The Grown Diaries

The pineapple is a native of South America and is a member of the bromeliad family. Here are some other fun facts, according to the Wikipedia Pineapple article:

• Hummingbirds are its natural pollinators.
• The fruit develops from many smaller berries fusing together.
• Wild pineapples will contain one seed for each flower that produced the fruit. However, most commercially grown pineapples do not contain any seeds.
• Common cultivated varieties include Red Spanish, Hilo, Smooth Cayenne, St. Michael, Kona Sugarloaf, Natal Queen, and Pernambuco. The flesh is very tart, except for varieties such as the Del Monte Gold which are bred for sweetness.
• The diamonds on the surface of a pineapple form two interlocking spirals, eight go in one direction, thirteen in the other - both of which are Fibonacci numbers. This is one of many examples of Fibonacci numbers appearing in nature.

I came across an entry on the blog ma’ona, How to cut pineapple like a local, which has some good tips on how to do just that.

I procured a pineapple from our local market and while the fruit is not grown locally per se, it’s technically only one state over from California, right? ;) Anyhow, after reviewing the slicing instructions, I began the dismantling.

Okay, the aesthetic portion of the evening’s entertainment was rather lacking, but the results were well worth the sacrifice. :) Denyse, who loves pineapple anyhow, said this was some of the best she has ever had. The fruit was quite juicy and thus a bit slippery, so the poodle nearly had a couple of tastes of his own on accident. A burst of juice and sugary goodness filled the mouth, like candy.

This brings up an intriguing idea again, which struck me during the Granny Smith and Gala Apples article — how much we lose by neglecting fruit in lieu of severely processed candy. Obvious, yes, but sometimes you have to state it out loud, as a reminder if nothing else.

Anyhow, the final judgment: pineapple, at least if it’s good pineapple, rocks. Now to cook with it….

Life, as they say, is an adventure. Or it can be made into one at times.

As adventures go, confronting a dreaded vegetable is probably lower on the danger scale than, say, herding an ill-tempered goat. There is, however, less of a chance of spontaneous vomiting with the goat.

Let us identify our enemy: broccoli. Even the name doesn’t have a particularly appetizing sound. This is one test where “Groan Diaries” might be a more appropriate title for the site.

What is it exactly? Wikipedia to the rescue:

Even though they can be quite friendly, the larger ones will bite to protect themselves if you squeeze them….

Oh, sorry, that’s the Jumping spider, which is almost as freaky as today’s taste test target:

Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family…[and] possesses abundant fleshy green flower heads arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The large mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli most closely resembles its close relative cauliflower, but is green rather than white.

Shudder.

Broccoli is a cool-weather crop that does poorly in hot summer weather. It is usually boiled or steamed, but may be eaten raw and has become popular as a raw vegetable in hors-d’oeuvre trays. Broccoli is high in vitamin C and soluble fiber. Broccoli also contains the compound glucoraphanin, leading to an anticancer compound sulforaphane.

So there you have it.

When I asked Tom in an IM what his favorite broccoli preparation method was, he mentioned the popular dipping it in cheese. I had to tell him — much to my dismay — that cheese dipping wouldn’t work for Grown Diaries purposes, because I know I like cheese. :) In searching for various recipes (I wasn’t about to start raw with this one), I came across a couple of variations on a spicy broccoli theme, which I took a step further by enhancing the Asian-like flavor and substituting a grilling rather than a sautee. (I could finally christen my “grill wok” I got last Christmas. ;)

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Here’s the basic recipe for Spicy Grilled Broccoli.

• One smallish head of broccoli
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (Tom’s suggestion)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• Coarse salt

Cut off large stem of the broccoli head and cut remainder into individual spears. Simmer in 1 inch of water until tender, between 5-10 minutes. Remove broccoli and drain.

Put broccoli, oil, pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and chopped garlic in a plastic container or zipped bag and shake well to cover.

Transfer contents to grill wok over high heat to briefly sear. (Watch for oil flareups.) Keep the spears moving and separated. Note that smaller spears will grill up faster than the larger ones.

Remove from grill once seared and sprinkle with coarse salt to taste.

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Note: this is the first time in my life, at least that I can remember, that I enjoyed eating broccoli. I ate too much, though, and managed to nauseate myself. Oh the dangerous gauntlets I run, the sacrifices I make. ;D After a good brush and floss, as well as mouthwash gargle, I’m mostly better. Still iffy.

Impressions: the smaller pieces tasted better, but I think that’s because at that size the pepper and garlic were able to counteract the inherently and overly strong broccoli taste, so there was a balance there. I wonder if blanching them might not be a bad idea, to reduce some of that strength. Lord knows enough of the “flavor” suffused the kitchen during the brief simmer. (Denyse came in and told me she hoped it tasted better than it smelled. ;) Of course, we might lose some of those vitamins and other good stuff in the boiling.

