Anupam's great Aunt and Uncle came to visit us. True to usual Bengali style, they came with an appetite for good food and with family recipes to share. I had a great week sharing with them all the lovely things I enjoy making, the vegetables in my garden, and learning all the family recipe secrets. Lucky for you, I'm willing to share them too, but I'll start by talking a bit about how Bengali's eat and why I respect it so much.
Bengali food has a specific order in which it is enjoyed: first anything bitter, followed by posto, followed by daal, followed by fish, then meat and finally dessert. Why do I respect this so much? Well, for one, it starts with the healthiest (vegetables with bitterness contain quinine which is known to have many health benefits including preventing and fighting malaria) followed by other foods with important nutritional value such as daal (provides healthy protiens and vitamins) and fish (essential fatty acids) and ends with the less healthy dishes but which often give much satisfaction regardless of their nutritional value (meat and dessert). Quantities are anyways small because a true Bengali feast has every course, but we finish the meal with the items we should eat the least of meaning we tend to eat less of it! I love the subtleness with with Bengali tradition teaches the important of balance and satisfaction with food (it's okay to eat whatever we want, if we eat it in the right order and quantity). If only we would have followed that wisdom... ;)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Vegetable Dilemma
If you are anything like us, you probably spend a lot if your time planning what you are going to plant in your vegetable gardens. With 3 distinct growing seasons, there really is no time to rest!
You probably also take great pleasure in preparing dishes with your produce, telling everyone (that will listen) the dish was prepared with your backyard bounty. You have learned what to plant, when to plant it and so on, but how do you know when something is ready to pick?
Here is a general guide...
Asparagus: Begin harvesting when spears are 6-10 inches tall and before heads open. Snap them off at ground level; new spears will continue to grow. Stop when the average spear diameter is less than 1/4 inch.
Beans (snap): Pick before you can see the seeds bulging. They should snap easily into two. Check daily, as they will get tough quickly.
Beans (lima): Pick when well filled, but not over-mature.
Beets: You can harvest and eat the green tops that you thin out of the rows. Beets are somewhat a matter of preference when it comes to the right size. Most prefer a diameter of 1.5 to 2 inches, but they are ready any time after the shoulders come above the soil line.
Broccoli: We eat the unopened flower buds of broccoli, so check often as weather warms, and get them before they bloom (don't expect your heads to get to supermarket size). Harvest when the buds are about the size of a match head. Remove with a sharp knife; leave between 4 and 6 inches of stem.
Brussels Sprouts: Harvest when they are green, plump and firm (usually an inch or more in diameter). Harvest by twisting off or cutting the sprout from the stem.
Cabbage: Harvest cabbage when the head is firm and has reached adequate size, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
Cantaloupe (muskmelon): The color should change to beige and the fruit will "slip" from the stem easily. You may be able to notice a sweet smell when ripe.
Carrots: Depending on variety, pull when about 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The top of the carrot will show at the soil line; you can gauge when the diameter looks right for your variety. If the diameter looks good, chances are the length is fine too.
Cauliflower: As with broccoli, your cauliflower heads will probably not get to supermarket size. Harvest when the head looks full and while the curds of the head are still smooth.
Chard (Swiss): Harvest as leaves become large enough.
Collards (kale and mustard): Harvest young plants or lower leaves on older plants. Leaves should be young and tender. Taste improves with cool weather.
Corn: Pick after the silks become brown. The kernels should exude a milky substance when pricked.
Cucumber: Check daily and harvest early (if harvesting for pickling, even earlier). Timing and length will vary with variety. The fruits should be firm and smooth. Over-ripe cucumbers can be very bitter or pithy, even before they start to turn yellow.
Eggplant: Slightly immature fruits taste best. The fruits should be firm and shiny. Cut rather than pull from the plant.
Garlic: The garlic tops will fall over and begin to brown when the bulbs are ready. Dig gently, don't pull, and allow to dry before storing. Shake off dirt rather than washing.
Kohlrabi: For the best texture, harvest once the kohlrabi "bulb" is between two and three inches in diameter. Too much larger than that and it will be tough and woody.
Leeks: Harvest leeks when they are about 1 inch in diameter.
Lettuce (Head): Harvest once the head feels full and firm with a gentle squeeze. Hot weather will cause it to bolt or go to seed rather than filling out.
Lettuce (Leaf): Harvest the outer leaves once the plant has reached about 4 inches in height. Allow the younger, inner leaves to grow. Leaf lettuce can be harvested in this fashion for quite some time. If seed stalks begin to form, harvest the whole plant immediately and refrigerate.
