Archive for the ‘Ingredients’ Category
Grow Tomatoes Review: Vintage Wine and Black Brandywine Heirlooms
“All of life is a dispute over taste and tasting.” – Friedrich Nietzsche (German classical Scholar, Philosopher and Critic of culture, 1844-1900.)
Vintage Wine Heirloom Tomato and Black Brandywine Heirloom Tomato
DoT’s Thot: I have struggled with deciding what should go in the garden each tomato season. I admit to being greedily curious about heirloom tomatoes. While I am all in favor of preserving the diversity of the horticultural gene pool, I also am just plain interested in the colors, shapes, sizes, aroma, and tastes of the varieties of tomatoes as well as the growing habits, different flowers and vining habits of the tomato plants. Vintage Wine attracted me this year, because of its name, description, and pretty picture. Black Brandywine was bought, because I somehow did not find the usual pink nor yellow brandywine in the nurseries.
Select Heirloom Tomatoes Because They Are Interesting and Taste Good
As for selecting tomatoes in general, not being a trained horticulturist, I do some reading, internet surfing, and take my chances every year, trying to find the ones I have liked from years past and trying new ones. Vintage Wine tomato and Black Brandywine tomato are two new heirloom trials for me. Some of the ones I have missed this year that were grand in past years have been New Zealand Pink Paste (grew that for 2 years and then it disappeared on me — nice paste tomato that tastes grand out of hand), Anna Russian (prolific lovely pink oxheart tomatoes that remind me a little of Dinner Plate — planted that last year, found none this year), and Orange Santa Grape tomato (wonderful for growing in super large pot). I did note that there is some dispute about which tomatoes are truly heirloom or heritage, but it does not matter to me. I will take the broader definition to be tomatoes that people like so much that they keep the seeds, wish to see them propagated forward, and pass on from some number of generations to the next.
Grow Tomatoes Review: Golden Pineapple Beefsteak – “Guacamole Salsa”
DoT’s Thot: I generally like my guacamole very simple — only avocado, lemon juice, salt, and cilantro. However, when tomato season is on, I cannot help but throw some delightful tomato chunks in the mix.
Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato with Other Ingredients
Journal Entry: 4 July 2009, Independence Day Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato “Guacamole Salsa”
The Golden Pineapple Beefsteak tomato is a lovely golden yellow tomato with red striping on the skin and beautiful pink streaks in the flesh. Firm, meaty, and mild with the firm, smooth texture that is so complementary to avocado, I keep planting this tomato despite its tendency to crack a little more than some of the other heirloom tomatoes I plant. That says a lot for the tomato. One of the reasons I do not mind the cracking is because of dishes like the one I am going to describe where I can lop off all the cracked parts and take the good parts and eat them in the yummy dish.
For a great side dish, these ingredients are few and simple, relying more on the freshness and innate goodness of the ingredients themselves. First, use really good chunks of tomato. Often, with homegrowers, we will have some not so pretty results, where there are some cracks or some not so well shaped tomatoes or (as I am gradually learning about pruning, etc.) tomatoes of various sizes from the same tomato plant. These still have lots of good tomato flesh and the same great flavor. Don’t waste those — besides cooking and canning, fresh dishes where you chop the tomato chunks, like this one, are great.
Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato Characteristics
The Golden Pineapple beefsteak tomato pieces in my picture resulted from my cutting up a large beefsteak tomato that had a large blossom end and a few deep cracks. This has been a very nice continuing member of the garden this year. As mentioned above, Golden Pineapple Beefsteak produces meaty tomatoes which are a nice yellow with red streaks. It is very pretty in a dish like this and it’s mild, sweet taste melds so well with avocado and lime. The flesh is firm, but has a creamy, not mushy texture. There are few seeds and you can see how visually appealing the tomato slices and chunks are, especially so in this dish.
Tomatoes and Avocado Chopped and Lime Juice Applied
Other Ingredients
You will need a ripe, creamy textured, but firm avocado. The cilantro should be fresh and bright green. Use either lime juice or lemon juice, but always fresh-squeezed. Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper finish the dish. Seasoned salt is always an option, if you prefer. If doing that, I like the variety with cracked black pepper in it.
