Braised Red Cabbage – That is All

No matter how basic or boring an ingredient or dish is, I can usually come up with something to pontificate on, but for this lovely braised red cabbage recipe, I’ve got absolutely nothing.

I could go on about how I’m not sure what that color red is called, but I did that in the video. I could joke about taking one for the team, and keeping this side dish purely vegetarian for a change, but there’s nothing funny about not adding bacon.

I could suggest a few easy ways to turn this into an amazing one-dish meal, by adding some smoked sausage or leftover pork ribs, but that’s probably so obvious that I’d be insulting your intelligence.

Or, I could have gone into a great, old prep cook anecdote about how I won $10 from a pastry chef in 1987 by juggling red cabbages on the hotline during service, but that would have meant making up the story, since it was actually cantaloupes.

No, I’m not going to mention any of that. Ill simply suggest that if you want an easy, gorgeous looking, and very tasty vegetable side dish, then you should give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4-6 portions:

2 tbsp butter

1 small Red cabbage, sliced thin, about a 1 1/4 pounds

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup red wine

2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste

2 tbsp white sugar

pinch of caraway seeds

salt and pepper to taste

*Note: there are SO many ways to tweak this recipe! Raisins, currants, shallots, onions, leeks, apples, and pears are just a few things that rock in this recipe.

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Smoked Haddock Bake for St Andrews Day Night In

On the day that Scotlands First Minister, Alex Salmond, launched the SNPs independence blueprint, which argues the nation would prosper should there be a "Yes" vote in next Septembers referendum, I thought it was rather appropriate to post a recipe for  St Andrews Day Night In  Whatever your views on Scotlands Independence debate, you cant deny that there is some fabulous produce in Scotland or that Scots know how to celebrate!

So who was St Andrew?

• St Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland
• St Andrew is celebrated on 30 November
• St Andrews Day is a day to celebrate Scottish culture, food and dance
• St Andrews flag is the flag of Scotland
• The flag is in the form of a white X on a blue background and is commonly known as The Saltire
• St Andrews Societies celebrate Scottish culture around the world
• St Andrews Day is a bank holiday in Scotland but entitlement to leave depends on the employer
• St Andrew is also the patron saint of Romania, Greece and Russia
• Scotland is one of the few countries to have one of Christs disciples as their patron saint
• St Andrew was one of the Twelve Apostles (disciples of Jesus) and brother of St Peter
• St Andrew is believed to have died on a diagonally transversed cross which the Romans sometimes used for executions and which, therefore, came to be called St Andrews Cross
• St Andrews Day is connected with Advent, which begins on the first Sunday after November 26
• St Andrews Day marks the beginning of Scotlands winter festivals.

St Andrews Day falls on 30 November and is a bank holiday in Scotland, with many organisations enjoying a day off and events taking place across the country to celebrate St Andrews Day in a patriotic fashion, sadly I dont get this day as a holiday, but this year it is on a Saturday so most people will be able to celebrate the day.   The last few years have seen many more events taking place across the country with a number of Scotland’s historic attractions allowing free admission for the day.
Information from Scotland.Org

Seafood Scotlands Young Chef of the Year, Adam Newth, has created a couple of fish dishes for Scotland.org, the Gateway to Scotland.  I made the Smoked Haddock Bake after a long day preparing for a pre-Christmas family feast.  It was so quick easy to make and pop into the oven, everything is in one dish, we really enjoyed it.  There are lovely contrasting textures of salty, smoky fish, creamy but sharp creme fraiche, tender pieces of potato and the crispy breadcrumb and parmesan mix on top.  The dish also contains broadbeans and peas making it a great one pot meal.

Check out the rest of the St Andrews Day menu and maybe you could have a St Andrews Night In this Saturday?

I was not paid to write this post and all opinions are my own.

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Announcing Cooking Concepts 6 – Chocolate Fest

I wish everyone a very Happy, Joyful, Successful, Colorful, Brightful Rocking New Year…

Hope everyone had great and fun filled celebrations!!!

Coming to this month’s cooking concept is “Chocolate Fest”. I am a huge fan of chocolate. As such everyone loves chocolate of any form from kids to elders. 

