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You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Crock Pot Craziness / Today On The Crock Pot

Today On The Crock Pot

by John Cole|  December 28, 200712:41 pm| 97 Comments

This post is in: Crock Pot Craziness, Previous Site Maintenance

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Split Pea Soup.

Ham hock, split peas, carrots, etc.

For whatever reason, I skipped the French Onion soup idea I had been tossing around.

*** Update ***

In another crock pot thread, it was mentioned that turnips are an under-appreciated vegetable. Is this true? I love turnips, and try to find as many excuses as I can to eat them with a meal (if you haven’t had hashed turnips, you have not lived). But then again, I always was weird. As a kid, my favorite vegetables were lima beans and brussel sprouts, and I love beets, so maybe I am atypical as I have a lot of friends who don’t like any of those.

BTW- sorry for the lack of substantive posts, but I am unmotivated and will start again on 2 Jan.

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Reader Interactions

97Comments

  1. 1.

    Fledermaus

    December 28, 2007 at 12:46 pm

    You have chosen wisely. I’ve been on a split pea soup binge all winter

  2. 2.

    Jay C

    December 28, 2007 at 12:54 pm

    Yes: wise choice, John: it’s virtually impossible to get the real flavor into French onion soup without frying (well, sauteing in butter, actually): better to save the crockpot for more suitable fare….

  3. 3.

    akaoni

    December 28, 2007 at 12:54 pm

    Maybe I’m wrong, but I think it would freeze better as well. Good cold weather soup!

  4. 4.

    Krista

    December 28, 2007 at 12:59 pm

    But then again, I always was weird. As a kid, my favorite vegetables were lima beans and brussel sprouts, and I love beets, so maybe I am atypical as I have a lot of friends who don’t like any of those.

    Yeah, that’s a little weird. But that’s okay – I wish I liked all vegetables. I still can’t enjoy broccoli, but have been giving many other hated foods from my childhood another try, with surprising results. I “didn’t like” parsnips, for no other reason than that my stepdad hated them, so Mom never cooked them. But roast them in the oven with other root vegetables and a nice pot roast? Oh yeah, baby!

    Lima beans are next on my list for the re-try. I looooove edamame, so maybe it’s not that far off?

  5. 5.

    Stooleo

    December 28, 2007 at 1:03 pm

    My favorite crock pot recipe.

    Ham and Bean Soup

    1 pkg dry 15 bean soup mix discard flavor package
    2 cans diced tomatoes
    1 large onion
    approx 3 cups diced turkey ham
    1 quart chicken stock (enough to cover beans)
    2 bay leaves
    ¼ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
    salt and pepper to taste

    Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain water add beans to crock pot. dice onion, add to crock pot. Add tomatoes, ham, bay leaves and chicken stock to crock pot. Cook overnight on low 8 to 14 hours.
    Interestingly, I prefer turkey ham to real ham in this recipe, real ham seems to dry out a bit, but feel free to use either.

  6. 6.

    neill

    December 28, 2007 at 1:07 pm

    sometimes a good, fresh, crisp, raw turnip is better than any apple.

    and i’m with you on the limas, and the brussel sprouts, which i still call “little green cannon balls,” from back — way, way back — when i was ten. (not to be confused with… well, you know…)

  7. 7.

    Tom Hilton

    December 28, 2007 at 1:08 pm

    With you 100% on turnips, brussel sprouts, and (especially) beets (love those beets!). But lima beans are Not Your Friend. Trust me on this.

  8. 8.

    John Cole

    December 28, 2007 at 1:11 pm

    My grandfather called them “damned little cabbages.”

  9. 9.

    Gus

    December 28, 2007 at 1:11 pm

    My question is how do you correct the one thing that I don’t like about crockpots: it’s difficult to get soups and stews thick without a thickening agent. Do the peas act as a thickener?

  10. 10.

    demimondian

    December 28, 2007 at 1:11 pm

    How anyone can eat beets is beyond me. That dusty, woody, sweet flavor clearly conceals poisonous intent.

  11. 11.

    Zifnab

    December 28, 2007 at 1:11 pm

    Turnips = WIN

    People just tend to identify them with haggard, 60-year-old Soviet gulag farmers so they’ve gotten a bad rap. But they’ve got the firmness of a potato with a semi-sweet juice that I’m a big fan of myself.

  12. 12.

    Rudi

    December 28, 2007 at 1:11 pm

    Why does the links to edible and non-edible PASTIES get moderation when talking about turnips in the last post on crock pots? Edible pasties is a common use for turnips, I’ll stay away from the non-edible use. Anyone visiting the UP of Michigan or Wisconsin has to try PASTIES.

  13. 13.

    Tom Hilton

    December 28, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    Beets are not only yummy–they’re also the coolest color of any vegetable.

  14. 14.

    Jake

    December 28, 2007 at 1:13 pm

    As a kid, my favorite vegetables were lima beans and brussel sprouts, and I love beets, so maybe I am atypical as I have a lot of friends who don’t like any of those.

