Finca Cresta Palmira

Helen's Marinated Ahi Tuna Steaks with Ginger Syrup

2011-05-27T10:46:00.004-05:00

Helen and Bobby Anderson are one of Boquete's most memorable crazy couples! They are so so full of life and energy. My day is made whenever I get a chance to see her smiling face and his twinkling eyes.

I know that she is a terrific all around cook, she is not only a pro at her own Southern Style cooking but also is always talking to me about how to round out her talents with lots of ethnic flavors and techniques. Lets not forget to mention that Bobby is an amazing BBQer!

Here is her recipe for Ginger-Soy Marinated Ahi Tuna Steaks. I am sure that it would be great on the outside grill as well. Enjoy and Thank you Helen!

If you are having a hard time finding fish, here is Miguel the fish guy's cell number 6890-5394. He travels around Boquete several days a week vending his fresh fish from Pedregal.

2 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
4 6-oz tuna steaks (1” thick)
2 Tablespoons Candice’s ginger syrup
2 Teaspoons wasabi paste
Cooking spray
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro

Spoon 1 T soy sauce over fish; let stand 5 minutes.

Combine remaining 1 T soy sauce, ginger syrup and wasabi and stir.
Heat grill pan over medium-high heat.
Coat pan with cooking spray.
Add fish to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side.
Spoon ginger/wasabi mixture over tuna.
Cook 1 minute or until medium-rare or until desired degree of doneness.
Remove tuna from pan and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Why Use Dried Herbs vs. Fresh?

2010-10-31T16:49:00.011-05:00

I am sure that many of you are wondering why someone like me, a grower of a large assortment of herbs, would ever want to use dried herbs. Or even better yet, why would I waste my precious weeding time in the pursuit of drying and storing herbs?

There are actually many reasons, but the first and foremost is basic laziness. If it is pouring rain out (250 inches so far this year in Boquete) and I need an herb for a sauce or soup, I am not venturing out to pick fresh. Plain and simple.

Another reason is that I only have some herbs available only part of the year. Even though I live in the Tropics and the weather is just about always in the 60's to 70's, some herb gems like Marjoram and White Sage seem to have to leave me for half of the year.

Then there is the question of what flavor or visual profile I am looking for in my dish. For example, I really prefer dried Greek Oregano in my pizza sauce. I do not want a bunch of dark brown, limp leaves, from using fresh Oregano floating around in my pizza or marinara sauce. Dried Greek Oregano has really strong and intensified flavors when dried that is very different from the fresh. It is the concentration of the herb's essential oils when all of the moisture has been drawn out that makes many (not all) herbs have a more robust and earthy fragrance to them rather than a greener, more youthful fragrance when used fresh.

Now don't get me wrong, I love using my fresh herbs (Be sure to rediscover an earlier post of mine on using fresh herbs in cooking on this blog called Keep It Simple: Fresh Herbs). I feel quite spoiled being able to use year 'round all of the fresh seasoning out of the garden for fresh salads, salsas and pesto. But there are a few dried herbs herbs that are must to keep in the pantry. Here is my list of Dried Herb Pantry Essentials:

Kitchen Seasonings:

Epazote: A unique herb used a lot in Mexican cooking, mostly beans, for flavor and to hold back the resulting "toots".
Greek Oregano- for pizza dough and tomato sauces.
Marjoram- to rub on Pork Chops, mix into risottos and for Mediterranean style cooking
Sage- My favorite chicken rub and for gravies.
Thyme- I mix this into my pie dough for savory pies.

Tea Time:

Lemon Balm: mixed in with a little green tea.
Spearmint: Strong and sweet just like they make it in the Middle East
Orange or Mandarin Peel: with Black tea. Also great in cooking sweet or savory

House Hold Upkeep:

White Sage: a little burned around the house like an incense cleanses the air and is a natural anti-bacterial. Smells like the desert! Click on this link to revisit my post on White Sage: Let's Clear the Air.

Using dried herbs is easy if you remember a few rules:

Use about half of the amount of dried that you would of fresh because the oils are concentrated.
To use, take a small handful in the palm of your hand, and rub your palms together, like you are trying to warm then up, and allow the crushed leaves to fall below, maybe onto a clean plate or a bit of waxed paper. Left over in your palm will be the leftover branches and leaf veins. I use the waxed paper or plate to ensure that I do not over load my dish, being able to add a little at a time and to keep out the shrapnel!
Store your freshly dried herbs in a dark bottle and out of the sunlight and heat to keep its flavors strong.

Remember that a little bag of homemade is always better than a store bought version that has traveled many miles to get to your store, maybe overseas in hot containers. That little jar on the store's shelf also has been most likely sitting, God only knows for how long, in one or even two supplier warehouses and then on the Market shelves.

How to Segment Citrus

2010-10-25T17:30:00.007-05:00

I thought some might appreciate a quick demo of how to turn any citrus into those delectable little sweet treats. We have been serving up the mandarins like this for breakfast. Very Fine!

Second Greenhouse Is Up!

2010-10-04T12:58:00.004-05:00

Farm Update: Even though the rains have been more than frustrating and a bit of a hardship on our farm, gardens and disposition this year, we actually are grateful because the challenge has made us rethink our setup and techniques. The garden beds have all been reconstructed for hard rains and wind and beautifully planted with herbs to hold up the sides. The second greenhouse was erected this past week. Smaller cloches for the other beds are going up and new organic brews and teas have been set on a schedule for insect and disease prevention.

All of these changes will allow us to be more prepared and more productive for the future.

With the latest greenhouse, much smaller than the first one, now gives us almost 200 feet by 22 feet of inside growing space. We will be waiting until the end of windy season in April to put up another big one.

In the short amount of time that they have been up, the resulting growth has been incredible. It is amazing what can happen when things are not drowning!

Here is a list of what has been planted and on its way soon. 6 kinds of heirloom tomatoes, (already flowering!), tons of cucumbers, eggplants, loads of regular spinach, 8 kinds of lettuce, bell and hot peppers, butternut, crookneck and pattypan squashes, cantaloupe, 4 kinds of basil, spotless Swiss Chard in 4 colors, tender radishes and tons more.

I can not wait not just for the new variety of vegetables to eat and create with but also for less work!

Lady Slippers - Edible Gourds

2010-09-13T18:14:00.004-05:00

I have been wondering for about 4 years what the heck these things are called outside Panama. I originally found these squash/pepper type vegetables in the mercado here in Boquete. They are only there every once in a while. All of the vendors and many of my Panamanian friends call them "Alcachofas" which is Spanish for Artichoke. These fun little veggies are in no way related to an artichoke.

I love to cook with them, they are so unusual looking and fun to use. They are a great replacement for bell pepper (nice if you have an allergy to the nightshade family) or squash for a stir fry. I have been experimenting juicing them. I know that my Panamanian friends chop them up raw and mix them with onions and radishes for a salad. it is very good that way.

I have never seen them outside of Panama, nor is it easy to find any information on them on the internet. I finally found an article which led me to the right thing on Wikipedia. They listed it under the name Caigua. Here are excerpts. As you can see it is very versitile and I am digging the fat reducing possibilities.

The caigua (pronounced kai-wa) is a vine grown for its small fruit, used as a vegetable. It is also known as caygua, caihua, cayua, achocha, achokcha, slipper gourd, lady's slipper, sparrow gourd (Chinese: 小雀瓜; pinyin: xiǎoquè guā), stuffing cucumber in English, or korila in the Philippines.

In case of disease or/and obesity it can be eaten as juice extract during a fast. It is also effective as dehydrated powder. It has various traditional medicinal usages, mainly to:control cholesterol, reduce obesity, control high blood pressure, regulates the metabolism of lipids and sugar in the blood stream and decreasing cholesterol.

Likely domesticated in the Andes, the caigua is now grown many parts of Central America and South America, as well as parts of the Eastern Hemisphere tropics. The Moche culture had a fascination with agriculture and displayed this in their art. Caiguas were often depicted in their ceramics.

The immature fruits may be eaten raw or pickled. Unlike many cucurbitaceous fruits, the caigua become quite hollow as it matures, and the mature fruit is often eaten stuffed. The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens.

Purported Health Effects: Caigua is traditionally taken to reduce blood cholesterol levels. It has been said, in Peru, that it is the most natural and the most potent fat absorber and taken together with a Peruvian herb known as Hercampuri. It is consumed in Peru, to rejuvenate & reduce cellulite. No studies conducted in any of the first world countries support any of these uses. It is of common knowledge in Peru that while eating it in small quantities reduces cholesterol levels, eating large quantities of caigua has the counter effect of damaging eyesight.

Phytochemicals: Ripe fruit contains: peptin, galacturonic acid, dihydroxitriptamine, pierine, resins, minerals (phosphorus), vitamins (thiamine, vit. C), lipoproteins and steroidal compound (systosterol and 3 beta D glucoside) with hypoglicaemic and antilipemic (against cholesterol LDL) action, low density lipoproteins.Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caigua

Here is a recipe for how I mainly use them. It is an easy one and fun to improvise on!

Stuffed Lady Slippers

Ingredients:
1 pound (about 6) of Lady Slippers
Salt
A stuffing mix, My Indian Potato and Pea stuffing follows.

The lady slippers tend to have a curl in the ends of them like a Genie's Slipper. Lay the vegetable down on the cutting board with the curl facing up and make a slit down the middle of that top side of the vegetable. Stick your fingers into the slit to remove the membrane and seeds, taking care not to rip the whole thing apart.

Blanch the lady slippers in boiling salted water for about 2-3 minutes. Rinse under cold water.

Make a stuffing, of any kind you like, We are going to try a cheese, chicken and hot pepper (like a popper-style) stuffing in the future, I think that would work out well and be good at parties. My personal favorite is an Indian style potato pea stuffing, recipe is below.

Lightly oil a baking dish, like a square or rectangular Pyrex.

Preheat oven to F 350 degrees or about 180 Celsius.

Stuff the Lady Slippers with stuffing, give them a topping if you want and bake for about 30 minutes.

Serve as an appetizer or an entree. If you are using the stuffing below, serve them as the vegetable in an Indian meal alongside of a curry, rice, yogurt, dal, chutneys and pickles, etc..

Indian Style Potato and Pea Stuffing

ingredients:
1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced about 1/2 inch.

1 medium diced onion
1 Tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon of butter for sauteing
1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander seed.
1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric.
1 to 4 cloves of minced garlic, depending on your tastes.
1 Tablespoon of minced ginger
1-2 minced hot pepper- optional

1/2 cup of frozen sweet peas, defrosted.
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro

directions:

Boil the potatoes, til just tender. Set aside
Saute onion in the mixture of oil and butter.
Add the cumin thru hot peppers to the onions while they are sauteing:
Once the onions are nicely browned and everything has melded together, about 5 to 8 minutes, add the boiled diced potatoes.
Saute all together and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.
Turn off heat and let cool.
Mix in the defrosted peas and cilantro

I like to top each one with a little more chopped cilantro and a small dollop of yogurt for garnish.

Pics of our new High Tunnel!

2010-09-06T11:41:00.002-05:00

More from L's Kitchen - Bean Sprouts!

2010-05-02T09:43:00.010-05:00

L's Kitchen - Egg Foo Yung

A little something different for a light dinner!

Serves 4 (well, maybe 3 or 2, if muy hambrè)

'Pancakes':
· 3-4 eggs (depending on size), lightly beaten
· 1 C fresh bean sprouts
· 1/4 C minced scallions
· 1/4 C minced bamboo shoots or celery or shredded Chinese (Napa) cabbage
or good Chiriqui col
· 4 minced water chestnuts (optional) or about 1/2 cup of shredded jicama or daikon radish
· 1/3-1/2 C slivered cooked ham or chicken or pork or minced shrimp
· 1 t soy sauce
· 2-3 T peanut oil (or other cooking oil)
· If you like it spicy, add some minced jalapeño or serrano or habanero or other hot peppers.

