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{CSA} The Best Way to Eat Radishes…

… is definitely raw, dipped in salt.

^^ The Best Way to Eat Radishes ^^

My dad taught me this little trick years ago, when we were picking radishes in my Grammie’s garden. We also picked fresh cucumbers, and dipped them raw, in salt, as well. So many of my best memories are of my times spent outside in the garden, or running around the farm at my Grammie’s or at my great aunt and uncle’s place (all of them lived – still live – on farms).

The reason I am eating radishes is because my CSA share this week had:

  • 1 bunch of radishes
  • 1 celeriac (I am really not a fan… I am making it in soup right now, which hopefully will hide the flavor.)
  • dried pop corn
  • 2 pounds of white potatoes
  • 2 garlic bulbs
  • 1 cabbage
  • 1 collard bunch
  • 1 parsley
  • 1 bunch of mizuna
  • 3 gourds for decoration that I did not take! I don’t need any more clutter, especially not clutter that might go moldy.
I have the cabbage, garlic, parsley, celeriac, plus some of last week’s veggies (beets and leeks – maybe that is all?) simmering in a soup pot right now. Need to use them up, and no better way to down your veggies than in a pureed soup. I’ll pop it all in the Vitamix in a few minutes, and if it’s good, I will write up the recipe.

How do YOU eat radishes?

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{Recipe} Cream of Broccoli Soup

Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe

Veggies cooking in the pot

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 2 huge scallions, chopped (or 3-4 smaller ones) – you could probably use a leek instead if you want
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or chopped fresh garlic)
  • 1 head broccoli, chopped
  • 4 cups chopped [purple] cabbage (1/2 a large head)
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 cups whole milk (you could use skim – it wouldn’t be as rich)
  • 1 cup water + 1 serving bouillon (powder or paste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • pinch of allspice
  • 3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese + extra

Method

  1. Heat the butter in a large saute pan or pot. Toss in the scallions and garlic powder; cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the broccoli, cabbage, and basil. Saute for about 8 minutes.
  3. Add the milk, water, boullion, pepper, allspice, and cheese. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for ~20 minutes (covered).
  4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree with your Vitamix or other blender.
  5. Garnish with more parmesan. Add salt+pepper, to taste.

I actually based this on a vegan recipe – but mine is most certainly not vegan! I am hoping to do a soup round-up sometime soon, so if you want me to feature one of your soup recipes just drop a comment below.

What is your favorite kind of soup?

I have two: clam chowder and corn and chicken chowder.

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{WIAW} Konnichiwa! (What I Ate Wednesday From Japan)

I am in Japan! Bobby and I left NYC last Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Japan Wednesday night. We were on the plane for 16 hours and we crossed the dateline, hence the entire day+ difference. The flight is only ~13 hours, but there was a problem with the plane’s toilets and we ended up sitting on the plane while they fixed them.

I can’t remember exactly what I ate that Wednesday but it included this:

A surprisingly good airplane dinner of beef and veggie stir-fry, shrimp cocktail, a little salad, and bread. The meal came with “buttery spread” which is really margarine-like. I am not sure why people are still eating margarine. It should go the way of large sugary sodas in NYC. Dessert was a small cinnamon brownie.

There were a few other surprisingly OK airplane meals, and then we were in Japan. We found Bobby’s mom in the airport, and then hit up a Starbucks. Did you know that Starbucks has a “short” size? They do – but it’s not listed on US menus. If you ask for it though, apparently you can get it (I believe only for hot drinks; I haven’t tried yet because I didn’t know until this trip). The tall is so large – I don’t usually want to drink that much coffee/frappuccino/whatever.

After 1.5 hours on a train and subway we were at Bobby’s aunt’s house in a suburb of Tokyo/Yokohama. A veritable feast was laid out for us of amazing Japanese food. Most of the daily eats in Japan are macrobiotic. I wish I could remember each dish. Some where – rice (they eat white here; brown is rare), a stew with konyakku/lotus/daikon, hijiki salad, and more. And kabocha is also ubiquitous here.

And finally – shower and bed. I find that the best showers come after long days of traveling. This was possibly the best shower of my life.

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Here are some more pictures from the trip so far:

Me enjoying a Japanese grocery store.

A double yolk egg. Did I mention that egg yolks are this really intense shade of orange here?

Not from the trip… but I miss these guys. My friend is taking care of them.

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Signing off for now. Have you ever been to Japan? What about another Asian country? I have not – this is my first time. I have traveled to Europe and Canada and that is about it.