Okra: Harvest frequently; figure about 3-4 days from flower to mature pod. Err on on the immature side--the pods get woody and tough as they get older. Remove old pods, even if you missed one too long, so they'll keep producing. Wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting; okra has small spines (they look like hairs) that can make you itchy--even 'spineless' varieties have some.
Onions: Onions can be dug once at least half the tops have ripened and fallen over. Allow the onions to dry in the sun.
Onions (bunching): Dig before bulbing starts or before they become too thick (over 1/2 inch diameter).
Peas (English): The pea pods should look and feel full. Peas are sweeter if harvested before fully plumped. Peas really need to be tasted (raw) to determine if they are sweet enough.
Peas (edible pod): Harvest when the pods are fully developed, but before seeds are more than half size. (You'll need to develop a feel for this one.)
Peppers (bell, sweet): Fruit should be full size but still green, firm and crisp in texture. If red fruits are desired, leave on plant until red color develops.
Peppers (chile): Fresh fruit should be full size, shiny green to slightly red, firm and crisp in texture. Dry red fruit should be allowed to turn completely red and dry on plant.
Potatoes (sweet): before freezing weather. Cure under warm conditions (80°-85° F) for a week.
Pumpkins: Once the pumpkins have turned the expected color and the vines are starting to decline, they can be cut from their vines.
Radishes: Radishes mature quickly. Harvest as soon as they reach edible size. They will go quickly to seed.
Rhubarb: Delay harvest until second year after establishment. Established plantings (3 years) can be harvested for about 8 weeks. Harvest the largest stalks by grasping each stalk near the base and pulling slightly in one direction.
Rutabagas: The bulbs should be about 3 inches in diameter. Rutabagas can be mulched, left in the ground and dug up as needed. Cold weather improves their flavor.
Spinach: Spinach goes to seed quickly. Harvest by cutting at the soil line before you see a flower stalk beginning to shoot up. Or cut just below the crown for a one-time harvest.
Squash (Summer): Pick young and check often. The skins should be tender enough to poke your fingernail through.
Squash (Winter): Color is a good indicator of winter squash maturity. When the squash turns the color it is supposed to be, cut from the vine.
Tomatoes: For the best taste, harvest tomatoes when they are fully colored and slightly soft to the touch. Gently twist and pull from the vine. If your plant looks like it may be over-producing, you can also harvest some as they start to ripen and let them finish indoors. If you like fried green tomatoes, harvest as they reach full size (or just as the first color change begins, if you like them a bit less tart).
Turnips: The turnip shoulders should be about 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter at the soil line, when ready. Overripe turnips become woody.
Watermelons: The white spot on the bottom of the melon should change to yellow when ripe. Some people can hear a change in the sound made when the melon is thumped with a finger.
You probably also take great pleasure in preparing dishes with your produce, telling everyone (that will listen) the dish was prepared with your backyard bounty. You have learned what to plant, when to plant it and so on, but how do you know when something is ready to pick?
Here is a general guide...
Asparagus: Begin harvesting when spears are 6-10 inches tall and before heads open. Snap them off at ground level; new spears will continue to grow. Stop when the average spear diameter is less than 1/4 inch.
Beans (snap): Pick before you can see the seeds bulging. They should snap easily into two. Check daily, as they will get tough quickly.
Beans (lima): Pick when well filled, but not over-mature.
Beets: You can harvest and eat the green tops that you thin out of the rows. Beets are somewhat a matter of preference when it comes to the right size. Most prefer a diameter of 1.5 to 2 inches, but they are ready any time after the shoulders come above the soil line.
Broccoli: We eat the unopened flower buds of broccoli, so check often as weather warms, and get them before they bloom (don't expect your heads to get to supermarket size). Harvest when the buds are about the size of a match head. Remove with a sharp knife; leave between 4 and 6 inches of stem.
Brussels Sprouts: Harvest when they are green, plump and firm (usually an inch or more in diameter). Harvest by twisting off or cutting the sprout from the stem.
Cabbage: Harvest cabbage when the head is firm and has reached adequate size, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
Cantaloupe (muskmelon): The color should change to beige and the fruit will "slip" from the stem easily. You may be able to notice a sweet smell when ripe.
Carrots: Depending on variety, pull when about 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The top of the carrot will show at the soil line; you can gauge when the diameter looks right for your variety. If the diameter looks good, chances are the length is fine too.
Cauliflower: As with broccoli, your cauliflower heads will probably not get to supermarket size. Harvest when the head looks full and while the curds of the head are still smooth.