Sauce:
· 1 C chicken broth
· 1 T soy sauce
· 1 T oyster sauce
· 1-1/2 T dry sherry
· 1 T cornstarch
· ¼ t white pepper

1. Mix eggs, vegetables, meat and 1 t soy sauce.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a 4-6 inch skillet over moderate heat for 30 seconds.
3. Add 1/3 cup egg mixture and fry as you would a pancake until lightly browned on the bottom, turn over and brown the flip side.
4. Keep warm (but do not stack), while you fry remaining “pancakes”, adding more oil if needed and stirring egg mixture before adding to pan.
Sauce:
5. In a bowl, blend cornstarch and chicken broth so it is smooth
6. In a pan, heat broth mixture, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry and pepper .
7. Cook, stirring, until sauce bubbles and thickens.
8. Serve over hot Egg Foo Yung pancakes.

Notes:
Canned bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, oyster sauce, soy sauce and peanut oil can be found either at El Rey, Super Baru or at the Casa Lisa Chinese store in David. Col (cabbage) can be found in the mercado. Romero's and Super Baru sometimes carry Napa Cabbage. You can occasionally find fresh jalapeño peppers at El Rey and Super Baru. Both stores carry them in cans, but they are ‘escabeche’ style so best to rinse thoroughly before using otherwise the vinegar in the escabeche sauce may overpower your dish.

L's Kitchen Nested Roasting Chicken

2010-04-13T16:15:00.008-05:00

This is an easy recipe and one that will surprise you. The flavors of the roasted veggies are quite wonderfully different and provide a nice side dish for the chicken.

ingredients:
Baby (or small) daikon radishes, peeled and sliced in half (or about ½ inch slices)
Baby (or small) carrots, peeled and sliced in half
Small camote, peeled and sliced into same dimension as carrots and daikons
6 cloves garlic (or more if you are a garlic-head)
1 lime
1 oz. cilantro (crush the stems for flavor and tenderness)
Mirin (Japanese cooking wine) - enough for about 4 T
4 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 3 lb whole chicken

directions:
* Peel and slice the vegetables (you can include any kind of root vegetables you prefer: other types of radish, turnips, parsnips and rutabagas (like you can ever find them here), yams, etc.
* In a bowl, add veggies, salt, pepper, 2 T olive oil, 2 T butter (you can melt or not) and juice from one lime.
* Mix together and place all in the bottom of a roasting pan along with 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed).
* Stuff the chicken with cilantro, the lime peel and pulp left after juicing, 2 more cloves of garlic and the mirin.
* Rub the outside of the chicken with the rest of the olive oil (and some more butter, if you prefer).
* Place chicken on top of veggies. Put in pre-heated 425 oven for 75-80 minutes or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally, if you like.
* You can remove the cilantro from the cavity and place on top of the chicken or around the sides for the last 30 minutes of cooking. It should crisp up and become a delightful condiment-type addition to the meal.

Notes:
You can find Mirin locally - either Deli Baru or Carlitos - if they're out, try Super Baru or the new Felipe Motta store in David. You could also use Sakè (found at Dorado Market, El Rey, Motta's).

You can also forget the chicken and just roast the veggies for an interesting side dish. Just olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic (or not), red pepper flakes or a small amount of minced serrano or habanero (or not). Then, roast away!

L's Kitchen - Spicy West Indian Ullama Soup

2009-10-27T10:04:00.002-05:00

With the Ullama Squash you brought us, we made the soup recipe I mentioned - and was it ever good!!! Spicy, flavorful, inexpensive and easy to make and only 66 calories per serving. We followed the recipe (below) with two of our usual exceptions: more garlic and more habaneros!

Spicy West Indian Ullama Soup

SERVES 5 , 5 cups

* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 3 cups chopped peeled Ullama Squash or butternut squash (about 1 pound)
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1/2 teaspoon minced and seeded habanero pepper
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
* 2/3 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
* 2 (14 ounce) cans reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
* 1/4 cup water
* 2-3 bay leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, onion, celery, pepper, and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Discard bay leaves.
2. Place half of the squash mixture in a blender, and process slightly so that there are still chunks. Pour pureed mixture into a bowl; repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan; cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until heated.

For the Love of Pepino

2009-10-08T11:07:00.110-05:00

Ah, Cucs. For me they are kind of like radishes, I like them, but never know what to do with them except to throw them sliced onto salads (yawn) or Greek tomato and cucumber salad with feta, cucumber sandwiches with cream or goat cheese and for Japanese Cucumber Salad, recipe below.

So I went through all of the cookbooks, magazines and online blogs and found a few things new to make in the kitchen.

I really like the cold soup. I have only had one cold soup before, an avocado soup in Mexico that was amazing. I have never made one before. For me it was a prejudice, soup is supposed to be hot. But I was surprised how delicious and satisfying the Middle Eastern Cold Cucumber Soup is. I have found all kinds of recipes for cold cucumber soup, but for me, the spices that I used for this soup sounded like a nice mix. Recipe is below.

Another idea is for Greek Tzatziki which is a yogurt and cucumber dip or spread that is great with vegetable sticks or pita bread. Here is the recipe that I found that is really good.
http://www.fearlesskitchen.com/2008/10/recipe-tzatziki.html

Lynne sent me an article from the New York Times on other ways to use cucumbers in your world. I found it highly interesting and amusing so I thought that I would share it with you. I have put the cucumber slices on aluminum foil around the garden to see if it works, I'll let you know how it works out. I do not think that I will replace my mints with cucumber slices in my purse though. Thanks Lynne.

The Amazing Cucumber
This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria In your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Cucumbers come in many sizes and shapes. There are Japanese, English, Armenian Yard Longs, Picklers, Salad, Lemon, Gherkins....on and on and on. Here is a Wikipedia link if you want to know all about the different types grown around the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucumber#Varieties

I am currently growing several types here on the farm. Armenian Yard Long, Tiny Mexican Gherkins and a variety called Picklebush. But for now I have the neighbor's cucs which are really nice, crispy and not too big. I think that they are a pickling type because they do not have that huge seed bank in the center and seem to be a bit drier and meatier than the ones in the Mercado. They work great in the following recipes.

Japanese Cucumber Salad - Sunomono

2 large Cucumbers
1/3 cup of Japanese Rice or Heinz White Distilled Vinegar
4 Tablespoons of Sugar (or to your taste)
1 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon of fresh Ginger root - sliced or minced

Slice cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Slice them as thin as you can and place in a bowl. Add in all of the other ingredients and toss together to marinade. Chill in the refrigerator.

This salad goes great as a side dish for all kinds of meals, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai. Here are some additional ideas to add to the salad:

Minced Hot Pepper or a little scoop of any of the Thai Curry Pastes
Sliced Scallions or Chives
Shrimp or Crab
Chopped Cilantro or Parsley

Middle Eastern Cold Cucumber Soup

6 Servings

1 Lb. Cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded & diced
2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
4 oz or 3/4 cup crumbled Queso Fresco
(local fresh cheese)
3/4 cup chopped Onion
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Mint leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh Oregano leaves
1 or 2 Garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cups (1 big container) plain Yogurt

Garnish:
Chopped fresh Chives or Scallion Greens
Toasted Nuts: Pine, Walnut or Almond

Puree cucumbers, broth, queso fresco, onion, mint, cilantro, oregano, garlic, and salt in blender or food processor until smooth. Pour soup into large bowl; whisk in yogurt. Refrigerate until cold. The soup can be made 1 day ahead.

To Serve, pour cold soup into bowls and garnish with chives and nuts.

Notes:
You could take out 1 cup of yogurt and replace it with ripe Avocado!
You could use feta cheese instead of queso freso.

Other possible garnishes:

Toasted ground Cumin and Coriander
Diced tomato and more cucumber
More crumbled cheese
A drizzle of good tasty Olive Oil

Panamanian "Rojo" Lemons

2009-09-03T09:25:00.002-05:00

One of the first things that you figure out when vegetable and fruit shopping in Panama is that the lemons are orange and the oranges are yellow. After getting past the color issue and doing some experimenting, I have to say that in most ways I prefer the Panamanian Lemons or sometimes called Rojos or Limon Chino. Technically, they are Seville Oranges or sometimes called Bitter Oranges.

They are amazingly juicy, very easy to squeeze and have a nice strong lemon flavor. They do not seem to have as much acid as Persian Lemons. I have to admit, I am a bit of a hog with them. I simply can not wait until the are in full season. They are vital in my everyday cooking as well as in my sauce and homemade condiment, especially for Orange Marmalade.

Curt also uses quite a lot in our drinks - Lemonade, as well as Mojitos and Margaritas. My favorite use is as salad dressing. I used to spend the time to make Caesar Salad Dressing, I do love it, but since I have Panama Lemons I make a super quick and simple dressing. Here it is.

The Most Simple and Versatile Salad Dressing and/or Marinade Ever.
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Good and Tasty Olive Oil (or an Infused Oil for an extra kick)
1-2 Panama Lemons Sliced in half

On a big plate arrange whatever you like best for salad fixings, sprinkle on a bit of Kosher Salt, add a couple of grinds of fresh Black Pepper, drizzle on the Olive Oil and then squeeze each half of Lemon into your other hand to catch the seeds, of course working over your salad. Enjoy.

This also works great over chicken, fish or vegetables as a marinade before grilling. It is great on pasta with Arugula and a can of Tuna! Revisit the Angel Hair Chicken Pasta Salad recipe, it uses the same concept with an herbal kick.

Fresh Lemonade and Margarita Mix
Panama Lemons
Simple Syrup, Chilled

Squeeze up a bunch of lemons into a pitcher and add as much simple syrup to your liking. Pour it over ice and maybe add a sprig of fresh mint.

Simply add some fresh Orange Juice to the above mix and you have Margarita Mix. Here is the basic Margarita Recipe, just in case you need it. 40% Good Quality Tequila and 60% Margarita Mix. Pour into a iced glass with salt on the rim!

Simple Syrup
1 cup of fresh water
1 cup of sugar

Mix together and heat up until the sugar crystals are dissolved. You can either heat it up gently on the stove with a medium to low heat or place the mixture in a microwave proof dish and zap it on high power for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Stir and cool in the fridge.

White Sage - Let's Clear the Air!

2009-09-02T09:15:00.000-05:00

I assume that most people do not understand what exactly White Sage is and what it is used for. It is not a culinary herb, like regular Garden Sage. Generally, it is used as Incense.

White Sage or Broadleaf Sage is considered to be a sacred plant to many American Indians and magical to others. When dried and burned in small amounts around the house or just around your current area, it is claimed to clean the air, eliminate negativity and bad vibrations, offer protection from malicious and evil spirits and maybe even complaining husbands.

I am not sure how many of these claims are true or not. I am sure, that for it to work in these magical respects it is necessary to believe that it can. I have read and been told that not just the herb in itself but the smoke has many healing and anti-bacterial properties as well.

I have used dried white sage in this fashion. It smells very herbal and obviously, desert like. When the house just feels dank and moldy or stagnate, I will light a few sprigs, like you would with an incense stick, place it into an ashtray type of container and walk it through the house, wafting the smoke throughout, even the closets. I enjoy it because everything smells better, and feels lighter and cleaner! You do not have to burn it all at once. You can light a just a few sprigs, do your walk, extinguish it then relight it again when you need it. I have been to many a party in Humboldt County, CA with people walking around with a "Smudge Stick", a wrapped up wand of dried sage. "Smudging" people to promote good times for all. Those crazy Californians, they'll smoke anything. My clothes smelt good after!

Here are a few websites that can tell you about how to make your own smudge sticks, the ceremonies, mystical powers and health and healing benefits.

Making Smudge Sticks:
http://altnature.com/thegarden/smudge.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_2062835_make-sage-smudge-stick.html

Ceremonies and Ritual Making:
http://newage.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_mystic_power_of_the_sage_cleansing_ritual
http://greenfield.fortunecity.com/dwellers/564/ceremony.htm

Antibiotic and Cleansing Propeties:
http://www.appliedhealth.com/nutri/page8453.php

It is used medicinally as a tea and tonic for many ailments such as sore throat and bad stomach. It just does not strike me in that way so I have not tried it as a tea. Let me know if you use it this way and how it goes.

Fun Food Shops around Panama

2009-09-01T20:51:00.001-05:00

Lately, I have been experimenting with some of unique items that I have found in various stores in Panama. I have been using many of these specialty ingredients in many of the recipes that I post on this blog. Some are just good finds. If I am posting a recipe that uses something that is not available here in Boquete then, what is the point.

