Banana Flowers- Malayali Style

So Tanya Delia- you asked for more information on Banana Flowers so now is the best time to finally post my photos on the subject from my introduction to Kerala Cookery - circa Muscat, 2006. There are many various types of bananas in Kerala which are eaten by themselves, in different dishes and with different types of dishes. Banana flowers are a vegetable that is used to make a specific dry curry that Jijesh's mom makes. The outermost layer is almost burgundy and there are many coloured layers to remove before you get to the edible heart which is off white. We finely diced this heart and had to work fast since it oxidized very quickly. There was also a very odd type of dry stringiness. The curry was quite good and contained the standard Indian spice. The flavour of the banana flower is not strong, slightly waxy-starchy and bland, while the texture is perhaps closes to canned hearts of palm. How about you come back to Toronto and we can make this curry together? Arun agrees this is a great idea!

TOMATO LUST

The last day of the Farmers Market I fell in love with a heirloom tomato. I didn’t even know her name and I took her home with me. She was heart shaped and slightly split in the middle. I think it might actually have been a twin tomato. And somehow she was in the 75 cent basket. Love, ok really it was lust, for 75 cents. I also found some tasty little Green Zebra heirloom tomatoes at the same great farm stand from Iowa. I hope these growers come back next year but I have a backup plan. My father who was of course jealous of my bargain gems had the brilliant idea to save the seeds. One of the many perks of buying heirloom tomatoes is being able to save the seeds. I did a little research and found this method of preservation and found this method that wards off some of the tomato diseases. So next summer I hope to enjoy relatives of these beauties. Here is an excerpt from the article by Trudi Davidoff

"Select to save seeds from a tomato that has a flavor that you love....if you're a home gardener and saving seeds from tomatoes that are growing in your garden choose tomatoes from the very healthiest looking plants. Take your chosen tomato and slice it in half across the middle (it's "equator"). With a spoon or your well-washed fingers scoop out the seeds and their gelatinous "goo" into a clean cup or container. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the seeds. Cover the container with a piece of plastic-wrap and then poke the plastic-wrap with a paring knife or pen point to put a small hole in it...this is to allow for air-transpiration. (A little fresh air needs to get in and out of the cup to help foster fermentation.) Place the container of seeds in a warm location; a sunny windowsill or the top of the refrigerator are both excellent sites to place the container of seeds. Now Mother Nature will take over and begin to ferment the seed and water mixture. This takes about two or three days. Each night remove the plastic-wrap, stir the seed and water mixture, and then replace the plastic-wrap, if you use a new sheet of plastic-wrap then don't forget to put a small hole in it for air-transpiration. The top of the liquid will look "scummy" when the fermentation process has separated the "goo" from the seeds. It also helps destroy many of the possible tomato diseases that can be harbored by seeds. Take the container of fermented seeds to the sink and with a spoon carefully remove the scummy surface. Then pour the container's contents into a fine kitchen sieve and rinse the seeds with water several times...stir them while they're in the sieve to assure that all surfaces are thoroughly rinsed. Give a few sharp taps to the sieve to help remove as much loose water as possible from the seeds. Line an open plate with a piece of waxed paper or a large automatic-drip coffee filter. Place the rinsed seeds onto the wax paper or coffee filter and spread them about so they are in a single layer. Place the plate in a safe location where the seeds can dry for a few days. Stir the seeds a few times during the drying process to assure that all their surfaces are evenly dry. Spread them out again into a single layer after each time you've stirred them. Tomato seeds are thick and can take up to a week to dry thoroughly. If you're having a rainy week that drying time may lengthen buy a few days."

Les Oeufs Jeannette (Eggs Jeannette)

My Grandmother Delia made the best deviled eggs and I have been craving them. This recipe that Jacques Pépin's mother used to make for him sounded so delicious and homey I had to try them. I have a new favorite. I put more herbs in mine and sprinkled them with a little paprika.

Les Oeufs Jeannette

• 6 jumbo eggs (preferably organic)
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 to 3 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (preferably peanut oil) Dressing:

• 2 to 3 tablespoons leftover egg stuffing (from above)
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon water
• Dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Hard-Cooked Eggs: Put the eggs in a small saucepan, and cover with boiling water. Bring to a very gently boil, and let boil for 9 to 10 minutes. Drain off the water, and shake the eggs in the saucepan to crack the shells. (This will help in their removal later on.) Fill the saucepan with cold water and ice, and let the eggs cool for 15 minutes.

Shell the eggs under cold running water, and split them lengthwise. Remove the yolks carefully, put them in a bowl, and add the garlic, parsley, milk, salt, and pepper. Crush with a fork to create a coarse paste. Spoon the mixture back into the hollows of the egg whites, reserving 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling to use in the dressing.

Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet, and place the eggs, stuffed side down, in the skillet. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the eggs are beautifully browned on the stuffed side. Remove and arrange, stuffed side up, on a platter.

For the Dressing: Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk or a spoon until well combined.

Coat the warm eggs with the dressing, and serve lukewarm.

Early Morning Fishing

I crawled out of bed early on my last visit home to Door County. I wont give away Dad’s secret spot but the fish were jumping. We caught mostly Bluegills and Sunfish. Not the biggest fish and they are kind of a pain to clean but they sure are tasty. Dad was sweet enough to fry some fish right up. He puts on a light flour batter and uses his trusty cast iron. Severed piping hot with a little salt they didn’t last long.

Salade Niçoise

In my humble opinion, this is one of those perfect summer meals. I love when a salad becomes a dinner with little effort. I was talking to my dear Mumsie while I put this together I wish she was here to eat it with me. It feels like cheating to throw together hard boiled eggs, blanched green beans, fresh tomatoes, cucumber slices, capers, anchovies fillets and tuna. I'm not sure purest would let me call this Niçoise because of the absence of those fine little Niçoise olives. Oh well, I bet even in Nice they would enjoy this combination of fresh ingredients drizzled with a garlicky balsamic vinaigrette.

Farmers Market

My new favorite

Farmers Market performers.

These stunning variegated Safari Gladiolus were too beautiful to pass up. And at 1$ a stem they were a steal. I arranged a little still life of my market treasures. The purple Amaranth is looking a little sad but I really love it in salads and this might be the last week. My dill died in a wind storm so I have been buying it and putting it in everything. I found some slender green beans and the purple cabbage was calling my name.

blueberries with mango and garam masala

A nice quick breakfast. I really like sweets in the morning so I have been trying to eat fruit. A little bit of garam masala sprinkeled on top is wonderful. This masala has lots of cinnamon and clove. I know they say you need to replace your spices every two years but this blend has to be at least five years old and is still really tasty.