Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Cute ginger bread house, with video on how to make it.
http://pancake-meow.livejournal.com/
[I did not find any cats, did find her dog in his new P.J’s, that she went to Pets Smart and bought....LOL, granny]
Quick question for you... I want to buy garden seeds for this coming Spring at my new Mn digs!) and want to know if I can get them at this time of year. I want to get ahead of the coming crush for seeds, and I want the non hybrid "Heritage" types for future plantings (and YOU know why!)...
I know you have a section here on the thread but I can't locate this information yet. Your thoughts?
We need supplies of legacy non hybrid seeds since in the case of extreme war and economic disruptions, the companies that make the hybrid, non reproducing plants will no longer be fuctioning. Folks will have to carry some seeds over from year to year.
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/
That taught me a good lesson about brussels sprouts, pick out the small ones and halve or quarter the larger ones so that they cook quickly without being bitter or over-cooked. My favorite way to cook brussels is to pan roast them: start on the stove-top and then finish them in the oven. These will be on our Thanksgiving table and if they aren’t on yours, you’ve got a long season left to find a time for them.
Pan-Roasted Brussel Sprouts
By all means, saute a little bacon along with the shallot if you want to gild the lily. The brussels sprouts should be just tender in their centers when done (check with a knife tip), and I actually like it when some of the outer edges are crispy deep-brown-black crunchy savory perfection (the above picture, while they were delicious, weren’t quite brown enough for my taste).
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon (a sprinkling) of sugar
a medium bag of brussels sprouts, larger ones halved or quartered
salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large oven-proof skillet, heat a splash of olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent. Add the brussels sprouts and saute until the begin to brown on the edges - golden brown is good, but not completely done. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, scraping up any brown bits, and sprinkle the sugar over, stirring so it melts. Season with salt
2. Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking. Check after 5-7 minutes, shaking the pan. Continue roasting, stirring every five minutes, until the brussels sprouts are cooked through and the edges are well browned (some of the stray leaves may blacken, that’s totally fine). Check for seasoning, serve.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2008/01/olive-and-walnut-stuffed-potato-bites.html
The recipe is for olive and walnut stuffed potato bites, and is very loosely inspired by a Saudi recipe I found in Maria Khalife’s The Middle Eastern Cookbook (a new little book written by the founder of the Arab version of the Food Network). I ended up baking the potato balls because sometimes, especially in January, deep-frying just isn’t in the cards. Though I’m sure they’d be amazing fried, I really can’t imagine anything better than a warm ball of mashed potato with a bright burst of olive in the middle. My goodness, I think I’d forgotten how marvelous potatoes are, just the smell of them cooking was intoxicating, and that filling: slightly sweet with raisins, the finely ground walnuts are almost unnoticeable except for the hint of nutty flavor, and finally the big salty olive pop. They tend to get a bit soft when you bake them, so it’s almost better to do them ahead of time, as the cooling off helps solidify them, then gently reheat them.
These would be perfect appetizers, but they make a great end to a long day, slowly popping one after another into your mouth, savoring each and every bite. I guarantee that no matter how many you make, they’ll be gone before you know it. Although, if you find people on the bus wondering what that French fry smell is, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Olive-Walnut Stuffed Potato Bites
Makes about 24 potato balls.
2 lbs russet potatoes (about 3 large)
3/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1 cup green olives (pimento-stuffed ones work nicely), rinsed
1/2 teaspoon sumac or substitute lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, optional
1. Put a large pot of water to boil. Peel the potatoes and roughly chop. Cook the potatoes in bloiling salted water until tender. Drain the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Shake the bowl to allow some of the steam to escape from the potatoes so that they dry out slightly. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until very smooth. Sprinkle in the flour and season with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture to form a smooth combined dough. Set aside.
2. Place the walnuts and raisins in a food processor or spice grinder. Pulse the mixture until it forms a coarse meal (some chunks are fine). Add the olives and sumac and spices and pulse just so the olives are chopped and you have a chunky mixture.
3. Working with damp hands, take a golf-ball sized piece of potato, flatten in your palm, fill with a small spoonful of olive mixture, then close up and roll into a ball. Continue forming balls, placing them on a baking sheet, until mixture is used up. Refrigerate potato balls 1/2 hour before frying (if you have the time).
4. To fry: Heat a pot of oil to very hot. Fry balls in batches until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
To bake: preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add a generous amount of olive oil to the pan. Roll potato balls around to coat with oil, then space evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown (the balls will flatten slightly). Flip over and bake another 5-10 minutes, so that the second side is browned. Keep an eye on the balls so that they don’t melt or brown too much. Let cool at least ten minutes before serving (this helps firm the balls so that they don’t fall apart). Can be done ahead and reheated.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/09/its-that-time-of-year-again.html
13 September 2007
It’s That Time of Year Again...
It’s fresh date season once again, and I happily plopped a large yellow bunch into my basket the other day. A French lady at the market asked me what they were, and I explained they were fresh dates (balah), that they were dates that are picked early before they’ve ripened into the wrinkly brown state we’re familiar with.
