Shoots of Toona sinensis, Szechuan pepper and fennel flowers with spicy lentil-pea-barley-rice and cloud ear mushroom.
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Shoots of Toona sinensis, Szechuan pepper and fennel flowers with spicy lentil-pea-barley-rice and cloud ear mushroom. Finished with butter and ramson oil. This kind of food is to make when ingredients are on hand. Took 5 min to prep and then let it simmer on its own for 15 min - let grains rest (carry-over cooking) while you forget about them. Shoots only need 1 min heat at the end when you're ready to eat.
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Shoots of Toona sinensis, Szechuan pepper and fennel flowers with spicy lentil-pea-barley-rice and cloud ear mushroom. Finished with butter and ramson oil. This kind of food is to make when ingredients are on hand. Took 5 min to prep and then let it simmer on its own for 15 min - let grains rest (carry-over cooking) while you forget about them. Shoots only need 1 min heat at the end when you're ready to eat.
Toona sinensis has a long tradition in Chinese cooking and is grown industrially today - traditionally it was picked in spring time. The big fat shoots is what it is about. Now they're grown in greenhouses all year around. In temperate climates, we can grow them in our gardens and harvest all through the season. This is the third time I harvest from this same tree which I prune to picking height every year, if the frost doesn't do it for me.
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Toona sinensis has a long tradition in Chinese cooking and is grown industrially today - traditionally it was picked in spring time. The big fat shoots is what it is about. Now they're grown in greenhouses all year around. In temperate climates, we can grow them in our gardens and harvest all through the season. This is the third time I harvest from this same tree which I prune to picking height every year, if the frost doesn't do it for me.
It is also one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world. Probably in top five for temperate climate plants according to a study by Eric Toensmeier. It is extremely high in both A-vitamin and E-vitamin - in fact top ten in both those nutrients. Also very high in Ca and C-vitamin, as well as 6% protein (very high for leaves of any plant) and high in phenoles, iron and beta-carotenes. https://perennialagricultureinstitute.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/trees-with-edible-leaves-pais-latest-publication/
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It is also one of the most nutritious vegetables in the world. Probably in top five for temperate climate plants according to a study by Eric Toensmeier. It is extremely high in both A-vitamin and E-vitamin - in fact top ten in both those nutrients. Also very high in Ca and C-vitamin, as well as 6% protein (very high for leaves of any plant) and high in phenoles, iron and beta-carotenes. https://perennialagricultureinstitute.wordpress.com/2023/01/10/trees-with-edible-leaves-pais-latest-publication/
Cooked, it is very tasty too. It has a broth-like or sulphurous flavour, not unlike onion soup with a hint of chicken - something that reminds you of umami.
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Cooked, it is very tasty too. It has a broth-like or sulphurous flavour, not unlike onion soup with a hint of chicken - something that reminds you of umami.
A lot of gardens in temperate climate could benefit from having this tree vegetable. It is easy to grow and if well-placed (likes heat), it can grow several meters every year. Not a lot of plant nurseries have it, but some do. If you're in Denmark, you can get it from our nursery @blog after the summer break: https://rodoglund.dk/toon-toona-sinensis (we don't send plants, sorry).
