What's Growing in the Garden 5/26/09

Sugar snap peas, planted April 2nd, are 2' tall.

Yukon Gold potatoes, ready for hilling

Red Rhododendron starting to bloom

Orange Azalea in full bloom

Red onions, Johnny Jump Ups and a new deck

Take a look at Amy's beautiful photographs of my garden.

Green Garlic: a culimary treat

Green garlic is the young shoot of garlic before it matures into the familiar bulb. It can be found at farmers' markets between March and May. Here in southern New Hampshire, in mid-May, my garlic bed is ready to be thinned out.

When I planted garlic last fall, I planted them closer than the recommended 4" apart, ensuring a surplus of the "weeded" out baby shoots, the green garlic that is much sought after by restaurant chefs.

The flavor of green garlic is definitely garlicky without the pungency of mature garlic. If you sometimes avoid garlic because of its strong lingering taste, green garlic will surprise you with its delicate sweet taste and mild manner. I use it as a substitute for regular garlic or, cut up into 1/2" pieces, in place of scallions in stir fries. I've used it in Beef with Asparagus and sprinkled over Homemade Naan right after it comes out of the oven. What you get is a mild unobtrusive taste of garlic.

Although the whole plant can be eaten, I use only the white and light green parts. The darker green leaves are a bit tough and strong and would be good to add to soups and stews but I haven't tried that yet, so stay tuned for more about garlic this summer.

Green garlic or baby garlic straight from the garden

Pasta with Shrimp, Spinach and Green Garlic

This is my go to pasta with greens, olive oil and garlic. Note that these amounts are approximate, I don't really measure anything when I make this, and I make it almost weekly with endless variations depending on what vegetables are on hand. Last week was the first picking of baby spinach and green garlic and so they came together in this super easy pasta

1/2 lb thin spaghetti, or pasta of your choice
1/2 lb peeled and deveined raw shrimp
4 TBS olive oil
4 - 6 cups baby spinach or any other vegetables
3 to 4 green garlic, minced, white and light green parts only
Salt and Pepper to taste
Hot pepper flakes to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of generously salted boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes until al dente. Reserve one cup or so of cooking liquid and drain. In the same pot the pasta was cooked in, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add green garlic and a pinch of pepper flakes, cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper and cook until shrimp is pink but not completely cooked, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan onto a plate. Add two tablespoons oil to the same pan and add pasta and a little cooking liquid if too dry. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Return shrimp to pan and add spinach. Continue cooking and stirring until spinach is slightly wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes, adding pasta cooking liquid as needed. Remove from heat and serve, topped with grated Parmesan. Serves 4.

Homemade Naan, It's Easy and Fun

A popular Indian flat bread, Naan is traditionally baked in a clay Tandoor oven, but with a pizza stone you too can make authentic delicious naan.

Adapted from a recipe from Manjula's Kitchen, the dough is simple to make and the timing is flexible. You can set the dough to rise in the morning and bake when you get home from work. Or you can let it rise over night and bake any time the next day. If you can't get to it right away, punch the dough down and put it in the fridge. When you're ready, bring it back to room temperature before shaping and baking.

Naan Recipe:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of baking soda
2 tablespoons oil
2 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 cup all purpose flour for rolling

1 TBS melted butter
Fleur de Sel (Kosher salt can be substituted)
Fresh cracked black pepper

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let "bloom" for 15 minutes.

Put flour, salt, sugar and baking soda in the bowl of a standing mixer and, using the dough hook, mix on low until combined. Add yogurt, oil and yeast mixture then knead on medium, for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add small amounts of flour if too wet, until a very soft ball of dough forms. Turn out onto floured board and knead lightly by hand, adding flour to the board to keep the soft dough from sticking.

Put dough back into the same bowl used for mixing and let rise, at room temperature, at least 2 hours or until it doubles in bulk.

When ready to bake, preheat oven, with pizza stone in the lower quarter of the oven, to 500 degrees. Punch down the dough using oiled hands and, on a well floured board, knead lightly and divide into six equal balls.

Roll balls out into a rectangle about 1/4" thick, using plenty of flour to prevent dough from sticking.

Gently place two or three naans directly on baking stone and bake 5 to 7 minutes, watch closely as they can burn quickly. When puffy with brown spots all over, they're ready and should be placed on a cooling rack. While still warm, brush lightly with melted butter, sprinkle with Fleur de Sel and fresh cracked pepper. Proceed with the rest of the batch. Makes 6 Naans

We love Naan with Indian curries and chutneys but it's equally at home with kabobs or even aged cheddar cheese. We eat it with everything but our absolute favorite is all by itself, fresh and still warm from the oven. There's nothing like it. Should there be any left overs, they toast up perfectly in the toaster oven, much like the sourdough waffles. I can see how this could be habit forming.