So why waiting friends it’s time for chocolate entries. You can use chocolate of any form like semisweet, dark or white, milk, cocoa powder or carob powder (used as a substitute for chocolate for people who are allergic to chocolate).  Don’t just confine to desserts, it can include all kinds like entrees, beverages, appetizers, pasta and so on. 

Here are some guidelines

•             Make recipes which fit this month’s concept

•             Please link back to this page.

•             Only Vegetarian dishes, Egg is allowed in baking.

•             Use of logo is mandatory which helps to spread the word.


 Non bloggers can also send me the recipes along with the picture to sravscc@gmail.com.

Hope to see you all participating 

Please Use the below Linky tool to link the recipes.

);

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Gong Pao Ji Ding Kung Pao Chicken

Gong Bao Ji Ding (Kung Pao Chicken)
With few exceptions, in American Chinese restaurants, Gong Bao Ji Ding is rife with ingredients not usually found in the mainland versions: water chestnuts, green peppers, broccoli, baby corn and a multitude of “fillers” which lower the restaurants’ food cost and dilute the traditional dish.  In Sichuan, the de-facto home of this dish, the presentation generally contains only chicken breast meat, peanuts, chilies, chili sauce and other seasonings.  As always, the name and origin of the dish is obscured by time and folklore.  Most commentators agree that it is named after a Qing dynasty Sichuan governor,  whose title was Gong Bao.  The Ji Ding translates as “chicken cut into small cubes.” Even with the changes it has gone through coming to the states, the popularity of Kung Pao Chicken is a testament to the simple genius of the dish.  Gong Bao Ji Ding is just as well known in China.  No Sichuan restaurant on the mainland would be complete without it.
You will find that in this version of Gong Bao Ji Ding the main flavoring ingredients are somewhat large, sliced pieces; this not only visually mimics the shape of the cubed chicken, but produces potent bursts of flavor which characterizes this fiery dish.

11-12 oz boned and skinned, cubed approx. 5/8”
4 – 8 dried chilis, cut into 1” sections
1” x 1” pc ginger, peeled and thinly sliced—cut slices in quarters
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
3 or 4 green onions, white portion cut into 1” lengths; garnish with greens
3 oz. Peanuts
1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn (Hua Jiao)

Sauce:

2 – 3 tsp red chili sauce
1 rounded TAB of sugar, palm sugar or honey
1 Tab soy
Tab Shao Xing or rice wine
1 – 2 tsp Chinkiang vinegar
1/4 cup stock
Cornstarch slurry
Sesame oil

Marinate the chicken cubes in wine, soy, sugar and cornstarch.  Section the chilis, retaining the seeds if you prefer the full effects of the spice.  Peel and slice the ginger and garlic; section the green onion and diagonally slice the greens to use as a garnish.
I prefer to wok roast raw peanuts, as they develop a more robust peanut flavor and crunchy texture.  To do this, put raw peanuts (with or without skins) into a medium hot wok and add a dash of peanut oil.  Toss the peanuts constantly as they will burn in only a few seconds if left unturned.  Increase the heat as needed to brown the nuts, but they must reach a sufficient internal temperature to drive out their moisture, so do not roast them too quickly.  It should take 15 or 20 minutes to do this.  Obviously, you can use pre-roasted peanuts and save the time.  In any case, be sure to add the peanuts to the dish at the last minute, to preserve their texture. Thehua jiao should be tossed for a minute in a med hot wok to refresh it; crush the peppercorns with the flat of the cleaver, and set aside for garnish.
Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.  Red chili sauce is available in a dizzying variety of forms and brands at Asian groceries; the popular Thai chili sauce, Sriracha, works well and is available even in standard grocery stores.  The amount can vary, according to your taste; however,  red chili sauce is usually acidic and should be balanced with at least equal parts sugar, making Gong Bao Ji Ding a traditionally sweet and sour dish.
On high heat, using 4 or 5 tablespoons of peanut oil, stir-fry the chicken cubes until they are browned and cooked through.  Remove with bamboo handled strainer or slotted spoon and set aside. Add more oil if necessary and stir-fry the chilies for a few seconds until they darken, then add ginger, garlic and onions.  When these have just begun to brown, stir sauce ingredients and add to the wok, then thicken with slurry as soon as it boils.  Add back the chicken; off the heat, quickly stir in the peanuts, plate the Gong Bao Ji Ding, garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil, green onion shreds and hua jiao.