So, all in all I would say this taste test was a qualified success — I ate and enjoyed (at least at first) some broccoli, albeit by masking its natural flavor with pepper and garlic. This is progress, if nothing else.

My journey through the world of apples continues today with two new (to me) cultivars:

The Granny Smith was super tasty, very tart, with a unique liquid juiciness to it separate from the solid fleshy texture. The skin seems a bit tougher or thicker than the Red and Golden Delicious ones I’ve tried so far, but it doesn’t detract from the presentation at all.

This may be one of my new favorite fruits. Like candy, but so much better. Imagine buying a piece of tart candy that size. How much would it cost you? How would you feel after eating it? How would you feel about eating it?

I love the name, too — I imagine an old grandma who has a tart tongue, a family matriarch, immortalized in the name of a sweet treat. Even more interesting in that there was a Granny Smith. According to its Wikipedia article, this ‘cultivar (originated) in Australia around 1865 from a chance seedling propagated by Marie Ana (Granny) Smith. It is thought to be a seed from Malus sylvestris, the European Wild Apple, with the domestic apple M. domestica as the pollenizer; if this origin is correct, it is a hybrid.’ However, it didn’t arrive in the United States until 1972. Their loss.

Next up, after a palate-cleansing with water, was the Gala apple. My first impression was, ‘Wow, this is different.’ I enjoyed that initial taste, but it was very different than the other apple varities I’ve tried so far. Not as juicy or out-and-out flavorful as the Granny Smith, but still tasty. Skin much thinner than the last, as well. According to the all-knowing Wikipedia: ‘Gala apples were developed in New Zealand in the 1920s by orchardist J.H. Kidd. They are a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd’s Orange Red.’

There was a subtle, familiar taste in the background I was trying to figure out for a few bites, then tracked it to an licorice/anise taste (confirmed by Tom Bridge as a star anise taste in the skin). Not overwhelming by any means, but an interesting counterpoint.

So two successful taste tests today. Many thanks to Granny Smith and J.H. Kidd the Orchardist — both from Down Under, coincidentally — for your work. The world is a better place thanks to you.

Today’s Grown Diaries selection is a bit of a ringer.

The Golden Delicious apple is one ‘cultivar’ (cultivated variety) of this ubiquitous fruit, one which is grown in the U.S. and Europe. According to this wikipedia article, it was discovered in West Virginia in 1914 and was originally called Mullin’s Yellow Seedling. Interestingly, it is not related to the popular Red Delicious.

I mentioned this was a ringer selection, which is because I already love eating Red Delicious apples. It isn’t completely out of order, though, since this whole re-education process began earlier this year with the Red Delicious as one of its initial taste tests. I have one of them almost every day. With that in mind, and given my liking them, it made sense to begin broadening my apple knowledge.

Even if the two apple cultivars are not directly related, I found there to be a certain similarity between them, in texture and taste. Of course I can’t base all Golden Delicious on this one example, but by comparision it seemed not as sweet as most of the Red Delicious I’ve had — or perhaps a different sort of sweetness. It was, however, very tasty and something I would not in the future turn down. It’s good to know, too, that if the Red Delicious at the market aren’t looking good one day, I can grab a few of these instead.

I’m looking forward to continuing the apple explorations soon, as there are a number of other popular varieties from which to sample.

The kiwifruit (also known as the Chinese Gooseberry or, in the U.S., as just kiwi) is a tropical fruit that originated in China, appropriately enough, and was brought to New Zealand in the 20th Century. Its familiar name comes from its supposed resemblance to the cute national bird of NZ. It has hairy greenish skin, which can either attract or scare off potential consumers. Me, I think it looks cool, and feels cool, too. It’s fuzzy! And it’s an anagram for wiki! How can you not like it?

Well, considering my biased boycotting of most fruit in my childhood, I would not have liked it. But this is a new day, yes?

So in the spirit of international warm fuzzies, as it were, I bought a couple of kiwifruit at the local market earlier today. One is from Chile, the other from New Zealand. I can tell the difference between them easily, thanks to the handy stickers on the outside.

I think this pretty much disqualifies me from the recent Eat Local Challenge, although kiwifruit is grown in California as well, which the California KiwiFruit Commission will be glad to tell you about.

I’ve tasted kiwifruit before, but as little slices in a dessert of some sort. And of course, in various kiwi-infused fruit drinks. I enjoy the flavor.

The first thing I had to do was figure out how the hell to eat one of these things. Step one: Internet research, which is how I came across the California KiwiFruit Commission link above. And right there on the front page — What’s the Best Way to Eat Kiwifruit? Try Slooping it!

