The sweet flavor of watermelon is well matched to herbal and sour flavors and to other sweet flavors. The key to matching watermelon to other foods is to find a taste complement or counterpoint. The way to do that is to taste, taste, taste! Once you find the watermelon flavor matches right for you, you’ll […] More
Melon en Surprise was Auguste Escoffier’s title for a five line description of a tasty combination of melons and other fresh fruits in his 1903 masterpiece Le Guide Culinaire. Of course, Escoffier was working from the notes and techniques of Antoine Carême, an earlier codifier of French Haute cuisine. But as you will see here, […] More
Turnips are grown as a root vegetable or for their green leaves, Turnips are a cool-season crop; they grow and taste best when they come to harvest in cool weather. The turnip is a hardy, cool-weather biennial grown as an annual. The turnip has a rosette of bright green, wavy-edged leaves that grow to 12 […] More
Harvest turnips when they are large enough to eat. Turnip roots are ready for harvest 40 to 50 days after sowing. Turnips should not be allowed to grow too large or they will become woody, stringy, and bitter tasting. Related articles: When to harvest turnips Kitchen Helpers from Amazon: How to harvest turnips How to […] More
Turnips can be boiled, steamed, and stir-fried. Cook turnips until they are just tender-crunchy–less than seven minutes or so for a young turnip. The flavor will be mildly sweet and crisp. Turnips can be cooked in several ways. Roast turnips, braise turnips in butter, make turnip and potato purée, glaze turnips, or make a turnip […] More
Harvest arugula when the leaves are big enough to eat. Harvest leaves one at a time cut and come again or cut off the entire head. Arugula is a fast-growing cool-season salad green. It is ready for harvest 30 to 40 days after sowing. Arugula leaves are tangy and peppery with a mustard-like flavor. Young […] More
The taste of arugula has been described as tangy, peppery, nutty, and mustard sharp. You get the picture: arugula is the “mild” transformer. In Italian salads, arugula is often contrasted against red chicory and paler lettuces. In the mesclun salads originating in Provence, arugula is one of the zestier greens mixed with baby lettuces and […] More
Onions can be grown for their green immature stems or they can be grown for their mature bulbs. These strong-smelling plants have been extremely popular for centuries. Two main types of onions are grown in the home garden: the young, green or white, bunching sorts eaten fresh and before the mature bulb has formed, and […] More
Harvest bulb onions when they reach full size, about 90 to 100 days after sowing. Harvest the leafy tops of green onions any time after the plant has grown 6 inches tall or taller. Bulb onions—also called main crop onions–are commonly sliced or chopped and served raw in salads or on hamburgers or sandwiches or […] More
Radishes are one of the easiest crops to grow. The radish is a cool-weather crop. Harvest radishes in spring or fall for the best flavor and texture. Radish is ready to eat as few as three weeks after sowing seeds. It is easy to understand why radishes are a favorite of home gardeners. Spring radishes […] More
Radishes are commonly eaten raw but they are also quite delicious cooked in butter. Radishes can taste mild and sweet or peppery and pungent. Common round and oblong radishes can be bright pink to crimson red, purple, and white. Daikon radishes –common in Asian cooking–are ivory. Black radishes–a winter radish–are spicy hot. Also of interest: […] More
Plant spinach in cool weather. It is well suited for the spring and autumn gardens. Plant spinach before the weather warms in spring and again as the weather cools in early autumn. (When days lengthen in late spring and the weather becomes dry and hot, spinach bolts and stops making new leaves.) Spinach can be […] More
Stephen Albert