Enjoy planting your Fall garden as you continue to enjoy your Summer harvest!

Summer’s lease hath all to short a date.

-   William Shakespeare

With the dog days of summer in full swing, it may be hard to imagine fall as being right around the corner. In fact, late July through September is the best  time to extend your home garden’ s growing season by planting a fall garden. If you have been enjoying the fruits of your labor in your garden through the spring and summer you’re in for a double treat with your fall garden. Fall gardens take less time and work because the soil has already been worked up in the spring.

Many vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower actually do better when grown during the late summer and early fall months and some such as beets, kale and swiss chard develop an improved taste after being exposed to a light frost.

To prepare your garden for a fall harvest

• Remove any residue or debris from previous crops
• As in spring, spade or loosen the soil
• Add high quality organic fertilizer to replenish the nutrients used by your spring/summer crops
• Plant seeds according to their recommendations
• Keep the soil moist until your seeds germinate (this is especially important because you will be planting at the end of summer when soil tends to dry out quickly)

As summer comes to a close and fall approaches, frost presents a threat to many garden vegetables. However, there are many crops that are not effected by frost, or even moderate freezes and will continue to produce harvests well into the late fall moths. Some of the best fall producers are :

• Root crops (including, including beets, carrots, parsnips and turnips)
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Kohlrabi
• Swiss Chard
• Chinese Cabbage
• Kale

Other, more sensitive crops such as beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash will, if protected, continue to produce crops into the fall. Some recommended and effective way of protecting these plants in your garden are to cover them with boxes, tarps, plastic or blankets. Covering the plants allows them to stay warm and decreases the chance of an early or light frost killing them.

Here are a few recipes to encourage your appreciation of your fall garden!

Sautéed Swiss Chard Ribs with Cream and Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

Method

1 Separate the ribs from the greens. Cut the ribs into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces. Blanch the ribs in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes.

2 Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the drained, blanched ribs and simmer for 4 minutes. Add heavy cream and cook until cream reduces by two-thirds.

3 While the cream is reducing, cook up your pasta according to the pasta’s package directions.

4 Mix creamed chard with pasta. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Arugula Salad with Beets and Goat Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

Happy Gardening!

The Hottest Peppers on Earth can be great ingredients!

The hottest peppers on earth are intimidating just to look at and most of us are at a loss of how and what to cook with them!

As we explored in a previous post about the History of The Chili Pepper there are many Chili Peppers that have been revered through much of history.The world market demand for Hot Chili Peppers consistently increases. It would seem that we really do believe “the hotter the better”. This could be attributed to what is known as the “The chili high” that occurs due to the bloodstream being flooded with endorphins, after we eat a spicy pepper, as a form of pain relief.

The current Top Ten Hottest Chili Peppers each have a different look, flavor and appeal and, with a little practice,  each can be appreciated for its unique culinary qualities.

The World's Current Top Ten Hottest Chili Peppers

When cooking with these peppers, use care and caution. The oils can be irritating to your skin and it is generally recommended that you wear gloves when handling any of these peppers (ESPECIALLY the top 2!).
For variety, different peppers may be substituted in these recipes, however, keeping in mind the increased level of heat intensity, you may wish to decrease or increase the amount of pepper used based on your personal taste preference.

Hottest Pepper Recipes

1. Ghost Pepper Chili Cream Sauce and Coconut Crusted Monkfish

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onions, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup cream
• 3 Ghost Pepper (Naga Jolokia) chilies
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 1 large monkfish fillet
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt to taste
• Vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place Ghost Pepper (Naga Jolokias) chiles in a small pot, cover with water. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes until the chiles are softened.
2. Take the chilies out of the pot and blend into a paste in a food processor, adding a tablespoon of the water from the pot if necessary.
3. In a skillet, heat butter and add onions. Saute until translucent. Add the chili paste and cook for another minute.
4. Add cream and stir well to blend. Simmer for a few minutes until the cream reduces by 1/3. Blend and strain, then keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile,

5. Slice the monkfish into 1 inch rounds or other shapes, if desired.
6. Whisk the egg a little bit in a bowl.
7. Combine the flour, coconut, and salt in a shallow bowl or plate.
8. Heat oil in a skillet.
9. Dip the monkfish rounds into the egg, and coat with coconut-flour mixture. Place in a skillet and fry for a few minutes per side.

Serve monkfish with Jasmine rice and top with Ghost Chile Cream Sauce.

