tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71999129444900001022024-03-06T00:40:47.487-05:00the forager's feastJoin me in my cooking adventures! I use ingredients found in my pantry, fridge, freezer and garden.. you'll find ideas from the imagination of a home cook and also from the best cooks beyond my back door.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-64487434405039873892013-08-02T08:13:00.001-04:002013-08-02T08:13:30.186-04:00<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Experiment at Breakfast</span></span></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ahh, finally a sunny summer morning. We had a perfectly ripened canteloupe on the counter, and I'd just been to the garden and plucked a handful of jalpenos. Hmm, what if...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes. Those pops of heat were delicious in that melon sweetness.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-42458720732128061332013-01-26T07:49:00.000-05:002013-01-26T08:00:27.732-05:00A Tomato in Winter<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you do not
find picture below inspiring, I guarantee that if you take the time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">roast</span> some <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">whole canned tomatoes</span>, inspiration will find you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Used whole along
side winter vegetables such as chard or kale, these beauties impart a burst of
summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chop a few and fold into
an omelet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mash a couple and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">spread on some
good toast. If you eat meat, these would be fabulous with a steak. Y</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ou get the idea.
Their<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> jammy sweet yet savory flavor </span>is just the thing for winter when you are
longing for a taste of summer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suggest you start with at least two 28
oz. cans whole tomatoes. They shrink as they roast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prepare the tomatoes by draining the juice from the can and
stabbing each tomato with a small knife. Make a slit large enough so that when
you apply pressure, the juice inside comes out. I do this in my sink. Preheat
oven to 275. Set rack in the middle of oven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Put the squeezed
tomatoes in a bowl and add some olive oil, enough to coat each one. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Place in an
oiled ceramic or glass dish, leaving space between them. Chop some onion, or
some garlic, sprinkle on the oiled tomatoes. You could place some fresh
rosemary or thyme springs under them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Roast in oven
3-4 hours. Check occasionally. It could take less time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remove from oven when they have nearly
collapsed and have some blackish edges. Sprinkle with coarse kosher or sea
salt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">These store well
in the fridge. But they won’t last long because you will love them.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-43513443580679195392012-12-07T21:17:00.003-05:002012-12-07T21:18:15.133-05:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Kale again<br />
<br />
When my stepdaughter, Aimée, recently shared a kale salad
recipe with me, I immediately wanted to eat raw kale. Somehow, this fall, I’ve
been feeling like the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Into the
Woods” Witch rapping in the prologue: “<span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Greens, greens and nothing but greens”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">As it turned out, I had an opportunity to make a variation on this salad
the very next night. It was simple, a citrus dressing tossed in a bowl of torn
up baby kale. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Here is what I did: </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SO EASY!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Dressing:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">3 clementines: halved and then juiced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">approximately an equal amount to juice of good extra virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">½ clove garlic, finely chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">2 T rice wine vinegar (a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>little fresh lemon juice would do)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>some salt, some pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">As much baby kale cleaned, washed and with big stems removed as you need
for you and your dinner companions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I use my mother-in-law’s way of measuring: 2 or so handfuls per person (
but we are big salad eaters .She planned one handful per person as a side salad
quantity.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Now here is what is important: </span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Toss kale in dressing at least fifteen minutes
before eating. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This allows kale to absorb
the dressing and to soften<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a bit.
Even though it is young, the baby kale can be sort of chewy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">(If your kale is not really young or picked from your garden, it will be ok. Just
let the kale sit longer in the dressing, And be sure to discard of tough stems
and ribs.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add some salt and pepper before serving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-8595161473624663422012-07-25T07:25:00.003-04:002012-07-25T07:31:19.709-04:00Summer Sliders<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZeYzWOI1NrsSNV_W-8ZIkRqnpkg9b0sdyOipEIQjUZPNMLQ_PsHnlNcV4Tkl35CFC-qAsaD-ftCDIwTO_s9A0JHWOgLLsMknq6roZaLcMiy5sg38DFmZAGH7uuLPBmyDaX9yh8qFB6Ol/s1600/IMG_1809.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZeYzWOI1NrsSNV_W-8ZIkRqnpkg9b0sdyOipEIQjUZPNMLQ_PsHnlNcV4Tkl35CFC-qAsaD-ftCDIwTO_s9A0JHWOgLLsMknq6roZaLcMiy5sg38DFmZAGH7uuLPBmyDaX9yh8qFB6Ol/s320/IMG_1809.