The trouble with cilantro

My mother said to me yesterday, "Where did you learn to garden? I can't keep anything alive." I answered my mother that I didn't. I just keep trying, and every year I've gotten better.  Part of my success is due to my hideous self watering, well draining container.  It babys my herbs when I don't have time to do so myself.

This year I added cilantro to my miracle container. Then came the wind, and somehow the roots came to the surface. I reburied them.  It happened again.  I reburied them again.  Then I noticed the stems were tangled. So after some fruitless internet research, I untangled them. Now they are limply strewn about, leaning on my dill and slowly bringing it down.  (I still have no clue why the roots keep coming to the surface, but I'm just going to let that slide.)


 So, things to know before you grow cilantro:

• Cilantro is a cool weather plant, believe it or not. It bolts (flowers) really quickly when the weather warms up to 75, and you can no longer enjoy it's deliciousness. 
• Cut off the flower heads to extend the plant's life. This is not guaranteed to work, but I hear the flowers are edible and rather yummy.
• Alternatively, let the flower heads drop and pray for a second crop of the season.
• It prefers morning and late afternoon sun, even though it is technically a "full sun plant" because it is so sensitive to heat.
•  Cilantro does not transplant well.  (Oops.)  You are better off seeding directly in the container.
• It grows in clumps because its stems are weak. (Ah, whoops.)

Good Morning! Morning Glory Muffins

A week doesn't go by without me wishing two things: (1) It is summer, and I am on an ocean beach (2) I have in my possession a beautiful Morning Glory Muffin ready for snacking.  This recipe is a slight modification from the original Morning Glory Cafe in Nantucket as featured in Gourmet.

Morning Glory Muffins
1 apple, peeled and grated (trick: grate the apple as a whole, using the core as a handle)
2 cups carrots, coarsely grated (use a food processor or you will be grating all day)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut 
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup sugar (use only 1 cup if using sweetened apple sauce)
2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce (preferably unsweetened, adjust sugar if sweetened)
1 tsp vanilla



1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin tins well.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Add the first five ingredients, and stir.
3.  Whisk remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, and then add to dry mixture.
4. Spoon into muffin tray and bake for thirty minutes or until the muffins are firm and spring back to touch. Take out of the oven and cool on wire racks. For best results, let sit several hours (24 ideally) before eating.

Sirens and Muses: Springtime

 

A pilfered spring sprig

Don't you sometimes need a little inspiration?

After graduating from college, life was great. I lived in my favorite neighborhood, frequently saw my friends and boyfriend, and was walking distance to everything I enjoyed.  I had a healthy lifestyle and my spirit was adventurous and inspired.  But... it wasn't going anywhere, and let's face it, I am an ambitious lass.  Twenty-five hit me with a loud smack in the face.

Now I'm in law school, and while I am almost 1/3 of the way to going somewhere in life, my "life" as I knew it was gone.  I often tell people I feel like Rapunzel, sitting in my turreted apartment building on the very edge of Brooklyn, waiting for my rescue.  (Reading ridiculous amounts of six point print and typing furiously as I wait.)  Delayed gratification can be a struggle.

Today I lunched with a friend who is pursuing the romantic entrepreneurial lifestyle I envy.  His stories reminded me that being inspired is a key element to enjoying life.  So, I now introduce Sirens and Muses, a series of posts: temptations and inspirations to prod us into creating, into getting all hands on deck.  Even when we don't have time to create, we can dream.

Spring Peas

I am ignoring the fact that I have not even touched my Contracts reading for later today in order to share a little bit of goodness with you.

Pea salad. I know what you are thinking, but hear me out. Sweet peas, herbs, feta... it can't get much better. I have not yet seen any peas at the farmers market, so I used frozen peas. However, the texture of fresh peas would be delightful. I paired this dish with lamb and potatoes on Easter, and it stole the show.

Amy's Pea Salad

Ingredients:
1 1 lb bag frozen, petite peas defrosted (Whole Food's own organic ones are excellent)
1/3 lb good feta Not cow's feta. Not salty American feta. Good feta. (I used Valbreso.) If you can't find good feta, use goat cheese. If you want something more subtle, I think this would be great with ricotta salata also.
1/2 cup of mint leaves, roughly chopped
2-4 scallions, sliced into rounds
1 bunch of radishes, sliced into rounds or cubed
1/2 long cucumber, or one whole short one, sliced into rounds or cubed
2 tbps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbps red wine vinegar

Directions: Get ready for it... combine all ingredients in a bowl. Toss thoroughly and serve immediately at room temperature.  Voila! Low calorie, extremely healthy, and oh-so-springtime.

A tropical spring break (Pt. 2)

Continued from below...

Sesame Green Beans and Asparagus
1 package (roughly 2 cups) of green beans, trimmed
1 bunch of asparagus
1/8 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp minced ginger
Juice of 1/2 a tangerine or small orange
2 tsp sesame oil

1. Peel asparagus on about 2/3 of the sides (it is easiest if it is flat on the board). Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Chop green beans in half. Add to asparagus.
3. Mix all marinade ingredients and toss it with the veggies. Let sit for an hour or two.
4. Cook everything (including juice) in a skillet on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.  At the end, add the sesame seeds.  When well combined, serve.

Soy-Citrus Marinated Cod

Cod * I used 3/4 lb of cod to serve 2 people
Basil, scallions and cilantro  (just a handful)
Brown rice
 
Marinade: 

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp minced ginger
Juice of 1/2 a tangerine or small orange
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tsp honey
1 tsp sesame oil


1. Line a baking dish with tin foil. Place fish onto the foil.
2. Mix marinade and pour atop fish, reserving about two tablespoons.  Let sit for up to one hour on the counter, covered, warming it up to room temperature.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Pop fish into the oven for about 4 minutes, until top is lightly browning.
4. Lower temperature to about 350 and cook for 10 minutes or until fish is no longer translucent.
5. Top rice with chiffonade of basil, scallions and cilantro.  Place cod atop rice. Spoon the remaining juices over the rice.

Jack and I just about licked our plates clean.  This was a three course meal initially, but after a disastrous try at special macaroons, I think I'll just leave it at that.

A tropical spring break (Pt. 1)

There is the Marae,  Philadelphia Museum of Art, image courtesy of Artchive.com

This week is my spring break, so I'm imagining myself to be far away from my Brooklyn apartment, in a French controlled island in the Pacific.  It's the kind of place that Gauguin painted: almost neon colors and, like Gauguin, I am convincing myself that the flora and fauna are untouched by man. 

So, for dinner tonight, I've prepared something exotic and non-specifically Pacific.

For the first installment...

Mango Salad
1 medium cucumber, peeled
1 large mango, peeled (Make sure the mango is not too ripe, as you want it to be fairly firm)
1 carrot, shredded
3 scallions
1 handful cilantro and basil


Dressing:
1 tsp sriracha
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
2 tbsps fish sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar

1. Slice cucumber lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice into three inch long sections (you should have 5-6). Slice these sections lengthwise, and then slice the pieces again into somewhere between batons and matchsticks.

2. Do the same with the mango, remembering to use the flat pit to your advantage. (I eat the extras right off the pit. Yes, every time. Does that really surprise you?)

3. Slice scallions into rounds.

4. Toss cukes, scallions and mango into a bowl with the shredded carrot.

5. Chiffonade basil and pull whole cilantro leaves off the stem. Add to the top of the mixture. 

6. Mix dressing ingredients, dress salad lightly, and eat! 

 Clearly, that is what happened here.  I only got a shot of the second to last bite...