Fresh dates are also a reminder that Ramadan is emminent. Although Islam follows a lunar calendar (meaning seasonal foods don’t associate with holidays), dates are an important symbol of breaking the Ramadan fast. During the holiday stores stock up on the most lush juicy dates, as well as dates in various stages of ripeness, date pastes and date molasses. When the fast is broken at sunset, the loudspeakers boom out from the mosques with the call to prayer and a steaming feast is set out on the table before a hungry family gathered together. Traditionally, dates are passed around the table first, as a gentle way of breaking the daily fast. This is usually followed by lentil soup, and then the rest of the meal which will contain a variety of dishes and special juices like a popular tamarind drink. Even though one may be quite hungry after fasting all day, the meal goes at a slow pace, and most people aim to eat modest portions.
Just-picked dates hanging in Palmyra, Syria.
As a foreigner and non-Muslim, I have often found myself anticipating Ramadan with a certain amount of foreboding. Like any holiday, it can also be a hectic time, and the traffic gets absolutely crazy as people rush to get home to break the fast, and hungry people mob the markets to buy last minute groceries. Just try shopping at four o’clock with a market full of people who haven’t eaten all day and are eyeing the special pastries in the display windows, let me tell you. There’s the added issue that at the office, any time we’d try to schedule meetings or conferences, it was always that Ramadan was coming or happening or ending, and it seemed like we’d lose two months of work to the holidays.
However, having experienced Ramadan in a Muslim country (it’s different in places where the population is more mixed, like Beirut or parts of Cairo), I can tell you it’s a truly amazing experience. When everyone is fasting together, there is an amazing sense of community, of shared experience, and it is also a time for reflection, family togetherness, and charity (alms-giving is an important part of Ramadan).
I was thinking about all these things when I bought my fresh dates the other day, even though the holiday had not yet begun. Fresh dates are tart and crunchy and quite similar to apples. In a culinary sense, they don’t have much to offer, they make a nice snack on their own. One afternoon, I decided to slice them up and use them in a salad, along with some fresh walnuts I got at a farm recently and some crumbly cheese. This is one of the best salads I’ve had in a long time, it’s one of those salads you have for lunch and then come home and say to your partner/boyfriend/spouse, I had the best lunch today! And then you make it every day for the rest of the week, which is exactly what I did.
If you spy fresh dates at your local market, I urge you to try this salad, or if not you could always substitute some slivers of tart apple. I hope to do some more posts about Ramadan as the holy month gets under way, and if you’re observing Ramadan (or any other holiday), I wish you all a happy and joyous year to come.
Fresh Date, Walnut, and Cheese Salad
8-10 fresh dates (the yellow crunchy kind) or substitute a small Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup crumbly goat cheese or feta
6 cups mixed greens
olive oil, salt
1. Place the greens in a serving bowl and drizzle the olive oil over top and sprinkly with salt. Toss to coat.
2. Pit the dates and slice. Lightly toast the walnuts. Place the dates, walnuts, and cheese over the greens. Serve.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/12/maryas-date-tart.html
Marya’s Date Tart
1 sleeve (6 oz, 175 grams) tea biscuits
8 tablespoons (4 oz) butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
24 medium-sized dates (or 18 medjool dates)
7 oz (200 grams, about 1/2 a can) sweetened condensed milk
6 oz (170 grams, 3/4 cup) creme fraiche*
1. Preheat the oven 350 F. Pit the dates and place them in bowl. Add very hot water just to cover them and let sit 20-30 minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, pulse the biscuits in a food processor to form a coarse meal (alternately, place in a heavy duty bag and bash with a rolling pin). Add the cinnamon and drizzle in the butter, pulsing to mix. Press the crumb mixture into a 9” round tart pan. Place the pan in the oven and par-bake the crust for 7 minutes.
3. Drain the dates and place them in a blender or food processor. Add the condensed milk and the creme fraiche and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the tart crust. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, until the filling no longer jiggles. Remove from the oven, then place the tart under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown the top, watching carefully the edges don’t burn. Let cool completely before serving, dusted with powdered sugar if desired.
*Make your own creme fraiche or substitute half sour cream and half heavy cream. Also, I imagine you could make a lower fat version using yogurt or low-fat sour cream but I haven’t tried it yet.
Posted by Mercedes
It says ‘cake’, but has no flour, photos on page at link]
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/10/overnight-apple-cake.html
Pat had told us the apples were quite tart, and indeed they were inedibly astringent, only for use in cooking. I increased the amount of sugar in the recipe accordingly and slipped the apples into that oven that evening. By the time I had gone to bed the kitchen was wafting wonderful smells. The next morning when I opened the oven it was like I had stuck my nose in a dozen apple pies, an intoxicating complex scent. Drizzling the reduced juices over the cake, I was pleased to see it really was looking like the photo. But the real surprise was the taste: as outstanding as the lovely layered appearance. My mom, who has waxed rhapsodic about tarte tatin, called it “the best apple dessert I’ve ever had,” and that’s saying a lot. I’m inclined to agree. Because this is ready in the morning, it could be nice for breakfast with some sweetened yogurt, but if you can wait it’s truly outstanding with vanilla ice cream. All it takes is a little overnight magic.
Overnight Apple Cake
4 pounds tart cooking apples, like Granny Smith
1 orange
3/4 to 1 cup sugar, depending on your apples
2 tbl butter
1. Preheat the oven to 175 F. Choose a 6-cup souffle dish, generously grease it with one tablespoon of butter. Cut a round of parchment to fit inside the dish, generously grease it on one side with the remaining tablespoon butter.
