Fall Harvest Chicken Stew

Roast a small pie pumpkin, a small butternut squash, 2 ears worth of steamed corn nibblets, and five carrots in a large pan with one cup of water and covered with parchment paper. Once cooled, scoop the pumpkin out of it's skin. Puree, adding cream, ginger, cumin, and coconut milk and then pour into the bottom of your crockpot.





Layer in boneless chicken. Broccoli, tomatillos, Empire apple, green onions, red onion, sliced ginger, crushed garlic, drunk cherries, Celtic grey sea salt.

Set the crockpot on high and cover, cook for two hours.

Nasi Goreng: Indonesian One Pot Supper

Nasi Goreng is an Indonesian fried rice. Cooked in one pot, the vegetables and meat (usually some kind of fowl) are added to prepared rice and wok fried all together.

We had a ridiculously large turkey this year that I had done in butter and Old Bay Seasonings and it sat staring at me every time I opened the fridge. What a perfect way to use up the leftovers.

I used Jasmine rice, green beans, slivered red sweet peppers, slivered carrots, and yellow and green zucchini. The whole of it was seasoned with minced tomatoes and onions, sesame oil, minced coriander, slivered garlic, turmeric, salt, cumin seeds and powder, slivered ginger, clove powder, 1 tsp of chili paste and a lemon juiced.

Ito Konnyaku Soup and Stir-fry

Ito konnyaku noodles

Broad bean

Hoisin braised pork

Ginger

Garlic

Organic soy bean paste glazed pork or chicken

Mixed vegetables

Layer of raw large cut
kale or chard

Growing ginger

Zingiber officinale

The easiest way to get started growing ginger root is to just buy some from a grocery store. Look for pieces with well developed "eyes" or growth buds. The buds look like little horns. Make sure you only select fresh rhizomes. Soak the rhizomes in water over night, since store bought ginger is often treated with a growth retardant.

You'll need really good soil to start with as it needs to be rich enough to feed your ginger, it needs to hold enough moisture so it doesn't dry out, but it needs to be free draining so the ginger doesn't become water logged.

Cut the rhizomes in thumb sized pieces with a couple of growing buds on each piece. A 14 inch pot easily holds three average rhizomes. Plant each five to ten centimetres deep, with the growing buds facing up. Every rhizome you plant will first only grow a few leaves, in the one spot. Over time it will become densely clumped and very slowly get bigger, but only if it isn't harvested. The rhizomes underground also don't seem to mind if they become a bit crowded. Ginger only grows to about two to three feet in height.

Ginger needs a lot of moisture while actively growing. The soil should never dry out. Don't overwater, though, because the water that drains away will take nutrients with it. Ginger loves humidity. If you have problems with dry air then mist daily. Dry air can cause problems with spider mites. Set near your forced air register or radiator to keep it warm during the winter. 

Feed it regularly. Work in some organic slow release fertilizer at planting time. After that you can use some liquid fertilizer like seaweed extract or fish fertilizer every few weeks.

The best time to harvest ginger is any time after the leaves have died down. Usually it takes eight to ten months to get to that point. You can dig up the whole plant. Growing ginger in containers makes the harvest so easy, you don't have to dig, just tip out the whole thing. 

Break up the rhizomes, select a few nice ones with good growing buds for replanting, you can replant them straight away, and keep the rest for the kitchen. The rhizomes that have been replanted or left in the soil won't need any water or attention until the weather warms up again. 

If you are serious about growing ginger for eating and not just as an ornamental, then resist the urge to harvest it for a year or two. You won't see any flowers until it is two years old. If you want ginger for eating, just dig very carefully at the edges of it to harvest bits here and there.

The ginger has sprouted and is growing fast!

Since the weather is still so nice, I've left the containers outside in full sun. Once the plant breaks through the surface and the temps drop below 60 degrees, I'll bring them in and set them in the kitchen near the floor register.

The ginger has put out leaves
that the cats find irresistible. 

The kitchen gets alot of indirect sunlight and stays comfortably around 65 degrees year round. Sitting near the register and daily misting will keep the plants happy until outside temps rise over 65 degrees consistently in the late spring/early summer, when they'll be taken back out and set in partial shade.

Raita and Naan

2 tsp each of yeast and sugar in 1/4 cup warm water, 3 cups of flour, 4 tbls sesame seed oil, and 1 tbls salt

Proof the yeast for 20 minutes. Blend all of the ingredients together. Allow to rise in a covered, oiled bowl for 1 hour. Divide into six even pieces. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees and add the cookie sheet to warm. Roll out each piece and lay them on the hot pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve hot. Oil,  minced garlic, flake salt, and parsley are great on these!

Raita is slivered cucumber, strained yogurt, juiced ginger, mint, crushed coriander seeds and ground cumin. Blend well and chill before serving. Excellent with spicy dishes.

Marinated Chops, Salad, Armenian Rice Pilaf, Fingerling Potatoes

Marinate chops for 2 hours in Sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, and juiced ginger. Pan fry in a bit of olive oil until deep brown. Don't over cook these! Internal temp - 165 degrees.

The salad is well washed baby spinach, sweet red peppers, avocados, and organic Bunashimeji Brown Beech mushrooms. 

Basic Armenian Rice Pilaf:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice

2 cups veggie broth













The high in potassium fingerling potatoes from Wegman's grocers were boiled and served with whipped butter.

Rennisance Chicken Stewed in La Fiera Puglia's Moscato, Shallots, Apples, and Dried Fruits

Chicken fried then stewed in La Fiera Puglia's Moscato, dried cherries and currants, a sliced Pink Lady apple, minced ginger and shallots, and freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg.

 Dredge chicken thighs in flour, salt and pepper and fry in olive oil. Then remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Add 1 1/2 cups Moscato to the pan and scrape up the flour bits. Add dried fruits, minced shallots and ginger, sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Stir well and then layer in the apples. Cover and reduce the heat, cooking for 10 minutes. Then add in the chicken and continue to cook for 20 more minutes.

Serve with bread and butter and the the rest of the Moscato.