Persimmon

I have always known of persimmon, a light orange tomato-like fruit. My parents like to eat them as fruit but I would not try. They looks mushy and bland. I "convinced" myself that I did not like them even without trying. Well, when we received frozen persimmon pulp with our winter CSA share last year, I did not know what to do at first. However, I did not want to waste it. So I decided to try, at least cook with it. I remembered someone telling me about persimmon pudding and how good they are. It was also the most frequent result shown on Internet search. Persimmon bread appeared often too. I tried both (Sadly, I lost the picture of the persimmon bread).

Warm persimmon pudding serve with whipped topping

I liked the pudding more than the bread. It is NOT like the typical pudding (e.g. chocolate/banana pudding). The texture is slightly chewy, similar to fudge-like brownie. On the other hand, the bread was VERY VERY moist, almost too moist. It fell apart easily. However, I liked the addition of raisin and nuts in the bread. When I make this pudding in the future, I would add some raisin and nuts too. The raisin would highlight the sweetness while the nuts with provide some contrasting texture.

Maybe I do like persimmons after all!


Persimmon Pudding (from Allrecipes.com; submitted by Stephanie)
Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups persimmon pulp
2 1/2 cups white sugar *I used 1 cup
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 1/2 cups milk
4 tablespoons melted butter


Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter one 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a mixing bowl, combine persimmon pulp, baking soda, sugar and eggs. Mix well.
Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, milk and melted butter. Stir to combine.
Pour into baking pan and bake for 55 minutes. The pudding will rise but will fall when removed from oven


Was it delicious? Eww - So-so - Okay - Oh yum! - Delicioso
Was it challenging to make? (Easy) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Very hard)
Would I make it again? Oh NO! - We'll see - Maybe - Likely - Absolutely

Fruit Salad Kabobs

I first discovered the fabulous idea of making a collage with food on Pinterest a few months ago. They are really really CUTE, like a veggie Elmo face and fruit kabobs rainbow. Finally, an opportunity to execute this fun idea came up when we organized a party for a lovely friend recently. I joked that the "only" reason I wanted to host the party was so that I could make these kabobs.

They were not difficult to make, though it did required some patience and gentleness while handling the fruit pieces. Besides, there are sooooo many other possibilities of fruits that can be used. I imagine you could do this with vegetables as well. Since I do not have a big nice platter, I decided to try a vase - almost like an edible arrangement. It turned out quite well. Not only that it was fun to make, it was fun to eat as well! ^_^

Fruit Kabobs
Ingredients:
Strawberries
Cantaloupe
Pineapple
Kiwis
Blueberries
Red grapes
Skewers


Directions:
Cut fruit into pieces - not too small so that it will not break when the skewer goes through it.
Put each fruit onto the skewer, starting from the red grapes
Arrange kabobs in a rainbow shape on a platter or in a vase like a bouquet



Was it delicious? Eww - So-so - Okay - Oh yum! - Delicioso
Was it challenging to make? (Easy) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Very hard)
Would I make it again? Oh NO! - We'll see - Maybe - Likely - Absolutely


As mentioned earlier in the post, I made this for a party. Besides this, mini spinach phyllo cups, barbecued brisket and grilled chicken from earlier entries were served as well. Go check those out!

Mini Spinach Phyllo Cups

More party food! This is a very easy, simple and yummy recipe. I have also came across similar recipes that substitute phyllo cups with wonton wrappers and/or feta for cream cheese.

Recipe (by bakinggardens from betterrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1	Egg, beaten
4	Green Onions, thinly chopped *I would use only the green part as the white bulb part has a slightly overwhelming taste
1× 8 oz	Tub 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese With Garden Vegetables *I used regular cream cheese
1× 10 oz box	Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry *I used a bag of fresh spinach, wilted
2× 2.1 oz pkgs	Pre-baked Mini Phyllo Dough Shells

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first 4 ingredients until well blended. Place phyllo shells on a flat baking sheet, filling each shell with spinach mixture, and bake 10 minutes.

If you are looking for more party food ideas, consider barbecued brisket and/or grilled chicken.


Was it delicious? Eww - So-so - Okay - Oh yum! - Delicioso
Was it challenging to make? (Easy) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Very hard)
Would I make it again? Oh NO! - We'll see - Maybe - Likely - Absolutely

Grilled Chicken

As mentioned in my last post, we had a party a few weeks ago. Beside the barbecued brisket, we made grilled chicken sandwiches too. It is a recipe I found on  the Pioneer Woman website. I was a little hesitant at first because of the olive oil in the marinade. I am not a fan of olive oil. However, I was very pleasantly surprised! The olive oil was not overpowering. The dish was flavourful. Though there were sweet ingredients in both the marinade and the sauce, it was not too sweet or syrupy. The bacon in the sauce added even more complexity to the taste.

I followed the recipe fairly closely, with only a few changes. (This is RARE. Often, recipes are like outlines for me.) Instead of all chicken breasts, I mixed in some chicken thighs. I also left the chicken in bigger pieces rather than cutting them into strips. I used Emril Essence as the steak seasoning. We (well, I mean my lovely husband) used foil pans on the grill because olive oil in the marinade was catching too much fire and over charing the chicken before it is done.