2. Place the sugar in a bowl. Zest about 1 tablespoon of the orange zest into the sugar bowl, rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips. Halve the orange and squeeze its juice into another bowl. Peel the apples, core them, and thinly slice them into rings (if you don’t want to bother coring, simply halve them and thinly slice). Add the apple slices to the bowl with the orange juice as you work to prevent discoloring, tossing them to coat.
2. Layer the apple slices, overlapping them, in the prepared dish, sprinkling each layer with a little of the sugar. Place the parchment round, buttered-side down, over the apples. Place in the oven for 12 hours.
3. Remove the apple dish from the oven, there should be a good amount of bubbling juice. Pressing down on the parchment with an oven mitt, pour off the juice into a sauce pan. Bring the juice to a simmer and boil until brightly colored and thickened. Meanwhile, invert the apple cake onto a serving plate. Drizzle with the juices.
I should note dear Molly had some trouble with the original recipe. I believe because she used less sugar, not only was the cake too tart, but the apples didn’t render enough juices. The pectin in the reduced juices holds the cake together and gives the pretty shiny top.
___________________
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-eating-cabbage-alone.html
On Eating Cabbage Alone
I like to be alone when eating cabbage. Not because eating cabbage is shameful or embarrassing or messy, but because that is all I want. A big bowl of braised red cabbage, all for me.
Mr. Cabbage, I will thinly slice you and saute you with some apple and bacon. A hint of vinegar and maple syrup will add just the right sweet and sour notes as you begin to soften. I will cover you and slip you into the oven, like a child blanketed to bed, and leave you for an hour or so. When I return, I will find you miraculously melted into something transcendant- silky, smooth, tender. And I will have you all to myself, in a big bowl with only perhaps a hunk of good bread on the side. No one to ask me where th protein is, or quibble about so called ‘main courses’ and ‘proper balanced meals.’ Just you and me, with a fork in one hand and hopefully a good book in the other.
And in case I haven’t quite had my fill of you, you will be just as good, if not better, the next day, cold, straight from the fridge. By then, your dark ruby hue will have turned almost black in the chill, eliciting contempt from any passers-by or finicky small children. But pay them no mind, for I know the sweetness you hide, and I will keep you a closely guarded secret, snatched in snippets by the cool door of the open refrigerator.
Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Maple Syrup
This is a winter staple in our house, for everyday eaing I make it without the bacon, but it’s also a regular on our holiday table, where the bacon shows up for the occaision. If you’re short on oven space, you can do the braise on the stove top over very low heat. Adapted from Molly Stevens.
2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 large head red cabbage (a scant 2 pounds), quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add the bacon to a large deep ovenproof skillet (12- to 13-inch) over medium heat, and fry the bacon until it renders its fat and begins to crisp, 5 minutes. Scoop out the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels to drain.
3. Keep the the bacon fat in the pan and stir in the sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring a few times, until the onion turns limp, about 2 minutes. Add the apple and ginger and stir to combine. (If the pan gets dry add a bit of butter,lard or shmaltz to it) Increase the heat to medium-high and begin adding the cabbage a few handfuls at a time. Once all the cabbage is in the skillet, sauté, stirring frequently, until the strands begin to wilt and have a moist gleam, about 6 minutes. Add the vinegar and syrup, and return the bacon to the pan. Stir to incorporate, and let the liquid come to a boil.
4. Cover the pan and slide into the middle of the oven. Braise at a gentle simmer, stirring every 20 minutes, until the cabbage is tender and deeply fragrant, about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2008/03/molasses-braised-turnips-with-pepper.html
Molasses Braised Turnips with Pepper
When I was staying with my mom just before moving to D.C. I warned her: I’m in a phase where I’m cooking primarily Iraqi food now. My mother raised the expected skeptical eyebrow. “But don’t worry mom,” I said, “Iraqis love turnips.” You see, my mother loves turnips, she likes to say she lost fifty pounds eating turnips, which she buys from a quirky bearded farmer at the market each week. They’re a rather overlooked vegetable, a healthy alternative to potatoes with a slightly bitter edge. And funnily enough, Iraqis, whose cuisine tends to be meat and rice heavy, also love turnips.
In Iraq, turnips are cooked whole in a sticky molasses mixture and served as a popular street food. When I first heard about this in Nawal Nasrallah’s Delights from the Garden of Eden (the go-to reference for anyone interested in Iraqi cuisine) I’ll admit I was skeptical: both turnips and molasses can have a bitter edge, and I wasn’t sure they could balance each other. But having made this dish three times now, I can tell you they sure do! I like to thickly slice the turnips and slow cook them in a molasses and lemon mixture until they turn translucent and almost caramelized. In Iraq, this would be made with date molasses, but good old plain molasses works perfectly, and my aunt gave me some sorghum molasses recently that I’ve also used with great results. We top the turnips with a sprinkling of black pepper for spice, or perhaps a few grains of paradise (a neat alternative to pepper). Since I recieved both the cookbook, sorghum molasses, and grains of paradise as Christmas gifts, think of this as a virtual thank you note. Yes mom, I know it’s only three months too late.
