Fresh Veggies

Fresh Veggies
great produce=Great eating

Thursday, June 27, 2013

St Clement's Salad..RECIPE AND HOW TO PHOTOS...a 'Powerhouse of nutrition"




I discovered this by accident last year and I have updated it for the summer.
 When Brussels sprouts are out of season (yes I said Brussels sprouts)  try using Red or Swiss Chard, very tender kale ( not the curly kind), or small baby cabbages.

The recipe serves :
1 cup shredded Brussels sprouts  (or any tender greens..if using spinach just tear)
1 cup chopped apples (any mix)
 2 tbps grated orange rind ( the rind of 1 med. orange)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped  bok choy
1/2 cup chopped pecans,
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup shredded carrots 

 Mix all the vegetables and fruits together and dress 20 mins before serving

dressing made with
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 2 lemons
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup avocado oil, you may use olive oil, but don't waste an extra virgin on this as there is dairy and citrus in the dressing

Whisk all the dressing together to emulsify.

It's very much like a 21st Century Waldorf Salad, without the grapes, I also substituted pecans for the walnuts, either will be fine though.




Why that Name?
It comes from an old English Nursery Rhyme about the Church Bells of The City of London first introduced in 18th and then in 19th century, more lines were added.


"Oranges and lemons say the bells of St. Clements" ( I always heard it as St Clemens")




















PHOTOS Mexican style vegetables for tostadas, Brussels Sprout salad with cream and orange dressing, sweet corn w/maple buter, artichoke and pinto bean salad, Greens w/ almonds and zucchini

Own grown tomatoes  to date, I have picked over 30 pounds!

Sour cream,mayonnaise & orange dressing for Brussels sprout-cranberry-pecan slaw

Shucked corn


Unsalted butter and Vermont Maple syrup for the corn

Green Chile Chili


Mild Mexican style vegetables for the tostadas & rice


Corn w/maple butter and smoked paprika ready for steam-roasting

Artichoke and pinto bean salad with lemon-mustard dressing


previous 2 the Brussels Sprouts salad w/pecans.
Chopped ffresh apple to be added at client's home before dressing.

Red potato wedges for the Brussels sprout salad

Mustard Greens w/zucchini and red pepper flakes



Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Oven steamed sweetcorn with maple-sweet butter..HOW to Photos for the best sweetcorrn ever!



The weather has changed and now we are into Summertime heat, it is 80f on the shade and white filed grown sweetcorn is in the markets..here is how to prepare it to it's best eating:


Buy the corn in it's original state (in husk with silks attached)..the leaves on husk must feel fresh and tender and as dark a green as possible..any dry and yellowing  leaves, don't purchase, also avoid already shucked corn, it is drying up the minute it is picked in the field, any that has been shucked and not packed is already dry.

Bring the corn home  as soon as possible, and immediately plunge the whole thing in very cold, clean water and weigh down..leave soaking for at least 6 hours, remove and don't drain.





I use my bath for this for large amounts.

Put into a large ice cooler with ice and keep over night.
Next day prepare &  de-husk   the way to do this efficiently  is to pullback the husk and silks from the tip towards the stalk end, then pull back all the way like peeling a banana and snap off the husk, silks and the stem knob.






You do not need to use a knife, it should just snap off as it is now crispy from all the water.





Again pack in clean fresh water for 4 hours.
This time the silks remaining will easily fall away for the cobs.
Now drain and  pack into same cooler with fresh ice.

Enjoy summer's heat and sweetcorn..corn prepared this way especially white corn is sweet and tender enough to eat raw..just scrape off cob and add to salads and soups..also  in place of grated cheese on anything really!

Thursday's Menu:


Baked artichoke halves with pinto beans and green chili with lemon dressing

Tomato, and pasta soup with artichokes and pasta stars



Hearty soup, topped with olive oil & to be topped with fresh parsley




Brussels Sprouts salad with dried cranberries and celery in a yogurt and orange dressing.
This will be a shredded raw  Brussels sprouts salad with apples and celery





Pinto bean and yellow corn chili topped with green Chile's



A very spicy green chili with pinto beans and yams yellow corn  and zucchini



A Southwest style, Mild vegetable stew with red peppers, potatoes, yams, squashes, will be served with steamed brown rice.

The sides are
 zucchini and mustard greens with garlic

Steamed white corn on cob with Vermont maple butter..these will be packaged with the maple butter  & smoked paprika and client will place in a 400f oven top shelf and covered tightly for just 6 mins..serve immediately pouring melted butter over the corn.


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

75f in the shade and getting hotter my garden in West Los Angeles.PHOTOS

It is important when  growing one's own organic vegetables and herbs, to include lots of flowers to attract humming birds and bees.....here is my garden today, by the weekend it is going to be over 90F






Georgia Peace Rose

Sterling Silver..purple and very fragrant



Asian eggplant


Globe Basil

Culinary sage

peppermint

Perpetual Basil  actually more like  a small shrub

Italian Heirloom "blue" Broccoli grown from last years seed

"Bolting" lettuce and seedling arugula

Italian Green pepito peppers






English thyme, flowers removed after 3 months flowering




Previous 4 ..Dragon Lilies..they have tendrils on tip of leaves and wind round other plants to stay upright and climb..bees love them ..hummingbirds are confused