If you’re like me, you enjoy a thoroughly out of season, non-local banana now and then.
If you’re like me, you sometimes buy too many of them and forget you have them.
If you’re like me, you don’t like the taste of a weird, overripe, black banana.
Well boy oh boy do I have some solutions for you.
There are two things that I do with old nanas.
Let’s talk about freezing first.
This morning, Andrew and I were hungry. I know, kinda unbelievable. Unfortunately, our fridge is pretty empty at the mo. I scanned it – lots of condiments, bulk nuts, a bratwurst, a green pepper, a white potato, shallots and onions, red potatoes HOLD UP. Hashed browns and leftover brat.
That's some mustard and a piece of Doe Run Hummingbird.
Yum. It’s really really simple, but it was tasty. Here’s what Andrew put together.
Get this:
3 red potatoes, 1 white potato
1 green pepper
2 shallots, ½ onion
Dice the potatoes and put in ice water for half an hour. The water keeps them from turning brown on the outside and also washes off any excess starch. The ice is to keep them crisp. While the potatoes are in the water, chop the vegetables.
Drain the potatoes in a strainer and warm some butter or vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the vegetables to the skillet and let them sweat. After 2-3 minutes, add the potatoes. Sautee the potatoes and veggies until the potatoes are brown on the outside. The time will vary but we cooked them for about 15-20 minutes.
/brat'd
You can have them with eggs, bacon, or (like us) leftover bratwurst. You can also add a red pepper, we just didn’t have one (boooo). You can also switch to all red potatoes or all white potatoes, all shallots or all yellow onions. Gotta love flexible foods.
And for dinner…shrimp and pasta and bacon. Ima make it work. Ok, fine, Andrew will make it work, but I’ll make the brownies later.
Esther
I know, it’s been a long time. But don’t worry. I have great things planned.
I’m still working on the popsicles, although Andrew (my boyfriend is also named Andrew…confusing) and I made sour cherry nectar pops and they were excellent. Nothing fancy yet.
In the meantime, try this:
Add some Jin-Ja to iced tea. If you’re like me, you love the burn when you drink Jin-Ja but wish you could gulp instead of sip. I added some to Crystal Light iced tea and it was awesome. Not so glamorous, but still tasty as all get out. Another way would be to add it to seltzer to make a nice fizzy concoction (suggested to me by a customer the other day).
Stop by today! We have tons of good stuff. So far I’ve tried Taza Ginger Mexicano chocolate, Doe Run Hummingbird cheese, and a Lavender-Honey Whoopie Pie from Flying Monkey. I’ll be the girl who just spilled water all over herself.
Esther
Everybody get up! Green Aisle is now accepting credit cards via the absolutely awesome smart-phone service, Square. (Don’t know about Square? Peep the tutorial, yo.) We’ve been cash-only since opening back in November 2010–to the occasional ire of some–because plastic is a costly proposition for small businesses. Square’s super-reasonable rates and easy-peasy set-up let us offer this convenience to our card-carrying customers. We’ll take a card, any card, and run it through the Square swipe attached to Adam’s classy old cracked-screen 3GS iPhone. You sign for the purchase with your fingers (don’t worry; there’s a protective cover over the spider-cracked fache) and Square instantly texts or emails you a receipt. See: Easy! Do bear with us, as our wireless can be bitchy–Square requires it to run–and we kindly request a $10 minimum for credit-card charges. As always, our mucho appreciation for supporting us through the cash-only era. We’ve moving up, and hope you’re coming with.
RIP Teena Marie.
Other than those delicious lil’ meatballs.
Yea, that's a Guinness glass behind it.
A popsicle mold!
I FOUND THIS!
Science!
Some of you may have already heard about it (I think I’m a little late), but Philly is having it’s first ever Science Festival. It begins April 15 and goes till April 28. The cool part is there’s a bunch of food science events. It ranges from how to feed a toddler, genetic engineering, cheese and microbes, and how smell affects the way beer tastes. I did an overview of all the food events on my blog. I would definitely check it out. It looks amazing. Especially the event that let’s you taste the way a lion tastes. That’s not about cannibalism.
This isn’t really about Green Aisle, but I thought you would be interested. So I apologize. But seriously. You get to taste the way a lion does.
My boyfriend makes the tastiest French toast. Before him, I only knew one kind: my dads awesome Challah French toast. He used to make it every Sunday morning for us. It’s also the only dish he knows how to cook. I’ll never be able to make it the same way he does, no matter how many times I’ve seen him make it.
When Andrew (my boyfriend) and I moved into our own apartment, he expanded my French toast knowledge. I had no idea you didn’t need fresh bread to make French toast. In fact, that’s why it was invented – so the French had a way to use the leftover bread that had gone stale so there was no waste.
Over the last two years, Andrew has been perfecting his own French toast recipe. Whenever he makes it he always adjusts it a little depending on the feel of the morning or which ingredient he’d like to be most prominent, but it always uses the same stuff. This morning I finally got him to help me figure out an approximate recipe for his French toast so I could share it with you all. It’s nothing like my dads but, just like my dads, I’ll never be able to make it the same way he does.
Today, Dash Deliveries, a restaurant delivery service with ops in San Fran, Boston and Providence, launches in Philly, and our store is among the first (and the first grocery) to partner with Dash to get our products to your door. Just hit up the Green Aisle page via Dash, and you’ll be redirected our digital pantry of heirloom produce, local meats, cocktail swag and tempting sweets. You order and pay online, we get an email with your order, package it lovingly at the store, and a Dash deliveryman (or woman) pops by within 15 minutes to pick up your groceries and bring them to you. And you never need to change out of sweatpants!
As you know, our products change frequently: by the season, by customer demand, by our own hungry caprices. And because we buy in small quantities from local farms and artisans to keep everything fresh as possible, what’s here today may literally be gone tomorrow. So please bear with us as we burden Dash with endless availability updates. And if you want to check on a particular item before you place your order with Dash, you can always call, email, Tweet, Fache or G us. We’re available like that.
Fine print: In 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148, there’s a $15 minimum and $5.99 delivery charge. In 19102, 19103, 19106 and 19107 there’s a $20 and $6.99 delivery charge. Dash’s delivery coverage will also include Fairmount, University City, West Philly, Northern Liberties, Brewerytown, Fishtown/Kensington/Port Richmond; we’re just waiting on the specifics for those areas and will update accordingly.
Thanks in advance for your patience and support as we strive to spread the Green Aisle love!
Since Mother Nature isn’t cooperating, we need other cues to let us know spring is almost here. One of the more delicious signs sprung up in the grocery last week: RAMPS! Coveted by chefs, obsessed over by food nerds like us, these wild spring onions grow near riverbanks and are prized for their sharp flavor, heady aroma and versatility. One of our favorite things to do with ramps: Make pesto.
Since the Italian translation is ‘paste,’ pesto can really mean anything. Ours is a riff on the Genovese pignoli/basil mix most readily associated with this raw pasta sauce. It’s got all the usual ingredients, but we cut the pine nuts with walnuts, and add ramp stems lightly roasted with pancetta fat. Peep the full recipe after the jump.
What just happened??
Wait, repeat that please?
Oh my gawsh….
FOSURIOUS!?
Yup. The Current Products page is fully updated. And every time something new comes in it’ll go right up there. It’s way past due (I [partially] blame the internet) but it’s here, so rejoice! Time to celebrate.
Sorry. I kinda had to.
Esther
