For the love of Produce...
Replies
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What we have here is a gallon jar full of what will be saurkraut in a few weeks.
Pretty basic. Three heads of cabbage and some salt. Well, I did peel two globes of garlic and tossed in all the whole cloves, not so much to flavor the kraut (which it will do) but because I want to eat pickled garlic, and I am afraid it won't ever have enough sugar on its own to ferment by itself.
Homemade sauerkraut is So Good. I haven't made it in years (I've gotten lazy and buy the high priced raw stuff in interesting flavors that's made by The Brinery just a ways down the road in Ann Arbor). Used to make giant crocks of it every Fall, and can much of it. It's nicer raw, but after a while we needed to cut the fermentation before we produced alien life forms instead of kraut (and realistically, probably we also got tired of skimming 😆). Enjoy your kraut!
I think this may be my first batch in 20 years. Why I stopped, I have no idea.
There's a few neighbors who ferment things, and we like to share. So this will get shared. I don't plan to process any in jars; if it gets "done enough," I put it in jars and refrigerate. That slows the process down enough that it really doesn't keep getting more sour. I used to make something that was a cross between kraut and kimchi. I would add lots of hot chilies and fish sauce, but slice like kraut. This time it's just plain old cabbage. I bet it will be really good. I can still add some chilies if I want. And carrot. And fish sauce.... Nah. I'll let this one go as-is.
My real FAVORITE is half-sour pickles. I don't find them in stores. I have to make them. I haven't in a while. Next summer! In the past I would actually process some of them so they could be shelf-stable. Better if I just jar 'em up and put them in the fridge so they're still alive.
I disagree with none of that (well, maybe the fish sauce, but only because vegetarian).
Nonetheless, starting with a couple of 10-gallon earthenware crocks of kraut, it was not gonna fit in the refrigerator, and still have milk every day in the coffee. We lived in a low-rent trailer park at the time. Some of the neighbors would've been good kraut recipients, like the nice students next door, and the retired couple across the street (she played hammer dulcimer, and did it *well*). But we avoided the guy who had serious blackout curtains all around and sometimes walked around his trailer at night with a shotgun, the couple who kept a live rooster in their trailer, the passel of women to the South whose boyfriends poached deer and left the carcasses in our shrubbery, the people in the back who literally locked their small kids outdoors daily . . . .
Guy came to the trailer door one day wanting cash for food & dog food. We gave him home-canned carrots and dog food. Somehow, he seemed nonplussed.😆
Situational, kraut sharing and storage, eh? 😉
Happy New Year, @mtaratoot and all!5 -
I know it's a deadly sin if you believe in that kind of stuff but I covet your ten gallon crock.
My neighbors rescued a five gallon one from a property that was going to go under the bulldozer. I'm always on the lookout for one.
I'm just working on a one gallon glass jar. I have some larger plastic buckets, and that's what I used to use for pickles and kraut.
Reminds me of a joke (because I like to tell jokes on Thursday, and I like banjo jokes even though I also like banjos).
Do you know the difference between a banjo and a hammer dulicmer?Dulcimer burns longer.
I know you know the difference between a banjo and an onion.Nobody cries when you chop up a banjo.
And to be fair; Do you know how to get a guitar player off your porch?Pay him for the pizza and tell him to go away.2 -
I know it's a deadly sin if you believe in that kind of stuff but I covet your ten gallon crock.
My neighbors rescued a five gallon one from a property that was going to go under the bulldozer. I'm always on the lookout for one.
I'm just working on a one gallon glass jar. I have some larger plastic buckets, and that's what I used to use for pickles and kraut.
Reminds me of a joke (because I like to tell jokes on Thursday, and I like banjo jokes even though I also like banjos).
Do you know the difference between a banjo and a hammer dulicmer?Dulcimer burns longer.
I know you know the difference between a banjo and an onion.Nobody cries when you chop up a banjo.
And to be fair; Do you know how to get a guitar player off your porch?Pay him for the pizza and tell him to go away.
Bluegrass banjo is my goal, and my deep,deep despair. I've signed up (just recently) for an online instruction thingie with the stellar Noam Pikelny. This has nothing to do with produce, sadly.
