What's in Season: Blueberries

As soon as people learned that antioxidents were good for you and blueberries contain a plethora of antioxidents in their little round bites, I feel like blueberries are everywhere. But, nothing beats freshly picked blueberries. It is impossible to load crates of them onto the farmers market without sneaking a few. People at the mart too love sampling them - allowed or not - and spilled blueberries scattered around the ground are loved by goats! I laughed out loud watching this one goat on a leash in Newburyport try to chase around the rolling blueberries with his slobbering snout.

nom. nom. nom.

Buying: Blueberries vary in size and can be sweet or tart. Blueberries should be deep in color, but the shiny, white-ish waxy coating seen on some is just a natural protective coating. Shake the till to make sure that the blueberries can move freely, otherwise, if they are sticking together it may be a sign of mold or mushed bluebs.

Yes, people at farmers markets ask us about our strawbs and bluebs.    erry.

Storing: Remove any smushed blueberries to prevent the other ones from rotting. Only wash the berries as you will eat them, as water moisture will promote a faster degradation. Blueberries can be frozen for 3-6 months without any loss to their antioxident content. Wash and dry them first, then place on a cookie sheet to freeze individually before clumping them in a bag.

Medical: Eating raw blueberries off the most nutritional impact. They are known to improve memory. With a low Glycemic Index, blueberries are the perfect fruit for someone watching their blood sugar levels.

Fact: Blueberries are native to North America and are the most popular fruit in the US second only to strawberries.

Cooking: Frozen blueberries are a great snack on a hot day and great in ice tea, lemonade, cocktails as mini ice cubes. I also love throwing blueberries into salads - they are great with goat cheese.

Recipe:

mum's granola

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup assorted dried fruit like goji berries
blueberries

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix the first 7 ingredients together. In a pan, heat the honey and oil over med-low heat until blended and smooth then pour it over the dry ingredients and toss. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden, stirring every 10 minutes for about 40 minutes. Stir then granola once more and then cool. Mix in the fruit. Serve over a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle over the blueberries. healthy breakfast!!

From my coworker Alina's mum

Zucchini Blueberry Bread

3 eggs
1 cup veg oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 med zucchini, grated and drained
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in the raisins and blueberries. Spoon onto a well greased 8 X 5 X 3" loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Cool in pan on a wine rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

PICK YOUR OWN BLUEBERRIES AT APPLECREST EVERY DAY FROM 8-6!!  click for directions

"The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite. Without this, it is impossible to accumulate, with the allotted span, enough experience of eating to have anything worth setting down. Each day brings only two opportunities for fieldwork, and they are not to be wasted minimizing the intake of cholesterol." AJ Liebling

What's in Season: Eggplant

I love eggplant, but I feel as though it's one of those vegetables that people often avoid or are in their list of foods they don't like, like mushrooms. They are a little bitter and have a spongey texture, which I could understand the dislike, but I grew up loving what my mum liked to eat, and eggplant was one of those foods. I thought it was exotic and stood out when listed on a menu and generally could not resist ordering once I saw it.

Buying: Look for eggplants that are heavy for their size with smooth and shiny skin without bruises or wrinkles. Eggplants should be firm - if you press gently on the skin, your thumb indentation should not remain. If the stem looks fresh it is also a good indication of a good eggplant. An alarming amount of varieties, eggplants actually come in a variety of shapes and colors ranging from short and round, long and thing, to bulbous. Don't use eggplant that has bruised brown flesh.

Storing: Eggplants can be kept in a cool space or in the fridge for up to one week. They don't particularly like cold temperatures - brown areas are signs of chilled damage. In the fridge, put them in a dry plastic bag with a paper towel to soak up any moisture. They also should be kept dry as they have thin skins. Cut eggplant should be used immediately.

Medical: Eggplant is rich in dietary fiber and potassium with a very low calorie count. It is high in vitamins and minerals and antioxidents, particularly nasusin which protects the brain.

Fact: Eggplant, botanically a fruit, is also called Aubergine so if you're looking through cookbooks, don't forget to look through the A section if you don't see eggplant under the E's! Eggplant contains a toxic substance called solanine so always cook it!! do not eat it raw.

