martes, enero 15, 2008

Good Eats


L* wants us to try one totally new recipe (or totally new ingredient) every week. We're thinking of joining our local CSA, as soon as we figure out our closest pickup point. That'll mean we'll be getting produce that's local and in-season, which will call for some creative cooking on our part.

L* has already gotten the jump on that though, with a recipe using dino kale. It's amazing stuff: I see it growing in our neighbor's front yards. (That's one of the things I love about living in Fruitvale: people grow vegetables in their front yards) So L* found a recipe for mustard-crusted-tofu with kale and sweet potatoes. One word: Yum! No, two words: Healthy yum! It was so delicious. The kale was cooked with lime juice and ginger and wasn't at all bitter -- and I had tasted it raw while I was cleaning and chopping and I was very afraid of the bitterness "It sure is kale-y" is what I said, "This must be a cruciferous." But cooked it was tender and tasty and not at all "kale-y."

The reviews of the recipe said a lot of people found that the mustard didn't stick well to the tofu, and L* certainly experienced that, but it was totally delicious. We wondered if it would stick better if the tofu was first dusted with flour (or dipped in egg and then flour). Totally delicious!

Then last night, we had our second totally new recipe in two days! Singapore noodles! L* saw the egg noodles at Berkeley bowl and couldn't resist them. She cooked them up with shiitake mushrooms, green onions, curry powder and I don't know what all. It made a mountain of noodles but we ate every last one. Not as healthy as some of our other meals (noodles ≠ whole grain) but very yum.

We also received a wonderful care package from Julien in Miami: three delicious teas, two green and one black (chai). Mmmmm. We're going to become tea connoisseurs, that's us. (geez, I had to look up how to spell both shiitake and connoisseur. I must be out of practice)

3 comentarios:

Xolo dijo...

CSA's are great ways to try foods you never knew about. Plus foods that are in season taste so much better. Our CSA had a weekly newsletter that had recipes for the different things we were getting that week. I enjoyed making stuff up.

It is amazing how cooking things can transform the taste. Fennel is a good example.

As for Singapore Noodles, I like using red curry paste (it is actually how I had it in Singapore) rather than curry powder.

Ktrion dijo...

Okay, now you've really got me stoked to start the CSA. We've tried fennel before. Haven't found the right recipe for it, I think.

Red curry paste: brilliant idea! We even have some in the house!

bint alshamsa dijo...

"shiitake mushrooms, green onions, curry powder"

My goodness! This sounds divine! Maybe we could swap some recipes. My grandmother was a caterer for years and I have some good ones. Have you ever eaten cushaw or mirlitons?