My Garden My Harvest

 It's more than exciting to have garden to table ingredients. There's something about heading out to the yard and picking the freshest veggies or herbs.  They elevate any recipe, bringing a bright freshness to the dish.

This is why I went crazy with buying veggies and herbs this past weekend. I have an old fashioned garden center located on the Paterson - Hawthorne  New Jersey border It  has everything from lovely hibiscus and roses to a cornucopia of veggies and herbs.

This wild looking creature is a tomato plant. I can't wait for it to fruit  and yield  yellow pear tomatoes.They looked like fun to grow and they were' different than the traditional red one. The taste will be tomato with a slight citrus-y tang. Definitely perfect for salads.

Every Northern Italian grows squash. The Piedmontese are known for their delicately battered and fried squash flowers. Yet there's also the plus of actual squash. It makes a great side, cut up in slices or coins and sauteed in a mix if garlic, butter and olive oil.

This regal gem is rosemary. It'll be great topping  focaccio bread along with being added to homemade tomato sauces.Rosemary adds a zingy earthy flavor to anything and it can also be sprinkled on pizza to enliven it and also added to viniagrette dressings for more flavor.

I love lavender., this pretty jewel pictured here. There's always a lavender soap or shampoo in my bath and my body mists have a lavender blend fragrance. Yes, you can use it for baking too. I may try my hand at making lavender shortbread fro a different kind of summer cookie. It can also be used to make tea with the buds being placed in a tea strainer. It's then put into hot water.

This kingly giant is mint. Mint is great for adding to tea.It can calm an upset stomach and soothe frazzled nerves. It's also perfect in savory recipes. It can be added to summer salads for a refreshing change or hot dishes like peas to give them some oomph. I 'm going to give pea mint dip a try for my summer barbecue. It'll go well with homemade pita chips.

This marigold is just wayyyyy too pretty to ignore. I love them in my garden. The ancient Romans used them instead of saffron to flavor dishes. I just think they're beautiful.

The garden will be bursting this summer. There's so much to try and use in yummy dishes, There will be a fresh flavor to all those classic recipes.

A Bit Of Juneteenth Year Round

 Juneteenth is still being celebrated and rightly so. Yet the foods and the strong African influence on American cooking and baking should also be celebrated. Juneteenth recipes can be made all year round as reminders of sacrifices and freedoms won.

One of the most popular and already widely made is fried chicken. Frying itself came from West Africa where all sorts of foods, especially fritters were cooking in deep pots of oil. However the Scots brought the recipe with them, preferring to batter and fry the pieces in butter or oil instead of just boiling them. Enslaved Africans, belonging to Scottish slave holders elevated the recipe with their addition of spicing and cooking techniques. Today you can easily make fried chicken in an air fryer, eliminating the need for hot fat.Keep in mind that a traditional egg based batter won't work in it. Dipping the chicken pieces in batter than a good coating of bread crumbs works better. The perfect dish with this is collard greens,. They can be made with the original recipe of  chicken broth ,turkey necks and ham hicks. Apple cider vinegar is added to them for some zing along with hot pepper flakes. You can make them vegan, starting with the broth. Use a vegetable stock and enhance it with garlic and onions. A dash of smoked applewood salt give it that smoky bacon flavor. You can sub in or mix in kale and spinach for more nutrients.

Shrimp and grits are another Juneteenth dish worth having throughout the year. This Gullah Low Country classic has grits cooked in chicken broth along with milk and butter. Salt and pepper are added in too. The shrimp along with onions are cooked in bacon drippings until done. The crumbled bacon is added to the seafood and onions and then spooned over the grits. You could also make fried okra A gain use the air fryer for this. It;'s breading okra pieces and then air frying them until crisp and browned. These can even be turned into an appetizer with the addition of dipping sauces. The holiday also has its' share of sweets. There is strawberry soda which is delicious when it's homemade. Chop strawberries and then cook in a skillet with water and granulated sugar. Cook until the berries are mush and start to mash them. Keep simmering for a few more minutes. It's then straining them through a strainer. Mix the syrup with the seltzer and serve over ice. Another Junettenth dessert is red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Again it';s an easy recipe to replicate. You can make it as a cake or as cupcakes, frosted and then sprinkled with red sugar or sprinkles.