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769067519250271010" /></a><br /> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh my gosh are these delicious. If the base of your stack is a garden tomato slice, then you could call these a summer vegetable napoleon. But if you start with a piece of baked eggplant, these become sliders that you can handily pick up to eat! </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For two people you’ll need:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 med <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>very fresh eggplant</p> <p class="MsoNormal">a few sliced garden tomatoes (if you don’t have really good tomatoes this is not the dish for you)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">fresh mozarrella, sliced in a few slices, however thick it suits you</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some fresh basil, chopped in fine strips</p> <p class="MsoNormal">olive oil</p> <p class="MsoNormal">commercial bread crumbs. I use unseasoned, but you could use whatever you have</p> <p class="MsoNormal">s+p to taste</p> <p class="MsoNormal">an egg</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Start with quarter inch slices of peeled very fresh eggplant, and dunk them in beaten egg you thinned with a little water. Then dredge in breadcrumbs. Put a fair amount of olive oil on a foil lined cookie sheet and arrange the slices on here. Then, I like to use my Misto to spray the tops with olive oil.. I use the oven and heat it to 375. When they brown on one side flip them to finish. (You could, of course, fry these in a pan)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Make little stacks: a piece of eggplant, a piece of cheese, a little basil, a tomato another eggplant slice, more tomato, basil, eggplant, voila, cute yummy slider. Or start with a tomato base and commit to using a fork. We’ve found 3 stacks each makes a very nice supper. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-53610661197789269792012-07-18T09:33:00.002-04:002012-07-18T09:37:45.489-04:00Fry Baby, Fry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzGQneiWEuZkDu_whuNehHIa3ivJg49gKlf9mDbVoYcSynIpSQQy6-8C-NohhyArS4BbCf9BaxZyOOM-Jdvq3Ja3LApZS5VEhEqwAtzbnwwhK5qrVrSq8-IBdUai4JMfqnTVscA6e5V3Z/s1600/P1020484.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJzGQneiWEuZkDu_whuNehHIa3ivJg49gKlf9mDbVoYcSynIpSQQy6-8C-NohhyArS4BbCf9BaxZyOOM-Jdvq3Ja3LApZS5VEhEqwAtzbnwwhK5qrVrSq8-IBdUai4JMfqnTVscA6e5V3Z/s320/P1020484.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5766502522996317042"></a> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">I cannot remember the last time I fried anything…I mean actual frying in a least an inch of bubbling hot oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">It is the Season of the Eggplant around here and after the caponata was put up and the eggplant lasagnas safely tucked into the garage freezer there were still a few small eggplants<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>in the garden.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Dinner was looming.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had a vision of small golden eggplant cubes, enrobed in a fresh tomato sauce and served up on pasta.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">It seemed a no brainer<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>to get busy with the cast iron chicken fryer and heat up some oil. I peeled two smallish eggplants cut them into squares about three quarters of an inch all around, doused them in beaten egg and tossed them in a bag with bread crumbs . Corn and peanut oils are preferred for frying because of their high smoke point, but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I had canola on hand, about 1.5 inches of oil total, I’d say. I was frying at approx. 350-375 degrees ( yes I used a thermometer) and did not have any problems.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">Because the cubes are small and vegetable, they fry very quickly in the hot oil. They were all I’d hope for and more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The tomato sauce I mentioned was very simple: chopped up 2 or so garden tomatoes, a bit of fresh basil, garden garlic, a little olive oil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And I added a teensy bit of Wondra to provide<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>little body.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino">The cubes were custardy inside and crisp on the outside. The tomato sauce was velvety and sweet. And this did not take very long. It’s one of those meals where you have to think and make a plan ( do sauce first, heat pasta water, get oil heating, cut up eggplant), but once stuff it prepped it goes very quickly. And completely worthy of the small planning effort.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-49871864151310177032012-06-20T13:49:00.000-04:002012-06-20T13:49:46.505-04:00Hail Kale<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The good thing about kale is it thrives during winter when
nothing else is in the garden. The other thing about kale is it continues right
on into the early summer. I am growing Laciniato, an
Italian heirloom variety. It is also known as dinosaur kale. It has<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bumpy, bluish green pre-historic looking
leaves. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We love kale for its earthy green flavor and its
versatility. I am sad to see it going by.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were halfway through eating when the thought came to me
to post this easy and most delicious kale dish we had last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “bones” of the dish are from Alice
Waters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sorry we ate the meal
before I could whip out my camera. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For 2 people:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About a pound of kale. Remove stem and central vein and chop
roughly. Rinse well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Approx. 1/8 C olive oil</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
½ large onion , sliced</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 or 3 garlic cloves</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1-2 T<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>red wine
or cider vinegar</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pasta of your choice ( I used YDFM Mezzaluna)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over med/low heat in a large frying pan, cook onions in
olive oil til they become medium golden brown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When these are correct color, boil and salt pasta water. Add
a layer of kale to the onions,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>add
some salt, let them wilt, then add
the rest of the kale. Stir in the garlic, and mix the onions into all the kale.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put pasta in to cook. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When kale is wilted and tender enough to your taste, take off
lid and let any excess liquid evaporate. Take off heat and add vinegar. Stir
in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Serve kale mixture on top of pasta. A little grated cheese
doesn’t hurt. And you could add a pinch of dried red chili pepper, or even a
little hot fresh garden pepper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This could be a really fast meal if you skipped the onions.