Molasses Braised Turnips with Black Pepper
At the edge of spring, when I’m still reaching in the root vegetable bin, this is the recipe I reach for. The name in Arabic (maye’ al-shalgham) means melting, a fitting name for this slighly sweet side dish.
2 lbs turnips
1/3 cup mild molasses
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper or grains of paradise, for serving
1. Peel the turnips and slice thickly (about 1/2 and inch thick).
2. Place turnips in a wide pot with the molassses, lemon, and salt. Add enough water so that the turnips are covered by 1 inch. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat very low and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring fairly frequently so that the turnips cook evenly. The turnips should be meltingly tender and the liquid should be reduced to a glaze. Serve immediately with fresh cracked pepper.
Posted by Mercedes
A Guide to Syrian Kitchens and a Maple Tart
mapletart3
I had just moved into my flat in Damascus, excited over its wonderful views of the city, its wide kitchen, the nice furnishings, and most importantly the amount of space a transplanted New Yorker could only ever dream of at a fraction of the rent. (a patio, a washing machine, $200/month!) Relieved to be done with the hours of negotiations and the headache of trying to read through and sign a 5 page contract in Arabic, I surveyed my surroundings. The beautiful kitchen, my kitchen, with that gleaming 6-burner range induced dreams of home-cooked aromas. However, it turns out that stoves, or more specifically ovens, in Syrian kitchens are more like nightmares to any well-intentioned cook. Should you ever find yourself in this predicament, I offer A Guide To Your Syrian Stove:
1. The stove runs on gas, the tank for which is tucked somewhere underneath or behind the range. The tank will run out about every 1-2 months, at which point you have to go through the adventure of replacing it (that will have to explained another day). Just hope it doesn’t happen when you’re giving a dinner party or on a Friday, or you’ll be eating yogurt and raw carrots. Now, the burners don’t light automatically, so you’ll need matches or a lighter which should sit by the stove. And since there’s no pilot light, that means your oven doesn’t light automatically either.
2. Perhaps you are realizing with trepidation that you are going to have to light the oven by hand. Yes. Now, there are two dials on the range, one for the top of the oven and one for the bottom. The best way to do this is with a long candle, or find one of those lighters with a very long handle, rolled up newspaper will do in a pinch. Light your candle, open the oven, turn on the burner for the top of the oven, and light with the candle. Poof! There, have you successfully done that without catching yourself or your clothing on fire? Good. Now you have to light the bottom of the stove by pulling out the broiler tray. This can be a bit harder to reach, but you’ll get the hang of it.
3. And just when you thought your oven adventure was over, well, you may have noticed that your oven has no temperature markings. That’s right, you are the temperature regulator. You can adjust the top and bottom parts to high and low, which is precisely what you will be doing the whole time you are baking. Standing by the stove, peering through the little window, adjusting the flames in a desperate attempt to maintain at least a consistent temperature, whether it’s 300 or 400 degrees you’ll never know. At some point, you’ll turn the flames down too low and they’ll go out, so you’ll have to open the oven and go through that lighting process again. At another point, they’ll get too high and you might end up with a very blackened top or a crusty bottom.
It is at this point that I offer you my most salient advice. Bake casseroles, bake small cookies, things that you can leave in the oven at a low flame for a little while. Do not attempt delicate cakes. Abandon all hopes of soufflés. Trust me, you’ll be happier, and keep your sanity, which in this situation can be a precious thing.
Of course, upon moving into my kitchen, no one had warned me. I decided that I could use some of that lovely maple syrup a fellow expat had given me by making a maple tart. I pressed the tart dough, soft with freshly made butter, into its round pan. I stirred up the batter, the syrup like liquid gold, into the pan. And then I encountered the oven.
I fiddled with the oven’s knobs, I crouched and peered through the glass. At one point, the filling bubbled up into a huge dome, then immediately collapsed again. My stomach made a similar turn thinking I had wasted all that wonderful syrup. By the time I had taken it out of the oven, I had to be careful not to let the sweat that was literally dripping from my brow drop onto the tart.
However, my spirits were revived as the tart cooled and looked pleasingly unharmed. The kitchen was filled with the aromas of sugar and pastry. And when I could wait no longer, I took a bite. The sweet dark taste of maple recalled deep forest and snow, the tart crust redolent of French patisseries. In short, all the things missing from my life in Damascus. I looked over at my stove, sitting quietly in the corner. A battle, and a tart well won.
Maple Tart
Use good quality maple syrup, it makes a difference in the flavor and texture of the tart. This tart is very sweet, so it is best enjoyed in a small slivers with a nice dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche.
paté brisée for a 9” pan
1/2 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tbl butter
3 tbl flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice
- Prepare the paté brisée and press into a 9” tart pan, refrigerate.
- Preheat the oven to 375. Place the maple syrup and butter in a saucepan and simmer so that the butter is melted. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar and the eggs until light and thickened. Stir in the buttermilk, maple syrup, flour, vanilla, and lemon. Stir until well combined, the batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake the tart 30-35 minutes, until the filling is just set. Remove and cool on a rack. If desired, dust the top with confectioners sugar, serve slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/02/guide-to-syrian-kitchens-and-maple-tart.html
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/
When you cook in a certain cuisine for a long time, as I have with Middle Eastern food, you become comfortable enough with the repertoire of ingredients to sort of wing it in the kitchen. Which is why I come up with a lot of pseudo-Middle Eastern based on what I have in my pantry and a little bit of inspiration. The problem you confront then is the authenticity police. You know them- the ones that tell you your beans have to be cooked in a clay pot made by Berbers in the southeast corner of Morocco? They come after you in the night with their AOC labels and argan oils and recipes on papyrus?
