We discovered the persimmon tree in September when we noticed the golden orbs hanging from the branches. We hadn’t paid attention to the tree before because it was in a relatively inaccessible area behind our house and we had no idea what it was or what if anything it would produce, it had not set fruit until this year. When we found the fruit, we realized it was American persimmon (aka common persimmon and Eastern persimmon), which is a berry in botanic terms. The fruit is small, ranging 1 to 1-1/2 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) in diameter and very sweet when ripe.

Persimmons are autumn fruits that can hang on even after frost, and you can wait until after frost to gather them to ensure they are fully ripe. The leaves start to droop and fall off the tree as the fruit ripens. The persimmons should be very soft and even a little wrinkled before eating, otherwise they’ll have a chalky taste. If the fruit starts to drop when you shake the tree, they are pretty much ready.

The tree we found is in a wild, untamed area surrounded by thistles, climbing vines, and poison ivy, and we also had to watch for snakes as we carefully made our way to it. There are actually three persimmon trees back there, all about the same size and one without fruit so it’s probably the male tree. Persimmon trees are either male or female and the female trees bear fruit. Unlike some fruit trees, persimmon seeds produce trees that are true to the mother tree and the trees grow wild and prolifically.

The birds were already picking at the fruit near the top of the tree, so we knew it was time to gather persimmons.

They taste sweet, almost like honey, and the flavor came through in this spiced cake. Except for the time it takes to press the persimmons, the cake is relatively easy to make. The thin lemon glaze is optional, Michael doesn’t care for it but I like the bright flavor and bit of crunch it adds. You can use other types of persimmons, such as Hachiya or Fuyu for this cake, but since those are larger you will use fewer fruits to get the same amount of puree.

SPICED PERSIMMON CAKE WITH DATES AND LEMON GLAZE

Makes 1 large Bundt cake.

Equipment

2-quart bowl
medium mesh strainer
heavy spatula
stand mixer with paddle attachment
12-cup Bundt pan, greased and floured
fine mesh strainer
small bowl

Ingredients

PERSIMMON PUREE
1-1/2 to 2 pounds common persimmons, less if you use Hachiya or Fuyu persimmons (enough to make 2 cups of puree)

CAKE
2 sticks (1/2 pound/227 g) unsalted butter
2 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups (240 ml) persimmon puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (125 g) chopped dates or golden raisins

GLAZE
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F/165° C. Set rack in the middle of the oven.

2. PERSIMMON PUREE: Rinse the persimmons and remove the brown or green calyx. Place the strainer over the 2-quart bowl. One at a time, place a persimmon in the strainer and press down hard with the spatula. Press and move the spatula around, forcing the pulp through the mesh. Remove the seeds and skin and continue with the remaining persimmons. (Note: This can take a while when using small persimmons, so plan for it.)

3. In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it it light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time. Add the persimmon puree and vanilla extract, and mix well.

5. In the medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and stir gently, tossing in the chopped dates. Do not overmix.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 1 hour has passed. When a tester comes out dry with just a few crumbs clinging, remove the pan from the oven. If the tester has no crumbs the cake will be dry.

7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

8. MAKE THE GLAZE: While the cake is cooling, whisk together the the powdered sugar and lemon juice until the glaze is smooth.

9. Pour the glaze over the cake while warm. Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve.

References

Wikipedia – American persimmon

Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservations (Common Persimmon)

Wikipedia – Persimmon

More Autumn Recipes

More Persimmon Recipes From Around the Blogs

Pinch My Salt – Persimmon Cookies

David Lebovitz – James Beard’s Amazing Persimmon Bread Recipe

Simply Recipes – Persimmon Pomegranate Fruit Salad

White on Rice Couple – Poached Persimmons in Rum & Mascarpone Coconut Cream

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

I hope you will continue to share your Grow Your Own posts on your blogs and will join us when Grow Your Own returns in the spring. If you would like to sign up to host a Grow Your Own event for next year, you can email me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. If you are new to Grow Your Own, visit the Grow Your Own page to learn more about the event. And don’t forget, if you have participated in the event at least once, you can join the Grow Your Own Flickr group to share your photos, just visit the page and ask to join.

