For the love of Produce...

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  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,887 Member
    I have to do that tonight.
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Tonight we rescued some underwhelming store bought peaches by using them in a salad with peaches, tomatoes, feta and classic vinaigrette. We got the idea from my favourite salad resource.
    https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22mlist.html
    gn56bl3w2tyd.jpeg

    😮 nice.
  • mourvedre
    mourvedre Posts: 107 Member
    purplefizzy wrote: »
    @dmkoenig
    Thanks!

    Here is my base roasted squash soup recipe (blog very infrequently):
    http://hills-for-breakfast.com/2019/01/06/roasted-squash-soup/

    A few new fave veggie recipes, ganked from R.Ray, with my menu modification notes:

    lgww21y1lc5m.jpeg

    Kale salad:
    https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/kale-salad-with-fig-balsamic-dressing

    Added: pine nuts, extra figs minced on top
    Used parm instead of manchego
    Used dried cherries instead of cranberries

    **Squash:
    https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/butternut-squash-with-hazelnut-and-pepita-dukka

    Used kabocha, black and white sesame, fresh mint
    Par-cooked cubes beforehand

    **Citrus Beet salad:
    https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/beet-and-orange-salad

    Do NOT peel golden beets before roasting.
    After roasting, peel and slice beets, cover with acid (vinegar or citrus.)
    -added bed of shaved fennel and arugula instead of watercress

    **Roasted turnips and radishes:
    https://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/roasted-turnips-and-radishes-with-lemon-garlic-butter

    YUM!!
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Pawpaws (local) and Pepino Melon (from Ecuador).

    This is the North American Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), not one of the other things sometimes called by the same common name. It has yellow-ish flesh with a creamy/custardy texture, and a few large black seeds: Very tasty.

    I've never tried the Pepino Melon before, so no description/review yet.

    7llxgwvnsz2j.jpg

    Also, it's crazy-big heirloom banana squash season here again. (That's a k-cup for scale; I don't use k-cups, but had one at hand. 🤷‍♀️) I have 22 x 2C pyrex bowls of roasted smashed squash in the chest freezer downstairs already, just bought two more of these delicious monsters at the farmers market yesterday: Each squash is good for about 10C of smashed roasted squash flesh, plus around a cup of chili powder/salt roasted seeds. The seeds are super big and plump, which is a bonus.)

    eoq8s2kn332r.jpg

    I live alone, so pretty much all of that frozen squash is just for meeeeeeee! (Hoping for no, or few/short Winter power outages.)

    @AnnPT77 Wow! 😮 impressive. Looking forward to hearing about the Pepino melon!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,899 Member
    edited October 2021
    Pepino melon review follows. For starters, it looks like this opened (that's a normal teaspoon from table service; the side that's down had some tiny, tiny immature seeds in the center):

    pkpfk9lskee8.jpg

    Texture seems between . . . I dunno, pear? . . . and melon. Thin skin. Slightly sweet. Closest to honeydew melon in flavor, but not exactly that at all. I'm not a big honeydew fan, like this better. However, nothing about it makes me crave it or need more, especially at the price here. IIRC, it was $3-something - maybe $3.19? - per pound. Fun to try, not super enticing.

    Those pawpaws, though: Want moar pawpaws! (Bought more on Saturday . . . .)

    egnd5e611hoh.jpg

    ETA: Roasted 2 more of those big banana squash, ten more 2 cup bowls in the freezer, total of (I think) 32 x 2 cup bowls now (might be 33). Yielded about 1.5 cups more chili powder/salt roasted seeds, too.
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,843 Member
    I have some kale, spinach(love spinach) & red chard which I use as the base for my green "juice" I make in my nutribullit, but I'm wanting to cook them instead somehow. what is a good way without using too much oil to saute & are kale & red chard good tasting for this?
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Pepino melon review follows. For starters, it looks like this opened (that's a normal teaspoon from table service; the side that's down had some tiny, tiny immature seeds in the center):

    pkpfk9lskee8.jpg

    Texture seems between . . . I dunno, pear? . . . and melon. Thin skin. Slightly sweet. Closest to honeydew melon in flavor, but not exactly that at all. I'm not a big honeydew fan, like this better. However, nothing about it makes me crave it or need more, especially at the price here. IIRC, it was $3-something - maybe $3.19? - per pound. Fun to try, not super enticing.

