Column from July 22, 2010

Patience is the key to growing peppers

I’ve talked to several people in the last few weeks who say their pepper plants aren’t growing very well.

We’re having the same problem with ours. In fact, the peppers are almost as big as the plants. They look kind of silly – those itty bitty plants with those huge peppers on them. (Check out the picture above of one of our pepper plants.)

I worry the plants are going to snap off if the peppers get any bigger.

With everyone having the same gardening issue, I decided to do a little research to see what’s going on.

Apparently, pepper plants are usually slow growing. They like a consistent hot temperature to really gain any size.

Well, we are still having some cool nights and that will stunt their growth. Eventually, they should get used to it and harden off. At that point, they should take off.

Some recommend growing peppers in containers so you can move them around to warmer locations in your yard. You could even put them inside the garage at night to keep them from getting chilled.

That seems like quite a bit of work and it’s not unusual for us to have cool nights even in the hottest part of summer. In that case, those plants might never adjust to our temperatures.

So, it then becomes a matter of preference and many of the gardening sites say peppers aren’t worth the work because they are so abundant and inexpensive to buy in the grocery store.

But I prefer the taste of garden fresh, no matter what vegetable it is.

When the peppers themselves get big enough, I will use some for cooking and others will go into the freezer for winter use. I will slice some and dice others, lay them out on baking sheets and put them in the freezer.

Once frozen, I’ll put them in freezer bags and pull out handfuls as I need them. They don’t need to be thawed; just throw them into whatever you’re cooking for added flavor and color.

We do have some dishes, though, that do call for fresh, such as stuffed peppers. That’s one of my favorites.

Eric really enjoys pepper steak and often orders it in restaurants when we dine out. It’s easy to make at home, too, and this is a great recipe for you to try.

Pepper steak

1 pound beef steak, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 stalk celery, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thin

1 can chopped tomatoes, drained, or 2 medium tomatoes, blanched, peeled and cut into wedges

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring until onion is tender, about four or five minutes. Remove with slotted spoon.

Add remaining oil and sauté the beef until browned. Remove with slotted spoon.

Add broth, soy sauce, sugar and ground pepper to skillet, stir well. Return beef, onion and garlic to skillet and simmer 30 minutes.

Add celery, bell peppers and tomatoes. Cover and cook until celery and peppers are crisp-tender, about 30 minutes.

Dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Stir into the skillet, stirring constantly, until thickened, about two minutes.

Column from July 15, 2010

Cabbage is a great source of vitamin C

Last week, Alicia at The Old Hotel Café (here in Othello) made coleslaw.

Coleslaw is a side dish that has to be good or I can’t eat it. I either like it … or I don’t.

I think that’s probably true for many folks. I’ve had some really nasty coleslaw, but let me tell you, the stuff Alicia made was excellent. The cabbage was crisp and the sauce wasn’t all vinegary.

Cabbage is one of my favorite vegetables. You can do so many different things with it. From soups and stews to fresh salads and, of course, coleslaw, cabbage is quite versatile.

Nutrition-wise, cabbage is loaded with vitamin C – as much as lemon juice. But did you know it also has a bit of protein? And it also adds some fiber to your diet without any fat.

Cabbage has been proven to be a cancer inhibitor, especially colon cancer. It stimulates the immune system, kills harmful bacteria, soothes ulcers and improves circulation.

You do, however, have to be careful if you have a thyroid condition, as cabbage may aggravate it.

It’s not difficult to grow cabbage yourself if you have the room in your garden. You could plant it around the edges for a nice color contrast.

If not, cabbage is a reasonably priced vegetable in the grocery. Be sure to look for a head that is large and compact, heavy for its size with tender green leaves. Also, make sure there is no evidence of damage or insect bites.

Fresh cabbage has a generous amount of outer leaves. Grocers pull off the wilted outer leaves as the cabbage is on the shelf.

Check the bottom of the cabbage. If the leaves are beginning to separate from the stem, it’s an older head.

Whole cabbage will keep up to a week in a plastic bag in the refrigerator (two weeks if it’s fresh from your garden). As the cabbage ages, the flavor and odor gets stronger.

Once chopped, it will lose freshness quickly, so use it within a day.

If you’re only going to use half the head, place the remaining half in a plastic bag and sprinkle a few drop of water on the cut side. Close the bag and refrigerate. It should last a few more days if it was fresh when you cut it.

One of the reasons why I enjoy a nice side dish of coleslaw is because it can be very refreshing. Served icy cold and crispy, it works with just about any meal.

Alicia served hers with a barbecued pulled pork sandwich and beans. It was delicious.

A couple years ago, we were visiting Eric’s sister in the Bremerton-Silverdale (Washington) area and she made a wonderful coleslaw. It was so good, I had to have the recipe.

So, in the spirit of summer and barbecues, I’m going to share Dorie’s coleslaw recipe with you.

Dorie’s coleslaw

32-ounce package of slaw mix
2/3 cup sugar or Splenda
1 teaspoon salt or Ms. Dash
1/4 teaspoon pepper, if you don’t use Ms. Dash
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vinegar white or apple
5 tablespoons lemon juice

Pinch celery seed, optional

Pinch dill weed, optional

Empty slaw mix into large mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and toss with slaw mix. Chill.

