The Kitchn Archive: Jul 2010

If you enjoyed my previous post on edible flowers, A Roundup Of Edible Flowers, perhaps you’re looking for ideas for what to do with edible flowers. How about making some candied flowers? They add a wonderful touch to desserts, and make lovely gifts. Store-bought edible flowers can be quite expensive. It is very easy to make your own, and can make for a fun project with family or friends!

We’re deep into a baba ganoush love affair at the moment, helped by the fact that eggplants are finally starting to appear at the farmers market. We like ours with a bit of smokiness to it, but without a grill, we’ve had to improvise. Here’s how we’ve been doing it on the stove top.You first prick each eggplant with a knife or a fork and then lay it directly over the flames on your gas stove top.

We love naked fruit around here. We’ve discussed naked lemons at length, and now we’re talking naked peaches. Oh, the indecency. But this method of skinning peaches from Smitten Kitchen is too easy. You’ll get to the cobbler (or the crumble) with less work.We’re a little embarrassed that we’ve never done this with peaches. We’re always pitting, slicing, peeling. Pitting, slicing, peeling.

Have you ever noticed how many common spices, herbs, and even veggies there are that have the same licorice-y anise flavor as, well…anise? This came up in conversation at a dinner party recently and we couldn’t believe how many there were once we started thinking about it!Here’s what what we came up with:1. Anise (of course!)2. Star Anise3. Fennel – bulb, fronds, and seed4. Basil5. Chervil6. Caraway7. Tarragon Can you think of any others?Related: Try This!

When shopping at Asian markets, you might see these long, flat, brightly-colored green leaves sold in big bunches. They look like very long blades of grass. Take a whiff and you’ll notice a very distinctive smell of garlic. These are nira, otherwise known as garlic chives and Chinese leek!Nira are common in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cooking. They are added to dumplingsstir friessoupskimchigreen onion pancakesThey taste a little bolder than bulb garlic and they have a very good flavor.

Let’s face it: trimming green beans is a chore. Laboriously snipping the tops and tails off of each bean with a paring knife definitely gets old after a while. Particularly when you’ve still got most of the pile left to go. Here’s what we do to make the job go by a little more quickly.You can use a chef’s knife or a paring knife for this, whichever you feel more comfortable using.

Q: I have been getting wonderful, colorful bunches of carrots from the farmers market. The only problem is storing them. It seem like no matter what I do — in the fridge, on the counter, in a bag, not in a bag, in the veggie drawer — the day after I buy them, they are limp and sad. Help! Sent by EffieEditor: Effie, the first tip is to cut off the carrot greens.

Yesterday we shared some ideas for marinated goat cheeseSlicing through soft, creamy goat cheese can get rather messy. Sometimes this doesn’t matter, but when your presentation requires a clean cut, all you need is a piece of dental floss. Wrap the floss around your fingers, hold it taught, and pull it downward through the cheese. Ta-da! We do, of course, suggest using unflavored floss unless you like your chèvre with a hint of mint.

Q: I planted Calypso pickling cucumbers in my garden this year. They are growing very well, and I already have an early yield of 10 larger pickling cucumbers from just four plants! These cucumbers are very prickly and I want to make bread and butter pickles out of them.Do I try to remove the prickles before canning? Or do I make them into pickles with the spikes on?Sent by HilaryEditor: Hilary, we’re going to turn this tongue-twister of a question straight over to our readers.

Q: The weather here in Seattle has warmed considerably over the past few weeks and my oregano is in heaven. Only problem is that it’s now taking over my garden quicker than I can use it.Aside from tossing it in pasta sauce or drying it for later use, what are some good ways to use my hearty crop of oregano?Sent by RacheleEditor: Rachele, I have the exact same “problem” right now! As you can see, my oregano has overrun one of my herb boxes.

We’ve been seeing more and more of these little guys recently and we couldn’t be happier. Cipollini onions (pronounced chip-oh-lee-knee) were once a rare treat only to be found at fancy restaurants and the occasional gourmet market. We’re glad they’re finally getting their due attention…Now what exactly are they?Their name literally means “little onion” in Italian, and indeed they are!

When most people think of cucumbers, they probably think of the dark green, waxy oblong English cucumbers that are so ubiquitous at American supermarkets. But there’s more than one kind of cucumber out there — from yellow to green, and twisty to round!Cucumbers originated in India. They were cultivated by the early Indians, the Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans. Technically and botanically a fruit, they are marketed and consumed as a vegetable — just like eggplant and tomatoes.

There’s no pretty way to say it: guanciale is cured pork jowl, plain and simple. This might sound like something best left to the Anthony Bourdains of the world, but that would be a mistake. If you like bacon, you’ll love guanciale. Trust us!Like bacon and pancetta, guanciale has a high fat to meat ratio. This translates into a meltingly tender texture with a deep, sweet-savory pork flavor.

Want a quick and easy way to wash all the chard, kale, and salad greens you’ll be picking up at the farmer’s market in the next few months? Look no further than your kitchen sink.Just fill your sink with water and then give those greens a few good swishes. Leafy greens will actually float on the top of the water, so dirt sinks to the bottom of the sink while the greens stay on top. We usually let the greens sit in the water for a few minutes so the grit has a chance to settle.