Tip:
My naans are never of uniform size or shape but don't sweat that part, they bake up perfectly every time, always delicious and they disappear quickly.

Here's a video from Manjula's Kitchen that I found helpful.

Beef with Asparagus

They're here! The asparagus have finally arrived. Having an asparagus bed in the garden is like money in the bank, the dividends come each spring like clock work.

Asparagus is a perennial, and that means it is planted once and will produce for 15 years or more. If you have a garden and don't have an asparagus bed, spring is a good time to do it. Growing asparagus is easy but only for the patient. Plant the roots this spring but no harvesting until next year and even then only very lightly. On the third year and every year thereafter they're yours for the pickin', forgive the pun. Here's more info on how to plant an asparagus bed.

We love asparagus in every which way--roasted, grilled, steamed, in stir fry and pasta dishes. An old family favorite is Stir-Fried Beef with Vegetables--asparagus, green beans, broccoli, whatever is in season and available, but for us this week asparagus has center stage.

Beef with Asparagus
1/2 lb flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
oil for frying
4 scallions, cut in 1 1/2-inch lengths
Salt
1 lb asparagus cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch lengths
2 TBS oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 TBS water

Marinate meat with cornstarch, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and garlic for 10 minutes.
Heat wok or large frying pan, add 2 tablespoons oil and heat. Toss in scallions and cook 30 seconds. Add meat and stir-fry over high hear for a minute until browned on the outside and pink in the middle. Remove from pan. Heat 2 more tablespoons oil in the same pan, add asparagus, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir-fry over high heat for a minute or two until asparagus is tender but still al dente. Add a bit of water if the pan is too dry. Return meat and scallions to pan, add oyster sauce and soy sauce. Add cornstarch-water mixture and give a quick stir until thickened. Serve over jasmine rice or short grain brown rice. This is a seasonal delight that will wean you from Chinese take-out forever. Serves 4.

Links to easy asparagus recipes:
Grilled Asparagus
Roastd Asparagus
Wok-Seared Chicken with Asparagus & Pistachios

Do you have a favorite asparagus recipes? Do share them below in the comment section.

What's Growing in the Garden

We're starting to get some serious heat and the garden is exploding...

The front garden

Pink Magnolia

A welcome weed--these violas grow wild in the paths and in the beds

First asparagus

Young rhubarb

Sugar Snap Peas planted April 2nd.

Garlic shares a bed with spring greens--radish, lettuce and arugula

Instant Tamale

The task at hand is four cords of wood to be stacked. It seems like we just got over winter to be thinking about firewood but, in a way, the job is made easier by the recent memory of knitting by the fire when snow is falling outside.

Work in progress

"You get some kind of zen satisfaction from stacking firewood" my husband observes. I'll admit, I do. There's something good and honest about it, like growing your own food. On top of that you get as your reward, neatly stacked firewood all ready for when the north wind blows. How does that not make you feel cozy?

This Instant Tamale is what I make when I've been outdoors all day stacking wood or weeding the garden. It's based on a recipe from my dog eared copy of Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook, not an authentic tamale but when you're too busy to cook, this one is fast and easy. The leftover is reason enough to make this dish, and the flavor is even better the next day.

Instant Tamale fresh from the oven

With pre-made polenta and store bought salsa, dinner takes no more than 15 minutes to put together and the rest is done by the oven.

26.5 oz can black beans with juice
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup tomato salsa
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground chipotle (or to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
18 oz roll prepared polenta
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil 8" x 11 1/2" baking pan. Empty the beans and their juice into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the corn, salsa, cumin, chipotle and salt and mix well. Set aside. Slice polenta into 1/4" thick rounds. Arrange the rounds in the prepared baking pan slightly overlapping. Pour the bean mixture evenly over the polenta. Sprinkle on the cilantro and top with the grated cheese. Cover and bake 15 minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until the beans are bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Is it Gin or is it Vodka?

We really are just a knitting group and don't drink anything besides wine--red or white is as hard core as we get, until Emily, one of the knitters, started making her own gin. Ian's Gin Recipe was the recipe she used and the recipe she left on my counter top complete with a bottle of vodka (from which will come the gin) along with all the herbs and spices needed to make homemade gin. Now who can resist that?

And so I set out to make my own version, changing it slightly by adding some dried hot peppers.

It starts with a 750 ml bottle of vodka infused with:

2 Tbsp juniper berries
3/4 tsp coriander seed
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp fennel seed
3 green cardamom pods
2 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf, torn into pieces
1 tsp dried lavender
1 (3-inch) sprig fresh rosemary
1 (2-inch-long) fresh lemon or lime peel
3 dried Thai hot chili peppers

Infuse juniper berries in the vodka overnight. Add remaining spices and herbs in the morning and let infuse all day.

