Underappreciated Ingredients

[heidih]

3 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Garlic Chives - make a compound butter with these bad boys, happy times.

'Weeds' - I say this loosely, but there are a number of edible weeds which are not only delicious but extremely healthy - Wild Spinach and Purslane to name but two.

 

 

Garlic chives are so easy to grow. I kept a big pot and snipped as needed for a long time.

Weeds! -oh yes -  have a property with lots of open space so in spring when we have rain - those are my greens.  Wild greens are called erbe spontanie in Italian (spontaneous herbs)

[KennethT]

18 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Garlic Chives - make a compound butter with these bad boys, happy times.

Marjoram - a fantastic, underappreciated herb.

Fresh Curry Leaf (was mentioned earlier) - finally bought a plant this year, came back from near death and is thriving.  Unreal flavour profiles.

Fresh Bay Leaf - Another fantastic flavour profile, totally different than its dried form.

Carrot Tops - Can be used in a salsa verde, many applications.

Zucchini leaves - super tasty when sauteed at high heat, highly nutritious.

'Weeds' - I say this loosely, but there are a number of edible weeds which are not only delicious but extremely healthy - Wild Spinach and Purslane to name but two.

 

 

 

I had some amazing 'wild herbs' in southern Vietnam that didn't have any named. I wish I could have smuggled them home!

[chromedome]

2 hours ago, TicTac said:

'Weeds' - I say this loosely, but there are a number of edible weeds which are not only delicious but extremely healthy - Wild Spinach and Purslane to name but two.

 

I eat a lot of dandelion greens, and discovered this spring that the chickpea-sized immature flower buds are seriously choice. No bitter flavor to them at all.

I also found some sort of wild mustard greens growing along the beach a couple of days ago, and quite enjoyed them with my salmon that night. The blossoms, unfortunately, didn't have tender stems like my cultivated brassicas so those were a "miss."

[heidih]

4 minutes ago, chromedome said:

I eat a lot of dandelion greens, and discovered this spring that the chickpea-sized immature flower buds are seriously choice. No bitter flavor to them at all.

I also found some sort of wild mustard greens growing along the beach a couple of days ago, and quite enjoyed them with my salmon that night. The blossoms, unfortunately, didn't have tender stems like my cultivated brassicas so those were a "miss."

 

Our California wild mustard is beautiful but an invasive pain. I am good with bitter leaves and i just sort of close my hand and pull up gently to get the petals. Even the goats and horses won;t eat it so cities send out  news letters to pull or cut before they flower and seed.  Here is a nice @russ parsons article about my area  https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-calcook1-2009apr01-story.html

[Margaret Pilgrim]

My Greek teacher related how in WWII on Crete, the population stayed alive on "horta", foraged greens, and snails.   

[lemniscate]

Peeled broccoli stalks I prefer much more than the florets.  Unfortunately, it's hard to find supermarket broccoli that is little more that the florets anymore.  I've actually rescued stalks from friends houses for my own use.  They look at me strangely when I tell them how great they are to eat.   

Edited August 18, 2020 by lemniscate
"are" (log)

[chromedome]

3 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

Peeled broccoli stalks I prefer much more than the florets.  Unfortunately, it's hard to find supermarket broccoli that is little more that the florets anymore.  I've actually rescued stalks from friends houses for my own use.  They look at me strangely when I tell them how great they to eat.   

We haven't arrived at that stage here. Most stores offer broccoli crowns as well as the regular heads, but the full heads are far more common.

I always choose mine for thick stems, as well. Once peeled I generally use them in stir-fry dishes or slaws, but there are plenty of other uses of course.

 

[ElsieD]

6 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

Peeled broccoli stalks I prefer much more than the florets.  Unfortunately, it's hard to find supermarket broccoli that is little more that the florets anymore.  I've actually rescued stalks from friends houses for my own use.  They look at me strangely when I tell them how great they to eat.   

 

I use them as well.

[lindag]

8 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

 

I use them as well.

Me too.  Most recently in a broccoli salad.

