All Hallows Eve

     The tradition of pumpkin carving dates back into antiquity when our pre-historic ancestors carved into a variety of vegetables, namely beets, gourds, turnips and potatoes.  But the association of Jack o'-lanterns on All Hallows' Eve is widely considered to be of Irish in origin.  Turnips, mangelwurzel, or beets were often carved with grotesque faces, representing spirits or goblins.  These were used either as lanterns to guide those on the final day of October, or set on windowsills to keep harmful spirits away.

Modern carving of a Cornish Jack-o'-Lantern made from a turnip.

     
     The story of Jack of the Lantern seems to revolve around an Irish character known as Stingy Jack.  He tricked the Devil into not claiming his soul when he died.  But being such an unsavory individual he was unfit for Heaven.  The result was that he was left to roam the earth with only a burning lump of coal to guide him in the darkness.  Jack placed the burning coal into a gigantic carved turnip and has been roaming the terrestrial sphere ever since.  The citizens of Ireland and Scotland then also began to carve their own scary faces into vegetables to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering malevolent spirits.  Immigrants brought the Halloween tradition to America where the native pumpkin made a perfect canvas onto which were carved Jack o'-lantern faces.

     Just so you know, the world's largest jack o'-lantern, according to the Guinness Book of World Records was carved by Scott Cully in 2005 from a 1,469 pound pumpkin grown in Northern Cambria, PA by Larry Checken.

Friday I will be conducting extensive culinary research on aquatic life along the Rappahannock River in Virginia.  Thus there will be no VinnyPost that day.  Check out a full report of my travels beginning next Monday.

Vinny

Japanese Pumpkin

     As I was recently reviewing a recipe and came across an unfamiliar ingredient, kabocha.  So I did some research and discovered that it is a variety of winter squash, often referred to as Japanese pumpkin.  Kabocha squash have a strong yet sweet flavor and a moist, fluffy texture.  Some liken their taste to a combination of pumpkin and sweet potato with chestnut overtones.

     Introduced to Japan by Portuguese sailors in 1541, they were brought there from Cambodia and given the Portuguese name Cambodia abobora, which the Japanese shortened to kabocha.  They have a knobby looking skin and are shaped like a squat pumpkin with a dull green finish and light striations.  The interior is an intense yellow/orange color.  Like other squash kabocha are used in many side dishes and soups.  They can be baked, steamed, pureed, chunked, mashed or braised and are rich in beta carotene and contain large amounts of iron, vitamin C and potassium.  Kabocha are grown in climates with a long growing season, world wide in countries like Japan, S. Korea, Thailand, Mexico, and New Zealand and statewide in California, Florida and sections of Colorado.

     They are available to harvest right now.  So celebrate Halloween with a Japanese pumpkin! 

As American as...

     It seems almost un-American to stop someone from baking an apple pie, so says the editorial staff at Food Network Magazine. But they reported that's exactly what happened when Atlantic City resident Sally Ball tried to enter her mom's recipe in the American Pie Council's National Pie Championship this year.

 

     Sally couldn't compete because an old New Jersey law considers cooking competitions to be illegal gambling (the entry fee is equal to placing a bet).  Jersey lawmakers heard about Sally's plight and the General Assembly voted to change the law in May.  Now it's up to the state Senate to vote and approve the new wording.  If all goes well the new legislation could be in place by the end of the year, just in time for the New Jersey bakers to enter holiday competitions.

The frost is on the sprout



     We had quite a heavy frost this morning.  That should not be surprising since it is late October.  As I looked out across my back field I couldn't help but think about how that frost was sweetening up the Brussels sprout harvest.  The little hardy, slow growing, long-season vegetables are now in season.

      The sprouts, first cultivated in Ancient Rome, still are very popular in Brussels, Belgium, hence their name.  And currently the Netherlands produce 82,000 metric tons of the small vegetable annually.  They are a part of the mustard family of crusiferae, those plants with a 4 part flower that forms in the shape of a cross.  As a part of the gemmifera group they are included with cabbages, collard greens, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi and cauliflower.

     There are some significant health benefits from eating the little cabbages.  They contain substantial amounts of vitamins A & C, folic acid and fiber.  They also have a chemical, sulforaphane, that is thought to have anti-cancer properties, specifically to protect against colon cancer.  Brussels sprouts also have cholesterol lowering benefits if consumed on a daily basis.  As a minimum to receive those health benefits they, or others in that group, a one and a half cup portion should be eaten 2-3 times a week.  But caution should be exercised for those on blood thinners to avoid the problem experienced by a man in the UK when he was hospitalized for an overdose.

     Brussels sprouts were introduced into our country in the 18th Century when French immigrants brought them to their new home in Louisiana.  California is the highest producer followed by Washington State's Skagit Valley and Long Island, NY.

     Here is my favorite way to serve the sprouts, pairing them with another fall harvest specialty:

Braised Brussels Sprouts

 

4 strips bacon, diced                                     2 Tbsp whole grain mustard

2 lbs Brussels sprouts, quartered               1 Fuji apples, cored and diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion                          4 Tbsp butter, diced

1/4 cup apple cider                                        2 Tbsp cider vinegar

                                      salt & freshly ground pepper

 

     Cook bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until crisp, 7-10 minutes.  Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate, then increase the heat to high.  Add Brussels sprouts and onion to drippings and cook until sprouts begin to brown, about 5 minutes; season with salt.

 

     Deglaze the pan with apple cider, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom.  Add mustard, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook sprouts until nearly fork tender, 6 minutes.  Add diced apple, cover and cook until tender, 3 minutes.

 

     Stir in butter, vinegar, and bacon then season with salt & pepper.

 

 

recipe adapted from Cuisine at home magazine, Issue #92, April 2012, p. 43

Oh Boy, Savoy!

     Cabbage is the main ingredient for some of our favorite foods like coleslaw and sauerkraut.  But Savoy cabbage is different.  It's crinkly with veined leaves, looking like cabbage's elderly cousin, so says the Nutrition Action Newsletter.

     Savoy has a milder, sweeter taste and has no sulfury smell when cooked.  It's also less dense than green cabbage, so it's easier to cut, and its thinner leaves cook more quickly.  Its leaves are tender enough to eat raw in salads.  The good news is that right now it is in season.

      Just half a cup of cooked shredded leaves has 21% of a day's vitamin C, 13% of a day's vitamin A and 8% of a day's folate and all with only 20 calories.

     Not sure how to prepare it?  Here's a suggestion.  Stir-fry some sliced savoy in canola with garlic, ginger and scallions, then drizzle with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce.   

     Welcome to the cabbage patch, kids!

Trail Remix

    

     According to the September issue of Food Network Magazine the National Park Service has made some significant changes in their food choices.  They conceded that it didn't seem right to finish a hike along the Grand Canyon with a big plate of fries.  So this summer the NPS began overhauling menus and adding healthful options at more than 250 restaurants and snack bars across the country.

     So now at the Grand Canyon Village Deli all the fried foods are gone and have been replaced by strawberry and spinach salads, chicken wraps and pizzas with whole-wheat dough.  Some restaurants in Yosemite National Park are even serving kids' meals that include a salad or fresh fruit instead of the ever popular (and unhealthy) fries.

     Makes you want to go out and take a hike, doesn't it?

Hot Peaches

     Yesterday I mentioned the health benefits of fresh and canned peaches.  But have you ever tried to cook a peach?  They are excellent grilled and I've also enjoyed them roasted.  Roasted you say?  Well, yes!  Using my cast iron skillet (see VinnyPost "A Pan for All Seasons" March 27, 2012) I have followed this recipe from Fine Cooking magazine:

SUGAR ROASTED PEACHES

 Look for ripe but semi-firm peaches-if they’re too soft, they’ll lose their shape when you pit them.  Serve the peaches simply with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or a scoop of ice cream.

 

2 slices thick cut bacon                         Kosher salt and pepper

4 ripe peaches, halved & pitted           3 large sprigs of savory,

2 tsp raw sugar                                        thyme or rosemary

 

          Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 450F.  Cook the bacon in a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp.  Remove bacon and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.  Pour the bacon fat from the skillet into a small heatproof bowl, leaving a slick of fat in the skillet; you’ll need 4 tsp reserved fat.  (If you don’t have enough, make up the difference with EVOO.)  Raise the heat under the skillet to medium high.

          Sprinkle the cut sides of the peaches evenly with the sugar and a tiny pinch each of salt and pepper.  Arrange the peaches in the skillet cut side down and tuck the herbs around them.  Tear the bacon slices into quarters and tuck the pieces around the peaches.  Drizzle 2 tsp of the reserved bacon fat evenly over the peaches and let them cook undisturbed until the cut sides begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

          Sprinkle the uncut sides of the peaches with a tiny pinch of salt, then transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the peaches are just tender, about 10 minutes.

          Flip the peaches, drizzle with the remaining reserved bacon fat, and continue to roast until they’re tender but not falling apart, about 5 minutes more.  Enjoy the bacon as a cook’s treat.  Let the peaches cool slightly before serving.

 

Fine Cooking, August/September 2012, p. 78