Deb's Kitchen - Farm, Food, Wine & Lifestyle Adventures
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email
Menu
Skip to content
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Events
    • Classes
    • Tours & Adventures
  • Edible Gardening
  • Preserving
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Soups and Salads
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
  • About
    • Whats In Your Pantry
    • Ask Debbi
    • Deb’s Kitchen Botanicals
    • Press
  • Contact

Author: Chef Debbi Dubbs

Merry Christmas

12 / 1 / 2212 / 1 / 22

Chef Debbi & The Debettes

would like to send you warm and safe wishes for the upcoming holiday!

I’m reposting this great appetizer recipe for you to enjoy. Cheers to a New Year!

 

Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates with Maple Glazed Walnuts and Boursin Cheese

Save
Print

Easy to make ahead of time and bake off at the last minute, make extra they go fast!

  • Maple Glazed Walnuts
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups walnut halves
  • For the Dates
  • 1 package of dried Medjool Dates, 16 oz.
  • 1 12 oz. package of bacon, slices cut in half widthwise
  • 4 oz. package of Boursin cheese

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the maple syrup and salt together, add the walnuts and stir until coated.

Spread the nuts on the baking sheet and bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the glaze is bubbly and coats the walnuts well. Remove from oven and let cool.

Turn the oven up to 425° and line a baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper.

Slice dates lengthwise and remove pits.

Scoop a small amount of Boursin cheese with a spoon and fill the date with the cheese, press a glazed nut into the cheese.

Wrap dates with a slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick to hold bacon onto date. Place the dates on the parchment on their side and bake for about 7-8 minutes or until browned on the bottom and turn to the other side continue to cook for another 7-8 minutes or until the bacon is cooked and a little crispy, and the cheese is slightly melted.

Let cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Thanksgiving Feast

11 / 20 / 2211 / 20 / 22

These are my family favorites for the Thanksgiving Holiday, these recipes will serve 6-8 people. Many of the recipes can be made ahead of time making it easier to pull together the entire meal on one day. Make ahead the stock, gravy (add pan drippings later), mashed potatoes, dressing (I don’t stuff my turkey any longer and because I don’t I can cook a large bird in about 2 hours), green beans and of course the apple pie! I hope you enjoy and have a safe and tasty holiday!

Debbi & The Debettes (Sue & Barbara)

Watch my YouTube videos with Christina Peters on making Turkey/Chicken Stock and how to make successful gravy! Click here to watch!

 

Both recipes can also be found in my book, ‘What’s In Your Pantry’ pages 43, 44 and in the video’s.

Order my book here, next day shipping!

 

Click here to order

Citrus Cranberry Sauce, Instant Pot

Save
Print
  • 2 (12-ounce) packages fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 medium orange, zester and juiced
  • 1 small cinnamon stick

Place cranberries, sugars, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and cloves into a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Stir until well combined.

Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 4 minutes. When finished cooking, naturally release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions, about 20-30 minutes.

Remove orange zest and cinnamon. Using a potato masher, mash cranberry mixture until desired consistency is reached.

Let cool completely.

My Best Dressing for Thanksgiving

Save
Print

Old fashioned stuffing recipe but I cook it as a ‘dressing’ rather than stuffing a turkey. For one reason it’s safer (temperature-wise) and the turkey cooks faster if it’s not stuffed. If you stuff a turkey the stuffing needs to reach 165° to kill any bacteria, but that means the turkey is well past 185°, overcooked and dry. The spice that makes this dressing the bomb is Penzy’s Poultry seasoning, penzys.com, it’s definitely my go to herb blend!

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) day-old crusty sourdough bread
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 leeks, halved, thinly sliced, and rinsed well
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced
  • 4 celery stalks, diced (I like to use the celery hearts for this)
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons poultry seasoning
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • 1½ chicken stock, maybe up to 2 cups
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten

The day before you make the dressing tear the bread into 1-inch pieces and place on a baking sheet, set atop your stove for the bread to dry out slightly.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, shallots, celery, salt, and pepper, and sauté until tender and translucent.

Place the bread into a large bowl and pour the vegetable mixture onto the bread cubes, add the poultry seasoning and parsley and toss lightly until coated. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock & toss again, the bread cubes should be fairly wet, if not add more stock and mix well until it is wet.

Before you add the eggs, taste the dressing, and adjust any seasoning. Then add the eggs and mix in well. *For a heartier dressing add Melissa's Steamed and Peeled Chestnuts (chop them into bite sized pieces and mix in). See link below.

Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake, covered, for 30 minutes, uncover the dish and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes to crisp the top a bit.

