Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend recipe

 

Make-your-own

Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend

You may remember the time saving recipe for make-your-own pumpkin pie spice published on Dave's Garden blog many years ago. The pumpkin spice blend I used was inspired by a fellow DG member, Sally. Here it is again for us, in case DG decides to pull it offline as they have done with some of my other articles. I'm glad my pumpkin article has survived the test of time and is still available to readers (see link below).

You will need one empty spice jar.

Putting it all together

Using a small funnel add the following spices directly to your spice jar, cover and shake to mix thoroughly before using.

Pumpkin Spice Recipe

4 Tablespoons ground cinnamon 

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

1 Tablespoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Enjoy this pumpkin spice blend in your favorite pumpkin recipes!

Related links

Diana's Dave's Garden blog post 

GardenCuizine Blog post and photos Copyright(C) Wind. All rights reserved. 

 

Growing Turmeric #GardenCuizine Antiviral and Inflammation fighting qualities in Curcumin

Growing Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) grows well in pots. Years ago I planted a fresh piece of rhizome that I purchased at Whole Foods and have enjoyed growing turmeric ever since. New growth shoots up in June displaying signs of life as it leafs out for another season. 

At the end of the growing season, the leaves die down to dormancy through the winter. Fresh and dried Turmeric is available in markets. I mainly grow Turmeric as a tropical plant like ginger. I take it indoors every winter as we live in zone 7a.

Turmeric adds golden color and flavor and medicinal properties to foods and beverages; especially in Indian cuisine. Ground and dried Turmeric spice is a key ingredient in golden milk and curry blends. Turmeric has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda remedies. 

A health benefit comes from the active ingredient, Curcumin. Curcumin has been studied for having polyphenols that aide in fighting various conditions, including inflammation. 

Studies have shown that when Turmeric is combined with black pepper, health benefits are increased and made more bio-available to the body. 

Other studies have shown that Turmeric has antiviral qualities. No peer reviewed studies are out yet to show if Turmeric has any effect on novel Coronavirus, but none-the-less, maybe we'll be adding more Turmeric to our diet. Turmeric Latte anyone?

Happy Gardening and Healthy Cooking!

Related Links
How to Grow Turmeric
Curcumin Effects on Human Health
Antiviral Properties of Curcumin
Turmeric Latte


Photo and Blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Spicy Candied Almonds #GardenCuizine #SuperBowl #Snack

Spicy Candied Almonds

Candied nuts with cinnamon and spice give your body nutrition while providing flavor to your taste-buds. A few is all you need to satisfy and serve as a stand alone snack. For those who can safely eat nuts, spiced nuts make a welcomed homemade gift from your kitchen. I made these at Christmas and just made another batch for Super Bowl Sunday snacking!

Ingredients
2 cups lightly salted whole almonds
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (or more!) ground hot peppers from your garden (or store bought cayenne)
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Putting it all together
preheat oven to 375 deg F

Spread the almonds onto a foil-lined baking sheet; bake 5 min
Remove from oven and set aside to cool

• In a medium bowl, sift sugar with spices
• Add water and vanilla; stir to combine
• Stir in nuts; save the foil lined cookie sheet

On stove-top, medium heat, preheat a 10-inch cast iron skillet
when hot, add nut mixture

• Cook 3 min, mixture will get bubbly
• Stir
• Cook another 3 minutes

Spread onto the foil lined baking sheet
Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight baggie - I let them sit overnight

Serve with other healthy snacks such as fruits, cheese and/or veggies and dip.

Enjoy!
Related Links
My Instagram post
Healthy Super Bowl Party Recipes
Blog post and photo Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Grow Turmeric #GardenCuizine #kitchengarden #garden #NationalNutritionMonth #NNM

Grow Turmeric

in your Kitchen Garden

We love cooking with mild and spicy curry seasoning. Turmeric is one of the main ingredients in curry. Turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn.) tubers look similar to ginger. I bought some at Wholefoods quite some time ago with the intention of planting them to see if they would grow.

I placed the finger-like rhizomes on our plant rack until I could find the time to plant them in a pot. Time went by: they were forgotten. The turmeric sat on our plant rack exposed to light and air for several months. 

waiting for the turmeric to grow...

One day, as I was watering coleus cuttings, I noticed a smooth green stem emerging from the wrinkled, old turmeric rhizomes (see above photo). It was a bud! The turmeric was alive and calling me to plant it asap.

