In the Garden: May 2014 - Introducing Tatsoi

Planting is pretty much complete for the year. In the ground there's green beans, lots of basil, tomatoes, broccoli, bell pepper, and, introducing, tatsoi. Tatsoi caught my eye at the nursery this year so I decided to bring some home and give it a try.

Tatsoi is an Asian green that is growing in popularity in North America. It seems to have been around a bit longer on the east coast and it's now showing up more on the west coast. It has dark green, round leaves that form a compact, thick rosette. Tatsoi contains an abundance of nutrients and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It's one of many alternatives to your typical greens. If you have the luxury of a nearby farmer's market then look for Tatsoi.

Tatsoi can be used the same way you might use spinach and other greens. It can be added raw with other greens to a salad or it can be cooked into stir fry. It would work well in any of these existing recipes:

• Stir Fry Shrimp with Vegetables with Chinese Chili Sauce
• Bok Choy and Tofu Noodle Bowl
• Shrimp and White Bean Salad with Harissa Dressing

Here are some external websites that provide more information on tatsoi along with some cooking ideas:

• Food.com Dictionary
• Food52: Tatsoi is the New Spinach
• Specialty Produce
• ComoWater: Sauteed Tatsoi
• Kalyn's Kitchen: Chilled Wilted Tatsoi Salad
• Vegetarian Times: Tatsoi, Mizuna, and Edamame Salad with Sesame Dressing

I will have to see how I use it this summer.

Raspberry Sauce

So simple.

I made a cheesecake for a recent dinner party (recipe coming soon) but I needed a little "something" to take it to the next level.

I got to thinking about how in restaurants they decorate the plate with smears and dribbles of sauces. I figured I needed some of that. For whatever reason, raspberry puree popped into my brain and I got online and did some research and I found this simple sauce.

This is it. This sauce will take your simple desserts up a notch.

Drizzle it on a plate. Squeeze some over the top of your dessert. It's super easy to make and keeps in the fridge a long time. I just bought a squeeze bottle on Amazon for $3 in order to play around with various presentation techniques.

The photo features some leftover sauce days after the dinner party drizzled over ice cream along with some wild strawberries from the back yard.

Raspberry Sauce

• 1 pint raspberries
• 2 tbsp. orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water

Combine the raspberries and orange juice in a medium skillet. Add sugar and stir until the sugar is spread around and becoming transparent. Whisk together cornstarch and water in a separate bowl and add it to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Turn off heat and let cool for a bit. Pour sauce into small food processor and puree the sauce. Pour it into a sealed container and set it in the fridge. Let it cool completely before using.