Well, I’ve been growing tomatoes here in the Pacific Northwest for at least twenty years now. And, without a doubt, I have to say that the Tomato Season 2015 was a blockbuster. Given that we had a warmer than usual spring, I trusted my instincts and planted my tomato plants one month earlier than usual. This was indeed a risk on my part because I normally don’t plant until May. That being said, I sensed that the tomatoes would do okay and much to my delight they flourished…yielding an abundance of big fat tomatoes in large quantities.
I always lean towards the heirloom tomato varieties and this year I opted for Black Krim, Mortgage Lifter, German Striped, Matt’s Wild Cherry, Stupice and a multitude of others. I’ve been growing Stupice, an heirloom variety from Czechoslovakia for many years now. It yields a moderately sized tomato and does well even in those years when the Seattle weather doesn’t exactly cooperate with an abundance of sunshine. My Stupice tomatoes were some of the first to ripen this year and the plant is still producing.
One of my biggest surprises this year was Matt’s Wild Cherry. I had never grown this heirloom before and I opted to buy it this year because I wanted to experiment with cherries. I purchased one plant and nestled it into a far corner of the yard, planting other varieties nearby.
During the course of the summer, I tried to keep that tomato bed under control by clipping and pruning the plants but somehow I never got around to tending Matt’s Wild Cherry…it was just too far back in the garden. Well during my fall cleanup yesterday, I uncovered Matt’s Wild. Over the summer, this plant clearly had its own agenda and went wild in the back corner…rambling over the wood pile and up the fence. I was thrilled to find a jackpot of mini tomatoes back there. Growing in little clusters, the very small tomatoes have a wonderful sweet flavor and a great snappy skin. I think they are quite elegant and can easily see them being used as a brilliant little garnish on a salad or an hors d’oeuvre tray. This variety is going on my tomato list for next year.
How did the tomatoes grow in your neck of the woods this year? Did you grown any new and unusual heirlooms or varieties?
Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.
I was reminded of this last night when I was staring at a basket of some big beautiful ripe figs that I had picked in my little garden. I had about 20 figs on hand and knew that if I didn’t do something with them right away I’d risk losing them.
Seeking inspiration, I hunted through some of my favorite cookbooks. I pulled Patricia Wells, Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson, and many others off the shelf. I considered fig clafouti, fig tartlets, grilled figs, figs stewed with rhubarb and even a fig and arugula salad. That being said, I also considered my energy level and realized I was too dang exhausted to tackle any of those recipes. As great as they looked, I decided to really keep it simple and just go with my instincts.
So, rather than gather a ton of ingredients, I simply sliced the stems off of about 15 figs, quartered them and placed them in my favorite Le Creuset Dutch oven. I grabbed a measuring cup and sprinkled 2/3 cup sugar over the quartered figs and simmered over moderate heat.
The whole process probably took about 15 to 20 minutes at the most and resulted in a dark and luscious fig jam that surpasses any I’ve bought in the store. When the jam cooled to lukewarm, I grabbed a multigrain cracker and some Cambozola. I then dolloped the warm oozy jam over the cheese and cracker. It was superb and, most likely, very bad for my waistline! (And, yes, it was my dinner!)
My 15 figs yielded a large jar of jam that is now stashed in the fridge. I don’t think it will last very long…
So, if you find yourself with some gorgeous figs, try this super simple fig jam!
Easiest (and Best!) Fig Jam
15 very ripe large figs
2/3 cup sugar
Slice the top stem off the figs and quarter. Put the quartered figs in a large Dutch oven. Sprinkle the sugar over the figs and turn on the stove to moderately high.
Watch the figs, stirring, as they heat up. They will start to soften and release a lot of juice. Stir again and lower the heat to moderate.
Get the mixture bubbling and stir intermittently. Stay close to the range at this point to avoid burning.
The figs will start to break up and the mixture will change color and thicken as the fig pulp breaks down. Keep stirring because the fig skin will resist breaking down.
After a few more minutes of simmering, stirring and mashing, the fig skin will succumb and break down, making the whole mixture turn a darker color, closer to the color of the Fig Newton filling!