Cooking: Eggplants do not need to be peeled.  There seems to be some debating on bitterness and salting of eggplants. If frying, eggplant will soak up less oil, making it healthier, if you cut it into the desired slices and sprinkle with salt then sit in a colander to drain for up to an hour. Rub with lemon juice to prevent the flesh turning color from the air exposure. Rinsing it will then remove most of the salt. The salt, is not only known but not proven to reduce bitterness, but also causes the cell walls to collapse as it draws out the water and the oil easily soaks into the air pockets that make the flesh so spongey. I don't always do this, just out of laziness, but I also don't find eggplants to be particularly bitter. Unsalted will keep the flesh a bit meatier, but they only need to be salted if frying the eggplant. Because eggplants soak up the oil, make sure that you use really good olive oil and they will be a great team!  Eggplant can be baked in the oven at 400F for 30-40 minutes, let cool then scoop out the flesh (Eggplant also can explode in the oven, so be sure to prick it with a sharp knife a couple times before!); sauteed in oil until hot, tender, and browned; grilled (brush the skin with oil so it doesn't dry out) with other vegs in some tin foil or on kebab skewers. 

Did I mention I love egglpalnt? here are some of my favorite recipes:

Thomas Kellar's Ad Hoc Summer Vegetable Gratin

3 large Roma tomatoes

1 med yellow squash

1 med zucchini

1 long eggplant

extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion

3 garlic cloves, grated with a microplane

salt

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp thyme

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano

1/2 cup panko (he used bread crumbs)

i don't know why it's sideways....

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices - discarding the ends. Slice the squash, zucchini and eggplant into similar sized slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Reduce to med-low and add the onions and garlic and season with salt. Cook without browning, until the onions are translucent, for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tbsp of thyme. Combine the squash, zucchini and eggplant in a large bowl, toss with olive oil and season with salt. Do the same the tomatoes. Combine the Parmesean, panko and thyme in a small bowl. Spread the onion mix into a 13X9 dish or a 13 inch round baking dish. Layer the vegetables, working on the diagonal. Arrange the zucchini overlapping, then the squash slightly overlapping the zucchini, followed by the eggplant and then the tomatoes. Sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. Bake for 1-11/2 hours, until the vegetables are completely tender. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes as the broiler heats up. Place the gratin under the broil just before serving to brown the top - but don't forget about it!! 

pre-baked-shot.

I fell in love with this dish on one of our trips to Italy. This particular trip was to the Amalfi Coast where, surrounded by a ton of fresh-caugh fish off the coast, I was eating a ton of vegetarian dishes. This is Mario Batalli's version of Pasta alla Norma from Molto Italiano.

2 lbs small-med eggplant, cut 1/4 inch slices

salt and pepper

6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 pld penne

2 cups tomato sauce

1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano

10 fresh basil leaves, freshly torn

8 oz ricota salata for grating (sub young pecorino or provolone)

boil 6 qts of water with 2 tbsp of water. Preheat the oven to 375F. In a 10-12 in sate pan, heat 3 tbsp of the oil over med-high heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, saute the eggplant, seasoning them with salt and pepper, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper-lined plate to drain. Cook the penne in the boiling water for 2 minutes short of the instructions - keep it quite firm. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well, place in a large bowl, and toss with 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Grease a 9 by 12 inch baking dish with 1 tbsp oil and cover the bottom of it with 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce, then add half of the pasta. Arrange the eggplant slices, overlapping slightly, on top of the pasta. Dot about 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the eggplant and top with half o the pecorino and half of the basil. Top the remaining pasta, arrange the remaining eggplant over it and then the remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining pecorino and basil and drizzle with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes, let rest for 10 minutes before serving and grate ricotta salata over it. 

caponata

I have this combo (Eggplant lentil soup is also delicious :)  Eggplant Lentil Salad

1 large eggplant (2 lbs)
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup French green lentils
2 1/2 cups water
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450F. Prick the eggplant and place in a baking dish. Roast for about 40 minutes, turning once or twice until tender. Cool. Meanwhile, in a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and add the cumin seeds and crushed red pepper. Heat to release their flavors, about 1 minutes then add the garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds and then add the lentils and the water. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Then simmer for about 40 minutes, covered, until the water is absorbed. The lentils should be tender but not mushy. Scoop the eggplant out, removing the skins, and chop the flesh. Drain it, if necessary, to remove excess liquid. Add the eggplant and the lentils to a bowl and mix in the lemon juice and parsley and remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Season with salt and pepper. 