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Sweet Idiyappam Sweet Sevai

Sweet Idiyappam
Ingredients

Idiyappam- 10 nos

Fresh Coconut( shredded)- 1/4 cup

Sugar- 5 tbsp

Cardamom( crushed)- 2 nos

Inippu Idiyappam

Method

Tear and break idiyappam into tiny pieces.

In a deep bowl add the Idiyappam pieces, shredded coconut, sugar and crushed cardamom. Mix the above with fingers until all ingredients are well blended. Spoon the sweet idiyappam on a plate and serve along with freshly squeezed coconut milk.

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KUMQUAT PICKLE SPICY

Looks like its kumquats season everywhere. I just couldn’t resist buying a big box of kumquats from the Chinese market where we do our weekly grocery purchase. Kumquats are very interesting fruits. The outer peel is edible and very sweet with the inside flesh a little bit sour. If something is sour, then there are chances that it could end up in a pickle ;) If you are a big fan of lemon pickles, you are sure to get crazy over these kumquats pickle. I have followed a very simple procedure here with some seasoning. I think this pickle can also be prepared the same way as usual Indian lemon pickles. The kumquats can also be left whole during pickling and pickle powder can also be added.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Kumquats, around 15.
2. Sesame oil, ¼ cup.
3. Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon,
4. Red chilies, 2.
5. Curry leaves, a few.
6. Chili powder, ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon depending upon preferred heat level.
7. Asafetida, a pinch.
8. Salt, ½ teaspoon.

PREPARATION:
Wash the kumquats well and cut them into halves or quarters (the halves can be soaked with another teaspoon of salt for an hour to two before pickling, we are cutting down on our salt intake, so I have omitted this step). Heat a pan with the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and red chilies along with the asafetida and fry for a few seconds. Then add the chili powder and salt and let it fry in the oil for 203 seconds. Add the kumquats now and mix everything well. Keep cooking under low flame for 5-10 minutes until the kumquats are soft. Let it cool and transfer to an airtight container. This pickle stays fresh for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

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CROCKPOT SHORT RIB TACOS

The next two weeks are very busy "baking" weeks for me, how about you? Ive made three different kinds of jam to put in gift baskets, and now Im starting the fun stuff like cookies, breads and a gingerbread house.

While Im happy to be in the kitchen, Im not as happy about cooking real food (like dinner), so my crockpot is getting a workout while I have fun baking cookies.

Todays post came about the other day when I had some BONELESS beef short ribs thawed out and I had no clue what to do with them.  I decided to make boneless short rib tacos and they were SO GOOD, I will definitely be making these again!!

 

Start with 2½ pounds of BONELESS beef short ribs. Im sure every butcher shop has their version, but the ones I use look like this and they are about 1/2" thick:

 

In a small cup, mix 3 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (dont leave that out), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of oregano and 1 tablespoon of dry onion flakes. Mix well and sprinkle both sides of the meat evenly as possible (no need to brown the meat). 

Put the seasoned meat in the crockpot and top with a 4 ounce can of undrained mild green chiles (I use Ortega).

 

Cook on low for 6 hours or until they are fall apart tender (it really depends on how thick the meat is). Dont add any liquid.

 

Remove the meat from the crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm for a few minutes. There will be about a cup of broth in the bottom of the crockpot...thicken it and coat the meat with the "taco gravy". Each boneless short rib makes one awesome taco!!

 

The leftovers (sliced on the bias) made fantastic grilled beef and cheese subs.



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How I Would Wear It Tulle Tail Dress

{UNIF dress, $88}

Welcome to a new regular segment Ill be doing called "How I Would Wear It." But then, you probably already knew that if you read the title. I spotted this dress on one of my favorite sites Nasty Gal and pretty much shat myself; its THAT special.

