Cantaloupe Gazpacho Recipe - Bon Appétit
Preparation
Purée 1 medium cantaloupe (peeled, seeded, chopped),
1 small cucumber (peeled, chopped),
2 tablespoons chopped red onion,
2 teaspoons kosher salt,
and 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth.
With motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil;
season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve gazpacho chilled, topped with thinly sliced fresh mint.
Tuesday, 19 July 2016
Monday, 18 July 2016
Pumpkin pie and ginger cream.
A couple of days ago Maddy, the little girl from next door, brought me a bowl of pumpkin flesh, dug out of a large pumpkin she was carving for halloween.
Here is a slice of the pie I made with it following a recipe I always use and that never fails to go down well.
This pie only gets made once a year and some years I don’t get around to it at all.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / gas mark 4
Make shortcrust pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin: 160g plain flour, 80g unsalted butter, 1 – 2 dessert spoons caster sugar, zest of half a lemon (optional), 1 egg yolk, a drop of milk or water as required.
Rub the butter into the flour, add some sugar and lemon zest if you like then bind together quickly using the beaten egg yolk, adding some milk or water to bring the mixture together and gather it into a ball.
Leave to rest for half an hour in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.
Roll out the pastry and line the buttered flan tin.
Prick the bottom with a fork and place a piece of greaseproof paper and baking beans over the base.
Bake for 25 minutes then take out the oven, remove the beans and paper and leave to cool.
Cook 600g of pumpkin flesh in a pan for approximately 15 mins with just a splash of water; as it cooks it will make its own juice so you don’t want it too watery.
Put the cooked flesh into a food processor (or use a hand blender).
Add to it, 125g soft brown sugar, half a teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, grated zest from each of 1 lemon and 1 orange and the juice from half of each.
Process until smooth.
Add 3 beaten eggs and blend together then pour into the pastry case and bake for 50-60 minutes until the centre is set.
Allow to cool then serve dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by whipped cream slightly sweetened with some of the syrup from a jar of stem ginger.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Here is a slice of the pie I made with it following a recipe I always use and that never fails to go down well.
This pie only gets made once a year and some years I don’t get around to it at all.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / gas mark 4
Make shortcrust pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin: 160g plain flour, 80g unsalted butter, 1 – 2 dessert spoons caster sugar, zest of half a lemon (optional), 1 egg yolk, a drop of milk or water as required.
Rub the butter into the flour, add some sugar and lemon zest if you like then bind together quickly using the beaten egg yolk, adding some milk or water to bring the mixture together and gather it into a ball.
Leave to rest for half an hour in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.
Roll out the pastry and line the buttered flan tin.
Prick the bottom with a fork and place a piece of greaseproof paper and baking beans over the base.
Bake for 25 minutes then take out the oven, remove the beans and paper and leave to cool.
Cook 600g of pumpkin flesh in a pan for approximately 15 mins with just a splash of water; as it cooks it will make its own juice so you don’t want it too watery.
Put the cooked flesh into a food processor (or use a hand blender).
Add to it, 125g soft brown sugar, half a teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, grated zest from each of 1 lemon and 1 orange and the juice from half of each.
Process until smooth.
Add 3 beaten eggs and blend together then pour into the pastry case and bake for 50-60 minutes until the centre is set.
Allow to cool then serve dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by whipped cream slightly sweetened with some of the syrup from a jar of stem ginger.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Pear custard pudding. By Gloria Nicol.
Serves 6
4 large eggs
120g / 4 oz caster sugar
25g / 1 oz plain flour
small pinch of salt
250 ml / 8 1/2 fl oz whole milk and cream (mixed however you fancy)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 pears, peeled cored and quartered
butter for the dish
icing sugar for dusting
Butter a baking dish, approximately 22 by 30 cm.
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6.
Place the pears in the bottom of the dish, side by side.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together till light and frothy, then continuing to whisk add the flour and salt till the mixture is like thin batter.
Add the milk/cream combo and vanilla and whisk some more.
Pour the batter over the pears and bake it for 40-50 minutes till golden on top and almost set in the middle.
Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar when still warm or serve cold.
If there is any left for breakfast, then tuck in.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean. She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
4 large eggs
120g / 4 oz caster sugar
25g / 1 oz plain flour
small pinch of salt
250 ml / 8 1/2 fl oz whole milk and cream (mixed however you fancy)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 pears, peeled cored and quartered
butter for the dish
icing sugar for dusting
Butter a baking dish, approximately 22 by 30 cm.
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6.
Place the pears in the bottom of the dish, side by side.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together till light and frothy, then continuing to whisk add the flour and salt till the mixture is like thin batter.
Add the milk/cream combo and vanilla and whisk some more.
Pour the batter over the pears and bake it for 40-50 minutes till golden on top and almost set in the middle.
Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar when still warm or serve cold.
If there is any left for breakfast, then tuck in.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean. She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Carrot & rhubarb jam. By Gloria Nicol.
Makes approx 1.5Kg (3lbs 5oz)
500g (1lb 2oz) carrots, peeled, topped and tailed
500g (1lb 2oz) rhubarb, washed and trimmed
1 unwaxed lemon
800g (1 3/4lbs) sugar (use jam sugar with added pectin for a stronger set)
60g (2oz) stem ginger (approx 4 balls)
150g (5oz) candied peel (any citrus or melon will do)
Finely grate the carrots and place in a pan with 500ml (3/4pt) of water.
