I did Promise myself a Herb Garden

As my friends may have noticed, I don't have plants in the house. I've killed so many flowers and what-nots that I gave up indoor plants ages ago. I better not go into what happened with bonsai. I think it's partly because I see many flowers too much fuss for nothing but to grow something you can eat - definately worth the trouble. So, I've always wanted my own kitchen garden. To be able to grow exactly the type of beetroots I want! To have my herbs fresh from the garden!

Assistant gardener watching out for birds

So far I've been living in a flat, most often not having even a balcony but now I got a veranda. Here comes the herb potter! The veranda is partially paved with stone tiles and covered with a wooden floor, so I begun practising with potted herbs and salad. After all, I think it's safer to practise with small scale cultivation than let me loose on a real garden.

At the moment, my best success appears to be salad. I bought some mizuna and wild rucola salads, used them for food and planted the rest. I must say mizuna proved to be hardy: I had it in the fridge for a week and it still sprung to a new flourish. I planted mizuna and rucola in the middle, and plain salad (from seed) around it. Finally I can get my fresh salad from the garden. It's always fresh and doesn't rot in the fridge as those ones bought from the shop sometimes do.

The rest in the big pots are cylindrical beet root and multi-coloured chard. Chard started out fine (from seed) and I am truly looking forward to using it for food. It can, for instance, be used instead of wine leaves in dolmades. Unfortunately I didn't plant enough beetroots, some of the seeds didn't germinate. A shame really, l love the sweet juiciness of cylindrical beetroot. Once you have tasted them, you don't want to go back to the watery round ones!

I've tried starting herbs from seeds with varying level of success. Chives, cilantro and melissa officinalis are thriving, or at least alive. Sage started strong but didn't survive re-potting. The one in the picture is from a plant bought from the grocery and potted. I have found potting plants from the supermarket most efficient, no fuss with seeds, germination or re-potting. Parsley is quite hardy, the first thyme and chives I got are still alive. When you are buying supermarket plants pay attention to roots. Roots need to be white, not black and brown. Cut the herb down (but leave some leaves to it for photosyntesis) and hey presto! You got a potted herb.

My thin-skinned drunkard basking in the sun. But only for a moment!

Basil is a wonderful plant to have in your kitchen. Love the scent, and how easy it is to pinch a leaf or two to salads, sauces and marinades. It's a fussy plant though. It needs plenty of water, very moderate amount of sun and no draft at all. It's also a bit problematic from the perspective of shopping and potting. You can pot it the first time but adding more basil in the same pot or repotting just tends to kill it.

Here are a few links for more expert advise:

• Yrttitarha (in Finnish)
• The Herb Gardener blog - a very extensive site for information and tips
• How to plant herbs in the same pot

Have a nice week everyone!

Part II: Can You Roll your Tongue?

Here's something I come up with for a Saturday meal. I had a piece of tongue left, and was supposed to make winter chanterelle risotto to go with it. So there am I, wondering what to do with the tongue. My last attempt, to dice it finely and shove it in the risotto wasn't too great a success. Not horribly bad but didn't do justice either to the risotto nor the tongue. So what to do, what to do?!

I grabbed the lappy and googled. Not very many recipes of that sort kicking about but I saw a picture of finely cut tongue over risotto. (Thanks!) That gave me an idea. Finely slice, add something nice over and roll? Yes, let's try that!

Tongue Rolls with Winter Chanterelle Risotto

 

This meal is best to be done in the following order:
1. Slice, cut and chop non-meat items you need for both risotto and tongue rolls. Put the mushrooms to soak. You can also put the stock to simmer for the tongue.
2. While the stock simmers, slice the tongue.
3. Prepare the rolls and put them into oven. (See recipe below)
4. Prepare the risotto. (See recipe below)
5. Take the rolls out of the oven and serve over risotto.

Tongue Rolls

• 1-2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 basil leaves
• 2-3 sage leaves
• Piece of tongue from the thicker end, approx. 10 cm
• black pepper
• grated parmesan or flakes

1. Put the stock to the boil. Add 1-2 tbps lemon juice. Let it simmer until its reduced to 50% or so. Taste it occasionally, it is ready when it develops a good strong but not too pungent flavour. Thicken the sauce.
2. Grate the lemon, chop herbs finely and mix all except for parmesan. Set oven to 150C.
3. Cut the tongue into very thin (few millimetres) slices. This mix makes enough for about 15 slices.
4. Brush one side of the tongue slice with the lemon-herb mix and sprinkle some parmesan over.
5. Roll the tongue tightly, secure wih a coctail stick if needed and place in a oven proof dish.
6. Pour over the sauce, stick into oven and let heat up for about 20 mins.

