Tag Archives: Vegan

Vegetables Facts and Tips 5: Sweet Potatoes (amended & expanded)

December 23, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

satsuma-1

SYNOPSIS:

I started this series (14 articles so far) quite some time ago to help my vegan and vegetarian (I’m not!) friends and omnivores as well because of the obvious health benefits.
Since then, I’ve learned and discovered a lot more information that could not ignored.
Therefore I plan to amend and expand all 14 former articles before I can continue introducing a lot more vegetables!
Incidentally、 nothing, pictures included, is copyrighted in my food blogs, so please feel free to use anything!
1) POTATOES, 2) TOMATOES, 3) BROCCOLI, 4) CARROTS

Sweet Potatoes or “Satsuma Imo” were first introduced to Japan in the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa) in 1604 by the Chinese. It was then introduced in Kyushu in 1609, an area that grows 80% of the total Japanese production.
As rightly pointed out by Comestiblog, sweet potatoes should not be confused with yams or yama imo/山芋 in Japanese.
Sorry for making this basic mistake myself in sｐite of 33 years in this country!

It has been recognized in this country fおｒ a long time for both its nutritional and pharmaceutical qualities.

satsumabeni_haruka

There are over a hundred species in Japan, but the most popular edible ones (not the ones exclusively used for making shochu) have red skins and light yellow flesh.

Beni Azuma, mostly eaten in Eastern Japan. Turns very sweet upon cooking.

Naruto Kintoki, popular in Western Japan. Considered elegant and sweet.

Tosabeni, also attributed “No 14 value (top)”, is very sweet and is a “brand name” sweet potato.

Cheese cake combination with Tosabeni Sweet Potato!

Manamusume, another “No 14 value” brand sweet potato.

Gorou Shima Kintoki, particularly popular as baked sweet potato.

Kogane Sengan, considered as the top shochu sweet potato.

Tanegashima Mukashi Mitsu, a sweet potato with a beautiful orange colour and elegant taste.

Tanegashima Murasaki Imo, as above, but with a beautiful purple colour.

Annou Imo, rich in carotens, with a beautiful orange colour and very sweet.

Annou Imo cuisine!

Purple Sweet Road, an interesting name for a sweet tasty hybrid.

The same as above as hyokan Japanese jelly!

satsumatanegashima

My personal favorite is the “Tanegashima Gold Imo” grown in Taneko Island south of Kyushu. It has the particularity of being red when raw before chaning to a rich golden color when cooked. Among other varieties, the violet yams are getting increasingly popular.

yummy
Tanekoshima yam (deep yellow), “common yam” (light yellow) and Murasaki/Violet yam.

The Missus particularly likes to mix the three above as a cold salad with mayonnaise or cream-based dressing.

FACTS:
-Season: September to November
-Main elements: Carbohydrates, Carotene, Vitamin B, C, E. Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, vegetal fibers.
-Beneficial to digestion. Good for the skin!
-Lose very little of its beneficial elements even after a long cooking.

TIPS:
-Choose specimens with nice color and a “fat/roundish” aspect!
-Plunge yam in cold water as soon as you have cut them. They will not lose their color!
-Boil, bake or steam long enough before taking skin off. Discard skin!
-Leaves can be eaten!

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with burdock root, or shiitake, or carrot, or spinach, helps combat colds, helps enhance skin health, helps combat llung and intestine cancer.
-Combined with devil’s tongue tuber, or hijiki sweet seaweeed, or beansprouts, or apple, helps combat cancer, constipation, obesity, and artery hardening.
-Combined with Judas ear mushroom, or shiitake, or seaweed, or hijiki sweet seaweed, helps lower blood cholesterol, helps combat obesity and diabetes.
-Combined with strawberries, or lemon, or pimentoes, helps combat stress, helps skin rejuvenation and intensifies appetite.

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Vegetables Facts and Tips 4: Carrots (amended & expanded)

December 21, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

carrot-1

SYNOPSIS:

Carrots are consumed everywhere in the World, raw or cooked in so many manners, including desserts, that you need a whole book to describe all the recipes! And you might have to come up with a special addenda leaflet to introduce all its varieties!

Now, people might have forgotten that this cousin of the spinach orignated from Afghanistan before it was first introduced in China and Europe (by the Dutch) in the 12th Century. Japan had to wait until the 16th Century before the Chinese brought it to the Island of the Rising Sun.

FACTS:

Some time ago carrots were not popular in Japan because of their strong taste characteristics, but the Japanese have come with sweeter and softer varieties:

“Kyo-Ninjin”, a variety developed in Kyoto, with a deep dark red colour and very sweet taste.

“Go-Sun Ninjin”, the most common in Japan.

