Cardamom the Spice - plus Homemade Applesauce


Cardamom is a spice which originally came from India, where it is used in many dishes, including sweet saffron rice. In some parts of India, cardamom ice cream and cardamom-flavored milk take the usual place of chocolate ice cream and chocolate milk. There is also a spice called "black cardamom", a cousin, which is very different from true cardamom.

True cardamom is popular in Scandinavia, Germany and elsewhere, especially for winter baking. It is used in Danish pastries, Swedish breads, and cookies from many European countries. It is very compatible with several other spices, especially cinnamon. It is often used with orange, apple, peach and pineapple. Cardamom is less familiar in the U.S. than in Europe, perhaps because it loses its flavor soon after it is crushed or ground. We're so used to pre-ground spices. Mom discovered the whole spice years ago and started using it in cinnamon rolls, sometimes with a little orange zest. She had the bleached pods and the seeds seemed a little softer than the ones in the green pods which I have now. I used to crush the seeds she bought between two spoons. The latest batch of cardamom seeds I got seemed harder - see the directions for crushing with a hammer below.

You can buy whole cardamom pods either green or bleached - less flavorful. Or "decorticated" seeds, which have been removed from the pods, but not ground or crushed. For people who use a lot of cardamom. If using whole pods, remove cardamom seeds from pods and grind seeds in a spice grinder or crush in a large mortar and pestle. Or place seeds in the empty, tough inner plastic liner from a cold cereal or cracker box (not from strongly flavored crackers such as garlic) and tap lightly on a non-marring surface, such as smooth concrete, with a finishing hammer or other smooth-faced hammer to crush. Rub crushed cardamom through a fine sieve before measuring. Wrap any extra crushed cardamom in a little foil packet and keep it in the freezer for the next time you want to use it.

Cardamom is a potent spice. 1/8 teaspoon per cup of flour will give a pronounced cardamom flavor if the cardamom is ground or crushed fresh. Before adding more than that, consider whether the person who developed the recipe may have been using commercially ground (less potent) cardamom. Many recipes will use less than 1/8 teaspoon per cup of flour, for a more subtle effect.

Below are three recipes for cardamom in applesauce. The first one can sub for apple pie, at least sometimes (warnm maybe with some toasted chopped almonds, butter cookie crumbles or a little vanilla ice cream). Two kinds of apples - one to fall apart quickly during cooking (forming a natural sauce) and one to retain some chunkiness - are recommended. This was one of Keira's Mom's tips, too. The second recipe looks very good, too - it calls for more liquid and seems a little more "country-style". Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples together would be a good choice for winter applesauce.

Apple Varieties: I've always thought of the season for McIntosh apples (first recipe) as coming before the Granny Smith season. Granny Smith is a late, warm-climate apple which can be exceptional when it is allowed to stay on the tree until the bright green color mellows to yellow-green. It is grown here in our hot-summer climate, and home growers can allow it to ripen fully on the tree. It is often picked commercially long before it is ripe, while still sour and even sometimes a little bitter. I think one could find a better fall variety than Granny Smith to pair with McIntosh apples.

Of varieties grown locally, Gala seems to be the top choice for the early season. It loses much of its flavor in storage. Fuji and Red Fuji are recommended for later harvest and storage. Pink Lady is also recommended for sauce. Granny Smith can be picked fully ripe here if you grow it at home, and should be good mixed with other varieties. I used 2 pound Washington Fuji to 1 pound Washington Granny Smith in January, and the Fuji had held its crispness much better in storage. The Granny Smith tasted like they had been picked green, but fell apart easily in applesauce around the tender chunks of Fuji apples.

The third recipe below (pureed like most commercial applesauce) is made with commercially ground cardamom. It calls for A LOT of the spice compared to the other two recipes. Add cardamom to taste if using freshly-crushed spice.

Fresh Cardamom Spiced Applesauce

We like to use a combination of McIntosh and Granny Smith apples for the best texture and a little bit of tart flavor. Cardamom, a member of the ginger family, has a unique, aromatic quality that is just delicious with apples and ramps up the flavor of this sauce immensely. If you don't have any on hand though, you can use a little extra cinnamon and a pinch of ground ginger in its place.

Or, for more conventional flavor, substitute nutmeg for cardamom.
Ingredients ~ 

2-1/2 to 3 pounds apples (about 6 medium)

2 tablespoons lemon juice 

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Pinch of salt

Preparation ~ Measure lemon juice and water into a a3 quart saucepan. 
Peel and core the apples and cut them into 1-inch pieces, right into saucepan, tossing to coat with lemon-water as you prepare the apples. Mix in the sugar and bring to a simmer, uncovered, over medium-high heat until the apples begin to break down and give off liquid, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, butter, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Cover and continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the apples have broken down completely and the sauce is thick. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before serving.
Makes about 4 cups. Fresh applesauce will keep 3 or 4 days tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Chunky Country-Style Spiced Applesauce
Bon Appétit  | November 1993
yield: Makes about 6 cups

ingredients
• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, sliced
• 2 pounds Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled, sliced
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon (generous) ground cardamom

Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large Dutch oven; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until mixture is thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes longer. Mash apples slightly with potato masher until chunky applesauce forms. Stir in sugar and spices. Cool. Add more lemon juice if desired. Transfer to bowl; cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Cardamom Applesauce (probably too much cardamom if you crush it fresh - but they did call it "bracing")
Bon Appétit  | November 1995

• 2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (packed), golden brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom

Combine all ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Cover, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until apples are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer to food processor; puree. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Allergy information: No corn, wheat or egg. First applesauce recipe contains butter. Others are dairy-free.

Oven-poached Turkey Breast

I wasn't sure exactly what what to call this. David's Mom once cooked for a fancy spa near San Diego where movie stars, etc. often went to lose a little weight. She sometimes prepared this turkey for 600 people. It was served cold with salads and such. Easy, low in fat and very moist and good.

Ingredients
Turkey breasts: If starting with a whole turkey breast, cut each half-breast from the bone and remove the skin. You can simmer the wishbone, ribs, skin, etc. for stock - for another recipe - if you like.

Salt, other seasonings to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For each turkey breast half, place a square of heavy-duty aluminum foil shiny side up on a flat surface and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Season the half breast of turkey, boneless and skinless, with salt. If using other seasonings (celery salt, sage, thyme, pepper, etc.) mix them with the salt and rub onto the turkey. Place half breast on the foil sheet and fold foil fairly tightly around the turkey, making sure that all seams will be above the turkey when it is placed in the oven.

Place wrapped half-breasts on a rimmed baking sheet or in a baking dish with a little room between them and bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the half breast(s). Remove from oven. Do not open foil. Allow to cool in foil to room temperature. Some of the juices which developed during cooking will be re-absorbed by the meat. Refrigerate while still wrapped, or carefully unwrap to serve, as there will still be some juices around the turkey.

Slice and serve cold, or if you wish to re-heat the turkey, re-heat it in the juices saved from cooking.

Allergy information: No corn, wheat, milk or eggs.

Sweet Southern Style Cole Slaw with V8 Juice Marinade

Adapted from Recipezaar An even tangier sweet/sour slaw recipe omits the V8 juice, and adds a medium chopped onion, medium chopped green pepper (I might use an Ancho or Pasilla pepper) and small chopped red bell pepper to the cabbage and adds a teaspoon dry mustard and 2/3 cup oil to the dressing, marinating overnight in the refrigerator.

For a less-sweet marinated coleslaw, try this or this.

Sweet Southern Style Cole Slaw with V8 Juice Marinade
See the easy version for a big crowd at the bottom of this post.

This coleslaw is totally fat-free and quite low in salt for a marinated salad (especially after the marinade is drained off). It is typically served in summer with foods like pulled-pork barbecue which make up for the lack of fat and salt in the coleslaw. It is quite sweet and also tangy. I think it's a good match for spicy barbecue and similar foods. The V8 juice adds a little color and flavor to the salad which seems to complement barbecue, etc. Leftovers keep well.

