Veggie Train
Introduction
Silverbeet
History and product info
Silverbeet, also known as Swiss Chard, Spinach, Perpetual Spinach or Mangold is another member of the Beta vulgaris species. Commonly appearing with white stems and dark green leaves, there are several cultivars that have brightly coloured stems in yellows and reds. Both the stems and leaves are edible. The plants are easy to grow, and in fertile soils two plants should provide sufficient silverbeet to feed one person every day of the week.
Silverbeet is commonly thought to be a good source of iron. However, the iron in Silverbeet is not readily taken up by the body due to binding with high levels of oxalate also present in the vegetable. It is a very good source of folate with half a cup of cooked Silverbeet yielding approximately 60 mg folate. Silverbeet is also high in sodium.
Coconut
History and product info
The humble coconut is widely grown on both sides of the equator between 260N and 260S. Botanically known as Cocos nucifera, the coconut is traditionally known as the 'tree of life', and the 'tree of a thousand uses'. Almost every part of the coconut palm is useful. The nut provides coconut meat, coconut milk and coconut cream. Uses for the rest of the plant are limited only by the imagination. The key applications have been the use of the outer fibrous layer of the fruit (known as coir) replacing sphagnum moss in horticulture, the use of the timber from the trunk instead of endangered tropical hardwoods, and the production of coconut oil from the dried meat of the nut. The top producer of coconut products is Indonesia.
Coconuts have 33% fat, which is less fat than other nuts, such as peanuts and almonds. However, what sets the cocunut apart is the high level of saturated fat in coconuts. At 90%, coconuts has more saturated fat than butter. Some of the reported benefits of coconut products include their role as anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agents. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that coconut can be used to treat parasites such as giardia, lice and tapeworm.
Wikipedia and the Coconut Research Centre (http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/) were both used in preparing this article. There is heaps more information on the web.
Storage and tips
- Fresh unopened coconuts can be stored at room temperature for one to two months.
- Grated fresh coconut can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days or frozen for up to six months.
- Desiccated coconut can be stored in a sealed container for up to six months at room temperature.
- Alice's tips: dessicated coconut sprinkled on porridge (to further exoticise your porridge, try cooking it with chopped up banana and some grated palm sugar) and dessicated coconut in fruit salad.
Recipes
Celery
History and product info
Celery is more correctly known as Apium graveolens and is closely related to carrot, fennel, parsley and dill. The stems can grow up to 1 metre tall, and the bulb, leaves and seeds are also edible. Wild celery (smallage) grew throughout the Mediterranean region. Modern celery was thought to have been bred in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Celeriac is a bulbous member of the same species.
Celery is referred to as a member of the 'holy trinity' of Creole and Cajun cuisine along with onion and capsicum. It is also an essential part of the French mirepoix with onions and carrots.
Celery is a good source of vitamin C and potassium.
For all this and more head to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot) and WH Foods (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=14).
Storage and tips
- Store celery in a bag in the crisper section of your fridge. Some people recommend wrapping the celery in foil - Veggie Train is yet to test this!
- Great served with dips like hummus or filled with peanut butter or tahini.
Recipes
All things soy
Welcome to the first newly renamed Veggie Train (Ingredient of the Week no more) - thanks to James Patterson for the great name and also to Michael Hand and Ruben Klaphake who narrowly missed out on the chocolate bar.
We've also added a new comments feature to the recipes at www.thoughtfulfoods.org.au (all IOTW, Veggie Train and Pigweed cookbooks are available there). So, let your fellow co-opers know what you think about the recipes - leave a suggestion to improve the recipe, or just let everyone know that they really should try it!
Next fortnight's CELERY will be getting on board the Veggie Train. Send your recipes to Edwina and Will at thoughtfulfoodsunsw@yahoo.com.au by Friday, 28 September.
This week we're missing the product history and info so we'll launch straight into the recipes...
Recipes
- Soy milk
- Tofu - make it yourself
- Famous BBQ tofu
- Tofu mayonnaise
- Quick tofu curry with peas
- Miso broth with silken tofu and asian greens
- Caramelised apples with tofu cream
- Soy maple creams
See also Alice’s tips for soy beans and Tessa’s soy nuts in the last IOTW on beans. These will be up on the website soon.
Carrots
Ingredient of the Week is going on holidays. It will be back at the start of next Semester with BEANS – kidney, and adzuki and soy. Send your recipes to Edwina and Will at thoughtfulfoodsunsw@yahoo.com.au by Friday, 20 July.
History and product info
The humble carrot is more correctly known as Daucus carota. It's a close relative of the parsnip, but surprisingly is also closely related to cumin, fennel and dill. Carrots are thought to have originated around the area of Afghanistan and have been used for at least 5000 years. Initially carrots were quite bitter white, yellow, red, purple, green or black tap roots.
