Andrea Meyers» Grow Your Own

Grow Your Own: The Finale (Giveaway)

Andrea — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 14:15:39 +0000

It hardly seems like four years have gone by since we moved to this house with three boys under the age of four, since we started the garden we wanted to grow, and since we started Grow Your Own. The boys have grown and so has the garden, and this year we have over 400 square feet of edible garden space. As we picked blueberries last month my mind went back to when we first looked at this house and saw the back yard, which though large also had a sizable weed problem. I looked around and envisioned a fence with edibles planted all along it: berries, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, and all the other things that we wanted to grow but hadn’t tried yet. I saw nut and fruit trees, and I saw our boys growing up with food all around them, learning about the plants and helping harvest. And we’re making that happen with a lot of work.

So it is a little difficult for me to announce the end of Grow Your Own. I’ve loved the event and reading about what everyone else has grown, foraged, or hunted, but the time has come to end it. We will always promote the ideals behind Grow Your Own and encourage anyone who asks me about starting a garden, and of course we invite you to join us as we continue to share about what we are growing.

We truly appreciate the support you have shown for the event, so as a thank you we’re going to have a giveaway to celebrate four years of growing, hunting, foraging, and sharing.

I am giving away a garden hod, something that we bought for our garden this year and really like. It’s a great tool for harvest, and you can rinse the fruits and vegetables right in the bin with a hose. They come in two sizes and the winner can choose the size you prefer. The large one will hold about 16 quarts of fruits and vegetables and measures 19-1/4″L x 11″W x 7-1/4″H. The small one will hold about 8 quarts and measures 16″L x 9″W x 5-1/4″H. You can read more about garden hods at Yankee Magazine, “What The Heck Is A Garden Hod?”

To enter, leave a comment telling us what you are growing this year, or if you are new to gardening, what you would like to grow. Please make sure your email address is correct so I can contact you if you are the lucky winner. Apologies to my international readers, but the hod can only be shipped within the United States and Canada. The contest closes at 8 P.M. EST on August 13, and Random.org will select the winner. Look for the announcement of the winner in this post and at my Facebook page soon after.

Update August 16, 2011: Congratulations to SharleneT, winner of the garden hod! Thanks to everyone that entered and to everyone that participated in Grow Your Own over the last four years.

Blueberry Butter

Andrea — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:59:43 +0000

When the blueberries start to ripen on our bushes, the boys get excited and eagerly eat the fresh berries as we bring them inside. Occasionally I’m able to set some aside for cooking projects, but most of the time I have competition for their juicy goodness. This time I was able to whip up some easy blueberry butter, which the boys and Michael have enjoyed on toast and English muffins. I created this small-batch recipe for those times that I only have a little fruit and just want a jar or two, and it makes a nice little hostess gift. I use one cup of sugar with our berries and add a bit of cinnamon and lemon juice to round out the flavor. It’s easy to make and doesn’t require processing, just keep it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or freeze it.

This recipe is for Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. I’m a bit late with the announcement for this month, but I hope you’ll be able to join us, just send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com by July 31. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

BLUEBERRY BUTTER

Makes about 2 cups.

Equipment

3-quart saucepan
immersion blender or jar blender
glass jar or plastic freezer jar with lid

Ingredients

1 pound (454 g) fresh blueberries
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup (175 g) granulated cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

1. In the sauce pan, toss the blueberries with the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes.

2. Blend the blueberries with an immersion blender or in a jar blender until very smooth.

3. Return the pureed blueberries to the sauce pan and add the sugar and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the mixture is thick, about 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Remove from heat and cool completely and store in a jar in the refrigerator or freezer. Will keep for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer.