Thanks to everyone who participated this month. We had 12 13 participants from 4 5 countries, and we cooked with our homegrown tomatoes, chives, jalapenos, thyme, oregano, watermelon, mint, delicata squash, bell peppers, marrow squash, golden apple squash, cranberry red potatoes, and purple tomatillos.

And now for the round-up! Click the images to visit the posts. (Presented in the order received.)

Aloo Gobi Mata from Mona of Zaiqa (Ontario, Canada)

Mona’s tomato plants gave her some beautiful tomatoes for her healthy curry dish.

Cream Cheese and Chive Biscuits from Elissa of 17 and Baking (Washington, United States)

Elissa’s savory biscuits with homegrown chives are perfect breakfast comfort food.

Simple Jalapeno Poppers from John of Digging Earth (New Jersey, United States)

John’s homegrown jalapeno peppers make a perfect bite-size appetizer.

Light Veg-n-Lentil Soup from Sayantani of A Homemaker’s Diary (Karnataka, India)

Homegrown spinach makes Sayantani’s vegetable and lentil soup even more healthy.

Pizza with Roasted Zucchini Pomodoro Topping from Kelly of No Empty Chairs (Pennsylvania, United States)

Kelly’s homegrown oregano and thyme added lots of flavor to her roasted zucchini pomodoro pizza.

Watermelon Cucumber and Mint Salad from Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen (New York, United States)

Winnie found one of her homegrown yellow watermelons, forgotten and forlorn in her refrigerator, and paired it with cucumbers and her homegrown mint to make a summery salad in October.

Roasted Delicata Squash with Rosemary and Feta from Kare of The Hazel Bloom (Washington, United States)

Kare tried growing her own delicata squash this summer and found out they taste delicious roasted with feta and rosemary.

Mushroom Pepper Fry from Soma of eCurry (Texas, United States)

Soma’s homegrown peppers are perfect for her quick and easy stir-fry.

Vegetarian Stuffed Marrow Squash from Nic of Nip It In the Bud (UK)

Nic grew marrow squash, a large elongated type which are perfect for stuffing.

Autumnal Squash Scones from Mangocheeks of Allotment 2 Kitchen (Scotland, UK)

These adorable spiced pumpkin-shaped scones were made from homegrown golden apple squash.

Cranberry Potato Kidney Bean Salad from Linda of Kitchen Therapy (Wisconsin, United States)

Linda’s colorful salad uses homegrown cranberry potatoes, which are slightly pink. She also made applesauce in a pressure cooker from their homegrown apples.

Thai Fried Chicken Wings from Nate and Annie of House of Annie (Kuching, Malaysia)

Nate and Annie made some ultra crispy Thai fried chicken wings using the cilantro roots from their garden in the marinade.

Oven-Roasted Purple Tomatillo Salsa from Andrea Meyers (Virginia, United States)

We grew both purple and green tomatillos in our garden and think the purple tomatillos make a beautiful salsa.

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

Have I ever mentioned that purple is my favorite color? I find the color exhilarating and like plants that bear purple fruits and vegetables, including tomatillos.

Our tomatillo plants were slow this year along with everything else in the garden. The extended cold, wet spring put a damper on things, making everything slow to grow and blossom. We finally harvested some tomatillos a few weeks ago, much later than last year, and with the early cold snap this week we didn’t get much of a growing season at all. All we can do is preserve what we have and hope for better next year.

This was our second year for growing tomatillos, and we planted two green and two purple, both of which took off in late July and shot up to about nine feet tall. The purple tomatillo fruits are generally smaller than the green, with shades ranging from bright amethyst to almost black.

The interiors are only slightly lighter in color than the exterior, and the salsa is a brilliant purple.