Dried Herbs or ‘Poultry Seasoning’ from Penzy’s Spices

Melissa’s Steamed & Peeled Chestnuts

*Recipe for Chestnut Dressing can be found on page 120 in ‘What’s In Your Pantry’

Green Beans with Smoked Bacon & Caramelized Shallots

Save
Print

These are similar to my Grandmother’s Famous Green Beans but I replace her garlic with Caramelized Shallots.

  • 2 pounds haricots verts (thin green beans), trimmed, blanched and dried well*
  • ½ pound applewood smoked bacon
  • 3 large shallots, quartered
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.

Add olive oil to the pan with the bacon drippings then add the quartered shallots and sauté until browned. Add the vinegar, stir well, then add the green beans and toss until coated with oil, cook for another minute then season with salt and pepper and toss with bacon, serve hot.

To blanch green beans: Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water leaving room for green beans. Bring a large saucepan full of water to a boil and add green beans and a good helping of salt, cook for 1-2 minutes, drain the beans and plunge them into the bowl of ice water. Let them cool, drain and dry well.

Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Save
Print
  • 3 lb. medium Melissa’s Dutch Yellow Potato*, scrubbed and cut in half
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Cut the potatoes into like sized pieces so they all cook at the same rate. Cook the potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until they are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and return to the dry pot. Shake over low heat for about 1 minute. This helps make the potatoes fluffy as it whisks off excess moisture.

Mash the potatoes until there are no lumps

Heat cream, milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium until just about to simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to add to potatoes.

(If you have a potato ricer or mill, pass the potatoes through into a bowl. If you don’t have a food mill you can mash the potatoes with a potato masher), slowly add cream mixture while tossing gently, season with sea salt and pepper and mix in sour cream.

Take the potatoes out of the refrigerator about 3 1/2 hours before serving time. Stir the potato mixture well. Remove the potatoes from the dish and place it in a 4- or 5-quart crockpot. Cover and cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours, stirring once or twice.

add more melted butter, sour cream or milk if you want a softer consistency. The potatoes can be held in the slow cooker an additional 30 minutes or more on low. Or turn the crockpot to "keep warm" for another hour or two.

*Melissa’s Dutch Yellow Potatoes can be found at Gelsons, Bristol Farms and Lazy Acres or order from their website (link below).

Herb Roasted Turkey

Save
Print
  • 10 -12pounds free range or organic turkey, Diestal is my favorite and available at Gelsons
  • 2 medium onion, quartered with peel on
  • 6 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh sage
  • 1 whole bay leaf
  • ½ bunch fresh thyme
  • 2 Meyer lemon
  • ¼ cup butter, room temperature
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc is my go to
  • 1 cup chicken or turkey stock

Preheat oven to 425°

Remove turkey from refrigerator and let rest for 1 hour before cooking. Carefully rinse and dry turkey inside and out, dry well. Select a roasting pan where the turkey will fit snugly but doesn’t hang over the side. Place ½ of the herbs into the pan as a bed for the turkey, roughly chop the remainder of the herbs and stuff inside the turkey. Squeeze the lemons over the turkey and place the rinds into the pan with the herbs.

Place the turkey inside the pan and rub with butter, season with sea salt and pepper.

Insert probe thermometer and set for 165°. The turkey will cook for approximately 2 hours. Pour wine and chicken stock in the bottom of the pan and place, uncovered in hot oven.

Baste after 1/2 hour, if you don't have enough juice in pan use some stock. Do not cover bird until browned and then loosely place foil over breast. If wings start to brown to early wrap with foil. If the breast starts to brown too much, loosely cover with foil and turn oven down to 400°.

Let turkey rest for 15 minutes before carving.

*Pick up a probe digital thermometer here

To make sure your oven is the correct temperature use an oven thermometer

Dutch Apple Pie

Save
Print
  • Pâte Brisée, (Pie Crust)
  • 1 ¼ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 2-4 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, optional (for Pâte Sucrée, sweet pie dough)
  • For the Dutch Apple Pie:
  • 1 pie crust
  • 2 ¼ pounds of baking apples, about 6 medium
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 stick)
  • 3 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • For the Crumb Topping:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon*
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 8 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Add flour and salt (sugar also if making Pâte Sucrée) into the bowl of a food processor; pulse a few times to incorporate all the ingredients.

Add the butter and process until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is pea size.

Place the mixture into a wide bowl and add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture comes together. Don’t overwork the dough or it will be tough, not flaky. Once the dough comes together in a ball flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Dough can be wrapped well at this point and frozen for up to three months. Let the dough defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Roll chilled disk out on a floured counter or rolling mat, lifting and moving the dough every few rolls to help prevent sticking. Add only enough flour to the counter to keep the dough from sticking.

