For the love of Produce...
Replies
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This thread is making me impatient for all the snow to melt so I can plant my veggie garden! We are expanding it this year and I can't wait to plant MORE! I've learned that I need to plant WAY more carrots and sugar snap peas as I go through those faster than they can grow!
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Here's a theory on whether your genes play a role in what you like - I think it's your gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is somewhat inherited and influences your genes but it's also influenced by what you eat now and in the past. Why is it, otherwise, that children raised in a family that uses hot peppers a lot can handle heat a lot quicker than someone of my anglo-saxon heritage? Maybe even as adults, we need to challenge our tastebuds now & then. Of course, mental attitude towards food can make you like or dislike something too. It's funny how my sister will eat liver & onions because of it's sentimental value growing up with it and I refuse to eat it again because I remember throwing up it as a kid and the horrible stench in my memories.
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Last night in my kitchen prepping for simple at home evening snacking
Head of cauliflower cut up and roasted (two trays)
Broccoli crowns cut up and roasted (two trays)
Okra 2lbs whole roasted (two trays)
3 zucchini, 3 carrots, 3 beets, fennel bulb, jicama sprialized left raw.
Batch of tahini dressing done.
Mixed all the roasted veggies in a large rub, added couple spoons of tahini (not the dressing) and stirred. Into the fridge.
All spiralized vegg into separate containers and into the fridge.
Evening snacking as I catch up on tv shows, done
Why have I never roasted okra? It seems so obvious, now you say it.
Must try. (Thanks!)1 -
Last night in my kitchen prepping for simple at home evening snacking
Head of cauliflower cut up and roasted (two trays)
Broccoli crowns cut up and roasted (two trays)
Okra 2lbs whole roasted (two trays)
3 zucchini, 3 carrots, 3 beets, fennel bulb, jicama sprialized left raw.
Batch of tahini dressing done.
Mixed all the roasted veggies in a large rub, added couple spoons of tahini (not the dressing) and stirred. Into the fridge.
All spiralized vegg into separate containers and into the fridge.
Evening snacking as I catch up on tv shows, done
Why have I never roasted okra? It seems so obvious, now you say it.
Must try. (Thanks!)
What I really like about roasting Okra is that:
a) there is no sliminess
b) crisps up amazingly from frozen which is cheap and easy to get
Whoah: Thanks for adding that! I was thinking I'd have to wait for okra season (trucked-in sometimes available in Winter, but often sad). Can you describe your roasting process for the frozen: Thaw first or no, temp, typical time? Thanks!
(Drooling already: OhYum!).1 -
Last night in my kitchen prepping for simple at home evening snacking
Head of cauliflower cut up and roasted (two trays)
Broccoli crowns cut up and roasted (two trays)
Okra 2lbs whole roasted (two trays)
3 zucchini, 3 carrots, 3 beets, fennel bulb, jicama sprialized left raw.
Batch of tahini dressing done.
Mixed all the roasted veggies in a large rub, added couple spoons of tahini (not the dressing) and stirred. Into the fridge.
All spiralized vegg into separate containers and into the fridge.
Evening snacking as I catch up on tv shows, done
Why have I never roasted okra? It seems so obvious, now you say it.
Must try. (Thanks!)
What I really like about roasting Okra is that:
a) there is no sliminess
b) crisps up amazingly from frozen which is cheap and easy to get
Whoah: Thanks for adding that! I was thinking I'd have to wait for okra season (trucked-in sometimes available in Winter, but often sad). Can you describe your roasting process for the frozen: Thaw first or no, temp, typical time? Thanks!
(Drooling already: OhYum!).
Preheat to 425F.
Line a tray with parchment paper.
Dump the okra frozen from the bag onto the tray and break it up so that its in a single layer (more or less).
Place into the oven and roast for 20 minutes. At this point, take out the pan, shake it up and ensure its all in single layer, spray with olive oil and season S+P and place back in for another 20 minutes or to your preferred done level. I like mine charred so I leave it for longer and shake it once more.
Thanks: "Frozen Okra" is now on my shopping list. Can't wait to try it!2 -
Dumb question-what does okra taste like?
This thread is making me realize that I'm really produce challenged lol.1 -
I've only had okra in gumbo (where it's good) and fixed in a way that's slimy, so this roasted from frozen idea is something I will try.0
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LOL! I was wondering whether someone would try to answer that unanswerable question.Dumb question-what does okra taste like?
This thread is making me realize that I'm really produce challenged lol.
It's been a while since I ate some (late summer when I could get it local/fresh), but I'll give it a shot. It's not strongly flavored. It has a non-startling basic mild, pleasant green-vegetable flavor, but I say that as someone who's not at all bitter-sensitive (I didn't find it at all bitter, I'm just admitting my biases/limitations). There might be just a small hint of umami richness.
