Is That A Corncob On Your Plate Or Are You Just Happy To See Me

 

Supper, Thursday July 1, 2021: blackened chop

and garden vegetables.

I first have to admit, as much as Alexis would like it, we do not have an avocado tree. In the past I have planted a massive home garden. At the peak of harvest we have taken in literal mounds of produce. We do not have a large sunny space in our yard in Savannah. I have shifted to small garden beds. I will add a few more this winter. In the end I want to grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, greens, and green beans. That would be enough. We did grow those pretty little tomatoes and the peppers this year though.

It's What's For Dinner

Supper, Wednesday January 15, 2020: blackeyed 

pea falafel.

I'm quite fond of this recipe for a couple of reasons. I really like blackeyed peas. The same goes for any of the beans in that family, cow peas, field peas. . . Some of these were once considered fodder so found their way into the diet of poor southerners (historically, read some whites and most blacks). My father fit the bill so I learned to like cow peas. 

Blackeyes are easy to cook. They do not require soaking and they do not take a long time on the stove. Solves the problem of "I'd like some beans for dinner. . . well I guess tomorrow." Most other beans require a much longer time investment.

Broad beans, favas, are a pain in the butt. You have to peel them. The alternative, box mix falafel is WAY too salty. OK, that's three, or maybe four. Anyhoo, I like this falafel mix.

Poop. I don't know where the recipe is. It's mostly just falafel sub blackeyed peas, but when I started writing this I was gonna put up the recipe. I'll have to look and post later. 

BTW Brass does not like January.

 

But Wait There's More. . .

Supper, Sunday July 28, 2019: super salad (romaine, avocado, blackberry, red onion, cucumber, sprouts, blood orange olive oil, balsamic); fried blue potatoes; fried cauliflower.

This started out as an attempt to make something for the oil we bought. We were visiting family and while there went to one of those indoor markets that are popular in big cities right now. Big open converted space. Lots of food vendors, particularly international. Some specialty shops and groceries. One of the shops was a purveyor of infused oils. Like more than a few people I am on a little bit of a blood orange kick. We bought a couple of gifts and then treated ourselves. 

I was just going to post the picture of the salad, but then I decided that the potatoes looked too good to pass up.

It's Good For Ya

Supper, Monday October 22, 2018: med-platter (hummus, mixed pickle, baba ganoush, tabouleh, goat cheese). 

We call this or any slightly different knoshing meal a med-platter, as in Mediterranean. (I must thank the FSM in his noodly visage for the gift of spell-check. If I haven't learned to spell Medi-whatever by now I am pretty sure it ain't gonna happen.) We have it with crackers, flour tortillas, baked pita or toast points. Depends on what we have and what is available. 

The tabouleh looks a little funny because it has sun dried tomatoes. I'm kinda cool on them in this case. I don't think the texture works. Mama likes them so dey in dere. 

Ever notice something odd about the way we say "goat cheese?" For examples like cheddar or kuminost (it's a real thing) we say "cow's milk cheese." For manchego or pecorino romano we say "sheep's milk cheese." Then there is "goat cheese." Cheese made out of goats? Eehh?

I Got Told

Breakfast, Friday March 09: savory oats (steel cut oats, vegetable base, sausage, habanero cojack); egg; fruit. 

I thought that this was a fairly balanced meal, mostly grain, some protein, fruit. It loosely fits in the FDA guidelines. Then I went to the doctor.

I  must qualify by stating that I have a condition for which I take prednisone. It has helped my condition BUT at a cost. It has given me diabetes and I have put on a lot of weight. I need to lose quite a bit. 

I was told to get rid of the oats. 

But wait, isn't oatmeal good for you? Sure. I need to lose weight though, not maintain. I was told to reduce or eliminate carbs. Important note: This should not be interpreted as "eat more protein." That is the mistake many people make. The message is "eat less carbs." This is an important distinction. Eat less carbs means lowering overall calories as well as those that are easily converted to glucose. That is the culprit with respect to diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity in general. 

Dammit.

Jalapeno Relish is Da Bomb

Breakfast, Friday February 23: french toast (home made multi-grain, egg, milk, cream, toasted pecan); yogurt and marmalade swirl, apple, jalapeno relish.