When the cold snap hit this week we started pulling things off the plants, hoping to save as much as possible. The tomatillos stopped producing but still have hundreds of little paper lanterns hanging from the four plants. Fortunately they stand up to cold better than tomatoes and peppers, so we have a little time to finish the harvest. We’ll roast the rest, make them into salsa, and freeze it for the winter. I don’t like to process salsa because it tastes cooked rather than fresh, but I do recommend using the salsa within a couple months before it gets freezer burn and loses flavor.

Roasting the tomatillos is easy, just spread them out onto a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil and cook under the broiler until they char, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once roasted, the tomatillos can be thrown into a blender with your own blend of chiles, cilantro, garlic, onion, limes, whatever sounds good, and you’ll have roasted tomatillo salsa. This works with either the green or purple tomatillos, and we make both. This year the tomatillos, garlic, and serrano chiles all came from our garden.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. I am the host for this final event of 2009, and you can send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. Posts are due on October 30. Grow Your Own is taking a winter break this year while we tend to some family matters, but we’ll be back in the spring ready for more fun. If you would like to host in 2010, please drop me a note. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating and find the links to previous events at the Grow Your Own page.

OVEN-ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

Makes about 24 ounces/710 ml.

Equipment

baking sheet lined with heavy duty aluminum foil
blender

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.4 k) tomatillos, color of your choice, husked and rinsed
1/2 medium onion, quartered (red for purple tomatillos, white for green tomatillos)
1 fresh chile, stemmed (serrano or jalapeno work well)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
handful of cilantro leaves and tiny stems, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 lime, juiced

Preparation

1. Spread the tomatillos out on the lined baking sheet stem side down. Place under broiler until charred, about 6 to 8 minutes. Some will crack and release juice, and that’s ok. Add tomatillos and juice to the blender jar.

2. On a dry skillet, toast the onion, chile, and garlic, turning until charred on all sides. Add to the blender jar. (Note: Remove the seeds of the chile if you want a milder salsa.)

3. Add the cilantro and lime juice to the blender jar. Blend all for a few seconds. Pour into a large bowl and serve, or pour into jars and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Can also freeze in plastic containers. I use the Ball Plastic Freezer Jars.

More Grow Your Own Recipes

More Tomatillo Recipes From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Tomatillo Chicken Stew

Cookworm – Chickpea and Tomatillo Soup

What’s Cooking? – Mexican Tomatillo Rice

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Grilled Halibut with Southwestern Rub and Tomatillo Salsa

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

This dish is the main reason we grow Thai basil in our herb garden. We’ve grown many kinds of basil over the years and seem to have settled into a routine of Genovese, Lemon (Sweet Dani or similar), and Thai (Sweet Thai or Queen of Siam) basil because they cover the spectrum of our uses. The Sweet Thai variety we grew this year produces plants with purple stems and gorgeous purple flowers. Like most basils, the flowers are also edible and add a punch of anise flavor to Asian dishes. Our basils will last a few more weeks, then it will be time for the final harvest of the season and a marathon session making pesto (basic and sun-dried) and basil ice cubes.

The peppers, basil, and garlic all came from our garden. You might wonder why the peppers are dark in this photo but green in the finished dish. These dark peppers are called Purple Beauty, and as you can see they ripen a deep purple, almost black. The inside remains green and when cooked the skin looses its lush color and turns back to green. The substance that causes that deep purple color, anthocyanin, is a powerful antioxidant that is also water soluble, hence the change in color when cooked. None of our red peppers were ripe when we made this dish recently, so we used the Purple Beauty, but they definitely provide greater health benefits when eaten raw.

When making this dish for people who enjoy some heat, go for the full amount of hot peppers. This meal has to feed all the eaters in our home, including the little guys, so I hold off on the hot chiles, just adding a few slices with some seeds to the wok. Michael sets his mouth on fire by adding a whole sliced chile (or two) with the seeds to his bowl.

I’ve adjusted the method for making this dish by starting with a cold wok and adding the garlic and chiles to the cold oil. This allows the flavor to release as the oil heats and prevents the garlic and chiles from burning. Thanks to Jaden for sharing this technique!

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, the blogging event that celebrates dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Dido of Mowgli Chic is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

Also, be sure to check out the most recent Grow Your Own roundup at Masala Heaven, which was hosted by Praveen.

