There are two ideas in today’s tip:

 
We loved the idea of a yogurt moat (photo #1), observed at Botanica restaurant in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles.

In the photo, the chef piled a salad on top of a moat of garlicky sheep’s milk yogurt. The salad, which emphasizes different colors, is served for brunch or lunch with :

 
The salad is placed in the center of the plate; the moat is spooned around it.

It may be “just salad and yogurt,” but it has panache. The restaurant serves it with garlic toast and poached eggs.
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*Arugula’s sharp, pepper taste contrasts with sorrel’s tart, lemony flavor.
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WHAT IS SORREL

Sorrel (SAW-rull) is not one of the most often-used herbs in the U.S., but it is a favorite worldwide.

Common sorrel or garden sorrel—simply called sorrel—is a dark green (Rumex acetosa, photo #2) or variegated (photo #2) perennial herb. It’s a member of the Polygonaceae family, which includes buckwheat and rhubarb.

Sorrel grows from early spring to late fall, but gets progressively more bitter as the months progress (a boon to those who like bitter herbs, but if it’s too bitter for you, simply blanch it).

The plant has been cultivated for centuries. When the leaves are consumed raw they have a slight sour taste, due to oxalic acid. The tartness is enjoyed by many cultures.

 
There are country-specific uses as well:

Variegated sorrel with red veining (photo courtesy Specialty Produce). There are other, less-seen varieties in shades of purple.

The oxalic acid in sorrel helps to cut through fatty or oily dishes.

The next time you see fresh sorrel, pick up a bunch and experiment: Use some in a salad, some in a cooked dish.

Sorrel is a “heart-healthy herb”—high potassium content, which lowers blood pressure and increases blood circulation. It is also loaded with antioxidant vitamins A and C.

Sorrel, the herb, is not related to sorrel, the Caribbean drink. The later is made with hibiscus.
  

[3] MorningStar Farms makes its Classic line of veggie burgers in 11 flavors (all photos courtesy Morningstar Farms).

When one of Top Chef’s favorite chefs, Richard Blais.

In addition to his cuisine moderne, Chef Blais previously owned the FLIP burger boutique in Atlanta.

Using MorningStar Farms’ veggie burgers. The burger line alone is extensive (here are recipes for the entire product line):

 
Chef Blais created four vegetarian burgers, just right for Labor Day Weekend.

Even meat eaters like a good veggie burger—and these are great veggie burgers. Serve both beef burgers and veggie burgers, and you’ll be surprised to see who comes back for seconds on the veggie.

National Veggie Burger Day is June 5th.
 
 
RECIPE #1: ISLAND BURGER

Prep/cook time is 20 minutes.

Ingredients Per Burger

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*Kansas City-style barbecue sauce is smoky and sweet. It is made by large brands like Bulls-Eye and Heinz, as well as by artisan producers.
 

Preparation

1. GRILL the Spicy Black Bean Burger to warm, and chop roughly while still warm. Toss with barbecue sauce. Set aside in bowl.

2. GRILL to warm the Grillers Original Burger. Grill the pineapple slice on the hottest part of the grill, 1 minute on each side.

3. TOSS the cilantro, cabbage, sesame oil and mustard in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

4. PLACE a small handful of dressed cabbage on bottom half of the bun. Add the two Grillers Original Burgers, with the grilled pineapple slice between the patties. Top off with the Spicy Black Bean Burger-and-barbecue-sauce mix. Add the top bun half and serve.

RECIPE #2: PITA BURGER

Prep time is 25 minutes, cook time is 5 minutes.

Ingredients Per Burger

 
Preparation

1. PICKLE the cucumbers. Bring the bring vinegar, salt and sugar to a boil in a small pot. Remove from the heat; whisk in the turmeric and coriander seed. Add the sliced cucumbers. Cool in the fridge in an airtight container.

2. MIX the yogurt with the garlic, cumin and mint in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. GRILL the watermelon on the hottest part of the grill, 1 minute on each side. When cool enough to touch, dice into cubes.

4. TOSS the watermelon with the arugula and feta in a small bowl. Set aside.

5. SPREAD the herbed yogurt on the inside of the pita. Arrange the burger, cucumbers, beets, arugula, watermelon and feta inside of the pita shell.
 