If you're not serving the salad with something that's high in fat, you can add a little oil (up to 2 Tablespoons) after draining the marinade from the salad. The volume of the salad will decrease during marination, so you can serve it in a smaller bowl than the one you made the salad in.

SERVES 12

1 head cabbage (about 2 1/2 lbs)
1 large yellow onion (for 1 cup chopped)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
6 ounces low-sodium, regular or spicy-hot V8 Juice
1 teaspoon salt*
1 teaspoon celery seed*
Ground red pepper to taste (optional)

Wash and remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into eighths and remove the core. Set aside.

Peel the onion and cut into eighths. Using a food processor fitted with the steel blade attachment, process the cabbage and onion, in manageable batches, until chopped finely. Scrape into a large container with a tight fitting lid. Set aside.

In a 1 quart or larger saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, V8, salt and celery seed. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is melted. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the cabbage and onions and toss to coat well.

Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours, stirring 2 or 3 times. Before serving, drain marinade from salad, mix in a little oil if desired (up to 2 Tablespoons) and transfer to a smaller serving bowl.

* May substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons celery salt or more to taste

EASY VERSION FOR A CROWD
Serves 24, more at a potluck

Requires a very large bowl or a large kettle in which to mix the salad. After marinating, it can be served in a more normal-sized large bowl.

Double all ingredients, substituting a 5 pound restaurant pack of shredded cabbage for the whole cabbage in the recipe above. Remove packets containing carrots and red cabbage (for another use) if you want a uniform color.

Allergy Information: Contains no corn, wheat, milk or eggs.

Wild Weather - Winter is coming.

We had our first hard frost the 7th, 25 or 26 degrees, with a repeat the next day. After a cold rain. Grateful for the rain. Since then we've had warmer rains. Hope we will see an end to the drought. Fields went fallow here this year, but it wasn't as bad as on the West Side, where water was just about cut off.

I brought the last four green tomatoes in from the garage to ripen on the counter. Seed catalogs have been coming since late November. Dream time.

Quick Asian Chicken Salad for a crowd

I accidentally bought 10 pounds of coleslaw mix this week for a branch party and only used 5 pounds. So I'm going to be trying out some cabbage salad recipes. This recipe is adapted from the Ready Pac coleslaw package. Haven't tried it. Think I'll experiment with a quarter recipe, less dressing.

Rotisserie chicken, skin removed, deboned and sliced: 6 pounds
5 pound restaurant pack shredded cabbage for coleslaw or 2 medium heads cabbage, shredded
Diced scallions: 20 oz. or 4 cups
Water chestnuts, drained or sliced, jicama, peeled and sliced in small pieces and /or diagonally sliced celery: 2 lb. or 2 quarts

Uncooked Ramen soup noodles broken into pieces (no seasoning pack): 2 pounds or 12 cups (or use fried crispy chow mein noodles or rice noodles for garnish)
Sesame Asian Salad Dressing: 3 quarts (I think you could use less - much less if you skip the Ramen noodles. Purchase where you get the restaurant pack of shredded cabbage, or make your own).

Mix chicken, shredded cabbage, scallions, water chestnuts, jicama and/or celery. Add broken Ramen noodles if using. Add dressing. Mix well and refrigerate until serving time. Garnish with cashew pieces, toasted almond slices or toasted mild sesame seeds if desired. Or garnish with fried chow mein noodles or rice noodles if you did not use the Ramen noodles in the recipe. If you intend to serve salad soon after you make it, it would be best to skip the Ramen noodles and use the crispy noodle garnish instead.

Christmas Party Marinated Coleslaw

Adapted from this recipe. Christmas colors - light green, dark green and red. You will need a very large bowl or kettle in which to mix and marinate the salad. The volume of the salad will decrease during marination, and you can serve the salad in a more normal-sized large bowl.

