Whatcha Cooking today?
- arnorrian
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Beets and bacon with oyster sauce.
Climate: Cfa
USDA hardiness zone: 7a
Elevation: 140 m
USDA hardiness zone: 7a
Elevation: 140 m
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Double post...couldn't figure out how to delete.
Last edited by pepperhead212 on Thu Jul 09, 2020 8:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
I made a favorite recipe tonight - Thai curry. A red one, this time, with some things from the garden - kohlrabi, okra, eggplant, and some Thai basil and kaffir lime leaves - plus some chicken.
I used the method ATK used for drying out eggplant to make ratatouille, to keep it from turning mushy. I don't cook them down as much as they do, but I do it about 8-9 min., to cook them down to about half weight.
First of two plates of eggplants, to dry out in the microwave. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
All 5 eggplants, dried out in microwave. 31 oz down to 14.5 oz by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Ingredients lined up for a Thai curry. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Everything added to the Thai curry, except for the eggplant and lime juice. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Eggplant added to the Thai curry, to cook 10 min. longer. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished Thai curry, served in a ring of white jasmine rice and millet. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
That jasmine rice/millet mix I started using a few years ago, to reduce my consumption of white rice (I used to buy white jasmine in 25 lb bags at the Asian market). I tried quinoa, which covered up the flavor of the jasmine, and brown jasmine just doesn't have the same flavor. Whole oat groats were the closest, but millet was the mildest, so the jasmine rice aroma comes through strong.
I used the method ATK used for drying out eggplant to make ratatouille, to keep it from turning mushy. I don't cook them down as much as they do, but I do it about 8-9 min., to cook them down to about half weight.
First of two plates of eggplants, to dry out in the microwave. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
All 5 eggplants, dried out in microwave. 31 oz down to 14.5 oz by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Ingredients lined up for a Thai curry. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Everything added to the Thai curry, except for the eggplant and lime juice. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Eggplant added to the Thai curry, to cook 10 min. longer. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Finished Thai curry, served in a ring of white jasmine rice and millet. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
That jasmine rice/millet mix I started using a few years ago, to reduce my consumption of white rice (I used to buy white jasmine in 25 lb bags at the Asian market). I tried quinoa, which covered up the flavor of the jasmine, and brown jasmine just doesn't have the same flavor. Whole oat groats were the closest, but millet was the mildest, so the jasmine rice aroma comes through strong.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
That beaten copper sheet gets very hot in the sun, too hot to touch for more than a fraction of a second. Seems like an unusual surface and a unique opportunity to dry peppers in novel way. Salted the split serranos and jalapeño to aid in their dessication. Want these pepper flakes to be different and better than store bought. Maybe I’ll have an answer tomorrow.
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Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
That's a great way you're drying those chiles, [mention]karstopography[/mention]! Reminds me of some of the online Indian dishes I see, obviously from over there, in which they say to place the spices "in the sun for a couple of days", which is what they do to toast them!
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Flavor and aroma amazing. Blows McKormick commercial crushed pepper flakes away. No contest of depth of flavor. Very, very happy!
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Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
- worth1
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
The humidity has been perfect for drying.
Nice.
Nice.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
[mention]karstopography[/mention] Looks like that method is toasting the peppers some, too! I'm sure those are better than the store bought pepper flakes - those are usually heat, but little flavor. Same with cayenne powder.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- worth1
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
True that.pepperhead212 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:56 pm @karstopography Looks like that method is toasting the peppers some, too! I'm sure those are better than the store bought pepper flakes - those are usually heat, but little flavor. Same with cayenne powder.
I only use cayenne powder when I dont want anything but hot and no added flavor.
Which ain't often.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
-
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Dinner this evening was very simple and very filling and tasty. I mixed chunks of a large tomato with chunks of honey dew melon. Lightly salted and peppered, drizzled balsamic vinegar and Texas grown and produced EVOO. Delicious! If had some goat cheese to dress it with, it would have been perfect.
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
My breakfast and dinner was that leftover Thai Curry. My cooking for the day was pickling some of those cukes, and seasoning them with some dill and some of those garlic scapes. And, of course, a few hot peppers.
