by jphilo | Jun 19, 2020 | Recipes
They say corn salsa–they being the authors of this recipe I found in a free publication available at our local Fareway grocery store and in their online recipe box. The first time I made it my husband, also referred to as the man of steel in other blog posts at this website, called it corn salad.
And the new name stuck.
Let me be perfectly clear. This recipe was not part of our world when we lived in northwest South Dakota. Therefore it has no link whatsoever to the mystery series which is the reason for the Gravel Road blog. However, testing and exchanging new recipes was a favorite pastime amongst my circle of friends when we did live there.
30 years later, I still use many of them. The recipes, not the friends.
I’m recalling that spirit to share this recipe today. It is too good, too simple, and too easy to keep to myself. Plus this is cilantro season here in Iowa, and this is a good way to use it. All 6 people in our house love this dish. That number includes the 5-year-old who is suspicious of anything where different foods touch one another and the 2-year-old who as a rule refuses to eat anything not smothered in barbecue sauce. Plus it works for the 3 adults who can’t eat dairy, the 5-year-old who can’t eat gluten, and the 2-year-old who can’t have soy.
Yes, we are THAT family.
One more thing–I usually double the recipe because it’s just that good.
They Say Corn Salsa, I Say Corn Salad
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen yellow corn, thawed
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (put on rubber gloves for this part)
1/2 of a large onion, diced
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced (or 1/4 cup lime juice)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate and enjoy!
by jphilo | Jun 18, 2014 | Recipes
Welcome to Cilantro Grand Central! For the third week running, the featured recipe features the zippy herb. Look for that to change in the near future when warmer weather hits, the cilantro bolts, and other herbs, fruits, and veggies find a seat in the summertime train. But for today, here’s a new marinade that was quick, easy, and flavorful.
This marinade uses the ingredients and proportions listed for a drizzling sauce for pork at Epicurious. We used boneless country style ribs (Now isn’t that an oxymoron?) instead of six boneless pork chops. Also, instead of drizzling the mixture over the meat during grilling. Here’s the mixture the pork soaked in for perhaps an hour before Hiram put it on the grill.
Grilled Pork with Cilantro and Lime Marinade
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Place meat in shallow pan. Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over meat. Flip meat over so all surfaces are covered. Refrigerate for about an hour before grilling.
by jphilo | May 28, 2014 | Uncategorized
Today’s recipe has it’s roots in a post written way back in April about planting cilantro seeds. For several weeks, the chilly weather kept the seeds safely tucked in their dirt beds. But a couple weeks of warm days set them to sprouting and growing and waving their cute little scalloped leafs in the warm breeze.
So many cute little scalloped leaves, in fact, that the frantic search for recipes that require massive quantities of cilantro has begun. Between needing to give the cilantro a haircut and a recent craving to recreate the flavors tasted in a Thai soup served at a restaurant we visited a few weeks back, my inclination was to give a chicken-coconut milk soup recipe a try. If possible, a very easy recipe for a first foray into a new cuisine.
The recipe I worked off of comes from My Recipes, and it turned out to be a good choice. Next time, I’ll spread my wings a little by adding noodles, more chili paste, and a few other culinary bells and whistles. Or maybe not, because this soup was very easy and tasty too.
Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth (I used homemade broth)
6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-in. pieces
1/2 pound boned, skinned chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, broth, ginger, and lemongrass and bring to boil over high heat.
Add chicken, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste.
Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is firm and opaque, 5 to 10 minutes.
Discard lemongrass. Garnish servings with basil and cilantro.
by jphilo | May 12, 2014 | Daily Life
Our herb garden has been planted! Not an easy feat on a weekend sprinkled with rain showers to dodge and graduation parties to attend. Add to that a mystery that needed to be solved before the planting to begin, and the accomplishment seems almost miraculous.
The mystery sprouted in the container pot that housed thyme, oregano, and rosemary. The shape of the seedlings immediately eliminated rosemary as a suspect. My inclination was to declare last year’s thyme the culprit, but decided to sleuth a little before making any accusations. So I did the first thing any good detective does in this day and age. I searched the internet for pictures of herb seedlings…and discovered they look a lot alike.
So I did the second thing any good plant detective does. I crushed one of the seedlings, gave it a good sniff an compared the scent to the scents of the dried oregano and thyme in my spice cabinet. The results of the test were ambiguous, so I repeated the experiment. At which point my allergies kicked in, and I couldn’t smell a thing.
So I did the third thing any good plant detective does. I drove to the nursery for an herb pot line up. Lo and behold, the German thyme was a dead ringer for the suspects back home. Determined to not declare thyme guilty without indisputable proof, I gave the suspect a sniff. The scent was a perfect match. I had proved without a doubt in the world that the pot at home contained all the thyme in the world.
Then, I did the fourth thing a good plant detective does. I purchased a pot each of rosemary and oregano, went home, and started planting. Which was when this detective discovered she’d wasted a whole lot of thyme time planting cilantro a few weeks back. Last year’s crop had seeded itself in the sidewalk cracks as prolifically as the time thyme had seeded it its pot.
Which goes to show I have a lot to learn before being considered a herb gardening expert. But with all the thyme in the world at my disposal, I have plenty of time to get there.
by jphilo | Jun 22, 2012 | Daily Life
The resident man of steel is on the mend after his back surgery on June 12. But, he’s still feeling a bit rusty, so he’s obeying the surgeon’s orders: no driving, no extra bending, no twisting, and no lifting anything more than five pounds.
Hiram’s back pain is preventing us from launching any new yard projects this summer. Thankfully, the heavy lifting for the container herb garden on the south side of the house was done before the man of steel’s back went wacky. This warm spring encouraged the herbs (oregano and rosemary in the far pot, basil in the middle one, chives and thyme in the near one, parsley and cilantro in a fourth pot not pictured) to grow faster than expected.
The basil’s already had one haircut which yielded a good-sized batch of pesto. (The recipe for a non-dairy version coming next Wednesday.) As the picture shows, the basil’s ready for another haircut this weekend. Some of the rosemary and chives spiced up a batch of grilled potatoes and onions, and the oregano put in an appearance in last week’s grilled red onions recipe. But this wannabe spice chef can’t cook fast enough to keep up with the other spices. The best I can do is trim the ends before everything begins to blossom.
So if you have good recipes that require copious amounts of fresh herbs, please leave a suggestion, a recipe, or a link in the comment box. If you like, comment on the artistically arranged vintage bicycle, too. The resident man of steel thinks it’s kinda crazy, but I like it!
