If you’d like to make a version of Thai iced tea without Number One Brand tea or Pantai tea (that’s the one with the yellow and blue label), it’s quite easy. It just won’t have the questionable food coloring. And, in my book, that’s a plus not a minus.
For this tea, I’d suggest using double the amount of tea leaves that you normally use. A strong tea is the key to this recipe. The bitterness of the strong tea works to balance the sweetness of the condensed milk and coconut milk.
Thai Iced Tea
makes 3-4
1 pot very strong tea
(green or black tea)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
sweetened condensed milk
coconut milk
Bring water to a boil. Remove the kettle from the heat and add vanilla extract and tea leaves to your taste. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Strain or press tea. Chill. When tea has completely cooled, fill hurricane glasses with ice. Then, fill glass with tea allowing enough room for adding milk to your taste. Pour milk on top. Pop in a straw. Enjoy!
Sweet Coconut Milk
1 – 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
In a small pitcher, combine coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk. Stir until combined. Chill. This will make enough sweet milk for several pots of tea. This milk will be very, very sweet. If you’d like less sweetness , add sweetened condensed milk by the spoon and sweeten to your taste.
Male Squash Blossoms
These beautiful blossoms were jam-packed into a plastic wrapped container and slightly wilted. But, they weren’t bruised. (If they’re bruised, they won’t perk up as prettily.) And, for about $2 they were easily worth the minimal investment of time and effort.
The blossoms on top had the most damage. But, after cutting a tiny piece off of each stem, I carefully washed them in cool water. Then, ran fresh water into another bowl. Then, placed the blossoms in the fresh water and let them sit peacefully for about 30 minutes. They perked up quite nicely.
They’re not overly temperamental or fragile. They’re just about as resilient (maybe even more so) than most lettuces.
The stems are the absolute definition of bright and fresh flavor with a crisp bite. I think the stems are even tastier than the blossom itself.
Squash Blossom Omelette
makes 1
6 squash blossoms, washed well
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon milk or water
1 Tablespoon of butter, or as desired
1 Tablespoon dill, minced
1 Tablespoon chives, cut into tiny rings
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Cut the stems into small pieces. Then, cut blossoms in half. Sauté stem pieces in butter. Add dill, chives, black pepper and salt to taste. Remove from the pan. Gently sauté blossom pieces. Remove from the pan. Prepare omelet. Before folding the omelette, evenly spread stem pieces and squash blossom pieces down the center. Then, fold and plate omelette.
Top with chopped dill or chives, if desired.
I was amazed by the quantity of blossoms in the package. There were close to two dozen blossoms. I gently shook the leftover blossoms dry and layered them carefully in a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap. They remained fresh, crisp and perky for over a week.
Candlenut = Kukui Nut
Long ago in Hawaii, the oil of the candle nut was used to make light. Also, the nuts were strung together in a way that each burning nut would measure the passing time. It would take roughly 15 minutes to burn from one nut to the next. In Hawaii, kukui nuts are used in a variety of ceremonies including wedding ceremonies. The nuts represent light. And, the two lights of two spirits become one. The kukui is also used as a symbol of enlightenment, protection and peace. With all of this rich symbolism, it’s obvious why it’s such a popular jewelry bead. In its shell, the nut is buffed and polished and made into leis, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. The raw shelled candlenut (or kukui nut) is mildly toxic. It can be used as a laxative or purgative. So, if you’re not looking for a laxative, don’t eat it raw.
If it’s toxic, why does it appear in the foods of Hawaii, Malaysia, Java, Tonga, and The Philippines? Well, this oily nut also adds a hint of bitterness, a silky richness, and that little something special to stewed dishes. It also acts as a thickening agent.