Finely grate the zest from the lemon, squeeze out the juice and place to one side.
Chop the lemon halves, pith and all, into chunks and place them and any pips in a muslin bag tied closed with string or a knot and add them to the carrots.
Bring to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Chop the rhubarb into 1cm (1/2in) sized cube pieces.
If the sticks are thick I slice them lengthways once or sometimes twice before chopping into equally sized small chunks.
Place the rhubarb in a bowl, add the lemon zest and juice and pour the sugar over it.
Cover and leave for an hour or two until the juice starts to run from the rhubarb.
Tip the contents of the rhubarb bowl into a preserving pan and add the cooked carrots, cooking liquid and muslin bundle.
Add the finely chopped stem ginger and candied peel cut into thin slivers.
Heat slowly, stirring all the time until the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn up the heat bring to a rolling boil and cook until setting point is reached (this took me around 25 minutes). (Test for a set on a cold plate or use a jam thermometer.)
Discard the muslin bag.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, leaving 1 – 2cm (1/2 – 3/4in) headspace, screw on the lids to fingertip tight and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.
For more info about how to hot water process your preserves, refer to the guide here.
Leave your jars until cold and don’t forget to label and date them.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean. She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Cherry clafoutis. By Gloria Nicol.
Serves 6 (generously)
3 eggs
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp salt
40g (1/3rd cup) plain flour
200ml (1 cup) milk
450g (16oz) fresh cherries, pitted or whole
(or 400g (14oz) if using bottled/canned , well drained)
kirsch or amaretto
some icing sugar (optional)
Butter a 25cm diameter earthenware or enamel dish. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F, Mk 6).
If you are using a mixer, just throw the first 6 ingredients together and beat together to form a smooth batter. Working by hand, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together, then add the flour followed by the milk to make a smooth batter.
Pour half into the prepared dish, spread the cherries over the batter and splash with a few teaspoonfuls of your chosen liqueur. Pour the rest of the batter over the fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the custard centre is beginning to set. Leave to cool for a while so the custard sets further. Serve warm dredged with icing sugar and another drizzle of liqueur if you like.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
3 eggs
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp salt
40g (1/3rd cup) plain flour
200ml (1 cup) milk
450g (16oz) fresh cherries, pitted or whole
(or 400g (14oz) if using bottled/canned , well drained)
kirsch or amaretto
some icing sugar (optional)
Butter a 25cm diameter earthenware or enamel dish. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F, Mk 6).
If you are using a mixer, just throw the first 6 ingredients together and beat together to form a smooth batter. Working by hand, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together, then add the flour followed by the milk to make a smooth batter.
Pour half into the prepared dish, spread the cherries over the batter and splash with a few teaspoonfuls of your chosen liqueur. Pour the rest of the batter over the fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the custard centre is beginning to set. Leave to cool for a while so the custard sets further. Serve warm dredged with icing sugar and another drizzle of liqueur if you like.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Sunday, 17 July 2016
Blackberry, apple, rose geranium jam. By Gloria Nicol.
Makes approx. 1.2Kg (2 1/2 lbs) of jam
500g (1 lb) tart apples, bramleys or wild apples will do fine, peeled cored and roughly chopped
300ml (10 fl oz) water or apple juice
500g (1 lb) blackberries
juice of 1 lemon
750g (1 3/4 lbs)sugar
4 – 6 rose rose attar geranium leaves (optional)
Cook the apples with the water or apple juice until the fruit begins to break up and becomes soft.
Add the blackberries and lemon juice and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
If you prefer a seedless jam, allow the fruit to cool then run it through a food mill or push through a sieve and continue with pureed fruit.
Add the geranium leaves tied together in a bundle and the sugar to the fruit and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and leave for the flavours to macerate for several hours or overnight.
If you plan to can (water process) your jam, prepare the water bath and jars and place jar seals in a pan of hot water on the hob.
Using a preserving pan, bring everything to a rolling boil and maintain the heat until it reaches setting point and a blob of syrup readily forms a skin as it cools on a cold plate.
It only took me 5 minutes to reach a set with my jam. Fish out the geranium leaves and discard them.
Pour the jam into hot sterilised jars and seal. If you are canning your jam, process for 5 minutes then remove from the canner.
From: Gloria Nicol writes the blog laundryetc and is the author of 100 Jams, Jellies, Preserves and Pickles - 100 Jams, Jellies, Preserves & Pickles: Amazon.co.uk: Gloria Nicol: 9781907563614: Books
Blueberry Sage Jam.
Putting Up with Erin- A canning blog focused on pickling, preserving and "putting up" food in jars.
Yield: 9 half pint jars
Ingredients
10 cups fresh blueberries
4 cups sugar
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
2 Tbsp powdered pectin
1-2 handfuls of fresh sage
Instructions
In a large- sized, non-ionized pot combine blueberries, sage, and lemon zest and juice. Heat on low to medium heat. As the mixture begins to warm, mash up the blueberries using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher.
Add sugar and pectin, bring to a boil, lower heat to sustain a simmer for 10 minutes, or until mixture reaches 220F. Using either the frozen saucer method or another gel point method test your set.
