Yesterday at the fish monger there was a so many choices and I tried skate. I Googled a recipe, panfried it as directed and we were disgusted by the mushy texture. Tossed it directly into the garbage can! Thankfully I also purchased some delicious and ultra fresh steel head trout which I cooked on the bbq. Dinner was served!

I enjoy trying new foods, have very little in the way of dislikes, so I recently ordered (no other way of getting it) some Nam pla for a couple of recipes I saved. It wasn't cheap and I had to order two bottles. But I really didn't like it. So disappointed. And what on earth am I going to do with two bottles?

Skate fish is looked upon as a gourmet fish to the Europeans, but to Americans it's a trash fish. One reason is because it is tricky to prepare. The fish has unpleasant excretion thru the skin, if it is done improperly the fish can have an ammonia smell, and the flesh can become mushy.

It is not easy to find skate in the stores here in the US. To me skates taste like crab meat in flavor and texture.

Nam Pla, I use it instead of anchovies. Just like any food, there are good ones and there are bad ones. I don't know if you are going to try a different brand at this point.

dcarch

I think there's a distinct difference between "good" food and "obscure" food. It's entirely possible for a small market to have excellent food but not much variety.

The fishmonger (santa monica seafood) is a high quality (and priced) store where everything is fresh & labeled. There's no fishy aroma when you enter the door. The skate had no discernible tell tale ammonia odor that you describe..
The fishmonger who waited on me admitted he had never tried it or cooked it, but had a customer earlier in the day was from Italy. She was delighted to find it and told him she broils or pan fries skate. I gambled and lost. Good thing I had the trout as a back up plan!

Lacey- I'm sorry, I HATE when I buy an expensive ingredient to discover that we don't like it for a variety of reasons. Thankfully at work we have a place to "share & adopt" orphans like yours. Despite that, sometimes they still end up in the trash.

This post was edited by compumom on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 13:37

I am known as the "Skate Queen" at our marina. That's because the blasted things have an affinity for my hook. :( This linked article says they don't smell/taste like ammonia or cook up "mushy" if they're "fresh" but I'm not buying it. It doesn't get much fresher than the end of my line. They're pretty awful. I toss them and endure the chuckles of the others. DH brought home a beautiful summer fluke this morning though that's heading to be our dinner tonight - great fish.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Reoeat after me...

Thanks Tricia! Coming from you who knows fish and fishing, your comments validate my experience! I don't buy that article either. My chosen recipe was lemon & caper sauce. It never made it that far. Yuck!
FYI I've never heard of fluke.

Top line on the Monteray Bay Watch list...we call them fluke rather than flounder.

/t

Here is a link that might be useful: Summer Fluke

Skate should never be mushy.

When skate is not properly prepared, it will smell ammonia. People try to neutralize the smell by soaking it in solutions, and that can make the meat mushy.

dcarch

The best use of skate is bait so you can catch a decent dinner. :)

/t

Went to the farmer's market this morning. Nothing worth buying at all. A produce lady convinced me that her squashes were a different variety and taste much better. I bought some at $3.00 a lb. I was looking for squash blossoms also, didn’t find any.

I made frittata di zucchini and the blossoms were from my own cucumber vines. The $3.00 a lb squash tasted exactly the same as any $1.00 a lb zucchini.

dcarch

I'm sorry you are unhappy with your farmer's markets, dcarch. Maybe, you might want to try getting outside the city (NJ, the Garden State?) and try a new market. The frittata looks good.

I just finished making a tomato tart using multi-colored heirloom tomatoes from one of our farmer's markets to accompany our summer fluke. We're not growing our own this year due to Sandy.

/t

The skate wasn't soaked nor did it smell.

Dcarch, I received this email today from our Farmer's Market. Every week is a different theme. It's lots of fun and a much more enjoyable shopping experience than a mega-mart. Quality is always good. Cheaper garlic is, of course, available elsewhere but I'd be hard pressed to find better garlic. There are always products I could not find elsewhere. I can't imagine there are not similar markets just outside NYC.

"Coventry Regional Farmers' Market
Wag it Up for Dog Days

What's happening on Sunday, August 4 ~ at the
Coventry Regional Farmers' Market from 11-2 every Sunday, through the end of October, at the Nathan Hale Homestead, 2299 South Street, Coventry, CT
Dogs: Do you step out all leashed and friendly?
Just say no to barking in public?
Does your person pack a plastic bag just in case?
If so, my friends... this is the market day for YOU!

Join us on Sunday for our 8th annual Dog Days of Summer Event!

On Connecticut farms, you'll find herding dogs, watch dogs, hunting dogs, and dogs serving as vermin eradicators and livestock guardians. We love farms, and we love dogs! (Did you catch our Connecticut Food and Farm episode on farm dogs?)