 
RECIPE #3: ROMESCO BURGER

Perhaps the best known sauce of Spain, Romesco is a pungent, smooth, rich red sauce made from red peppers, tomatoes, ground almonds or other nuts, olive oil, garlic, and cayenne pepper. It originated in Tarragona, a port city on the Mediterranean Sea in the province of Catalonia in northeast Spain. Here’s more about romesco.

Prep time is 30 minutes, cook time is 5 minutes.
 
Ingredients Per Burger

[6] The Spicy Black Bean Burger is MorningStar Farm’s best-selling burger.

1. MAKE the romesco sauce. Purée the red pepper, tomato, red onion, vinegar, almonds, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor, until finely ground. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil with the blender running. Add more oil if necessary.

2. SPRINKLE the salt and pepper and drizzle the olive oil over the romaine. Grill to warm the lettuce for 1 to 2 minutes, cut side down. Chop into 1/4 inch pieces. Set aside.

3. GRILL the burger to warm, slice into strips and set aside.

4. SPREAD the romesco sauce liberally over one side of the tortilla and place on grill. Lay the burger strips on top; then add the cilantro and romaine.

5. FOLD the tortilla like a book to close, and flip to the other side. Grill for 1 minute longer and serve.
 
 
RECIPE #4: TANDOOR BURGER

Prep time is 25 minutes, cook time is 5 minutes.

Ingredients Per Burger

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†For 1 tablespoon, whisk together 1/2 teaspoon of each: cayenne pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground ginger, paprika, turmeric, salt.

 
Preparation

1. MIX the yogurt and tandoori spice in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. DRIZZLE the olive oil over the eggplant slices and season with salt and pepper. Grill for one minute on both sides.

3. STRAIN the liquid from cottage cheese. Mix the cheese, spinach, onion, garlic and garam masala. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium to low heat with and cook 15 minutes. If the mixture starts to dry, add a few drops of water to prevent burning. Set aside to cool.

4. GRILL the burger to warm it. At the same time, grill the bread. Place the burger on the bottom of the naan bread. Top with the eggplant, spinach mixture, cilantro, and yogurt. Add the top slice of naan and serve.

[2] A cherry turnover from Pepperidge Farm. With the quality of the cherries and cream cheese dough in our recipe, below, no garnishing is necessary.

[3] Bing cherries, sweet but fleeting (photography courtesy Washington State Fruit Commission).

Most people have never had a fresh cherry turnover.

We make this statement categorically, because turnovers are not a commonly-found or -made food; and fresh cherries are ephemeral. Add these facts together, and the sum is that the cherry turnovers you’re likely to encounter are made with frozen cherries or cherry pie filling.

So today, buck tradition and make cherry turnovers. The cherries are waiting for you in the produce section; and the cream cheese pastry pocket is so delicious, you’ll want to use this as your signature turnover recipe, with seasonal fruits.

Seasonal Variations

 
We adapted this recipe from one in Country Living. When you taste your first batch, there’s a good chance you’ll be back at the store for more cherries and cream cheese.

You can leave out the crystallized ginger if you’re not a ginger fan, but it’s a wow factor.

RECIPE: FRESH CHERRY TURNOVERS

Ingredients For 15 Turnovers

For The Dough

 
For The Filling

1. MAKE the dough: Combine the flour, sugar, ginger and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until well blended; then add the butter and cream cheese and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running…

2. ADD the water slowly and mix just until dough comes together. Form dough into a disk, cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough for 30 minutes.

3. FORM the turnovers: In a medium bowl, mix the cherries, lemon zest, lemon juice, cornstarch and salt together. Set aside.

4. ROLL out the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out 6-inch circles. Invert a 6″ diameter plate or bowl atop the dough and cut out with a pizza cutter or knife; if it’s a little larger or smaller, that’s fine. Gather and re-chill the dough scraps and repeat until you have 15 dough circles.

5. Evenly divide the cherry filling among the dough circles, leaving an edge to fold and crimp. Dampen the edge of each dough circle and fold in half over the cherry filling. Lightly press the edges with the tines of a fork to seal each half-moon-shaped turnover. You can also cut squares or rectangles. For a triangular shape, follow these guidelines for spanakopita, making the triangle as large as you like.