Kari Ayam
serves 3-4
5-6 red chillies, cut in half and seeded
1 small sweet red pepper, quartered and seeded
4 red shallots, roughly chopped
4-6 garlic cloves
4-5 candlenuts (or kukui nut)
(Substitute brazil nuts or macadamia nuts, if needed)
1 inch fresh turmeric, sliced
1 inch ginger, sliced
2 TBSP macadamia nut oil (or coconut oil)
1 lemongrass stalk, chopped in half lengthwise
1 inch galangal, roughly chopped
4 cups coconut milk
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 tsp grated nutmeg
4-5 cloves
1-2 star anise
1 tsp Belacan shrimp paste, roasted and crushed
1 tsp salt
⅓ cup brown sugar or palm sugar
3 chicken breast, sliced into thin pieces
3 potatoes, peeled and quartered
fried shallots, to garnish, if desired
Place red chili peppers, sweet red pepper, shallots, garlic, candlenuts, turmeric, ginger, and oil. Process to a smooth paste. Place paste in heated dutch oven with 1-2 Tablespoons macadamia oil. Fry until aromatic. Add lemongrass, galangal, coconut milk, cumin, coriander, fennel seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, star anise, shrimp paste, salt, sugar, and potatoes. Bring to a gentle simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add sliced chicken breast pieces. Simmer for another 10-12 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked, yet tender.
Garnish with fried shallots, if desired.
I love all things Malaysian. And, this dish is one of my favorites. Though, it never comes close to the version at my favorite restaurant. But, when I’m trying to fill a craving, this is a decent substitute.
Nasi Goreng
makes 2 servings
2 cups cooked jasmine rice, leftover works perfectly
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
(or, 1 TBSP coconut oil & 1 TBSP sesame oil)
5 scallions, sliced into pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs, scrambled
2 Tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 Tablespoons coconut flakes, natural
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons chicken stock
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon dark roasted peanuts, chopped
(chunky peanut butter makes a decent substitute)
1 teaspoon palm sugar, or brown sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
To Garnish:
darkly roasted peanuts, whole or chopped
coconut slivers or flakes, natural
In a measuring cup, combine soy sauce, chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, peanuts, sugar, fish sauce, salt, lime juice, and black pepper.
In a wok, stir fry scallions briefly. Add garlic. Stir. Then, add eggs and scramble. Then, add chives, coconut, and red pepper flakes. Stir fry. Add sauce, as needed. Stir to combine. Plate and garnish with peanuts and coconut slivers.
I added about 2 tablespoons of fresh chives. But, Chinese garlic chives would be more appropriate to this dish.
Asparagus might be even tastier cold than it is hot. It makes a pretty addition to a simple salad.
Bring salted water to a boil. Then, add asparagus. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. When you start to smell asparagus, let it cook for about another 30 seconds. Then, immediately drain out the water. It should still be firm and delicately crisp. To serve warm, serve immediately. Or, to serve it chilled, cover asparagus in cold water. Let sit for 2 minutes. Drain and chill in the fridge.
Eat me.
Lemon Boy
(On my new cutting board with silver spoon handles)
A Rainbow of Cajun Belle Peppers
A Bowl of Tomatoes for the Week
Another Week’s Worth of Tomatoes & 2 Cajun Belle Peppers
Also:
This weekend we picked even more Lemon Boy tomatoes… about 10 Lemon Boys. We were too busy making tomato sandwiches to take pictures. It’s a shame because every one of them was picture perfect (except for 1).
For the last three weeks we’ve gotten about 1 big bowl of tomatoes a week. That’s about 3-6 full size tomatoes and a bowl of assorted Juliets, Tami Gs, and Sun Gold cherries. And, that’s perfect for us. The combination of 3 Lemon Boys, 3 Juliets, 3 Tami Gs and 3 Sun Gold cherry tomatoes are more prolific than any other year. The Lemon Boy is even more prolific than the Early Girl which seems shocking for a yellow tomato. But, we’re loving it. It’s a good thing that we like to snack on the cherry tomatoes daily. Or, we’d be overflowing with tomatoes.
In other news, someone loved this hot dog so much that I need to work on a homemade version.
Game Plan:
Nathan’s hot dogs
homemade cole slaw (vinegar based)
homemade chili
thinly shredded cheddar
diced sweet onion
relish
Each item should be applied like condiment.
Let the testing begin!
Early Girl & Lemon Boy
Early Girl has a sweet, savory quality that is really lovely. But, Lemon Boy has a brightness and a burst of acidity that makes it something special. For a tomato sandwich, we both preferred the Lemon Boy.
And, it’s a beautiful tomato, too.
Early Girl is tender and very juicy.
They’re begging to be eaten.
Tomato Sandwich
makes 2
4 slices of bread, toasted
mayo
2 tomatoes, sliced
Extra Sharp White Cheddar (This made the better sandwich.)
