Chopped Challenge

[dalesys]

I have been unable to find edible flowers.

Artichokes... cauliflower...

[NecessaryCatharsis]

If those count I would do. I was thinking lavender, dandelion, clover etc.

[MoonCat]

If those count I would do. I was thinking lavender, dandelion, clover etc.

Lavender, chamomile flowers, squash blossoms (this could take some searching). Violas, nasturtiums. Lavender and chamomile can be ordered online. Oh, rose petals. BUT make CERTAIN that you are buying FOOD GRADE for any of these.

Excuse the caps, but you definitely do not want to buy these at a florist.

Also, broccoli.

[mathnerd]

I think a broad definition of edible flowers is okay. I was hoping that it was late enough in the year that the people farther north would have access to a larger variety of flowers, but it appears not to be the case. Drats.

*I'll be off and on for the next couple days. My little one had major surgery this morning and the first few days of recovery are never fun. We should be home by tomorrow afternoon, and by Sunday things should be settled down enough that I can get online a few times a day to check this thread, at least.

[klhanson]

So to clarify we can use something like artichoke or cauliflower?

[Kittish]

Excuse the caps, but you definitely do not want to buy these at a florist.

Also, broccoli.

First, former florist. Please please do NOT eat ANY vegetative material you get from a florist. Flowers and cut greenery are treated with floral preservatives to extend the life of the cut stems, plus whatever fertilizers and pesticides the growers used.

Second, huh. I did not realize that broccoli actually was a flower. But it is, it fits the 'edible flower' requirement without even having to twist anything.

[Jester]

I have been unable to find edible flowers. There is nothing like it available from grocery, there is still a foot of snow on the lawn, so even if it warms up enough to start melting again a month isn't enough time for something to get grown, and I'm hesitant to buy flowers from a florist, even if they start out edible I worry about all the pesticides and crap that are put on.

Unless anyone has any suggestions, I either have to ask for a new ingredient or bow out of this time.

I think we are going to have to redo edible flowers, for two reasons.

1. Clearly, not everyone has access.
2. The ingredient is too broad. Dates, feta, and polish sausage are fairly specific. Unless a specific edible flower is named, we should move on to a new fourth ingredient.

On this, I'd also like to note that carnations and roses are edible, though I defer to our florist friend's advice to not eat or cook with them if they come from a florist. And it's not easy to find them in non-florist situations. Also, zucchini, being a squash, has some amazing flowers, but it isn't easy to get them. You have to get the zucchini with the flowers, and that is not at all easy. I know, as I once had cause to try to procure them. I did, but it wasn't easy.

So, Mathnerd, please select a new fourth ingredient, and please, make it tough. Right now, the first three ingredients are playing to my strengths. (No, it won't be the easiest thing to combine them in a dish, but I am very, very familiar with all three.)

[mathnerd]

I'm sorry I'm just now getting back to this. All hell is breaking lose in my life. Between issues with my kids and another issue I can't go into on a public forum, I've been swamped. Jester, I meant to text you to ask for your thoughts on the flowers thing, so I'm glad you posted.

So, for a new fourth ingredient...

Honey.

That gives us:

Feta Cheese
Dates
Honey
Polish Sausage

[Jester]

If no one has any challenges to any of these ingredients, this Challenge will begin next Tuesday, April 7th, which coincidentally is the 1st day of my road trip vacation. (It's already late Monday night, so I'm fine with the weeklong challenge period beginning tomorrow.) And from there, all participants will have one month, until the end of the day (however you define it, we're not gonna get too nitpicky on this) on May 6th to conceive, prep, cook, and photograph their dish.

That is the official stuff.



Unofficially.....I have SO got this!

[Jester]

That last bit was my competitive side. I can't help it. But I am also a foodie, and love helping others, so this is that side of me coming into play....

Helpful Hint: If at all possible, avoid the mass-produced, supermarket-bought Polish sausage. I used to always buy Johnsonville kielbasa, and it is good for what it is. But if you have near you or can find in your area an ethnic food store that deals in European foods (or even just a good butcher, and they have good, fresh kielbasa, you'll do so much better, as will your dish. Chances are they'll have a variety, so you'll have some options.

And for those who are completely unfamiliar with Polish sausage, it is often called kielbasa, polska kielbasa, or kielbasa polska. Basically just means Polish sausage.

Oh, and by the way? It rocks.

And no, Mathnerd, I will not be doing a variation on my Polish confusion dish. Not even close. But I do very much have something in mind.

Powodzenia, moi przyjaciele!

[Ghel]

Thanks for updating the ingredients list! I was afraid I was going to have to bow out of this round because I couldn't find edible flowers (and broccoli wouldn't work with the meal I've been working on). Honey will work so much better.

[Jester]

Remember, kids, we still have a week for someone to challenge any of these ingredients, since not everyone checks this site every day. But short of any allergies, I'd be surprised if this isn't the final list, since I don't see anything on here that would be all that difficult for people to get.

[MoonCat]

Here's a tip: This is the last week before Easter. Trust me when I tell you that really good Polish sausage at small ethnic shops is literally flying out the door. Get it NOW if that's where you want to shop. It's a must-have for Polish Catholics for Easter and I have known one of the biggest, most popular local meat shops to run out of it before Easter Sunday. They might not restock all that fast right afterward.

If the smaller places are sold out you should be able to get it at a good supermarket, just check the deli where the fresh meats, coldcuts and such are sold. They often have better stuff than the prepackaged kind (although personally I love Hillshire Farms).

Oh, and if you aren't familiar with it, it comes in two kinds: Smoked or fresh. I prefer smoked but the fresh kind is good, too.

[Jester]

Not just Easter, but Dyngus Days, which is a big Polish drinking holiday festival kinda thing. (Technically Polish-American, but still relevant to any Americans participating in this.)

As for Hillshire Farms, that was my go to before I started buying the real deal. I loved HF, but the difference is staggering. Not just in taste, but in the vast difference I feel after eating it. After HF kielbasa, I often felt very jittery, as if something in it was just bugging out my system. After the real deal, no matter how much of it I eat, I get none of this same feeling. I guess it's somthing to do with the preservatives used in HF, or perhaps the fat content. I'm no expert on such things, so I can't say, but I do know the only feeling I get after eating real kielbasa is the feeling of being full.

[MoonCat]

Oh yeah....We know from Dyngus in this town! If you saw Anderson Cooper* laughing about it last year, well....it's now one of the biggest parties of the year, including a parade, Polish foods, beer, vodka and krupnik (honey/grain liquor), costumed Polish dancers, tours of the historic churches in town, pussy willows everywhere. It's celebrated the day after Easter. I wanted to get the day off but couldn't (the parade messes up my bus route to get home).

And yeah---the real stuff is damn good. Everybody here has their favorite brand. (My grandma used to make her own). We had both the smoked and the fresh for Easter dinner. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of dishes the participants come up with here (I'm not cooking because two of the chosen ingredients, honey and Polish sausage, were among my suggestions).








*Basically, a twit.