The Coventry Regional Farmers' Market is a dog-friendly market...the grass of the Hale Farm's fields is kind to tender paws and the 1500 acre Nathan Hale State Forest offers wonderful, shady hiking trails. The market is a great destination for a canine outing!

Celtic Coel will perform Irish and Scottish songs.
________________________________________
Market Barn = "Dog House"

Here, you'll find a cool concrete floor for flopping down on, extra bowls of water with ice cubes to bob for, complimentary broth-flavored ice cubes for a refreshing K-9 treat and our famousdog toy swap. Our dogs go crazy for toys and nearly-new toys are just as popular! It's a great opportunity to sort through your pal's toy box to find a few toys in good condition that have fallen out of favor. Clean them up and bring them down to the market for the TOY SWAP BIN. Your dog can pick out a toy to take home!

Laura Stone Photography and Carla McElroy Photography are offering professional dog portrait sessions for a suggested donation of $5 per dog! Donations will be passed along to Fidelco and the Sadie Mae Foundation.

Our event sponsors will be with us ~

Kirby Veterinary Hospital- Works with you to keep your pets healthy! Stop by to meet Dr. Wendy and pick up a fun promo item like a food scoops or can lid.

That Newfoundland Place, Inc. was created to help prevent cruelty to animals and to provide humane education as relates to care and life quality of animals. They'll bring biscuits for dogs and coloring sheets for children and free passes for open skate at Bolton Ice Palace.

The Farmer's Cow will be sampling their brand new, much waited for CHOCOLATE MILK!

In the Flag Field ~

Canine Freestyle: Dog dancing teams perform routines that combine traditional obedience with tricks and "dance" behaviors that highlight our dogs' energy and fun-loving spirit. See their performance in the Flag Field at 11:00 and visit them after the performance and they'll help you teach your dogs a few moves!

The Hartford Obedience Training Club, founded in 1937, is the oldest training club in continual existence in the country, training for companionship and competition. They will present an interactive demonstration of RALLY, a fun obedience course, in the Flag Field beginning around 11:30.

And, when they arrive, members of the East Hartford K-9 Unit will, as they do every year, astound us with the awesome partnerships between police dogs and their officers. This unit has searched over 1.2 million square feet of space for suspects, assisted in over a 1000 arrests, and given K-9 demonstrations to more than one quarter million people.

Plus ~

Fidelco is Connecticut's own and New England's only guide dog school, dedicated to promoting increased independence to men and women who are blind by providing them with the highest quality guide dogs. Learn what it takes to be a puppy raiser... there will be coloring pages (with crayons) for the kids at their booth!

Cold Noses and Warm Hearts, Inc. will have books for children to choose to R.E.A.D. to the dogs and then we will stamp them and the child can take the book home.

Fido's Fiber offers custom handspinning of dog fur (and other furry friends) into yarn which then can be knit, crocheted, or woven into something special. Stop by to see the process and inquire whether your dog's fur can be spun. Need a poop bag? Roberta's bringing extra to share!

Oma's Pride will have a variety of all natural freeze dried treats, chews and samples for tastings.

Pet Appearance Dog and Cat Grooming, an all-breed salon owned by Lorie Hebert, CFMG, will be offering free doggie hair feathers and ear cleaning.

Posh Pups Dog Grooming: Will offer nail trimming.

Marty's Canine Club: Is bringing dog treat bags.
Camp Unleashed: Will be handing out homemade dog treats and distributing information cards for anyone who would like to take a 4-day vacation retreat with their dog. Locations include the Berkshires in MA, Asheville, NC and Sequoia, CA.

Baywood Kennels: Will offer teeth brushing and nail clipping

Connecticut businesses Rope It Dog Toys and Fingear Mini Mitts and dog philanthropy groups White Shepherd Dog Rescue, WAG, Paws Crossed Animal Rescue, and the Sadie Mae Foundation will also be with us.

In the the market ~

Friend of the Market Specials and Freebies.

Lizzie: Gourmet Hot Dog Bar with Terra Firma Farm "Hot Diggity Dogs" (the best hot dogs we've ever tasted); BBQ pulled pork; Cajun corn chowder; Cato Corner Farms cheese "press" and pesto chicken salad wrap.

Terra Firma Farm: Nitrate Free HOT DIGGIDY-DOGS! and BACON; pastured raised duck and chicken eggs, liverwurst, grass-fed Angus Beef, a cooler full of Baldwin Brook raw milk, pasture raised pork cuts... and for the pups, grass-fed marrow bones or beef livers (perfect for making dog treats!)... It's also Meat CSA weekend. Interested in a share? Emailbrianne@terrafirmafarm.org

MaryLynne of Bethany Homecrafts uses all of her sewing scraps to create dog beds which she donates to FIDELCO and CT ARF. If you would like to help in this effort, she would love donations of XL or larger t-shirts or sweatshirts that you no longer have a use for. Just drop them off at her booth!