I know how hard it is to get to David and Panama City, but If you do feel like going shopping in some unique food stores, here is where you can find these products.

In David:
Casa Lisa Chinese Store
Casa Lisa is a great store for Asian Goods. Really fun stuff like dried mushrooms, fresh tofu, wanton wrappers, salted plums, dried fish, seaweed and so much more.

Directions:
Coming from Boquete, after turning onto the InterAmericana, immediately turn left after the Super Baru. The store is just a few blocks past Elmec on the same side of the street, after the street turns into a one way against you. So go around the block and head back towards Super Baru and it will be on your right hand side. I do not know how else to explain it. Ask a taxi driver if you need.

In Panama City:
All of these are in the Paitilla section of town. My advice is to take a taxi. If you go be a pal and ask me if I need something!
Foodies
Mini Max Chinese Store
Kings Indian Foods
Super Kosher

Here is a list of items that I have used in many of my recipes from these stores.

Fish Sauce - Nahm Plah - from bulk
Blog Recipe: Vietnamese Herb Noodle Salad and Grilled Beef with Lemon Grass

Rice Papers for Summer Rolls- about 20 wrappers
Blog Recipe: Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Rice Stick - Thin Noodles - large bag, lots of servings
for the Vietnamese Herb Noodle Salad and Grilled Beef with Lemon Grass

The Ullama Jungle

2009-07-28T08:36:00.034-05:00

It has taken me a while to exactly figure out what was the strange winter squash that is growing in my squash patch. One day Curt gave a lift to a local woman and she gave him some squash seed as a payment/gift. I assumed that they were pumpkin seed. I had planted a row of various squashes, delicata, butternut, spaghetti, acorn and this other seed. Well, this seed grew into a jungle and overtook most of my other squashes as well as climbing the passion fruit vines and the coffee trees! Have you seen that movie Jumanji, where the jungle takes over the whole house? It is a lot like that.

I watched the fruits grow and get big, but I was waiting for them to turn yellow or orange, I was thinking that they were the spaghetti squashes. Then my worker asked me for one. Guess they were ready. He told me the name, how to tell when they were ready for harvest and that they were sort of a specialty crop for the locals. He said that they were better than the usual typical winter squashes that you find in the mercado like calabaza (the sage-green colored pumpkins) or zapallo (which are similar to calabaza in color but are turban shaped) in that the Ullama is not watery, but rich and delicious in flavor and have a creamier texture. So I brought one in and baked it. Wow. I was impressed.

Baked Ullama
You can do this with pretty much any winter type squash. Easy and delicious.

1 whole Ullama
4 Tablespoons of Butter or Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Paprika or Cayenne to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350F (or about 180C). Take a big, sturdy knife and halve the squash lengthwise. Remove seeds and inner strings (guts). You can save the seeds to bake as snacks (recipe below). Place 2 tablespoons of butter or oil and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in each half, along with the sprinkling of the salt, pepper and cayenne if you want. Rub it all into the insides. Place the 2 halves cut side down on a cookie sheet.

Bake for about an hour or more, till tender when pierced with a fork. Sometimes this takes longer or shorter depending on the size of the squash.

Serve desired sized slices, drizzle butter sauce over slices.

Another cooking option is to steam the Ullama. Just peel off the skin with a sturdy vegetable peeler, cut the already halved and seeded meat into 1-2 inch chunks and steam for about 1/2 an hour.

So Ullama squash, I would say are a bit of a cross between an acorn squash and a small french style eating pumpkin in flavor, and I mean lots of deep,rich flavor, but more of a butternut or delicata in texture in that they are creamy, without the cream and not watery.

A quick mention of the health benefits here. They are orange, so that means lots of those wonderful carotenes, which fight cancer, vitamins C and B1 and folic acid, which is great for skin and hair. I am always pushing the leafy dark greens. So now lets add some orange, next is reds when the beets get big. I do not always understand all of the small details on healthful eating, such as all of the names of this that and the other thing that I should be chasing to add into my diet, but I do know one thing is true, lots of natural colors is just a good idea....and fun.

Ullama uncut, as with any winter type squash, will last for months if it is stored in a coolish place out of direct sun. Cut, it will last a week, maybe a bit more in the fridge, as long as it is wrapped up well. You can freeze the already baked pieces, but the best way to freeze Ullama is already cooked as a stew , casserole or soup. Here is my favorite Winter Squash Soup recipe. This one works really well with the Ullama since it has an inherent creaminess to it and is perfect for putting up into the freezer in ready to go portions.

Baked Ullama Squash Soup
2 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil
2-4 Carrots, peeled and rough chopped
1 large Onion, peeled and diced

1 whole pre-baked (see above recipe) Ullama Squash 6-8 pounds. Taken off of peel and quick diced.
10 cups of good quality Vegetable or Chicken Stock *see note below

3/4 teaspoon of Fresh minced Ginger or same amount of dried and ground
1/4 teaspoon or more to taste of fresh or dried hot chili pepper (cayenne powder)
- optional - 1/4 teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg or 1 heaping teaspoon of Curry Powder, either or, not both.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the butter or oil over medium high heat in a large pot (dutch oven type).
Add carrots and onion and saute until tender and slightly browned 7 to 10 minutes.
Add in Diced Baked Ullama Squash and broth and stir.
Add spices and seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to bring soup to a simmer for about 10 more minutes.
Place soup in batches in a blender to puree or not **see note below
Serve up in bowls and garnish with seasoned yogurt,chopped chives,and a sprinkle of chopped up Ullama Seed Snacks!

*Note on broths: I of course recommend homemade stocks, but we all don't have the time or energy for doing it all. I now see Pacific Natural Foods - Organic Vegetable and Chicken Broths available in Romeros. I am pretty sure that they are at Organica as well. They are wonderful and healthy time savers.

**Note on pureeing: I often do not puree soups even when that is the point of the recipe. I like it chunky. If you do puree the soup, remember to be very careful when blending up hot things. Use a lid and give the blender bowl lots of space for the steam. If not, the hot soup could explode.

Winter Squash Seed Snacks
After removing the guts from the squash, place in a colander and rinse, taking off the flesh and strings. Pull out the seeds making sure that they are nice and clean. Set them on a clean dry kitchen towel to dry out a little. Sprinkle them onto a baking sheet that has been sprayed with Pam or lined with parchment. I spray my seeds again with Pam (some I know brush theirs with egg white) then you can season them any way you want. Here are some ideas:

plain salt and pepper
S&P with brown Sugar and Cayenne powder
Dry Italian Dressing or Ranch mix
Dry Mustard and Oregano with S&P

Then bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for about a half hour, turning with a spatula every once in a while, until they are brittle and not chewy any more.

Homemade Sauces

2009-07-20T17:48:00.034-05:00

Although I love the time that I get to spend outside and the great physical exercise and mental therapy that I get tending my garden, gardening is not my first choice in hobbies, cooking is my real passion. Luckily they go hand in hand. What is better than having ultra fresh, quality ingredients right in my back yard to create with? Well....when it comes to food, nothing.

These sauces are unique in style and flavor compared to what is available in our local markets. I thought that it would be wonderful, interesting and mostly handy to use these sauces to make quick meals or appetizers, and I was right. We all need to have quick, healthy and delicious pantry items available for instant meals when we are out of time, when guests suddenly show up or even as a quick gift to bring to a party.

My sauce creations are usually based on what I am growing here on the farm. For example when I had a ton of dill on hand I created the Swedish Mustard Dill Sauce. I make so much of it that I have to keep planting lots of it, I never seen to have enough dill. It is really fun to have see my sauce creations change with the seasons as well, like when the tomatillos come on in summer I get to make the the Mexican Salsa Verde.

I do want to point out that I can not make my sauces completely organic. Sometimes it is not economically feasible to use all organic ingredients or there is not an organic alternative available. I do strive to use the highest quality ingredients that I can such as Extra Virgin and lighter flavored Olive Oils, Turbinado (natural) Sugar high quality spices from Penzey's Spice company and Kosher Salt.

I make these sauces fresh, every week to ensure freshness. Even though I have done my share of canning and "putting up" food, I am at this time choosing not to "can" these sauces. Honestly, the main reason for this is out of time constraints, since I need more time in the garden rather than in the kitchen. But another reason that I am not processing the sauces is to ensure a fresher tasting product. With canning, I would have to cook the sauces, again in some cases, in their jars, to seal to lids. That obviously takes out the fresh quality.

My sauces are usually vegetarian, even vegan. I am not fancy with the packaging, I use recycled, sterilized jars and containers. They all should last for a very long time if kept in the fridge.

Chile Pastes

Goan Style Indian Curry Paste
The food of Goa, which is located on the south-western coast of India, is based mostly of fish and coconut milk. Most Goan curries are usually yellow in color from the use of turmeric, cream and a slight sweetness from coconut milk and with a slight tang from tamarind. Mine has lots of turmeric and tamarind with Yellow Lemon Chile Pepper for a very small amount of heat ( it is really quite mild), ginger, onion, garlic and other Indian Curry spices. Throw a couple of tablespoons of the paste into a heated and oiled pan and saute for a minute or two and then add in the coconut milk (overcooking coconut milk loses its sweetness). I spoon this over rice with sauteed veggies, chicken or fish and lots of chutneys and relishes as side dishes.
Harrisa – A Moroccan Chile Paste
Dried Red Chiles with lots of garlic and various spices, such as caraway and cumin that gives this chile paste a wonderful ethnic taste treat. Mix it with mayo for a sandwich spread or vegetable dip, drop a small spoonful into soups and stews and pastas. This is a common ingredient called for in Moroccan cuisine.

Skillet Serrano Hot Chile Paste - Sauce
This is a unique hot sauce. Mexican in style, I make this sauce with fire roasted onions and garlic. Different from the vinegar based hot sauces that is found in the market, this sauce is oil based. It has more of a pesto-like consistency. Where those other sauces would fail as a topping or a dip because of their thinness, this is a great topping on soups and stews or can be scooped as a dip. It is hot, with a rich flavor and unctuous texture, oh so good.
Thai Green Curry Paste (Krueng Gaeng Kiow Wahn)

A fresh and very aromatic blend of hot and tangy! This wonderful mixture makes a beautiful and celebratory meal with the mixture of fresh lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, cilantro, and Hot Asian Green Chile. Mixed in with coconut milk a few vegetables, a little chicken over rice it is simply an explosion of flavor. Just follow the same recipe that I gave in the Thai Red Curry Paste description, maybe use a tablespoon or two more of the Green Paste. The coconut will give those intense flavors a little contrasting flavor of subtle sweetness, the Thai name actually means "green and sweet". Lovely served with a few coarsely shredded Basil and Cilantro with toasted peanut as a garnish. This paste is also made with a small amount of shrimp paste.
Thai Red Curry Paste (Krueng Gaeng Peht)
This curry paste is very different from East Indian Red Curry (Rogan Josh) in which paprika and cardamom seed are the main flavors. This one is made from Hot Red Chili Peppers, Lemon Grass, Cilantro and Onions along with other spices and garlic. This paste of course makes the dish called, Thai Red Curry which could be made a multitude of ways, but mainly, stir fry vegetables, add a meat if you want and mix in a tablespoon of curry paste and add coconut milk. Cook it all up together for a few minutes and serve over rice. This paste is not vegetarian, it has just a small amount of shrimp paste, but very versatile. This is a raw paste and is always cooked for a few minutes in soup or stew before consuming. Because of the lime juice it lasts indefinitely in the fridge.

Thai Yellow Curry Paste (Krueng Gaeng Kah-Ree)

This one is the mildest of the three Thai curry pastes, but still has lots of authentic flavors to enjoy. Made with Lemon Yellow Chile peppers, Lemongrass, Kaffir Wild Lime Leaves garlic, ginger, turmeric, spices, a small amount of shrimp paste for authentic Thai Curry flavors. Sometimes I make it without the shrimp paste if there are vegetarians who would rather do with out this ingredient.
Thai Roasted Red Chili Paste (Nahm Prik Pao)
This very hot condiment is made from our organically grown Hot Thai Peppers with roasted onions and garlic and a few other ingredients. It is both vegetarian and wheat free. This paste is a great for chili lovers. It gives rich, roasted chili flavors that when added to a rice dish, stir fry, soup or stew. It is a simple mixture that will not overpower dishes with a lot of other complicated spicing. Because of its simplicity it works well with many foods, not just Thai.

