Monday, November 1, 2010

October Activities

October has almost passed me by. I thought it just began. So many things happened in such a short time which makes me wonder, was it only my imagination or did all that really happen? There were cucumber experiments, sugarcane introduction, herb gardening and plum cake planning besides the usual life activities. And before I knew it, it’s already the last week of the month pushing me fast towards Thanksgiving Dinner menu planning!

Remember, last month’s Cool Cucumber? Well, looks like there are recipes from various cultures which cook the cucumber over heat! And here I was making false assumptions. Lesson learnt. Some of my readers were kind to share those recipes with me and I ended up experimenting them all, 6 in total, each cooked at least 3 times to get it to taste as it’s supposed to or close enough. Since most of them were handed down from the previous generation, the measurements and time specification were not emphasized enough. So, in short, if I say, my family had cucumber in all its various forms this month at least 1 time daily, I wouldn’t be exaggerating. At the end I can proudly say I know how to cook cucumber although my family has refused to even look at one!

There is a Jamaican style which is essentially stir fry with beef where the cucumbers are added at the end. The South Indian style is called Kotu which has lentils as its base with lots of spices, most definitely eaten with rice. The original method of cooking the North Indian style requires another vegetable in Gourd family called tinda which many a times gets substituted with cucumber. This one is best eaten with rotis. Another reader suggested baking a cake with cucumber. It was on the lines of Zucchini cake. For few days this became the main content for my kids’ school lunch box. They always returned the lunch box empty so I assume they loved it. The savory pancakes with cucumber was an experiment tried by a friend of mine long time back which she promptly passed it onto me. With few variations it became a good accompaniment to shrimp stir fry or even simple cilantro chutney. Lastly, there is my mother’s way of cooking it with nutri-nuggets (soya nuggets). As a child I used to love it which my kids now do, but as an adult I am not so sure anymore.

Out of all these recipes, some were good and some were not so good. I realized one thing though, for all of them one has to develop a taste to enjoy mashed up cucumber. As I mentioned in my last newsletter, cucumbers are watery in their character. A little heat can mush them pretty good. Their crunch is lost in the process of cooking. Unless one has the taste for these regional cooking, it’s not recommended to serve cooked cucumbers for your next dinner get together. But I sincerely thank my readers who have shared their recipes with me. If someone wants any of these recipes, feel free to ask for it. I will be most happy to share them with you; of course they will be my version of the original.

This month I have been teaching third graders all about edible plants. One of those days, I showed them the sugarcane, which was a unique experience. The details of each of these sessions have been duly noted down on my website www.FlavorsOfLandour.com . Have fun reading them. The kids always ended up eating my exhibits, surprisingly even things like ginger and scallions! For them even a sprouted potato held the magical trance. The kids are eager to learn beyond their school curriculum. All they need is a little push and right guidance for their creative juices to flow and eager minds to learn new things. Every little bit goes a long way with them.

On the weekends I started my herb garden this month. Since Florida summer is very harsh for something so tender, the Fall season seems to be the best time to grow herbs. My small patch is blooming with cilantro, mint and basil. So go ahead and let your thumbs become green with herbs!!

The October is gone and very soon November would be gone too. Before we know it Christmas would be here looking for Plum Cakes to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. Plum Cakes take over a month to mature, so its actual preparation begins in late October. I am a big fan of those and take a greater pride in baking them. If you are like me, who loves to serve Plum Cakes on a wintery evening for a snack, email me to order your piece. I’ll have them ready by the 15th December for those who place their orders by 15th November. (8inch by 4inch loaf, $20)

So, here we are ready to say goodbye to October in our fancy costumes attempting to scare our neighbors and children. Stay safe and be generous with candies. Happy Halloween.

2 comments:

  1. Keep up the good work.

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  2. I would love to have some recipes for soya nuggets or granules. I make a Soya Nugget Aloo curry (a spin on badi with aloo)which we love, and is so quick and easy but haven't had much success using soya with other veggies in a curry or stir fry.

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