What's Growing in the Garden 8/12//2012

After a night of soaking rain the garden was wet and shrouded in morning mist.
Thai basil, left, is waiting to be picked but parsnip, right, will be ready after frost and into next spring.

Homemade Kimchi

Kimchi is a tangy, spicy, pickled condiment and is Korea's most loved food. Koreans eat kimchi at almost every meal. Like Laotians and their padek, few Koreans can last more than a few days before their cravings get the better of them.  I adore kimchi too and eat it almost everyday. It's so convenient, we serve it as a vegetable and sometimes in more "exotic" ways, like our favorite grilled cheese sandwiches, that we call Kimcheese .  A few nibbles of kimchi in the middle of the afternoon boost my energy like no cup of coffee can.  It's our salad during the winter months when fresh salad greens look tired and winter weary.  A bowl of ramen noodles with kinchee and leftover meats is our all time favorite fast food at home. 

Wilson Farm, Lexington, MA

I love markets, all kinds of markets. Farmers' Markets, ethnic food markets and I'll even include regular supermarkets.  It's not unusual for my husband and me to drive hours to go check out a new food store. It's one of the things we like to do together.  He enjoys driving and I like to knit and take in the view along the way.  Last Sunday, Wilson Farm was our destination.

It's located in Lexington, MA, they've been around since 1884 and are well known for their fresh fruits and vegetables that are mostly grown by them, on 500 acres, and the surrounding farms.  Also well known is their 8,500 square foot barn built with recycled lumber that houses the market.  More about the barn here.

Wilson Farm barn was built by Bensonwood Homes in 1996.

Lao Food: Tum Maak Houng or Green Papaya Salad

Tum Maak Houng has it's origin in Laos and the Isaan part of Thailand. It is one of the most favorite dishes of Laos, beloved by all it's people and those who live abroad will go to great lengths to find the green, unripe papaya.  Eaten throughout the day, as part of a meal or anytime snacking, it is adored by young and old.  Whether you enjoy spicy hot food or not, there's a tum maak houng for you.

Tum maak houng is pounded in a mortar and pestle to meld all its flavors.

It is impossible to nail this down to a single recipe or to describe the flavors of Green Papaya Salad.  Everyone has their own preferences. Even in my own family, we argue about whether it is too spicy, too sweet, not salty enough or maybe it needs a touch of lime.  The flavors we're after are hot, salty, sour and sweet, in that order. That being said, my Dad would turn his nose up at any tum maak houng that contained even one grain of sugar. He liked it hot and salty with chunks of padek and just a touch of lime juice.  My sister Thi makes it super hot, and on the sweet side with padek and tamarind paste.  My sister Li adds tamarind paste but no padek. She uses nam pa or fish sauce instead, making it not as sweet nor as hot.  My version is closer to Li's. 

Easy 7-Layer Salad

It seems as though there's quite a selection of 7-layer Salad recipes out there and I'm sure every family must have their own version.  This one came from my friend Maggie's mom, or at least that's how I remember it, when I first started making it at every Thanksgiving more than twenty years ago.  It's an easy, do-ahead and take-along salad that's one of our family's favorite, even among those who don't love salads or vegetables, you know who you are ;)

Easy, do-ahead, take-along 7-layer Salad

Homemade Pork Rind - "Kiep Moo"

My share of pork from Walpole Valley Farms included several sheets of pork skin with an inch of fat on them. I knew right away that I would make Kiep Moo with it.  Kiep Moo is the Lao version of pork rind.  Green Papaya Salad and Kiep Moo is my favorite Lao food combination.  Rich, crunchy pork skin is the perfect foil for the spicy, salty, sweet and sour Tum Maak Houng, the Lao name for Green Papaya Salad. 

Kiep Moo (Homemade Pork Rind)

October Snow

"Live Free or Die" is the motto of our state. Or is it "Live Freeze and Die" as some might mock. But, come on, snow in October is unusual, even for New Hampshire.  I was skeptical when the Nor'easter was first predicted until the day before when it began to look like we really would need to button up for the winter. What if this same snow stuck around till spring?  Fortunately this was not the case and, even as I write this, it is a sunny 50 F degrees and the snow has all but melted.  But the day before the snow came, I frantically dug up, potted, picked and protected as many of my garden plants as possible.

I dug up this clump of Calendula to bring into the greenhouse.  They'll add color to an otherwise gray winter.

Roasted Salmon with Lemongrass and Kaffir Lime

Colors on my morning walk.

