Dandelions For Dinner

Everyone loves dandelions. Let's face it, they are hard to resist. Their bright, sunny yellow blooms are sweet and look cute as a bouquet or a crown. They're our first bouquet to our moms. Yet Mom could have used them in cooking too. Dandelion may be a weed in the garden but it's a rose in the kitchen. You can make anything with it, from salad to wine to jelly.

The name dandelion comes from the leaves, so deeply toothed it resembled le dent de lion or lion's teeth in Old French. It''s a cousin of chicory, the plant used in making herbal coffee. It's a member of the family Taraxacum and has a long hollow stem and a basal rosette (the yellow bloom part). Harvest the leaves in early Spring or in late Fail before the flowers appear. They will have a bitter taste not unlike chicory and endive. However add them to a salad and they give it a new zing. Add it to miso soup for heartiness and some much needed vitamins. Its' intense flavor will meld with the the soup's milder tasting ingredients.


Unbeknownst to me you can also use the heads or flowers. Dandelion wine is made from them however you can also fry them. Using a simple batter and just hot olive oil you can fry the heads into crunchy little rounds for a summer cocktail party. The flower has an altogether different taste than the leaves and stem. It's sweeter without any aftertaste.

Remember your yard full of dandelions isn't just a future bouquet. They can be made into a variety of different dishes that are not only fum to eat but good for you. Start picking those little bursts of sunshine today!

New Jersey A Culinary Capital????

Mention to people you live in Jersey and they tend to regard you with a smirk. (we have HBO’s The Sopranos to thank for this) Mention the fact that Jersey (as we’re known ) has the best restaurants and the freshest ingredients like the Isle of Jersey in the Channel Islands and you’re met with a guffaw. Surprisingly enough the Garden State actually has good eateries. In fact we even have four star ones.

Take today for example. I went to one of the area’s most famous parks, The Cherry Blossom park in Newark . (yes that Newark where it’s not so bad) The area is famous for its’ scores of cherry blossoms that rival those down in Washington. Across the way from the park is a bi-level strip mall and in it a nondescript Italian restaurant, City Park. Thinking it was just another pizzeria, I walked in . Imagine my surprise when the menu was similar to the more famous New York restaurants. City park on the Bellville -Newark border not only serves up brick oven homemade pizza worthy of John’s in New York but also mushroom risotto, worthy of any celebrity chef eatery. This was an amazing meld of porcini mushrooms, garlic and arborio rice. City Park also has a seafood risotto as well as porcini ravioli. It was a brilliant find.
Not to be outdone but a few miles away Newark has the Maize restaurant in the Robert Treat Hotel in the city‘s financial section. This is one of Jersey’s four stars restaurants (albeit the Maize is part of a chain). It has a phenomenal array of all sorts of dishes from fusion to vegetarian. Union NJ .a few miles south of there , has one of the few three star restaurants in the state as does its’ neighbor Maplewood. Good food in quality restaurants abound here throughout the state, whether it‘s in a grand casino in Atlantic City or a small family restaurant in any of our historic counties.


The next time anyone visits Jersey, stop by our restaurants. We’re not all fast food and clichés. We actually have a bumper crop of excellent restaurants here in the Garden State.

More On Herbs

Yesterday I wrote about some of the herbs that can be grown in the garden. I covered the basics, oregano, basil and thyme to name a few. There are a few lesser known that can also add to any dish and turn a blah dish into something special. These are easy to grow and to work with in cooking.


Mint is a great addition to any garden. It's bright green leaves are not only a perfect decoration for a rich chocolate dessert but also taste wonderful in Middle Eastern cooking , especially lamb. It brings out flavors and complements the taste of meat, vegetables couscous and fruit. Mint is also good to add to any fresh brewed iced tea. Luckily the plant grows in abundance and you 'll always have enough of it. Another herb that can grow like a weed is dill. You can devote a small patch of yard to it and once grown always have a large harvest. Dill is wonderful with seafood, especially grilled salmon. You can also mix it with sour cream as a wonderful dressing for cucumber salad.

Coriander is another versatile plant to add to your herb garden. Young coriander is cilantro that staple in Mexican and Middle Eastern cooking. it has a sweet taste and can be used in homemade salsa or chilis. The older plant can be used in making sausage as well as in soups and stews to give them more zing. It has a sweet taste bordering between minty and citrus-y. Use it and cilantro in moderation .


These are just some of the options you have with herbs for your garden. Remember that they can add zest to any dish and are great for this summer's barbecues. Plant some of these today to be ready for the warmer weather and harvest time.

What To Do With Those Herbs?

A lot of people plant an herb garden yet have no idea what to do with the harvest. What herb goes with tomato or what would work in a curry?Is marjoram good on grilled meat? Or is that rosemary? What about dill seeds or mint?The solution here is to know your herbs and what their specific uses are. You'll have more flavorful meals when you know what to add to your marinades or mix into your batters.



Basil is the most popular and is grown in any Italian garden. it's the primary ingredient of pesto, that tangy green sauce usually reserved for gnocchi, However you can also use it in red sauce and of curse on pizza Margherita. Basil can also be shredded and used as extra flavor in panini or to add zing to summer salads. The best thing about it is that it can be frozen and used in the winter for holiday meals. If you're going to grow basil , then you might as well grow rosemary and oregano. All three found widely in Italian and Greek cooking but also can be used in grilling and creating tasty marinades. Together they can turn a bland barbecue into something special or add zest to any sauce. They are also easy to grow and usually yield an abundant crop.

