Whatcha Cooking today?

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arnorrian
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#261

Post: # 24603Unread post arnorrian
Mon Jul 06, 2020 1:25 pm

Beets and bacon with oyster sauce.

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Climate: Cfa
USDA hardiness zone: 7a
Elevation: 140 m

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#262

Post: # 24917Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:24 pm

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

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#263

Post: # 24921Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Jul 08, 2020 9:31 pm

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.
ImageFirst of two plates of eggplants, to dry out in the microwave. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageAll 5 eggplants, dried out in microwave. 31 oz down to 14.5 oz by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageIngredients lined up for a Thai curry. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageEverything added to the Thai curry, except for the eggplant and lime juice. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageEggplant added to the Thai curry, to cook 10 min. longer. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageFinished 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

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karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#264

Post: # 24928Unread post karstopography
Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:34 pm

17F95562-F2D0-4D45-A1DD-BC26CAC5F036.jpeg
CFEE8B27-5BF1-4534-B87E-1871BD4BAEBC.jpeg
Day one in the sun and prep for day two of my sun dried pepper investigation. No photo of the end of day 2, but these all largely dried out on the hot copper sun baked surface today. I mostly deseeded them all and chopped them all up to finish out in the sun tomorrow, this time on a paper plate. They smell wonderful. Mix of mostly cayenne, with a few serranos, two tabasco and one red ripe jalapeño.

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”

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#265

Post: # 24934Unread post pepperhead212
Wed Jul 08, 2020 11:05 pm

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

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karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#266

Post: # 24989Unread post karstopography
Thu Jul 09, 2020 3:15 pm

33993FED-96DE-4BD2-8FC9-36D6F7B37CC1.jpeg
I will be drying peppers this way again based on how these turned out. Dried them the first afternoon whole on the hot copper sun drenched sheet. Next day, split and butterflied the serrano and jalapeño and slit the cayenne and again on the copper. Today, put them through a medium fine chop and finished drying them outside in the sun on the copper and on a paper plate. Crushed them as you see them with the pointy meat tenderizer. Worked great for the task.

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”

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worth1
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#267

Post: # 24993Unread post worth1
Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:45 pm

The humidity has been perfect for drying.
Nice.
Worth
25 miles southeast of Waterloo Texas.

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#268

Post: # 24996Unread post pepperhead212
Thu Jul 09, 2020 4:56 pm

[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

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worth1
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#269

Post: # 24998Unread post worth1
Thu Jul 09, 2020 5:09 pm

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.
True that.
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.

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Donnyboy
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#270

Post: # 25021Unread post Donnyboy
Thu Jul 09, 2020 7:42 pm

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.

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#271

Post: # 25023Unread post pepperhead212
Thu Jul 09, 2020 8:12 pm

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.
Image3 qts of pickles, 7-09 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#272

Post: # 25046Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Jul 10, 2020 12:40 pm

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.
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#273

Post: # 25060Unread post karstopography
Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:40 pm

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.
5D122184-04DC-4C96-A13A-F26FB124049F.jpeg
Just so people aren’t thinking I’m exaggerating on the temperature of my copper top pepper drying surface.
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Zone 9b, located in the Columbia bottomlands, annual rainfall 46”

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worth1
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#274

Post: # 25075Unread post worth1
Fri Jul 10, 2020 6:08 pm

karstopography wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2020 3:40 pm
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.
5D122184-04DC-4C96-A13A-F26FB124049F.jpeg

Just so people aren’t thinking I’m exaggerating on the temperature of my copper top pepper drying surface.
During theses hot dry spells you might consider a ristra.
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.

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karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#275

Post: # 25076Unread post karstopography
Fri Jul 10, 2020 6:17 pm

[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”

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#276

Post: # 25089Unread post pepperhead212
Fri Jul 10, 2020 9:38 pm

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/

ImageThe simplified version of salsa negra, by Rick Bayless, just started out to cook down. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImageSalsa negra, cooked down 48 min. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

ImagePint and about 1/3 c of finished salsa negra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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arnorrian
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#277

Post: # 25244Unread post arnorrian
Sun Jul 12, 2020 12:45 pm

Rice noodles with bacon, eggs, and beet leaf stalks.

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Climate: Cfa
USDA hardiness zone: 7a
Elevation: 140 m

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karstopography
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#278

Post: # 25251Unread post karstopography
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:35 pm

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”

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GoDawgs
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#279

Post: # 25257Unread post GoDawgs
Sun Jul 12, 2020 2:37 pm

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. :D

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pepperhead212
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Re: Whatcha Cooking today?

#280

Post: # 25306Unread post pepperhead212
Sun Jul 12, 2020 10:00 pm

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.
ImageSzechwan eggplant, tossed with pasta. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
Woodbury, NJ zone 7a/7b

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