Ground Cherries

Ground cherries in their husks.

Back in May when we bought the plants for our veggie garden, we found ground cherry plants.  Neither of us really knew what they were, but it was something different, so we bought a few.

The overwhelming response I get when I mention ground cherries to someone is: "Oh, my mother (or grandmother) used to make pies out of them.  I haven't had those since I was a kid!"  But no one seems to know exactly what they are.

Well, ground cherries are not cherries at all.  In fact, they're a relative to the tomato, tomatillo and gooseberry.  They're called ground cherries because when ripe, they fall from the plant--onto the ground.  Like tomatillos and gooseberries, the ground cherry grows in a husk that protects the little yellowish-orange berry inside.

They continue to sweeten if you let them sit in their husks for several weeks after harvesting.  They keep very well and can be stored for up to 3 months if left in the husk.

Ground cherries with the husks
pulled back (sorry it's blurry).

Most people do make pies from them, but you can also make jam and marmalade from them, poach them to be eaten over ice cream, put them in salads and muffins or even dip them in chocolate.  They can be dried and eaten like raisins.  And they freeze very well so you can use them year-round.

Their taste is kind of hard to describe: strange, complex, slightly sweet.  There's a bit of a sweet tomato taste there and kind of a tropical flavor--like a papaya.  Some say that they taste pineapple and even a hint of vanilla.

I'll let you know what I make from them and how it turns out.  It's said that they reseed very easily, so I guess I'll have ground cherries next year, too!

Here they Come!

It was bound to happen.  Just when the squash epidemic has slowed, it's time for tomatoes to start ripening.  The other day, I checked for ripe ones and only got a handful of grapes tomatoes.  The next day, MB came in with her arms full of well-ripened fruits. 

We've got a number of varieties--beefsteaks, plums, grapes, yellow, etc.  Here's just a few we picked today. 

OK with me, though.  Unlike the squash, I could eat tomatoes all day, every day.  Gimme a salt shaker and a napkin and I'm good.  Heck, let's live on the edge and skip the napkin!

Spit It Out!

At Jake's request, this year we planted watermelons (we usually do cantaloupes).  And up until now, they've been doing pretty well.  Suddenly, the plants don't look so healthy--not sure if they need water or if something's eating them from inside. 

Here's one of our melons from a week or so ago.  It's now about the size of a volleyball, but according to the variety that we planted--Black Diamond--the fruit gets to be about 30-50 pounds!  We have a quite a way to go.  I hope we get at least one.

Elsewhere, watermelons are starting to appear in markets and farms.  To me, watermelon is so often disappointing, that I don't usually care for it.  How can you find a watermelon that is going to be sweet, juicy and delicious?  Check out my latest post on Bucks County Taste to find out!

Do You Need a Doggie Bag?

In Bar Harbor, Maine, (and in other tourist destinations, I'm sure) many of the stores in town have water dishes for dogs by the door to give thirsty pooches a break after walking around in the hot sun.  And since so many folks have their dogs with them on vacation, I'm sure those bowls have to be filled a lot each day.

More and more you hear about bakeries that bake doggie treats or specialty stores that cater to pets.  For many of us, our pets are truly a part of the family.  And we treat them that way. 

But is this babying of our animals going too far?  An article in USA Today tells about a trend in restaurants around the country where on certain days, patrons are welcome to bring their dogs with them to dine.  Some of the places even offer dishes--steaks, eggs, etc--on a doggie menu. 

Now if you're Mary Beth or some of the people who commented about the article, you're thinking about the germs, the hair, the potential disease and the...uh!...licking.  But I think it's a pretty cool idea.  As long as your dog is well behaved, why not?  These restaurants have designated outdoor areas to bring the canine clientele and, according to the article, there have been no problems with fighting dogs.  Some even have doggie pools for the dogs to play in while "Mom & Dad" are eating.  Besides, you don't have to eat there if you don't want to.  Go somewhere else or eat in the non-dog section.

As one commenter said, I'd rather be in a restaurant with 1000 dogs than one with a few misbehaving kids.  What do you think?

Fresh Veggies!

I must smell like vegetables.  After my 2 farmers' market demos this past weekend, yesterday I set up at Blooming Glen Farm to cook while members were stopping by to pick up their shares.  It was a really good time--met a lot of nice people, used a bunch of wonderful produce and got to share some different ways to use their shares (pun intended). 

As I often do when using field-fresh veggies, I tried to make the preparation simple, not cover the flavors with strong sauces so the veggies can shine.  For example, I made one of my favorite dishes again (as I did at the markets)--Salad Caprese.  Tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella, salt, pepper, good extra-virgin olive oil.  So simple, but so delicious.  July on a plate.

One of the biggest hits was also incredibly easy.  If you have been reading recently, you know about our Attack of the Yellow Squash.  Well, after muffins and bakes and stir-fries and sautes, I had to come up with another way to use these golden monsters.  Pickles!  Easy refrigerator pickles using squash instead of cucumbers.  And they're really yummy.  Sweet to start with a little heat at the end.  Here's how you make them:

Zucchini Pickles (or Squash Pickles) (or Zucchini and Squash Pickles)

INGREDIENTS

4 cups zucchini or yellow squash, cut in 1/8" slices

1 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• Combine zucchini, onion and garlic in a bowl or jars.
• Bring vinegar, sugar, red pepper, mustard seeds and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
• Pour liquid over veggies, cover and chill for 24 hours.

It's that simple.  Very tasty.

If you're into pickles, you might enjoy this article from the Boston Globe about how the pickles are getting more and more popular.

Take Two Flowers and Call Me in the Morning

We all know that eating well is one of the best--and easiest--ways to make our bodies healthy.  Much has been written about antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, etc. in all sorts of foods.  Still, millions of people take pills to supplement the nutrients they get from their food.  Many of these are herbal remedies.

In fact, the medicinal herb market brings in more than $3 billion a year with more than 60 million Americans taking these pills.  But why take pills when you can eat the real thing?

In an interesting article in philly.com called Medicinally Delicious, Elisa Ludwig writes about a part of the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative called the Lancaster Farmacy--a CSA for medicinal herbs.  Members pay a fee, just like at other CSAs, and each week get their share of herbs, flowers and other curing plants.

At the Farmacy, they promote using these herbs in cooking--getting the benefits of both the food and the herbs.  Not only do they add the health benefits, but they add flavor and texture to the food.  It's a method that's been used for centuries--and, like many "old-time ways" (sustainable farming, local food) it's a trend coming back into vogue. 

The author describes the Farmacy:

The land was nearly in full bloom on a hot late-June day, with purple, white, and orange flowers exploding in great bunches. Weaver pointed out a banquet of plants and their uses: chamomile (calming, digestive aid), hyssop (expectorant), calendula (stomach and skin soothing), three kinds of bergamot (soothing, sleep aid, lowers fevers), yarrow (known as "nature's stitches"). There were descriptively named herbs like boneset and feverfew, and numbing buds of spilanthes, also known as Szechuan buttons, which can be used in place of novocaine.

Most herbs, even common ones like basil, thyme and oregano, have some properties that help to cure certain ills.  But it's the goal of the Farmacy to make these unusual herbs more common to everyone.  A heck of a lot tastier than swallowing another pill!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Man, it's hot, isn't it?  Actually, as cliche as it sounds, to me, it really isn't the heat--it's the humidity.  How long could this go on?  The weather reports are the same day after day after day.

I was feeling the heat this weekend, as I cooked up some goodies at two farmers' markets.

On Friday, I was cooking at the Ottsville Farmers' Market.  Wow, it was stifling.  And standing next to a grill for 4 hours made it even more toasty.  Still, it was a lot of fun.  Met a lot of nice people and got to use some of the wonderful stuff being sold at the market: eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, melons, pork sausage and much more.  I don't know how the heat affects crops, but there seems to be an abundance of incredible produce. 

On Saturday, I joined the folks at the Plumsteadville Grange Farmers' Market for the first time.  It felt much cooler--maybe because it was earlier in the day and because there was a nice breeze for most of the time.  More friendly people, fun activities, crafts, etc.  And again, a bunch of delicious, fresh produce was available for me to cook with.  It's so easy to cook when you have great tasting ingredients.  You don't have to do much to them--just let their flavors shine.

One of the easy dishes I made at both markets was a simple Caprese salad--tomato, basil, fresh mozzarella, salt, pepper and some good extra-virgin olive oil.  Mix it together and enjoy.  To me, that's what summer tastes like--flavorful tomatoes, sweet basil, creamy cheese.  So refreshing and delicious.

Check out my previous post to find out when I'll be doing more farmers' market demos.  Hope to see you there!

To change topics quickly, Mary Beth and I went to see a great (and hilarious) production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Muhlenberg Summer Music Theater.  They always do excellent professional shows and this one is no exception.  And, like I said, it is a riot.  Try to catch it if you can. 

We stopped at Carrabba's Italian Grille in Allentown for dinner before the show and was pretty impressed.  I've heard that, for a chain, they have good food and it's true.  We both had a very fresh salad with our meals.  MB got a Caesar and I had a Mediterranean (with olives, fennel, etc).  She had seafood cannelloni and I had 2 chicken dishes (together as a sampler).  Well done, tasty and pretty reasonable.  Our service was good, too.  After MB debated about (and then decided against) getting some of their garlic mashed potatoes--they didn't come with her meal since she had pasta--our server brought us a big bowl of them to share, free of charge.  They were tasty, too!