Two important things to emphasize: orange marmalade and jalapeno relish. Orange marmalade is not like other jams or jellies. Its preparation is even easier. That is a little surprising in that jellies are not that complicated. I will allow that they are tedious, timing is important, but the steps require no special skill. Just follow that instructions in the pectin pack. The instructions for marmalade on the other hand are basically: slice; boil; sweeten. Obviously I am oversimplifying, but the point I meant to make is that precise timing and measurement are not as much a concern. Making marmalade is not as tedious as other jams. A great treatment of the details is delivered by Chef Brown. Just follow this link.

I wish I could claim the jalapeno relish 'cause it is REALLY good. It is a gift from the mother of dear friends of ours. Sweet, but not overly, a touch of heat but accessible to nearly anyone, big pepper flavor, deep rich color. I used it for the first time last night to make thousand island dressing for reubens. Best Dressing Evar! I only hope that she is willing to share the recipe. 

When The Sauce Is The Star

Supper, Wednesday November 15: pumpkin and nasturtium sauce* over 3 cheese tortellini; multi-grain toast.

This is a good example of experimenting with ingredients on hand. The sauce came about in a "stone soup" fashion. I just kept adding things until I was satisfied with the result.

*Here's kinda how it went. It started with a healthy portion of cooked garden pumpkin and even healthier portion of nasturtium leaves and flowers. I sauteed these together to use later in a sauce because a frost was coming that would kill the nasturtiums. When I finally got to it I added chopped leek, minced shallot, and minced garlic. I sauteed this mix for a bit with some olive oil whilst pondering the rest of the ingredients. I decided to spice with harrissa. That was the most important choice. It really worked well well with the other ingredients. I finished with some vegetable base and half and half. This simmered for a bit, til thickened. 

As I was tasting while creating the sauce I began to realize that it was morphing into something more like a side dish, say heading toward creamed spinach. So rather than the sauce accompanying the pasta I wanted to think of it the other way. That is why when plating I put down a larger portion of sauce then the pasta and then more sauce, surrounding the pasta. A little paprika and done. 

Flip F'Real

Breakfast, Tuesday November 14: (yogurt and crunchity stuff (yogurt, toasted pecans; honey, granola almond slivers chocolate morsels, desiccated coconut); dates.

There's a commercial product available that comes with yogurt and a separate pocket for come crunchity stuff. Alexis likes them so I decided to see how I could improve on the concept.  It was pretty simple to make a mix of her favorite healthy crunchity things. I keep it premixed in a mason jar for a quick and simple breakfast I can put together on mornings when I don't have the energy for something elaborate or sometimes she wants a super healthy meal.

Green Soup Is Always A Little Intimidating

Supper, Sunday November 07: nasturtium and leek soup;* wilted greens salad, whole wheat biscuit.

*We had a friend over for dinner. Traditionally this would be made with chicken stock. Our friend is a vegetarian so I made this with vegetable base instead. Truth be told that is what I would normally use. I make my own meat stocks but I use a commercial vegetable base concentrate. I use it whenever anything needs a little flavor boost and or some salt. Rice, add a little base. Polenta, add a little base. Soup a little weak, add a little base. 

Gnome Butts

Supper, Tuesday October 31: Thai frog legs (de-boned frog legs, shiitake, black fungus, onion, carrot, roasted chilis, sesame seed, fish sauce, soy); rice noodles; kimchi, seaweed salad.

We have a couple of Asian groceries that we patronize. One is a small affair that we have been using for years. the other is a new and much bigger store. The new one has a much wider variety of items and a broader selection within categories. On the other hand the small store has most of the stuff we normally use in the brands we recognize. Mostly I stick with our usual store, but if I am in the mood to explore new ideas I might go to the new shiny store and wander the aisles. 

This time I went to the new place. I spotted the frog legs in the freezer. I didn't know I was looking for them until found them. I decided to do a stir fry of some sort with them. 

I love that fresh seaweed salad.

Oh yeah, at some point in the day I texted Alexis with the following picture to tell her we were having gnome butts for dinner.

It's All About The Sauce

Supper, Sunday October 09: tofu verde (seared tofu. garden tomatillos, onion, garlic, roasted chilis, chili powder, olive oil); mexi-rice (long grain rice, tomato sauce, chili powder, pinto beans, corn); olives; grilled pineapple; toast.