Me, I think if it tastes good I’m all for it. I’m all about putting the proper labels on things (please don’t call it hummus if it’s not made with chickpeas), but really, experimentation in the pursuit of good food is what makes cooking fun. I am however, a little trepidatious when sharing recipes here that are of the pseudo-variety. I don’t want to confront the authenticity police.
But then there are recipes so good that (1) it would be a shame not share them and (2) if they’re that good, someone’s probably done this before, which means it must be traditional somewhere. Like these lamb meatballs stewed in a prune apricot sauce (inspired by many a Moroccan tagine recipe)- it’s so good I really shouldn’t be keeping it from you. The lamb meatballs are richly flavorful and light at the same time and the sauce, with cinnamon and pepper and fruit, is a smoky-sweet-tart delight. Which means you should be writing down these ingredients and heading out to the store right now. Now, before the authenticity police come my way.
Lamb Meatballs in Prune and Apricot Sauce
For the vinegar I used white wine vinegar but I think any vinegar could work here- from apple cider to balsamic, you could even try white wine, lemon juice, or diluted tamarind paste to get different riffs on that tart effect. To soften the dried apricots I put them in a bowl and add very hot tap water over them to cover, prunes are usually very soft and moist already, but if yours are hard you can soften them along with the apricots. Drain before adding to the sauce.
for the lamb meatballs:
1 lb ground lamb
1/4 cups breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, cumin, and salt
1/8 teaspoon each allspice and Aleppo pepper
1/4 cup minced parsley
for the sauce:
2 medium-size onions, finely diced
2 tomatoes, diced
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
10 dried apricots, cut into quarters and softened in hot water for 15-30 mins
about 16 prunes, halved or quartered
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each cumin, cloves, and allspice
1. For the meatballs: Preheat oven to 350 F. Knead together ll the ingredients until just combined. Don’t overwork the mixture- you want the meatballs to stay light. Using damp hands, form into balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in the oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about minutes.
2. For the sauce: Heat a splash of oil in a wide skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until they begin to soften and caramelize slowly and turn golden in color, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, honey, and season with the spices and salt to taste. Allow the mixture the simmer until the tomatoes are broken down and most of their liquid is evaporated. Add the apricots and prunes and simmer for another five minutes or so, until everything is soft and combined. Taste for seasoning.
3. Add the meatballs to the sauce and allow to warm through. Serve, perhaps over rice or with good crusty bread.
Posted by Mercedes
Fast forward several years, I was living and working in Damascus, and as much as I love Middle Eastern food, I was craving something different. I missed all the different ethnic eateries New York has to offer. I missed those puffy Chinese-style buns, and with no Dynasty supermarket nearby, I decided to try and make my own. With little access to pork in a Muslim country, I made a simple spinach filling, and I was happy to find that since the buns are steamed I didn’t have to fiddle with my troublesome (fear-of-death inducing) oven.
Since that first time I’ve made many batches of Chinese-style buns, and though my bun-shaping skills have improved, they never look like the gorgeous ones of Chinatown (maybe if I got a proper bamboo steamer). It doesn’t matter, because we love the supremely light texture of the bread that comes from their long rise, they’re the perfect partner to soup or something saucy to dip them in. I actually prefer the spinach filling, but you can use any mixed vegtables or shredded meat, I once saw a version that used whole-wheat flour and mushroom-cashew filling. Though these are a bit of a time investment to make, they freeze beautifully, I often keep a bunch in the freezer for those nights when you get home late and want something quick. I had to go half-way around the world more than once to discover these homemade buns, hopefully you’ll discover their joys right at home.
Chinese-Style Spinach Buns
for the dough:
1 cup warm water
1 package dry yeast
3 tbl sugar
3 cups cake flour, plus more for kneading
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
for the filling:
12 oz fresh spinach (can substitute frozen)
2 tbl vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
red pepper, to taste
3 tbl soy sauce
1. Make filling: Wash the spinach and leave some of the water clinging to it. Roughly chop the spinach. Heat the oil in a saute pan and saute the garlic until beginning to soften, about a minute. Add the spinach and toss over moderate heat (you may have to add the spinach in batches to get it all to fit in the pan). Toss the spinach until wilted and dark green, but not completely collapsed, several minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the soy sauce and season with red pepper. Set aside.
2.Make dough: Place the warm water in a large bowl, add the sugar and yeast and set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the 3 cups of flour and knead in the bowl until the flour is incorporated (if it is very sticky you can add 1/4 cup more flour). Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until elastic and smooth but still soft. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Punch down the dough and flatten it into a disk. Sprinkle the baking powder over the dough, then fold the dough over and knead to incorporate the baking powder. Let rest covered 30 minutes (meanwhile, cut 12 squares of parchment paper).
