More on the Microwave…
My post on using the microwave a month or so ago was a pretty quick and sweeping one… And I got a little pushback for it from some readers. I hear all of you, trust me. I hear the concerns about the radiation and the loss of nutrients. And I hear, too, that many of you see the microwave as indicative of a loss of cooking skills and taking pleasure in the preparation of food. On the other hand, so many of us have so little time to get a healthy meal on the table — and I would rather that folks steamed some broccoli in the microwave to add to pasta with some fresh chopped tomatoes than ordered Chinese take-out.
With that said, I am not a proponent of cooking EVERYTHING in the microwave. Consider it just one more tool, not your primary cooking implement. Everything in moderation, people… Anyway, for those more interested in the topic, I’m keeping my eyes open and have found a few more things I wanted to share with you. Check out these links – and please do let me know what you think!
Do you ever find yourself wondering exactly what the microwave does? Mark Bittman wrote a good piece in the NY Times a while ago explaining how the whole process WORKS.
Real Simple magazine is in on the need to give people options for this box: 14 Who Knew? Uses for Your Microwave. The latest issue (October 2010) also has a whole article called “The Power of the Microwave”, with 23 more uses, plus a breakdown on microwave safe containers and some descriptions of all those buttons, (Reheat? Defrost? How many of you, like me, just use the ‘Quick Minutes’???)
How about 12 Home Hacks for Your Microwave? Thank you to The Kitchn for the reminder about disinfecting sponges…
And two more items from The Kitchn: Mac n Cheese! And a poached egg! In fact they have a great round up of recipes and cooking techniques in general HERE. Be sure to read through the comments, too, for totally unique ideas from the community.
Popcorn from the cob! Totally amazing – just take a dried popcorn cob (there are particular varietals that are dried for this) throw it in a bowl (or a paper bag) in the microwave. 2 to 3 minutes later, you have popcorn. Gotta love it.
Self Magazine has jumped on the bandwagon, too, this month: Cook Healthy in Under 5 Minutes.
One of the concerns that many hold is that the microwave really ‘zaps’ nutrients (hee-hee, sorry, couldn’t resist the pun… 
) Both Body & Soul (now called Whole Living) and Eating Well magazines have discussed the belief in columns. One thing to think about is that pretty much ALL cooking causes nutrient losses: it’s heat and the time spent cooking that affect the nutrients, not necessarily the cooking method. And because the microwave actually cooks so quickly, the less time food is exposed to heat, so it can be surmised that minimal losses in nutrients is the result. Just some thoughts…
Hope this is helpful – I’d love to hear more feedback!
So, yeah, never mind about that ‘the season has ended’ stuff. Yesterday, Glenn surprised farm share members by putting out a multiple boxes of things he had excesses of — plus the first harvest of the most AMAZING stalks of Brussels Sprouts! Check out the haul from the first ‘post season’ day:
- 1 Monstrous stalk of Brussels Sprouts
- 2 Winter Squash (one Sweet Dumpling, one unknown, maybe a fully orange Carnival?)
- Bunch Carrots
- Head of Broccoli (I actually took 2… Ssshhh!)
- 5 Ida Red Apples
You Can Eat That?
By now, you probably know that you can eat beet greens and turnip greens. Some folks out there eat carrot tops, too. But today’s lesson? Today we’re talkin’ kohlrabi greens and kale stems.
The greens of the funny looking kohlrabi are more on the bitter side than other green tops, at least in my opinion. I like them a lot (love love anything in the Brassica family – three cheers for Brussels Sprouts!) Anyway, they work best with strong flavor combinations… A little like these two options:
First, a Spanish flavored mix-up consisting of the greens sauteed with tons of garlic and some onion spiced with paprika and oregano then tossed with cubed broiled eggplant and some pinto beans. In order to be truly authentic I probably should have used chickpeas, but the pintos are what I had on hand in the refrig. C’est la vie!
A few weeks ago I sauteed the greens with raw corn and tiny slivered pieces of eggplant which I flavored with soy sauce, some chili garlic sauce and a bit of Sriracha. Fiery & yummy!
What about the kohlrabi itself? The other night I tossed cubes of it with cayenne, cumin, salt & pepper and roasted it up. For the meal, I added in steamed kale, chopped garlic, spelt grains and some goat cheese for a creamy dinner — with a little kick in there from the cayenne.
Wait! You’re not done with today’s lesson quite yet. We still need to eat our kale stems! When you’re cooking up your kale (or chard for that matter) don’t toss those stems – they can be added into soups, sautes or anything else you’d eat the greens in. I’ve even made kale stem pesto in the past. Just know that they need a bit more cooking time than the leaves in order to break down the cellulose. Otherwise, same flavor and darn good for you too. A great way to truly eat ‘nose-to-tail’ – in the vegetarian sense, of course – and be frugal at the same time!
My creative take on it this evening? I steamed kale stems with some salt, pepper and garlic in the microwave, then added in some good quality canned tuna and tossed it all with a tablespoon of miso paste and some olive oil. Served it over a toasted tortilla (my favorite - Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran & Whole Wheat). Voila – dinner!
The Last Box: #17
Crying great rivers of tears… This week marks the end of the CSA 2010 season for Stillman’s Farm. 
But what a truly amazing and bountiful way to end! Glenn definitely must have wanted to go out on a high note. (Maybe its his evil plan to be sure that we all sign up again for next year!)
- Bunch Arugula
- Spinach (I traded my lettuce for a bag of spinach)
- 2 Heads Broccoli
- Bunch Kale
- Kohlrabi
- 1 Butternut Squash
- 1 Carnival Squash
- Green Beans
- 2 Peppers (I traded my regular green ones for 2 Poblanos)
- 2 White Eggplant
- 1 regular Eggplant
- 1 Tomato
- 4 Apples
