For the love of Produce...

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Replies

  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    For those of you who own smokers (Tomek?) I had blanched broccoli finished in a wood burning smoker in a restaurant last night. Amazing. The hubby's order of roast potatoes were also done in the smoker.

    a08edgvq0qng.jpeg

    Funny you should share this... Smoked broccoli and/or Brussels sprouts are BEST (any vegetable for that matter). I can't tell what this was topped/seasoned with, but I highly recommend smoking broccoli and tossing with grated Parmesan and raw honey. DROOL!
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    edited August 2019
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    Wednesday it looked like this.
    9ysa1fzi3bge.jpg

    Thursday it looked like that.
    nbdbk779naly.jpg

    Dressing/drizzle details please?

    I think you know it by now but it rhymes with tahini lol

    I love your consistency.
    Occasionally you surprise me with a Greek yogurt based situation:)


    Or... maybe I just wanted you to talk tahini to me.

    (Team sesame.)
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    Hello, hello! Nice to meet y'all. I'm new to this thread (how am I just now tuning into this?), but expect to see a lot of me. ;)
    acpgee wrote: »
    For those of you who own smokers (Tomek?) I had blanched broccoli finished in a wood burning smoker in a restaurant last night. Amazing. The hubby's order of roast potatoes were also done in the smoker.

    a08edgvq0qng.jpeg

    Funny you should share this... Smoked broccoli and/or Brussels sprouts are BEST (any vegetable for that matter). I can't tell what this was topped/seasoned with, but I highly recommend smoking broccoli and tossing with grated Parmesan and raw honey. DROOL!

    I’ve thread stalked you before and I LOVE your flavor combos.

    I’m trying so hard to be a minimalist.

    But now I’m googling ‘smoker.’

  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 7,142 Member
    Hello, hello! Nice to meet y'all. I'm new to this thread (how am I just now tuning into this?), but expect to see a lot of me. ;)

    Hi pancakerunner!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,993 Member
    Summer! Watermelon, feta, mint and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
    4r1vp4eb3hxv.jpeg
  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    Hello, hello! Nice to meet y'all. I'm new to this thread (how am I just now tuning into this?), but expect to see a lot of me. ;)
    acpgee wrote: »
    For those of you who own smokers (Tomek?) I had blanched broccoli finished in a wood burning smoker in a restaurant last night. Amazing. The hubby's order of roast potatoes were also done in the smoker.

    a08edgvq0qng.jpeg

    Funny you should share this... Smoked broccoli and/or Brussels sprouts are BEST (any vegetable for that matter). I can't tell what this was topped/seasoned with, but I highly recommend smoking broccoli and tossing with grated Parmesan and raw honey. DROOL!

    I’ve thread stalked you before and I LOVE your flavor combos.

    I’m trying so hard to be a minimalist.

    But now I’m googling ‘smoker.’

    Haha thank you! The veggie + Parm + honey combo would also be great with roasted or grilled veggies. Personally I prefer grilled produce!

    Grilled cauliflower + pure maple syrup + parm is another great combo.

    Also, grilled Brussels sprouts tossed with bacon crumbles and blue cheese. Drizzled with honey. Do it.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    I second that instant pot ribs are not the way to go. Tried that a couple of times, because mostly of the time constraints and out of curiosity, mehhh. I usually do my ribs on the barbeque, and they are a hit with everyone. I don't have a smoker though, but I'm sure it's great when made that way.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Summer! Watermelon, feta, mint and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
    4r1vp4eb3hxv.jpeg

    Oh, yum: Thank you for reminding me what a great combo watermelon and feta is, before watermelon season here is over!

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »

    For the fresh dates, I love the ones that almost look like they have gone bad. They are really soft and simply slide off the branch. Its the time of the year for fresh figs and dates.
    Ohhhhhh and whats the spoon doing on that plate???

    To the bolded: Providing scale, for those who may not have seen these before. The spoon was handy.

    And these, at this ripeness, are what was available. (This part of Michigan is not a center for date acquisition, this kind or the other kind. Dearborn's possibly better, on speculation, but I don't feel like driving that far right now just for groceries.) I may try to see if some will ripen further (skeptical, based on reading), but am looking at recipes for using them at this stage.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    Summer! Watermelon, feta, mint and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
    4r1vp4eb3hxv.jpeg

    Oh, yum: Thank you for reminding me what a great combo watermelon and feta is, before watermelon season here is over!

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!

    Awesome, I’ve never seen a fresh date! I can barely eat dates since getting diabetes, but I love them, so I sometimes have just one like a candy bar.

    We’re getting muscadines locally now, speaking of things I love. There was a sign up outside a local farm, I need to stop by.
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    edited August 2019
    AnnPT77 wrote: »

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!