Devil’s Tongue Salt

Ingredients:

• 12 Devil’s Tongue Peppers
• Orange Peel
• 1/3 cup coarse Sea Salt

Directions:

1. Toast the chilies in a skillet on a high heat for a few minutes
2. Place in spice grinder along with a little bit of orange peel and the coarse sea salt. Pulse all ingredients together a few times.

This salt would is a great addition to many different dishes according to an individual taste.

Pork Meatballs with Chocolate Habaneros

Ingredients:

• 1lb ground pork
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 egg
• 6 Chocolate Habanero Peppers (or, 3 Ghost Peppers) -very finely diced
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix all ingredients except cheese in a large bowl until well combined
3. Divide meat mixture into 8 portions and roll into balls
4. Put a little of the shredded cheese in each meatball and seal the hole
5. Place meatballs on a cookie sheet or in an ovenproof casserole dish
6. Bake for 25 min at 350
7. Without taking meatballs out of the oven, increase temperature to 450 and continue to cook for 11 to 14 more minutes, until meatballs are slightly browned
8. Remove from oven and serve immediately or they can be refrigerated and reheated

Hot Peppers are also delicious in pickling, salsas and a variety of sauces. Get creative with your peppers and you will find the spice will continue to grow on you!

Enjoy your cooking and Happy Endorphin rush to you!

The Hottest Peppers on Earth can be great ingredients!

Chili Pepper, Spicy Peppers, Hot Peppers...whatever you call them, the timeless fact is, we are enamored with them!

The History of the Beloved Chili Pepper

For more than 8,000 years, people have been finding creative ways to integrate the Chili Pepper into our diets. We crave the sensation of spice and the “heat” that only the Chili Pepper can provide.

7000-6000BC:

The first known records of the Chili Pepper were found by Archaeologists at burial sites in Peru.

3991 BC:

Chili Peppers are known to have been “domesticated” and used to season foods in Central America and, specifically, in SW Ecuador.

1400-400BC:

The Olmecs, Totonacas and Huaxtecas developed an agriculture based on corn, beans, squash, wild animals and fish. They seasoned their foods with Chili Peppers, herbs and other spices.
The Olmecs were an ancient civilization living in south-central Mexico

370-286BC:

The Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, wrote about Capsicum in one of his 200 botanical treatise.
Theophrastus wrote so extensively on the nature of plants and his knowledge was so remarkable that he is often referred to as the father of botany.

40-100:

Roman poet Martialis known best for his clever Epigrams, described the “Piper Crudum” or Raw Pepper. His description was of a long pepper containing seeds. This description does not fit a description of the Black Pepper and has been interpreted as referring to a Chili Pepper.

400:

The Ancient Aztecs and Mayans were the first known civilizations to serve Hot Chocolate. They flavored it, not with sugar, but with Chili Pepper!
Try it!

Chili Pepper Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 red chili pepper, split with seeds removed
• 1 cinnamon stick, around 3-4″
• 1/2 oz chocolate (bittersweet)

Preparation:

• Simmer milk in a saucepan with vanilla bean, cinnamon and chili. Heat through for about a minute.
• Whisk in grated chocolate, and continue to simmer until melted
• Remove from heat and let ‘steep’ for another 10 minutes.
• Strain out the spices and serve.

Serves 2.

1493:

Christopher Columbus encountered Chili Peppers in the Caribbean and called them “peppers” because of their similarity in taste (not appearance) to the Old World Peppers (genus: piper).
A physician on Columbus’ Voyage by the name of Diego Alvarex Chanca, brought the first Chili Peppers to Spain.
Chilis were very popular to grow in monastery gardens.
Portuguese traders brought the Peppers to many countries including, Persia, India and Indonesia.

1494:

Physician Diego Alvarex Chanca wrote about and published medicinal effects of Chilis he also described them as a principal food of the “Native Americans” and compared them to the Turnip.

1912:

In 1912, Wilbur L. Scoville, a pharmacist, developed the first modern technique for measuring a pepper’s “heat”.
The Scoville Heat Unit is still used as a numerical way to compare pepper’s bite.

The Scoville Scale gives a great comparison of well known and rare Peppers

Scoville’s methods are slowly being replaced by a new method of measuring pungency known as High Pressure Liquid Chromatography.

1956:

Newsweek magazine published a story on a pepper-eating contest held near the home of the famous Tabasco sauce, in the Bayou Teche country of Louisiana.
The article reported the Jalapeño pepper to be the “the hottest pepper known.” It stated the jalapeño is “more fiery than the green Tabasco or red cayenne.”

1987:

The Cayenne pepper is shown to be an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and dietary fiber.

1990

The Habanero takes the place of the Jalapeno as the pepper with the title of “The Hottest Pepper on Earth”.