Juneteenth and its' dishes can be honored all year round . The dishes can be savory or sweet. They represent the glory and joy that is freedom.

A Culinary Road Trip For Dad

 father's Day is usually about grilling dogs and burgers on the grill. There's the occasional steak but that's it.It's time to liven up dad's special day  with some international recipes.

Red meat is always important to the man of the house. You could go the way of the English and serve him Yorkshire pudding  with roast beef. It's a simple make because the pudding is nothing more than a savory popover. It's a mix of egg flour , milk and water. You can add the roast dripping along with a pinch of English powder mustard if you want. Finish with  chocolate stout cupcakes with a Guinness  infused buttercream frosting. Of course homemade sausage rolls, sausages encased in a flaky puff pastry crust and doused with HP sauce is another British treat dad would love, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon. A picnic French style is always a fun way to reconnect with dads. Pack not just the soccer ball and bubble wands but  some good flaky croissants  that can be slathered with Brie or layered with slices of Gruyere and ham. A charcuterie style one is a great way for fathers to sample a variety of cold cuts, cheeses and different breads. Bring along a baguette too for quick sandwiches. Include grapes and wine  - if your local parks allow it.Dessert could be a box of macarons in all sorts of tasty flavors. You could also do a German style with wursts, hard rolls and mustard. Make sure you pack homemade potato salad too.

What father doesn't love Italian food? You could easily treat dad to a sausage straight from the grill and pepper sandwich. The peppers can also be grilled for added smoky flavor and you could add some grilled onions for more taste. A meatball sub  brimming with homemade meat balls and sauce is a fun late lunch.Another idea, and in keeping with the season is pasta con vongole, or with clams.  This is spaghetti made with a very easy sauce of manila clams,garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes.Chopped parsley is sprinkled on top for coloring.What could finish this? Affogato or drowned ice cream. This is a yummy treat of vanilla or chocolate  ice cream drowned in a shot of very hot espresso. Place the ice cream in a glass or metal dish or bowl that's been chilled. This will cool down the coffee somewhat.  Add a splash of amaretto if you want. even better, crown it with some whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate on top.A culinary turn  East and dad could have homemade customized sushi,it is a bit more labor intensive , especially when making the rice. This can be made in an Instapot with Japanese short rice being mixed with salt sugar and rice vinegar. You will also have to have the dried seaweed or nori to wrap it in. Most grocery stores do carry it.. You can fill the rolls with dad's favorite from shrimp to crab for a tasty lunch. Have sake to drink for an authentic lunch or dinner.

Treat the man in your life to culinary trip for Father's Day, it could be an English country lunch, or French or German  picnic. He could feast on Italian Japanese or any international dish for his special day.

Stretching Those Meals

 Prices are rising and it's getting difficult to put decent meals on the table. What to do? Stretch those meals to last two even three days.

I found this out when I had a lot of pasta and a little sauce left. I decided to add one of my favorite ingredients and a low cost one too -spinach. 

it just takes a few leaves (about two cups added to Stop & Shop's chunky tomato basil sauce. I already added chopped portabellos for more heft and protein. This enabled me to stretch this for two days. The spinach definitely added to the sauce , giving it a nice fresh taste.It livened up the flavor, cutting the heavy tomato taste. Keep in mind you can add almost anything to a sauce. Grill eggplant and add it or toss in a few cut cherry tomatoes to add some sweetness.

The same is true of any ingredient. Leftover chicken and steak can easily be cut up and put into any salad. Add vegetables which are still relatively inexpensive right now.Homemade croutons. easily made with leftover bread and your sir fryer can round out the salad. They'll add crunch and flavor especially if you coat them with a mix of garlic and onion powders. Ham can easily be stretched into deviled ham by putting it in the food processor with a teaspoon of mayo.This creates a creamy spread perfect for sandwiches along with being perfect for a dip. You can do this for shrimp too, turning it into a paste for sandwiches and hors'd ouevres. All that shredded cheese you used for tacos one night can make for a nice cheese frittata the day after. This gives the egg dish more flavor and heft. You could also drizzle in some leftover salsa to create huevos rancheros.Leftover veggies can be used in a minestrone soup for a tasty and healthy light meal.Grilled veggies can be chilled and added to salads too.

Stretching those meals are a great money saver. Home chefs need to do this during these financially rough times. Leftovers repurposed means a few pennies saved .

A Creamery Revitalized

 It is a rarity to get cultured butter in the US,even rarer from a small privately owned creamery. Yet there is one where both home and professional chefs can find it. best of all it will be around for a long time.

Creator of the popular new York Times Food section column " A Good Appetite,"Melissa Clark wrote about Animal Farm Creamery in yesterday's section.The dairy farm has recently undergone new ownership since original owner Diane St Clair, sold it back in February. She herded her group of well loved cows into a trailer and drove them from their first location in Orwell, Vermont to the Rolling Bale Farm in Shoreham Vermont located on the southernmost shores of Lake Champlain. Ms. St Clair had made a name for herself, supplying cultured butter to such restaurants as French Laundry and Per Se. it costs a whopping $60 a pound!!! Despite the butter being the most sought after in the country Ms. St. Clair was ready for retirement. At sixty-five she wanted something different, hence the reason for starting her own perfume company St. Clair Scents/ Yet her beloved bovines were still very  important to her.  These were the cows that create that fantastic butter with names like Diva and Cinnamon. Enter Ben and Hillary Haigh who enthusiastically bought the business, with the promise of tendler loving care for the animals.

Will the Haighs continue the cultured butter? Yes.It's rare to get it here in the States.Culturing is standard in Europe where it produces premium butter.It's the process of adding bacterial cultures to cream and then left to ferment. The process is not unlike grapes fermenting into wine. Culturing gives the final product a fluffier texture and a tangier flavor It's usually salted.  (Keep in mind you can make it at home too).It was a standard in US homes until the arrival of pasteurized butter where there was widespread industrialization. That butter, the ones used every day, are pale in color and blandly sweet in taste.Ms. St Clair wanted to make a change in the industry, creating small batches that were sent to chefs like Thomas Keller , owner of French Laundry,  He fell in love with it and ordered as much as he could. It was then she bought the small dairy, bought a few more cows and produced one hundred (!) pounds of butter a week. There was also byproduct of buttermilk too.As a plus to the piece, Ms Clark includes recipe for a Green Goddess salad with a fresh buttermilk dressing and almond butter cookies with a buttery sweet glaze.

Rolling Bales Farms will continue the tradition of making cultured butter. It is a treat to have, even better to add to all sorts of recipes.As long as their are dedicated dairy farmers , there will be this creamy bar  of goodness.

Korean Masterclass In Cooking

 Home cooking in any nationality is usually the best, The recipes have been handed down, modified and improvised for generations. Some have influences from other cultures. Some rely on ingredients used for centuries . This is true of Korean cooking fast becoming a strong thread in the American culinary fabric.

Regular contributor and popular cookbook author, Eric Kim, wrote about his heritage in today's New York Times Food section. He remembers his mother's cooking in their Atlanta , Georgia kitchen and how it influences him to this day.He also feels like he has finally embraced Korean cooking now more than ever. a constant process of self discovery.it not only connects him to South Korea but to his own identity. Keep in mind that the cuisine is much more than barbecue, bulgoki and kimchi , all all three are a big part of it. Mr. Kim does give his recipe for Korean barbecue using samgyeopsal or three layer meat. This is pork belly's fat cap and the two leaners layers of meat below it. It's basically crisp slivers of pork wrapped in various lettuce leaves and dabbed with doangjang honey which is soy bean paste mixed with honey and slivers of garlic. It' s served with the tangy scallion salad, Pa Muchim. This last can also be served with rotisserie chicken and pan fried pork chops too, to alliviate the greasiness. For a homier meal, think Mr. Kim;s Doenjang Jiggae, a rich stew bursting with unami. Anchovies are cooked with red onions, zucchini and Korean radishes, plump, sweeter tasting ones than their American cousins. Shiitake mushrooms and dried kelp are also put in, for both a mellow and briny flavor.A thin boneless rib eye steak is added in the end to give the mix more heartiness.

