GardenFork – Eclectic DIY

Tag: Recipes

  • Kimcheejeon: A Korean Buckwheat Pancake Recipe

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    These kimchee scallion buckwheat pancakes (kimcheejeon) were drop dead easy to make. Kimcheejeon is a very traditional Korean dish that’s served as a side dish (panchan) or as the main meal. It has a sweet and savory flavor that complements so many foods. It’s probably better if you made your own batter, but I used a good off-the-shelf  buckwheat pancake mix. It’s easier to make these with a non-stick pan (Teflon works well) or a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. The buckwheat batter has a very soft texture that’s more like a crepe; it brings out the sweet quality in the scallions.

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    Kimcheejeon in Buckwheat Batter

    • 1/4 cup Napa cabbage kimchee, slice into thin strips
    • 1/2 cup scallions, cut into 3″ long pieces
    • 1/4 cups onion, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup Arrowhead Mills organic buckwheat pancake mix
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 3 tbsp kimchee juice or 1 tbsp Korean chili paset + 2 tbsp water
    • cast iron or non-stick skillet
    • canola oil

    Mix buckwheat pancake mix, sugar, salt, water and kimchee juice together in a bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add sliced kimchee and onion to the batter and mix well. The batter should be thin enough to pour but not as thin as yogurt. If it’s too thick add a little water. Bring your skillet to medium heat and grease with a little oil. Arrange scallion pieces loosely in the pan and let them sear for about a minute. Carefully spoon in kimchee buckwheat batter and cover scallions evenly. When the batter start to form bubbles along the edges (around 3 minutes), lift edges slight to make sure they don’t stick then flip. Flip and cook until the pancakes are evenly browned on each side. Serve hot!

    Although this dish is vegan, the sweet and savory flavors goes well with leftover shrimp and crab meat. Experiment with your favorite ingredients, it’s a great way to move some leftovers. Serve it with dipping sauce as a dinner appetizer or have it with eggs at breakfast.

     

  • Spicy Indian Poblanos Recipe

    Spicy Indian Poblanos Recipe

    Well, I’m still working my way through that big jar of tamarind paste and really enjoying the journey. A dish that’s a hit in my household is one I’ve been making for a couple years now and was inspired by the overabundance of poblano peppers we had at the farm. We always had a surplus, in part because they are easy to grow organically but also because it seems like people don’t really know what to do with them. If you’ve never had poblano peppers before, I urge you to give them a try. They are considered a hot pepper but have a mild, pleasant heat that pairs beautifully with eggs, and they’re a great fit for stuffing.

    This recipe is one that originally began by following Pham Fatale’s mirchi ka salan recipe but that I’ve adapted and simplified over time, so much that I’m avoiding calling this mirchi ka salan for fear of being called out by an Indian food expert. It may not be authentic, but it’s loaded with the flavors of Indian spices. Speaking of which, don’t let the long ingredient list deter you from giving it a try – I’ll bet you have some jars of spices just waiting to be put to good use.

    We usually eat this Indian poblano dish over plain rice but sometimes switch it up by adding boiled, cubed potatoes to the sauce instead.

    Spicy Indian Poblano Peppers
    Ingredients
    •    1 tbsp tamarind paste
    •    1 tbsp honey
    •    3/4 c water, divided use
    •    coconut oil (or neutral oil)
    •    1 large onion, roughly chopped
    •    3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
    •    large pinch of salt
    •    2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
    •    2 tsp cumin seed
    •    1 tsp turmeric
    •    1 tsp ground coriander
    •    1-2 tsp chili pepper flakes (or omit, depending on your heat preference)
    •    2 tsp garam masala
    •    8 poblano peppers, chopped into bite-size pieces
    •    1/2 c peanuts, finely ground in a food processor or spice grinder
    •    1/2 c shredded coconut
    •    1/2 c plain yogurt
    Cooking Directions
    1. In a small bowl, mix together the tamarind paste, honey, and ¼ c of the water. Set aside.
    2. Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and spices and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
    3. Add the peppers and cook another 5 minutes, or until they are just tender. If at any point things are looking too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or oil.
    4. Add the peanuts, coconut, and remaining ½ c water, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture is a thick, cohesive sauce.
    5. Stir in the tamarind-honey mixture and cook another minute.
    6. Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt.

  • Sweet and Salty Roasted Chickpeas

    Sweet and Salty Roasted Chickpeas

    Mike recently tweeted a challenge: Come up with a snack that would fix his crunchy-sweet-salty craving without going overboard on calories. When Monica suggested roasted chickpeas, I also got a hankering in need of quenching. So, I set out to recreate a recipe I used to make often. Why had I stopped? Well, somehow this particular snack slipped out of rotation, I guess. I’m always experimenting and there’s just not enough time (or room in my stomach) for all things tasty. Thanks Mike and Monica for resurrecting this treat back into my life!

