cup - ½ cup total, or to taste. Stir in until evenly distributed.

Spread frosting on cooled cake with rubber spatula. Decorate with additional chopped ginger and/or sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

Bruce's Mushroom Kale Carrot Stir Fry

2013-03-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

Kale, Mushrooms, and Carrots: Help Yourself to Health

Recipe by Bruce

Don’t you love it when (1) another family member cooks dinner, (2) they use up all the odd leftover veggies in the fridge, (3) what they cook turns out amazing, and (4) you have a pen, paper, and foresight to write down what they did so they can recreate their masterpiece again and again. Kudos to hubby Bruce for creating this recipe a few years back, using ingredients that we had on hand. Not only is it delicious, but also nearly every ingredient promotes health and builds the immune system with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. Kale is high in vitamins A, B-complex, C, and K, as well as various flavonoids with antioxidant properties. Carrots have lots of vitamin A and several minerals. Mushrooms, ginger, and garlic are all nutritional superstars. The dish is colorful and low in fat. There is simply no downside to this recipe.

Dark Green Kale + Orange Carrots = Nutrition

The secret of the low fat content is a bit of mushroom magic. Mushrooms are added to the wok first with just a bit of oil. Once other ingredients are added, they’ve cooked enough to start releasing their juices, lending flavorful moisture to the dish. We’ve used young shitakes, criminis, and button mushrooms, and all work beautifully.

Use any kind of kale. Green kale (as illustrated) and Red Russian are good choices. If you choose Dino kale, use two small bunches instead of one, as it’s softer and will cook down more. Or experiment with changing up the proportions of the veggies based upon what you have on hand. Herbs such as cilantro or parsley are optional; we use one or the other if we happen to have it on hand. You could try a smaller amount of another mild green herb, like basil or oregano.

Four Stir Fry Ingredients Plus Sauce

Here are some of Bruce’s stir fry tips, for best results:

Prepare all the veggies and the sauce before starting to stir fry
Cut the leeks, carrots, and mushrooms to approximately the same thickness
Dry off all the veggies and herbs before cooking them
Use extremely high heat and toss veggies frequently for even cooking
Use a timer and don’t over-cook
Before cooking, put out a bowl for the finished stir fry, and transfer immediately from wok after cooking

As we move through the final days of winter, I hope you’ll enjoy boosting your immunity with Bruce’s savory-sweet Asian-inspired invention.

Garlic, Onions, and Sauce Compliment Kale, Mushrooms & Carrots

Bruce’s Mushroom Kale Carrot Stir Fry

serves 4 - 6

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 large leek, or two smallish

½ lb. carrots

½ lb. mushrooms

1 small to medium head kale

1 tbsp. pressed garlic, about 7 cloves

1½ tbsp. ginger, sliced thinly then into matchsticks

small bunch cilantro or parsley, optional

2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. hoisin sauce

1 tsp. toasted (dark) sesame oil

Clean leeks and dry thoroughly. Cut in half and slice into ¼ inch half moons. Scrub carrots and dry off. Cut into ¼ inch slices. Wash mushrooms and dry with kitchen towel, pressing out water gently. Cut mushrooms into ¼ inch slices. Wash and dry kale. Remove kale stems and tear up leaves into bite-sized pieces.

If using cilantro or parsley, wash and dry thoroughly. Then pull off whole leaves. Use up to 1 cup of leaves, as desired.

Prepare sauce by combining rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and toasted sesame oil in small bowl.

Heat wok or non-stick skillet over high heat. When small drop of water evaporates quickly, add olive oil and continue heating for about 20 more seconds.

When a small drop of water sizzles in the pan, add mushrooms. Toss to coat with oil. Cook for 1 minute, tossing frequently to cook evenly throughout.

Add leeks and carrots and toss until well mixed. Cook for 3 minutes, tossing thoroughly every 30 seconds or so to ensure even cooking.

Add kale, garlic, and ginger to wok. Cook for 2 minutes, tossing until well mixed and all kale has cooked down.

