• Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Fiesta Friday
  • As Seen In
  • Contact

The Novice Gardener

~ Food & Garden

The Novice Gardener

Tag Archives: vegetables

Fresh Summer Salad with Tangy Buttermilk Lime Herb Dressing

15 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by Angie | Fiesta Friday in Cooking, Recipe

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

buttermilk, salad, vegetables, vegetarian

The Dinner Party Collective has unveiled its first Summer Menu, which includes suggested wine pairings for each of the courses. Our first course is this beautiful refreshing salad courtesy of my favorite recipe developer Suzanne @apuginthekitchen. Please check it out! That Tangy Buttermilk Dressing is a must try!

fresh summer salad

Get the recipe –>Fresh Summer Salad with Tangy Buttermilk Lime Herb Dressing

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Three ways with Brussels sprouts

17 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by Angie | Fiesta Friday in Cooking, Photography

≈ 81 Comments

Tags

awards, brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts fritters, brussels sprouts recipes, recipes, vegetables, vegetarian, vegetarian recipes

brussels sprouts recipes
brussels sprouts fritters
brussels sprouts thoran
fresh brussels sprouts
brussels sprouts
brussels sprouts three different ways

I’ve eaten Brussels sprouts maybe twice in my life, or thrice (is that still a word?). Okay, honestly, in all likelihood, I’ve probably eaten them more times than that, but I was just trying to stress how infrequently Brussels sprouts figure in my diet. Plus I wanted to say thrice.

Why I never thought about cooking and serving Brussels sprouts, I have no idea. It’s not like me to ignore cute, baby cabbages. Cute babies usually have a way of attracting my attention. Brussels sprouts, however, didn’t exactly pique my interest. My thought on them ran like this,”These are not as good as cabbage, these are bitter, and I wouldn’t know what to do with them.” Along those lines, pretty much.

But they’re everywhere right now, and I see that every blogger has done at least a recipe or two featuring them. A quick online research also reveals that they’re highly nutritional, more so than cabbage. In short, it’s time for me to put aside old, unfounded perceptions about the vegetable, and rise up to the challenge. Of coming up with clever ways to serve Brussels sprouts that the family, specifically the children, will appreciate.

Remember my motto? When in doubt, always baconize or fritterize. Well, apparently, I’ve found a third way. Thoranize. Let me show you.

brussels sprouts and spaghetti

Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
5 strips of bacon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup light cream or half & half
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper

1. Blanch Brussels sprouts in boiling water briefly, drain, set aside. This is an optional step. I was just trying to make the dish more son-friendly.
2. Cut bacon into small pieces, then fry until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant, add sprouts, salt & pepper, and cook until Brussels sprouts are tender. If you didn’t blanch the sprouts, you may need to add a little water/stock.
4. Add bacon pieces, cream, and stir to mix.
5. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese.
6. Served with spaghetti or any pasta.

Brussels sprouts bhajis

Brussels Sprouts Fritters
Follow the recipe for Onion Bhajis to make these. In place of the onions, use a mix of shredded Brussels sprouts and some chopped onion.

brussels sprouts thoran

Brussels Sprouts Thoran
Cut the sprouts into quarters, and blanch them briefly. Then, follow my recipe for Turnip Leaves Thoran. I still think this is one of the most interesting and delicious ways of preparing vegetables. I would wager that very few vegetables wouldn’t improve served this way.

So there you have it, folks, the baconized, fritterized, and thoranized Brussels sprouts. All are worthy of being repeated at least thrice while Brussels sprouts are in season right now. Next year, Brussels sprouts will make their appearance in my garden, now that I know the family eats them without complaint.

***

Continue reading →

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

November Greens

12 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by Angie | Fiesta Friday in Cooking, Edible Flowers & Weeds, Foraging, Gardening, Photography

≈ 57 Comments

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.

lemongrass, snap pea, arugula

snap pea, cilantro, carrot, chickweed

fresh turmeric, lemongrass

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 fillet in turmeric lemongrass chili sauce
massaged greens salad
fennel flowers
flounderin chili sauce
chickweed and red russian kale
edible weeds chickweed

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

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Hello … Potato!

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by Angie | Fiesta Friday in Gardening

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

basil, herbs, potatoes, vegetables

I have to admit, I’m a better cook than I am a gardener. In fact, when I first started blogging I was undecided about what I should call my blog, The Novice Gardener or The Novice Cook. But Sabo said it’d be misleading to call the blog The Novice Cook. I guess that was some kind of a compliment.

But my gardening skills are slowly catching up to the cooking. One thing for sure, I now know how to grow potatoes. Just take a look at my potato harvest, all from just one and a half plants. (One plant wasn’t dug up completely.)

potato harvest4
potato harvest3
potato harvest
potato harvest2

Potato harvest

The one that was uprooted produced 20 tubers, totaling 4 lbs of potatoes. I used my bathroom scale to weigh them, so it’s probably not very accurate, but it should give you an idea. And I even scrabbled 3 potatoes from this plant earlier in the season. That made a grand total of 23 tubers, from one original seed potato. That’s pretty impressive in my book.