    My friends thought I was a freak because I loved spinach. Actually, I can’t think of a vegetable I don’t like, unless you count okra which I don’t because everyone knows okra is really a slime filled insect, possibly a cousin of the katydid.

    I once worked with a woman who refused to eat any type of vegetable in any form. She looked … Well, she looked like someone who never ate veggies. [shudder]

  15. 15.

    Gus

    December 28, 2007 at 1:15 pm

    Rudi, pasties are also big in northeastern Minnesota. They are, after all a miner’s meal, and the main industry there is (or was) iron mining.

  16. 16.

    demimondian

    December 28, 2007 at 1:16 pm

    It’s best to depend on a thickening agent in a crock pot. Potatoes, squash, and other starchy or fibrous vegetables will serve as thickeners if they’re simmered long enough, but they need to be broken down enough to get into the stock and the stock has to be reduced enough to make them bind together. Crock pots simmer at such a low level that the veggies tend to stay fairly intact, and, in addition, boil off so little of the stock that thickening is unlikely.

  17. 17.

    cleek

    December 28, 2007 at 1:17 pm

    i dig on the tubers, too. i prefer rutabaga to turnip, though – sweeter.

    Interestingly, I prefer turkey ham to real ham in this recipe, real ham seems to dry out a bit, but feel free to use either.

    when i make split-pea soup, i use smoked turkey legs. yummm.

  18. 18.

    Michael D.

    December 28, 2007 at 1:19 pm

    John: I love turnip. My mom used to make them and it was the highlight of my cooked dinner. A bit of sugar and a bit of butter! Yumm! My dad used to like them with just butter. A very much underappreciated veggie!

  19. 19.

    demimondian

    December 28, 2007 at 1:22 pm

    Tom — like I said, deceptive, deceitful, and surely poisonous, just like other brightly-colored things (e.g. Poison dart frogs.)

  20. 20.

    Alan

    December 28, 2007 at 1:22 pm

    John, you should create a “crock pot” category so recipes can be found quickly.

    Which size crock pot do you have? I rarely use mine because it seems a bit small. Which size is usually recommended?

  21. 21.

    John Cole

    December 28, 2007 at 1:23 pm

    I don’t know whether to be depressed or surprised that after 5 years of this blog, the single unifying theme amongst commenters here is an appreciation for the turnip.

    /sigh.

  22. 22.

    Leisureguy

    December 28, 2007 at 1:23 pm

    Turnips are great, though not so nutritious as potatoes. Turnips hold their shape better in soups, and I love to cook them and then mash them with butter and a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Great stuff.

    A well-scrubbed raw beet can be grated and makes a great salad. Beet greens are good as salad or sautéed.

    Hard to beat Brussels sprouts. One way I like them: cut in half vertically, steam, and then pour over some balsamic vinegar and chill. Very good cold.

  23. 23.

    JoyceH

    December 28, 2007 at 1:25 pm

    Pea soup doesn’t need a thickener – the peas themselves provide the thickening.

    Concur on the yummitude of turnips, and you know what else is good? Parsnips! They’re starchier than the other root crops, more like a potato than a carrot, but flavor rather carroty.

    The parsnip had been the staple crop of Ireland before the introduction of the potato. They would have been better off sticking with parsnips.

  24. 24.

    demimondian

    December 28, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    I don’t know whether to be depressed or surprised that after 5 years of this blog, the single unifying theme amongst commenters here is an appreciation for the turnip.

    Surely not surprised, at least not after all the work you put in alienating your red-meat conservative friends.

    Unsurpisingly, you’re left with a bunch of identical veggie-loving individualists.

  25. 25.

    Jake

    December 28, 2007 at 1:26 pm

    Turnips n’ rutabagas raw and dipped in hummus. Yummmm.

    And if you’re eating turnips or beets (maybe rutabagas too?) don’t forget to cook up the greens.

  26. 26.

    Tom Hilton

    December 28, 2007 at 1:29 pm

    Hard to beat Brussels sprouts. One way I like them: cut in half vertically, steam, and then pour over some balsamic vinegar and chill. Very good cold.

    Better yet: par-steam, sautée with bacon, and then toss with some balsamic vinegar. Yum.

    I don’t like parsnips nearly as much as turnips, because of the carroty flavor (not a big fan of carrots).

  27. 27.

    Robert Johnston

    December 28, 2007 at 1:38 pm

    I wish I liked all vegetables

    It’s easy to like all vegetables. Just remember that salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, curry, and the occasional pat of butter are your friends (ok, my friends; your seasonings of choice may vary). Choose a cooking method that gives you a texture you like, season to taste, and any vegetable can be made quite yummy even if you don’t particularly like the raw product. There’s nothing wrong, or even unhealthy unless you really abuse the oils and salt, with dressing up vegetables you’re not a big fan of to make them taste good.

  28. 28.

    Jake

    December 28, 2007 at 1:39 pm

    BTW- sorry for the lack of substantive posts, but I am unmotivated and will start again on 2 Jan.

