Now that the weather has turned a bit cooler, we have been enjoying Manoa and butter lettuce from the garden. During the summer it is impossible to grow lettuce in Kihei, it’s just too hot. We also planted radishes that turned out to be a tasty addition to our salads.
Our new lilikoi (the most fragrant of tropical fruits) are doing well. Their vigorous vines quickly claimed the fence as their home with their tendrils grabbing on to anything within reach. We even caught one reaching up to the sky and fastening itself to a mango branch. Our first season of growing lilikoi yielded a small, healthy, crop of fruit that we quickly used to make the best jelly ever. Lilikoi vinaigrette came to mind when I was picking those tender lettuce leaves from the garden. So with the few fruits left on the vines, the juice was frozen in small containers and will be enjoyed throughout the next few months.
Lilikoi makes everything better.
Press the pulp to extract the precious juice.
Manoa and butter lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, avocado and feta.
Until quite recently I had never heard of Yotam Ottolenghi, a cookbook author, chef, and owner of four restaurants in the UK. I happened to be looking at recipes on The Guardian’s web site and there I found Yotam’s weekly column and was intrigued by the many vibrant herbs and spices he used in his recipes. Some of these ingredients cannot be found on Maui, such as barberries. Leave it to amazon.com to supply even the most obscure ingredients.
My friend Shanna at Curls & Carrots surprised me with a gift of Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi’s Jerusalem A Cookbook. I came home from work one day to find a package sitting on my doorstep. I can’t think of a better gift than a cookbook filled with interesting, flavorful, recipes and gorgeous photos. Thank you Shanna.
Sweet-tart Iranian barberries.
I substituted Italian parsley for the chervil which I can never find here on Maui. I would love to grow chervil however I hear it thrives best in cool climates (not Kihei, Maui).
Saffron water is poured over a portion of the cooked rice and will later be gently mixed in with the white rice, herbs, barberries and pistachios.
Saffron rice is the perfect side dish for roasted chicken and a garden salad.
Saffron Rice with Barberries, Pistachio & Herbs
Adapted from Jerusalem A Cookbook
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed under cold water and drained well
2 1/3 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 3 tablespoons boiling water for 30 minutes
1/4 cup dried barberries, soaked for a few minutes in boiling water with a pinch of sugar
1 ounce dill, coarsely chopped
2/3 ounce chervil, or Italian parsley coarsely chopped
1/3 ounce tarragon, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup slivered or crushed pistachios, lightly toasted (salted or unsalted)
salt and freshly ground white pepper
Preparation
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the rice, making sure the grains are well coated in butter. Add the boiling water, 1 teaspoon salt and some white pepper. Mix well, cover with a tightly fitting lid, and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. Don’t be tempted to uncover the pan, the rice needs to steam properly.
Remove the rice pan from the heat. All the water will have even absorbed by the rice. Pour saffron water over one side of the rice, covering about one-quarter of the surface and leaving the majority of it white. Cover the pan immediately with a tea towel and reseal tightly with the lid. Set aside for 5 – 10 minutes.
Use a large spoon to remove the white part of the rice into a large mixing bowl and fluff it up with a fork. Drain the barberries and stir them in, followed by the herbs and most of the pistachios, leaving a few to garnish. Mix well. Fluff the saffron rice with a fork and gently fold it into the white rice. Don’t over mix, you don’t want the white grains to be stained by the yellow. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer the rice to a shallow serving bowl and scatter the remaining pistachios on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
*I found the pistachios can soften once mixed into the rice. Add the pistachios just before serving the rice.
One of my favorite dishes is beans slowly cooked in tomato sauce and spices served with a scoop of brown rice and tender lettuces dressed in lemon juice and olive oil. This particular recipe is adapted from Turmeric & Saffrons Khoresh-e-Loobia Sabz – Persian Green Bean Stew with Chicken. It’s very satisfying and leftovers are perfect for a work lunch.
My interest in Persian cuisine first developed when I came across a recipe for Jeweled Rice, a beautiful dish that includes ingredients such as cinnamon, cumin and turmeric, spices I love to cook with. I also found another fantastic Persian rice recipe from Shanna at Curls and Carrots. I’ve made Tah Dig many times now and it’s one of my favorite ways to prepare basmati rice.
With a very short list of ingredients, this green bean stew is delicious with or without chicken. I found that using the tender meat from a good, supermarket roasted chicken works so well I now use it instead of cooking my own chicken.
Green Bean Stew with Roasted Chicken
Adapted from Turmeric & Saffron blog
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 pound green beans, washed, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped tomato, peeled and seeded
1 1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups rotisserie chicken breast, torn into large pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Preparation
Trim the green beans, rinse in a colander and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and golden, about 6 minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
Add the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and pepper flakes. Coat the onion mixture with the spices. Add the green beans, chopped tomato, tomato sauce, and enough water to just cover the beans. Add the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Cover the pan and simmer the beans for about 40 minutes, or until the beans are very tender. Add the chicken to the pan and stir gently to combine. Once the chicken is warm, taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Stir in lime juice and serve.
