Yuca Root / Cassava

Nope, it's not Yucca!

Nope, not at all. I just want to make this very clear, because if you try looking for Yucca root when you want Yuca root, you'll be terribly disappointed.

This is the plat you're looking for:



Yuca root is what they make tapioca out of! Have you seen Boba Tapioca pearls? Those are made from Yuca Root, too. Other great uses include anything you could use potatoes for, like Yuca Root gnocchi. Also, its flour can be used to make a wheat-alternative bread.

Something to be cautious of while preparing Yuca Root: The roots are poisinous if not treated. If you cook them, they are typically fine. Grating before cooking, or boiling for several minutes, are excellent methods of assuring your safety.

Cassava is the common name for the woody shrub Manihot Esculenta. While its origins are traced to South America, and its primary production is found in Brazil, it is also grown commercially in Zaire, Thailand, and Nigeria. It is a main staple starchy food with lots of Vitamin C, but offers little protein and lacks other vital nutrients.

Here's an up-close view of a leaf:



A photo of the root itself:



Here are some fascinating recipes that utilise Yuca Root:

LENTO

INGREDIENTS
0.5 kg Grated Cassava
Oil
Salt
1 clove Garlic
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

METHOD
1. Mix all ingredients, then form the mixture into oval shape ball.
2. Heat oil in deep fryer, and fry medium heat until it is golden and cooked. Put onto a kitchen towel paper.


CASSAVA & DANDELION FLOWER CRÊPES

When cassava flour is mixed with water or milk and cooked it becomes very sticky and almost has the colour of wallpaper paste too.

The proportions used here are a good starting point for any experimentation and the resulting crepe hasn't the least glue-like qualities, although you will notice a difference in the surface texture. The colour is also much paler.

PREPARATION

The petals come from recently opened or just opening dandelion flowers. Remove the green sepals then slice across the base of the flower receptacle to release the petals. Separate the petal bundles using your fingers, discarding any remaining green bits.
1 part cassava flour
2 parts milk
1 part egg - beaten
Salt
Dandelion flower petals
Lemon & honey or orange juice

METHOD

1.In a bowl mix the flour, milk and egg and whisk into a batter.
2. Leave for 10 minutes then stir in a good handful of dandelion petals and distribute evenly. Keep some petals back for garnishing if you wish.
3.In a skillet heat some oil till it is hot.
4.Spoon or pour in a dollop of the batter and swirl around to form a circular mass.
5. Cook for about 2 minutes on the first side until lightly browned, then turn over and cook the other side for a further 1 - 2 minutes.
6. Remove from the skillet, plate, sprinkle over some more petals and drizzle over some honey and lemon, or orange juice.


BANANA CASAVA CAKE

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp Sugar
1 cup Coconut Cream (be sure to use coconut cream; not coconut milk)
4 mashed bananas
1 ½ - 2 pounds Fresh Cassava, peeled and grated

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven 350 F and lightly oil an 8 inch square cake pan.
2. Beat the coconut cream and sugar together.
3. Add the mashed bananas and mix thoroughly
4. Add the grated cassava and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour into cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes until the top is a golden colour.

Photos come from these websites:
http://nonsenseverse.typepad.com/photos/philippines/img_0787.jpg
http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/y/yu/yupsi/342636_cassava_leaf.jpg
http://www.projects.ex.ac.uk/pwh201/CSS/pictures/cassava.gif

Reference Sites for Recipes with Yuca Root:
http://indonesian-food-recipes.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_indonesian-food-recipes_archive.html
http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wildfoodjj/cassvdan.htm
http://www.earthyfamily.com/FJ-recipe.htm

Here are some online references for Yuca Root:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/CropFactSheets/cassava.html
http://www.bio.ilstu.edu/Armstrong/syllabi/cassava/cassava.htm
http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=35498
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava

A handy guide for tubers in general:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Tubers.html

Starfruit/Carambola

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Botany

After answering questions from the occasional curious and confused relative/aquaintance/stranger about what exactly Botany is all about, I decided to post a link to a really good definition in Wikipedia.


Wikipedia Entry on Botany

Peaches

I love peaches. Delicate, yummy white peaches and hearty yummy yellow peaches alike - peaches are just delightful.

Picking out just the right peach from a grocery store or farmer's market often has folks a little stumped. Here are a few tips:

General selection tips - don't just look for the pink ones! This dominant color has to do with variety, not ripeness. You'll want to go for the peach with a darker undertone of yellow or cream. Smell the peach - does it smell peachy? The unripened peaches have no distinguishable scent.