Ladle jam into hot, sterilized half pint jars leaving approx. 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings (finger tight), and then process jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and let cool on a folded towel on the counter for 24 hours.
Can I use something other than lemon juice?
A: For those of you who can’t have citrus, try using a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon.
It will balance the flavor in the same way.
Yield: 9 half pint jars
Ingredients
10 cups fresh blueberries
4 cups sugar
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
2 Tbsp powdered pectin
1-2 handfuls of fresh sage
Instructions
In a large- sized, non-ionized pot combine blueberries, sage, and lemon zest and juice. Heat on low to medium heat. As the mixture begins to warm, mash up the blueberries using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher.
Add sugar and pectin, bring to a boil, lower heat to sustain a simmer for 10 minutes, or until mixture reaches 220F. Using either the frozen saucer method or another gel point method test your set.
Ladle jam into hot, sterilized half pint jars leaving approx. 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings (finger tight), and then process jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and let cool on a folded towel on the counter for 24 hours.
Can I use something other than lemon juice?
A: For those of you who can’t have citrus, try using a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon.
It will balance the flavor in the same way.
Lavender Ginger Pickled Blueberries.
Putting Up with Erin- A canning blog focused on pickling, preserving and "putting up" food in jars.
Ingredients
6 cups fresh blueberries
3-5 Tbsp dried lavender
1 cup honey
3 inches fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thin)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Wash the blueberries (removing an stems or bad berries).
Tie loose lavender in a tea bag or ball (multiple bags work fine).
Combine the vinegar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Add the lavender tea bags and sliced ginger.
Once the brine is boiling vigorously, add the blueberries.
Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the brine has returned to a rolling boil and has started to turn a vivid purple.
Remove tea bags.
Ladle the blueberries into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Cover the berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove any trapped air bubbles from the jars.
Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and place them on a folded towel to cool.
Let sit for at least 24 hours before consumption.
Ingredients
6 cups fresh blueberries
3-5 Tbsp dried lavender
1 cup honey
3 inches fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thin)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Wash the blueberries (removing an stems or bad berries).
Tie loose lavender in a tea bag or ball (multiple bags work fine).
Combine the vinegar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Add the lavender tea bags and sliced ginger.
Once the brine is boiling vigorously, add the blueberries.
Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the brine has returned to a rolling boil and has started to turn a vivid purple.
Remove tea bags.
Ladle the blueberries into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Cover the berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove any trapped air bubbles from the jars.
Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and place them on a folded towel to cool.
Let sit for at least 24 hours before consumption.
Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam.
Guest Post: Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam (from Food in Jars) - 100 Days of Real Food
INGREDIENTS
700 gram/4.6 Cups
⅔ cup honey (8 ounces)
½ lemon, juiced
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the berries into a low, wide, non-reactive pan and mash.
Add the honey and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit until the honey begins to dissolve.
Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the jam thickens.
To make the jam shelf stable, pour it into clean, hot jars.
Apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from the canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel and let them cool.
When the jars are room temperature, check the seals.
If the lids have gone concave and don't wiggle at all, they are sealed.
Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks.
If you don't want to process the jam, just pour it into a jar, let it cool, and put it in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS
700 gram/4.6 Cups
⅔ cup honey (8 ounces)
½ lemon, juiced
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the berries into a low, wide, non-reactive pan and mash.
Add the honey and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit until the honey begins to dissolve.
Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the jam thickens.
To make the jam shelf stable, pour it into clean, hot jars.
Apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from the canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel and let them cool.
When the jars are room temperature, check the seals.
If the lids have gone concave and don't wiggle at all, they are sealed.
Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks.
If you don't want to process the jam, just pour it into a jar, let it cool, and put it in the refrigerator.
Blueberries.
Growing and making jam with blueberries | Life and style | The Guardian
The only way I'll ever have enough blueberries for preserving is to grow my own.
We don't seem to get them in any quantity in the UK and those cartons in the supermarket are far too small and too expensive to use as a serious jam ingredient.
Sometimes I've been lucky enough to come across berries with a yellow sticker at a bargain price that are close to their 'sell by' date but still fresh enough to make use of. I buy them up and fill the freezer.
When preserved in combination with another fruit, a little goes a long way, so is a good compromise, but I'd love to have a plentiful supply to feature blueberries as the main player.
For that reason it's time to plant some blueberry bushes on the allotment.
Planting for preserving has specific considerations.
You are aiming to create a glut rather than avoid one and instead of varieties with staggered ripening times, you want enough to harvest all in one go.
Most blueberries you buy are also fairly sweet and nondescript and for jam making a tarter fruit works better for a distinctive flavour once cooked.
As blueberries benefit from company, it is advised to grow at least two varieties side by side for higher yields.
I've chosen Darrow and Jersey, both attributed with a sharper flavour ideal for cooking and I already have Bluecrop growing neglectfully in a pot, that deserves to be liberated.
As they need acid soil to prosper and my soil isn't quite acid enough, I've dug out each planting hole and filled with a mixture of ericaceous compost mixed with about a quarter bark chippings.
I'll be mulching them too with coffee grounds and composted pine needles and watering them only with collected rain water if need be, to keep them happy.
In the meantime, here is one of my favourite recipes using some shop bought berries alongside seasonal rhubarb.