At this point, I only simmered and stirred for a minute or two longer. Remove from the heat, let cool slightly and transfer to a jam jar.
Store in fridge and serve with cheese and crackers or on savory paninis.
Have any of you spotted that restaurant trend that features mini greens as a final garnish on a special dish? Have you noticed petite little sprigs of greens sprinkled into salads and tucked into sandwiches? If so, then you’ve noticed micro greens. A nifty specialty item that sits between sprouts and full grown greens, micro greens have been gaining traction lately. Highly nutritious, they are easy to grow and delicious to eat.
I’ve been a fan of micro greens for some time. Many years ago when we vacationed on Vancouver Island, I’d always reach for the sunflower sprouts at the local grocery store. Locally grown and displayed in messy tangles, the sunflower sprouts were only few inches long but they packed a bright and succulent crunch when tucked into our hearty whole grain sandwiches. Even though I hunted for sunflower sprouts here in the Seattle area for years, I’ve always been hard pressed to find them in grocery stores around here.
This spring, while perusing the Johnny’s Selected Seeds catalog. I noticed that they had a massive selection of micro green seeds—everything from basil and kale to a sorrel and shiso. Distracted by planting my regular garden at the time, I put “Grow Micro Greens” on my garden to do list and a couple weeks ago I finally circled back to the task. I surveyed the garden for a suitable spot and mail ordered an array of seeds from Johnny’s (arugula, basil, spicy and mild micro mix, cress, sunflowers and kales). Simple to grow, I’ve been amazed at how lovely these little greens are. We’ve been tucking the powerhouses into sandwiches and sprinkling them on top of sliced tomatoes.
Right now my micro green adventure has been pretty easy because I have been growing them in seed trays in a little greenhouse that I purchased from Amazon in February. This method has been great because the trays are at eye level and I have positioned the greenhouse in a protected area where the greens won’t get fried by the sun. I check them each morning to make sure they are sufficiently moist and I spritz or water as need. I’m still pondering how I will grow these during the cooler months but for now, I’m happy with the operation at hand.
Freshly snipped sunflower and red kale micro greens carried in a lettuce cup.
So, here are some quick tips for growing microgreens.
Check out the selection at Johnny’s Selected Seeds in Maine. They offer great tips in both the catalog and online. I asked an array of questions when I ordered and was pleased with the informative answers I received. If you are just getting started consider ordering their “5 Top Micro Greens Varieties for Beginners.”
Buy some seed starting trays and good top quality potting soil. I used those basic seed starting trays that you can get at Fred Meyer or Home Depot. I sprinkled in high quality potting soil and opted NOT to use the seed starting mixes because I thought they would be too light. The potting soil works great.
Sprinkle the seeds generously but not too densely and water. In my first tray I visualized three different sections and grew three different varieties. This worked pretty well but in my next trays I kept to one variety for each tray simply because the growing times and heights were different.
Keep the trays in an area where they get some sunlight but avoid full sunlight all day if possible. Seedlings are fragile and I find that partial sun/shade prevents them from getting fried by the midday sun. My greenhouse is on the southeast side of the house and gets shade by mid afternoon.
Keep the trays moist and check frequently or the seeds might not germinate. When watering, use a spray bottle or a light spritz from the hose but avoid watering too hard or heavily because the potting soil will splash all over the greens and make them more difficult to wash.
Once the micro greens get their first two seeds, watch them carefully, let them grow to a couple inches and snip them with culinary scissors for use in the kitchen. Rinse before using.
Note: This post was originally published on my old blog on March 9, 2011. I am reposting it because the tip is timeless. Try it the next time you tackle some garlic on the chopping block!
Don’t you just hate it when you are chopping garlic and then have to get that smell off your hands?
Well, many years ago, I discovered a quirky tip for removing the smell of garlic from my hands quickly and easily. I found the tip in some very little vintage booklet that has long since disappeared. Nonetheless, I often demonstrated this tip while teaching some basic cooking classes at Seattle’s natural foods coop, PCC. The students loved it. So, here’s the tip:
Turn on the faucet, grab a stainless steel spoon and rub you fingers over the spoon while holding them under running water. Wash your hands quickly with soap. And, voila, you are ready to answer the phone or sign that field trip permission slip! Try it and let me know if you like it.