“San-Sun Ninjin”, a smaller variety of the above.

“Daijyo Ninjin”, a very and thin variety very popular in Japanese restaurants! Great for sticks!

“Kinji Ninjin”, probably the most elegant of them all!

“Kiiro Ninjin”, beautiful and very sweet!

“Mini Ninjin”, so much fun!

Now, do not forget the leaves which contain an enormous amount of Vitamin C!

-Season: May to June, and October to December in the Northern Hemisphere.
-Beneficial elements:
Carotenes
An absolute need for humans. Carotenes are more easily absorbed by the body systems when the carrots are eaten together with oil, dressing or “glace”.
Vitamin A, Beta Caroten, B1, B2, B6, C, Potassium, Calcium (very high!), fibers.

TIPS:

Preservation: Carrots should not be kept inside too cold fridges. Protect them by wrapping them into newspaper “standing up”, or into cellophane paper if they are cut.
Choose specimen with a good constant colour and with a small stem core if you buy them with leaves already cut away.

Important: When you peel them, do so as thinly as possible as the majority of the carotenes lie just under the skin!

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with onions, or seaweed, or celery, or tofu, helps combat colds, diabetes and constipation and helps hair regeneration.
-Combined with Chinese cabbage, or Cabbage, or tomato, helps combat cancer, ageing and helps withfaster recovery from illness.
-Combined with seaweed, or burdock root, or bamboo shoot, or devil’s tongue tuber, helps combat constipation, high blood presure and clean digestive system.
-Combined with Broccoli, or pimentoes, or kabocha/pumpkin, helps combat skin colour change and helps with body revitalization.

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Vegetables Facts and Tips 3: Broccoli (amended & expanded)

December 20, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

broccoli-1a

SYNOPSIS:

In a recent National Geographic Magazine survey, Broccoli was at the very top when considering nutrients beneficient to humans in our everyday food!

Vegans, Vegetarians and Omnivores, rejoice! Doctors, start moaning!
A cousin of cabbages and cauliflowers, the flowers are the mainly consumed part, but people forget that the stems are great, too (explained later)!

VARIETIES:

Italian red broccoli

Broccoli Romanesｃo, a favourite of mine!

broccoli-colour
In Japan, a violet variety (bottom) is becoming popular, making for some great combinations with white and yellow cauliflower,

broccoli-dish
and other dishes!

FACTS:
-Season: November to January and March to April in the Northern Hemisphere.
-Main elements:
Carotene, Vitamin A, Beta, C and Vitamin E in very large amounts. Together they combine as an elixir to fight ageing and stress.
Potassium
Iron, which helps increase red blood cells and control cholesterol.
Calcium
Fibers, which help digestion.
Sulforafan which helps fight poisonous intruders.

TIPS:
-As I said above, the stem is not only edible, it is succulent, with a taste between avocadoes and asparaguses! Peel the skin, cut it in any shape you wish and boil it for a while in slightly salted water. let cool and use for salads, stews and gratins!
-Choose specimens with big and dense buds, shiny and fat stems. Check whether the cut at the stem looks fresh!
-After boiling in slightly salted water, plunge into cold water immediately. The colour will not change!
-Preservation: Wrap in wet paper towel, seal it inside a polyester rigid box and keep inside refrigerator’s chilled compartment away from light.
As it will change in contact with natural light, better to cut it, boil it, cool it, seal it inside vinyl pouches and freeze if you have too much of it!

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with Garlic, or onion, or pimentoes or vinegar, helps activate blood flow, combat high blood pressure, blood vessel rigidity and heart fatigue.
-Combined with red wine (yes!), or tomato, or egg-plant/aubergine, or carrot, helps combat cancer and encourages rejuvenation.
-Combined with tuna (aha!), or sardines, or soy beans, or olive oil, helps combat ageing and blood vessel rigidity.
-Combined with liver, or cockles, or clams, or cauliflower, helps build blood red cells, combat cold extremities, and provides stamina.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi, Le Petit Cuisinier, Vegan Epicurean, Miss V’s Vegan Cookbook

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For Vegan and Vegetarians! “Forgotten” Vegetables 24: Pepino/Poire-Melon

December 16, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

SYNOPSIS:
Organic agriculture and biodiversity have in recent years brought about a rediscovery of many “forgotten” vegetables that people especially in Europe and France conscientiously tried to forget as they reminded them of the privations suffered during WWII. The same people had then to make do with untraditional vegetables because potatoes, carrots and so on were confiscated by occupying forces or their own armies.
With sustainibility and bioagriculture made more important by the deficiencies of modern mass agriculture, those “forgotten” vegetables have suddenly come to the fore for the pleasure of all, and that of course of vegetarians and vegans!