Place your pan on top of the dough to make sure it is the correct size, it should be slightly larger than the pan, then roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unroll over your pan. Gently lift and lay the dough to fit the pan, never pull the dough to stretch it. Lightly press the dough into the pan, roll your rolling pin over the top edge of the tart or pie pan and remove excess pastry, or pinch the edges to your liking.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or while you prepare filling.

Your pie crust should be rolled out into the pie pan and be resting in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place your rack in the center of the oven.

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples to about 1/4” thickness. You should have 7 cups of sliced apples. Place them in a mixing bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in water and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue simmering for 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat the apple slices. Pour apples over bottom crust.

To Make the Crumb Topping, stir together dry ingredients: flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Add butter and work it into the mixture with our hands until pea-size crumbs form throughout the mixture. Spread the crumb topping evenly over your apples, place pie onto a baking sheet and bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the center of the pie registers 175˚F. If topping is browning too much, cover with a sheet of foil. Remove from oven and cool 1 hour to allow the filling to set so it’s easier to slice.

*Cinnamon, I like using Penzey’s Spices ‘Baking Spices’ instead of just cinnamon.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Farm, Food & Wine Tour 2022

4 / 29 / 225 / 15 / 22

 

 

Farm, Food & Wine Tours are Back!!

Join us this fall for our first tour in a few years

Fri, Oct 14th – Sun, Oct 16th

Two Nights at Cambria Pines Lodge

with Hot Buffet Breakfast

Fri Evening

Welcome Dinner

Local Vinegar Tasting & Demo

Sat Tour

Wine Wrangler Tour

Mighty Cap Mushroom Farm

Visit a high end mushroom farm that grows artisanal gourmet mushrooms organically
(above photo is one of their ‘pink’ varieties)

Rangeland Winery

Wine tasting & BBQ lunch
(Local Grass-Fed Burgers)

Jack Creek Cellars 

Wine Tasting

Jack Creek Pumpkin Farm

Sun Tour

Groves on 41 Olive Oil tasting & Demo


Picnic Lunch by Debs Kitchen

Don’t miss the Cambria Scarecrow Contest
Scarecrows displayed all over town!

Elephant Seal Rookery

Walks on the Beach &
Fabulous Sunsets

Make your reservation now, limited occupancy
Not included, travel to and from Cambria
Saturday Evening Dinner

$849.75 per person
$400.00 deposit required
Refund cancellations until Aug. 15th
Click below to make a deposit or venmo me @ debbidubbs

Tour Payments



Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Osso Buco

1 / 7 / 22

 

I was in Lazy Acres meat department picking up an order when I notice the beautiful veal shanks in the case. This time of year, I love any kind of braised meat, beef, or chicken and one of my favorites is Osso Bucco. I’m not sure why you don’t see it on restaurant menu’s very often, perhaps the cost of veal would choke you, but you can also make it with beef shanks which aren’t quite as expensive.
Although this dish takes a fair amount of time to cook, hands-on cooking time is very little. Instead of cooking the dish in an oven for up to 3 hours, a slow cooker or maybe even an instant-pot would do.
A braise is a dish that used two kinds of cooking techniques, one is searing, and the other is moist heat cooking (in liquid). Wine, broth, and tomatoes are used to ‘stew’ this rather tough cut of meat into fall apart deliciousness. Typically served with Risotto Milanese but you could substitute mashed potatoes or pasta.

6          1-1/4-inch-thick veal (or beef) shanks

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2      cup all-purpose flour for dredging

1/4      cup extra-virgin olive oil, reserve 1 tablespoon

1          tablespoon unsalted butter

1          large yellow onion, diced

2          stalks  celery, finely diced

1          medium carrot, diced

1          teaspoon dried oregano

3/4      cup dry white wine

2           tablespoon tomato paste 1

1          28-oz. can Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped, juices reserved

1          cup low-salt chicken broth, more if needed

1          large sprig thyme

1          bay leaf

1          Tbs. arrowroot mixed with 2 tsp. broth or water

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Wrap string around the shanks to hold them together.  Put the flour onto a paper plate, Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Dredge the shanks lightly in flour, shake off the excess.

Use a large Le Creuset or the like, one that you can fit all the shanks in laying flat.

Heat pan and add oil, when hot add ½ the shanks and brown well on both sides. Remove and repeat with remaining shanks, set aside.

