Foraging in the snow

Tags

carrot, do chua (turnip/radish carrot pickles), nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), pickles, recipes, Swiss Chard, swiss chard Bright Lights, swiss chard rolls, turnip, turnips

Last week we had a couple of days of a warm spell, so I went out to check on the garden. Yesterday, it was freezing and snowing like nobody’s business (9 inches of snow forced the township to close schools today, yay!), so I went out to check on the garden.

Have I become a true gardener? Isn’t that the mark of a true gardener when you can’t stand just looking at your plants from the window, but must get up close and personal with them and feel their frozen butts? Sorry, I mean leaves, plants have no butts. It was mine that was freezing. Anyway, I thought I heard somewhere that when you start feeling sorry for your plants, that’s when you ARE a gardener.

So, I’d like to show you some of the gems I found from my excursions to the garden, and the dinner that they inspired. Remember it’s December. What little nature has to offer truly is amazing and generous.

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Turnip and Carrot Quick Pickles
If you’ve had bahn mi sandwiches (Vietnamese hoagies) before, you know that their tantalizing taste comes not only from the meat and the herbs in them, but from the daikon and carrot pickles (do chua) as well. This is my take on the pickles. Using turnips instead of radish. I’m forever doing things Angie’s way. Really, recipes are guidelines I feel. You do what you want, based on your preference or what you have.

I prefer my pickles to be on the sweet side, but you can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking. I also added shallots, green onions, and black peppercorns in my pickles. I hate to repeat myself, but…Angie’s way.

2 turnips, julienned (about 2 cups), or use daikon radishes
2 carrots, julienned (about 2 cups)
1 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
A few whole peppercorns

1. Mix water, vinegar, salt, peppercorns, and sugar in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil, just until sugar dissolves. Let it cool before adding vegetables. You don’t want to cook them. If you’re using shallots, you can add them sooner, when the liquid is still hot, but not boiling. Shallots don’t mind the heat as much as turnips and carrots.
2. Add turnips (or daikons), carrots, and green onions (if using) when liquid is warm or cool.
3. Store pickles in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight before using.

The pickles are good in sandwiches or salads, and especially perfect to top Vietnamese Noodle Salad, which I always crave, summer or winter. But the salad must be tossed in nuoc cham, or I would not crave it.

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

Probably the most important dipping sauce for a Vietnamese meal, absolutely indispensable. I find that I’m unable to stop myself from dipping anything into it whenever I have it. Meat, vegetables, spring rolls, noodles, rice, anything! Well, except desserts, of course.

1/4 cup fish sauce
3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1 small hot chili pepper, sliced thin (optional)
Shredded carrot and/or chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients and stir to dissolve sugar. Garnish with shredded carrots or chopped cilantro.

***

I was talking to Robbie about Swiss Chard and then I saw Laura’s fusion banh mi tacos. It was destiny. I had to make Swiss Chard rolls. You know, like summer rolls, except with blanched chard leaves as the wrapping. I already had nuoc cham for dipping them in, anyway, but you can also dip them in peanut hoisin sauce, if you prefer.

Don’t be silly, I didn’t use the carrots found from my foraging in any of the recipes. They did make for cute garnish, though.

You can use other leaves in place of the chards. Kale or collard greens are both perfect substitutes. And Robbie, since we’re talking about Swiss Chard, I have other suggestions for them. Swiss Chard pakoras or thoran sounds pretty good to me. Maybe next time. There really wasn’t a lot to harvest. Maybe if I build a cold frame around them, I could extend my harvest? Oh, hubby! Calling hubby! Can you make me a cold frame?

November Greens

Tags

Asian food, chickweed, edible weeds, fish, fish fillets, fish in chili sauce, lemongrass, recipe, turmeric, vegetables

November greens are a sight for sore eyes. Even if they are the weedy kind, they offer a little taste of the now impatiently awaited next year’s Spring. Just when the garden is about to be gone, I begin to miss it. The cause is obvious. This gardener has not stepped outside to check on it for a few weeks.

Oh, I picked herbs here and there, but when I did, mostly confined myself near the deck, close to the kitchen, where most were grown. They were still green, protected by the side wall and a cement walkway. The ones in the garden proper were brown. Visibly so, even from the kitchen window. Making venturing into the garden an unwelcome proposition.

But today I got the urges. To go out and touch the dirt. To nibble on something fresh. To look at something living, of the botanical kind, preferably green. Considering the month, is it too much to ask? Looks like Mother Nature indulges me one last time.

How fortunate for a green-starved gardener. And how rewarding for a curious gardener. Did you see the lemongrass and the turmeric? They started as a stalk and a couple of rhizomes. They were stuck into the ground, quite casually, many months ago, and promptly ignored. Now they have bestowed a most unexpected, but welcomed, tropical harvest. In November!

So this mind flew into the tropics. Phuket, maybe, or Bali. And I brought my family with me, with this dinner, inspired by the flavors of the tropics.

