 |
  |
 |
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
Food:
A
Bunch of Basil With sunny days, mild evenings and the many distractions that make a Eugene summer, I want less gardening and lighter food. Simple Mediterranean food, heavy on market produce and eaten at room temperature, really hits the spot. In the garden, gaps in borders no longer suggest serious revision but a simple fix: plugging in plants that thrive on heat and grow fast when they get it. At this time of year my mind turns to aromatic, herby things like lavender and sage. And, speaking of Mediterranean food, to basil. Basil originated in warm climates, and there isn't much point in planting it outdoors without protection until June or July.
The basil that went into the pesto I just had for dinner is sweet or lettuce leafed basil, catch-all terms for basils with large, glossy bright green leaves that may be slightly ruffled or convex. It's the type you strew, if you do, on tomatoes and mozzarella. Varieties include Genoa and Napoletano. Although sweet basil dominates the market, some other types are readily available, including anise-flavored Thai, cinnamon and purple basil, and bush basils with tiny leaves, such as "Spicy Globe." All of them are decorative. I used to favor Purple Ruffles as an ornamental, but now I prefer the melding of muted green leaves with purple stems and bracts that you find in Thai and cinnamon basils. Looking around the Lane County Farmers Market for starts, I encountered Kate Penhallegon of Cottage Herbs Nursery ("Let us Show You a Good Thyme"). When I asked Penhallegon if she would talk to me about basil, she said sure; then she added, "I have a great book about basil, too." I caught up with Penhallegon at the Rosses' one-acre farm in Springfield. Less than a minute from Main Street, it felt like another world. On the way to the door I encountered a broody hen, sitting on her eggs in a warm, shady window box, and there were pigs, a goat and chickens out behind the greenhouse. She welcomed me with linden tea, rosemary biscuits and basil-lemon butter. The book Penhallegon referred to (Basil, An Herb Lover's Guide, by Thomas DeBaggio and Susan Belsinger) has the topic covered, from mythology to propagation to recipes. A directory of varieties describes 44 basils, including several species and many named varieties, winnowed from 100 different seed batches the authors grew and tested in a single summer. Although I enjoy herbal scents I am very poor at recognizing their components, so I am quoting An Herb Lovers Guide when I tell you that basil's varied gene pool creates "a plethora of clear, gem-like scents that range through lemon, camphor, cinnamon, clove and anise." The essential oils in sweet basils include a hefty proportion of floral-scented linalool, in case you are interested, while Thai basil derives its anise scent and flavor from methyl chavicol. Most culinary basils are annual, and all the more familiar types can be grown from seed, preferably with bottom heat. The biggest challenge in growing lots of basil is to keep it from flowering or, as growers call it, bolting. Once they have flowered, annual basils will not grow. "I call them my type A personalities," says Penhallegon. "They want to go from seed to seed as fast as possible." Although basil will happily grow in full sun, she suggests planting a row of basil on the east side of a row of tomatoes. Protection from afternoon sun may slow the tendency to bolt. You can also make successive sowings, two or three weeks apart, to keep fresh basil coming. Any basil can also be grown from cuttings, too, and it's the only way to propagate certain varieties, including Holy basil and African Blue. Shoot tips root easily in a glass of water. DeBaggio and Belsinger provided some answers to my lack of success growing husky basil plants in a pot. The authors stress the need to allow plenty of root space and to keep the plants in active growth. They advocate growing only one plant per pot, re-potting at least once during the summer, and feeding mature plants every third or fourth time you water. Water as soon as the soil looks dry or the pot feels light in your hands. Penhallegon dries basil and includes it in the herb mixes she sells at the Market. They include a popcorn mix, a no-salt mix, and blends for making herbal butter and Italian salad dressing. Relatively quick drying techniques suit basil best, she says, and she uses an electric dehydrator that uses both light bulbs and a fan to provide medium-fast drying. Basil, An Herb Lover's Guide is published by Interweave Press and is available at the Eugene Public Library.
Magical
Rooster In true Russian style, the name of this restaurant/deli comes from Pushkin's tale of Zolotoy Petushok (The Golden Rooster).
The story goes as follows. Tsar Dadon the Glorious took a magical rooster from a soothsayer to protect his kingdom from marauders with the promise of a favor returned. It works. After his sons' deaths, Dadon is wracked with grief and inconsolable until he wanders into the tent of the enchanting Shamakha Queen. The Tsar falls in love with her and they plan to wed. But the soothsayer sees and wishes to take the Queen as his favor returned. Tsar Dadon refuses the request and kills the soothsayer in the street. The golden rooster swoops down and pecks the Tsar to death for not keeping his end of the bargain. The Queen disappears. The establishment at 3163 W. 11th with the same name, Zolotoy Petushok, is somehow less tragic and much more filling. Sampling the menu was a delight. The Pirozhki (appetizer pastries with fillings of veggies, rice and meat) were tender, delicious and almost a meal in themselves. Solyanka (soup with sausage, sauerkraut, onions, potatoes and sour cream) has an amazing amalgam of taste and is a must try. Golubtsy (cabbage leaves filled with meat and rice) were my favorite part of the meal — heartbreakingly tender and delectable with every bite utterly reminiscent of the Tsarmas my Croatian Staddababba (grandmother) would hand-make for every family gathering. Meat Sonics (meatballs with rice and spice) are tender additions to this hearty meal. The deli portion of the business offers Pelmeni (Russian tortellinis served with dill and sour cream), pieces of Madonna and Black Prince cake, and a loaf of Georgian Ararat bread. You can have the homemade Pelmeni served fried and/or cooked in-house or you can get them frozen to take home and prepare like I did. They are a welcome respite from the ordinary filled pasta. The desserts were light, nutty and not too sweet. The layers of cake and divinity-esque filling squished in every layer left me feeling gluttonous and were so good I needed a Sobranie (Black Russian cigarette). Other menu selections include dolmas, borsch (veggie or not), kasha, blinchiki (like blintzes, crepes filled with veggies, meat, or sweets). The grocery and deli section has an astonishing array of items you cannot find elsewhere in Eugene and include not just Russian food, but many different Slavic and Eastern Bloc offerings. There isn't much seating in-house, but the food is neatly and conveniently wrapped up to enjoy at your abode. For $30-$35, you can enjoy a variety of selections for 3+ adults. The deli has an astonishing selection and someone is there to answer your questions (I certainly had plenty). Zolotoy Petushok cuts a wide swath through the local unique cuisine/deli/grocery business. Thank goodness. Being a good young Slavic gal myself, parts of me (I'm not telling which parts) yearn for chopped sausage, sauerkraut, hearty rye bread, cabbage, potatoes and spice combinations right out of the Kremlin. Recipe for Pelmeni: One
bag frozen Pelmeni = 25 Bring water to rolling boil at med.-med. high. Add bay leaves, let simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1 Tbs olive oil to boiling water. Gently place frozen Pelmeni into the boiling mix. Stir with slotted scooper. Prepare frying pan with 2 tbs oil. Heat slowly (med.-med. low) while Pelmeni cook. When Pelmeni float, scoop out one by one and pat dry on lintless cloth, then place into heated oil in pan. Using tongs, frequently (and gently) turn Pelmeni frequently until golden brown on both sides. Serve with large dollop of Russian sour cream as dip/sauce. If you would prefer to go lower fat, skip the sautée, gently heat sour cream and mix the Pelmeni right into it. Serves 2.
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