5 tsp. celery salt or 4 tsp. salt and 2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper or 1/2 tsp. red pepper (or to taste)
2 to 4 tsp. dry mustard or mustard seed
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups cider vinegar
1 large onion (for 1 cup minced onion) or equivalent in scallions*

1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped green pepper or Ancho or Pasilla chiles (optional)*
1/4 cup chopped pimento or one large chopped red bell pepper*
2 medium heads cabbage, about 5 pounds total, or a 5 pound restaurant pack shredded cabbage for coleslaw (remove bags of red cabbage and carrots for Christmas colors)

1/4 cup vegetable oil, or to taste
Watercress, green and red pepper rings for garnish

Directions
Mix dry seasonings and sugar in the bottom of a very large bowl or non-aluminum kettle. Add vinegar and mix well. If using an onion, peel, quarter and mince in food processor. If using scallions, mince white part and thinly slice tender green tops. Add onion to vinegar mixture. If the onion is strong, let it sit in the marinade for a while before adding the other ingredients. Chop and add green and red peppers, if used.

If using whole cabbage, cut into eights, remove core and any tough outer leaves. Shred in food processor. If using a restaurant pack of shredded cabbage and it's for a Christmas party, remove the small pack with carrots and/or red cabbage. Otherwise, use them, too. Add cabbage to other ingredients and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, mixing well 2 or 3 times. Drain just before serving or transfer to a smaller serving bowl using a slotted spoon. Toss in oil. Garnish with watercress or red and green peppers if desired.

* Chopped green pepper is colorful and flavorful, but some people cannot tolerate it. Red bell peppers are easier for most people to tolerate, but not all. You could cut green and/or red bell peppers in rings, strips or shapes for a fancy design and use them for garnish. Or leave the peppers in large chunks in the salad so guests who have sensitive tummies can remove them easily.

Ancho or Pasilla chiles have some mild heat and a nice, fruity flavor which could be a nice addition to this salad.

To add dark green color to the salad without fresh peppers of any kind, substitute tender tops from scallions, thinly sliced, for all or part of the onion in the recipe.  A few stalks of celery, diced, are also nice additions. 

Allergy Information: Some people are allergic to celery. Contains no corn, wheat, milk, soy or egg.

"Spanish" Green Beans

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!. Entertaining directions at the link.

Pioneer Woman recommends her recipe as a Thanksgiving side dish.  It can be prepared in advance and holds for hours in a slow-cooker or electric skillet.  Recipes to serve 10 and to serve a crowd of 20 (more at a buffet) are below. Leftovers are good, too.
 
This dish would also be good served in individual bowls for a light supper (or breakfast or brunch) with a nice roll or some toast. Reminds me of Grandma's farm breakfast of stewed tomatoes and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Or serve over a little brown rice, over drained and heated canned corn or with some good tortillas.

Recipe for 10 servings (as a side dish)

I prefer slightly-sweet stewed tomatoes for this dish, especially if you're a little short on time to cook the beans after adding the tomatoes. This dish tastes best if simmered for at least 45 minutes.

Ingredients
5 slices bacon (or 1/3 to 1/2 pound)
1 medium onion, diced
4 cans (14.5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans (or 1 1/2 to 2 Pounds fresh or frozen)
2 cans (14.5 oz.) stewed, whole or diced tomatoes (or one 28 oz. can)
Cayenne pepper to taste (Up to 1/8 teaspoon, or 1/4 teaspoon of regular red pepper)

Preparation
Slice the bacon into pieces  one inch wide or less and start cooking them in a deep skillet or Dutch oven. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until bacon startes to turn brown, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, dice the onion. When the bacon is beginning to brown, drain off most of the fat and then add the onions. Cook, stirring now and then, until bacon and onions are both turning a nice  color, but do not cook until bacon is crisp.