Add cilantro and pre-mixed sauce to wok. Toss and cook for 1 minute. Remove immediate to serving bowl to prevent overcooking.

Garnish with extra parsley or cilantro sprigs if desired.

Use Two Wooden Utensils to Stir Fry

Expect a Lot of Steam When Stir frying!

Persimmon Pudding II

2013-03-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

For Now and For Later

Recipe adapted from Country Cookin’

As I noted in a previous post, there’s great diversity in persimmon pudding recipes, because they’re almost impossible to ruin. Unlike a cake or bread, a puddng’s moisture content and texture can vary quite a bit and still have mouth-appeal. Because this recipe is egg-free, its texture is looser than Persimmon Pudding I. For that reason it requires a bit more finesse, and a larger spatula, to cut and serve in squares. An easier alternative is to bake it in a deep casserole dish and scoop servings out into bowls. A large quantity of buttermilk, rather than a smaller amount of cream or whole milk, makes this old school recipe unique.

Another Day, Another Slice

Tara Knight-Mize wrote Country Cookin’ using recipes that her grandmother left behind when she passed, including the persimmon pudding that I used as a basis for this recipe. The most fascinating thing about Tara’s grandma’s persimmon pudding is the ultra-low amount of fat (butter). You can reduce the fat even more by using lowfat or fat-free buttermilk. Wary that other persimmon puddings all contain baking soda or powder, I added some, but it’s probably necessary. The original recipe contained no spices or salt at all, and you could choose to make it that way. I also experimented with adding vanilla, but concluded that vanilla is optional. Because I reduced the original amount of sugar by half, or ¾ cup, I felt compelled to add an extra ¼ cup flour. This nagging thought turned out to be good intuition. As always, evaporated cane juice is my sugar of choice.

Cool on Rack Before Slicing

If you froze persimmons earlier this year, now is a good time to use them up. Don’t wait until they go brown (been there, done that). Once the weather gets warmer, we tend to prefer lighter dessert fare, and frozen persimmons with spices have less appeal than fresh strawberries with cream. Feel free to get creative with your persimmons and make up your own pudding with ingredients on hand—using this and my previous recipe as guidelines. It’s truly hard to go wrong. Let us know with a comment if you come up with a new family favorite!

Original Recipe Contains Only These Ingredients

Persimmon Pudding

serves about 8

1½ cups persimmon pulp

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

¾ cup evaporated cane juice (sugar)

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. ginger

1½ cups buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tbsp. butter, melted

whipped cream, optional garnish

Grease a 7” x 11” or slightly larger baking pan, or a deep 8-inch casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend together persimmon pulp and baking soda with immersion blender, or force persimmons through sieve and beat in baking soda. Set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together sifted flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside.

Measure buttermilk into another medium bowl. Beat in persimmon mixture until well blended. Stir in vanilla and cooled melted butter.

Stir flour mixture into buttermilk-persimmon mixture until well blended. Turn into greased pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F until completely set and toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes (longer if using deep casserole dish). Pudding will puff up when baking, but will collapse back into the pan when cooled.

For best results, wait until pudding is cool before slicing. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Farewell to Winter's Persimmon Harvest

March Veggies and Recipes

2013-03-05T22:10:00.002-08:00

Harbingers of Spring

Winter into Spring

As we count down the final weeks of winter, days are longer and warmer but nights can be plenty cold. Or not. Typically we can expect all kinds of weather this month: from warm to cold, from wet to dry, and with plenty of wind from all directions. Chinese medicine practitioners warn that such rapid changes and strong winds can compromise our immune systems. Eating healthful foods, especially warm and moist foods, drinking liquids, and keeping our throats and feet warm can help--think scarves and socks. Spring tonics might be in order, in the form of antioxidant veggies or herbal supplements. St. Paddy’s day is our last winter holiday this year. Spring arrives on March 20, followed by Passover and Easter. It’s time to plan the garden and sow early seeds in anticipation of the rich harvest of fruits and veggies we’ll have later in the year.

