fruits and vegetables

/>In volume 16 we learn more about Tohru’s parents. We’ve had hints about Kyoko’s past before, but we get the details in these chapters and not everything is pretty. Katsuya proved to be the influence she needed in her life as her relationship with her parents was strained and she was so isolated. I think their story is so sweet and romantic. It soon turns to heartache, though, when Katsuya falls ill and passes away. Kyoko completely falls apart, and I think the depiction of this in many ways is absolutely believable. Even for a person who is solidly on their feet and doesn’t have the kind of baggage that Kyoko is burdened with, to lose the love of your life must be devastating. It’s also disturbing, though, at the neglect that Tohru suffers during this time, and this plays a role in the person that Tohru is today.

Some questions about these chapters -

*We’ve seen examples throughout the story of mothers. One of the most important mother figures is Tohru’s mother, so it’s appropriate that we see her role as a mother to Tohru. Kyoko felt insecure when she learns she’s going to become a mother, but I think most mothers feel very inadequate! We all make mistakes, and hopefully we learn from them and do better next time. What mistakes did Kyoko make? What kind of affect do those have on Tohru? What do you think about her role as a mother to Tohru?

Throughout the chapters in these three volumes, the relationship between Yuki and Machi continues to develop. For much of the first half of the series there appeared to be a romantic love triangle between Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo, but that’s changed now. How do you feel about Machi? What do you think of her pigsty apartment? How could Yuki ever fall for such an odd girl?

With Yuki out of the picture (not that Yuki and Kyo ever came to blows over winning Tohru’s affection, or even mentioned it for that matter), you’d think it was clear sailing for Kyo. Tohru’s feelings for him are obvious, and it’s obvious that he cares for her. But something is keeping them apart and it really hurts to see it (this is the kind of angst I love, though, btw! ^^). I love all the small tender things that Kyo does for Tohru. So cute.

Okay, now to the revelations. There is so much revealed in these few chapters, but it sets us up perfectly for final handful of volumes. First major revelation: Kureno’s curse has broken. Second major revelation: Akito is a woman. This explains so much – Akito’s jealousy (especially her treatment of the female juunishi), why Kureno is unable to return Uo’s feelings, and why everyone is so extremely messed up. And, we meet the most messed up person of all – Akito’s mother, Ren. With just a few exchanges, we get the full picture of their mother-daughter relationship (which would make an interesting compare/contrast to Tohru’s and Kyoko’s relationship), and we understand why Akito is so possessive of her juunishi. Ren doesn’t believe the bonds are real. Akito is set out to prove that they are. Meanwhile, Shigure is insanely jealous of Kureno’s position and uses Ren to spite Akito (such sordid drama, ha ha), but we finally understand a little about Shigure’s motives in all of this. Which brings in Rin and her fervent desire to break the curse, which leads to her being used by Ren, being locked up by Akito, and Haru goes black. I was so relieved when Kureno got some backbone and stepped in to rescue Rin.

Questions about the reveals and the bonds of the juunishi -

*First, I’m curious about everyone’s reactions when they first read these chapters. Were you surprised? Did you have an idea of what was going on? There were allusions to the curse breaking in earlier chapters, were there allusions to Akito’s gender as well?

*Knowing more about Akito, has that changed how you feel about her? Her behavior has been awful, but is it inexcusable?

As always, don’t confine yourself to the discussion points above, but add your own thoughts as you read these chapters. Finally, let’s plan on discussing the next two volumes (19 and 20) next week, resuming our original schedule. Hopefully a little more regular posting will keep us on track as we finish up the series. There’s a lot to discuss, so thanks to everyone who’s been participating!

This is truly my favorite time of year! I love, love, love the late summer. Why? Because it’s harvest season! It’s time to harvest tomatoes, raspberries, melon, peppers, peaches, nectarines, plums, basil, and tons of other fruits and vegetables! And this is in addition to the lovely greens we have enjoyed all summer long like lettuce, chard, and parsley. Did I mention that I love this time of year!

This is some of the harvest from my garden!

For those of us who are on the east coast, the late summer harvest is also a time to prepare and store foods for the winter. Very little fresh produce is available during the winter, so storing fruits and vegetables helps you maximize the variety in your diet in the winter.  Luckily, there are so many fruits and vegetables that you can store by freezing or drying them. For example, I love to dry and freeze tomatoes and then use them in flatbread recipes (in Confessions of an East Coast Raw Vegan) throughout the winter. During the late summer, I will buy organic, heirloom tomatoes by the bushel (48lbs for $15) from a local farm, and then proceed to dry and freeze them over a couple of days.

I make my own homemade “sun-dried” tomatoes by slicing them into ½-inch slices and then dehydrating them at 110 degrees for 2.5 days (dehydrate at 145 degrees for the first hour). I also freeze tomatoes whole in ziploc plastic bags and then use them to make flatbread recipes, sauces, and even ketchup.

