It is hard to imagine civilization without onions. Julia Child
Allium is the onion genus with over 1200 known species, making it one of the largest plant genera of the world. They are perennials that grow bulb clusters, usually at the root end, but some species grow bulbs at the flowering ends. The bulbs divide and multiply to form new plants, or can be separated to form more plants and increase yields. Among the many edible species of the allium are onions, shallots, leeks, garlic and chives. As winter passes its peak, shoots will appear from many of these plants we know as “spring onions”, whose flavors range from sweet and delicate to pungent and hot. Among the most popular is the “Welsh” onion, which doesn’t really develop bulbs, nor is it from Wales. The name comes from Old English and Old German words that mean “foreign”; the species likely developed in China or Siberia. These delightful greens are important to cuisines worldwide as some of the first greens to sprout after the harshness of winter and are used year-round. In the southeastern U.S., we particularly prize the ramp, with its broad leaves, purple shafts and flavors that evoke comparison to garlic, leeks and onions. Whichever are your favorites, feature them at their peak to enhance your menu.
“It's probably illegal to make soups, stews and casseroles without plenty of onions.” Maggie Waldron
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Parsnip? How do you cook that thang?
The play left a taste of lukewarm parsnip juice. Alexander Woollcott
Parsnip, the pale, yet powerful cousin of the carrot has long flown below the radar, but this was not always so. Prior to the introduction of the potato from the New World, the parsnip was one of the most popular vegetables in Europe. It was especially popular during religious fasting, when meats were eschewed, because it was hearty, heavy and filling and had a strong character of its own. This pungent character ultimately caused its decline in popularity; the white potato, with its neutral palate was able to take on the flavors of whatever it was combined with and superseded the regal parsnip in the 18th century. The parsnip does not grow best in warm climates; it needs frosts to really develop its characteristic flavor. It likely first developed in northern Eurasia; its wild descendants range from the across the Bering Strait into the northwestern U.S. to far into Europe, where its seeds have been found in Neolithic lake settlements of Switzerland and England. It is also quite nutritious, being high in fiber and low in calories, and contains more vitamins and minerals than the carrot, especially potassium.
Fine words butter no parsnips. Sir Walter Scott
Parsnip, the pale, yet powerful cousin of the carrot has long flown below the radar, but this was not always so. Prior to the introduction of the potato from the New World, the parsnip was one of the most popular vegetables in Europe. It was especially popular during religious fasting, when meats were eschewed, because it was hearty, heavy and filling and had a strong character of its own. This pungent character ultimately caused its decline in popularity; the white potato, with its neutral palate was able to take on the flavors of whatever it was combined with and superseded the regal parsnip in the 18th century. The parsnip does not grow best in warm climates; it needs frosts to really develop its characteristic flavor. It likely first developed in northern Eurasia; its wild descendants range from the across the Bering Strait into the northwestern U.S. to far into Europe, where its seeds have been found in Neolithic lake settlements of Switzerland and England. It is also quite nutritious, being high in fiber and low in calories, and contains more vitamins and minerals than the carrot, especially potassium.
Fine words butter no parsnips. Sir Walter Scott
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Honey, you’ve got a really nice pear!
"There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pears are among the oldest of cultivated fruits – in 5000 B.C., Feng Li abandoned his diplomatic career to devote himself to cultivating pears, peaches, persimmons, apples and almonds as his road to fame and riches. Homer lauded them as a gift of the gods; their versatility and long storage life helped Odysseus survive his Odyssey. Painters have appreciated their rainbow of hues in their pallets and used their artistry to bring water to our palates throughout the ages. Likewise the wood is magnificent in art and music: during the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou dynasty, Lu Ban of the 5th Century B.C. was crafting fine furniture, and Baroque musicians knew the virtue of pear for their reeds and early keyboard instruments. They are also quite nutritious as excellent sources of vitamin C for tissue health, potassium for heart health and blood pressure regulation, and fiber for other healthy regulation – apples ain’t the only fruits that keep the doctor away. Speaking of apples, some scholars also purport that the pears may have actually been the apples of Eden, since many early languages evolved that the favorite fruit was translated as “apple” for many cultures. You’ll always be the pear of my eye!
"I could peel you like a pear and god himself would see the justice in it."
Katherine Hepburn (Eleanor of Aquitaine) to Peter O’Toole (Henry II) in “Lion in Winter”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pears are among the oldest of cultivated fruits – in 5000 B.C., Feng Li abandoned his diplomatic career to devote himself to cultivating pears, peaches, persimmons, apples and almonds as his road to fame and riches. Homer lauded them as a gift of the gods; their versatility and long storage life helped Odysseus survive his Odyssey. Painters have appreciated their rainbow of hues in their pallets and used their artistry to bring water to our palates throughout the ages. Likewise the wood is magnificent in art and music: during the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou dynasty, Lu Ban of the 5th Century B.C. was crafting fine furniture, and Baroque musicians knew the virtue of pear for their reeds and early keyboard instruments. They are also quite nutritious as excellent sources of vitamin C for tissue health, potassium for heart health and blood pressure regulation, and fiber for other healthy regulation – apples ain’t the only fruits that keep the doctor away. Speaking of apples, some scholars also purport that the pears may have actually been the apples of Eden, since many early languages evolved that the favorite fruit was translated as “apple” for many cultures. You’ll always be the pear of my eye!
"I could peel you like a pear and god himself would see the justice in it."
Katherine Hepburn (Eleanor of Aquitaine) to Peter O’Toole (Henry II) in “Lion in Winter”
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Rosemary, Baby!
"Where Rosemary flourished, the woman ruled." Unknown
Rosemary, Baby! Rosmarinus, old Latin for “dew of the sea”, this cousin of mint does in fact love the salt spray of the coast, but who doesn’t? Fragrant and evergreen, it lends itself to meats, fish and game fowl or anything that has the character to break through the veneer of milder herbs. The fall holiday season sees potted rosemary as a wonderful gift and its tiny pale blue flowers can light up your garden in the morn’; speaking of gardens it will keep bugs away from your cabbage, beans and carrots as well as add the flavors of theses same veggies in your pot! The medicinal properties of this herb are legendary and powerful so be careful: it relaxes muscles as a tea, yet too much can cause cramps and intestinal turbulence; topical application of its oils shows positive effects on tumors and cancers, but ingesting it can be deadly. It is an antioxidant said to improve memory, the Bard’s Ophelia said, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance", but this could be a reference to the disastrously unforgettable experiences of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza when they nearly died from drinking the Don’s recipe for the balm of Fierabras rather than applying it to their wounds.
"As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language."Sir Thomas More
Rosemary, Baby! Rosmarinus, old Latin for “dew of the sea”, this cousin of mint does in fact love the salt spray of the coast, but who doesn’t? Fragrant and evergreen, it lends itself to meats, fish and game fowl or anything that has the character to break through the veneer of milder herbs. The fall holiday season sees potted rosemary as a wonderful gift and its tiny pale blue flowers can light up your garden in the morn’; speaking of gardens it will keep bugs away from your cabbage, beans and carrots as well as add the flavors of theses same veggies in your pot! The medicinal properties of this herb are legendary and powerful so be careful: it relaxes muscles as a tea, yet too much can cause cramps and intestinal turbulence; topical application of its oils shows positive effects on tumors and cancers, but ingesting it can be deadly. It is an antioxidant said to improve memory, the Bard’s Ophelia said, "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance", but this could be a reference to the disastrously unforgettable experiences of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza when they nearly died from drinking the Don’s recipe for the balm of Fierabras rather than applying it to their wounds.
"As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls, not only because my bees love it but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship, whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language."Sir Thomas More
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