Lemon Cucumber Pickles!

After I wrote my post on cucumbers, I found a lemon cucumber at the Portsmouth Health Food Store and right next to it was a yellow Hungarian pepper, so I decided I would pickle them. 

And. What. A. Great. Idea.

Slice the cucumber and pepper into thin slices. Layer them in a bowl that is big enough to create a couple of layers of cucumbers on top of each other. Sprinkling a generous coating of dill in between each layer of cucumber. In another bowl, whisk and dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar in 100ml white wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water. Then pour over the cucumber layers, making sure that they are completely covered.Store in the fridge for a couple of hours. Unless eaten immediately (after the couple of hours in the fridge) it can be stored in a jar with the juices for a week.

sweet n' spicy. 

‘Determine what God has given you, and take from it what you need; the remainder is needed by others.’ St. Augustine.

I went to the Music Hall the other week to see a documentary called I Am. Going to a movie that's about what's wrong with the world sounds rather depressing but this movie isn't about hunger or poverty or the environment or the government or war. Instead, in a thought-provoking approach, it offers a different perspective of the world that ultimately explores and praises, through challenging what's wrong with the world, what is actually right with the world. Documentaries may often appear one-sided, but what I liked about this one is that it was honestly trying to seek out the truth and not only reveal it, but figure out what we can do to fix it and make it better.  The filmmaker, Tom Shadyac - director of Ace Ventura, Liar, Liar, the Nutty Professor, and Bruce Almighty to name a few - claims that he's always sought the truth and I feel as though I too have always liked understanding the basis and meaning behind things - studying art history so that I could decipher different symbols in art to determine their meaning behind what the artist was trying to express within the particular historical context; reading over and over again Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking to understand the science behind food and how they react to different elements; reading Eating Animals to know more about what's really going on in the meat industry; and really looking forward to, although that is not the right word to describe it an enthusiastic way, but more curiously, to reading Tomatoland to learn about a simple common ingredient's dreary, unnatural life and Four Fish to learn about the fish we - not me, I'm allergic - eat and how the populations are depleting incredibly because they are overfished. Nerdy, I know, but like Shadyac, I like that truth and although one friend debated that ignorance is bliss, sure it is, but I like thinking that little things I can do can help.  There are so many things around us that we have no idea about, so many things that we don't possibly need, and so many simple things we could do to make other peoples' lives better. I would definitely definitely recommend watching this documentary. It was engaging, entertaining, overwhelming, perplexing and it made me cry (awkward, sitting in the movie theatre, sitting alone). It made me think, question, reflect,  smile, gave me goosebumps, and absolutely laugh out loud. 

"You can't just eat good food. You've got to talk about it too. And you've got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food." — Kurt Vonnegut

What's in Season: Squash

I feel like a lot of people associate squash with the fall...pumpkins and roasted acorn squash....but summer squash, zucchini, patty pan, and round squashes have a lot to offer.


Buying: Differientiating between what you think is a zucchini may be rather difficult. A zucchini is cylindrical, dark green, and pretty much the same circumference the entire length (no tapering at the end). A marrow squash is larger on the flower end and tapers off, is pale to dull green and have a more substantial flesh than zucchini. Then, cocozelle are longer, thinner with a rounded flower end and a fuller-body flavor. In any case, there are a ton of different varieties so cross-breeding is pretty common. Crookneck squash are yellow with bent necks and globular bodies. Patty pans are squat like with scalloped edges.  Look for zucchini's (in a general term) that are 4-5 inches long. Longer ones might have a softer flesh so they are good for removing the center and used for stuffing. Choose firm summer squash.  Just picked, fresh ones will have tiny hairs that prick and itch harmlessly.


Storing: They seem to bruise easily with the brush of a finger nail when handling, which is also a good sign that they are ready to be harvested and eaten. They should be used within a week. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag, unwashed, until ready to use. To freeze zucchini, first cut into 1/2 inch and blanch for 2 minutes, cool and dry then freeze in a plastic bag.