Cover Crop in Neighbor's Garden

Even as we move into spring, we’re still mostly eating winter veggies and fruits. By the end of the month we might see some asparagus and spring onions, and maybe some early snow peas. In the meantime we’ll be finishing up the last of the pumpkins and frozen persimmons. Citrus is still plentiful, although this is our last month to enjoy tangerines until next winter. High-antioxidant cruciferous plants like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are good bets for boosting our immune systems. Spinach salads and raw slaws are fresh accompaniments to hot soups and stews as we move towards warmer weather. Violets bloom in profusion, and both greens and blossoms can be added to salads for a vitamin C boost. Or try your hand at candied violets to decorate Easter cakes.

Seasonal Eating will be 2 years old on March 19. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your month!

March Veggies

Outside the Post Office

Arugula

Asparagus (by end of month)

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts (end of season)

Pumpkin (stored)

Turnips & Rutabaga

Apples (stored)

Pears (stored)

Limes

Oranges

Violets

New and Favorite March Recipes

Spring Crop in Our Yard

Winter Greens Soup for Immune Boost

Spring Tonic Root Vegetable Soup

Saffron Fish Stew

Vegetarian Spinach Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Spinach Arugula Tangerine Salad

Mom's Coleslaw

Ruby Root Veggie Slaw with Miso Dressing
Asparagus Salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing

Baked Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

Orange Chicken

Fruit-stuffed Butternut squash
Hawaiian-inspired Yams

Fresh Dungeness Crab or Re-steamed Dungeness Crab

Bruce’s Mushroom Kale Carrot Stir-fry

Spaghetti and Broccoli

Un-stuffed Turkey Cabbage Casserole

Honeyed Carrots with Cinnamon

Quick Asian-Style Collard Greens

Baked Kabocha Squash with Collard Greens

Roedkaal: Sweet & Sour Braised Red Cabbage

Brussels Sprouts Steamed with Dill

Golden Beet Borani

Braised Chard with Leeks

Carrot Curry with Banana & Orange

Passover Apple Cake courtesy of allrecipes.com

Meyer Lemon Cake

Easter Breads from around the world courtesy of about.com

Poppyseed Rolls or Cakes

Persimmon Pudding 2

Pineapple Ginger Cake

Violet Topped Tea Cake

Candied Violets

Ginger Tea

Irish Coffee recipe courtesy Dara Cruise, barman at Four Seasons in Dublin

At the End of the Driveway: Spring has Sprung

Meyer Lemon Cake

2013-03-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

A Little Chocolate Makes Anything Better

Recipe adapted from Cooking by the Seasons

One of the best things about winter in Santa Cruz, at least for foodies, is Meyer lemons. They grow abundantly throughout the county, and chances are someone at your work, among your friends, or in your rock band has a tree. If that’s the case, sooner or later you’ll get to share the wealth. A cross between the standard Eureka lemon and a mandarin, they are more fragrant and sweet than the Eurekas. This sweet bit of sunshine in the midst of winter is perfect for baked goods.

Topping Possibilities

This recipe is from one of my favorite seasonal eating resources, Cooking by the Seasons, written by Cape Cod Wiccan Karri Ann Allrich. As far as I (and a whole slew of Amazon raters) can tell, there are no mediocre recipes in this cookbook; all recipes are sensational. Ms. Allrich pairs this lemon cake with her Chocolate Cognac Sauce, but we used a chocolate orange sauce that we had on hand and some berries in light honey sauce I’d preserved last summer. This cake is rich and zingy on its own, simple and appropriate as we move from winter into spring.

The original recipe contains ½ cup finely chopped walnuts, added to the batter last. I prefer the cake’s smoothness without the nuts, but would consider adding about ¼ cup poppy seeds to the mix. Evaporated cane juice is my standard choice of sugar, and I would not substitute anything heavier, since this cake has a delicate lightness despite being rather dense with butter, sour cream, and eggs. I substituted fat free sour cream, which worked out beautifully. This recipe requires about 2 large lemons.