Chard (Swiss): Harvest as leaves become large enough.
Collards (kale and mustard): Harvest young plants or lower leaves on older plants. Leaves should be young and tender. Taste improves with cool weather.
Corn: Pick after the silks become brown. The kernels should exude a milky substance when pricked.
Cucumber: Check daily and harvest early (if harvesting for pickling, even earlier). Timing and length will vary with variety. The fruits should be firm and smooth. Over-ripe cucumbers can be very bitter or pithy, even before they start to turn yellow.
Eggplant: Slightly immature fruits taste best. The fruits should be firm and shiny. Cut rather than pull from the plant.
Garlic: The garlic tops will fall over and begin to brown when the bulbs are ready. Dig gently, don't pull, and allow to dry before storing. Shake off dirt rather than washing.
Kohlrabi: For the best texture, harvest once the kohlrabi "bulb" is between two and three inches in diameter. Too much larger than that and it will be tough and woody.
Leeks: Harvest leeks when they are about 1 inch in diameter.
Lettuce (Head): Harvest once the head feels full and firm with a gentle squeeze. Hot weather will cause it to bolt or go to seed rather than filling out.
Lettuce (Leaf): Harvest the outer leaves once the plant has reached about 4 inches in height. Allow the younger, inner leaves to grow. Leaf lettuce can be harvested in this fashion for quite some time. If seed stalks begin to form, harvest the whole plant immediately and refrigerate.
Okra: Harvest frequently; figure about 3-4 days from flower to mature pod. Err on on the immature side--the pods get woody and tough as they get older. Remove old pods, even if you missed one too long, so they'll keep producing. Wear gloves and long sleeves when harvesting; okra has small spines (they look like hairs) that can make you itchy--even 'spineless' varieties have some.
Onions: Onions can be dug once at least half the tops have ripened and fallen over. Allow the onions to dry in the sun.
Onions (bunching): Dig before bulbing starts or before they become too thick (over 1/2 inch diameter).
Peas (English): The pea pods should look and feel full. Peas are sweeter if harvested before fully plumped. Peas really need to be tasted (raw) to determine if they are sweet enough.
Peas (edible pod): Harvest when the pods are fully developed, but before seeds are more than half size. (You'll need to develop a feel for this one.)
Peppers (bell, sweet): Fruit should be full size but still green, firm and crisp in texture. If red fruits are desired, leave on plant until red color develops.
Peppers (chile): Fresh fruit should be full size, shiny green to slightly red, firm and crisp in texture. Dry red fruit should be allowed to turn completely red and dry on plant.
Potatoes (sweet): before freezing weather. Cure under warm conditions (80°-85° F) for a week.
Pumpkins: Once the pumpkins have turned the expected color and the vines are starting to decline, they can be cut from their vines.
Radishes: Radishes mature quickly. Harvest as soon as they reach edible size. They will go quickly to seed.
Rhubarb: Delay harvest until second year after establishment. Established plantings (3 years) can be harvested for about 8 weeks. Harvest the largest stalks by grasping each stalk near the base and pulling slightly in one direction.
Rutabagas: The bulbs should be about 3 inches in diameter. Rutabagas can be mulched, left in the ground and dug up as needed. Cold weather improves their flavor.
Spinach: Spinach goes to seed quickly. Harvest by cutting at the soil line before you see a flower stalk beginning to shoot up. Or cut just below the crown for a one-time harvest.
Squash (Summer): Pick young and check often. The skins should be tender enough to poke your fingernail through.
Squash (Winter): Color is a good indicator of winter squash maturity. When the squash turns the color it is supposed to be, cut from the vine.
Tomatoes: For the best taste, harvest tomatoes when they are fully colored and slightly soft to the touch. Gently twist and pull from the vine. If your plant looks like it may be over-producing, you can also harvest some as they start to ripen and let them finish indoors. If you like fried green tomatoes, harvest as they reach full size (or just as the first color change begins, if you like them a bit less tart).
Turnips: The turnip shoulders should be about 1.5 to 3 inches in diameter at the soil line, when ready. Overripe turnips become woody.
Watermelons: The white spot on the bottom of the melon should change to yellow when ripe. Some people can hear a change in the sound made when the melon is thumped with a finger.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
"Easy" Seville Orange Marmalade
For those of you that have never met a Seville orange, you truly do not understand what sour is.
Having inherited a prolific tree, after much agonizing over this little monster of an orange, trying to fertilize, and do all things humanly possible to make the fruit more edible, I finally realized this tree was a Seville orange tree! Seville orange, also known as bitter orange, sour orange, and marmalade orange.
