YumSugar

Taste Autumn With a Colorful Salad

YumSugar — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:00:39 -0800

I know I just said that I don't eat the seeds of pomegranates, but after the vast majority of you said "Why bother?" I proceeded to give it another try. Guess what? It's not so bad - it lends a textural crunch and grittiness that needs some getting used to, but I'm starting to like it.

I decided to embrace the seeds by tossing together a simple and straightforward Fall fruit salad. The result was a brilliantly-colored melange of persimmons, pomegranates, onions, and spinach with an equally bright flavor profile. To get excited for the season, read more.

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad
From Jewish Holiday Feasts by Louise Fiszer and Jeannette Ferrary

Ingredients

8 cups torn spinach leaves
3 Fuyu persimmons, cut into thin slices
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
7 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Seeds from 1 large pomegranate

Directions

In a large bowl, combine spinach, persimmons, and onion.
Whisk together vinegar and oil. Toss with salad. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

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Making Preserves at a Public Fruit Jam

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:50:57 -0800

Last weekend, I attended a collective canning event. Sponsored by Fallen Fruit, an activist group that promotes the planting of public fruit trees, the public fruit jam was a free, communal jam-making session where participants shared fruit and jam-making tips. I arrived with empty jars and lots of plums, and left with new friends, half a dozen jars of different kinds of jam, and the know-how to make fruit preserves. To see how it went down, read on.

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Do You Eat the Seeds of Pomegranates?

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 06:45:12 -0800

A coworker and I recently got into a discussion about eating pomegranates. I grew up eating the juicy pulp surrounding each pomegranate seed, and then spitting out its remains, but she loves eating the entire seed and can't imagine going through the hassle of spitting them out. What about you?

Butter-Braised Radishes: An Unexpected Surprise

YumSugar — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Lately I've been drawn to preparing everyday vegetables in unexpected ways: Last week, I wrote about turnips and the spicy quality they take on when served raw in a salad. Likewise, when I saw a recipe for braised radishes, I couldn't wait to try it. Unlike turnips, which are often found simmering in stews, radishes are typically served raw in salads or as crudités. However, the fuschia-hued root vegetable is delicious when cooked. After braising these radishes, they tasted and looked liked red-skinned potatoes, with a blush-colored skin, a soft, waxy texture, and a mellow flavor.

Radishes, when sautéed with a little butter and quick-braised, are as comforting to eat as potatoes, but they require a fraction of the labor and have none of the heaviness of a serious starch. To get the recipe for this surprisingly stunning dish, read more.

Butter-Braised Radishes
Adapted from the Chicago Tribune

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 green onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice, white and light green parts only
2 bunches radishes, greens removed, trimmed, halved or quartered, depending on size
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water

Directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook until it just begins to brown, 3-4 minutes.
Add the onion; lower heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the onion softens, about 3 minutes.
Add the radishes, salt, sugar and pepper to taste; stir in the water.
Raise heat to high; heat just to a boil. Cover; lower heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.
Uncover; raise heat to high. Heat to a boil; cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes.

Serves 4.

Nutrition information per serving: 76 calories, 71% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g protein, 118 mg sodium, 2 g fiber

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Get to Know Pear Varieties

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:30:00 -0700

We're well into pear season, and if it wasn't obvious to you already, pears - much like apples - come in many different shapes and colors. Can you tell one from the other? I'll walk you through the different varieties of pears and their differences in taste, texture, and flavor. Let's begin!

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How Do You Like Them Apples?

YumSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:15:36 -0700

Now that the new season is well underway, I'm going nuts here over Fall produce. That, of course, includes my year-round favorite, the apple. You may eat one a day to keep the doctor away, but can you identify the fruit's many varieties?

Here's the deal: I'm going to flash you a picture of an apple, and you're going to guess the variety. Can you get all my questions right? There's only one way to find out!

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A Different Salad: Turnips in Sour Cream

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:30:12 -0700

During the period of transition from Summer to Fall, you may find that while you see a lot of Fall produce in the market, the weather isn't quite cold enough for stews. This turnip salad is the perfect dish to make during this brief season. Although it's uncommon to see recipes with uncooked turnips, they're actually delicious eaten raw, with a dense, crunchy texture, and a flavor similar to radishes. It's important to slice the turnips as thinly as possible, and to make sure the salad is seasoned liberally with salt and pepper. If raw onions are too overpowering, reduce the amount of shallots in your salad. To get this recipe, which calls for only four ingredients, read more.

Turnip Salad
Adapted from The Four Ingredient Cookbook by Joanna Farrow

Ingredients

3 turnips, peeled
1/4 cup finely minced shallots
3/4 tablespoon white wine vinegar, to taste
4 tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Thinly slice the turnips. Put in a bowl.
Add the shallots and vinegar, and season to taste with salt and liberal amounts of pepper. Toss together, then stir in sour cream. Chill well before serving.

Serves 4.

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Do You Know Your Fall Produce?

partysugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:30:50 -0700

Happy Fall! To encourage the consumption of the fabulous fruits and vegetables of Fall, we're making this week all about Fall produce. Our recipes, tips, and ideas will incorporate seasonal crops. To kick things off, I've put together this fun little quiz. I'll name a fruit or vegetable and you have to decide its season. Ready?

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Is It a Tomato or Squash?

partysugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 05:50:28 -0700

In terms of produce, the end of September is a time that straddles Summer and Fall. Late-season heirloom tomatoes are juicy and plump, while early-season butternut squash are way too tempting. To celebrate the plethora of produce that can be found in markets, I've put together this fun quiz. I'll list a variety of tomato or squash and you tell me which it is. Ready, set, go!

Source: Flickr User nim

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Whet Guests' Appetites With a Spicy, Seasonal Salad

YumSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:02 -0800

Whenever I have people over for a sit-down holiday dinner, I like to set the tone with a hunger-inducing salad as the first course. For my most recent dinner, I foreshadowed the Fall meal to come with a peppery medley of in-season produce.

This salad, with its salty, spicy, tangy, and sweet components, turned out to be the perfect way to get guests psyched for supper while still leaving plenty of room for the main course.

Toasted on the stove, pepitas, or hulled pumpkin seeds, impart a nutty flavor to the olive oil, which plays a crucial part in the aromatic dressing. Make this your Thanksgiving salad when you keep reading.