This particular series of postings will introduce these vegetables one by one. I hope they will become useful for a long time to come to all my vegan and vegetarian friends!
1) Scorsonere/Oyster Plant, 2)Potimarron, 3) Vitelotte, 4) Rutabaga, 5) Cardon, 6) Panais/Parsnips , 7) Patisson, 8) Topinambour, 9) Crosne, 10) Cerfeuil Tubereux, 11) Poiree, 12) Oca, 13) Ulluque/Ulluco, 14) Tigernuts, 15) Capucine tubereuse-Maschua, 16) Chataigne de Terre-Great Pignut, 17) Yacon, 18) Balsamite/Costmary, 19) Sikkim Cucumber, 20) Tree Spinach, 21) Chayote, 22) Strawberry Blite, 23) Purslane

Here is a palnt that can be considered both as a vegetable and a fruit depending upon its maturity.
Also considered as a great ornamental plant!

Pepino (Spanish/English) or Poire-melon (pear-melon in French) or Solanum muricatum in Latin is a species of evergreen shrub native to South America and grown for its sweet edible fruit. It is known as pepino dulce (“sweet pepino”) or simply pepino.
The pepino dulce fruit resembles a melon (Cucumis melo) in color and flavor and thus it is also called pepino melon or melon pear, but pepinos are only distantly related to melons and pears.
Another common name, “tree melon”, is more often used for the Papaya (Carica papaya) and the pepino dulce plant does generally not look much like a tree.
The fruit is common in markets in Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Chile, but less often overseas because it is quite sensitive to handling and does not travel well. Attempts to produce commercial cultivars and to export the fruit have been made in New Zealand and Chile.
They are being increasingly grown in Europe, France and Belgium in particular, where they can be found in all kinds of dishes.
Moreover, in the United States the fruit is known to have been grown in San Diego before 1889 and in Santa Barbara by 1897.

The plant is grown primarily in Chile, New Zealand and Western Australia. In Chile, more than 400 hectares are planted in the Longotoma Valley with an increasing proportion of the harvest being exported. Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador also grow the plant, but on a more local scale. Outside of the Andean region, it been grown in various countries of Central America, Morocco, Spain, Israel, and the highlands of Kenya. In the United States several hundred hectares of the fruit are grown on a small scale in Hawaii and California. More commercially viable cultivars have been introduced from New Zealand and elsewhere in more recent times. As a result, the fruit has been introduced into up-scale markets in Japan, Europe and North America and it is slowly becoming less obscure outside of South America.

Pepino and kiwano salad

It is a vegetable/fruit valuable for its vitamin C as it contains 29 mg per 100 g.
Depending on its maturity, its taste varies from a slightly sweet cucumber to that of a pear or melon.
Most adapted to salads, although can be cooked when immature.

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For Vegan and Vegetarians! “Forgotten” Vegetables 23: Purslane

December 15, 2009 dragonlife Leave a comment

It is my new Foodbluzz Friend, Wizzy, who attracted my attention on this vegetable, being notably forgotten in the States but entertaining a groeing popularity elsewhere.
I decided to investigate further as I recently had the opportunity to taste recently in Japan!

Purslane cultivation

Portulaca oleracea (Common Purslane, also known as Verdolaga, Pigweed, Little Hogweed or Pusley), is an annual succulent in the family Portulacaceae, which can reach 40 cm in height. About 40 varieties are currently cultivated. It has an extensive old-world distribution extending from North Africa through the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent to Malesia and Australasia. The species status in the New World is uncertain: it is generally considered an exotic weed; however, there is evidence that the species was in Crawford Lake deposits (Ontario) in 1430-89, suggesting that it reached North America in the pre-Columbian era. It is naturalised elsewhere and in some regions is considered an invasive weed. It has smooth, reddish, mostly prostrate stems and alternate leaves clustered at stem joints and ends. The yellow flowers have five regular parts and are up to 6 mm wide. The flowers appear depending upon rainfall and may occur year round. The flowers open singly at the center of the leaf cluster for only a few hours on sunny mornings. Seeds are formed in a tiny pod, which opens when the seeds are ready. Purslane has a taproot with fibrous secondary roots and is able to tolerate poor, compacted soils and drought.

Although purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it can be eaten as a leaf vegetable, providing sources can be found which have not been poisoned deliberately. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, Asia and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all good to eat. Purslane can be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked like spinach, and because of its mucilaginous quality it is also suitable for soups and stews. Australian Aborigines used to use the seeds to make seedcakes.

Purslane contains more Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant. It also contains vitamins (mainly vitamin A, vitamin C, and some vitamin B and carotenoids), as well as dietary minerals, such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and iron.
It also helps combat ageing as containing antioxydants.