In the past, I have also stored peaches, nectarines, and raspberries. Because these fruits can be expensive, I try to buy them by the flat or as “seconds” (a term for overripe produce that is  heavily discounted) from my local farms as much as possible. Basically, I cut the peaches and nectarines into large chunks (as shown below), freeze them on a baking sheet, and then pack them into Ziploc bags.

I like to freeze raspberries by just tossing them into a Ziploc bag. I freeze them while they are unwashed, because they tend to stick together when they are washed. For the most part, I use my homemade frozen fruits for green smoothies and to make ice cream, sorbets, and other desserts! They are truly a blessing in the winter. And they taste much better than any of the frozen fruits sold at supermarkets because I froze them when they were ripe! So, if you buy frozen fruits anyway, you are better off freezing your own. And they are much cheaper too!

And lastly, I love to freeze parsley and basil. During parts of the summer, some farmers just begin giving this stuff away, which works for me! So I collect as much as I can from local farms and my garden, and then I freeze them for flatbread recipes and crackers, and I use the parsley for green smoothies.

This year I will try to store a few bushels of apples in my basement. I have never done this before, but a lot of people who live in cold climates do this every year. Basically, the basement acts as a refrigerator during the winter.  I am still learning how to do this, but once I figure it out, I will put up a post. But in the meantime, there are tons of websites offering instructions like this one: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/presevingfoods/ht/How_to_Store_Apples_for_Winter.htm. If you have stored apples in the past and have some suggestion to offer, feel free to post a comment!

And you may be wondering, how much nutrition is lost by freezing fresh fruits and vegetables. Well, actually, freezing fruits and vegetables is the best way to preserve the nutrition in fruits and vegetables. Just take a look at this chart: http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/processing. It is pretty impressive!

If you have any tips or ideas for storing fruits and vegetables for the winter, please feel free to share them! Thanks!

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Eight Great … Spring Vegetables
It’s high time I did another post in my Eight Great series! And seeing as a) I’m doing the healthy thing at the moment and b) I firmly believe that cooking is an art as well as a craft, I thought I’d do one on seasonal produce. So I fondly present:

Eight Great Spring Vegetables! (And Some Fruits Too)

1. asparagus

Mmmm, asparagus! When I was a kid, I hated it! Blech! I can’t remember the first time I tried it again, but now I’m quite enamoured of it. To be honest, it probably came about because I was looking for excuses to eat Hollandaise Sauce, which is my favourite food. Now I like asparagus for what it is. The crisp taste and long, upright stalks epitomise Spring for me.
I would probably have it in:
Asparagus and Hollandaise Tart or Asparagus and Goat’s Cheese Frittata

2. corn

Biting freshly cooked corn straight off the cob is one of the simple pleasures in life. Its origins being South America, it evokes the exotic – chilli, salsas and Mexican tortillas. It’s also found in Asian food such as chicken and sweet corn soup, and more homely foods like fritters and breads. I love how the kernels burst between my teeth and the flavour just sings of sunshine and the colour yellow.
Some o’ the good corn:
Corn, Cauliflower and Chicken Pies or Chilli Corn Muffins

3. zucchini

The fresh, green taste of zucchini fits well in Mediterranean dishes as well as stir fries. They do just as well as corn grated into muffins or breads. I like to add long strips to a pan of roasted vegetables, about half an hour before the bell goes off so they’re cooked at the same time as the potatoes and pumpkin. The strips are also great brushed with a little extra virgin olive oil and given the once-over on my George Foreman.
Zucchini lovin’:
Zucchini, Chorizo and Fetta Pasta or Zucchini and Haloumi Fritters

4. tomatoes

Now, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with tomatoes. I hate raw tomatoes! I’m not ashamed to pick them out of sandwiches and burgers in any kind of social situation. However, I just adore a good tomato-based pasta sauce or a sprinkling of roasted cherry tomatoes in my salad – just as long as they’ve been cooked to within an inch of their lives. It’s hard to believe now that tomatoes originated in South America and have only been known in Europe for the last 500 years. They seem like they just belong in Spanish and Italian cooking. The cheeky little boogers!
They’ve wended their way into:
Spicy Tomato, Ricotta and Thyme Pasta or Tomato Curried Sausages

5. mandarines

I know that many people spell it ‘mandarin’. But Wikipedia says both spellings are OK and we all know the interwubs never lies, right? *cough* Mandarines have a sunny look and feel that reminds you that summer is coming. The main reason I like them is because they’re easier to peel than oranges … and they’re sweeter. They’re great just on their own, but sometimes you want something a little more sophisticated from your fruit.
So I would make:
Mandarine Filo Rolls with Cardamom Clove Syrup or Chilli, Chicken and Mandarine Stir Fry