Tarragon and chives are probably the next popular herbs. Tarragon is wonderful in flavoring chicken but it can also be used to liven up mayonnaise. Chive can be used for much the same thing. A relative of the onion, chive is always thought to top baked potatoes. However you can use it in sauces and to flavor soups and stews. Thyme is another herb that 's versatile It's great adding zest and color to homemade seafood chowders. You can also use it if you're grilling shrimp kabobs or having a hearty salmon steak. Sage is another herb, that's found in most garden. It's usually considered a "winter herb" because it' s used in stuffings and to flavor heavy pork dishes. If you're growing it, you may want to dry it and save it for the cooler months.


Herbs are a great addition to any meal. You can use them in a variety of ways to liven up a plain shish kabob or put zest into a sauce. Just remember that specific ones work best with certain foods.


Tomorrow - more on herbs!!!!!!!!

Field of Dreams Planning The Perfect Veggie Garden

Thanks to the economy and the push for fresh foods, gardening is going to be big this year. For some of us, it's old hat. We plant the veggies every year and tend the fruit trees hoping to get some kind of produce for the summer and fall. For the newbies it's a different story. New to the field gardeners will be at sea in an ocean of green. However planting and harvesting a garden is for everyone and there's a feeling of satisfaction when they pluck that first tomato or pepper .


The first step in creating a good garden is research. Find out what your dirt is(loamy, sandy, etc) and its' acidity. Secondly research about the veggies and herbs you want to plant in it. For example highly acidic soil can wind up producing bitter tasting tomatoes.Also see what grows in your region and when is the best time of the Spring to plant it (th e US is divided into seven planting zones which you can easily find on Google). Also another factor to consider is your family's taste. If the kids hate onions, it's kind of moot to plant them, expecting everyone to wax enthusiastic about the first bulb. Ask the little ones what they want and then get them involved. Kids who grow their own produce will be proud to eat their first veggies.

Once the yard has been evaluated and the choices made, then head down to your local nursery or order from a catalog or online for plants and seeds. You may also want to get some equipment, mulch and fertilizer as well. Planting usually starts at the end of this month or the beginning of next for early summer harvesting. You may want to turn over the dirt now to get it ready for the first batch of tomatoes or lettuce.

It may seem too early or cold to think about that first summer harvest. Yet it's not, Remember that we're halfway through April and may is only a few short weeks away. It's time to get ready!

The Lure of the Middle East

There' s something exotic about Middle Eastern cooking. It could be the spices or the uniqueness of the dishes.Maybe it's the way the food is cooked or presented that makes us curious about this centuries old cuisine. It's different yet made with the same ingredients that most of us use in our everyday meals. Luckily enough it can be easily replicated.

Middle Eastern cuisine covers the area from Turkey to Iraq and Iran and down the south which includes Saudi Arabia ad North Africa. One of the most popular dishes is hummus. This is a delicious spread that made with mashed chick peas, garlic, lemon and olive oil. It's a cinch to make at home and serve with toasted pita triangles. Another easy to make Middle Eastern favorite is baba ghanoush. This is popular throughout the region especially in Syria and is made from eggplant, lemon juice and various spices such as cumin. Again this can be eaten it toasted pita. Falafel is big here in the New York metro area. Again this is made from chick peas but molded into a ball and fried.

Middle Eastern cooks are also known for creating sumptuous feasts. there is always lamb on the table , usually roasted. Chicken is also served an if it's an Egyptian meal, then sometimes rabbits. Since eggplants are big in the region , there is usually a plate of tomato stuffed ones accompanying the meat. Almost every Middle Eastern dinner has dolma, stuffed graped leaves. These can be filled with rice or rice and lamb and served as an appetizer or a side dish Sometimes a soft cheese served as well. Dessert usually is baklava, a pastry made from phyllo dough, ground pistachios and honey ad dates. Dates are plentiful and a staple of any Middle Eastern diet.

The Middle East lures us with its' exotic bazaars and ancients ways. it also lures us with its' cuisine, old as time yet still tasty in this modern era.

What To Do About Easter Leftovers

Now that the eggs have been hunted and the chocolate bunnies are sans ears, it's time to think about what to do with the leftovers from yesterday's holiday meal. Your fridge's shelves are probably groaning with the leftover ham , lamb and asparagus. The thing is these are great foods that can be transformed into some tasty dishes.



Ham leftovers are the easiest to deal with after a big feast. You can grind it up with a little oil and create fresh deviled ham. This is perfect on sandwiches or even on crackers for a evening snack. You can also chop it up , mix in some celery , onion and mayo and have a nice chunky salad to go with rye bread. Ham is also good with eggs. Fry some up with eggs for a hearty breakfast or lunch. Mince it for Western omelets.Lamb is a bit trickier. Most people just reheat it and eat it the way they did on Easter. However you cam cube it and then add curry along with veggies for a tasty twist on an Indian classic. You can also make it into a casserole using lamb gravy along with white or wild rice. You can also cut it into cubes and microwave it as kabobs.




Like, ham asparagus can have a few reincarnations. If you had served it just boiled, then you can have it cold the second time around with a vinaigrette sauce as a salad. Add some chopped red peppers or grape tomatoes for color. Also you can reheat a second time and freshen it up with some just made Hollandaise sauce. if that's not your thing then just rebroil with some butter and sliced up Easter egg on top Add a sprinkling of newly grated Parmesan cheese.

Don't consider all those leftover Peeps and chocolate your meal for the next few days. If you have leftovers use them. There's plenty to do with all that spare ham , lamb and asparagus to create a second feast.