    Two words: Cat Blog.

  29. 29.

    LiberalTarian

    December 28, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    Thickener? Have wheat problems myself, but like the above said, potatoes will add some body. But, other crock-worthy soup builders are barley and varieties of rice–wild rice, brown rice, etc. The barley has gluten, but not too much. I prefer to bake the rice and add it after it is cooked, because it is too pasty if it cooks with the broth.

    I bought a big, orange squash this fall that has been keeping really well, but I think it is time to make some squash soup. Funny how ginger and nutmeg also go really well with savory squash dishes. mmmmmm. Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

  30. 30.

    LiberalTarian

    December 28, 2007 at 1:42 pm

    Thickener? Have wheat problems myself, but like the above said, potatoes will add some body. But, other crock-worthy soup builders are barley and varieties of rice–wild rice, brown rice, etc. The barley has gluten, but not too much. I prefer to bake the rice and add it after it is cooked, because it is too pasty if it cooks with the broth.

    Other good stewing root veggies are radishes. Daikon’s and others have a nice mashy texture, and the little red ones give nice color and are bite-sized.

    I bought a big, orange squash this fall that has been keeping really well, but I think it is time to make some squash soup. Funny how ginger and nutmeg also go really well with savory squash dishes. mmmmmm. Man, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

  31. 31.

    Zifnab

    December 28, 2007 at 1:47 pm

    It’s easy to like all vegetables. Just remember that salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, curry, and the occasional pat of butter are your friends

    Cheers to that!
    Also keep in mind that nothing helps you wash down the delicious taste of pipping hot veges like a cold beer.

  32. 32.

    LongHairedWeirdo

    December 28, 2007 at 1:50 pm

    Gus,

    Yes, dried split peas will thicken up soup. You may need to give the soup a good stir and let it simmer for a bit, but the peas will probably break down entirely, and provide plenty of thickening.

  33. 33.

    cleek

    December 28, 2007 at 1:51 pm

    It’s easy to like all vegetables. Just remember that salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, curry, and the occasional pat of butter are your friends

    i always say butter is a vegetable’s way of becoming a bit more like meat.

  34. 34.

    Dug Jay

    December 28, 2007 at 1:53 pm

    Wilford says that those who don’t like turnips are probably anti-Semitic.

  35. 35.

    Dreggas

    December 28, 2007 at 1:54 pm

    I can’t remember which I didn’t like routebegas (sp?) or turnips, I think it was the former.

    Brussel sprouts are good with cider vinegar (as is spinach, kale, swisschard and cabbage) and I am definitely a beet fan.

  36. 36.

    wmd

    December 28, 2007 at 2:19 pm

    I’m making split pea soup today as well.

    Beets rule. Turnips fall off of turnip trucks.

  37. 37.

    Blake

    December 28, 2007 at 2:25 pm

    As long as we’re sharing crock pot recipes, this is a huge favorite in my house:

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    5 whole chicken breasts
    2 cloves garlic
    2 Tbsp olive oil
    2 14 oz can chicken broth
    1 14 oz can chopped stewed tomatoes
    1 cup salsa
    2 15 ounce can black beans
    1 4 oz can chopped green chiles
    1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
    4 ounces sour cream
    1 small bag tortilla chips

    Brown chicken breasts and garlic in olive oil; place in slow cooker with next 5 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Shred chicken with fork and add back into the crock pot before serving. Serve with cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream as toppings. Note: this can be cooked in 6 hours on high with barely a discernible difference, if you’re late getting started or in a hurry.

  38. 38.

    gypsy howell

    December 28, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    About those lima beans – here’s the thing: you have to get the little baby lima beans. The big grown up ones are mushy and starchy and blech. The little buggers are crunchy and delicious. I was never a fan as a child until Mama Howell started growing them in her garden. She picked them while they were very small, cooked them very briefly, and served with butter. Yum! I don’t know if you can even buy them that way though….

    I dislike many vegetables, but based on this thread, I’m willing to give turnips and *maybe* even parsnips a try. Beets, though? Forget it. Nagannahappen.

  39. 39.

    EL

    December 28, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    Hard to beat Brussels sprouts. One way I like them: cut in half vertically, steam, and then pour over some balsamic vinegar and chill. Very good cold.

    Another easy delicious one: Roll brussels sprouts in a bowl with olive oil and place on baking sheet, or spray with oil mister once they’re on the sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 325 until some browning occurs. Devour.

    Or you could sprinkle some grated parmesan on the sprouts partway through the baking.

    Anyone care to post some good turnip recipes?

  40. 40.

    gypsy howell

    December 28, 2007 at 2:31 pm

    Blake, try a little chipotle chile powder and some cumin in that recipe – you won’t be sorry.

  41. 41.

    andante

    December 28, 2007 at 2:56 pm

    I’m usually reluctant to cook any dried beans in the crock pot just because it won’t thicken as much as we’d like.