Every fall as the leaves turn and the landscape is ablaze with orange, red and yellow I bring in my two potted kaffir lime trees and dig up the clumps of lemongrass that I grow as an annual. Both are tropical herbs not meant to withstand the New England north winds. The lime trees will spend the winter in a sunny window giving us fresh leaves for winter soups and stews

Kaffir Lime

Harvesting Grapes in New Hampshire

Each October my Wayback friends (yes, we go way back) and I get together and volunteer for the grape harvest at Barnett Hill Vineyard in Walpole, NH. I'm just in awe of what it takes to run a vineyard...planting, trellising, pruning, tying, harvesting etc, not to mention the winemaking parts about crushing, tasting, bottling, aging and selling.

So about five years ago, when the call came seeking volunteers to help pick grapes, we didn't need much convincing and it has become our annual fall ritual.

Nylon netting over the grapes protect them from birds and wild turkeys.
Netting is removed just before we start picking.

What's Growing in the Garden: 9/23/2011

The days maybe getting shorter and nights cooler but don't give up on the garden yet...

Heirloom Rattlesnake Pole Bean reaches for the sky and pumps
out beans all summer long.  Great as snap beans or dry beans.
Save some seeds for planting next summer and you won't need to
buy seeds again.

Just Peachy

Puffy clouds, bright blue sky and crisp, clean air means fall is approaching our corner of southwestern New Hampshire.  This is the time of year when the gatherer in me takes over and I can't stop!  I'm in my squirrel mode picking, gathering, foraging, freezing, drying, canning, fermenting, cooking and eating.  Phew, it's no wonder I fall asleep with the sun.

It's been a banner year for peaches at Alyson's Orchard, and a few weeks ago I came home with half a bushel of "seconds".

Who can resist these tree ripened beauties?

Lao Food: Padek

Padek ready for fermentation

Padek is a very strong, pungent fermented fish sauce unique to Laos and parts of Thailand.  It is indispensable in Lao cooking.  My mother says you cannot make good Lao food without good padek and that the best padek is one you make yourself. For years I've rejected the notion that I had to make my own padek and stubbornly forged ahead with my own version of Lao food, full of short cuts using store bought padek and other sauces. Alas, my cooking is never as good as hers. My mother lives and makes padek in the south of France and when I go for a visit, I find myself looking forward to her Lao cooking as much as French wine and cheese.

Sticky Rice with Mango

Last weekend, at an Asian market, I came across these perfectly ripened "champagne" mangoes, and their fragrance brought back memories of mango picking after a monsoon rain.

Maple Sesame Noodles

March is maple time in New England. The rolling hills are still covered in snow but the sun is strong and languishing sugar houses are coming alive with the first sap run. The drip, drip, dripping noise in my pails means spring has sprung.

Since I've been tapping and boiling my own sap, there has been no shortage of syrup in my kitchen. In fact, now that the new vintage is flowing, I'm constantly looking for new ways to use the maple syrup, especially last year's supply.

I use maple syrup in everything that calls for sugar or honey.

Lao Food: Sticky Rice

My mother and I only get to spend about ten days together each year. She lives in France and we try to make each visit count. My goal each time is to come away with a part of her that I can cherish and hang on to. We often talk about my grandmother, who used to grow herbs and vegetables along the banks of the Mekong river in Laos, where the receding flood waters leave the soil rich and fertile. Mom also reminds me of Lao customs, like you mustn't sit higher than the oldest person in the room. Mostly, though, we talk about knitting and cooking. My mother knits and crochets beautifully, without using patterns, and tries to convince me that I, too, can knit without a pattern. I'm not convinced.

Hibernating in the Kitchen

January is long and cold in New Hampshire. Sunshine is in short supply and I find comfort in the kitchen, digging out my collection of recipes for hibernation. There are the soups, of course, along with homemade bread and pizza dough. It's also time to get creative with all the food that I've put up from last summer and fall. Here's what's in store:

potatoes
Delicata squash
Red Kuri squash
pounds of garlic

In the freezer...
maple syrup

blueberries
raspberries
peaches
kale
Swiss chard
jars of apple sauce

That's a lot of food for two people. But during the growing season, out in the sunshine, when the picking is good, I can't stop myself. I pick and save everything that comes my way. Oh, I didn't mention the wild mushrooms, did I? Yes, I have them too, dried and frozen maitakes, oysters and chanterelles. All these will surely find their way into my weekly meals that I deliver to the Walpole Grocery.

First up is the Red Kuri squash, also called Hokkaido. It is prolific and carefree in the garden, a long keeper that gets better with age, like most women ;-).

Red Kuri Squash after harvest last September--Photo by Amy

Last week, I made Thai Curry Squash Soup to drop off at WG. It went over so well, I made it again this week. I start with two large Red Kuri squashes, about 5 lbs each. Don't peel them yet, just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast them in a 450F oven until they're cooked through, about 30 minutes to an hour. Roasting winter squashes intensifies their sweetness. Even better, the roasting warms the kitchen and I just love the sweet, yummy aroma.