Winter Chanterelle Risotto

This is a non-meat version of winter chanterelle risotto. If you rather use some other kind of mushroom, it should be as good as well. You can combine mushroom-soaking water with stock if you want more mushroomey taste to the risotto. If you dont want to use wine, just replace it with stock.

• 1,5 dl arborio rice
• 1 small onion quite finely chopped
• 7 cm piece of celery sliced
• 1 dl dry sherry or 1,5 dl white wine
• 1,5- 2 dl of dried winter chanterelles
• 1 dl grated parmesan
• 6-7dl (or so) low salt chicken stock
• butter for frying 

1. Soak mushrooms in cold water, 10-15 mins is enough. Dice and slice all veggies.
2. Fry mushrooms lightly on medium heat. Put the mushrooms aside.
3. Put stock into a kettle and bring it near boiling temperature.  
4. Saute onion and celery, add rice and let it get slightly glassy look.
5. Pour in wine and let it lightly boil while stirring. Let rice absorb wine before adding stock.
6. Add the first ladle of stock, let the rice absorb it while stirring occasionally. Do not let the risotto boil vigorously.
7. Repeat 6 until the rice is almost done (when there's still something to bite but the hard starchey quality is gone) and put in the musrooms.
9. Add stock and let the rice absorb it. Test the rice and add some more stock if it's not ready yet, let absorb.
10. Take the pan off the heat, mix parmesan in and let it melt.
11. Pile on a plate, put some tongue rolls on top and serve!

The Light Side of Life

Helsingin Sanomat (the biggest Finnish newspaper) tipped me off. This is quite an entertaining and informative gadget that shows how healthy eating is dependent on daytime. So we eat healthy in the morning and by the late night news have found our gargantuan eating monster, and begun devouring pizzas, hamburgers and ice cream. The site is worth to have a look at for those who are interested in healthy eating and changing their eating habits.

There is an old saying that goes "Eat like a king in the morning, like a prince during the day, and like a beggar in the evening". Personally I've always found that bit of advice problematic, as I really dont feel like eating much in the morning. Just coffee and bread for me, thanks. When I was overhauling my eating habits, I had to teach myself to eat lunch, even before noon! (It wasn't easy) Though, I recognize the need and craving for sweets and palate pampering towards the evening. I suppose it is as the day progresses, and we get tired and loose energy, the body starts to crave more. Researchers actually have found that sleep deprivation makes you eat 300 calories more per day. So how about actually winding down and having a decent amount sleep?

Being an avid self-indulger (hey, someone's gotta do it!) I've tried to teach myself to enjoy some less questionable evening treats. Some are actually very good, so good that it makes you wonder how can this stuff be healthy?!

Mango-Banana Smoothie

This is less imaginative recipe than most of the smoothie recipes out there. See for instance here.
Nevertheless, this one is my favourite. It's quick, cheap and simple. Most of all, I love the taste. It's especially good during hot summer evenings. This makes 1 big glass or 2 smaller ones.

2-3 dl unsweetened apple juice
1 banana
1,5 dl frozen mango cubes

1. Put everything in a bowl. Grab a stick mixer and pure the whole thing. If you have a bowl with a lid, I strongly advise using it. Mango cubes tend to splurge about quite a bit.
2. Pour in a glass and enjoy!

Banana-Blueberry Quark

This is another simple, easy and rather a healty dessert type of food. I don't usually put in cream, as it is like giving your finger to the devil, start with small doses and end up using more and more. Usually I dont use any sweeteners with it but if your sweet tooth is aching bad, a teeny weeny pinch of stevia is good. This makes for 2 or one greedy.

250 gr quark (fat-free or low-fat)
1 banana
1+ dl blueberries
touch of vanilla powder
(sweetener of your choice, sparingly dosed)
(1 dl low-fat fake whipping cream or vanilla custard)

1. Put everything (but the creamy stuff) in a bowl and mix with a stick mixer.
(2. Whip the cream and slowly mix it in with a spoon.)
3. It's ready to serve!

Tomato-Basil Salad

Tomato and basil are a great pair. They make a great salad just with onion and a touch of olive oil and vinegar. Add mozzarella to that and its mmmmmmm..  Here's another kind salad, for light evening meal or side dish. Lovely with grilled chicken or warm baguette. This makes for one not too famished person.

1,5 dl sweet mini plum tomatos
10 basil leaves
1/2 small very finely sliced onion (shallot)
5-6 pieces artichoke in oil (with herbs/grilled)
Handful of rucola leaves
1 tsp balsamico
Pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil (or use the artichoke oil instead)


1. Halve tomatos, slice onion, cut artichoke in 1 cm pieces. Rince rucola.
2. Put tomatos, onion and artichoke into a bowl and rip basil and rucola over them.
3. Sprinkle oil, balsamico and pepper over. Mix with spoon and let sit for 15 mins.
4. Serve.