God-awful Tomatoes!

Where to buy? Where can I find? How do I? Getting started.
biscayne
Posts: 632
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:43 pm

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by biscayne » Wed Aug 16, 2017 4:06 pm

Yeah, the bitterness is exactly what Slovenes love about dandelion - but it does need to be young dandelion, the leaves are not good for your kidneys if they are too old. Great idea about a dandelion lawn!!!!! Dandelion tea is great for a sort of spring cure as it's really high in vitamins, and as a remedy for premenstrual bloat as it's a diuretic.

Curly endive and the cigar one - we often grill it, both available.

Ok will try Heino.

Next time you are in Slovenia, ask for "Trzaska solata" Trieste salad at the market. It is a mix of semi bitter red and green small leaves frowning on the same stem, absolutely my favourite, and cheap! (Thrzhashka so-la-ta)



Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

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harryc
Posts: 1112
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:09 pm
Location: Espoo-Helsinki

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by harryc » Wed Aug 16, 2017 8:09 pm

the bitterness is exactly what Slovenes love about dandelion
I would bet Radicchio is more bitter than dandelions. The bit of sugar is good even when cut way back - kind of same with taking the edge off tomatoes (in a sauce) with a bit of sugar.

Young are the best - but 'on their way to mature' too. I made the lawn by collecting bags full of the 'parachutes' and scattering them. A lot of 'weeds' come up too - Thistles.nettles. etc. But I cut them down in sections - and new dandelions sprout up almost instantly. So the 6-7 month harvesting works..

Where are you finding Curly Endive in Finland (PK)? I forgot to call Heino today to ask what happened to it. They service restaurants so can't see how they replace with any 'knowing' restarateur. I've sent your comments about Trzaska solata to one Slovenian friend to get comments.

When I was talking to him about the improbability of Melania picking dandelion off the White House lawn - he added - We have a saying: Where devil cant do harm, he sends the woman...
:)

Rosamunda
Posts: 10650
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:07 am

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by Rosamunda » Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:46 pm

Yes, the curly endive is delicious but it's true it seems to have disappeared lately. They take a long time to grow so I guess they are not profitable up here, and importing salads is complicated and wasteful. Used to be able to get lambs lettuce (mâche) too but I haven't seen that for a while... and I miss REAL watercress (the hot, peppery stuff that really does grow in water).

(The chicory (endive in Prisma) is better cooked eg wrapped in slices of cured ham and topped with bechamel http://www.davidlebovitz.com/endive-and ... in-recipe/ )

harryc
Posts: 1112
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:09 pm
Location: Espoo-Helsinki

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by harryc » Wed Aug 16, 2017 9:53 pm

the curly endive is delicious but it's true it seems to have disappeared lately. They take a long time to grow so I guess they are not profitable up here,
To continue this 'rant:'

Heino was selling great, fresh 'curly endive' and was about 5-6e kilo. I'll try to find out what happened

harryc
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Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:09 pm
Location: Espoo-Helsinki

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by harryc » Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:02 am

Success! - my 'rant' has worked.

Spoke to HEVI 'boss' at Heino and he is organizing delivery of REAL frisee (curly endive) to Sörnäinen and Vantaa.
He knows the Finnish stuff is COMPLETELY different! He referred to the real product as 'fine frisee' and orginates in France.

The real stuff HAS BEEN available from Heino but only via their delivery system from Espoo. But will now be back 'on the shelves.'

He thanked for my feedback ('rant').

biscayne
Posts: 632
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:43 pm

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by biscayne » Thu Aug 17, 2017 2:37 pm

Continuing this enjoyable rant -

http://www.zelene-verige.si/content/ima ... 0g_415.png

This is the salad I really miss. It looks as though it is a mix of separate leaves, but it is sold as "Trzaski Solatnik" or Trieste Lettuce lettuce. The leaves are very chewy and bitter. A bowl of this dressed with pumpkin seed oil and vinegar with a slice of really good bread and a glass of red wine from the Primorska or Goriska Brda area of Slovenia was my favourite lunch, cheap, good and simple. Miss it so much.

biscayne
Posts: 632
Joined: Sat Nov 08, 2008 11:43 pm

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by biscayne » Thu Aug 17, 2017 2:45 pm

https://glukomanan.net/wp-content/uploa ... vilec.jpeg

and this one...... with chopped egg

I think in English it is called Lambs Lettuce, but in South Austia it is called "Rapinzel" which is the old word for it in German, thought it is called "Feldsalat" nowadays, and in Slovene "Motovilec", and the kind of nice thing is that the name of the fairy tale Rapunzel is Motovilec in Slovene and it is probably this salad that the pregnant woman in Grimms tale craved! I was pregnant in Slovenia and amazing developed a craving for it, no idea why. Used to go to the market and buy a bag of it and could not wait, just crammed it into my mouth there and then. Literally the day after I delivered, I did not crave it anymore, I still like it as a salad, but did not crave it. But, when pregnant, god, I think I'd have sold my first born to get it too, just the fairy tale. It was like an obsession....

harryc
Posts: 1112
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:09 pm
Location: Espoo-Helsinki

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by harryc » Thu Aug 17, 2017 10:53 pm

Been re-reading this thread.

Only things that can be said about dandelions:

Luomo
Extremely fresh
Very local
Tasty
Very nutritious
Easy to prepare
FREE!

harryc
Posts: 1112
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:09 pm
Location: Espoo-Helsinki

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by harryc » Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:33 am

Just spent a few days in Budapest - I can just report that all the tomatoes I had were TASTY - in a way I've never found in these over-sized red, cardboard golf balls sold as Kotimaisia here. (And even for 'breakfast included' in a 33€ per night hotel).

The amazing thing is how very many Finns will run blindly (and without taste buds) to something just because it is 'Finnish.'

It is almost as if Smith's "Wealth of Nations" was on the 'Banned Book List' in Finland. :twisted:

Rosamunda
Posts: 10650
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 12:07 am

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by Rosamunda » Wed Sep 13, 2017 11:25 am

I agree Hungarian tomatoes (and a lot of other produce) are excellent. Tomatoes are used extensively in Hungarian cooking paradicsom means (apples) from paradise! Making tomato sauce was, traditionally, a family event, almost a ritual. When I was living there, the tomatoes were still grown outdoors in fields, unlike in Spain where they are under waves of plastic sheeting. I wonder how long Hungarian farmers will be able to resist the effects of globalization in food production.

But I'm not ready to condemn Finns for buying local food because it's a sustainable choice and also the result of decades of self-sufficiency that was rooted in politics. And I have eaten tasty tomatoes in Finland, too. But not from the supermarkets.

Did you get your hair cut?

harryc
Posts: 1112
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:09 pm
Location: Espoo-Helsinki

Re: God-awful Tomatoes!

Post by harryc » Wed Sep 13, 2017 1:06 pm

Did you get your hair cut?
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=95478

++

Yes - all for buying (or picking) local Finnish -- lingonberries, rye, bluueberries, chanterelles, oats, suppilovahveros, dandelion, etc. - but PLEASE - not tomatoes! :( ***

*** Indeed - have had 'home-grown' tasty garden tomatoes in Finland - but 99% sold in Finland are in those blue-white 'Suomi' boxes and are all identically looking over-sized UNdimpled golf balls.


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