‘Slooping’ conjures up some sort of small watercraft, not so much disassembling and eating a fruit. With the strains of The Beach Boys’ Sloop John B running through my head, I read up on slooping.

How do you sloop a kiwi, California or otherwise?

First, cut it in half…

…then scoop out the innards with a spoon. And eat….

And that’s it. Well, there was one more thing to consider. The CKFC made this dare: ‘…if you’re really, really brave, eat the skin too — it’s loaded with nutrition!’

Don’t go daring me, buddy.

So I slooped a kiwi, which sounds like I did something rude to a native of New Zealand, and then I ate its skin, which sounds even worse.

The inner fruit was a sweet, flavorful joy to eat, with a mouth-melting consistency dotted with seeds that burst into even more flavor. I’m not usually one for seeds and seedy textures (peruse previous pickle post), but this was just great. There was a certain strawberry quality to it, though with what I can only describe as a tropical tinge to it. I can see why this would be popular in desserts, as its half-melon, half-berry state would be perfect in a lot of different presentations.

Even the skin was good, with the ‘fur’ not really that noticeable except as a bit of a fuzzy texture amongst a greater burst of flavor — deeper than the fruit, and the tiniest bit grainy. Fuzzy one side, slimy on the other. Mmm. ;)

This was the New Zealand fruit, which I thought would be more appropriate for my first taste test; I’ve saved the Chilean for lunch tomorrow. The New Zealand one was Zespri brand, as described in the Kiwifruit Wikipedia article, which also says, ‘Kiwifruit can be eaten whole, like an apple; cut in half and eaten, like a passionfruit or peeled and sliced, like a pineapple.’

Well, I really dig apples (I also got my favorite Red Delicious tonight, along with some Golden Delicious which I haven’t tried yet), so that’s a plus. But I don’t think I’ve had passionfruit before, or at least not that I can remember. That’s one for the list, as is pineapple, which I have tried and do think I’ll like again. I’ll have to keep an eye out for Californian kiwifruit.

The kiwifruit made up tremendously for the pickle challenge earlier today. Fruits versus vegetables — I’m noticing a theme emerging. :)

My wife, Denyse, loves pickles. Whether a whole pickle at the deli or these ‘hamburger dill chips’ that she likes to line her hot dog buns with, she’s a definite pickle fiend.

Me, not so much.

Actually: me, no way, no how.

Apart from today, I’m not sure I know of any occasion in my life that I ate a pickle on purpose. I have eaten many accidentally — usually on hamburgers at fast-food places that forgot or ignored my request for ‘no pickles, no tomatoes.’ And unlike tomatoes slices, the little pickle chips hide easily under cheese or lettuce or sauce. Like vinegary landmines, that sickening moment of pickle-taste exploding in the mouth… ewwww!

Meet my nemesis:

People eat these. On purpose.

I ate these today.

What’s my problem with the lowly pickle? Texture, mostly, but also taste. Very, very tart. But much as I described in a previous post regarding tomatoes, I am going to need to deconstruct the pickle experience a bit.

First off, I love vinegary things. Salt and vinegar potato chips/crisps. Malt vinegar on fish. Filipino chicken adobo suffused with vinegar. I could eat these items every day.

Cucumbers, however… no. A day without cucumbers is a good day. ;) Don’t know if that would have anything to do with this, especially — Denyse doesn’t like cucumbers, either.

As she pointed out when I mentioned I was going to try these, the hamburger dill pickle should not be held representative of pickle-kind. Also, as we discussed afterwards, these are probably best eaten on something.

Like a hamburger.

Oh, the humanity.

But, back to today’s taste test. As I began, I noticed that I was rushing through the chewing process, trying to get it over with. So I deliberately slowed down, which took effort — the texture on the tongue set off the usual negative reaction. Slimy, crisp-but-gushy. Seeds. Blech.

However, I did eat all three on the plate. I tried to sit with the taste, sort of analyzing it while I chewed, resisting the urge to drink my water while I experienced the aftertaste. And that was that.

Sometimes, I think it is hard in this confrontation process to separate out what I’m doing with what’s actually happening, i.e. ‘I’m eating a freaking pickle! I hate pickles!’ versus ‘OK, this is an interesting, full-bodied taste that’s familiar yet new.’ For some reason, I am reminded of that scene in the Abyss where Ed Harris is about to dive into the depths and he’s in that sketchy moment of trying to adjust to breathing fluid instead of air.

Of course when you’re eating a hamburger dill pickle chip, you aren’t really eating just a slice of pickled cucumber:

Yikes.

But never mind that for now. Beginning the pickle journey with a single step, we find a measure of success in eating three small samples, however laden with numbered ingredients. Maybe my next time confronting these, it will be at a fast-food place, and I’ll keep quiet about leaving stuff off my hamburger. Maybe I’ll eat it with everything still on it.

On purpose.