    Wow nice!!! Dates and figs are some of my favs too! I also have to limit them.. :/

    I had a fresh date feast in Morocco last time I was there — so tasty!
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    The watermelon and feta is reminding me of how I love tomato, watermelon, and feta salads. (One example: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014851-tomato-and-watermelon-salad.)

    Unfortunately, none of my tomatoes are ripe yet (I had a few a week ago, but none at the moment, although lots on their way), and I haven't gotten any in my farm box yet either.

    I do have a small watermelon I need to eat.
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!

    Wow nice!!! Dates and figs are some of my favs too! I also have to limit them.. :/

    I had a fresh date feast in Morocco last time I was there — so tasty!

    A 'date feast' sounds like a fantasy of mine lol!

    When I first looked at those fresh ones, I thought they were baby potatoes! lol

    I'm clearly not living right...
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    Summer! Watermelon, feta, mint and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
    4r1vp4eb3hxv.jpeg

    Oh, yum: Thank you for reminding me what a great combo watermelon and feta is, before watermelon season here is over!

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!

    Ummm, looks wonderful. Never had fresh dates, but love them in a dehydrated form. So sweet, snd so good with cheese! I would have never guessed what they are from the picture either, @PAPYRUS3 !
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    icemom011 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    Summer! Watermelon, feta, mint and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
    4r1vp4eb3hxv.jpeg

    Oh, yum: Thank you for reminding me what a great combo watermelon and feta is, before watermelon season here is over!

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!

    Ummm, looks wonderful. Never had fresh dates, but love them in a dehydrated form. So sweet, snd so good with cheese! I would have never guessed what they are from the picture either, @PAPYRUS3 !

    I think the usual brown, sticky ones are not so much dehydrated, as lots riper. I think the yellow ones are just not quite so far along . . . from what I read, it's not like grapes vs. raisins. But what do I know: I'm a date newbie! ;)
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    icemom011 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    Summer! Watermelon, feta, mint and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.
    4r1vp4eb3hxv.jpeg

    Oh, yum: Thank you for reminding me what a great combo watermelon and feta is, before watermelon season here is over!

    Here's my new(-to-me) produce find of the day . . .

    x41mqcj91pgc.jpg

    . . . fresh dates!

    Ummm, looks wonderful. Never had fresh dates, but love them in a dehydrated form. So sweet, snd so good with cheese! I would have never guessed what they are from the picture either, @PAPYRUS3 !

    I think the usual brown, sticky ones are not so much dehydrated, as lots riper. I think the yellow ones are just not quite so far along . . . from what I read, it's not like grapes vs. raisins. But what do I know: I'm a date newbie! ;)

    I am now ON THE HUNT for fresh dates!

    @just_Tomek I love shishitos!
  • purplefizzy
    purplefizzy Posts: 594 Member
    Finally settled on a few things I can eat pre-prepped... have been struggling with ‘partial meal prep’ because I have texture issues.. I usually only like leftover/reheated soupy/curry true stuff. Salad season is challenging...
    Mostly pre-roasted veg are a no-go for me, fridge seems to ruin them for me.
    But, figured out I actually like a very specific roast of kabocha and cauliflower, and can eat leftover if I reheat minimally in micro uncovered or dry sauté.
    Struggling with preferences vs time and reality...
    Have also discovered I enjoy batch made cabbage slaw in herby vinaigrette.

    This weeks eats:
    Roasted stuff as described above
    Avos (some ripe in fridge some counter)
    Ginger (for tea)
    Golden kiwi (totally in love!) and peaches (decent but kinda standard)
    Fridge with the usual suspects (new obsessions are TJs avocado goddess dressing, really good for premade and no questionable stuff in it), shredded cabbage in my herb green crack sauce, dairy protein (strangely, I’m not really eating meat still. Unsure why, could be the busy factor from new job, could be seasonal, meat just doesn’t sound right lately which is super not like me...)
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  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    just_Tomek wrote: »
    For the love of peppers, onions, shishitos, hairloom tomatos, baby potatos and home made turkey sausages. On the plate in 30 minutes. With the help of Webber grill.

    hgucc8b1ed9j.jpg

    So I don’t do much ‘social stuff’ online.
    Working in front of screens means that I mostly spend my down time avoiding screens.
    This produce-porn group is the exception.