Windham Gardens: Lovely pre made bouquets, sunflower bunches, aloe plants, bouquets made to order, corn, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, greens, and Dwarf Pak Choi.

Susan Parks Soaps: DEET-free, non-toxic Bug Buster spray protects puppies and adults of all breeds from flying insects. Humans, too!

The Fish Market: Black Sea Bass, Fluke, Halibut, Swordfish, Stonington Sea Scallops, Bluefish, Cod, Stonington Red Shrimp, Monkfish, Salmon, Littleneck Clams, Mystic Oysters,Crab and Corn Chowder made with Windham Gardens corn, all other soups, Stuffed Clams and Crab Cakes.

Sixpence Pie Co: Poor dog pasties! That's sausage & mash for those in the know! Plus all kinds of yummy pies!

Get Baked: English Muffin Bread, Honey Wheat Bread, Cheddar Cheese Bread, Nutella Brownies, GF + Andes Nutella Brownies, GF/DF Coconut Macaroons, Vegan Double Berry Oat Bars, Honey Heart Treats (for the dogs) and ice cold water bowl for the dogs to drink.

Topmost Herb Farm: Still lots of time to plant! Assortment of perennial herbs, Topmost Tea and Lavender Spritzers. Perennial Lobelia and Rudbeckia Triloba just coming into blossom. Carole will mind your dog at her booth while you shop - many of them like lying under her table!

NoRA Cupcake: SAVORY Uncle Frankie's Corn Dog Cakes with Sabrett sauce, Greyhounds and Bichon Frise - grapefruit cocktail inspired cupcakes with vodka, elderflower liqueur, and citrus curds, Hair of the Dog - think chocolate, whiskey and chili peppers, Puppy Chowcupcakes and LOTS of Kid Friendly, VEGAN, and GLUTEN FREE cupcakes as well - PLUS a water bowl available for your buddies.
They love dogs at the Mystic Cheese Co. so they will be giving out free Melville samples to any dog that can do a trick! Sit Melville, Sit!

The Oven from Hunt's Brook: Woodfired-Oven Pizza with basil, garlic, pesto, fresh diced tomato and mozzarella, and as always cheddar and Melville from the Mystic Cheese Company.

Little Sisters Grilled Cheese: The Melville, The Blue Buffalo & the Steak Bomb Grilled cheese sandwiches. Water & treats for the dogs at the truck!

Keifer's Kettle Korn: Dog's head Ale/Spicy Kettle Korn; Hair of the Dog Lemonade ~ lemonade made with basil; a dog treat bag for ALL dogs that attend; frozen peanut butter dog treats at the Italian Ice Cart.

GourmAvian Farms: Free Dog Treats-Raw necks & gizzards-fresh dog food ingredients! Also-chicken ~ roasters, breasts, leg/thighs and "parts" for people.

Rutabaga Farm: Jalapenos, Mexican Sour Gherkins, green peppers, cucumbers, kale, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, garlic, onions.

DiFiore Pasta Co.: Pasta for the pooches (for real!) ~ chicken, bacon and rice flavored ravioli, baked until crisp.

Farm to Hearth: Breads ~ Country, Rustic Oat, Seeded Country and Focaccia. Currant Coriander Hearth Crisps, Melville & VT Smoke and Cure Bacon Scones, Ginger Scones, Granola, and assorted California Olive Oils.

Your hot dog will taste great with Christine's Country Kitchen's Bread & Butter Relish, Sauerkraut, Sweet & Spicy mustard or Hot & Spicy mustard.

Baker's Dozen proudly uses ingredients in their dog treats from either the Farmer's Cow, Cato Corner Farm or RiverView Farm.

Howard Valley Fudge: Blueberry Cheesecake fudge with blueberries from Easy Pickins'. Every dog visiting the booth will receive a dog biscuit.

Flanders Fish Market & Restaurant's: Shrimp Cocktail, Lobster Salad Sliders, Clam Fritters, and cold drinks!

Turtle Creek Farm: Now taking orders for fall freezer lambs, also, 1/2 custom butchered lamb available now. Must call ahead 742-5483 and it's a good idea to bring cooler.

Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm: Whole turkey breast, Ground turkey, Turkey Salad, & various turkey cuts. Is your dog thirsty? They offer a water bowl at the booth every week with ice cold water!

Morning Glory will have the mutt of the bakery world, Hermit cookies.

Whole Harmony Hand Crafted Artisan Teas: Peach Passionflower Iced Tea! Lavender Lemonade! Goji Berry Iced Tea!

