Devon

We didn’t make it to the annual Devon meeting this year---the first time in a long time. But at the time of the meeting I got the fall ‘Devon USA’ magazine. One thing of interest was a reprint of a 1952 ‘Devon Cattle Quarterly.’ At this time we have the only Devon herd in Mississippi. I know of a couple in Louisiana and one in Alabama. But in 1950 there were Devon breeders prominently mentioned that lived in Wilkinson County as we do. Several more were mentioned in other towns in southern Mississippi and several in adjoining parishes in Louisiana. Maybe someone remembers Sam H. Williams of Monroeville, Alabama or CA and James J. Cravey of Florala. Devon almost disappeared in the United States as producers began more and more to ship to feed lots where Devon did not do well. I got in touch with Devon when searching endangered breeds.

Devon are a breed meant to be finished on grass. One article in the Devon magazine touted the health benefits of grass-fed dairy, especially milking Devon: lower amounts of the types of saturated fats that raise levels of LDL cholesterol, higher in omega-3 fatty acids, and lower in omega-6 fatty acids.

The grass-fed beef market is growing. Grass-fed beef has grown from a $5 million dollar a year industry ten years ago to a $75 million dollar industry today. I was in Baton Rouge at Whole Foods the other day and the butcher was recommending to a lady the grain finished beef as superior eating. He grudgingly admitted the health benefits of grass-finished but not the eating quality. Not all grass-fed is finished equally and quality can vary. It’s best if you know your producer and he finishes the beef properly. That is hard to do. In Britain, Devon have long been known as the butcher’s breed. One writer called Devon as a “just look at a cake and put on weight type of girl.” It is the fat in the finished product that is not only healthy but gives the finished beef superior flavor.

While I was at Whole Foods I bought a grass-fed brisket and I usually do not cook a brisket. I know it to be tough and that it has to be cooked long.  We know brisket is used for barbecue and there are so many recipes out there for barbecue. I just decided to do a simple beer brisket recipe and cook it slow. It was delicious and I can say I will cook brisket more often.

 This brisket turns out so tender and juicy---no knife required.

 

Beer Brisket

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 (4 pound) beef brisket, trimmed of fat

Salt to taste

1 large onion, sliced

1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cube beef bouillon

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 bay leaf

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

Directions:

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the beef brisket with salt, and place in a baking dish. Cove the entire roast with onion slices. In a  medium bowl, mix together the beer, brown sugar, beef bouillon, pepper, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Pour over the roast. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 4 hours in the preheated oven. The brisket should be fork tender. Mix together the cornstarch and water; stir into the juices in the baking dish to thicken. Remove the bay leaf. Slice and serve the meat.

French Apple Cake

I have found a recipe that could be better than apple pie. A French apple cake. I have been reading Christopher Kimball’s ‘Milk Street Magazine’ for several months now, and he now has his own show on PBS, so I will be happy to be able to see it this Saturday on our PBS station. I love the way he describes the ups and downs of recipes and what does and does not work. Since he does it for you, the recipe you get is pretty much tested.

This French apple cake is a last-minute dessert that can be thrown together pretty much without a recipe but of course we have a recipe. The beauty is we don’t have to roll out a crust as for a pie and not cutting the butter into pea-sized pieces.

The secret of this tasty recipe is the browning of the butter and caramelized apples. The varieties of the apples here are a combination of tart and sweet. This cake is a cross between apple pie, tarte tatin and apple cake. It is delicious served plain but it would be great with crème fraiche or ice cream.

So treat your family this easy dessert!

French Apple Cake

Start to finish: 1 hour (25 active) plus cooling

Serves 8

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, plus more for pan

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 pound Braeburn or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices

12 tablespoons white sugar, divided

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons Brandy or Calvados

2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with butter, dust with flour, then tap out the excess.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, melt the butter. Cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the milk solids are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Pour into a small heatproof bowl; don’t scrape the skillet. Stir allspice into the butter. Set aside.

