i hope you eat good food, grow beautiful things, and have more love than you know what to do with.
One of the most interesting things I have in my garden, one that is always a conversation starter is saffron (Crocus sativus). A species of autumn blooming crocus. The same extraordinarily expensive spice is also quite easy to grow here in NY, its prohibitive cost …
After my first accidental catch of eel which was absolutely delicious, I set my heart out to catch more of these tasty, albeit scary looking morsels. They were actually out here where I was! My husband was not as enthused. It looks like a… sea …
A quick pickle with shiso, meant to be eaten as a side dish. I like roughly chopping the shiso but some people might prefer mincing it. This is a great way to use shiso if you have an abundance of them (red, green, or Korean are all fine.)
Recipe
1. Combine all the ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating.
I dug up some of the Jerusalem Artichokes from the garden, where it’s kept contained in a shady area surrounded by concrete against the side of the house. It hasn’t stopped it from exploding in population, but at least it’s contained and not as vigorous …
To my surprise, I caught an American eel the other day off our local dock, and at first I thought I had pulled in a snake–myself and my daughters were screaming, half because the thing was humongous and heavy and snapping at us, and the …
I also don’t like to waste the rest of the fish, so I do a tempura batter and fry it until the bones are crispy and you can eat it whole, all the bones excluding the skull and the midbone. It’s a great way to get some extra calcium and quite delicious as the leftover meat is tenderly flavorful. I also fry the organs, the slight bitterness of the liver chases away the damp of the day.
It would be irresponsible of me not to mention possibilities of parasites–they are possible, but unlikely we will contract them due to the fact that we are unsuitable hosts for most saltwater fish parasites. However, sashimi and sushi at the restaurant have usually been flash frozen which kills them. I have no issue doing this, and many fishermen make sashimi on their boats out of fluke, sea bass, red snapper, etc. when they catch them out at sea. Consume anything raw at your own risk.
Each fish produces just enough for a nice appetizer.
The fish should be no more than a few hours old, kept in seawater to maintain freshness.
Bluefish Snapper Sashimi
1. Scale and gut the bluefish, reserving the organ meat on the side. Slice the fish on a diagonal to produce thin slices and place in a shallow dish. Save the body for tempura.
2. Chop shiso and ginger and garnish the sashimi.
3. Mix soy sauce and lemon juice and pour into the shallow dish.
Bluefish Snapper Bone and Shiso Tempura
Dipping Sauce:
1. Heat vegetable oil on medium high heat.
2. Mix flour, water, and cornstarch until pancake batter consistency. Mix in ice cubes so the batter is very cold (makes it extra crispy.)
3. Coat bluefish snapper, organs, and shiso leaves in the batter and deep fry until golden and crispy. Fry body for longer than the organs and shiso, careful not to burn, so that most of the bones are crispy too.
This particular sandwich has a special place in my memories, as Asian bakeries always have some variation of it. I must confess, for the longest time, I hated this sandwich which turns soggy after sitting in its container under the counter at the bakery, but …
Sunchokes (Helianthus tuberosus), also called Jerusalem Artichokes, are one of those love-it-hate-it type of plants. However, it is one of the only starch sources perennial in all zones. The reason it gets a bad rap is the same reason it’s so hardy–it get invasive, fast. …
Recipe
Optional Flavors:
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and blend until cream has stiffened into desired consistency. If not maintaining whipped butter, after separating buttermilk and butter, scoop out the butter and roll in cling wrap for log shape. Otherwise, refrigerate.
2. If doing plain, skip all seasonings and just whip.
