50
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2014
the
Holiday
issue
CITRUS
Local farmers like Ben & Ben Becnel grow hundreds
of acres of Louisiana sweets, navel oranges, grapefruits,
Meyer lemons and satsumas exclusively for Rouses.
Storage:
Oranges, satsumas and grapefruit will last for several days at
room temperature. To keep longer, refrigerate in a plastic bag
or in your vegetable crisper.
SWEET POATOES
Most sweet potatoes harvested in Louisiana are cured or kiln dried,
which helps convert the potato starch into sugar and gives them
their distinct, sweet flavor. Louisiana sweet potatoes, which are
sometimes referred to as yams, have a bright orange flesh.
Storage:
Don’t store sweet potatoes in the fridge, or
their centers will harden; instead, keep them
in a cool, dry basket or container. They’ll
last that way for up to two weeks.
Chef ’s Tip:
After slicing, rinse with cold water to keep
the flesh from browning.
BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Brussels sprouts are part of the same family
as cabbages.
Storage:
Store Brussels sprouts
in a produce bag in the coldest part of your
refrigerator and eat them earlier rather than
later, especially if you don’t like strong flavors.
Brussels sprouts will last up to two weeks in
the refrigerator, but their flavor will intensify
the longer you wait to cook them.
PEARS
Sweet, crisp
Bosc pears
are great eating pears
and with their brown skin and slender necks,
look great on a holiday table.
Bartletts
have
a thin, delicate skin, and a sweet juicy flesh.
Use them for baking. Short squat
Anjou
pears
have a smooth skin and juicy, firm flesh. Eat them raw.
Storage
:
Ripe pears will have a sweet fragrance and gentle yield. To ripen
pears quickly, store at room temperature in a brown paper bag (turn
occasionally to keep from browning). Ripe pears can be stored in a
plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
MIRLITONS
Large mirliton casseroles make for easy holiday entertaining and
less work (just boil, peel and cube the pulp), but a lot of local cooks
still stuff mirliton shells the same way their moms, dads, aunts,
uncles and grandparents did. Slice a mirliton in half, lengthwise,
remove the pit, and brush the flesh with olive oil. Bake, skin side up,
at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Stuff with dressing, top with
breadcrumbs and a few drips of olive oil, and bake
until stuffing is browned.
Storage
: You can store
whole mirlitons in a plastic bag in your
refrigerator for up to one month.
Cut mirlitons can be stored in
the refrigerator tightly wrapped
in plastic, or in a covered
container, for 3 to 5 days.
WINTER SQUASH
Winter squash tend to be sweeter and heavier and have a firmer
texture than their summer cousins.
Acorn squash
has a mild, nutty
flavor — add brown sugar or cinnamon for a sweet side.
Spaghetti
squash
makes a great substitute for pasta; scrape the sides with a
fork to make strands. Bell-shaped
butternut squash
have a yellow
rind and bright orange-yellow flesh. Cut the neck from the body
before carving.
Storage:
Whole winter squash will keep for a month
or more if stored in a cool, dark, ventilated area. Cut squash should
be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated. It will last that way for up
to a week.
PECANS
Pecans are grown all over the South,
from Cane River, Louisiana, to
Clanton, Alabama. The pecans in
our pecan pie come from Bergeron,
a 100-plus year old family business
on the banks of False River in New
Iberia. Bergeron sources from its
own family-owned orchards and 90
growers statewide. Bergeron also
supplies Aunt Sally’s Original Creole
Pralines, our neighbor in downtown
New Orleans.
“We had a camp in Cane River when I
was young, and my sisters and cousins
and I would pick pecans in the orchard
and crack and shell them. I’m convinced
that’s why I can pick a crab clean in
world record time.”
—Marcy, Rouses Creative Director
photo by
Denny Culbert