Raw YOUniverse: Dog Day Treat - Pineapple, Coconut, Lime Smoothie. Want Sparkling Refreshment? Add sparkling mineral water. All your market favorites available too.
Easy Pickin's: Peaches! Blueberries! Sugar Plums! Could a Dog's Life be any sweeter? Also Peppers, Onions, Shallots, Leeks, Tomatoes, Kale, Cabbage, Kohlrabi, Beets and more...
La Petite France: The crepe cart will be serving sweet and savory; they'll have ham and cheese croissants for quick noon snack.
Grow Hartford: Lacinato, Beira, Red Russian and Green Scotch kale (this super food is great for dogs, too!)

18th Century Purity Farm: Peaches, plums, early apples, Zephyr squash, cucumbers, leeks, onions, and red, bluegold, fingerling, and Green Mountain potatoes. Fresh water for dogs.

Maggie's Farm will have plenty of fresh picked garlic!

Oxen Hill Farm: USDA Certified Organic specialty eggplants, peppers of all colors and shapes, new potatoes in several colors, greens, beans, squashes, cucumbers, fresh herbs and maybe even some tomatoes.

CT Valley farms: Introduce your dog and get free Holy or lime basil! They'll have cukes, collards, kale, tomatoes, garlic, and green beans.

Highland Thistle Farm: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, corn, kale, lettuce, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, carrots, beets, basil, ensalada, garlic, scallions, onions, potatoes, and beans. Stop by to get your dog a treat!

Falls Creek Farm: Heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, poblano peppers, bell peppers, okra, leeks, squash and much more!

Bean & Leaf: Farmer's Market Blend Cold Brewed Iced Coffee, Peach Rooibus Iced Tea, hot coffee & FTO Fresh Roasted beans by the bag.
24 Peace: Artisan made T shirts and free organic cookies for dogs and a water bowl available!

Ladies of Lebanon: Creamline milk, fresh cheeses, cultured butter, and yogurt.

Fabyan Sugar Shack: A full line of Maple Products. Maple Cotton Candy made on site. Grade B syrup is still available.

Jamilah Henna: Pet inspired henna designs at Jamilah Henna Creations!

Meriano's Bake Shoppe: It'd be a doggone shame to not try their new vegetable ravioli this week! Blueberry blast coffee cakes, cinnamon and orange cranberry scones. Cheddar and chive biscuits. Triple chocolate chunk cookies!

Yummy Hummy: Dogs love chicken and so does pesto! Try their Parsley Basil Pesto on top of your grilled chicken!

Riverview Farm: Summer squash, green, red and Lacinato kale, Swiss chard, collards and garlic.

Wayne's Organic Garden: Heirloom and other tomatoes, sweet ripe red Carmen peppers, basil and parsley, cipollini, leeks, yummy Zephyr squash, and doggie water.

Crocker Farm is keeping the lettuce a-coming, broccoli crowns, eggplant, green and yellow beans, New Zealand and Malabar spinach. And.... A cold drink of water for your friendly furry friends!

Why A Spoon and Renaissance Herbals: Awesome handmade wooden scoops for dog kibble make feeding Fido fun! As requested, more insect repellant and pup paw friendly calendula salve!

Perfect for the 'Dog Days of Summer' ~ Dragons Blood Elixir Unique Destiny Honey Garlic and Unique Destiny Blackberry Ginger- lazy cold grilled chicken.
Carol Monnerat Artisan Truffles: Maple Walnut Truffles; iced tea ~ Peach Hibiscus Black, Citrus Grove Green, Lavender Mint and Sweet Tea. Organic Cold Brewed Coffee with add on flavor shots available.
Shayna B's ~ A gluten free vegan eatery: Soy-free chocolate avocado "mousse" tartlets; local organic carrot cake; savory options ~ roasted veggie hummus wrap and cool summer veggie quinoa salad.
Stonewall Apiary: Stop by the tent to sample their fantastic honey, honey butter, and more!
Never a Dull Moment: Don't dog it, get your tools sharpened with us.
See What I Saw: Wooden puzzles

See you at the market!

11-2 , Sundays, June-October"

/tricia

"----I'm sorry you are unhappy with your farmer's markets, dcarch.----The frittata looks good."

Thanks Tricia. Actually I am not unhappy with farmers market around me. I am just not that excited with them.

I am interested in things I can't get in supermarkets. I asked a Japanese seller why he didn't grow more varieties. He told me that's because no one buys them. He said he used to have many interesting vegetables for sell in the beginning.

dcarch

Sometimes I derive as much pleasure from discovering not readily available old ingredients as new ones.

I went to a country farmers' market on Friday (the kind with a barber shop) and sent this picture to my cousin to let her know that the one butcher had veal hearts this week. She drove up and got some and we all gathered at her house last night for a stuffed heart dinner. The filling was updated from the way our Nana used to make them and they were delicious. I like hearts and have posted multiple dishes with chicken hearts on the WFD threads.

