Breadfruit with cheese and pickles

I don't know if this is really worthy of a post, but somehow being surprised by something good, might be reason enough. More ways to use a really useful fruit/vegetable, what have you.  It's alternatively called ulu around here, and a good sized one generally supplies more than enough for several meals.  I have posted  a few recipes before, this is just a left-over snack.

I boiled up a whole one, cut in fourths, and used some for Breadfruit/potato salad.  Which other than the ulu, was pretty much your standard potato salad and very yummy.  I added in radishes, green onions and olives to the usual.  Then last night as a side with some duck breasts, I roasted slices coated with olive oil and spices - paprika, salt, pepper and ginger, just enough to get them a bit crispy and hot, since they were already cooked enough.

This little container was left.  And, not being in the mood for sandwiches, doing my usual scrounge in the fridge for left-overs, I tried a few cold.  Surprising, I don't know why that should be.  Added some aged cheddar and then there's my latest  pickles - Kim Chee style this time made of turnip, red cabbage and onion.  And, don't you just love how that red cabbage made my pickles all pink?  What a satisfying and tasty lunch.  Perfect for Chaya's Lets Do Lunch, Breakfast and Brunch, where you can catch some good ideas for those meals.

They Can't Be That Easy Pickled Vegetables

 
That was my exact thought when I read Michael Ruhlman's recipe for naturally pickled vegetables, in his book, Ratio.  No way.  Don't I need to get my pressure cooker out?  Do something else??  That's IT?  Just make a simple brine and stick my vegetables in there?  Well, apparently yes, as it worked magnificently, beautifully and best of all, easily.  Though, this photo was taken after a good quantity of the vegetables had been removed and eaten.

You may be tired (all 2 of you) of hearing the ways I have been trying to use up my CSA veggies during the week, but this was another of those last ditch attempts. And, a great, quick alternative, or addition to salad for a side dish.

I had some bok choy, to which I added zucchini, onion, carrots, and a few other things.  Use what you have on hand.  Some Cauliflower would be delightful, as would your old standard, baby cucumbers.

Sourdough Starter - Free Giveaway

Her real name is Genevieve.  I called her Clementine for awhile.  In fact, for so long I had forgotten her true name.  My only excuse being a slight mental block with Genevieve.  Just wanted to get the record straight here.  This lovely 200+ year old (after 200, who's counting?) French (former), sourdough starter is still going strong in my kitchen.

In fact,  I just finished feeding her the weekly ration of flour and water.  Sounds like prison fare, doesn't it?  Which action made me think a new post on her life might be in order.  And, a GIVEAWAY.  Yes people, something FREE.  And, that would be .......ta da......a bit of the real thing.  You too can own harbor a 200+ year old French madam. I will send la bébé in the post, well packaged, to the lucky winner.

Turkey Tales

He's letting that skull dry on top of the bread oven.

Our intrepid grandson has been out hunting with a family friend over the holidays.  He comes home with carcasses of various sorts, sheep-goat (apparently there is such a creature), pig, erkel, turkey, quail, etc.(thankfully cleaned and gutted), puts said meat into plastic supermarket shopping bags, then throws it in the freezer.  I have only just noticed this practice, as it was not occurring at my house.  Offering to deal with a turkey was what brought me into contact with a freezer burnt, sad looking bird.  Probably should just have chucked the poor, wild thing.  But, fixed as I was on brining something, figured maybe this would be an appropriate test.   For more information, and the science of why it works, than you probably want or need on brining, check here.

First off, I let the bird thaw in its shopping bags, then got out Michael Ruhlman's Ratio book, for the brine formula, to which I added a few herbs and some cracked pepper, as he also suggests.  Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try:

Basic Brine
80 ounces water (10 cups) - I used 8 cups and the remainder in ice to cool it down
4 ounces kosher salt (about 1/2 cup Morton's)
And, my additions:
about 10 bruised peppercorns
2 sprigs rosemary
bunch of sage leaves
1 bruised clove garlic

Combine the ingredients in a pan over high heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved.  Remove from the heat, and let it cool to room temperature (at which point I added my ice), then refrigerate until cold.  When completely chilled, put  your rinsed bird in a 2 gal. freezer bag (set in a large bowl for support) and pour in the brine solution, removing as much air as possible.  Seal the bag, then refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, or until needed.

The brine not only results in meat that's juicier, it carries the flavors of your aromatics into the muscle, and since it is also a preservative, the meat will keep fresh longer.  All this per Mr. Ruhlman.  The only question I had was, will this at all help a slightly freezer burnt turkey?  If you are a vegetarian (and even if you're not) you may want to skip this next photo.

OK.  It was at this point (I'm a tad unobservant I guess) that it occurred to me, this is the scrawniest, turkey I've ever seen.  And, some major parts seemed to be missing??  I weighed the guy and he came to a total of 3 lbs., as you can see, mostly skin and bones.  I asked Isaiah, "Did Mike take the breasts home for dinner and leave the rest for you?"  He just laughed and said, "No, they got blown off."  He aimed a bit low, apparently.  Bless his heart.  So, turkey soup.  And, his mother can do it.  You don't need another recipe for turkey soup here.