Fish fillets in Turmeric & Lemongrass Sauce

4 fish fillets (flounder is good, or any other mild-flavored fish. Tilapia? Or chicken, if you’re not into fish.)
1 stalk of lemongrass, minced (mine was gigante, so I used half.)
2 smallish turmeric rhizomes, cut into slivers (about 1 inch long each, or substitute with ginger. In fact, I think ginger would be very nice, nicer than turmeric probably, but turmeric does have excellent health benefits.)
1 red hot chili pepper, thinly sliced (omit, if you can’t stand the heat.)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
1 small carrot, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. agave nectar (or sugar, but you may need more than 1 tbsp. Agave nectar is sweeter than sugar.)
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1/2 – 3/4 cup chicken stock (*Read the comment from ohlidia. She added coconut milk. Brilliant!)
2 – 3 tbsp. olive oil
Cilantro for garnish
Salt & pepper
Cornstarch for dredging

1. Season fish with salt & pepper, then dredge in cornstarch. Fry in a little bit of oil, until cooked and crisp. Remove and set aside.
2. Add more oil to the pan, stir lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, and chili. Cook until fragrant.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables (carrot, sweet pepper, onion).
4. Add sugar/agave nectar and let it caramelize a little.
5. Add chicken stock, oyster sauce, and vinegar. Let simmer for a couple of minutes. Return fish fillets to the pan, and move them around a little to soak up the sauce. Garnish with cilantro.
5. Serve immediately.

The rest of the family ate their fish with rice. I ate mine with a side of olive oil-massaged raw green salad, consisting of senposai, kale, arugula, and chickweed, with just a few pieces of carrot to sweeten it. I’m planning to lose a few pounds before the season’s eating begins, so I can gain them back. See, there’s a method to my madness.

Linking to:
Daphne’s Harvest Monday

Green Tomato Chili

Tags

chili, green tomato chili, green tomato recipes, green tomato salsa, recipes

For a garden that’s been pretty much ignored and neglected, mine has produced a substantial amount of food for my kitchen. All in spite of the frequent visits from Mr. Groundhog and the constant harassment from the neighbor’s bamboo. The latest offering from it consisted of green tomatoes and shelling beans.

The beans weren’t actually shelling beans. They were overgrown green beans that I designated to use as shelling beans. The tomatoes, on the other hand, had reached the top of the bean trellis, which is 8 ft. tall. So I just wanted to hack the heck out of them, and came away with dozens of green tomatoes as a result. Aren’t they supposed to be done by now, anyway?

The idea at first was to make chili verde out of the green tomatoes, a la this recipe from Southern Living, but the first batch had no takers. There’s a certain color of food that my family seems to stay away from. So, a second batch was made to include other colors, and this time, everybody partook in the meal. Good thing there was plenty of green tomatoes!

• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

2 lbs. boneless pork loin, cut into 1 inch cubes (or you can use beef)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large green tomatoes (or about 2 cups of chopped tomatoes)
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
1 yellow pepper, roughly chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1 cup fresh shelling beans (or canned beans)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
3 cups chicken or beef broth
Salt & pepper
Chopped cilantro

1. Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Brown meat, in batches. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in the same Dutch oven, adding more oil if necessary, until translucent.
3. Add the rest of the vegetables, and continue cooking until vegetables are cooked. If using canned beans, add them later when chili is at the simmer stage.
4. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Return meat to the pot. Add tomato sauce and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and continue cooking, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 30-45 minutes. Add chopped cilantro prior to serving.

This is good served over rice, topped with Green Tomato Salsa and queso fresco (or feta). Or you can serve this in a taco bowl. To make your own taco bowls, brush corn tortillas with olive oil, heat for 1-2 minutes in a sauté pan to make them more pliable, then place them over upturned muffin pan. Bake in 350° F for 8-10 minutes until slightly brown and crisp.

Green Tomato Salsa

• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

2 medium green tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
1/2 small yellow pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded
Chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt & pepper

1. Finely dice all vegetables.
2. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl with lime juice, salt & pepper, and cilantro.
3. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Here’s another green tomato recipe:
Chicken Green Tomato Jalfrezi

Taters ‘n’ Turnips

Tags

fingerling potatoes, food, postaday, purple potatoes, recipes, roasted potatoes, roastes potatoes and turnips, turnips, vegan, vegetarian

Can’t get enough of this

That was the result of more scrounging around in the garden, which turned up these tubers

Purple Fingerling Potatoes

and these turnips.

Fall Turnips

The last time I found turnips in the garden, I paired them with taters and came away with an award-winning recipe. Well, that was an exaggeration, but what I got was an excellent meal. Why deviate from a proven formula? So, once again, I give you taters ‘n’ turnips, this time roasted.

Roasted taters ‘n’ turnips served with grilled fish

Can you say yumm ….? Unless you don’t like fish, which is something I’m still learning to enjoy. But, at least the taters should get you going. They’re absolutely addicting, in a good way, in the not-fried way. French fries are my #1 vice. I’m completely addicted to them, so it’s good that I find a healthy substitute.

Roasted Taters ‘n’ Turnips
2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 lb turnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
4 tbs melted butter or olive oil
Salt & pepper
Fresh herbs (I used chives & parsley)

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. In a bowl, toss potato and turnip slices with butter or olive oil, herbs, salt & pepper.
3. Spray your baking pan with non-stick cooking spray, and spread potato & turnip slices in it.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.

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Speaking of addiction, I’ve been to pinterest day and night recently, spending way too much time on the computer looking at food pictures and wishing for them, instead of making the food. And I want to pin everything and anything, until pinterest stops me. Apparently, you can only pin a few photos in a day? Huh, don’t really see the point. Care to enlighten me?

I’m late in the game, I know, with this pinterest thing. But as they say, better late than never. Next up, facebook, for which I’m also late in the game for. Ay ay ay, so many things to learn, so little time. Oh, by the way, if you click on that green pinterest, it’ll bring you to my boards. And if you’re there, you might as well follow me, since currently I have zero follower. I’ll think of a giveaway for my very first follower, how ’bout that? I’ll make it worth your while