I posed your question about exploring new ingredients at dinner and we soon realized that anyone our age must have continually been exploring because so many current everyday foods were not available when we were growing up or when we first began cooking.

Yukon Gold potatoes, basalmic vinegar, siracha sauce, tilapia, Kiwi fruit, clementines, kale, Swiss chard, quinoa, fresh mozzarella, most varieties of fres peppers other than banana and red and green bell, chicken wings and boneless breasts sold without the rest of the hen, Brie cheese and fresh ginger are just a few that must have been new ingredients that we explored at some point.

My best discoveries in recent years have been bronzini/branzino/levraki, which is a delicious fish for baking and still not too expensive, fennel, ground lamb and untrimmed celery. It's not exactly a new ingredient but I have enjoyed exploring combining fruit with animals. Worst has been most organic products, which have not offered much additional flavor for their additional price.

Tricia, thanks for the informative Email from your farmers market it sounds like a place I love to shop!
Ruthanna, while I wouldn't have wanted to dine on your meal, I would've loved to of been a guest at the table. You bring up such an interesting point,these are all ingredients that my grandmother never tasted! Especially my favorite, balsamic vinegar. It's a staple in my kitchen that my parents never really learned to love. I think american foods were generally sweeter and less spicy or tangy. We know that veggies were definitely overcooked!

"Worst has been most organic products, which have not offered much additional flavor for their additional price."

Ruthanna, I don't think I buy organic because it tastes different although it often does because organic growers frequently grown heirloom varieties. I buy organic because I do not want to consume antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, etc. I grew up on a EPA Superfund site. I know those things are not good for my family. So, I buy organic when possible. It's not always possible, unfortunately.

To those of you in CA - if you've ever driven Hwy 99 through Fresno/Selma then you've probably driven right by the Superfund site I refer to. It's right on Hwy 99 surrounded by barbed wire with a federal big skull and crossbones sign. Hard to miss. :( And every US citizen that pays federal taxes (and if you live in CA - CA state taxes also) has been paying to remediate that site/farm since the 1970s.

/t

Wow, Tricia, what did it used to be?

Ruthanna, I agree, you make an excellent point. Ingredients I take for granted now, weren't served 20 or 30 years ago - at least not in the common household.

I'm afraid I haven't been too adventurous lately. Dcarch, you've challenged me now to go out and find something new to me to try. I don't know when I'll get to it, but I'd like to start learning new ingredients.

I love watching Chopped, and seeing all the interesting ingredients they place in the basket the Chefs have to use. I wonder where on earth they find those ingredients. Of course, not all of them are something I'd want to try, but many of them are.

Sally

Sally, to me, food is more than just for eating enjoyment.

I believe that our body, thru millions years of evolution, requires a very varied diet to stay healthy.

Besides seeking new flavors, I also look for food which has "medicinal" or special health benefits.

dcarch

I believe that our body, thru millions years of evolution, requires a very varied diet to stay healthy.

Varied, yes, but in terms of evolution it was only a second or so ago that we began to have access to food not locally grown, raised or hunted.

FOAS “--- Varied, yes, but in terms of evolution it was only a second or so ago that we began to have access to food not locally grown, raised or hunted.---“

Speaking of “hunt”, I found in the store Portulaca oleracea. $3.25 a lb. I said “Heck, I got plenty on my front lawn”. So I went home and hunted enough for a couple of meals.

"---Portulaca oleracea (Common Purslane, also known as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed, or Pursley, andMoss rose). Although purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it ---- is eaten throughout much of Europe, the middle east, Asia, and Mexico,----" speaking of the lack of variety in our food selections here.

All food has different chemicals and compounds which your body may react to differently, therefore, in trying out new food, do your own research.

"---- Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acidin particular[4]) than any other leafy vegetable plant. Studies have found that Purslane has 0.01 mg/g of eicosapentaenoic acid(EPA). This is an extraordinary amount of EPA for a land-based vegetable source. EPA is an Omega-3 fatty acid found mostly in fish, some algae, and flax seeds.[5] It also contains vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)[6] and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium,potassium, and iron. Also present are two types of betalain alkaloid pigments, the reddish betacyanins (visible in the coloration of the stems) and the yellow betaxanthins (noticeable in the flowers and in the slight yellowish cast of the leaves). Both of these pigment types are potent antioxidants and have been found to have antimutagenic properties in laboratory studies.-----"

But never mind all the possible benefits health-wise, purslane is delicious, and you can find many recipes on-line.

dcarch

Sous vide shell steak on purslane and giant scallions:

This post was edited by dcarch on Mon, Aug 5, 13 at 11:49

Dcarch, I have a lot of purslane to contend with in my garden. Can you tell me how you cook it and what it might compare to in flavor? Because of it's thick leaves and stems, it reminds me a bit of Malabar Spinach, not necessarily that it looks like MS, just that it is a bit of a succulent. And my experience with MS is that it is a disgusting, slimy, ready for the trash thing, LOL.