With Honey-Preserved Raspberries and Chocolate

Note that this cake can be made in either a loaf pan or a tube pan. You could also choose to make 4 small (5¾ “ x 3” x 2”) loaves to give as end-of-winter gifts. Remember to reduce the cooking time; start checking them at about 30 minutes. One final suggestion: shake the cake to loosen it from the pan before applying the glaze. When you see the cake moving in the pan, top with the glaze. This will make unmolding the cake easier, despite the lemon-sugar glaze’s strong tendency to stick to the pan.

You can make this cake with regular Eureka lemons, as Ms. Allrich does, if you don’t have Meyer lemons.

Perfectly Delicious on its Own

Meyer Lemon Cake

serves about 10

1 cup butter

1 cup evaporated cane juice or other sugar

4 large eggs

1½ tbsp. Meyer lemon zest

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

2 ½ cups unbleached flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ fresh lemon juice

½ cup sugar

lemon zest or lemon slices, optional garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 9” x 11” (large) loaf pan or an 8-9” tube pan.

In large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add 1 cup sugar and cream together. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in lemon zest, vanilla, and sour cream.

In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 50 – 55 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven, and allow it to cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

While cake is cooling, make glaze: combine lemon juice and ½ cup sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer sauce, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until it begins to look like syrup. When bubbles start getting bigger and mounding up, it’s syrup!

Shake cake to loosen it from sides of pan. Immediately pour or spoon on hot glaze, generously covering entire surface.

Allow cake to cool completely then remove from pan to cake plate. Garnish with lemon zest or lemon slices if desired.

Glaze is Not Syrup Yet

Glaze is Syrup: Stop Heating and Put Onto Cake

Moscato Poached Pears with Pineapple

2013-02-28T22:10:00.000-08:00

Bosc (lower) and D'Anjou Poached Pears with Pineapple

Recipe by Robin

I don’t know about you, but every winter I start dreaming about the tropics. Imagining abandoning my shoes, socks, jeans, and jacket (but not my hat) to walk carefree on some secluded beach. Donning flip-flops—known as slippers in my favorite locales—and heading over to the local farmers’ market to check out what produce can be grown in red dirt with plenty of rain and sun. Flirting with strange fruits and their vendors, chatting with local craftspeople, and selecting the most luscious from a huge number of pineapples by their scent. Alas, a trip to Kauai isn’t in the budget at the moment, but a can of organic pineapple chunks can add a sun-kissed touch to winter pears here on the mainland, especially when combined with a sweet California wine.

Recipe Adapted for Whole Pears

Tradition says that pears be poached whole, and indeed they look prettier that way, standing at attention on the serving platter. However, they are difficult to core, take longer to cook, and require more wine to poach than halved pears. Personally, I’d rather conserve as much wine as possible for drinking. So I halve and core the pears. In either case, plop the pears into lemon water immediately after peeling to prevent them from turning too brown.

Firm winter pears are best for poaching. Don’t use overripe fruit. Boscs are classics for poaching, because they hold their shape, which is tall, curvy, and elegant. I’ve also had success with D’Angou. These are softer and require less cooking time, but have fewer stone cells, so are smoother in texture. Their shorter, chubbier shape looks fine when cut in half.

The Poaching Process

Usually poached pears are eaten chilled, though you can experiment with eating them warm, say, with ice cream. My recipe offers two serving options. Simplest option is serving the fruit in the poaching liquid. Or choose to serve them topped with a thicker sauce, which is just a reduction of the poaching liquid. This requires more simmering time but looks fancier. Allow time to chill in either case.

You can adapt this recipe in many ways. Instead of Meyer lemons, try Eureka lemons or oranges. Substitute honey for the brown sugar. Try a cinnamon stick if you don’t have a vanilla bean. Use a different sweet wine. Keep in mind, though, that bad wine will never taste better when cooked, and in fact generally ruins whatever it is cooked with. Don’t use anything that you wouldn’t actually drink, unless the reason that you wouldn’t drink it is because it’s too sweet.

