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hazardnc

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Posts posted by hazardnc

    Kitchen gardens

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine.

    I have been gardening in raised beds for six years now.  Sadly, my neighbor simultaneously planted hollies up against the fence, and over time, my sunshine has been disappearing.  I have also been dealing with a record chipmunk population this year.  The little buggers took two parsley plants, roots and all.  I have tried spreading hot pepper flakes around their holes and even putting sticks of Juicy Fruit gum (read online somewhere they hate the smell - so do I!) in the holes, but they keep coming back.  My cat is too slow or too lazy to help  :hmmm:

    Though I persist!  I have two raised beds appx 4 feet wide and 10 feet long.  I am growing 4 kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, arugula, herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil), Kentucky Wonder pole beans, crook neck squash and Yukon Gold potatoes in a potato cage.  I have a large fig, blueberries in pots and strawberries in a strawberry pot.  I also have a pot of habanero peppers going strong.  I have found peppers grown in pots have much more heat -- and I like that.

    I just bought a Moon and Stars watermelon plant that I am thinking of planting in my front yard where there is more sun and space!  Last year, a neighbor planted pumpkins in his front bed and they were gorgeous by fall.

    Try onions for your chipmunk problem. For years, we had ground hogs living in and around our garden, helping themselves to the best of everything and nothing we tried kept them away. Then, last year, I read somewhere that they hated onions. Now, I save all parts of the onions we don't eat and drop them down the holes. I'm actually happy to find a sprouted or rotten onions in the bin because those guys will roll nicely into the burrows. So far this season all the holes are empty and I haven't seen a single ground hog in the garden.

    As chipmunks are distantly related to ground hogs, perhaps they have the same aversion to onions and will move on to a more hospitable neighborhood if you start leaving them the pungent leftovers. If not, the onions won't do the garden any harm.

    Thanks for the suggestion - I have some mushy onions in my bin I will go pull right now. I was thinking of brushing the cat, and putting the fur balls down there too! What I really need to do is rent a ferret or a weiner dog for a day or two :biggrin:

    Kitchen gardens

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted · Edited by hazardnc (log)

    I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine

    I know you don't mean me with the "sunshine" we get about 498572 inches of rain here!

    But you get rain!

    The drought in the Southeast persists - haven't had more than 1/10th of an inch in over a month :sad:

    edited for typos

    White Lily Flour Availability?

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    Here's the troubling bit, from Saint Shirley herself:
    “If the source of the wheat is the same, the mill itself won’t be that hard to duplicate,” Mr. Hoseney said. Ms. Corriher, on the other hand, was more skeptical that a process perfected over more than a century of milling and subjected to Knoxville’s intensive quality control could be easily replicated.

    A blind test by two bakers, who were sent bags of the old and new product marked only A and B, underscored Ms. Corriher’s concern.

    Zoellyn Smith, who worked in both quality control and research and development at the Knoxville plant, accurately identified the new product before she began to bake. Sample A, the new product, had “a grayish color” and made a “dense and chewy” cake, while Sample B, the old, made for silky, rather than stiff, dough and a “light and airy” cake.

    “When I looked at just the flour I thought that Sample B was milled in Knoxville,” she said. “After performing the bakes there was no doubt.”

    But it did not take a specialist in food technology and plant sciences to guess right. Ms. Hilton, the amateur baker, said, “There wasn’t a big difference, but I could tell the difference.” Even her family knew which batch was made with flour milled in the Midwest. “The biscuits came out just a little more dense, and the texture wasn’t quite as smooth.”

    So, basically, we should all be hoarding White Lily flour now and packing it into our freezers for our children's children?

    YES!

    Kitchen gardens

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    I am so jealous of you who have big gardens and lots of sunshine.

    I have been gardening in raised beds for six years now. Sadly, my neighbor simultaneously planted hollies up against the fence, and over time, my sunshine has been disappearing. I have also been dealing with a record chipmunk population this year. The little buggers took two parsley plants, roots and all. I have tried spreading hot pepper flakes around their holes and even putting sticks of Juicy Fruit gum (read online somewhere they hate the smell - so do I!) in the holes, but they keep coming back. My cat is too slow or too lazy to help :hmmm:

    Though I persist! I have two raised beds appx 4 feet wide and 10 feet long. I am growing 4 kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, arugula, herbs (parsley, thyme, oregano, tarragon, basil), Kentucky Wonder pole beans, crook neck squash and Yukon Gold potatoes in a potato cage. I have a large fig, blueberries in pots and strawberries in a strawberry pot. I also have a pot of habanero peppers going strong. I have found peppers grown in pots have much more heat -- and I like that.