4. Form buns: Form the dough into a log and pinch off 12 equal pieces. Roll the dough pieces into a circle, using the rolling pin to make the edges of the circle thinner than the middle. Fill the dough with a spoonful of spinach. Gather up the edges of the dough, pleating them as you gather, then form a circle with your thumb and forefinger and squeeze the pleats closed. Place on a parchment square. Repeat to form remaining buns. Let the buns rest, covered, for 20 minutes, until puffed. Meanwhile, prepare a vegetable steamer.
5. Place the buns (on their parchment squares) in a steamer. Cover and steam 10-15 minutes, until puffed and heated through. Serve immediately.
________________________________
Posted by Mercedes
http://desertcandy.blogspot.com/2007/10/to-chinatown-and-back.html
[I have not looked at the many recipes here, a large variety of them, and I will return...granny]
Warm holiday greetings to you and yours!
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, it’s time to look forward to a busy and festive month filled with trimming trees, spending time with friends and family, and celebrating the season. But don’t forget to leave a little time for yourself – in fact, why not start now? Go ahead and whip up a mug of hot cocoa, put your feet up, and relax. We’re here to help you keep yourself in fine form, inside and out, keep your houseplants in tip-top shape, and get your holiday baking off to a great start.
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DRY SKIN REMEDIES
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If you live in a dry climate, or are exposed to drying indoor heat, your skin probably feels as crackly as an old paper bag. Try one of these old-time remedies to go from dry to dewy:
After bathing, while your skin’s still damp, slather on almond or sunflower oil. And if you’d rather not smell like a Caesar salad, add a few drops of lavender oil to the mix.
Mix equal parts of milk and honey and starting at your feet, massage the lotion into your thirsty skin. Do this in the shower, then you can simply rinse off when you’re done.
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, then remove the pot from the stove. Add 1 drop each of rose, geranium, rosemary, fennel, and peppermint herbal oils to the water. Drape a towel over your head and tuck the ends around the pot so the steam is captured inside a “mini-sauna.”
Make a big pot of oatmeal, let it cool a bit, and slather it on your lightly oiled skin from head to toe. When it’s dry, soak it off in a warm tub.
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OH, MY ACHIN’…
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With the stress of crowded shopping centers, long drives on icy roads, and family gatherings with noisy kids running around, a tension headache is sure to spoil your fun. Try these quick tips to move it along:
Heat your head. Put a heating pad or washcloth soaked in warm water on the areas that hurt. If you have time, hang out in a hot shower for 10 to 15 minutes with the water hitting the achy spot.
Push and flex. Press your fingers firmly where it hurts while flexing those muscles against the pressure.
S-t-r-e-t-c-h. Keep the pain away by gently turning your head from left to right. Turn it as far as you comfortably can in each direction. Then lower your chin toward your chest, hold for a moment, and tilt your head all the way back until you’re looking at the ceiling.
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SUPERMARKET SECRETS WINNERS
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This month’s winning tip comes from Sylvia L., of Ohio:
“Just place pieces of cardboard under the legs of furniture you need to move, and push. The furniture will slide easily over carpet, and if you have hardwood floors, the cardboard will protect it.”
Thanks, Sylvia, and thanks again to all of you who entered. If you didn’t win this month, there’s still hope! We’ll draw a new winner next month, so get your entry in now (click here).
Here are a few more terrific tips we received:
“Sprinkle baking soda and vinegar over an area of carpet that has been stained, then place a towel over the area, and cover it with ice. Leave it alone until all of the ice has melted, then remove the towel and let the carpet dry. Vacuum up any remaining residue.” Colleen G., PA
“Use unflavored, unwaxed dental floss to cut a cake. Cut a piece of floss that is longer than the cake, then wrap an end around each hand. Holding it taut, slice quickly through the cake.” Katherine K., TX
“Squeeze the juice out of a lime and drink the juice in the morning before breakfast. It’ll give you a mega-dose of vitamin C to relieve cold symptoms and sore throat pain.” Jed Y., TX
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POINSETTIA POWER
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If you’re the lucky recipient of one of these room-brightening flowers, keep it lush and lovely through the season by following these tips:
Poinsettias like full sun, so keep them near a light source, but sheltered from drafts. If you set your poinsettia on a windowsill, place a piece of cardboard between the plant and the window at night to protect it from chilly air.
Water your plant regularly and thoroughly, but don’t ever let it stand in water. If you want to make this task super easy, pick up a pack of my Watering Spikes. They’ll keep your poinsettias perfectly watered without any work on your part.
To pick up a pack of Watering Spikes, click here.
If your poinsettia’s foliage starts to yellow, the plant is probably not getting enough light or nitrogen, or is being watered too much. Set it in a brighter location, give it a dose of fertilizer, and hold off on the watering until the top of the soil has dried out.
Leaves will start to wilt if the plant is too dry or is exposed to a draft. Move it to a more sheltered spot and perk it up with a drink.
For more holiday houseplant helpers, check out my Great Green Book of Garden Secrets – FREE for 21 days. The tips, tricks, and tonics inside will help you show off your green thumb both indoors and out.
To order your FREE 21-Day Preview click here.
