As typical this time of the year, I've got no harvests so the post is all about using my stored vegetables (and beans). This week was the week of the mashed sweet potato. They are so easy to make except for peeling them. I steam them with their skins on in the microwave. I put a little water at the bottom of the bowl and cover with an inverted plate. Typically three minutes is long enough then I let them sit for a few minutes more. I add a little butter, salt, and water or broth and mash them with a fork. Yum.
My dinners tend to have two vegetables in them. One green vegetable and one some other color. So it is usually carrots, squash, or sweet potatoes. But last week I seemed to only want mashed purple sweet potatoes for some reason.
This week I'll have to roast some squash to start getting a bit more variety in my food. But I did have one squash meal. We had spaghetti and since I can't eat tomato sauce, I had squash sauce. I'm OK with the sauce, but it is just OK. It doesn't get me excited at all. I like pesto, but I don't want to eat it on a regular basis. All the fat messes with my system.
And my sweet potato kick didn't stop with my house. I cooked some up for the Superbowl.
Since I can't eat chili I brought black bean and sweet potato soup. Which is probably a good thing as there were four different chilis at the party. And since it was vegan anyone could eat it.
Also featured in the chili was some green coriander - they look greener in real life. One of my other blogging friends (Michelle maybe?) talked about how good green coriander was compared to the mature harvested seed. And I so concur. The green one is more complex and much stronger. I'll have to remember to pick more at this stage this year.
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to show off, add your name and link to Mr Linky below.
I store them in my spice drawer in a glass container like all my other spices. They are picked green then fully dried before storing. And I crush them before use.
I think that the visual aspects of food are very important, so I understand your desire to have contrasting colours on the plate. The black bean and sweet potato soup is a bit "sludgy" though! Not being critical here - just stating a fact. I read somewhere recently about keeping coriander seed in a grinder like a pepper-grinder, thus having it readily available for adding a bit of a different flavour. Sounds good to me.
Green coriander seeds are the best. And if you save fennel seeds you should try harvesting some of them green and letting them dry, they have much more flavor than the seeds that dry on the plant. I'll have to remember your method of cooking the sweet potatoes, it sounds so quick and easy, it makes me want to go out a buy a couple right now and give it a try.
I did pick another sweet pepper, but it was hardly worth blogging about. I should have used the clippings from the onion seedlings on a salad or something, just to say I had a winter harvest :-)
Bite your tongue, Mark! I've never seen a black bean soup that didn't look "sludgy", LOL! I always loved the taste of black bean soup, but hate the way it looks. That would be a great challenge for you....make us a "pretty" bowl of black bean soup!
It is usually prettier if you use some tomato in it. The color is more brown then. At least for a pureed one. An unpureed soup looks prettier by far. I do both, but I really like the texture of a pureed soup sometimes.
Great looking dishes this week!! We are really digging into our stores this time of year as well. It's great to still be eating from the garden even when our harvest are pretty limited.
That broccoli looks so pretty in your first picture! I don't grow broccoli but am thinking maybe I will try one. Must be so hard not being able to eat tomato based things. Nancy
I never thought about drying the green coriander seeds. I do like them fresh and green. And green fennel seeds are yummy too. I have plants right outside the kitchen door so when they bloom I can grab a few on my way out and chew on them.
Love sweet potato soup, I always put a piece of ginger in there. Oh you just reminded me I have some green corriander in the freezer, forgot about them!
How brilliant to have stored sweet potato. I can't grow it here but sometimes use my Mother Hubbard squash (which is storing very well) as a substitute in recipes. Your soup looks wonderful.
They are either grandseeds or great grandseeds. I'm guessing just grandseeds though. I don't think I've collected them more than once since I got them.
How do you store your green coriander seeds, room temp in the cabinet or freezer? Do you use them whole or crushed?
ReplyDeleteI store them in my spice drawer in a glass container like all my other spices. They are picked green then fully dried before storing. And I crush them before use.
DeleteLove that gorgeous purple color of the sweet potatoes. What variety is that?
ReplyDeleteIt is called Purple. It cooks up to a really dark dark purple color.
DeleteI think that the visual aspects of food are very important, so I understand your desire to have contrasting colours on the plate. The black bean and sweet potato soup is a bit "sludgy" though! Not being critical here - just stating a fact. I read somewhere recently about keeping coriander seed in a grinder like a pepper-grinder, thus having it readily available for adding a bit of a different flavour. Sounds good to me.
ReplyDeleteGreen coriander seeds are the best. And if you save fennel seeds you should try harvesting some of them green and letting them dry, they have much more flavor than the seeds that dry on the plant. I'll have to remember your method of cooking the sweet potatoes, it sounds so quick and easy, it makes me want to go out a buy a couple right now and give it a try.
ReplyDeleteI did pick another sweet pepper, but it was hardly worth blogging about. I should have used the clippings from the onion seedlings on a salad or something, just to say I had a winter harvest :-)
ReplyDeleteBite your tongue, Mark! I've never seen a black bean soup that didn't look "sludgy", LOL! I always loved the taste of black bean soup, but hate the way it looks. That would be a great challenge for you....make us a "pretty" bowl of black bean soup!
It is usually prettier if you use some tomato in it. The color is more brown then. At least for a pureed one. An unpureed soup looks prettier by far. I do both, but I really like the texture of a pureed soup sometimes.
DeleteGreat looking dishes this week!! We are really digging into our stores this time of year as well. It's great to still be eating from the garden even when our harvest are pretty limited.
ReplyDeleteWe managed to save green fennel, great reminder on the green coriander!
ReplyDeleteI have a few more squash that needs to be used up soon. I also harvest green coriander and store it in the freezer.
ReplyDeleteThat broccoli looks so pretty in your first picture! I don't grow broccoli but am thinking maybe I will try one. Must be so hard not being able to eat tomato based things. Nancy
ReplyDeleteI never thought about drying the green coriander seeds. I do like them fresh and green. And green fennel seeds are yummy too. I have plants right outside the kitchen door so when they bloom I can grab a few on my way out and chew on them.
ReplyDeleteLove sweet potato soup, I always put a piece of ginger in there.
ReplyDeleteOh you just reminded me I have some green corriander in the freezer, forgot about them!
I love green coriander as well. I think it has a flavor in between fresh cilantro and dried coriander.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could grow sweet potatoes but unfortunately, I'm the only one who likes them.
How brilliant to have stored sweet potato. I can't grow it here but sometimes use my Mother Hubbard squash (which is storing very well) as a substitute in recipes. Your soup looks wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHey Daphne, the lettuce seed arrived today. Thanks again! Those seeds sure have had quite a trip.
ReplyDeleteMine have also arrived. Does this mean we will be growing Dan's grandchildren this year? Or should I say "grandseeds" LOL!
DeleteThey are either grandseeds or great grandseeds. I'm guessing just grandseeds though. I don't think I've collected them more than once since I got them.
DeleteHi Daphne,
ReplyDeleteI like that sweet potatoes - such lovely colours. I'm not that lucky..just got a few bits from the last harvest.