Vegetable Garden Update May 1, 2011

I've been doing a lot of planting the last few weeks in the vegetable garden.  I'm not exactly happy in the rush to plant at this time of year, but I'm fighting a couple factors.  The first one is that here in Las Vegas, it can go from pretty cold to very hot in the blink of an eye and most vegetables don't set fruit once it reaches 90+ degrees. I can usually coax them to produce, but that takes a lot of work and water.  So, sometimes you gotta start early.

Secondly, the plant nurseries and big box stores want you to hurry up and plant so when the April cold snap comes through and damages/kills your plants, you have to go back and buy more.  While I usually resist the initial planting when we get that beautiful 80+ degree week that fools everyone that this April will be different (although it never is), I was searching for some specific varieties that usually go fast.

Now normally getting the specific varieties that I want isn't a problem because I normally start my own transplants from seed.  But, this year I decided to do majority transplants from the stores because a) it takes a lot of work to start from seed at the scale that I plant and b) my attention span always bites me in the butt every year and I decided to stop beating myself up every year about it.

Now that is the 1st of May, you can do a majority of planting, but realize you can still get some vicious weather coming through, so you may have some casualties.  My secret weapon for transplant shock and damaged plants:  Vitamin B1 or sometimes known as Transplant Shock Tonic.  I always have a gallon container on hand.  You can find this at Lowe's or Home Depot, but you may have to search for it.  Don't be afraid to ask store personnel to find it for you, because it will become your best friend!  Just follow the directions and you will be amazed at the results!  Following are pictures of my 6 raised planters that contain all my vegetable/fruit/herb plants.  And of course, they were all done with the Square Foot Gardening Method.

This is Planter 1 which contains the following from left to right. Row 1: 2 Marigolds/2 Nasturtiums, 16 Crimson Giant Radishes, 1 Peppermint, 8 Crimson Giant/8 Cook's Custom Mix Radishes, 1 Peppermint, 16 Cook's Custom Mix Radishes and 2 Marigolds/2 Nasturtiums.  Row 2: 4 Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, 4 Parris Island Romaine, 4 Rosalita Lettuce, 1 Greek Oregano, 4 Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, 4 Parris Island Romaine, and 4 Rosalita Lettuce.  Row 3: 1 Sugar Baby Watermelon, 1 Sugar Baby Watermelon, 1 Hale's Best Jumbo Cantaloupe, 1 Cantaloupe.  The next 3 squares will contain 2 cucumber plants each totaling 6 plants. The back row will have netted trellises for the melons and cucumbers to climb.

Planter 2 Front Row: 1 Marigold/2 Nasturtiums, 2 Cilantro, 9 Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach, 1 Sweet Marjoram, 9 Teton Hybrid Spinach, 2 Cilantro, 2 Marigolds/2 Nasturtiums. Row 2: 1 Serrano Pepper, 1 Serrano Pepper, 1 Jalapeno pepper, 1 Jalapeno pepper, 1 Bell Boy Green/Red Pepper, 1 Bell Boy Green/Red Pepper, 1 Golden Cal Wonder Pepper.  Row 3: 1 Anaheim pepper, 1 Toma Verde Tomatillo plant in the next 5 squares, and 1 Golden Cal Wonder pepper.

Planter 3 Row 1:  2 marigolds/2 nasturtiums, 16 Sweet Treat Carrots, 1 Large Italian Flat-leaf parsley, 9 Bloomsdale Long Standing spinach, 9 Teton Hybrid spinach, 8 Red Cored Chantenay Carrots, 2 marigolds/2 nasturtiums. Row 2:  16 Parade Green Bunching onions, 4 Parris Island Romaine, 4 Rosalita Lettuce, 4Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce, 4 Rosalita Lettuce, 4 Parris Island Romaine, and 8 Georgia Sweet Onions. Row 3: First 4 squares contain in each 8 Super Sugar Snap Peas totaling 32 plants and next 3 squares contain 8 Snowbird Snow Peas totaling 24.