3 qts of pickles, 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
3 qts of pickles, 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
For lunch today I made my first guacamole of the year, using fresh tomatoes and chiles from the garden! I went into the kitchen, and the rain gauge meter was at 1.80, and when I finished making the guac, maybe 20 minutes later, it was up to 2.40 - it's coming down that fast!
That guac is delicious, as always, and I put one of those pointed peppers I picked, that definitely isn't a jalapeño. No jalapeño flavor or aroma; maybe an immature fresno, but the guac had no heat whatsoever, using the whole pepper. I'll leave the rest of those on the plants to ripen, and see if that's what it is. I've always used fresnos ripe, so I don't know if it's one of those stays mild until the very end.
That guac is delicious, as always, and I put one of those pointed peppers I picked, that definitely isn't a jalapeño. No jalapeño flavor or aroma; maybe an immature fresno, but the guac had no heat whatsoever, using the whole pepper. I'll leave the rest of those on the plants to ripen, and see if that's what it is. I've always used fresnos ripe, so I don't know if it's one of those stays mild until the very end.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Just so people aren’t thinking I’m exaggerating on the temperature of my copper top pepper drying surface.pepperhead212 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:56 pm @karstopography Looks like that method is toasting the peppers some, too! I'm sure those are better than the store bought pepper flakes - those are usually heat, but little flavor. Same with cayenne powder.
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Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
- worth1
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
During theses hot dry spells you might consider a ristra.karstopography wrote: ↑Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:40 pm5D122184-04DC-4C96-A13A-F26FB124049F.jpegpepperhead212 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:56 pm @karstopography Looks like that method is toasting the peppers some, too! I'm sure those are better than the store bought pepper flakes - those are usually heat, but little flavor. Same with cayenne powder.
Just so people aren’t thinking I’m exaggerating on the temperature of my copper top pepper drying surface.
I have made several in my life with great success.
But never in your neck of the woods.
I'm cooking some rice tonight to go along with my left overs from last nights cheap eating meal.
Just added salt, cumin and some more red cayenne pepper powder to the rice for some silly reason as if the stuff I made last night wasn't hot enough.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.
You can't argue with a closed mind.
You might as well be arguing with a cat.
- karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
[mention]worth1[/mention] I love the ristra of New Mexico. Can’t walk 10 feet in Santa Fe without seeing one. Here on the coast, they end up as mold gardens I fear.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
I made another batch of Salsa Negra - the simplified one from Bayless, which uses canned chipotles, but I add a couple of moritas, to add more of that flavor. The original version is even more intense, and has a bunch of garlic, as well as moritas, fried briefly in oil, and ground to a paste with some piloncillo syrup. I'll be making some of that soon, too, as I always like to have these in the fridge, to easily add these flavors to dishes.
https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/salsa-negra/
The simplified version of salsa negra, by Rick Bayless, just started out to cook down. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Salsa negra, cooked down 48 min. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Pint and about 1/3 c of finished salsa negra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
https://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/salsa-negra/
The simplified version of salsa negra, by Rick Bayless, just started out to cook down. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Salsa negra, cooked down 48 min. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Pint and about 1/3 c of finished salsa negra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b
- arnorrian
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Rice noodles with bacon, eggs, and beet leaf stalks.
Climate: Cfa
USDA hardiness zone: 7a
Elevation: 140 m
USDA hardiness zone: 7a
Elevation: 140 m
- karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Grilled Jumbo Gulf White Shrimp. Probably going to toss them with a little olive oil, minced garlic, cilantro and maybe even a bit of jalapeño before tossing on the grill.
Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”
- GoDawgs
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Meatloaf with some fresh picked corn on the cob and the first sliced Stump Of The World tomato. That Stump sure is good! It just made the list for growing next year.
- pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?
Made another double batch of Szechwan eggplant, with 7 eggplants, scallions, and a bunch of garlic from the garden. This time I tossed it with pasta.
Szechwan eggplant, tossed with pasta. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Szechwan eggplant, tossed with pasta. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b