What in the world is OOBA, you ask? Why, it is a refreshing, all-natural sparkling beverage made with hibiscus flowers. And it's muy tasty!
Hibiscus was making it's presence known about 2 years ago in our fair country. I even blogged about using dried hibiscus flowers in salads and champagne (oo-la-la!). Now it seems that the tropical flower has firm footing in he healthy foods niche. Packed with antioxidants and vitamin C, it makes a fair case for a tasty, healthier soda alternative.
Annnnd, just in time for July 4th, Linden Hills Co-Op will be sampling OOBA on Friday, July 3rd from 10-Noon. How cool! Give it a taste and then buy a case.
Find out more about Ooba here.
Have a Happy 4th of July!
n. [tuh-MAH-ree] a type of Japanese soy sauce (or shoyu) that has a rich, dark color and complex flavor; made from the liquid drained from fermenting miso (soybean paste); naturally wheat-free
Tamari is a wonderful addition to your pantry for a number of reasons:
-the taste is richer and more rounded than your regular soy sauce
-it is naturally wheat-free for those on a gluten or wheat free diet (traditional soy sauce contains wheat)
-it is easy to use as a dip, marinade or replacement for table salt
-it blends well with other flavors
I've been using Tamari quite a bit lately to plow through our CSA veggies. It's great on stir-fried grrens, added to rice or pasta and makes a super quick + easy 'refrigerator sauce'. What the heck is a refrigerator sauce? It's what happens when I look in the fridge, throw some ingredients together and create a sauce that requires no cooking or extra effort. I love it when a plan comes together! Here's the fridge sauce we've been using lately for veggies and spring rolls...
Measurements are VERY approximate, just mix to taste. It's hard to mess this one up!
Asian Fridge Sauce
approx. 1/4c
1T orange marmalade
1T tamari (or more to taste)
2t brown rice vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lime
whisk all ingredients together and start dipping!The recipe is a bonus today, as we'll all be celebrating the start of a long weekend on Friday. Happy 4th of July! (geesh, that was fast!)
We're on our 3rd CSA box this week and it just keeps gettin' better! We even had some strawberries today!
Last week we had a bunch of arugula, so I made a pesto with green garlic. Please forgive the informality of the recipe. I was flyin' by the seat of my pants a bit. :-)
We used some on grilled quesadillas. Very niiiice...
Arugula Green Garlic Pesto
1 bunch arugula (1-2 handfuls)
1T green garlic, chopped (more if oyu like it garlicky!)
juice of 1 lemon
about 1/4c grated parmesan cheese
salt + pepper
olive oil
place arugula, green garlic + cheese in a food processor
pulse until finely chopped
add lemon juice + pulse to combine
with processor running, slowly add olive oil until desired consistency is reached
season with salt + pepper
Copyright 2009, Molly L. Herrmann
You know those emails you get from friends and family, forwarded over and over again? Usually some sort of list or heartbreaking story that you are asked to pass along? I typically delete them, but I was sent an email a few weeks ago by two different members of my family. Titled simply BOUNCE, I skimmed before hitting the delete button.
Fast forward to an event I was catering at a personal home. Long story short, pork loin, maple syrup, foil + pan. The pork loin was delicious, the pan was a wreck. As my assistant was shaking her head (that pan is a goner!), I suddenly remembered that skimmed email. I visited the laundry room, came back with a fabric softener sheet, placed it on the pan and covered with water. Fifteen minutes later, the foil + goop were lifting themselves off of the pan. Seriously. I washed the pan and showed my assistant who immediately declared, "That's not the same pan!". Yup, it was. Unbelievable. So, while I will still delete most viral emails, this one provided an awesome little tip for the kitchen. Try it with your next pan/pot disaster and let me know how goes...