6. PLACE the turnovers on two parchment-lined baking sheets and chill for at least 30 minutes. While they chill, position the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 400°F. When ready for the oven…

7. USE a sharp knife to cut 2 or 3 small vents on top of each turnover. Place the baking sheets on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is golden and cherry juice begins to ooze from the vent holes, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool turnovers on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
 
 
TURNOVER HISTORY

The concept of cooking fruits and meats in pastry is thousands of years old. Given the lack of bakeware at the time—especially among the less affluent—it is easy to envision cooks of ancient eras filling squares of dough with whatever, folding the dough to seal the filling, and baking them in the fireplace.

Turnovers can be sweet or savory and can be folded into half moons, rectangles, squares or triangles. Savory varieties are often used as a portable meal, as Americans grab a sandwich (think around the globe, from calzones to dosas to empanadas to spanakopita).

In England, printed recipes start to appear around 1750. But given the paucity of printed cookbooks (and the literacy level of the general public), they may have been popular for centuries.

Add to that a challenge: Turnovers were often called apple pies (apple being the most popular and widely available fruit filling).

Sweet turnovers typically have a fruit filling and are made with a puff pastry or shortcrust pastry dough. Savory turnovers generally contain meat and/or vegetables and can be made with any sort of dough, although a kneaded yeast dough seems to be the most common in Western recipes.

Turnovers are usually baked, but may be fried.

Savory turnovers are often sold as convenience foods in supermarkets. Perhaps the largest number of [sweet] turnovers are sold by Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts, launched in 1965.
 
 
MORE ABOUT CHERRIES

Love bananas? Check out this history of bananas for August 27th, National Banana Lovers Day (April 21st is, simply, Banana Day—another day to re-read your banana history).

But first: While you’re on a long conference call, or waiting for an internet connection that’s taking its time, show your love by decorating a banana (photo #1).

 
Can’t do either? Then enjoy this history of bananas.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF BANANAS

The original, wild, banana was tiny and filled with large seeds the size of peppercorns (photo #2).

Bananas were first domesticated in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea, by at least 5000 B.C.E. and possibly as far back as 8000 B.C.E.

Southeast Asia has the largest diversity of banana species, followed by Africa, indicating a long history of banana cultivation in those regions (source). Over millennia, bananas were bred into the fleshy fruits (botanically, they’re the not fruits but the berries** of herbs) we know today.

Many wild banana species can still be found in China, India and Southeast Asia, in the areas south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. They require a tropical or sub-tropical climate.

A 2001 New Yorker article notes:

“More than a thousand varieties of banana exist worldwide. The vast majority are not viable for export: Their bunches are too small, their skin is too thin, or their pulp is too bland.”

Numerous of these varieties are plantains, are starchy and inedible until cooked (there’s more on plantains below).

The article continues: “There are fuzzy bananas whose skins are bubblegum pink; green-and-white striped bananas with pulp the color of orange sherbet; bananas that, when cooked, taste like strawberries (photo #3).

“The Double Mahoi plant can produce two bunches at once. The Chinese name of the aromatic Go San Heong banana means “You can smell it from the next mountain.’ The fingers on one banana plant grow fused; another produces bunches of a thousand fingers, each only an inch long.”

Alexander the Great introduced bananas to what is now Western Europe in 327 B.C.E. They were brought back from his campaigns in Asia and India, China and Southeast Asia.

It took centuries after that—around 800 C.E.—for bananas to make their way to the Middle East.

By the 10th century, the banana appears in texts from Palestine and Egypt. From there it diffused into North Africa and Muslim Iberia (southern Spain). During the Medieval Ages, bananas from Granada were considered among the best in the Arab world [source].
 
 
BANANA HISTORY (CONTINUED): BANANAS COME TO THE AMERICAS

Bananas were introduced to the New World in the 16th century via Portuguese sailing ships, which carried them from West Africa to South America. The fruit’s name comes from a West African language [Wolof, the major language in what is now Senegal] where banan means finger.

In 1870, a Cape Cod fishing-boat captain named Lorenzo Dow Baker imported 160 bunches of bananas from Jamaica to to Jersey City, New Jersey: the first bananas in the U.S.

