GardenCuizine Recipe: Blueberry Lemon Balm Muffins

Blueberry, Lemon Balm Muffins

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is a 12-18” perennial herb, hardy to USDA zones 4a-9b. This easy-to-grow, drought tolerant herb likes full sun and grows well in part shade too. Once you plant it you will always have it; some folks find it invasive, as it likes to spread. Therefore it's no surprise, Lemon balm is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee). Lemon Balm can be used in teas and adds eye appeal -- along with a hint of lemon flavor -- to baked goods.

Yields: 12 muffins (805g, 1 muffin=67g)
Preheat oven to 425º F

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2cups unbleached all purpose flour
• ½ cup quinoa flakes (available at health food stores, can sub with ap flour if you can’t get it)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds or fortified flax (optional: available at health food stores, can sub bran or wheat germ)
  
• ¼ teaspoon iodized salt
• Grated zest of ½ lemon

• 1 cup 2% organic milk
  
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

• 3/4 cups fresh or frozen (unthawed) blueberries
• lemon balm (if available from your garden, use however many leaves you would like)
  

Putting it all together:
Prepare muffin tin (for 12 muffins) with a light spray of non-stick cooking spray. In a small fry pan, melt the butter and the canola oil together. Set aside to cool.

Sift dry ingredients (except the quinoa flakes and flax) into a medium sized bowl. Add the quinoa flakes and flax. Give the dry mixture a quick stir using a whisk to combine.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the milk, egg, cooled butter/oil mixture and lemon zest. Gently whisk these ingredients, trying not to incorporate too much of the flour -- then incorporate the flour mixture. Be careful not to over stir. Mix until almost, but not quite, fully blended.

Using a rubber spatula stir in the blueberries and lemon balm. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes, cool on wire rack then depan and serve muffins in a napkin lined country basket.

Buon Appetito

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis calculated from USDA nutrient values:
serving size 1 muffin: Calories: 163 (8%DV), Total Fat: 5.6g (9%DV), Cholesterol: 24.3mg (8%DV), Sodium: 183mg (8%DV), Total Carbohydrate: 25.1g (8%DV), Dietary Fiber: 1.0g (4%DV), Calcium: 96.9mg (10%DV), Riboflavin: ~0.2mg (~12%DV)

Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Understanding Food Label % Daily Values

 Understanding Percent Daily Values
(%DV) on Food Labels

Why are Percent Daily Values on food labels? Nutrition Facts Labels contain a list of Percent Daily Values (%DV) to aide consumers (us) in comparing and interpreting the level of nutrition content in the food. 

Percent Daily Value is a measurement between 0 and 100%, based on a 2,000 calorie a day intake by adults and children age 4, and older. A total daily nutrient intake of 100% represents the highest limit recommended by public health experts for the foods total fat, sodium, carbohydrates, and certain vitamins and minerals. 

Food labels include %DV to assist us in comparing and interpreting the level of nutrition content in the food. Values can be low, good or high.  

• Daily Values less than 5% are considered 'LOW'. 
• Daily Values between 10 and 19% indicate a 'GOOD' source of the nutrient.
• Daily Values greater than 20% indicate the food is an 'EXCELLENT' source, or in the case of cholesterol, sodium, and fat -- a 'HIGH' source.

Reading the Label
Referring to the candy bar label shown above: The product label indicates 10g of saturated fat with a %DV of 50% for a serving size of 45 grams (3 bite size squares). 50% is well above 20%, meaning the product has a 'high' amount of saturated fat. 

A %DV of 50% means you would receive half of the saturated fat suggested for the entire day! Obviously, limited consumption of this product would be recommended, since it is high in saturated fat. Some products are not so obvious as to what they may contain, making the nutrition facts label a real help.

Your Caloric Needs are Unique

Allow for some adjustments based on your age, sex, weight and activity level from the 2,000 calories a day that the DVs are based on. Caloric energy needs vary with each individual; yours may be higher or lower than 2,000 calories a day.

Food Labels~ A Useful Reference

Food labels are meant to be used as reference guide for you, your family and friends as an aide in selecting products better for optimum health. 

Prudent food selections based on label reading, along with portion control and daily physical activity, will greatly benefit you and your family's health and well being. For more information on how to read Nutrition Facts Labels on product packaging, see the related links posted below. 

%DV does not pertain to infants or children under four years old. Pregnant, lactating women and persons with metabolic disorders and disease may have different nutrient needs as well; consulting with a licensed medical Doctor and Registered Dietitian is recommended.  
Related Links: 
Reading Food Nutrition Labels
Interactive Nutrition Facts Label
The New Nutrition Facts Label
 
Copyright © 2009 wind rev 08/22/2021

Cooking with Haddock

Photo Credits: Haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus. Drawing by H. L. Todd, from: No. 10440, U.S. National Museum, collected at Eastport, Me., 1872, by U.S. Fish Commission, Public domain image, Wikipedia.

Haddock Dinner

A nutritious and balanced dinner entree includes a protein, starch or whole grain and a generous serving of vegetables. For this Haddock dinner (recipe in separate post), the protein was fish. Out of the many healthy cooking options -- baking, broiling, poaching or grilling -- we decided on baking the haddock. For the starch or grain, we looked over what we had in the pantry (potatoes, pasta, millet, whole wheat cous cous, quinoa, wild rice or brown rice) and decided on millet pilaf with steamed broccoli as the vegetable.

Haddock is a good white fish to try if you like varying your fish menus. Variety is important in eating right. The benefits of varying your protein choices are that you get a balance of nutrients, minimize mercury exposure and increase your consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids. Some fish, like salmon, trout or herring have higher levels of Omega-3's and fish in general, when compared to meats, is very low in saturated fat.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 ounces of cooked fish per day, and at least 2 servings of fish each week. Portion control is important in eating right, not just to watch excess calories, but because meat and fish proteins can be high in cholesterol or environmental contaminants. For example, shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish are high in mercury. Haddock is not high in mercury, but is high in cholesterol like many fish (proteins). Flounder, tilapia and farmed salmon also have high cholesterol with a combined average, for a 5oz fish serving, of 89 mg (30%DV) - when calculated for cooked fish using a dry heat method, such as baking or grilling.

The good news is most all fish and seafood have some content of beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown in epidemiological and clinical trials to reduce cardiovascular disease. Haddock is a firm fleshed white fish, mild in flavor and very low in total Fat. A 5oz serving is an excellent source of Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B-12, Phosphorus, Selenium and Magnesium. A 5oz portion of Haddock is also a very good source of Potassium and Magnesium.

%DV = Percent Daily Value based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet
Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

GardenCuizine Recipe: Baked Haddock with Millet Pilaf and Steamed Broccoli

Haddock Dinner Recipe

Baked Haddock with millet pilaf and steamed broccoli

Yields: Dinner for 3
(easy to modify to suit your family size)
Preheat oven to 350ºF

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. Haddock (for 3 people, we usually order a little less than one pound of fish - Approx 15 oz. so each adult serving is approximately 5 oz.)
• Broccoli
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Millet (found in health food or gourmet stores, in packages or bulk)
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1/2 cup onion
• Olive oil
• Seasonings: your preference (we used: salt-free Spike, salt (dash), paprika, tumeric, onion powder, black pepper, hot pepper, curry powder)
• Garden herbs: your preference (we used: garden fresh thyme and parsley)

Putting it all together
Fish
Rinse and pat the Haddock fillets dry with a paper towel. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season, turning to coat. Season as you prefer, we used salt, paprika, tumeric, onion powder and salt-free spike (I like salt-free seasoning blends best, so we can better control the amount of salt added). Cover and bake at 350ºF until fish is opaque white in color and flakes with a fork, approximately 20-30 minutes.

Millet
The millet only takes 20 minutes. Ratio of water to millet is 2:1. One cup of millet will yield 898g of pilaf and serve 4-6. Rough chop (small size) some carrots, celery and onion (mirepoix). Use however much of this aromatic trio you desire -- it can be more or less than 1/2 cup -- no need to get hung up on the measure (more carrots = more vitamin A). Saute using a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil directly in the pot you will be cooking the millet in. I regularly cook in old-fashioned, 'Cornflower Blue' CorningWare, since it can be used on a stove-top. Alternatively, stainless steel pots with tight fitting lids work great too. Add whatever seasonings suit your fancy. Again, we used salt-free Spike seasoning, black pepper and a pinch of salt; we also added hot pepper* and curry powder.
Stir in the millet and then add the water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, then cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all the water is absorbed - about 20 minutes. If desired, stir in some fresh cut garden herbs just before serving.

• *The GardenCuizine pantry is never without a stash of Chiltepin peppers (Capsicum annuum var. aviculare). These tiny peppers are HOT stuff (50,000 - 100,000 Scoville Units) a little goes a long way! They are known as bird peppers and are small (only ¼ inch round in diameter). Just one adds the perfect amount of heat and will not overpower the dish. Your food will still be palatable to those who don’t like things too hot. And adding a little heat makes food tasty, and allows you to decrease the salt used in your cooking.

Broccoli
Steaming is easy and preserves the water soluble vitamins. First wash and trim off enough florets to serve 3 people or however many you are cooking for. Place in a covered dish with a little water added - microwave until tender, but still bright green in color, approximately 3-5 minutes. We never add salt. A low fat salad dressing can be added to the broccoli at the table for those who don't like it plain.

Garnish
Pick something fresh from your garden. I simply used a parsley sprig, if we had been making dinner for company, you may have seen a nasturtium bloom or two.

Buon Appetito

GardenCuizine Nutrition Analysis calculated from USDA nutrient values:
5oz Baked Haddock: Calories: 158, Total Fat: 1.32g (2%DV), Cholesterol: 105mg (35%DV), Potassium 565mg (16%DV), Protein: 34.3g (68%DV), Niacin: 6.55mg (33%DV), Vitamin B6: .49mg (25%DV), Vitamin B-12: 1.97mcg (32%DV), Magnesium: 70mg (18%DV), Selenium: 57.3mcg (81%DV)

140g Millet Pilaf: Calories: 165, Total Fat: 5.61g (8%DV), Cholesterol: 0, Protein: 3.74g (7%DV), Dietary Fiber 3.27g (13%DV), Vitamin A: 1706 IU (34%DV), Manganese .55mg (27%DV)
Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a caloric intake of 2,000 calories for adults and children age 4 or older

Copyright (c) 2009 Wind. All rights reserved.

Have a Food Safe holiday

Watch this Video
Before you fire up the Grill
for Holiday Weekend Festivities

This weekend, as we all get ready to party and cook with friends and family, be alert to the importance of Food Safety. I recently posted a few relevant links (shown below) on Twitter. The instant read thermometers I referred to, don't cost much and work great for temperature checking. Chefs usually carry one (or two) in their chef coat pockets, home cooks should too.

Check out this video, it makes the point and at the same time will bring a smile to your face, "Don't get Sicky Wit it." Be sure to turn up the volume.

Related Links:

• "Is it done yet?" You can't tell by looking Use a food thermometer to be sure.
• Use a food thermometer

A parody of Will Smith's "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," as performed by Carl Winter. (c) Copyright 2007. Carl Winter, Food Safety Music. UC Davis.

The animations were produced at New Mexico State University as part of USDA CSREES National Integrated Food Safety Initiative Project Number CD-D-FST-7057-CG.

Help Save the Rainforest

How would YOU like to save
100+ square feet of Rainforest?

It is really easy, I just did it and here is how: In reading the nutrition facts label on the back of our Tropicana orange juice container, I learned that Tropicana is offering this terrific program to help Rescue the Rainforest. They are working together with an organization called ‘Cool Earth’ and are saving thousands of acres of endangered rainforest.

• Why not replant forest that's already been destroyed?
• Do I own the land I save?
• Who is Cool Earth?

These questions and more are answered on the www.tropicanarainforest.com web site. It is really easy to participate and no money is necessary except to purchase a larger than 12oz container of Tropicana orange juice labeled with the unique Rescue the Rainforest message and code stamped on it . Participating products include their 32 oz, 59 oz, 64 oz, 89 oz and 128 oz orange juice.

Fruit juice - part of a Healthy Diet

Orange juice, especially 100% pure juice, can be purchased with added Calcium and Vitamin D. Orange juice is always an excellent source of Vitamin C and a good source of Thiamin, Folate and Potassium. Juice is a great way to incorporate the health benefits of fruit into your diet. To benefit from dietary fiber, make most of your daily fruit choices whole or cut-up fruit. 

Tropicana's Rescue the Rainforest promotion has been extended to March 31, 2010
Drink up some nutritious Orange Juice today!

