A kumquat isn’t much bigger than a grape, yet this bite-sized fruit fills your mouth with a big burst of sweet-tart citrus flavor. In Chinese, kumquat means “golden orange.” They were originally grown in China. Now they’re also grown in several other countries, including warmer areas of the United States, such as Florida and California. In contrast with other citrus fruits, the peel of the kumquat is sweet and edible, while the juicy flesh is tart.
This is a kumquat.
Loquats are small fruits with a sweet, slightly tart flavor. Recent research suggests that loquats may offer a variety of health benefits, including protection against some diseases. The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a tree in the rose family native to China. It is prized for its sweet fruit. Loquats are small, round fruits that grow in clusters. Their color varies from yellow to red-orange, depending on the variety. Loquat fruit, seeds, and leaves are packed with potent plant compounds and have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years.
This is a Loquat.
All of this fabulous information is according to Healthline.com.
Now you have to hang with me. I know you are asking why on earth is Marilyn writing about kumquats and loquats. First off, because they are fun to say! And second, because lots of people in Zellwood have them in their yards and don’t even know what they are. As it states above, they are edible, skins and all and they can be nice, sweet/tart taste.
These are pictures of my friend Ellyn’s loquat tree in Zellwood. (Thank you, Ellyn, for letting me photograph them.) As you can see, these trees grow quite large. There are lots of blooms happening.
This is an old video of my dad explaining Loquats to my Uncle George. I hope you find it as entertaining as I do. It’s very short and funny. I think it was made around 1986, so you understand the fashion! And if you listen carefully he has a suggestion for their use.
Yup, THAT is my dad, so if you know me, it explains a LOT!
I was talking to my friend Ginger about the kumquats and loquats, and she remembered a Kumquat parade in Orlando, which I had never heard of before. She looked it up and sure enough, from the mid-80s to the 90’s there was the Queen Kumquat Sashay each year downtown! (Thank you, Ginger!)
I have my own personal story about kumquats, which I feel is also relevant. As a lot of us southern girls like to call people by sweet names, I am also guilty. I had a workmate who always gave me a hard time, and it was miserable to have to argue with him every day to accomplish my job. I decided I HAD to do something to learn to like him or I’d never get past it so every time I talked to him, I’d call him sugar or honey or sweetie. I talked to him a LOT so i had to start coming up with other names and it kind of became a game to us. (But it was working, the atmosphere was less tense.) One day I called him my little kumquat, and we both burst out laughing. It was just too much! After that we became friends. It was a silly thing but as I said earlier, it really is fun to say! Give it a try!
I hope you enjoyed your lesson on kumquats and loquats and also the Kumquat Sashay and how a little humor can defuse a tense situation!
Today is the day that I make Polish Dill Pickle Soup. I have seen the recipe on Facebook for a while now and since I am of Polish Heritage, I like to occasionally try some of the foods that are of that tradition. I am not a cook really, but I do like making soups, so this seemed right up my alley! And of course, looking for the right recipe is always a challenge.
God always seems to answer my call, and He sent me my friend Bobbie. I never knew it, but Bobbie and her husband Roy owned a Polish restaurant and deli up north and Dill Pickle Soup was one of their daily featured items and she said they sold out every day! What better recipe could I ask for?!! She was gracious enough to share the recipe with me so that I could give it a try.
I am always intimidated by cooking and recipes. I don’t usually understand, or I make it more complicated than it needs to be. Like when the recipe says to use a heavy pot, do I weigh my pots and use the heaviest one? Cut into small pieces, small to who (or whom), how big is small? Bite sized, who’s bite?? I’m not quite that bad but I am literal, and these things confuse me.
Alexa and I have become great friends as well. I have Alexa in the kitchen with a monitor so I can ask what to do and it shows me a video. I do this MANY times as I am making stuff so that I remember or clarify. (no, I don’t worry about the government listing to my conversations, my friends don’t want to hear what I have to say so I doubt the government would be interested either!)
I have spent the last few days reading and re-reading the recipe, googling stuff I didn’t understand, asking Bobbie questions. More than anything, I want Bobbie to be happy with the results AND I also want her to be honest with me if I don’t get it right. I already know I won’t on the first try, BUT if I come close and it brings a smile to her face I am beyond happy.
Next order of business is grocery shopping. I don’t store much in my kitchen since I don’t cook much, and you can bet I don’t have the proper ingredients. Recipe calls for course ground black pepper, I don’t have course, is that a problem? One small onion, how small is small? Red skin potatoes, yes, I know what those are! YAY me! One quart of pickle juice! OhOh, do they actually sell pickle juice? Alexa!!!!! Yes, they do, but not all grocery stores do. Publix does, Winn Dixie, nope.
My shopping list is made and off to the store I go. This went very well actually, so I am very proud of myself. I didn’t have to ask any unsuspecting person who LOOKS like they know how to cook any questions at all. I did have to buy garlic dill pickles, says I needed 3, I wasn’t sure if that was spears or entire pickles so I bought a big jar and will figure that part out later. Now that I am home that was enough thinking for one day. I’m exhausted by it all. This cooking stuff is a LOT.
So today is the day! I got up ready to tackle the soup and I got this! I can do it. I have a chopper that cuts the vegetables very easy, and I do know they are supposed to be uniform n size so they cook evenly. I do watch Food Network!
This gizmo is quick and easy to use and preserves my fingers and fingernails, (side note, as it turns out, the pieces were too big, which didn’t affect the flavor, just bite and appearance. I will have to hand chop next time.) Following the instructions, it all goes into the pot and the simmering begins.
AND OH MY GOODNESS, my kitchen smells amazing. The garlic and the dill and vinegar, onions, wow. Since I don’t cook much, this is exciting. Don’t you just love the way your kitchen smells when it is not burning?
Now comes the tricky part, a roux. I have unsuccessfully made roux and this time I am determined! So Alexa is my very best friend. I am using videos to make sure I don’t mess up and burn it as I usually do. You stir constantly and stir some more! But Look!
I have a roux! It still has to darken a bit but it thickened up like I have never had happen before! I’m so proud! LOL! Roux is done and added to the pot and stir, stir, and stir.
The soup is finished.
I have to call Bobbie to have her look and taste, I want to make sure it is right before I share this with others and misrepresent an entire country! So this is where I find out the vegetables are cut too large and there is too much pickle juice. Sigh. But she says it is good and, for me, it is a successful first attempt. I go home and add some chicken broth to tone down the pickle flavor, which should be a tiny hint, not a blast. And then I put the soup in my food processor and slightly pulse to make it less chunky and that changed everything. It is delicious. The pickle flavor doesn’t assault you, it’s a small “afterburn” in your throat, not offensive or hot, just there.
When I do projects like this, the biggest part of my joy is sharing with others. I’m sure some of my friends cry when they see me coming with a container! But I do think they understand I like to experiment, and I don’t necessarily go traditional. I mean, anyone can make Oatmeal cookies. There is no challenge in that. My friends know I want honesty, if it sucks it won’t hurt my feelings to say so. I already know it won’t be everyone’s favorite! But it is the experience, not necessarily the outcome. I mean, how many people can say they ate Dill Pickle Soup? (Another side note, I am about the pickiest eater there is and I probably wouldn’t have tried it either. I mean, we were in Ireland, and I did not, would not, eat Haggis. And I will not TOUCH a mushroom).
After Bobbie’s critique and my adjustments, my first taste tester was Cathy, she is a fantastic cook, a fair reviewer and a good friend. She had a taste before the food processor and after and liked the after better, although not a real fan. Her question, which was great, was “would I make it again?”. The answer is no and yes. Would I make it for dinner or company, a meal, probably not. BUT would I make it for a Potluck where these types of dishes are encouraged, absolutely! I’m thinking it would be a big hit at a Super Bowl Party!
My next tasters were Jon and Brenda; they are great at tasting my experiments and giving critiques. Neither of them loved it but both agreed it was interesting. They both also agreed that the afterburn was unexpected! I always tell them to be honest, and they both are the best at being kind and honest at the same time. I will have to make Jon some oatmeal cookies to make up for this experiment!
I did share samples with a few others and have not heard back so I am thinking when you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all! Haha.
I consider my Dill Pickle Soup Day a huge success. I made something eatable and different. I shared with others, and I had fun.
MY LIFE IN A 55 PLUS 