In Greek popular medicine, purslane is used as a remedy for constipation and inflammation of the urinary system.

A common plant in parts of India, purslane is known as “Sanhti”, “Punarva”, or “Kulfa”. In North India it is known to act as a liver tonic and is used in diseases of the liver.

YASAITEI-VEGAN4

I n japan they are called Grapara leaves (grapara/グラパラ)
Can you see them in the middle of this vegetable sashimi served at yasaitei?

YASAITEI-VEGAN6

These grapara leaves are grown in Chiba Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
For people who can read Japanese, check their homepage!

YASAITEI-VEGAN7

Crunchy but with a juicy and tender inside, they are sweet and taste somewhat like pineapple!

YASAITEI
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tokiwa-Cho, 1-6-2 Green Heights Wamon 1-C
Tel.: 054-2543277
Business hours: 17:30~22:00
Closed on Sundays
Reservations highly recommended
Seating: 6 at counter + 20 at tables
Set Courses: 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 yen
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Japanese cakes/Wagashi 15: Yatsuhashi/O-Tabe

December 14, 2009 dragonlife 1 Comment

Yatsuhashi (八ツ橋 or 八橋) is a Japanese confectionery sold mainly as a souvenir sweet (miyagegashi/土産菓子). It is one of the best known meibutsu/名物 (famous regional products) of Kyoto.
It is also widely known under the name of O-Tabe/お食べ (please eat).

It is made from rice flour (上新粉, jōshinko), sugar and cinnamon. Baked, it is similar to senbei, making suitable for both vegans and flour allergics!

Baked Yatsuhashi

Raw Yatsuhashi

Raw, unbaked yatsuhashi (Nama yatsuhashi/生八橋) has a soft, mochi-like texture and is often eaten wrapped around red bean paste (餡, an), and may come in a variety of different flavours.

Black Yatsuhashi

Most notable to the Kyoto area is the black version of this. The addition of black bean powder and black sesame seed powder to the wrapper and the an give a distinctive black color.

Different flavoured Yatsuhashi

Not so long ago, there were only a few flavours available.
Now, all kinds of flavours are on sale for the pleasur of all:
Cinnamon, Matcha Tea, Ume an (sweetmeats mixed with Jpanese plum), Mandarine, Strawberries, Cherry blossoms, Ramune, Chocolate-banana, Chocolate, Kyoto baked sweet potato, Chestnuts, Green apple, Blueberries, Mango, Orange, Red wine and more seasonal offerings!

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For Vegan and Vegetarians! “Forgotten” Vegetables 22: Epinard-Fraise/Strawberry Blite

December 13, 2009 dragonlife 12 Comments

This particular series of postings will introduce these vegetables one by one. I hope they will become useful for a long time to come to all my vegan and vegetarian friends!
1) Scorsonere/Oyster Plant
2)Potimarron
3) Vitelotte
4) Rutabaga
5) Cardon
6) Panais/Parsnips
7) Patisson
8) Topinambour
9) Crosne
10) Cerfeuil Tubereux
11) Poiree
12) Oca
13) Ulluque/Ulluco
14) Tigernuts
15) Capucine tubereuse-Maschua
16) Chataigne de Terre-Great Pignut
17) Yacon

18) Balsamite/Costmary
19) Sikkim Cucumber
20) Tree Spinach
21) Chayote

Strawberry Blite (Chenopodium capitatum, Blitum capitatum), or Epinard-Fraise in French (Spinach Strawberry) is an edible annual plant, also known as Blite Goosefoot, Strawberry Goosefoot, Strawberry Spinach, Indian Paint, and Indian Ink.

It is native to most of North America throughout the United States and Canada, including northern areas.
It is also found in parts of Europe and New Zealand.
Strawberry Blite is found in moist mountain valleys.
Some farmers and hobbyists are growing them in France.

Flowers are small, pulpy, bright red and edible, resembling strawberries. The juice from the flowers was also used as a red dye by natives.
The fruits contain small, black, lens-shaped seeds that are 0.7-1.2 mm long.
The Plant is small (30 cm=1 foot) and leaves are small too, but can be eaten like spinach. The harvest lasts all Autumn.
Probably best with the fruit added to salads!
Can also be adapted as sauce or coulis.

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Fried Potatoes, the healthier and tastier way!

December 13, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

fried-potatoes

Fried potatoes have been temptying us since the 17th Century when the Belgians first experimented cooking them in oil. At the time, deep-frying, imported by Crusaders from the Middle East, was the only absolutely safe way to cook, especially in the “flat countries” as Belgium and Holland were called at the time, because water was a bed for all kinds of diseases.