Add all the apples, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt to the still hot skillet and set over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture released by the apples has evaporated and the slices are beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the brandy and cook until evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a large plate, spread in an even layer and refrigerate uncovered until cool to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla and 9 tablespoons of the sugar; gradually whisk in the butter. Add the flour mixture and stir until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared pan, spread in an even layer and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoons of sugar.

Bake until deeply browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and remove the sides before slicing.

Delicious!

 

have found a recipe that could be better than apple pie. A French apple cake. I have been reading Christopher Kimball’s ‘Milk Street Magazine’ for several months now, and he now has his own show on PBS, so I will be happy to be able to see it this Saturday on our PBS station. I love the way he describes the ups and downs of recipes and what does and does not work. Since he does it for you, the recipe you get is pretty much tested.

This French apple cake is a last-minute dessert that can be thrown together pretty much without a recipe but of course we have a recipe. The beauty is we don’t have to roll out a crust as for a pie and not cutting the butter into pea-sized pieces.

The secret of this tasty recipe is the browning of the butter and caramelized apples. The varieties of the apples here are a combination of tart and sweet. This cake is a cross between apple pie, tarte tatin and apple cake. It is delicious served plain but it would be great with crème fraiche or ice cream.

So treat your family this easy dessert!

French Apple Cake

Start to finish: 1 hour (25 active) plus cooling

Serves 8

8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, plus more for pan

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1 ½ pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 pound Braeburn or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices

12 tablespoons white sugar, divided

½ teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons Brandy or Calvados

2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with butter, dust with flour, then tap out the excess.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high, melt the butter. Cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the milk solids are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Pour into a small heatproof bowl; don’t scrape the skillet. Stir allspice into the butter. Set aside.

Add all the apples, 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt to the still hot skillet and set over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the moisture released by the apples has evaporated and the slices are beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the brandy and cook until evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to a large plate, spread in an even layer and refrigerate uncovered until cool to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla and 9 tablespoons of the sugar; gradually whisk in the butter. Add the flour mixture and stir until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared pan, spread in an even layer and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoons of sugar.

Bake until deeply browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and remove the sides before slicing.

Delicious!

 

Yucatan, Recipes from a Culinary Expedition

I looked all over Mérida for an English cook book on the Yucatan but it was not to be had. Upon returning home my husband found one to order that turned out to be a James Beard Award winning book. It is a fabulous book and the author David Sterling spent 10 years of his life researching and writing the book. It would have been too heavy to bring home even if for sale in Mérida.

The Yucatan peninsula is home to one of the world’s greatest regional cuisines. With a foundation of native Maya dishes made from fresh local ingredients, it shares much with the same pantry of ingredients, and many culinary practices with the rest of Mexico. Yet, due to its isolated peninsular location, it was also in a unique position to absorb the foods and flavors of such far flung regions as Spain and Portugal, France, Holland, Lebanon and the Levant, Cuba and the Caribbean, and Africa.

In recent years, gourmet magazines and celebrity chefs have popularized certain Yucatecan dishes and ingredients, such as Sopa de lima (which I did this weekend and the recipe is below.) David Sterling takes you on a gastronomic tour of the peninsula in this cookbook and presents the food in the places where it’s savored. Sterling begins in jungle towns where Mayas concoct age old recipes with a few simple ingredients they grow themselves. He travels over a thousand miles along the broad Yucatan coast to sample a bounty of seafood; shares “the people’s food” at bakeries, street vendors, home restaurants, and cantinas.

This journey of Sterling serves up over 275 authentic, thoroughly tested recipes that will appeal to both novice and professional cooks. The book discusses pantry staples and basic cooking techniques and offers substitutions for local ingredients that may be hard to find elsewhere.

The book took me all weekend just to glance though since it is almost 600 pages. But the book is beautifully done and probably the most definitive work on this distinctive cuisine.

