Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Mrs. Green Jeans
Well, I am about to embark on my container gardening experiement. I've grown herbs, tomatoes, peppers and such in other places we've lived so this isn't my first time getting my hands in the dirt! Here, we live on a canal and wildlife is plentiful however. My dog was chasing down an otter last week and I was screaming like a lunatic trying to get her inside the lanai. I've always read that otter are one little critter you don't want to mess with. Mind you this was no small otter either. I'd say he was a good 25-30 pounder...bigger than my neighbor's annoying Schnauzer. Hmm...if that otter is hungry enough you think he'd....nahhhhh.
The other problem (which isn't a problem at all except for gardening) I have is the marsh birds. I love seeing them but I doubt I get many tomatoes or peppers if they could get to the plants. The solution is to grow everything in pots in the lanai...which gets MORE than adequate sun...except for today of course! I had planned to pot everything today but it's down right yucky outside. Maybe the sun will come out and chase the rain away this afternoon.
I'm fairly certain the herbs with do okay in pots and I bought two varieties of tomato plants that are recommended for container gardening because they don't attain the height of some other varietites. The ones I planted at our old house in Jacksonville were so huge, they towered over my head by a foot when they'd reached their peak. I thought I never was going to stop picking tomatoes from FOUR plants. The same was true for my peppers...8 plants and we had banana peppers coming out our ears. I think we got a total of 3 or 4 bushels off those 8 plants. They flowered and bore fruit 3 times!
I've broadened my gardening horizons this time. I always plant the herbs I use most frequently which are basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, thyme, cilantro, rosemary, sage and lavender just becuase I love to dry it and put it in sachets or just have it in containers sitting around the house for the pleasant aroma. I may try growing my own Stevia this time and see if I can figure out how to actually USE it in leaf form. Oops, just realized I forgot to get one of my fave's...mint. It's back to the garden center for me!
For vegetables, I've chosen two varieties of tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, three types of artisanal lettuces (butter crunch, red varigated leaf and a dwarf romaine), white eggplant, yellow summer squash and heirloom spinach (the huge, very dark curley leaves). I LOVE that type of spinach and you can never find it in the markets. In Orlando, I used to get it from a Hydroponic grower and it was amazing. I don't generally prefer hydroponically grown veggies but that stuff was addiciting.
The rain has started again so it does not look like I'll be potting my garden this morning. There are still a couple of things I'd like to try growing but if I don't find plants (and they must be from organic seed) then I'll order some from Johnny's Seed Cataloge and raise them myself. I'm still wanting some Collard Greens and Lacanato Kale and I wouldn't mind red Chard either. We'll see what I can find.
One word of caution if you plan on doing any container gardening. If you're going to buy organic seeds or plants...don't neglect to buy organic potting soil. If you buy regular, pre fertilized potting soil...you may be getting junk that you don't want. I know it's gross too but honestly, buy a sack of that "denatured" manure and fertilize with a little of that from time to time. Ok...this might be one of the few times in your entire life you can say "Yes, I'll take a Sack of *&#@ please!" LOLOL Told you my mind goes into strange places!
Anyway...I have no pictures to post at this time thanks to the rain! Maybe tomorrow once I've gotten everything potted/planted.
The other problem (which isn't a problem at all except for gardening) I have is the marsh birds. I love seeing them but I doubt I get many tomatoes or peppers if they could get to the plants. The solution is to grow everything in pots in the lanai...which gets MORE than adequate sun...except for today of course! I had planned to pot everything today but it's down right yucky outside. Maybe the sun will come out and chase the rain away this afternoon.
I'm fairly certain the herbs with do okay in pots and I bought two varieties of tomato plants that are recommended for container gardening because they don't attain the height of some other varietites. The ones I planted at our old house in Jacksonville were so huge, they towered over my head by a foot when they'd reached their peak. I thought I never was going to stop picking tomatoes from FOUR plants. The same was true for my peppers...8 plants and we had banana peppers coming out our ears. I think we got a total of 3 or 4 bushels off those 8 plants. They flowered and bore fruit 3 times!
I've broadened my gardening horizons this time. I always plant the herbs I use most frequently which are basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, thyme, cilantro, rosemary, sage and lavender just becuase I love to dry it and put it in sachets or just have it in containers sitting around the house for the pleasant aroma. I may try growing my own Stevia this time and see if I can figure out how to actually USE it in leaf form. Oops, just realized I forgot to get one of my fave's...mint. It's back to the garden center for me!
