Day 27

Purple Cherokee

Brandywine

Yellow Pineapple

Red Zebra

 

The Handyman Will Be Rewarded.

He's done it again.  He built me something pretty.  

And since he knows the way to my heart, he included all of the important things- it's cute, recycled and  functional!

He made the CD bookcase years ago with scrap wood, when we first started dating.  Since we've gone the way of the times, the CD's are now uploaded and stored away.  Our unspoken mantra for 2011 is "minimize", so this bookcase was pretty much saved from the yard sale pile by getting a second life.

The neighbor's kitchen remodel resulted in free 2x4's for the legs, rustic and sturdy.  He drilled holes for drainage and added a screen to the bottom.  What served previously as shelves will now be busy defining boundaries and providing a sweet ass design element.

 

Ain't she swell?

It was an amazing gift and it was an easy decision.  I decided to plant herbs I'll use in cooking delicious and healthful things to both repay him.  Here's to celebrating the good old back & fourth!

1. French Tarragon

2. Fern Leaf Dill

 3. Tri-colored Sage

Evidence shows that throughout history, sage was associated with immortality and longevity, and it was believed to increase mental capacity.  It's also been studied lately, with the possibility of helping with the results of Alzheimer's. It's antibiotic and anti-fungal. Homemade cleaners?  However you slice (or chiffonade) it, it is welcome in my garden + kitchen.  Helpful growing tip:  To encourage full bushy growth, pinch growing tips in spring, and remove old leaves after frost or before new growth appears.

4. Golden Oregano

5. Curled Parsley

 6. The Lemon Thyme and English Thyme 

 It will do great in the spot that gets the most sun.  They tend to propagate like hussies, so separating them from the rest of the herbs should cool their laurels for awhile.  If it grows and grows, I can easily dry some and keep it in an air tight container.  It will be a common flavor supporter in my soups and roasts, providing some much needed iron.

7.  Stevia 
The leaves will make a great natural sweetener for some well earned mojitos.  I assume that's where all of my mint may be headed too!

8. Coriander Cliantro  
My biggest challenge to date, who is constantly teaching me lessons in the garden. It's dry but then quickly overwatered.  It's wilting in the sun but not much better with some shade.  I spoke to a few guys at Armstrong Nursury who gave me a pep talk though. I will desperately try to keep it healthy!

9. The Marigold and Dianthus flowers  
bring in a little jazz.  Marigold's are actually hard workers though too.  They deter harmful insects from making your garden their home, while simultaneously attracting butterflies. Rumor has it that you can even use it in teas!  (My newest obsession.)

Beautifully HANDCRAFTED container 

+ 

LOVINGLY grown herbs

I'd say we both win in this scenario.  

Team Minton!

Profile: Fennel

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a hardy perennial herb. 

I have found it very easy to grow, flourishing in my container garden.  

Unfamiliar with it?  Well, it's extremely aromatic and flavorful, being on of the primary ingredients of absinthe. The bulb is crunchy and slightly sweet, treated as a vegetable, often being found in salad or braised down as a side dish.

The leaves look similar to dill, and can be as an herb or garish.  The seeds are used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking.

It has a mild anise like flavor, and reminds me of black licorice.  It's much more mild though- I avoid licorice like the plague, but can appreciate the mild and delicate bite of fennel.

The herb is also used as a natural medicine to aid digestion.  It's also given to nursing mothers to help encourage milk production.  

If you look, you may find wild fennel, as it has become an invasive species in North America.

Hop on over to Epicurious for from great recipe ideas.

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." 

 ~Lewis Grizzard

PROGRESS REPORT: Heirloom Tomatoes

As an attempt to give my husbands and animals a break, I decided to mother something else instead: 72 baby tomato plants. There are 4 heirloom varieties. 
I have equal numbers of Yellow Pineapple, Brandywine, Purple Cherokee and Red Zebra.  The first 3 varieties were from seeds I saved in the fall, from McGrath Family Farms.  You can find my how to post here.

DAY FOUR

90% of the seeds have sprouted!
Maybe it's the magical combination of light, water, warmth.  Is it the thoughtfully mixed soil?  Is it my constant concern?  Maybe.  And just maybe it's the 24 hour jazz.

DAY THIRTEEN

Only 2 seeds didn't sprout- not bad since I started with 72!

The 2nd set of leaves have come in on all of the seedlings.

  We're moving right along. 

Please stand by.

Indian food in India is just food.

I am so thankful for my recent trip to India, and really enjoyed the experience.  It was beautiful to see all of the rhetoric I hear, in action.  Not for credibility, not to be hip, but because it's a way of life and always has been.  Eating locally grown organic fruits and vegetables, seasonally, has never gone out of style.  Microwaves and preservatives are a strange concept, and don't play a part in their food culture. Lovely.

