Monday, December 19, 2011

Crunchy Foods-because soft food is so boring

Neutral flavored crunchy foods
Water chestnuts— chopped up-left raw
· Uses: in stirfry, rice dishes-anything really
Jicama-diced or shredded
· Uses: salads, in anything-jicama has very little flavor, and really is all about the crunch
Celery-thicker sliced—but in small pieces-left raw
Pine nuts
· Uses: in oatmeal, quinoa--not toasted
Bok Choy
· Uses: The white rib part-mixed in stir fry
Bean sprout
· Uses: on top of soup or stir fry
Turnips-- chopped up in food processor to bits and pieces.
· Uses: in rice dishes
Celeriac—peeled and shredded. Leave raw-sprinkle with salt and pepper.
· Uses: on soup, sandwiches, rice dishes

Al-dente vegetables-steamed over salted water or boiled in salted water---veg will still have a crunch-and is considered slightly undercooked.
· green beans- steamed –then roughly chopped up
· edamame-shelled first and steamed
· carrots—cut into thick pieces (about the thickness of 2 stacked car keys)-steam and then rough chop---Good use as “chips” for dips---don’t chop up pieces-just don’t over steam.

Crunch with little flavor:
Corn—dehydrated find online or at Spice House on Wells
· uses: in soups, on top of fish dishes or mixed in with rice
Broccoli florets- Small pieces only using the top parts-leave raw
· Uses: Mix into rice dishes

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Best Maple Syrup Ever

And it's organic and they deliver!

McCluskey Brothers Organic Farms
Here is there link for the greatest maple syrup ever made in the name above.


In April of 2011 I worked up at Tomato Mountain and on the last Saturday I was there, I went with Chris, the famer to the Dade County Famers Market in Madison.
Set up next to us was this Maple Syrup selling couple. I bought a pint of it and have been in love with it ever since.
I lost the label on the little canning jar the stuff came in, and for months tried to figure out who it was. I called the Dade County Market in Madison, asking for help finding a maple syrup maker who sold their sweet stuff in canning jars, but came up empty after their suggestion. I searched online, looking up canning jars of maple syrup. nothing. Eventually I sent an email to info@tomatomountain.com asking if there was any chance they knew the name and got a response from Robin, which I loved! " it could be McCluskey Bros., who offer certified organic maple syrup in very pedestrian packaging similar to what you escribed. I'm pretty sure they sell at Dade County. They also sell ground beef and cheese and are now in several Chicago area farmers markets too, including some in the winter. If you want to reach out to them to find out where to find them, contact Mary Ellen at mccluskeybrothers@yahoo.com and tell her Robin says hi."

Now I will have to take a trip up to this awesome looking place soon! I can't wait!