Miyeok guk is both a soup with flavor and meaning.It's called the birthday soup because it;s not only eaten on a person's birthday but also to recall the sacrifices their mother made for them.Traditionally it's mussels cooked in a beef broth but Mr Kim subs in anchovies, garlic and mushrooms for it. Koreans and non Koreans alike love fried rice. His recipe has it on a sheet pan , with a covering of kim chi. You can use freshly boiled rice for this because baking them on a sheet pan ensures every grain will be crunchy. Eggs are cracked over them and it's a nice mix of silky baked yolk over the mix if crunchy and tart. The American presence over seventy years ago is still seen today , especially in the recipe in budae jjigae , translated into "army base stew". It may have hot dogs, Italian sausage ,kielbasa and that classic US Army staple Spam  in it but it is fired up by kim chi and gochu garu,Korean chili powder and gochujuan, fermented chili paste. Ramen is also added for more heft and its' topped with American cheese which melts nicely into the whole dish.

These recipes are from a master class in Korean cooking. They're traditional , passed down for decades. They are perfect in any kitchen with their strong blend of flavors and textures.

Home Alone The Kitchen Version

Here's that age old problem that happens with every summer vacation - what do you feed the kids? Do you let them cook? Leave sandwiches? Or give them money for take out? The best solution? Teach them how to cook.

First of all ask yourself is my little one ready to cook, especially alone in the house? Most parents have no qualms about letting their twelve and thirteen year olds know how to cook. The younger set , those below the age of  eleven and ten are usually at some kind of camp, summer school or relatives house where meals are no problem. The older tweens want to be home on their own, possibly with friends or just hanging out in a quiet house. What you can do is let them make their own decisions when it comes to what they want to eat. They may just want a microwave French bread pizza for lunch or a Hot Pocket. Again you can easily store up these quick to cook meals. You can also try healthier alternatives like The Tattooed Chef. This brand makes good for cauliflower and cheese bowl along with a pesto harvest bowl. They also have smoothie bowls packed with fruits, dark chocolate and cold brew for an alternative to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. You can also go with Amy's Frozen dinners which are all naturally made. The company makes everything from enchiladas to pasta so there's a wide choice.

If the kids do insist on cooking for themselves. then think easy dishes. They can whip up scrambled eggs mixed with herbs and served on sourdough bread. Have them microwave bacon (which is easier and safer) to go with it.  They can go vegan by subbing in Morningstar Farms soy bacon strips for the real kind. A frittata is another easy lunch , flavorful with any kind of veggie and cheese tossed in. Make sure you have either shredded or ground cheese like Parmesan. Again this is wonderful when served with toasted Italian bread.An air fryer is simple to use and your young chef can cook up a variety of hot lunches from hot dogs to hamburgers in one. They can also air fry fried chicken too. This would be a good time to teach them how to make the batter for wings and drumsticks . Kids are just as health conscious as their elders. They can create a lovely protein packed one , filled with the veggies and even fruits that they love.Have one or two lettuces for variety  along with grape and cherry tomatoes to mix in with cauliflower and broccoli florets. Almonds and sunflower seeds will give it crunch and color. Croutons also are a fun add in. Let them get created with the dressing and whip up their own.

Home alone in the kitchen isn't such a bad thing. Teach your tweens how to cook and they'll be able to feed themselves for a whole season. It may even become a passion.