Seasonal Treats

[chezlamere]

peaches right off the tree in the Okanagan

wild asparagus in Naramata BC

green string beans off the pole and steamed

huckleberries (eated right off the bush on the mountain while on the lookout for bears and black flies and sun burn between Nakusp and New Denver B.C.)

Steamed Beet Tops

Black and Purple tomatoes out of my garden (that I don't have anymore since I live in an apartment ugh)

Strawberry perogies that my mother made from the first large crop of the season off her garden

Peaches and Cream Corn freshly picked and hour ago

This is making me sick, I can't stand it

Those really small iddy biddy zuccini and acorn squash steamed dripping in butter

stop stop I'm getting hot flashes

[McDuff]

Concord grapes, nothing else like them...

First thing I thought of too..love that smell in the woods when you walk by them, but can't see them.

Edited April 30, 2004 by McDuff (log)

[handmc]

The first roller coaster ride of the season. The Blue Streak. Cedar Point. Sandusky, OH. That'll be me at the front of the line on May 7th.

The wings at the boathouse, extra hot and cold beer-then the Magnum!

[Jensen]

peaches right off the tree in the Okanagan

wild asparagus in Naramata BC

green string beans off the pole and steamed

huckleberries (eated right off the bush on the mountain while on the lookout for bears and black flies and sun burn between Nakusp and New Denver B.C.)

Steamed Beet Tops

Black and Purple tomatoes out of my garden (that I don't have anymore since I live in an apartment ugh)

Strawberry perogies that my mother made from the first large crop of the season off her garden

Peaches and Cream Corn freshly picked and hour ago

Stop! You're making me homesick!

But, as an Island girl, I have to say corn from Silver Rill Farm.

Thimbleberries and salmonberries to go with those huckleberries

[bigbear]

Fiddleheads.

[bottomlesspit]

May brings the intersection of my favorite fruits for fruit salad - strawberry, mango, pineapple. Yum!

[ruthcooks]

From the garden:

Beefsteak tomatoes

New potatoes "stolen" from under the blooming plants, so tender the skins rub off

Tiny new radishes, eaten with French bread and butter

And:

Georgia peaches

[clothier]

The first roller coaster ride of the season.  The Blue Streak. Cedar Point. Sandusky, OH.  That'll be me at the front of the line on May 7th.

The wings at the boathouse, extra hot and cold beer-then the Magnum!

Good call.

It reminded me that I forgot to mention that I'll be waiting in line with an order of Cedar Point's famous fries.

Cut on the premises, fried twice, the second time in peanut oil. Maybe a splash of malt vinegar, but no ketchup.

[CompassRose]

Fiddleheads, persimmons, Russet apples (mmm!), the New Orleans-style pralines they make in the candy shop of the next town over only in the summer months, dark fruitcake, blood oranges, Ontario blueberries, wild garlic, daylily buds and nasturtium flowers, fresh chives from the pot outside my door.

[suzilightning]

first fresh apricots of the season were in the greengrocers yesterday...

bought a pound - ate 1/2 by myself

other half : stoned them out, gently simmered in prosecco till just warmed. filled the hole with a mixture of marscapone, grated nutmeg and honey.

dessert

[katzenjammy]

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. Here in the foothills of the Rockies, homegrown tomatoes require both technology and commitment to the point of obsession (black plastic mulch, walls o' water, sheets of protective plastic to be thrown over the beds when the temperature goes from 78 to 30F in a few hours, as it did a week ago...). But getting that first non-cardboard-tasting tomato by the fourth of July is worth it.

Artichokes (not that any grow around here, but at least they become affordable in season).

Oh, and my son says "eggnog!".

[ElfWorks]

well, i havent a thing to add, just a reiteration:

asparagus

then peaches and cherries

and watermelon

and home grown maters

and corn!

then apples

and then, to quote katzenjammy's son, EGGNOG!

why cant we drink it now?

:D

xo

[andiesenji]

The heirloom apricots from my huge old tree. The fruit is also much larger than any I have seen in the produce makets. They are incredibly sweet and when dried have none of the sourness one finds in commercial dried apricots.

The treat bears heavily ever other year and already some of the branches have had to be propped up, otherwise they break.

I also have an Elephant Heart plum which also produces wonderful fruit.

The fresh tomatoes from the garden are also worth waiting for and I begin carrying a tiny salt shaker in my pocket when working in the garden. This year I only have 9 varieties because I decided to grow some different veg.

I picked a lot of fresh sorrel this morning - it is already setting seed. Time to make a carrot/sorrel soup - good hot or cold.

[GG Mora]

New potatoes "stolen" from under the blooming plants, so tender the skins rub off

Yes, yes, yes! Potatoes fresh from the dirt!

Also:

Chanterelles

Strawberry-rhubarb pie, from that brief, shining moment when the two seasons overlap

[jmcgrath]

Artichokes (not that any grow around here, but at least they become affordable in season).

You can grow artichokes in colder climates, they just need to be treated as an annual. Start from seed indoors, move to a cold frame, transplant. It's a bit labor intensive, but seeds are cheap.

Jim

[katzenjammy]

Artichokes (not that any grow around here, but at least they become affordable in season).

You can grow artichokes in colder climates, they just need to be treated as an annual.

There's even a relatively new variety, Imperial Star, specifically intended for culture as an annual. I tried it one year, but only got two very small chokes per plant. Anyone else have any experience growing these guys in harsh climates?

[aidensnd2]

Definitely rhubarb.

[zilla369]

Mr. Stripey, the best tomato known to man.

Get me some fresh mozzarella to go with it and stand back or you might lose a limb.

[bloviatrix]

other half : stoned them out, gently simmered in prosecco till just warmed. filled the hole with a mixture of marscapone, grated nutmeg and honey.

That's sounds luscious.

[ghostrider]

Asparagus / strawberries / corn / green beans (flat & pole) / peaches

Apples & pears aren't bad either, but it's the peaches I live for, my favorite fruit

All from Jersey / NY / PA, at various farmers' markets in the region

And, for a couple of weeks end of April / early May, there's this green that they call "wild mustard." Tastes like a hybrid of mustard greens & watercress. I always think of the flavor as concentrated essence of springtime.

I think I read somewhere that it's not a true mustard green. No matter.

I have only ever found it at the Migliorelli stand at the Union Sq NYC Greenmarket, which I mention in case any other locals are interested. Mark your calendars, this year's crop is probably done now.

[andiesenji]

And, for a couple of weeks end of April / early May, there's this green that they call "wild mustard." Tastes like a hybrid of mustard greens & watercress. I always think of the flavor as concentrated essence of springtime.

I think I read somewhere that it's not a true mustard green. No matter.

I have only ever found it at the Migliorelli stand at the Union Sq NYC Greenmarket, which I mention in case any other locals are interested. Mark your calendars, this year's crop is probably done now.

Have you ever tried growing mustard? It does not take a lot of room and can be grown in containers. I am not referring to the mustard usually grown for greens.

I grow the black and brown mustard (for seed) and the nice thing is that as the young basal leaves grow you can pick some of them and use them in a salad or other dish and the plant will continue to grow and put up a stalk that will flower and eventually form seed pods.

Here in SoCalif I can get three crops a year and last year harvested 22 pounds of seed from a patch that is 4 ft x 12 ft.

I save back a half-pound or so for the next crop and the rest is used to make various flavors of mustard which.

You can buy the mustard seed at an Indian market. The mature plants will be 4 to 5 feet tall and very narrow, they do not spread sideways so work very well in containers.

[ninadora]

Here in SoCalif I can get three crops a year and last year harvested 22 pounds of seed from a patch that is 4 ft x 12 ft. 

I save back a half-pound or so for the next crop and the rest is used to make various flavors of mustard which.

You can buy the mustard seed at an Indian market. 

this is my first ever post, i was just moved, incredibly moved by this whole concept...someone has to do it i guess, but, I never thought about making mustard from seed...

can you tell me more, what kind of mustard, give me some idea how you process 20 lbs of seed into mustard, I'm fasinated...

[Hiroyuki]

Spring: All sorts of edible wild plants (sansai in Japanese) such as butterbur sprouts, which foretell the coming of spring, and bracken shoots, which are now in season.

Summer: Edamame (young soybeans); I prefer not just edamame but a variety called chamame (literally, brown beans), which are incredibly yummy.

Fall: All kinds of mushrooms, especially matsutake, the king of mushrooms.

[Pan]

I'm looking forward to the lychee season! We're so fortunate that lychees travel well. Around this time next month, there will be wonderful Chinese lychees for sale for somewhere between $4 and $6 a pound in Chinatown and Flushing in New York!

[andiesenji]

can you tell me more, what kind of mustard, give me some idea how you process 20 lbs of seed into mustard, I'm fasinated...

After I have threshed the seeds and cleaned them to get rid of all the tiny bits of chaff, I store them in an airtight container.

Following is my basic mustard recipe plus a couple of variations.

Version #1 simple and quick.

