Notes from Home Plates

My blog has moved...

2010-03-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

and can now be found here:

http://blog.notesfromhomeplates.com/

The feed for this blog has moved

2010-03-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

the new feed is at:

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This is a test

2010-03-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Only Testing. please ignore.

Lavaman ... Lost

2010-03-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

I have been putting off writing this for a while. I was holding on to a glimmer of hope that I would be able to participate in Lavaman this year. But today, the door closed on that possibility.

It all started about three weeks ago (well technically it started about 13 months ago). My coach and I decided that I was over-trained so it would be a good idea to take a few days, maybe a week off from training (and if your coach, who loves pain, tells you to sit down for a week, you do it). So there I was, relaxing on the couch, wiggling my ankle around a little, when suddenly I felt a pop (and then there was much pain).

I still had a few days before I needed to get back to training so I figured I'd give it a little rest and lots of ice and it would be good as new. A week later I was still in pain. I called my physical therapist and she recommended a week, maybe two of treatment ("probably just a little tendinitis, we'll get it worked out"). When I was still in pain three weeks later we decided it was time for a specialist.

Through all of this, I was convinced that I would be able to participate. Sure, training would suffer a bit, but I would be able to make it though. I continued my swim training and started doing all of my running in the deep end of the pool (I was in the pool so much I was starting to feel chlorinated). The one thing I couldn't do was bike. Every Friday I would try out my bike on my trainer, hoping that I would be able to ride with the team on Saturday, but I was always disappointed. I could only make it about ten minutes before I was in too much pain to continue.

This is when my pity party started. I was so mad at the situation. I mean really, how do you hurt your ankle while you are just sitting on the couch, c'mon! Still, I continued to hold out hope. Even if I couldn't train, I would still be able to participate. Sure, I would be in pain during the event, but it would be fine. As long as I wasn't going to cause myself permanent damage, I could deal with pain.

Today I saw a foot and ankle specialist. He had already talked to my physical therapist so he knew what I wanted, some kind of quick fix to get me through the event. Well, he shut that down right away. He wiggled around the good foot, then wiggled around the bad foot, then made a face. "Don't ship your bike to Hawaii, it will just be a waste of money. You can not do a triathlon on this ankle. I'm not sure yet what is wrong, but you can't do a triathlon on this ankle."

He sent me off for a set of stress x-rays. In case you have never heard of stress x-rays (because I hadn't) it's where the doctor turns the ankle to the side as far as it will go while they shoot the x-ray. They do this on both ankles for comparison. Well, we'll just say the comparison wasn't good. The amount of movement my ankle allows shows that there is definitely something not good going on in there. I had an MRI as well so that the doctor can get a better look at what is going on with the soft tissues but I won't know the results of that until my follow-up next Thursday. So, a definite diagnosis is still to come, but the word surgery was bandied about quite a bit.

Long story short, I have to sit out the Lavaman Triathlon this year. The very tiny bit of good news is that almost all of my fund raising can be rolled into another TNT event later this year. I'm leaning towards Lavaman 2011!

I am so grateful to everyone who has been so supportive of my endeavor for the last few months. I have been in awe of the generosity of time, talent and (especially) money that I have experienced. I have had more people than I can count tell me that they are proud of me or that I am an inspiration to them. I can't help but feel that I am letting all of you down.

I'll still be traveling with the team to Hawaii. It's going to be really hard to see the rest of my team crossing the finish line, but I want to be there to cheer them on. Plus, I can get a good look at what I'll be in for come next year.

What's in the Box?

2010-03-10T18:00:00.001-08:00

Usually I customize what comes in my box, but this week I neglected to do that, so I received a few things that I'm not too excited about. I usually don't get spinach because the husband really doesn't like it and I already have a bunch of lemons in the house. Plus, I'm going to really have to work to get through that much fruit (I usually only get two kinds of fruit, not three in the box).