Heres what I love about this dress, in order of importance:
- The illusion long sleeves
- The color
- The asymmetrical hemline
- The fact that it reminds me of a modern-day Glinda, the Good Witch (sans crown and wand)

Dont let anyone ever tell you redheads cant wear pink. Ever.

Anyway, I am officially in lurve with this dress, and although my boobs, stomach, and personality arent as flat as the model, um, modelling it, Im pretty sure the dress wont care, for it loves me back. And so, upon it, I must bestow great tidings of joy (i.e., accessories). My inspiration is of course the lovely Glinda, but imagined as if she were a 26-year-old blogger with fewer magical powers and more nail polish.

Like Glinda, lets start with the shoes. I likey the Jeffrey Campbell Litas theyve styled in the picture, but I lovey these Zara buckle wedges even more for a gentler, softer look:

{Zara Buttoned Wedge, $99}

With such a delicate shoe, were now liberated from the over-accessorized-danger-zone (if you could even believe in such a zone). Because the sleeves are so sheer, and Im going for a daytime look here, Id swap an armful of bracelets for a few chunky cocktail rings with colorful stones and quirky details, all on the same hand. I figure these would all be equally excessive and dangerous:

1. Noir Triple Threat Ring, $92

2. Kenneth Jay Lane Purple Dome Ring, $87.35

3. House of Harlow Stack Coin Rings, $98

4. Roberto Cavalli Large Stone Ring, $390

Because Im taking such a heavy hand (pun INTENDED!) on the rings, Id go delicate with the necklace, but offset the rounded crew neck of the dress with a longer, lanyard-style pendant. This House of Harlow one is the perfect length and echoes the natural vibe of the stones those rings are giving us:

I never leave my apartment without a carryall of sort, so I think this Stella McCartney citrus clutch adds the perfect amount of sass to an otherwise very sweet look:

{Stella McCartney Cotton Clutch; you betta have some cashmoney, son}

So what have we learned from todays styling session, class? Well, first of all, no matter how demure an outfit might be, you should always start by whorin it up and ripping out the front. 

Second, dont be afraid to wear multiple cocktail rings on one hand; they can be used as weapons of self-defense if someone every dare swipe your little dog! Er, Stella McCartney citrus clutch. 

Finally, and this is most important, if ever you need style inspiration, look no farther than your own front door, for youve always had the power. Youve had it all along!

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Flying to the Finger Lakes for a Few Family Feasts

Just a quick note to let you all know Im flying out late tonight to visit my mother, Pauline, and the rest of the family for a couple weeks.

Im happy to report I have a few new videos filmed and ready to go, like this penne pasta with neck sauce for example. Stay tuned for those new recipes, and of course, the usual fun and filler from the Finger Lakes!

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The Pittsburgh Cookover

Hey everyone! Im back from Pittsburgh, actually Ive been back since Sunday and Ive really been avoiding this blog post. Why you ask? Well I just have sooo much to say that I dont even know where to begin. This trip was such a wonderful experience I cant even explain it but Im going to try. This may take a few posts so hope you enjoy hearing about it!



As I explained in my last post I belong to Bakespace, a social networking site for people who like to cook and/or bake. I have been part of this community for about a year and a half now and during that time I have met some great people who I am so proud to call friends. We gather in a "room" in the forums which we have named "Happy Hour" and talk to each other every day. We talk about food, cooking and baking, dinner, restaurants and even talk about other things such as life and family. The people that belong to this group have become a part of my extended family and I talk to them every single day.

So on to the meetup. When Karen from Pittsburgh mentioned that she would like to host a weekend meetup I just knew that I had to be a part of it. I got in touch with my friend Carolyn and fellow bakespacer and asked her if she wanted to do the drive together, she immediately agreed. We decided that we were going to rent a car for the 6 1/2 hour drive and document it on film. We were psyched! Early Friday afternoon we got into our rented Dodge Charger and were off to start our road trip adventure. We had so much fun talking, video taping, chatting with strangers while in traffic and anticipating what the weekend and our friends would be like in person.

