Ginger Peach Gelato

We have the most gorgeous peach tulips blooming right now and so thus inspired I made some ginger peach gelato.  We had a good crop of peaches on our little trees this year, way too many to use before they were over-ripe so I peeled, quartered and froze some. 

I put a good sized cupful in my blender with about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger, a cup of cold water, 2/3 cup of sugar and a cup of milk.  Gave it a good buzz and then put it in my "Big Chill" and we had gelato for dessert.  (Rene found some "Big Chill" ice cream makers on ebay for under $20!)

Ginger Peach Gelato:

1 cup peach puree
1 TB ginger, freshly grated
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup milk

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until completely pureed.  Put puree into an ice cream maker if you have one and if not put it in a large metal bowl and put it in your freezer.  Freeze for two hours, remove from the freezer and whisk the gelato or stir it vigorously with a fork to break up the forming ice crystals.  Return gelato to the freezer and repeat this process until you have a soft ice cream texture. 

What's Fresh: Tulips!

Yep, we have tulips.  With the bright light we have had over the weekend and today we have tulips.  So long brushes, good-bye to sleeping in,  time to be a farmer again.  I will be delivering to Sun Valley in less than two weeks.

A stand of Red Impression, one of the earliest bloomers.

 

 

Red Impression tulip

Apricot Impression tulip

And coming soon, new varieties of parrot tulip.

To order please email Bindweed or call me.

Quinoa and Blackbean Salad

I adore quinoa.  It is a small grain that has been eaten for hundreds of years.  It is high in fiber and nutrients and is free of gluten.  Several years ago I had my first taste at a great sandwich place in downtown Boise.  That intriguing side salad made such an impression that I have reproduced it several times.  This recipe has a decidedly Latin swing but with slight adjustments you can spin it any way you like.


Put one cup quinoa in a large bowl and cover with cold water.  Let this soak for an hour.  Using a small screen sieve, pour out the water and rinse the quinoa in running water for 30 seconds.  Put quinoa into a med. saucepan and cover with water by ½ in.  Bring the quinoa and water to the boil, add ½ tsp. salt, cover saucepan and cook for 10 min., or until quinoa is tender to the bite.  When tender, remove from heat and let any extra water be absorbed.   Let cool and refrigerate.

While the quinoa is cooling make the dressing.

Honey-Lime Dressing

juice from 2 limes, measuring ¼ c.

¼ - ½ t. salt

½ t. garlic powder

1 heaping teaspoon cumin

¼ - ½ t. chili powder

1 tb. Honey

¼ c. olive oil

Put all ingredients except the olive oil into a med. bowl.  Mix well, until honey is dissolved and incorporated into the juice.  Taste and adjust any seasonings.  Add the oil and whisk the dressing until emulsified. 

Now open a can of black beans and rinse and drain them well.  Add them to the quinoa.

For a colorful and delicious salad add diced red, orange and/or yellow peppers and celery to your salad.  I always wash and add the leafy green tops of the celery too.

Stir in your dressing and adjust any seasoning.  Wash and mince fresh cilantro and add it to your salad.

 

Perfect.

 Ingredient list for salad:

1 cup quinoa (I use a mix of red/black and white quinoa because it's colorful.)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well

1 red pepper, diced

1 orange pepper, diced

1 green pepper, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

¼ c. fresh cilantro, minced

Quinoa is a very versatile grain and takes on a variety of flavors very well.  I have made this salad substituting red kidney beans or garbanzo beans for black beans and used a variety of fresh vegetables, what ever I had on hand.  I have also used various dressings, all citrus based, but with different flavor profiles.  It is fun to mix it up.

Asian Dumplings

Thank you to everyone at the Asian Dumpling class Monday night.  We really heated up the kitchen and had a great time, making and sharing dumplings...and the coconut ice cream wasn't bad either.   Dumplings are the perfect party food--the fillings and dipping sauces can be prepared ahead of time, they take minutes to steam and are the perfect finger food.  Constructing the dumplings is an excellent group activity, a good way to get everyone involved, and they are so simple to do age and ability is not really a factor.  SO...I challenge you all to throw a Dumpling Party, even if it is just for your immediate family.  Please let me know when you do, I would love to post your comments and photos.