More Recipes for Preserving the Harvest

More Blueberry Recipes From Around the Blogs

Food in Jars – Blueberry Jam

The Rustic Kitchen – Blueberry Basil Preserves

Z Tasty Life – Savory Blueberry Jam with Balsamic Vinegar and Rosemary

Barefoot Kitchen Witch – Blueberry Lime Jam

Grow Your Own Roundup

Andrea — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:45:49 +0000

This roundup is a bit late, I know. I took an unexpected hiatus for a couple weeks, the longest I’ve taken since Monkey Boy was born five years ago. I worked on some other projects (more news on those later) plus a couple of planned trips to visit family out of state. And this year I promised myself I wouldn’t work during any of those trips and try to avoid email and anything computer related as much as possible. Sometimes I need to unplug and just enjoy being without photographing and writing about all the details because it gets me back in touch with what I love.

Thanks to all who participated in June, I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful dishes and an innovative way to preserve fresh herbs. If you are new to Grow Your Own, visit the Grow Your Own page to learn more about the event. In spite of a late start this month, we’ll still do a July event, so if you’ve made something using homegrown foods, we hope you’ll join us!

And now for the round-up! Click the images to visit the posts.

Green Garnish Salad from Higher Path Sustainability (California, United States)

A beautiful green salad with homegrown kale, parsley, and chives with a quick olive oil vinaigrette.

Sautéed Beets from Erbe in Cucina (Italy)

Colorful homegrown beets sautéed simply in butter.

Carrot-Fennel Souffle Tart from Allotment 2 Kitchen (Scotland)

Lovely tart with carrots and homegrown fennel.

Green Salad Chiffonade with Blueberries from Sustainable Cooking for One (Massachusetts, United States)

Vibrant salad with mixed green, carrots, cherries, and homegrown blueberries.

Soup Mix, Dip, or Topping from Mainstream Solar Cooking (North Carolina, United States)

A make your own soup or dipping mix using dried homegrown herbs, perfect for hiking or camping.

Asparagus and Chard Gratin from Andrea Meyers (Virginia, United States)

And finally, I combined our homegrown chard with fresh spring asparagus to make a simple creamy gratin.

Asparagus and Chard Gratin (Grow Your Own)

Andrea — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:06:05 +0000

Last summer I seeded two kinds of Swiss chard in the garden for the first time and as with most of our experiments I wasn’t sure how it would do in our garden. Two plants came up but they really didn’t do very well at first. There were just a few spindly leaves and I was fairly certain they wouldn’t survive, but the plants turned out to be hardier than I expected. They weathered the winter uncovered, even with ice storms and very cold temperatures, and they shocked me by popping back to life in the spring.

Those small baby leaves were tender and perfect for fresh salads, and as the plants grew larger I began to fantasize about sautéed chard, chard gratin, and savory chard pies. Then asparagus season started and I couldn’t resist combining chard and asparagus in a simple gratin. No complicated flavors here, just vegetables and a lush creamy sauce.

I think I could get used to chard popping up in the garden every spring.

Summer is coming back around and it’s time to start Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. We hope you’ll join us this month, just send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com by June 30. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

ASPARAGUS AND CHARD GRATIN

Serves 4 to 6.

Equipment

1-1/2 quart casserole dish, lightly buttered
6-quart pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch chard, ribs removed and leaves torn, rinsed well
1 leek, thinly sliced (white part only)
1 pound (454 g) asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (360 ml) heavy cream
2 ounces (57 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (28 g) grated Swiss cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F/175° C.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 6-quart pot. Add the torn chard and sauté until it wilts, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chard and drain in a colander, pressing to remove the liquid.

3. Melt the remaining butter and sauté the leeks until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and sauté until it starts to glisten, about 2 minutes. Return the drained chard to the pot and stir with the leeks and asparagus.

4. Add the heavy cream and stir. Once it’s hot, add the cream cheese and cook, stirring, until the cream cheese melts and the sauce coats the vegetables. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the Swiss cheese on top.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until the cream bubbles, about 20 minutes. Move the rack to the top third of the oven. Broil the gratin until the cheese turns light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool about 5 minutes, then serve.