Fruits and Veggies, sold on the street in Mumbai, India

 Green Beans, headed to market, Mumbai, India

The daily catch, Fort Cochin, India

Flat bread I was preparing for a potluck dinner in Varkala, India

We also managed to find the most amazing chocolate cake in Mumbai.  Nothing Indian about it- it was in a western cafe.....but it was so tasty.  It made us swoon, really! We shamelessly went back for them a few times, in even fewer days.

Our first night in Varkala, Kerala we took a rickshaw across town Kumari's house.

Eating the meal she prepared for us in her back yard next to the cow, without napkins, silverware or drinks added to the experience.  Food was the focus.  She made at least 12 different items, and it cost us 150 Rupees, which is about $3.00.  It was a real life "supper club."
Kristi and I went back a few days later for a cooking lesson and lunch.
The meals Kumari prepared were the best we had in India, hands down.

I will always remember the experience.  She's a lovely woman, standing 5 feet tall but with the strength and energy to run the household.  Her house is small and humble, no fuss, no unnecessary items.  (Lesson number one!)

Her cow in the back yard and provides fresh milk for the family. 

She grows many of the ingredients she cooks with.  

Her husband helps cut vegetables, and she uses her experience and love to prepare amazing food.

Onions, garlic, ginger and okra, which she called "ladyfingers".

Curry leaves from her garden. She explained they are best fresh, and not good as a dried herb.  I had no idea there was such a thing, and am trying to find seeds to grow them here....something which I could get busted for, I'm sure.

Fresh Veggies!

I could share recipes with you, but the best thing is to share technique.

The dish starts with coconut oil on high heat.  I have only been able to find it at an India grocery store, or Whole Foods.  Whole foods is a bit pricier, and had a few additional choices.  Place black mustard seeds in hot pan and cover (unless you like oil, everywhere.)  A combination, depending on the dish, of garlic, onion, and ginger.  The fresh vegetables are next, , Add the remaining spices before closing lid.  Either keep on heat for a minute, which would give you a bright crunchy vegetable dish. Or, keep it on until you achieve what Kumari called the "roasted" look.  Certain dishes can be finished with freshly home made coconut milk, boiling it off until the cream thickens and the dish is deep and rich.  These are the things good curries are made of. 
The vegetables you use are interchangeable, and therefore the options are endless. 

Her foundation spices include:

Fresh curry leaves, black mustard seed, freshly ground chili powder, coriander, fennel, cumin, tumeric, cinnamon, cardamom and chicken Marsala spice (which is vegetarian). 

Fresh onion, garlic and ginger make an appearance as well.

She used ANNA pans, and I'm kicking myself for not bringing one home. I can't find them online...can you?   There will be a curry dinner in it for you!

Kumari's masterpieces

 I'm forever changed when it comes to not only curries, but good honest food, prepared with love. But mostly curries.  

Starting Seeds

Spring is coming, and it's a great time to start your seeds.

Typically I use peat pots, finding them in large packs at the 99cent store.  The hassle with large groups of small pots is keeping them organized, and upright.  

Try this instead-

USE EGG CONTAINERS!

You can start 12 sections, and they are easy to move from the sun to indoors, etc.

Your welcome.

Grilled Lemon & Rosemary Vinaigrette

Lemon trees all over the neighborhood are weighing down with fruit.  

Here is a great idea to use some citrus, in a surprising way.

Roasting or grilling lemons until there is a bit of char, deepens the flavor and makes a fantastic base for a vinaigrette.  Although the flavor is complex, it is very simple to achieve.
It's also a great way to bring a little sunshine into your kitchen when it's gloomy outside.

Preheat your broiler, or BBQ/grill, and cut 4 lemons in half.  

Roast and rotate the lemons until there is char on all sides.

Roast a sprig of rosemary, brushed with olive oil, for about 1 to 2 minutes.  You do not want the herb to burn.

Using a fine mesh strainer and wooden spoon, push the lemons through to get the juice and oils.  Discard the remains.  Remove the rosemary needs from the stick, and finely mince.  To the liquid add 1/2 to 1 cup good quality extra virgin oil olive.  The variance is based on the amount of liquid you get from the lemons.  Typically I like 2 to 1, but this recipe tastes great 50/50.  The best bet is to taste as you go.  Mix in the minced rosemary, about 1 tablespoon.  Add up to 1 tablespoon of salt, again tasting as you add,  a little at a time.  It was easily be over salted. 

Using Meyer lemons will bring a sweetness, but you can also add a teaspoon of honey if you find the vinaigrette too bitter.

Try using other citrus fruit or herbs to achieve a range of flavors.  

Blood oranges and tarragon would be lovely.  How about grapefruit and thyme on a fennel salad? Mixed citrus fruit with ginger sounds awesome too!

This is fantastic as a salad dressing, or amazing over grilled vegetables or chicken.

Enjoy!