Sopa de lima is the classic soup of the Yucatan. The lima (Citrus limetta) also known as limmeta or sweet lime is more aromatic and less acidic that the Persian or Mexican lime and gives this soup its characteristic taste. But since we cannot get this lime you have to use the Persian or Mexican lime. This soup is very tasty and can be prepared in advance, refrigerated, and reheated just before serving. It can also be served chilled.  We had this soup at a restaurant and I didn’t think it was so great, but doing it at home I felt it was a better soup and worth the effort of creating.

Sopa de Lima

Chicken soup with sweet lime essence

10 servings

For the soup base:

10 cups chicken stock

½ medium chicken (1 ½ lbs.)

1 sprig fresh thyme (1/4 tsp. dried)

Prepare Soup Base:

Place the stock, chicken, and thyme in a stockpot and bring to a simmer, skimming frequently. Continue to cook gently until the chicken is cooked through, 25-30 minutes.

Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Pull the meat from the bones into large pieces or slice into julienne strips; set aside.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pot. If time allows, refrigerate the stock several hours or overnight and skim off any fat before finishing.

For the sofrito and finishing:

Zest of one lime, finely grated

2 Tbs. olive oil

4 cloves garlic. Finely chopped

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 cup green bell pepper, finely diced

3 medium Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (Mexican or Persian lime juice)

Place the stock in a stockpot and return to the simmer. Add the citrus zest, cover the pot, and remove it from the heat to allow the stock to steep as you continue.

While the stock is steeping, heat the oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the next three ingredients and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until the tomatoes are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sofrita (the garlic, onions and green pepper) to the stock. Stir in the chicken and simmer 2-3 minutes to heat through. Add the citrus juice and serve immediately.

For Serving:

Chopped cilantro

Fried soft taco shells cut into strips and fried in olive oil (I thought these were great and a nice snack even without the soup.)

Slices of lime

To Serve:

Ladle the soup into individual bowls, distributing the chicken evenly. Sprinkle on some of the cilantro and top with the strips of fried soft taco shells, and slices of lime. You can place extra cilantro and taco strips which some chili sauce on the table so diners can adjust their soup to taste.

 

 

Merida Yucatan

I wanted a little end of summer get-away. Mérida has been getting some buzz lately and it was only a short flight away---via Houston. We got there ok and had a nice time. You can guess the end of the story!

“The houses were well built, with balconied windows…The streets were clean, and many people in them well dressed, animated, and cheerful….; calèches fancifully painted…..gave it an air of gaiety and beauty…fascinating and almost poetic,” said author, explorer, and discoverer of many of the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan and Central America, John L. Stephens, upon entering Mérida around 1840. We found it the same today.

The Spanish colonial city of Mérida was built on an old Mayan city and is one of the oldest continually occupied settlements in the Americas. Colonized 470 years ago by the Spanish adventurer Francisco de Montejo, it has a historic center that is one of the largest in Mexico. They used stone from the Mayan pyramids to build the oldest cathedral on the North American continent---the Cathedral of San Ildefonso, finished in 1598 (The oldest is in the Dominican Republic.). Around the Plaza Grande besides the cathedral is the Casa de Montejo of 1549 (beautifully restored and furnished by a bank and opened for free), and the Palacio de Gobierno, and Palacio Municipal where a daily free tour of the central historic district begins at 9:30 each morning and should be one’s first activity.

Sisal production (henequén) in the late 19^th and early 20^th century made Mérida one of the richest towns in Mexico. It is still the cultural and financial capital of the region.

 

The Paseo de Montejo was laid out in 1888 as the Champs Έlysées of Mérida and many beautiful mansions and homes line the tree lined boulevard. Mérida welcomes all to its streets every Sunday morning when the streets are closed off to cars, and bicycles predominate---the Bici Ruta.