Now, eveyone knows that boiled potatoes are healthy, if somewhat bland in taste, whereas fried potatoes are tasty but hideously high in unwanted calories.
Time and again I use a simple method half way which will enable you to enjoy your favourite snack/main dish with a lighter heart (and midriff) and at the same time allow you to serve a savoury dish to your ravenous friends or family! (But don’t overeat them!)

INGREDIENTS
(for 2 to 4, depending whether it is an accompaniment or full dish):

-4 large potatoes
-1 large echalotte/shallot (if unavailable, half a red onion is great!), finely chopped
-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
-Bacon (vegan and vegetarians, please skip this but keep in mind you will have to add a little salt)-1 large rasher cut in small pieces (half a cm square or half the size of your little finger nail, cut short!)
-Parmesan/Parmiggiano Cheese (vegans, please skip this or use alternative), freshly grated, 3 large tablespoons.
-Salt (for the potatoes boiling water, otherwise as little as possible, as bacon and cheese will contain enough!)
-Pepper, nutmeg. Foodies who like their food Indian-style may add a little powdered curry mix and chili pepper.
-Olive oil: 2 large tablespoons

RECIPE:

-Boil potatoes in plenty of salted water. If you do not add salt to the water, the potatoes will end up very bland in taste.

-Once the potates are boiled at about 80%, plunge them into cold water. This little trick will prevent them from breaking up later.

-When potatoes are cold enough, peel and cut them in wedges (the size is up to you). If the potatoes are new,leave the skin on.

-In deep enough frying pan dry-fry (no oil added) the chopped bacon until it becomes a nice crisp and dark. Put aside on a small dish. For non-vegan/vegetarians, do not wipe the pan, or you will miss a lot of taste!

-Pour two large tablespoons of olive oil in the same frying pan. That is enough, and the oil will be “sucked in” by the potatoes with the result that the potatoes will not be “greasy”. Use olive oil, extra virgin, as this is best, not only for taste, but for health (the vitamin C contained in olive oil do not disappear even cooked for a long time).

-When potatoes have almost reached the wanted colour, drop in shallots, garlic, fried bacon, pepper, nutmeg (and salt if you absolutely must use some!). Toss-fry until shallots have turned transparent.

-Pour the lot into a serving dish and sprinkle parmesan over it.

Enjoy at once!

Sometimes, simple is best!

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Edamame: Japanese Green Soybeans

December 12, 2009 dragonlife 8 Comments

I’ve always been somewhat puzzled to find the word “edamame” in my U.S. (and European) friends’ blogs. This conspicuous vegetable seems to conjure grand images of Japanese gastronomy in spite of its almost base status in this country.

After all, “edamame” (枝豆/branch bean in Japanese) is nothing but green soybeans, a food mass-produced and heavily exported by North American farmers.
Or, is it that the soybean’s image has fallen so low on the other side of the Pacific because some people grow it for bio-ethanol that restaurateurs feel more comfortable with a grand-sounding Japanese name?

Alright, before I get collared for indulging into a cheap rant, let me introduce my own recipe for preparing the “delicacy”:
One does not have to boil it, cool it and serve it sprinkled with salt. This is probably the worst and least healthy way to consume it!
If you can, choose them fresh on the branch(es). This will guarantee they haven’t lost any of their nutrient qualities.
Cut out all the pods and throw away the branches (or re-process them inside your fertilizer box!).
Clean the pods under running water.
Drain water, but do not wipe them dry.
Drop them in an appropriate-sized non-stick pan and hand-rub them in a little coarse salt. The less salt, the better, but enough to season all pods. Experience and personal preferences will tell you how much you need.
Cover pan with a glass lid and switch on fire to medium-low. Cook until water seeps out of the pods. Switch off fire and keep inside covered pan (do not take the lid off!) for a good 5 minutes. By then, they should be sufficiently cooked.
Serve immediately.

In Japan there exists another variety called Kuro Edamame/黒枝豆-Black Edamame.
Actually they are a light brown-green soybean grown in Shizuoka Prefecture and elsewhere. They are definitely tastier and deserve the title of “delicacy”.
The beans out of their pods also make for great addition to salads, artful presentation with meat dishes, and are great mixed inside “nigiri”!

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Sashimi Plate at Sushi-Ko (’09/12/12)

December 12, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

When I go for sushi with the Missus, we invariably visit Sushi Ko in Sushi Ko.
I just can’t enumerate all the good reasons for visiting this sushi restaurant.
It is the best deal in town when it comes to quality, freshness, prices and service. Full stop.

To cut a long story short (no pun intended) here what we ordered as sashimi to start our meal:

-Bottom left: honmaguro/blue fin tuna from Oma (Aomori Prefecture), chu-toro/semi-fat part.
-Top left: O-toro/belly fat part of same fish
-Bottom rcentre: Aori Ika/Great FinReef Squid from Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture.
-Bottom right: Akami/lean part rom same tuna.

