Here’s a quick shot of the crock (note the trough around the lip for water to seal it) and the resulting giardinera; everything but the salt is from the garden and they’re tangy, crunchy, and delicious. We’ve given away or eaten all but one jar, so in a couple of days it’s going to be time for round two. There is nothing they don’t complement and enhance, and they’re as healthy as food gets.
Category: Vegetables
I try as much as possible to be open to the confluence of ingredients, influences, and the day in question when making dinner; the best examples of my cooking seem to reflect all three in equal measure and still remain original, nourishing, and yummy. Tonight was a decent example. Our friend Leanne emailed to thank us for the giant zucchini we gave them yesterday and said she had made fritters- latkes of sorts- with potatoes…
A three-part dinner tonight, inspired by the garden and a few things from fridge and pantry. First, crispy tofu tossed in Christine’s new favorite sauce, the hybrid tahini/guacamole with scallions and cilantro to finish. Next, a stir-fry of just-picked goodness including carrots, beans, peas, beet, and yellow squash (the only one not from the garden, but still local) and last pad thai noodles with beet greens and a sauce of dried shrimp, garlic, ume vinegar,…
We learned this from John, and I think he learned it from Richard. It’s a kind of pesto, but made with a bitter green from the endive/radicchio family like pan di zucchero or radicchio; lately we’ve been using the galia endive because it’s at its peak. Frisée makes a divinely creamy mash. The suribachi is the ideal tool for making mash, and though it takes a bit of work, the result is well worth it,…
Christine bought wild salmon and a beautiful piece of chicken-of-the-woods today, and the colors were just gorgeous together, so I was inspired- especially since I spent all day drawing on a big sheet of MDF and needed some color. Plus, the greens beans have arrived, going from tiny to 6 inches long in about two days. I reheated brown rice with water to that magical twice-cooked creamy state, and cooked the fish skin side only…
But this time back home, after thorough provisioning at Sahadi and in Chinatown; we’re set for exotic staples and condiments for quite a while. Chris, Sirkka, and Nissa came, so I had defrosted some short ribs, and combed through the garden for baby vegetables; this bowl is honestly one of the greatest things I’ve seen in quite a while. I blanched everything separately to perfect al dente tenderness, and rubbed the skin off beets and…
As if by fate, no sooner had I extolled the many pleasures to be had during and after drinking Thackrey’s Andromeda but the email announcing the new release arrived in my inbox. Hooray! We’ve been waiting for the 2004 for a long time and are most excited to try it (and then leave the rest alone for as long as we can stand it.) Tonight, a really healthy vegan meal to get us centered after…
Kind of a mannerist take on the original, with the eggplant slices baked in the oven on a cookie sheet with a bit of oil and salt, and alternating layers of caramelized shiitakes between, with sauce full of garden herbs and cheddar and mozzarella on top. It’s less work and a lot healthier to do it this way, and tastes fantastic. With a perfect salad to finish, it got us through the second day of…
I got a saladacco, or spiral slicer, the other day and used it tonight for the first time. The cheap ones were not well reviewed, so I sprung for the $60 version and it worked like a charm. Half a sweet potato, peeled, then spun through the gadget using the middle blade yielded a nice bowl of orange curls. Tossed with scallions, half a jalapeño, and a dressing of peanut butter, flax and sesame oils,…
The rib bones from yesterday, still with a bit of meat on them- and lots of flavor left to give- went in a pot with onion, carrot and herbs to brown a bit. Then a bowl of soaked cannelini beans, water, and a bit of salt, and it all bubbled for two hours. I pulled all the good meat off, chucked the rest, and stirred in a handful of chopped oregano from the herb garden.…