Sharp Cheddar
freshly ground black pepper
freshly ground fennel seeds
fine sea salt
Toast bread. Lightly apply mayo. Place two slices of cheese on top. Then, arrange tomato slices. Be sure to cover every inch of available sandwich space. Grind pepper on top of tomato slices. Sprinkle fennel and salt. Then, slice each sandwich in half and devour ASAP.
The First Two Early Girl Tomatoes
Not too big, not too small… They’re just right.
Picked on Saturday, Jun 14, 2014
With the stem on, these ripen beautifully on the counter. Just be sure that they’re close to about 80% ripe.
Picked On Jun 17, 2014
One Lemon Boy, 9 big Juliets, 24 Tami G, and 24 Sun Gold… the Juliets are really beautiful this year. And, the Tami G tomatoes are all oddly small, but sweet and tasty.
Do you see what looks like a plump cherry tomato (upper right). That’s actually a perfectly ripe Sun Gold. It’s so dark gold that it’s nearly orange. It’s placed on top of the pile picked today. In about two days, they’ll all be that beautiful dark golden orange. The taste? It’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory tomato perfection.
The Early Girls, Today
They’ve ripened perfectly on the counter. Tonight, we’ll be tasting them for the first time.
I love our tiny little garden.
Sun Gold Cherry Snack
one handful of perfectly ripe Sun Gold cherries, halved
extra virgin olive oil
fine sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
goat cheese, big chunks
rustic wheat bread, toasted
In a small bowl, toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, Toss again. Add big chunks of creamy goat cheese. Toss very gently. While the bread is still warm, smash cheese and tomatoes on the bread.
Enjoy immediately.
Or, serve as a small salad with the toasted bread on the side.
The First Bowl Of Tomatoes For 2014
Almost a dozen Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, 4 Juliets, a small handful of Tami G’s, and one Lemon Boy (slightly speckled, top right in the back, about the size of a small plum). The day of the photo the Lemon Boy tomato was very bright yellow. But, the next day, it had a dark golden hue that was similar to the Sun Golds. Inside, it was a bright beautiful yellow. It’s a very pretty tomato with a slightly more acidic flavor than the Sun Gold. But, it’s acidic in a very good way. They’re perfect to quarter. So, they’ll make great salad tomatoes.
Roasted Tomato Sandwich, Italian American Style
rustic bread, toasted
homemade mayo
basil, if desired
fennel, freshly ground
black pepper, freshly ground
fine sea salt
Lightly brush bread with homemade mayonnaise. Top with a basil leaves or shredded basil, if you like. Then, while the tomatoes are still warm, arrange on top of the bread. Sprinkle fennel, black pepper, and salt on top. Consume immediately.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
cherry tomatoes, halved
olive oil
fine sea salt
Place tomato halves in a small casserole dish packed tightly together. Drizzle with olive oil. Then, sprinkle with salt. Roast at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until they reach your desired state of doneness. Turn off the oven. Let cool in the oven for about 10-15 minutes. Tomatoes should still be warm.
The First Tomatoes
Two Sun gold and one Tami G, these were green yesterday. Yesterday’s tomato pictures were taken in the late afternoon. After taking those shots, I thought it would be at least another week before we had a ripe tomato. And, today, we have three. They’re barely ripe. But, for our eager fingers they were ripe enough for picking. We savored these first bites with a sprinkle of freshly ground fennel seed and a very light coarse grinding of black pepper. The fennel brought out the sweetness to perfection.
Fresh Tomato Bites
cherry tomatoes, halved
fennel seed, freshly ground
black pepper, freshly ground, coarsely
fine sea salt
Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Sprinkle lightly with freshly ground fennel, black pepper and sea salt.
Savor each bite.
A handful of vine ripe tomatoes make a perfect snack. I’m already planning the next few bites. The next tomatoes to ripen will be savored with a gentle sprinkling of smoked sea salt. We have crystals of hickory smoked sea salt and smoked Maldon sea salt. The triangular flakes of Maldon sea salt have been smoked over English oak. It’s lovely and mild. The Juliet and Tami G tomatoes will be perfect to taste with just a tiny touch of each type. After that? I’ll be mixing a touch of wasabi powder into fine sea salt.
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