If you want to have the perfect mustard, make your own. It is really easy. Mustard seed, yellow, brown or black, is easy to process into a spread that you can customize to your own taste. Indian Grocery stores carry the seed, all varieties. It is also very easy to grow. Start with 1/4 cup of mustard seed.

Put the seeds in a jar and cover with wine and water 1/2 and 1/2, cider vinegar and water 1/2 & 1/2, or even strong beer. The seasoned Rice wine vinegar which is slightly sweet makes a very nice mustard. Add honey, about 2 - 3 teaspoons or another sweetener like apple jelly, currant jelly, lime marmalade, etc. close tightly and allow to soak overnight or for a couple of days. Put in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You can add a few drops of olive (or other vegetable oil) to smooth it out a bit more.

Never add very hot water to powdered mustard. You will end up with a yellow paste with no flavor.

I grow my own mustard - several varieties in the same patch - both for the greens and for the seeds. I don't separate them so end up with a mix of mostly black and brown with a small amount of yellow (also known as white) mixed in. You can grind the dry mustard seed but you have to be very careful with the mustard flour unless you have a seed or grain mill. The little spice grinders pulverize it into a powder which floats about and will go up your nose easily to create an effect that is difficult to explain - let us just say that you suddenly know what the term seeing stars means.

Large batch mustard - variation #2

Anyway here is my method. I make a lot of mustard, different flavors, etc. so use a lot more than you will so just reduce the amounts. These are the amounts I use when I am going to make a batch for canning.

I start out with about 2 pounds of mixed mustard seed (whole, more about this later) in a 2 gallon glass jar to which I add 1 quart of apple cider, 1 quart of cider vinegar, 1 pint of water. I let this sit at room temperature for a minimum of 3 days I then dip out a cup or so of the soaked seeds, put them in a food processor and add either a mix of apricot jam and apple jelly or orange marmalade to make the base for my regular sweet hot mustard.

I process it until at least 2/3 of the seeds are crushed but there are still some whole seeds in the mix. I may then add various freshly ground spices, roasted garlic, peppers (various varieties of different heat levels, roasted onion, fresh ginger, raisins, etc. always to taste. If I am giving it as gifts I keep in mind that some people do not like mouth-searing heat and omit the peppers or use mild ones.

Now, here is the secret of mustard. When you first mix it with a liquid - when it is already ground, you have to use a cold liquid, ice water, cold beer, whatever, because the enzymes which give mustard its taste have to go through a chemical conversion at a fairly low temperature until they stabilize. If you add hot water to dry mustard all you will have is a bitter paste with none of the mustard flavor.

AFTER the mustard has been mixed or processed and is stable, you can then heat it to modify the heat and the flavor. You can do this on top of the stove, but I use the microwave. I pour the batch of mustard into a shallow casserole dish and nuke it for 30 seconds or so until it starts to bubble around the edges. I stir it, mixing well, taste and return for additional heating for 30 second intervals until it is close to the point I want. I then immediately transfer it to sterilized jars, place in a hot water bath, drop on the lids and the lid rings, tighten and add water so the jar tops are covered by about 1 inch then simmer for 5 minutes then tighten the rings, remove the jars from the water and allow to cool. You can hear the "ping" as the lids seal when the jars cool.

P.S. This past holiday season I made 36 pints of cranberry mustard which all went as gifts and I already have people asking when I am going to make the next batch.

With mustard, it is difficult to find a combination that is not tasty. I have made up batches with Hoisin sauce, mincemeat, various chile sauces, barbecue sauce, maple syrup, Coca-Cola, Rose's lime juice, currant jelly, grape jelly, etc. experiment - you never know when you might come up with something entirely new.

Variation #3 - cranberry mustard

I make cranberry mustard by substituting whole berry cranberry sauce (canned) for the apricot jam - I usually keep the apple jelly in the mix because the cranberry is usually quite tart.

You can modify the heat in cranberry mustard, just like the regular, if it has too much "bite" or is too harsh, can be toned down a bit by heating. It is the same technique in the microwave as the regular. The result will be a little darker, a bit more translucent, and a little thicker. I think it looks better in a jar after being cooked because it looks like it has tiny colored jewels in it.

Once the enzyme reaction has taken place, which is after the seeds are broken up so the liquid can mix with the mustard and this takes only a few minutes, the mustard can be heated without becoming bitter.

If you add heat before the seeds are cracked, i.e. hot water, or popping the seeds in a dry skillet, the result will be bitter. Some Indian foods include toasted or fried mustard seed for that bitter essence.

Check out the Mustard Museum: http://www.mustardmuseum.com/

He has some great books on mustard.