Oven baked daikon seasoned with soy sauce and butter

Prepping the daikon in the microwave before baking helps maintain a juicy, tender texture.

 

ingredients

(for 2)

daikon, 250 g (1/2 lb.), peeled and cut into 2 cm wide quarters

bacon, 2 slices, cut into thin strips

olive oil, 1 tbsp

garlic, 1 clove, minced

soy sauce, 1 tsp

salt, to taste

butter, 1 tbsp

toppings (use any or all):

green onion, chopped

black sesame

lemon juice

directions

1 Heat the daikon in the microwave for 5 minutes or until tender enough to poke easily with a toothpick. Drain off any excess water after heating.

2 Pre-heat the oven to 430 degrees F.

3 Cook the garlic and olive oil in a frying pan over a low flame until the aroma of the garlic is strong. Add the bacon and daikon and cook until the daikon just starts to brown.  Don’t stir too much.

4 Add the soy sauce and salt (optional) and then the butter. After the butter has melted, transfer everything to an oven-safe dish. Arrange so that the daikon slices are as flat as possible and not piled up.

5 Bake uncovered at 430 degrees for 10 minutes. When the entire top surface is lightly browned and there are some crispy parts, it is done.

6 Top with green onions, black sesame, lemon juice, etc.

Spinach, chicken, and chickpea curry

A very mild curry that the whole family can enjoy.

Ingredients

chicken, 6 wings or 2 thighs (dark meat preferable)

olive oil, 1 tbsp

chickpeas, cooked and drained, 1 cup

spinach, 1 medium sized bag

garlic, 3 cloves

ginger, 1/2 inch node

red wine, 1 tbsp

water, 100 ml

rice vinegar, 1 tbsp

curry powder, 1 tsp

cumin seeds, 1 tsp

salt, 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)

fresh ground white pepper, a little

 

Directions

 

(1) Wash and cut the spinach into 1 inch sections

(2) Chop the garlic and ginger finely.

(3) If using chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces.

(4) Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the chicken, browning it on all sides.

(5) Add the garlic and ginger. When the aroma of the garlic arises, add the spinach and red wine and allow to simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.

(6) Add the chick peas and cumin seeds and stir. Add the curry powder, salt, and rice vinegar and stir again.

(7) When the curry powder is well mixed with the other ingredients, add the water. Simmer on a low to medium flame until slightly reduced, between 10 and 15 minutes.

(8) Add the fresh ground white pepper and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with rice and a fresh salad.

Wasabina, natto, and umeboshi aemono

Wasabina is a winter green in the brassica family. It has a crisp, satisfying texture with a gentle spiciness reminiscent of wasabi. Though it is most often eaten raw in salads, it is also a delicious addition to soups, stir-fries, or this lightly blanched recipe.

The taste of wasabina is said to go well with the cheese-like overtones of natto. Natto is fermented soybeans, similar to tempeh but with a soft and sticky texture. It can be found in the refrigerator section of most Asian food supermarkets.

The other component of this recipe is umeboshi. Umeboshi is Japanese pickled plum, a long-fermented and extremely healthy apricot-like fruit with a pronounced combination of sweet, sour, and salty flavors. Umeboshi can be found in many Asian supermarkets and health food stores.

This combination of fresh greens and two kinds of fermented foods packs a lot of nutrition into a relatively small dish. Wasabina provides a good supply of Vitamins B and C as well as calcium and iron. Natto supplies easily digestible plant protein, Vitamin K, and possesses several cancer-fighting properties. Umeboshi is good for digestion and systemic toxicity.

“Aemono” means “dressed foods” and refers to a wide range of traditional salad-like dishes in Japanese cuisine. Vegetables are often used raw or lightly blanched and combined with a light dressing. Aemono ingredients often include seasonal delicacies and provide a simple means to stay connected to both time and place in daily eating.

Unlike large American salads, aemono is intended to be served in small portions as an appetizer, a light side dish, or a companion to sake or beer.

Ingredients

wasabina, one bag
natto, one pack (40 g)
umeboshi (pickled plum), 1 (seed removed)

tare (sauce) If the natto came with a pack of tare, use that. If not, you can make your own--use the easy recipe at the end of this article.

Directions

(1) Quickly submerge the wasabina in a pot of boiling water. Between two and five seconds will be sufficient--the wasabina should be soft and limp but not boiled.

(2) Rinse in cold water to cool, then squeeze lightly to remove excess water and set aside.

(3) Chop the natto and umeboshi .

(4) In a mixing bowl, mix the natto, the umeboshi, and the tare.

(5) Chop the wasabina roughly into small bite-sized pieces, add to the mixing bowl, and combine with the other ingredients.

(6) Move to a serving dish and top with nori, sesame, or other garnishes as you wish.

Aemono is best eaten right away.

This dish  works well as a side dish at any meal of the day as well as a healthy snack or drinking companion with sake or beer.


Easy “tare” recipe for natto

soy sauce, 1 tbsp
mirin, 1/2 tbsp
dashi, 1.5 tbsp of water combined with a large pinch of powdered hondashi

Combine all ingredients, then heat in the microwave for 20 seconds.