Back to Top
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BUST THE DUST
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A house always seems dustier during the long winter months – because it usually is! Running the furnace dries out everything in sight, including the tiniest of dust particles which fly around, then settle on every surface. You can get ‘em out of every nook and cranny by using one of these terrific tricks:
Take aim. Use the coolest setting on your hair dryer, take aim, and blow the dust away. This is perfect for lampshades, artificial flowers, ceramic figurines, and anything else with intricate carving or relief work. You can even blow the dust out from behind radiators, bookcases, and refrigerators.
“Hose” it off. Metal mini blinds and computer and TV screens attract dust like there’s no tomorrow, but so do panty hose. Cut a leg off an old pair, and give it a new career – as a dust magnet.
Paint a masterpiece. When you’re dusting furniture with intricate designs in the wood, reach for a soft paintbrush. It’ll get into all the cracks and crevices that a cloth-covered finger could never reach.
Discover tons of great tips that’ll have you and your home in top form in my Grandma Putt’s Old-Time Vinegar, Garlic, Baking Soda, and 101 More Problem Solvers book – FREE for 21 days!
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THAT’S THE WAY THE COOKIE (OR CAKE!) CRUMBLES
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The holidays are so close you can almost smell them. Or maybe that’s just the delicious aroma of yummy baked goods already wafting from your kitchen! Here are some simple tips that’ll make the task of holiday baking oh-so-easy, and lip-smacking good:
Storing cookies with a slice of bread in the container will keep them soft and chewy.
Before chopping sticky fruits to add to your desserts, lightly butter your knife. That way, your figs, dates, and apricots will wind up in the mixing bowl, not stuck to your knife!
Sprinkle your cookies and cakes with confectioner’s sugar while they’re still warm – it’ll be sure to stick.
Thoroughly cool your baked goods, then wrap them in a layer of waxed paper, then aluminum foil before freezing them. If your dessert is to be frosted, do so after thawing. And make sure you label your items – once they’re wrapped and frozen, you won’t be able to tell the candy cane cutouts from the date nut bread.
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AND SPEAKING OF YUMMY BAKED GOODS…
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Cranberries are everywhere this time of year, so why not use them to liven up an old favorite? This Cranberry Shortbread is a delightful holiday treat that’s as easy to make as it is delicious.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped dried cranberries
Combine butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined but the mixture’s not too creamy. Stir in the dried cranberries. Pat the dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake in a preheated, 325º oven for about 20 minutes, until the shortbread turns golden. Run a knife around the edges, remove the shortbread, and transfer it right side up to a work surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out holiday shaped cookies, or cut the shortbread into bars. Yum, yum!
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Try posts 3489, 3492 and 3496 for a long list of heritage seed companies. I’ll find more and post them as I find them.
This is from post 947:
There is a farm in Iowa, a school teacher, who grows fancy poultry of the old varieties and crops for seeds, all that I bought were good and cheap. Sandhill, it is here:
Nichols, had many heritage varieties and oriental, I have bought from them over 30 years:
Pinetree I also bought from, I like their mixed variety packets, so I could try more than one variety.
Post 943:
I looked and couldn’t find gurshaws either, maybe we both had the name wrong. Could it be Crenshaw melons we remember?
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/melons.htm
http://www.neseed.com/Crenshaw_Melon_Seed_s/256.htm
Post 78:
Here’s an interesting article, cached by Google. The original link seems broken, but the cached version will do. It concerns heirloom, or legacy, seeds.
Post 107:
An excellent article, thank you.
I try to not even buy hybrid seeds.
The seeds that the dollar stores sell, are the old varieties and about now, or in a week or two, they will put them out, at 15 cents per package, all that I have tried have been good growers.
Here, it cools off at night, goes to a hundred and above in the days and the soil is almost sterile, so it has been difficult finding seeds that would grow.
Another gardner and I kept at it, until we found that the old varieties would grow and also that the oriental plant sources had seeds that were not hybrid, Japan and some from China.
There are other heirloom seed companies, but they were priced over my pocket book’s limits.
If I were to order today, I would put Sandhill #1, he has tomato seeds that others charge extra for, for a very small amount, I think I went wild and ordered enough packets, that I paid about 25 cents or maybe it was 50 cents, for some rare breeds.
And if he says, not for full sun areas, he means just that, I did not listen, grew wonderful tomato plants and fruits, but like his catalog said, “not a leafy plant and the sun will cook the fruit”, which it did.
Post 899
Links and Heirloom tomato seed link:
http://wildcraft.gaelicmysts.com/?page_id=213
Post 2856
SOURCES OF SEEDS FOR THE INDIAN GARDEN
Native Seeds/Search. A nonprofit organization devoted to the conservation and promotion of native, agriculturally valuable plants of the Southwest.
Address: 3950 West New York Drive, Tucson, Arizona 85745.
Seed Savers Exchange. Not-for-profit organization devoted to the preservation of endangered vegetable varieties. Their “Garden Seed Inventory” lists the addresses of 240 companies and commercial sources for nearly 6,000 non-hybrid varieties. Address: P.O. Box 70, Decorah, Iowa
52101.
Vermont Bean Seed Co. Garden Lane, Bomoseen, Vermont 05732.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Features varieties adapted for the Northeast.
Address: Albion, Maine 04910.
Gurneys Seed and Nursery Co. Their large selection of seeds includes several heirloom varieties. Address: Yankton, South Dakota 57079.