When we arrived at Karens house Jen and Spryte (from Sprytes Place) were waiting for us outside. Im a horrible parallel parker and having an audience was pretty funny. When we got into Karens gorgeous house I was totally overwhelmed with excitement. I didnt know what to do first, who to say hello to, what to look at, etc. It was a great feeling though! There were 10 bakespacers and some of them even brought their husbands. DD of DDPies Slice was there and she made a fabulous cake that was decorated with all of our avatars on it! Look at me in the purple shirt! It was spectacular and you can read all about it on her blog right here.



Isnt that amazing? Im telling you there are so many talented people on bakespace!


Since we got there late on Friday night Karen the hostess with the mostess was filling our glasses with wine, pouring us limoncello, cutting me pieces of cake and pointing out things that I had to try. She wasnt kidding! Those dishes were incredible and Ill talk about them in another post. It was just so cool that she (with Sprytes help) made dishes from bakespace members that couldnt be there with us. What a great way to represent the absentees! Well we stayed there talking, laughing and eating until about 2 am! We all just instantly clicked the way we knew we would. There was no awkwardness or silences at all. I felt like I was at a family reunion and was getting reaquainted with family that I havent seen in years! I hope Im getting across how awesome this really was! Now let me tell you this, we are a diverse group, all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. We have those that are single, married with little kids, married with big kids, etc. It was just so nice that despite all of that we all connected anyway. This is what friendship is all about!

So day two Carolyn and I did a little shopping at the Tanger Outlets and then headed over to Karens house. Oops! I forgot to mention that our hotel was nasty and I was totally obsessing about it and Karen and her husband Dan were so sweet to let us stay there the second night. It reminded me of my own parents and what they would do in that situation. You see, its like family! It was so kind of them to let us stay over so we could get some sleep before the drive back. I could not sleep at all in that stinky smoky hotel room and my body was running on empty. So, we headed over to Karens after the outlets and helped her finish up the cooking. It was so much fun cooking in her fabulous kitchen and so much fun cooking with the bakespacers when they all arrived and dove in to help. After eating and drinking and talking (okay well, we never actually stopped doing any of those things) we had a web cam and chat room set up by Babette, the founder and owner of bakespace. Our beeps, aka bakespace peeps (word coined by Shane of Culinary Alchemy)who couldnt be with us were able to participate and chat with us. I thought that was sooo cool! I bet they all had fun watching and laughing at our silliness. They even got to watch our basket exchange...Ill have to talk about that in another post. Oh wow! I also forgot to mention that Karen who is also an awesome seamstress made us each a cupcake apron and gave us all a cookbook! Is she not a fabulous hostess or what?!?! She hosts a get together like this and shes giving US gifts!!! It was just too nice of her but very much appreciated!

The weekend was the best Ive had in a long time and I cant wait until next year so we can do it again. If you havent joined bakespace or signed up for the forums you should do so and join in the fun. Maybe well meet at the next cookover!

Here are some more pics if you want to see!


Me and Karen our lovely hostess!


Me chopping


Me and DD


Jen


Kathy


Spryte cooking!


AnnMarie


Martha


Sheryle


Me and My Roommate Carolyn (aka Cara)


Kathy, Jen, Carolyn, AnnMarie and Me


Sheryle, DD and Martha




A toast to friends, to bakespace and to cookovers! Salute!

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Indian shrimps curry

Indian shrimps curry

Ingredients

• Cleaned shrimps ½ kg
• Yogurt ½ cup
• Ginger garlic 1 tbsp
• Chili powder 1 tsp
• Salt 1 tsp
• Turmeric ½ tsp
• Cumin 1 tsp
• Coriander 1 tsp
• Tomatoes 2 blended
• Onion 1 cup chopped
• Vinegar 2 tbsp
• Oil ½ cup

Ingredients for baghar

• Curry leaves 20
• Mustard seeds ½ tsp
• Fenugreek seeds ¼ tsp

Method

• Heat oil add all ingredients of baghar with chopped onion, fry till light golden add blended tomatoes with all the seasonings, vinegar, yogurt, ginger garlic and fry well add shrimps, cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, serve garnished with coriander and green chilies.

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SANDRAS PUMPKIN PIE SPICE BLEND

A perfect blend of spices
that youll find I refer to in many
of the recipes posted on this site...