The Science Behind Fermentation: slides from the class

 These are a few of the slides from our Science Behind Fermentation class, presented at the Discovery Center in Springfield, MO, on February 7, 2013. We'll be adding more information soon, as this is an ongoing project for us. Please keep in mind that there are many variations on fermenting techniques, and it is good to do adequate research on anything you are planning to ferment before starting. Enjoy!

February, 2010 & 2013

Walk to the tunnel on spongy squishy paths that should be frozen hard
Warm for February, but a little too soon for these thoughts of fecundity
Like waking up thirsty in the middle of the night
Still hours from dawn

As it is now, just a few faint words
Something first learned from an Incredible String Band song
“Ducks on a Pond”

There is a voice in the sunlight glistening on patches of frost
& another in the frost itself,
Talking and singing away the hours and years:
"Gone" as simple a word as "here."

Echigo Farm Asian Greens Salad Mix

 How is Echigo Farm salad mix different?

The answer is in the blend of greens, and the way of harvesting/packaging.

Our mix features a seasonal blend of between 5 and 8 different varieties of ancient, traditional Japanese greens, chosen carefully for variety of texture and flavor as well as balance of nutrients. We also look for varieties which are easily grown here without the need for expensive and non-sustainable inputs.

In the winter, we grow our mix greens in our high tunnels to provide them protection from the wind and cold, and extra warmth during the day. However, the greens in the tunnels are grown on the same natural, no-till, original soil beds that we use outside. We build our soil from the top down with organic rice hulls, sea minerals, fish emulsions, and other certified organic amendments. We also use cover crops and careful crop rotations to insure that our soils remain balanced and healthy.  Because of the risk of e-coli contamination, we use no raw manures or other animal products in our soils.

When harvesting the mix, we leave the greens whole and uncut, connected at the crown when possible. This keeps the greens fresher, locking in flavors and nutrients.

Less processing and no cutting also means a reduced chance of contamination. We keep our greens as clean and simple as we can for your health, safety, and enjoyment.

We pre-wash all of our greens when packing them; after cutting them for your salad, please lightly wash them again to remove any residual grit. As always, we never use any dangerous or synthetic chemicals on our plants or in our soils--you can be assured that Echigo Farm greens are clean and safe.

Here is what the mix contains:

wasabina--rich in iron and calcium, with a taste like wasabi
red karashina--a traditional mustard green
bekana--a loose-leaf cousin of napa cabbage
mizuna--an ancient cultivated green high in fiber and minerals
rocket--a sesame-like variety of arugula
mibuna--a delicate traditional green from Kyoto
spinach--unique Japanese variety with rich, umami taste
sweet white baby turnip--slice up the turnip and the greens both in your salad.

Together, this combination will provide you with a good supply of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamins A, B, C, and K, as well as dietary fiber.

You can use the mix in salads, stir-fries, or on tacos & sandwiches instead of lettuce.

On the farm, this is our favorite dressing recipe:

Vinegar, 80 ml
Vegetable oil, 160 ml
Sugar, 1 tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Onion, 1/2    
Grated ginger
Soy sauce, 1 tsp
Minced garlic

Mix in food processor or blender until smooth.

Add a tbsp of tahini for a creamier, richer taste.

You can also experiment with adding miso, ground sesame, and more.

春菊 Shungiku (edible chrysanthemum greens)

"Cold medicine you can eat"

Shungiku (literally, “Spring Chrysanthemum”) is also known as Garland Chrysanthemum and refers to the edible leaves of the species Chrysanthemum coronarium.

Shungiku has a long culinary history in Japan, where it was first recorded in 17th century agricultural journals.

Today shungiku is a common part of many Asian cuisines, including China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Shungiku also has a long standing role in Chinese medicine, where it has been used to control hot flashes as well as to build both resistance and resilience. In China, shungiku is known as “edible cold medicine.”

Shungiku nutrition

Shungiku is a representative cool weather green, rich in beta-carotene, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, iron, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber. 

100 g of shungiku contains:

4700 μg of carotene
0.1 mg of vitamin B1
21 mg of vitamin C 
120 mg of calcium
1.9 mg of iron
610 mg of potassium
1.0 g of dietary fiber

Particularly, shungiku contains more beta-carotene than spinach and other winter leafy greens. The beta-carotene in shungiku has an antioxidant action that helps control the function of free radicals and provides protection against cancer as well as having an anti-aging effect.

The balance of nutrients in shungiku has been shown to be effective against arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure. It is also good for easing constipation, protecting against colds, and increasing the appetite.

The distinct herb-like aroma of shungiku is produced by a combination of alpha-pinene (a compound also found in coniferous trees, rosemary, and eucalyptus oil) and benzaldehyde (the same compound found in bitter almonds). These two aromatic compounds together work on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) to promote the proper functioning of the stomach and intestines, resulting in better digestion and absorption of nutrients. It can also help stop excess mucus production and control coughing.

How to eat shungiku

Shungiku is more enjoyable and effective when used raw or very lightly cooked. Overcooking will destroy the aroma and result in a less satisfying texture. Think of it as somewhere halfway between a vegetable and a fresh herb.

Eat raw in salads.

Chop it up and add to soups in the last few minutes (2 or 3 minutes).

Blanch lightly and serve with a dressing.

Shungiku also makes a good addition to omelettes, pasta sauces, and more.