Our two avocado trees, a Green Gold and Sharwil bear fruit in the winter and spring. The trees are currently loaded with fruit so we are enjoying avocados in numerous ways: avocado on toast, avocado salad, and plenty of guacamole. And, of course, the guacamole is a natural with all manner of Mexican dishes such as quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, tostadas and burritos. We love all of these dishes!
Guacamole is such an easy side dish to throw together. If you have good, creamy avocados as we do, you can simply mash them with salt and lime juice and slather it on a quesadilla. Given a bit more time to chop up a few ingredients, this recipe from Alton Brown is excellent. All the ingredients meld together beautifully and the end result is a fantastic guacamole.
Sharwil avocado is rich and creamy, my favorite avocado.
Guacamole ~ Alton Brown Style
Adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe
2 generous servings
Ingredients
2 Sharwil or Haas avocados
1 lime, juiced
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 heaping teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons finely diced onion
3 rings of pickled jalapeño, minced (or more depending on how hot they are)
1/4 cup finely diced tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1 small garlic clove, minced
Preparation
In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Use a potato masher, add salt, cumin and cayenne and mash. Fold in the onions, jalapeño, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic. Season to taste with extra lime juice. Serve right away.
Lotus root, or hasu as we call it in Hawaii, is a unique delicacy. Once you peel and slice this rather homely root (or rhizome) you’ll see how beautiful it is. Only available in Hawaii for a few months each year, I buy it as often as I can. With its snowflake like appearance when sliced and its crunchy and delicate flavor, it is wonderful sautéed and served with brown or white rice. This is my favorite way to prepare it.
Peeled and sliced lotus root. It’s crunchy with a mild flavor some say reminds them of jicama.
A simple combination of a few ingredients will add just the right depth of flavor to sautéed lotus root. Besides sautéing, lotus root can be used in soups, fried (crispy tempura), pickled or steamed. Its crispy texture holds up very well regardless of how it is prepared.
Pour vinegar and water in to a large glass bowl. Peel the lotus root, rinse and slice thinly. Place in vinegar water.
Combine sake, soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a small bowl. Set aside.
Drain lotus root, place on paper towels and pat dry.
Heat sesame and canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté lotus root for about 5 minutes, Do not over cook. Add soy sauce mixture and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates about 2 minutes.
Remove lotus root to a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with Ichimi Togarashi (or cayenne pepper) and toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.
“Will Drive For Food. ” That’s one of my mottos! And that’s also the title of the article where I found this tasty potato salad recipe. The May 2012 issue of Bon Appétit caught my attention because I for one, will definitely travel for food. Anytime. In this particular article, the authors, Jenny Rosenstrach and Andy Ward, write of stopping at Sally Bell’s Kitchen in Richmond, Virginia, picking up their famous lunch boxes for their drive from New York to South Carolina. Jenny and Andy describe the lunch boxes as consisting of a Smithfield-ham and iceberg sandwich, a deviled egg, a frosted cupcake, and best of all, eggy potato salad topped with a sweet pickle chip. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect afternoon road trip meal?
The recipe calls for using only the egg yolks however I couldn’t waste those lovely egg whites so I included half of them in the salad. The others we ate on the spot, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Yum!
Yukon Gold or red potatoes work well in this salad. I found some nice Yukon Golds so that’s what I used.
The potatoes are coarsely smashed instead of cubed. This makes for a very creamy sort of potato salad.
The pickle juice adds a sweet and tart flavor to the dressing.
Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles
Adapted from Bon Appétit May 2012
Serves 6 as a side dish
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sweet pickle juice plus 8 – 10 sweet-pickle chips
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large hard-boiled eggs, separated, egg yolks smashed finely plus two egg whites finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped red or Maui onion
1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
Paprika
Preparation
Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches, add 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes or so. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl and let cool slightly.
Whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Using a large wooden spoon, coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some larger pieces mixed with some well mashed pieces.
Add dressing, egg yolks, egg whites to potatoes and a toss to coat. Add onion and parsley, gently mix to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill before serving.
Divide potato salad among small plates or bowls, dust with paprika and top with a sliced dill pickle chip or two.
Now that the weather has turned a bit cooler, we have been enjoying Manoa and butter lettuce from the garden. During the summer it is impossible to grow lettuce in Kihei, it’s just too hot. We also planted radishes that turned out to be a tasty addition to our salads.
Our new lilikoi (the most fragrant of tropical fruits) are doing well. Their vigorous vines quickly claimed the fence as their home with their tendrils grabbing on to anything within reach. We even caught one reaching up to the sky and fastening itself to a mango branch. Our first season of growing lilikoi yielded a small, healthy, crop of fruit that we quickly used to make the best jelly ever. Lilikoi vinaigrette came to mind when I was picking those tender lettuce leaves from the garden. So with the few fruits left on the vines, the juice was frozen in small containers and will be enjoyed throughout the next few months.
Lilikoi makes everything better.
Press the pulp to extract the precious juice.
Manoa and butter lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, avocado and feta.