Know when you're planning on eating your peaches.

In the next half hour:
-look for the peach with the most give, soft and supple to the touch, without mold, dark bruises, or puncture wounds. The mushier, the more juicy!

In the next two days:
- still feel for some give.

In the next week:
- go for the harder ones - but never a rock!

*Always be sure to store your peaches in a paper bag to ripen. They will not only rot in plastic!*
Almost-ripe peaches can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week and a half. Much longer than that, and you'll be sad you wasted such a beautiful fruit.

----------------- peach memories ---------------------------------------------------
One of my favorite fruit trees growing up was our "Springtime" peach tree. Actually, it was another peach tree entirely, but my father grafted a branch of the white-fruited "Springtime" variety onto an otherwise dull hum-drum average peach.

Unfortunately several years ago, a combination of poor watering and an attack of pests brought the demise of my favorite peach tree. I cried long and hard the day my father ripped it out of the ground. The orchard portion of our backyard has never looked quite the same since then, even though we have filled the area with other fun peaches and nectarines. I maintain the hope that one day we'll find a "Springtime" peach in a nursery catalog. Or maybe we'll make a friend who happens to have a tree, and we can graft it to our thriving home-bred white-skinned "Le Duce" peach tree.


Some pretty photos of peaches:






Photos come from these sites:

http://ag.arizona.edu/OALS/ALN/aln46/aln46gifs/luna1.jpg
http://www.agrimaxintl.com/images/full_size_pic/white_flesh_Peach.jpg


Here are some handy websites for great tips on Peach tree care and maintenance:
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/fruit/peach.html
http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C877.htm

Here is a site that will tell you all about selecting the perfect peach from your grocery store or Farmer's Market:
http://www.greenwoodnursery.com/page.cfm/5667

Mexican & Other Oregano

Ok folks, this one isn't about your usual Greek/Italian/Turkish Oregano that most people think of.

It's about the mysteriously difficult-to-research Mexican Oregano. Found in - you guessed it- delicious Mexican cuisines. I'm still on the lookout for more about this plant. So far, I have learned that there are multiple plants with various leafing patterns that fall into "mexican Oregano". There are several different local varieties in South America, including a "Cuban Oregano". Each region seems to have something different that they like to call Oregano. The general trends: aromatic, tangy with a hint of lime, woody stalk on bush or tree-like plants. Incredibly wonderful in Chile, Fish Tacos, etc. etc. Basically - you add this to any Mexican dish and it adds a punch of incredible and exotic flavor. It's pretty commonly in use in Texas and Arizona. Not so much in Southern California. Definitely would do well here if planted as an ornamental shrub, but not too many people think about it as an ornamental.

So here's what I have gathered so far:
Lippia graveolens
Poliomintha longiflora
Lippia berlandieri
Plectranthus amboinicus
These are various varieties of South American Oregano. Lippia Graveolens is related to my plant from earlier this week: Lemon Verbena. Not a huge suprize since traditional Greek Oregano and all of the South American Oreganos are in the same plant family - Lamiaceae - the mint family!
Here's what some of them look like when grown:

Mexican Oreganos



Cuban Oregano





Photos come from these sites:

http://susanalbert.blogspot.com/pix/Poliomentha0801.jpg

http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Lamiaceae/Poliomintha_longiflora2.jpg

http://toptropicals.com/pics/garden/2004/5/5176.jpg

These websites were helpful with information:

http://www.sallys-place.com/food/columns/gilbert/oregano.htm
http://www.mccormick.com/content.cfm?id=8234

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregano

eh, kinda helpful:

http://www.nativesoftexas.com/moregano.html
http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/archives/000798.html

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4091/is_200511/ai_n15935864

http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Mexican+Oregano

Lemon Verbena

Do you love citrus and flowery springtime all at once? Lemon Verbena is what you're looking for. It is common in perfumes, soaps, lotions, and you can even make it into some great desserts!

Here's what the blossoms look like:



You can spot it as anything from a 2-3ft ornamental shrub to a tree that is 2 meters tall. 200 years ago, it was one of the most common European ornamentals. But on this side of the world, it requires more trimming than most people want to do - in order to keep it a manageable size.

Most of the commercial Lemon Verbena is grown in France, but it is found natively in Peru and Ethiopia. You'll find it growing best where there isn't winter frost, and summer temperatures do not exceed 100 degrees (USDA zones 8-10 are best). Seeds are difficult to purchase, so most people start their own plants with softwood cuttings.


