winter squash

Finally, some winter squash!

Harvest: 2 delicata winter squash. 1 very small uchiki kuri winter squash, 1 burgess butter cup winter squash.

Katsu Curry

This is a childhood favorite of mine...

Katsu Curry

6 Servings

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground pork
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably S&B Oriental curry powder
1 onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 green apple, peeled, cored and quartered
1 mango, peeled, cored and quartered
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into coins
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into coins
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed

For the pork:
Peanut or canola oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
6 thin, center-cut boneless pork chops, lightly pounded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooked short-grain Japanese rice
Raw cabbage, thinly sliced
Tonkatsu sauce (optional)

1. Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat has browned and the moisture has evaporated. Mix in the flour and curry powder, turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make a porky roux.


2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse together the onion, garlic, apple, mango, ginger, carrot, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce until a grainy purée forms. Transfer the purée to the pork and mix until combined. The sauce should be very thick.


3. Stir in the chicken broth and cook, partly covered, over low heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. If needed, add a bit more stock to loosen the sauce.


4. Prepare the pork: Heat 1 inch of oil in a frying pan and set a candy thermometer in the oil. Place the eggs in a wide shallow bowl and the panko in another. When the oil temperature reaches 320 degrees, season the pork chops all over with salt and pepper. Cover them, one by one, in the egg and then in the panko, and fry in batches in the hot oil until browned, for about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and let drain for 5 minutes. Slice the pork chops against the grain. Serve the curry sauce over cooked Japanese rice. Top with the sliced pork and serve with a small handful of sliced cabbage. If you choose, drizzle the cutlet with a little tonkatsu sauce.

One tomato

Harvest: one lemon boy tomato.

Wild green onions

Mmmm wild onions all over the yard.

Harvest: 3 oz wild green onions, 2oz green deer tongue lettuce, 2 baby oxheart carrots, and 6 yellow pear tomatoes.

Kale Harvest

Harvest: 6oz kale and 2oz deer tongue lettuce.

Mmm...Garlic

Planted the rest of the garlic today: georgian crystal, georgian fire, polish red, and german red.

Harvest: 12 radishes.

First Frost

Last night was predicted to be the first frost of the fall. Assessing the damage today....

And planting garlic...

Harvest: 1 purple beauty sweet pepper, 14 yellow pear tomatoes, and 2 lemon boy tomatoes.

Baked Clam Cakes

mmmmmm......

Baked Clam Cakes

1 Egg
1/4 teaspoon Clam Juice
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried onion
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
2-7 Oz. Can Minced Clams

1. Preheat oven to 350F.


2. Beat egg and add clam juice.


3. Mix baking powder, bread crumbs, salt and pepper.


4. Add the minced clams to the dry mixture and then add enough of the liquid to make a thick, lumpy batter.


5. Grease baking sheet and drop batter by tablespoons onto baking sheet.


6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned.

A few more tomatoes

Harvest: 4 yellow pear tomatoes.

3 yellow pear tomatoes

Harvest: 3 yellow pear tomatoes.

Last of the Tomatoes

The tomatoes are almost done for the season.

Harvest: 3 lemon boy tomatoes and 1oz mibuna asian mustard greens.

Poached Eggs with Roasted Tomatoes

I love eggs cooked any way, but poached eggs are my current favorite.

Poached Eggs with Roasted Tomatoes

4 Servings

2 tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
4 large eggs
1/3 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon garlic chives, finely chopped

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Brush tomatoes with olive oil and season with freshly ground sea salt and pepper.
3. Place tomato on broiler pan and broil about 6 inches from heat until tender and tomatoes are slightly charred, about 5 minutes total. Leave broiler on.
4. While vegetables are broiling, fill a deep 10-inch pan with 2 inches of cold water. Add white vinegar and bring to a simmer.
5. Break 1 egg into a cup, then slide egg into simmering water. Repeat with remaining eggs, spacing them in skillet, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
6. Gently transfer eggs with a slotted spoon to plate and season with salt and pepper.
7. Sprinkle tomato slices with balsamic vinegar and top each slice with an egg. Cover eggs with cheese and broil until cheese is just melted, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with garlic chives and serve immediately.

May also be served over toasted english muffins. Yum!

More Tomatoes

Harvest: 3 lemon boy tomatoes and 5 yellow pear tomatoes.

Stir Fry on Fried Chinese Cake Noodles

Made cake noodles today with greens harvested from the garden.

Stir Fry on Fried Chinese Cake Noodles

noodles
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 lb chicken thighs, skinned, deboned and diced
1/2 lb cooked shrimp
1 cup straw mushrooms
1/2 lb sugar snap peas, cleaned (or other vegetables)
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 tbs cornstarch to taste
salt and pepper

1. Cook noodles till just barely al dente.


2. Stir fry ginger and garlic in cooking oil.


3. Season chicken with salt and pepper.


4. Fry chicken with ginger and garlic, continue to cook until chicken is brown.


5. While chicken cooks, heat 1.5 tablespoons oil over medium-high to high heat in a separate skillet. Add the noodles. Quickly spread them out to the edges of the pan, and then let them cook, without stirring, until they are browned on the bottom (5 - 8 minutes). Carefully invert cake onto prepared plate. Return skillet to medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and brown (another 3 minutes)


6. Add mushrooms and sugar snap peas to the chicken. Then add 1/2 cup chicken stock, oyster sauce, and sugar.


7. Mix cornstarch with remaining 1 cup chicken broth separately and add to stir-fry mixture.


8. Cook until the mixture begins to thicken, then add shrimp. When shrimp is heated through, server over noodles.

Harvest: 3 baby oxheart carrots, 4oz of red russian kale, and 4oz of mibuna asian mustard greens

A Few Good Tomatoes

Harvest: 2 lemon boy tomatoes, 2 red grape tomatoes, and 5 yellow pear tomatoes.

First Frost

Just heard on that the first frost could happen this week. Hope some of my summer vegetables make it...

Harvest: 10 yellow pear tomatoes.

Crispy Kale

This tastes a lot like nori (seaweed).

Crispy Baked Kale

kale
freshly ground sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to 350F.
2. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and wash and dry it in a salad spinner.
3. Spread these pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray all the leaves with a fine mist of olive oil until they are lightly coated.
4. Sprinkle the freshly grated sea salt and pepper to taste. Don't over do it!
5. Bake in oven 15 to 20 minutes. Kale will look a bit translucent but still green. Enjoy!

Homegrown Vegetables

Garden looks good. Very lush. I feel lucky to eat fresh homegrown vegetables.

Harvest: 1 lemon boy tomato, 11 yellow pear tomatoes, 1 bambino hybrid eggplant, 1 scarlet globe radish, 4oz of red russian kale, and 10oz mix of mibuna asian mustard greens, deer tongue lettuce, tom thumb lettuce, and arugula.

Garden Salad

Harvest: 7 yellow pear tomatoes, 2 scarlet globe radish, and 6oz mix of mibuna asian mustard greens, deer tongue lettuce, tom thumb lettuce, red russian kale, and arugula.

More Yellow Tomatoes

Harvest: 16 yellow pear tomatoes and 1 lemon boy tomato.

Just a few tomatoes

Not much to harvest these days.

Harvest: 4 yellow pear tomatoes and 2 red grape tomatoes.