For the love of Produce...

AnnPT77 · May 30

This might be produce, if a person stands back far enough and squints.

I went to my favorite farmers market today, at a neighborhood center facility nearer downtown. It's summer, and the ice-pop lady was back. She makes them with pureed fruits, fruit juices, sometimes fruit chunks or even whole berries. Some have things like coconut milk or honey. Today she even had a "green smoothie" pop with veggies pureed in it.

I had a hard time choosing whether I wanted grapefruit with an embedded strawberry, or blood orange . . . until I saw them, and the blood orange one looked like sunset. (It has navel orange in it as well as blood orange.) It was good!

mtaratoot · May 30

acpgee wrote: »

The green grocer is starting to stock the yummy stuff.

Well, it's getting to be that time again in my yard....

acpgee · May 30

So steaming artichokes was full of mishaps today. The hubby ran out to do an errand after I put the artichokes on and still wasn't home when they were ready. I took them out and warmed them up in the microwave when he managed to get home, not to great detriment. I even managed to hold hollandaise at low temperature on a double boiler for 30 minutes.

AnnPT77 · June 4

A few of my fully ripe quart of delicious locally-grown fresh strawberries. 😋

SafariGalNYC · June 4

AnnPT77 wrote: »

A few of my fully ripe quart of delicious locally-grown fresh strawberries. 😋

Oooooooo 😮 beauties!

acpgee · June 4

This is the time of year the green grocer sells 5kg boxes of tomatoes for £5. Going to make a batch of roast tomato sauce for the freezer.

acpgee · June 10

The odd little tub was mixed with some Thai tamarind BBQ dipping sauce. Will figure out later how to use that.

acpgee · June 15

A bowlful of the NYT "broccoli crack" made with one head of broccoli. This dressing is similar to some semi cooked asian salads where the veg is doused in vinegar and then oil is heated up with garlic and other aromats before pouring onto the salad.
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016146-broccoli-salad-with-garlic-and-sesame?unlocked_article_code=1.z00.4orm.KYuKxqLj2fR7&smid=share-url

acpgee · June 18

I did a tapas dinner tonight including a couple of veg driven dishes. Portuguese marinated carrots are dead easy, can be prepared in advance to serve at room temperature, and are my favourite way to eat carrots. Cogolos aj ajillo is a great way to eat lettuce hearts. It's another recipe that uses the technique of dousing veg with vinegar, and heating up olive oil with garlic that's drizzled over. I also link my favourite Spanish tortilla tutorial (though I use less olive oil).
https://tapastalk.wordpress.com/2008/07/02/tapa-of-the-week-16-cogollos-al-ajillo/
https://arecipeforgluttony.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/in-portuguese-marinated-carrots/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JceGMNG7rpU

AnnPT77 · June 29

We had a potluck and cookout at the rowing club today to celebrate our new rowers' "graduation" from learn-to-row class.

I decided to make a edamame cranberry salad from an MFP blogs recipe that I'd tried a long time ago and found tasty. I was skeptical that it would go over well, being a little oddball, but I was undermotivated and it's super easy to make. Alarmingly, when I put it together (intentionally making a bit extra), I ended up with a 2-quart bowl full (that's about 1.9 liters, for people with sensible measurement systems)!

To my surprise, it was a hit. I've got maybe around a cup (under a quarter liter) of it left? The dregs look a little shopworn, but this'll give you an idea of both the salad and it's surprising popularity (regular table fork for scale):

SafariGalNYC · July 3

Summer Farmstand time. 💚 🌿

acpgee · July 4

@SafariGalNYC
So jealous that you can get shiso. I must remember to check at the asian grocer.

SafariGalNYC · July 7

Thinking about roasting the patty pans…and steaming the Romanescu and cauliflower…

But I also just want to throw them all in one creuset.… 🤔

What would you do?

AnnPT77 · July 7

Those are beautiful, @SafariGalNYC! I love the vibrant colors, and romanesco broccoli is like a work of fractal art.

What you're planning sounds great, but I have to admit I'm a big fan of roasting cauliflower. I like the deeper flavor that brings out. Roasted patty pans are great, too, but they're also fun to stuff and bake.

Thanks for sharing those beautiful veggies here!

mtaratoot · July 8

With the temperatures we're having, I'd cut them into tiny bits and eat 'em raw or find a way to steam them out back on my camp stove and then maybe cool them with some vinegar. I have no interest in hot food right now.