Planter 4 Row 1:  1 Straightneck Yellow Squash, 1 English Thyme, 1 Dill, 2 marigolds/2 nasturtiums, 1 basil, 1 purple basil, 1 butternut squash.  Row 2:  1 spaghetti squash, the next 5 squares will contain 3 varieties of dwarf sunflower (Happy Smile, Teddy Bear & Zebulon) and each square will have 2 plants each, and 1 butternut squash.  Row 3:  1 Zucchini Squash, 1 Mammoth Sunflower, 1 Zucchini squash, 1 Mammoth sunflower, 1 Zucchini Gold squash, 1 Mammoth sunflower, and 1 Zucchini Gold Squash.

Planter 5 Row 1:  Super San Marzano paste tomato, 4 marigolds, 1 Sweet Dani lemon basil, 1 parsley, 1 basil, 4 marigolds and 1 Sweet 100 cherry tomato.  Row 2:  1 Super San Marzano paste tomato, 1 Black Beauty eggplant, 1 Black Beauty eggplant, 1 Greek oregano, 1 Gretal eggplant, 1 Ichiban eggplant, 1 Large Red cherry tomato. Row 3:  1 Brandywine Pink tomato, 1 Early Girl tomato, 1 Hawaiian tomato, 1 Cherokee Purple tomato, 1 Roma paste tomato, 1 Roma paste tomato and 1 Sweet 100 cherry tomato.

Planter 6:  all squares will contain 1 Silver Queen corn plant which I just planted via seed.  

As you might have noticed, just about every planter contains marigolds and nasturtiums.  They are a very important defense against insects. Both of these flowers repel bad insects and attract the good ones (honestly, there are good insects!). You can use just about any variety of nasturtium, but you'll want to use French marigolds. They are smaller so I can fit 4 in a square foot alone or 2 in a square with 2 nasturtiums. They also have a stronger scent so they are more effective.  Once the marigolds have run their course for the season, dig them into the soil so they can do double duty by repelling bad nematodes that dwell in your soil.  You'll want to fit a lot of marigolds near your tomatoes.  They are amazing at repelling bad bugs from them.  

Some squares may appear empty because I have not planted that particular veggie/herb yet due to being too cold.  It also may be because I have started that plant by seed. Some plants do better started by seed because they don't react well to transplanting and some just grow so darn fast it saves you money to start by seed.  These are the following I always start by seed:  lettuce/romaine, spinach, nasturtiums, radishes, cilantro, peas, beans, green onions, carrots, sunflowers, and corn.  

Some varieties I use a technique called succession planting. This is a technique where you stagger the planting of seeds. For example, I can plant 9 spinach plants in 1 square and 16 carrots in 1 square. If I plant them all at once, they will be mature all at once. I don't necessarily want to eat 9 spinach plants and 16 carrots at once.  So if 1 square can hold 9 spinach plants, I will plant 1 row of 3 plants within the square 1 week and the next week the next row and so on.  That way they mature as I need them.  And, as I pull them to eat, I plant another set of seeds in those plants' place!  Another example of succession planting is placing 2 different plants in 1 square.  For example, peas seeds can be started pretty early. They will germinate even in cold soil.  So I will plant a row of 8 seeds per square (at the back of the square) in late February or early March.  They don't like heat so they will have probably produced the majority of their pods when the heat starts to hit.  Now green beans don't like as cold as soil and can produce through the summer so I'll plant 8 pole beans at the end of April/beginning of May per square in the middle of the same squares as the peas.  Once the peas start phasing out, the beans will take over their spot.  

Another technique I use that may be hard to see in the pictures is vertical growing.  At the back of most planters and some on the sides, are trellises with netting for the plants to grow up in.  I use this technique for the following:  mini watermelon, melons, cucumbers, tomatillos, peas, beans, squash, and tomatoes.  All of these plants either sprawled all over the garden taking up valuable space or needed to be caged of which the plants soon outgrew.  Trellises keep the produce off the ground where soil born diseases and insects can get to them without you knowing. Also by growing up, the plants will get better air circulation and keep leaves drier which can be a problem especially with cucumbers.  This technique also forces the plants to produce thicker stems to hold the weight of the fruit which pumps in more nutrients and flavor to them. When my melons get closer to maturity, I make a sling out of old pantyhose to hold the fruit so they don't drop to the ground and split open. For my tomatoes, I like to use trellises because some tomato varieties can get up to 6' tall and most cages are only 4' tall.  Trellises also allow you to see more of the plant so you can find the evil tomato horn worm easier allowing me to feed them to my chickens and die a horrible death!  Sorry, I got a bit carried away!