Many people dislike it because it gets truly slimy or mucilaginous when quite-cooked, so one culinary use is as thickener in things like gumbo. There are cooking methods that minimize the mucilaginous quality. I've ususally sliced and quick stir-fried (or stir-steamed) until just nicely hot (but I'm gonna try that roasting thing). Cross-sliced and not cooked to mush, the shape looks nice in food - like a little flower or star.
If you grow them, they have lovely flowers, often yellow - a bit hibiscus-looking. Flowers are also edible, though I haven't tried them. It's a heat-loving plant, so Northern gardeners would be well-served by getting an adapted variety. Johnny's Selected Seeds (which every Northern gardener ought to know about
) usually has a couple of suitable early varieties. 3 -
Last night in my kitchen prepping for simple at home evening snacking
Head of cauliflower cut up and roasted (two trays)
Broccoli crowns cut up and roasted (two trays)
Okra 2lbs whole roasted (two trays)
3 zucchini, 3 carrots, 3 beets, fennel bulb, jicama sprialized left raw.
Batch of tahini dressing done.
Mixed all the roasted veggies in a large rub, added couple spoons of tahini (not the dressing) and stirred. Into the fridge.
All spiralized vegg into separate containers and into the fridge.
Evening snacking as I catch up on tv shows, done
I’m coming over.
This is my sorta snacking.
Guys, can we please start a campaign to teach people how to properly prepare vegetables?
Doritos have NOTHING on roasted cauli. That stuff is downright SEXY. Dry heat. YES.2 -
Salted crispy orange slices.
(Yes, Inspired by the cover of Martha Stewart. I added pink salt, they are best IMO with Cara Cara oranges.)
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purplefizzy wrote: »Salted crispy orange slices.
(Yes, Inspired by the cover of Martha Stewart. I added pink salt, they are best IMO with Cara Cara oranges.)
What do you do? Cover them in salt and then dehydrate them?0 -
purplefizzy wrote: »Maybe we need to start a cilantro poll or thread and gather evidence.
Personally hated it as a little kid. Soapy.
Lived in rural Mexico as a teenager- soapy and unavoidable because my Spanglish was non-stellar and the type of places we ate (often a local woman’s kitchen) were not places where you made requests. I ate what I was served. The food still brings fond memories.
Today, cilantro (the smell especially) is really soapy. In a way that I LOVE.
Same story around red beets.
They still taste earthy, but like the most cravable earth ever.
Golden and Chiogga beets are what I reach for first for raw, but red I will roast.
Beets, especially red ones, sorta make my throat weird, so I have to shave them really thin and eat them sparingly.
(It’s not as bad as pineapple. God I love that stuff, and it does NOT love me. Tongue swells, mouth itches. I used to cater, and my boss would ALWAYS know if I was eating pineapple. It was a team joke, they would tease me in my ‘pineapple voice.’)
Cilantro smells and tastes fresh and lemony to me. No soapiness at all!0 -
Susieq_1994 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Maybe we need to start a cilantro poll or thread and gather evidence.
Personally hated it as a little kid. Soapy.
Lived in rural Mexico as a teenager- soapy and unavoidable because my Spanglish was non-stellar and the type of places we ate (often a local woman’s kitchen) were not places where you made requests. I ate what I was served. The food still brings fond memories.
Today, cilantro (the smell especially) is really soapy. In a way that I LOVE.
Same story around red beets.
They still taste earthy, but like the most cravable earth ever.
Golden and Chiogga beets are what I reach for first for raw, but red I will roast.
Beets, especially red ones, sorta make my throat weird, so I have to shave them really thin and eat them sparingly.
(It’s not as bad as pineapple. God I love that stuff, and it does NOT love me. Tongue swells, mouth itches. I used to cater, and my boss would ALWAYS know if I was eating pineapple. It was a team joke, they would tease me in my ‘pineapple voice.’)
Cilantro smells and tastes fresh and lemony to me. No soapiness at all!
Same here. I think it's some genetic thing that affects how you taste it.
I think beets are different, they do taste earthy, but some (like me) like the flavor, and some don't. I can recognize what people who say "ick, they taste like dirt" are talking about while still liking them. I don't understand associating cilantro with soap, it just doesn't taste like that to me (although I believe it does to some).1 -
Susieq_1994 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Maybe we need to start a cilantro poll or thread and gather evidence.
Personally hated it as a little kid. Soapy.
Lived in rural Mexico as a teenager- soapy and unavoidable because my Spanglish was non-stellar and the type of places we ate (often a local woman’s kitchen) were not places where you made requests. I ate what I was served. The food still brings fond memories.
Today, cilantro (the smell especially) is really soapy. In a way that I LOVE.
Same story around red beets.
They still taste earthy, but like the most cravable earth ever.
Golden and Chiogga beets are what I reach for first for raw, but red I will roast.
Beets, especially red ones, sorta make my throat weird, so I have to shave them really thin and eat them sparingly.
(It’s not as bad as pineapple. God I love that stuff, and it does NOT love me. Tongue swells, mouth itches. I used to cater, and my boss would ALWAYS know if I was eating pineapple. It was a team joke, they would tease me in my ‘pineapple voice.’)
Cilantro smells and tastes fresh and lemony to me. No soapiness at all!
Same here. I think it's some genetic thing that affects how you taste it.
I think beets are different, they do taste earthy, but some (like me) like the flavor, and some don't. I can recognize what people who say "ick, they taste like dirt" are talking about while still liking them. I don't understand associating cilantro with soap, it just doesn't taste like that to me (although I believe it does to some).
I'm one who just doesn't like that earthy taste at all. I don't even like Swiss chard because it tastes like beets. Pity, because it's so pretty.
I do love cilantro, though.0 -
purplefizzy wrote: »Salted crispy orange slices.
(Yes, Inspired by the cover of Martha Stewart. I added pink salt, they are best IMO with Cara Cara oranges.)
Did you use a dehydrator? I have one but have only used it for apples so far.1 -
purplefizzy wrote: »Salted crispy orange slices.
(Yes, Inspired by the cover of Martha Stewart. I added pink salt, they are best IMO with Cara Cara oranges.)
Did you use a dehydrator? I have one but have only used it for apples so far.
Nope. I avoid extra gadgets whenever possible.
I was SO late to the IP craze. Fought it and fought it.
The method I’ve settled on:
Oven to as low as possible (170 is what mine goes to.)
Take oven racks out (mine has 2.)
Lay parchment directly on racks.
Slice citrus with mandolin, about 1/8 inch. Fresh slices best- when they age they get less firm and are harder to safely mandolin.
Cram the parchment covered racks with slices. They will shrink. Get cozy.
Sprinkle with sea salt. Fresh nutmeg is also weirdly nice.
Put in oven, top and bottom 1/3 heights.
Rotate racks after an hour.
Sometimes I flip the slices to expedite drying.
They should be pretty much crisp when you remove them- final crisping happens as the cool.
Store airtight (I add one of those little packs of desiccant from an empty vitamin bottle. I learned to hoard those because they also help keep butter-fried sage and fried shallots crispy for a day or so. Those things both usually need to be done same-day but when I cater I do as little as possible same-day.)
I’ve done Meyer lemon (salt and dill, good), Eureka lemon (don’t bother), ruby star grapefruit (salt and a sprinkle of monk fruit- good if you like bitter and I do) and Cara Cara oranges (just salt. Clear winner, everyone loves these.)
Dried citrus is starting to trend in retail, but they use sugar and I don’t think this is a good application. Not necessary.
•Question: anyone have good home method for dried ginger?
I’m looking for low/minimal added sugar, and more crispy than chewy. The Australians have already perfected chewy sugared cubes- I can buy those when I need them.
I’m looking to replicate these incredibly thin non-sweet dried ginger ‘shards’ that I bought in Brooklyn once. Can’t find them in the local Asian market circuit.
My attempts have been tough and ‘interesting’ at best.0 -
Oh my! Your food is beautiful!0
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My main veggies are mixed baby greens. I eat a salad of them every day. I also love arugula and sometimes spinach, chard, or kale. In summer I am a big tomato and zucchini eater (fruits, technically). I love baby bell peppers and mushrooms. I want to start trying new veggies.
Fruits, I eat them all. Golden kiwi, pomegranate, berries of all kinds, honeycrisp apples, pineapples, passion fruit, guava, nectarines, blood oranges, cuties.
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Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is 2 -
purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Omg I need to try this! I've never thought crispy oranges with salt would be good, but they look fantastic. I bet this would be great with other fruits as well like lemons (I'd add salt, cinnamon and truvia for a sweet variety).1 -
Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Omg I need to try this! I've never thought crispy oranges with salt would be good, but they look fantastic. I bet this would be great with other fruits as well like lemons (I'd add salt, cinnamon and truvia for a sweet variety).
As against my basic principles as it is to quote myself, Citrus makes me break rules. Plus, I love flavor experiments using spices
Here are my experimental results:
>>I’ve done Meyer lemon (salt and dill, good), Eureka lemon (don’t bother), ruby star grapefruit (salt and a sprinkle of monk fruit- good if you like bitter and I do) and Cara Cara oranges (just salt. Clear winner, everyone loves these.)
ETA:
I’m typically so ‘volume motivated’ that I don’t really do dried stuff. Water content is my friend.
However, I’m hobbling around recovering right now, and craving crunch and strong flavors on a reduced kcal budget due to inactivity.