Zucchini Medley from the blockbuster harvest this summer. Shown are yellow and green as well as Eight Ball and Costata Romanesco
So, how do you tackle your food budget? Do you notice that your food bill skyrockets during the summer months when the kids and their friends are home and hungry? I’ve noticed this for many years and this spring I decided to seek a little backup from my kitchen garden. Every year my small organic kitchen garden provides an array of homegrown veggies—green beans, cucumbers, potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, greens, beets and a lot more.
Last May, in anticipation of my teenagers (and their friends) being around quite a bit during the summer, I decided to dedicate a little more garden real estate to zucchini. While at the garden centers, I explored my options and purchased some unique varieties such as Costata Romanesco, a striated heirloom from Italy, and Eight Ball, a round compact green zucchini. I also tossed a few seeds into the ground from some old packets and planted a couple yellow squash for good measure and bright color.
Well, by July 4th, thanks to this incredibly warm and sunny weather we’ve had in Seattle, my zucchini were blowing forth and producing daily. My Costata Romanesco plant stretched more than five feet into the air and the zucchini was gorgeous and decidedly more delicious than the run of the mill varieties. All of the other zucchini plants were exploding and on July 4th I decided to start weighing the harvest and keeping track in a little spiral notebook. I wondered just what my haul would be and estimated that my initial investment in plants and seeds didn’t surpass $10. Well, much to my shock, between July 4th and July 20th, my harvest totaled 78 pounds! Yes, 78! I couldn’t believe it. When I tallied the farmers market value of that haul, a conservative estimate brought me to about $200, which I felt was a pretty solid return on my $10 investment.
Obviously, zucchini held central stage in all of my cooking those weeks and indeed it became my fiscal buffer. I turned to it as the vegetable mainstay during those weeks and I used it as a good substitute for high carb alternatives such as potatoes. I sliced, shredded, baked, parboiled, steamed and sautéed it. I worked it into bread and Bundt cakes and sliced some lengthwise to mimic lasagna. I handed more than a few off to friendly neighbors and sent a few home with those teenagers who bounced in around dinner time! (I told them if they wanted the green light to go out for the evening, they had to take a zucchini home!) Most of the brood around here willingly engaged in my zucchini creations although I had one zucchini defector, William.
The most athletic of the lot, my zucchini defector would make his power breakfast each morning and while sitting at the kitchen table, Will would stare at that morning’s harvest sitting before him. He would shake his head in horror and mumble how it gave him shivers. I’ve yet to convert him but I haven’t given up hope. Zucchini Brownies are on my bucket list!
So, if you have a bumper crop of zukes and a house full of kids, friends, family and guests, consider yourself lucky, get creative and try some of these ideas:
Build a Gratin
Grease a baking dish, slice the zucchini and layer it in the dish. Add some chopped garlic, diced tomato, herbs such as thyme and basil, season with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at about 375 F. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Leftovers are great the next day.
Rev up the Food Processor and Shred those Zukes! Use the shredding blade, or better yet the julienne blade if you have it. (The julienne blade, though less popular and somewhat harder to find, does produce a more elegant shred and in my opinion the julienned zucchini doesn’t get as wet and watery) Shred a bunch in advance, keep it in the fridge, and saute it, add it to quiches or gratins, or simmer it in boiling water for a few seconds, drain and toss with butter, olive oil or a sauce for gluten free pasta option.
Slice It Lengthwise and Create Lasagna Sheets: With a sharp knife, slice it into long sheets, steam it and use it like lasagna or create a savory pork or vegetarian filling and wrap the steamed “lasagna” sheets around scoops of the filling. Put it in a baking dish, top with jarred marinara and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or so. Low carb, high flavor, great price!
Tackle the Little Ones: If you can get them before they explode (the zucchini/not the kids), slice lengthwise and saute in olive oil and a little garlic for a quick and easy accompaniment to chicken, beef or seafood. This one only takes about five minutes and the fresh flavor is a revelation.