Whole Foods sells purslane. :)

/t

Hmmm, if it's a weed to be had around here I probably have it. But it would be mowed down with the ditch lilies, dandelions and more. I wonder what other weeds in my yard would be edible - if not for the dog!

Tricia, Whole Foods does carry interesting items once in a while. I saw ramps in their produce department this spring, $25.00 a lb!! I refuse to buy things from them. I think it's obnoxious the prices they are charging, including $3.00 to park you car. Yet, they have lots of customers.

Donna, purslane is very flexible, just about works with any recipes. I have made soup and salads as well as stir fries.

Interesting that purslane tastes different, depends on whether you pick them in the a.m. or p.m.

FOAS, "--- I wonder what other weeds in my yard would be edible - if not for the dog!"

Animals are way smarter then us civilized drug-dependent humans. They have their instinctual abilities to self-heal using nature's gifts.

dcarch

Ramps - $25/lb. Wow! Here, they had a small basket of local grown (RI) for $2.99/lb. And parking is free just like any other grocery store. Of course, your land prices and real estate taxes are higher than SE CT.

/tricia

Dcarch - the issue with my dog is not that he is steals natures gifts, it's that he relieves himself indiscriminately upon them.

Because ramps are so difficult to come by and expensive here, I am starting to grow my own. I am happy to see my ramps are blossoming and seemingly doing great in my shady garden.

I did buy something from Whole Foods once. They had some large globe shaped artichokes with long (10 inch?) thick stems for $5.00 each. I noticed that people cracked the stems off and just took the chokes. I bagged all the stems people threw away and one artichoke. The cashier only charged me $5.00.

People had no idea that the stem is just as good as the heart. I was a very happy customer. :-)

dcarch

Dogs eat instinctually??? LOLOLOL! Just grass!
Obviously you've never been owned by a Golden Retriever! Most types of pups adore chocolate, pork and turkey-- all of which could be fatal.

FOAS, I knew what you meant. LOL!!

Ellen, don't forget grapes and onions. Also not great for dogs.

~Ann

It must be a New York thing, as Whole Foods here doesn't charge for parking. I can't imagine paying to park to grocery shop. I do get offended at grocery stores charging unreasonable prices for things, such as chocolate. For example, Baker's chocolate varies as much as $1.50 in price between our version of Safeway, called Tom Thumb, and Central Market, a gourmet version of HEB. Tom Thumb is the high price, while Central Market is the lowest. It's unbelievable to me that Tom Thumb charges so much more for something than a gourmet store does, or any other store for that matter. That's the reason I've started spending more of my time and money on gasoline driving 10 miles to Central Market to shop, even though Tom Thumb is only a mile away at most. But, all that is straying from the topic. Sorry about that. You touched one of my buttons, Dcarch.

I also spend time pulling Lamb's Quarters out of my yard. I know, I know it's edible, related to spinach, but I hate the weed so much I can't bring myself to eat it. Maybe next spring as it starts to emerge I'll give it a try, but now it's too big to be any good, I'd think.

Sally

"---Obviously you've never been owned by a Golden Retriever! Most types of pups adore chocolate, pork and turkey-----"

Those civilized canines! :-)

Sally "---I also spend time pulling Lamb's Quarters out of my yard. I know, I know it's edible, related to spinach,--"

How interesting, exactly what I made for dinner tonight!

If you can't beat them, eat them! Honest, Lamb's Quarters tastes similar, but better than spinach. Less irony aftertaste in your mouth, more nutrients, more tender and milder.

What goes well with Lamb's Quarters?

Why, Trimmed Lamb Loin Chops of course! $5.99 a lb on sale.
dcarch

This post was edited by dcarch on Mon, Aug 5, 13 at 23:35

Don't uproot those dandelions either. The leaves are delicious when picked before the flowers bloom. Many churches in our area sponsor ham and dandelion dinners as a fund raiser in the spring and since the season is so short, they're all concentrated in one or two weekends.

Here's the story as told at the PA Dutch folk festival where I volunteer in the summer.

Another ancient green with supposed medicinal properties is watercress, which we pick spring through fall from the banks of a creek near our house. It's also available at some of the older farmers' markets for $1 to $1.50 for a big bag. I've often posted it on the CF in vegetable salads or sautéed with spinach but don't recall seeing anyone else post about using it. I love its peppery flavor.

Much as I like to cook, I like to go out even more! We go for foods I won't cook at home, which saves money (no buying pkgs of this and bags of that of which I only need a little and rest goes unused), ensures portion control, and I never, ever have to spend time doing prep or washing dishes. Woohoo!

