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nickfromphilly
nickfromphilly
7 years ago

Jack great show and timing awesome with all the winter weather it helps get one in a good frame mind.

thought thou you have mention in several shows that you got X from the market. maybe do a show or maybe two on stuff one can get from a market and use like the beets mentioned in today’s show

thank you sir for all you do as well as the council

Mark
Mark
7 years ago

Some of these sound great but I don’t have a clue to their Zone .

Jason
Jason
7 years ago

Great show Jack.  I have one more pepper you may want to add, a chiltepin pepper, it’s native to Texas, is a perennial that lives up to 50 years.

Down side is they can get a bit warm.

Much appreciated Jack.

JimW
JimW
7 years ago

Have you tried Crenshaw Melon?  It was noticeable better than cantaloupe when I was given one last year.

Melanie
Melanie
7 years ago

Has anyone grown cucuzza squash? I was reminded of it when listening to the part of the podcast about trombone zucchini.

DaveW
DaveW
7 years ago

These melons are not bitter like the name suggests, I think something was lost in translation.  I would consider green persimmons and the pith in pecans to be bitter.  These have a very strong, very fresh “stinging” flavor.  They don’t sting you at all, that is just the best way I can think of to describe the flavor.  Very strong mustard greens before a frost have this same attribute.

Bitter Melon Stuffed with Ground Pork and Shrimp Recipe: (Canh Kho Qua)

Mix ground pork and finely chopped shrimp (60/40 to 70/30) with salt, pepper, fish sauce and finely chopped fresh cilantro, green onions and hot peppers, I like the tabascos.  If you want to add some garlic, fresh basil or other fresh herbs, go ahead.

Cut the melon in about 3″ sections and remove all the seeds leaving a hollow tube.

Stuff the melons with the pork/shrimp mixture.

Form the excess mixture into 1″ balls.  We usually end up with about 1 ball for every chunk of stuffed melon.

Fill a good sized pot with water and add the melon sections and the balls.

Season the water with Garlic Salt (or regular salt) a little sugar some halved tabascos and some fish sauce.   You don’t want to over season the broth, it should be pretty light.

Bring to a boil and reduce to a strong simmer for about 15 minutes or until the center of the pork is done.  Skim the foam off while it is simmering.

At the end, add a hand full of chopped cilantro and green onions.

Serve it over jasmine rice with PLENTY of broth.

There are plenty of variations of this.  Some use wood ear mushrooms and mung bean noodles instead of the shrimp so feel free to experiment.

To make the melons less strong you can blanch and drain them before stuffing.

DaveW
DaveW
7 years ago

Maybe, I don’t really taste bitterness and have been substituting astringency for that sensation.  There is a pretty interesting Wiki article about “taste” that gets into the perception of bitterness and genetics along with a companion article about “supertasters”.

This is really interesting when taken in context with the book The Dorito Effect by Mark Schatzker.

I think you would find this book to be a combination of both fascinating and preaching to the choir.  If you read it, it will be an Item of the Day before you finish.

At least check out the amazon description.
 
 

Dan
Dan
7 years ago

I planted a regular sorrel a few years ago.  Now every year it comes back in a clump in my yard.  We never found a use for it so it just grows and I mow it over in the fall.  We will have to see if it comes back after the sub zero southern Pennsylvania winter we had so far.

Jonatham Rexford
Jonatham Rexford
7 years ago

This is one of my favorite episodes.  We love Datil Peppers.

Lynn Nilsson
Lynn Nilsson
7 years ago

Great show as always.  I just recently joined the MSB, but I’ve been enjoying your podcasts for a year.  If you’re looking for another source for Sweet Datil peppers check out jim Duffy at Refining Fire Chilies,  http://www.superhotchiles.com.  he has a huge variety of pepper seeds and plants, he runs specials on both, and may be interested in giving discounts to MSB members.  I’ve bought seeds and plants from him for years, all are naturally grown, isolated, and non gmo, he’s a good dude.

 

http://store.myorganicseeds.com/Sweet-Datil-Pepper-10-Seeds-P4990476.aspx

 

Thanks again!

John Spaulding
John Spaulding
7 years ago

For anyone wanting to grow datils (or just about any other pepper) without the need to start from seed, live plants can be ordered from either Cross Country Nursery (http://www.chileplants.com/) or The Chile Woman (http://www.thechilewoman.com/). Shipping can get pricey depending on where you live, but both sources provide EXCELLENT quality plants. I have used both over the years, and continue to go back.

Rick
Rick
7 years ago

Jack,

I really enjoyed the show and have ordered most of the seeds/plants you talked about. Looking forward to having new items to cook with later this summer.

Thanks much!