The shriveled turmeric rhizomes got planted a few weeks ago. After a good watering and nourishment from the soil, guess what? Our turmeric is growing! A strong green stem is about a half-inch tall already and growing up towards the grow lights.
 
Ginger and Turmeric like to be shallow planted. I barely covered the rhizomes with soil - they seem to be growing just fine so far.

Ground turmeric (Indian Saffron) adds natural yellow color to foods and may provide some health benefits as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Related Links
About Curcumin
Blog post and photo Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Dry your own Parsley! America's favorite kitchen herb #GardenCuizine

Dried Parsley

More than just a garnish, garden parsley tops the list of America's favorite kitchen herbs used in green juices, soups, salad dressings, eggs and entrees. Green parsley is one of my favorite biennial herbs to grow - Italian flat leaf or curly leaf. In the winter if we don't have any growing at the time we need some, we'll pick up a bunch at the store. 

You can always count on parsley being readily available. The best bet is to purchase parsley by the bunch and not just a sprig or two sold in little plastic containers. Extra parsley can be easily preserved by air drying.

Many recipes just need some parsley, not all of the bunch. When we have extra parsley sitting in the refrigerator, before it goes bad, we dry it. You don't have to tie it up or do anything time consuming, simply:

• Give parsley a rinse, shake off excess water
• pat dry, spread out in a single layer and let air dry on plates or cookie sheets for several days
• Once it is crispy dry, simply crumble leaves with clean hands
• store in an airtight spice jar 
• discard stems in compost

GardenCuizine Nutrition Data Parsley: based on USDA Nutrient Reference Data
Excellent Source: Vitamin C and Vitamin K
Good Source: Vitamin A

10 Parsley sprigs (10g = about 2 Tablespoons): Calories: 4; Vitamin A: 842 IU (17% DV); Vitamin C: 13 mg (22% DV); Vitamin K: 164 mcg (205% DV); and other vitamins, minerals and compounds such as flavonols and apigenins, which may be helpful in fighting cancer.

Related Links
Health Benefits of Parsley
Blog post and photo Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Oregano in Our Garden before #Sandy #GardenCuizine

Oregano

Looking for a drought tolerant, aromatic, easy-to-grow perennial herb? Add care-free Oregano (Origanum vulgare) to your kitchen garden. To intensify the flavor, oregano can be air dried and stored in kitchen spice jars. We pick fresh oregano right up until the first hard freeze and always have some dried on hand too.  

Oregano prefers full sun and is hardy to USDA zones 5a to 9b. Ours doesn't get full sun all day and grows fine though. Oregano adds unique flavor to pizza, pasta sauce, chili, beans, breads and whole grain foods. Oregano's flavor when added to herb and spice blends is a welcomed addition for seasoning vegetables, meats, chicken and all sorts of entrees and side dishes.

Plan your Kitchen Garden today! 
Photo Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Garden Spotlight: Chiltepin Peppers * Hot Stuff in a berry-sized Pepper! #GardenCuizine

South Jersey Garden Spotlight 
Chiltepin Peppers
 Shown growing in USDA Zone 7a (formerly zone 6b)

Chiltepin Peppers (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare) look like berries; they can be easily dried and used ground or crushed to add flavor to your favorite foods. A little goes a long way; don't let their size fool you. The little peppers are hot stuff at 50,000-100,000 Scoville units - compared to Jalapeno peppers at 3,500 to 8,000 Scoville units . 

Hot pepper heat varies depending on several factors, including the region where grown and growing conditions. The Scoville organoleptic scale is a measure of the capsaicinoid compound that makes hot peppers hot (0 to 16 million units). Pharmacist Wilbur Scoville created the scale in 1912.

Chiltepin Peppers, also known as Bird Peppers, are a food source for birds in some regions. But in our South Jersey garden, we've never had that concern. Perhaps, because the majority ripen indoors in the fall. Chiltepin plants need a long growing season. We grow our Chiltepins in pots and usually bring them indoors when frost threatens. 

To harvest, wait until the peppers are red and ripe, then pick off the plant and let dry out. We dry Chiltepins inside on a plate, then when completely dry, store in spice jars. Bird pepper skins are thin enough that they dry nicely, without getting moldy inside. 

Clinical studies have shown dietary capsaicin to have properties that may benefit weight loss and lower fasting glucose and leptin levels.   

