Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard: Tomatoes

It's tomato time in my garden!

First up in the tomato cooking spree is some oven-roasted tomatoes:

I take the Yellow Pear tomatoes, cut them in half, drizzle them with some olive oil, throw in some garlic and basil, and then cook on 225 for about 4 or 5 hours until they are shriveled up.  These are like candy to me.  I want to freeze some to have for pizza toppings after tomato season has ended, but I keep eating them!  Maybe the next batch will make it to the freezer... maybe.

Next on the tomato cooking frenzy is sauce... wonderful, yummy tomato sauce.  I've got to figure out a way to plant more tomatoes because I want more sauce!

My sauce recipe:

4 lbs tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup basil
a few parsley sprigs
1 tsp salt

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan, add onions and cook for 2 minutes, add the bell pepper and cook for 2 more minutes, add the garlic and basil and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes, parsley, and salt.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 hours until the sauce thickens.  I usually puree about half of the sauce because J is not a fan of chunky sauce.

Finally on the tomato cooking spree was salsa.  I used this Easy Blender Salsa Recipe, but I have no cilantro in the garden and was to lazy and splattered with tomato juice and seeds to go to the store.  I wonder if frozen cilantro would work?  I must remember to freeze some cilantro this winter when cilantro grows around here.  Without cilantro, the salsa was just ok.  I put it on bean burritos and completely forgot to take a picture.

That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard

I'm a day behind this week!  The main thing happening in my kitchen this week was making the first batch of pickles:

I learned how to water bath can last year, so I had to refresh myself on what to do since it has been awhile.  The dill pickles I make are very simple- they are the Ball dill pickle mix.  I have a recipe book called So Easy to Preserve that has many canning recipes including several for pickles.  However, last year when I was preparing for my first batch of pickles and was standing in the store checkout line with jars, the woman behind me started talking about making pickles.  She said she's tried countless recipes including grandma's recipe and by far the best and crispiest are the Ball dill pickle mix.  Since I knew nothing about canning, I thought I would give it a try.

Last year the cucumbers had a prolific year and I had far more pickles than I could ever eat, so I gave out pickles to lots of friends and family.  Everyone loved the pickles and are already asking about them this year, so now I feel that I need to stick to the same recipe.  I did make a batch of sweet gherkins last year from the So Easy to Preserve book and they are my favorites.  However, they require five days of soaking and changing the liquid and I didn't have the motivation for that, but hopefully sometime this summer I will make them.  Unfortunately the cucumbers do not seem to be thriving this year.  I've started some more seeds, but it's going to be awhile before they mature. 

That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard

The week began with what seems to have become a regular: chard and potatoes.  The version this week was a crustless chard and cheese quiche from Vegetarian Times.  I liked how the potatoes made a crust on the bottom of the quiche and the combination with the feta cheese was delicious. 

The weekend was perfect grilling weather.  I used the cucumbers to make a side salad: Tangy Cucumber and Avocado Salad.  It was a nice, chilled salad with perhaps a bit too much tang and not enough avocado.

On the cucumber theme, we had lunches of egg salad and cucumber sandwiches.  I have yet to get tired of fresh cucumbers, but when I do then the pickling will begin.

We also grilled some peaches from our peach picking afternoon.

Speaking of peaches, I couldn't resist making (and eating) a peach pie:

I also made some mini peach pies to freeze for the when a pie craving hits.  I got the idea from Our Best Bites, they're adorable and it lets you have some delicious pie in a controled portion. 

I also stuffed myself with plenty of fresh peaches, these ones topped some yogurt:

 
That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Sauce

Nothing screams spring more than the first delicious strawberries from the garden.  Nothing goes better with juicy strawberries than angel food cake.  I had to withhold from eating all the strawberries picked from the garden for two days so that I would have enough to make a strawberry sauce.. that was very, very difficult!

As for the angel food cake, my original plan was to buy one.  However, when I was at the grocery store I thought the angel food cakes were too pricey and I had a bunch of eggs at home, so why not make an angel food cake?  I am not a baker, but I figured as long as I have a recipe how hard could it be?

In searching for a recipe, I decided on the Heavenly Angel Food Cake.  I discovered that I didn't have the kitchen equipment to make an angel food cake, so I had to buy a pan and sifter (I said I'm not a baker!).  Remember this all began because I thought the store bought angel food cakes were too expensive, but after I bought a special pan and sifter I could have bought three bakery made cakes!  Anyway, after I assembled everything I followed the recipe exactly:

Heavenly Angel Food Cake

Ingredients

• 12 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar

Directions

1. Separate eggs; discard yolks or refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan. 

And this is how it turned out:

 

I was so proud of this cake!  I sat there and squished the cake and watched it bounce back for probably about 10 minutes!  