Acceptance finally set in that I would never win against nature, so the next step was to see how I could make lemonade out of the lemons I had been handed. Marmalade orange, huh?
Here I am 6 years later, finally ready to take on the challenge...
Seville Orange Marmalade
Having inherited a prolific tree, after much agonizing over this little monster of an orange, trying to fertilize, and do all things humanly possible to make the fruit more edible, I finally realized this tree was a Seville orange tree! Seville orange, also known as bitter orange, sour orange, and marmalade orange.
Acceptance finally set in that I would never win against nature, so the next step was to see how I could make lemonade out of the lemons I had been handed. Marmalade orange, huh?
Here I am 6 years later, finally ready to take on the challenge...
Seville Orange Marmalade
Ingredients:
2lbs, 8oz - Seville oranges
10oz - Lemons
4 pints - Water
4lbs - White granulated sugar
Directions:
Wash oranges & lemons well. Put the fruit in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and cover with the water. Put the lid on and bring to simmering point. Then turn the heat down very low simmer very gently for 3 hours until the fruit is soft. Allow to cool overnight in the poaching liquid.
Cut the cooled oranges and lemons in half and scoop out the flesh and pips into a separate saucepan. Add about a pint of the poaching juice and simmer gently for at least half an hour and then pour into a sieve lined with muslin set over a bowl.
Meanwhile discard the lemon peel and cut the halves of oranges in half again and remove the pith by scraping with the edge of a metal spoon. Be sure to get as much of the pith off as possible since the pith is what makes the fruit bitter. When this is done rinse the peel and cut into fine strips. (this is about the point you start to question why you thought this was a good idea in the first place)
By this stage the pulp liquid will have almost dripped through but it’s worth giving it an extra squeeze. Knot the muslin and pass two wooden spoons (juxtaposed) beneath the knots turn the spoons against each other which will squeeze out any remaining juice with little effort.
Add the pectin rich juice to the poaching liquid and check that you still have 4 pints of juice. Top it up with cold water if necessary.
Bring the peel gently to simmering point in the poaching liquid add the sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. Taste the mixture – if it’s too tart for your taste add a little more sugar stirring again until it is completely dissolved. Then bring the marmalade to a rolling boil.
After 15 minutes test for a set. If the marmalade is not set bring back to a rolling boil and test every five minutes or so.
Using a ladle and a funnel pour into hot sterilized jars and seal immediately. Voila!
Monday, August 15, 2011
What are Your Favorite Summer Ingredients?
Tell us what your favorite summer ingredients are, and we'll incorporate them into our September menu!!!
Wild Blackberries
A few weeks ago, on my walk home after a job, I noticed that behind my house some wild blackberries are growing. What was better, some of them were nearing ripeness! I picked them, came home and put them in a container in the freezer. Now, every time I come home from a job, I have another handful of berries, and soon my freezer container will be full. I was thinking I should make jam from them. What do you think?
Tomatoes Mean Summer!
I wasn't always a tomato lover. In fact, I very clearly remember a time when I hated tomatoes. That was obviously before I was ever even close to brave enough to sample some from a garden... I still remember the first time I did sample a raw sliced tomato. It was salted and lightly peppered and delicious! Now, I can't get enough of them in the summer; a week won't go by without several caprese salads. This year I have 14 tomato plants in my garden, and large, heavy green fruit are tantalizing me - or probably more accurately, just simply making me drool.
I'm so excited about this month's menu because after such a long wait for the summer season, we finally get to highlight some of our favorite ingredients! Of course the ripe juicy tomato is one of them. Figs and raspberries are another! I'm so looking forward to it, are you?
I'm so excited about this month's menu because after such a long wait for the summer season, we finally get to highlight some of our favorite ingredients! Of course the ripe juicy tomato is one of them. Figs and raspberries are another! I'm so looking forward to it, are you?
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Our Newest Team Member
We have a new team member! Well, three actually, but this one we named Lil' QT in honor of her role in our dining experience. 4-6 months from now and we should start getting our first fresh eggs.
Isn't she cute?
Just a Tease!
I spend all spring and early summer sitting in anticipation of my first tomato. So juicy, so sweet - it barely needs anything with it to be perfect. Right now I have 12 tomato plants and they are all just sitting there with these beautiful fruit - that are still green!
Just look at them. Hanging there. The other day, I finally found a red one. And she's a beauty. Now, my question to you is, how shall I eat her?
Any suggestions?