Chutneys
Mango Chutney
Not a Major Grey's Chutney. Let me explain. Major Grey's Chutney (he was a British Army officer during the 1800's stationed in, of course, India) is made from semi-ripe dried mangoes, lots of ginger and salt. The Major Grey's Chutney that I have have bought from Romero's is also filled with a bunch of preservatives and other basura for about $4- a 10 oz jar and it is, well, not so good, in my opinion. My mango chutney is distinctively different from that flavor and ingredient profile. Fresh, very ripe Mangoes, mostly from my tree, peppers, ginger and loads of spices that when thrown together say, "hey, where is the rogan josh and raita?". It is perfect for cooling down the heat and spices found in curries and Indian dishes.

In the future I would like to create a chutney that is less fruit and sweet and more spice and salt, like a Major Grey's in style. But I have been making this chutney recipe for over 20 years now and frankly, I love it so much that I have canned up most of my mangoes for this chutney and did not keep very many for plain eating!
Pineapple Chutney
As I am sure that you are aware by now that I love Indian food, maybe more than Mexican food. A well rounded Indian meal benefits with the additional side dish of chutneys, relishes and/or raitas. They are used as a coolant for the spicy heat that is contained in the main dishes. The fruit, fresh vegetables and/or yogurt also are good for contrasting flavor, color and texture. My pineapple chutney is spicy, sweet and fresh tasting. Not only for Indian food, It makes a great side dish for other entrees and a great topping on sandwiches as well.
Sesame Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Herb Sauces
Chimichurri
Chimichurri is an Argentinian parsley-garlic sauce that is used as a condiment over grilled meats, particularly over steak. For a vegetarian dish, this sauce is great over grilled vegetables such as eggplant, onions and potatoes. The parsley gives this green sauce a very fresh taste as the vinegar and garlic make it pungent and rich. Made from parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil and various herbs and spices.
Many Herb Pesto
Usually pesto is made from basil, pine nuts, garlic and oil. But because I have so many other delicious herbs here on the farm that meld well together, I like to mix it up. In this pesto, I may use any blend of basil, parsley, cilantro, arugula and/or oregano. Sometimes I use pine nuts, sometimes walnuts, sometimes almonds. Sometimes I use lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Sometimes I add Parmesan Cheese. This pesto freezes up well to, I place mine into ice cube molds for smaller portions.
Swedish Mustard Dill Sauce
This is a sweet mustard dill sauce that is terribly addicting. It works with so many dishes and has so many uses, I never allow my fridge to run out. It is a marinade, glaze, dip or sauce. Although it's best on fish that has been cooked any way, but also veggies, chicken, pork, and even tofu go wonderfully with this sauce. For salad dressing it best complements cucumbers, potatoes and cheese. I mostly use it as a topping for bagels and cream cheese with tomato and cucumber or on top of a cracker that is topped with cheese or spread with liver pate.

Hot Sauce
Fire in the Tropics
This was a given for me since I have been a Tabasco addict since I was small. Dad never understood it, he said Tabasco sauce was too vinegary. I resolved that issue with the addition of mango and rum in this homemade hot sauce, a great combo. Fire in the Tropics has been a hit since there are not a lot of choices for the hot sauce lovers here in Boquete. Made from Red Serranos.

Pickles

Chinese Style Pickled Daikon Radishes

Such a change of pace from the ordinary Vlassics. Now I know that not everyone is familiar with Daikons. They are a large long white radish that has given me good laugh when picked for its HUGE length and sometimes strange formations. They do not look like your ordinary red, cute, garden variety radish. They are sweeter, less pungent than regular radishes. After pickling in Japanese Rice Vinegar, a little salt and sugar, then with the additions of fresh hot and sweet pepper strips, the paper thin slices of Daikons turn almost translucent and take on a beautiful meld of flavors. A pretty pickle it is. Great to take as a gift to parties for a quick appetizer. It serves wonderfully as a condiment with Chinese or Indian food.

Korean Style Cabbage Kim Chi
Mexican Style Escabeche for Nachos
Jalapenos, Carrots and Onions are sliced thinly then marinaded in vinegar, garlic, Mexican Oregano and other herbs and spices. As the name suggests, they are the perfect topper for nachos, but I also put them on any of my Mexican dishes- tacos, burritos, enchiladas and huevos rancheros or just eat them strait out of the jar!

Infused Oils and Vinegars
Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 3 Different Flavors

Basil, Garlic, Black Pepper with Red Chili
Rosemary, Lemon and Black Pepper
Sage, Orange and Bay Leaf

This infused oil was made specifically for bread dipping, but of course the uses are endless. Why just buy a regular bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the store? This one has style, great taste and is prettier on the counter!

I have been drizzling mine over baked potatoes and grilled vegetables. Actually, a drizzle of this oil on any meats or vegetables right after they have come off of the BBQ is amazing by adding flavor and keeping in moisture.

The Oil needs to be used up within the month or two because of the fresh ingredients, Sometimes I place it in the fridge for longer storage when I know I am not going to be using it soon. The oil will cloud over a little but once it comes to room temperature in about an one hour before use, the cloudiness clears.
Lemon Grass and Serrano Infused Vinegar

Mulberry Vinegar
I have taken the small amount of Mulberries that I was able to pick this year and made an Infused Fruit Vinegar with them. If you remember the fruit vinegar craze of the 90's, you already know how wonderful a condiment a fruit vinegar is to have in the cupboard. It is really fun to use this vinegar in fruit and vegetable salad dressings, splash it over greens and add it to marinades.

Miscellaneous Sauces
Char Grilled Marinara Pasta Sauce

Gazpacho Style Uncooked Tomato Sauce/Soup

Moroccan Vegetable and Meat Marinade
This is a really tasty marinade. It uses Harrisa, Olive Oil, lots of garlic, Moroccan spices, lemon juice and freshly chopped mint, oregano and cilantro. Marinade potatoes, eggplant, peppers or squash then grill or bake and serve over rice. I just marinaded a whole cleaned Mackerel, stuffed fresh herbs in cut slits on the fish, baked it and it was amazing. Great on chicken that is about to be rotisseried.
West Indian Banana Un-Ketchup
This is a Caribbean spiced banana spread that is really fun to use. It really does not taste much like bananas. Those who have sampled it have mentioned flavors like A-1 Pic a Pepper Sauce or Worcestershire with a slight sweetness to balance out the flavors. I have been using it as a condiment on hamburgers, pork and turkey sandwiches, mixing it with mayonnaise for a dressing for Cole Slaw and using it as a healthier and different replacement for the ol' Heinz bottle. This has become the new favorite in this household!
Sweet-Hot Thai Dipping Sauce
With a tasty combination of chilies, sugar, garlic and vinegar, this sauce is made especially for dipping spring rolls, summer rolls, lumpia or pot stickers. But it has so many other uses. Use it as a substitute for sweet and sour sauce in Chinese food. I use it as a glaze for a ham or meatloaf or as a sandwich spread on turkey or tuna sandwiches and on hamburgers.
Thai Peanut Sauce
There are many ways to make Thai Peanut Sauce, many are very simple and quick for dipping Sate Chicken Skewers. Mine includes coconut milk, soy sauce, many spices, sesame oil and lots of onion. After it is all cooked, I add fresh lime juice, cilantro and scallion greens. I always keep this around for spur of the moment appetizers or dinner as a dip with grilled or sauteed chicken tenders or large shrimp. It goes great with fried calamari or those pre-made pot stickers from Price Smart. And for a dish to bring to parties, I throw together some raw vegetable sticks in a bag and bring along some sauce for dip.One of the most commonly fast dinners that I make, and is always a hit is made by frying up some onions, bell peppers and potatoes serving them over rice and topping it all with Peanut Sauce and a little yogurt and chutney on the side.

Salad Sauces

Basil Balsamic Salad Sauce

This is the winner for the most popular sauce. It is technically a salad dressing, but works great for a marinade, vegetable dip, sauce for steak or chicken. I drizzle mine over mashed potatoes. It has an intense, rich flavor that includes loads of garlic, fresh basil and extra-virgin olive oil. It pairs up wonderfully with other strong flavors such as blue cheese, bacon or grilled onions.

Nutty Green Goddess Salad Sauce and Dip

Salsas
Mexican Salsa Verde
Check out my blog entry in November of 2008 on Tomatillos. There is a great recipe using Salsa Verde, called Tequila Chicken. This sauce is made from juicy, tart tomatillos, garlic, onions, cilantro and special herbs and spices. Mexican Salsa Verde is probably most commonly known as the green sauce used in Enchiladas Suizas. Always a great dip with chips, this salsa is a nice addition or alternative to regular tomato salsa on tacos, burritos and quesadillas. It is very refreshing and fresh tasting.
Mexican Fresh Tomato Salsa
Some call it "Pico de Gallo". My family never called it that. I googled it. Obviously many call fresh salsa by that name. Call me crazy. My salsa will never be cooked. I use either my farm fresh tomatoes or for year round availability, the ripest, reddest, freshest tomatoes from the local mercado or my neighbors. Onions, garlic, cilantro, lime, hot chili and spices are added just enough to keep all the flavors fresh and not overwhelming. Y

I make this salsa mild, hot or Blazin' hot. I don't get the medium option that other salsas have. I also make a California style with fresh Pineapple - Great on grilled fish!

Sweet Stuff
Orange Marmalade
Since I have so many oranges trees, and the season is just starting, I just have to do marmalade. Very simply made from my organically grown oranges and a little sugar. Now, I am not using any pectin here to make it jell up, so it is a little bit "softer" than store bought marmalade. Kept in the fridge it lasts for at least a month or more. I will keep making this until my orange and mandarin trees stop producing around February

Here is an email comment from Dale entitled, Jam With A Real Zing

Candice..your jam is a winner...what a zing it has..and little sugar/honey (right?).

Just the right amount of tart.

Sweet Ginger Syrup-Sauce
I was tired of fake maple syrup and real maple syrup, when I can maybe find it is frankly out of this world price wise. This syrup-sauce is the thickened leftover juices and sugars from making crystallized ginger. Sweet Ginger Syrup-Sauce is not just great on pancakes, waffles and French toast; it is wonderful in drinks, as a topping for ice cream or on fruit salad. I often add a little into savory gravies or sauces that need a little something, but you can not figure out what it is. A little of the sweet gingery syrup often will balance out bitter flavors and add a kick of flavor.

From Scratch: Unique Farm Creations

2009-07-19T17:25:00.018-05:00

Besides sauces, I like to make a variety of items for the kitchen with all of the bounty that I have here on the farm. They are unique homemade ingredients. I like to use my dehydrators and juicers on my herbs, vegetables and fruits. My neighbors or the local markets sometimes provide very interesting and delicious, unique items that, to me, are very special, kitchen gold. These specialty items are not easily found in the supermercados in town.

Orange Juice - Fresh Squeezed, Organically Grown
There is nothing better than a cold glass of fresh squeezed OJ to start the morning. I have a ton of Orange and Mandarin trees on my farm, so this is a natural.

This is OJ in its most natural form. I do not add water or sweeteners to the orange juice. Here is a basic simple syrup recipe that I use for a ton of things besides sweetening OJ

Simple Syrup
1 cup of fresh water
1 cup of sugar

Mix together and heat up until the sugar crystals are dissolved. You can either heat it up gently on the stove with a medium to low heat or place the mixture in a microwave proof dish and zap it on high power for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Stir and cool in the fridge. Add as much of this cooled Simple Syrup to your OJ as you like. This mixture will keep indefinitely in the fridge.

Of course the orange juice will need to be refrigerated and the container shaken before drinking.

Dried Herbs

Basil
Marjoram
White Sage
English Thyme

Crystallized Ginger
Candy or important cooking and baking ingredient, Crystallized Ginger is a must have pantry item in my kitchen. Fresh ginger is slow cooked with water and organic Raspadura (local sugar) then dried out and coated with more sugar. It is a wonderful addition to chutneys or pork dishes.