THAI BASIL CHICKEN (KAI KRAPHAO)

Adapted from Simply Thai Cooking, by Wandee Young and Byron Ayanoglu.

Makes about 4 servings.

Equipment

wok

Ingredients

10 ounces chicken breast, boneless and skinless
1/2 medium bell pepper (green or red), cut into 1/2-inch squares
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 fresh hot chiles, roughly chopped (adjust to your heat tolerance)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
20 whole leaves fresh Thai basil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

SERVE WITH
steamed jasmine rice

Preparation

1. Slice the chicken breast into thin strips, 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick by 2 inches (5 cm) long and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. To achieve very thin slices, put the chicken breasts into the freezer for about 20 minutes to harden slightly, then slice. Set aside.

2. Pour oil into the cold wok and add the garlic and chiles. Cook over high heat until the aromas start to release. Add the sliced chicken and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce and stir-fry for another minute. Add the oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons of water and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add the peppers and 16 of the basil leaves and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the peppers start to soften.

5. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water, add to the wok, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the sauce thickens.

6. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining basil leaves and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Other Recipes With Basil

More Thai Basil Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Spicy Cucumber Salad with Thai Basil and Sesame Seeds

What’s for Lunch Honey? – Parmesan Thai Basil Crusted Chicken

Rasa Malaysia – Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass, Thai Basil, Chilies, and Coconut Juice

Viet World Kitchen – Vegan Green Papaya Salad with Thai Basil

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

Zucchini season will soon come to an end, but there’s still time to enjoy this icon of the summer garden. We’ve made salads, pasta, bread, gratins, and all sorts of things with zucchini, even though it was a sad zucchini year for us after losing all our zucchini plants to garden pests.

Risotto is comfort food for me anytime of the year no matter what I put into it, and this one with zucchini and our fresh homegrown basil and garlic does not disappoint. The Grana Padano cheese adds a slightly nutty yet delicate flavor that is worth the search, but you can also substitute Parmigiano Reggiano if you can’t find Grana Padano. The recipe is adapted from My Italian Garden, by Viana La Place (in my personal collection), a lovely little book with watercolor illustrations based on cooking from her own Italian garden in San Francisco. The book is divided into seasons, making it perfect for cooking with seasonal produce.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, the blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Praveen of Masala Heaven is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. I hope you will join us!

ZUCCHINI RISOTTO

Adapted from My Italian Garden, by Viana La Place.

Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Equipment

3-quart sauce pan with heavy bottom
2-quart sauce pan
box grater (optional)

Ingredients

6 cups (1.44 liters) vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 medium zucchini or striato d’Italia, diced (I grated them.)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (360 g) Arborio rice
8 fresh basil leave, chiffonade
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Grana Padano cheese (You can substitute Parmesan if necessary.)

Preparation

1. In the 2-quart sauce pan, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer. Keep it hot but not boiling.

2. In the 3-quart sauce pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and sauté slowly until soft. Add the zucchini and garlic and sauté over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the rice is translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Reduce temperature to low. Add the hot broth to the rice mixture one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until the liquid is absorbed before adding the next ladleful of broth. Midway during cooking, add the basil and salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking until all the broth has been added.

4. Test the risotto to make sure it’s al dente, but not too hard. If it’s still a little crunchy, add a ladleful of water and continue stirring. When risotto is ready, remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the Grana Padano cheese. Serve immediately.

Other Italian Recipes

More Zucchini Recipes From Around the Blogs

Simply Recipes – Zucchini Breakfast Casserole

Karina’s Kitchen – Pesto Zucchini Tomato Gratin

Wasibomon – Light Zucchini Hummus

A Veggie Venture – Eight Ball Stuffed Zucchini

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

Thanks to everyone who posted for the second anniversary of Grow Your Own! We had eleven thirteen participants from three four countries, and we cooked with our homegrown tomatoes, basil, methi, peppers, squash, onions, greens, pears, and lemon verbena. If I missed a post, please let me know.