    Try removing some of the little buggers, mash them up, and throw them back in the pot.

    Or throw the whole mess into a large pot on the stove to simmer for a while. That sort of negates the whole purpose of the crock pot and adds another pot to wash, but it generally works.

  42. 42.

    Rudi

    December 28, 2007 at 2:57 pm

    What about a hat tip to the Southerns? You’re really a vegetable lover if you like turnip or collard greens.
    http://southernfood.about.com/od/turnipandrutabagarecipes/r/bl00311c.htm

    In the case of turnips, pasties or greens; many associate these with po’ folk or worse. We laughed at “beverly Hillbillies” and granny’s cooking, but why are snails and fatted liver considered gourmet, and turnips are not?

  43. 43.

    jeffreyw

    December 28, 2007 at 3:00 pm

    My dad used to call for mom to cook him turnips, she always acted like she didn’t care for them. He said once that she was a farm girl, he couldn’t believe they never raised turnips. She said well of course we raised turnips…for the hogs!

  44. 44.

    jeffreyw

    December 28, 2007 at 3:04 pm

    Lima beans, I can eat them, great in a decent butter sauce. In the Nam c-rations had a can of lima beans in one of the boxes, with ham it was claimed. We called them ham-and-mother-f**kers. I opened a can one day and found only a drop of grease floating on salt water.

  45. 45.

    scav

    December 28, 2007 at 3:05 pm

    ‘n if you object to essential green bowling ballishness of the Brussels sprouts, julienne the critters and saute them in a little butter and white wine. Sprinkle with almonds or not as you like, I find them nutty enough as is.
    Not a great fan of beets – odd and unfortunate as I’m a great devotee of beet tops.

  46. 46.

    Krista

    December 28, 2007 at 3:07 pm

    Turnips are another thing I have to try again as an adult. Mom’s a good cook, but in the 70’s and 80’s (i.e. my childhood), people just did not know how to cook vegetables. So, the usual way in which I was served turnips was either boiled and mashed, or boiled and mashed with carrots. Vile. I’ll have to try them raw with dip, as I prefer most veggies raw anyway, so it might work out well.

    When I think back to the sad selection of veg we had then, and the even sadder methods of cooking them….man oh man, are we spoiled today or what?

  47. 47.

    cleek

    December 28, 2007 at 3:14 pm

    lemme give a big shout-out to the king of the leafy greens: Swiss Chard !

    sautee the stuff with a bit of garlic, white pepper and, the secret to any leafy green, a hint of nutmeg. mm mm good.

  48. 48.

    Tom Hilton

    December 28, 2007 at 3:16 pm

    When I think back to the sad selection of veg we had then, and the even sadder methods of cooking them….man oh man, are we spoiled today or what?

    A-friggin’-men! Although in my case, that’s partly because we moved from the hellhole called New Jersey out here to California, where fresh produce is much more readily available.

  49. 49.

    Mary

    December 28, 2007 at 3:18 pm

    What we called turnips when we were kids were actually rutabagas. So I’m wondering how many people here are really talking about rutabagas rather than turnips.

    Turnips: wee purple and white oblate spheroids with creamy white flesh. Delicate, slightly hot flavour.

    Rutabagas (aka turnip-cabbage hybrid): large, bumpy purple and yellow cannonballs with yellow-orange flesh that goes ochre-gold when properly and throughly cooked. Earthy, slightly hot flavour.

    Both are awesome in soups, stews and mashed with a little butter.

  50. 50.

    Keith

    December 28, 2007 at 3:22 pm

    I’m about to try TZ’s green chile stew recipe, but crock-pot for 3x the time. I lucked out on the green chiles because I could only find canned mild at the store, but as luck would have it, I had a stash of canned hot green chiles in my pantry.

  51. 51.

    Rudi

    December 28, 2007 at 3:45 pm

    As long as we’re sharing crock pot recipes, this is a huge favorite in my house:

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    Where is the cilantro in this recipe? I enjoyed may bowls of CTS at the Camino Real(Beaners or Pinche Gringos) in Saltillo, and Tortilla soup without cilantro ain’t CTS. At CR they had the green chiles as a salsa on the side, you could add as much as you liked, but gotta have cilantro in any good Mexican soup.

  52. 52.

    Tax Analyst

    December 28, 2007 at 3:47 pm

    John Cole Says:

    I don’t know whether to be depressed or surprised that after 5 years of this blog, the single unifying theme amongst commenters here is an appreciation for the turnip.

    I like most vegetables. But I’m more or less neutral on turnips, they don’t do a whole lot for me, but they can be alright when you add enough stuff to make them taste like something.

    I am, however, in favor of crock-pots.

    But think of how ultra-cool it will be when Apple develops the “Ipot”.

  53. 53.

    shaker o salt

    December 28, 2007 at 4:00 pm

    Yeah, baby. I love turnips, too. I love them oven roasted. Beets, too. (But forget the greens, yech.)