Just a Few Ingredients

Moscato Poached Pears with Pineapple

serves 6

5 - 6 firm pears

1 tbsp. lemon juice

water

1½ cups moscato or other sweet fruity wine

1 cup water

14 oz. can of organic pineapple chunks

6 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 - 2 tbsp. Meyer lemon juice

1 vanilla bean

½ tsp. Meyer lemon zest

Extra Meyer lemon zest: optional garnish

Fill a large bowl with water and add 1 tbsp. lemon juice to acidulate it. This will prevent the pears from turning too brown.

Peel pears, cut in half from top to bottom, and remove cores. Immediately slip each pear half into the acidulated water.

Split vanilla beans lengthwise and cut in half crosswise. Open up each piece of bean to expose the insides (they may close up again, and that’s okay).

Drain pineapple juice and measure out ½ cup. You might have to squeeze the fruit a little to get this amount.

Combine wine, 1 cup water, pineapple juice, brown sugar, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, vanilla bean pieces and ½ tsp. lemon zest in saucepan. Add as many pear halves as can be submerged. Leave any extras in acidulated water.

Bring liquid to a boil over medium high heat. Check to see if more pear halves can be added. Often you can add 1 – 2 halves. Lower heat to medium and cover to simmer.

Keep pears at a medium simmer. Cook until soft, but don’t overcook so they’re mushy. If a sharp knife can pierce them without resistance, they’re done. This will take about 20 minutes, and vary depending upon pear size, type, age, etc.

Add pineapple chunks and cool the pears, pineapple, and liquid.

If you choose to serve them as is with their liquid: remove the vanilla beans and store in the refrigerator. Serve when completely chilled, garnished with lemon zest.

If you choose to serve them with sauce:

Remove pears and pineapple from liquid with slotted spoon. Chill pears and pineapple in refrigerator.

Scrape the insides off each vanilla bean and add the vanilla granules to the liquid, discarding the hulls.

Cook liquid over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until liquid is just visibly thickened. This will take about 30 minutes and result in about 3/4 cup of sauce. Chill sauce in refrigerator (it will thicken more as it cools.)

Serve pears and pineapple drizzled with sauce and garnished with lemon zest.

Recipe with Pineapple Juice and Bosc Pears, no Pineapple

Seasonal Eating

Spring Stir Fry

Recipe by Bruce

Strawberry Trifle

Recipe by Robin

Quick Ginger Pickled Beets

Recipe by Recipes from the Root Cellar

May Veggies and Recipes

May Flowers Despite Few Showers

Favorite & New May Recipes

Top 7 Plants for Container Gardens

Plus 3 Container No-nos

Arugula and Strawberry Salad

Recipe by Let’s Cook and Chef Eric Carter

Shrimp Braised with Kale and Green Garlic

Recipe Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar

DIY Square Foot Garden (SFG): Making a Hoop House

Instructions by Bruce

DIY Square Foot Garden (SFG): Making Soil and Planting Seeds

Instructions by Bruce

DIY Square Foot Garden (SFG): Raised Bed Construction

Instructions by Bruce

Shredded Root Vegetables over Pasta

Recipe Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar

Top Ten Reasons to Join a CSA Farm

Ideas Collected from CSA Subscribers

April Veggies and Recipes

New Year in the Garden

Pineapple Orange Stuffed Sweet Potatoes or Yams

Recipe adapted from old photocopy

Deviled Eggs

Recipe by Robin

Natural Egg Dyes Recipes and Tips

Methods by Staff of Life and Robin

Chicken with Oranges

Try Chicken with Oranges Over Rice Recipe adapted from old magazine clipping

9 Steps to Planning a Perfect Garden

Method by Robin

Tangerine & Greens Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Recipe adapted from Field of Greens

Ginger Frosted Pineapple Cake

Recipe adapted from Cooking By Moonlight

Bruce's Mushroom Kale Carrot Stir Fry

Recipe by Bruce

Persimmon Pudding II

Recipe adapted from Country Cookin’

March Veggies and Recipes

Winter into Spring

Meyer Lemon Cake

Recipe adapted from Cooking by the Seasons

Moscato Poached Pears with Pineapple

Recipe by Robin

Try Chicken with Oranges Over Rice

Recipe adapted from old magazine clipping