    I just bought a Moon and Stars watermelon plant that I am thinking of planting in my front yard where there is more sun and space! Last year, a neighbor planted pumpkins in his front bed and they were gorgeous by fall.

    CSA has begun, need to change my menu plan techniq

    in Cooking

    Posted

    My next pickup is tonight. Here's what we're getting:

    Squash

    Lettuce

    Radishes

    Broccoli

    Cauliflower

    Parsley

    Kale

    I leave town tomorrow so I only get one meal from this mix. Ideas on one great meat-free dinner with at least two of these ingredients?

    (I have orzo, assorted pasta, brown rice, and assorted cheeses and oils on hand, as well as a few fresh herbs)

    THanks!

    The kale will keep for a while, in my experience. You could roast the cauliflower and broccoli (delicious stuff), or make a grilled veggie salad. We did this last night. Made a balsamic/olive oil vinaigrette, brushed all the veggies with this (squash, beets, red onion). Let them cool for a bit, the make a salad with the lettuce, sliced radishes, grilled veggies. Add some goat cheese, and toss with more vinaigrette.

    If you have time before you leave, you can blanch the kale and then freeze for later.

    Pac Choi

    in Cooking

    Posted

    We have been getting a large bok choi in our CSA box every week and I need some inspiration for new ways to prepare it.

    Recipes anyone?

    CSA has begun, need to change my menu plan techniq

    in Cooking

    Posted

    I am so glad someone started this post. We joined a CSA for the first time last year, and each week we were somewhat overwhelmed. Most weeks we got lots and lots of greens. While I love the mustard greens and arugula, we typically don't get enough collards to do much with them. This year, we have already blanched and frozen collards and broccoli rabe.

    This is the list of this week's potential harvest:

    Produce:

    Kohl Rabi

    Siberian/Red Russian Kale

    Mesclun/Mustard Mix

    Encore Lettuce

    Chioga Beets

    Yellow Mangal Beets

    Leeks

    Pac Choi

    Yellow Squash

    Red/White/Yellow Onions

    Green Zucchini

    Bean Mix

    Blueberries

    That Pac Choi comes every week and I need new recipes for it.

    scored some turkey and pheasant eggs

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Charlotte's Tailgate Market offered some unusual egg choices this week that I could not resist. I am now in possession of a half dozen pheasant eggs and a half dozen turkey eggs.

    To add to the mix, the CSA delivered the following: green garlic, baby carrots, fennel, mixed greens (kale, oak leaf lettuce, arugula), baby turnips, pak choy and mustard greens.

    And from my garden, a pound of freshly shelled fava beans.

    Local Cheese & Wine Party

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    How many people will attend?

    I think the best number is only 3 - a soft ripened, a harder cheese, and a blue and try to mix up the different kinds of milk.  Is this the center of focus for the event - then y will want more.  I conduct cheese tastings in people's homes and try to never do more than 6.

    The very best resource I think is a book called "The Cheese Plate" by Max McCalman - he give suggestions of many different styles and includes wine and accompaniments.

    Anyone who loves to serve cheese should have this book.

    The amounts will also depend on what else is being served, and whether this is the center of attention, but again the book gives you a couple rules of thumb, depending on your answers.

    Let us know what you choose to serve!

    The cheeses and wines will be the focus of the event since the point is to introduce members of our Slow Food chapter to North Carolina products. We could have as many as 40 people or as few as 20 - not sure how many will come, but I anticipate this to be a popular event.

    Since this could be viewed as the first of many such events, I am not averse to limiting the tasting to 3 cheeses.

    Local Cheese & Wine Party

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted · Edited by hazardnc (log)

    I am helping our local Slow Food convivium organize a wine and cheese tasting next month. Typically, how many cheeses should you have to sample and how much cheese per person should I allow?

    Thank you in advance for your help - I don't want to look stupid at the event -- I'd much rather look stupid on these boards :biggrin:

    Modo Mio

    in Pennsylvania: Dining

    Posted · Edited by hazardnc (log)

    I will be in Philly nest weekend (22nd of Feb) and would like to take my daughter to dinner here. On previous visits, we have been to Amada and Alma de Cuba for more upscale, Villa di Roma for "red gravy" Italian, Lourdas and Mediterranean Grill in Bryn Mawr.

    I only have a couple of nights and not the big bucks for a Morimoto experience - I'm paying college tuition!

    Is Modo Mio worth the effort of getting there? I'm staying near Fairmount Park/Manayunk and will have a car, but am unfamiliar with driving in the city. We could take a cab too.

    Anyone have a better suggestion?