Makes 1.25kg
600g rhubarb
300g blueberries
2 limes, the zest and juice
700g sugar
Wash rhubarb, top and tail then chop into evenly sized pieces (I usually run a knife down the middle of the stalks then chop into roughly 1cm sized pieces).
Place in a glass bowl and pour the sugar over the top.
Cover with a plate or cling film and leave overnight, by which time the sugar will have soaked up the juice from the rhubarb.
Place the grated lime zest and blueberries in a pan, adding 3 tblsp of lime juice.
Heat gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, until the berries are cooked and surrounded by juice.
Pour the rhubarb and sugar into a jam pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the blueberries and lime, turn up the heat and cook at a rolling boil until setting point is reached (a small dollop of the syrup on a cold plate will readily form a skin when left to cool slightly).
It took me 10 minutes to achieve this and I advise that you keep an eye on it and give the occasional stir whilst it cooks as the mixture is apt to burn if you're not careful.
Skim if necessary.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, put a circle of waxed paper on the surface of each one and seal.
This jam has a nice soft set that suits me fine.
If you prefer your jam to 'cut' rather than dollop substitute all or half of the sugar with preserving sugar that includes added pectin.
The only way I'll ever have enough blueberries for preserving is to grow my own.
We don't seem to get them in any quantity in the UK and those cartons in the supermarket are far too small and too expensive to use as a serious jam ingredient.
Sometimes I've been lucky enough to come across berries with a yellow sticker at a bargain price that are close to their 'sell by' date but still fresh enough to make use of. I buy them up and fill the freezer.
When preserved in combination with another fruit, a little goes a long way, so is a good compromise, but I'd love to have a plentiful supply to feature blueberries as the main player.
For that reason it's time to plant some blueberry bushes on the allotment.
Planting for preserving has specific considerations.
You are aiming to create a glut rather than avoid one and instead of varieties with staggered ripening times, you want enough to harvest all in one go.
Most blueberries you buy are also fairly sweet and nondescript and for jam making a tarter fruit works better for a distinctive flavour once cooked.
As blueberries benefit from company, it is advised to grow at least two varieties side by side for higher yields.
I've chosen Darrow and Jersey, both attributed with a sharper flavour ideal for cooking and I already have Bluecrop growing neglectfully in a pot, that deserves to be liberated.
As they need acid soil to prosper and my soil isn't quite acid enough, I've dug out each planting hole and filled with a mixture of ericaceous compost mixed with about a quarter bark chippings.
I'll be mulching them too with coffee grounds and composted pine needles and watering them only with collected rain water if need be, to keep them happy.
In the meantime, here is one of my favourite recipes using some shop bought berries alongside seasonal rhubarb.
Makes 1.25kg
600g rhubarb
300g blueberries
2 limes, the zest and juice
700g sugar
Wash rhubarb, top and tail then chop into evenly sized pieces (I usually run a knife down the middle of the stalks then chop into roughly 1cm sized pieces).
Place in a glass bowl and pour the sugar over the top.
Cover with a plate or cling film and leave overnight, by which time the sugar will have soaked up the juice from the rhubarb.
Place the grated lime zest and blueberries in a pan, adding 3 tblsp of lime juice.
Heat gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, until the berries are cooked and surrounded by juice.
Pour the rhubarb and sugar into a jam pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the blueberries and lime, turn up the heat and cook at a rolling boil until setting point is reached (a small dollop of the syrup on a cold plate will readily form a skin when left to cool slightly).
It took me 10 minutes to achieve this and I advise that you keep an eye on it and give the occasional stir whilst it cooks as the mixture is apt to burn if you're not careful.
Skim if necessary.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, put a circle of waxed paper on the surface of each one and seal.
This jam has a nice soft set that suits me fine.
If you prefer your jam to 'cut' rather than dollop substitute all or half of the sugar with preserving sugar that includes added pectin.
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
Kimchi. By Amy Chaplin.
Kimchi - Amy Chaplin
I was introduced to the excitement and delight of fermenting foods by Sandor Katz (mentioned here). After a five day workshop with him all I wanted to do was retreat to a country kitchen and experiment. He showed us how to make ferments from all over the world: miso, cheese, mead, dosa, injera and even fruit kimchi. All these recipes and his broad knowledge and unique experience are beautifully put together in his book Wild Fermentation. I highly recommend it. Kimchi was the first thing I made after that inspiring workshop and we put it on the menu at Angelica Kitchen immediately.
Kimchi is a spicy Korean condiment made from cabbage that is fermented with chili, garlic, ginger, scallions and some times fish. The recipe below is a basic fermentation method and can be adapted to any flavor/vegetable combination you want . Make it with just cabbage and it’s sauerkraut, then try adding other flavors to that like caraway seeds, curry spices, mustard seeds…the sky is the limit. Making kimchi, sauerkraut or pickles is a great way to preserve the last of the local cabbage and all those colorful chilis.
Traditional cultures from all over the world consumed a variety of fermented foods in their daily diet from kimchi and soybean ferments like: miso, tempeh and tamari in Asia; sourdough breads and sauerkraut in Russia; and fermented dairy products like kefir, yogurt and cultured butters in all parts of Europe. These days we eat far less, if any ferments, and further, many of the things we consume, like antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water, alcohol and even antiseptic mouth washes decimate the “good” intestinal bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance.