Other Grow Your Own Recipes

More Chard Recipes From Around the Blogs

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Baked Swiss Chard with Olive Oil and Parmesan

In My Kitchen Garden – Hot Swiss Chard Artichoke Dip

Laylita’s Recipes – Swiss Chard, Beet, and Goat Cheese Empanadas

Dianasaur Dishes – Creamy Swiss Chard Soup with Goat Cheese

Gluten-Free Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing with Herbs

Andrea — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:15:38 +0000

We are hosting family Thanksgiving this year, and we’re so happy that our family is making the trip to spend a few days together. Like any family we all have busy lives and don’t get to see each other as often as we would like, so it makes holidays all the more special for us. It means cooking for 15 this year instead of 5 and making sure we get everyone’s favorites on the table. It’s going to be a busy, crazy couple of days, and we wouldn’t miss it for the world.

It also means paying more attention to ingredients so my sister can safely enjoy the meal with all of us, so for the first time I’ve been doing some gluten-free baking to get ready for the big feast. My family eats stuffing cooked outside the bird, and the dressing my family made when we were growing up was shaped into small patties and baked. I prefer to bake it casserole-style because I think it retains moisture better and becomes a perfect palette for the gravy.

Because I’m new to gluten-free baking and just learning about all the gluten-free flours, I chose to use the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix for this recipe, though of course you can use your own GF cornbread recipe. The mix made a 9×9 pan of cornbread, and about half of that was enough for this stuffing recipe, so the extras can be eaten with another meal. Making the cornbread a day ahead allowed time for it to dry a little before mixing into the stuffing.

The celery and all the fresh herbs came from our garden. Looking out at the garden and seeing the herbs and some of the greens still growing on a chilly November day always makes me smile, and we’ve found that most of the herbs continue to grow throughout the winter, giving us fresh garden flavor during cold months.

This recipe is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Whether it’s autumn or spring wherever you are, we hope you’ll join us this month, and if you have holiday recipes to share that will make it even more festive. Send your post information to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com by November 30. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

(Print this recipe)

GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD AND SAUSAGE STUFFING WITH HERBS

Serves 12.

Equipment

large skillet
large mixing bowl
9×13 pan, lightly coated with nonstick spray

Ingredients

16 ounces baked gluten-free cornbread, cooled completely (We recommend making it a day ahead.)
12 ounces gluten-free sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled
1-1/3 cups chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup (80 g) dried cranberries
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup (20 g) chopped flat leaf parsley
2 to 3 cups (480 to 720 ml) gluten-free turkey or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F/190° C.

2. In the large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until it’s browned and fully cooked. Add the celery and onion and cook while stirring until they have softened but still have a slight crunch. Remove from the heat and stir in the cranberries.

3. Break up the cornbread into large chunks and put it into the mixing bowl. Add the sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley and toss.

4. Pour 2 cups of the broth over the cornbread chunks and stir. The cornbread should soak up most of the liquid and look wet, not dry. Add more broth 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture is wet but not soupy and has a little liquid pooled at the bottom of the bowl.

5. Add the sausage mixture and toss well. Add salt and pepper to the mixture and stir. Add the melted butter and and eggs and stir well.

6. Spread the stuffing in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned on top, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

More Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes (May or may not be gluten-free.)

More Stuffing Recipes From Around the Blogs

101 Cookbooks – Sage, Walnut, and Dried Fig Stuffing

Gluten-Free Goddess – Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing with Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook – Chanterelle Stuffing

Baking Bites – Bacon, Pumpkin, and Pecan Stuffing

Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Sour Cream

Andrea — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:21:06 +0000

If the weather forecast is correct, then we need to shake a leg and finish harvesting the garden before frost on Friday night. And I need to get the garlic planted, a task that I put off after an old back injury reared its ugly head last month, leaving me lying in the floor with ice packs and lots of physical therapy appointments for the foreseeable future. To spare you all the ugly details about the injury, I’ll just say I don’t ride horses anymore, though I still love to watch them.