The Process of Making the Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato “Guacamole Salsa”
Clean all the ingredients. Remove the skin and seed from the avocado. Chop the avocado into nice half inch chunks. Remove any bad parts of the tomatoes (see above). Remove the stem and blossom ends. Chop the tomato, again into chunks about a half inch or less, if you like.
Place the avocado and tomato into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of the lime or lemon (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) over all and gently mix together.
Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato "Guacamole Salsa" Served in Pretty Bowls
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and mix gently again. Put the mixture into pretty bowls. Chop the cilantro (again, use what you feel like eating — some people (like me) like a lot, some people like less and mix it in )– reserve a tablespoon of cilantro for each bowl as a topping. Finally put the results in pretty bowls, top with the reserved cilantro and serve it.
Suggested Uses for this Golden Pineapple Beefsteak Tomato Dish
If you like, use this as a side dish or pile it on chopped lettuce instead of dressing. You will find it goes well on top of short chunks of celery or flat ovoids of carrots or cucumber or with your favorite tortilla chips or whole grain crackers. Then again,sometimes, I just take the bowl and get a spoon.
Enjoy and Aloha, DoT
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Cultivate and Fertilize the Heirloom Tomatoes
Curry Leaf Plant Review: True Indian Curry Leaf Herb Has Mildly Pungent Aroma and Health Benefits
DoT’s Thot: “The gardener who cooks or the cook who gardens often has a preference for the freshly grown — including herbs and whatever spice elements we can get our hands on. The reward of growing an interesting, scented plant is enhanced by the aroma of a flavorful dish in the kitchen. ” — DoT
DoT's Curry Leaf Plant (Murraya Koenigii) Growing In a Pot
The Curry Plant, an Indian Herb
Thot you might enjoy a review of one of the more interesting edible plants I have. Here is one of the Murraya koenigii or Indian curry leaf plants in my garden that fits the garden plus kitchen category.
The Indian curry leaf plant has little leaves used as a fresh curry leaf herb that yields a mildly pungent and pleasant savory aroma. Some say it has a citrus aroma.
The curry plant is next to my hydrangea plant, so those are not blossoms. The blossoms on the curry leaf plant are tiny and white. The seeds form within a round, deep purple fruit the size of large black peppercorns or of very small blackberries.
Health Benefits of the Indian Curry Leaf Plant
The plant has been used in South Asian traditional medicine as well as being used in cooking. The conditions that the plant is applied to include diabetes, skin conditions, and the digestive tract.
The Curry Plant Leaves Adds Spice as a Savory Flavor
These leaves are used to flavor a number of Indian vegetable dishes. One of my family’s favorite dish is a flavorful and spicy tomato “stew” or “soup”, depending on how thick I make the dish, called tomato sabzi or subji (depending on who I am talking to — either spelling is OK with me). This dish is superb in summer when our tomatoes come in fresh from the garden, warm from the sun, redolent with flavor, in colors of fire — red, orange, gold, and yellow.
The curry leaves are used along with other spices and create a flavorful dish that also lends itself to canning or bottling for a quick pick-me-up or as a side dish during the rest of the year. In addition, those bottled, curry-flavored tomatoes afford my hubby a way out when I am not home. Instead of opening cans
DoT's Curry Leaves Close Up
of other stuff, he opens our bottled tomato stew and heats it, eating the dish with what happens to be on hand: plain yogurt, tortillas or Indian roti flatbread or pita pocket bread or a good whole-grain bread; or, sometimes, with brown rice.
He is a Gujrati or an Indian from Gujrat and in his native tonge, this herb is called “Mitho limado”. In Hindi, it is “Karipatta or Mitha nim, or Mitha neem patta”.
The Curry Leaf Plant Suitable as Decoration
The leaves are somewhat dainty and the plant could be viewed as somewhat decorative. I find it a charming addition to the patio as a potted plant and looking at it now, realize it deserves a prettier home. I think I will transplant it.
Dried Curry Leaves as Spice
If you cannot find the plant at a nursery near you or if the weather does not suit this plant, you can find dried curry leaves at an Indian grocer’s or through a spice store. I have included a source for the fresh curry leaves below, if online seems to be your only choice at this time.
Do give this a try and realize that these curry leaves are not synonymous to bay laurel leaves and once you taste the difference, you will likely want to use these authentic curry leaves for Indian recipes.
Aloha, DoT
Fresh Curry Leaves - Fresh South Indian and Sri Lankan Herb - Citrus Aroma
Online Source for Indian Curry Leaves
Fresh curry leaves from the Buy Spice Now.com store. It is found in the “Grocery” category with a search on “Indian curry leaves”.
List Price is $3.99
Features:
- 100% Natural, Fresh herb
- Exclusive sellers for Ajika on Amazon.com
- Adds fresh citrus aroma to food
- Essential herb in South Indian cooking
Description and Review:
Curry leaves are used as a seasoning in Indian Cooking. When starting a curry or soup dish, the curry leaves should be left in hot oil until they sizzle. Curry leaves are generally sizzled in hot oil with mustard seeds, ginger and asafetida and are added to salads, dals, fresh coconut chutney or vegetable dishes. Curry leaves are very important to South Indian cooking. Curry leaves add a fresh citrus fragrance to food that is simply irresistable. Fresh curry leaves have a short life in the fridge and dried tend to be bland. Fresh curry leaves will remain fresh for a week if kept in a dry plastic bag in the fridge. Curry leaves are not the same as curry powder which is a blend of dry spices. Curry leaves are a fresh herb.
Fresh Indian Curry Leaves Available In Grocery Category; Search "Indian Curry Leaves"
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- For more pictures and information see Gernot Katzer’s Spice Pages.
- TIps on growing curry plant…
Grow Tomatoes Review: Journal Entry – Early Tomatoes Were Hybrids in Pots
DoT’s Thot: I love heirloom tomatoes and the vast majority of the crop planted in 2009 are heirloom plants with the fruit anxiously awaited, since we know that to eat the best tasting tomatoes, we have to grow our own. However, the plants that show up early in the home improvement and garden shops are often the hybrid tomatoes, rather than the heirlooms.
Early Tomatoes, 23 June 2009, Celebrity and Roma
Roma and Celebrity Tomatoes Sliced
This year, I also had the misfortune of being out of town during one of the best tomato plant sales at one of the colleges. I have not gotten the hang of growing tomatoes from seeds — so, currently I rely on the good gardeners who apply their talents to keeping the heirlooms viable. Fortunately, there are enough tomato nuts to support the efforts of several horticultural departments and we all benefit. Hence, being a tomato lover I planted some fair size hybrids in pots some time in late February.
June 23, 2009 — Two Early Hybrid Tomatoes: Celebrity and Roma — Hardy and Firm
Two early tomatoes that came ripe in the third week of June were Celebrity and La Roma. Both tomatoes are hybrids, showed a great deal of hardiness with smooth skins, unblemished, and very firm. Both are a sprightly red color.
While our favorite eating tomatoes are the heirlooms, these are not as easily found in the local garden shops early in the year. These two plants were bought in February and potted in those mega-pots sitting on our patio. Conical tomato cages and bamboo stakes prop up the branches. The hardiness of the plants is noticeable and appreciated.
We frequent the horticulture department sales at local colleges for the heirloom tomato seedlings and have to wait for the sales in March each year. Our main garden tomato seedling purchases are set in the ground en masse in March.
Picked ripe from the large patio pots, these were sweeter than the store-bought tomatoes and since these were the only two ripe tomatoes available on that day, they were simply cut into rounds and wedges and then made into a simple side salad.
Side Salad of Tomatoes and Onions
Tomato and Sweet Red Onion Salad
To serve with chilled slices of sweet red onion. cut little half moon slices of onion and soak for 10 to 15 minutes in some water and ice cubes. Serve the onions along side the tomatoes.
A little squeeze of lemon over the onions and salt and pepper sprinkled over all completed the simple salad side dish.
Better Than Sore-Bought, But Not As Interesting as Heirloom Tomatoes
Decidedly an improvement from store-bought, these tomatoes only whetted my appetite for the heirloom tomatoes to come.
Reading about heirlooom and hybrid plants, it may be a good idea to support the effort to protect the horticultural diversity of this planet. In addition, I find I love the taste of heirloom tomatoes best. I will, for the time-being, do so by buying the plants and seeds of heirlooms that others passionately preserve.