Anyway, here are some of the more interesting dishes that have crossed our path in the last couple of months as we journey from restaurant to restaurant. Maybe some of you will find some inspiration for your own kitchens:

Inexpensive ethnic:
- A small Portuguese grocery store offered five different brands of linguiça (they have many more, but they rotate them according to availability and limited freezer space). We chose three to pan-fry and taste-test, two local Northern CA and one from Boston MA. Spouse is Portuguese-Chinese so linguiça is one of his Favorite Foods. The Boston brand was too smoky and had too much red wine vinegar in it to be eaten alone, but baked with cannellini beans was excellent. Locals win, which made us proud, LOL.

- Tea-smoked salmon at a "this is California BBQ" place. Nice-sized filet, with gentle smoke flavors, not overcooked. A bright green cilantro sauce goes well with the fish. It's derived from a Barbara Tropp recipe in her long-ago China Moon restaurant/cookbook (still available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/China-Moon-Cookbook-Barbara-Tropp/). Tea smoking is a classic Chinese cooking technique, usually used on poultry. It's great with the salmon; even pleased my Spouse who is not a salmon lover.

- Khashi Ko Masu, goat in a rich gravy which the menu describes as common in Nepalese households. We specified hot for the chile level. This Ko Masu curry showed how what is good home cooking can be as fine as anything at a four-star bistro. It had a complex and well-balanced spice mixture, richly flavored without being oily. We've had a lot of curries in our lives, but this ranked as one of the best gravies ever. A great bistro would drizzle this sauce over a few slices of lamb tenderloin and charge $30 a plate. This small friendly neighborhood Indio-Nepalese restaurant uses throwaway neck bones with almost as much meat on them, along with a full cup of gravy, for a bargain $8.99.

- Thai coconut soup: Spouse chose chicken, with a heat level of "hot." Not the usual clear broth, but a creamy bisque-type soup. Flecked with chile flakes, full of juicy thin-sliced chicken breast strips and generous shavings of fresh young coconut, this was a phenomenal bargain at $3. The coconut cream was rich and thick, lightened up with not only lemongrass but kaffir lime leaves. We love Thai soups, and this was one of the tastiest versions ever.

- In the SF Bay Area, KFC has a very different meaning for foodies. With our large Asian population, it means Korean Fried Chicken. Batter-fried wings are generously doused with a sweet, mildly hot gojuchang. At a new restaurant we tried, their version was tasty although not great. It's always been a one-dimensional dish, with nothing complex or subtle about it. Everything is in the execution, and this restaurant delivered a slightly better than average version. It wasn't quite our style preference; we prefer a lighter batter, juicier chicken, and less goopy sauce. But we're in the minority here; a great many people like hard-fried battered chicken with lots of goopy sauce.

- Stewed tripe, Ethiopian style. Very tender strips in spiced butter and onions, but actually a little bland. We'd like to try it with a souped-up chile level, the way they make zigne, their stewed beef. Spicy stews with great injera, one of our favorite bargain loves.

Upscale eateries:
- Stopped by a local gourmet marketplace and chose a Prosciutto di Parma to taste-test against a Jambon Serrano. The winner was…both. We liked them equally well, especially in Spouse's beloved Croque Madame. Toasted ciabatta rolls with Swiss Gruyere, with gently fried eggs on top: the best breakfast sandwich ever. We also bought some merguez sausages, which are in the freezer so they'll get super-chile-hot! Perfect with eggs or creamy polenta, I haven't decided which to do yet.

- Prickly pear crème brulee. Most fruit custards are unsuccessful creations; either watery and weak-flavored, or too thick and sweet. This was a well-executed balance of fruit and creamy custard, sweet but not overly so. A lovely rosy pink color, too.

- Standard fritto misto of shrimp, green beans, artichoke hearts, shishito peppers, and fennel. It was the dip that made it outstanding: an "onion ash mayo". This was one of the few Scandinavian/Modernist touches we've enjoyed, a remarkable creation. It had great depth of flavor without any 'ashy' taste, or even a strong onion taste. It was just simply…yummy. All three diners wiped the dip ramekin clean!

- A Southern version of minestrone: white bean soup with tasso ham, full of diced vegetables, sliced shiitake mushrooms and whole small white beans. The tasso ham was generously diced and gave the soup a gently spicy edge. Really lovely, well-balanced but not heavy.

- Fried chicken which was fabulous (lightly battered, exquisitely juicy and flavorful) but even better were the Caribbean-style accompaniments: collard greens in spiced coconut cream, black-eyed peas, and spicy Ghanian peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was lightly spiced but not chile-hot, and when the coconut cream from the collard greens was mixed into it, this was a great combination. Many times peanut sauces are cloying in texture and taste; this was not. Some lightly pickled vegetables (cabbage, sweet green pepper slices and raw carrot slices) garnished the dish. Just that little hint of acidity livened up everything.