6. snow peas

When I was a kid, I hated peas and beans of any kind. Snowpeas brought me around with their crunchy texture and exotic flavour. With snowpeas in the mix, you don’t need to put much more into a stir fry or salad to feel that you’ve had a satisfying culinary experience. They’re the perfect foil to the heaviness of a black bean sauce or the dense sweetness of pumpkin. In France they’re known as mangetout which means “eat all”, which is appropriate, I think!
I’m ready to whip up:
Singapore Noodles with Lamb and Snow Peas or Chicken and Snow Pea Chinese-Style Pancakes

7. strawberries

Strawberries are summer! But they first appear in spring, and remind me that warmer weather is on the way. Actually, different varieties ripen at different times, so we can enjoy strawberries most of the year. Personally I find strawberries are often too tart for my taste, but with that bright red colour and shaped like a love-heart, I just have to forgive them! Being a sweet-tooth, my favourite ways to eat strawberries are in jams, syrups and chocolate fondue. Strawberry yoghurt and ice cream are also fab. I went for some classic recipes with this one.
Some “berry” good desserts : [sorry, I just had to!]
Strawberry Jelly with Rosewater Cream or Strawberry Shortcake

8.broad beans

Broad beans, also known as Fava beans, are another food that I couldn’t stand until just recently. I remember tasting them when I was a little kid and having to exert all of my self control not to spit them out! Then at Easter this year I was having lunch at a winery. The first course of the set menu included a Fava bean salad. It slipped my mind that they were the same thing as the hated broad bean, just in disguise. When the salad arrived at the table, I was quite perturbed. Perhaps it was just the wine talking, but I decided to try one. It was delicious! I was amazed at how my tastes could have changed so completely over the years. Ever since then I’ve been busting for them to come back into season so I can try cooking with them for myself.
As soon as I see them at the grocery, I’m going to make:
Broad Bean, Bacon and Spinach Risotto or Broad Bean Dip with Rosemary Crisps

Eat and enjoy!

What type of nutritious foods are you cooking up with this season’s fruits and veggies?  We are loving the end of the summer produce.  Nectarines are impossible to keep in our house.  And we’ve been making tons of chicken salad with tomatoes and cucumbers.  That’s been a huge standby dinner for us in these warm months.  As we’re rolling into the fall, I’m craving comfort food, but I still want to hang on to my budget and my health.

So here’s September’s Cheapest Fruits and Vegetables:
Grapes
Pomegranates
Persimmons
Eggplants
Pumpkins
Tomatoes
Spinach
Lettuce

I think I’m a little stumped this month.  I’ll be posting a spinach recipe later this month, and probably my eggplant lasagna as well.  And I love pumpkin, but I don’t know what to do with it beyond baking.  So where do I go from here?

I need some help.  So help me out here; post some recipes for me.  What are you cooking up?

Don’t forget to check out this week’s giveaway!

*Linked to these Parties.

Is it safe to be gay under the Big Sky?

Fuck no.

Innuendo, bullying and under-the radar criminalization of gay people just aren’t enough. Threats of violence and lynching seem to be the only way to deal with these uppity queers in Montana.

Tim Ravndal,
(whose Facebook page lists the following information:
Tim Ravndal, Montana Constitutional Warriors, Montana Coordinator for the Second Amendment March, Montana Coordinator for the Tenth Amendment Center, Montana Coordinator for the National Nullification Center, Montana Tea Party Movement, Organizer
PO Box 287
Townsend Montana 59644
1-406-266-5212 or 1-439-5860
thornyacre@dishmail.net )

hosts a conversation on his Facebook page where he comments on an article by the Billings Gazette on the lawsuit by the  Montana ACLU by seven same-sex couples, condones torture and hanging of “fruits” and makes explicit inference to Matthew Shepard’s murder.

Transcript:

Tim Ravndal: “Marriage is between a man and a woman period! By giving rights to those otherwise would be a violation of the constitution and my own rights”

Kieth Baker: “How dare you exercise your First Amendment Rights?”

Dennis Scranton: “I think fruits are decorative. Hang up where they can be seen and appreciated. Call Wyoming for display instructions.”

Tim Ravndal: “@Kieth, OOPS I forgot this aint(sic) America no more! @ Dennis, Where can I get that Wyoming printed instruction manual?”

Dennis Scranton: Should be able to get info Gazette archives. Maybe even an illustration. Go back a bit over ten years.”

But see for yourself:

(click screencap to enlarge)

Disgusting.

I found it here.

What Are the Top 5 Fruits?