But they add a very nice sweetness. So if dinner time is crazy, you could think
about precooking the onions some other time while you are up to something else
and holding in the fridge til you need them.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-82194854266633062372012-02-11T08:36:00.003-05:002012-02-11T08:51:41.275-05:00winter wonderful-ness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwcSHo9FoxU2kvMv2oryd9ph_Qc8nJufXXPnqSe57GJiWNr5Ku7LluJvWMqGKxfBNYWp1B4BbX_9dCaB7qNF0iHBxXLP8dXv94BJx3WY-WiikAEWBTXoAaO7gS0Tk7hA55qqHdte56hQ_/s1600/IMG_1594.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwcSHo9FoxU2kvMv2oryd9ph_Qc8nJufXXPnqSe57GJiWNr5Ku7LluJvWMqGKxfBNYWp1B4BbX_9dCaB7qNF0iHBxXLP8dXv94BJx3WY-WiikAEWBTXoAaO7gS0Tk7hA55qqHdte56hQ_/s320/IMG_1594.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5707875231400819650" /></a><br />During the warm months, we enjoy something we call “on top of’. This dish is built with a green salad dressed in home made vinaigrette, perhaps some olives or red onion and tomato, whatever looks good from the garden, and a cooked protein, served on top of the salad. Sometimes shrimp, sometimes grilled chicken, sometimes a bison burger.<br /><br />I constructed a winter version of this recently, using a variety of vegetables I had in the fridge. <br />I cleaned and cut parsnips and carrots into two inch lengths, cut a few Brussels sprouts in half, threw in a few smallish pieces of garden broccoli and a handful of grape tomatoes. All this was tossed in olive oil and put in a shallow pan in one layer. I pricked a hot Italian sausage and laid this in the pan on the veg and cooked it all at 400 til the sausage was done and the veg were still firm, but no longer crunchy. <br /><br />After I sprinkled the cooked veg with some kosher salt, I served this with whole wheat couscous under the veg, with the sausage on top. It was a colorful land delicious winter dinner. <br /><br />Take a look in your veg drawer and see what needs to be used . You’ll be happily surprised at how easy it is to make a really good meal. And if you prefer to forgo the meat, the roasted veg and the couscous stand well on their own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-23088284396276242562011-11-12T20:06:00.003-05:002011-11-12T20:12:26.856-05:00Beautiful Brussels SproutsNow that we are well into Fall and approaching holiday menu planning, there has been a lot of chatter about Brussels sprouts in various cooking magazines. This is good. Brussels sprouts really are versatile as more than a side-to-major-hunk-o’-poultry or other protein.<br /><br />Earlier in the Fall I discovered how delicious they could be added to pasta. Here is what I did tonight:<br /><br />Plan seven<span style="font-weight:bold;"> Brussels sprouts</span> per person. If you have a Cuisinart, terrific. Use the finer blade attachment and slice them up after removing the stem ends. If you are using a knife, slice them as fine as you can. Be careful. They roll.<br /><br />Render some<span style="font-weight:bold;"> chopped pancetta</span>, about 2 oz. per person. After the pieces are brown, remove and save the fat.<br /><br />Slice a <span style="font-weight:bold;">small onion</span> ( for two, a med. or large, for more people, <span style="font-weight:bold;">or if you have them , a few shallots</span>) and brown over medium low heat in a mixture of olive oil and a little butter and the pancetta rendering.<br /><br />Chop up some<span style="font-weight:bold;"> kalamata olives</span>. Chop up some <span style="font-weight:bold;">garlic</span>. <br /><br />Start heating your well salted pasta water. I used <span style="font-weight:bold;">fusilli</span> for pasta. I am particularly pleased with the joyous springiness of this pasta. ( I plan about 3 oz. pasta per person)<br /><br />After the pasta has been in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, put the sliced Brussels sprouts, the browned onions (or shallots), the chopped garlic, and all the pan oils and the pancetta in a preheated skillet. Add a bit of <span style="font-weight:bold;">dried red pepper</span>, too. Grind some fresh pepper in there. Toss over a relatively high heat. til crisp-tender, remove from heat. Drain pasta and toss in the Brussels sprouts mixture. Add the kalamata olives.<br /><br />Add a handful of<span style="font-weight:bold;"> freshly grated parmesan cheese</span>. Serve in bowls.<br /><br />A full bodied red wine is nice with this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-44716633670351986972011-07-25T07:16:00.004-04:002011-07-25T07:25:28.686-04:00shades of summer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1kn__AS23cipRgEPAHPlXyBZLBPKRFmuCF44b1MZZrNVcLwfJUhZ5HQQ5SbHZB_8ysaIM7fFtcCl9B4u4hBI2afadX2g9CfGMZBkUWygub_Zy-R1ZMKtPTt7Ke3ESpJni9pgxSSnVnxk/s1600/P1040874.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1kn__AS23cipRgEPAHPlXyBZLBPKRFmuCF44b1MZZrNVcLwfJUhZ5HQQ5SbHZB_8ysaIM7fFtcCl9B4u4hBI2afadX2g9CfGMZBkUWygub_Zy-R1ZMKtPTt7Ke3ESpJni9pgxSSnVnxk/s200/P1040874.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633247749604178738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_YxPrB3NQyzIVcBVZ06VmkZkLVs5w6LhZ4_ieJa8JOR0clzfnXhp23gBNZdMxz5u9tJrp-l92cIT4bCMTYNPduMk8tdHmEidhyb4YA0DO9KgOeslJ_7eA2mTdIpzMqVjiaz3E9gIt04W/s1600/P1040876.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_YxPrB3NQyzIVcBVZ06VmkZkLVs5w6LhZ4_ieJa8JOR0clzfnXhp23gBNZdMxz5u9tJrp-l92cIT4bCMTYNPduMk8tdHmEidhyb4YA0DO9KgOeslJ_7eA2mTdIpzMqVjiaz3E9gIt04W/s200/P1040876.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633247746014377138" /></a><br />There was a beautiful bowl of colorful tomatoes in my kitchen and I knew I had to use them soon. And those listada di gandia eggplants were getting big enough to pick.. how about a nice little summer lasagna for the two of us? Not a gooey, dense lasagna, but a light and almost fluffy concoction: summery.<br /><br /> I made a quick sauce of the tomatoes with a little garlic, only partially cooking the tomato pieces to hold their shape. They were so lovely in the pan I was inspired take them outside into the midday light to snap the picture seen here. I thickened the sauce with a bit of butter and flour mashed together (the French call this beurre manié) sliced, oiled and roasted the eggplants and made a small béchamel, (or, as it is called in Italy: salsa balsamella) and tossed a little grated romano cheese in to it. I picked some basil and chopped up a handful of leaves. I browned up some hot Italian sausage. <br /><br />I never cook lasagna noodles, I just soften them in hot water for about 10-15 minutes and pat dry before layering in the pan. <br /><br />As with any lasagna, I started with tomato sauce on the bottom of the ceramic dish, then layered noodles, sausage , béchamel, eggplant, basil noodle and tomato sauce. Topped it with more grated cheese baked it for about an hour. I let it stand for an hour and served it with a little green salad. It was light but creamy and packed with summer flavor.