Chapter 93 New Dishes
Although I was not particularly skilled, this step went smoothly thanks to the condition of the land itself.
Five shallow trenches were dug at intervals, and a total of seven rows of such pits were opened...
This is done to ensure that each bean plant receives adequate nutrients and water.
Sprinkle a handful of wood ash in each hole, then cover it with a thin layer of soil, then put the beans in, and finally cover it with soil.
Although the whole process is cumbersome, each step is important and can directly determine whether the beans can grow healthily in the future.
The beans were given to her by Zhang Qin.
In fact, Zhao Chunhua originally wanted to buy it with her own money, but Zhang Qin said that she had already made a lot of money from her yesterday, so she simply gave her the bean seeds as a gift.
For the purpose of saving and out of consideration for friendship, it would be a waste if there were too many bean seeds left at home and could not be eaten, so it would be better to give them to Zhao Chunhua, which would also deepen the relationship between them.
A relationship where we help each other will become stronger.
Friendships established in this way are always more reliable and lasting than simple exchanges of interests.
After planting the beans, Zhao Chunhua returned home with the small pumpkins, tender stems and flowers she picked up from the pumpkin field.
Although these gains may seem insignificant, they are particularly precious given the current situation of material shortages.
These things can all be made into dishes. Moreover, food is in short supply now, so we certainly cannot miss any opportunity to replenish our food supplies.
Zhao Chunhua planned to steam some rice for lunch. She had been used to eating rice since she was a child. After eating steamed buns for several days, she now didn't want to pick up her chopsticks when she saw steamed buns.
In this case, even a small bowl of rice can bring great satisfaction to the body and mind.
We need to change the taste and let this little guy try something new.
After all, children's taste buds also need diverse experiences.
Although she tries her best to ensure that there are a wide variety of complementary foods for her children, there is still not much change in the choice of daily staple foods.
This practice made her a little worried, fearing that the child would get bored of eating the same food for several meals in a row.
After adding an appropriate amount of water into the pot, slowly pour the previously washed rice into the pot.
During the cooking process, use a spatula to gently turn it over from time to time to prevent the bottom from burning.
When the rice is almost cooked to the point where it can be easily crushed by hand, and the inner core is still a little bit unripe, it is time to take it out of the pot.
At this time, it needs to be carefully scooped out of the soup and filtered using specific tools.
At this stage we have to mention a particularly useful tool - the dustpan.
The advantage of using it is that through its fine pore structure, the whole rice grains can be retained, while the liquid part can naturally seep down and fall into the container placed below, making it convenient to collect the rice soup for drinking or other cooking purposes.
The remaining half-cooked rice needs to undergo the next processing step - that is, it needs to be placed in a special container and heated for a period of time before it can become truly delicious and tempting.
A special tool needed in this process is the "zengzi", whose appearance design is very similar to that of an ordinary barrel container.
In the early days, people generally used pottery to make such tools; but as time went on, wood or bamboo craft products are more common on the market.
Among them, the wooden version is more common in every household.
Overall, this type of steamer device is roughly divided into three important components: the top sealing device (usually called the steamer cover), the main carrier in the center, and the supporting base part located at the bottom that plays a key role.
Specifically, the base is generally made of tough, long and thin bamboo strips arranged in a specific pattern to form a circular ridge with tiny spaces left in between. The purpose is to ensure that the high-temperature steam can flow evenly and fully cover the surface of each grain of food to achieve a good cooking effect.
Generally, it is set at a position about one-quarter of the height of the entire device in order to better control the distribution of heat energy.
In actual operation, one detail needs to be paid attention to - the amount of water in the pot must not be higher than the lowest mark line in the steamer. This is to avoid excessive water vapor infiltration, causing the final product to be too moist and affecting the taste.
If you follow the above instructions, the final product should be delicious rice with moderate hardness, elasticity and a fragrant and glutinous taste.
Considering the frequency of daily use and the various external impacts that may be endured, manufacturers often add an extra layer of reinforcement measures on the outside of the central structure, such as wrapping tight wire or thick cotton rope to improve the stability and durability of the entire system.
As for the top cover mentioned above, it varies according to personal preference.
Some people prefer the purely hand-woven style, which is as simple and elegant as a straw hat but has no edge decoration around it; some families choose to buy professionally carved one-piece solid wood products as the top cover.
As the rice continues to steam as it undergoes the final process, the clear and sweet rice milk in the bowl next to it has already been prepared, just waiting for people to slowly savor and enjoy this simple and pure beautiful moment.
During this break, Zhang Sanbao was still busy, helping to process some freshly picked vegetables in the kitchen.
The first thing that catches your eye is the cute little pumpkin, which is carefully cleaned and cut into pieces as thin as hair; the next step is to remove the yellow stamens hidden inside the flower; as for the tips of the tender green leaves, the layer of prickly film on the epidermis is also removed and then thoroughly cleaned and disinfected for use.
After feeding the child a large bowl of rice soup, Zhao Chunhua couldn't help but drink a bowl herself.
The soup is not only filling, but also thick and creamy, with a rich taste and a slightly sweet flavor, making it impossible not to stop savoring it mouthful after mouthful.
Only after the rice was cooked did Zhao Chunhua start to prepare the dishes.
The first step was to make the broth, as she knew that vegetables would taste better with some meat fat.
Therefore, she first added a spoonful of lard into the pot, and then put a few pieces of duck legs that had been cleaned into the pot to enhance the flavor.
This step is crucial to enhance the flavor of the entire dish.
When the soup in the pot slowly boiled, she carefully put the processed pumpkin seedlings, small pumpkins and flowers into the pot.
These ingredients need to be simmered in the pot for a while until they become soft and tender, which will make them more delicious.
However, stir-frying the pumpkin tips consumes a lot of oil, so she decided to use a healthier method - stewing them, which not only retains the nutrients but also is not too greasy.
As for the tender pumpkin, it only needs to be slightly stir-fried to become very delicious.
"Prepare the food, we can start eating."
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