For vegetables, I've chosen two varieties of tomatoes, red and green bell peppers, three types of artisanal lettuces (butter crunch, red varigated leaf and a dwarf romaine), white eggplant, yellow summer squash and heirloom spinach (the huge, very dark curley leaves). I LOVE that type of spinach and you can never find it in the markets. In Orlando, I used to get it from a Hydroponic grower and it was amazing. I don't generally prefer hydroponically grown veggies but that stuff was addiciting.
The rain has started again so it does not look like I'll be potting my garden this morning. There are still a couple of things I'd like to try growing but if I don't find plants (and they must be from organic seed) then I'll order some from Johnny's Seed Cataloge and raise them myself. I'm still wanting some Collard Greens and Lacanato Kale and I wouldn't mind red Chard either. We'll see what I can find.
One word of caution if you plan on doing any container gardening. If you're going to buy organic seeds or plants...don't neglect to buy organic potting soil. If you buy regular, pre fertilized potting soil...you may be getting junk that you don't want. I know it's gross too but honestly, buy a sack of that "denatured" manure and fertilize with a little of that from time to time. Ok...this might be one of the few times in your entire life you can say "Yes, I'll take a Sack of *&#@ please!" LOLOL Told you my mind goes into strange places!
Anyway...I have no pictures to post at this time thanks to the rain! Maybe tomorrow once I've gotten everything potted/planted.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Easy Coconut Shortbread Cookies
As with the mayo, I had a little free time on my hands the other day and decided to spend it looking online for an egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free coconut macaroon recipe. BWAHAHAHA!!! I came across one or two but the reviews were dim to say to the least. After reading the recipes, I understood why. I've been cooking a long time and can usually tell just by reading a recipe if its going to work. As much as I love and use coconut flour, I know it will turn into sand if isn't combined with something that will bind it.
I think part of the problem is that many people don't understand the products they're using, their properties and how well they play with others! I will say this right now...gluten-free products are not very forgiving. A mistake will usually not turn out edible...LOL You'll either get something that falls apart and can be used to fill a sandbox OR you'll get something heavy enough to bludgeon someone to death with. My mind goes in strange places. I'm envisioning an episode of NCIS in which Ducky informs Jethro that the victim died of blunt force trauma to the head inflicted by a laof of gluten-free bread! Abby finds trace evidence of fava bean flour and coconut fibers under the suspects fingernails. Clearly, I need therapy!
Cookies can either be hockey pucks or sweet, gritty crumbs depending on how you play your cards. Many of the recipes I came across relied on eggs for binding and of course...this homey don't play dat! Still others used sweetened condensed milk and while not as allergenic (for me) as CEGB's, that stuff is like eating creamy corn syrup...yuck. I hate the smell of it too. That first whiff when you open the can is vaguely sour and sickeningly sweet at the same time.
My little brain started spinning because somewhere up there, locked away among the cobwebs was a previously shelved idea of what to do with the commercial baker's grade coconut creme concentrate that I just happen to have a case of. This is NOT to be confused with that crap in the market called coconut cream. That stuff has a years worth of high fructose corn syrup in every spoonful and a little polysorbate 60 (or 80 can't remember which and does it really matter??) thrown in for good measure. Probably has artificial coconut flavor added too. Simple stated...bad ju ju!
This stuff I'm talking about is made by Tropical Traditions (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/) and is 100% pure concentrated coconut. It's make up is about 70% coconut oil and the rest is the fiber from the meat. I guess you could also think of this as coconut butter. This stuff is insanely delicious...if you are a coocnut lover that is. You can spread it on toast like butter or (dare I admit this) just eat a spoonful out of the jar once in a while. Its naturally sweet because well...coocnut is natually sweet and when it's very concentrated like this product is...it almost tastes like it has been sweetened but it hasn't. The cream is solid like butter also...to about 75-77 degrees. Like pure coconut oil though, beyond that temperature it becomes liquid. It's still very thick and creamy (much like the consistency of sweetened condensed milk) but pourable.
So I know you're dying to know how the cookies came out right? They were marvelous BUT...the texture wasn't that of a macaroon. To me it most closely resembled shortbread...hence the title. These are like stupid easy to make. The biggest thing is just getting the coconut cream concentrate. BTW...you can also use this concentrate to make coconut milk. You just add a teaspoon for ever 6 ounces of water. Use warm water and blend, the chill. So if you order a quart online don't be worried that you have to make a million cookies. Just use it for milk and you can cook with it was well. It's great in curries, breads, rice...whatever.