    Beans and ham: one of my all time favorite soups from childhood. I asked my husband, who is a terrific cook, to make this from our leftover thanksgiving ham bone and he happily complied. I was thrilled to travel to my daughter’s home for Christmas to see this soup on her stove. My son-in-law made it this time, he is also a darned good cook.

    John, you’re selling me on the crock pot.

  54. 54.

    ChristieS

    December 28, 2007 at 4:02 pm

    There’s nothing wrong, or even unhealthy unless you really abuse the oils and salt, with dressing up vegetables you’re not a big fan of to make them taste good.

    Yep. When I was little, I HATED yellow squash. My mom made a lot of it, because we have a large family and the squash was cheap. The only way I would eat it was to bury it with pork-n-beans, mix well, and shovel it in as fast as I could, lol.

    Come to think of it, I still don’t like squash, but now I don’t care for pork-n-beans, either. Go figure.

  55. 55.

    John Cole

    December 28, 2007 at 4:10 pm

    John, you’re selling me on the crock pot.

    What sold me is how cheap the meals are. I bought a 16oz bag of split peas, some organic carrots, onions, and celery, and two ham hocks for under nine bucks.

    That is a ton of meals for dirt cheap. All I need is a side of bread and a vegetable to go with it, and you have a full meal. And it is easy as hell to cook.

  56. 56.

    Dreggas

    December 28, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    gypsy howell Says:

    About those lima beans – here’s the thing: you have to get the little baby lima beans. The big grown up ones are mushy and starchy and blech. The little buggers are crunchy and delicious. I was never a fan as a child until Mama Howell started growing them in her garden. She picked them while they were very small, cooked them very briefly, and served with butter. Yum! I don’t know if you can even buy them that way though….

    I dislike many vegetables, but based on this thread, I’m willing to give turnips and maybe even parsnips a try. Beets, though? Forget it. Nagannahappen.

    The same (as for when to get ’em) goes for eggplant. The large eggplants taste like crap, get a baby eggplant and it’s completely different tho. For years my mother made eggplant parmesan with the larger, older eggplants and I hated it. Once she started using the younger ones it wasn’t half bad.

    On another subject though, I have a good winter recipe for bbq pork and Kale potatoes. Ya basically make a bbq sauce, place a bunch of pork spare ribs in a casserole dish and cover them with the bbq sauce, then cover and place in the oven (need to get the temp, I can’t remember). While that’s cooking you boil potatoes, peeled and chopped for mashing and during the last ten minutes you add chopped kale.

    You need to fry up a few strips of bacon and then crumble those reserving some of the grease. Drain the potatoes and Kale and place in a large bowl, add in the bacon bits, some of the bacon grease (instead of butter)and milk, then mash.

    Once the ribs are done serve with the mashed kale potatoes and use the bbq sauce (which with the pork drippings should be almost like a thin gravy) as a gravy over the potatoes.

    It’s stick to your ribs good.

  57. 57.

    Dreggas

    December 28, 2007 at 4:19 pm

    John Cole Says:

    John, you’re selling me on the crock pot.

    What sold me is how cheap the meals are. I bought a 16oz bag of split peas, some organic carrots, onions, and celery, and two ham hocks for under nine bucks.

    That is a ton of meals for dirt cheap. All I need is a side of bread and a vegetable to go with it, and you have a full meal. And it is easy as hell to cook.

    Crock-pots are the working stiffs best friend and can be used for so much. There are gigantic cookbooks loaded with recipes for the crock pot. I even had a Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe for the crockpot. I wasn’t overly impressed with it but it is possible.

    Like I said, a thing of McCormick (or durkee) pulled pork seasoning, the ingredients on the back, and a pork roast and you’ll have pulled pork cheap. McCormick and others make some excellent spice mixes for slow cooker dishes. Even Stoufers has slow cooker meals in a bag now in the frozen section and most of those are good (and cheap).

    Easy living and good eating.

  58. 58.

    Barry

    December 28, 2007 at 4:21 pm

    Turnips – cook them with apples. The flavor seeps around. I’ve had a ‘white dish’ of steamed apples, turnips and potatoes.

  59. 59.

    Keith

    December 28, 2007 at 4:40 pm

    I’ve never had turnips before in my life. And outside pickled beets in falafel (the real kind, not the BillO word for “sponge”) sandwiches, I’ve never had beets either. Come to think of it, I’m hard-pressed to think of many root vegetables outside of carrots that I’ve eaten. I’m more of a leafy greens & brocolli/sprout person. Come to think of it, maybe when I run out of chile stew, I’ll make a monster batch of some mustard greens…throw a few cans in, add a bit of broth/beer, hunk of fatty cured pork, garlic, spoonful of mustard and many hours later, savory almost-health-food (take out the pork – which adds minimal fat overall – and it’s nearly fat/sodium free, and loaded with fiber and all that green stuff that cures all those diseases)

  60. 60.

    Tax Analyst

    December 28, 2007 at 4:45 pm

    So I guess this thread establishes that almost everyone on the Balloon Juice site is high on crock.