Michael started taking down some of the tomato plants that didn’t have any tomatoes left, though quite a few of the plants still have green tomatoes hanging, so we sliced some up and fried them, and we’re also going to make pickles and a few other fun things to put up for the winter. My recipe for fried green tomatoes isn’t traditional, but I really like that extra crunch the panko gives. I also like mine a bit spicy, so I throw in some chili powder and make some spicy sour creams for topping.

I use Daisy brand sour creams and cottage cheese because they have terrific flavor and no preservatives, and that means no chemical aftertaste like many other light or lowfat sour creams and cottage cheese. If you can’t find it, ask your grocer to start carrying Daisy because they really have excellent products. (This is my own personal opinion and Daisy didn’t ask or pay me to recommend their products. They probably don’t even know I exist.)

We hope you’ll join us this month for Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Ann at Mom Gateway is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH CHIPOTLE SOUR CREAM

Makes about 12 slices.

Equipment

small bowl
3 small pie pans or shallow bowls
large cast iron skillet
large plate lined with paper towels
tongs

Ingredients

8 ounces (1 cup/226 g) Daisy light sour cream
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
2 medium to large green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup (30 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk (See Variations for a substitute.)
1/2 cup (27 g) panko
1 cup (240 ml) sunflower or canola oil

Preparation

1. Stir together the sour cream and minced chipotle in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Whisk together flour, salt, and chili powder in pie plate. Pour buttermilk into the second pie plate. Pour panko into the third pie plate.

3. Heat oil in the large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, dredge tomato slices in the flour mixture and shake off the excess. Dip into the buttermilk on both sides, then immediately dredge slices in panko.

4. Cook tomato slices in hot oil until brown and crispy, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Drain thoroughly on the paper towels. Serve immediately with the chipotle sour cream. Best eaten within an hour.

Variations

If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own. Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus enough lowfat milk to equal 1 cup. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then it’s ready to use.

More Autumn Grow Your Own Recipes

More Recipes with Green Tomatoes From Around the Blogs

FatFree Vegan Kitchen – Oven-Fried Green Tomatoes

No Recipes – Green Tomato Gratin

The Perfect Pantry – Curried Green Tomatoes

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Salsa Verde with Green Tomatoes

Food Wishes – Fried Green Tomatoes (Video Recipe)

Eggplant, Potato, and Chickpea Curry

Andrea — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:33:48 +0000

That cold snap we had last week really messed with my internal calendar. Even though the wall calendar still said September, my body was thinking November and that set off all kinds of cravings for hot comfort food. I had curry on the brain because along with soup, it’s one of the first things I think of when cold weather sets in. The eggplant that I had bought to make stuffed eggplant was repurposed and instead found its way into a soothing pot of steaming curry with potatoes and chickpeas.

This is a low calorie and easy budget meal, and if you have some leftover boiled potatoes or cooked chickpeas or other vegetables, they can go right into the pot to make it even easier. We picked some jalapeno chilis and cilantro from the garden, and though I seeded the chilis they were still wickedly spicy, but the pepper season is about over so we’re trying to use them up and then will freeze or pickle the rest.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. Ann at Mom Gateway is our host for this round, so be sure to visit her blog for more information about submitting your post. We hope you’ll join us! If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page. And make sure you check out the fantastic roundup from September, hosted by Girlichef.

EGGPLANT, POTATO, AND CHICKPEA CURRY

Serves 4.

Equipment

large pan
steamer basket
medium bowl

Ingredients

1 eggplant, about 12 ounces/340 g
8 ounces (226 g) Yukon Gold potatoes or sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons sunflower oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 small chilis, jalapeno or similar, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder (We recommend S & B Curry Powder.)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1-1/2 cups (360 ml) warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked chickpeas (or a 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
cilantro leaves for garnish
cooked brown rice or Indian flatbread (naan, paratha, chapati)

Preparation

1. Steam the potatoes in their skins until fork tender, then drain and allow to cool. Peel once they are cool enough to touch, then cut into 2-inch/5-cm pieces.