Notice the shiso/perilla flowers, grated wasabi from Shizuoka and wakame seaweed at the back!

Kinmeidai/gold eye seabream from Izu penisula in Shizuoka Prefecture.

For what we had for the rest of the meal (a large one!) check Shizuoka Sushi Blog!

Sushi Ko
shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-cho. 2-3-1 (Aoba Koen)
Tel.: 054-2512898
Business Hours： 17:00~25:00. 17:00~23:00 （Sundays）
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations recommended
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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For Vegan and Vegetarians! “Forgotten” Vegetables 21: Chayote

December 12, 2009 dragonlife 2 Comments

This particular series of postings will introduce these vegetables one by one. I hope they will become useful for a long time to come to all my vegan and vegetarian friends!
1) Scorsonere/Oyster Plant
2)Potimarron
3) Vitelotte
4) Rutabaga
5) Cardon
6) Panais/Parsnips
7) Patisson
8) Topinambour
9) Crosne
10) Cerfeuil Tubereux
11) Poiree
12) Oca
13) Ulluque/Ulluco
14) Tigernuts
15) Capucine tubereuse-Maschua
16) Chataigne de Terre-Great Pignut
17) Yacon

18) Balsamite/Costmary
19) Sikkim Cucumber
20) Tree Spinach

The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as sayote, tayota, choko, chocho, chow-chow, christophene, mirliton, alligator pear, and vegetable pear, Hayatouri/はやとうり (Japanese) is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash.

The plant has large leaves that form a canopy over the fruit. The vine is grown on the ground or more commonly on trellises.

Chayote was first domesticated in Mexico, where the fruit is used in both raw and cooked forms. When cooked, chayote is usually handled like summer squash, and it is generally lightly cooked to retain the crisp flavor. Raw chayote may be added to salads or salsas, and it is often marinated with lemon or lime juice. Whether raw or cooked, chayote is a good source of amino acids and vitamin C.

Sauteed Chayote

The tubers of the plant are eaten like potatoes and other root vegetables. In addition, the shoots and leaves can be consumed, and they are often used in salads and stir fries, especially in Asia.

The word for chayote is Spanish, borrowed from the Nahuatl word chayotli. Chayote was one of the many foods introduced to Europe by early explorers, who brought back a wide assortment of botanical samples. The age of conquest also spread the plant south from Mexico, ultimately causing it to be integrated into the cuisine of many other Latin American nations.

Chayote Tatin

Chayote is native to Central America where it is a very important ingredient to the diet. Other warm regions around the globe have been successful in cultivating it as well. Main growing regions are Costa Rica and Veracruz, Mexico. Costa Rican chayotes are predominantly exported to the European Union whereas Veracruz is the main exporter of chayotes to the United States.

France “imports” its chayote, also called Josephines from its islands in the Wets Indies and near Africa (Reunion), although moreand more people grow them in Europe.

THey were introduced inJapan in 1917 and have become increasingly popular as the Japanese like all kinds of gourds. The Japanese eat them pickle, in salads, cooked or in soups.
The shoots are also edible!

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Vegan Farandole

December 11, 2009 dragonlife 4 Comments

p1010612

Next Sunday, I will have to cook dinner for a vegan friend, and I just happen to be litterally submerged with vegetables.
I will simply reproduce a recipe and dish I created at the beginning of the year again!
This simple idea can expanded at infinitum. It has the merit of making use of very healthy ingredients and help the system take a much needed rest! LOL

I utilized three different oils from three different countries to add a little inernationalization: Olive oil from Italy, Walnut oil from France and Argan oil from Morocco!

In the centre of the plate I arranged a “circle” of boiled potatoes mixed in “brandade style” with plenty of olive oil, avocado, black olives, lemon juice, a minimum of salt, chopped fresh garlic, pepper, nutmeg, thyme and yuzu chili pepper. Indian friends would probably add plenty more spices.
I surrounded it with a thin crown of boiled diced brocoli stems and shiso/perilla shoots/mini leaves.

farandole-2

I then added plenty of dressing around the lot. The dressing was made with walnut oil, taragon white wine vinegar, soft Dijon mustard (with seeds), lemon juice, a little salt, pepper and a large amount of very finely chopped fresh parsley and basil. It was very consistent and easy to spread without “leaking” everywhere.
Around the whole, I arranged boiled green brocoli, white cauliflower and yellow cauliflower (beautiful and very tasty) all grown in Shizuoka Prefecture.
I decorated the potato core with plum tomato wedges, and sprinkled both the cauliflower(s) and tomatoes with a little dash of argan oil (take it easy with this particular oil as it is particularly fragrant!).

