The Vegetable Party

Emergency Responder for Squash Disaggregation: a Tale of Triumph Over Gourd-Adversity

~ kimberlyannglover ~ 3 Comments

Emergency Call

I was working on a presentation in my office at 4:45 on a weekday, and I was startled when my arm rang.  (I’m still getting used to my new Apple Watch.)

Rose never calls me during work hours unless it’s a food emergency, so I answered, awkwardly holding my wrist up to my face and hoping no colleagues ventured into my office.  “Hi Rose, what’s up?”

“Kim, I’m wrestling with a spaghetti squash!  How do you get the dang thing open?”

This is serious business.  I forgot that I was talking to my wrist and told her the Spaghetti Squash Disaggregation Truth as I know it. (Rose grants me an elevated foodie status, and I try hard to deserve it.)

Get the biggest, sharpest butcher knife you have and stab it hard straight through the heart, like it’s a mortal enemy, then slice downward.

Rose had already done the stabbing.

“My knife is stuck!”

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“That happens to me, too.  You have two options – get a hammer and use it to tap your knife further into and down the squash beast, or get another knife and go at it from a different part of the squash.”

“Really?  This happens to you, too?  I thought there was some kind of Chef Squash Magic you could tell me about, some kind of kitchen wizardry…”  She tailed off, sounding kind of wistful and disappointed.  I hated to let her down.

“No Rose, really, I’ve been in that same situation, alone in the house, just me and the squash and that helpless feeling when it seems like more than you can handle.  But I was not going to let it win, Rose.  That’s where the ‘thinking it’s the enemy’ part comes in.  GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT!”  (I had forgotten that I was in an office setting and was talking to my wrist loud enough for co-workers to hear me waaaay down the hall – but, as I said, this was serious business and Rose needed my full support.)

We shared a few niceties, I encouraged her once more (“You’ve GOT this!”) and then hung up – or rather, I pushed a little red button on my watch to end the call and went back to my presentation.  I wondered how she’d fare, but knowing Rose, my money was on her.  It takes more than a gourd to defeat a grimly determined woman.

The Rest of the Story:  a Tale of Triumph Over Gourd-Adversity

A few hours later, I was rewarded with the rest of the story, presented on Facebook by a triumphant Rose.

“Sooo….my first sincere attempt at cooking spaghetti squash. Pinterest failed to mention that these squash do not have a soft melon-like consistency….they are hard boulders that taunt you with their inaccessibility. Thank you, (another friend), for your attempt at helping me, but I ended up swallowing my little pride and calling the Oracle, Kim. She suggested the stab and split downward method. After working out my frustrations on unsuspecting produce, the second picture is the final result. It tasted great, and was made more satisfying with the knowledge that I was consuming an earlier arch nemesis (that dang aforementioned boulder squash). I know this is long, and I don’t normally post food, but I’m celebrating a well earned triumph.”

She did it!

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The Wisdom of the Crowd:  A New Technique

Rose’s post generated lots of compliments and comments.  The banter was wonderful.  She added:

“I have to admit, it’s really good. Also, really easy once you break into the agricultural spawn of Satan.”

Said others:

  • “We have it all the time. My chain saw works great for cutting the little Devil.”
  • “This happened to me last week! After getting in a full workout cutting it, I read that you can microwave it for 5 min first to make it easier.”
  • “Poke holes and microwave for 2 minutes! It softens it significantly for you to cut it.”
  • “I see somebody else mentioned it (microwaving)! It really helps. You just can’t touch it for like 20 minutes after LOL!”
  • “I’ve found that hatchets are fun! That is of course if you forgo the above mentioned softening techniques.”

Softening in the microwave?  Great idea!  I had never heard that one and am ready to try it, unless…see Rose’s answer to the suggestion that she try the microwave approach.

“That will depend heavily on how the rest of my day has gone. The technique I employed to get into the squash this time was oddly therapeutic.”

The Recipe

Facebook folks asked for the recipe, which she shared:

Permission to Share

Final note:  I sought permission from Rose the Mighty Squash-Quasher to share this event and the Facebook conversation .

You have the intrepid heart of warrior! Kudos for winning the squash war and bringing the gourd to its culinary knees. The recipe looks super-yum. Can I put this escapade in my blog? Oh please?

She said yes.

Copyright 2017 Glover Gardens Cookbook

Call This Baby (Carrot) Ugly

~ kimberlyannglover ~ Leave a comment

Epicurious sends a message every day, just for me (and their umpteen zillion other subscribers).  I usually don’t have time to read it right away (or ever, sometimes), but today’s caught my eye.  It listed their top ten stories of 2016, and as a food blogger, I was interested to see what generated the most interest.  They introduced the list:

Cooking made us happier in 2016 (there’s proof!), and so did these stories, which are our ten most loved, clicked-on, and shared stories of the year.

They’re all interesting, and I’ve provided the link to the online version at the end of this post.  But the one that stood out was #6 on the list, “The Case Against Baby Carrots”  by Adina Steinman.