Medical: rich amounts of beta carotene, some vitamin c. In Ethiopia, the seeds from squashes are used as laxatives and purgatives.


Fact: Squash are picked prematurely otherwise they would grown enormously and have hard skins like pumpkins. Unlike pumpkins that have a sweet, dense flesh with the harder exterior, squash would become mushy and squishy squash.

The word squash derives from askutasquash, Massachusett Indian for Eaten Raw.

Cooking: Raw, poached, blanched, stuffed, baked, stir-fried, pickled, deep-fried, shredded. Zucchini cooks rather fast so cut into thicker slices if you want it to remain more in tact.

Recipe: my all-time favorite zuchini recipe is a Ryan favorite:

mum's courgette and gorgonzola soup

for 6

1lb courgettes, cut into coins, aka zucchini with an irish accent

11/2oz butter (i used olive oil)

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 crushed cloves garlic

2 pts veg stock

2 tsp fresh or 1 tsp dried basil

S&P

6ozs blue cheese

1/4 pt cream (i did not use)

add a little bit of nice extra virgin olive oil to a large pot and fry the onion and garlic for 5 mins or so until soft. add the courgette and cook on low heat, gently, for 10 minutes. add the stock and bring slowly to a boil then lower the heat and add salt, pepper and basil. cover and simmer for 20 minutes. add the cheese, broken up in pieces to melt easier, and blend with an immersion blender. the cheese should make the soup creamy enough but adding cream makes it extra rich. the soup can be served hot or cold and can be made up to 2 days in advance.

....aaaaand recommended by Jess from Cooking Light - THANKS!

Healthy Squash-Zucchini Recipes
http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essential-ingredients/healthy-squash-zucchini-recipes-00400000052685/page13.html

Sauteed Baby Squash with Feta and Basil

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups baby pattypan squash, halved - about 18 oz
2 cups sliced leeks, about 2
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat, heat for about 20 seconds then add the squash and leek. Saute for 5 minutes, until tender, stirring frequently. Add the salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the sprinkled cheese and basil.

What's in Season: Carrots

Buying: Carrots are not only orange - they can be purple, white, yellow and red. I recently bit into a purple carrot and found an orange ring on the inside - gorgeous, kinda like the purple "green" beans! Carrots should be firm, snappy, and bright in color. There's nothing worse than a limp carrot....The stems should not be too dark and if the greens are attached, they should look bright and not wilted.

Storing: Carrots will stay fresh in a plastic bag in the fridge, or in a cool place for about 2 weeks. Carrots can be frozen if they are first washed and blanched for 5 minutes and then cooled. Carrots also can be stored up to 5 months (!) if kept in a box of sand and kept in a cool, dry area. Do not store with potatoes, apples, pears, bananas, or fruits that exude ethylene gas as they will cause the carrots to become unpleasantly bitter. I love the look of the carrot tops pouring out of a non-plastic shopping bag at the farmers market, but remove them as they will draw a lot of the moisture out of the carrots to keep themselves hydrated. Wrap them separately in a damp paper towel. Here is a great list of ideas of what to do with carrot tops.

world's smallest carrot!! 

 Medical: The extremely high source of vitamin A is what is what makes people say that carrots help you see better in the dark as well as make your hair curly. The Greeks used to cultivate carrots as a stomach tonic remedy. Eating carrots is known to treat asthma, nervousness, and skin disorders. The orange color, beta carotene, as well as other antioxidants, have been researched to slow cancer. Beet and carrot juice combined is apparently good for preventing diarrhea. Carrots have a high level of sugar, hence their sweetness.