Monday, August 8, 2011
It's all in the Jelly
So as funny as it may seem, I have never taken my family berry picking. Well, now I have! Some friends of our were visiting from out of town, and we were looking up some fun activities to do together with all the kids. Berry picking at Swanton Farm with a visit to a goat farm after lunch was on the agenda.
Now, I'm not really sure what all I expected from berry picking, but the strawberry field was full of plump fresh strawberries! I think I probably ate as many as I put into the cart, and long after I knew we had enough, I just couldn't stop picking. Before we knew what we were doing, we had over 25 lbs of strawberries!
Okay, so I tried not to panic, because strawberries, though amazing, don't really keep all that well after picked, so I knew that I was in for a long day of...well something!
But first, we ate lunch and headed to the goat farm. Harley Farm in Pescadero was so much fun! We tasted our way through their whole dairy shop (and I picked up some ravioli for dinner too!) eating their goat cheese.
But, it wasn't until I got home and started perusing my jam book did I come across a recipe for white wine and strawberry jelly. PERFECT! Before I knew it, I had strawberries straining of their juice and had corked two bottles of Parducci Sustainable White Wine. A little bit of pectin later, I was ladling the hot liquid into jars. The remaining of the strawberries were pureed into a sauce and canned as well. (I guess I should say those that weren't eaten over a little bit of fresh cream!)
Later that weekend while sampling the jelly, I realized it would pair amazingly with the goat cheese from Harley Farm...And I was right. It was amazing!
Now, I'm not really sure what all I expected from berry picking, but the strawberry field was full of plump fresh strawberries! I think I probably ate as many as I put into the cart, and long after I knew we had enough, I just couldn't stop picking. Before we knew what we were doing, we had over 25 lbs of strawberries!
Okay, so I tried not to panic, because strawberries, though amazing, don't really keep all that well after picked, so I knew that I was in for a long day of...well something!
But first, we ate lunch and headed to the goat farm. Harley Farm in Pescadero was so much fun! We tasted our way through their whole dairy shop (and I picked up some ravioli for dinner too!) eating their goat cheese.
But, it wasn't until I got home and started perusing my jam book did I come across a recipe for white wine and strawberry jelly. PERFECT! Before I knew it, I had strawberries straining of their juice and had corked two bottles of Parducci Sustainable White Wine. A little bit of pectin later, I was ladling the hot liquid into jars. The remaining of the strawberries were pureed into a sauce and canned as well. (I guess I should say those that weren't eaten over a little bit of fresh cream!)
Later that weekend while sampling the jelly, I realized it would pair amazingly with the goat cheese from Harley Farm...And I was right. It was amazing!
What's new with On The QT
We are so excited to be starting our new blog! Now you can read about us and see what we do in our everyday cooking lives. Do we really eat well all the time? Of course we do, even while camping! The whole QT gang just got back from a camping retreat filled with friends, good times and great food!
Friday evening we headed out to Henry Coe State Park. We packed a dinner we planned to cook in the campfire that evening. Tent? Check. Gas? Check. Sleeping Bags? Check. Campfire? Um.... No Campfire?!
Ah, well, the best laid plans. When we arrived, we threw our herbed ground meat over a bed of spinach and fresh red pepper packets on the gas stove. The smell permeated our campsite as we got everything all set up and the meat steamed to perfection. It was amazing!
Saturday morning only got better. Carrot cake pancakes. Yes, I did say carrot cake. For breakfast. In the form of a pancake. It was *AWESOME*! Perfectly puffed, slightly sweet and a tiny bit crunchy from some nuts thrown in. We were ready for the day after that breakfast!
Ever had a quinoa salad for dinner while camping? Neither had I! Quinoa, avocado, cilantro, grilled zuchinni, and fresh garlic. Need I say more? Who wants to go camping now???
Friday evening we headed out to Henry Coe State Park. We packed a dinner we planned to cook in the campfire that evening. Tent? Check. Gas? Check. Sleeping Bags? Check. Campfire? Um.... No Campfire?!
Ah, well, the best laid plans. When we arrived, we threw our herbed ground meat over a bed of spinach and fresh red pepper packets on the gas stove. The smell permeated our campsite as we got everything all set up and the meat steamed to perfection. It was amazing!
Saturday morning only got better. Carrot cake pancakes. Yes, I did say carrot cake. For breakfast. In the form of a pancake. It was *AWESOME*! Perfectly puffed, slightly sweet and a tiny bit crunchy from some nuts thrown in. We were ready for the day after that breakfast!
Ever had a quinoa salad for dinner while camping? Neither had I! Quinoa, avocado, cilantro, grilled zuchinni, and fresh garlic. Need I say more? Who wants to go camping now???
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