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Here’s the scoop: baby carrots aren’t babies at all!!!  They are full-grown carrots masquerading as cute, younger, fake versions of themselves after some vegetable-style cosmetic surgery.

Sez the story, which is subtitled “Why Baby Carrots are Evil”:

Baby carrots are in fact full-grown carrots, whittled down into earplug-shaped cylinders. They aren’t sweeter, fresher, or younger than the bunches of carrots they’re sold alongside. In fact, they’re often made from older carrots, hence the starchy, not-very-sweet flavor you get from some bags.

It’s an outrage, and as the writer says, these carrots are pure evil.  I will never, ever buy these manually-midgeted carrots again.  I have no idea why I didn’t realize they were a sham, but from today forward, I am committed to peeling the authentic full-grown versions.

carrots
Beautiful, authentic, full-grown and unmodified carrots – the real deal

In honor of the noble, full-sized root vegetable, here is a picture and a recipe that a friend of mine brought to a wine party, made with beautiful heirloom carrots.  They are tossed with sumac and mint, topped with toasted pistachios and served on a bed of marvelous whipped feta.  They were delicious!

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My friend’s heirloom carrots on their bed of feta, topped with pistachio goodness

Here’s how it looks in the magazine where he found the recipe.

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Photo from Shape.com by Sang An

New year’s resolution: no more baby carrots!!!

Links:

 

Copyright 2016, Glover Gardens Cookbook

Cooking with Friends: A Root Vegetable Christmas Memory

~ kimberlyannglover ~ Leave a comment

winespectatorratings-mar13-2011Some of the most alluring recipes I’ve come across in my years of cooking have been published in Wine Spectator.  They are always perfectly paired with wine, described delectably and photographed beautifully, and I’ve been known to keep back issues for years, planning to make that picture-perfect meal a reality in my kitchen.  Someday.

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Photo from Wine Spectator online

The December 23, 2002 issue had just such a meal:  A Holiday Menu from Wine Country.  Oh my, it looked good:  White Bean Soup with Fried Sage, Pan-Roasted Duck with Root Vegetable Hash and Sweet Potato Puree…whee!   I held onto that issue of Wine Spectator for a couple of years, revisiting the recipe and ingredients a bit wistfully from time to time while realizing that my everyday life with a small child didn’t really support making this super-sophisticated meal.  But as they say, good things come to those who wait.  I finally broke out that recipe for a very small girls’ night at my house during the holidays a few years later.  It was just two of my closest friends and me, ready to cook, laugh, tell stories and maybe even cry a little (if necessary) in the little kitchen of my 1920s wood-frame cottage.  Two of us were single moms at the time, and the third a “restaurant widow”: her husband was the managing partner at a very popular restaurant, and was never home in the evenings.  All three of us were without children that night, for various reasons.  “Like sailors on leave,” one of them said.

The menu from the magazine, billed as an easy holiday meal to make at home, was provided by the executive chef of Napa Valley’s Auberge du Soleil, Richard Reddington, who was described as wine country’s “hottest young chef”.

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“Richard Reddington today is known as  ‘the most-loved bad boy in Napa Valley’ by the locals who adore him”, says Haute Living magazine.  Reddington owns and runs Redd, a high-end spot and Redd Wood, an Italian-style casual eatery.  They are on my list for the next Napa Valley trip.

The last thing I want to do on a holiday is kill myself in the kitchen,” Reddington says. “I want to be done and I want the kitchen to be clean and I want to sit down with my guests for an hour and drink a glass of sparkling wine.”

Gentle readers, you should know that there are definitely different definitions of “easy”.  Easy, it was not.  Tasty, it was.  Might as well drink that sparkling wine while you’re making the dinner, because it will be a while before you get to the finish line.

In my little kitchen with my two girl-buddies, there was a frenzy of chopping and chatter, and it took us a couple of hours to get the meal made.  We had a marvelous time, uncovering the meaning of life and praising the fiber of root vegetables as we sautéed each of them individually before mixing them (they don’t cook at the same rate and might get mushy if crammed together in a pan). We also praised ourselves for being smart and sophisticated enough to appreciate root vegetables – no bourgeoisie, we!  We exclaimed over the richness of the pureed sweet potatoes as we laid crispy-skinned pan-fried duck on them and began the devouring.

We drank our wine and told our stories with the desperate urgency of moms who only have a night off a couple of times per year – and of course the kids took center stage in all of those stories.

We knew were were the luckiest gals in the world that December evening, with our wine, our stories, and our fiber-laden root vegetables.  I cherish the memories of that night, with that meal, and those ladies.  One of them has left us and is now cooking with the angels, and I imagine her in heaven savoring the super-crispy duck skin with the rich, smooth pureed sweet potato and crunchy, root vegetable hash without worrying about the calories.  If you’re interested, you can read more about her here, but grab a cup of coffee first, ’cause it’s a long one.

Gather some friends and try these recipes one day when you have time.  They won’t be quick and easy, but you won’t be sorry. Here it is again:  A Holiday Menu from Wine Country.