 Fact: The leaves, which are often discarded in the store, were once used in replace of feathers in Elizabethan hats.

the inside of a purple carrot....orange!

here's a post I wrote about store bought vs home grown carrots: http://shaunaryan.blogspot.com/2010/08/labels-location-whats-difference.html

I remember reading a horrible story about baby carrots that made me never want to buy them again, I'm still looking for it but here's a little summary: http://www.triliumhealth.com/article.asp?ID=105&title=There%20is%20nothing%20innocent%20about%20these%20baby%20carrots

Cooking: Carrots can be eaten raw or cooked in various ways - steamed, roasted, stewed, baked, caramelized, pickled, stir-fried, probably microwaved...young carrots eaten raw with be the most sweetest whereas older carrots will need to be peeled and will have a harder core. Carrots can be shredded into salads or coleslaw. They can be cut into sticks for snacks or crudite platters. You will find carrots as an integral part for making homemade stock. Carrots are naturally sweet when eaten raw, but by caramelizing them or adding fennel seeds, chervil, parsley and celery leaves will bring out their flavor (they are related to parsley, fennel, dill, caraway, cumin and parsnips). Carrots can be washed and scrubbed, topped and tailed, but they do not need to be peeled unless they have been sprayed and are old, wilted, and hairy.

Recipes:

Italian Carrot Cake and Roasted Carrot Soup

I love this recipe of Jamie Oliver's for Roasted Carrot and Avocado Salad....Delish!

‘Live simply, so others may simply live.’ Gandhi.

What's in Season: Cucumbers

Buying: Cucumbers are about 95% water which is why cucumbers are often found coated in wax or wrapped tightly in plastic - a more expensive protection - but ways to prolong the loss of moisture. The wax is edible, but rather unpleasant so these cucumbers should be peeled. There are a ton of different varieties of cucumbers in all sorts of shapes and sizes, bumpiness and knobbiness, but they pretty much taste the same - the names are often referred to the way they look or the way they are used. Lemon cucumbers for example are round and yellow, the burpless tasty green is obviously burp-free, pickling cucumbers have a thin skin so since the salt is easily penetrated they are used for pickling, and slicing cucumbers just have a thicker skin - but with a knife it doesn't really make much of a difference! Pick cucumbers that are firm - not soft and water logged - and not wilted from excessive water loss.

Storing: Moisture loss begins as soon as the cucumbers are picked so they should be eaten within 4 days. Because they contain so much water, store them lying flat on an even surface so that the water weight is evenly distributed. Alternatively, a cut cucumber can be stop in a tall jug with a little water at the base. Cukes can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge, but in the warmest part. If the fridge is too cold or they are kept in the fridge for too long they will no longer be as cool as a cucumber.

Medical: Cucumbers have been known to encourage burping. This, as well as the cucumbers bitterness comes from cucurbitacins. In the plant, it is found in the roots, stems and leaves and becomes more concentrated if it is stressed from heat or lack of water and in the cucumber the compounds are concentrated mostly under the skin, so peel cucumbers if you are susceptible to burping! Many of the cucumbers today are grown in greenhouses to avoid cross-pollination so they are seedless, uniform, and not bitter.

Cukes also contain compounds which avoid water retention which is why they are often applied to lower swelling and cure burns. The high water content also contributes to helping skin appear to have a healthy glow.

Fact: women used to wear cucumbers around their waist if they were hoping to become pregnant.

Cooking: Peeling a cucumber is a personal preference - whether they don't mind the greasy wax coating or if they think there is more flavor in the skin or just like adding a bit of color to the dish. To easily remove the seeds, slice lengthwise and run a teaspoon down the middle.

Recipe:

crunchy crisp cucumber salad with chili chicken ramen with burst-pop-bang tomato salad

pickles!

creamychunky cucumber avocado soupdip

I'm not very good at following recipes - adjusting the measurements to my liking and depending on what I have in the kitchen to use - but the following three recipes were inspired by Ottolenghi's Plenty cookbook - which, although the pictures in the cookbook are seriously mouth-watering and mine definitely are not - I find the dishes turn out better by  using them as inspirational guidance.

Cuke Salad w/ smashed garlic & ginger


3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 knobs of ginger, peeled and cut
sea salt
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
3 med cucumbers, peeled cut in half and then on an angle into 1/4 slices
sesame seeds
bunch of cilantro tops, chopped

whisk the first four ingredients in a bowl to make the dressing. add the sliced red onion and toss to coat then let sit for an hour to soak and marinate.
add the ginger, salt, and garlic in a mortar and pound with the pestle until it is crushed but not pastey. scrape the mix in with the marinating red onion and toss together. add the cukes (I didn't peel mine but they seemed a bit tougher with the skin on), sprinkle with the sesame seeds and cilantro leaves. stir well and let sit for about 10 minutes. if serving out of that bowl, tip the bowl to get rid of some of the juices, otherwise lift the salad out of the bowl into another one leaving the juices behind.