  61. 61.

    Mary

    December 28, 2007 at 4:55 pm

    That’s it. I can’t resist any more. I don’t have any split peas, but I’m going to make some lentil soup RIGHT NOW.

    And then I’ll eat it all at 2 AM.

  62. 62.

    Billy K

    December 28, 2007 at 4:56 pm

    Hooray it R teh weekend. I just got back from the grocer with ingredients for two of the crock pot recipes from a few days back. Tonight I’m making the dead-simple Italian Beef.

  63. 63.

    Billy K

    December 28, 2007 at 5:01 pm

    BTW: I hate Turnips, rutabagas, beets, lima beans, yams and brussel sprouts. I clearly do not belong here.

  64. 64.

    Svensker

    December 28, 2007 at 5:15 pm

    James Beard’s way with turnips or rutabagas: Slice medium thin, alone, together, or you can add sliced broccoli stems as well. Saute in butter or olive oil over medium heat, with salt and pepper. You can add a pinch of white sugar at the end. Cover and let steam in their own juices a bit. Cook until as done as you want them. Crunchy, sweet and delish — people who swear they won’t eat turnips or swedes will like this.

    Lima beans are good, but unless they’re baby fresh, have to be cooked slow and gently in lots of water, otherwise the starch “seizes up” and they get hard and horrid. But cooked gently, they are soft and succulent, especially when dressed with some good olive oil and fresh pepper.

    Man, am I in the mood for split pea soup right now. Seems the perfect antidote to too much Christmas food.

  65. 65.

    Tax Analyst

    December 28, 2007 at 5:16 pm

    Billy K Says:

    BTW: I hate Turnips, rutabagas, beets, lima beans, yams and brussel sprouts. I clearly do not belong here.

    But can you abide a crock-pot?

    If not you must go…

  66. 66.

    Brachiator

    December 28, 2007 at 5:19 pm

    Brussels Sprouts: Good or evil?

    God created Brussels Sprouts so evil had a taste.

    — English actress Nina Wadia

  67. 67.

    Sinister eyebrow

    December 28, 2007 at 5:20 pm

    I’ve found that pretty much all root vegetables: turnip, parsnip, carrot, rutabega, etc. are outstanding when roasted with a drizzle of olive oil and a little kosher salt. Also works well with fennel.

    Don’t know how to thicken anything in a crock pot, I’ve never cooked anything in a crock pot. Possibly a little cornstarch (make a slurry with a tsp of corn starch and a 1/3 cup water). Don’t use flour, whatever you do (your soup will end up tasting like flour unless you make a roux first and cook the cereal taste out of the flour).

  68. 68.

    ThymeZone

    December 28, 2007 at 5:30 pm

    Brussels Sprouts: Good or evil?

    Definitely, good. The fresh sprouts, cut in half and sauteed with a little butter and garlic and salt, are just a true delight. They need to be cooked just so, not too al dente, and not too well done. Just …. so.

    Nothing better.

  69. 69.

    Mary

    December 28, 2007 at 5:31 pm

    I just had some lovely brussel sprouts. Just add a little butter, a few drops of lemon juice and a tiny squeeze of Dijon. Even Maggie (the elderly, cranky tabby) gave the leftover sauce two dew-claws up.

  70. 70.

    LiberalTarian

    December 28, 2007 at 5:33 pm

    This is a pretty cool thread. I can’t wait until JC gets a cold crock and starts some sauerkraut so I can get in on all the hints, tips and quick wisdom for simple fermented food too.

    Heh. I’m easily entertained.

  71. 71.

    ThymeZone

    December 28, 2007 at 5:35 pm

    I’m easily entertained.

    You, sir, have found a home, then.

  72. 72.

    Surabaya Stew

    December 28, 2007 at 5:43 pm

    Wow… lots of good ideas here for Crockpot cooking! I shall have to expand my horizons beyond chicken soup; with an appreciative Girlfriend in my life, I’m set for some slow-boiling expermentation in the weeks to come. Thanks guys!

  73. 73.

    John Cole

    December 28, 2007 at 5:49 pm

    BTW: I hate Turnips, rutabagas, beets, lima beans, yams and brussel sprouts. I clearly do not belong here.

    We are all liberals here, apparently. As such, you don’t have to like those things to be welcome here, you just have to respect our right to like them. Plus, you have to promise not to declare pre-emptive war and start bombing us until we like something else.

  74. 74.

    cleek

    December 28, 2007 at 5:53 pm

    Hitler liked turnips [1], therefore everyone here is fascist, either for liking turnips or by standing idly-by while the rest sing their laurels.

    —

    1. J. Goldberg, Liberal Fascism (Doubleday, 2007), p 106.

  75. 75.

    Dreggas

    December 28, 2007 at 6:16 pm

    LiberalTarian Says:

    This is a pretty cool thread. I can’t wait until JC gets a cold crock and starts some sauerkraut so I can get in on all the hints, tips and quick wisdom for simple fermented food too.