Copyright 2016, Glover Gardens Cookbook

Simple Autumn Side: Baked Acorn Squash

~ kimberlyannglover ~ Leave a comment

acorn-squash

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning here in Southeast Texas, and we’re headed out to the Farmers’ Market to see what bounty it holds for us.  A recent trek yielded acorn squash, which resulted in a marvelous side dish for roast chicken.

So delicious, even the vegetable-loathing Grill-Meister will eat it!

How’s that for a tag line?  The squash has an almost creamy texture, and the touch of seasoning and brown sugar gives it a lovely fall color. Even vegetable-haters can tolerate it! And in addition to being just plain good, this dish is EASY. Remember that old phrase, “set it and forget it”? Well, even if you don’t, it will make sense to you when you make this acorn squash. It’s a perfect side for roasted meats, and also works well for a luncheon dish alongside a soup, a salad, or a sandwich.  You could pair it with the Lentil Soup for a very filling vegetarian meal, or with a Panini for a quick weeknight family supper.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

  • 1 medium acorn squash
  • 1 tsp. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. light brown sugar
  • Old Bay or your favorite all-purpose seasoning mix (my Zippy Southwest is also very good, if you want a bit of a kick)

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Cut the squash in half, crosswise. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice each side of the squash in half again.
Set squash quarters on prepared sheet, then drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning and brown sugar.

Bake until squash is easily pierced about 30 minutes. Serve warm, adding salt and pepper if desired.

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The finished product is a hearty side dish

Copyright 2016, Glover Gardens Cookbook.

Grilled Asparagus Our Way

Aside ~ ~ kimberlyannglover ~ 6 Comments
Asparagus is a gift from God
Asparagus is a gift from God

A side dish we love-love-love here at Glover Gardens is grilled asparagus.  Not just any grilled asparagus, grilled asparagus our way.  That means lots of lemon, lots of garlic, and lots of olive oil to coat those delightful, al denté spears of love.

The Grill-Meister didn’t love vegetables growing up; in fact, he hated them.  With a passion. Something about them being cooked to mush…

The Grill-Meister loves grilled asparagus so much that he grows it now. You'd never know he's a vegetable-hater.
First Asparagus Harvest. The Grill-Meister loves grilled asparagus so much that he grows it now. You’d never know he’s a vegetable-hater.

It’s alway a victory for me if I can get the Grill-Meister and the Bio Son to eat vegetables.  The Bonus Son understands the importance of vegetables and needs no prompting.  It’s the garlic and lemon that push this dish into the win category for the vegetable-haters. We even started growing our own asparagus to keep up with the demand. Here’s a nice little post about what you need to do to grow asparagus:  click here.

The Grill-Meister at work. He does the asparagus last and lets the meat rest.
The Grill-Meister at work. He does the asparagus last and lets the meat rest.

The recipe is Grilled Asparagus Our Way; it’s simple and you can throw the asparagus on after you grill the main course.

There’s some debate about how many servings this recipe makes.  My (humble) opinion is that it serves 4.  Four normal people, that is. When there’s a Reformed Vegetable Hater, it may only serve two.  Be warned.

Ingredients

Prep for Grilling
1 lb. bunch of asparagus, washed, with ends cut off (thicker asparagus stalks work better, but this is ok if that’s the only asparagus available
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
generous pinch of red pepper flakes

The After-Grilling Treatment
grated rind of 2 lemons
juice of two lemons
3 cloves of garlic, pressed (mince finely if you don’t have a garlic press)
another generous pinch of red pepper flakes
more coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1/8 – 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil

Gather all of the ingredients.  Put the washed and trimmed asparagus into a serving dish and drizzle it with the 2 tbsp olive oil, then top with the first red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Be generous.  Use tongs to toss and make sure that all of the asparagus spears are covered with the oil and yummy spices.

Then put the grated lemon rind, lemon juice, pressed garlic, additional red pepper flakes, salt and pepper in a small dish, adding the rest of the olive oil.  Use the smaller measure if you are watching calories, and the 1/4 cup measure if you just want those beautiful green asparagus spears to swim in yummy goodness.  If you go for the larger pour of olive oil, there will be some of the juices left after all of the asparagus is gone, and you will dutifully save it to use in a marinade or salad dressing.

Grill the asparagus for a few minutes on a gas or charcoal grill, turning at least once.  Get a little char for more flavor and character.  Remove from the grill, adding back to the original serving dish, and douse immediately with the lemon/garlic/olive oil mixture.  The hot asparagus will soak up those lovely flavors and become your best friend.

Serve hot.

Ready to Assemble
First you assemble everything; then you get the asparagus ready to grill
Add only some olive oil and spices before grilling
Add only some olive oil and spices before grilling
Ready for the Grill
Get the rest of the flavors ready for the asparagus to absorb while it’s hot after coming off the grill
The Grillmeister turns the flames up and sears the spears
The Grillmeister turns the flames up and sears the spears
This salmon pairs beautifully with grilled asparagus.
The grilled asparagus pairs beautifully with any grilled meat, and especially with grilled salmon.

Copyright 2015, Glover Gardens Cookbook