I hope this will give ideas to my vegan and vegetarian friends for their next repast!　By the way, “Farandole is a dance!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi, Le Petit Cuisinier, Vegan Epicurean, Miss V’s Vegan Cookbook

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Vegetables Facts and Tips 2: Tomatoes (amended & expanded)

December 10, 2009 dragonlife 9 Comments

tomato1

SYNOPSIS:

1) Potatoes

Tomatoes have laid on our tables for so long that we have almost forgotten they came from South America. The Spanish and the Portuguese ignored them. The British studied them. The French brought them to Europe under the name of “Love Apple”, a name still existing in Italy. So it is said,…

tomato-fruit
“Fruit Tomatoes”

This summer-maturing fruit can be bought all year round with the interesting consequence that tomatoes ripened in winter are sweeter than their summer cousins as they contain less water, earning themselves the name of “fruit tomatoes”, a great oxymoron, if there was one!

Thanks to consumers’ insatiable appetite for novelty, tomatoes are grown into all kinds of size, shape and colour.
Just to cite a few, the following are the most popular in Japan:

tomato-momotaro
“Momotaro Tomatoes”

-Momotaro (after the Japanese “Peach Boy” tale), which becomes “Fruit tomato” in winter.

“Momotaro Tomato/Gold Variety”

tomato-midi
“Midi Tomatoes”

-Midi Tomato (sometimes called “Plum tomatoes”), a larger cousin of the “Mini tomato”, is very sweet and very high in nutrients. Its aroma has a particularly long life.

tomato-italian
“Italian tomatoes”

-Italian Tomato: mainly used for cooking, it may often come in a comparatively elongated shape.
It contains less water and reveals both large amounts of sweetness and acidity, making it very conducive to long cooking with the extra bonus of actually improving in taste upon heating.

“Sicilian Rouge”,both for cookingand salads.

tomato-mini
“Mini Tomatoes”

-Mini Tomato: one-bite sized, it is also called “Petit tomato”. It contains twice as many Vitamin C, and it is very rich in beneficient ingredients.

tomato-yellow-mini
“Yellow Mini Tomatoes”

-Yellow Mini Tomato: characteristic for a lot of sweetness and very little acidity. Very handy for children who dislike vegetables!

rubbins
“Ameera Rubbins”

-Ameera Rubbins: with its larger Ammeera tomato, it is grown exclusively (until now, but they are bound to expand beyond our borders!) in Shizuoka Prefecture. They are the sweetest of all, tasting like strawberries, and very firm, making them ideal for decoration, notwithstanding their nutrient value. The smallest variety called “Rubbins” is grown by only two farmers near Iwata City!

tomato-micromini
“Micro Mini Tomatoes”

-Micro Mini Tomatoes: increasingly popular, they are only 8~10 mm and look somewhat like redcurrants. Very tasty with a beautiful acidity, the Japanese use them not only in salads, but also as the final touch on a plate of sashimi!

“Fruit Yellow”, a small variety popular with kids!

“Fruit Gold”, sweet and rich in vitamins!

“Nitakikoma”, a Japanewse variety which does not break away even after long cooking.

“Green Zebra”, Japanese name for green heirloom tomato

AGRI-TOMATO1
Heirloom Tomatoes grown in Shizuoka City!

“Green”, stays green when ripe

“Cindy Sweet”, well-balanced and sweet

“Aiko”, Japanese variety. Exists both in yellow and red. Eaten cooked or raw.

“Tomato Berry”, small, sweet and well-balanced.

“Campari”, grown in Hokkaido, Japan, originally from Holland. Fruity!

“Piccola Rouge”, japanese version of an Italian Mini-tomato variety.

“First”. Appears in Winter. Grown in Iwata City, too! Beautil pointed shape. Juicy!

“Piccola Canaria”, an orange variety of the Piccola.

“Black”, as it is called!

“Kisu”. Beautiful colour and very sweet!

“Zeitaku Tomato”, meaning “Extravagant Tomato” in Jpaanese! Fruty, juicy and sweet!

“Guppi”, a tasty tomato apt for cooking.

“Carrot Tomato”. High in carotens, taste similar to carrot. Appreciated raw.

“Orange Banana” from Russia! Very sweet!

“Evergreen”. Versatile, can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled.

“Tokutani Tomato”. Fruit tomato, especially grown in Shikoku Island. Brand Tomato. Very expensive!

