THE MIRACLE OF FRESH, HOMEGROWN GINGER

I love teriyaki and ginger as a marinade for almost anything - chicken, beef (OMG), shrimp - you name it.  It's particularly good in a stir fry, and there is NO comparison to FRESHLY GRATED ginger.  The ground spice in a bottle is for use only if you are on a desert island and can't get fresh!

Go to the nearest grocery store that specializes in ORGANIC produce and grab 1-2 mesh bags of ginger root..... make sure the ginger is firm and has a few 'buds'

Buy a couple of CLAY azalea pots at your local home improvement/garden store - these are wider than they are deep.

Place a paper coffee filter over the hole - fill the pot about half full of potting soil - and lay two clumps of ginger on the dirt - cover with another 4-5" of soil.  Place in a sunny location and water!  The ginger will send up grassy shoots all summer.

As summer goes into fall, the green tops will begin to die a little.  BEFORE THE FIRST FROST IS FORECAST, stop watering for 4-5 days, and then pull up the ginger - keeping the greens attached.  Carefully wash the soil off the ginger using a soft brush and pat dry.  Spread out on paper towels or newspapers and allow to dry for a couple of weeks, until the green tops are completely dried/dead.  Cut the leaves away and store your ginger in a COOL place where it won't freeze, (not the refrigerator).  I keep mine in a straw basket on my rolling kitchen island.  It will be happy there most of the winter - don't pile it up - it likes its own space where the air can circulate and then it won't get mushy or rot.

To use your newly grown ginger, simply use a fine grater over a piece of waxed paper, and then add it to the pan with a spatula.  Only cook fresh grated ginger a minute or two - like garlic, it will scorch and stink!  I don't peel it, I just grate away.  I place whatever is left back in the basket on a paper towel and shortly the 'scar' where I grated will heal over.

If you prefer to freeze it, use a vacuum machine and pack each root separately.  Use as needed and reseal with vacuum.... no need to peel frozen ginger either.  

Keep one or two roots to plant NEXT spring.... they will begin to get little cream-colored sprouts on the nodes so you'll know when to plant (after threat of frost has passed). 

Which brings me to my very favorite cooking thing....  As I said, I LOVE the flavor of grated ginger and teriyaki marinade.  Grate 1-2 teaspoons of ginger and put it in a ZipLoc bag.  Add your meat to the bag:  thinly sliced beef, beef stir-fry strips, chicken stir-fry strips, boneless chicken breasts.... whatever floats your boat.  Add about 1/4 C of teriyaki marinade to the bag.  (I use Kikkoman because it's all I can get where I live).  Seal and then massage the bag to spread the ginger around.  Plop it in the fridge and let it stay until ready to cook.  Give the bag a massage when you think about it.  This is my favorite for steak fajitas and for beef stir-fry to serve over rice.

Try sautéing green beans with sliced mushrooms and a few grates of fresh ginger.  Or grate just a tiny bit on sugar snaps just before serving. 

EXPERIMENT! ENJOY!