    Stone Crabs: Restaurant vs. Market

    in Florida: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    The hubby checked Delaware Chicken and some website called Fresh Seafood and he found this:

    Delaware 8 Jumbo (2-3 claws per pound) for $187

    FreshSeafood - the same costs $178

    Billys are pricing at $228!

    Now here's a better question. Are Jumbos worth the price difference or should we go for large? I am of the opinion that bigger means tougher.

    Stone Crabs: Restaurant vs. Market

    in Florida: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    The hubby wants crab claws for Valentine's Day, which means we have to get them shipped. We used to order from Keys Fisheries, but I understand they supply Joe's and now only provide the mediums at their market.

    Is Delaware Chicken and Seafood a reliable source? I know these will cost dearly, but we figure it's still cheaper than two plane tickets to Miami.

    Vegetable Garden Ideas

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Jimmy, I just heard about this program today and thought you might be interested: Blue Ridge Community College Organic Growers School

    This is a one day symposium with several classes throughout the day on topics such as:

    Practical Solutions in the Garden

    Growing Heirloom Tomatoes

    On Farm Composting

    Backyard Chickens (I am going to this one - I want my own chickens in the city!)

    Sustainable Strawberry Production

    and much, much more

    Again, I don't know where you are in the Piedmont, but this is on a Saturday, and you could pick up some valuable tips. I think the fee is $40 and you can attend as many classes as you can fit into the day - but I have to admit, I haven't read the forms yet.

    Vegetable Garden Ideas

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Actually, people do grow asparagus in the Piedmont. A friend of mine used to be an asparagus picker! Here're the facts from the NC State extension office: Asparagus

    If your camp is year-round, then you can add some other crops, such as broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, kale, hardy spinach, collards, etc. Don't forget sweet potatoes! They are the state vegetable.

    My neighbor is a North Carolina Master Gardener, and she suggested this link to me for in-depth info on Vegetable Crops for the Southeastern United States

    This is a long document, but a great resource as it will give you suggestions for best varieties

    Vile Recipes

    in Cooking

    Posted · Edited by hazardnc (log)

    I agree, Paula Deen's Velveeta Fudge sounds totally disgusting, but to be honest, the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding is good, albeit sweet. My SO, who really prefers savory over salty, really likes it.

    If you want disgusting Paula Deen recipes, how about this: Cheesy Ham and Banana Cassarole What shocks me is the number of people who actually tried it!

    Vile Recipes

    in Cooking

    Posted · Edited by hazardnc (log)

    ...I came upon a recipe for fruit salad that consisted of fruit and... mayonnaise. Literally chop up the fruit, add the mayo and presto! Here are some screen caps.

    Sounds to me like a good way to market their mayo but a terrible way to ruin some fruit!

    This actually sounds like a popular dish in the southern US. My ex-boyfriend, a native of Baton Rouge, LA, used to speak lovingly of a concoction very much like this pear salad that involved canned fruit, mayonnaise and, of all things, cheddar cheese. I would sooner eat my arm.

    My mom (A Texan) made that for us all the time back in the late '60's! The "mayo" was actually Miracle Whip. It is a Betty Crocker cookbook recipe. To be fair, my mom is a wonderful cook. I just think the canned pears and mayo thing was popular for a while.

    Vegetable Garden Ideas

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Is this a summer camp? If so, the asparagus and peas will be done before the kids show up for camp.

    Veggies that will produce subtantially for you throught the hot NC summer: squash, eggplant, okra (though good luck getting the kids to eat that!), peppers (they like the danger of hot peppers), arugula, cukes. They will certainly eat and enjoy salad greens.

    Why not add some berries? Do you have the space for blackberries or blueberries? If your camp in in the mountains, there may be wild berry bushes on the property.

    Watermelon is a camp must. When I was a camper, the owners brought in a truck load of melons, and we spent the evening eating slices (I always salted mine), spitting seeds and feeding the rinds to the horses. of course, space is an issue, and if you're in the mountains, you won't have melons until late July.

    Perfect khoubz (Pita bread) - getting a good puff

    in Middle East & Africa: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    I have made Foodman's recipe many times. I have also tried other recipes using oil and a little sugar.

    The secret to puffing is to make sure you dough doesn't stick to the counter. Someone suggested using rice flour when rolling the dough and I find that works very well. I also let my dough rise longer than Foodman (Elie) suggests.

    My problem with all of the recipes is I can't get my pitas to brown - ehnce the additions of oil and sugar. I was told by a Lebanese deli owner here that sugar is the key - but still, no luck.

    I haven't tried temps higher than 500 - will give it a hot if my oven can get that hot.

    We don't have any local Arabic bakeries, so good pita is hard to come by.

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