If you are new to Grow Your Own, visit the Grow Your Own page to learn more about the event. Today we start the next event and our host is Praveen of Masala Heaven. The deadline for posting is September 15, so be sure to check Praveen’s blog for more information. We hope you will join us!

And now for the round-up! (Presented in the order received.)

[Updated September 1, 2009]

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis from Lynda of TasteFood
(California, United States)

Lynda’s tian is colorful and beautiful with her homegrown heirloom tomatoes and basil (recipe from Côté Sud).

Sassy Smoky Salsa from Donna of Fab Frugal Food
(Utah, United States)

Donna plays Salsa Fairy (explained in her post) and shares a recipe for her favorite smoky salsa with homegrown tomatoes.

Lentil Soup with Fenugreek (Methi Dal) from Soma of eCurry
(Texas, United States)

Soma’s dal is even more delicious with her homegrown methi and tomatoes.

Hot Starters with Cheese from Graziana of Erbe in Cucina
(Sicily, Italy)

Graziana’s appetizers get their spiciness from her homegrown hot peppers.

Garden Spaghetti from Chris of The Cellar and the Pantry
(Pennsylvania, United States)

Chris’s spaghetti squash, onions, and peppers came together for a completely homegrown meal.

Tomato Review 2009 from Linda of Kitchen Therapy
(Wisconsin, United States)

Linda shared the varieties of tomatoes they grew this year and the different ways they have used them.

BLT Pie from Maybelle’s Mom at Feeding Maybelle
(Ohio, United States)

Homegrown tomatoes and greens make up part of the layers in this luscious bacon, lettuce and tomato pie.

Pear Custard Pie from Amy of Playing House
(Oregon, United States)

Amy’s baby pear tree has shared lots of fruit and some of it went into this custard pie reminiscent of a Dutch Baby.

Lemon Verbena Madelines from Denise at Chez Us
(California, United States)

These lemony madelines (recipe from David Lebovitz) make a delicious treat.

Tomato Bread with Fresh Basil from Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen
(Goa, India)

Aparna’s homegrown basil adds flavor to this beautiful tomato bread (recipe from Beth Hensperger).

Roasted Tomato Sausage Penne from Jeff of Culinary Disasters
(Indiana, United States)

Jeff’s roasted his fresh homegrown tomatoes and added some of his fresh herbs to make this hearty pasta dish.

Roasted Squash Blossoms with Tri-Color Filling from Sarah of What Smells So Good?
(Ontario, Canada)

Sarah’s homegrown squash blossoms are sure to please with the homegrown sun-dried tomato, basil, and goat cheese filling.

Tomato Jam (Doce de Tomate) from Andrea of Andrea Meyers
(Virginia, United States)

I used our homegrown Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes to make this Portuguese jam with port (recipe from David Leite).

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

My introduction to soba noodles was actually on a plane flying from Tokyo to Honolulu, admittedly not the best place to get good food. The flight attendants came around with breakfast and asked if I wanted the Japanese or the American breakfast, and I chose the Japanese because I could see the noodles that someone else already had on their tray. I swirled them in the sauce and enjoyed the slippery sensation and flavor while the American woman next to me eyed them with a look that said, “I can’t believe you are eating that.” I just smiled and enjoyed my breakfast.

Soba noodles also make a perfect light lunch on a hot day and I’ve got my 6-year-old, Builder Guy, hooked on them. Sometimes we have them plain with the traditional dipping sauce, but other times I like them as a salad tossed with some vegetables. This particular recipe has lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, grated ginger, scallions, and cilantro for flavor, and zucchini, carrots, and avocado for vegetables. I could eat this all the time, but it tastes best when zucchini is in season, so now is a perfect time of year for this salad. I follow Maki’s method for cooking soba noodles, and it works perfectly.

One common question about soba noodles is whether they are gluten-free because buckwheat is not actually wheat at all and is naturally gluten-free, and the answer is it depends. Many soba noodles have wheat flour added to act as a binder, but you might find some gluten-free soba such as Eden Selected Buckwheat Soba or King Soba Noodles in larger grocery stores, Whole Foods, or even an international grocery store. Of course, you can also make your own gluten-free soba. And if you cook gluten-free, make sure you also choose a gluten-free soy sauce.

