So I'm minding my own business ...

[stracci2000]

Sauteed garlic? Lime juice?
Cranberries??? Whaaaa?????
Kenny, stop the insanity!
I confess, I've eaten tabouleh all my life (I'm 1/2 Syrian) and I've never heard of adding garlic and cranberries.
But-OK, since it DOES sound good, I wont send the food police to your house.................................

 

[kenny]

Sauteed garlic? Lime juice?
Cranberries??? Whaaaa?????
Kenny, stop the insanity!
I confess, I've eaten tabouleh all my life (I'm 1/2 Syrian) and I've never heard of adding garlic and cranberries.
But-OK, since it DOES sound good, I wont send the food police to your house.................................

Google around.
There are a zillion tabouleh recipes.
What is traditional in one region is exotic to another region.

Many people put mint in it.
I've never done that.
I've notice the amount of parsley varies tremendously when I order tabouleh all over Southern California.

This is the first time I've added dried cranberries and it was fantastic.
It wasn't my idea.
I got the idea here: http://sunnylandmills.com/cgi-bin/RecipeDisplay3.pl?ID=188

Next time I'm adding some toasted pine nuts or walnuts.

 

[dk168]

I may "borrow" kenny's recipe as it sounds lush!

I would make mine simply with raw chopped garlic, chopped toms and parsley and lots of lemon juice, with bulgar wheat soaked in water first.

Adding dry cranberries should not be too difficult a task , however, not sure if I can be bothered with the chopped cucumber as it would involve peeling and taking out the mushy centre first.

DK

 

[stracci2000]

Yes, Kenny, you are right! (as usual...LOL)
There are a zillion versions. I like to include lots of parsley, chopped mint and chopped scallions.
Doused with plenty of extra virgin olive oil.
Served with fresh pita, it really is a meal in itself.

 

[WinkHPD]

My wife and I have taken to using a lot of truffle infused oil, it adds a "zing" to a lot of recipes.

We particularly like drizzling truffle oil on asparagus or broccoli florets, sprinkling with seasoned salt and broiling for six to eight minutes depending on the size of the broccoli or whether the asparagus is baby or full grown.

Both my omnivore and my vegetarian friends love it.

Wink

 

[dk168]

I omitted extra virgin olive oil in my last post, DOH!

DK

 

[lyra]

Oh, I thought you had grown the parsley yourself. I don't trust market herbs so much. It's totally a mind clean issue. We grow our own. How are the wee ones doing?

 

[kenny]

So, I'm off the the potluck I made the tabouleh for.

Hope I found all the stinkbug eggs.

I gotta concerned email, so I thought I'd fess up.

No, I didn't use any of the parsley that had the eggs.
I discarded the entire bunch and went out to buy some more.

If the tabouleh was just for us I would have just inspected it put the eggs out of mind and used it, but when I'm cooking for guests I have a much higher standard.
I'll wash my hands more, not lick the spoon, etc.

Being naughty, Kenny just told that little white lie for effect, and to stir the pot ... of tabouleh.

 

[kenny]

Next thing I wanna try making from scratch is hummus.
I wouldn't even use canned garbanzo beans.
I know my grain mill (for milling wheat into flour for bread) can turn those large dry hard beans into flour.
I just have to find out whether it's better to boil the beans and put them in a food processor or if milling the dry raw beans into flour will work.

My gut tells me they need to be cooked.

Of course I'll google it too, but does anyone know about this?

 

[dk168]

My 2p re: hummus as I prefer to make my own.

I boil the chickpeas/garbenzo beans in slightly salted water first, drain well, and allow them to cool before sticking my hand-held blender into the pot, and blend with lots of EVOO, raw garlic, light Tahini/sesame paste, and lots of lemon juice, then salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

I have started to add toasted sesame oil for extra nutty flavour. Adding a bit of plain yoghurt will reduce the amount of oil required, and it makes the hummus creamier in consistency.

I love hummus, however, I do not make it often as I have yet to find a way to make a small enough portion for one!

DK

 

[JaneSmith]

 

[kenny]

All little ones have equal cuteness rights.

 

[stracci2000]

To cook dried chickpeas---
Soak 1 c. chick peas with 1/2 t.baking soda in water overnight. following day, drain off water. Place peas in kettle, add water to cover, cook till well done. Drain, and mash. Then proceed with the rest of your recipe. I do this all in the blender. I don't really measure, so this is just a guide.
I add 1/4 c. tahini, 3 Tbs. lemon juice, several minced cloves of raw garlic, 2-3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, several Tbs. plain yogurt,
1/2 tsp. salt, dash of cayenne. Buzz this all up, and dump into a pretty bowl. Dress the top with more olive oil, and shake paprika/cayenne over the top for color.

 

[sarahb]

Whats happening on the egg front? Any babies yet?

 

[kenny]

Whats happening on the egg front? Any babies yet?

Just checked.
All's still quiet.