Lactobacillus acidophilus found in fermented foods is not only beneficial in restoring healthy intestinal flora, a key factor to assimilating nutrients in the digestion process, but also helps the body produce natural antibiotics (supporting your immune system) and anti-carcinogenic compounds (helping to fight cancer).
Adding just a 1/4 cup of sauerkraut, kimchi or other naturally fermented pickle to your daily diet will boost and maintain helpful intestinal bacteria. Make sure that the sauerkraut and pickles you buy are naturally fermented and unpasteurized to ensure that you are getting your daily dose of active live enzymes.
kimchi ingredients, left out the cilantro
“The science and art of fermentation is, in fact, the basis of human culture: without culturing, there is no culture…. Culture begins at the farm, not at the opera house, and binds a people to a land and its artisans.” Sally Fallon
ready to ferment
packing the kimchi
day 1
day 7
P.S. Check out rodale.com for more health tips from me.
Kimchi
1 Napa cabbage (1 3/4 pound), you can also use green cabbage
2 carrots, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 to 8 scallions or a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
4 large cloves garlic
4 red jalapeño or other kind of chili, more if you like it hot
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
Slice cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add carrots, radishes and onion.
Peel ginger and place in a food processor with garlic and chili. Process until finely minced and add to the bowl with cabbage. Sprinkle with sea salt and using your hands mix everything, kind of massaging everything together, until the cabbage wilts and gets juicy. It should taste a little saltier than you would prefer, this changes as it ferments.
Pack into a crock or vase with straight sides, packing it down with your fist as you go, the liquid should come to the top.
Use a small plate, that fits inside the crock to keep the kimchi down and top with a jar filled with water. The idea is to keep the liquid covering the top of the kimchi, it acts as a seal. Cover everything with a cloth to keep any bugs out. Place in a well ventilated (it will smell), cool area and let it ferment for 5 to 7 days. The length of time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Taste after 5 days and if you feel that the flavor is well developed and to your liking then it’s ready.
Remove weight and scoop off any mould or discoloration that is floating on the liquid or the top of the cabbage. Drain liquid off and drink it if you like, or use in salad dressings, chilled soups or add some to your next batch.
Pack kimchi into jars and store in the refrigerator. It lasts for months, the cold temperature will slow the fermentation but not stop it completely, so it may get stronger. Enjoy!
Makes about 4 cups.
I was introduced to the excitement and delight of fermenting foods by Sandor Katz (mentioned here). After a five day workshop with him all I wanted to do was retreat to a country kitchen and experiment. He showed us how to make ferments from all over the world: miso, cheese, mead, dosa, injera and even fruit kimchi. All these recipes and his broad knowledge and unique experience are beautifully put together in his book Wild Fermentation. I highly recommend it. Kimchi was the first thing I made after that inspiring workshop and we put it on the menu at Angelica Kitchen immediately.
Kimchi is a spicy Korean condiment made from cabbage that is fermented with chili, garlic, ginger, scallions and some times fish. The recipe below is a basic fermentation method and can be adapted to any flavor/vegetable combination you want . Make it with just cabbage and it’s sauerkraut, then try adding other flavors to that like caraway seeds, curry spices, mustard seeds…the sky is the limit. Making kimchi, sauerkraut or pickles is a great way to preserve the last of the local cabbage and all those colorful chilis.
Traditional cultures from all over the world consumed a variety of fermented foods in their daily diet from kimchi and soybean ferments like: miso, tempeh and tamari in Asia; sourdough breads and sauerkraut in Russia; and fermented dairy products like kefir, yogurt and cultured butters in all parts of Europe. These days we eat far less, if any ferments, and further, many of the things we consume, like antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water, alcohol and even antiseptic mouth washes decimate the “good” intestinal bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance.
Lactobacillus acidophilus found in fermented foods is not only beneficial in restoring healthy intestinal flora, a key factor to assimilating nutrients in the digestion process, but also helps the body produce natural antibiotics (supporting your immune system) and anti-carcinogenic compounds (helping to fight cancer).
Adding just a 1/4 cup of sauerkraut, kimchi or other naturally fermented pickle to your daily diet will boost and maintain helpful intestinal bacteria. Make sure that the sauerkraut and pickles you buy are naturally fermented and unpasteurized to ensure that you are getting your daily dose of active live enzymes.
kimchi ingredients, left out the cilantro
“The science and art of fermentation is, in fact, the basis of human culture: without culturing, there is no culture…. Culture begins at the farm, not at the opera house, and binds a people to a land and its artisans.” Sally Fallon
ready to ferment
packing the kimchi
day 1
day 7
P.S. Check out rodale.com for more health tips from me.
Kimchi
1 Napa cabbage (1 3/4 pound), you can also use green cabbage
2 carrots, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 to 8 scallions or a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
4 large cloves garlic
4 red jalapeño or other kind of chili, more if you like it hot
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
Slice cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add carrots, radishes and onion.
Peel ginger and place in a food processor with garlic and chili. Process until finely minced and add to the bowl with cabbage. Sprinkle with sea salt and using your hands mix everything, kind of massaging everything together, until the cabbage wilts and gets juicy. It should taste a little saltier than you would prefer, this changes as it ferments.