I think that's about it for now.  Really consider giving Square Foot Gardening a chance.  You'll be amazed what you can fit in such a small space.  Aren't you amazed how many varieties I grow in mine?  Feel free to ask me any questions, any time about your gardens.  I many not be a total expert for your zone, but will do my best to answer you.  Thanks and enjoy!

Pasta alla Puttanesca with Molasses Drop Cookies

I have been meaning to try this recipe, not only for it's interesting ingredients, but because of the name which translates to Prostitutes Pasta.  My kids were horrified when I told them what it meant and that I was going to make something that was popular with prostitutes.  I'm quirky that way.  Supposedly this was a favorite recipe of the prostitutes because it was a sauce that could be made up quickly and had great flavor.  The ingredients vary from region to region.  What's held me back from trying it was because a lot of the recipes called for anchovies and capers, two ingredients I don't have a lot of experience with.  This one is from Lucinda Scala Quinn (again!) and calls for the capers (but no anchovies) and olives (black and green).  It's kind of spicy (but not too much) and has a very interesting and very good flavor.  My daughter and her friend actually really liked it.

I have learned the value of soaking and rinsing capers.  If you don't, it can be disastrous to your recipe.  For this recipe, I soaked them in cold water while I prepped the rest of the ingredients and then rinsed them.  As I got to the bottom of the plate the pasta was coated with more of the sauce and I could taste the capers a bit more.  If you don't like the taste of them that much, I would reduce them to 2 tablespoons instead of 3, but do not omit them.  You need them to balance the olives and red pepper flake flavors and add some saltiness.  Also, if your sensitive to the red pepper flakes, you can just use 1/4 teaspoon total instead of 1/2.

You may be wondering why the green olives are coarsely chopped and the black olives are thinly sliced.  This is strictly for giving some variety in color and shape in the sauce.  I think it gives it a nice look.  When I bought the green olives there were several choices.  I made the mistake of buying the ones that aren't pitted.  Pay attention to that because it's a pain slicing away the olive meat from the pit.  For the black olives, there was only the canned variety, no fancy types.  That's what I used and it was fine.

In Lucinda's recipe, she uses bucatini pasta.  This is a large-style spaghetti that is hollow in the center.  I liked the bucatini, but it was hard to twirl onto our forks.  You would get it nice and wound and then would unloop itself.  If you think this would be a problem, you can use a large-style or regular size spaghetti.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Pasta alla Puttanesca

Ingredients:

·       1 1/2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·       2 cloves garlic, minced

·       1/2 cup black olives, such as Gaeta or Nicoise, rinsed, pitted, and thinly sliced

·       1/2 cup green olives Italian-style, rinsed, pitted, and coarsely chopped

·       3 tbsp. capers, preferably salt-packed, thoroughly soaked and rinsed

·       1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, plus more for serving

·       28 oz. can best-quality tomatoes, half pureed, half roughly crushed

·       1 sprig fresh basil, plus more for garnish

·       1/2 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 pound large size or regular spaghetti

·       freshly grated Parmesan cheese

·       Molasses Drops Cookies (see recipe), for serving

Directions:

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

    Place olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle but not brown, about 30 seconds. Add the olives, capers, and 1/4 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes. Add the pureed and crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for15 minutes. Add the basil sprig, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and the oregano and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

    Meanwhile, generously salt the boiling water. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm. Set the timer for 2 minutes less than the package instructions specify and taste for doneness. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with additional red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan cheese, and freshly torn basil leaves.