2. Remove the stem end of the eggplant and quarter it lengthwise. Cut the stem end into 2-inch/5-cm pieces. Cut the four part of the bottom end in half again and cut into 2-inch/5-cm pieces. Soak the pieces in a medium bowl filled with cold water for about 30 minutes, then drain well.

3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and cook until they begin to release their fragrance, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, ginger, and peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to brown, about 7 minutes.

4. Add the curry powder and stir, cooking for 1 minute, then add the tomato paste and stir. Add the warm water, salt, and chickpeas, and eggplant, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Ladle into bowls with brown rice and garnish with cilantro leaves, or serve with pieces of Indian flatbread.

More Budget Meals

More Curry Recipes From Around the Blogs

Rasa Malaysia – Curry Puff

Steamy Kitchen – Thai Shrimp Curry

Viet World Kitchen – Curry Fried Rice

Herbivoracious – Eggplant in Kaffir Lime Scented Coconut Milk Curry

Spiced Tomato Jam with Pinot Noir

Andrea — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:57:36 +0000

Though Labor Day has passed, the heat remains here in Northern Virginia and we’re still enjoying outdoor cooking and our homegrown tomatoes, though we’ve hit a lull and possibly the end of the tomato season. We aren’t sure if it’s insects or just the extended heat wave, but the tomato plants aren’t looking good. Fortunately we had a bunch that came in all at once last week and the counters were drowning in tomatoes, so I used some of them in a small batch of spiced tomato jam and added pinot noir to give it a deeper and richer flavor. Though many tomato jams call for peeling the tomatoes, I prefer to skip that step and instead puree it all using an immersion blender. The texture comes out thick and the flavor gave a gourmet boost to our simple Labor Day grilled burgers with sautéed onions and peppers.

This is my contribution to Grow Your Own, a blogging event that celebrates the dishes we create from foods we’ve grown, raised, foraged, or hunted ourselves. We’ll hope you’ll join us this month! Heather of Girlichef is our host for September, so be sure to read her announcement about submitting your post. If you are new to the event, you can read more about the rules for participating at the Grow Your Own page.

(Print this recipe)

SPICED TOMATO JAM WITH PINOT NOIR

Makes about 16 ounces.

Equipment

5-quart heavy bottom saucepan
immersion blender
16-ounce container with lid

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.36 kg) plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup (131 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) pinot noir
1 stick cinnamon
8 whole allspice berries
3 whole cloves

Preparation

1. In a 5-quart saucepan, combine the tomatoes, sugar, pinot noir, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Bring it all to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.

2. Remove the spices. Blend the jam well using the immersion blender, until the peels disappear. Transfer jam to a container with tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. The tomato jam will keep refrigerated for 1 month.

Variations

You can peel the tomatoes, just blanch them for a few minutes in hot water, and then remove the peels. Make the jam as directed and omit the blending step.

Other Tomato Recipes

More Tomato Jam Recipes From Around the Blogs

White on Rice Couple – Tomato Jam Recipes

Herbivoracious – Tomato Jam with Saffron and Rosemary

The Perfect Pantry – Sweet and Spicy Tomato Jam

In Jennie’s Kitchen – Sweet and Savory Tomato Jam

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Grow Your Own, Third Anniversary Roundup

Andrea — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 00:16:46 +0000

It’s time for the Grow Your Own third anniversary roundup. I was very excited as I received the information on each post and I want to extend a special thanks to all who participated. We had friends from Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and the United States all sharing what they are making with the food they grew, foraged, hunted, or raised.

If you’d like to join us, our host for September is Heather of of Girlichef and she has posted an announcement with all the details. Deadline for posts is September 30, so make sure you send your information to Heather and she will post a round-up a few days later.