FeatheredEmpress · July 11

Nowhere near as exciting as all of the things I've seen so far on here but my local supermarket recently started stocking kohlrabi, cassava and plantains and I am so excited!

I'd never tried kohlrabi before but it is amazing! Went through 2 bulbs(?) in about a week, sliced super thin and just eaten on its own. Delish!

SafariGalNYC · July 28

I love when i find purple carrots at the market.

Does anyone use the fronds? I was reading about how nutritious they are.

Think I’m going to try them in a shake.

Unknown · July 28

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acpgee · July 30

I had a dinner party on the weekend and a guest brought a huge box of Tunisian dates as a hostess gift. How do I use these besides nibbling on them when I want a sweet?

AnnPT77 · July 30

acpgee wrote: »

I had a dinner party on the weekend and a guest brought a huge box of Tunisian dates as a hostess gift. How do I use these besides nibbling on them when I want a sweet?

Sometimes for potlucks if I want something dessert-ish that I know will be well-received but also reasonably healthy, I make stuffed dates.

I usually wing it for the filling, but depending on how closely I want to manage calories, the filling is some combination of Neufchatel cheese, cream cheese, and/or very smooth ricotta cheese (plus maybe some cream or milk if thinning needed); a bit of orange liqueur, orange oil, or natural orange extract (or a combination).

I split the date down the side, put in a spoonful of the cheese filling, and top with one or more toasted almonds. It's super simple, but it's been popular with diverse groups. Freezes OK to keep for a while, too, if tightly wrapped/sealed.

SafariGalNYC · July 31

Re: dates… diced as a yogurt topping? Also tasty with a mini wedge of brie. Date stuffed chicken breast?

I saw this food network recipe for Broccoli date crunchy salad with spicy peanuts that may be of interest!

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eric-greenspan/broccoli-date-crunch-salad-with-spicy-peanuts-13540472

mtaratoot · July 31

What kind of dates? If they are Medjool dates, just eat them!

acpgee · August 4

I am disappointed that my cherry pitter (which I also use for olives) doesn’t seem to work on dates. Thanks for the ideas. I have feta and blue cheese lying around that I could thin with yoghurt for stuffing the dates. Will have a look at that broccoli salad when I am on my laptop. My phone doesn’t seem to want to connect.

AnnPT77 · August 4

acpgee wrote: »

I am disappointed that my cherry pitter (which I also use for olives) doesn’t seem to work on dates. Thanks for the ideas. I have feta and blue cheese lying around that I could thin with yoghurt for stuffing the dates. Will have a look at that broccoli salad when I am on my laptop. My phone doesn’t seem to want to connect.

I just slice dates with pits down one long side, take out the pit, and stuff them that way - like a tiny clamshell kind of shape. I've never tried savory fillings, but that sounds interesting. Report back if you try it?

SafariGalNYC · August 11

😮 I love when I find purple bell peppers! However mini they may be 🧑‍🌾🤸

I wish I had room to grow these…

SuzanneC1l9zz · August 17

First time I've ever managed to grow a decent zucchini... I'm a pretty good gardener but for some reason have always sucked at any kind of squash.

acpgee · September 4

I popped into the posh supermarket next to the office and scored salicornia.

AnnPT77 · September 4

@acpgee, I've literally never seen or heard of that as salicornia or marsh samphire. I looked up other names and got sea beans, sea green bean, sea pickle, glasswort, pickle weed, chicken toe, saltwort. Never heard of those, either. I guess it's available (native or cultivated) in the US, but I've never seen it here in the middle of the country.

Wow. What do you like to do with it?

SafariGalNYC · September 5

@acpgee @AnnPT77

Ooo that’s cool Acpgee! I have seen that in France as herbe de Saint-Pierre /— very salty but supposed to be good for digestion. (Let us know!)

I’ve not had it - but see it as a seaweed alternative in recipes.

acpgee · September 5

I've eaten samphire in the Netherlands where it grows in the salt marshes off the islands in the North Sea. In the island of Tessel it is typically served as a garnish for lamb. Tonight I blanched it for two minutes and then tossed in butter and put it in salad where I used balsamic vinegarfor sweetness. I was a bit to sparing with the samphire as it's flavour was too subtle. I got nervous after tasting it raw, which was quite salty. Served with salmon tartare.

For the love of Produce...

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