Jul 06

Minty Mint, the Amazing Aromatic and yet Pesky Perennial

There are three things that I know about growing Mint. First, it is almost impossible to kill unless you completely forget to water the plant. Second, unless the plant is severely contained in a pot dug into ground, your Mint will go from being an herb to an invasive weed. Third, you can probably count on one hand how often you will want to use fresh Mint in a year and when you do, you will have wished that you had a pot of fresh Mint growing.

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) in a Pot

Spearmint (Mentha spicata) in a Pot

Knowing these three facts about Mint, the care and effort to maintain a pot of Mint on your patio or deck actually requires very little effort. As long as you water the pot on a regular basis, prune the growth periodically (to promote new growth), and provide the pot with some protection from a deep winter freeze there is very few places in the United States where you cannot grown Mint.

Mint is a part of the botanical family Lamiaceae, which also includes familiar herbs as basil, oregano, rosemary, savory, marjoram, thyme, lavender and sage. The most distinctive feature of the mint family is that the stems are square versus the more commonly round cross section of a stem.

Mint Growing in a Pot

Spearmint Leaves

There is a wide range of Mints that can be purchased from your local garden nursery. Most common found mint varieties are Spearmint (Mentha picata), Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) – a hybrid between Spearmint (Mentha picata) and Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens) and Pineapple Mint (a variegated cultivar of Apple mint). Each mint variety possesses unique characteristics; with that underlying distinctive minty flavor.

The uses of Mint in the cooking are only limited to your imagination. I have enjoyed Mint in both lettuce and cabbage salads, as a part of a dry rub for lamb and chicken, added to plain yogurt or labne to provide an additional flavor profile, steeped with hot tea, served as a jelly served with fresh lamb and as critical ingredient and garnish to a Mint Julep or a Mojito.

Fresh Picked Mint Leaves

Fresh Picked Mint Leaves on a Paper Towel

So give Mint a chance and with a minimal amount of care and attention, you will have an aromatic herb that will be there for you when you need it most.

 

Jul 05

Onion Marmalade, Long Live Britain!

Undeservedly British Cuisine has been the butt of many jokes and stereotypes which can be summarized with naming the two styles of British Cooking: Boil and Bland. At one point there may have been truth to this low view of British Cooking, but today this generalization is unfounded.

Homemade Onion Marmalade

Onion Marmalade with Bangers and Mash

For dinner one evening I was planning to prepare homemade British Bangers with Mash Potatoes and was at a loss as to else should be served with the meal. I called the “hotline” and Stuart thankfully answered the phone. My memory of the conversation goes something like this:

Bill: “Stuart, what am I going to serve with the Bangers?”

Stuart: “Right, have you thought to make Onion Marmalade?”

Bill (stomach churning): “Sounds nasty and I do not have time to can marmalade into mason jars.”

Stuart then slips into some unintelligible Scottish dialect and I just know he is making fun of me. He then proceeds to explain to me what exactly Onion Marmalade is and how it is to be prepared. The recipe and instructions below are from Stuart in an email that he sent to me.

Ingredients for Onion Marmalade

Ingredients for Onion Marmalade

Onions Slowed Cooked for an Hour to Make Onion Marmalade

Onions Slowed Cooked for an Hour to Make Onion Marmalade

Liquid Being Boiled off from the Onion Marmalade

Liquid Being Boiled off from the Onion Marmalade

Despite the name Onion Marmalade, the implied sweetness and the fact that it is prepared just as you would prepare a citrus marmalade prior to canning is best described as a jam, relish, chutney or condiment to an American. In many ways Onion Marmalade is simply sauteed onions. It provides a sweet and tangy complement to savory foods and can be and should be used with sausage, pork, and chicken or even topped on toasted bread with a number of cheeses such as feta or a nice blue cheese.