After I was thoroughly impressed with my first successful angel food cake, I moved on to making the strawberry sauce.  

Strawberry Topping

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and stemmed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Cut all of the strawberries in half and set aside about 1/3 of them. In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine the remaining strawberries, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a blender, puree about 1/3 of sauce, then mix back into remainder and add uncooked strawberries. Store in refrigerator.

 Here's the cake with strawberry sauce:

I would prefer more strawberry sauce, but that was all the strawberries I had at the time and this cake was not going to last long enough for more berries to ripen!

Finally, while I was on a homemade roll, I decided to make some whipped topping in the mixer.

Whipped Topping 

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like. 

Whew, my spring dessert is now complete and ready to eat:

 Yum!  The dessert's lifespan was very short- two days before it was completely devoured.  Now since I have all the equipment for making angel food cakes, I think I need to make more.

That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Beets and Pasta

This week's dish is a bit of a random concoction.  I'm normally very much of a recipe person.  I like instructions and not too adventurous when it comes to cooking- trying to change my ways!

Here's my beet and pasta recipe (not much of a recipe- more likely loose guidelines):

First, I roasted the beets in a baking pan with about 1/4" of water in the bottom and covered with aluminum foil.  I baked them for about 45 minutes.  After they cooled a bit I removed the skins and quartered them.  I sauteed the beet leaves in olive oil and tossed with pasta.  I added the roasted beets, some cilantro, and sprinkled with mozzarella.

I love all the different beet colors.. yellow, dark purple, and red.  I very easy dish plus I ate beet leaves for the second time!

That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard and Pac Choi Stir Fry

With the rapid arrival of spring many of the crops that have been small and pathetic all winter have suddenly sprung to life.  One of these is my Swiss chard:

In looking for Swiss chard recipes I came across Jeanette's Healthy Living Blog and a recipe for Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard.

 

Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch swiss chard or other leafy green vegetable
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, thinly sliced (I used onion)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained (I didn't have any capers, so I left this out)
• 1/2 pound whole grain pasta or gluten-free pasta, cooked al dente
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (dairy-free/vegan option)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Trim tough ends of swiss chard. Slice stems and leaves into thin strips.
2. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and add sliced swiss chard stems and shallots (or onions).
3. Saute until shallots are softened, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and capers, and saute another minute. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
5. Toss cooked pasta with sauteed swiss chard and a little extra virgin olive oil to loosen up the pasta.
6. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper as desired. 

It was a tasty and easy weekday dinner!

If you remember I harvested a bunch of pac choi a few weeks ago.  I'm still working on eating it and  thought I would share one of my stir fries with pac choi, broccoli, carrots (only the white ones are from my garden), green bell peppers (not from garden either), and cauliflower.  I simply saute the veggies with some olive oil and soy sauce and with noodles and tofu (for me) or chicken (for Jeff).

That's what has been cooking in my kitchen.  If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Spinach Quesadilla

Today while I was driving home the temperature was 87 degrees F and it is March!  The plants that have been sitting idling in the garden all winter have sprung to life.  Spinach has spent the winter just a few inches tall with enough leaves to add a couple to my salads.  In the last week the leaves have quadrupled in size and the plants doubled in height.  In looking for spinach recipes I came across Spinach Pie Quesadilla by Caroline Russock:

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 small onion, finely diced
• 2 scallions, sliced (white and light green parts)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• Pinch each of thyme, oregano, and cayenne
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 small wrap or flour tortilla, 8-inch in diameter
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (I didn't have any yogurt, so I used milk)
• 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, divided

 

  The oregano and thyme have also took off growing with the sudden warm weather.

1. In a small nonstick pan, heat the oil. Add the onion and scallions and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cooking a minute or two more until soft. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the spices. 
2. Mix in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl and cool slightly. Use a wooden spoon to press out some of the liquid from the cooked spinach and drain. 
3. In another small bowl, whisk together the egg white, yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of feta. Add to the cooled spinach and mix until combined. 
4. Wipe out the pan, then brush it with about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon olive oil or cooking spray. Over low heat, put the wrap or tortilla in the pan and sprinkle the remaining feta over one side of the wrap and get it to soften slightly. Turn the heat to medium and pour the egg-spinach mixture over the same half of the wrap, fold the other half over and cook on one side until the egg begins to firm up, 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve immediately.