    Those pawpaws, though: Want moar pawpaws! (Bought more on Saturday . . . .)

    egnd5e611hoh.jpg

    ETA: Roasted 2 more of those big banana squash, ten more 2 cup bowls in the freezer, total of (I think) 32 x 2 cup bowls now (might be 33). Yielded about 1.5 cups more chili powder/salt roasted seeds, too.

    Must get a pawpaw! ☺️ I’m on the lookout for them.
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    Evamutt wrote: »
    I have some kale, spinach(love spinach) & red chard which I use as the base for my green "juice" I make in my nutribullit, but I'm wanting to cook them instead somehow. what is a good way without using too much oil to saute & are kale & red chard good tasting for this?

    👋 @Evamutt - sometimes I steam the chard with herbs. I’ve also sautéed in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth with minimum olive oil and it worked well.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,899 Member
    Safari_Gal_ wrote: »
    Evamutt wrote: »
    I have some kale, spinach(love spinach) & red chard which I use as the base for my green "juice" I make in my nutribullit, but I'm wanting to cook them instead somehow. what is a good way without using too much oil to saute & are kale & red chard good tasting for this?

    👋 @Evamutt - sometimes I steam the chard with herbs. I’ve also sautéed in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth with minimum olive oil and it worked well.

    Can stir-steam with a bit of broth or water, and no oil at all, too: Just watch so the pan doesn't dry out completely. They would have slightly different cooking times, for best results IMO, if each typical of their type: Kale longer than chard, chard longer than spinach . . . but all very short. Great cooked in with something like lentils, too - added at the end.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,032 Member
    @Evamutt
    I've used the recipe for blanched choi sum which would probably work with any leafy green with adjusted blanching time. You can reduce the vegetable oil used in the garlic sauce to a scant amount for browning the garlic.
    https://www.beyondkimchee.com/choy-sum-garlic-sauce/
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,843 Member
    thank you all for the advice, I will try those today, the broth saute & the blanch & see which we like more. I'll add some baby bok choy I have too
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,465 Member
    My neighbor has a quince tree that has so much fruit it is ridiculous. She told me to help myself. I usually just take a few to enjoy looking at and the aroma. I'm thinking maybe I should make some quince paste or something else.

    What's your favorite thing to do with quince?
  • basimmers
    basimmers Posts: 9 Member
    Zucchini is my favorite . I have everyone hooked on zucchini lasagna . I use ground beef , mushrooms ,diced tomatoes ,peppers , onion , garlic , har of sauce and of course zucchini instead of noodles .
  • lauriekallis
    lauriekallis Posts: 4,854 Member
    I've become almost addicted to kale "sauteed" in nothing more than the residual water from rinsing it. A sprinkle of salt, pepper and a few shaked of red hot chili peppers and YUM! (I usually have this under scrambled eggs).
  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
    Evamutt wrote: »
    I have some kale, spinach(love spinach) & red chard which I use as the base for my green "juice" I make in my nutribullit, but I'm wanting to cook them instead somehow. what is a good way without using too much oil to saute & are kale & red chard good tasting for this?

    I love to use these greens for Saag Paneer, or if you use only spinach it’s called Palak Paneer. It has some spice and a bit of oil too. Adding in any greens works, I love the spiciness of mustard greens and radish tops, you can use beet greens, kohlrabi tops, any edible cookable dark leafy greens. There are many recipe variations online but my favorite is on the TwoSleevers blog, it uses an InstantPot so it’s pretty quick, longest part is washing all the greens 😂. Freezes well but portion it first for ease of thawing. I’ll reheat it on the stove with some sautéed or caramelized onions, serve as-is for a side or add in other veggies and protein for a main dish.

    “Paneer” means a homemade farmers-type cheese, (can be found in stores too), you don’t have to add it in and can instead make it plain or add in mushrooms, channa (chickpeas), tofu, or whatever.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,032 Member
    A ripe persimmon.
    l9m7a2u7kv21.jpeg
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 8,032 Member
    Advice for cooking cauliflower that my hubby can tolerate requested. He has always professed to hate the stuff unless smothered in cheese sauce which is a pity because I quite like cauliflower but no longer cook it at home. However, last night he liked a saffron confit cauliflower I ordered at an Indian restaurant.