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1-1/2 tablespoons ground ginger

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom

METHOD

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined.

Store in a “labeled” airtight container in your pantry.

You are able to add this to many baking recipes, such as homemade fruit and berry pies, cookies, cakes, and many
other dishes (I feel that this blend is much improved over
the store-bought brands).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TIP: When using dry spices place in palm first and rub with finger to activate oils before adding to recipes.

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SANDRA’S 30 MINUTE POTATO ‘N BACON CHOWDER

A welcoming hot chowder

on a blustery winter day that takes

minimal time to prepare...

Servings: (4)

Prep: 5 Mins.

Cook: 30 Mins.

INGREDIENTS

4 strips center-cut bacon, cut into ½” wide slices

½ yellow onion, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 russet potatoes, peeled, and cut into ½” cubes

1 teaspoon old bay seasoning

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon white pepper

½ cup condensed milk (not sweetened)

--Fresh sprigs of parsley for garnish (optional)

METHOD

Brown bacon until crispy in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat.  Retain drippings, and remove bacon to drain on paper towel.

To the saucepan drippings, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery.  Saute until onions are translucent.  Add garlic; saute for 30 seconds. Add flour, and stir to fully incorporate while cooking for 1 minute.

Add chicken broth to saucepan; stirring to incorporate.  Add potatoes, old bay seasoning, basil, and pepper.  Bring to boil, and reduce to low to simmer for 20 minutes, while occasionally stirring, just until potatoes are tender.

Add drained bacon and milk to chowder; stirring to combine.  Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, just until thoroughly heated (do not boil).

Ladle chowder into 4 serving bowls and garnish with sprigs of parsley. ~ Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Tip:  I served the delicious hot chowder with warm French bread slices, and a nice garden salad drizzled with vinaigrette.

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Mini Cheese cakes

Mini Cheese cakes

Ingredients for base:

• 2 cups digestive crushed biscuits
• 4 ounce melted butter

For filling:

• 1 cup cream cheese
• ½ cup curd cheese
• 1 ½ cup whipped cream
• 1 tbsp gelatin
• ¼ cup of water
• ¾ cup of caster sugar
• 1 packet of pineapple jelly
• 1 cup pineapple tidbits
• ½ tsp pineapple essence

Method for base:

• Crush biscuits, mix with melted butter.Spread in individual mini cheese cake pans. Chill for 30 minutes.

For filling:

• In a bowl beat together cream cheese, curd cheese with caster sugar and ½ packet of jelly crystals.Dissolve the gelatin in water.Then fold the mixture in dissolved gelatin with whipped cream, pineapple essemce and pineapple tidbits.Spread mixture on the biscuit base. Chill till firm.Dissolve remaining ½ packet jelly with ½ cup of water.Spread on top of individual set cheese cakes till jelly is set.Decorate with swirls of whipped cream, pineapple and cherries.

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A Ready made Wishlist for Santa

Pic courtesy NY Times

The tasteful giving list on the NY Times website, has caught my eye and heart and caught it badly. Each stuff is carefully chosen and is sure to be a delight for any food & kitchen lover. I wish there was one such list of irresistible foodie stuff compiled from stores in India...Im sure therell be something (am keeping my eyes open)!

Can you resist a cute yet practical grater like the one above?

For dining and wine lovers in the US, consider this a ready made wish list for Santa :)

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Telegraph Improved Cucumber

For the last few years we grew a variety of cucumber called Sweeter Yet, as our mothers all want a mild, burpless English type cucumber. Sweeter Yet seemed to fit the bill very well. However, when we had the invasion by the barbarian hordes of squash bugs and cucumber beetles last year, the Sweeter Yet really failed to make the grade - in fact, our entire first planting died, and our second planting really struggled and didnt manage to bring forth more than a handful of cucumbers. But the worst thing about Sweeter Yet is that it is an F1 hybrid - no seed saving possible - from Monsanto. Yeah. Our least favourite company, in a field with a hell of a lot of competition. So the search is on to find a replacement.