 Yum!

If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.   

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Radish Curry

I am trying to expand my culinary skills when it comes to radishes.  I was debating whether to plant radishes in the spring because I'm getting a bit tired of them in salads.  So this week I decided to try cooking radishes in a different way- radish curry.

Here's the original recipe, my changes are in italics.

Radish Curry
Ingredients
A bunch of red radish – contains 6 to 8 radishes.
Onion- one small, sliced.
Garlic- 2 or 3 small cloves crushed
Green chilis – 8 small, crushed (I didn't have green chilies, but I have a ton of dried cayenne peppers.  I used 1 crushed cayenne and I do not recommend it unless you like really spicy.)
Turmeric powder- a pinch.
Oil for saute
Mustard seeds – a pinch
Curry leaves- a sprig (I used curry powder)
Salt to taste
The leaves: Roll all the leaves together and slice into long shreds. (I used about half of the leaves.)

Directions:
Clean the radishes and cut them as you would slice an apple. Clean the leaves, if you want to use them in the dish.  In a pan, add some oil. When it is hot, add the mustard seeds.  When the mustard seeds splutter, add curry leaves and onions. Next time I make this I will add radishes at the beginning because it took awhile for my radishes soften and the onions ended up burnt.  Saute for 3-5 mins until edges of the onions turn slightly brown. Add the crushed garlic and chilis, and turmeric powder. Saute for about a minute or even less.  Add the radishes, mix well and add salt. Cook covered for about 3-4 mins.  Once the radish seems soft, remove the lid and crank up the heat. Saute on high heat for a couple more minutes. The radishes will be soft yet crunchy.  After you remove the radishes onto a plate, in the same pan quickly saute the leaves for a few seconds and add it to the top of the radishes. For best results, serve right off the stove.

I liked the taste and texture of cooked radishes, although a bit less spicy would be my preference.  I also liked that this recipe included using the leaves too.  I never knew radish leaves could be sauteed.  I'm thinking that radishes are going to make the spring planting cut.

If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard... Turnip Time Part II

Another week and another opportunity to discover new things to do with turnips...

This week's recipe is a turnip and cannellini soup.

The only change I made to the recipe was to put about half of the cooked soup in the blender to make it thicker.


Turnip and Cannelini Soup

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans cannellini beans
1 box (32 oz.) veggie or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound turnips, peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes.  Add remaining ingredients (except for salt and pepper) and simmer for 30-45 minutes until veggies are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.

This is how my soup turned out:

It was very tasty!  Now if only we had a bit of a winter chill to go with a steaming bowl of soup it would be perfect.  Maybe since the groundhog saw his shadow winter will stop by sometime in February.

If you want to peak into other kitchens and see what others are cooking, head over to Thursday’s Kitchen Cupboard at the Gardener of Eden.

What To Do with Thai Eggplant?

With the weather cooling, my eggplants seem to be happier and more productive.  I ventured away from growing the traditional eggplants this year and picked up Thai eggplants at the farmer's market.  I had never tried a Thai eggplant, but thought it would be fun to grow something different.  So I did.

 

I find them cute, but what to do with them?  So far I have used them in stir fry and roasted them.  I find them less bitter and less seedy than the large purple eggplants.  I do tend to pick them when they are young, if you wait too long they will be a cute ball filled with hard seeds!

Tonight I wanted to try something new.  I found a recipe for Thai Eggplants in a Peanut Masala at the FatFree Vegan Kitchen and I love peanuts so it sounded like a great recipe.

As I assembled the ingredients I realized that I was lacking cumin seeds and I didn't have fresh, frozen, or dried coconut, but I did have coconut milk.  I was also lacking tamarind concentrate and ended up substituting lemon juice.  Here's my adjusted ingredients:

There are a lot of ingredients, but it is mostly just throwing them into the food processor and making a paste to cook the eggplant and chickpeas in.  Here's what Thai eggplants look like cooking:

For some reason it took FOREVER for my eggplants to soften.  I lost track of total cooking time.  I kept setting the timer for five minutes, stirring, adding water, and cooking some more.  Here's my Thai eggplants in a peanut masala:

Yummy!  The sauce is very tasty even with my substitutions and missing ingredients.  Now I don't want frost to come and take away my Thai eggplants.  I want to make more of this!  Next time I think I'll put it in the crock pot and let it cook away for hours.

Check out what others are making from their harvests at The Gardener of Eden's Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard.