Notes from Debbie's Kitchen
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Last box of goodies before we all break for the holidays... hard to believe the new year is nearly upon us! I hope everyone stays healthy, fortified by our beautiful and nutritious produce. Do find time to mark the winter solstice -- next Monday, Dec. 21st, will be the shortest day and longest night of the year; after that, the days begin lengthening again. It's something I always look forward to. Take care everyone!  - Debbie

I want to start by talking about winter kale. Many people don't know this, but kale grown in cold temperatures is markedly sweeter than its summer counterpart. Because of the recent cold snap, the Red Russian kale is really sweet right now; tear off a piece of the purpley-green leaf and chew it raw, and see if you don't notice the sweetness. I always have to eat some of my Red Russian kale raw in the wintertime... it is just so good!

That fresh rosemary is great for tucking in amongst roasted and baked veggies and meats, but if you're not going to get through it anytime soon, consider drying it. Very easy to dry: simply hang bunch somewhere in your kitchen with good air circulation and wait until it dries out. Then removes the leaves from the stems and store in a jar. They'll last at least a year.

I also want to talk about the pineapple guavas, since we're getting a bag of them this week. For those who don't know, they're the egg-sized green orbs in the bag with your meyer lemons. The most important thing to know is that you've got to let them ripen fully before you eat them. Underripe, they're a bit astringent. The best way to tell when they're ripe is by their smell. They will release a truly heady, sweet aroma when ripe. So leave them in a bowl on your counter or kitchen table and wait until you can smell them. Then enjoy! As a double-check, they should give slightly under finger pressure, too. You eat them, peel and all. Tom's method is the best I've found: he simply rolls them in his fingers to soften a tiny bit, pinches into their side with a thumbnail then cracks them in half like an egg... then eats them! I've also been enjoying them combined with apple in a green smoothie. You could put them in just about any fruit smoothie, actually. Here're two more ideas:

Pineapple Guava "Banana Bread"
Use your favorite banana bread recipe, only substitute mashed ripe pineapple guavas for the banana (or mix the two!).

Pineapple Guava (Feijoa) and Ginger Muffins
modified from original recipe found on bigoven.com

1 C whole wheat flour
1 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 C sugar [organic cane, raw, something good]
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C butter [half a stick]
1 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 beaten egg
1 C chopped ripe pineapple guavas (feijoas)
crystallized ginger (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare muffin tins [butter them, line them with muffin wraps; whatever's your preference].

Combine dry ingredients [flours, sugar, baking powder and soda, ginger, salt]. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour mixture until it resembles fine bread crumbs.

Combine wet ingredients [milk, vanilla, egg], add to dry ingredients and mix in feijoas until just combined. Divide batter between muffin cups, top with optional bit of crystallized ginger, then bake for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.


Okay... here's just one more, from Penryn Orchard Specialties, but only for the grown-ups! A little something for New Year's Eve, perhaps?

Odessa Cocktail
serves 2

The author writes, "I came up with a new drink I am calling 'the Odessa', after the Black Sea resort, because Russians are crazy about this aromatic fruit, which Georgians used to ship to Moscow in the days of the Soviet Union."

Scoop the inside of four fresh feijoa (pineapple guavas) into a blender [LEF's are on the small side, so you might use more than four]. Add 2 tbsp. simple syrup, the juice of half a lime, and blend until smooth. Strain through a sieve to remove grit. Shake with a cup of crushed ice, and 4 oz. vodka. Serve in chilled martini glasses.


Speaking of New Year's Eve treats, don't forget to try the crispy kale! Make it as an appetizer or snack to eat along with your Odessa cocktail... ;-)


Lastly, something in the beet category. Here's a recipe I made up about six years ago, when I had beets and left-over canned tomatoes in my fridge. Quantities are not exact, so feel free to 'fudge' them:

Beet and Carrot Curry
3 tbsp. oil
1 large beet (or a few small; mixed colors okay), peeled [or scrubbed well] and grated
2 large carrots, washed and grated
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
about 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. dry)
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tbsp. ground coriander
[you can substitute 1 tbsp. curry powder for the cumin, garam masala and coriander]
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp. salt
Approx. 1 C tomato puree
handful of raisins
toasted nuts for garnish (optional)
frozen peas (optional)

This is great over steamed rice, so start your rice cooker then begin making the curry!

Sizzle garlic and ginger in hot oil for scant minute; add dry spices and fry maybe 20 seconds, then add beets and carrots. Stir to distribute beets with oil-spice-garlic mixture. Add cayenne and salt, tomato sauce and raisins, stir well, bring to a boil then reduce to low, cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, add a splash of water if it gets too dry.

Stir in frozen peas, if using, for the last few minutes of cooking, just to heat them. Note: peas quicly turn beet-colored, so if you want their color to stand out (it's prettier), cook them separately and stir in just when serving. Alternately, stir the peas into your rice, like a pilaf, before serving with the curry.

Toast some nuts (pepitas, pistachios, pine nuts, or sliced almonds would be good) and scatter on top when serving.

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