Plus I go thru food phases and get obsessed with perfecting techniques. Then I totally forget about them and only revisit them when scrolling pics reminds me 4 -
purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Love your orange slices! Only thing is,can I trust myself to use a mandolin? I can be a klutz!1 -
trisH_7183 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Love your orange slices! Only thing is,can I trust myself to use a mandolin? I can be a klutz!
You are the reason why they all come with a guard
I lost the guard on mine and took off about 3mm (at an angle) of the outer tip of my left thumb. Thankful I was using the thinnest setting. *cringes*0 -
nicsflyingcircus wrote: »trisH_7183 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Love your orange slices! Only thing is,can I trust myself to use a mandolin? I can be a klutz!
You are the reason why they all come with a guard
I lost the guard on mine and took off about 3mm (at an angle) of the outer tip of my left thumb. Thankful I was using the thinnest setting. *cringes*
I could see myself being someone who would take a fingertip off with a mandolin. I don't do well even with a properly sharpened knife. Took a tip of my thumb off cutting up a peeled, ripe avocado once. Like, the easiest thing to slice.1 -
I came home one day and there was blood all over the kitchen, bloody towels all over too. Apparently, my wife wanted to surprise me with a zucchini didh and used our mandolin without the guard. She was missing a few fingertips after first zucchini.RelCanonical wrote: »nicsflyingcircus wrote: »trisH_7183 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Love your orange slices! Only thing is,can I trust myself to use a mandolin? I can be a klutz!
You are the reason why they all come with a guard
I lost the guard on mine and took off about 3mm (at an angle) of the outer tip of my left thumb. Thankful I was using the thinnest setting. *cringes*
I could see myself being someone who would take a fingertip off with a mandolin. I don't do well even with a properly sharpened knife. Took a tip of my thumb off cutting up a peeled, ripe avocado once. Like, the easiest thing to slice.
1 -
trisH_7183 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Love your orange slices! Only thing is,can I trust myself to use a mandolin? I can be a klutz!
I always recommend ‘no cut’ gloves to friends when they first start out with mandolins. I always did better with them than I did with the guard. $10 on amazon.3 -
I came home one day and there was blood all over the kitchen, bloody towels all over too. Apparently, my wife wanted to surprise me with a zucchini didh and used our mandolin without the guard. She was missing a few fingertips after first zucchini.RelCanonical wrote: »nicsflyingcircus wrote: »trisH_7183 wrote: »purplefizzy wrote: »Citrus edit:
Actually more like 1/4 inch thick slices.
(Need to change mandolin blade.)
Then use the ‘orange butts’ to make tea!
If I’m home and it’s cold, always something in the oven.
I’ve never gotten used to suburban forced heat (hate the hot blast at my face) and I cannot afford radiant flooring.
So oven it is
Love your orange slices! Only thing is,can I trust myself to use a mandolin? I can be a klutz!
You are the reason why they all come with a guard
I lost the guard on mine and took off about 3mm (at an angle) of the outer tip of my left thumb. Thankful I was using the thinnest setting. *cringes*
I could see myself being someone who would take a fingertip off with a mandolin. I don't do well even with a properly sharpened knife. Took a tip of my thumb off cutting up a peeled, ripe avocado once. Like, the easiest thing to slice.
My mishap rate is about once a year. I get rushed or distracted, lop a fingerprint off, and then make myself use the gloves for a while.
Usually it happens when I’m trying to get too close to the end.
I try to buy more than I need of whatever I’m slicing, and use the end bits for other stuff (tea, stock..) and thus avoid the kitchen-murder-scene scenario.
I also find that proper slice height to density ratio is key. Hard stuff like beets, daikon and kohlrabi slices better for me very thin. Thick slices sometimes catch an edge.
Soft stuff like oranges I do thicker, or they fray and catch the edge.
I also replace my blade frequently. Dull blades mean the item doesn’t slide as well, and it’s those friction moments that lead to finger-blade-tango.2 -
I sliced off a tip of my thumb a couple years ago. Ended up getting stitches for it. It took me a while to get up the courage to start using a mandolin again. I never even thought about cut proof gloves.1
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Anyone tried the newer cabbage varietals?
Im interested in finding Caraflex cabbage for roasting...
From https://foodandwine.com/travel/restaurants/cabbage-trend-restaurantsAt this California produce–driven izakaya, chef Travis Lett marinates Caraflex cabbage in sweet potato vinegar, bakes it, then grills it over binchotan charcoal. The dish is then topped with aioli, chives, sesame, and from-scratch furikake.0 -
I sliced off a tip of my thumb a couple years ago. Ended up getting stitches for it. It took me a while to get up the courage to start using a mandolin again. I never even thought about cut proof gloves.
Neither did I until I started to work at a manufacturing company and became part of the safety comittee. And I think every chef had had an incident with a Mandolin lol.
Note they aren't really "cut proof", they just less lessen the severity of the cut substantially.0
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