Tag: Food

Cilantro

 Flavor

Did you know that some people think it tastes like soap? 

Somewhere between 10% and 20% of people perceive the taste of cilantro as soapy and do not like it at all. The cause is a sensitivity to a compound called aldehydes. Thankfully, we are in the 80% to 90% of individuals who experience cilantro as a fresh tasting herb that complements everything from salsa to scrambled eggs to chicken marinade. 

Cilaantro or Cilahntro? 

How do you say it? At Five Feline Farm we usually say Cilaantro. No matter what you call it, it’s delicious.

Companion Planting

This year, we have cilantro planted in the row with the pepper plants. The blooms attract pollinators, plus some other pests that prefer eating the cilantro over the pepper plants. Since it grows fast and reseeds, this is an easier plant to sacrifice than the slower growing, money-making peppers.

Coriander

Wait. What? Yes, when cilantro goes to seed, those seeds are Coriander. In fact, in some languages and cultures the entire plant is referred to as Coriander. All parts of the plant are edible including the root, but it is most often the fresh green leaves and the seeds used in culinary efforts. Often used whole in making pickles, but equally excellent crushed just before use to lend a soft spicy note to any dish.  

Use

As mentioned above, cilantro can be used as a garnish, added to salsa or used in a marinade. It is good anytime you are looking for a brightly flavored accent. 

Here’s a simple marinade for chicken or fish.

1 bunch cilantro, washed and leaves removed from stems

1/4 tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil

Blend all in a food processor or small blender. Start with the smaller amount of olive oil and add more as needed to achieve desired consistency. A thicker paste can be smeared on the meat or a thinner mixture can be added to a ziplock baggie to marinate. Amounts can be doubled, tripled or adjusted to taste. 

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Butter

Enjoy this repost from 3 years ago. It is just as true today as it was then.

I love butter. Smooth, silky, creamy butter. There is nothing like it to transform pan sauce into a glistening, slightly thick, lip-smackingly rich perfection.

The butter in our house can be found in not one, not two, but three locations.

Butter on the Counter

Softened butter occupies a place of honor on the counter. Kept fresh in a butter keeper, ready to spread at a moment’s notice.

Soft Spreadable Butter
Soft Spreadable Butter

Butter in the Fridge

There are packages of butter awaiting use in the refrigerator, stick by glorious stick.

Butter in the Freezer

And there is always butter in the freezer. Usually purchased 16 or 20 pounds at a time. Butter stores perfectly well in the freezer. I can’t chance running out.

I preserve herbs in butter, making logs of rich herb butter to freeze. Later sliced and added to everything one can imagine. See how that process works in Making Herb Butter.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking.

“Her arteries are so clogged with all that butter fat, there’s no oxygen to her brain.”

“Bet her blood flows thick as frozen butter.”

“Cholesterol must be off the chart.”

The low-fat movement is surely having a stroke about now.

Yes, I use a lot of butter. Along with all the other full fat ingredients.

I’ve stopped using canola oil, shortening, corn oil, butter substitutes, reduced fat milk and cheese. In my opinion these options are not healthy, whole food. Many are GMO laden or composed of unrecognizable ingredients. These are not the food that my grandparents knew and used. I have stocked my kitchen with organic coconut oil, avocado oil, extra virgin olive oil, full fat milk and cheese.

And butter. Lots and lots of creamy butter.

By the way, my cholesterol is down.

Garlic Scapes

Did you know garlic plants provide much more than just the part that is commonly available in grocery stores? It’s true. There is more to this fragrant plant than what comes in the papery bulb.

What Are Garlic Scapes?

Garlic scapes are the tender end of the shoot in hard neck garlic varieties. As the plant grows in springtime, it sends up a shoot that is tender at first and later turns into a flower with bulbils. Those tiny bits of the flower are also edible, but the scape is the newly forming flower with it’s white end and the first 5-6 inches of tender shoot. 

When To Harvest.

When the shoot has a whitish end that looks like a bloom is starting to form, the scape is ready. The green part may be curled back on itself forming a curly que at the very top of the garlic plant. Snap off the shoot approximately 4-6 inches below the tip just as you would asparagus. The plant will snap off at it’s tender point. 

How To Use.

Now that you have these spring delicacies, it’s time to use them in the kitchen. Scapes taste like garlic. The flavor is lighter than garlic cloves but still clearly garlic. One option is to dice and stir into any dish where you would normally use garlic. Scapes may be sautéed as is and eaten as a vegetable. You can chop it for a garnish on lettuce salad, use to flavor pasta salad, fry with potatoes or use in any dish where garlic will add a complementary flavor.

As an added bonus, snapping off the scapes will divert the plant’s energy into bulb development. So not only does the gardener get a fresh taste of garlic in the spring, the fall harvest will be improved.

If you grow your own garlic, give scapes a try. If you don’t and are in the Charleston area, stop by the 18th Street Farmer’s Market this Saturday and pick up some from us.

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Asparagus Quiche

Asparagus

Asparagus is a tender, delicious vegetable and its spring appearance after the long winter makes it a special treat. 

One of my favorites ways to use asparagus is in a quiche. The name sounds fancy but it is easy to make. There is no limit to the combinations of vegetables, meats or cheeses that can be used, but this version highlights fresh garden asparagus and chives. 

As a bonus it reheats well, so provides lunch for a couple of days.

For a 9 inch quiche

1 pie crust

5 large eggs

1-1/2 cups half and half or milk

1 cup of asparagus, cut into thin rounds

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh chives, plus 3 long pieces for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Pie crust is quickly made by mixing 1 cup flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening. Stir in water one tablespoon at a time until the dough comes together into a ball, cleaning the sides of the bowl. Handle as little as possible, kneading only 2 or 3 times to make a smooth ball. Roll into a circle larger than the pie pan and transfer the crust into the pan. Prick the crust or use pie weights to keep the crust from puffing and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 375º oven. (You can use a pre-made crust, if desired.)

Evenly distribute asparagus, cheese and minced chives over bottom of crust. Mix eggs, half and half, salt and pepper. Pour over the filling being careful not to overflow the crust. Add long pieces of chives in a decorative pattern on top.

Bake at 375º for 30 to 40 minutes until the eggs are set and the top lightly browned. Let cool slightly and cut into wedges for serving. 

Pair with a crisp green salad fresh from the garden and a glass of chardonnay. 

If this recipe intrigues you, check out my book Simply Delicious. Part memoir and part cooking instruction, this is how I cook.