    Any recipe suggestions where the cauliflower is tender, rather than crunchy and is combined with some strong flavourings, maybe to mask the cabbage smell. Hubby's preference of smothering boiled vegetables in cheese sauce or hollandaise is not within my calorie goals.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,899 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Advice for cooking cauliflower that my hubby can tolerate requested. He has always professed to hate the stuff unless smothered in cheese sauce which is a pity because I quite like cauliflower but no longer cook it at home. However, last night he liked a saffron confit cauliflower I ordered at an Indian restaurant.

    Any recipe suggestions where the cauliflower is tender, rather than crunchy and is combined with some strong flavourings, maybe to mask the cabbage smell. Hubby's preference of smothering boiled vegetables in cheese sauce or hollandaise is not within my calorie goals.

    Would he like Aloo Gobi, or the equivalent without potatoes?
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,887 Member
    I've done tagine-inspired dishes and put them on chopped cauliflower (steamed) in lieu of rice. Or, you could just add the chopped cauliflower in the dish.

    I also often do pasta with a sauce (or topping) made of whatever is on hand. It's often something like zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms, black olives, and smoked salmon (or regular salmon or shrimp or whatever meat you like). The veg is cooked by sauteeing in olive olive (not too much) with some garlic. Given all the ingredients I don't think the cauliflower should seem too cabbage-y (although I like cauliflower so might not be the best judge).
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,899 Member
    Now that you mention pasta, cauliflower mac'n'cheese can be quite nice. Can be nutrient/calorie sensible when going with a version with smaller amounts of cheese, potentially red lentil or similar pasta, some nonfat Greek yogurt; a calorie efficient cheese or two in reasonable amounts (chevre, ricotta, parm or bleu in small amounts because tasty - whatever); I'd maybe add one or more of roasted smashed Winter squash, fresh sage, white miso, caramelized onions, roasted elephant garlic . . . ? Some soft tofu hides in there pretty nicely for extra protein, possibly, also. Ditto lasagna.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,899 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    I made roast radishes for the first time tonight. Really great. Have only ever eaten them raw before.
    https://therealfooddietitians.com/garlic-roasted-radishes/

    I keep meaning to try that, but I keep eating up all the radishes raw before I get around to it. 🤣 (As is so often the case, clearly I need more self-discipline!).
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,887 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    I made roast radishes for the first time tonight. Really great. Have only ever eaten them raw before.
    https://therealfooddietitians.com/garlic-roasted-radishes/

    I was resistant to trying that for a long time since I love them raw so much, but was a convert to eating them roasted also once I finally tried it.
  • o0Firekeeper0o
    o0Firekeeper0o Posts: 416 Member
    pq4meara00vl.jpeg

    Some background: I hate applesauce. I hate the grainy, fibrous texture (and I think my hatred of watermelon stems from the same ideal). Well a year-ish ago, when my daughter was much smaller and into applesauce, we bought a brand (Vermont?) that I tasted and really enjoyed; it was super smooth with no gritty texture. Didn’t really get it again after that.

    Cut to a couple days ago and I bought 4 apples for $1 from my store’s produce discount shelf, and originally was going to make a crisp or something when out of ACTUAL nowhere I thought “Well, maybe I can recreate that applesauce I liked?”

    So I cut the apples into chunks after cutting away the bruised parts (it was 2 green and 2 assorted reds, like Fuji or etc), cooked them in about 1.5 cup of water with a splash of bourbon until they were mush, then blended them in my Vitamix with a touch of salt and a healthy dose of pumpkin pie spice until they were velvety smooth.

    Guys. It is SO GOOD. No sugar at all. I do admit it’s probably more of a ‘dressing’ than applesauce, but I don’t even care. It’s like the inside of an apple pie.
  • o0Firekeeper0o
    o0Firekeeper0o Posts: 416 Member
    I bought a couple acorn squashes and a spaghetti squash at the store on Friday; for some reason my toddler is now fascinated with the acorn squash and the idea of mama making squash soup, so I think I’ll make a small batch tomorrow for us (daddy won’t eat it; he hates winter squash for some psychotic reason)

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