The shapes, colors, and characteristics of heirloom varieties are appealing in their range of differences. In fact, I kept thinking that the Old German heirloom tomato plan somehow reminded me of pumpking and squash vines. Just looking at those twiesting tomato branches made me think of Germany, the Black Forest, and fairy tales. I have to get some pictures and post those. Aloha, DoT
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Summer is Grilling Season
Grow Tomatoes Journal: Review of Ingredients for 20 Cups of Salsa
“Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good.”
– Alice May Brock (of Alice’s Restaurant fame)
Eight Pounds of Garden Fresh Tomatoes Made Twenty Cups of Salsa
Dot’s Thot: I guess then, tomatoes, onions, Jalepeno peppers, and cilantro make it Mexican. Garlic certainly does make this good. Anyway, today I decided I couldn’t let the tomatoes stand — having given away several dozen tomatoes already and eating them at least for lunch and dinner and sometimes for breakfast — yum!!
Having made Caprese salad, guacamole, salsa, and eaten them with plain old salt and pepper, I decided to make the first batch of salsa to bottle and save for later. Last year was my trial run — only made a bit, and found that we all liked it. Hence today was salsa batch #1. Last year I made and canned salsa, marinara sauce, and some Indian tomato sabzi. I also skinned and froze a bunch of tomatoes too.
I am not going to tell you how to can tomatoes, because I am still only an occasional canner — there are better sources for that. I will review for you what was used and what happened. If you do can tomatoes, you will probably find, as I have, if you use your own tomatoes and mix them up, the batches may come out differently each time, but no commercially uniform tomatoes will taste quite as good as your own mix of delightful special, vine-ripened tomatoes.
Here is the list of tomatoes that went into the salsa today:
- (1) Lemon Boy — 4 oz.
- (1) Black Brandywine — 6 oz
- (2) Marizol Purple — 6 oz. + 8.5 oz.
- (1) Earl of Edgecombe — 5 oz.
- (1) Aunt Gertie’s Gold — 7 oz.
- (3) Vintage Wine — 4.5 oz.+3 oz. + 2 oz.
- (12) Salsa — 6+4+4+4+4+3+4+2+3.5+6+4+4+4 = 52.5 oz.
- (1) Golden Pineapple — 11 oz.
- (2) Celebrity — 4 oz.+3 oz.
- (1) Piriform = 9 oz.
- Miscellaneous small tomatoes = 8 oz.
If I added right, that is 133.5 oz. or 8.34 pounds of tomatoes or roughly 8 pounds of some very lovely tomatoes. I did not make this with measurements on the other stuff, but what you see in the photo, all chopped up and mixed with salt and pepper became the salsa. The four Jalepeno peppers (green) were pretty hot and the long red peppers (grew in the yard) are kind of hot. I don’t favor bell peppers in salsa, nor cucumbers (in a canning book).
I like to mix the onions when I can, so used one large yellow and 1 large red onion. I used a whole head of garlic (I like garlic, kim chee, and Korean food — what can I say). I also like green onions in my salsa, so used a whole bunch. I used one large bunch of cilantro and this time used 2 large, extremely juicy limes, although lemons work well also. The rest was salt and pepper to taste.
Finally I followed the canning directions for water bath canning. The result was seven pint jars and four 12 oz. jars of salsa batch #1. If you multiply that out 7X16=112 and 4X12=48 or 160 ounces or 10 pounds or 20 cups of salsa. The jars are cooling (and hopefully all sealing nicely) on the washer top. Tomorrow, I will check the jars, label them and put them away as I go to the next tomato projects.
Aloha, Dot
P.S. If you want to try to identify the varieties, I can tell you this much: Piriform is on the scale. The 4 yelowish tomatoes in the photo are Golden Pineapple on the top, Lemon Boy to the right, Earl of Edgecombe bottom, and Aunt Gertie’s Gold on the left. On the top left between Golden Pineapple and Aunt Gertie’s Gold is the finely striped Vintage Wine (which this season is one of my favorite tomatoes in taste). Right below Aunt Gertie’s Gold is a Black Brandywine, To its right is an arc of various sizes of the Salsa tomato (a mother lode of tomatoes this year — firm, prolific, great in salsa). Sort of nestled in the center is Marizol Purple with a small Celebrity tomato to its left. As for the rest, your guess is as good as mine now.
Related Posts:
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