Pack into a crock or vase with straight sides, packing it down with your fist as you go, the liquid should come to the top.
Use a small plate, that fits inside the crock to keep the kimchi down and top with a jar filled with water. The idea is to keep the liquid covering the top of the kimchi, it acts as a seal. Cover everything with a cloth to keep any bugs out. Place in a well ventilated (it will smell), cool area and let it ferment for 5 to 7 days. The length of time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Taste after 5 days and if you feel that the flavor is well developed and to your liking then it’s ready.
Remove weight and scoop off any mould or discoloration that is floating on the liquid or the top of the cabbage. Drain liquid off and drink it if you like, or use in salad dressings, chilled soups or add some to your next batch.
Pack kimchi into jars and store in the refrigerator. It lasts for months, the cold temperature will slow the fermentation but not stop it completely, so it may get stronger. Enjoy!
Makes about 4 cups.
Kimchi Radish Pickle.
Kimchi Radish Pickle Recipe - NYT Cooking
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ pounds radishes (a mix of different types, if possible)
1 ½ tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons Korean chile flakes (not powder)
1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
½ teaspoon sugar
PREPARATION
Scrub radishes well with a vegetable brush under cool running water. If using thick-skinned radishes such as watermelon, peel away any hairy or brown spots (you can either leave the rest of the skin on or peel radishes completely). If using small table radishes (usually red, purple, pink or white), trim away roots and most of the green stems, leaving 1/8 inch on top. Halve or quarter smaller radishes; cut larger radishes into bite-size wedges.
Place radishes in a bowl and toss with salt. Let rest for 20 minutes. Drain radishes in a colander set over a bowl, reserving brined juices. Rinse radishes quickly, then shake them to remove excess water.
Prepare the chile paste: In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup water with chile flakes, ginger, garlic, anchovies (if using) and sugar. Add drained radishes and mix well to coat with paste. Pack into a 1-quart jar (or 2 smaller jars), then pour the reserved brine into the bowl with the chile paste residue, swish it around to capture leftover seasonings, and pour brine into jar (the liquid will not cover the radishes). Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Refrigerate and eat within 1 week.
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ pounds radishes (a mix of different types, if possible)
1 ½ tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons Korean chile flakes (not powder)
1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
½ teaspoon sugar
PREPARATION
Scrub radishes well with a vegetable brush under cool running water. If using thick-skinned radishes such as watermelon, peel away any hairy or brown spots (you can either leave the rest of the skin on or peel radishes completely). If using small table radishes (usually red, purple, pink or white), trim away roots and most of the green stems, leaving 1/8 inch on top. Halve or quarter smaller radishes; cut larger radishes into bite-size wedges.
Place radishes in a bowl and toss with salt. Let rest for 20 minutes. Drain radishes in a colander set over a bowl, reserving brined juices. Rinse radishes quickly, then shake them to remove excess water.
Prepare the chile paste: In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup water with chile flakes, ginger, garlic, anchovies (if using) and sugar. Add drained radishes and mix well to coat with paste. Pack into a 1-quart jar (or 2 smaller jars), then pour the reserved brine into the bowl with the chile paste residue, swish it around to capture leftover seasonings, and pour brine into jar (the liquid will not cover the radishes). Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Refrigerate and eat within 1 week.
How to Make Any Kind of Kimchi Without a Recipe
How to Make Any Kind of Kimchi Without a Recipe
Kimchi is the solution to an overload of just about any vegetable.
Prepare to get your hands dirty and dedicate some serious fridge space to the cause.
Here's how to do it:
1. Gather equipment and ingredients.
Many Korean families have a mini fridge just for their kimchi—I’ll call that optional. You will need a very large bowl (plastic, glass, doesn’t matter) or plastic tub. That’ll be the place where you salt and prep your vegetables—oh, you’ll need a considerable amount of coarse salt, too. Think about how you’ll store your kimchi: Plastic containers will retain the orangey-red color and garlicky smell of the kimchi. Mason jars can work, or you can find a gallon-sized glass jar online, if not at a local kitchenwares shop, to store your whole batch.
Then, think about what you’re going to turn into kimchi. Those items that make you say, “What am I going to do with all of this!?” They’re usually great candidates. After napa cabbage, radishes take the number two spot on the kimchi totem pole. (Think daikon, not spicy French radishes.) You can julienne a large radish with a mandoline or cut it into cubes. Other great options are cucumbers (slice large ones in rounds and small ones in quarters lengthwise), zucchini, squash, tough leafy greens, or scallions. Those would be the traditional choices, but there’s nothing stopping you from testing out other farmers market finds.
As you’re shopping, eyeball about a gallon’s worth of veg—that’s a good amount to start with for your kimchi adventure. You can also mix and match what you decide to kimchi: Watercress, daikon, and scallions all in one jar? I’m not stopping you.
Things that won’t work would include anything with too distinct a flavor (beets, most fruits—kimchi’s powerful flavor doesn’t play well with others), or anything too dense to tenderize during marinating (carrots are tricky, for example, unless they’re julienned).