Servings:  4-6

In the same episode, Lucinda made her version of Molasses Drop Cookies.  She had inherited the family recipe box and found several variations of the recipe.  What this told her was that it's great to have recipes passed down from generation to generation, but also that you've gotta make it your own.  For her variation, she rolled them in white sanding sugar which not only makes them pretty but also gives them a nice crunch.  She also added candied orange peel.  I couldn't find any candied orange peel and didn't have time to order some.  I did have some orange baking emulsion in the pantry which I'm sure all of you happen to have.  But if you don't and can't find the candied orange peel like me, maybe add some orange extract which you can normally find at the grocery store.  I really think they need the orange flavor because it balances out the brown sugar and molasses which can be a bit heavy when combined.  The orange gave it freshness and made it more kid friendly.  

A tool I highly recommend for this recipe, is a scoop.  She has you scooping out about a tablespoon of dough and then rolling it into a ball.  The problem I had with that is that this dough is pretty sticky.  So what I did was scoop out the dough with a small scoop and drop it directly into a dish of white sanding sugar.  I then moved the dish around to coat the dough with the sugar.  Another item I recommend is parchment paper.  You line your cookie sheet with the parchment paper and when they are done baking, just slide the parchment off the cookie sheet onto your cooling rack.  No more waiting for them to cool (and continue baking) and then lifting off the cookies one by one onto the rack.  You can eat them while they are still warm, but not all flavors will come out in the taste, especially the orange flavor.  They really are best if you allow them to cool completely.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Molasses Drop Cookies

Ingredients:

·       1 3/4 cups flour

·       1/2 tsp. baking soda

·       1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

·       1/2 tsp. coarse salt

·       1/4 tsp. ground ginger

·       1/8 tsp. ground cloves

·       1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

·       2 oz. (4 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted

·       1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

·       1/4 cup whole milk

·       1 large egg, lightly beaten

·       1/4 cup finely chopped candied orange peel

·       sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 375º. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves. Whisk in brown sugar. Stir in melted butter, molasses, milk, and egg. Fold in candied orange peel.

    Roll 1 tablespoon or 1/2 teaspoon dough into a ball. Roll in sanding sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill in refrigerator for 5 minutes. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.

    Cook's Note:  Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Servings:  3 dozen large or 18 dozen small

Steak Pizzaiola

I made this a while ago, but I guess I forgot to blog about it.  Even though it's been a while, I can still remember how yummy it tastes!  This is a pretty simple recipe but yields a lot of flavor.

You start off by browning the chuck steak and make sure you really brown it because that's part of building the flavor.  A neat thing about this recipe, you're only using 2 pans for it.  One for the chuck steak and sauce and the other to cook the pasta.  It'll take a few hours to complete, but the majority of that time is spent in the oven.  For the pasta, I would recommend penne pasta.  Real meaty sauces seem to call for this tube shape pastas.  Actually I don't have much more to say about it, because it's that easy.  Enjoy!

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Steak Pizzaiola

Ingredients:

·       2 1/2 lb. bone-in chuck steak, or 2 pounds if boneless

·       1 tsp. coarse salt

·       freshly ground black pepper

·       2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·       3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

·       1 tbsp. tomato paste

·       28 oz. can whole tomatoes, with juice

·       1 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 tsp. dried thyme

·       1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·       cooked tube pasta of your choice

Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 325º. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Brown the meat on both sides. Remove the meat from the skillet and take the pan off the heat.

    Stir into the pan the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the whole tomatoes, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes. Mash up the tomatoes with a large fork, return the meat to the pan, spoon the sauce over it, and cover tightly.

    Braise in the oven for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook in the oven for an additional 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened up.

    In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and cook pasta of choice according to package directions.  Reserve some water before draining in case sauce is too thick.

    Note:  Serve this tender, fall-off-the-bone meat with bread and polenta. You can also present it as a "sauce" by shredding the meat, mixing it with the leftover tomatoes from the pan, and tossing with pasta.