And now for the round-up! Click the images to visit the posts. (Presented in the order received.)

Roasted PumpkinZini Soup from Liisa of Liisa’s New Blahhhg (Oregon, United States)

Liisa shows us an example of squash cross pollination and a delicious soup made with her hybrid pumpkinzini.

Rhubarb Crumble from Cathy of Aficionado (Sydney, Australia)

Cathy’s rhubarb crumble is a lovely example of how the simplest foods can be the most satisfying.

Carnitas con Verdolagas (Purslane) from Heather of Girlichef (Indiana, United States)

Heather found she could grow her own purslane and loves the flavor it adds to her carnitas.

Meyers Lemon Curd from Dorothy of Shockinglydelicious (California, United States)

Dorothy’s lemon curd made from her homegrown Meyers lemons is easy and perfect for your morning toast or bagel.

Goat Cheese & Nectarines from Gudrun of Kitchen Gadget Girl (California, United States)

Gudrun made her neighborhood block party even more delicious with not just one, but three gorgeous appetizers, including nectarines with goat cheese and mint.

Pandan Spiral Moon Cakes from Nate & Annie of House of Annie (Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia)

Using taro sweet potatoes grown by one of their friends, Nate and Annie made these lovely pandan spiral moon cakes for Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

Roasted Tomato Sauce from Sarah of What Smells So Good (Ontario, Canada)

Sarah grew her heirloom tomatoes from seed and now has an amazing number of plants. She shares her recipe for roasted tomato sauce.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes from Andrea Meyers (Virginia, United States)

And finally, our process for slow roasting tomatoes, which we pack in olive oil and freeze for the winter.

Baba Ghannouj (Baba Ganoush)

Andrea — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

My first taste of baba ghannouj was at the cafeteria on the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and I could easily make a lunch out of their hummus, baba ghannouj, and flatbread. Baba ghannouj is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made from eggplant that has been grilled or roasted, and the smoky flavor carries over to this simple dip that’s popular all over the Middle East. Depending on where you eat, it will probably have eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and parsley, and may also have chopped tomatoes, cumin, mint, onions, yogurt, or mayonnaise. So consider this a base recipe, a jumping off point to play with and have fun experimenting with the flavors.

I wish the eggplant came from our garden, but after three years of fighting pests that devour the plants, we finally decided that eggplant just wasn’t a good fit for our garden. Fortunately our homegrown garlic and parsley do add some good flavor to the dish. I hope you’ll join us for the third anniversary of Grow Your Own this month! Posts are due on August 31 and should be sent to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. You can find more information at the Grow Your Own page.

(Print this recipe)

BABA GHANNOUJ (BABA GANOUSH)

Adapted from The Complete Middle East Cookbook, by Tess Mallos.

Serves 6.

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

1 eggplant (12 ounces/375 g)
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs parsley

SERVE WITH
khoubiz (pita)

Preparation

1. Pierce the eggplant in a few places, then grill the whole eggplant for about 30 to 40 minutes over medium hot coals, turning about every 7 minutes. Peel the skin off while it’s still hot and remove the stem end, then rough chop the flesh. Place it in a colander and drain out the liquid.

2. Add the flesh to the work bowl of the food processor and puree it. Add the lemon juice and tahini and pulse a few times until well mixed.

3. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt. Process well and add more lemon juice and salt to taste.

4. Add the olive oil and parsley, processing until the parsley is chopped but still visible.

5. Serve in a shallow dish garnished with parsley. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Variation

Roast the eggplant in a 400° F/220° C oven.

Other Eggplant Recipes

More Eggplant Recipes From Around the Blogs

Food Blogga – Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

FatFree Vegan – Creamy Creole Eggplant Casserole

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Pan-Fried White Eggplant with Onion, Caper, and Herb Sauce

Viet World –Hmong Spicy Eggplant (Lws Kubtshis Tuav)