    My grandmother had a stone crock for making sauerkraut and fermenting. Problem is it got a hairline crack and thus was rendered useless…pure tragedy.

  76. 76.

    Keith

    December 28, 2007 at 6:21 pm

    Brussels Sprouts: Good or evil?

    I’ve grown to like bitter greens, but regardless, Thomas Keller has a great recipe where you serve duck confit on a bed of brussels sprouts covered in a mustard creme (Keller has a fixation on mustard) sauce that is pretty damn good, but most things that contain duck fat are pretty damn good. I would imagine brussels sprouts covered in hollandaise sauce is as good.

  77. 77.

    LiberalTarian

    December 28, 2007 at 7:14 pm

    My grandmother had a stone crock for making sauerkraut and fermenting. Problem is it got a hairline crack and thus was rendered useless…pure tragedy.

    Bummer. My crock of condolences leaketh.

    This brings to mind a crock caution:

    Don’t mix your hot crock with cold water. Tragedy will ensue. Your fine crock for food will become a vessel for plants.

  78. 78.

    Carly

    December 28, 2007 at 7:32 pm

    If you like apples, you’ll love these and they’re low-cal.
    ( I only do diet food)

    7-8 Granny Smith green apples, peeled and sliced, not too thin
    about 1/3 cup of water
    1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    2 T. cornstarch
    3 T. Splenda brown sugar
    1/4 c. white Splenda

    Mix well and cook on high approx 2 hours. You’ll have to
    open and stir about every 30 min.All of these amounts are approximations depending on the size of the apples and your taste preferences. You could even do real sugar!

  79. 79.

    EL

    December 28, 2007 at 7:45 pm

    So I guess this thread establishes that almost everyone on the Balloon Juice site is high on crock.

    Nominated for Post of the Day. And so true.

  80. 80.

    RSA

    December 28, 2007 at 7:46 pm

    One of my favorite winter dishes is something I got from a little book called The Garlic Cookbook (which I discover is not a unique title), a beef daube with garlic and root vegetables. It’s a pretty straightforward variation on recipes you can find online, with a ton more garlic (whole cloves), plus turnips, beets, and Brussels sprouts.

  81. 81.

    LiberalTarian

    December 28, 2007 at 8:24 pm

    Snork. High on crock.

  82. 82.

    demimondian

    December 28, 2007 at 8:32 pm

    Are the penalties for possession of crock more severe than those for possessing equivalent quantities of chowder?

  83. 83.

    Billy K

    December 28, 2007 at 9:04 pm

    But can you abide a crock-pot?

    If not you must go…

    I threw a party this year to celebrate the Crock Pot (really).

  84. 84.

    jo6pac

    December 28, 2007 at 9:31 pm

    Please forget the lima bean, try to get Fava beans but I agree with sprouts, I use frozen better the store unless you live in the lower Monterey Bay area.
    jo6pac

  85. 85.

    STEVEinSC

    December 28, 2007 at 9:39 pm

    Split pea soup good, carrots bad.

  86. 86.

    andante

    December 28, 2007 at 9:47 pm

    Navy Bean Crock Pot Soup

    bag of navy beans (soak overnite)
    water to cover
    a ham hock or two
    a carrot or two (sliced thin)
    stalk of celery (sliced thin)
    pepper to taste

    Throw all in crock pot; cook on low at least 6-8 hrs.
    Toward end of cooking time, remove @ a cup of beans, mash them up and add them back to the soup (to thicken)

    Serve with cornbread.

    Yum.

  87. 87.

    cleek

    December 28, 2007 at 10:38 pm

    You could even do real sugar!

    i’d leave off the water and shove in that inside two pieces of pre-made pie dough. 45 mins @ 450, foil the edges after 15 minutes.

  88. 88.

    Quackers

    December 28, 2007 at 11:02 pm

    Here’s a good one for warming you on cold days and I think it would work great in a crockpot (I use a large cast iron skillet).
    Sausage soup: crumble and brown 1lb. of whatever kind of breakfast sausage you like (I use Jimmy Dean Sage). Drain grease. Add one can each (undrained) of green beans, sliced carrots, kidney beans, tomatoes (diced, whole, crushed, whatever). That’s basically it. Don’t add any seasoning until you taste it since the sausage usually adds enough. I suppose different vegetables could be used depending on preferences. A friend showed me how to make this years ago and she adds onions and garlic, but I HATE both and won’t touch any food they’ve even been close to, but I guess if you like them…….

  89. 89.

    Anne Laurie

    December 29, 2007 at 2:03 am

    Here’s another much-despised food product nobody here’s bothered to defend: LIVER. I love it in practically any form — both my parents hated the stuff, so I never tasted it until I was old enough to order my own meals. A lot of the Most Hated Foods — liver, broccoli, eggplant, brussels sprouts, anchovies — are very intensely flavored, too much so for kids’ palates, I’ve always suspected. The fact that they’re easy to spoil with careless cooking doesn’t help. If laws restricted consumption of the “Belgian Tickler” (as one veggie-growing friend refers to brussels sprouts) to adults, they’d be a lot more popular.