Shopkeepers hung the bunches and cut off the number of bananas requested by the customer. By 1900 Americans were 15 million bunches of bananas annually; 40 million by 1910. Twenty years later, Baker’s company was renamed United Fruit, today called Chiquita Brands.

By the 1960, United Fruit controlled nearly seven hundred million acres of land and 90% of the American banana market.

If you’ve had bananas in other countries and find our American imports to be bland in comparison, that’s because the original species Baker imported, the Gros Michel, has long since been replaced by the Cavendish—a blander variety that travels more easily.
 
 
THE LOSS OF THE GROS MICHEL BANANA

Many thanks to Wayne Ferrebee for much of this information.

Over millennia, farmers hybridized wild species of bananas and selectively bred the different strains into varieties called cultivars.

[2] The original wild banana was very small and filled with large seeds the size of peppercorns—probably not such pleasant eating. (photo © A. D’Hont | CIRAD).

[3] The peel is red, but the flesh is the same color as a yellow banana (photo © Gardening World). However, bananas in eye-catching colors don’t travel well enough to be exported. Tip: When you’re in a foreign country, seek out the local banana varieties.

[4] Harvesting bananas. (photo © Simon Maina | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations).

A half a century ago, the Gros Michel banana was the principal banana variety imported to the U.S (photo #5, below). They were/are far tastier than the current Cavendish variety: creamier with a tropical fruit taste.

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*Berries not in the sense of the sweet fruit we eat, but the fruit of a vine. Hawthorne and juniper trees, for example, bear savory berries. Peppercorns are the berries of a vine. There are many inedible berries, such as the red berries of the holly plant.

†Alas, recently these, too, have come under attack by the Race IV fungus, Fusarium oxysporum.

‡So called because the plant itself grows to a shorter height.

[5] Its predecessor, the more flavorful, longer-shelf-life Gros Michel [Little Michael] variety. What happened? See below (photo © Bananas.org).

[6] The modern banana we know and love is a variety called the Cavendish (photo © Nathan Ward | SXC)

[7] A comparison of four Musa kin: from left, plantains, red banana, latundan dwarf banana and Cavendish banana (photo © Nathan Ward | SXC)

[8] A comparison of Cavendish banana and the fat Gros Michel. We don’t know how large the Gros Michel grew in Jamaica; but this Gros Michel is from “the source,” Thailand, where it is called gluay hom thong, “the golden fragrant banana.” It was photographed by Ketsanee Seehamongkol, who writes an excellent story on her “discovery” (photo © Ketsanee Seehamongkol).

[9] Take a look at our delicious banana recipes (photo © Good Food On Montford | Charlotte, NC).

The world’s current major banana crop in the world, the Cavendish banana, was grown by a gardener of the William Cavendish, 6th Duke Devonshire, in 1830. He was president of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Using a specimen from a lot sent to the Duke by a colleague in Mauritius, the Duke’s head gardener, Joseph Paxton nurtured it and, five years later, the plant flowered and bore fruit. He named the varietal Musa cavendishii, after the family name of the Dukes of Devonshire, Cavendish. He himself became Sir Joseph Paxton for his contribution to England.

Cavendish plants were sent with missionaries to Samoa and other South Sea islands, the Pacific and the Canary Islands [source].

When the Gros Michel was wiped out, banana growers turned to the Cavendish. It was a smaller and less tasty fruit, but it was immune to the fungus, able to grow in infected soils, and traveled well. Practically all bananas exported to foreign markets were Cavendish.

For decades, practically all bananas exported to foreign markets—China, Europe, North America, etc.—are clones of the first Cavendish plant.

Alas, Panama disease has mutated into a new, deadlier strain (Race IV) that not only kills off the Cavendish, but also numerous local breeds of banana around the world. The world is currently in a banana crisis. You can find more information about it online, starting here.
 
 
BANANAS VS. PLANTAINS: THE DIFFERENCE

Plantains, native to India, are used worldwide in ways similar to potatoes. They are very popular in Western Africa and the Caribbean countries, typically fried or baked.