[heidih]

As @chromedome noted regular market has both. I like them unless they are kinda dried up. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

3 hours ago, lemniscate said:

Peeled broccoli stalks I prefer much more than the florets.

 

One grand daughter requested/demanded broccoli stalks, saying that they were "sweeter" than the green ends.

[heidih]

21 minutes ago, Margaret Pilgrim said:

One grand daughter requested/demanded broccoli stalks, saying that they were "sweeter" than the green ends.

 

They are sweet - hug her for me

[liuzhou]

4 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

I use them as well.

 

and me

[heidih]

I was just in the ong choy topic. What a special kid a cube of fermented bean curd can be! Usually have a jar in the fridge https://www.seriouseats.com/2012/09/chichis-chinese-fermented-bean-curd.html

[haresfur]

On 8/17/2020 at 10:09 PM, liuzhou said:

Star anise.  I add it to tomato sauces, soups etc. Discard before serving and no one knows it was ever there, but appreciates the umami it leaves behind.

 

Agreed. I just made some chicken-stock based soup with a touch of star anise - not enough to make it taste "asian" but adds depth

[heidih]

1 hour ago, haresfur said:

 

Agreed. I just made some chicken-stock based soup with a touch of star anise - not enough to make it taste "asian" but adds depth

Somewhat similar to the flavor profile of studding onions with cloves for chicken soup in Europe.  My culinary heritage. I like the more complex flavor of star anise -  hello pho

[jmacnaughtan]

Agree about broccoli stalks - they are a really good addition to a mirepoix too. I've tried the star anise thing, but even after a short time and small amount, it always tastes too strong.

 

Lard and dripping (and animal fat in general) gets a bad rap, unjustifiably so. You get a much better sear with them than olive or vegetable oil, and they hold up a lot better at high temperatures. Although, interestingly, fat you've already used once or twice works considerably better than "virgin" lard...

[weinoo]

On 8/18/2020 at 11:37 AM, Margaret Pilgrim said:

My Greek teacher related how in WWII on Crete, the population stayed alive on "horta", foraged greens, and snails.   

 

You sure that was WWII?

 

15 hours ago, jmacnaughtan said:

Agree about broccoli stalks - they are a really good addition to a mirepoix too.

 

I think at this point you've stepped over the line.

[heidih]

16 minutes ago, weinoo said:

 

You sure that was WWII?

 

 

That is how Marlena de Blasi reports it from Tuscany - times were tough. Chesnuts were gold, foraged greens were the vitamins, and whatever "meat" like snails well ya used it.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

1 hour ago, weinoo said:

 

You sure that was WWII?

Yes, during, right after, Nazi occupation.   She was a young child.   Now around, say, late 70s, I’d guess.

[liuzhou]

Beer! It's appreciated as a beverage, but less so as an ingredient. Most casseroles and stews benefit from being done in beer. Also, of course, it is great used in batter.

 

Two favourites round here are beer fish and beer duck.

[scubadoo97]

On 8/8/2020 at 1:00 PM, Margaret Pilgrim said:

HINT: If your beet greens get lost in the back of your fridge veg drawer, refresh them in a bowl of cold water.     Shake water off and saute/braise them ss usual.    like new.  

no beet green or other green top gets wasted in my kitchen 

 

 

no bone goes in the garbage unless it has given up it’s  flavor 
 

just pulled a couple bags of chicken carcasses from the freezer.  From the pressure cooker.  5 and 3/4 pints of stock 

 

 

[kayb]

I have those containers. Specifically, the sea salt caramel flavor.

 

[gfweb]

1 hour ago, scubadoo97 said:

no beet green or other green top gets wasted in my kitchen 

 

 

no bone goes in the garbage unless it has given up it’s  flavor 
 

just pulled a couple bags of chicken carcasses from the freezer.  From the pressure cooker.  5 and 3/4 pints of stock 

 

 

 

what are those neat jars?

 

Can you freeze in them?

 

[btbyrd]

Talenti gelato jars. A delicious product (the gelato, not the jars).