Home Rendered Lard

Since I have made myself first in line to buy any fresh pork that my neighbors have raised, I also get a load of pork fat to render. More and more people are considering lard as a cooking fat. I sure do. It has a great flavor and makes the most tender, flaky and delicious pie crusts.

Rendered pork fat is a traditional and naturally made oil for cooking. The fat is mostly mono-unsaturated and has 0 Trans fatty acids. It has less cholesterol than butter. It was a main fat/oil used by cooks before the invention of vegetable oil and hydrogenated fats such as Crisco.

Click here to read more about Pork Butter (aka Lard) on my entry Lard: For Authentic Mexican Flavor

Also there is this very interesting Lard article that Wendy found and sent to me called

Lard: After decades of trying, its moment is finally here. Check it out:

http://slate.com/id/2219314/?GT1=38001

Sweet Potato Dog Chews

Braised Tuscan Kale by Sandra Cripe

2009-06-16T10:48:00.020-05:00

Here is a great recipe that was shared by Sandra Cripe, a local Palmirana! She was really excited to tell me about this recipe and since I have had a TON of questions about how to prepare Tuscan Kale, this could not have been a more perfect recipe to start. Thanks Sandra for all of your enthusiasm and sharing of your knowledge of cooking.

Braised Kale by Sandra Cripe

ingredients:
2 pound bunch Tuscan Kale
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup chicken stock

directions:
Wash, trim & chop kale. In a large pot heat oil and lightly sauté garlic. Add kale & chicken stock. Cook covered for 12 minutes.

Notes:

I slice the kale cross-wise about ½ inch or a bit less.
Watch the heat, as you do not want it to boil hard, just simmer.
All the liquid should be evaporated from the pot.
No salt is added, there is plenty in the chicken stock. Homemade chicken/vegetable stock works well.
I served this to guests who had never eaten kale & they liked it.

Edamame: The Healthy Beer Snack

2009-06-02T10:54:00.011-05:00

If you are not familiar with Edamame, You really should try them out. Edamame or soy bean pods have so much going for them that I don't quite know where to start. I have just finished gorging myself on a huge bowl that was supposed to be an appetizer, but now, I guess it was dinner, as well as inspiration. Instead feeling heavy and guilty over a huge bowl of chips and cheesy bean dip or, my personal favorite, chicken liver pate with crackers and Swedish Mustard Dill Sauce, I feel light on my feet, healthy and very satisfied.

Edamame is not only delicious, but fun to eat. If you have not ever tried them in a Japanese restaurant as a before sushi appetizer, let me tell you how to enjoy them best. Being finger food, take one in your fingers, hold onto the stem part and place the pod in between your teeth and gently maneuver out the beans that are inside. Toss out the pod, after sucking off all of the salt (why good salt does matter, Deli Baru often carries Kosher Salt). It is a bit like eating fresh artichokes. The flavors are of buttery beans with salt, texture is sometimes creamy and at times has a little crunch. Tasty treats, and they also travel well, kind of like green eggs and ham, they can be tossed into a Ziploc and eaten while on hikes, eaten on the patio, in front of the TV.... well, you get the idea.

Edamame is very healthy. Now I love to leave this health info kind of stuff up to Sonia Jones, but you can either trust me that it is low in calories, high in fiber, is a "soy" product in it's most natural state and has all kinds of other this, that and the others that are good for you, or you can "google" or now "bing" it and research it out yourself. The following link is one article that I found to be very informative on the health benefits, check it out if you want.

Medicine.net http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56288

As far as preparation, nothing is quite as easy as boiling water now is it? That is about all of the necessary cooking skills that you will need to enjoy this taste treat, besides going to the store and buying beer. Speaking of, Liquorita Carlitos in downtown Boquete next to the Accel station carries Kirin Beer from Japan now. Kirin beer is well worth the trip and small splurge for the perfect match up. For a nice non-booze match up, I like ginger ale. Here is the recipe:

Steamed or Boiled Edamame

1/2 to 1 pound of fresh Edamame pods, washed.

Salt, preferably Kosher or Sea Salt.

Bring a largish pot of water to boil.

To Steam: Place pods in steamer and place it in the pot and cover. I like them best steamed.
To Boil: Place pods in boiling water. Add salt to water if you want.

Steam or Boil for about 10 minutes or until soft and tender. Salt to taste and open a cold beer. Put on a good CD or old TV show and eat. They are good hot, warm or chilled.

Alone Time Musings

2009-05-11T20:29:00.007-05:00

Sometimes the writing bug hits me hard, and then there are times like this.....blank. I started about 5 different entries today. I saved them for later on. They just didn't feel right. I took a nap. Let the dogs in the bed with me, Curt is on vacation in Contadora. The dogs and I deserve the treat of togetherness. They are German Shepards, brother and sister, Argos and Shiva, my kids. I had to change the sheets afterwards... not too smelly...but.

They are pretty good watch dogs, not just for the house and property, but there are many times at night I know that Shiva, my girl-dog, is chasing the rabbits out of my lettuce patch. They also let me know when the local cows have decided to come up the hill and have a luncheon visit on my veggies. I have tall old coffee sticks for dog fences, but some things both big and small still find their way into my goodies. Wish the dogs could chase out the flea beetles and powdery mildew. Now that would be a well trained dog!

So after the nap, since the hubby is gone, I got going onto other things. On the computer I began to organize my lists, shopping lists for sauce ingredients, putting my recipes down so that I have more consistency, checking out the seed banks. Googled a few things that I am finding in between the garden rows for identification. Volunteer weeds or goods.....hum.....Gems or Junk? Took a walk in the garden to see if anything new is ready to offer, damn, not enough tomatillos for salsa verde this week.

Poured myself a rum and put Ben Webster on the stereo. He is an amazing jazz tenor saxophonist from the 40's and 50's. Talk about sexy, fun and romantic. Google him if you are not familiar with his music and style. Getting back to the garden....

By now I am sure that you know that I am a hot pepper freak. LOVE the hot stuff. So I just created a new hot sauce called Fire in the Tropics, Curt hates the name. I am so bored of the vapid so called hot sauce offerings that are in the stores...yawn. This one is really good, unstrained with mango and Rum Abuelo, fruity, rich and hot. The alcohol of the rum is cooked out, oh well. I wanted to call it "I'm Killin' Curt Sauce" but Lilli over in Bocas already has a title like that.

For next week, I am thinking of maybe a Basil Balsamic Salad dressing and a Hamburger-Sandwich relish. Who knows...

We have more fruit on the way. We have a huge row of passionfruit and I actually have 2 cantelopes almost ready. Now, that is good. I do have a testing period introducing new crops on the farm. I am not going to give a whole lot of space and time to something that is just not gonna work out here. I have a new bush bean that just passed the test with amazing results. They were long strait, stringless and delicious beans... and lots of them. I saved most of them for seed.

For those of you who are not familiar with seed saving, the benefits of producing a strain that is perfect for your exact soils and climate are well worth the effort. It saves a lot of time in the end will give a superior product....if it works out. Otherwise its a chucker.

So I have 2 new garden beds going. My 2 workers have finally seen the results of double digging. You know they really think I am crazy when I ask them to do stuff like double digging. I just nod and say "Uds. tienen que tener confienza en mi". My Spanish is still ugly for almost 4 years here in Panama. que feo.

Also what is new is that I have dug out my 2 food dehydrators. So I will soon will be on my way to dried herbs and herb mixes and maybe some dried bananas and other things for hiking and birding!

So enough. I am off to make dinner for myself. Here is what I am making for myself tonight!

Angel Hair Chicken Pasta Salad

So very nice on a warm afternoon or evening.
Leftovers are good too.
This makes enough for 2-4 servings.

ingredients and directions:

1 pound of Thin Spaghetti or Angel Hair Pasta, cooked till al dente and cooled to room temperature.

Meanwhile prep:

1 cup Chicken, cubed - roasted, poached, canned whatever, just cooked and cooled.
1 cup tomato, diced or cherry tomatoes, halved.
1/4 Red Onion or Panamanian National Onion (they are sweeter than the imported), diced
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
2-3 Tablespoons of small capers with a little juice, big ones are fine, just chop 'em.

Toss all of the above together in a large bowl. Then gently fold in:

2 Tablespoons of chopped Fresh Basil
2 Tablespoons of chopped Fresh Oregano
Juice of 1-2 Fresh Lemons
1/4 cup of good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss above with the pasta and arrange on plates. Garnish with all or none of the following:

Red Onion slices
Kalamata Olives, pitted and halved
Chervil, fresh and slightly chopped
a drizzle of Olive Oil
Freshly ground Black Pepper

Exploring Southeast Asian Cusine

2009-04-27T15:43:00.035-05:00

It is very difficult here in Chiriqui to find many ethnic items, at least the ones that are a little more obscure such as Rice Papers for Vietnamese Summer Rolls (I know it says Spring roll Wrappers) or Thai Pastes for real Thai cooking. I am constantly on the look out for good food finds. Although occasionally specialty items and ingredients pop up here and there in the local stores, you can not count on them to be there regularly. I found canned Hominy once in Super Baru, cleaned them out of all 2 cans they had. I haven't seen it since.

This week I will be trying to fill a void for Southeast Asian ingredients by making 2 new homemade Thai pastes as well experimenting with Rice Papers, Rice Noodles and Fish Sauce. I am planing to create other unique salsas, sauces and products that might be needed to really complete that special recipe (including the ones that I want to share with you), you know, those oddball ethnic ingredients that if you had a Whole Foods down the street, you would just go and find! Even though I might miss the convenience and diversity of being able to shop at Whole Foods, it was not going to be a factor for me to stay in the US! I just adapt and make them myself!

Here is a list of the many Asian ingredients and items that we are growing and using here on the farm.

Thai Basil
Chinese Garlic Chives
Cilantro
Lemon Grass
Mint
Bananas
Ginger
Mandarins
Chinese Yard Long Beans
Soy Beans - Edamame
Japanese Eggplant
Snow Peas
Scallions
Taro Root
Kaffir Limes and Leaves
Curry Leaves
Chinese Mustard Greens
Chinese Spinach (Tah Tsoi)
Red and White Thai Hot Peppers
Daikon Radishes
Japanese Mitzuna
Thai Sweet Hot Dipping Sauce
Chinese Style Pickled Daikon Radish
Lemongrass and Serrano Infused Vinegar
Red, Green and Yellow Curry Pastes
Rice Papers
Rice Noodles
Fish Sauce

I think I will stay away from growing Coconuts!

This week I created my own Thai pastes,Red, Green and Yellow, all have different flavors and intensity of heat. They are similar to the Thai Kitchen Brand pastes, which used to be a staple in my pantry. I find these find these Thai Pastes indispensable when cooking Thai food. They are essential to making the dish not only flavorful, colorful and exciting, but also authentic. A little goes a long way when using these pastes in cooking. Usually one half to one tablespoon stirred into soup, stew or stirfry does the trick. They are concentrated in flavor and also heat. The flavors meld into food so well and chili does have key flavor components, not just heat.

Thai Red Curry Paste (Krueng Gaeng Peht) is very different from East Indian Red Curry (Rogan Josh) in which paprika and cardamom seed are the main flavors. This one is made from organically grown Hot Red Chili Peppers, Lemon Grass, Cilantro and Onions along with other spices and garlic. This paste of course makes the dish called,Thai Red Curry which could be made a multitude of ways, but mainly, stir fry vegetables, add a meat if you want and mix in a tablespoon of curry paste and add coconut milk. Cook it all up together for a few minutes and serve over rice. This paste is not vegetarian, it has just a small amount of shrimp paste, but very versatile.

Thai Roasted Red Chili Paste (Nahm Prik Pao) is essential to make really good Tom Yum Goong (I call it Tom Yum Soup), recipe follows. This condiment I make from my organically grown Hot Thai Peppers, onions and garlic. I roast onions, garlic and a few other ingredients. It is both vegetarian and wheat free. This paste is a great for chili lovers. It gives rich, roasted chili flavors that when added to a rice dish, stirfry, soup or stew will not overpower your dish with a lot of other complicated spicing.

