This time what I have for you is a collection of unrelated ideas. They’d add up to kind of a weird meal, but this space needs filling. I have squash, and I have salad, maybe by next time I’ll find squash salad. I bet you can’t wait.
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One of my really popular WFDs from a couple of years ago was Songs About Food; if you didn’t see B.F. Skinner’s redo of this on Thursday go check it out, lots of fun there and some songs I hadn’t heard before.
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In my recent squash WFD, peacemonger suggested zucchini pickles, offering the basic recipe of “slice thin, salt, bruise with a potato masher, and leave at room temp for a week, then refrigerate”. Googling for more details, I found that give or take some spices, that’s pretty much Japanese tsukemono.
This recipe is from Uncle Jerry’s Kitchen, go there for lots of pictures and detailed comments. Wherever it says “cucumbers”, substitute zucchini. He also offers Napa cabbage or eggplant as options. I guess “1 large cucumber” means ¾ to one pound of your chosen vegetable.
Tsukemono
1 large cucumber (or 2 small seedless cucumbers)
1 Tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 or 2 dried chili peppers, left whole (Or 1 pepper chopped finely)
2-inch piece kombu, rinsed
- Slice cucumbers into thin rounds. Place in a bowl or tsukemono press and sprinkle with salt. Gently toss cucumbers and salt together, massaging salt into the surface until well coated. Add sesame seeds and toss again until combined.
- Arrange cucumbers so they are mostly flat. Place kombu and peppers over the top.
- If using a pickle press, place the lid on and tighten until the cucumbers are gently pressed tot the bottom.
- If using a bowl, place a clean saucer over the cucumbers and weigh it down with a can of vegetables or other suitable weight.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or better, overnight.
- Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you find that your pickles are too salty, just pour off half the liquid and replace it with fresh water. Let them sit for another two hours and sample them again. Repeat this step as necessary until you're happy with the result.
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after about 5 hours of pickling. it’s very salty.
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TX Scotia gave us Summer Salads last week, and I thought “damn, that’s what I was going to do.” This is the one I had in mind. There are other great salads in my picnic WFD, go check out the Watermelon and Feta Salad there, and my fave version of Potato salad.
Curried Shrimp and Chickpea Salad
Serves 4. I didn’t write down where this came from.
¼ cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
¾ cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 pound small, cooked, shelled shrimp, drained well on paper towels
1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained well on paper towels
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup seedless red grapes
2 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lettuce leaves
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit in the pan to finish toasting, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
In a small pan heat the oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder and stir 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and whisk cooked curry powder into the yogurt, then add honey, cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic and lime juice.
Combine dressing, shrimp, chickpeas, raisins, grapes, green onions, salt and pepper. Stir well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Spoon onto lettuce leaves and garnish with almonds.
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Mashed Potatoes
In a recent WFD comment, Catte Nappe told us about Joel Robuchon’s recipe for pureed potatoes, the kind of impossibly rich preparation that only a French chef would think of, featuring one pound butter per two pounds potatoes. I mentioned that to a friend who replied “have you seen the video of McCartney cooking mashed potatoes?” I had not. Here’s Sir Paul, not singing.
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Dinner here tonight will include my zucchemono, and I think some leftover grilled tri-tip on top of Caesar salad.
What’s for dinner at your place? Could you please write about it for a future WFD? Message ninkasi23 if you can.