I guess I should add that I am NOT affiliated with or compensated by Tropical Traditions in any way. I just happen to love their products.
I think part of the problem is that many people don't understand the products they're using, their properties and how well they play with others! I will say this right now...gluten-free products are not very forgiving. A mistake will usually not turn out edible...LOL You'll either get something that falls apart and can be used to fill a sandbox OR you'll get something heavy enough to bludgeon someone to death with. My mind goes in strange places. I'm envisioning an episode of NCIS in which Ducky informs Jethro that the victim died of blunt force trauma to the head inflicted by a laof of gluten-free bread! Abby finds trace evidence of fava bean flour and coconut fibers under the suspects fingernails. Clearly, I need therapy!
Cookies can either be hockey pucks or sweet, gritty crumbs depending on how you play your cards. Many of the recipes I came across relied on eggs for binding and of course...this homey don't play dat! Still others used sweetened condensed milk and while not as allergenic (for me) as CEGB's, that stuff is like eating creamy corn syrup...yuck. I hate the smell of it too. That first whiff when you open the can is vaguely sour and sickeningly sweet at the same time.
My little brain started spinning because somewhere up there, locked away among the cobwebs was a previously shelved idea of what to do with the commercial baker's grade coconut creme concentrate that I just happen to have a case of. This is NOT to be confused with that crap in the market called coconut cream. That stuff has a years worth of high fructose corn syrup in every spoonful and a little polysorbate 60 (or 80 can't remember which and does it really matter??) thrown in for good measure. Probably has artificial coconut flavor added too. Simple stated...bad ju ju!
This stuff I'm talking about is made by Tropical Traditions (http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/) and is 100% pure concentrated coconut. It's make up is about 70% coconut oil and the rest is the fiber from the meat. I guess you could also think of this as coconut butter. This stuff is insanely delicious...if you are a coocnut lover that is. You can spread it on toast like butter or (dare I admit this) just eat a spoonful out of the jar once in a while. Its naturally sweet because well...coocnut is natually sweet and when it's very concentrated like this product is...it almost tastes like it has been sweetened but it hasn't. The cream is solid like butter also...to about 75-77 degrees. Like pure coconut oil though, beyond that temperature it becomes liquid. It's still very thick and creamy (much like the consistency of sweetened condensed milk) but pourable.
So I know you're dying to know how the cookies came out right? They were marvelous BUT...the texture wasn't that of a macaroon. To me it most closely resembled shortbread...hence the title. These are like stupid easy to make. The biggest thing is just getting the coconut cream concentrate. BTW...you can also use this concentrate to make coconut milk. You just add a teaspoon for ever 6 ounces of water. Use warm water and blend, the chill. So if you order a quart online don't be worried that you have to make a million cookies. Just use it for milk and you can cook with it was well. It's great in curries, breads, rice...whatever.
I guess I should add that I am NOT affiliated with or compensated by Tropical Traditions in any way. I just happen to love their products.
Gluten-Free Vegan Coconut Shortbread Cookies
A drizzle of chocolate never hurt any cookie!
- 1/2 cup tropical traditions coconut cream concentrate, melted
- 1 heaping cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- 3 tablespoons organic coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon xantham gum
- pinch kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons organic agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons melted organic coconut oil
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a sheet pan with parchement paper.
In a medium bowl stir together coconut cream and shredded coconut until blended. Add coconut flour, xantham gum and salt; mix well. Pour in agave and coconut oil. Mix with wooden spoon until mixture is completely combined. It will be very thick.
Use a small 1 ounce scoop (like a tiny ice cream scoop) to form mixture into 12 balls. Pack into scoop well. Release from scoop onto parment lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should only be lightly browned and baked enough to hold together.
This recipe only makes 1 dozen because it was a test batch and I didn't want to waste a large amount of ingredients if it didn't work. Fortunately, I was pretty sure it would...and it did! Double or triple the amounts if you want to make more cookies. Store cookies in airtight container.
just out of the oven...lightly golden brown
close up...shows the dense shortbread consistency
don't the look scrumptuous?
it's coconut LUV
I don't know who could have done that...really!
(c)copyright Jill Anderson
The Homegrown Gourmet
Saturday, March 20, 2010
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