Add the two cans of tomatoes with their juice.  Stir, loosening browned bits from the bottom of the pan and breaking up the tomatoes a little if you wish. Drain the green beans and add them to the pan.  Stir gently.   If you add the cayenne pepper to the pan with the bacon and the onions now, the heat may increase as the dish cooks.  You can also add the pepper just before serving, when it will be easier to adjust the flavor to your preference.

 If you wish to take this dish to a potluck, you can heat it through at this point, then transfer it to a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker to finish cooking.  Or if you are starting several hours in advance, combine the onions, bacon and tomatoes with the drained, unheated beans in the slow cooker and stir gently).  Start cooking on "high" heat then turn to the low or warm setting when you think the dish has cooked long enough. 

If not transferring to a slow cooker, cover the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Recipe for a Crowd 

Your chance to use a restaurant-size can of green beans.  This double recipe serves about 20, more at a buffet or potluck, where you might want to serve this dish with a slotted spoon.  Save the soupy part in the bottom of the pot or skillet to eat later with crackers, toast or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients
10 slices bacon (I sometimes use a 12-ounce package)
1 very large onion or two medium onions, diced
1 food service-size can (6 lb. 5 oz. ) whole or cut green beans OR two 50-ounce cans, PLUS one 14.5 oz. can.
2 large cans (28 oz.) whole, stewed or diced tomatoes (or four 14.5 oz. cans)
Cayenne pepper to taste (up to 1/4 teaspoon or up to 1/2 teaspoon regular red pepper)

Prepare as above, in a large electric skillet, Dutch oven or kettle with a heavy bottom. For a potluck or buffet, a 6 to 8 quart capacity slow-cooker or large, deep electric skillet is easy to transport.

Some Other Ideas
For a meatless dish, consider the following:

1. Increase the amount of chile. Brown the onions slowly in a little oil.

2, Substitute 1/4 teaspoon (or more) of whole celery seed for the cayenne and add two medium diced potatoes and some fresh-ground black pepper with the tomatoes after browning the onions slowly in a little oil. The Crab Cooker's wonderful red clam chowder - a Newport Beach tradition - contains a LOT of celery seed.  Well, green beans and clams are not exactly interchangeable, but there is some similarity in the flavor of the finished products.

Family Green Bean Gardening Traditions and Preferences

David called this dish "Okie beans" at a branch party, but I think of "Okie beans" as big, fresh green beans - "beany" ones like the ones his mother prefers - cooked for a long time with onion and some ham or bacon. She likes varieties like Kentucky Wonder and Pinto (picked as green beans, with seeds developed), but both have strings. Contender is her choice for a stringless, "beany" bean, but it will get fibrous in cool fall weather. It's for spring planting. The Blue Lake-type beans you find in cans are the kind David's Mom calls, "just green, not beans", along with filet beans and other delicate types. The kind my Mom likes. Fortex is her favorite. Great choice. David's mom and my mom both like Romano-type beans, too. But my mom picks them when they're still young, before the seeds develop.

Even though this recipe, as written, is made with beans that taste more "green" than "beany", Pioneer Woman does live in Oklahoma. So David isn't too far off in calling this dish "Okie beans", even when it's made with skinny, city-slicker beans. I expect that David's mom could make this dish wonderful with fresh Kentucky Wonders or her home-canned "beany" beans, too.  Wouldn't work as well with Mom's ultra-tender baby beans.

You could also use flat Italian green beans, using one or more cans of Italian-style stewed tomatoes in place of regular stewed tomatoes.  Don't over-do the Italian seasoning.  You might want to use black pepper rather than cayenne for an Italian variation.

Allergy information: Tomato sauce and some canned tomatoes may contain corn products. Check the label. Some bacon contains corn products. Some people get headaches from cured meats.

Stocking up: You can keep the beans, tomatoes and cayenne pepper for this recipe on hand all the time. In a pinch, you can leave out the bacon.  Use dried, minced onion if you don't have fresh onions (don't try to saute them), and a touch of vegetable oil.