Pour or scoop excess oil out of the pan leaving the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter and reserved 1 Tbs. of oil.

When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, carrot, oregano, and 1 tsp. salt. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned and translucent. Add the wine, and increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, scraping up any brown bits with a wooden spoon, until the wine is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 3 minutes Stir in the tomato paste. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the broth, thyme, bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Add the shanks back to the pan, cover and cook in the oven until tender, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, checking the liquid occasionally.

If it has cooked down, add enough broth to keep the level about halfway up the shanks. To check for doneness, pierce a shank with a fork. The meat should pull apart easily.

Strain the pan juices through a medium-mesh sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on the solids with a spatula to extract as much sauce as you can. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Whisk in the arrowroot mixture and cook briefly to thicken.

To cook in a slow cooker, after browning the meat and deglazing the pot, add the shanks to a slow cooker and pour all the juices over them. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours.

Recipe edited from Fine Cooking

 

 

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

New Classes 2022

1 / 3 / 22

Happy New Year to all!

Unfortunately, we are still dealing with a pandemic and since infections & hospitalizations are on the rise Cal State Fullerton’s Arboretum has decided not to host indoor classes at this time. We are trying to arrange ‘al fresco’ cooking classes but for comfort (weather-wise) they won’t be offered until a little later in the spring. But we WILL be back, patience for good food!

In the meantime, I’ve been falling back on my other love, Edible Gardening. Most of you know I’ve been gardening for over 20 years. Last year I was asked by a local (Oceanside) college to teach online Zoom classes in vegetable gardening. They are going so well we decided to add more Edible Gardening classes this winter/spring. I will add those to my website when registration is live. I’ve also added extra classes to my own company, Debs Kitchen, classes are 2-2 ½ hours in length with the last half hour dedicated to sharing a recipe. I hope you’ll join me.

Farm Tours Update

YES! Spring tours will be back! Mary & I are in the process of setting up some new, local, So. Cal farm tours & educational seminars & tastings. Send us an email on what you’d like to see, do, taste!

Debs Kitchen Winter Classes

On Line Classes begin Jan 29

Registration is live!  For the moment, all classes will be Zoom classes

Register Here for all Classes

Questions? Send me an email, Debbi

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Debs Kitchen Class Registration

1 / 3 / 22

Sign Up for Current Class Schedule

Growing produce from Seeds, Seed Starting Basics

Jan. 29th 11:00-1:00, $30.00


Guest Count



Growing Cut Flowers in Your Vegetable  Garden & How to Use Edible Flowers in Cooking

Feb. 5th 11:00 – 1:30, $40.00


Guest Count



Growing a Spring Salad Garden & Salad Harvest Demo

Feb. 26th 11:00 – 1:30, $40.00


Guest Count



Organic Vegetable Gardening & Cooking Demo

March 26 11:00 – 1:30, $40.00


Guest Count



Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Clean and Husk (strings and all) Corn on the Cob

9 / 4 / 21

 

 

Here’s a simple trick to cleaning up corn on the cob while not quite cooking it all the way. I love corn on the grill but husking it before hand can be a pain trying to get all the strings off.

Cut off the bottom of the cob just above first row of kernels. Place on microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave on full power for 30 to 60 seconds. (If you want to fully cook the corn, microwave for 4 min. per cob)

Remove from microwave and using a hot pad or cloth pinch and squeeze the top of the husk to push out the whole corn. It should slip out fairly easy.

Proceed to cooking it in the manner you like.

 

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Marinated Cucumber and Tomato Salad

9 / 2 / 21

 

Marinated Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Save
Print
  • 3 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 1-2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
  • 1 medium red onion, sliced and separated into rings, optional
  • ½ cup red wine or pomegranate vinegar
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup oil
  • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving so the flavors have a chance to blend.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

What to Plan/Plant for Your Fall Garden

8 / 2 / 21

Fall into Winter Gardens

Remove any summer crops that are starting to fade and prepare soil with mulch, mycorrhiza, compost.  Re-plant with fall/winter crops or cover crops.

Plant last round of heat loving crops

(early) tomatoes with harvest dates within 50-60 day range

Summer/winter squash (same requirements)

Peppers

Mid-season planting in August

Basil

Beans

Beets

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Chives

Cilantro

Cucumber

Dill

Lettuce

Kale

Mustard Greens

Onion, Shallots, Green onions

Radish

Peas, plant 2 rounds, August and again in Sept for fall/spring harvest

Spinach

Turnips, baby white turnips & regular

Late summer (end of Sept) plant cover crops for any areas where you won’t be planting any winter crops.