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-21987626136803629092011-02-07T15:42:00.003-05:002011-02-07T15:47:34.077-05:00Super RibsThe Super Bowl was coming. And so were three friends. We are not even close to what one would call real fans, we are interested observers of cultural phenomena and we love the half time shows, the ads and the excitement of the BIG games. Our younger family members are genuine fans, and we support their teams. But even though we are not avid sports fans…we are avid eaters.<br /> <br />Sunday’s event seemed to be calling for ribs. Here is what I did about that. <br /><br />I rubbed the <span style="font-weight:bold;">racks of pork back ribs</span> with a mixture of <span style="font-weight:bold;">chopped garlic, hot and sweet pîmenton and kosher salt. </span><br />I let these rest, tightly covered, in the fridge for two days.<br /><br />Then I baked them at 300 degrees in a foil-lined pan, completely sealed, for two and a half hours. Then I uncovered them, let them cool and put them in a large ziplock bag in the fridge ‘til I was ready to heat up for eating. I really tried to hold onto as much moisture as I could. <br /><br />I made sauce: <span style="font-weight:bold;">some low-sugar ketchup, some cider vinegar, more chopped garlic, some soy sauce and a bit of dark molasses</span>. On game day, this was spread over the ribs in a foil-lined pan, covered in foil and warmed at 250 ‘til they were hot. <br />I heated the remainder of the sauce and served it along side the cut up ribs. <br /><br />I served this with slaw with toasted mustard and caraway seed dressing and big dishtowels as napkins.<br /><br />Our guests went crazy for these!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-88163937774708636002011-01-26T07:51:00.003-05:002011-01-26T07:56:08.772-05:00another good soupThere is something about black-eyed peas that makes me happy. First, their name: little winking eyes on the small tan beans. Then there is the ease of cooking them and their all around usefulness: hot and cold Then, the taste! Earthy, but still fresh. Wintry, but you can taste spring in the distance.<br /><br />A retired minister member of my church passed his own black eyed pea jalapeno soup recipe to me several years ago. It was pretty good. I had some dried black-eyed peas waiting in my pantry and I was again hankering for another soup. This is my spin on the original recipe: <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 pound dried black-eyed peas</span>. Cook in a lot of water over low heat til soft. This will take 45 minutes or so. Drain.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 cup chopped leeks</span>. <span style="font-weight:bold;">You could use onion</span>. I had leeks in the garden. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3 or 4 large cloves garlic</span>, smashed and chopped. Add these to the leeks and soften in a little olive oil in a heavy pot. Add a generous handful of salt. As these approach doneness, add <span style="font-weight:bold;">1 qt. good chicken broth</span>. (I used Progresso, low sodium, no msg. It was on sale so I tried it. I liked it a lot.)<br /><br />Add 3/4 of the cooked beans into the liquid mixture. Mash up the beans with a stick blender or by hand. Then add the remaining beans. Add water to desired thickness. Then add <span style="font-weight:bold;">1 small can salsa verde</span>. Taste. Chop up a<span style="font-weight:bold;"> fresh jalapeno</span> and add. Taste. Add another jalapeno if you like.<br /><br />For our dinner I added diced avocado as a garnish. By the way, odd as it may sound, soup is a great breakfast! <br /><br />I have been eating legume-based soups as a breakfast for the past several weeks. They are easy to heat, taste great and leave your stomach feeling content.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-17872324655083053542011-01-13T09:16:00.005-05:002011-01-13T15:44:03.675-05:00a good mutt<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxOoC2vDJ2lXBNbXdJ-CrEa7D_u67jHIqQgV8um5_X0s9UK_4fKtjwiIogBvEHwnW_0qzm6F4TOUiCS4PBtt6v9JtYvtnVSyPAtEQuFq9eYGybkFP90eaArnEao7fnp7bMU5UFaokVU7V/s1600/snow+sage.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 196px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxOoC2vDJ2lXBNbXdJ-CrEa7D_u67jHIqQgV8um5_X0s9UK_4fKtjwiIogBvEHwnW_0qzm6F4TOUiCS4PBtt6v9JtYvtnVSyPAtEQuFq9eYGybkFP90eaArnEao7fnp7bMU5UFaokVU7V/s200/snow+sage.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561678906915344882" /></a><br />It was our third day of house arrest: Deep Freeze 2011. Actually, we ventured out mid-morning yesterday to shop for dog food and home repair project supplies while the roads were somewhat melted. We had to go the long way around to the center of Snellville because our road was too icy.<br /><br />Anyway, despite going out for provisions, at around four o’clock I found myself pondering what to make for dinner. In addition to dog food, I’d bought fresh spinach, and some crackers and a hunk of parmesan, soymilk, clementines and some apples and four bottles of red wine: none of these in any combination seemed like dinner. I found about three quarters of a cut up free-range chicken in the freezer. I knew a good braise was on the menu. <br /><br />This is sort of a mongrel coq au vin: a mutt.<br /><br />Reconstituted <span style="font-weight:bold;">dried porcini mushrooms</span>: about 1/4 cup chopped up. Save liquid. ( If you have fresh mushrooms, chop in half and sauté: use as many as you like. )<br />A good<span style="font-weight:bold;"> carrot</span>, cut in about 1/2 “ pieces. <br />A large <span style="font-weight:bold;">onion</span>, chopped small<br />I had a <span style="font-weight:bold;">shallot</span>. <br />You could use all shallots if you had enough to make about 3/4 cup chopped.<br />As many <span style="font-weight:bold;">garlic cloves</span> as you like, peeled and smashed. I used around 5.<br />Put all the above into a heavy casserole, add some kosher or sea salt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chicken legs</span>, cut up, <span style="font-weight:bold;">breast</span>, cut in half. Brown skin side down in a tiny bit of oil. <br />Use medium heat to start to render out fat, then turn heat up to finish browning.<br />Put in casserole on top of vegs, add some kosher salt and a hefty grind of pepper.<br />Drain out any oil in pan, deglaze with a bit of wine. Add to casserole.<br /><br />I went outside to get some <span style="font-weight:bold;">rosemary, thyme and sage</span>. The rosemary was completely under ice, but I was happily able to secure 5 good size springs of thyme and 4 sprigs of sage from my pot on the deck. <br />I resorted to dried rosemary chopped up, about 1 T.<br /><br />2 C <span style="font-weight:bold;">chicken stock</span>. (I used the turkey stock from Thanksgiving that I had in the freezer)<br />Approx. 1 C <span style="font-weight:bold;">white wine</span>, or enough to just cover other ingredients with liquid. Add the mushroom liquid, too, if you have it.<br /><br />Bring all to boil on top of stove, remove immediately from stove when it boils.<br />You want this to cook slowly. Put covered is preheated 325 oven. Check in about 15 minutes, if still bubbling, reduce heat. Taste, adjust seasonings as this cooks. It is done when meat is nearly falling off bone. This took about 1.5 hours.<br /><br />Remove chicken pieces and mash solids. I used my handy stick blender for this, always a terrific tool. Thicken (you just want to make it into a sauce with a teensy bit of body) any way you like: you can make a little roux with some butter and flour, you can use equal proportions of raw flour and butter and mash together as a paste and add to liquid over med. heat, or you can do what I did: I used about 1 T or 2 of Wondra flour (perfect for such an occasion!) <br /><br />With this we had cauliflower purée with a bit of horseradish stirred in. <br /><br />Now I have to plan tonight’s menu. We’re iced in again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-8397095487285122802011-01-06T15:09:00.004-05:002011-01-06T15:16:33.406-05:00holiday recovery<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MIDEpYOnyciiub1MWcQUM_mX5YbTcY0JS8svuavVLX0yzDcr4K1gHmw__VJ3CxwOeubdqa5idkBK_9da0An8uxizCagsi8cxkVvtySMWUmW5e4RIQaNu6vzyZMKHdUcuV1jqO98k6q13/s1600/soup.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6MIDEpYOnyciiub1MWcQUM_mX5YbTcY0JS8svuavVLX0yzDcr4K1gHmw__VJ3CxwOeubdqa5idkBK_9da0An8uxizCagsi8cxkVvtySMWUmW5e4RIQaNu6vzyZMKHdUcuV1jqO98k6q13/s200/soup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559168113332816834" /></a><br />We survived the holidays: the rich food and the dessert and the parties and my gosh all that chocolate. We’re home, after a nine-day visit with our New England family. It’s time for soup again: hot, spicy, delicious filling soup. Here’s what I put in the pot that’s simmering on the stove:<br /><br />3 andouille sausages (1pound), sliced <br />1 chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces<br />1 largish onion: chopped medium<br />1 bunch kale, cleaned, stemmed and chopped small-medium<br />1/2 sweet potato: peeled, diced approx. 1/2 “<br />1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed<br />1 qt. chicken broth<br />2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes and 1.5 cans water<br />3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped<br />1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed<br />pinch or more hot pimenton<br />1tsp. honey <br /><br />I put the chopped onions and the sliced sausage in the pot together and let them cook, covered, on medium low (with about a T of canola oil), stirring a couple of times, til the onions were soft. Then I added the rest of the ingredients, except the chicken breast. When the mixture was nearly boiling, I added the chicken, and brought the temp. down to a simmer.<br /><br />I am theorizing the sweet potato will sweeten the kale, the kale and pinto beans will add earthiness and the andouille sausage will provide zing. I like the connection with the past by using these traditional southern ingredients, especially this time of year when the garden is asleep.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-47265534912283050132010-12-14T15:51:00.004-05:002010-12-14T15:59:08.420-05:00cold day comfort<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0KIeQM2yv-3oL0Kye0ufeZpa7_AzYPI4zf47PznP1SE_sh2dousXhfDpy0p6Le0FH8upVynvXWTKwVLAi0ELPycKJiv-7eCGpk6ixUIQcv5r_gWS4L47h3SGsNgHLH5cZxgpGJUr0Dl3/s1600/moroccan+stew.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0KIeQM2yv-3oL0Kye0ufeZpa7_AzYPI4zf47PznP1SE_sh2dousXhfDpy0p6Le0FH8upVynvXWTKwVLAi0ELPycKJiv-7eCGpk6ixUIQcv5r_gWS4L47h3SGsNgHLH5cZxgpGJUr0Dl3/s200/moroccan+stew.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550644645910350834" /></a><br />OK. It’s been cold. Not the 40 degree with a bit of moisture-feels-kind-of-raw cold we’re used to here in Atlanta, but Minneapolis, Boston, Chicago 16 degree and blustery-cuts-right-through-you-wind cold. <br /><br />Clearly we needed something really warm to eat… something flavorful, with dimension, something with color. Something… interesting. And it’s the holidays, a time so loaded with rich food that I did not desire anything based on meat or dairy. <br /><br />I’ve been reading a terrific book by Joan Nathan about Jewish food in Paris. I am sure the following recipe reflects influences from her descriptions of Moroccan food. This can be a stew or a soup, just adjust the liquid to your preferences. I served it on whole wheat couscous for dinner then by itself as a lunch.<br /><br /><br />2 onions: chopped <br />1 cauliflower: chopped, not too small<br />4 garlic cloves: chopped<br />1 large butternut squash, peeled and chopped in cubes<br />2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed<br />1.5 quarts chicken broth, or vegetable broth<br /><br />1/2 C whole green olives, <br />2-3 T chopped fresh ginger<br />1-2 lemons: juiced and zest grated<br />1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded according to your heat preference<br />2 T ground cumin<br />2 tsp. ground ancho chile<br />1 tsp. marjoram<br />1/2 tsp. allspice<br />Bunch of fresh cilantro<br />cayenne to taste<br /><br />Soften the onions in butter and olive oil. Remove from pot. Toss the cauliflower in some olive oil and add the cumin, chile and allspice and salt to taste. Cook over high and add the garlic when nearly done: you want it slightly softer than raw, but not really soft. Add the onions back in, and the butternut squash, the broth, the chick peas, ginger and the marjoram. Bring to boil, then cut heat back to simmer. Taste. Add salt as needed. Cook covered til squash is soft. With a fork, mash the squash against the side of the pot so that 3/4 are mashed and 1/4 remain in cubes. The mashed squash will provide body to the liquid. <br /><br />Add green olives, lemon juice, grated zest and jalapeno. Taste. Adjust seasoning. Before serving, add chopped cilantro.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-81799040876865243582010-11-30T09:27:00.006-05:002010-12-14T19:04:25.865-05:00Thanksgiving Dinner Report Card<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPQtMnIwTaNtMXmNdnkIrlZXA2qjrh_WkDoq1CZPHRZzgB5uw_UBL7PaE9fGUVA9Cd8uqRJet3SAu5U1jLOHXQZSGGI7e7oSKl-pPpX6UqK8KXG4aPI0salWcMy39lKqxZbOaui5p_JJb/s1600/DSC02293.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPQtMnIwTaNtMXmNdnkIrlZXA2qjrh_WkDoq1CZPHRZzgB5uw_UBL7PaE9fGUVA9Cd8uqRJet3SAu5U1jLOHXQZSGGI7e7oSKl-pPpX6UqK8KXG4aPI0salWcMy39lKqxZbOaui5p_JJb/s200/DSC02293.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545351183785305490" /></a><br /><br />So here it is: the highlights and low points of our much maligned (by the cook) and yet much anticipated dinner.<br /><br />Turkey: 24 pounds of bronzed beauty: <span style="font-weight:bold;">C+</span>. Nicely cooked, but lacking in flavor. This guy needed brining. Or something.<br /><br />Gravy:<span style="font-weight:bold;"> A+</span>. Arranging carrots, celery and onion under the bird’s metal rack and adding chicken broth to this as the bird cooked resulted in the darkest, most flavorful gravy I have ever made. I used the giblet broth made early in the day for the gravy liquid.<br /><br />Cider glaze for roasted vegetables:<span style="font-weight:bold;"> D</span>. Flavor was lost on the veg’s (carrots brussel sprouts, garden leeks), though it tasted good when I made it. Just did not stand up, I think more acid was needed. By the way, the Cook’s Illustrated carrot roasting method was superb: cut them so they are all even (or choose small carrots as I did ) painted with melted butter, cover with foil cooked at 425 for 15 minutes, remove foil continue roasting til done. The covered cooking helps develop the sugar. Really good.<br /><br />And the star of this meal: the super wonderful<span style="font-weight:bold;"> horseradish gremolata</span> Louise posted before Thanksgiving on this blog. Hot and lemony and fresh, it added<span style="font-style:italic;"> EXACTLY</span> the right zing to the dinner. Everyone loved it. And it was terrific in sandwiches. <br /><br />This gremolata will be on my table at all future Thanksgivings.<br /><br />Thanks sis, for this winner!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-85930127604037033632010-11-20T19:28:00.004-05:002010-11-21T06:54:15.382-05:00another use for the under-appreciated quince<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Zy4iJM_sWLZ_pGBGTOWHhSr0ltIifVQWibuu8rNkbNa9JMGdRGBUAoW4pJxniXep2OZ0frW2iVfk8butNu2i4H-28aSFFajx1wcutzER_gK2wRbD-O5h-fTDOcjF4NtLKBHfJ42j6B3/s1600/photo.PNG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Zy4iJM_sWLZ_pGBGTOWHhSr0ltIifVQWibuu8rNkbNa9JMGdRGBUAoW4pJxniXep2OZ0frW2iVfk8butNu2i4H-28aSFFajx1wcutzER_gK2wRbD-O5h-fTDOcjF4NtLKBHfJ42j6B3/s200/photo.PNG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541794933334775570" /></a><br />Ta-DA!!! Quince flavored vodka. Sublime. The quince imparts a slightly apple-y, floral but not sweet quality to the vodka. The vodka offsets the astringent quality of the quince. I gathered a few more today, as this test was a real success.<br />Tonight I made Quintinis :the dry vermouth smooths everything out perfectly.<br /><br />Happiness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-78695826680241422062010-11-15T18:01:00.008-05:002010-12-14T19:05:14.528-05:00getting past crankyI’ve been more than a little cranky about Thanksgiving dinner these past few years. As much as I love to cook and eat, I’ve felt for some time that Thanksgiving is definitely not a dinner that I love: too mushy, too rich, no zip. And not colorful enough.<br /><br />I know I could add southwestern flavors to shake things up: a bit of jalapeno in the cornbread dressing, some chilies here and there. But somehow this is not appealing to me. As a girl originally from Philadelphia, I like the concept of the traditional east coast Thanksgiving meal. I just haven’t been thrilled with the results of the considerable effort. I'd love to do a stuffed fish. But I'd have to make a turkey anyway, so that''s just adding work.<br /><br />So, this year I am focusing on achieving some brighter flavors, and on color.<br /> <br />Sure, we’ll be having the succulent roasted bird and dressing made with cornbread, toasted pecans and sausage. There will be a velvety gravy and yeast rolls. But we’re also having an assortment of roasted vegetables including my garden leeks with a cider vinaigrette and maybe a pop of chopped jalapeno tossed in for fun.. And the mashed potatoes will have horseradish for pop, and the salad will be garden arugula, all peppery and fresh with a sharp mustard dressing.<br /><br />I’ll ask my stepdaughter to make her fresh cranberry relish. And we’ll have a little bit of the jellied kind for the little kids and for anyone who wants it in sandwiches later. I might make Mark Bittman’s preserved lemons as a condiment along with my bourboned peaches. <br /><br />I'm thinking about Martha Stewart’s awesome cranberry tart: it's pretty simple and lovely. I am definitely making chocolate pecan tart with vanilla gelato on the side for my family, they like a rich ending. <br /><br />I’m considering a fresh fruit option: assorted grapes cut in half, sprinkled with lemon sugar in a stemmed glass? It could be pretty in the candlelight. <br /><br />I’d love to hear how you brighten up your Thanksgiving dinner.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-47207304660152627082010-11-05T14:12:00.006-04:002010-11-06T15:02:04.172-04:00quincidentally<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJIgWSHlmti72SvHiQe8VTaWfNnEgse7tKtNaUJ0hDimAYEDiismqfhqg7584W1dP2zVz5voHe_488MRMc6NwQGgXCiYTsJoajCuJCESt_3gQUMu5cXFRH8J0y0dGGSzDhuC99xM4d1aH/s1600/P1040253.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJIgWSHlmti72SvHiQe8VTaWfNnEgse7tKtNaUJ0hDimAYEDiismqfhqg7584W1dP2zVz5voHe_488MRMc6NwQGgXCiYTsJoajCuJCESt_3gQUMu5cXFRH8J0y0dGGSzDhuC99xM4d1aH/s200/P1040253.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536131756888253170" /></a><br />We have a quince tree in the far corner of our front yard. For several years in the fall a sad looking young woman would come by with her boyfriend in an old truck and would shyly ask me if she might gather the ones that had fallen on the ground. I was happy to give them to her. I’ve missed her these past few years and hope all is well with her.<br /><br />I’ve fooled with these quinces a few times: they are as hard as rocks and difficult to peel and cut. Nonetheless, they are free food on my property. And, as Deb Duchon said in her terrific blog (culinaryhistoriansofatlanta.blogspot.com): there is nothing more locavore then eating stuff found in your yard.<br /><br />I decided to roast them in the oven. As they cooked they smelled heavenly, a combination of apple and hibiscus. I skinned them, used a spoon to dig away the flesh from the sizable pit, and mashed them up. It was very sour, but promising. I poured several additions of Vermont maple syrup our friend, Woody, had given us, into the mashed fruit. Then added about a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and a pinch of salt and whizzed it around with the stick blender.<br /><br />And now I have a wonderful brightly flavored fruit pureé. What shall I do? Make a soufflé? Take this fruit gift as a cosmic message to get busy with a piecrust and make a nice tart? Add it to some mashed turban squash for a more savory dish? <br /><br />Stay tuned. I think I'm leaning toward a tart.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Next day update:</span> Made a tart. It's wonderful. The filling is simply our eggs, some melted butter the quince purée and I added about a half cup of brown sugar to further sweeten and also round out the flavor. The taste of this is amazing: there are hints of vanilla, a floral leaning and the citrussy snap of the quince. I will be continue my experiments with this interesting fruit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-78271124782048170152010-11-01T19:59:00.002-04:002010-11-01T20:04:27.022-04:00very simple very good<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60Mz0kskepw8aQinCNx24ElJ-K8iLRLahaaIWaD2TWSZtqr2P5s03zl96s3qKmNcTqKGXYVejFcTMTt7tIflCeBHxk8zjWuhBXmBnrn7XQ94ZfCZrd87kpmP5U4k3_DzPfp9sr7W8IxvH/s1600/P1040235.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh60Mz0kskepw8aQinCNx24ElJ-K8iLRLahaaIWaD2TWSZtqr2P5s03zl96s3qKmNcTqKGXYVejFcTMTt7tIflCeBHxk8zjWuhBXmBnrn7XQ94ZfCZrd87kpmP5U4k3_DzPfp9sr7W8IxvH/s200/P1040235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534736142647668434" /></a><br />Sometimes it just works out. <br /><br />Those unripe black plum tomatoes I picked from the garden a week or so ago have turned to mahogany in the laundry room. Handing a bag of them over to my neighbor today made me think of using some for our dinner tonight. I had a good looking head of cauliflower and decided to roast them together. I like to mess around with cauliflower, it takes nicely to many seasonings.<br /><br />But tonight was simple: cauliflower cut into medium florets, ‘maters cut in half and all tossed in olive oil, roasted in oven on 375 til the cauliflower turned gold. By then the tomatoes had collapsed and released their juices, almost glazing the cauliflower pieces.<br /><br />Interestingly, the flavor of the cauliflower, which sweetens as it roasts, contrasted with the tomatoes (usually experienced as very sweet when roasted). The tomatoes served as surprising acidic counterpoint to the cauliflower.<br /><br /> It was great.<br /><br />You could easily use those cherry tomatoes that you still have in your garden before the birds eat them. Or you could buy a basket of grape tomatoes. You could add whatever seasoning you feel like, though it stands up nicely unadorned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-68240131695397833542010-10-26T15:42:00.005-04:002010-10-27T12:45:38.707-04:00A NewburgerI was visiting with my friend Jennifer recently. She and I share a love of good food, cooking and talking about good food and cooking. She happened to mention some turkey burgers she’d made using a Cook’s Illustrated recipe. (Jen is a scientist, and she loves the precision and testing that CI brings to their recipes.)<br /><br />This turkey burger thing stuck in my mind. I’ve never had an even<span style="font-weight:bold;"> close</span> to memorable turkey burger, and decided it was time to step up and try to create one that had some real flavor. Ground turkey is the tofu of the meat world. Adding a little hot Italian sausage would be one way of adding flavor to this otherwise bland protein. I used chopped onion bits softened in melted butter, a handful of fresh parsley and some fresh breadcrumbs I had in the fridge. I also coated the burgers with panko, to give them a little crispness. They were delicious. So, here is my recipe:<br /><br />Preheat oven to 400. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2 pounds ground turkey</span> (leg meat or mixed breast and leg)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1 large hot Italian pork sausage</span> , removed from<br /> casing and broken into small pieces ( finger tip sized)<br />a handful of<span style="font-weight:bold;"> freshly chopped parsley</span><br />about <span style="font-weight:bold;">3/4 c fresh breadcrumbs </span>( just whiz some bread in your food processor to make some if you don’t have any around: this is a good use for bread loaf ends) <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">One small onion</span>, chopped into small pieces ands softened in about <span style="font-weight:bold;">1 T. Butter</span> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">One clove or two fresh garlic</span>, chopped fine<br />Some<span style="font-weight:bold;"> panko</span><br /><br />In a wide flat bowl (or, the turkey container) spread out the ground turkey. Sprinkle the small pieces of sausage across the turkey. As the onions soften in the butter, add the garlic, until they are soft as well. Keep heat med. low so the onions don’t brown.<br />Spread the softened onions and garlic and all the melted pan butter across the turkey/sausage. Spread the parsley and the breadcrumbs over this. Blend in with fingers. You don’t want to compress the mixture: just mix it.. Add salt and pepper. (I would also, if I had one, add a chopped up jalapeno pepper. Or maybe some cayenne. Or it might be good to add a 1/4 c of finely chopped apple.) <br /><br />Shape meat mixture into 4 patties. Coat these in panko. Bake in oven 20 minutes or so til interior T is 160-165. Outsides will be crunchy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-54506631821913550792010-09-25T07:10:00.004-04:002010-09-25T07:24:08.745-04:00Fabulous Freezer Finds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5vVfuS_KqlodSWk7eKcX-5h9xxHaPeIF1p-WLr7DOk4dkg2tUImAQApPdKED9SZ31JRoQgHp6pyrUXnjKLIy6DATxardtyCXPDuTYwqt8wBg1NluhERUaomtLqw3H4-JAylDrQJpNKYu/s1600/P1040160.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5vVfuS_KqlodSWk7eKcX-5h9xxHaPeIF1p-WLr7DOk4dkg2tUImAQApPdKED9SZ31JRoQgHp6pyrUXnjKLIy6DATxardtyCXPDuTYwqt8wBg1NluhERUaomtLqw3H4-JAylDrQJpNKYu/s200/P1040160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520808917396691666" /></a><br />I was in the garage yesterday, expecting to pick up a pint of chicken stock from the big freezer to use in a sauce for the ravioli I’d bought at the Farmer’s Market earlier this week. I was imagining a creamy sauce, based on the good homemade chicken stock, seasoned with fresh marjoram, for a fall-ish flavor. It was Friday, a day when Rick and I enjoy dinner together. But once in the freezer, I beheld a pint of lobster stock I’d made last month. Oooooooh!<br /><br />Please don’t think I always have lobster stock awaiting me in the freezer. I’d prepared a lovely arranged lobster salad in celebration of our anniversary, and, unwilling to discard the shells and small legs, had made a quart of simple stock and froze it in pint containers.<br /><br />The serendipity of this find demanded a change in my sauce plan: a <span style="font-style:italic;">lobster</span> sauce for my pasta, with a bit of fried sage for a garnish.<br /><br /> I made an easy velouté sauce using the stock, and added a tablespoon of tomato paste for color (again, from the freezer) and a few tablespoons of a local dairy’s very heavy cream (again: from the trusty freezer). The sage was from the pot on the deck.<br /><br />The found aspect of the freezer's ingredients was quite fun and added a lot to my enjoyment of the dish. As for Rick, he didn’t much care how it happened. He was happy that it happened.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-4267985230982006522010-09-24T16:15:00.004-04:002010-09-24T16:25:00.151-04:00Lemon-ease<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh68Pd3kkZsGz3qHoZHspoU0vJWEwWTuI-hnNlndhQc69P48QDCjbOO4NZ9TMOYOOZogkJPdcQ77qsWfPnptGSkwfrNhfRH5QH3IDDQv5hoWImZtJMLRJttz3rmWgRzqD3MiXD3EKDw__Y/s1600/P1040158.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 144px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh68Pd3kkZsGz3qHoZHspoU0vJWEwWTuI-hnNlndhQc69P48QDCjbOO4NZ9TMOYOOZogkJPdcQ77qsWfPnptGSkwfrNhfRH5QH3IDDQv5hoWImZtJMLRJttz3rmWgRzqD3MiXD3EKDw__Y/s200/P1040158.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520577118133209922" /></a><br />I came upon a recipe in the paper today that looked nearly perfect. I always love a lemon-y something, especially a lemon-y dessert and more especially a no fuss dessert! Don’t let the word pudding turn you away. <br />Because I did not have any milk I used vanilla soy milk and I decreased the sugar by about a quarter cup. I also increased the lemon zest and juice by about a half a lemon. This was also a perfect time to use the whip attachment to the great immersion blender Wesley gave me several years ago. It made easy work of those egg whites.<br />The best thing about this, aside from from the ease, the (mostly) have-in-the-pantry ingredients , and the lemon-yness is the cool sponge cakey and sauce thing that happens. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Lemon Pudding from CW Cameron for the AJC, 2010</span><br />1 cup granulated sugar<br />3 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />1 cup milk<br />2 eggs, separated<br />Zest and juice of 1 lemon <br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish. Set baking dish inside a roasting pan and add 1 inch warm water.<br />In a medium bowl, combine sugar and flour; stir in milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and juice and salt.<br />In a medium bowl, whip egg whites until stiff. Fold into sugar mixture and pour into buttered baking dish.<br />Set pans into oven and bake 35 minutes or until a knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.<br />Per serving: 287 calories (percent of calories from fat, 11), 6 grams protein, 59 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 4 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 111 milligrams cholesterol, 200 milligrams sodium.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Adapted from the 1950 edition of “Charleston Receipts” (Favorite Recipes Press, $19.95)<br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-74054310976843542972010-09-19T15:36:00.002-04:002010-09-19T18:44:16.507-04:00Solo Sunday Lunch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49-BBvQ8gUTKcZVQRRnpFZuTsCd47PXzTV9kbcjwBMhjbwGhGRoIfjaufNu1v-b47k6RMJi8BUXM5_e4vNUSj7JkMdhxCG20zabWVMLRXsBA6VRKToLqQ1kjzvKv6KxeyeHSkkuTZ9zQk/s1600/IMG_1184.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 152px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49-BBvQ8gUTKcZVQRRnpFZuTsCd47PXzTV9kbcjwBMhjbwGhGRoIfjaufNu1v-b47k6RMJi8BUXM5_e4vNUSj7JkMdhxCG20zabWVMLRXsBA6VRKToLqQ1kjzvKv6KxeyeHSkkuTZ9zQk/s200/IMG_1184.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518759065556556066" /></a><br />Today I found a nicely ripened haas avocado in my hanging basket: perfect for lunch. <br /><br />I sliced two slim pieces of good bread and toasted them well. Then I halved and pitted the avocado, placed one half in my palm, and using a fork, mashed the velvety contents til it was nearly smooth and spread the whole business on my toasts. Finished with a sprinkling of coarse kosher salt.<br /><br />So easy, so delicious.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-64973317952925490612010-09-18T10:39:00.002-04:002010-09-18T10:49:39.347-04:00A Most Tasty SaladWe’ve been back from our beach vacation for over a week. The eggplants are still bearing beautifully. Tonight I cut a few globes in wedges, tossed in olive oil and roasted them on a parchment covered sheet pan. I served this with a couscous salad and a green salad.<br /><br /> I encountered this couscous salad several years ago at a family brunch. It is possibly one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. And I think the flavors really work this time of year, that interim space between summer and fall. <br /><br />I used leftover whole wheat couscous, added chickpeas and a bit of chopped jalapeno to tonight’s salad and also a handful or so of those packaged shredded carrots. I did not have any cashews, so I used toasted almonds. Feel free to modify the ingredients any way that suits you and your pantry: I think it’s the dressing and the fresh ginger that really set this apart:<br /><br />Michelle’s Couscous Salad<br />(appears to be adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Gourmet)<br /><br />1 1/2 couscous ( I like whole wheat from Trader Joe’s)<br />1 1/2 C water<br />a little salt<br />Bring water to boil and add couscous, remove from heat and cover. Let stand 5 minutes, fluff with fork and put in another bowl to cool.<br /><br />Chop up:<br />1/2 C raisins (golden look best)<br />1 red bell pepper<br />1/3 c slivered red onion (or grated)<br />2 T fresh mint<br /><br />Mix the above into cooled couscous. <br /><br />Add dressing:<br />1/3 C lime juice<br />1/3 C extra virgin olive oil<br />1/2 t cumin<br />1t grated ginger<br />2 tsp curry<br />2 garlic cloves, chopped fine<br /><br />Mix well in to the couscous veggie mixture.<br /><br />Chill.<br /><br />Before serving mix in 1/2 c toasted cashews, chopped and 1 1/2 c frozen peas (You can skip the peas. I added fresh chopped parsley instead). This recipe serves 4-6 but I’ve quadrupled it for a party.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199912944490000102.post-8735953352759223662010-08-23T19:45:00.003-04:002010-08-23T19:53:50.241-04:00Bird Tomato Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ej-p2FsszFR6lGskvfi70WhJnlG5dq8uLbsG9HyJIoQfvczR0a56eeEotmFeOYvI2lMAVoTOu4x0aDUYuWVP9tB9HyjeJVtUtVzEGLV392x-O4qvcbAVgPiVrzEJJhy5SDS_Oz43aC8R/s1600/IMG_1153.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ej-p2FsszFR6lGskvfi70WhJnlG5dq8uLbsG9HyJIoQfvczR0a56eeEotmFeOYvI2lMAVoTOu4x0aDUYuWVP9tB9HyjeJVtUtVzEGLV392x-O4qvcbAVgPiVrzEJJhy5SDS_Oz43aC8R/s200/IMG_1153.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508757592362343122" /></a><br /><br />The cardinals were very interested in our heirloom tomatoes this year and many of these lovelies were damaged or split. No matter. I cut out the bird pecked spots and enjoyed each one as it ripened in all its deep flavored gloriousity.<br /><br />Tonight I use several previously cut Mortgage Lifters and a few split Black Plums as well as two really damaged Cherokee Purples to make a soup for the mezza luna ravioli we had.<br /><br />I softened about 1/4 C of sliced onion and a few leek bits in some olive oil. Then I added my cut up tomato pieces, a couple of cloves of chopped garlic and around a cup of filtered water and some kosher salt and let it cook on medium heat til the tomatoes were soft. When I tasted it, I added a T of honey, to temper the acidic tomatoes.<br /><br />I cooled this stuff, then put it in the blender, then strained out the shards of skin and seeds. I reheated while the mezza luna cooked. Before I served it, I added a chiffonade of basil. At my house, freshly grated parmesan is essential, but I think it is fine without. <br /><br />We had room temparature roasted eggplant slices in a mustard vinaigrette and some homemade bread with this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3