Jung Seed and Nursery. 335 South High Street, Randolph, Wisconsin 53957.
Additional Readings
Heiser, Charles B. 1969. Nightshades, the Paradoxical Plants. W.H.
Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 200 pp.
_____. 1976. The Sunflower. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman, 198 pp.
_____. 1979. The Gourd Book. Univ. Oklahoma Press, Norman, 248 pp.
Jabs, Carolyn. 1985. The Heirloom Gardener. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco, 288 pp.
Johnson, Judi, and Frances King, compilers. 1976. Green Corn and Violets.
Illinois State Museum, Springfield, 53 pp.
Styles, Bonnie W. 1984. Early Native Americans in Illinois. The Living Museum 46(2):19-29.
Wilson, G.L. 1917. Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians: An Indian Interpretation. Univ. Minn. Studies in Soc. Sci. 9:1-129.
——Reprinted with permission from “The Living Museum” 48(3):35-38.
Have fun!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=7013
You will find the Cindy’s list and my google starting search at the bottom of the post.
You will find many garden articles on the page and on the one before it, as I recall.
Yes, you can order next years seeds now, many areas are starting seeds indoors in Dec and Jan.
My first choice is the google, Sandhill Preservation, his seeds grew for me in Arizona and the Tomato varieties are honestly described.
LOL, he said, will not do well if you have a lot of sun/heat as this plant grows few leaves and lots of tomatoes and he was right, they did and the tomatoes burned on the plants, in the sun.
His nursery link is at the top of the google search page.
I also bought heritage seeds at Nichols garden nursery in Oregon, they have both and I have ordered from them 30 or more years.
Evergreen Oriental seeds in California, for oriental greens, which grow well in flower pots, and even in this dead soil zone, be careful as he and Nichols also have the hybrids.
Each year the dollar store sells seeds at almost nothing prices, maybe a quarter a packet, they are the good old varieties and grow very well for me, even here.
I have not had good luck with the big name seed companies and cannot afford to pay $5.00 a packet for seeds, that are the same as others are selling at $2.00.
I have too much open to change to a seed search, or I will crash on this dial up connection.
One other source that I like is the Pinetree seeds in the east, they offer a mixed variety packet of most families of plants and I have had good luck with their seeds.
Over the years I have ordered from many mailorder places and settled on the above.......Gurney seeds are ok, but never buy their bareroot seedlings. I got had on them.
Consider planting fruiting mulberry trees, they taste as good as vine berries are easy to grow and good for you.
Plant the trees away from the house, they are messy and plant more than you need, as the birds love to eat them.
Richters Herbs 357 Hwy 47, Goodwood, Ontario L0C 1A0 905-640-6677 fax: 905-640-6641 www.richters.com orderdesk@richters.com
An enormous selection of unique seeds and plants. On-line catalog gives descriptions and uses for plants. Catalogue free.
[This catalog is an education and they have seeds that you will not find any other place, or did 20 years ago......granny.]
From this link, which is a few [100?] nurseries such as you asked for: [Check the page for others]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=6980#6980
Thank you for sharing your ideas, they are grand ones that we can all use.
Check Sandhill Preservation Nursery and Poultry, for the type of tomatoes that you need, they have a large variety.
Maybe you should publish your journals, they sound to me like good reading.
I hope you will continue to post your thoughts here, in years past, there has been little information on saving seeds and breeding for better varieties.
http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/pages/seed_catalog.html
tomato:
http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/catalog/tomato.html
6,945 posted on Monday, November 24, 2008
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?q=1&;page=6901
More links in 6932 and others.
UpCountry Miss shares how to save those seeds:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1990507/posts?page=6922#6922
I am laughing, as you wanted a source and now you have an unending supply........reminds me of fudge recipes. LOL
Vickie, I was hoping you were lurking and could furnish the missing post numbers, thank you.....very much.
We won’t hear from J.D. or MD Mathis for a month, as they run all the dreams of food through their minds.
I think of seeds as God’s miracle and think that I am taken with them, for the riches they promise, LOL, while still in the packett.
I have planted seeds that were on the shelf for 10 years or more and they grew, not as many as fresh, but enough.
Since, I almost consider myself a ‘collector’ of seeds, you would be amazed at what I get some years out of “I found this beautiful plant/tree with seed pods on it”......that tree, when I grew the seeds, is the ugliest tree you ever saw and only God knows what it is........but it is 10 foot tall now.
Not just for the comeback, but for this Thread, which in the coming turmoil may be the Best on the Net!
http://kansasa.blogspot.com/2007/08/worth-repeating.html
Worth Repeating
I know I’ve blogged about this before but I think it deserves repeating, besides “’tis the season.” :) It’s my apricot brandy recipe but you can use fruit of any kind. I’ve done it with crab apples, blackberries, and cherries as well as apricots. My favourite is apricot, with crab apple running a close second. I wasn’t too keen on blackberries but I had some neighbours who cleaned it right up! Gee I wonder if I could use up zucchini this way?? LOL
Here’s what ya do:[can use other fruits]
[Excellent recipe, easy and fun, you will want all the tips in the comments section....one being the use of a Brita water pitcher to filter it the final time..........that must be a good hint to know, LOL, don’t know what I want to filter, must be something....granny]
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