FACTS:

-Season: All year round
-Main elements: Licopin (Ricopin), Vitamin A, Beta, C, B1, B2, B6, Potassium, Pectin, Luchin (Ruchin), Maggnesium.
Licopin is a carotene variety particularly beneficial in fights against allergies and ageing. The Potassium and Vitamin C and Pectin help control cholesterol in blood.
Luchin reinforces capillary veins and arteries.
Recent researches in Germany and China have proven that tomatoes help control high blood pressure.

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with Potatoes, or Broccoli, or garlic, or onion, helps combat ageing.
-Combined with cabbage, or chilies, or spinach, helps combat cancer and helps blood flow.
-Combined with lemon, or cauliflower, or pimentoes, or parsley, helps lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.
-Combined with vinegar, or oranges, or apples, or strawberries, helps recovery from illness and injury, helps combat stiff shoulder.

Who said that the Italians look healthier than everybody else? LOL

TIPS:

-Choose tomatoes with a deep colour and healthy strong skin!
-Preservation: before storing them into the vegetable compartment of your fridge, wrap themin newspaper or put them inside a vinyl bag, or even better, inside a rigid plastic sealed box.
-Peeling: better than boiling water, direct contact with a flame! Make a very shallow cut near the stem area, firmly stick a fork or thin skewer into the stem area, hold the tomato directly over the gas flame for a few seconds, then plunge it into cold water. Skin should come off very easily.

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi, Le Petit Cuisinier, Vegan Epicurean, Miss V’s Vegan Cookbook

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Vegetables Facts and Tips 1: Potatoes (amended & expanded)

December 9, 2009 dragonlife 7 Comments

potatoes

POTATOES

danshaku-potato
“Danshaku”

Potatoes were first introduced to Japan in 1910 by Baron Kawata from Great Britain/Ireland giving the name of “Danshaku/Baron” to the most commonly used potato in Japan, especially in croquettes and salads.

The biggeｓｔ potato exporters to Japan are China and India, although more and more grown locally.
Over the years Japanese farmers have greatly expanded the number of varieties, and it has became an embarrassment of choices.
Below are varieties found in Japnese supermarkets:

kitaakari-potato
“Kita Akari” used for mashed potatoes and croquettes.

mayqueen-potato
“May Queen” used in stews.

toyoshiro-potato
“Toyoshishiro” used for fried potatoes.

redandespotato
“Red Andes” used for croquettes and Pot au feu.

incanomezame-potato
“Inca No Mezame” used for stews.

“Inca No Hitomi”. Also called “Inca no Mezame”, they are popular for their nutty taste.

“Hokkai Kogane”. Grown mainly in Hokkaido Island, they have the particularity to oxydize and change colour a lot later than other potatoes.

“Tokachi Kogane”. Can be stocked and preserved a long time. Make for great fried potato chips!

“Mathilda”. Fine-grained and usually vey regular-shaped, theycan be presented whole for good effect.

“Touya”. Very good for long cooking as they don’t break away easily.

“Star Ruby”. A relatively new viety very apt for stews.

“Cynthia”. Recently imported vaiety from France. Very fine grain. Does break up even after being cooked long time.

“Kita Murasaki”. Very unusual potato with skin and flesh of the same colour. Better fried than boiled as wate will get couloured.

“Red Moon”. Also called “Red May Queen”, great for stews.

Potatoes are available all year round, but are at their peak from May to July in Japan when new potatoes can be eaten whole!
New potatoes can be found from Februray to June.

FACTS CARD:

-Season: All year round
-76 kcal per 10 g
-Main elements: carbohydrates (high energy), Vitamin C1, B1, B2, B6 (thanks to a large amount of natural starch in potatoes, the vitamin C will resist heating!), Potassium, Magnesium, Iron.
-Preservation: Wrap potatoes inside newspaper and keep them in a dark, well-ventilated place away from the sunlight.

TIPS:

-Choose specimens well-rounded and with healthy skin. Avoid specimens with buds or of greenish colour (risks of diarrhea). Cut out all “dark spots”!
-Preserve them together with apples to prevent buds from coming out!
-To avoid a change of colour, wash potatoes in water after peeling or cutting.
-If you want to keep your potatoes for a while after boiling them, plunge them in (change it as many times as necessary) cold water until completely cooled down. They will not break or crumble when used later.
-After boiling cut potatoes, throw away water and keep heating them until they have lost a great part of their moisture. They will attain a crispy enough nature without resorting to deep-frying!

HEALTH FACTS:

-Combined with kiwi fruit or cucumber, or green tea, or mayonnaise, they help combat cancer, high blood pressure and ageing.
-Combined with Chinese cabbage, or peach, or banana, or honey, they help combat digestive disorders.
-Combined lemon, or strawberries, or spinach, or broccoli, they help combat stress, constipation and cancer.
-Combined with vinegar, or chicken, or bonito (katsuo), or oysters, they provide extra body stamina.