- Duck paté salad, which wasn't a salad in the traditional sense. It was a long straight piped line of slightly foamed duck liver mousse, sectioned with three thin baguette toasts that were full of airy holes, toasted to the golden brown of Melba toast. Colorful segments of barely cooked kumquats were sprinkled over the plate. This was rich yet airy, visually stunning, and Spouse loved it. He said it was a perfect starter for a day that felt like summer.

- Poached egg with caviar. The sous vide poached egg was on a bed of melted leeks. The caviar is sprinkled generously on top. On the side, in a napkin to keep them hot, were six fluffy blini, so good that Spouse kept urging me to request more blini so he could eat them himself! When you break the egg yolk, you get a wonderful soup of egg, leeks, butter and caviar to eat with the blini. A luscious, amazing dish.

- Asparagus salad. White and green asparagus just-picked from the restaurant's garden, barely cooked. Tiny halves of hard-boiled quail eggs decorated the top, along with a scattering of pink rings of pickled pearl onions. Underneath was a housemade sauce gribiche. The asparagus was cooked but still crunchy, the eggs amazing with the gribiche. Traditionally another hard-boiled egg is sieved on top as a garnish, but the small size and delicate taste of the quail eggs made this unnecessary. Although the pickled onions weren't needed, they were surprisingly good with the asparagus by itself. It was a lovely, fresh, satisfying salad.

- Fried calamari with apricots. The baby calamari rings had a light golden batter and were delicately tender. They came with a creamy vadouvan sauce, a judicious amount of finely diced barely-cooked carrots, and a few tart fresh apricot quarters. This was a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. Vadouvan is the French curry spice mix, and I suspect the name is often used on menus to coax reluctant diners into experiencing the flavor of curry mixtures as a seasoning, rather than just cheap Indian buffet food. Regardless of whether the mayonnaise was seasoned with true vadouvan or merely a mild fragrant curry, this dish turned out to be the winner of that evening's dinner. We literally fought over this one.

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* One notable loser: Truffled chicken nuggets. Spouse was unable to resist seeing what an upscale McNuggets would be like. He received half-a-dozen two-inch neatly-cut cubes, with a crisp golden-brown crumb coating. Alas, they had an odd texture, as if the chicken breast had been cooked, shredded, and then recombined into the cubes. The black truffle flavoring on the chicken shreds was very heavy, almost overpoweringly so. It was an awkward pairing with the whole-grain creamy mustard sauce that underpinned the plate. Spouse ate it, but said he didn't really care for it and wouldn't order it again.

Jkom, you win!

Very, very adventurous! Fun!

Ruthanna, A local Korean produce store has dandelion greens regularly. I like to use the white stems for salads.

Jkom, Those few times I was in Macao, linguiça was what I had for meals regularly.

I saw these squash with interesting colors in a local store. Made a light mustard sauce and tilapia filet to go with it.

dcarch

Wow, those squash are gorgeous!

Did anyone else see the photo/mention of the "witch fingers" grapes in Florence Fabricant's column in the NYTimes last week? She said they had a plum-like flavor; very intriguing! And yes, I'm a little peeved that I find out more about CA specialty food products from the NYTimes than I do from our local papers. Restaurant reviews a-plenty, but covering a crazy grape variety 60 miles from where I live....the media doesn't even bother.

Thanks jkom. I Google Image "witch fingers" grapes.

Crazy grapes!

The second round of hosta blossoms is everywhere in my garden. So I made smoked wings to go with stir fried hosta blossoms. Very tender and delicious.

dcarch

That looks wonderful! The current rage for chicken wings is deep-fried with the heavy, fast food "crunchy" style batter. My spouse infinitely prefers no batter as you show, or just a light dusting of flour at most.

The only person I know who grows hostas would be very unhappy if I came and cut off her flower bud stalks, LOL. OTOH, I'm always giving her roses and Meyer lemons so maybe she'd be willing to trade....hmmmm, I'll have to consider that next spring!

Speaking of Meyers, our three trees are now old enough that I feel safe in starting a more regular schedule of pruning them back - previously I opted for quantity. But half my family has moved to the East Coast so I don't have so many outlets for our excess fruit.

I pruned them back three months ago, and have just started picking the smaller summer harvest. When I prune, the Meyers get quite large! This is me holding a summer plum in comparison to some of the biggest of the two dozen I harvested so far:

Nothing interesting to add but I thought I would mention that I adore steel head trout (better than salmon) and that I grow basil in a large, Tall, pot for one reason only: two small dogs, a Beagle and a Jack Russell and their legs don't lift that high.
My tomatoes get scrubbed...but I don't think that's a favorite spot.