The Kitchn Archive: May 2010

New potatoes, another teeny tiny vegetableNew PotatoesThese are immature potatoes that get thinned out early in the season order to make room for the rest of the potatoes to mature. New potatoes aren’t a variety by themselves, but are simply the baby version of any potato a farmer grows. In fact, those being sold as “baby” potatoes are the same as new potatoes, or slightly more mature.

Q: I just received my CSA for the week and found a bunch of mizuna. I’ve never heard of it before and am curious what are good things to make with it? It looks like a flat leaf parsley, almost, and has a pretty mild flavor. If it were you, what would you make with it? Thanks!Sent by AimeeEditor: Aimee, right now my favorite thing to do with bitter greens or other fresh greens from the garden is to chop them roughly and toss them with boiled new potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Q:  I found a recipe from Molly at Orangette for a raspberry/blueberry pound cake. She asks to put the cake in a cold oven and then turn it to 300°F.I have never done this with any previous cakes I have made. Have you tried something like this? Does this method work well?

Q: Since switching to stainless steel cookware, my husband and I have learned how to fry most things without crazy stickiness, but two things still have us stumped: pancakes and eggs.How do we cook them without having to chisel them off the skillet?Sent by StephanieEditor: Stephanie, first off, we always accept there will be some small degree of stick-age with pancakes and eggs in a stainless steel skillet, as opposed to a nonstick pan.

Here’s the dilemma: we like fresh-made meals (ie, not just re-heating leftovers), but we also don’t always have time for the prep work, simmering, and so on that can go into a meal from scratch. We’ve been looking for meals that can be prepped ahead and then made within minutes of walking in the door – like these falafel and pitas!First of all, preparing the falafel mix and the dough for the pita is already pretty quick.

Q: This weekend I held a massive pulled pork party. We called it Swine and Dine in Porkdale (we live in the Toronto area of Parkdale). As side dishes we served fresh cut fries and a tarragon slaw. I completely over-estimated the amount of cabbage that I needed, and have about 2 freezer bags full of chopped mixed, unseasoned cabbage.Any ideas (other than another slaw) of what I can do with it? I know it’ll keep for a few more days, but time is of the essence and it can’t go to waste.

Q: I recently moved into a new house and discovered that my lemon tree is also a mandarin lime tree. In fact, there are more limes than lemons.What can I do with lots and lots of mandarin limes? They taste like very tart mandarin oranges, but are tiny — maybe 1/3 the size of a clementine.Sent by ArynEditor: Aryn, as you probably already know, mandarin limes (also known as Rangpur limes) are not very much like true limes.

Have you ever come across those onion-y greens growing among the grasses in springtime? Ever wonder if you could pick them and bring them into your kitchen?Well, the answer is maybe. What you’re seeing in the lawn is possibly a member of the Allium genus. That’s the same genus that brings us the onion family: garlics, leeks, shallots, onions, chives…And, from Wild Food Foragers, “According to Peterson’s Field Guide, all species of Allium are edible.

Q: How long do flavoring extracts last in the cupboard? I have several bottles of extract (vanilla, rum, maple and lemon) that are quite old and I wonder if they are still usuable. The alcohol evaporated from the peppermint extract. Can I add more alcohol to the bottle and reconstitute the residue? (Guess who is frugal?) I did pitch the Mexican vanilla because of questionable orgin.

We were watching re-runs of Barefoot Contessa the other day (a favorite pastime of ours), and picked up an interesting tip from the lovely Ina GartenIna Garten says that roasting will caramelize the shrimp slightly and concentrate their flavor, making this mild shellfish taste sweeter and more intense. We imagine that it’s similar to throwing shrimp on the grill, something we love!

Q: It’s a beautiful summer day in Brooklyn today, and there are lemonade stands popping up all over Park Slope. They’ve inspired me to make my own homemade batch, but I can’t decide what to serve with it.What are some not-too-sweet desserts (strawberry, maybe?) or snacks that go well with my favorite recipe, lavender lemonade?Sent by ShannonEditor: Shannon, honestly, we are total suckers for the sweet lemonade/salty pretzel combo. How about one of these recipes?

We’ve always been told to snap asparagus at the base to remove the toughest part of the spear – in fact, it’s a pretty fun kitchen chore. But a recent video from Food52’s Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs (with guest star Amateur Gourmet Adam Roberts) has us rethinking this little trick. They are “anti-snapping.” Check out the video below to learn why, and get the recipe for a Thai-inspired asparagus salad with Meyer lemons.