The exact origin of the orange carrot is not known but is traditionally placed during the Dutch struggle for independence from the Spanish in the 16th Century. The Dutch do like orange (their royal family was the House of Orange) which is why the modern carrot is orange. By the 17th Century the Dutch were the world's leading producers of the orange carrot which had better flavour and nutritional content of any of the carrots grown at the time. Further cross-breeding over time has led to the intense orange colouring and sweetness we have come to know and love.
Today, carrots are a great source of carotene (which is made into vitamin A by the body) as well as vitamins B, C, D, and E, and calcium, magnesium and folic acid.
For all of this and more, including more recipes, head to the online World Carrot Museum (http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk) or Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Storage and tips
- Store carrots in the refrigerator, away from apples, pears or any other produce that creates ethylene gas. Ethylene gas makes the meat of the carrot turn bitter.
- Organic carrots don’t need to be peeled unless the carrot is older, when the skin becomes bitter.
- Carrots are at their nutritional peak when cooked for 3-5 minutes. Cooking breaks down the fibre, making the beta-carotene in the carrot available. Juicing raw carrots also has the same effect.
Recipes
Couscous
Next week’s ingredient is… CARROTS! Send your recipes to Edwina and Will at thoughtfulfoodsunsw@yahoo.com
History and product info
Couscous is literally 'well rounded'. This curious form of pasta is thought to have originated in West Arica and to have quickly spread through Northern Africa to parts of the Middle East and Northern Europe. Today it is a staple in Algeria, Libya, eastern Morocco, Tunisia, and Sahel, as well as France, Sicily and parts of the Middle East.
Couscous is traditionally made from coarse-ground durum wheat (Triticum durum) which is mixed with a little water and rolled into small pellets and coated in a little fine flour. The mixture is sieved and the small pellets are reformed until all of the couscous is retained in the sieve. The mixture is then sun-dried and stored. These days quick cooking couscous is made by machine, and cheaper versions are made with hard wheat instead of durum. In some regions it's made from barley or pearl millet.
Nutritionally, couscous has about 13% protein, 1.5% fat, no cholesterol, and is thought to be a good source of B Vitamins. Unlike traditional pastas, couscous is also used as a sweet.
Both Ainsley Harriott and Wikipedia were scavenged. For further information see:
http://www.ainsley-harriott
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
http://mybookofrai.typepad.com
Storage and tips
- Store couscous in a sealed container.
- To cook, place couscous in a heatproof bowl and cover with equal parts water (or stock), cover and leave for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Fluff by stirring with a fork.
- Before cooking, you can stir a little oil or melted butter into the couscous to make sure grains separate nicely.
- Delicious as a side mixed with currants, almonds and cumin, or caramelised onion.
Recipes
Beetroot
Next week’s ingredient is… COUS COUS! Send your recipes to Edwina and Will at thoughtfulfoodsunsw@yahoo.com
History and product info
Beetroot (beet, table beet, garden beet) is one of the modern cultivars of Beta vulgaris which originally grew in coastal areas of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Its leafy cousins include chards which were first used as leaf vegetables. Today the sugar beet (another cousin) account for half the worlds sugar production. The beet plant is a biennial which means it normally lives for 2 years, but we cultivate it as an annual for its tuberous root.
Beetroots have many uses, including material and food dyes. More important is their nutritional value. Beetroots have low calories and a good variety of vitamins and minerals, including folate. Due to their nitrate content they are not recommended for children under 6 months.
Ever since the Romans started drinking beetroot juice, beetroot has been applied to almost every medical complaint known to humankind. More recently beetroot has been demonstrated in the medical literature to be beneficial as an anticarcinogen and antimutagenic, assisting in the prevention and treatment of cancer. It is also thought to boost the immune system. Feel free to test the rumours that it is also an aphrodisiac.
For all of this and more information, check out Stephen Nottingham's excellent ebook on this marvellous, diverse vegetable:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com
Storage and tips
- Choose beetroot that is unblemished, with firm roots. While you can eat damaged beetroot, they won’t store well. Small to medium beetroots have the sweetest flavour.
- Store beetroot in the fridge or in a cool, dark place. They will keep for a few weeks if fresh.
- Beetroots can be eaten raw or cooked and the leaves can be used in salads. Don’t peel beetroots or completely remove their stalks before cooking to prevent them from losing their colour.
- Beetroots can be baked in a moderate oven or boiled. The length of time will depend on the size of your beetroot.
Recipes
See also previous Ingredient of the Week recipe for Warm beetroot and quinoa tabouleh:
http://thoughtfulfoods.org.au
Shefali's baked beetroot (from Alice)
Take 455g fresh beetroot (approx golf ball sized, scrubbed), place in a foil parcel (the recipe suggests 1.5m of foil folded in half to double thickness, but I also use an oven dish with a lid and it works almost as well, aluminium smelting is evil!)
Add 10cloves of garlic unpeeled and squashed a handful of fresh marjoram/oregano leaves salt and pepper to season fold sides of foil into the middle, and before sealing, add 10tbs balsamic vinegar, 6tbs olive oil.
Scrunch foil to seal.
Cook 1 hour until tender (moderate oven).
Alice’s beetroot tips
- Beetroot hommus is also great. I don't have the exact recipe on me, but you basically add beetroot to hommus and a bit less liquid than
usual. It goes bright pink! - Grated raw in salads…
Beetroot and Feta Risotto (from Will)
(serves 6)
Ingredients
- 400g Arborio rice
- 4 crushed garlic cloves
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 100g diced Danish Feta (1cm cubes)
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 30 mL olive oil
- 50g diced butter
- 100g Parmessan cheese, finely grated
- 4 medium sized beetroots
- extra olive oil for roasting
- continental (italian) parsley to serve
Method
- Drizzle beetroot (skin on) with a little olive oil and roast at 200oC for 30-40 minutes until tender. Allow to cool and then skin.
- Dice beetroot into 1cm cubes and split in half
- Bring vegetable stock to the boil and add half the diced beetroot. Simmer for 20 minutes and strain. Discard the beetroot. Return to boil.
- In a separate saucepan heat the oil, then cook the garlic and onion until soft, then add the rice and lower the temperature to a medium heat.
- Keep the rice moving gently until it is nice and glossy, then add the white wine. Cook down until all of the white wine has been absorbed.
- Start adding stock 200mL (about 2 ladle-fulls) at a time, stirring slowly but continually. Once this stock is absorbed add more, a ladle or two at a time.
- Once about half the stock is gone add the remaining diced beetroot (or if you prefer less beetroot flavour add it at the end with the parmesan cheese and feta).
- Keep adding stock until the risotto is at your preferred eating texture (I normally cook it so that it is slightly more cooked than al dente but before it becomes too mushy).
- Add the diced butter, feta, and parmesan cheese (and beetroot if you haven't already), along with salt and pepper to taste. Leave to rest for 2 minutes then serve with a little parmesan and continental parsley sprinkled over the top.
Borscht
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 4 (about 500g) beetroot, peeled, quartered
- 1 carrot, peeled, chopped
- 1 parsnip, peeled, cut into chunks
- 1 leek, white part only, sliced
- 1 onion, peeled, chopped
- 1/3 cup (80ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 bay leaves
- 6 cups (1.5L) beef or vegetable stock
- 1 cup (250ml) sour cream
- 4 tbs chopped dill
- Rye bread, to serve
Method
Place the beetroot, carrot, parsnip, leek, onion, lemon juice, spices and bay leaves in a large saucepan with the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours. Cool slightly, then blend in batches and season well with salt and pepper. Return to saucepan and gently heat through. Place in bowls and garnish with sour cream and dill. Serve with rye bread.
Source: Valli Little, delicious. August 2003, p 117
Warm beetroot, bean & walnut salad
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 300g French beans, ends trimmed
- 3 large beetroot, cooked, peeled, sliced into 1cm-thick rounds
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 2 tbs walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted
Method
Blanch beans in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh. Toss together with beetroot and place on serving plates. Combine oils and vinegar with salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and sprinkle with toasted walnuts.
Source: Vali Little, delicious. April 2004, p 64.
Kumara scones with beetroot jam
Makes 16
Ingredients
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 45g unsalted butter
- 1 cup cooked mashed sweet kumara
- 150ml buttermilk
- Beetroot jam, to serve (recipe follows)
- Creme fraiche, to serve
- Thyme leaves, to garnish
Beetroot jam*
- 15g unsalted butter
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 110g thinly sliced onion
- 150g raw beetroot, grated
- 2 dried chillies
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 1 tbs caster sugar
- 2 tbs sherry vinegar
Method
- To make the beetroot jam, melt the butter and oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, beetroot, chilli and thyme and sweat over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes. Add the sugar and vinegar and continue to cook for 20 minutes until thick and jammy. Remove chillies and set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips until you have fine breadcrumbs. Add the kumara and enough buttermilk to make a smooth and slightly sticky dough - don't overwork. Transfer onto a lightly floured workbench and roll out to 1.5cm thickness. Use a 5cm scone cutter to cut out about 16 scones.
- Place on a lightly greased and floured baking tray, brush with any remaining buttermilk and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden.
- When ready to serve, break in half and top with beetroot jam and creme fraiche and garnish with a small thyme leaf. Leftover scones can be frozen.
* You can make the beetroot jam ahead of time; it will keep for 1 month, refrigerated, in sterilised jars.
Source: Valli Little, delicious. October 2002, p 146.
Lentils
Next week’s ingredient is… BEETROOT! Send your recipes to Edwina and Will at thoughtfulfoodsunsw[@]yahoo.com
History and product info
Lentils are the seeds of a grain-bearing legume (or pulse). Lentils are bushy annual plants, Lens culinaris. Legume roots are capable of nitrogen fixation in association with funky little Rhizobium bacteria. Like most of the peas, lentils are easy to grow. The seeds are normally allowed to dry on the plant before harvesting and processing by grinding to separate the seeds.
Lentils have an earthy/nutty flavour. Lentils do have some significant health benefits, mostly related to their high protein content which is higher than beef. If the dark seed coat is left on lentils become a good source of dietary fibre.
The earliest recorded occurrence of lentils around people is from Greek caves (13000 to 9500 years ago). They are among the first plants to be domesticated by people (and you thought keeping a puppy was fun) along with other classics such as wheat and barley.
Since then lentils have had something of a chequered history, being regarded by most western civilisations as the poor-mans meat substitute. Historically, Catholics used lentils during lent, if they could not afford fish. The french green lentils (or Puy Lentils) are known to hold their shape best of all the lentils, and do make some wonderful provencale meals (especially cooked with rosemary).
In South Asia, the large vegetarian population makes it an essential protein source with a short cooking time. Perhaps the greatest evidence for the importance of the lentil is the number of varieties that can readily be found. For a great guide to the different lentils available today check out:
http://www.foodsubs.com
This site provides a good glossary with pictures of all the different types of lentils (and what everyone calls them all). As a quick note, dhal (or dal) are normally split lentils.
References:
http://www.cliffordawright.com
http://www.foodsubs.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Storage and tips
- Lentils store for long periods if kept in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. But for best flavour & colour, use them within one year. Lentils toughen with age & older ones will take longer to cook.
- Cooked lentils will last about three days in the fridge or six months in the freezer.
- To cook, pick out any small stones/debris & rinse under cold running water. Cover in pan with boiling water & simmer for 10-60 minutes (depending on age and type). Add more water if necessary. (Don’t add salt to the cooking water as it toughens the lentils.)
- Lentils will approximately double in size once cooked.
Recipes
You can find the following lentil recipes in the Pigweed cookbook or at the Thoughtful foods website
Quinoa
Next week’s ingredient is… LENTILS! Send your recipes to Edwina and Will at thoughtfulfoodsunsw@yahoo.com
History and product info
Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wa' or 'kin-wah') is native to the upper Andes of Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador. The botanical name is Chenopodium quinoa and it is commonly known as Goosefoot. Like other members of the Amaranthaceae (Amaranth) family the seeds are harvested as a pseudocereal- true cereals being grasses. It grows on free-draining soil in high altitudes of up to 4000 metres. Quinoa has been cultivated for at least 6000 years in the Andes where it was sacred to the Incas. Other members of the family have been cultivated commercially in North America and Europe and can be cultivated in Australia (although some are considered weeds).
The most surprising feature of quinoa is its high proteing content of 12-18% which is higher than meat. The proteins quinoa produces are a well-balanced mix that is superior to any other grain. It's also a good source of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. It has a low glycaemic index (GI), is gluten free and high in dietary fibre. With all of these great features it is unsurprising that the Incas called it the 'mother of all grain' and that NASA is considering it as a potential crop for manned space flights in the future.
The only poor feature of quinoa is the saponin content of the seed coat. Saponin is a mildly toxic compound used to form a protective waxy coating over the seed to protect it from predation. It is removed as part of processing before sale.
Wikipedia, quinoa.net, and Rose Elliots book 'Fast, Fresh and Fabulous' were all used in preparing this article. There is heaps more information on the web.
Storage and tips
- Store in an airtight container in a dark, cool place for several months, or in the fridge for longer life.
- To cook, rinse quinoa, then bring one part quinoa & two parts water (or stock for more flavour) to the boil. Simmer, covered for 15 mins. When cooked, the quinoa looks pearly with a ‘saturn ring’. Remove from heat & stand for 5 minutes before fluffing gently with a fork.
- For a nuttier taste, roast the dry quinoa in a dry frying pan over lower heat for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, before cooking as above.
- Quinoa will approximately triple in size when cooked.
- You can use quinoa as a substitute for grains like cous cous.
Recipes
