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

Roast Leg of Lamb with Cracked Peppercorns and Herbs

Big cuts of meat scare me. No, I don’t have nightmares about them, but for years I have studiously avoided them because I hate to ruin a good piece of meat. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter were the only times of the year when I would break out a big roasting pan and tackle anything bigger than a chicken. The thought of botching a beautiful piece of meat and inadvertently turning it into a tough piece of shoe leather offends many of my sensibilities.

In our last installment of Grow Your Own, Susan at Farmgirl Fare shared a simple technique for lamb spareribs, and I felt inspired. Maybe I would give lamb a go sometime. Maybe for Easter. It had been years since I had lamb. The last time I remember tasting lamb was at least 12 years ago in Saudi Arabia, and before that the last time was in New Zealand in 1992. I couldn’t even remember what it tasted like. It was time for my taste buds and lamb to get reacquainted, and I just hoped I could make something with lots of flavor that Michael would enjoy, too. I brought a leg of lamb home and Michael said, “You got what?” He’s not a fan, but with a little coaxing he was game for my not-so-little experiment. Read more

Maple Cranberry Butter

I’ve had trouble keeping my boys out of this butter! They watched intently as I made it on the stove and kept asking when it would be ready. We have enjoyed it on toast and homemade biscuits and bread, and the boys can hardly keep their spoons or fingers out of it. Hopefully there will be some left for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning!

The sweet maple syrup and brown sugar balances out the tart fresh cranberries, and the cinnamon adds a bit of smokiness. I was pleasantly surprised at the addition of vanilla extract. You don’t really taste it, but the butter had a fuller, richer taste with the vanilla. It is easy to make and comes together in about 30 minutes with very little work. The original recipe doesn’t specify type of maple syrup, but Grade B is my choice for cooking because the flavor is richer than Grade A, which is commonly used as table syrup for pancakes and such. Trader Joe’s has their own brand of Grade B maple syrup, and I buy it faithfully.

The recipe makes about 12 ounces of maple cranberry butter, which you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months and in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.

[Updated February 6, 2009] Read more

Roasted Butternut Squash Puree with Ginger

I’ve been roasting squash all during the month of November, and every time I use up all the squash in my kitchen, more seems to magically appear. Well, actually I just get more because I keep thinking of ways to use it. This gingered puree was an experiment that turned out pretty well. Originally I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh grated ginger, but we felt that it overpowered the sweetness of the squash, so a teaspoon seemed to work quite nicely. This will make a delicious side dish for a Thanksgiving meal, or any night of the week.

This Thanksgiving side dish is my contribution to Sunita’s monthly event, Think Spice. This month’s spice is ginger, which I think pairs fabulously with the roasted squash. Make sure you check out the round-up the first week in December.

[Updated November 23, 2009.] Read more

Experiment: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

We both enjoy jerk chicken, but we’ve never made it, so with the summer grilling season upon us, it just seemed like a good time to give it a go. Boy, do we feel silly for not trying it before now! It’s really, really simple—you just marinate and grill. I used only one habanero instead of the recommended two simply because they are so devilishly hot. Call me a wimp, but I’m pregnant and those things will eat me alive. Even with only a tiny bit of habanero and no seeds, the marinade was very flavorful.

The recipe calls for seven to eight pounds of chicken, enough for a small party. For just us and the boys, we grilled two large chicken breasts on the bone and used only one-fourth of the marinade. Read more

Pumpkin Pie Spice

This is the pumpkin pie spice recipe that I use. I keep a small tin of it in the pantry to pull out for Pumpkin Apple Muffins, Pumpkin Bread, or Pumpkin Pie.

Equipment

small jar or tin for storing the spice mix

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger, ground
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

Preparation

Put all ingredients in a small jar or tin. Cover and shake to thoroughly mix the spices.

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Source: http://southernfood.about.com