
GARDEN GOTHIC
GARDEN GOTHIC
This sunny, small front garden is a gourmet cook’s dream. Corn, wheat, watermelon, potatoes, garlic, beans, peas, tomatoes, herbs, and more grow interplanted with pollinator flowers. Don’t forget to admire the sunflowers!
- Homeowners: Kenzie Campbell + Don Gaines
- Address: Media Street
- Circa: 1921 Garden Age: 3 years
Plants:
- Trees: Tulip Poplar, Peach Tree
- Perennials: Sage, Milkweed, Daisies, Coneflower, Cat Nip
- Vegetables: Peas, Carrots, Garlic, Potatoes, Green Onion, Corn, Kale, Lettuce, Fennell, Dill, Cucumber, Radish, Cilantro
- Annuals: Sunflowers, Zinnia, Cosmos, Poppies, Snapdragon
Garden Philosophy: Kill your grass & use all your space! We garden from the porch to the curb every year & strive to make our yard hospitable to ALL Memphis native wildlife, bees, butterflies, birds, & the rest.
Favorite Garden Tip: We used Chip Drop to get a huge delivery of wood chips, for free! We cover our garden in them each year so we rarely have to water.
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Purple Hull Masala
Makes 3-4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- â…› teaspoon cinnamon
- 2-3 tablespoons high-heat oil
- 1 cup (about ¼ of a large onion) diced yellow onion
- 3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1-inch chunk of fresh ginger, finely diced
- ½ hot jalapeño or 1 mild jalapeño, finely diced
- ¼ cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, including stems
- 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen peas (purple hull, black-eyed, crowder, etc.) or 2 ½ cups dried peas that have soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 14.5-ounce can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, or 5-6 medium-sized fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups water (or unsalted vegetable stock)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
STEPS:
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Heat a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the coriander to toast for approximately 1-2 minutes.
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Add the oil, onion, garlic, ginger and the other dry spices. Add a dash of salt at this moment and a little more oil if needed. Sauté on medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes or until the onions start to brown a little.
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Once the onions have browned, move quickly, adding the chopped cilantro, jalapeño and peas. Salt this a little more.
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Next add the tomatoes and give it a stir, salting a little more. By salting in increments, you should end with a well-salted dish. Taste as you go to prevent adding too much.
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Add 1 cup of the water/stock, bring this up to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (5-minute increments are great if you need a starting point).
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Remove lid and continue cooking approximately 10 more minutes. Some of the water should begin evaporating at this point. I like to stir the dish and also use the backside of my spoon to mash up bits of peas and tomatoes. It will add to the thickness.
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When approximately ¾ of the liquid seems to have evaporated, start adding the remainder of the water in small increments, stirring, slightly smashing and allowing some of the liquid to evaporate before adding more. (If using fresh tomatoes, you may not need to add this extra bit of liquid. Check peas for tenderness as an indicator.) Check again for salt, and add as needed.
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Check the peas for doneness and, if needed, add a little more liquid. Cover and allow to cook a little longer, until the peas are tender.
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When the peas are tender and there’s a silky, stew-like quality, remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
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Serve with your favorite rice or bread, or alone. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
To read more about Don Gaines, check out this great article from Edible Memphis Magazine
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