Tatsoi with Garam Masala

When we planted tatsoi last October, I didn’t realize that it wouldn’t sprout until spring. I had heard it would even grow in the snow, so I impatiently drummed my fingers while checking the garden daily, waiting for signs of life. I had planted the seeds under a cold frame and thought for sure we would have greens in December. When the seeds finally sprouted in March, they grew slowly at first, then as spring went on the leaves suddenly jumped from just four or five centimeters long to as much as 15 centimeters. We will continue to plant tatsoi as a cool weather green because we like the flavor and it grew very well in our garden, much better than the spinach which never grew any taller than a few centimeters. Read more

Roasted Asparagus with Orange Ginger Glaze

“Can I have one?” asked Builder Guy and Top Gun as I took the roasted asparagus out of the oven. I handed a spear to each of them, and they noshed on it while I plated the asparagus and drizzled the orange ginger glaze on top. Roasting is one of my favorite ways to cook vegetables, and I enjoy the fresh flavor a fruity glaze adds. I’ll take a light glaze such as this over a heavy cream sauce any day. This recipe makes a family-sized amount, but you can cut it in half for a smaller group. You can also make this with green beans, if you prefer.

Always taste the marmalade first to judge the sweetness. If it’s really sweet you can omit the honey. I created this recipe using real orange marmalade made from Seville oranges (bitter oranges), so look for that in the jams and jellies section at your grocery store, or better yet, make your own orange marmalade if you have access to bitter oranges. Read more

Chicken Bok Choy

Bok choy is one of my favorite types of cabbage because it’s both leafy and crispy, lending a nice mix of textures in a dish, and I like it stir-fried simply with chicken, garlic, and ginger. This time I tried Jaden’s technique for starting with a cold wok, which was totally contrary to any wokking I had done before, but I like it. The garlic and ginger infused the oil and imparted lots of flavor to the chicken and bok choy. I hardly ever measure ingredients when stir-frying, so the measurements below are an approximation.

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Baked Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Herbs

Mashed potatoes were a staple in our home when I was growing up because it’s a simple and inexpensive dish that compliments many of the foods we ate. Fried chicken and country ham just aren’t the same without mashed potatoes and gravy, and they go well with many other dishes. My mother used to make potato pancakes with mashed potato leftovers, but as the kids grew up there were fewer and fewer leftovers. We still laugh about my brothers and the amount of potatoes they could eat as they grew into the teen years. We passed the bowl around the table until it reached my brother Jeff, and he would always ask, “Anyone want any more potatoes?” then proceed to empty the bowl onto his plate. He still jokingly says it when the family gathers for the holidays, but now he’s got more competition for the potatoes.

I don’t remember Mom ever baking mashed potatoes, but I’ve had them a few times with special dinners and they make a perfect accompaniment to Easter ham. The top takes on a slightly crispy crunch and I add fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and chives from our garden to brighten the flavor. We recently built some raised beds and I transplanted the existing herbs to their new home and seeded some cilantro and dill, both of which like the cool spring weather. Next month we’ll add the basil seedlings and the herb garden will be complete. Read more

Spicy Black Beans and Ham

Ham bones are a traditional flavoring for beans, and I remember my mother making pinto or navy beans cooked with ham and onions and served with cornbread. It was simple, homey food that warmed the belly and was easy on the budget. We use ham bones in soups and beans, and save the large ham bones when we cook ham for Sunday dinner, I just store them in the freezer.

I like black beans with ham and spice them up with Mexican flavors. We enjoy these beans as a main dish with jalapeno cheddar cornbread or rice or as a side dish for Mexican foods.

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Butternut Squash Pizza with Pancetta, Goat Cheese, and Sage

How embarrassing that I’m almost late for my own event! This month has been busy with cookies, cookies, and more cookies, and somehow along the way I forgot that I needed to post for Grow Your Own. It would have been doubly embarrassing since I’m hosting this round. The deadline for posting is December 15, and as long as I get an email from you with all the appropriate information you can still join us.

My inspiration for this pizza comes from my adopted blogger Jennifer at Palate to Pen. She made a butternut squash pizza with prosciutto and white sauce, and the very thought of it had me drooling and dreaming up what else to do with a butternut squash pizza topping. For this pizza I cut the squash into small chunks, thinly sliced a few shallots, tossed it with fresh from the garden sage chiffonade and some olive oil, then roasted it for about 15 minutes in the convection oven until the squash was soft and the shallots glistened. While that was roasting I cooked up some Pancetta and drained it on a paper towel. I cooked it about one minute too long, and I suggest watching it carefully. You want it to render a good amount of fat so it doesn’t linger on the pizza, but not get it too crispy before it goes into the oven. About any pizza dough will do, though I like to use either Peter Reinhart’s dough or a quick whole wheat dough, and we prefer our pizza cooked on a baking stone or on the grill for a nice crispy crust.

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