Tom Yum Goong or Tom Yum Soup

Spicy Shrimp Soup with Lime and Lemon Grass. This soup has wonderful healing properties.
Great for a cold or when you have the blahs

4 cups of good quality Chicken or Vegetable Stock
3 stocks of Lemon Grass, white part only and slightly pounded and cut into 1 inch pieces
4-5 fresh Kaffir Lime leaves, optional
2 1/2 T fresh lime or lemon juice
3-4 Thai Hot White or Red peppers or Serranos - Halved. Seeded and deveined for less heat if needed
1 T Thai Roasted Red Chili Paste more or less for your tastes

Bring chicken stock to a boil, then add in the other ingredients above, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.

Then add:
2-3 scallions cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Increase heat to cook the shrimp for only about 2-3 minutes. Don't over cook the shrimp.
Stir In:
2 T Fish Sauce
Top with chopped Cilantro

You could add in shiitake mushrooms or canned bamboo shoots.
Don't eat the Lemon Grass, it is only for flavor.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls
While in Panama City I found Vietnamese Rice Paper for wraping Summer Rolls. These Rolls are addictingly delicious and amazingly fresh and healthy. These rolls are why I created the Thai Sweet Hot Dipping Sauce, it's a perfect compliment.

I think that it is easier to prepare all of the rolling ingredients early to split up the work and let everything cool to at least room temperature. This is a really easy dish to make, just don't put too much filling in each wrapper. That just will make it harder to wrap and possibly the wrapper will tear.

Chicken or Shrimp
I do a quick simmer of water with a few garlic cloves, a bay leaf, salt, pepper ( I use ground schezwan pepper) and a few slices of fresh ginger. Add in slices of chicken or cleaned shrimp. Put a lid on the pot and turn off the heat and let it steep 30 minutes for the chicken and 10 minutes for the shrimp. Place in the fridge when cool enough with a little of the broth.
Herbs and Veggies
Clean and destem a good handful of each of the following:
Cilantro
Mint
Thai Basil
Lettuce Leaves- torn
Noodles
Cook until al dente and then cool, a small pile of either:
Thin (Angel Hair) Spaghetti
Thin Rice Noodles
Rice Papers
Dipping Sauces
such as the Thai Sweet Hot or the Serrano Lemon Grass Vinegar mixed in with a little olive oil.

Making the Rolls:
Set out in little piles all of your ingredients, cooled sliced chicken or shrimp, herbs and lettuce, and cooled noodles.

Meanwhile, heat water in a large saute pan. Only hot enough to make the rice paper pliable, not boiling because you need to stick your fingers in there to get the papers out.

Place a rice paper into the heated water and wait until it is soft. Grab it by the upper sides and place on a clean slick surface. Working (like sushi) on the side closest to you, line a small pile of noodles, then a little line of each of the herbs and lettuce, then top with a small line of meat. Flip the edge closest to you up and over the pile of goods, and roll it once over. Tuck the sides in like an envelope and then continue rolling (kind of tight so it will all hold together) until done. The rice paper will stick to itself to seal the goods in.

Roll out as many as you want, there is no hurry. You can slice them for individual pieces or if you are in close company, just eat a whole roll double and triple dipping into your own dipping dish!

For a Vegetarian version, use Avocado instead of meat or tempura vegetables!

____________________________

Here is a Shopping List of items needed to make the recipes in this entry.
Tom Yum Goong
Lemon Grass
Kaffir Lime Leaves
Thai Hot Red or White Peppers
Thai Roasted Red Chili Paste
Fish Sauce
Cilantro

Vietnamese Summer Rolls
Cilantro
Mint
Thai Basil
Thin Rice Noodles
Rice Papers
Dipping Sauces

Radishes Galore

2009-03-31T09:27:00.018-05:00

I find it amazing just how fast radishes grow and just how fast they turn to woody crap! I would love to know how other people use them. I have never used them very much in my kitchen. Even though I really enjoy the flavors of horseradish, I could not figure out what to do with them besides slicing them up and serving them on top of a salad.

It was not until my friend Jennifer served up an amazing radish dip with croûtons and veggie sticks at one of her parties that I gave radishes a second thought. The flavors were well melded with herbs and onions, I think she used sour cream or cream cheese, anyway, the texture was creamy and rich, not watery. It was amazing! We devoured it! It really opened my mind on how to use radishes in different ways. Maybe she will give us the recipe. I will ask her.

After some recipe research I found that most of my current cookbooks did not offer much new in ways to use radishes. Online is where I have found some of the most intriguing ways to use radishes. I have found Coleslaw, dips, cold soups, braises, pickles and cakes! I have yet to try the braises. To me the most interesting are those with an Asian flair.

Currently I have 5 kinds of radishes growing on the farm.

I have "French Breakfast" which is an oblong radish, red on top turning to white on the bottom. They are about 2-3 inches long. They are crisp and slightly hot. They are the perfect radishes for garnishing and slicing on salad.

The "Red Meat Radishes" which look like watermelons in color, light green on the outside and redish in the middle. They are round and much bigger than the French Breakfast radishes. Their texture is more solid and less watery than the other two radishes. They also have a more distinct radish flavor, making this type nice for dips, coleslaws and blended up for a cold soup.

I have "Asian Daikon Radishes". If you are not familiar with daikons, they are very different looking from regular red radishes. They are about a foot long, at least, and 4-5 inches in diameter, white with a slightly greenish top. These are my favorite. Their size makes them very useful. They have a very crisp texture and they are the mildest of the radishes, with an almost sweet flavor. One Daikon is about 1-2 pounds.

Also in the Daikon realm I am growing the cute smaller White Icicle daikons which are only about 4 to 6 inches long. And in my ever continuing experimenting with collecting seed, I now have what I call Purple Daikons which is where my white big daikons crossed with my Red Meat radishes. They are really quite a nice surprise and make especially pretty Chinese Styled Pickled Daikons!

Be sure to check out the other Radish recipe on this blog by L's Kitchen called Nested Roasting Chicken where radishes and other root vegetables are roasted with chicken.
Click Here for L's Kitchen - Nested Roasting Chicken

I am offering my recipe for Daikon Cakes that I have adapted from a recipe that I found online. It is one of my favorite appetizers to serve to guests and I make them often as an entree served on a bed of sauteed greens. They are really quite easy to make. These cakes are a crowd pleaser with their crispy and crunchy textures. They are a great alternative to crab cakes since crab is so hard to find and when it is, it is expensive. Vegetarian too.

I have a stash of Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs) from the States, and I use that to bread them. Because I have yet to find Panko here in the Chiriqui area, I have substituted regular bread crumbs for the breading which works just great, just with a slightly different crispness. Let me know if you have seen Panko around.

Daikon Cakes with Thai Dipping Sauce
3 C packed coarsely grated daikon radish
3/4 tsp salt
2 scallions or chives, minced
1 egg beaten
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp white (or black) pepper
About 1/2 C panko bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Coarsely grate the daikon radish and mix with 3/4 tsp of salt. Let this sit in a bowl or colander for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can soak the grated daikon in salted water. I find this method to work great (also for eggplant)

After the 30 minutes, squeeze the water out of the daikon with your hands or drain and then place in a kitchen towel and wring out the water. You'll want the daikon really dry.

Mix the daikon with minced scallions, beaten egg, flour, sesame oil, and white pepper. Take 1/3 C of the mixture and form cakes that are about 1/2 inch thick. You should get 5 or 6 cakes.

Scatter some bread crumbs on a plate and bread the top and bottom of each cake.

Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pan fry the cakes until the bottoms are golden brown. Flip the cakes over, add another 2 tsp of oil, and continue to pan fry until the second side is golden brown.

Serve with Thai sweet- hot dipping sauce or Soy Sauce.

They are great served on a bed of sauteed greens.You could add into the mix other chopped herbs like cilantro or chervil or other vegetables such as grated carrot, ginger and/or garlic.

Lard: For Authentic Mexican Flavor

2009-03-09T14:09:00.009-05:00

Believe it or not! This week's adventure on the farm is a Tub of Lard!

For those who are concerned with flavor when cooking authentic tasting Mexican food, lard is an essential ingredient. Lard is used to make both tortillas and tamales light and delicate. It has a very high smoke point which is very beneficial for deep frying chile rellenos, flautas, and flavorful homemade tortilla chips. Lard adds a richness and a delicious pork flavor that is essentially Mexican in flavor, especially in refried beans.

If you eat meat, you might want to consider lard as a cooking fat. Rendered pork fat is a traditional and naturally made oil for cooking. The fat is mostly monounsaturated and has 0 Trans fatty acids. It has less cholesterol than butter. It was a main fat/oil used by cooks before the invention of vegetable oil and hydrogenated fats such as Crisco. Traditionally, lard has been used and enjoyed for making delicate pastries, sauteing and deep frying. A pie crust, for savory pies, made with lard comes out amazingly tender and flaky. Fried Chicken and beer battered fish and chips are crispier when fried in lard. Don't be afraid to experiment with lard in your kitchen, not only is it easy to use and inexpensive, it will add lots of flavor to your food and is not as unhealthy for you as you might have thought.

I have not been able to find lard in the stores here in Panama. It probably is a good thing because many times commercial lard is hydrogenated (bad) to preserve it for unrefrigerated shelf life. Homemade lard is also better because it still retains its pork flavor by not being over processed. Homemade will have a nice ivory color instead of the vapid white of store bought. I have kept homemade lard in the fridge for months with no problems. I throw a spoonful into the pan to fry up potatoes, veggies or even into some meat for tacos for extra flavor. I love to refry my beans in lard and use it to deep fry various things. It is very easy to use.

Here in Palmira Abajo, my neighbors love to throw parties around the butchering of their fattened up pigs. It starts very early in the day. As the hours progress, other neighbors begin to show up to help out with the process. The ladies immediately cut up some chunks of the skin and begin to fry up chicharrones (fried pork skins) for snacks. Later, when most of the work is done and the helpers are receiving their portion of pork "to go" for payment, the beer and rum comes out and the festivities continue into the night.

I went to one about a year ago. It was a real cultural experience and I was able to see the process and get to know more of my neighbors. I think that I earned a little respect in the eyes of my vecinos. Not many "gringos" go to these functions. I do not go to them as often as they have them, but I often place my order to buy a big chunk of pork. I take off the fat and skin for lard and cracklings for dog treats, marinade the meat, slow cook it, shred it up and then freeze it for quick meals later. Here is my recipe for marinated pork shoulder or "pierna de cerdo".

Marinated Pork, Latino Style

This also works great for pulled pork sandwiches topped with a little Pineapple Chutney and a slice of Gouda cheese.

Place into a bowl that is big enough for marinating:
3-5 lbs. of pork shoulder. Called Pierna de Cerdo here in Panama.

Blend well the following ingredients, in a blender.
1 large Onion
8 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup of Cilantro or Culantro
2 T. fresh Thyme leaves
2 T fresh Oregano leaves
3 Bay Leaves
1 T. Cumin
1 T. Coriander Seed
2 T. Salt, preferably Kosher or Seasalt
6-10 whole Peppercorns
1/2 cup of White Distilled Vinegar, preferably Heinz brand

With the blender still running slowly add:
4 cups fresh cold Water

You might not get all of the water into the blender without it overflowing.

Pour the marinade over the pork with any of the left over water mixed in, making sure that the pork is well covered. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (more is better) turning the pork at least once.

Take off plastic wrap and place into a preheated 300° oven and bake for at least 3 hours or until pork is falling off of the bone. Shred with two forks and store it in its own cooked juices and marinade.

Hot Peppers

2009-02-16T17:42:00.011-05:00

I am a huge fan of hot peppers. I can not imagine cooking with out them. Much to my surprise, Panamanians are not big fans of them. When I moved to Panama I could sometimes find Habaneros, but not often enough. Now I know that Panamanian food is nowhere near the same as Mexican food, but no hot peppers in the markets? I was dying for hot peppers and Tabasco Sauce was not cutting it.

Obviously out of necessity, peppers were the first crop planted in my garden. I started with Jalapeños and Serranos. I have now expanded my varieties and plan on continuing to do so, there are so many varieties that have different flavors and uses.

Here is a quick list telling about the differences between the different kinds that I grow and how to use them. Many of the peppers are perennial and many die quickly when the rains come. I use so many that I am continuing to plant more and more out of fear of going without!