Related Links

Ark of Taste: Chiltepin Pepper 
Bird Peppers Dave's Garden Plant Files Info 
Scoville Scale for Peppers
Homemade Ground Pepper Spices by Diana Wind, RD
Photo and blog post Copyright (C)2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Herbal Marinade for Easter Lamb #GardenCuizine

Herbal Marinade

Delicious for Lamb l'Agnello 

This marinade recipe adds to the aroma of Italian flavors for lamb at Pasqua, Easter. The recipe was inspired from the cookbook, "Italian Family Cooking" Like Mama Used to Make by Anne Casale. We pretty much use the recipe as she suggests, but reduce the salt by more than half, and added more dried rosemary.
 
Marinade

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (reserve the lemon zest for use in other recipes)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh mint, minced

1 Tablespoon crumbled dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Putting it all together  
Combine all the ingredients. A whisk or spoon works well to give it a stir.

For Lamb: Place your meat in a large Zip-lock plastic baggie and add the marinade. Place in your refrigerator and let the lamb marinate overnight. Give the baggie a turn before going to bed. In the morning your lamb will be ready for cooking!

For Chicken: Follow the same procedure. You may want to cut back on the amount of rosemary used.

• Chicken does not need to soak in the marinade as long either. Chicken can be marinated for whatever is convenient for you. Less than 6 hours is fine. 

What about Fish?

• Due to the tenderness of fish and the strength of the natural acidity in lemon juice, we prefer not to use acid-based marinades for fish. We generally bake, broil or grill our fish using a small amount of olive oil and seasonings and no marinade at all. 

Why do people marinate fish in lemon juice?

The answer should not be to neutralize odor, although this is true. It would be best to try and purchase fresh fish, without any fishy odor. Ask to smell fish before you buy it. Fish is naturally tender, the reason to marinate it in lemon juice should be for lemony flavor!  

Decomposing fish is what causes an odor. Muscle in fish contains a chemical substance called trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) that breaks down when fish decomposes creating aromatic amines called trimethylamine and dimethylamine. These amines promote the anaerobic growth of bacteria creating a "fishy" smell.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_people_marinate_fish_in_lemon_juice#ixzz1rSELUWem

Related Links:
Why do Fish Smell?

the photo I took to accompany this post seems to be forever stuck in my iphone! Whenever I figure out how to get it transferred, I'll add it to this GardenCuizine blog post!

Blog post Copyright (C) 2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Garlic lines Spring Gardens... #GardenCuizine #gardenchat

Garlic for Health

Spring has sprung in South Jersey! Most people associate peas and asparagus as the harbingers of spring, but biennial and perennial herbs like parsley, thyme and rosemary along with fall planted bulbs, like garlic, get well established long before peas or asparagus even begin poking up from the earth. This season brings no exception; garden herbs and garlic are growing strong, while spring peas and asparagus are just now beginning to emerge.

There are a few distinct kinds of garlic, namely hardneck and softneck varieties. Our Italian hardneck garlic Garlic Rossa di Sulmona was special ordered direct from Italy. We can't wait to cook with and taste it. We're also growing Certified Organic Garlic Early Italian White Softneck. All garlic was planted with other kinds of bulbs last fall. 

The emerging green growing shoots sprouted up back in November. The eager growth went dormant throughout the winter months (if you want to call this winter a winter). Now, come Spring, as you can see in the photo above, the garlic is growing well! 

Cooking with Garlic

At this stage, the green growing stems can be snipped and added to foods like you would use scallion tops. During the plants maturity, hardneck varieties will send up edible scapes that bloom into flowers. When the scapes appear, I'll try to post a photo to show you what they look like. Scapes add a gourmet touch to foods.

Harvesting Garlic

Garlic becomes ready to dig up and harvest when most of the greens have died back later in the season. Garlic is best harvested after a few weeks of dry weather, according to Jodi Ferguson - organic gardener who wrote an article about growing garlic for Heirloom Gardener magazine.

Garlic for Health
Garlic is associated with health claims from being antibacterial, good for the heart, lowering cholesterol, reducing blood pressure - to reducing the number of tick bites. With the exception of having antimicrobial properties, science-based evidence is limited or conflicting on most of the other claims.

Garlic is full of nutrients, many that you wouldn’t expect: Vitamin C, Calcium and Vitamin B6.

You may have heard of garlic’s potent antioxidant and active component, Allicin. Allicin has antimicrobial properties that inhibit a wide range of bacteria. 

Fresh garlic has the most allicin vs pre-minced garlic in jars, which may be more important than convenience.

For maximum Allicin benefits, allow fresh
chopped garlic to "rest" for 10 minutes before cooking.

***

GardenCuizine Garlic Nutrition: calculated from USDA Nutrient data  

3 cloves (9g) = 13 calories, 0 calories from fat, saturated fat 0, cholesterol 0, dietary Fiber .2g (1%DV), Protein .6g (1%DV), Vitamin C 2.8mg (5%DV), Vitamin B6 .1mg (6%DV), Calcium 16mg (2%DV), Manganese .2mg (8%DV), Selenium 1.3mcg (2%DV)

Percent Daily Values (%DV) are for adults or children age 4 or older, and are based on a 2,000 calorie reference diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower based on your individual needs. 

Health note: garlic may interfere with some drugs and is not recommended to be taken in excess or supplement form if taking anticoagulants, like Warfarin. Best to check with your doctor.

Related Links

Growing Garlic (Allium sativum)
You can find garlic bulbs from many garden suppliers. Our garlic was ordered online from growitalian.com.

Photo Copyright (C) 2012 Wind. All rights reserved.

Grow Garlic (Allium sativum) in your Kitchen, School or Hospital Garden #GardenCuizine

Grow Garlic Allium sativum

You can easily and sustainably grow your own garlic. A single clove grows into a whole bulb! Fresh garlic adds great flavor and nutrition to foods. When roasted, the flavor becomes sweet. Roasted garlic* is delicious added to vegetable dishes or as a spread on homemade whole grain bread. Most people think garlic is garlic. But did you know there are literally hundreds of different types of garlic with differing degree of garlic taste and flavors? Typical supermarket bulbs are large and bright white and usually come from China, the worlds biggest producer.

Purchase garlic from a supplier or, if you don’t mind not knowing exactly what the variety is, pick up fresh bulbs at your farmers market and plant the cloves. Select firm, organic bulbs (non-organic bulbs may have been treated to hinder sprouting). Garlic from suppliers is usually shipped late September or early October. 

Garlic Varieties
Garlic species are divided into softnecks var. sativum and hardneck var. ophioscorodon.

Hardnecks– are cold hardy with stronger garlic flavor. Hardneck varieties grow scapes. You can cut off and use the mild flavored herbal scapes as you would garlic chives in your recipes. The main hardneck types are Rocambole, Purple Stripe and Porcelain. Varieties include: Duganski, Deerfield Purple, German Extra Hardy, Purple Glazer and Rossa di Sulmona. Dig up and harvest the garlic bulbs after their green growing stalks turn brown, in June or July. 

Softnecks – have milder garlic flavor and are ready to dig up sooner (sometimes by April) than Hardneck varieties. Softneck garlic is usually the type sold in supermarkets because they have a longer shelf life. They are not as cold hardy and can be grown in warmer climates. The main types are Artichokes and Silverskins. Homegrown softneck garlic can be traditionally braided and hung in your kitchen. Varieties include Early Italian White, Early Italian Purple, Italian Late, White Sicilian and Chinese Pink. 

Elephant Garlic
Allium ampeloprasum is very mild in flavor and is not really a true garlic.

Easy to Grow

Garlic, along with onions, leeks and shallots are members of the Alliaceae family and are really easy to grow. Children can be big helpers too when it comes to planting garlic. Garlic cloves are large - the perfect size for little fingers to grip and push into the soil. 

Planting Garlic  
Fall-planted garlic works well for Northern and gardeners who have cold winters. Gardeners in Southern areas, with mild winter weather, can plant garlic in late winter or early spring. Garlic can be planted in rows in prepared garden beds or can be grown as a companion plant alongside some plants (cabbage, beets, roses) because of garlic's natural pesticide properties. 

• First break apart the bulb, separating the cloves. Each individual clove will mature into whole bulb of garlic by the following summer. There is no need to peel each clove. 
• Using a small shovel or trowel, make a trench a few inches deep for how ever many rows you wish to plant. 
• I then like to push my finger in the soil before putting in each clove. The space between each clove should be around 3-4-inches to assure room in between for the clove to grow into a bulb. 
• Position each clove flat side down in each hole with the pointed tip up (roots grow down from the flat part).  
• After you get all the cloves in the dirt, position stakes or signs so you remember where they're planted.
• Cover the cloves up with dirt, gently patting down the soil. No need to water them. Let mother nature do the rest.

Green shoots will emerge in the spring. In Northern gardens and those with cold winters, if they start to sprout before the first frost, don’t worry. Just leave them alone. The garlic will stop growing when it gets cold and resume again in the spring. The important thing is to plant the cloves in the fall so their root systems get started.
 
Garlic is hardy and will grow in most soils. For the best garlic, horticulturists recommend growing your bulbs in rich, well composted soil. We grow ours in a raised bed, and mix in compost annually.
Related links:
Gourmet Garlic Gardens click on the link and scroll down for great photos!
Garlic and Organosulphur Compounds 
Garlic
Fruits and Veggies More matters Garlic
Blog article and photos copyright ©2011 D.Wind. All rights reserved.

Make a Hot Pepper Ristra for Good Luck!

Chile Pepper Ristra
Ideal for air drying Hot Peppers

Mexican folklore says that hanging a Ristra on your door or in your home brings good luck! As you harvest your hot peppers, now is a good time to think about stringing together those with thin skins into a Mexican 'Ristra' to air dry. You can easily do this with a large needle and thread to connect the peppers. They can simply hang together in a long line, or the ends can be attached to form a wreath shape.
There are many ways to preserve your pepper harvest besides Ristras. Peppers can be preserved by pickling, made into hot sauce, jelly, canned or blanched and frozen. However, one of the simplest ways is to air dry hot peppers in a Ristra.

Air Drying
Air drying is an easy way to dry hot peppers, especially if they have thin skins. Pequin, a tiny, round Chiltepin (Capisicum annum var. aviculare, 'bird pepper') hot pepper, is one of my absolute favorites. Chiltepin's don't even need to be strung on a Ristra though, they can simply air dry on a plate or sheet pan. My favorite Rista peppers are usually long, thin cayenne or Thai peppers. Remember, thin skinned peppers work the best for air drying.
Pepper Skins, thin or thick?
If your peppers have thick skins such as Tomato Grower's large red thick cayenne or any brand Jalapeno pepper, they will not work well in a Ristra. After several days, the moisture trapped within thick skinned peppers will contribute to mold inside the peppers, making them unsuitable for culinary use. I find many hybrids have skins too thick to air dry, even if I poke a few pin holes in them. They are all different though; for example, Burpee's long thin slim red cayenne peppers dry well, and so does Tomato Grower's Kung Pao hybrid. Both have thin walls for easy drying on a Ristra.

• Please post a comment if you have a favorite pepper that works well for Ristra air drying

If your peppers are thick skinned, one way to avoid mold forming inside the peppers is to cut them in half lengthwise using culinary shears. This will permit optimal air circulation. Allow the pile of cut peppers to dry on a large plate or sheet pan and stir them around every few days. When they are thoroughly dry, they can be stored in airtight containers. Obviously, after the peppers are cut in half they can't be used in a Ristra, but they will still be a tasty seasoning for your foods throughout the year.
If your not sure if your peppers have thin or thick skins, let a few air dry on a plate for a week or two then cut one open, if it appears moldy inside, discard the moldy ones and from then on your best bet is to start cutting that variety open to air dry, and preserve them by another means.

Ristra Home Decor
In addition to being useful and functional, Ristras store dried peppers in an artistic, decorative way that looks great hanging in your home. Ristras make appreciated and thoughtful gifts from your garden too. Store bought Ristras, unless stated otherwise, may have been shellacked or varnished and should not be used for culinary purposes. For the safest and best Ristra, make your own!
Ristra Strings
The Ristra is just a bunch of hot peppers attached together by a thread, string, or fish line. I use a large needle and thread and simply string the needle with the thread, making a knot at the beginning (and again at the end). Then string together the peppers, pushing them together to close up any gaps.

• Ristras can be all sizes and shapes. I tend to use the simplest method and allow them to hang straight down, but as I mentioned you can connect the ends and make a wreath too.
• Ristras can hang to dry outside under an overhang, from a pot rack in your kitchen, or in any dry area.

Don't leave your Ristra hanging forever!
Ristras look great hanging in the kitchen; however,don't get too attached and let it hang up there for years to collect dust. Especially since the peppers are the real deal and not fake. A good rule of thumb is to use the peppers as you need them throughout the off season, and then before the new harvest, take what is left down and store the leftover peppers in an airtight container.

Related Links
Chile Ristras Brighten Border Homes by Doug Perez and Martha A. Sandoval, El Paso Community College
Cluster Braid and Red Chile Sauce Recipe by Priscilla Grijalva, New Mexico State University Extension

Copyright © 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.