1994 – 1996:

Red Savina named “The Hottest Pepper” by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Red Savina is a cultivar of the Habanero that was selectively bred in Walnut, California.

2006:

Study finds Tarantula venom to have chemicals that target the same pain receptors as Capsicum, the substance in Chili Peppers that gives them their “bite”.

2007-Present:

The Naga Jolokia- also known as the Bhot Jolokia, Dorset Naga, Naga Morich, Ghost Pepper and King Cobra Chili- officially replaced the Red Savina as the Hottest Chili in the World by Guinness World Records.

As we continue our love affair with discovering how “hot” the Pepper can get, mother nature seems to continue to provide with surprise after surprise!

Red Russian Kale is not frequently found in supermarkets and is a great addition to your home garden!

This heirloom Kale gets its name from the belief that Russians brought it to America in the early 1800s.

Red Russian Kale, also known as “Ragged Jack” after it’s mention in an illustrated vegetable garden book by Vilmorin-Andrieux, is easily recognizable by its blue-green leaves and reddish veining.

Kale is high in Beta-Carotene, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Potassium. Red Russian Kale is sweeter, more tender and sturdier than other Kales and Spinaches and is perfect for soups and stir-fries.

For extra flavor, the leaves can be picked when they are still tender and small. For a little extra storage time, dip the leaves in cold water prior to storing.

Kale is a great Late-Summer/Early-Fall crop. Try these recipes and fully enjoy the great flavor of your Red Russian Kale.

Zuppa Toscana

Based on a popular restaurant starter soup.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package smoked sausage
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 6 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups kale – washed, dried, and shredded
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 quart water
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until
   done. Cut links in half lengthwise, then cut at an angle into 1/2-inch
   slices.
3. Place onions and bacon slices in a large saucepan and cook over medium
   heat until onions are almost clear. Remove bacon and crumble. Set
   aside. Note- You can saute the kale at this step for extra richness in its flavor!
4. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1 minute. Add chicken
   soup base, water, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes. Note- This is where I prefer to add my kale! Russian kale will take the simmer without losing its texture and flavor.
5. Add crumbled bacon, sausage, kale, and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve.

Stir-Fried Kale and Broccoli Florets

An unusual side dish, a light fall lunch or dinner starter.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 7 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 chile pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 head fresh broccoli, chopped
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut in thin strips
• juice of 2 limes
• salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Stir in garlic and chile pepper; cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in broccoli; cook 1 minute. Add kale, and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Pour in lime juice, and season with salt to taste. Toss well.

Pork Tenderloin & Steamed Kale

Beautiful showcase of pork and kale. Tenderloin can be marinated for a few hours, up to overnight…for extra flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons dried cilantro
• 1 teaspoon cracked peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
• 1 pound kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a small bowl , whisk olive oil with lime juice. Season with cilantro, garlic salt, and peppercorns. 
2. Brush the pork tenderloin with three tablespoons of the lime dressing. Wrap in aluminum foil, and place on in a large baking dish. Roast in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.  Note- can be slow grilled on indirect heat on a BBQ if the weather is too hot or you want a smoky flavor!
3. While the tenderloin is cooking, place kale in a steamer. Cook for 20 minutes, or until tender. You can saute the kale now for a more intense flavor.
4. Slice the pork tenderloin into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Serve on top of the kale. Whisk the remaining dressing, and drizzle over pork and kale. Make sure to serve the kale under and on the side of the pork, don’t just use it as a garnish! It adds a depth of flavor to the pork.

Heirloom Bean, Red Russian Kale and Wheat Berry Chili

A delicious way to warm an early Fall day.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups cooked fresh Mixed Heirloom Beans
• 2 cups Wheat Berries, cooked
• 1 large bunch Red Russian Kale, roughly chopped
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1 Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 14 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
• 6 cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Chili Powder
• Pinch of Jamaican Allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 2 tsp Blue Agave Nectar (or Light Brown Sugar)
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 Avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, chopped
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the Olive Oil until it’s hot but not smoking. Add the Garlic, and saute until fragrant…about 30 seconds. Add in the Onion, Pepper, Jamaican Allspice, Chili Powder, Cumin, Salt and Pepper, and saute for 5-7 minutes, until tender.
2. Add the Canned Tomatoes, Heirloom Beans, Broth and Agave. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Allow to simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Add Kale and Cooked Wheat Berries to the pot, and allow the Kale to wilt and the Wheat Berries to heat through…about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, add in Lime Juice and taste for Salt and Pepper. Serve garnished with diced Avocado and Cilantro.

Enjoy!