Ingredients:

  • 4 Ounces of Butter (1 Stick)
  • 2 Pounds of Onions, Peeled and Sliced (Julienne)
  • 2/3 Cup of Red Wine
  • 2/3 Cup of Red Wine Vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup of Brown Sugar
  • Salt & Ground Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

  1. Melt the butter.
  2. Add in the onions, stir, cover and cook on a very low heat for an hour.
  3. Remove the lids, raise the heat, stir and boil until the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Season with salt, black pepper and add the red wine, red wine vinegar and brown sugar
  5. Boil again until most of the liquid has disappeared

The recipe above will make enough for four servings (2 meals for 2 people). If there any remaining, Onion Marmalade will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks or in the freezer for a couple of months. I am even considering making Onion Marmalade in larger quantities and determine if it can be canned with the open pot method for canning.

Onion Marmalade is a very nice addition to my kitchen essentials. I have enjoyed Onion Marmalade with British Bangers, Roasted Chicken and is the perfect partner with Mash Potatoes.

Ready to Eat Onion Marmalade

Ready to Eat Onion Marmalade

Did I mention that at the end of the conversation, Stuart says “Cheers”?

 

Jul 03

Another Award for We are not foodies

 

Today we recieved a Liebster Blog Award, from the “Eating Dinner With My Family” blog. Thank-you Kim for nominating us.

Liebster Blog Award

Liebster Blog Award

This is our our second website award in so many weeks, the last being the Foodista Food Blog of the Day.

 

Jul 03

July 4th – Independence Day Party, Picnic & Barbeque Foods Ideas

July 4th – Independence Day, the day which citizens of the United States celebrate the Declaration of Independence is a federal holiday historically celebrated with parades, fireworks, state / county fairs and family and friends gathering for good food and fun times. It is a holiday that is equally enjoyed by all ages so it is important to prepare 4th of July recipes that appeal to everyone.  Interestingly enough, food has been a part of Independence Day from the very beginning. History records that in 1777 the Continental Congress enjoyed an official dinner to celebrate the day. Then in 1778, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, Ambassadors to France at the time had a dinner celebration for fellow Americans in Paris and General George Washington ordered an extra ration of rum to his soldiers on July 4th.

Recipes for July 4th

4th of July Recipes

Whether you are celebrating with immediate family, spending time with friends or a part of a larger gathering, there are foods both traditional and more recently introduced that are perfect for the holiday. Regardless if you follow the traditional recipes or prepare alternative interpretations, it is all about having fun and good times on this day that we celebrate our Declaration of Independence.

 

Jul 02

Broccoli Stem Coleslaw – A thrifty, tasty salad

I was preparing broccoli a while ago, by removing the florets for steaming, and I was just about to throw away the broccoli stems, when I stopped and wondered what else I could do with them. I could have cleaned them up a bit and froze them for making soup at a later date, but I remembered I had tried broccoli coleslaw at sometime in the past and thought it was a tasty alternative to regular coleslaw.

Broccoli Stems

Broccoli Stems

After I had finished making dinner that night, I whipped out the food processor and set about shredding a little red (purple) cabbage, grating some carrots and the broccoli stems. I mixed them together with a little mayonnaise and seasoning. It was a success. The slight bitterness of the broccoli balances really well with the sweetness of the carrot. Since then I have only ever made broccoli coleslaw.

Broccoli Coleslaw is a very thrifty way of using up something that is just normal thrown away, but it has the same nutritional content as the florets. Also I’ve found that broccoli stems last a very long time in the refrigerator, so you can save them up to make broccoli coleslaw if you don’t have enough, but a small amount of the stems goes a long way. You can make this coleslaw in advance of needing it, but don’t season it, or mix any dressing or mayonnaise through it until you are ready to use it, as it will become soggy.

Broccoli Stem Coleslaw

Total time: 10 mins
Broccoli Coleslaw

Ingredients

  • 3 or 4 broccoli stems
  • 2 large carrots, peeled
  • quarter of a red cabbage
  • 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Method
Tidy up the broccoli stems to remove woody or very fibrous pieces and peel any rough outer exterior. Using the grating blade of your food processor, grate the carrots and the broccoli stems. Switch to the shredding blade and shred the cabbage. Mix together, cover and store until needed, or season with a little salt and black pepper, and then mix thoroughly with the mayonnaise.

Sometime I also add some frozen corn kernels to the coleslaw to add a little more colour and sweetness.