Hummus Improvement

Wanted to share a wonderful improvement to the previous hummus recipe I posted. 

http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2012/05/hummus.html 

Freddie was wanting a more 'lemony' flavor so I added the zest from one lemon to the recipe. 

Delish!!  Also, for the 2 T of vinegar, I substituted 1 T of cider vinegar.

Greenhouse #3

Our third greenhouse -- a steel structure -- is to be built in July.  Being three times as big as our others allows us plenty of room this time.  We have definitely outgrown the others.  Below is a picture of the prep work.  Fred has been getting the site ready for the builders.



Inside the greenhouse, the cherry tomatoes plants are loaded.  They are delicious and you will be seeing them at Market.

A Lesson in Cilantro

Summer days and cravings of salsa prompt customers to ask for cilantro.  Unfortunately, cilantro dislikes extreme heat & humidity.  It grows best in a cool & dry environment.  Therefore, we do not grow it during the summer.  Cilantro can be grown in the spring and fall.  It has a deep tap root like parsley.  Both herbs need to be planted in very deep pots or in the ground.  Once the tap root hits the bottom, it will stop growing.  Cilantro is an annual herb and has a comparatively short lifespan.  When the plant begins to flower, it is signaling that it is about done producing leaves.

Cilantro is also called Chinese parsley.  Coriander is the seeds from cilantro.  Unfortunately, cilantro cannot be frozen or dried so must be used fresh. 

We have stumbled on an herb called Culantro.  It tastes extremely close to cilantro, grows in heat and can be an biennial in warmer climates.  Locating seeds has been a problem for me.  Publix sells the cut herb in the produce section.  I have bought it several times.  The plant is much more hardy than the delicate cilantro leaves.  Beware -- it looks completely different.

We really enjoy it.  I love that it lasts much longer than cilantro in the refrigerator!

P.S. on Kale

One of our customers told me at Market Saturday that she uses her kale leaves as wraps.  That's a great idea for us gluten-free people.  A lot of crunch!

***Starring: Kale***

Kale may not be a favorite food at first try.  However, many of us began eating it because it seems to be the new health rave.  It's a Superfood.  It lowers the risks for some cancers.  It helps with our detox systems.  So, we think, why not give it a try!  Here are some recipes that we have collected. 

1.) Sauteed Kale

This was our first try at it. 

Wash the kale and derib it.  Rip it into bite size pieces.  Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan.  Saute the kale for about 5 minutes.  Do not allow it to brown.  The kale will shrink dramatically like spinach.  However, unlike spinach, it will keep a crunch.  Season with garlic salt.

2.) Kale Salad

This recipe was given to us from one of our faithful customers.  He comes early every Saturday to market after his Starbucks & picks up his kale. 

Wash & derib the kale.  Rip it into bite size pieces.  Drizzle with olive oil & juice from a lemon.  Stir to distribute.  Season with sea salt & grated fresh Parmesan cheese.  This salad keeps well as a leftover.  (The picture above is of this recipe.)

3.) Kale Chips

Okay, by far, this is the biggest kale rave.  Freddie & I burnt our first batch so started out with the wrong perspective!  However, the second batch went better.  Now we always laugh when someone mentions kale chips. 

Wash & prepare kale like above recipes. Put on baking sheet & toss with olive oil & sea salt.  Bake at 275 F for 20 minutes stirring halfway through.  Bake until crisp.  Caveat: The chips turn from done to ash in seconds so keep a steady eye on them!

4.) Green Smoothies

This is a biggie too.  There are many varieties.  Choose one you like.  Here is a sample one.

Apple-Kale Smoothie: Orange juice, fresh ginger, apple & kale.  Zingy & fresh!

So, there you have it.  Kale 101!  (Perhaps this long post will provide me forgiveness for not posting regularly lately!  I apologize & will try to do better now :)

Hummus

Hummus has become a staple in our house.  We dip corn tortilla chips in it, spread it on crackers, bread and rice cakes.  Here is the recipe that we have adapted to our own taste.

1 clove garlic *
1-1/2 cup cooked garbonzo (chickpeas) beans **
About 1/3 cup water
2 tbsp tahini (found near the peanut butter or in the ethnic section of the grocery)
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

* If you use raw garlic, the taste is good but can be really sharp.  Lately, I have been roasting garlic and using that.  It's much better.  Cut the top of the whole garlic bulb off, exposing all the clove tops.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt & pepper.  Wrap tinfoil around the bulb and place in a small dish.  Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes.  You can pop out the garlic from each clove easily and it spreads like butter!  Refrigerate what you don't use and it will keep for a while.
** I get dried beans and cook them like the package says.  One pound will make four batches of hummus.  I freeze the extra in 1-1/2 cup portions so I can easily take one out of the freezer when we need a new batch.  If you use canned beans, you may need to adjust the salt measurement.

Using a food processor, process the garlic (if raw) and then add the beans. Or put the beans and roasted garlic together and process.  Use as much water as you need to get the consistency you need.  Next, pour in all the rest of the ingredients and process.  Refrigerate the hummus.

NOTE: See improvement note on later post:  http://greatlettuce.blogspot.com/2012/06/hummus-improvement.html