Category: Summer

by Veggie Sutra

Watermelon Rind Curry and Food Waste in America

I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee’s much awaited second novel. Having pre-ordered the book ages back, I had it in my hand soon after it was released.  However I am waiting to finish re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird one more time. And speaking of things Southern: Watermelons!  They are so sweet this summer that I can’t wait to sink my teeth in to yet another juicy slice!  (And thus we come a full circle of teeth sinking!).

Watermelon Rind Curry

Last week, I watched a TV show that touched on a topic close to my heart.  John Oliver, the British comic, with the hugely popular talk show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” basically scolded all of us Americans for being big food-wasters.  V and I are not too bad in that respect.  Nothing makes us sadder than seeing good food go to waste.  However I can see how we take the abundance of good and cheap food so much for granted in this country that we can’t be bothered to save scraps.  The amount of food that goes straight from farm to dump in California is especially appalling considering the drought and all.

So, here goes my attempt at trying to salvage every last bit of edible mass before throwing something away.  And thus we come back to watermelons!  Yeah, they are super sweet this year (the few blessings of the California drought again?).  But after eating all the sweet red flesh, we throw away so much!   Watermelon Rind pickle, a Southern delicacy is a way to use the parts usually thrown away, but I did not have the time to pickle this weekend.   So I opted to make a simple curry with Indian spices.

Recipe for Watermelon Rind Curry
[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium sized watermelon
  • 3-4 Tbsp Organic Ghee
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds (available at your local ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (available at your local ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
  • 2-3 serrano or Thai green chilies, split into two (use 1 or 2 more if you like it spicy, or omit if you like it mild)
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder (available at your local ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 1 tsp coriander powder (available at your local ethnic Indian grocery store)
  • 1/2 tsp Dried raw mango powder (available at your local ethnic Indian grocery store, known as aamchur)
  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh mint or cilantro for garnish
  • Some water to cook
Method:
  • Save the peel after eating the red juicy sweet part of the watermelon.  Use a sturdy peeler and peel away the hard green shell and discard.  (My swivel peeler did the job very well).
  • Cut the white rind in to very small cubes using a chef knife and set aside.

    • Heat 1 Tbsp of ghee in a pan and add the onion.  When the onion is translucent and well-cooked, let it cool and grind in to a paste in the food processor and set aside
    • Heat the remaining ghee and add the cumin seeds and fennel seeds
    • When fragrant, in about a minute, add the garlic, ginger and green chilies
    • After 3 minutes, add the watermelon rind, turmeric powder and 4-5 Tbsp of water.  Close and cook on low heat until the watermelon rind is soft, around 15-20 minutes
    • After the rind is soft, add the coriander powder, dried mango powder, garam masala and salt to taste and stir for a minute
    • Add the onion paste, stir and cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat and switch off
    • Garnish with some tender fresh mint leaves or chopped cilantro and serve hot with white rice and a dollop of ghee
    Notes:
     

    • Indian cooking uses a lot of spices but most people who cook Indian food regularly don’t think too much about it.  A spice box such as one below is kept within reach in the kitchen.  When the oil is hot, cooks instinctively know which spices should be thrown in.  Spices are often used for their medicinal value.  For eg. Turmeric is de rigeur when cooking vegetables or lentils. Turmeric is good stuff and there is tons of research on the benefits.  Fennel seeds which are used in this recipe are not only wonderfully fragrant, but also aid in digestion.

    The watermelon rind curry has a mild sweetness to it which is played off by the spices very well.  In reality, we did not expect it to be so tasty, but from now on I am never throwing away the rind!   Saveur.com has a similar recipe using the entire watermelon but I think I prefer the curry with just the rind.

    Watermelon Rind Curry

    Another longtime pending project of mine is to set up a compost bin in the backyard probably when amma visits next.  We are fortunate that we get a large variety of vegetables and fruits here in California; the trimmings would probably make a great compost for my vegetable garden.

    Please let us know how you use up your vegetable scraps in creative ways!

    by Veggie Sutra

    Roasted Summer Squash with Scallions – Perfect for a summer cookout

    This weekend, I had originally planned to post a recipe for a refreshing summer salad (and in fact did make the salad), but the other side dish I made to go with our lunch took the limelight.  So I changed my mind and decided to post that instead.

    Roasted Summer Squash with Scallions

    It all started as soon as I bought a bag of baby summer squash medley from Costco because it looked so yummy.  Soon after I bought it, I went in to panic mode as I do anytime I buy huge bags of vegetables from Costco.  I like to use the veggies up when they are fresh and crisp and both V and I hate wasting food.   Then I came across a recipe for Baked Zucchini Fries at A Healthy Life for Me.  
    Roasted Summer Squash
    I loved the idea of simply tossing the squash with olive oil, herbs and spices and popping it in the oven, and so I made an even more simplified version of this easy recipe.  In fact, if you are having a summer cookout, you can make the same on the grill.  
    Recipe for Roasted or Grilled Summer Squash
    Ingredients:
    • 1 bag of baby summer squash from Costco or about 2 lbs of regular summer squash or zucchini
    • 2 bunches of scallions
    • 2-4 Tbsp olive oil
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1 Tbsp dried oregano or thyme
    Method:
    • Preheat the oven to 375F 
    • Wash thoroughly and dry the squash on a kitchen towel.  Then halve each summer squash and throw into a bowl.  (If using regular squash, cut into long 2 inch pieces)
    • Wash and trim both the white and green parts of the scallion in to long 2 inch pieces and set aside
    • Whisk together the olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried thyme or oregano (I used thyme, but feel free to use oregano)
    • Toss the summer squash with the olive oil mixture 
    • Place the squash on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 20 mins
    • Remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle on the scallions and bake again for another 10 mins
    • Serve immediately (This doesn’t taste as good as leftovers for some reason).
    Sprinkle on the scallions when the squash is half done
    Note: You can alternately use the same recipe on your grill if you are doing an outdoor summer cookout.  Just loosely wrap everything in aluminum foil and throw it on the grill for 30 mins.  

    Roasted Summer Squash with Scallion

    This is a delicious side dish for any summer meal.  We had it with a refreshing cool summer salad (will post the recipe next week) and a bottle of sparkling probiotic  lemon ginger Kevita.  The Kevita is one of V’s few vices!  
    by Veggie Sutra

    Fruit Salad for a Day of Fasting

    Summer is here rather early this year in Northern California.  Usually my tomatoes wait until August to ripen, but this year they started turning red in mid-June even before summer solstice.   I also planted green beans and eggplant this year.  The green beans seem to be doing quite well!

    Green beans in our garden

    Last week, V and I prepared a low-carb entree of Edamame Spaghetti noodles with asparagus.   While it is important to restrict calories every day, intermittent fasting has also been proven to be very beneficial to health.

    Melon Salad

    Intermittent fasting has been part of almost every culture since times immemorial.   Very often, it is done in the name of religion, such as in Ikaria, which is one of six blue zones in the world.   (For those who haven’t heard of The Blue Zones, these are the areas in the world with the longest lived people.  Veggie Sutra tried a recipe for healthy granola from California’s own Blue Zone a couple of weeks back.)   Dan Buettner, the author and researcher behind The Blue Zones Solution says that Calorie Restriction, a way of fasting where the normal amount of calories consumed is restricted,  is proven to slow the aging process.   The key to calorie restriction is to consume very nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables.

    V and I came up with a very simple list of rules for fasting:  We would eat three meals consisting of only fruits, vegetables (including potatoes and sweet potatoes) and nuts, using just rock salt, black pepper and fresh ginger for seasoning.

    Here’s what we ate on our fasting day – Our breakfast consisted of a handful of nuts and a banana.  For lunch, I steamed some beautiful green beans harvested from our garden and seasoned it with raw grated coconut, black pepper and rock salt.

    Green beans from our garden

    For dinner, I made a simple salad with melon and cherry tomatoes.  As we continue fasting, at least once a month, I will post more recipes.  Here is the first one, an eye-catching and nutritious salad with melon and cherry tomatoes.

    Recipe for a Fasting Fruit Salad:  Melon & Cherry Tomatoes with Fresh Basil
    [Printable Recipe]

    Ingredients:

    • 4 cups cantaloupe melon cubes (use any type of melon that is available to you)
    • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (use blackberries or blueberries instead if you prefer)
    • small piece of ginger grated
    • 1 Tbsp maple syrup, optional
    • 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves chopped (I used basil from the garden, but feel free to use mint instead)
    • Freshly ground black pepper for seasoning
    • 1/4 roasted almonds or sunflower seeds, optional
    Method
    • Combine the melons and cherry tomatoes with grated ginger 
    • Drizzle some maple syrup if you like (our melon was really sweet so we did not need this)
    • Garnish with basil leaves, sprinkle black pepper on top
    • Sprinkle nuts or seeds on top if using and serve

    Melon Salad

    It was a refreshing dinner, quite light on the stomach, yet we did not feel hungry after that.  If you have any experience with fasting, do let us know about it in your comments below!
    by Veggie Sutra

    A fermented drink: Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub

    On Mother’s Day, I want to mention how supportive amma has been of this blog.  She has often contributed the recipes featured here such as the Lemon Pickle in the fermentation series and the sweet Cashew barfi treat she made for our anniversary.  Also with a keen eye for aesthetics, she has often arranged the food for the photos.   In this and many other ways, we are blessed to have such a beautiful and wonderful mother.

    It was a very lazy day today.  After initially planning to take amma out for a Mother’s Day lunch, we changed our minds and decided to eat at home.  The spicy spinach rice I made was complemented well by today’s featured item for the fermentation series, a soda with home-made ginger-mint shrub.

    Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub

    Mary Karlin says in her beautiful book, Mastering Fermentation, that shrubs are sweet-sour syrups that date back to colonial America and can be used to make cocktails.  The recipe for the ginger-mint shrub I made came from the same book.  V and I can’t get enough of ginger and with fresh mint growing like weed in our garden, I just fell in to this recipe.  As with any fermented stuff, one has to be patient and give enough time for the bacteria and yeast to do their thing.   However the intense flavors that the fermentation brings out from the mint and ginger makes it totally worth the wait.

    Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub

    Recipe for Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub
    From Mastering Fermentation by Mary Karlin

    [Printable Recipe]

    Makes enough for around 6 people
    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
    • 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves + a couple of sprigs of fresh mint
    • 3/4 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar (use one with live mother cultures like Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar)
    • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup raw unrefined cane sugar
    • 1 bottle of sparkling water
    • A few ice cubes if you like
    • Plus about 2 weeks of patience!
    Method:
    Step 1 – Infusing the apple cider vinegar with flavor
    • In a wide-mouthed mason jar, combine the ginger and mint leaves and massage them with fingers to release juices and fragrance
    • Add the apple cider vinegar, close the jar and shake thoroughly
    • Remove the lid and loosely cover the jar with a cheese cloth and leave it untouched overnight for about 12 hours
    Step 1 for Making Shrub: Ginger and Mint leaves in Apple Cider Vinegar

    Step 2 – Fermenting at room temperature

    • After 12 hours, screw the lid on tightly and shake thoroughly
    • Leave it to ferment at room temperature for 7 days, shaking the jar vigorously every day
    • After 7 days, strain out the ginger and mint, pressing with the back of a spoon or fingers to get the last bit of flavor from the ginger and mint
    Step 2 for Making Shrub: Strain out the ginger and mint and add fresh mint sprigs

    Step 3 – Fermenting in the refrigerator

    • Stir the lemon juice and sugar into the strained liquid until the sugar dissolves
    • Add the fresh mint sprigs, close with a lid and shake vigorously for 10 seconds
    • Refrigerate for 7 days, shaking the jar every day
    • After 7 days, the shrub is ready to use and will last up to 4 months in the refrigerator
    Step 4 – Making the soda
    • Mix 2 Tbsp of shrub with about 6 oz of sparkling water, add ice cubes if desired and enjoy (adjust the proportions of the shrub to sparkling water to your liking after a sip)
    Soda with Ginger-Mint Shrub
    The ginger-mint shrub soda is a refreshing burst of flavors on the tongue with an intense aroma.  Sweet and sour, gingery and minty, V thought it would also be great for an upset stomach.  He is probably right, what with all the probiotics from the fermentation, plus the ginger, plus the mint!!   In any case, it is a super-refreshing drink.   So start a batch now as warm days are approaching.  I plan to try to make shrub in a few other flavors as well, such as Strawberry-Lemon shrub.  Will keep you posted!
    by Veggie Sutra

    Vegan Enchiladas with Spicy Fermented Tomato Salsa

    Things that are fermenting in our kitchen now:  A jar of kefir, a bottle of ginger-mint shrub (watch for recipe in 2 weeks), a second bottle of spicy tomato salsa and a jar of kombucha.  So the bacteria, yeast and SCOBY are quite busy in the kitchen hopefully creating delicious stuff.

    Brunch with vegan enchiladas, sliced avocado and strawberry banana smoothie

    The salsa that I started fermenting last week turned out quite nicely and I ended up using it for a special weekend brunch, menu as follows:

    • Vegan enchiladas with spicy fermented tomato salsa and cashew sauce
    • Sliced avocado
    • Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Homemade Almond Milk and Date Sugar

    Vegan Enchiladas with Sweet Potato, topped with Fermented Salsa

    Fermented salsa is more pungent and deeply flavorful compared to fresh salsa and also contains a ton of additional nutrients, a byproduct of the lacto-fermentation process.   (Just to clarify, lacto-fermentation has nothing to do with milk or lactose, it simply refers to the process by which a certain class of bacteria, that are naturally present on the surface of most plants, convert sugars into lactic acid).  In his wonderful book, Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods, Sandor Katz, the fermentation guru, talks about fermenting all kinds of vegetables with this method (a basic example is sauerkraut).