    Some tips for roasting chickpeas:

    • Cook your own chickpeas from dried beans. You can use canned but the texture won’t be nearly as satisfying.
    • Cool and dry the chickpeas. You want the beans to be really dry so that they crisp up well. If you cool them in an open container in the fridge they should lose enough moisture to avoid the labor of patting them down with a paper or dish towel.
    • Don’t be afraid to cook them a little longer than you think you should. You’re looking for a deeply golden color to reach optimum crunchiness.
    • Experiment with seasonings. You can add your favorite herbs or spices to the base recipe below. I love garam masala, red pepper flakes, or finely chopped rosemary.

    Sweet and Salty Roasted Chickpeas
    Ingredients
    •    2 c cooked chickpeas
    •    2 tbsp brown sugar
    •    1/2 tbsp olive oil
    •    1/2 tbsp kosher or sea salt
    Cooking Directions
    1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the chickpeas with the brown sugar and olive oil and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.
    2. Roast the chickpeas for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until golden brown and caramelized. Don’t be afraid to let them go “just a little longer”! Toss with the salt while hot.

  • Roast Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe GF TV Video

    Roast Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe GF TV Video

    Easy Cherry Tomato Recipe served over pasta, rice, or quinoa. Here’s a recipe for all those ripe cherry tomatoes in your garden. Roast the tomatoes with some garlic and the like, and its amazing.

    My friend Bill gave me this cherry tomato recipe; he’s been making it a few times a week. Its a great midweek dinner, or weekday dinner recipe, super simple.

    I make this with all yellow tomatoes, but you can ‘ use what you got ‘ cause that’s the GardenFork way, after all. The yellow cherry tomatoes have  lower acid content, and are sweeter, I think, than red cherry tomatoes, but that’s just my opinion.

    If you have a recipe for cherry tomatoes, please share it with us below, be great to hear from you.

    Roast Cherry Tomato Pasta Recipe
    Recipe Type: Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 4
    Cherry Tomato Pasta recipe to deal with all the tomatoes you have in the garden.
    Ingredients
    • 2 pints cherry tomatoes
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 4 large cloves, coarsley chopped garlic
    • 1 cup oil cured black olives – optional
    • 1 cup cubed feta cheese
    • 1 lb pasta, preferably whole wheat
    Instructions
    1. pints cherry tomatoes
    2. /4 cup olive oil
    3. large cloves, coarsley chopped garlic
    4. cup oil cured black olives – optional
    5. cup cubed feta cheese
    6. lb pasta, preferably whole wheat
    7. Cooking Directions
    8. Preheat the oven to 375F
    9. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes. arrange the tomatoes in one layer in a 9 x 13 pan.
    10. Coat with the olive oil and distribute chopped garlic over tomatoes.
    11. Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes start to burst and brown slightly.
    12. If using black olives or feta cheese, add these after tomatoes are roasted.
    13. Cook pasta while tomatoes are roasting. Drain cooked pasta and divide between 4 bowls.
    14. Pour roast tomato mixture over the pasta.

     

  • Sweet Potato and Kimchi Fritters

    Sweet Potato and Kimchi Fritters

    This recipe is one many that I’m developing for an cookbook project called Kimcheelicious. It’s about home-fermentation and cooking with kimchi that you make in your own kitchen. I’m raising funds on Kickstarter.com to get this book off the ground.

    If you like this recipe please support Kimcheelicious on Kickstarter. Fundraising ends on August 28, 2012.
    http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1906123150/kimcheelicious-puts-a-korean-pickle-on-the-america

    To look at Kimcheelicious food ideas go to my Tumblr.com page:
    http://kimcheelicious.tumblr.com

    Cheers,
    Tony Limuaco
    Contributing Food Writer

    Sweet Potato and Kimchi Fritter (makes roughly 20 fritters)

    • 1 1/2 cup sweet potato, grated
    • 1 cup mashed potato (Russet or Yukon)
    • 1/2 cup Napa cabbage kimchi, well drained and minced, reserve juice
    • 1/2 cups onion, minced (white or Spanish)
    • 1/2 cup Poblano pepper, cut into match sticks
    • 1/2 cup corn starch
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 2 tsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
    • 1 tbsp granulated garlic
    • 1 tbsp salt
    • 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds or 1 tbsp dark sesame oil (optional)
    • 2 tbsp coarse Korean chili (optional)
    • high frying oil (canola or soy)

    Dipping Sauce: Mix all these ingredients together.

    • 2 tbsp kimchi juice
    • 2 tbsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp rice vinegar
    • 2 tbsp water
    • 1 tsp honey
    • 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
    • 1 clove minced garlic

    Prep: Boil potato, mash and cool. Cut pepper into matchsticks, rough 1 1/2″ in length. Drain kimchi well in a colander and press into a paper towel, and mince. Mince onion. Reserve the juice for sauce. Grate sweet potato. In a large bowl, combine all these with dry ingredients. Beat egg and mix everything well well. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

    In a wok or large pot, add oil to the depth of at least 2″. Heat oil to 375°. You can also check the temperature with the end of a wooden spoon or a chop stick. When bubbles form around end the oil is ready for frying. Be sure to cover with a splatter screen wen frying. For larger batches: If oil starts smoking or becomes very cloudy, lower heat or allow to cool and change oil.

    Scoop sweet potato batter with a large dinner spoon and pack tightly, squeeze out excess juice as you form a fritter. Drop into hot oil. Fry no more than 6 to 8 fritters at at time, allowing 3 minutes on each side or until the fritters are crisp and golden. Drain well on a rack or paper towels. If serving later keep warm in oven at a low temperature (100°). Serve while they’re crisp and hot with dipping sauce.

    You can freeze in batches for future meals. Freezing actually preserves flavor and nutrients such as vitamins A and B. To prevent them from freezing into a large boulder, freeze them individually first. Form fritters and place them onto tray with at least 1″ of space between. Put them in the freezer for about two and a half hours then put them into a large freezer bag. Deep fry as instructed above.

  • Braised Italian Meatball Recipe

    Braised Italian Meatball Recipe


    My friend Elaine’s mother is the consummate southern Italian cook. Mama Lena shared her meatball recipe with me over the phone, but I had to figure out the proportion of ingredient. After a few batches I think I came close. Lena’s meatball recipe makes roughly 50 small meat balls.

    • 2 spicy Italian sausages (remove casing)
    • 1 lbs ground beef (80/20 fat)
    • 1/4 ricotta cheese
    • 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
    • 1/4 cup minced onion (fine)
    • 1/4 minced parsley (fine)
    • 1 tbsp each: dried oregano and basil
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 egg
    • 3/4 cup olive oil
    • 4 cups of marinara sauce

    The key to rolling perfect meatballs is a little olive oil. Also don’t crowd the pan, cook in small batches (8 at at time). Mix all ingredients well with your hands, set aside for 20 minutes. Coat the palms of your hands with a little olive oil, pinch a golf ball size portion and roll into a tight ball, make enough for the week. Apply olive oil again if the meat sticks to your hands.

    Heat a large saute pan and add enough marinara sauce cover half the depth of the meatballs. Add meat balls to the pan, cover and braise for 8 minutes. Turn meatballs over and braise for another 5 minutes. Set them aside and start a new batch. Add more marinara and a little water if the sauce becomes too thick. Serve meatballs with sauce over your favorite pasta with a little fresh parsley and more grated Parmesan. You can freeze meatballs without the sauce and reheat them in the oven for another meal.

  • Foraging: Garlic Mustard & Nettle Pesto Recipe : GF Video

    Foraging: Garlic Mustard & Nettle Pesto Recipe : GF Video

    Foraging was on our minds this weekend, seeing some edible wild plants in our yard, after listening to this NPR story on eating and cooking wild foods like edible Garlic Mustard and Nettles.

    Yes, you can eat nettles, despite the fact that the stems of the nettle plant have tiny barbs that sting if you grab Nettles without gloves. The secret is blanching before eating the nettles.

    Garlic Mustard is an edible wild green, its leaves have hint of Garlic taste, though the mustard leaf taste is more prominent. Garlic Mustard is a non-native invasive plant that crowds out woodland native flowers like trilliums, bloodroot, etc. When harvesting Garlic Mustard, be sure to remove the entire root base, so it doesn’t grow back.

    Our Wild Edible Plant Pesto Recipe made with Stinging Nettles and Garlic Mustard is inspired by an NPR interview of Leah Lizarondo whose food blog is Brazen Kitchen. A big thank you to Larkin Page-Jacobs of NPR and Leah.

    Please tell us about your foraging recipes and tips below the recipe, thanks.

    Foraging Videos & Edible Plant Identification:

    Here are other plant identification foraging videos we have done:

     Dandelion, How to find, forage, and cook Dandelion Video

     

    Lambsquarter, Foraging and Cooking Lambsquarter Video

    Click for photos of Garlic Mustard and Stinging Nettles for plant identification.

     

    Garlic Mustard & Nettle Pesto Recipe
    Recipe Type: pesto
    Author: Eric Rochow
    Prep time:
    Cook time:
    Total time:
    Serves: 2 cups
    A simple pesto recipe made from foraged edible plants, Garlic Mustard, Stinging Nettles and Dandelion
    Ingredients
    • 1 cup Blanched Nettles
    • 3 cups Garlic Mustard Leaves
    • 1 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
    • 1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    • 1 cup Dandelion Leaves ( optional )
    • 1/2 lemon
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
    • 1 cup toasted walnuts
    • 2 medium cloves garlic
    Instructions
    1. Wash all greens in a salad spinner – wear gloves when handling stinging nettles.
    2. Take 2 large handfuls of nettles – wear gloves! and blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain in a colander.
    3. Grate 1 cup of cheese using the large holes on a box grater, don\\\\\\\’t buy the pre-grated cheese, it tastes awful.
    4. Toast the walnuts in a fry pan on the stove, keep an eye on them, the burn easily.
    5. Place the greens, walnuts, cheese, garlic in a food processor, pour olive oil over the ingredients in the food processor.
    6. Add lemon zest and the juice from half a lemon.
    7. Turn on the food processor and watch the fun, you want the greens to become a roughly chopped paste, but not turn to mush.
    8. Serve this over pasta ( whole wheat pasta goes well with these flavors ) or in white bean soup, or on bread, its great.

     

     

     

  • How to Cook Steak Perfect : GF video

    How to Cook Steak Perfect : GF video

    Learn how to cook the perfect steak in this steak cooking video we made. Simple steak recipe that uses a frozen steak, so you don’t have to wait to defrost it. Neat. If you are looking for the answer to how to cook the perfect steak, watch this GardenFork video, you will be amazed at this easy steak recipe.

    This steak recipe video was inspired by Melissa Clark of the NY Times and Nathan Myhrvold, author of the 5 volume Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. They made a video on the NY Times site showing this method, and I wanted to share it with you all and put the GardenFork spin on how to cook steak.
    For this steak cooking method, I suggest a propane torch from the hardware store, don’t buy one of those little butane torches at the cooking supply store, buy the real thing. Its also great for making Creme Brule, see our how to make Creme Brule video here.

    We have also made a video about cooking steak sous vide, which is also a great way to cook steak and is part of the modernist cuisine movement. Our version of sous vide cooking uses a beer cooler, low tech but it works, much like a propane tech is low tech but it works.
    I have a copy of the Modernist Cuisine At Home and really like it. If you want the full set, you can get that below as well.

    Tell us your steak recipes, hacks and hints below, love to hear from you all, eric.

  • Truck Stop Meatloaf Recipe with Potato Chips

    Truck Stop Meatloaf Recipe with Potato Chips

    Ah, meatloaf — it  brings back memories of a cross-country road trip, getting lost, and finding a diner that served the best home-cooked meals. The meatloaf was delicious, moist and smooth, but the waitress was salty. I asked her what was in it, she made a crack about lost college kids. In a hushed tone she said  “potato chips” then she gave us pie on the house.

    You don’t have to get lost to find this truck-stop style meatloaf. This recipe does not call for salt or oil since potato chips already have the perfect balance and just the right amount of starch which gives this meatloaf a very moist, smooth texture. I prefer plain low-salt potato chips, but you can explore the many varieties that are available. Cool Ranch anyone?

    You’ll Need:
    1 lb ground chuck or sirloin
    1 lb ground turkey
    2 sweet Italian sausages or 1/4 lb ground pork
    3/4 cup crushed plain potato chips, low salt
    1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
    1 cup onion, minced
    1 cup celery, minced
    1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
    3 cloves of garlic, minced
    1 tbsp each dried ingredient: rosemary, thyme, basil, black pepper
    2 tbsp dried mustard
    1 eggs
    1 large and 1 medium size bowl
    1 paper bag
    a low baking dish
    oven thermometer

    The Sauce
    1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 cup ketchup
    1 tsp powdered onion
    1 tsp dried mustard
    1/2 Liquid Smoke (optional)

    Make the Sauce
    The sauce is important, it makes a tangy seal that keeps in moisture as the meatloaf bakes. In a small bowl mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, powdered onion, and dried mustard. Liquid smoke is optional but it gives this meatloaf an extra kick.

    Mix It Up
    In a measuring cup, crush and pack in enough potato chips to yield 3/4 cup, then pour everything into a paper bag. With the bottom of a glass or the palm of your hand, pound the potato chips further to remove excess oil (warning: the bag will be soaked with oil). Pour crushed chips and all dried ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

    The key to a smooth meatloaf is to not overwork everything. I find that mixing with my hands instead of a food processor give me the right texture. Remove sausage from the casing (or use ground pork), add all ground meats, minced ingredients, and egg into a large bowl and mix well. Add all dry ingredients and mix again. Here’s how I do it: plunge both hands into the bowl and squeeze every thing through your fingers, turn everything over in the bowl and repeat until everything is smooth and evenly distributed. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

    Bake It
    Preheat the oven to 375°. In a low baking dish form a loaf into a low, rounded rectangle — roughly 2″ deep. The edges will further round off as it cooks. Use the back of a spoon to generously smooth the sauce over the top, but coat the sides lightly. Bake the meatloaf for an hour and 10 minutes. Use an oven thermometer to check if the center has reached 165°. Remove from the oven and let the it sit for 5 minutes.

    If you want a more caramelized meatloaf, stick it in the broiler for three minutes, but watch it closely to make sure that it doesn’t burn. Serve it hot with gravy, more ketchup, or cocktail sauce… turn off the TV and enjoy every bite, but try to leave some for sandwiches tomorrow.


     

  • Roasting Turkey on a Charcoal Grill

    Roasting Turkey on a Charcoal Grill

    oil skin with olive oil, salt & pepper if you want
    oil skin with olive oil, salt & pepper if you want

    Here we show you how to roast a turkey on a grill. we are using the charcoal method of cooking a turkey on a grill. the photos here will show you how to make your turkey tasted great on the grill.

    add a meat thermometer
    add a meat thermometer
    charcoal burning grill, propane lit
    prep your charcoal burning grill, ours also has a propane lighter
    light off and gray up 30 briquettes
    light off and gray up 30 briquettes
    divide, 15 per side
    divide, 15 per side
    add a drip pan between the coals
    add a drip pan between the coals and add the grill
    add the turkey
    add the turkey (this is our T-Day bird, an heritage breed, Bourbon Red)

     

     

    vents full open, top and bottom
    vents full open, top and bottom. start your timer: 1 hour intervals
    relax. best of all, the turkey is out of the kitchen
    relax. best of all, the turkey is out of the kitchen
    every hour add 8 briquettes to each side
    every hour add 8 briquettes to each side. it usually takes 3 – 4 hours of cooking
    Sydney naps in the ginger lilies near the grill, visions of turkey dance in her head.
    Sydney naps in the ginger lilies near the grill, visions of turkey dance in her head. (obligatory GF dog pix)
    A great bird roasted on the grill
    A great bird roasted on the grill
  • Kimchi Soup (Kimchi Jigae) Recipe

    Kimchi Soup (Kimchi Jigae) Recipe

    Kimchi Jigae, or kimchi soup, is a traditional winter stew from Korea. It’s like a very spicy hot and sour soup made with fermented cabbage — some call it the cure-all for all winter ailments. It’s simple to make and many of the ingredients are not considered as exotic anymore. You might be able to get everything at an Asian market, or like me substitute a few things. Sliced pork belly is a key ingredient to this soup, which I have left out. It gives this soup a silky texture and a deep smoky flavor. Instead I added butter before serving and used a dried chipotle pepper to give it that smoky flavor. The secret to this soup is low, slow cooking.

    You’ll need:
    1 cup or more kimchi, the thicker pieces sliced into thin strips
    1/2 cup kimchi juice (right from the kimchi)
    2 tsp gochujang (sweet Korean chili paste)
    3 tsp red miso
    1 small onion, sliced thinly
    1 cup mushroom, sliced
    1 cup carrots, sliced diagonally
    1/2 cup pureed pear
    1/4 cup sugar
    1/2 tbsp salt
    5 cloves of garlic, minced
    2 cups chicken or pork broth
    2″ stem of pulverized old ginger root, or 1 tsp of powdered ginger
    1 large dried smoked chipotle pepper
    1 tbsp soy sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water
    1 tsp rice vinegar
    1/2 cup cubed firm tofu or glass noodle
    1/2 cup light sesame oil
    1/2 cup sweet butter
    sliced green onion, garnish (optional)

    If you plan on making your own stock, do it the day before, otherwise buy a good low sodium stock. So let’s get cookin’. In a large stock pot heat sesame oil then add mushrooms, carrots, and onion. Add salt, cover and sweat everything until enough liquid covers the bottom of the pot. Now add the kimchi and juice, stock (chicken or pork), soy sauce, water and vinegar. Bring to a boil then add ginger, garlic, red miso, chili paste, sugar, pureed pear, and dried chipotle pepper. Lower heat, cover and let everything simmer for about half an hour. If you have sliced pork belly add this to the pot , but do use regular bacon.

    Let the soup simmer on low for another 20 minutes then add glass noodles or firm tofu, stir occasionally. Simmer for another 25 minutes, or when the kimchi is soft enough to fork through. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup butter. Stir then let it rest for another 5 minutes, remove the ginger root and the chipotle pepper. Serve hot and garnish with sliced green onion. I like mine with lots of sweet corn on top.

  • Zucchini and Corn Fritter Recipe

    Zucchini and Corn Fritter Recipe

    This fried dish marks the last summer harvest — sweet corn and zucchini from Eric’s garden make for some tasty, savory fritters. Some find it difficult to make golden, crispy fritters that hold together. When something is deep-fried correctly it is not greasy and the inside is perfectly steamed. The usual suspects are soggy batter, over crowding the pan, and oil that isn’t hot enough for deep frying. The key ingredient, zucchini, must be coarsely grated and salted to remove some of the liquid, otherwise the batter is too wet. Use a high heat oil like Canola to get the right frying temperature, which is between 175 and 190 °C (345–375 °F). Frying in small batches ensure that the oil maintains its high temperature. Baking powder is optional, but it does lighten up the batter as it rises with heat. Are you ready to fry?

    Squash and Corn Fritters
    Yield: 4 fritters

    2 cups coarsely grated young squash (or zucchini)
    1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion
    1 cup cooked corn (frozen or fresh)
    1/4 cup Quinoa, (optional) or corn meal
    1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
    1 egg
    1 tsp each thyme, oregano, powder cumin, dried onion flakes
    1/2 tsp chili powder
    1/2 tsp powdered garlic
    1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
    1/4 tsp black pepper
    2 tsp white flour
    1 tbsp sea salt
    9″ Cast  iron skillet
    Canola or any high-heat oil

    With a coarse grater, shred the green squash, add thin slices of onion (paper thin), Quinoa,  and 1/2 tbsp salt and mix well. Press the mix in a sieve with a spatula then set aside for about an hour to drain most of the liquid. It should yield about 1/8 cup of liquid, which you will discard. If your squash is a bit seedy, use a tablespoon to scoop out the seeds and tough fiber.

    In a hot pan, cook corn with a little water then add a little oil (or butter) and a pinch of a salt. When most of the water has evaporated and the corn is lightly browned, it’s ready. Set it aside to cool down to room temperature. The corn can be fresh or frozen. You can’t beat corn on the cob, but freezing actually improves corn giving it a sweeter flavor and a better texture. If you’re using frozen corn be sure it’s completely thawed and drained before cooking.

    In a large bowl, add cooked corn, grated squash and onion, dried herbs and spices. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated. Then add egg, baking powder, salt and all remaining dry ingredients to bind everything. Mix well, cover and set aside in the fridge for at least half an hour. The batter should be thick, gloppy, and lumpy and it should hold together without separating.

    In a hot 9″ cast iron skillet add oil to a depth of 1/4″. To check if the oil is hot enough, stick the end of a wooden chopstick into the pan. When bubbles form around the chopstick it’s fryin’ time. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of batter into the pan. Brown for about five minutes, gently press down with a spatula, then carefully flip it over. Don’t crowd the pan, fry only two or three at at time. When both sides are evenly browned, drain well on paper towels. If the oil starts to smoke, clear out the dukes and lower the temperature.

    Keep the finished fritters in a warm oven and serve hot — garnish with fresh cilantro, fried onion or mushroom. How about some mango chutney or Branston Pickle? If you want to make this an authentic South Asian dish, add ground dried shrimp or diced cooked lap song sausage to the batter and served with pan-toasted garlic.

  • The Best Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich in NY

    The Best Banh Mi Vietnamese Sandwich in NY

    Recently we were working on a paint job in Sunset Park Brooklyn, and we realized that Brooklyn’s Chinatown was just a few avenues away. Tony, ( who works with me in addition to  writing recipes for GardenFork ) and I had previously visited Thanh Da II ( 5624 8th Avenue, Brooklyn NY ) in Brooklyn’s Chinatown after reading about this Banh Mi sandwich place in the NY Times.

    brooklyn banh mi sandwich
    Eric's Favorite Banh Mi Sandwich

    There are now 4 Banh Mih sandwich places in our neighborhood in Brooklyn, the Ban Mih sandwich craze has reached the point where it was focus of a story on the NPR show This American Life.

    According to Wikipedia:

    Bánh mì or bánh mỳ (English pronunciation: /ˈbʌnmiː/, Vietnamese: [ɓǎːɲ mî]), literally biscuit or cake (Bánh) and flour or wheat (mì), is a Vietnamese baguette made with both wheat and rice flour, but more popularly known as a type of sandwich traditionally made with this type of baguette.[1] There are many global and regional variations of the sandwich, but the most common version features thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon (known as đồ chua), cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, pâté, mayonnaise and various meat fillings or tofu. Popular bánh mì fillings include roasted or grilled pork, steamed or roasted pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, chicken, head cheese and ham.

    The Banh Mi sandwich is a mash up of eastern and western cultures. The French brought their baguette sandwiches of vegetables to Vietnam, and the Vietnamese made it their own.

    Thanh Da Banh Mih shop

    We’ve tried a few of the place in our neighborhood, but the Banh Mi sandwiches at Than Da II win. They are really good. Especially the #4, a BBQ Pork Banh Mi sandwich that I order every time I go to Thanh Da.

    dried mushrooms in brooklyn's chinatown

    An added bonus to going to Thanh Da is getting to check out the asian grocery stores in Brooklyn’s Chinatown. I wish I had a tour guide when I walk the sidewalks and try to figure out what the merchants are selling. Some of the stores write out the items in English, but most don’t. Lots of mushrooms and dried items and tons of fresh fish.

    Tony checks out the produce
    what are these?

    So if you are coming to New York, and want to get off the tourist track, come to Brooklyn’s Chinatown, and then walk over to Sunset Park for real mexican food.

  • Summer Salad with Maple Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

    Summer Salad with Maple Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

    If this salad looks simple, that's because it is! Cool down with a summer salad with Maple Blue Cheese Dressing and lots of crumbled bacon.

    I love Blue Cheese dressing with my hot wings or salad. It’s tangy, salty, and creamy with a rich blue-veined flavor. There’s quite a few varieties available, but Roquefort, Stilton, and Gorganzola work the best. You don’t need much, but do get a good Blue Cheese. I like Danish Saga, it’s less salty and much creamier than Roquefort. I found that crumbled cheese is usually much cheaper than the block since it’s made from what’s left after cutting. Everything else you probably have in the fridge. Let’s get busy.

    Danish Blue Saga has more body than Roquefort, and it's less salty.

    Maple Blue Cheese Dressing

    • 1/2 cup crumbled Danish Blue Saga
    • 1/3 mayonnaise
    • 1/3 sour cream
    • 1 tsp maple syrup
    • 2 tbsp white vinegar
    • 1/4 tsp powdered garlic or 1/2 tsp minced garlic
    • 3 tbsp crumbled bacon (optional)

    In a small bowl add cheese and garlic into the mayonnaise and sour cream and mix. Make sure not to overwork the dressing, you do want some chunks of cheese in there. Then add maple syrup and a little vinegar and mix well. Adjust ingredients to suit your taste. I always add more Blue Cheese.

    Crumbled bacon is optional but I never leave it out. Cut streaky bacon into 3″ strips. Coat a hot skillet with a little oil. Cook the fattiest pieces first to make enough fat for frying. Fry until evenly golden, drain fat, cool and crumble into small pieces. Add about 3 tbsp of bacon to the dressing, reserve the rest for the salad.

    My friend Lindsey says her mother makes some kick-ass Blue Cheese Dip. Mrs. McCosh was more than happy to share her recipe with us. This Midwestern classic dip is made with Roquefort and cottage cheese. It’s light with a hearty texture — guaranteed to take the sting out of any hot wing.

    The bluest of the blues — Roquefort is an age-old classic cheese.

    Mrs. McCosh’s Blue Cheese Dip

    • 1/2 cup Roquefort Cheese
    • 1/2 cottage cheese, small curds
    • 1/2 yogurt
    • 3 tbsp white vinegar
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • 1/4 tsp dried dill
    • 1 tsp minced garlic

    Dissolve sugar in the vinegar and set aside. Crumble Roquefort in a bowl using a fork then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, salt an pepper to taste. The cottage cheese hold everything together perfectly, lumps and all. Adjust ingredients to your taste. Pour Blue Cheese dressing into a container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. It’s served best the next day — then it’s thick enough to stand a fork.

    For salad, tear Romaine lettuce into bite sized pieces, toss with thinly sliced white onion and red grapes and plate up serving portions. Add hard boiled egg and drizzle Blue cheese dressing, and (optionally) top with more bacon. Diner is served!

  • How to make Pesto, Parsley Pesto : GardenFork.TV Video

    How to make Pesto, Parsley Pesto : GardenFork.TV Video


    Looking for a pesto recipe? or how to make pesto? Watch our Pesto Recipe with a new twist, we’ll use parsley instead of basil. This same recipe works great for basil pesto BTW. Parsley is super healthy and easily found in the store or your backyard garden.

    Eric’s Parsley Pesto Recipe

    1 bunch of flat leaf parsley

    2 cups grated Romano cheese

    1 cup walnuts, whole or chopped

    1 clove garlic, crushed

    quality extra virgin olive oil

    Grab your bunch of parsley and swish it around in a large bowl of water or you salad spinner filled up with water.

    Cut off about 2 inches of the stem end off the parsley bunch. Then cut the parsley bunch into thirds, drop into a salad spinner and spin away. You want to remove as much of the water as possible. If you don’t have a salad spinner, you can roll up the parsley leaves in a dish towel to dry them out.

    Add the parsley to your food processor, and pour in about 1/4 cup of the olive oil. About 6 glugs, I think.

    Turn on the food processor and get the parsley cut up and mixed in with the oil.

    Take the walnuts and toss them into a pan and toast them lightly. Don’t forget them on the stove, as they burn easily. I know this from experience.

    Take the grated cheese and walnuts and crushed garlic and add to the food processor.

    Top off with more olive oil, 6 glugs or so, and turn on the processor. If the machine sounds like it is bogging down, add more oil. Process to the consistency you like. I like it not over-processed.

    You can now add this to pasta or spread on bread or garnish soups with. Its real good.


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    What do you think? Do you have a pesto recipe or suggestion or idea? Let us know below:

  • Easy donut recipe using Pillsbury biscuit dough – GF Video

    Looking for an easy donut recipe? here it is: The Super Simple Doughnut Recipe. This is Eric’s version of the Pillsbury Biscuit Doughnut method of making donuts without the time and yeast. We will make donuts the traditional way soon, but I had to try out this cheater doughnut recipe which uses biscuit dough you buy at the grocery store. Next up will be yeast doughnuts and cake donuts, but we have to do the donut hack here first.

    This easy donut recipe works best when the dough is cold, so keep the tube of Pillsbury dough in the fridge until ready. It is harder than it seems sometimes to open up the tube. Be Careful!

    Kids like to play with dough, and while you have to teach them a healthy respect for hot oil, they could be involved with this easy donut recipe

    easy-donut-recipe-video-4

     

    My favorite donuts are the ones you buy at the gas station on the highway exit ramp. Those chocolate donuts in that little package,  six donuts all covered with that fake chocolate. But you know it’s fake but you want to eat them anyway. Recently I bought some of those, it was late at night we were driving up the house and they were really good. But these cheater donuts are really good as well, and they might even be healthier for you than the chocolate covered gas station on the highway off ramp donuts. So let me know what you think below do you make these donuts are you making of the kind of donut would be good to hear from you

    easy-donut-recipe-video-3

    Do you have a great donut or doughnut recipe? And what about this spelling issue between donut and doughnut? Let us know below

  • Red Cabbage Slaw with Jicama Recipe

    Red Cabbage Slaw with Jicama Recipe

    Can you believe how intense this color of purple is? I love coleslaw, especially when it’s made with sweet red cabbage, jicama, and Granny Smith apples. Jicama is a tropical tuber originally from South America that has made it’s way into Asian cuisine. The cream white flesh has the crisp texture of a pear. It has a slightly sweet flavor that complements red cabbage well. It’s usually eaten as one would a radish. Making a small batch is almost impossible, so I usually make it for picnics or parties. It goes well with pork and lamb dishes, or just as a small salad before the main course. Red Cabbage Slaw has to macerate overnight, so plan ahead.

    You’ll need:

    • a large non-reactive bowl with a lid
    • a food processor,  a mandolin, or a large sharp knife
    • 1 medium size red cabbage, enough for 4 1/5*4 to 5 shredded cups
    • 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
    • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin
    • 2 Granny Smith apples, diced
    • 1 cup jicama sliced into matchsticks
    • 1 tbsp sea salt
    • 1 tbsp black or toasted sesame seeds

    Dressing:

    • 1 cup cider vinegar
    • 1/2 cup olive oil or mayonnaise
    • 4 tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 tbsp seedless raspberry preserve
    • 1/4 cup dried currants, or golden raisins

    Remove the outer layer of leaves and slice red cabbage into quarters. Remove and discard the white core and the base, and shred the cabbage. If you don’t have a food processor or a mandolin, use a sharp knife and cut it as fine as you can. Peel, core, and dice two apples into 1/2″ cubes. Slice onion and red pepper into fine strips. Peel and cut jicama into matchstick strips. Place the cabbage, red pepper, onion, jicama, and black sesame seeds into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix well. Let it sit for 10 minute or until the cabbage starts to release some liquid.

    In a small bowl add brown sugar, raspberry preserve, and dried currant into the cider vinegar and olive oil. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and the raspberry preserve is evenly distributed.

    Pour the dressing into the bowl and mix everything again with your hands, break up any clumps. Cover and place in the fridge over night. Before serving, drain and toss again, adjust salt if needed. Red Cabbage Slaw keeps well in the fridge for abut a week as long as it’s kept covered.

  • Twice-cooked Rice Cakes: A Leftover Rice Recipe

    Twice-cooked Rice Cakes: A Leftover Rice Recipe

    Don’t throw out that rice! Instead make this twice-cooked side dish. It’s easy to make and it only takes about 15 minutes. It’s rich and creamy and similar to risotto but closer to a Japanese onigiri (rice ball). This recipe serves two.

    You’ll need;

    • a small covered sauce pan
    • a wooden spoon
    • a square or round cooking ring
    • 1 1/2 cups cooked, leftover rice
    • 3/4 cup chicken broth
    • 2 tbsp butter
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1/4 tsp of spices to your taste: powdered onion, garlic, parsley,  pepper, oregano, thyme… etc.
    • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste

    Add chicken broth, butter, salt, and spices to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and add cooked rice. Stir often with a wooden spoon until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and add grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil, mix well, cover, and let it set for 5 minutes. Put rice into cooking rings and pack well, then remove the ring. If the rice does not release easily from the ring, run a wet butter knife around the inside edge. Top it with more grated Parmesan or dried bonito flakes. You have to admit this is pretty impressive for leftover rice.