2. Prepare the vegetables and get layering.
Now, clean up your vegetables. Depending on what you’re fermenting, preparation can differ. The goal here is to get everything thoroughly covered when marinating, but to keep some texture intact. If using cabbage, trim tops of leaves, cut in half, and remove the core, separating out each leaf. Green onions and leafy greens are usually left whole. If using daikon radish, peel and cut into cubes. If using cucumbers or zucchini, large ones can be cut into rounds and small ones into quarters lengthwise.
Next, pack in a single layer of your prepared kimchi base (cabbage, radish, or whatever you’ve chosen) into your large container/tub. Sprinkle with coarse salt and repeat until you’ve layered in and salted all of your vegetables. Be careful not to go salt crazy; you’re just using enough to remove some moisture and clean the vegetable, not enough to create a super-seasoned kimchi. Let the salted vegetables sit for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. You can cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels if you’re concerned about cleanliness, but it’s not necessary.
3. Make the “sauce.”
Meanwhile, you can get to work on the seasoning. Combine roughly chopped onion, chopped apple or pear, and two small palmfuls of your briny addition (Saeujeot, miso) to a food processor. Toss in a knob of chopped ginger, about the size of your pinky finger. Finally, go garlic crazy. About 10 peeled cloves should be added to the mixture. Purée. You can add a little bit of water if the mixture is too pasty. You should end up with something that’s about the consistency of applesauce.
Stir in a bunch of scallions that have been roughly chopped, and a julienned carrot to give some texture to the purée. (If you’re making scallion kimchi, you can skip the scallions here.) Finally, toss in two big handfuls of gochugaru, the Korean red pepper flakes. Let the kimchi sauce sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours—the longer the better—at room temperature. Again, cover if you wish.
4. Test the salted vegetables.
You’ll know your veggies are ready for saucing by their taste and texture. After a few hours of sitting in the salt, cut off a small piece, rinse off the excess salt, and taste. The salting will have given it a slightly sour flavor and tenderized it to the point where the snap is gone but there’s still a bit of bite. Think of a favorite kimchi you’ve had and match that texture. The kimchi won’t change much texturally as it ferments.
5. Combine the vegetables and the seasoning.
Time for the fun part! Rinse your vegetables to remove excess salt and pat dry. You might want pull on some rubber gloves now to avoid having bright red, garlic-scented hands for the next few days. Gather your large bowl/container from before and the jars you’ll be using to store your kimchi. Now, pretend you’re making a lasagna: Pack in a single layer of vegetable and then cover generously with the sauce, like topping lasagna noodles with tomato sauce. Spread around and use your hands to gently massage sauce into crevices if need be. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your marinade. Pack your jar(s) with your sauced kimchi if you haven’t been already. Cover the jar’s opening with a layer of plastic wrap (it helps to contain the odor) and place the lid tightly on top.
6. Let it sit.
Leave your kimchi outside of the refrigerator overnight to kickstart fermentation. Taste it in the morning to make sure the funkiness has set in and then transfer to your refrigerator. Pro tip: After a few days, flip the jar upside-down and to distribute the goodness; just make sure the lid is secured tightly to prevent kimchi juice from spilling all over the fridge; flip back to right-side up a day or two later.
Kimchi can be eaten right away, though each day that passes will deepen its flavors, and will keep for a few months. Some people believe kimchi never goes bad, but if you taste it and there’s an unpleasant “fizz,” you might want to skip. Kimchi’s shelf life decreases if you’ve included fresh seafood, like oysters, in your mix. But not eating the kimchi fast enough probably won’t be a problem.
Kimchi is the solution to an overload of just about any vegetable.
Prepare to get your hands dirty and dedicate some serious fridge space to the cause.
Here's how to do it:
1. Gather equipment and ingredients.
Many Korean families have a mini fridge just for their kimchi—I’ll call that optional. You will need a very large bowl (plastic, glass, doesn’t matter) or plastic tub. That’ll be the place where you salt and prep your vegetables—oh, you’ll need a considerable amount of coarse salt, too. Think about how you’ll store your kimchi: Plastic containers will retain the orangey-red color and garlicky smell of the kimchi. Mason jars can work, or you can find a gallon-sized glass jar online, if not at a local kitchenwares shop, to store your whole batch.
Then, think about what you’re going to turn into kimchi. Those items that make you say, “What am I going to do with all of this!?” They’re usually great candidates. After napa cabbage, radishes take the number two spot on the kimchi totem pole. (Think daikon, not spicy French radishes.) You can julienne a large radish with a mandoline or cut it into cubes. Other great options are cucumbers (slice large ones in rounds and small ones in quarters lengthwise), zucchini, squash, tough leafy greens, or scallions. Those would be the traditional choices, but there’s nothing stopping you from testing out other farmers market finds.
As you’re shopping, eyeball about a gallon’s worth of veg—that’s a good amount to start with for your kimchi adventure. You can also mix and match what you decide to kimchi: Watercress, daikon, and scallions all in one jar? I’m not stopping you.
Things that won’t work would include anything with too distinct a flavor (beets, most fruits—kimchi’s powerful flavor doesn’t play well with others), or anything too dense to tenderize during marinating (carrots are tricky, for example, unless they’re julienned).
