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Posts tagged ‘radishes’

Mar 29

Head-to-Tail Cooking, Vegetarian Style

photo 2Head-to-tail eating has been all the rage for a few years now.  Chefs such as Fergus Henderson of St. John in London and his compatriot Hugh Fearnsley Whittingstall brought this concept — eating the entire animal, head to tail, so that nothing is wasted — back into style.  American chefs are also exploring this sustainable approach to cooking meat.  Preparing and enjoying food this way makes sense for many reasons: less waste, more nutrients, more mindful use of resources and a greater connection with our ingredients.  

I think we should be bringing this idea to the vegetable world. Why throw away the skins, or the green tops of the beautiful vegetables we find at the farmers’ market, not to mention the vegetables we have nurtured in the garden?  I’m not saying we should be eating banana peels, but I am offering up three ways to use more of the whole vegetable. Read more

May 19

Eats Shoots and Radishes

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I had seen straw hats bobbing about town.  I had glimpsed some brave souls in white trousers.  I had spied some beautiful pedicured be-sandaled feet.  And yes, the birds were singing and the azaleas were popping but I wasn’t convinced that summer had arrived until Thursday.   Thursday was the first day of the Princeton Farmers’ Market.  Phew!  Summer is finally here.

To celebrate here’s a simple farmers’ market lunch: sliced radishes and pea shoots from Chickadee Creek Farm on a slice of  pain au levain from Terra Momo Bread Company, drizzled with olive oil or perhaps even slathered with some wonderful small-batch butter from Valley Shepherd Creamery.  I add a bit of Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper. The bright pink radishes are a perfect complement to the pea shoots which taste sweet, like peas.  But bread you say?  Aren’t you always railing against us eating too much white bread?  Well, yes, but everything in moderation, and the slowly fermented pain au levain is a perfect base for this summer open-faced sandwich. Local. Seasonal. Fresh. Delicious.

To hold radishes in the fridge, keep them in a bowl of water so the roots stay wet.

To hold radishes in the fridge, keep them in a bowl of water so the roots stay wet.

For those of you who remain unconvinced about radishes  — too peppery, too crunchy, too raw —  feel free to sauté or roast them to mute the peppery, crunchy rawness.  Sometimes I grate fresh radishes and toss them with orange slices, olives and mint.  Pea shoots can be added to a salad, or the next stir fry you make.   Get to your nearest Farmers’ Market and start experimenting!   Here is a website that can help you find the market closest to you.  The Princeton Farmers’ Market operates Thursdays from 11 am to 4 pm, Hinds Plaza.  See you there!

Jan 11

A Fishy Issue

Watercolor by Jana Bouc

 

Eat fish!  Don’t Eat Fish! It’s good for you! It’s bad for you!  Fish is great, long live fish! There is no more fish, stop eating fish! OH MY WORD, there is a lot of craziness surrounding this issue.   People are understandably confused which leads to food anxiety and that’s not good.   Let’s go through some of the major issues surrounding this fish problem and see if we can sort out some sensible guidelines:

PRO EATING FISH
There is general consensus that fish is: Read more

Nov 27

BROTHY MEALS

Once you’ve made a nice pot of stock, here are some ideas for filling, broth-based meals.

CHICKEN BREASTS POACHED IN GINGER BROTH WITH RICE

Poach a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a quart or two of stock infused with gratings of fresh ginger, a star anise or perhaps a stalk of Read more

Oct 8

Fermented Foods; A Lost Nutritional Friend

Earlier this fall I broke my ankle and was confined to an armchair. Not being a sit-patiently-with-your-leg-in-acast kind of girl, I spent some time researching which foods would help me heal fastest. Nutrition books were stacked high, search engines whirred away. Leafy greens, check; wide variety of fruits and vegetables, check; almonds and other nuts, check; oily fish, check. Sauerkraut. Uhhh, sauerkraut, really? Honestly, I almost kicked the wall with my good foot in vexation. Now, I suspect that some of you share my ambivalence toward sauerkraut. Read more