    It’s funny trying to explain to my mom/sister/friends (whoever I am grocery shopping with or chatting with) WHY I am on the hunt for fresh dates, sauerkraut in a barrel, etc..
    ‘Well, my virtual produce crushes said that this stuff was really good’ sounds so funny to me. I heavily poke fun at the marketing machine of the webternet BC I work in marketing... and because it’s so much fun to give my very in the flesh friends a hard time about their ‘followers’ - and then here I am, haunting the Asian markets for stuff because of you guys.
    Maybe I make fun of it because there is still some part of me that is in awe of how I ‘found my people’ back in the LJ days when we were all so damn in awe of being able to connect over shared niche interests in a global way.
    I’ve decided this virtual produce space, with y’all, my fellow produce junkies - this is a virtual space I’m comfortable inhabiting.
    You make me a better cook because of your ideas.

    Some days it’s seeing a tahini drizzle.
    Some days it’s hearing those of you that can actually name varietals way philosophic about musk melons (I just cannot seem to remember this stuff. But oh how I try!)

    Some days it’s seeing someone’s pomegranate drizzle - and breaking out of my ‘food rut’ when I remember that I have the good pomegranate molasses in the back of the cupboard.

    Thank you guys for being a healthy use of the interwebs for me.
    Sometimes I have to watch myself around the ‘comparison trap’ factor that comes from seeing other people’s ‘highlight reel’ online existence. Never feel that here. Only feel a strange compulsion to find fresh dates no matter what... a drive to finally buy the smoker... and a lingering obsession with mamey (because I’m reasonably certain my one experience wasn’t a good genre representation.)

    Hehe - I love that we are called Produce Porn group !! 🏆
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    I’m not sure whether you produce porn stars can help me...but it’s worth a shot!

    Last weekend, when they were staying here, I was talking to my daughters fiancé about Kimchi which he’d recently had on a vegan burger. We both said we’d been thinking about doing some research into making some because it’s increasingly turning up on menus here in the UK and it sounds interesting, tasty and good for you!

    So, I did my research and made a batch on Friday. It’s definitely fermenting on my kitchen bench at the moment and it tasted great when I packed it into the jars so I have high hopes.

    It’s my understanding that I should keep tasting it to decide when to refrigerate it, to stop the fermentation. Problem is, I’ve never tasted/eaten Kimchi, so I’m not sure what I’m looking for! When I tasted last night it was starting to taste a little sharp/vinegary/sour. So I’m thinking it may be ready to refrigerate today.

    Can anybody advise further, please?
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    Hard to say without actually tasting it. I love it and have been thinking about making it. My dad's wife is Korean and makes it and claims it's hard to make it right and that she will teach me, but I assume she's being particular as there are lots of recipes online.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    Heh, I’m under no illusions that what I’ve made is ‘authentic kimchi’ at least to someone like your dad’s wife, who has generations of instinct behind her, which I respect totally.

    I’m kind of hoping that someone can give me a comparator for the sour vinegary pickle like depth that I think I’m looking for. Like mouth drawing like sucking a lemon, or like a really strong pickled onion, or like the gentle tang of a quick red onion or cucumber pickle? 🤷‍♀️

    I’m basically clueless as to what the end result *should* be, but I guess if it tastes good to me I’ll go with that in the absence of someone being able to taste it or offer me further wisdom.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,993 Member
    I buy commercial kimchi at the asian supermarket, and it is typically a little less acidic than sauerkraut. Similar levelt to a gherkin.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,993 Member
    On the basis of a recommendation from the "Weird things you do with food" thread, I just tried eating a kiwi with the skin. Bleh.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    I buy commercial kimchi at the asian supermarket, and it is typically a little less acidic than sauerkraut. Similar levelt to a gherkin.

    Thank you so much! That’s pretty much exactly what I needed to understand. I think it’s going into the fridge at this point 😊😊
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,993 Member
    I don't know if this is a useful reference for acidity, but I made a dish tonight that called for Chinese pickled mustard greens. It struck me that the level of acidity as well as firmness was similar to kimchi. I don't have any commercial kimchi at home at the moment to compare directly, so working from memory.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    Thank you, but the first time I’d even heard of Chinese pickled mustard greens was on this board very recently when you were visiting your mother in Canada! My kimchi is in the fridge. It’s pleasanty acidic and the veg is tender crisp, which is what I imagine it should be? Good sharp spicy flavour.

    I plan on having a little with dinner tomorrow, probably with a quarter hisbi cabbage, roasted in the oven, maybe with a TVP burger that I made and froze a few weeks ago. I’m a little scared to eat the kimchi because I’ve never fermented food before, but I’m trusting I’ve done it the right way and it’s safe and won’t make me ill!
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,993 Member
    I wouldn't worry about it. I grew up on my mom's Szechuan fermented cabbage which is a near relation to kimchi. It was just dumped in a jar of salted water with some chilli's and szechuan peppercorns and left to stand on the countertop. I doubt my mom disinfected anything.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,941 Member
    That’s reassuring, thank you 😊

    If you never see me post again, though, you’ll know what happened to me...😂😂