I made this with our homegrown scallions, which have started to peak in production. Our ginger isn’t quite ready, but hopefully next month we’ll have fresh homegrown ginger root. Squash vine borers defeated our efforts to grow zucchini this summer, but there’s always next year.

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for the second anniversary of Grow Your Own is coming up on August 30. If you haven’t yet sent your post information, you still have time. Email me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. I’m excited about the anniversary event and can’t wait to see all your posts!

ZUCCHINI SOBA SALAD

Adapted from Epicurious.

Makes 4 to 6 large servings.

Equipment

5-quart pot
wire mesh strainer
large serving bowl

Ingredients

8 ounces (227 g) soba noodles
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons peeled and finely minced fresh ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 carrots, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch matchsticks
4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 avocados, cut into chunks
sea salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

1. Bring water to boil in the pot. Add the soba and reduce the heat so the water is simmering, not at a hard boil. Cook until soft and pliable, but not mushy. Drain and add very cold water back to the pot, add some ice if necessary. Stir the noodles with your hands or long chopsticks to loosen any remaining starches. Drain again and run cold water over the noodles until the water runs clear.

2. Whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, honey, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, carrots, scallions, and avocado chunks and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve immediately at room temperature with cilantro for garnish.

More Salads

More Zucchini Salad Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Zucchini Carpaccio (Raw Zucchini) with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese

Closet Cooking – Grilled Asparagus, Zucchini, and Halloumi Salad

Almost Turkish Recipes – Zucchini Salad with Yogurt

A Veggie Venture – Tomato and Zucchini Salad

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

It’s rich and complex, not your average tomato jam. The cinnamon and cloves spice it up, but the ruby port makes all the difference between an average jam and a memorable jam. It’s good by itself on toast, crackers, or baguette slices, and even better with sheep or goat cheese.

The recipe comes from the newly released The New Portuguese Table (review) by award-winning author David Leite, a book combining culinary tradition with modern flavors. In his version, Leite reduced the sugar considerably, leaving plenty of room for the flavor of the tomatoes to shine. We used our homegrown Cherokee Purple tomatoes, a rich rose-purple colored heirloom. We had several of them ripen at once, giving us the perfect opportunity to try them in this jam. The tomatoes have a sweet, rich flavor that works perfectly with the spices and port.

I’m delighted to announce the second anniversary of Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Two years ago I was searching for a food blogging event with a grow-your-own theme but couldn’t find one, so I said, “Why not?” and announced a new food event. I’ve been thrilled to meet bloggers through Grow Your Own and learn about the things you grow, forage, hunt, and raise. My thanks to all who have supported the event by participating, hosting, or spreading the word.

If you would like to join us for the fun, please send your post information to andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com by midnight EST August 30. If this is your first time participating, welcome! You can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. You don’t need a big garden or farm to participate, even a few herbs in a pot or foods you foraged, hunted, or raised qualifies for Grow Your Own. And because people who garden, farm, forage, or hunt often share the bounty, we also permit foods that were given to you from the source. Of course if you would like to host an upcoming GYO event, please send me an email.

TOMATO JAM (DOCE DE TOMATE)

Adapted from The New Portuguese Table, by David Leite (review).

Makes 2 (8-ounce) jars.

Equipment

4-quart saucepan
2 (8-ounce) glass canning jars with new lids and bands (When canning jam, I always add one 4 ounce jar + lid + band as back up for any extra. It’s just a thing I do, but I almost always need the extra.)
canning pot with rack
small bowl
lid wand
jar lifter or tongs
plastic spatula
wide-mouth funnel

Ingredients

2-1/2 pounds (1.13 k) very ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2-1/4 cups (394 g) granulated sugar
1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
4 (3-inch/7.6 cm) strips of lemon zest, remove with a vegetable peeler
2 whole cloves
1/4 cup (60 ml) ruby port

Preparation

1. Combine the tomatoes and any accumulated juice, the sugar, cinnamon, zest, cloves, and port in the 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that accumulates on top. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally. As the jam thickens, stir more frequently, at least 1 hour.