We found this one at William Dam, and it looks very possible. Its an open-pollinated variety said to date to 1897, developed in England for growing in "frames" (greenhouses) but which does quite well when grown outdoors as well. At 65 to 70 days to maturity, it produces in good time. The resulting cukes are very long and slender. Ours have been rather inclined to curl, but Im not sure all that much more than the Sweeter Yet. They are good keepers, crisp, mild, and with few and small seeds. I actually ate a slice - yes I did! - and did not suffer any indigestion as a result. This is exciting, as for years I have been convinced that I cannot eat raw cucumbers at all without suffering greatly. I have to say though, that while I thought the flavour pleasant, it was mild enough to verge on the bland.

I looked at a few old English seed listings on line; the 1898 Wholesale Catalogue of Vegetable Seeds as offered by E W King & Co Seed Growers, Coggeshall, Essex lists Rollinsons Telegraph as one of the varieties they carry. Suttons catalogue of 1879 lists Telegraph, not improved. The number of greenhouse cucumber varieties available at the turn of the previous century in England was impressive, but few of them are still available, let alone widely available. Telegraph Improved is still very popular in England, and reasonably well known in North America.

William Dam says Telegraph Improved needs to have pollination to set fruit. Other listings sometimes say male flowers should be removed whenever they appear. William Dam is, of course, correct. Do NOT remove the male blossoms. Modern hybrid cucumbers are frequently parthenocarpic; that is, they will produce cucumbers without being fertilized first, just as chickens will produce eggs withour a rooster. Parthenocarpic fruits are seedless, so you wont run into the problem of tough, overdeveloped seeds in your salad. You wont be able to save any seeds either. At any rate, this point is moot, since Telegraph Improved is not parthenocarpic.

Because parthenocarpic cucumbers are now so common, people often believe that bitterness in cucumbers is caused when they are fertilized. This is not true. Cucumbers plants contain compounds called cucurbitacins, which make the rest of the plant taste bitter, but which may or may not be present in the fruit. Modern varieties have been selected for fruit low in cucurbitacins, but they may form there anyway, especially under environmental stress. Plant your cukes in good, neutral, compost-enriched soil, and keep them evenly watered and dont let them get too hot, and you will have excellent, bitter-free cucumbers. Of course, thats easier said than done. Water stress in particular can set off bitterness in cucumbers, and once a plant has started producing bitter fruit it will keep on doing so even if the immediate cause of the bitterness is remedied. So be sure to water your cukes!

There is a recessive gene, called bi, that will cause cucumbers that carry it not to have any bitterness, not even in the leaves and stems, and not to become bitter even under stress. I suspect that the Sweeter Yet had this gene, and that is why it was so thoroughly demolished by the barbarian hordes. I suspect that Telegraph Improved doesnt carry it, which is why it has been doing much better in our garden. This has been a truly excellent season for cucumbers, apart from the bug pressure, which I fear is now permanent. Its been mostly pretty mild, with regular and adequate rainfall. However, I dont believe that the Telegraph Improved cucumbers suffered in flavour even during our relatively short but sharp heatwave of early July.

When cucumbers are bitter-free or low in cucurbitacins, they seem to be less likely to cause indigestion. However, the corellation does not seem to be 100%, and people may react differently to different cucumbers. I am optimistic that this is a cucumber that I will be able to eat, but if you want to try it, and cucumbers are known to give you indigestion, eat a very small piece early in the day to be sure it will be okay before you partake in any quantity.

Telepraph Improved will need to be trellised; its a longish rangy vine and the long narrow cucumbers will curl much worse if they arent high enough up to dangle. A tomato cage wont cut it. Ours have done reasonably well, although due to the number of cucumber beetles, there has been a little mild wilt. Not too bad, though; certainly nothing like the instant death that befell the Sweeter Yet last year.

By the way, if you do get a bitter cucumber - dont eat it! Those bitter compounds not only taste bad, they are quite unhealthy as well and may make you ill. You can remove some of the bitterness from a slightly bitter cucumber, by cutting off the stem end and rubbing the two cut edges together until they foam, then rinsing it off and peeling it. But again, if it tastes nasty, dont eat it! You have nothing to gain but a belly-ache.

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