Since popular brands like Dole put their stickers on bananas and plantains alike, here’s how to make sure you’re buying what you want.

 
Both are members of the botanical order Zingiberales and family Musacae and the genus Musa, but diverage at the species level.

 
Musa is a Latinization of the Arabic name for the fruit, mauz; muz is the Turkish and Persian name for the banana [source].
 
 
GO BANANAS: BANANA TRIVIA

From Chiquita Brands:

 
And finally…

Today’s tip was inspired by this yummy photo from Wife Mama Foodie (photo #1). We thought: What a great idea for party food for a group of foodies: roll your own crepes. They can be savory crêpes for the main meal, along with a big green salad; or sweet crêpes for dessert. Just supply enough different fillings to make it interesting, and your DIY crêpes party will become a feast of legend.

Here’s her recipe for easy homemade crêpes. You can also purchase ready-to-heat-and-eat versions (photo #6).

Crepes are thin pancakes made from flour, eggs, milk, butter, and salt. The word was derived from the Latin crispus, curled. There are two principal types:

 
We have ideas below for brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Whatever ingredients you choose, place them on the table with a plate of crêpes, and let everyone fill and roll their own.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CRÊPES

Crêpes originated in Brittany, the region comprising the northwest of France. They were originally made with buckwheat flour and called galettes, meaning flat cakes. The term is still applied to savory crêpes, which remain buckwheat-based.

Around the 12th century buckwheat, was introduced to Brittany. Common buckwheat was domesticated in Southeast Asia, at least by 4000 B.C.E. [source]. The plant, Fagopyrum esculentum is a member of the Polygonaceae family, which also includes edibles such as rhubarb and sorrel.

Buckwheat—which is not a cereal and thus is gluten-free—has been grown in Tibet and northern China for millennia used to make noodles. It is a boon since wheat can not be grown in mountainous regions. It is the world’s highest-elevation domesticated plant.

Buckwheat spread to Central Asia, Tibet, and the Middle East, and Europe. It thrived in the Breton moors, where it was called sarrasin or blé noir (black wheat—from the dark specks that often show themselves in the milled flour). It is high in fiber, has easily digestive protein, and contains all eight essential amino acids.

Crêpes were initially cooked on large cast-iron hot plates, heated over a wood fire in a fireplace. Today they are made on the stovetop in special crêpe pans. The batter is spread with a tool known as a rozel and flipped with a spatula.

In Brittany crêpes were (and are) served with the local beverage, hard cider.
 
 
MODERN CRÊPES

White flour crêpes appeared only at the turn of the 20th century. White wheat flour, which had been very costly—as expensive as sugar, honey, or meat—became affordable.

In Brittany, both crêpes and galettes are traditionally served with cider.

February 2 in France is a crêpe holiday, variously known as Fête de la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or Jour des crêpes.

The feast has a tradition: Hold a coin in your dominant hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year [source].

O.K., sure, but can we have some more crêpes, please?
 
 
YOUR DIY CRÊPE SPREAD

Pick your fillings of choice. Does it need a filling sauce, e.g. mustard sauce for the sausage? Does it need a garnish—for example, whipped cream or raspberry sauce for a banana crêpe?

 
 
BREAKFAST & BRUNCH CRÊPES

 
 
LUNCH & DINNER CRÊPES

You can serve one crêpe as a first course or two as a main. Most work great with a béchamel (white sauce) or Mornay sauce (cheese sauce, a béchamel with gruyère).

 
 
DESSERT CRÊPES

[2] Banana crêpes, to which you can add caramel or chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, even peanut butter sauce (photo © Dairy Info).

[3] The lap of luxury: lobster, caviar and smoked salmon crêpes (photo © Caviar Russe | NYC).

[4] Sausage, onion, and greens, ready to roll into a crêpe for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner (photo © Rolf And Daughters | Nashville).

[5] Goat cheese and asparagus crêpes (photo © Spice Islands).

[6] It’s easy—and more fun—to roll crêpes into cone shapes—no plate required (photo © American Egg Board).

[7] The crêpes are all cone-based at Eight Turn Crêpe in Brooklyn (photo © Eight Turn Crêpe).

[8] Better food stores sell packaged crêpes (photo © Jacquet Bakery).