 

We had coffee at an outdoor café on the Paseo that had a jazz band, and watched the promenade---people walking with their dogs, kids on tricycles, tandem bicycles and some attached together with awnings and seats in the rear for kids or grandparents; everyone having a good time. Sunday afternoon we walked in the Parque de Santa Lucía where vendors sold books, nick-nacks, food. A band played and people danced. This square has a giant “Sillas Tú y Yo” (you and I). These conversational chairs attached and facing each other are also known as “Sillas Confidentes.” One finds the normal ones everywhere, on the streets especially on the Paseo de Montejo, in all the squares, and there are many squares and all of them have a church.

We stayed in a turn-of-the-century casa renovated into a boutique hotel. Rooms had the usual 20 ft. high ceilings, decorative tile floors, and shuttered windows. They opened onto a wide loggia where one could sit and read, have drinks or eat breakfast looking onto the courtyard garden.

 

They served a beautiful breakfast each morning. I liked their omelettes. I did indulge in Huevos Motuleños one morning---fried eggs served atop a tostada covered with refried beans, and dressed with tomato salsa, chopped ham, and peas, served with slices of fried plantain. And I loved the local tropical honey, miel, on my pancakes.

 

We walked, and visited museums, and shopped in the mornings. My husband bought himself a guayabera, the local shirt worn with the tail out. His was all white linen. They come in other colors and often are highly decorated. He topped this off with a Panama hat---cool wear for the hot sunny days. It was humid but often with a breeze and we would walk on the shady side of the street. I bought some filigree earrings which are a local specialty and a hipil, a gaily decorated top. I found some nice pajamas done with the same decoration which I bought for gifts. Vendors everywhere touted abanicos de mano (hand fans) but I passed, and we did not get a hamaca (hammock) which were also sold everywhere. People used to sleep in them a lot and all the old houses had hammock hooks in the bedrooms. I think with air conditioning perhaps they are not so often used today.

After the morning shopping we would stop at a café on a square and have a snack, empanadas, and dos  cervezas (beer), usually a Corona. Then perhaps back to the hotel for a siesta. We had drinks on the loggia in the evening before going out to dinner.

 

The best place we found was Rosas y Xocolates, a boutique hotel and restaurant on the Paseo de Montejo. My best dish there was seared tuna slices on dressed greens. My husband ordered it the next time we went while I tried a crispy octopus appetizer. I had a great chicken dish there also---farm chicken with brie and xcatic pepper cream. The filet was good with a chayote side the second night, with a reasonably priced Rosas y Xocolate red wine, a local Mexican wine which we thought very good.

One night we took a taxi to an old hacienda on the edge of town which is now also a boutique hotel and restaurant. The place was beautiful. There I had another local specialty---panuchos: corn tortillas topped with chicken, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and onion. It is basically an open-faced tortilla.

Today a new breed of Yucatecan is moving into many of the buildings of Mérida, renovating and restoring to create full time or second or even third homes. They hail from Mexico City, Europe, Los Angeles, and New York. My seatmate on the plane coming in said there were about 5,000 expats living in the city full time and about 10,000 in the winter months. When our plane back to Houston was cancelled we thought of going to the real estate agency and checking it out!

Spoiler----we couldn’t rebook a United flight for many days as all their flights go via Houston. We did get rerouted to Miami, Atlanta and back to New Orleans on Delta. (The flight United gave us to Houston from Mexico City, duh, was cancelled the following Saturday, as I had suspected it might.)

We enjoyed empanadas at two different places. They were a great snack for the middle of the day and very inexpensive. They would be a great pick-up at a party. Here is a good recipe from my Everything Tex-Mex cookbook by Linda Larsen.

Beef Empanadas

Serves 6-8

These can be partially made ahead of time. Make the dough, cover, and chill. Make the ground beef filling, cover and chill. Then assemble and bake just before serving.

I cup lard (You can buy solid vegetable shortening in a version that has zero grams of trans fat in your grocery.)

¼ cup hot water

1 tablespoon milk

2 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

½ pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup frozen hash brown potatoes

2 teaspoon chili paste

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained

1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl, place lard and top with hot water and milk. Beat mixture using a fork, until the fat absorbs the liquid and is fluffy. Add flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and cheese and mix well until dough forms. Cover and chill while preparing filling.

In a heavy skillet, cook ground beef with onions and garlic until beef is browned, stirring often to break up beef. Drain well; stir in potatoes, chili paste, and chilies; cook and stir until mixture is hot and thickens. Let cool for 30 minutes, then, chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Divide dough into 16 portions and roll or press out, on cornmeal-dusted surface, to 5” rounds. Place 2 tablespoons beef mixture in center of each dough circle; fold over and press edges with fork to seal. Place on baking sheet and brush with beaten egg. Bake at 375°F for 20-30 minutes or until pastries are golden and crisp.

 

 

 

Ina Garten's "Cooking for Jeffrey"

My friend Kelly Ralls in Andalusia gave me Ina Garten’s cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey“ last Christmas and I must admit I am just getting around to using it. It is a great cookbook, and like all her other cookbooks it is easy to use. Everyone knows Ina as the ‘Barefoot Contessa’, which is the name of her Food Network show. This cookbook is her 10^th and perhaps it is her most personal book yet. She has filled it with recipes that Jeffrey, her husband of 48 years, and their friends have most requested.

I decided to choose 3 recipes to cook for Landon, my husband of 42 years. He enjoyed these dishes but there is not much he won’t eat. The beauty of these recipes is the fact that much can be prepared ahead so it saves the last minute hassle of getting it all together. There is something in this book for all to enjoy so try some of Ina’s recipes.

 

From Cooking for Jeffrey 2016.

 

Camembert and Prosciutto Tartines

Serves 6

6 to 12 (1/2 -inch-thick) slices from a round rustic country bread, depending on the size of the loaf

2 (8-ounce) Camembert cheeses

12 to 15 thin slices Italian prosciutto

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh chives, for serving

Preheat the boiler. Position an oven rack 5 to 6 inches below the heat.

Lay the slices of bread in one layer on a sheet pan. Slice both Camemberts 1/3 inch thick across, making about 12 slices from each. Place the cheeses on the bread in a single layer, cutting them to fit and covering most but not all of the surface of the bread. Cover the bread and cheese completely with a layer of prosciutto, sprinkle with the thyme, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

When the broiler is hot, place the sheet pan on the prepared rack and broil the tartines for 2 to 3 minutes leaving the oven door slightly ajar), turning the pan once to brown evenly, until the prosciutto is browned and crispy. Watch the tartines carefully so they don’t burn! Cut each tartine crosswise into 1 ½ -inch slices, sprinkle with chives, and serve warm.

 

Roast Chicken with Radishes

Serves 4

1 (4-to 4 1/2-pound) roasting chicken, such as Bell and Evans (can be found at Whole Foods)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, quartered

6 sprigs thyme

1 ½ pounds radishes, preferably mixed heirloom, trimmed and scrubbed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan or ceramic baking dish just large enough to hold the chicken and radishes, and sprinkle the cavity liberally with salt and pepper. Put the lemon and thyme in the cavity. Tie the legs together with a kitchen string and tuck the wings under the body. Cut any larger radishes in half so they are all about the same size and place around the chicken.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken and radishes all over with the melted butter and sprinkle them both liberally with salt and pepper.

Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and thigh. Cover the pan or baking dish with aluminum foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Carve the chicken and serve with the radishes and pan juices.

 

This is a great side to go with the chicken.

Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

Serves 6-8

6 medium zucchini (2 ½ to 3 pounds total)

Good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

½ cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese

¾ cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Trim the stem end of the zucchini, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out a small channel of seeds with a regular teaspoon. Place the zucchini in one layer on a sheet pan, brush generously all over with olive oil, and turn the zucchini cut side down. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until just tender but still firm when tested with the tip of a small paring knife.

Meanwhile, make the bread crumbs. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, basil, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add the panko and 3 ½ tablespoons of olive oil and mix well.

Turn the zucchini cut side up and spoon a heaping tablespoons of the panko mixture evenly on each zucchini. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the panko is crispy. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

 

 

Bitter Melon

My husband brought in some bitter melon from the garden and I thought, “What do I do with this?” He is trying this in the garden this year since our climate is perfect for this vegetable. Why not grow what works?

From the outside, the name “bitter melon” seems to have nothing to do with the fruit in question; it does not look like a melon, though it does hail from Cucurbitacese, the same vine-friendly family that brings us watermelon and cantaloupe. Instead of being round and sweet-fleshed, bitter melon, also known as bitter squash, balsam-pear, karela and goya in various parts of the worlds, resembles a cucumber (though flavor wise you would never compare them). For starters, bitter melon proves as sharply flavored as you might think, and with rough, bumpy skin. Just because the fruit looks ugly and has a pungent taste, does not mean you should pass on it. Folks have been cooking it for hundreds of years, and with good reason.

Bitter melon grows best in tropical and subtropical regions like the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia and China (where it is more widely consumed). Bitter melon was touted for its medicinal properties long before it became an ingredient used for its flavor. Bitter melon is good for you, thanks to compounds called cucurbitacins, which are very bitter, says Jennifer McLagan, author of Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor. “It has long been believed that bitter melon has cleansing powers and improves the blood, and others promote it as a cure for diabetes.” She adds, “Research shows that it is good for lowering blood sugar levels and fighting viruses, and a study at the University of Colorado Cancer Center showed that bitter melon juice kills cancer cells.”

You can usually find this fruit at Asian markets all year long, but if you choose to grow it at home, you will harvest it at the end of summer or early fall, when temperatures are high and humidity peaks (sound like home?). This is the time that you might see bitter melon at the farmers’ market, so don’t pass it up. My husband got his seed from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds under edible gourds. So if you are in for growing something different and perfect for our climate buy some seed next spring. It does need something to climb on.

Unless you get a small, young melon (recommended), avoid eating the thick, waxy skin. Instead, peel the fruit to get to the flesh beneath. The taste of the meat is quite astringent due to the high levels of quinine, the same ingredients that makes the tonic part of your gin and tonic. But it is this bitter quality that makes it beloved by those in the culinary world.

The Chinese use the bitter melon in stir-fries and in soups. A stir-fry was how I used it for my first try and it turned out really well. I tossed it in salt and let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes and this will draw out some of the bitterness and excess liquid. Also it can be blanched after the soak before adding it to the pan and this will help retain some of its crunch.

 

Bitter Melon Stir-Fry

This recipe called for red wine vinegar or even balsamic vinegar for a bit more bite. But if you have a good Chinese rice wine feel free to substitute it.

1 pound bitter melon (about 1 ¼ melons)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Seasonings:

½ teaspoon chili flakes

2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon sugar

A few drops of sesame oil (optional)

To prepare the bitter melon, cut in half lengthwise, remove the seed and cut on the diagonal into thin slices. Degorge the bitter melon by sprinkling salt over the slices and placing them in a colander to drain for at least 15 minutes. In a small bowl, mash the chili pepper flakes with the minced garlic.

Heat wok over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and chili mixture.

Stir-fry briefly until aromatic (about 30 seconds).

Add the bitter melon. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then splash with the balsamic vinegar and soy sauce.

Stir in the sugar. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the bitter melon is browning and beginning to soften. Stir in a few drops sesame oil if desired. Serve hot.

One can expand upon this basic stir-fry by adding pork or shrimp.

I thought this was quite good. If you find the dish too bitter, use it with rice, or potatoes, or a bite of meat to allay some of the bite of the bitter melon.