Green Gazpacho

2 celery stalks
1 green pepper
2 cucumbers
1/2 green chili
4 garlic cloves
1 avocado
sprinkle of sugar
2 handfuls spinach/kale
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups water
2 handfuls ice cubes
salt and pepper

add the roughly chopped celery, pepper, cucumber, chile and garlic into a blender. then add the sugar, spinach/kale, vinegar, oil and water with half the ice cubes and some salt. puree until the preferred consistency and add some more water if needed. taste the soup for seasoning. add some more ice and puree. place in fridge and serve cold.

green goop.

spiced red lentils with cucumber yogurt

1 cup red lentils

1 1/2 cup water

1 bunch cilantro

1 small red onion

2 1/2 inch ginger

4 cloves garlic

1 green chile

2 tbsp mustard seeds

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp tumeric

1/2 paprika

2 bay leaves

1 tin diced tomatoes 

sprinkle of sugar

salt

3/4 cups greek yogurt

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lime

wash the lentils until cold water and then soak in 1 1/2 cups water for 30 minutes. 

cut the cilantro leaves away from the stems. add the stems to a food processor and keep the leaves separate. add the stalks with the onion, ginger, garlic, and chile. pulse but do not pulverize to a paste. 

put the mustard seeds into a large pot at med-high heat and when they begin to pop, add the chopped mix and the olive oil. simmer for 10 minutes, stirring, and then added the coriander, cumin, turmeric and paprika and bay leaves for another 10 minutes, stirring. 

then, add the lentils and the tomatoes and sugar. simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked.  

in a different bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, olive oil and salt. to serve, dish the lentils into a bowl and top with the cucumber yogurt. top off with some chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. 

What's in Season: Beans

Types: String beans, Common Beans, Pole Beans, Snap Beans, French Beans, Green Beans, Wax Beans, Haricot Verts....!Not all green beans are green. I often hear, "Look at the purple green beans!" (they can't be purple green beans, can they?) Yellow beans lack chlorophyll and keep their ray-of-sunshine colour during cooking. The purple variety, known as Royalty, will actually turn green! I love eating them raw as they are bring green on the inside when you bite into it.

 Buying: Green beans are usually picked immature. You can tell if a bean is past it's prime because the seeds inside will grow to a bulge and the should-be edible pods will become to tough to snap or chew. Make sure that the beans are snappy as a sign of freshness. If bought at a farmers market, you generally will be able to pick through the selection for the highest quality. They should be smooth, firm and without bruises.

 Storing: Try to cook and eat the beans as soon as possible as they will lose moisture after being picked and will quickly show signs of wilting. Keep for about 4 days or in the fridge for a week max. They freeze well, so wash and trim, blanch for 3 minutes, dry and freeze in a labeled plastic bag up to 12 months (unblanched frozen peas will have that rubbery, squeaky mouthfeel to them when thawed. yuck, dad hates that.)

Cooking: When cooked, green beans will turn a deep green as the cell walls break slowly down but they will eventually turn an olive hue when acid (such as vinegar) is added while cooking. The best way to avoid the lovely beans turning to a dreary colour that even a veggie lover would turn its nose up to, is cook with a lot of water (so that the chemicals changing the colours are diluted); after adding the beans to the boiling water bring back to a boil as quickly as possible so that the cooking time isn't prolonged; and to dunk the beans into a bowl of icy water to stop the cooking actions. Make sure to cut off the stems - the tips can be cut off or left on. Wash the beans when ready to be used. 

They can be cooked al dente in salted, boiling water for about 6 minutes - don't cook them until they droop. Don't add the dressing until ready to be served as the acid, as said before, will change the colour.

Fact: fresh seeds are called "flageolets" and dried ones are called "haricots." String beans are actually part of the shell bean family (kidney beans, black beans - any seeds you eat out of the pod) but because these beans are eaten immature, the pods are still edible. 

coffee "beans" are actually the twin stones of a fruit, not a legume and vanila "beans "are the fruit of an orchard not a legume. 