2. Test the jam to see if it’s ready to can. Put a small plate in the freezer for about 10 minutes, then dollop a spoonful of jam on top and put in the refrigerator for 2 minutes. It it gels, you are ready to can.

3. While the jam cooks, sterilize the jars, rings, and lids. In the canning pot, add enough water to cover the canning jars by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil and immerse the jars and the metal bands. Ladle some of the boiling water into a small bowl and put the lids in to soften the rubber.

4. When the jam is ready, remove from heat and discard the cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon zest.

5. Using the jar lifter or tongs, remove the jars from the water, keeping the water boiling. Using the wide-mouth funnel, ladle the hot jam into the jars and leave 1/4-inch (6 mm) headroom. Wipe the rims clean with a wet cloth, place the lids on top, and screw on the bands until finger tight (not too tight).

6. Lower the jars into the pot and make sure they are covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Once the water returns to a boil, process for 5 minutes. Transfer the jars to a heat resistant surface (I use an old cutting board) and let cool completely.

7. Listen for the “pop” to indicate the jars have sealed and check the lids to make sure they’re depressed. If the jar did not seal, keep it in the refrigerator and eat within 2 weeks. Properly processed jam will store for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate after opening.

References

Wikipedia – Portuguese Cuisine

Home Canning (Boiling Water Method)

More Tomato Recipes

More Portuguese Recipes From Around the Blogs

Hedonia – Carne de Porco com Amêijoas à Alentejana

Simply Recipes – Portuguese Salt Cod Stew (Bacalhoada)

Rasa Malaysia – Mini Portuguese Egg Tarts

Albion Cooks – Caldo Verde (Portuguese Green Soup)

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We’ve reached that magical point in the summer where the tomatoes are starting to ripen. For a couple days we brought in only a handful of sweet cherry, grape, sun gold, or yellow pear tomatoes, but in the last few days we’ve brought in almost nine pounds of tomatoes and have more on the way. As long as something devastating doesn’t happen (knock on wood) we’re set to have a good crop of tomatoes. Right now we are harvesting Early Girl, Brandywine, Mr. Stripey, Cherokee Purple, and Roma, and we have some other varieties that aren’t ready yet but should be soon.

On the other hand, the zucchini is not doing so well. We had a cold wet spring that went all the way through the end of May and slowed plant growth, plus the plants can’t seem get on a coordinated flowering schedule. Zucchini needs both male and female flowers open at the same time in the morning for pollination, and we’ve only had one flower open at a time. So we are stuck buying zucchini for now but still hopeful that we’ll get at least a few zucchini from the garden this summer.

The basil is starting to perk up after toughing out the really wet spring. The plants looked like they wouldn’t thrive but have finally taken off. One of the parsley plants was lost to the overwhelming rains but the other seems to have survived and is slowly coming around.

This dish is my take on a classic that is easy to prepare and full of some of our favorite flavors. We layer the tomatoes and zucchini and tuck basil chiffonade and chopped parsley in between the layers, then top it off a drizzle of olive oil, sautéed onions and garlic, and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. It’s simple, healthy fare that works as a side dish or a light main course.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, the blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. MomGateway is our host for this round, so be sure to visit the blog for more information about submitting your post. Posts are due on August 15. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. We hope you will join us!

ZUCCHINI AND TOMATO GRATIN

Makes one 3-quart casserole.

Equipment

3-quart (2.8 liter) baking dish
10-inch heavy skillet

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 (6 to 8-inch/15 to 20 cm) zucchini, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 pounds (~900 g) tomatoes, thinly sliced
10 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of sea salt
2 or 3 grinds fresh black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. Warm the skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Lightly brush the bottom of the baking dish with olive oil. Arrange zucchini slices around the bottom of the pan, then add a layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle on the chopped parsley. Repeat with another layer of zucchini and another layer of tomatoes, then sprinkle on the basil chiffonade. Add the final layer of zucchini, then the tomatoes.