We had a decent tomatillo harvest this fall. I was pleased to have anything. I had trouble with my seed starts back in the spring. I finally ended up with 4 good plants. Of the 4, 3 were good producers. I canned some and I made verde sauce. We had a vegetarian friend join us for dinner so I seared some tofu well in a pan then smothered in in the verde and let it simmer a bit. It was great. I think verde sauce is to Mex/SW cuisine as vindaloo is to Indian. The protein is of little consequence, It could be braised possum, but no one would know otherwise. So, the tofu was great. 

Using fresh tomatillos is easy. Remove the husks. Rinse well. Quarter, Put in a sauce-pot with just a couple ounces of water. Simmer til they have broken down. 

Yin-Yang

Breakfast, Sunday October 26: black beans (olive oil. onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, feta); mexi-rice (wild rice, arborio, tomato paste, onion, garlic, vegetable base); scramble (eggs, parsley, chive, cilantro); fried plantain.

I have a bit of insomnia now and again. Sometimes I wake up WAY to early and then there is no going back to sleep. I think this time it was about 4 am. Alexis slept in so I had a lot of time to spend on this.

It's Fiberlicious

Supper, Saturday August 5: shrimp marinara (spaghetti squash, wild shrimp, tomato, garlic olive oil, onion, basil, black pepper, salt); fried okra, bella di cerignola olives.

Because fried okra (and spaghetti squash). I have passed my addiction to fried okra on to Alexis. Thankfully I have a little fryer that is convenient to use. I also have a technique for breading that is relatively easy. Now that doesn't mean it is a snap, just that it is easier than what most folks would do. Most importantly, this time of year, as the okra and tomatoes are coming in, I have the breading ingredients mise en place, put in place because there will be use for it every couple of days, not just for meals but to store up for the winter. I put FGT and okra away in the freezer breaded and ready to cook.

So here's the layout:

I store the ingredients in nested bowls in the fridge when I know that I will be doing this frequently. Like when I am freezing stuff.

The wash is egg and buttermilk. It is good for a few days. Change it out as necessary.

Prepare the vegetables as desired.

Salt or spice. I like seasoned salt. 

Dredge in flour first. This helps the breading adhere.

Tap off the excess. This is the seeeecret tool, just an ordinary spider. It is great for breading small stuff.

Do all this step at once before moving on. (Unless you are doing a LOT, but then work in batches. You will see in a sec. It is to keep the spider clean.)

For larger items I use a skewer or the fingers of ONE hand.

A little at a time put the product in the egg wash. Jostle, toss, fold, whatever works for you, until every thing is completely coated. Do this somewhat gently so as not to wash off the flour.

Here's where the spider comes in again. Use it to strain the washed goods and transfer to the breading mix. I use one part flour and two parts breadcrumbs. Use whatever you prefer here. Like cornmeal? Knock yourself out. I don't salt or spice here generally but that is also a good option.

Jostle, tap, toss, whatever, to coat. then you can use out DRY hands to transfer to a towel.

Fry to golden yumminess (or freeze).

Noshers Delight

Lunch, Thursday July 27: mixed media (daikon, cucumber, tomato, Jackson Wonders, apple, artisan caramel, cheese assmt.

We were having a lazy day for once. I put this together for nibbles while we watched some TV.  The veggies are from the garden. We normally would not have lima beans this early but we had a couple of very vigorous volunteer plants that came up early. I left them there and we have gotten a couple of meals from just those two plants.

The caramel is from an artisan cheese-maker in the area. (Is there a better word for that? Cheese-maker is kinda klunky. Anyhoo. . .) They also make caramel from the local milk they use. It is just great with apple wedges. 

The World Is My Oyster

Supper, Sunday June 18: oyster salad.

Only the leftmost two items didn't come from the garden.

Wonder Twin powers ACTIVATE!

Before oysters. Whaaangh whaaa.

After oysters. Queue music: "Tonight we're gonna party like its. . ."