Servings:  6-8

Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary; Stuffed Artichokes and Tabbouleh

Since the weather has been warming up, I thought I would try Lucinda Scala Quinn's (Mad Hungry Fame) Lamb.  I've only made lamb once, and it was not good.  I'm not sure if it was the recipe, the cut or the cook that made it not good since I had never had it before and had nothing to compare it too.  I have to credit my friend Lisa's husband, George Wainscott, with reintroducing me to lamb the proper way.  He makes great lamb which he usually brings us on Easter Sunday!  On to the recipes:

This recipe is so easy to make.  Probably the most difficult is if you have to butterfly the leg of lamb.  Lucinda recommends asking your butcher to do this, but in Las Vegas full-service butchers are hard to find.  I ended up finding the leg of lamb at Sam's Club as my usual locations for buying meat were unsuccessful.  I would recommend watching Lucinda's video of making Chicken Milanese on Martha Stewart's web site.  She shows you a real easy way to butterfly thicker cuts of meat.  You do need one special piece of equipment which I would highly recommend because of the pureeing of the whole lemons-a good quality food processor.  But, I would recommend one for any kitchen!

Slathered with the marinade

Fresh out of the oven

Sliced and ready to eat!

Lamb with Lemon, Garlic and Rosemary

Ingredients:

·       2 whole lemons, washed, seeded, and chopped

·       2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves removed

·       5 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled

·       1 tbsp. coarse salt

·       1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

·       2 to 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

·       1 boneless leg of lamb, butterflied, boned, and cut to lay flat (about 5 lb.)

·       Tabbouleh (see recipe), for serving

·       Stuffed Artichokes (see recipe), for serving

Directions:

    Place the chopped lemon, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a food processor. A blender can also be used, if done in batches. If you have neither, finely chop all ingredients together.

    Open up the lamb and lay it flat. Spread and massage the lemon paste evenly over the inside and outside of the lamb. Place in a baking dish and cover, or in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate overnight to marinate, turning occasionally.

    Preheat the oven to 450º. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. Place the lamb on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Place the meat in the oven and after 5 minutes, reduce the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast for 45 minutes, or until medium rare, 140º on an instant read thermometer. Allow the meat to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before carving and serving.

Servings:  6-8

 Again, here I am making something I've never made before, but this was pretty simple.  The hardest part is prepping the artichokes.  Again, I recommend checking out Lucinda's video for this recipe if you've never made artichokes before.  Sometimes a visual clicks better.  This recipe calls for 6 artichokes, but I just got 4 since there were only four of us.  You are suppose to put them single layer close to each other in a pan with a lid. I could only fit 3 in the pan which was fine since my son, Sean, wouldn't touch them.  I would recommend going easy on stuffing them since the way you eat artichokes, you don't need a lot of stuffing.  I found that out afterward.  They were pretty good, but I'm not a major fan of steamed artichokes due to the fact that you just don't get a lot compared to the effort it takes to make them.  I do love marinated artichoke hearts.  If you are a steamed artichoke lover, you will probably love this recipe.  As for me, I'll probably try something else next time I make the lamb.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients:

·       1 lemon, halved

·       6 whole artichokes

·       3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

·       1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

·       1 small garlic clove, minced

·       2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

·       freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

    Squeeze the lemon halves into a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Trim the bottom off each artichoke. Trim off the tough outer leaves. Snip the thorny tips off the top leaves. As each one is completed, place it in the lemon water to prevent it from discoloring.

    In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, and parsley and season with pepper. Pull each leaf open slightly from each artichoke and stuff a little filling into the opening. Place the artichokes snugly side by side in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 inch of water to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and steam until the bottoms of the artichokes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes; a knife should insert easily. Make sure the water doesn't boil dry. Add more water if necessary.

    Serve each artichoke hot, on an individual plate.

Servings:  6

This recipe was also a newby for me, but very good.  I did run into a little trouble.  I soaked the bulgur wheat for the 20 minutes, but it didn't seem to bloom the way it did on Lucinda's show.  The only thing I could figure out was the fact that I took the bulgur out of the freezer just before soaking.  I always store all my wheat products in the freezer as whole wheat tends to go rancid pretty fast.  I was worried about the fact that the bulgur was still pretty crunchy, but I still had some time before everything was ready so I quickly assembled the salad and stored it in the fridge.  I believe that extra time marinating made a difference but it seemed it was still a little too crunchy.  I have never tried Tabbouleh before so didn't have anything to compare it to.  Anyone have input on this, I would love to hear it!  If you are having trouble finding Bulgur wheat, it is probably on your baking aisle in the specialty flour section or on the healthy/organic foods aisle.  I highly recommend using vine-ripened tomatoes for this also.  Not only was this dish loaded with flavor, it is so good for you!  I will definitely try this one again.