1 Green Cabbage
2 Hass Avocados
1.5 pounds Russet Potatoes
1 Cucumber
1 Bunch Baby Leeks
1 Bunch Carrots
1 Green Leaf Lettuce
.33 pound Baby Spinach
.4 pound Mushrooms
2 each Lemons
4 Pinova Apples
4 Navel Oranges
4 each D'anjou Pears

Happy, Happy Birthday

2010-03-07T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my uncle wished me a happy birthday and told me that he hoped I didn't have to make my own cake. I replied that making my own birthday treat is the only way to ensure that I get to enjoy exactly what I want. This year, that was Momofuku's Crack Pie.

At Momofuku's Bakery and Milk Bar in New York City they sell this ooey-gooey pie for $44 each. Making it at home cost much, much less than that (and you get two pies).

I cooked this over two days, making the oat cookie for the crust one day and finishing the crust and the filling the next morning. The result is a really sweet creamy filling in a slightly salty cookie crust. A delicious contrast.

Happy Birthday to me!

Click here for a link to the recipe in case you want to try this deliciousness at home.

A Tale of Two Chickens

2010-02-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

This week I decided to take on a couple of recipes from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook. The recipes from Ad Hoc are intended to be family-style "you can make this at home" recipes. I like this idea because some of the recipes from say his French Laundry Cookbook which might call for something like, an entire pig's head (not really an everyday ingredient) or require three days of prep are not too accessible for the casual cook and are certainly not intended for weeknight dinner type cooking (at least not at my house). Not to say I don't cook from it, or from his other cookbook Bouchon, because I have and everything I have made has been phenomenal, it's just not "everyday" cooking.

I had lots of tasty root vegetables waiting around so I decided to start with the recipe for Whole Roasted Chicken on a bed of Root Vegetables. Out of respect for the author, I'm not going to reprint the recipe here, but if you have the book (and if you don't I recommend it) you'll find the recipe on page 22.

The thing about Thomas Keller recipes is that they are precise, explaining exactly how each ingredient should be trimmed and cut. The thing about me is, I'm not that precise when it comes to chopping vegetables, I mean, I cut everything pretty close to the prescribed sizes, but I certainly am not as exact as he is.

I did make a couple of changes to the recipe. First, it calls for leeks, rutabagas and turnips in addition to carrots, onions and potatoes. Well I didn't have leeks and I just flat out don't like turnips (and I am a grown up so I don't have to eat them if I don't want to). It's been so long since I've had rutabagas I can't remember if I like them or not. If I get the opportunity to get them in my CSA box I will happily try them again, but I had no interest in a special trip to the store to pick up a item I may or may not like, so I left them out too. What I did have was parsnips and golden beets, and since I like both of those things, into the mix they went.

Otherwise I followed Keller's instructions. I pulled out my ginormous cast iron pan and deposited my olive oil dressed vegetables along with my trussed chicken which I had rubbed the inside of with fresh thyme and garlic. Then I but 4 TABLESPOONS or butter on top of the chicken (along with some salt and pepper) and popped it into the oven. The thing is, I must have been really sleepy when I was making this because after I trussed the chicken I stupidly put the chicken into the pan breast side down instead of breast side up.

So, while it cooked just fine, the yummy crispy skin was on the wrong side of the chicken (sad). However, the chicken itself was wonderful, moist and gently seasoned. While the vegetables were really good, I personally think that 4 tablespoons of butter was at least 2 tablespoons to much. A little too greasy and not quite crispy enough for my taste. So when I make this again I think I'll go with less butter and maybe a few less vegetables in the pan (I think they might brown better if they weren't as crowded).

So, one chicken down, one to go. Each year I cook dinner for two of my best friends, their family and of course the husband and myself as my birthday gift to them (their birthdays are on two consecutive days so I can get away with one dinner as two gifts). The recipe that seems to get the most attention from this cookbook is the one for Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Because I had heard so much about this recipe I asked if I could put it on the menu. I like to try out new things on this group because they are always (luckily) a forgiving group.

This recipe is really easy to find online (in fact it is on the Amazon sale page linked above) so I'll leave you to find it for yourself. You can also buy it as a kit (which frankly seems silly to me, but you know, to each his own).

Keller specifically calls for 2 1/2 to 3 pound chickens stating that you may need to go to a farmers market to find them. However, I did not have the time to search out tiny chickens, so, I went for the smallest chickens I could find at my local QFC which were 4 pounds each.