Grill them: Slice into chunks or lengthwise, season with salt and pepper, toss in a little oil and grill over moderate heat until tender. Delicious served right away and great the next day at room temperature or reheated. This is a cool way to crank through some of the zucchini volume very quickly.
So, right now I am in a zucchini lull…my first round of plants expired and I pulled them out about a week ago. That being said…I have a second round of plants (Ronde de Nice, a French heirloom) coming up the bend…these should be producing right around September…just in time for the kids to go back to school!
Note: Originally published on my old website on March 4, 2011, and is re-posted here on my new site. This is a quick and easy pizza dough that has withstood the test of time in my busy family kitchen.
My No Rise Pizza Dough is quickly made in the food processor, doesn’t require lengthy rising time, and is very family-friendly.
Okay, folks, here’s my slam dunk all-time favorite pizza dough.
This dough can be made in under five minutes in the food processor and it needs no tedious rising time. This No Rise Pizza Dough is the one I use when making a simple thin crust pizza, chubby calzones, savory cheesy flatbreads, individual grilled pizzas, or massive rectangular pizzas.
My version is adapted from one I found in Abby Mandel’s Fast and Flavorful New Food Processor Recipes Volume 1 published in 1985 by the Cuisinart Cooking Club. Abby was a food processor maven who hailed from Chicago. Pizza was one of her favorite foods.
Although Abby is now deceased, I called her about two years ago and spoke to her directly about this particular pizza dough. I wanted to know why it didn’t need any rising time. Abby mentioned that it had something to do with the sugar and the yeast. Indeed, the quantity called for is higher than normal, which may explain why this dough can skip the rise and roll right into the action. This dough is also very easy to roll or stretch into a thin disk.
My family loves this dough so much that I sometimes make quadruple batches in my 20-cup DLC-X Cuisinart food processor. If we don’t use all the dough in one round, I tuck the dough into a food storage bag, tie it loosely and store it in the fridge for a day or two…having my No Rise Pizza Dough at the ready is speed cuisine at its best!
A food processor recipe for pizza dough which requires no proofing time!
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 25kcal
Equipment
food processor
sheet pan
large bowl
Ingredients
10tablespoonswarm water
2 ½teaspoonsactive dry yeast (1 package)
1teaspoonsugar
1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoonsbread flour
3/4 teaspoonsalt
1Tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
Instructions
In the glass measuring cup in which the water was measured, add the yeast and sugar to the water. Stir well to combine and let stand for a couple minutes to activate the yeast.In the food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the bread flour, salt and olive oil. Pour the yeast mixture through the feed tube while the machine is running. Let themachine run until the dough starts to form a ball. Check the dough to make sureit isn’t too dry or too sticky. Add more flour or water accordingly to get asmooth dough.Run the machine for another 30 seconds or so to knead completely. Gather your desired topping ingredients and get ready to roll! For best results, be sure to preheat theoven to 425 F or 450 F for at least 20 minutes!
Hydro Flask vacuum insulated water bottle. Keeps water cold for hours.
Well, with Seattle breaking all sorts of heat records this summer I must say that I’ve been hankering for a lot more cold water than usual. This morning, while refilling my large 3 gallon water jugs yet again at PCC, I noticed some sleek water bottles on the shelf below the water dispensing machine. Hmmm.
Labeled Hydro Flask and available in a variety of sizes and colors, I was curious. The label touted that the unique vacuum technology could keep water cold for 24 hours. Priced at about $25 for a 21 ounce bottle, I waffled as to whether I needed it but I reasoned that I’d be saving money AND water AND ice, so I bought it. Wow. It was an excellent purchase and I am now hooked on my 21-ounce Everest blue bottle. Indeed it has kept my filtered water fresh and delightfully cold all day. I’ve already purchased another one for my husband via Amazon. Made from 18/8 stainless, the bottles keep liquids cold or hot, and they don’t sweat when filled with cold liquids or transmit heat to the exterior when filled with hot. Replacement caps are readily available. Lightweight yet extremely durable, they are easily transported to far flung exotic locales or even just to the office or school.
Check out the Hydro Flask website for more information and, if you are a beer lover, take note of their new beer pints!