    Fermented Salsa – Day 7

    While some recipe sources call for whey to kick off the fermentation of vegetables, it is not really necessary as vegetables will ferment naturally.  However, it is important to add salt to prevent the growth of undesired bacteria.

    So here’s the recipe for Fermented Tomato Salsa, loosely adapted from Mastering Fermentation: Recipes for Making and Cooking with Fermented Foods by Mary Karlin.
    [Printable Recipe]

    Ingredients:

    • 4 medium tomatoes, diced (do not use canned)
    • 1 medium red onion, diced
    • 5-6 Thai green chilies or Serrano chilies, chopped fine (adjust based on how spicy you like it, or alternately use 1/2 medium bell pepper diced)
    • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped fine
    • 1 tsp salt
    • Pinch brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp raw organic apple cider vinegar (use one with live mother cultures like Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar)
    • 4 Tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper

    Method:

    • In a tall bottle, combine the tomato, red onion, garlic, cilantro, green chilies (or bell pepper), salt, and brown sugar
    • Add the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, close with a lid and shake
    • Let sit at room temperature for 3 days.  Even day give the bottle a good shake or stir well with a spoon
    • After 3 days, add the cumin powder, coriander powder and black pepper.   Stir well and taste the salsa.  If it has fermented to your liking, then refrigerate immediately and use when needed.  If not, leave it at room temperature for up to 3 more days and continue shaking and tasting every day
    • Refrigerate and enjoy

    Notes on the salsa:

    • Make sure the cutting board and knife are clean and dry before starting.  Also wash all the vegetables you are using and dry with a clean kitchen towel before chopping.  
    • Check the salsa every day.  If you see mold forming on top, discard and start again, maybe using a bit more salt.  This did not happen to me but is a possibility.
    • As I noted in an earlier post, I am not a big fan of having specialized gadgets but a Serrated Tomato Knife makes life a lot easier when dicing tomatoes.
    • Since V and I like it spicy, I used spicy Thai green chilies but feel free to omit altogether and just use bell pepper or jalapeno pepper for a milder taste.
    • The fermentation produces a lot of delicious pungent liquid which can be strained and used in other recipes, for eg. in the enchiladas below.

    Vegan enchiladas with sweet potato filling, topped with fermented salsa

    V and I were gobbling the salsa by the spoonfuls, it was that addictive!  But I had enough left over on Sunday for making vegan enchiladas topped with the spicy fermented salsa.  Here’s the recipe.

    Ingredients:
    For filling: 
    • 1/2 cup black, red or pinto beans, rinsed and soaked overnight (optionally, add a tbsp of raw apple cider vinegar when soaking)
    • 2 small or 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
    • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 bell pepper diced
    • 1 cup shredded greens of any kind (I used collard greens from the garden)
    • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    • 2 Tbsp of fermented salsa juice
    • Salt to taste
    For enchiladas
    • Store bought corn tortillas, around 6 to 10
    • 2-3 Tbsp vegetable oil for shallow frying
    For serving:
    • About 1 cup fermented salsa
    • About 4 Tbsp cashew-cilantro sauce (process 1/4 cup soaked cashews, few sprigs chopped cilantro, salt to taste, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a pinch chili pepper with enough olive oil or water to consistency and taste)
    Method:
    Make the filling:
    • Drain the soaking liquid.  Boil enough water in a pot, add the beans and bring it back to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer until the beans are soft and set aside
    • Cook the sweet potato until soft and set aside
    • Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and add the onion
    • When onion becomes a bit translucent, add the bell pepper and garlic and cook for around 5-7 mins until fragrant.
    • Add the greens, cover and let it wilt, around 3 mins  
    • Add the cooked beans and sweet potato and the spices, salsa juice and salt
    • Cover and cook for around 5 mins on low heat and switch off
    Assemble the enchiladas:
    • Preheat the oven to 350F
    • Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry all the corn tortillas until slightly crisp on the edges and well cooked and set aside
    • In a large casserole dish, start assembling the enchiladas: Spoon about 2-3 Tbsp of the filling in to each tortilla, roll and place in the casserole dish and repeat until the dish is full
    • Spoon some salsa juice over the tortillas especially on the crisp edges
    • Bake for 15 mins
    Assembling the vegan enchiladas
    Serve the enchiladas:
    • Spoon fermented salsa on to the enchiladas and top with cashew sauce before serving
    Vegan Enchiladas with Sweet Potato topped with Fermented Salsa
    V and I really enjoyed the Sunday brunch, the highlight being the tasty fermented salsa.  In fact we just about finished the whole bottle in a day.  I am not sure if it is traditional to ferment salsa (do comment if you know), but it certainly makes it very addictive!