4. Arrange the onions and garlic around the top of the casserole. Sprinkle on a pinch or two of sea salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Drizzle the remaining olive oil around the top and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes. At the 45 minute mark the zucchini will be tender but not soft, so bake longer if you want it very tender. Remove from the oven and allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving. There will be plenty of juice in the bottom of the pan, and you can drizzle it over the top for more flavor.

Other Summer Vegetable Recipes

More Zucchini Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – How to Grill Zucchini Perfect Every Time

Smitten Kitchen – Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Zucchini Spirals with Fresh Vegetable Sauce

A Veggie Venture – Feta Stuffed Zucchini

Thanks for reading Andrea’s Recipes through a feed! Copyright © 2005-2009 Andrea’s Recipes.

This is our first year for growing garlic and now we are slapping ourselves for not trying it years ago because it was so easy. We planted the garlic cloves back in October and then just let them do their thing, no difficult maintenance required. They sprouted before winter set in, then the real growth came in spring when the temperatures warmed up.

We planted softneck silverskin garlic, the most common type of garlic you’ll find in markets or stores. It doesn’t have scapes like hardneck garlic, but it keeps longer after harvest than the hardneck type. Softneck garlic is good for braiding, something I really should practice but I’m all thumbs when it comes to fine motor skills.

As always, we learned a few things with our experiment. First, choose a type of garlic that will thrive in your area. In general, hardneck varieties do well in cold climates and softneck varieties do well in hot climates. Plant only the biggest cloves because they yield the biggest bulbs with the most cloves, and save the little cloves for the kitchen. Plant cloves in October to November in a sunny spot about two to three inches (five to eight centimeters) below the surface. Keep it watered in the spring and when the weather turns hot. Once the green tops start to brown and lay over, stop watering for at least one week before harvesting.

Harvesting is not difficult, just carefully dig around the bulb without touching it to loosen the roots then lift it out. Tap the garlic a little to get most of the dirt off, but don’t worry about removing all the dirt because you want to leave the papery skin on for storage. If you harvest on a dry day you’ll have an easier time tapping off the dirt.

You can use the newly harvested garlic right away, but for long-term storage it needs to cure (dry), so put it in a place out of direct sunlight (not the refrigerator) for about two weeks. We hung it from the rafters in our basement root cellar. After the garlic has cured, you can braid it. Softneck varieties will keep for up to eight months and hardneck varieties will keep for up to two months.

And of course, save some of the big cloves for planting again.

When ready to use, just cut away any dangling roots and use a clean dry toothbrush to gently rub away the outer skin and remaining dirt.

Roasted garlic is one of my favorite foods. It tastes delicious smeared on good artisan bread and adds another dimension of flavor to tomato sauce, mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, hummus, and many other dishes. Serve the hummus with raw vegetables, pita slices or pita chips, or baguette slices. It’s also delicious on bagel or pita sandwiches with avocado slices and alfalfa sprouts.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Amy of Playing House is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. The deadline is July 30. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

References

Leslie Land – How to Grow Garlic

ROASTED GARLIC HUMMUS

Makes about 2 cups.

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce/425 g) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (or 1/2 cup dry beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed)
3 tablespoons sesame tahini (I prefer Ziyad brand, but any will do.)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 whole bulb roasted garlic (or 2 if you really want some garlic flavor)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 to 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin. In the bowl of the food processor, add the beans, tahini, lemon juice, sea salt, and garlic. Process for a few seconds to get the mixture started. While the processor runs, begin drizzling in the olive oil, starting with 2 tablespoons, adding more as necessary to create a smooth consistency.

Other Easy Appetizers

More Recipes With Roasted Garlic From Around the Blogs

Baking Bites – Roasted Garlic Grilled Flatbread

Wild Yeast – Roasted Garlic Bread

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Garlic-Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds

Ezra Pound Cake – Roasted Garlic, Poblano, and Red Pepper Guacamole

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