  90. 90.

    crack

    December 29, 2007 at 3:04 am

    I made turnips in a crock pot last spring. I don’t remember having them before that. They were amazing. Succulent and subtly sweet. My problem with crock pots is much of the stuff they are good at is so starchy. Tastes great, but too many calories for me.

  91. 91.

    Catsy

    December 29, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    LiberalTarion above beat me to it. The best-kept secret on the planet for stews and soups is the Daikon Radish. These little miracles soften up nicely with a very similar texture to potatoes, but add far more flavor. We use them in many recipes that call for potatoes in soups and stews.

  92. 92.

    w vincentz

    December 29, 2007 at 3:15 pm

    Someone (I forgot) mentioned Judith Finlayson’s The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes. I highly recommend!
    Right now, mine is doing up Hearty Carbonnade (p. 97). I serve it over egg noodles.
    If you’re into pea soup, try the split green pea soup with tarragon cream (p. 39). I jazz it with a ham bone.
    Another good slow cooker cookbook is Fix it and Forget It Cookbook by Dawn J Ranck, Phyllis Pellman Good. You might like Karen’s Split Pea Soup (p 54).
    Enjoy!

  93. 93.

    David Yaseen

    December 29, 2007 at 6:40 pm

    This is a stew I like to do in my crock pot. This is a lot of food, and assumes a large crockpot. Also, it needs a long time to come together properly. Usually I put it together after I get home for work, and let it cook all night. This recipe usually lasts me for a week.

    1 pkg chicken thighs
    1 medium-large eggplant
    3 medium yellow squash or zucchini or any mix thereof
    4-5 medium tomatoes
    3 carrots
    3 stalks celery
    2 handfuls white hominy
    3 1 cup dry chick peas
    2 medium yellow onions
    10 cloves garlic
    1 tsp each garam masala and chili powder
    1/3 tsp cayenne
    1 bunch cilantro
    3 tbs fresh ginger
    Other spices as desired (e.g. – cumin seeds, tarragon, etc. All to taste)

    1. Clean chicken thighs and arrange on the bottom of the crock pot and turn it on.
    2. Cut eggplant into bite-sized pieces and throw into pot to cover chicken.
    3. Put in hominy and chick peas. Putting them low in the pot will help ensure they get the moisture they need.
    4. Put in spices, half of garlic (minced), half of ginger, (minced), half of cilantro (chopped fine), half of tomatoes, (chopped). Put remainder in fridge, tomatoes in one bowl, and the rest in another.
    5. Cut remaining vegetables and put into pot. Add 1 1/2 cups water. This is approximate. Depending on the composition of the stew, you may need more or less water. You’ll get a feel for it after you make it a few times.
    6. Watch tv, surf internet, play with dog/kids/legos.
    7. Just before bed, give it a good stir, taking care not to disturb the chicken at the bottom. It should be liquid up to an inch or so below the top. If it is much lower, add water to get it to that point.
    8. Sleep.
    9. Upon waking, turn off the heat. Add the rest of the garlic/ginger/cilantro/tomatoes and stir.
    10. Get ready for work, etc. (45 min) and put the pot in the fridge.
    11. When you arrive home again, the stew will have set, mostly non-liquid, and will be ready for nuking.

    The only drawback to this recipe is that you’ll have to do some digging to get chicken into each bowl. I’ve decided it’s worth it. Ymmv.

  94. 94.

    shirt

    December 29, 2007 at 7:27 pm

    instead of a ham hock, try pork neck bones. The best can be bought at a good Mercado. If you use smoked hocks, cook them for an hour after slashing the skin in water just to cover — at a simmer! Throw away the cooking water, skin the hocks and add them to the pea soup. By doing this, you’ll be getting rid of the salt which makes pea soup gritty and the chemicals which make you twitch. Adding the white and pale green parts of 3-4 leeks (chopped and washed), simmering for another two hours will add a delicate onion like flavor and make up for a year of a fiber deficient diet.

  95. 95.

    demimondian

    December 29, 2007 at 7:41 pm

    Anne Laurie — there’s actually a genetic basis for disliking liver. There’s a chemical in liver (I don’t remember which, and FDDD, the geneticist in the family, is out, so I can’t ask…) for which there’s a dominant tasting gene. If you carry that allele, liver has not only a strong flavor, but an almost nauseating one.

  96. 96.

    J Bean

    December 30, 2007 at 1:14 am

    This split pea and sweet potato soup is excellent. The cooking time given in the recipe is a little long and you don’t need to bother soaking the split peas, just give them a 15 minute head start on the sweet potatoes.

  97. 97.

    oh really

    December 30, 2007 at 4:21 am

    It’s time for you to start a new blog. Maybe something like:

    Total Crock
    or
    What a Crock
    or
    The Crackpots Crock Pot

    I see great success for such an endeavor.

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