When you get home from work, strain out the botanicals and you have gin.

Now, I'm not a gin connoisseur and the only gin I've ever had is in the form of a gin and tonic during the hot summer months. Putting Emily's gin to the test, the knitters put away the wine glasses and drank home made gin and tonic. It was surprisingly good and fresh, with a slight floral bouquet and our winter weary spirits were temporarily lifted.

Did it taste like gin? I think so, but fresher and lighter. It was good in gin and tonic, as well as in a pomegranate martini, but I like it best frozen and straight up in a shot glass, like vodka, for I can't help but think of it as infused vodka .

Gin and tonic with home made gin

Here are a few other aromatics I might add when I make it again:

More hot pepper
Kaffir lime leaves
Orange peel

Have fun, and if you get a chance to play with the recipe, leave a comment below and let me know whether you think its gin or vodka and how you like to drink it.

Deviled Eggs with Chives

Chives are at their peak right now, about 10"-12" tall here in my zone 5 garden. They're best before they start to bloom for once they bloom they become stronger and not quiet as tender. So on the way home from my walk I picked up these beautiful free range eggs at a neighboring farm.

Besides the fact that I adore eggs in any shape or form, they also go really well with chives. I thought about making an omelet with Cheese and Chives or Scrambled Eggs with Cheese and Chives and before chive season is over I'll probably make both those things but today I'm in the mood for deviled eggs, my all time favorite forbidden food.

Start with perfectly cooked eggs. Hard boiled eggs are easily overcooked causing a dark green circle around the yolk with a tinny after taste. Here's my technique for perfect hard boiled eggs--put eggs in a pan, in a single layer, cover the eggs with cold water, plus an inch more. Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat. When water starts to boil, remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain the hot water and soak the eggs in cold water until completely cooled. Farm fresh eggs are harder to peel than older eggs so I usually put my boiled eggs, if they resist peeling, in the fridge until they're very cold. Or I use older eggs.

I don't actually have a recipe for deviled eggs but I did measure as I was making this batch. They came out creamy and decadent and the recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd.

Deviled Eggs with Chives

6 eggs
2 TBS chopped chives
3-4 TBS mayonnaise
1 TBS sweet pickle relish
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Few drops of Tabasco
Few drops of Maggi Sauce
1/4 tsp ground chipotle peppers
salt to taste

Carefully peel the eggs, cut in half lengthwise, remove the yolks and put in a mixing bowl.


Mash the yolks with a fork, add the rest of the ingredients and blend well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves, arrange on a platter and sprinkle with more chives. Enjoy as hors d'oeuvres or part of a "this 'n that" meal.

A rainy day picnic

What's Growing in the Garden

It's been a wet and rainy kind of day but I was prepared for the rain. When soaking rain is expected, I try to get as much in the ground as possible. Before today's rain, I planted a bed of spinach and another bed of radishes, arugula and mesclun.I cover the newly seeded beds with row covers to help germination and to keep garden critters out. Then I sit back and let rain do its thing.

Soaking up the cool, spring rain are...

Garlic planted last fall

Chives - a perennial that keeps coming back year after year.
A must for every kitchen garden.

Tête-à-tête daffodils - only 6" tall but the first to bloom.

Spring Roll Lettuce Wrap

Spring roll lettuce wrap for two

When I make spring rolls I will usually double the recipe and stash them away in the freezer. Later in the season when I'm lost in the garden, these spring rolls are a god send.

When the garden is overflowing with salad greens and herbs, is the time to do the Wrap. Decoratively arrange a large platter of your favorite salad vegetables. Mine usually includes some or all of these:

Leaf lettuce
Sprigs of cilantro
Mint leaves
Bean sprouts
Cucumbers, sliced into thin half moons
Thin slices of raw onion
Cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quarters
Cooked rice noodles
Cooked Spring rolls, cut in half or bite size pieces, with kitchen scissors
Spicy Fish Sauce

At the table take a leaf of lettuce and fill it with a couple of cilantro leaves, one or two mint leaves, five or six bean sprouts, cucumber and onion slices, a piece of tomato, a few strands of noodles and a piece of spring roll. The idea is to add a little of everything but keep the bundle small enough to eat in one huge bite.

Wrap lettuce tightly around the whole bundle.

Drizzle with a generous amount of fish sauce.

Lean over your plate as you take a bite for this is not an elegant meal...it'll be messy...but dig in, eat with your fingers, play with your food.

Kitchen tips:
- Bake frozen spring rolls in a preheated 450 F oven for 30 minutes, turning once, until brown and crunchy.
- If you don't happen to have spring rolls lying around, you can wrap with pieces of cooked fish, chicken or beef.
- Spicy fish sauce, in a jar, will keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator. It can be whatever you need it to be, a condiment, a salad dressing or a dipping sauce.