Medical: rich in protein, fiber, iron, and vit c and a. some potassium and folic acid aaand omega-3's! They are rich in beta carotine which is associated with carrots mostly but because of the dense amount of chlorophyll we don't see it. Apparently you can lower your cholesterol levels by 12% from eating a cup of beans a day! Avoid green beans if you have digestion problems such as gallbladder or kidney stones.

Recipe:

escargot with bean salad recipe courtesy of, and now being served at, cava coming soon.....xo

What's in Season: Beets

I suppose I should write about beets since I posted about beet cake (still on my to make list).

Buying: the red varieties are the most common, but look out for golden beets and other varieties. look for beets that are unblemished with fresh looking greens. make sure that they are hard; if they are still hard and the leaves are a bit discolored, they should still be ok.

Storing: Beets can stay in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Remove the leaves and place the beets in a plastic bag and the beets within a damp paper towel. Whole beets should not be frozen if they are more than 2 inches across. scrub, boil, skin, cool and then cut into desired slice and freeze in a labeled plastic bag or container for up to 6 months.

Medical: a glass of beet juice every day is good for controlling cancer. beets are great to relieve constipation which is why they are an excellent addition for a cleansing detox. the deep color comes from betacyanin which is not only rich in antioxidants but also calcium, iron, vitamin c and b. this deep color will most likely cause your urine/stools to change color, but this is a positive sign of a healthy digestive system. Beets are high in sugar, so avoid if you have diabetes.

Fact: beets grown near dill or fennel will attract predators to the plant. The leaves have 25% magnesium which is great for compost piles.
Descending from the same sea beet, there is also Mangelwurzel which is used for animal fodder and sugar beets are used to produce sugar.

Cooking: beets are edible both raw and cooked. raw, with all their nutrients still plentiful and un-lost, they are great as a crudite on a veg platter or shredded into a salad. I love the color that they add to dishes, whether it is a deep purpley red, yellow like Burpee's Golden, or orangey with pink woven rings like Chioggia. They can be boiled whole (don't top and tail until after it's cooked). Scrub clean and then boil in salted water for about 2 hours, depending on the size, until a knife smoothly cuts through - but don't test it too many times as the damage will cause bleeding. Beets can also be roasted in tin foil with olive oil for about an hour at 425F. After the beets have been cooked, cut the top and bottoms off and peel under running water. The leaves can be sauteed and cooked just like spinach or eaten raw after washing. beets can also be pickled!

Warning: beet juice stains!! wear cloves and an apron. cutting off the leaves will also cause bleeding sap.

Recipe:

Beet and Black Olive Salad

6 small beets of different varieties/colors
1 Treviso (red chicory)
1/2 small red onion, sliced
5 tbsp black olivles - the dry, wrinkly Greek kind
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp sherry vinegar

Place the beets in a pot of cold water and bring to the boil. Cook until tender and a knife easily goes through - about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and let the beets cool down. When cool, peel the beets, cut in half and then into wedges. Cut the Treviso into strips and add with the beets in a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss together. Season with salt and pepper. It's a little bitter and a little salty but playfully colorful with interesting textures.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Crumbled Goat Cheese and Beet Greens.

1 bunch beets, scrubbed
Greens from the bunch of beets
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves sliced thinly
2 oz crumbled goat cheese


Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the beets, whole, greens removed, into a tin foil sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Cook until tender, about 30-40 minutes for small beets or about an hour for larger beets. Allow to cool then cut off any remaining stems and peel away the skin.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and then add the garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds. Add the beet greens and saute so that the greens are coated in the oil and absorbing the fragrant garlic. Add the quinoa and beets and season with salt and pepper. Stir so that the quinoa is warmed, covered in the purple beet juice and everything is evenly distributed. Sprinkle over the crumbled goat cheese (feta cheese would also be a good salty choice) and slightly toss so that it melts a bit. Transfer to a large bowl and serve warm or at room temp. I think i may have even added some fresh dill that I had when I made this.

another idea....beet pasta sauce

i had some roasted beets in the fridge with their beet greens but i didn't have any tomato sauce to have with some frozen ravioli in the freezer. so as the pasta boiled, i added some chopped up onion to heated olive oil, then added the cut up cubed beets until they were heated and added the beet greens until they wilted. it was a delicious pasta sauce topped with some crumbled goat cheese! 

