Green tomato update

I'm back (again)!  Sorry, it's been awhile.  Life gets in the way sometimes and cooking and catering and classes and, and, and! So...some of you have been waiting for the green tomato update.  I have photos to offer up but it's just all those little guys, you know, grape and cherry and only a couple of larger varieties.  And, it's kind of cute when the red ones are trying their best to express themselves but just one here and there.  I must say what is really growing - Poblano peppers!  They are enjoying the weather so not only do I have fruit on the vine but again, lots and lots of blossoms.  Had to take a picture of them!  So that's the garden update.  It really is winding down and because the holidays are fast approaching, I simply haven't had the time to put in the winter varieties.  I have been working on my compost so after this last harvest of mainly little green tomatoes and Poblanos, we'll turn the beds over, wait for Spring and see what the magic of compost does!



Tomato promise...

As I reported a week or so ago, I was on a mission to re-vamp the garden for fall.  In the midst of pulling up the spent killer cucumber (all show, no go!), I found something interesting amidst the tomato vines.  I pulled off the bird netting which by the way, was worthless...I either have really smart birds in my yard or I am totally inept...ok, don't answer that question!  But here's what I found:  tons of yellow blossoms!  The blooms are everywhere. I'm not sure about the pollination so I've been shaking them together and talking to them.  They got a nice long bath this morning because it's supposed to be really hot today...yay! Indian Summer!

I couldn't pull up those plants with so much promise on them so I'm watching and waiting and hoping for a nice harvest of green tomatoes because you know what that means! Fried green tomatoes, tomato relish, salsa verde and I'm sure I'll concoct something else. So feast your eyes and dream with me...I'll let you know what happens. 

A little something for tailgating...

I know many of you will be reading this and asking yourselves...is this really Candace or has she been possessed by some otherworldly being who tailgates...?
Well, have no fear!  It is me and no, I'm not really tailgating but I do happen to love the food associated with football season...actually, this time of year it starts being fun to cook again so I'm all for it.  Anyway, you may be looking for the recipe that I shared this morning on FOX23 Daybreak for Sweet and Spicy Thai Chicken Wings and not being one to dissapoint here it is!  This is a really yummy one, too!!

Sweet and Spicy Thai Chicken Wings

Serves 10 – 12
3 – 4 lb. chicken wings, wing tips removed, split in half
¼ cup Lovera’s Italian Grill Rub (or your favorite spice mixture)
2 – 3 tbsp canola oil
½ cup sweet chili sauce
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp ketchup

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place prepared chicken wings in a large bowl. Toss with oil and spices. Arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes until crisped and golden.

In a large sauté pan, mix the sauce ingredients and allow to warm until bubbling over medium to medium low heat. When wings are cooked through, add to the sauce ingredients, increase heat to medium and cook wings in the sauce until glazed, approximately 15 minutes. Turn wings onto large platter and serve.

Chimichurri

The garden is "in transition" so I'm moving back inside to the kitchen.  I promise to have more from the garden after I've done a little overhaul and planted some late harvest veggies.  In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy some recipes.
Chimichurri, for those of you who have been living under a rock, is an Argentinian steak sauce similar to many salsa verdes out there.  It can be categorized as a salsa verde because well, it's verde, it's green and it is a sauce.  Every household in Argentina (and I'm certain many other South American households) makes its own version of chimichurri.  They change up the herbs, the vinegar, the seasonings and, of course, every person who makes it, thinks theirs is the best.  And, I, of course, think mine is the best!  Well....it IS really, really good and most people who come to my classes where we make chimichurri really, really like it.

Chimichurri is primarily made for beef because Argentina is as well known for its cattle as well...Oklahoma...okay, and Texas.  But it is delicious served with chicken, shrimp, pork and along side starchy vegetables as well, potatoes, plantains, oh my, it's Heaven served with sauteed plantains.  But here is a photo taken of the dish I took to NYC when I auditioned for the new ABC cooking show.  This is grilled ribeye (perfect medium rare), patatas bravas (spicy sauteed potatoes), garden fresh tomato and onion salad and yes, chimichurri.  I, personally, think it looks luscious.
And, here is the chimichurri recipe.  This is one of those recipes that you really need to "make your own".  In other words, experiment with the herbs, seasonings, etc., until you get it the way you really like it.  This isn't rocket science, you know!  This is Cooking without a Parachute!
It will keep in the fridge for up to a week but I don't think it will last that long!

Chimichurri
Makes about 2 cups

½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine or Sherry wine vinegar
3 – 4 green onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups Italian parsley, stemmed and chopped
1 cup cilantro, stemmed and chopped
½ cup fresh oregano

Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until almost smooth.  Add ½ of parsley, cilantro and oregano and blend until incorporated.  Then add remaining herbs and puree.  Can be made ahead, cover and chill.  Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

This and that...

Well, it's 105 in the shade.  I can hear my vegetable garden panting.  I continue to water twice a day when the garden is shaded and can catch its breath.  I know I talk about it like it is alive...because it is!  Don't mean to anthropomorphise (bet you didn't think I could throw big words around, did you?) but the little darlings seem to need some additional respect these days out in this unbearable heat.  Honestly, it is almost impossible to be outside.  That said...look at these beauties that were growing quietly next to the fence.  Thank goodness, my boyfriend was out there yesterday to pluck them because I obviously didn't see them.  Yes, I am literate but also blind as a bat.I am hopeful that the three tomato plants I put in a few weeks ago will fare better than their many cousins across the garden divide.  The butternut squash is still looking good and here's hoping that I will get a few more bell peppers and Poblanos before they give up.

I don't know if you can tell how tall and leggy they are but but they are very tall and leggy! And, seem to have a lot of blossoms coming on so we'll hope for the best, once more.  And, I will continue to water, water, water, until the city tells me to stop.  At this point, I feel as boring as the temperature so let's move on.  I didn't expect to be busy at the kitchen this summer because well, it's summer and in Tulsa, that means that people are not around.  They are staying in (smart), or on vacation (smarter) or summering at their second home in Colorado or Maine or somewhere much cooler than Tulsa (what?!).  Since I don't have the luxury of a summer home, I am typically in town and working so that maybe someday I will have the luxury of a summer home (I better hurry, though, I'm not getting any younger!).  Happy to say that classes have been quite full and loads of fun.  The last one that was a particular blast was the Ricotta Making Class.  This really is one of those projects where you just can't believe how easy it is and why you have never tried it before!  You don't need special ingredients, equipment or anything!  Just milk, salt and some sort of acid (vinegar, buttermilk or lemon juice but lemon juice is my favorite...it gives it just that hint of lemon) to make the milk turn into cheese.  Also, everyone has their own method for making ricotta but here is the recipe I like best.  Now, go forth and make ricotta!

Homemade Ricotta

Makes about 2 cups

½ gallon whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Line a large strainer or colander with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl.

Slowly bring the milk, cream and salt to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching.  Add lemon juice.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly until mixture curdles 5 minutes or less.

Pour into lined strainer and let drain for at least an hour.  Discard liquid, chill ricotta covered.  It will keep for 2 days.

News from the kitchen...September will feature a new type of class.  We will be trying out "Date Night at Urban Kitchen".  Recently, I have been fielding calls from folks looking for something different to do on a date and cooking seems to be "it"!  So, we're responding to the request with a special class for couples.  We will feature foods to cook together (romantically, of course) so Date Night will be more "meal-based" versus "topic-based".  We're excited to offer this class so hope you will grab your significant other and come cook with us!

Last but not least, I am going to be working on moving all of my blogging to Wordpress.  Blogger was a good way for me to start this adventure but the more I look at (and admire) other food-focused blogs, it seems that they use Wordpress so watch this space and I'll let you know when it's time to go...

Pssst...I'm back!

Hey Everyone!  Sorry for the length between posts!
Frankly, I got distracted by this crazy ABC Cooking Show audition and also somewhat bored with what's going on in my garden.  I will catch you up on both, no worries!
First, the audition...this new show is very hush hush but we found out that it will be called "The Taste" and will be similar in format to "The Voice".  After what I believed to be a good audition, I have not yet received a call back (frowny face) but!  You learn something with every experience and here is what I learned from this one...even though the produced begins the interview with whatever kind of question, you must never stray from your mission which is:  it always comes back to the food.  I didn't follow my own advice and just ended up having a goofy gabfest with the producer but didn't talk much about my food.  So notice taken...will not make that mistake again and believe me, there will be another "again"! 
But I digress...on to the garden and more photos!
It is definitely summer in Oklahoma now.  Over 100 degree days, day after day after day.  I'm looking forward to little bit of weather but it doesn't look like it's going to happen soon.  I have taken to watering my poor babies twice a day now, early in the morning and then late in the evening when it's just 90 degrees.

The 'maters have not fared as well as I had hoped but they are still trying.  Between the birds, squirrels and plain ol' heat, I don't have the crop I thought would be there.  The yellow and red cherry tomatoes keep going and they are wonderful so I appreciate them so much.  The bird block I put up has helped keep the birds out but I'll be damned if I didn't see a squirrel running across the top of the fence with a big tomato in his mouth and then stop to take a bite while I was right there!  I chased him with a rake (a la Mr. McGregor) but it didn't scare him in the least!  I'm hoping that the rest of the crop will be high enough that he (and the bunnies) can reach them.

The killer cucumber looks beautiful but no fruit...if it ever comes on, I'm going to be pickling.

The Italian parsley and the basil are happy as are the butternut squash and peppers. 

So, we have to hope for a break in the heat!  Should be coming before long...I know I'm humoring myself, sad isn't it.

In the meantime, I'll be indoors at the kitchen.  We have lots of great classes coming up in August so don't forget that you can beat the heat at Urban Kitchen.  Keep watching the website (and this blog) for some exciting new promotions that will start in September.

Pssst...Killer cuke returns...

I'm hot!  It's 105 and it will be for the next week or so and I am sick to death of it already!  Last summer was awful, so hot and it burnt everything up in the garden.  Please don't let that happen again.  In the meantime, the killer cucumber seems to be thoroughly enjoying this horrible heat.  Vines are going everywhere.

I have found two very large, one you would almost call huge, specimums hanging up underneath the foliage.  It truly is like Audrey...kind of scares me to go looking for things.  It took two hands to pull one of them off the vine.  If you notice in the pictures, the vines are crawling right up the fence, taking little notice of the very nice and new trellises I purchased for them at Home Depot.

I will admit both of the monsters were quite tasty.  I was a little nervous peeling the first one but the flesh beneath the skin was snowy white...couldn't believe it!  No green cast, whatsoever!  My next fear was that I would find a big, pithy hole running the length of the fruit but once again, I was proved wrong.  Juicy and completely beautiful through and through.  I know, I've been a bit hard on my cucumber plant and I'm kind of starting to feel bad that I've made fun of her.  I guess as long as she keeps producing, I'll let her run all over the place.  Now...where did I put that pickle recipe?