Turkey Pot Stickers

 

Thai Vegetable Dumplings

2 TB. canola oil

1 tsp. garlic, minced

1 TB. ginger, freshly grated

1 tsp. chile paste

3 scallions (green onions), sliced

1 c. zucchini, grated

1 c. broccoli slaw mix

½ c. red pepper, finely diced

juice from one half lime

¼ c. cilantro, chopped

14-18 won-ton wrappers

Film the bottom of a sauté pan and set on med. high heat.  Add the garlic, ginger, chile paste and cook one min.  Add the green onion and cook another min.  Add the zucchini, slaw mix and red pepper and cook 3-4 min.  Remove from the heat and add the lime juice, cilantro and stir to mix.  Let mixture cool.

To make dumplings place one teaspoon of mixture in the center of a won-ton square, moisten the edges with water and fold into a triangle or pull opposing corners together and pinch at the top and then pull in the remaining corners to the center (the seams will form an “x”) and pinch the seams.  Keep dumplings covered until you are ready to cook.

Place dumplings into a lined steamer basket closely together but not touching.  (You can line the basket with parchment paper or cabbage leaves.)  

 Steam for 10-15 minutes.  Remove dumplings and serve immediately.  

Dipping Sauce

¼ c. rice vinegar

¼ c. soy sauce

½ t. ginger, freshly grated

1 scant t. brown sugar

1 scallion, sliced

dash of granulated garlic

pinch of red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients and serve in small shallow bowls.

Pot Stickers

(Recipe makes 14 dumplings)

½ lb. ground turkey

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. granulated garlic

1 t. soy sauce

½ t. ginger, freshly grated

5 drops sesame oil

5 sprigs cilantro, minced

1 scallion (green onion), minced

1 egg, mixed

14 won-ton wrappers

chicken stock

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Make dumplings by spooning 1 teaspoon of mixture into a won ton square.  Moisten the edges by brushing with water and then fold into a triangle and pinch the seams together or pull opposing corners together and pinch at the top and then pull in the remaining corners to the center (the seams will form an “x”) and pinch the seams.  Keep dumplings covered until you are ready to cook.

Heat a nonstick pan on high to med. high and film the bottom of the pan with canola oil.  Place as many dumplings in the pan as possible with out the dumplings touching.  “Fry” the dumplings for 4-5 min., checking after 4 min. so that the bottoms do not burn.  After 4 or 5 min., add ½ cup chicken stock and cover the pan to let the pot stickers steam for 3 min.

Remove from pan immediately.  If you have more dumplings to cook, use a wad of paper towels to wipe the pan out and repeat the process.

Bouquets

I am so confused!  One morning we wake to blue skies and the fields look like pans of brownie batter.  The very next day the rows are blanketed in white and frost coats every twig!  So to combat this case of weird weather blues I assembled some of my favorite spring bouquets from the farm last year...

 

 

 ...and these beauties I put together today.

 There may be snow on the ground and skies full of lead, but color and hope for the spring ahead are right here.

Dumplings

Dumplings are divine!  Steamy and tender dumplings are little pillows of deliciousness,  a mouthful of flavor.  They are delicate and powerful, extravagant and yet simple.  I love dumplings and I love to make dumplings.  Like ravioli, a dumpling can be filled with almost anything and accented with a dipping sauce--sweet and savory or hot and spicy.  Dumplings are not complicated to make but do involve a bit of hand labor so they are a perfect group activity--a great way to involve your friends and family.

So... come make dumplings with me.  We will make three types of dumplings:  Shrimp Shumai, Thai Vegetable Dumplings and Chicken Pot Stickers.

Monday, February 27
7 - 9 pm
Meridian Center
$15 per person

Greenhouse Experiment: Anemones

Every year we do a little research and development on the farm.  This year we converted one of the hoop houses to a heated greenhouse, doubling our early production real estate and heating costs.  Last fall we sectioned off half of one of the greenhouses with a plastic wall and planted anemones, ranunculus and hellebores.  It has been such a mild winter that I have had fresh flowers in the house for weeks and we now have anemones coming out of our ears!

 This is a great shot of the greenhouse division--anemones on the right, ranunculus on the left and RT placing transplants at the back.  He removed the plastic "wall" last week to make ready for new transplants but it was just behind all the greenery.

 We spent a long day in various squat positions last week transplanting over 3,000 new starts.  It looks like RT does all the work here but only because  he is NOT to be trusted with the camera.  I was right there with him--he removed the transplants from the plug tray and placed them and I set them in.  We filled the first greenhouse to capacity with snap dragons, Bells of Ireland and matricaria.

 Then we moved to the newly converted greenhouse and planted a long row, 100 feet, with the same varieties.  The ground in the middle of this photo is full of tulips planted last fall.

RT is demonstrating the most difficult planting position--the up against the greenhouse double knee side stretch.  It's a killer!