Any Kitchen Will Do

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Archive for the category “food markets”

30 Sep 2012

Roasted Cabbage

Now this – this is easy and delish! We love cabbage. And not just because it is low in carbohydrates and high in fiber, but because it tastes good, has great texture and marries up with a variety of flavors. It can double the bulk of a meat dish, or fill up the crevices of a stuffed pepper. It can also make a raw salad extra crunchy. Once when we were living in New Orleans I picked up a big head of green cabbage at a farmers market. All the heads looked pretty much the same, but I grabbed one of the smaller ones. Little B was a baby at the time, hanging around in a sling, nestled against me dozing on and off. I was tired from all the baby maintenance. When I got home and started cleaning and trimming the cabbage, it was filling up my sink. I was pretty impressed at the size. It was huge! Filled the sink. We ate on it for a week. Unlike Charlie of the Chocolate Factory, I never had to rely on cabbage water for dinner. I love the stuff. Roasting it in the oven brings out the flavor without getting watery. It is easy to cook up while something is finishing up on the grill. Enjoy!

Roasted Cabbage

1 head green cabbage
1 tsp chopped fresh garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the cabbage head in half, leaving the stem attached. Out of each half cut a 1” slice. Trim some of the stem out of the slices, but leave enough to help hold the slices together. Set aside the outer slices for another use. In medium rectangular baking dish drizzle 1 Tbsp of the oil. Sprinkle the garlic and ginger, as well as some salt and pepper over the oil in a shape approximate to the circumference of the cabbage slices. Place the slices in the pan, gently pressing down so the spices are pushed into the cabbage. Sprinkle the remaining oil on the top of the slices, along with more salt and pepper. Bake for about 30 minutes, then flip the slices. Bake for 30 more minutes, or until cabbage is softened to preferred tenderness. Serve immediately.

 

Posted in baked, cabbage, food markets, garlic, Silver Spring Kitchen, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
07 Jun 2012

Tuna Salad Sautee

To me summer means eating cool salads. Whether they are cobb, chef, walnut, chicken or tuna, the cool salad always makes me feel happy as the temperatures rise. The word sautee to me sounds like a hot dish, but after the sautee portion of this salad cools off and is chilled, you won’t think of sautee the same again. The sweet of the onion and garlic works really well with the tuna and egg. The bite added by the mustard makes you want to alternate salad bites with those of some chocolate zebra heirloom tomatoes you picked up at the farmers’ market. Oh, that is me. But if you come across some, grab them! They are dark red and purple and green and smell marvelous. The market in Silver Spring was exploding with vegetables, and we could not pass up these tomatoes, which actually taste like a soft red wine to me…kind of a pinot noir or shiraz. They were delish, and went well with my tuna salad sautee creation. Happy summer!!!

Tuna Salad Sautee

4 small cans tuna in water
4 boiled eggs
1 tsp olive oil
½ small sweet onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp horseradish mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in small pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sautee until browned and beginning to caramelize. Set aside to cool while the rest of the salad is prepared. Drain water from tuna into small bowl. Place tuna in mixing bowl and serve tuna liquid to eager cats. Roughly chop eggs and add them to the tuna. Add mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper to tuna. Stir ingredients until mixed. Add onion and garlic and stir some more until all the dark pieces are pretty evenly distributed. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

 

Posted in eggs, fish, food markets, garlic, onion, salad, Silver Spring Kitchen, tomato, vegetables, wheat free | Leave a Comment
15 Apr 2012

Dutch Farmers Market

Since I am still without a kitchen I am going to talk about a wonderful little Dutch Farmers market near our temporary digs here in Maryland. Besides the olive bar you see above that Little B is drooling over (as would my sister in law!), it has an amazing selection of fresh foods. I mean fresh. The air was filled with the smell of baking bread and roasting meat. There were yards and yards of fresh made salads – chicken, turkey, fruit and pasta – as well as hand made desserts and candies. Shelf after shelf of herbs and spices, along with the temptations of popular sweets and drinks. The produce had not a hint of wilting and the fruit was bursting with ripeness. I got so used to relying on chain grocery stores in the small Texas town where we recently lived. I was surprised how much I enjoyed walking through the market and showing Little B all the different parts of the animals, and that chicken legs she loves to devour come from a whole animal. They come from birds, and every part of the bird is used in some form or fashion. Her eyes got big when I let her smell the melons and tomatoes and carrots, none of which spent days wrapped up in plastic which so often can suck the flavor out of produce. The market had row upon row of cheeses and vegetables and fresh baked goods. It is a breath of fresh air – food-wise – that I did not even realize I missed. I am itching to get a kitchen, buy fresh, local foods and have a cooking marathon. Little B is dying to crack some eggs. I am going to continue exploring to local markets to further remind me of the difference it makes to buy fresh and local, and what a difference it makes on my dinner table. Next stop, the Eastern Market down in DC!

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