Jalapenos: These are the mildest of the hot peppers on my farm. They are the biggest in size about 3-4 inches long and 1-1&1/2 inches around which makes them great for stuffing. They have a fairly thick flesh. They have a definite green pepper flavor with the heat. They are great used in salsas, chopped up and used as a garnish over eggs, potato dishes, just about anything that you would like to have a little kick to. When dried and smoked it is known as a Chipotle.

Serranos: Next up on the heat level. They are similar in flavor to jalapeños, just with a more pronounced flavor and heat. Perfect for adding into guacamole. They are skinny, about 2-3 inches long and not as thick fleshed. I pepper. I use this pepper cooked more often than fresh. I saute them with onion and garlic when starting dishes like spaghetti sauce, beans, pilaf and stews.

Cayenne: Long, red, crinkly and hot. Some people like to make chile wreaths out of these. Cute I guess, if you like to dust food. This pepper is great to flavor oil or vinegar. It has great color. Dried and crushed, it is what is used for those red pepper flakes we put on pizza and other things.

Thai: Thai peppers are hot, skinny, redor white or purple and about 1 - 1 1/2 inches long. Hot and perfect for use in Thai and Chinese food.

Habenero: This pepper is a Caribbean pepper. Very hot and fruity is the flavor profile. It is short, bell shaped and squat, I think that it is the cutest pepper, but watch out, it has the devil in it! Many can not take the heat. To take advantage of this peppers fruity qualities and lessen the heat qualities do not use the seeds, which is where the heat is. Blended up with some garlic and vinegar it makes a quick hot sauce.

Naga Jolokia: This pepper is said be the hottest pepper in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. It originated in India. It is fiery to say the least, but it has a great fruity flavor much like the habanero. This is a very unique pepper. It has a shape like the jalapeño, but crinkled.

Yellow Lemon Peppers: Cute yellow peppers that are deceivingly hot! They are about 2 inches long and have a wonderful citrusy flavor.Hot peppers should store in the fridge for a long time. Wash, dry, wrap up into a dry paper towel and put into a zip lock. They should last between 1-2 weeks.

White Hot Peppers: Similar to Thai peppers in shape, but only about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long. Great for adding a little heat and flavor into white sauces.

When thinking about the recipe to include here, I was considering all of the great world cuisines that use hot peppers regularly, such as Mexican, Thai, Chinese and Indian. It was hard for me to pick which one of my favorite dishes to share with you, I have so many favorites. Since I have promised some vegan dishes, here is one of my favorite Indian dishes. More will come in time.

Coconut- Serrano Dal

Dal is an Indian dish that is made out of many different kinds of dried peas, lentils or beans. There are endless variations of Dal, depending on which of the Indian States it comes from.

I have not been able to find many Indian ingredients here in Chiriqui. One would normally use Toor or Tuvar Dal in this recipe, but at Romeros, there are small yellow split peas in the dried beans section that works just great. I have heard that there is an Indian market in Panama City. Let me know about its name and whereabouts if you know of it and I will pass it on to my blog readers.

Serve this dish with Basmati Rice (now available at Organica in Boquete) and different chutneys and raita, which is plain yogurt mixed with salt, pepper and various veggies, like cucumber or tomato.

1 cup small Yellow Split Peas, washed and rinsed
3/4 cup Water
1/4 t. ground turmeric

1 T. Onion, finely chopped
1 t. ground Cumin
3-5 Serranos, stemmed and split down the middle lengthwise. You can remove the seeds if you like.

2 T Vegetable Oil
1 T Black Mustard Seed
1/2 - 1 t. Crushed and dried Red Pepper
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Tomato, medium size, diced

3/4 t. Salt.
1/2 to 1 cup Coconut Milk (to taste)

In a heavy based pot that has a lid, bring dal, water and tumeric to a boil. Watch it, it boils over fast. Immediately turn down the heat, cover with the lid slightly ajar to let some steam out and simmer for 45 minutes.

Add the Onion, cumin and peppers. Cook for another 15 to 30 minutes until the peppers are tender. The dal should be a dry, thick paste consistency at this time. If the dal is not cooked, add a little water and continue cooking.

In a small frying pan, heat the oil until hot and add the mustard seed. When they start to pop, add the red pepper, garlic and tomato. Stir all together until softened. Pour into the dal and stir. Add salt and coconut milk and mix in.

Epazote: The Secret Mexican Herb

2009-01-17T16:23:00.015-05:00

My neighbors like to come over to see my garden and all of the different things that I grow. I can see in their eyes just how different my garden is from theirs. They really only recognize a few of the vegetables and herbs that I grow.

Our farm is 25 minutes out from downtown Boquete, my neighbors are all locals and also usually farmers; lovely and friendly people. They grow coffee, corn and beans and sometimes tomatoes. Not the herbs and vegetables that I grow, but when the ladies come over for a visit and wander through my garden, they all recognize epazote.

They know it as a medicine that cures stomach issues, gas and worms (another name for it is wormseed). They use it as a tea. I personally have never tried it as tea. They ask me what I use it for and when I tell them that it is for cooking...well like me with epazote tea, they never thought of that.

Epazote is mostly found in Mexican-Caribbean cooking and is known as one of the three secret ingredients in their cuisine, along with cumin and cilantro. In Mexico, it is not only highly regarded for its unique flavor, but it is also well known as a carminative (which means that it reduces gas). It is native to Latin America and is one of those herbs, like cilantro, that takes some time to get used to the flavor. Many TV star chefs have begun to use and promote it's use (same with culantro) making it a more well know ingredient north of the Rio Grande.

When it comes to cooking, there is simply no substitution. It has a unique flavor and it is wonderful added to beans, soups, stews, mushrooms and egg dishes. It is great in quesadillas, minced up and tossed with the cheese before melting in the tortilla. It has to be cooked in order to meld in with other flavors. It is just too pungent raw.

So besides the health and social benefits of adding epazote to your cooking, it is just fun to try new ingredients and experience new tastes. One of my favorite TV star chefs is Rick Bayless, who specializes in Mexican cooking. He has many wonderful articles with ideas and recipes for epazote on his website. Here is the link to his recipe page. There is a search box on the upper right corner (in the yellow box). Type in the word "epazote" to find them.

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/

Since epazote is "known" as the bean herb, below is a great bean recipe to get you started with epazote. But first I want to give you some guidelines on cooking really good beans.

Bean Basics:

Because of where we live, both Panama and in the mountains, no one can really be sure of how old or how dry the beans are. It is very difficult for me to tell you how long your beans will take without a pressure cooker. Mine took about 3-4 hours.
If you have an earthenware pot, use it. It will give the beans great flavor. Make sure it does not have a lead based glaze.
Cook them slowly. Bring them to a boil, lower the heat, put a lid on at an angle to let out some steam.
If you are using a pressure cooker, the last two points are ....pointless. I use a pressure cooker. I can not live without it. A pressure cooker saves you on your gas bill, time and keeps all of the flavor in the beans. You will not have to soak the beans which means that you could decide at 5pm and be eating them by 7pm for dinner! I think that it is the best way to cook beans, taking only about 45 minutes to cook after coming up to pressure. Email me if you have one and do not know how to use it. I will talk you through it and it will change your cooking life!!
Do not add salt until they are almost completely tender. It makes them tough and less digestible.
Beans taste better the next day. As do most stews!

Mexican Black Beans

1 pound of black beans, rinsed and sorted well for rock or earth and soaked over night if needed. And rinsed again the soaking.
1 small onion, chopped or 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, minced *
1-2 T. of some kind of oil, butter or lard
Water
2-3 sprigs of epazote
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place beans and onions or garlic in a large pot that has a lid. Place about 12 cups of fresh cold water and the oil in with the beans. Bring to a boil then immediately turn down the heat, bring to a simmer and place the lid on at an angle to allow some steam out. Check on them about every 1/2 hour or so, adding more water and a quick stir with a wooden spoon** if needed. After two 1/2 hours, taste the beans to see if they are around the "al dente" stage. They should need about a 1/2 hour more of cooking, this is the time to add the epazote and S&P. When they are tender, there should be plenty of soupy liquid.

* I have been taught that you use either one or the other of onion or garlic, but do what you want. It will not ruin the dish if you use both!
** An old Mexican wive's tale says that a metal spoon for stirring will make the beans stick to the pot.

Breakfast Beans with Scrambled Eggs and Epazote

This is a great breakfast dish that uses some of the left over Mexican Black Beans a day or two later.

1-2 T oil
1/4 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 hot peppers, minced
1 1/2 T epazote, minced

In a smallish pot saute up the above ingredients until they are somewhat tender. Then Add

1 1/2 cups of cooked Mexican Black Beans(recipe above).
Salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a slow boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes until the flavors meld. They should remain soupy, so add some water or bean broth if needed.

Meanwhile, Scramble up some eggs.

Place beans into a bowl and top with the eggs and garnish with a little cilantro, maybe a squeeze of lemon or lime if you like and serve with hot tortillas.

Now I do have another recipe for Mexican beans. It is similar but uses Pintos. I have it posted on my other blog that I made for my family's recipes. Here is the link. It is called "Dad's Mexican Beans".

http://harofamilycookbook.blogspot.com/

Lemon Grass and Curry

2008-12-22T17:44:00.015-05:00

I got a great idea for this week's recipes from a reader who wanted to cook with lemon grass. I think maybe it was started by the wonderful article in this months Bajareque Times by Sonia Jones, ND of the Haven Spa and Wellness Clinic called Lucious Lemon Grass. I am well aware that for many, there is a mystery of how to use Lemon Grass in recipes. Also there is a general misunderstanding of what "Curry" really is and the differences between curries from around the world.

Lemon Grass in native to India. Yet in reality, in most parts of that country, Indians do not use much Lemongrass in their cooking. They use it as tea. Only in the southern states is it sometimes used in cooking.

Thai food simply can not be made correctly without it. It is easy to use, just get a very sharp knife and thinly slice the whitish bottom part to throw into stews and soups (it makes a fresh fresh addition to chicken stock). Many recipes also call for the technique of taking the blunt side of your knife and pounding the white part of the stalk to release the flavors and throwing the whole bruised stock into the dishes, making it easy to remove after stewing, much like a bay leaf.

"Curry" simply means a saucy dish that is heavily spiced. The concept of Curry began with the cuisine of India. Then with European and Arab spice trade, colonization and slavery, the many techniques of Indian Curry spread and adapted to many other parts of the world, such as Indonesia, Africa and the Caribbean. Even the Japanese have embraced Curry. They sell it out of vending machines!

I going to recommend a great book that really tells the story of "curry". From Curries to Kebabs: Recipes from the Indian Spice Trail by Madhur Jaffrey is superb reading and cooking. Anything by Madhur Jaffrey is great in my opinion. Here is a link for it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=K5ZyAAAACAAJ&dq=inauthor:Madhur+inauthor:Jaffrey

So for this week's recipes, I have included two that use Lemon Grass. The first is an Indian Curry and the other is a South East Asian inspired Noodle and Beef dish. I hope that you enjoy them. They are really fun to make and fill the house with great aromas.

Chicken Moulee

A Curry style dish from the south Indian state of Kerala

1 lb chicken thigh fillets

For moulee sauce:
1/3 c. oil
2 Onions -1 is sliced across then thinly in half rings, the other puréed
1 1/2” ginger shredded coarsely
2 stalks lemon grass puréed
1” ginger puréed
6 almonds puréed
1 pinch turmeric powder
2 c. coconut milk, try to find the thickest possible
2 T vinegar
1 T sugar
Salt to taste
1 t. plain flour for thickening.
Sliced green chili
Season with salt and lime juice

Brush chicken fillets with oil then sauté over moderately high heat with another tablespoon oil until fillets are lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Heat oil and fry the puréed onions and sliced onions with ginger shreds. Add puréed ginger, lemon grass and turmeric and fry until aromatic. Add coconut milk and cook on low until oil separates. Add vinegar, sugar and salt then flour mixed with 1/4 cup warm water. Add chicken pieces and allow the sauce to reduce. Season, garnish with chopped red and green chilies. Serve with steamed rice.

Vietnamese Herb Noodle Salad and Grilled Beef with Lemon Grass

This dish is very fresh and tasty.