Join team GardenCuisine*

*Note: the spelling is the correct way to spell 'Cuisine'.
This contest was before we jazzed up our name to Cuizine, spelled with a "z"

Every team member’s code will add towards the team total. Together we can watch our plot of rainforest in Peru grow as more codes are entered.

Team Update: As of 2/17/10
1,900 sq ft of Rainforest Saved!

(in the Ashaninka Corridor in Peru)

start your own team by contacting www.tropicanarainforest.com 

Green thumbs up to Tropicana!

Related Links: Rainforest Report Card

TROPICANA is a registered trademark of Tropicana Products, Inc.

Kitchen Herb - Chervil

Chervil

Chervil is a member of the Apiaceae family, and is a much underused kitchen herb. Culinary Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) should not be confused with wild Chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm.) which, according to the USDA Plants Database, is a noxious weed in Washington State and is prohibited in Massachusetts. Chervil is one of my favorite herbs and I grow it every year starting from seeds. It can be planted in your herb garden or grown in pots, as shown in my photo above. The blooms are white -- similar to parsley umbels -- but much smaller and sized to fit the 12-18 inch plant. When the flowers go to seed, the seeds are easy to collect and save.

Chervil reminds me of a smaller, more delicate version of parsley, only chervil has a hint of anise flavor to it. Chervil can be used alone or in combination with other herbs; and is one of the classic herbs in the French 'fines herbes' (pronounced FEEN erb or FEENZ ehrb) - a blend of: chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon.

Chervil is wonderful in compound butter blends, herbal vinegars and can be added to just about any food you can think of. Its delicate flavor is most appreciated in foods such as Fines Herbes Sauce for roast chicken or in recipes with eggs, like quiche, custards and omelets. Chervil also adds a pleasant taste to soups, seafood, potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

• This little herb will increase the nutrition profile of your GardenCuizine. Use it liberally and reap the benefits of the following per teaspoon: Dietary Fiber 0.1g, Calcium 8g, Iron .19g, Magnesium 1g, Phosphouus 3g, Potassium 28g, Vitamin C 0.3g, Folate 2g, Vitamin A 35 IU plus other nutrients
  

Calculated per teaspoon dried chervil, USDA National Nutrient Standard Reference

Help the Hungry

More than 36.2 million people live in U.S. households facing a constant struggle against hunger. SNAP/Food Stamp participation continues to set record Levels, with more than 33.1 million participants in March 2009.

Food secure households don't have the stress and constant worry about the availability and accessibility of their next meal. Food insecurity is no fun.

Plant a Row for the Hungry campaign

Share your harvest

Plant-a-Row
for the Hungry

• Plant veggies, fruits, and herbs
• Deliver to a soup kitchen or food pantry nearest you
• You can make a difference ~ Thanks! 

Plant-A-Row for the Hungry is sponsored by 

The Garden Writers Association
For more information visit www.gardenwriters.org
or Call Toll Free (877) 492-2727

 Search for a Food Pantry: www.AmpleHarvest.org

 Mt. Laurel, NJ Contact: 

Diana Wind, member Garden Writers Association

GardenCuizine@gmail.com

South Jersey local food agencies ready for fresh produce include:

• www.foodbanksj.org The Food Bank of South Jersey is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help eliminate hunger and malnutrition in the four counties it serves in southern New Jersey - Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem.

• www.cathedralkitchen.org Camden Cathedral Soup Kitchen

Related Links: USDA Food Security 

Bella Italia

Bella Italia

I discovered a southern Italian squash at the 2009 Philadelphia Flower Show. The show gardens displayed a feeling of majestic Rome with its formal topiary, statues and fountains. Tiered displays and cobblestones transformed the gardens into the local feel of Liguria, Venezia, Toscana, Abruzzo, Umbria, Campania and Calabria. 


At the show, as always, we enjoyed viewing the numerous display gardens and meeting up with a few other gardeners from Dave’s Garden. One of my favorite parts was to visit the vendor area in search of interesting garden related products, plants and seeds. While in line to purchase seeds I met a lovely Italian woman. She had a pack of seeds that I’ve never seen before from Italy called, ‘Zuchetta Serpente di Sicilia’. As soon as I saw the name, I knew we had to try it. 

Folks in southern Italian regions often refer to this veggie as Cucuzzi. My new Italian acquaintance said to me, “Give Cucuzzi room, it’s a very vigorous vine. It climbed up one of our trees!” This Southern Italian squash is actually a gourd. The blooms are white, rather than the yellow blooms seen on squash. The fruit itself should be picked when it is one foot long or shorter, if left on the vine, it can grow to three feet long, hence the name ‘serpente’. Like squash, the buds can be used in GardenCuizine and stuffed or sautéed in olive oil. To grow -- plant in mounds six feet apart with 3-4 seeds per mound. Yields in approximately 70-75 days. For Cucuzzi and more vegetable seeds from Italy visit: https://growitalian.com/Qstore/Qstore.cgi

My dream is to someday visit the sunny gardens of Sicily. Our family on my mothers side has southern Italian roots. Foods of Italy have always fascinated me with the various Arab, Greek, Spanish and French cultural influences. My favorite recipes are simple and wholesome, utilizing flavors, blossoms, fruits and nuts such as olive, anise, citrus, jasmine flowers, figs, and almonds.

Edited 12/30/11 to add: Cucuzza squash is quite a vigorous grower! Plant it away from your garden in its own area, or on its own pergola letting the gourds hang down for show. For eating, harvest when only 12-inches - NOT when 4-6 feet! 

Soups On

I’m helping out again at an advanced food production facility in North Jersey. One of their customers placed a sign last summer for all to see, outside of the plant...you'll never guess who it was? It was The Original SoupMan. The “SoupMan” was the guy who inspired the famous “Soup Episode” on Seinfeld. You may remember the actor, Larry Thomas, who portrayed him in a scene - pointing his finger at George while shouting, “No Soup for you!”

The Seinfeld episode was based on "SoupMan", Al Yeganeh, and in real life local New Yorkers and tourists used to wait for hours for his crab bisque, jambalaya or mulligatawny soups. (Remind me to post a recipe for mulligatawny soup, it's really good. I made it for the first time while interning at Tavistock Country Club).

Mr. Yeganeh founded “Soup Kitchen International”, that was located at Eighth Avenue and 55th Street in New York City in 1984. So the "SoupMan" was based on a real man after all. When I took a look at his website, I found the people associated with this heck-of-a-soup cooking guy, are not mean at all. They have supported over the years, a charity dear to my heart, feeding the hungry.

The SoupMan franchise has grown to include restaurants and retail locations in NY, NJ, PA, RI, SC, NC, TX, FL, DC and locations throughout the USA . For more information visit www.ORIGINALSOUPMAN.com.

Gardens and Summer Cookin' in New Orleans.

..coming soon

If you happen to read this, please feel free to post your favorite garden areas and restaurants for delicious gourmet food in New Orleans. I'll be writing about it.

Thanks! ~ChefDi

(photo: Saint Charles Avenue Streetcar on Canal Street ~ GNU Free Documentation License, Wikipedia)

Special Cats

Tango, the Garden Cat

It has been quite a long time since I posted. I'll be sure to share some health and nutritional garden recipes and tips soon, but first I'd like to start back by mentioning my favorite story that has been unfolding in our lives ~ Tango the Garden Cat. Tango is a three part story for all ages to enjoy reading. The series was published on Dave's Gardens international website.

• Part 1: Tango Arrives
• Part 2: Tango's Garden Adventure 
• Part 3:  Home for Christmas

The story was written with a fictional twist, however it is based on a true story.

Tango is a real, small and sweet, feral cat that arrived in our garden. And as it turned out, he had feral friends! The fantastic artwork was created just for this story by a wonderful and talented color pencil artist, Carol Moore. Please thank Carol for her support of feral cats by visiting her web site.
 
You too can make a difference in the lives of feral cats, like Tango, by supporting organizations that help feral cats. Or even better yet -- so long as you're not expecting a lap cat -- maybe you can adopt and directly help out and save the lives of a feral cat (or two or three!) -- they would be forever grateful.

Note: update 1/5/2019: sorry, it appears that the story links are no longer active. The online Tango story was eventually deleted by Dave's Gardens new owners. Of course, we love the story and may rewrite it in a children's story book someday. Tango is still alive with his sisters and living comfortably indoors.

Related Links: 
Alley Cat Allies
Photo collage copyright ©2011 Wind. Tango, the Garden Cat is a trademark of Feral Gardens. All rights reserved.