Hey, check out this amazing image of stinkbug eggs from National Geographic.
It was taken with an electron microscope, then later colored by hand.
If this link doesn't work I posted the pic and caption below.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/09/insect-eggs/oeggerli-photography#/02-stinkbug-egg-714.jpg

 

[Arcadian]

I'm ignoring the bug eggs...lol

If you get dried garbonzos, you will want to soak them first then cook them. stove top cook time varies but about 2 hours. If you use a pressure cooker (my favorite method) no need for soaking, they cook in about 45 minutes on high pressure. You can soak them first before pressure cooking which cuts the cook time to about 15-20 minutes. If I'm making hummus, I let them rest overnight to loosen the skins, then I actually take the time (yes I know) to skin them. IMO it gives a creamier hummus without than with.

 

[iLander]

LOLOLOLO!

I chuckled.

Let that be a warning to you, Kenny, Jane might have this exactly figured out.

 

[kenny]

LOLOLOLO!

I chuckled.

Let that be a warning to you, Kenny, Jane might have this exactly figured out.

You mean they are octopus eggs?

 

[LLJsmom]

WHY DID I LOOK AT THIS.

^. THIS.

 

[kenny]

WHY DID I LOOK AT THIS.

^. THIS.

Because Kenny's threads are like a box of chocolates.

 

[kenny]

I'm a daddy.

Yup, they're stink bugs, though I don't smell anything.



Three hours after the above pic was taken more hatched.



You can see many eggs cracking open and some camera-shy antennae peeking out.
I just heard this little guy say, "Hello world; NOW what do I do?"



Here's a US quarter, for scale.

 

[missy]

Wow I thought all babies were cute but I see I am mistaken LOL.
What are you going to do with these babies Kenny?

 

[kenny]

Wow I thought all babies were cute but I see I am mistaken LOL.
What are you going to do with these babies Kenny?

Yeah, a face only the mother could love. Right?

If you think they look gross in a still pic you should see them slithering around.
Kinda reminds me of a scene from a B horror film where maggots are seething around feeding a body.

I intended to let them go right after hatching, but probably not now that I've read a bit about them.
They are an unwanted pest to not only agriculture but also to home gardens.

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-marmorated-stink-bug :
This true bug in the insect family Pentatomidae is known as an agricultural pest in its native range of China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Recently, the BMSB has become a serious pests of fruit, vegetables and farm crops in the Mid-Atlantic region and it is probable that it will become a pest of these commodities in other areas in the United States.

Mean and immoral as it may be, I think I'm going to give them the old porcelain funeral.

I feel a bit bad, 'using' them and all but I could also see it as educational or satisfying my great curiosity about things.
They've been an interesting little project, not to mention grist for our Hangout mill.
Who knows, maybe a parent showed this thread to their kids.
Maybe people will inspect their leafy produce more closely.

... Hey, stink bug nymphs might a good Pricescope Avatar.

 

[iLander]

That's gross, Kenny.

If you brush them with your hand, or act in a threatening manner, they will produce a smell that is putrid and clingy. At least the adults do. In my experience.

 

[House Cat]

Well, that was incredible!


Now flush em!


For the good of the Ag world, of course.

 

[momhappy]

I don't believe that all stink bugs are considered pests (in terms of gardens & agriculture) because some of them feed on bugs (like aphids for example) that are damaging to plants, which could make them useful. Is there any way to tell what kind of stink bugs they actually are before throwing them in the toilet?
I'm the kind of person that takes bugs & spiders outside (as opposed to killing them) when I find them in my house - unless it's a giant, hairy spider
The pictures are amazing - thanks for sharing them!

 

[House Cat]

I don't believe that all stink bugs are considered pests (in terms of gardens & agriculture) because some of them feed on bugs 9like aphids for example) that are damaging to plants, which could make them useful. Is there any way to tell what kind of stink bugs they actually are before throwing them in the toilet?
I'm the kind of person that takes bugs & spiders outside (as opposed to killing them) when I find them in my house - unless it's a giant, hairy spider or a cockroach
The pictures are amazing - thanks for sharing them!

Momhappy,

In most instances, in California, stinkbugs are a pest.

 

[momhappy]

^Yes, I suppose you're right, House Cat. Probably best to flush them. One of my kids is a big nature-lover, so we've always got some sort of critter around (bugs, caterpillars, slugs, frogs, etc.). Last weekend, she caught 6 frogs, 1 tree frog, 2 leopard slugs, and a salamander

 

[dk168]

Cute!

It reminds me of my youth when I experimented with keeping eggs from silk worms and moths.

DK

 

[House Cat]

^Yes, I suppose you're right, House Cat. Probably best to flush them. One of my kids is a big nature-lover, so we've always got some sort of critter around (bugs, caterpillars, slugs, frogs, etc.). Last weekend, she caught 6 frogs, 1 tree frog, 2 leopard slugs, and a salamander

She sounds like a kid after my own heart!! You sound like you have some amazing wildlife around you!! You're a good mom for being so tolerant. I was always made to throw out my "pets" due to the creepiness factor. I guess spiders aren't so cuddly to those who have a phobia.