Beet Cake

beet cake from tiger in a jar on Vimeo.

not only do i love the idea of a beet cake, i love this video. the hands-on act of baking is so beautifully showcased here that it compliments the romantic idea of a gorgeously colored beet cake.

Although the recipe is basically in the video, which you should watch, here it is:

Beet Cake

By Matt and Julie Walker

1 cup butter or margarine, softened, cut up

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

3 eggs

4 squares semisweet chocolate or just 1 oz.

2 cups pureed cooked beets

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Melt chocolate with remaining butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets, and vanilla into the creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a 9-inch cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in a pan before removing to a wire rack. Before serving, dust with confectioner's sugar.

Real Life Slavery, Pesticides and The Tomato That Would Not Die.

"When I asked Molloy if it was safe to assume that a consumer who has eaten a fresh tomato from a grocery store, fast food restaurant, or food-service company in the winter has eaten a fruit picked by the hand of a slave, he corrected my choice of words. "It's not an assumption. It is a fact."" 


This is an excert from Barry Estabrook's new book, Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit. He used to be a contributing editor for Gourmet Mag and is also the author of his blog, politicsoftheplate.com. Mum showed me this book review from the NyTimes a while ago and have added it onto my list of books to read. I just came across this excerpt of the book where I copied the above quote from and it made me more excited to read the book - excited in that I am fascinated by it, not by what it's going to actually reveal about the world. Tomatoes are one of those fruits that we find everywhere - so commonplace that it seems like an incomplete salad or sandwich without it, let alone think about the condiment world of ketchup and salsas. I think I will be definitely more aware of where the tomatoes come from and who's picking them for me, if I really need it in the middle of winter, and if it's really necessary to add to a dish if there isn't actually any flavor but just an additional red slice of color.


 scary scary. 

What's in Season: Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is great. It has a funny name, it's fun to look at it and it's fun to eat. 

Kohl means cabbage and Rabi means turnip in German.

It's incredibly versatile and definitely doesn't get the attention it deserves. 

Buying: Kohlrabi varieties come in different shades of green and purple skins with white flesh. Generally, the green varieties are sown midspring to midsummer whereas the purples are available midsummer to midfall. Look for kohlrabi that is about the size of a tennis ball as larger bulbs will be woodier, tougher, and almost inedible. The skins should be firm and wrinkle-free. 

Storing: Kohlrabi is a great for storing. It should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks.  Signs of yellowing on the skin and leaves indicate the vegetable is not fresh. 

Medical: low in calories, high in fiber and potassium, has Vitamin A and C

Eating:  Kohlrabi can be eaten raw or cooked. It has a delicate woody, mild nutty flavor with a lot of crunch.  The taste is commonly described as a mix between that of a turnip, cabbage, and cauliflower. If the kohlrabi is young and small, the outer skin does not need to be peel, but definitely for larger bulbs - you will be able to tell the difference as the skin will be too tough to eat. Trim off the protruding stems and scrub clean. They can be boiled for about 20-30 minutes and then eaten whole, sliced, mashed....put them in some tin foil with some olive oil and seasoning and stick them on the grill. Although the flavor comes out more when cooked until tender, raw kohlrabi is great eaten just as a crunch snack - add it to a crudités platter or grate it onto salads or coleslaw for some shredded crunchiness. 

I like the tentacles. antennas. 

I made this dish using stuff that I had in my fridge, but I really enjoyed it. 

1 kohlrobi thinly sliced, then sliced lengthwise into matchsticks 1/4 inch wide, 2 inches long

1/2 red pepper, sliced into matchsticks similar to the kohlrobi slices

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced - not diced

1/4 green apple, sliced into similar matchsticks 

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

a couple bunches of fresh dill chopped up

salt and pepper

lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 garlic clove, crushed

crumbled gorgonzola

a handful of pea shoots

Add all the ingredients except for the pea shoots in a large bowl and mix gently with your hands so that everything is evenly coated and the flavors join together. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add some of the pea shoots and mix again. Taste the seasoning and add more salt to counteract the lemon if needed. When serving, lift out of the bowl into serving bowls to leave most of the juices in the mixing bowl. Garnish with the rest of the pea shoots.