We have to remember that for most of humanity's existence we have been routinely starving enough to eat whatever we could shove in our gobs that didn't kill us. If you want an example think Durian. That stuff is so nasty Andrew "Bizarre Foods" Zimmern couldn't choke it down. So hats off everyone, to the poor bastard who was hungry enough to try a little "rock snot." Thank you sir or madam for going down that road for us. Deeelicous. 

BTW. Why did the boy in the Wonder Twins always get the lame transformation. Seriously, they would be all:

(Both stand arms length apart facing each other.

Both fist bump to touch rings together.)

Both: "Wonder Twin powers, ACTIVATE!"

Girl: "Shape of a Bengal Tiger!"
Boy: "Form of a bucket of crap!"

Sure I understand that we have millennia of marginalizing women to make up for, but did it have to be every time? 

Sup with that?

I Didn't Know That Was A Thing

Supper, Wednesday June 16: rutabaga greens; zuchini parmesan (rotini, marinara, parm, fresh mozzarella, zucchini).

The title applies to both "things" here. I wanted to make an eggplant parm ala your favorite Greek diner, 2 or 3 slabs of fried eggplant over pasta and topped with cheese. I didn't have any eggplant but I had Grey Griller. I thought, "Grey Griller is kinda firm, and sautes well. . ." Worked like a champ! Tasty too, and it doesn't soak up grease like the eggplant can. 

The Rutabaga greens were a surprise also. I prepared them like sauteed kale. They tasted similar to collards. I like to finish sauteed greens with a little marsala (sweet vermouth, or any sweet wine would work depending on your taste). It adds a little vinuous brightness and some sweetness to cover the greens inherent mild bitterness.

Squash? For Breakfast?

Breakfast, Friday June 16: leftover taters; seared squash; scramble.

So I tried a new variety of squash in the garden. It's called Grey Griller. It a zucchini varietal that is a very light green (the grey part) and a bit denser (the griller part, 'cause they aren't so mushy after grilling). They do very well just seared in a pan with a little olive oil and some seasoned salt. Sitting on the plate instead of sausage or bacon they make it a good bit healthier. The scramble was just scrambled eggs with a bit of chopped fresh chives and parsley. (It's always chives is just one, a chive? it's like pants. What is a pant? One leg? (Yup, chive is a single bulb and stalk. Pants is short for pantaloons which originally came in two pieces one for each leg. (Hell yeah! I love recursion!)))

Oh yeah, food. The taters came from a burger joint that we like that gives us a pile of steak cut fries. I think it is because we ask for no salt. The throw a couple of big double handfuls in the fryer and give us all of them regardless of how much they overestimated. So we take home half of them to use for breakfast the next day. I just cut them into chunks and saute like hashed browns.

I Swear There's Greens Under There

Supper, Wednesday June 14: BAS.

Big. Ass. Salad. 

The cheese and the meat obviously did not come from the garden, but most of the rest is from the backyard. I love those little heirloom cucumbers. 

Mmmhhmmm. . . some folk calls it Mexican sour. I calls it mouse melon. Mmmhhmmm. 

Either way they are tasty. It is an heirloom variety that is very suitable for a container. I have four plants in pots with a stake for the vines to climb on. This actually works better than growing them on the ground. It is uncomfortable and tedious searching for tiny green balls smaller than grapes amidst the leaves of the plant. Better that they grow on a stake or even a fence.

Really? Blueberries Again?

Breakfast, Wednesday June 14: blueberry whole wheat pancakes, fruit and yogurt, veggie scramble.

Early on Alexis wasn't excited about blueberries. Then we went on a vacation in the north east. It ended in Bar Harbor Maine. Beautiful little town and Acadia National Park is a genuine treasure. They put blueberries on everything there. Pizza. (Wait, maybe that was lobsta. I'm not sure.) Anyhoo, we ate a lot of blueberry stuff and things. Something just clicked with her. Since then she cannot get too many blueberries. Many years ago I toyed with the notion of putting a couple of blueberry bushes in the back yard. Shoulda done that. I might try one of the container varieties available now. 

But It Looks Like A Sausage

Breakfast, Saturday June 10: blueberry whole wheat pancakes; fausage; peaches.

I've written about fausage before. Though I am an avowed omnivore I like it occasionally. I will even admit that it is likely better for me than the real thing.

Bacon is good. Sausage is good.