2. Prepare the vegetables and get layering.
Now, clean up your vegetables. Depending on what you’re fermenting, preparation can differ. The goal here is to get everything thoroughly covered when marinating, but to keep some texture intact. If using cabbage, trim tops of leaves, cut in half, and remove the core, separating out each leaf. Green onions and leafy greens are usually left whole. If using daikon radish, peel and cut into cubes. If using cucumbers or zucchini, large ones can be cut into rounds and small ones into quarters lengthwise.
Next, pack in a single layer of your prepared kimchi base (cabbage, radish, or whatever you’ve chosen) into your large container/tub. Sprinkle with coarse salt and repeat until you’ve layered in and salted all of your vegetables. Be careful not to go salt crazy; you’re just using enough to remove some moisture and clean the vegetable, not enough to create a super-seasoned kimchi. Let the salted vegetables sit for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. You can cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels if you’re concerned about cleanliness, but it’s not necessary.
3. Make the “sauce.”
Meanwhile, you can get to work on the seasoning. Combine roughly chopped onion, chopped apple or pear, and two small palmfuls of your briny addition (Saeujeot, miso) to a food processor. Toss in a knob of chopped ginger, about the size of your pinky finger. Finally, go garlic crazy. About 10 peeled cloves should be added to the mixture. Purée. You can add a little bit of water if the mixture is too pasty. You should end up with something that’s about the consistency of applesauce.
Stir in a bunch of scallions that have been roughly chopped, and a julienned carrot to give some texture to the purée. (If you’re making scallion kimchi, you can skip the scallions here.) Finally, toss in two big handfuls of gochugaru, the Korean red pepper flakes. Let the kimchi sauce sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours—the longer the better—at room temperature. Again, cover if you wish.
4. Test the salted vegetables.
You’ll know your veggies are ready for saucing by their taste and texture. After a few hours of sitting in the salt, cut off a small piece, rinse off the excess salt, and taste. The salting will have given it a slightly sour flavor and tenderized it to the point where the snap is gone but there’s still a bit of bite. Think of a favorite kimchi you’ve had and match that texture. The kimchi won’t change much texturally as it ferments.
5. Combine the vegetables and the seasoning.
Time for the fun part! Rinse your vegetables to remove excess salt and pat dry. You might want pull on some rubber gloves now to avoid having bright red, garlic-scented hands for the next few days. Gather your large bowl/container from before and the jars you’ll be using to store your kimchi. Now, pretend you’re making a lasagna: Pack in a single layer of vegetable and then cover generously with the sauce, like topping lasagna noodles with tomato sauce. Spread around and use your hands to gently massage sauce into crevices if need be. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your marinade. Pack your jar(s) with your sauced kimchi if you haven’t been already. Cover the jar’s opening with a layer of plastic wrap (it helps to contain the odor) and place the lid tightly on top.
6. Let it sit.
Leave your kimchi outside of the refrigerator overnight to kickstart fermentation. Taste it in the morning to make sure the funkiness has set in and then transfer to your refrigerator. Pro tip: After a few days, flip the jar upside-down and to distribute the goodness; just make sure the lid is secured tightly to prevent kimchi juice from spilling all over the fridge; flip back to right-side up a day or two later.
Kimchi can be eaten right away, though each day that passes will deepen its flavors, and will keep for a few months. Some people believe kimchi never goes bad, but if you taste it and there’s an unpleasant “fizz,” you might want to skip. Kimchi’s shelf life decreases if you’ve included fresh seafood, like oysters, in your mix. But not eating the kimchi fast enough probably won’t be a problem.
Monday, 9 May 2016
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Chahohbili – Georgian Chicken Stew.
Chahohbili – Georgian Chicken Stew Recipe on Food52
Author Notes: Chahohbili is a traditional Georgian poultry dish. Originally, Chahohbili was cooked from wild game birds, but nowdays chicken is the main source for t (…more) —Kukla
Serves 6
• 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in with skin trimmed but not entirely removed
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• About 6-7 strands of saffron
• 1 tablespoon of each: chopped cilantro, parsley, basil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put all spices into a spice grinder and pulse until they turn into a powder.
Wash and dry the chicken.
Preheat the heavy skillet.
Add the chicken pieces and fry on medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Season with salt and black pepper,
Transfer the chicken to a large casserole.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Preheat a clean skillet with 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté’ until just softened.
Transfer the onion to a casserole; add chopped tomatoes and hot pepper.
Season with salt and sugar to taste and 1 tablespoon of spice powder.
Cover, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Remove the casserole from heat stir in minced garlic and chopped herbs.
Let stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Author Notes: Chahohbili is a traditional Georgian poultry dish. Originally, Chahohbili was cooked from wild game birds, but nowdays chicken is the main source for t (…more) —Kukla
Serves 6
• 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in with skin trimmed but not entirely removed
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• About 6-7 strands of saffron
• 1 tablespoon of each: chopped cilantro, parsley, basil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put all spices into a spice grinder and pulse until they turn into a powder.
Wash and dry the chicken.
Preheat the heavy skillet.
Add the chicken pieces and fry on medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Season with salt and black pepper,
Transfer the chicken to a large casserole.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Preheat a clean skillet with 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté’ until just softened.
Transfer the onion to a casserole; add chopped tomatoes and hot pepper.
Season with salt and sugar to taste and 1 tablespoon of spice powder.
Cover, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Remove the casserole from heat stir in minced garlic and chopped herbs.
Let stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)