Fresh from the oven

When cooled, I peel away the skin and puree the flesh in the food processor, thinning with water when necessary. The two 5 lbs squashes I started with yielded about 6 lbs of peeled and cooked squash. A French farmer once compared the taste of the Red Kuri to a chestnut. I think the resemblance stops at the texture, it's mealy and sweet. Mealy may not sound appealing but, trust me, in this case it works. If you're not familiar with this heirloom, give it a try.

Thai Curry Squash Soup
10 lbs Red Kuri Squash or any kind of winter squash, roasted and pureed (see above)
15-oz can coconut milk
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 TBS green curry paste, or to taste
1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 3" lengths, crushed
3 kaffir lime leaves
fish sauce or salt to taste
2 cups fresh Swiss Chard or other greens

To a 6 qt. soup pot, add coconut milk and curry paste. Simmer a minute or two then add 4 cups of chicken stock. Add the pureed squash, stirring as you do to get out the lumps. Thin soup with additional 4 cups of water or until desired consistency. Add lemon grass and lime leaves. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Season to taste with fish sauce. Just before I take it to the store I add the Swiss chard for color and texture. Makes 5 quarts.

Thai Curry Squash Soup

Don't forget to fish out the lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves before serving. Bon Appetit!

Party food

Outside the temperature is a frightful 8 degrees F. and I really don't care to know what the wind chill might be. I'm snug in my kitchen cooking party food for the Walpole Grocery, our cute little gourmet market right here in Walpole, NH.

Inside Barbara and Krystyna demand Tingfood

Susie plates up some spring rolls

John serves up sesame noodles

Barbara gets her lunch

Sesame noodles and chicken satay

Happy New Year to all!

Peace

Happy Holidays!

Garlic Potato Soup

For the last five years, Jennifer has held an open studio sale so that she and I and other artists have an outlet for our need to create. This year, we also fed our need for community with a pot luck supper so we could spend more time with friends who live too far away and who we don't see often enough.

Feeding the community and ...

...the imagination and more...

To go with the main dishes of turkey and veggie chilis, I made Twice Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese from my new favorite food site, culinate. I used homegrown yukon gold for this do-ahead kind of mashed potatoes and followed the recipe exactly, not easy for me since I always tweak everything. I assembled the dish the night before and carried it south in a cooler. When it was time to eat, 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven was all that was needed. It was convenient, portable and oh so very good topped with turkey chili and a small dollop of sour cream.

What I really want to share with you, however, is the soup I made with the extra baked potatoes that didn't make it to the pot luck. I rough chopped a half dozen or so of the medium size ones and added them to my Fresh Garlic Soup, making it thicker and heartier. Topped with a scattering of sauteed wild mushrooms, this soup feeds your body and your soul.

Garlic Potato Soup with mushrooms

Homegrown goodness

The recipe:

4 cups potatoes, cooked and roughly chopped
2 heads of garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 large leek, or 1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 sage leaves
4 cups chicken stock
2+ cups of water
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Sauteed mushrooms (optional)
salt and pepper


In a soup pot, bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a boil, add all ingredients, simmer gently uncovered, until garlic and potatoes are very soft, about 20 minutes. Remove sage leaves and puree soup in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, stir in Parmesan cheese. For thinner soup add water as needed and adjust seasoning accordingly. My husband likes crunchy croutons with his soups, but I think this soup needs nothing more than an arugula salad, fresh picked from the garden, with thin slices of apples, a sprinkling of toasted nuts and your favorite dressing. Mine is creamy blue cheese.

Crispy Kale Snack

Even as I glean every last bit of kale from the garden and crisping them in the oven, Walpole is a colorful blaze, a perfect picture of fall in New England.

View from March Hill Road, Walpole, NH. Photo by Amy.

Red Russian Kale, the only kind I grow, is delicate and hardy

Kale and Swiss chard rule the garden at this time of year and as I'm staring down a huge basket of kale, taking up half my kitchen, I get an email from Maggie telling me about her new way with kale. The idea is simple, toss fresh kale with olive oil, spread them out in a single layer on a large cookie sheet and roast in 350 degree oven until crispy but still green. Maggie's directions were to

"toss torn 3-inch size pieces with oil. Bake 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp and crunchy."

My Red Russian only needed 10 minutes and stirring was not necessary. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt, pepper and/or freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately, these are so easy to make, fun to eat and criminally addictive.

Crispy Kale Snack

Cook's tips:
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent kale from sticking.
- Don't let the kale get brown, at that point it can get bitter.