Column from July 8, 2010

We spent most of last week in Madras, Ore., at the annual All Rockhounds Pow Wow. It was a great time … other than the cold windy weather made the camping part a little uncomfortable at night.

But, all in all, the trip was definitely worth it. The annual event is a nice opportunity to catch up with friends we don’t often get the chance to see, plus we got some unique rocks to add to our collection.

As an added bonus, there were more than 80 vendors selling rock-related items, evening entertainment and Saturday morning, 11 hot air balloons took off from the front field of the fairgrounds we were at.

I spent most of Thursday going through the old scrapbooks from past Pow Wow get-togethers. Eric’s father was one of the founding members of the club, so it was fun reading about some of the things he did.

Although we didn’t have to do any of our own cooking this time, camping is always a fun opportunity to do that. Just about any food tastes better over an open fire.

When I was a kid, we used to have great corn roasts. Dozens of ears of corn would be brought in, soaked in water overnight and then, thrown on the grill – husk and all – until they were plump and juicy. Delicious!

As many of you know, one of my favorite cookbooks is “The All-American Cowboy Grill,” which features recipes from some of the most famous cowboys of all time. These folks are from the big screen, rodeo circuit, singers and songwriters, radio DJs and more.

Here’s a recipe from singing cowboy and guitar player Monte Hale. He starred in 30 westerns in the 1940s and 1950s.

This chili sounds like it would go great with roasted corn on the cob!

Hale and Hearty Chili

3 pounds coarsely ground beef

1 pound ground lean pork

Oil for browning

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 cups chopped onion

3 to 4 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 cups diced tomatoes

2 cups tomato sauce (or more)

In a skillet, brown the meat in any oil of your choice. Drain off excess fat and juice.

Stir in garlic, onions (reserving a few for topping), chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Serve with the reserved chopped onion.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Column from July 1, 2010

Summer sunshine has its benefits

There has been a lot of talk lately about vitamin D and how important it is. Unfortunately, most people don’t get enough in their diet.

The main function is to allow absorption of calcium. Without vitamin D being added to milk and dairy products, our bodies wouldn’t be able to utilize calcium for strong bones, which help prevent fractures and osteoporosis.

It is also important for cardiovascular health. Not enough increases the risk factors for hypertension, heart disease and diabetes.

Current recommendations are 200 international units for those up to age 50, 400 IU between age 51 and 70 and 600 IU after age 70.

However, you do need to be cautious. Because it is fat soluble, any excess the body doesn’t need is stored in body fat and toxicity could occur. You’re better off finding natural ways to get vitamin D, such as through food or sunlight.

Vitamin D is produced in the body by exposure to sunlight. The absorption rate is determined by where the person lives, the sun’s intensity, the person’s age and natural skin color.

Eight ounces of fortified milk provides 100 IU. Fortified cereal, bread or other grain products have about 100 IU per serving and eight ounces of juice with added vitamin D will also provide 100 IU.

Other sources include fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna.

In the summer, those who use sunscreen may be preventing vitamin D production.

The get the benefit of vitamin D, a person needs to spend about 15 minutes in the sun during the middle part of the day before applying sunscreen. You can’t get vitamin D from sitting behind a window.

For some, though, this could increase the risk of skin cancer, especially those who have light-colored skin, hair and eyes. I’ve always been lucky in that respect. With my eastern European olive skin, I’m not as susceptible to sunburn as many people I know are, so I’m able to stay in the sun longer than most.

In fact, I’ve not heard of any cases of skin cancer caused by normal exposure to the sun in my family.

But the downside is I’m allergic to milk and have to limit my intake of those products. Instead, I drink soy or almond milk.

Those who don’t care for milk can always get calcium in their diets by eating yogurt or cheese products. You can also add calcium to your diet by cooking meals that include dishes with milk in them.

There are plenty of alternatives, so be careful when exposing yourself to the sun for long periods of time. Try just a few minutes each day for a natural boost of vitamin D and eat foods that will supply the majority of the necessary recommendations.

Vegetable rotini

2-1/2 cups dry rotini or corkscrew macaroni

1-1/2 cups fresh broccoli flowerets

1-1/2 cups fresh cauliflowerets

2 medium carrots, cut into strips (about 1 cup)

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed broccoli cheese soup

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese or cream cheese with chives, softened

¾ cup milk

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard 

1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a four-quart saucepan, prepare rotini according to package directions. Add broccoli, cauliflower and carrots for last five minutes of cooking time. Drain in colander.

In same saucepan, gradually stir soup into cream cheese; add milk, Parmesan cheese, mustard and pepper. Over low heat, heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring often. Add macaroni and vegetables. Heat through, stirring occasionally.

Tip: You may substitute a 16-ounce bag of frozen vegetable combination (such as broccoli, cauliflower and carrots) for the fresh vegetables.

Makes about six cups or six side-dish servings.