Was it delicious? Eww - So-so - Okay - Oh yum! - Delicioso
Was it challenging to make? (Easy) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Very hard)
Would I make it again? Oh NO! - We'll see - Maybe - Likely - Absolutely

Barbecued Brisket

I made this for a party a few weeks ago. With crockpot cooking, I avoided to have the oven turned on for hours. I have actually combined two recipes from allrecipes.com, one for the brisket and another to substitute the barbaque sauce it called for.

Busy Day Barbeque Brisket

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves *I substituted dried oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon onion powder *I used a few gloves of garlic and two medium onions

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper *I might use a little less next time

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 pounds beef brisket, trimmed of fat

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring *I did not use that

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups barbeque sauce *I used homemade sauce from the same website

Directions

1. Combine thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and cumin in a small bowl; set aside. Rub brisket all over with liquid smoke, then rub with spice mixture. *I marinated the brisket for 8-10 hours before cooking.


2. Pour Worcestershire and barbeque sauces into a slow cooker; place beef on top. Cover, and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, until fork tender.

A Very Popular BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup red wine vinegar *I used white wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 dashes hot pepper sauce

Directions

In a blender, combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water and Worcestershire sauce. Season with mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. *I mixed it by hand without a blender and I had no trouble at all.

Was it delicious? Eww - So-so - Okay - Oh yum! - Delicioso
Was it challenging to make? (Easy) 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 (Very hard)
Would I make it again? Oh NO! - We'll see - Maybe - Likely - Absolutely

An Unusual Ingredient - Radish Tops

Have you ever had or thought of eating radish tops?!?! Maybe?! Maybe not?!?!

Honestly, I am not a fan of radishes. It is crunchy but very spicy. I tried to eat them every time we received them in our CSA baskets. Last year, I added radish to a stir-fry dish, hoping that other ingredients might moderate the spiciness. It did not work. So when we received bunches of radishes the past two weeks, I did something different. I searched "radish green" in one of my favourite iphone recipe apps. Scrolling through the list of recipes, radish top soup caught my attention. "Radish top soup?!?! Interesting!" I thought to myself. After glancing through the ratings, ingredients and reviews, it actually appeared simple and "edible". I decided to give it a try. Why not?! I have got nothing to lose.

  

Okay, I know it was not the best looking dish. However, the soup was quite good, fresh and light (maybe because I have omitted the potatoes)! Unlike many reviewers on allrecipes.com, I did not think it tasted like spinach. It certainly, thank goodness, did not taste like radishes! Its texture was similar to spinach but its taste was much milder. I think much milder than turnip green, collard greens and kales too. I would recommend it if you like cream of spinach and/or kale and bean soup.

  

From Allrecipes.com
Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

2 medium potatoes, sliced

4 cups raw radish greens

4 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

5 radishes, sliced

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saute until tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve with radish slices.               

Changes I have made this time:

• Substituted butter with a small amount of cooking spray
• Substituted heavy cream with milk
• Omitted potatoes
• Added carrots
• Added 1 radish when I blend the soup

Things I would do different the next time:

• Add some bacon (I have learnt that everything taste better with bacon)
• Not blending the soup
• Not adding the radish

How about you? What the the most unusual ingredient(s) you have used?

Mint and Lemon Air Freshener

Mint is a flavour that many people like, in teas, breath mints, ice-cream, cookies, gum, etc. I might be weird but I REALLY REALLY do not like mint. I would actually say 'no' to mint chocolate. (You have to know that I LOVE chocolate in almost any way, shape or form.) The only time I "like" mint is when I used it to repel ants in the kitchen. However, when we received a bunch of mint cuttings in the CSA basket, I was determined to use them constructively. So I searched for uses of fresh mint here and there. Then I came upon this - DIY mint and lemon air freshener.

At first, I tried to substitute the lemon with mandarin orange, thinking that any citrus would be comparable. I also wanted to save my lemons I had for making jams. Oh how I was very very wrong!! It appeared okay at the beginning. The mint was strong but the scent was pleasant in the house. However... after simmering all night in the crockpot, the liquid in the crockpot smelt like Chinese pickled mandarin oranges (咸金桔)!!!! If you have any idea what that is, you'd know that it does NOT smell like any air freshener at all.



I followed the instructions and used lemon the second time around.



I transferred the mixture into a crockpot, turned on low and left it uncovered through the night.

Using a crockpot allowed me to leave the liquid unattended during the night. The resulting scent is also much milder than if it had been simmering on the stove.


What is your favourite scent for air freshener?

I am back!

I am back! Here is the first entry for this new CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) season. This is our second  CSA subscription, however, this is the first time we have it in the summer. I am very excited about all the new vegetables and new recipes I might experient. I am certain that my husband is EQUALLY EXCITED about trying the products! :-p

This is one of the first things I made with the sugar snap peas from the first week's basket, a simple stir fry with ground pork and sugar snap peas...

Ingredients
1/2 lb Ground Pork (Chicken or Turkey would work too)
~1/2lb Sugar Snap Peas
1 Medium Onion
1 Bell Pepper
3 Garlic Gloves, minced
Light Soy Sauce
Dark Soy Sauce
Sugar

It is amazing how fresh ingredients elevate a basic everyday dish!

Hold Tight

This blog will return SOON!!!!