Lucinda Scala Quinn’s Tabbouleh Salad

Ingredients:

·       1/2 cup bulgur wheat

·       2 tomatoes, diced (1 1/2 cups)

·       3 scallions (both white and green parts), trimmed and thinly sliced (1 cup)

·       2 to 3 cups chopped fresh curly parsley, stems removed

·       1 cucumber, peeled and diced (1 cup)

·       1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

·       1/4 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

·       2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

·       1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

·       1/4 tsp. coarse salt, or more to taste

Directions:

    Rinse the bulgur wheat in cold running water and soak in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and place in a large bowl.

    Add the tomatoes, scallions, parsley, cucumber, and mint. Toss together.

    Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and salt. Stir the dressing into the salad to fully combine. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Servings:  6

Commander's Palace Jambalaya

I have this cookbook from Commander's Palace and I love it not only for the recipes but for the entertaining stories that it tells.  If you've been to New Orleans or have dreaming of going, you either already know about Commander's or you definitely should!  I dream of going and one day having Sunday brunch on the patio.  If you are one of the deprived souls who have not heard about it, here are some key words that are directly related to this famous restaurant:  bananas foster, Chef Paul Prudhomme, and Emeril Legasse.

Bananas Foster was invented at this restaurant and Chef Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Legasse got their starts here.  Commander's, which is owned by the Brennan family, has a unique philosophy about their chef's.  They bring them in raw, teach them everything they know and tell them to get the hell out and start their own restaurant!  I'm thinking most business people would think this is bad business, but it works for them.  Now on to the recipe:

This recipe is actually called Seafood Jambalaya, but I'm not a real seafood nut and it gives you alternatives if you're not.  I will put in the recipe as it is originally along with the changes.  This can be a kind of spicy dish so you'll want to serve it with some French bread (of course!) and some green salad.  You know, the cool and calming yin to the spicy yang.

2 tbsp. butter
1 lb. andouille sausage (or another smoked sausage), in 1/4" slices
1 large bell pepper (I used green, a bit spicier), in large dice
1 large onion, in large dice
3 ribs celery, in large dice
1 small head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
Creole Seasoning, to taste
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 large tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled
1/2 lb. fish fillets, diced (trout, catfish, redfish, bass, and bluefish would work well)*
2 bay leaves
3 cups long grain rice, rinsed 3 times
6 cups chicken stock
1 pint shucked oysters, with their liquor**
2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced, for serving
hot sauce, for serving

*replace with 1/2 lb chicken breast or boneless chicken thigh
**if you prefer, you can omit the oysters

Combine the butter and sausage in a Dutch oven or large pot over high heat, and saute for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic and season with creole seasoning, salt and pepper.  Saute, still over high heat, for about 8 minutes, or until the natural sugars in the vegetables have browned and caramelized.

Add the tomatoes, shrimp, fish (or chicken), and bay leaves, and stir.  Add the rice, stir gently, and add the chicken stock.  Gently move the spoon over the bottom of the pan to make sure the rice isn't sticking.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat, cover , and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice has mostly absorbed the liquid.  Turn off the heat, then fold in the oysters (if adding), cover and let sit another 8 minutes, during which time the jambalaya will continue cooking from residual heat.

To serve, transfer to a serving bowl, and mix in with green onions and sprinkle with hot sauce if desired.

This recipe goes pretty fast, so I recommend you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  I also pay attention to what goes in the pot at the same time and combine them in bowls so you just dump them in when it's time.  It originally called for 6 cups water, but when I tasted it, it just screamed for chicken stock so I have replaced it in the recipe.  I think it really made a difference.

This recipe calls for you to add creole seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.  The creole seasoning is really going to give it some zing, so taste it before you add the initial sprinkling.  Also, depending on the chicken stock you use, this will make a difference in how much salt you'll be adding.  I would say to taste the juice just before you bring it to a boil and if it tastes just right, add a bit more salt because the rice is really going to absorb it.