Friday, September 3rd, 2010,
by

Choices…

Image by jurvetson

What Are the Top 5 Fruits?
An apple a day just doesn’t cut it anymore, and too many apples could make you fat. That’s the advice of Iva Young, a nutritional expert who warns that the wrong kinds of fruits can actually do more harm than good.
Read more on The Gilmer Mirror

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No wonder kids in this country won’t eat their veggies. Most grocery stores in America sell vegetables that are simply not tasty. I’m getting sick and tired of western1 vegetables like collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard that taste like the fibrous end of a nasty stalk of celery. They’re tough not tender, bitter not sweet, dry not juicy. Eating vegetables I buy at my local Fairway (with the exception of broccolini) is like receiving an enema if you’ve got fecal impaction. It’s not pleasant, but you have to do it. Asian vegetables, on the other hand, are yummier, sweeter, and tenderer.

My mother buys a truckload of succulent greens every week from Boston’s Chinatown. Upon hearing my rave reviews, friends who’ve never seen or heard of vegetables with origins in Asia always ask for names. “I don’t know the English names,” I reply. I’ve always only referred to them in Mandarin. My friends then slink back home to eat their collard greens and kale. So this long-awaited post is for them, you, and anybody else who would like to bring excitement and joy back into their vegetable-eating life. After you’re convinced at the end of this post and are ready to cook these vegetables, please don’t treat them like the way Americans usually treat their greens: either raw or boiled/steamed/cooked into a soggy dish of mush. Just stir fry or sauté with a bit of salt or soy sauce and garlic cloves. It’s really not that hard.

bitter melon, kǔ guā, 苦瓜

Chinese kale, jiè lán, 芥兰

water spinach, wèng caì, 蕹菜

red spinach, xiàn cài, 苋菜

Chinese varieties of eggplants are long and shaped like a cucumber instead of the fat, rounded western varieties. They taste better. Trust me.

silk squash, sī guā, 丝瓜 Mature fruits are used to make cleaning sponges.

Daikon, luó bo, 萝卜

winter melon, dōng guā, 冬瓜

lotus root, ǒu, 藕. It’s roots and seeds are edible. The plant holds great cultural significance for many people in the eastern hemisphere.

Chinese long bean, dòu jiǎo, 豆角

garlic chives, jiǔ cài, 韭菜; The name is misleading because these are not garlic sprouts but a different plant entirely.

I’ve only written about green vegetables. Next time I’ll post info about bamboo shoots and fungi.

1. ^ I’m going to ignore the problematic usage of “Western” and “Eastern” as capitalized adjectives that have accrued way too much baggage for me to unpack any piece of it. For those who have any inkling of what I’m talking about, read Edward Said’s Orientalism if you haven’t already. For those who have no clue, read Orientalism anyways.

what does your family eat, cook, preparation methods that you do to increase the nutrition in your family? I’m trying to move away from processed foods (boxed, frozen meals etc) and towards more fresh stuff, higher in nutrients….???

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Learn how to set up and manage an 6 bay, sustainable organic veggie/vegetable garden enclosure based on the permaculture principles of Bill Mollison. Designed and presented by Chris Francis from Strongbuild – part 3 of 4 Introducing the Chook Tractor. Visit Strongbuild. www.strongbuild.com.au
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Vegetable farmer David Tatham, discusses what he uses to fertilize his organic vegetables. Music by Ross Williams rawmedium.net

Tagged with: grow • Organic • Part • Permaculture • Vegetables

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So here are the rest of this last couple of weeks in 29 project form…later today I will be posting some pics of new work and jewels that will be gracing the shop over the next few days!

29 project: Days 96 – 102

Day 96: Thursday 26th August – Haywards Heath. Last Thursday Mark and I were heading Brighton-wards for the bank holiday weekend to catch up with good friends and see a best friend get married. It was a long train journey. Seven and a half hours and three changes! that’s what living in Cornwall in the back of beyond does for you…

Day 97: Friday 27th August – Dustin and the Balloons. Mark and I took a big bag of bunting over to our friends wedding reception venue and helped them get it looking all pretty. There are a couple more different pics for today over at my Flickr photostream, but I chose this one for all of the colours…and the gorgeous, ginormous beast of a dog named Dustin.

Day 98: Saturday 28th August – Mr and Mrs Mellett! It’s a bit blurry but here are the beautiful pair cutting their wedding cake under twinkling disco lights…Incidentally, the groom made the cake which was a very girly pink and purple butterfly affair with 3 layers, all of which were flavoured differently…Good work Chris!

Day 99: Sunday 29th August – Sundown in Brighton after a good day of park walks, book shopping and Sunday roast at the Yeoman…

Day 100: Monday 30th August – Bank holiday Monday and day 100 of this project…I thought I might have something a little more exciting and ‘ta daa’ to commemorate this day, but I was on another epic train journey back to Cornwall…at least the light was beautiful:

Day 101: Tuesday 31st August – After two weeks of posting nothing on this here blog I spent the evening sifting through all of the photos and getting them ready for these last two updates!

Day 102: Wednesday 1st September – Printing lots…and re-stocking the shop!