The plant I didn’t uproot gave me 7 huge tubers, at 3 lbs total. I just scratched the dirt around the plant and felt for the tubers, and extracted them, without digging up the whole thing. I’m letting it grow for now, to see what will happen. It still looks green and lush.

potato plant

And I have a theory. As long as the potato continues growing green leaves above ground, it also continues to grow tubers underground. So the longer the plant stays green, the more it produces. Am I right?

I based my theory on the fact that when I uprooted the plant with the 20 tubers, the leaves were also still green, and there was even a small cluster of flowers. And look at the number of tiny tubers still forming.

small potatoes

There were at least half a dozen of them. I wonder if they would have continued to grow had I not dug up the entire plant? It would be exciting to have a perpetual potato plant, wouldn’t it? Harvest only as needed, as long as the season lasts.

I have to thank my fellow bloggers for giving me advice and information on growing potatoes. Annie’s Granny taught me how to scrabble for a few new potatoes without digging up the whole plants. And Food Kitchen Garden gave me an explanation and sort of confirmed my theory already, about how potatoes will continue producing tubers as they grow. Thank you, guys!

Harvest this week also included cucumbers, eggplants, kale and senposai leaves, a few blackberries and tomatoes, green rhubarb stalks, and runty carrots and turnips.

cucumbers
eggplants
carrots & turnips
harvest

Harvest this week

And lots of volunteer basil.

basil

The small carrots and turnips were grazed by the cook as she slaved in the kitchen. 😉 And some of the potatoes were made into oven fries. But I have other plans for the rest of them. Maybe samosa (TG’s favorite) and clam chowder (Sabo’s favorite). But don’t say anything to them yet. I still need to find the time to make them. Right now I’ve got to do some Mom stuff, like playing chauffeur for the kids, etc.

You, on the other hand, can head right over to Daphne’s and view other harvests from gardens across the globe.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
← Older posts
  • View FiestaFriday.net’s profile on Facebook
  • View angie_fiestafriday’s profile on Instagram
  • View FiestaFriday’s profile on Pinterest

Follow my recipe site: Fiesta Friday

Fiesta Friday #433

Fiesta Friday #433

Now that the daughter is home for her summer break, I’m being spoiled. Spoiled with good food, that is. Mostly pasta. The daughter IS the pasta princess. Her Spaghetti Carbonara is assolutamente perfetto. See? Absolutely perfect! I am one happy and content mom! Features Coffee Cookies Strawberry Crunch Bars Instant Pot Sesame Honey Chicken A […]

Fiesta Friday #432

Fiesta Friday #432

It’s T-minus 22 working days until the official start of my Summer break. I can hardly wait! I can only speak for myself, but it’s been a tough year working in a school setting. By that, I don’t mean the job is suddenly beyond my capabilities, but rather it’s become mentally draining. Let’s just say […]

Fiesta Friday #431

Fiesta Friday #431

I wish all Fiesta Friday Moms a very happy Mother’s Day in advance! I hope your families will spoil you rotten on Sunday and treat you like a queen for the day. Or the week. Or forever… Because, honestly, all moms deserve to be treated that way ALL the time. And I’m a mom, so […]

Fiesta Friday #430

Fiesta Friday #430

These are the priorities in my life right now: Weeding Mulching Weeding and mulching ALL my spare time is consumed by those chores.  Meals have become predictable – Chinese takeouts, Chipotle drive-thrus, and Panera pick-ups. My poor family! Or rather, poor me! This is why someone else needs to learn to cook! I did bring […]

Fiesta Friday #429

Fiesta Friday #429

I can’t believe it’s Friday already. Again. Where has the time gone?! And soon I’ll have to go back to work, boo hoo! Today, though, I’ll drag the husband to Amish Country Lancaster. It’s been a while since our last visit. I’m in the mood for some Amish baked goods, especially the cheese bread. And […]

Recent Posts

  • Merger Announcement
  • Happy Friday!
  • The Best Of Fiesta Friday #100 Unveiled
  • A Cake For You!
  • Happy Happy!
<a href="https://thenovicegardener.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/fiesta-friday-badge-button-i-party.jpg" > <img src="https://thenovicegardener.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/fiesta-friday-badge-button-i-party.jpg?w=175" alt="Fiesta Friday Badge Button I party @" width="175" height="175" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-4941" /></a>

Fiesta Friday Buttons

<a href="https://thenovicegardener.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/fiesta-friday-badge-button-i-was-featured1.jpg" > <img src="https://thenovicegardener.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/fiesta-friday-badge-button-i-was-featured1.jpg?w=175" alt="Fiesta Friday Badge Button I was featured" width="175" height="175" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-4942" /></a>

Categories

Archives

In Honor of Selma

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • The Novice Gardener
    • Join 422 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Novice Gardener
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: