Recipes

Spring is springing in northern lands. People are planting gardens and sauntering in sunny fields. Winter was filled with frozen and canned foods; robust root vegetables; and perhaps some wilted greens from faraway lands. We are hungry for fresh foods. If you are lucky, you may possess a garden stocked with asparagus, rhubarb, and other spring perennials. Or perhaps you are fortunate enough to live near a source of ramps, fiddlehead ferns, stinging nettles, or dandelions. Dandelions are much maligned but they offer a myriad of nutritional benefits. Even if you live in a high-rise apartment building with houseplants as your only companions from the kingdom Plantae, you can still grow great food.  

The record breaking temperatures of February and March were delightful for many, but a challenge for those living off the land such as maple syrup crafters. A surge in temperature following a below-freezing night creates pressurized sap lines, which then expand, pushing the sap to flow up the tree toward the branches- the sap is the energy that fuels the trees new growth. A tap is placed into the tree to “capture” some of the sugary sap which is then refined into deliciously sweet maple syrup. With very few cold days and nights occurring during this year’s prime of sapping time, many maple tree taps were churning out a very slow and sparse sap flow.

This is the third post in the series “Great Grains” highlighting unusual whole grains and easy ways to incorporate them into your diet.  Check out posts on bulgur and millet as well. 

Rye has been on the brain of many Twin Cities foodies since the opening of Rye Deli in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis. It opened in November and the menu and namesake hints at a secret about the world’s second favorite grain. Rye is a classic. It’s familiar, it’s hearty, and it has staying power. Rye has been in a kitchen mainstay for ages and it’s ready for a comeback. 

Salt, pepper, and parsley, otherwise known as the “holy trinity,” were the dominant spices found in the kitchen where I spent my formative years. Fast forward from childhood to present day- I have traveled a bit of the spice route and collected a number of new spice friends along the way. Although it will take me a lifetime to truly master the art of spice I want to share a few facts and common uses for spices in food, starting with nutmeg and mace.
 

Salt may be the ultimate flavor enhancer, but sugar is no slouch when it comes to balancing flavors in savory dishes, and one of the best ways to do so is by cooking with fruits.

Using fruit in savory dishes is not new fashion. In fact, it’s downright old hat - if we’re talking about botanically-correct fruits that are more commonly considered ‘vegetables’, such as tomatoes, cucumbers and eggplants, to name a few. As for the sweet varieties of produce that are not as ambiguous, they have also found their way into main courses. From succulent pork loin paired with spiced apples to roast turkey dressed with cranberry sauce, a bit of fruit can add another dimension to full-flavored recipes.

Perfect Pairings

Recently, I had lunch out with a friend and in the course of our conversation I mentioned that I was trying a new recipe that week: quinoa-potato croquettes (from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone). “That sounds good,” my friend said. “Will you have that with some baked chicken or something?” No, I explained, it was one of our meatless meals. “But it’s not Monday,” my friend pointed out. 

I explained that Meatless Mondays don’t usually work for us – Monday is slow cooker day, due to work and school schedules. However, we try to have at least two or three meatless meals a week; just not on set days. 

Who would have imagined, during the first act of Soupapalooza back in February, that the fourth act would come during a stretch of 70 degree weather and popping tulips? Never mind the weather, according to the calendar, it's still soup season. For week four of Soupapalooza, I bring you a light Spring Minestrone with Chicken Meatballs. 

This is part-three in a three-part series about fermentation. Part-one contains information related to the nutritional value of fermented foods. It also touches upon the role that fermentation might play in personal, societal, and ecological renewal. It concludes with recipes for fermented vegetables. Part-two deals with dairy products and their non-dairy counterparts. This section is devoted to fermented grain products.

"Wow, that pink blob is moving. You are not going to eat it, are you?" I glanced at the dosa batter which was bright pink because it contained red lentils. It was creeping dangerously close to the top of the container. "Oh yes," I replied. 

Vegetarian. Gluten Free. Heart Healthy. Often overlooked as an inexpensive source of protein and fiber, pulses can play an important part in your daily menu. Not familiar with the term? You may recognize them under their more common names: peas, lentils and chickpeas. Pulses are from the family Leguminosae, or legumes, which gets its name from the characteristic pod that protects the seed while it is forming. These tiny nuggets of nutrition have been grown around the world for thousands of years. There is even a non-profit organization, the Northern Pulse Growers Association, based in North Dakota and dedicated to the promotion and awareness of their nutritional benefits. Who knew? 

I, like the other 10,000 Korean adoptees in Minnesota, have suffered from mild identity confusion. As Kim Jackson, author of HERE: A Visual History of Adopted Koreans in Minnesota states, there is at least one of us for every lake.