 

Some cool season vegetables should probably be protected from the hot months of Sept into Oct. But by planting these vegetables/fruits now they will benefit from the warmth of the soil and the longer days. If you wait too long, late Oct, the soil is already cooling down and the sun is leaning towards winter, the days growing shorter.

Need more help? Send me an email with questions. I have video’s available for guidance, contact me, Debbi@debskitchen.com

 

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Hatch Chile Roast

8 / 1 / 218 / 1 / 21

Hatch Chile Time!

 
New Mexico Hatch Chiles are here in Southern California and we’ve been waiting all year to replenish our supplies! These chiles are only here for a short month or so before being gone again until next season. A favorite Southwestern chile, the Hatch chiles are grown in Hatch, New Mexico where everyone celebrates their harvest. Roasters are going hot on every street corner and people are buying them by the case. 
 
Here in So. California, Melissa’s Produce brings us these gorgeous chiles in mild and hot, buy both! Melissa’s has teamed up with several local grocery stores to provide roasting your chiles by the case. Click on the Hatch Chile Roasting link and it will take you to a list of roastings by Melissa’s Produce.
 
Try Hatch Chile’s in all your dishes, from omelets to soups, stews, Chile Verde and even maybe a Hatch Chile Sorbet, mmmmm. Click here for one of my favorite recipes.The list is endless! 
Click here for local Hatch Chile Roasting with Melissa’s Produce
Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

The Mushroom Farm Tour

7 / 2 / 217 / 2 / 21

We are all scheduled for our first local farm tour for 2021! Join us for farm, food & fun.

No transportation is provided, we suggest carpooling as much as possible. Please wear sturdy, flat shoes, this is a real farm and perhaps carry a hat just in case, Sept. can be warm if we’re out in the sun at all.

 


Guest Count



2 Comments
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

It’s Asparagus & Artichoke Season

4 / 24 / 21

 

A few things to know about asparagus now that it’s in season. Buy organic, fresh, California grown asparagus for the most nutritious and best tasting.

Asparagus is dioecious, meaning that it has separate male and female plants. The female plants make berries, containing seeds. The male plants just make flowers, containing pollen. But both of them produce spears.

Scott Walker, president of the world’s biggest asparagus seed company (Walker Brothers, of Pittsgrove, N.J.), says that he’s heard that on really hot days, asparagus can grow an inch per hour. But he’s never actually measured them. During harvest season, farmers struggle to stay ahead of the growing spears. Each field has to be harvested every day, and sometimes even twice a day.

After about six or eight weeks, farmers stop harvesting and let them grow wild. The plant needs to grow into a fern to capture energy from the sun and store it in the root for the next growing season.

After harvest, asparagus loses quality very rapidly––the sugar content declines and the amount of fibrous material increases. Use spears with compact heads; those with loose heads are fibrous and do not keep well.

There are 3 types of asparagus, green, white (which is blanched by covering the stalks with straw or mulch to keep it from turning green) and there is a purple variety.

Green asparagus is a bit grassy in flavor, while white asparagus is mild and slightly bitter. Purple asparagus is a bit nuttier and sweeter because it has about 20 percent more sugar in its stalks. Purple asparagus is a bit nuttier and sweeter because it has about 20 percent more sugar in its stalks. While the stalks are purple on the outside, the interior is the same green spear. The outside may appear a little purple-greenish when cooked. Blanch this and use it in salads.

How to buy asparagus; look for bright, green, evenly colored spears with tight buds. You can store asparagus standing up in a glass with a little water in the refrigerator, I like to use them within a few days. If the stalks are a little thick you might want to peel them down up a bit so they’re not so fibrous.

Cook asparagus by blanching, steaming, roasting or grilling. Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve asparagus.

Asparagus Casear Salad recipe

Asparagus Gratin recipe

Spring Artichokes

Read all about artichokes, how to choose and store them.

Artichoke Info & Recipes, click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email

Posts navigation

1 2 3 … 24 25 Next Page
Deb

Meet Chef Debbi

READ BIO

Join-Us Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive tips 'n tricks, and special offers on classes, tours, and more!

Recent Posts

  • Merry Christmas
  • Thanksgiving Feast
  • Farm, Food & Wine Tour 2022
  • Osso Buco
  • New Classes 2022

Categories

BookCUT

What's in Your Pantry?

How to stock your pantry to create delicious dishes.

Learn Chef Debbi's pantry essentials and how to substitute ingredients for pantry staples in her basic recipes for quick and easy meals.
BUY BOOK>

FacebookTwitterInstagramGooglepinterest



 

© 2014, DEB'S KITCHEN
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes