Pickled Daikon Radish Threads

Monday, April 27, 2015

Pickled daikon radish threads with green onion pancakes by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

When I was pregnant with my younger son, I developed a powerful craving for pickled daikon. Something about its pungent flavor - equal parts spicy, sharp, nutty & sweet - proved irresistible to me. And even though my "baby" is now two and a half years old, I'm still going strong with this root vegetable.

Daikon radishes by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

If I'm in a rush, I simply grate the daikon, add some rice vinegar, a dash of sugar and a pinch of sea salt and call it a day. But if I have more time, I make the recipe below which takes a little longer and has more complex flavors.

Adding fresh ginger, garlic, chili pepper and a little sesame oil to pungent fresh daikon makes for one hell of a mouthful. I cannot get enough of the stuff although my husband finds it overpowering. That just means more for me!

Mincing ginger for the pickled daikon radish threads by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

I've cobbled the recipe below together from the email instructions sent to me by the good folks at Imperial Tea Court in North Berkeley (where I got my first taste of pickled daikon) and from the recipe for Tenzin's quick pickled radish threads in Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford's excellent book, Beyond the Great Wall which is a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth. I love their books - part cookbook, part photo essay, part travelogue - you can really lose yourself in them, but bring some post-its or something to mark all the recipes you'll want to try.

Grating the daikon to make pickled daikon radish by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Although I often eat this stuff straight out of the jar, it's probably more civilized to use a little bit in your rice bowl  or as an accompaniment to scallion pancakes or baked tofu. Naomi and Jeffrey mention that they like to eat it mounded on salty, buttered toast so that's one more way to try it.

Pickled daikon radish threads with green onion pancakes by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

You can store this in the fridge in a jar with tight-fitting lid for several weeks. The flavors will mellow a bit with time.

-- print recipe --Pickled Daikon Radish Threads
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

* 1 pound daikon radish, peeled and grated
* 1 Tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger root
* 1 small clove of garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 Tbsp kosher salt
* 1 1/2 cups (unseasoned) rice vinegar
* 1/2 tsp ground white pepper or Sichuan peppercorns
* 2 tsps cane sugar

Directions

1. Place the daikon and the kosher salt in a colander and mix well with your hands. Let sit in the sink for 10 minutes to draw some of the water out of the radish - this will help it stay crisp. Do not rinse.

2. Place all the ingredients except the daikon in a mason jar, screw the lid on and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so. Add the grated daikon, cover the jar and shake again. Chill for at least 12 hours before eating to allow the flavors time to develop. Store in the fridge for up to three weeks.

You might also like:
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Spring Snapshots

Friday, April 24, 2015

Even though it has been snowing lightly on and off here for the past day or so and we've got the woodstove burning, Spring has arrived. We planted asparagus the other day - our first time doing this - I will write more about it soon. I consider it an investment in the future as it takes a few years before you can begin to harvest spears from the plants.

But I've also been dabbling a bit in non-edible plants and wanted to share a few shots I've taken at our place lately with you below. Hopefully, the cold snap is a brief one!

Hellebore in flower by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
Hellebore flower in the shade garden - I love how these come up so early!

Sedum by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
A sedum springing back to life - such wonderful plants - hearty and gorgeous and perfect for this rocky area in our backyard.

Silver mound wormwood by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
Silver mound wormwood. One of my favorite perennials. I love the silvery color, the shape and the way it catches sparkling drops of dew.

Assorted narcissus (daffodils) by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
A selection of narcissus - my favorite of all the spring flowers and one of the few bulbs that squirrels and chipmunks have no interest in eating :) I plan to carpet bomb our property with more bulbs this fall.

What's the spring looking like at your place?

You might also like:


For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Warm Kale Salad with Tahini-Ginger Dressing & Avocado

Monday, April 20, 2015

Warm kale salad with tahini ginger sesame dressing and avocado by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

My friend Julia's latest post was about this dressing - tahini, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, sambal oelek, honey and rice vinegar - a magical combination of salty, sweet and spicy that made me hungry just reading about it even though it was only 8:00 AM and I'd just eaten breakfast.

Ingredients for tahini-ginger-sesame dressing by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

It sounded really good so I made a jar of the stuff first thing in the morning. It wasn't hard and left me with ginger-scented fingertips which I like, unlike garlic-scented fingertips which I do not enjoy hence my heavy reliance on the garlic press, something purists probably deplore. Luckily, I am not a purist.

Tahini by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

I had neither sambal oelek nor tamari in the house so I substituted sriracha and soy sauce for them with excellent results. I put it in the fridge to let the flavors develop all day. I love these working jars with lids - they're so useful and I like the look of them, too.

Tahini ginger sesame dressing by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Then I used it to make a delicious kale salad for dinner. And the leftovers played a starring role in the world's most satisfying rice bowl the next day for lunch (more about that next week).

The salad is pretty easy - you blanch the kale for a bit in boiling water then drain it and toss it with a generous helping of the dressing until everything is thoroughly coated.

Kale by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Slice a perfectly ripe avocado over it and drizzle with toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt. The flavors are addictive. And it's really good for you, so there's that, too. Happy Meatless Monday!

Warm kale salad with tahini ginger sesame dressing and avocado by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

-- print recipe --Kale Salad with Tahini Ginger Dressing & Avocado
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the dressing

* 1/4 cup oil (grapeseed, sunflower or safflower)
* 1 Tbsp sesame oil
* 3 Tbsp tahini
* 3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (I only had soy so I used that)
* 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
* 1 tsp sambal oelek or sriracha (you can use more if you like it hotter - I'm wimpy about heat)
* 1 Tbsp honey
* 1 large garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
* A 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
* 2 tsp sesame seeds

For the salad

* 2 bunches organic kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
* 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
* 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
* Sprinkle of sea salt
* Few grinds of white pepper

Directions

1. Make the dressing as far ahead of time as you can - it improves with age. Mix all the ingredients together and stir or shake to combine then taste it and adjust the flavors as needed until you're happy.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil then submerge the greens for 2-3 minutes until softened. Remove and drain then toss hot with the dressing, stirring well to coat all the kale evenly. Slice the avocado over the top and sprinkle liberally with the sesame seeds, a little sea salt and a few grinds of white pepper. Serve warm.

You might also like:


For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Indian Spiced Stir-Fried Cabbage

Monday, April 6, 2015

Squeezing lemon over the Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I'm crazy for cabbage but even if you're not, I bet you'll like this wonderful version. Mellow, sweet cabbage and caramelized onions meld with the warm, exotic flavors of cumin, fennel and garam masala and get a little jolt of excitement from lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Beautiful green cabbage for Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Toasting the spices - cumin, fennel and sesame seeds - amplifies their flavors and brings out a nice nutty taste in the sesame.

Toasting cumin seed, fennel seed and sesame seeds for Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Sauteing makes the onions soft, sweet and mellow.

Sauteeing onions for the Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Ditto for the cabbage. Cooking it reveals a whole other side with a sweet, pleasing flavor.

Slicing the Green Cabbage for Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Cook it until the flavors meld and the cabbage and onions are soft and mellow. Then squeeze a little lemon juice over it - the acid brings all the flavors into focus.

Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

This recipe is a slight adaptation from one in the excellent Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.

-- print recipe --
Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

* 1 small head of cabbage, coarse outer leaves removed, core removed and sliced
* 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
* 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
* 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
* 1 tsp sesame seeds
* 4 Tbsps grapeseed or canola oil
* 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp garam masala
* Juice of half a lemon

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wide-bottomed cast iron skillet over medium heat. When it's hot but not so hot it's smoking, add the spices. Cook, stirring often, until the sesame seeds begin to pop, then add the onions and stir. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often until the onions become opaque and aromatic.

2. Add the cabbage and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cabbage begins to brown a bit. Add the salt, the garam masala and the cayenne pepper and cook for another 6-7 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and translucent.

3. Add the lemon juice and stir, then taste and adjust the seasonings as needed before serving.

You might also like:
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Monday, April 27, 2015

Pickled Daikon Radish Threads

Pickled daikon radish threads with green onion pancakes by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

When I was pregnant with my younger son, I developed a powerful craving for pickled daikon. Something about its pungent flavor - equal parts spicy, sharp, nutty & sweet - proved irresistible to me. And even though my "baby" is now two and a half years old, I'm still going strong with this root vegetable.

Daikon radishes by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

If I'm in a rush, I simply grate the daikon, add some rice vinegar, a dash of sugar and a pinch of sea salt and call it a day. But if I have more time, I make the recipe below which takes a little longer and has more complex flavors.

Adding fresh ginger, garlic, chili pepper and a little sesame oil to pungent fresh daikon makes for one hell of a mouthful. I cannot get enough of the stuff although my husband finds it overpowering. That just means more for me!

Mincing ginger for the pickled daikon radish threads by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

I've cobbled the recipe below together from the email instructions sent to me by the good folks at Imperial Tea Court in North Berkeley (where I got my first taste of pickled daikon) and from the recipe for Tenzin's quick pickled radish threads in Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford's excellent book, Beyond the Great Wall which is a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth. I love their books - part cookbook, part photo essay, part travelogue - you can really lose yourself in them, but bring some post-its or something to mark all the recipes you'll want to try.

Grating the daikon to make pickled daikon radish by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Although I often eat this stuff straight out of the jar, it's probably more civilized to use a little bit in your rice bowl  or as an accompaniment to scallion pancakes or baked tofu. Naomi and Jeffrey mention that they like to eat it mounded on salty, buttered toast so that's one more way to try it.

Pickled daikon radish threads with green onion pancakes by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

You can store this in the fridge in a jar with tight-fitting lid for several weeks. The flavors will mellow a bit with time.

-- print recipe --Pickled Daikon Radish Threads
Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients

* 1 pound daikon radish, peeled and grated
* 1 Tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger root
* 1 small clove of garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 Tbsp kosher salt
* 1 1/2 cups (unseasoned) rice vinegar
* 1/2 tsp ground white pepper or Sichuan peppercorns
* 2 tsps cane sugar

Directions

1. Place the daikon and the kosher salt in a colander and mix well with your hands. Let sit in the sink for 10 minutes to draw some of the water out of the radish - this will help it stay crisp. Do not rinse.

2. Place all the ingredients except the daikon in a mason jar, screw the lid on and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so. Add the grated daikon, cover the jar and shake again. Chill for at least 12 hours before eating to allow the flavors time to develop. Store in the fridge for up to three weeks.

You might also like:
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Friday, April 24, 2015

Spring Snapshots

Even though it has been snowing lightly on and off here for the past day or so and we've got the woodstove burning, Spring has arrived. We planted asparagus the other day - our first time doing this - I will write more about it soon. I consider it an investment in the future as it takes a few years before you can begin to harvest spears from the plants.

But I've also been dabbling a bit in non-edible plants and wanted to share a few shots I've taken at our place lately with you below. Hopefully, the cold snap is a brief one!

Hellebore in flower by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
Hellebore flower in the shade garden - I love how these come up so early!

Sedum by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
A sedum springing back to life - such wonderful plants - hearty and gorgeous and perfect for this rocky area in our backyard.

Silver mound wormwood by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
Silver mound wormwood. One of my favorite perennials. I love the silvery color, the shape and the way it catches sparkling drops of dew.

Assorted narcissus (daffodils) by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015
A selection of narcissus - my favorite of all the spring flowers and one of the few bulbs that squirrels and chipmunks have no interest in eating :) I plan to carpet bomb our property with more bulbs this fall.

What's the spring looking like at your place?

You might also like:


For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Warm Kale Salad with Tahini-Ginger Dressing & Avocado

Warm kale salad with tahini ginger sesame dressing and avocado by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

My friend Julia's latest post was about this dressing - tahini, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, sambal oelek, honey and rice vinegar - a magical combination of salty, sweet and spicy that made me hungry just reading about it even though it was only 8:00 AM and I'd just eaten breakfast.

Ingredients for tahini-ginger-sesame dressing by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

It sounded really good so I made a jar of the stuff first thing in the morning. It wasn't hard and left me with ginger-scented fingertips which I like, unlike garlic-scented fingertips which I do not enjoy hence my heavy reliance on the garlic press, something purists probably deplore. Luckily, I am not a purist.

Tahini by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

I had neither sambal oelek nor tamari in the house so I substituted sriracha and soy sauce for them with excellent results. I put it in the fridge to let the flavors develop all day. I love these working jars with lids - they're so useful and I like the look of them, too.

Tahini ginger sesame dressing by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Then I used it to make a delicious kale salad for dinner. And the leftovers played a starring role in the world's most satisfying rice bowl the next day for lunch (more about that next week).

The salad is pretty easy - you blanch the kale for a bit in boiling water then drain it and toss it with a generous helping of the dressing until everything is thoroughly coated.

Kale by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Slice a perfectly ripe avocado over it and drizzle with toasted sesame seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt. The flavors are addictive. And it's really good for you, so there's that, too. Happy Meatless Monday!

Warm kale salad with tahini ginger sesame dressing and avocado by Eve Fox, the Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

-- print recipe --Kale Salad with Tahini Ginger Dressing & Avocado
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the dressing

* 1/4 cup oil (grapeseed, sunflower or safflower)
* 1 Tbsp sesame oil
* 3 Tbsp tahini
* 3 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce (I only had soy so I used that)
* 2 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
* 1 tsp sambal oelek or sriracha (you can use more if you like it hotter - I'm wimpy about heat)
* 1 Tbsp honey
* 1 large garlic clove, pressed or finely chopped
* A 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
* 2 tsp sesame seeds

For the salad

* 2 bunches organic kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
* 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
* 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
* Sprinkle of sea salt
* Few grinds of white pepper

Directions

1. Make the dressing as far ahead of time as you can - it improves with age. Mix all the ingredients together and stir or shake to combine then taste it and adjust the flavors as needed until you're happy.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil then submerge the greens for 2-3 minutes until softened. Remove and drain then toss hot with the dressing, stirring well to coat all the kale evenly. Slice the avocado over the top and sprinkle liberally with the sesame seeds, a little sea salt and a few grinds of white pepper. Serve warm.

You might also like:


For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Indian Spiced Stir-Fried Cabbage

Squeezing lemon over the Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know I'm crazy for cabbage but even if you're not, I bet you'll like this wonderful version. Mellow, sweet cabbage and caramelized onions meld with the warm, exotic flavors of cumin, fennel and garam masala and get a little jolt of excitement from lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Beautiful green cabbage for Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Toasting the spices - cumin, fennel and sesame seeds - amplifies their flavors and brings out a nice nutty taste in the sesame.

Toasting cumin seed, fennel seed and sesame seeds for Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Sauteing makes the onions soft, sweet and mellow.

Sauteeing onions for the Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Ditto for the cabbage. Cooking it reveals a whole other side with a sweet, pleasing flavor.

Slicing the Green Cabbage for Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

Cook it until the flavors meld and the cabbage and onions are soft and mellow. Then squeeze a little lemon juice over it - the acid brings all the flavors into focus.

Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage by Eve Fox, The Garden of Eating, copyright 2015

This recipe is a slight adaptation from one in the excellent Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking.

-- print recipe --
Indian-Spiced Braised Cabbage
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

* 1 small head of cabbage, coarse outer leaves removed, core removed and sliced
* 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
* 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
* 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
* 1 tsp sesame seeds
* 4 Tbsps grapeseed or canola oil
* 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp garam masala
* Juice of half a lemon

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a wide-bottomed cast iron skillet over medium heat. When it's hot but not so hot it's smoking, add the spices. Cook, stirring often, until the sesame seeds begin to pop, then add the onions and stir. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often until the onions become opaque and aromatic.

2. Add the cabbage and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the cabbage begins to brown a bit. Add the salt, the garam masala and the cayenne pepper and cook for another 6-7 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and translucent.

3. Add the lemon juice and stir, then taste and adjust the seasonings as needed before serving.

You might also like:
For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.