I got my crocks at the local Ace hardware, I think, maybe Gohn Bros or Vermont Country Store back in the day (?) but I'll bet Amazon'll do ya, nowadays.1 -
Crock-fermented pickles are the best! I haven't made them since my crock went missing in a move over 40 years ago. Maybe it's time to replace it.0
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They sure aren't cheap.
And they take up a fair bit of space.
Maybe I can just borrow my neighbors'3 -
They sure aren't cheap.
And they take up a fair bit of space.
Maybe I can just borrow my neighbors'
In times of un-use, flip it over and use it as a side table or plant stand. There are other options, but this is the easiest. (When I was making kraut, I lived in a 12x56' house trailer with another adult, 2 dogs, 2 cats. There was not a lot of space. 😆)2 -
I did all I could to ensure good luck in 2021.
Black eyed peas
Collard greens
Buttermilk cornbread
Happy New Year!
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I made a very veggie-forward holiday leftover casserole. Leftover turkey, leftover succotash, and topped with leftover mashed carrots and parsnips (a dish that my Northern Irish father in law MUST HAVE at every major holiday meal but that no one else really cares about, so of course I was stuck with enough for an army). I overbought some veggies for Christmas so I used kale, zucchini, some mini bell peppers, onion and garlic inside as well. Topped with some leftover bit of shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Husband didn’t like it (sigh) but I think it’s pretty darn good, and at 300ish calories per large serving, I’ll gladly eat the rest!6 -
Happy New Year produce peeps! What would I do without your veggie-spiration??!
Started the new year with some pretty watercress. I think it kinda looks like shamrocks. ☺️
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I went out to the post office today.
When I got home, there was an odd funky smell in the house. You know how you get accustomed to smells and don't notice them after a while. Well, this one was like something was fermenting, and it wasn't fresh bread dough. I was worried maybe there was some food somewhere or my cat barfed or something. I sniffed around trying to figure out what it was.
Then I remembered.
I'm making sauerkraut. It's just cabbage fermenting. Whew. Only a couple more weeks and it will be done. I pulled the jar out of the bucket today, and it's bubbling along nicely.6 -
senalay788 wrote: »I went out to the post office today.
When I got home, there was an odd funky smell in the house. You know how you get accustomed to smells and don't notice them after a while. Well, this one was like something was fermenting, and it wasn't fresh bread dough. I was worried maybe there was some food somewhere or my cat barfed or something. I sniffed around trying to figure out what it was.
Then I remembered.
I'm making sauerkraut. It's just cabbage fermenting. Whew. Only a couple more weeks and it will be done. I pulled the jar out of the bucket today, and it's bubbling along nicely.
You keep fermenting cabbage in the house? Wow.... respect lol
My parents keep the buckets in the garage and thats bad enough.
Reminds me of when I went to my Korean friends house back in the day and her grandparents were making Kimchi. Its like someone smacked you in the face as you enter lol
oh oh...and I was going to make my first batch of sauerkraut today. I still will but I live in a condo....no downstairs. Worth it (I hope)!1 -
I've been purchasing an unpasteurized organic sauerkraut that I love, but it is pricey (especially the amount I consume!). I wish I could find one that is unpasteurized/organic inexpensively....hence me going to make my own:)0
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I've been meaning to make sauerkraut, will have to see how stinky it is in practice.0
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I love all the glorious funky smells of fermenting foods. It's probably good that I have no close neighbors. Or maybe that's WHY I have no close neighbors..3
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Personally I didn't find it that stinky in practice, but maybe because the house trailer I was living in was probably on the drafty side, even in Winter? 😉
It sounds like you're using a different process, maybe? Can't tell.
Mine was in a open crock (if anything over it, just a light, loose cloth to keep dust off). A plate inside kept the kraut submerged, and every day we skimmed the surface, washed the plate (and any weight that was on it, if that was needed to keep the plate submerged), and put it back together again. Perhaps the open air setup makes the stink more general but lighter by normal air-current dispersion, perhaps the skimming/washing limits it a bit? I don't know. Maybe I just have high tolerance for stinky stuff. 😆 That last is probable, actually: I'm not very sensitive to minor perturbations around me, more oblivious by nature.4 -
It doesn't really stink that bad. It was just an odor that reminded me of "something going off." Well... that's because it is! I don't have a garage, and it's way too cold out in the shed fora ferment. I went to the dentist today, and when I came in the house, I didn't even notice. Next I'll make some kimchi. I almost added at least some shredded carrot to this batch.
Cabbage, even organic cabbage, is pretty inexpensive. It's amazing how much of a value added product it becomes when you add salt and let it develop a colony of lactic acid bacteria.
In the past, I've used the weighted plate method. I'm just using a one gallon glass jar this time, so I'm using the "brine filled bag" technique. It's recommended with this technique that you do NOT take out the bag to skim the scum. I do check it every day. If liquid has bubbled out of the jar, I pour that out. I bet that's where the stink was coming from.
I'm actually tempted to fill a quart jar with garlic cloves and cover with brine to see if that will ferment. That will be an expensive experiment. I was making red onion and carrot quick pickle for a while; this will be mmm mmm good.
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Bought a couple butternut squashes and treated them exactly how I do my roasted potatoes. Very tasty, even my husband (who hates winter squash) said it was like “an inferior roasted potato” which is actually a compliment
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@o0Firekeeper0o
Those look tasty; I bet they are. Do you use convection or just regular oven? Do you steam them first or just roast? I imagine they take much longer than potatoes or beets.
I am envious of your Vitamix. And all the uncluttered counter space. My kitchen is a challenge for me, although I still love cooking there. I remember someone I used to work with said her mom used to be able to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner on the little space between the sink and the edge of the counter.....
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o0Firekeeper0o wrote: »
Bought a couple butternut squashes and treated them exactly how I do my roasted potatoes. Very tasty, even my husband (who hates winter squash) said it was like “an inferior roasted potato” which is actually a compliment
😋 yum!1 -
Those look tasty; I bet they are. Do you use convection or just regular oven? Do you steam them first or just roast? I imagine they take much longer than potatoes or beets.
I am envious of your Vitamix. And all the uncluttered counter space. My kitchen is a challenge for me, although I still love cooking there. I remember someone I used to work with said her mom used to be able to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner on the little space between the sink and the edge of the counter.....
I adapted how to make roasted potatoes from my much loved book “The Best Recipe”. Basically cut and season with olive oil and spices (I always use salt and pepper, garlic and onion powders, and an herb or two. This time I used ground sage), put in one layer onto a parchment lined pan, tightly cover with foil, and roast at about 400F for about 20 min. Remove the foil and return them to the oven for another 30ish minutes until they’re roasty and fully cooked. I did that exactly here but you are right, it took longer since it was squash and not a potato!
Regarding the counter space, it’s all just looks. My kitchen and counter are SO small Cooking anything in there is often a challenge; on Christmas I literally ended up putting some of the dirty pots and pans out on the porch since there was simply no space left. But we make it work! Your friends mom sounds very resourceful! 1 -
o0Firekeeper0o wrote: »Those look tasty; I bet they are. Do you use convection or just regular oven? Do you steam them first or just roast? I imagine they take much longer than potatoes or beets.
I am envious of your Vitamix. And all the uncluttered counter space. My kitchen is a challenge for me, although I still love cooking there. I remember someone I used to work with said her mom used to be able to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner on the little space between the sink and the edge of the counter.....
I adapted how to make roasted potatoes from my much loved book “The Best Recipe”. Basically cut and season with olive oil and spices (I always use salt and pepper, garlic and onion powders, and an herb or two. This time I used ground sage), put in one layer onto a parchment lined pan, tightly cover with foil, and roast at about 400F for about 20 min. Remove the foil and return them to the oven for another 30ish minutes until they’re roasty and fully cooked. I did that exactly here but you are right, it took longer since it was squash and not a potato!
Regarding the counter space, it’s all just looks. My kitchen and counter are SO small Cooking anything in there is often a challenge; on Christmas I literally ended up putting some of the dirty pots and pans out on the porch since there was simply no space left. But we make it work! Your friends mom sounds very resourceful!
I've never covered veggies when I roast. I use convection at 425F. I think the oven has a "brain" and turns itself down 25 degrees when it's on convection. I slice different sizes depending what I want, and it takes about a half hour. I think I might roast an onion today; maybe some potatoes.
The sauerkraut might be done in a week. I am so tempted to take some out now; looks good.3 -
I've never covered veggies when I roast. I use convection at 425F. I think the oven has a "brain" and turns itself down 25 degrees when it's on convection. I slice different sizes depending what I want, and it takes about a half hour. I think I might roast an onion today; maybe some potatoes.
The sauerkraut might be done in a week. I am so tempted to take some out now; looks good.
The advantage of covering something like a potato for a while while roasting, as explained in my book, was that it will sort of par-steam it and keep the inside nice and moist, and the uncovered part of the cook makes the outside browned and crispy, at least in a “normal” oven. You’re so lucky to have a convection oven; it really is choice for roasting a vegetable because of the air circulation!1 -
I made a cod chowder that was mostly to use up some Alaskan cod I needed to use, but ended up being about the produce I also needed to use: carrots, celery, a bit of potato (not much), turnips, onions, mushrooms, and then some frozen corn since I just thought the sweetness would go nicely (a higher carb meal than I in theory was aiming for, but delicious).
I also have been trying out virtual cooking classes for ideas (and to support them) from my local cookware store, which pre covid did in person classes (I have picked up some better knife skills). Today's was about chicken and dumplings, but also had a great green bean, radicchio, onion, and apple salad with an apple cider vinegar + mustard vinaigrette, which I am definitely making.4 -
o0Firekeeper0o wrote: »Those look tasty; I bet they are. Do you use convection or just regular oven? Do you steam them first or just roast? I imagine they take much longer than potatoes or beets.
I am envious of your Vitamix. And all the uncluttered counter space. My kitchen is a challenge for me, although I still love cooking there. I remember someone I used to work with said her mom used to be able to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner on the little space between the sink and the edge of the counter.....
I adapted how to make roasted potatoes from my much loved book “The Best Recipe”. Basically cut and season with olive oil and spices (I always use salt and pepper, garlic and onion powders, and an herb or two. This time I used ground sage), put in one layer onto a parchment lined pan, tightly cover with foil, and roast at about 400F for about 20 min. Remove the foil and return them to the oven for another 30ish minutes until they’re roasty and fully cooked. I did that exactly here but you are right, it took longer since it was squash and not a potato!
Regarding the counter space, it’s all just looks. My kitchen and counter are SO small Cooking anything in there is often a challenge; on Christmas I literally ended up putting some of the dirty pots and pans out on the porch since there was simply no space left. But we make it work! Your friends mom sounds very resourceful!
I've never covered veggies when I roast. I use convection at 425F. I think the oven has a "brain" and turns itself down 25 degrees when it's on convection. I slice different sizes depending what I want, and it takes about a half hour. I think I might roast an onion today; maybe some potatoes.
The only veg I cover is beets. I should try convection, but I typically just roast.2 -
We've been eating a lot of elaborate salads from my youth in the 80s lately, largely due to nostalgia. Parmesan and candied walnuts is a standard, caesar which we haven't for years, spinach with warm bacon vinaigrette which we haven't had since the 80s, spinach, argula and smoked mackerel with boiled egg is one we made up tonight.
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Read an online article from Texas Monthly about taco styles (including modern/whacky, breakfast or vegetarian ones) and decided a new soft taco attempt could be good for lunch (purely invented with what's on hand, not from recipes in the article).
Settled on corn tortilla, filled with a layer of thin-sliced browned potato, egg, cheese, cubed smoked tofu, and way too much pan-browned onion/raw brussels sprout slaw (dressed with lime juice, white wine vinegar, salt, and a seasoning of spicy oven-browned smashed garlic/black pepper/chile pepper flakes/residual butter that was left on the baking pan after I made garlic almonds yesterday and saved because too tasty to throw away 😆). The tomatoes are not integral, just a side.
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I think I would have made two tortillas (or three) and divided the filling between (or among) them. That looks hard to eat!
I haven't made tortillas in a possum's age.1 -
I think I would have made two tortillas (or three) and divided the filling between (or among) them. That looks hard to eat!
I haven't made tortillas in a possum's age.
Multiple tortillas is a budgeting problem, for me, at my size. A fat taco that's hard to eat isn't. 😉 I made a womanful effort, and managed to eat it. A little messy, but that's OK. 😆7 -
I also tend to go light on the tortilla as the cals to nutrients ratio doesn't work as well when one has fewer cals, and tortillas also just aren't something I usually want to spend many cals on. I (sacrilege!) just use a fork.4
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