Grilled Beef with Lemon Grass

1 1/2 t. sugar
1 T. freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 T. minced garlic (3 or 4 large cloves)
1 1/2 stalks lemon grass, white part minced (about 3 tbsp.)
3 T. fish sauce
3 T. olive oil
1 pound beef tri-tip or round, sliced against the grain into 1/4-in. slices
2 yellow onions, peeled and quartered
2 T. loosely packed fresh cilantro sprigs
2 T. crushed unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together sugar, pepper, garlic, lemon grass, fish sauce, and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add beef, toss to coat, and refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Rub remaining 1 tbsp. oil over onions. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high heat (you can hold your hand 1 to 2 in. above grill level only 3 to 4 seconds). Brush grill with vegetable oil. Thread onions onto two 8-in. metal skewers. Lay onion skewers on grill and cook (close lid on gas grill) until softened, about 15 minutes, turning skewers every 5 minutes or so.
3. When onions are cooked halfway, lay beef slices on grill and cook (close lid on gas grill), turning once, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Arrange beef and onions on a platter on top or right beside the noodle salad. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts.

Herb Noodle Salad

1/2 lb. rice vermicelli or thin spaghetti (angel hair)

1 cup each loosely packed fresh mint, basil, and cilantro leaves or sprigs

1 piece (3 in.) cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and sliced into 1 1/2-in. matchsticks

1 lime or lemon, cut in wedges

Boil vermicelli according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cool water, put in a bowl, and cover with a towel.
Before serving, check noodles; if gummy, rinse again and drain. Arrange the salad: first noodles; then herbs (loosely torn), cucumber then add beef. Garnish with a drizzle of lime and/or dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce

1/2 to 1 red hot chili pepper, sliced into paper thin rings
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (about 1 large clove)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Put sliced chili in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup warm water, garlic, fish sauce, and lime juice to bowl and whisk to combine.

Keep it Simple: Fresh Herbs

2008-12-15T12:24:00.029-05:00

I read a lot about food. I used to watch a lot of TV about food. I really enjoy learning about different cooking techniques and ingredients. I can not tell you how many articles and shows are about using fresh herbs. They almost become boring because there are so many herbs that go with this or that. I often end up skimming over these articles out of pure information overload.

I am currently growing about 33 different herbs. So I feel that I should do a posting on them. I have been thinking about it all week, yet have been hindered in just how to approach the subject, once again information overload. Maybe that is why so many cooks decide not to use fresh herbs. Where to start? What goes with what? It is generally easier than one would think.

When I began to learn to cook from my Dad, he told me 2 main concepts of good cooking. Keep your heat down and keep it simple. When I began cooking with dried herbs I would put everything under the sun into one dish. Dad would give me a quick curse and walk away disgusted. I finally got disgusted too and learned to pick one or two. The results were far superior.

Fresh herbs were another wondrous discovery all together. They add such a lively, colorful and fresh addition to a dish. They help bring out the character of your main ingredient.

Let's apply my Dad's two important principles when using fresh herbs. Add fresh herbs towards the end of cooking to retain their fresh flavors and color (low heat). Generally, don't use too many different herbs in the same dish; you want the herbs to meld with the flavors of your main ingredient, not overpower it, or cause the herbs to mask one another's flavors.

One has to try different herbs to find their favorite combination. If you need ideas of what goes with what, you can follow the links below. I suggest to pick out two or three to try out for something fresh and new. For example: Cilantro and Lemon Grass for chicken, Sage and Thyme for pork, or Dill and Parsley for fish.

http://www.chefsoutlet.com/herbs.htm

http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/articles/guide-to-fresh-herbs.aspx

Dilly Home Fries

2-3 Large Potatoes - peeled or just washed
2-3 T. cooking oil
1 large Onion - diced
1 large Red or Yellow Bell Pepper - diced
1 Hot Pepper - optional - minced
Salt & Pepper
1 loose handful of Fresh Dill- roughly chopped

Bring a big pot of water to boil that has some salt thrown in for flavor. Dice the potatoes into a 1/2 to 3/4 inch dice. Boil potatoes until just tender. Drain potatoes and set aside to cool a little, at least 5 minutes. This lets some of the excess water not only drain but evaporate in the steam to dry the potatoes for better browning later.

Meanwhile, heat up oil in a large fry pan. Add onion, bell pepper, hot pepper if using and pepper to taste (only add salt later on if needed, there was salt in the potato water). Fry on medium heat until everything is slightly browned 7-10 minutes.

Add Potatoes to mixture and fry, turning frequently until potatoes have browned and crisped. Turn off heat, add Dill and toss. Taste for seasonings. Serve immediately, maybe top with salsa, a spoonful of sour cream, a fried egg or avocado.

Serves 2-3

Rosemary Marinated Skirt Steak with Herb Salsa

The following recipe uses 4 herbs together
to create a harmonious and zesty salsa.

Steak
3 or 4 Skirt Steaks, about 3 pounds
Garlic, minced as much as you like, I use about a bulb
2-3 heaping T. of chopped Fresh Rosemary or Rosemary and Thyme mix
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

Pound out the meat so that it will grill evenly and quickly. Mix together the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour over steak and rub in to cover all of the meat. Marinate for as long as you can, up to two days.

Herb Salsa
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Fresh Basil
1/2 cup Cilantro
1/2 cup Arugula - optional
1/4 cup nuts- almonds, walnuts and/or pine nuts
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, more or less
1 T. of white wine vinegar or squeeze of 1/2 lemon.
3/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Blend all ingredients except the Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper in a blender or food processor, which is easier. Slowly pour in Oil and continue blending until smooth paste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grill steak over high heat until done to you liking. Top with Herb Salsa.

It's Easy to Eat Your Greens!

2008-12-08T11:28:00.005-05:00

Many of us over indulge during the holiday season. Every body could use a daily dose of fresh greens. Greens like Kale, Mustard, Arugula, Chard and even Radish tops are low in calories, high in fiber and highly nutritious. They are high in Calcium, vitamins A, C, K and they detoxify the body with high concentrations of phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants. To read more about the health benefits of greens you can check out the following websites.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38#healthbenefits

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=93#healthbenefits

http://www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofgreens.html

Photos from our farm. Below in order:
Florida Broad leaf Mustard, Tah Tsai Chinese Spinach-Mustard, Mizuna Japanese Mustard, Tuscan Kale, Red Russian Kale and Swiss Chard.

Besides all of the health benefits, greens are simply delicious and just about the easiest things to prepare and add to many dishes. After a quick washing and taking off any big tougher stems, I give them a quick rough chop and toss them into soups, stews, stir fries, potatoes, rice, just about anything.

For a quick simple side dish, steam for 3 minutes or saute with a little butter/olive oil with a sprinkling of Salt and pepper. I always put a little lemon juice on mine but my husband loves his with vinegar, almost any kind.

As an American, I know many of us love to eat our traditional eggs, bacon or sausage and toast for breakfast, in some way, shape or form. Some of us are smart and add a fruit, but usually only in juice, which takes out all of the good fiber. Now we all know that we are supposed to eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and or fruit a day. Ketchup does not count. So here is my recipe for San Francisco Joe's Special. This recipe is great for any time of the day but if you eat it for breakfast, you can get 2 of those 5 servings finished by the end of breakfast.

San Francisco Joe's Special

For 2 servings:

1 T. oil or butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 lb. of ground beef

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 t. of Red Pepper flakes or 1 chili pepper (optional

1-2 big handfuls of greens, stemmed and roughly chopped

4 eggs, beaten

Chives, snipped for garnish

Heat oil or butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent and brownish. Add Beef and brown. Add Garlic and Pepper flakes if using, saute for 2 minutes more. Add greens and stir continuously until wilted. Add Beaten eggs and scramble in the beef-green mixture. Do not over cook or the eggs will be tough. Top with chives.

The following Greens work great in this recipe!

Florida Broad leaf both Green and Purple
Tuscan Kale
Japanese Mizuna Mustard
Daikon Radish with tops.
Various Chinese Mustard Greens

Rain, Rain, Rain.... Tomatillos and Tequila Chicken

2008-11-30T11:48:00.006-05:00

Will the sun ever come out? I usually harvest first thing in the morning so the produce is as fresh as possible, but yesterday it started to pour right before I was heading out the door to the garden. So off I went in my big over sized rain coat to harvest. I wish that my camera was waterproof, I had rivers running in between my raised beds. My soil running away into the coffee..yikes.

This week I am launching this blog in order to share my experiences as an organic coffee, vegetable, herb and fruit farmer in the Highlands of Panama with recipes, photos and information on cooking, preparations, notes and ideas on the items that I am growing here on the farm. I am hoping that you all will participate by commenting and or sending in your own ideas and recipes to share.

In every garden, there are times when one thing is in excess more than others. Besides rain, this week it is Tomatillos. Tomatillos look like a green tomato but with a papery husk that needs to be removed. They are absolutely wonderful when fresh and add a wonderful zippy, lemony flavor in many recipes. I like to add them at the end of cooking to retain that fresh flavor, but many people do cook them well until they get a stewed consistency. Below is my favorite Tomatillo recipe, Tequila Chicken.

Tequila Chicken
ingredients:
Oil for sauteing
1 Onion, diced
1 smallish Red Bell Pepper
1 Carrot, peeled and diced large
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into large cubes
1 T. ground Cumin
1T. ground Coriander
Salt & Pepper
3 or 4 cloves of Garlic, minced
1/2 cup of good quality Tequila
1 cup of Salsa Verde or 1 lb. of blended Tomatillos
Cilantro for garnish

directions:
In a large heated pan, put in a tablespoon or 2 of cooking oil. Saute onion, red bell pepper and carrot for 5-7 minutes on medium-high or until onion starts to brown. Add chicken and cook for 5 more minutes. Toss in spices. Stir and cook until fragrant. Toss in garlic and cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Add tequila, lower heat and using a spatula, scrape up all of the browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan (deglaze). Once everything in the pan comes to a saucy consistency, add the salsa or tomatillos. Cook for 3-5 minutes more. Garnish with Cilantro. Serve with rice.

For more Tomatillo Information click on:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomatillo

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/tomatillos.htm

Ideas, Recipes and Tidbits

2008-08-08T18:48:00.024-05:00

I come across so much on the internet that I think that you might be interested in, so finally, I have created this spot for me to post links to recipes or other information that I find or want to share! I have added in a few things that some of you have already sent, but please feel free to send me something to add! I will be adding on to this page often. Note that I have not tried all of the recipes listed, many just look great and are on my list to try someday!

Interesting Recipes

Green Beans

Not Your Mama's Green Bean Casserole from Food Network by Alton Brown

Kale

How I Learned to Love Kale and Spaghetti with Braised Kale from Bon Appetit

Lemon Grass

Orange and Lemongrass Soup

Orange Marmalade

Marmalade French Toast Casserole from Cooking Light

Tomatillos

Tomatillo Chicken Stew from Simply Recipes
Skirt Steak with Tomatillos, Two Ways from Serious Eats
Ullama or other Winter Squash
Pasta with Butternut Parmesan Sauce from Simply Recipes

Sweet Roasted Butternut Squash and Greens Over Bow-Tie Pasta from Splendid Table

Articles and Other Resources

Bread and Grains

Five Minutes a Day for Fresh Baked Bread from Mother Earth News

Note: This link is a MUST to check out, I make my own bread daily now and it turns out great every time and I do not use any fancy equipment.

Cook's Necessities

The Food Dictionary by Epicurious

Ingredient Substitutions and Equivalents by Gourmet Sleuth

Measurment Converter by Recipe Zaar

Lard

Lard: After decades of trying, its moment is finally here from Slate
Organics

La Estrella Article on Banned Poisons in Local Foods

Wheat and Gluten Free

Karina's Kitchen Gluten-Free Recipes

Local Links on Food, Health and other things of Relevance
Boquete Health Blog
Boquete Spa
Boquete Weather

Food Blogs that I tend to like
Simply Recipes

Serious Eats
Burnt Lumpia
Viet World Kitchen
The Pioneer Woman

Food Magazine and Chef Websites

Fine Cooking - This site has limited recipe access unless you have a membership
Cooking Light
Saveur
Bon Appetit
Cooks Illustrated
Food Network

Podcasts and Video
The Splendid Table from American Public Radio