After adding the rice, the less stirring you do the better.  You don't want to pull out excessive starch from the grain.  This is not risotto.  While simmering, be sure the rice is not sticking to the bottom.  I keep it low enough to where you only get a slight simmer, and this seems to prevent that.  Remember, this is authentic Jambalaya, not the soupy, tomato saucy stuff you get in most restaurants.  I really think you'll enjoy it and be amazed at the flavor and how easy it is to make!

Soil Makes You Happy

I'm trying to clean up my desk this evening due to the yucky weather we are having and ran across this article again from one of my old Organic Gardening articles.  I thought you all might like to know about this and maybe feel a little better when the critters (human and animal) come in covered in mud this Spring season!

Proof that dirty fingers lead to clean minds:

A common soil bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, is an effective vaccine for leprosy.  Researchers began to evaluate its value in treating asthma, tuberculosis, and cancer.  When cancer patients treated with M. vaccae reported feeling inexplicably happier, neuroscientist Christoper Lowry, Ph.D., of the U.K.'s University of Bristol injected mice with the bacterium, then examined their brains.  The mice's immune systems were stimulated, causing brain cells to release serotonin, a mood-altering, pleasure-inducing hormone.

So, dig in and be happy!

Convection Cooking

I was reminded of a conversation I had with my neighbor, Rhonda.  She had told me that she liked that I mentioned a little bit about convection cooking/baking and that she wasn't sure exactly how it worked.  I told her that I would do some research and maybe find out a little bit more, which I have.  Mind you this conversation was a week or two ago, but you know I'm lucky it only took me this long to remember it again. 

I found this info on about.com in the housewares section.  Very simple explanation:

"Convection cooking simply brings airflow into conventional cooking, and what a difference that makes. To illustrate, imagine a standard oven with three racks of dinner rolls, all the same size. You know the rolls on the bottom (closest to the heating element) will brown first - and quickly. Then you have to keep an eye on the top rack, because heat rises and those will burn if you aren't on your toes. The middle rack will take its sweet time.

But with convection cooking, an integrated fan circulates the hot air around and across the rolls, cooking them all evenly and all at the same time - and in less time than in a standard oven. Generally, convection cooking takes three-fourths the time of standard cooking, and, as a rule of thumb, at 25 degrees lower.

How does it work? A good convection oven will have three heating elements: top, bottom and rear, with a fan connected to the latter. As the oven pulls in outside air, it's heated immediately and circulated. With meats and poultry, that gives you amazingly even cooking and perfect browning while retaining the meat's moisture. The results are even better with baked goods, like our imaginary rolls. The airflow draws the moisture out of the breads, cakes and cookies, giving you even baking and delightful texture: flaky crusts, crisp pastries and light, fluffy croissants.

When buying a convection oven, look for that third heating element. If there are only two, you won't get the optimum results."

I agree with most of this article, but I would like to mention that convection is not right for all types of cooking.  When it comes to cakes, I have to defer to my mom who is an expert.  She has been doing cakes for as long as I can remember and had a bakery for 10 years.  When she was opening her bakery, she went and tested several types of ovens and found that convection really wasn't that beneficial to cake baking.  She found that the air circulation made the delicate crumb of the cakes too dry and affected how evenly they would rise.  For a cake baker/decorator, this is paramount.  So I would suggest for more delicate baking, not use the convection mode.

For cookies, though, it is a great way to bake.  During Christmas I am making cookies like crazy and this mode is gonna be a lifesaver!  I had this on my previous oven, but it never really worked right.  I believe that the convection technology has really improved in the last few years.  Imagine cooking three racks at a time and if you have a double oven, that's 6 racks!

You may have to rotate the racks midway during baking because the fan is usually placed in the back of the oven so that side may bake faster.  I found with cookies, it wasn't needed, but with the sandwich rolls I needed to.  Mind you the cookies were lower profile so they allowed more circulation. 

Just as with any baking, really pay attention to what's happening in your oven.  Make mental notes how things cook up and then you'll know what changes you need to make next time you bake something.  Another thing, try different modes on various food items.  Everyone is different so something I may not like, you may love.  Enjoy!