Image taken from:
http://rustylopez.typepad.com/imagoarticulus/2005/11/index.html

These websites were helpful with information:
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Lipp_cit.html
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/279/

Ladybug

studying in a quiet courtyard.
a ladybug in flight
landed.
a contrast; my black backpack
watched its uneaven steps
enjoying the sunlight
warming wind-induced goosepimply skin.

Lemon Grass

Sorry for the lack of entries in the past two weeks. I just feel settled after the move from SOCal to Berkeley.

Today's plant is Lemon Grass, or Andropogon or Cymbopogon Citratus, depending on if your use is medicinal (Andropogon) or culinary (Cymbopogon).

It's great in Thai dishes and Indonesian plates. The maintenance manager at the Hoyt Cooperative states that this herb is growing in our garden for use in cooking, but I have not yet taken the time to spot it. I will search it out today and most likely include it in my meal if the plant is established. One must harvest it from the bulb, not leaf, so finding a plant that is healthy with multiple shoots is essential to continual harvest.





images are from:
http://www.holistic-online.com/Herbal-Med/images/lemongrass.JPG
and http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/pictures/cymb_03.jpg This website also provided delicious recipe tips for lemongrass.

Mustard

Good day.
training at Starbucks for 4 hours this morning.
relaxing afternoon, in spite of the heat. joe's birthday, so it was fun to spend time with him and tom and alan and jessie. yep. enjoyable time.

Going to sleep well tonight.
hopefully others are having a good weekend!

Feature plant of the week: Mustard!

It's all over our hillsides this time of the year. And some grocery stores sell mustard greens, which add a pleasant kick to a pasta salad.




Photo is from: http://www.steveshamesphotos.com/

Here's the website that helped me find recipes with mustard greens, and helped me understand the massive nutrition behind this delicious leaf:
http://www.whfoods.com/recipestoc.php

Garden Mini-Onion

more hours devoted to a corporation
less-than desireable compensation
friendships aplenty
summer of incredible potential
THWARTED.
waiting on inefficient systems
for answers to unrealistic wishes.

what more can one do?
one can only break the mold if they do not want a positive end goal.

Plant of the day: Allium Lacunosum. This plant is a terrible weed that has infested my backyard. Tom asked what it was yesterday morning while he was in my backyard. He said it wasn't particularly ugly, and asked why I called it a pest. I said it was related to an onion and complained of how, no matter what, it is impossible to remove from the soil in a certain planter. Its bulb can be so tiny and prolific that even if soil is removed from the planter and sifted, the plant will thrive again the next year. The foliage is narrow and looks enough like grass that if it pops up in a planter with other flowers (daylilies, violets, and miniature carnations in my case) it creates an untidy look. Recent efforts have left stems with flowers and no grass-like foliage. Such a result is better in appearance than any previous efforts. I have a strong desire to thwart this hearty bulb, though I am tempted to attempt to use it as a poignant little onion in cooking.


Photo is from Barbara Collins' CLU plant webiste: http://www.callutheran.edu/Academic_Programs/Departments/Biology/Wildflowers/index.htm

Artichokes

no work today
awoke at 8am
beautiful weather
able to work more outside, at least this morning.

We have had artichokes growing in my backyard since I can remember. My parents never tried to cook them. But last month, I finally bit the bullet and put those delicious artichoke buds in a pressure cooker. The result was a more poignant artichoke than one you can find at the market. All sorts of delicious. I couldn't believe it: all of this untapped potential hanging out in my backyard year after year. Unfortunately the fruit is small enough that it's a lot of effort to peel and eat, for only a little reward of potent, incredibly delicious artichoke-yums.

I learned a lot about artichokes from the California Artichoke Advisory Board: http://www.artichokes.org/


The pretty artichoke picture is from UCSB's life science website: http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~wallenstein/photos/pages/artichoke%20flower.htm

Now, don't confuse the artichoke with the Jerusalem Artichoke, which is a SUNFLOWER root ball! Described as a "lumpy root vegetable with a nutty, crunchy, sweet flesh" (from: http://kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com/food). It's like a potato, but with insulin instead of starch. Some produce companies market them as a "sunchoke."


Check out this website for more information on Sunchokes, including leafing patterns: http://www.slugsandsalal.com/06/artichoke/artichokeJerusalem.html