So, once again I followed the instructions. Brined the chicken overnight, combined all the ingredients for the coating then packed everything up to prepare at my friends house.

Once there I set up two pans with oil (one for light meat and one for dark) as well as a dredging station (the chicken goes through the flour coating, then into buttermilk, then into a second batch of coating, then onto a parchment lined baking sheet until each piece was coated) and a cooling rack. This took A LOT of room.

So into the oil went my first two batches of chicken (one with thighs and one with breasts). This is when I started having serious heat control issues. A lot of the coating came off and even though the chicken was cooked to temperature the skin wasn't even crispy. Sad fried chicken.

This is when I started to get despondent (and thankful for a kind group of friends (and my cocktail)). Time for a few adjustments. We turned off the kitchen fan, readjusted the temperature controls and waited for the oil to come back up to temperature. In went the drumsticks, a second batch or breasts and once they were done, the legs.

Success (mostly). As we gathered around the table I encouraged everyone to try the drumsticks first (as they were the most golden brown and delicious) then the breasts, then the legs (I didn't even serve those first two batches, bleaagh). I was supposed to have fried up some fresh thyme and rosemary to sprinkle over the top, but at this point I was just happy to be getting something edible on the table so we decided to just dig in.

You can see from the picture that I also served a tower of biscuits. What not pictured is some very delicious macaroni and cheese (which my 5-year old picky-eater Goddaughter actually approved of) and a salad made with greens, the white-wine poached pears that I canned in November, blue cheese and glazed nuts.

The chicken was really good. The brine kept it really, really moist (and added a great flavor) and the coating was lightly seasoned, crispy and delicious. In the cookbook Thomas Keller says that once you try this chicken you'll want to add it to your weekly routine. Well, while it was very good, it was a lot of work. It might make an every six months routine at our house.

To end the meal I served cake balls (similar to these). One of my diners was almost two-year old Rowan. He was cracking me up while he was eating them so I snapped a few pictures (yeah, they're a little blurry but it was a little dark and little kids move fast).

Here's the approach.

Next a few nibbles off the bottom.

Then the whole thing went in.

He looked like a chipmunk hoarding nuts.

Too cute.

Bacon Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-02-16T10:11:00.000-08:00

Mardi Gras has never really been a big deal for me. Maybe it's because I'm a bit of a homebody (going out with a mass of drunken idiots just isn't really my kind of fun). But I think it's more likely that because I was raised Lutheran, and we never gave anything up for Lent, the idea of having to "get stuff out of my system" was never present.

However, In the past couple of years I made the discovery of Shrove Tuesday, also known as Pancake Tuesday. Well, an excuse to eat pancakes for dinner. That I can get on board with.

I used a recipe for Gale Gand's buttermilk pancakes that I found online. They called for a cup of blueberries, but lately I've been hearing about bacon pancakes, and well, that sounded interesting. So I replaced the blueberries with crispy-cooked bacon.

The pancakes themselves were delicious. I don't often make pancakes from scratch (probably because I usually make them in the morning when I am extra lazy and a mix is easier) but this was a great recipe. I was a little surprised that they weren't baconier (is that even a word), it was more that they had a salty undertone (which was good, don't get me wrong). The maple syrup was an absolute necessity and a delicious addition. I need more excuses to make pancakes for dinner, yum.

Here's the recipe (adapted from Gale Gand's Brunch!)

Bacon Buttermilk Pancakes

- makes 10 3-to 4-inch pancakes -

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
12 slices bacon, diced and cooked crisp

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, beat the egg with a fork and then mix in the buttermilk, milk, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and combine with a wooden spoon, leaving plenty of lumps. Transfer the batter to a pitcher with a pour spout.

Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat (after you've cooked a few pancakes, you may want to turn the heat down to medium-low so your pancakes don't brown too quickly. Melt 1 teaspoon butter on it (when the griddle starts to get dry as you're cooking, add more butter, 1 teaspoon at a time) and heat the butter until it foams.

Pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the griddle to make each pancake, leaving space in between for spreading. Sprinkle each pancake with about a tablespoon of bacon. When the top of each pancake is done bubbling and no longer looks wet and the underside is lightly browned (about 3 minutes), flip the pancake and cook it on the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately, or keep warm on a plate in a 200-degree oven while you cook some more pancakes.

Sausage and Peppers Fettuccine

2010-02-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

So I had peppers, I had onions, I had sausage. It seemed like a sausage and pepper sandwich might be in order. But what I didn't have has bread.

I decided to take the idea and instead make a pasta sauce (because what I did have was a package of fresh pasta).

Here's the ingredients:

4 hot Italian chicken sausages
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
6 clove garlic, sliced thin (I forgot these in the photo)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
red pepper flakes to taste
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, or water (also not pictured as it was a last minute addition)
1 pound fresh fettuccine
6 leaves fresh basil, julienned
grated Parmesan cheese

To start I fired up the grill and cooked the sausages through. Once they were cooked through and then rested for a couple of minutes I sliced them, then set them aside. Now if you are not a winter time griller like me, the sausages could be fried up inside or the sausage could be removed from its casings and browned in the same pan just before adding the peppers.

While the sausages were on the grill, back inside I heated a little olive oil in a large saute pan.

When it was hot, I added the peppers and onions (and I should have added the garlic, but I forgot)...

...and let this cook until the onions were cooked softened and translucent, which took just under 10 minutes.

I added the garlic, oregano and pepper flakes and cooked while stirring for about thirty seconds.

Next I added the tomato paste and cooked this for another minute or so (this caramelizes the tomato paste just a bit, making it sweeter).

Finally I added the white wine and the chicken stock...

...and the cooked sausages...

...and let the whole mixture simmer gently for about fifteen minutes.

While it simmered I cooked the fettuccine according to the package instructions. When it was cooked I drained it, saving a bit of the pasta water and then added the cooked pasta to the sausage mixture. It seemed a little thick so I added a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water.

I portioned out the mixture onto a couple of plates (with enough left for a hearty lunch) and then sprinkled each with a little basil and Parmesan.

This came out pretty good. Sweet and spicy. The husband picked out all the garlic (without even trying it, hmph) but he said he liked it too. I wouldn't have minded a few more pepper flakes, but over all I really enjoyed this. It's definitely going on the to be made again list.

What's in the Box?

2010-02-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

.5 pound Snow Peas
1 Golden Bell Pepper
1.25 pounds La Ratte Potatoes
1 Cucumber
1 pound Full Circle Bagged Carrots
1 pound Parsnips
2 Lemons
1 bunch Green Onions
1 Delicata Squash
1 head Romaine Lettuce
0.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
4 D'anjou Pears
4 Braeburn Apples

I also ordered this from the green grocery:

Truffle & Salt: Incredible black truffles from Abruzzo combined with adriatic Italian sea salt from the small town of Cervia to make the ultimate must have seasoning.

Sausage and Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

2010-01-31T11:20:00.001-08:00

I've had an acorn squash sitting in my pantry for a couple of months (luckily squash are forgiving when it comes to going bad). Now, I love squash so I'm not sure why it has been sitting there taunting me for so long, but that is just the way it goes some times.

I decided that it was finally time to cook the thing. And since it had been waiting patiently for me to cook it, I decided that I wanted to try something new and maybe a little special.

Here's the ingredients:

1 cup rice, cooked (I used a brown and wild rice mix, but any old rice would work)
2 chicken sausages, casings removed (I used a hot Italian variety but another kind of sausage would work too)
1/2 onion, diced
5 mushrooms, sliced
2 clove garlic, minced
4-5 leaves sage, chopped
2-3 sprig thyme, chopped
2 Tablespoon Alfredo sauce (yes, I could have made a little bechamel sauce here but I had half a jar of sauce leftover from a lazy/tired night of cooking dinner, so I used that instead, and it worked great, so why go to the extra effort)
1-2 ounces Parmesan cheese, plus a little more for the top
1 acorn squash, cut in half with the seeds and what not scooped out

To start, I cooked the rice in my rice cooker. While that was going I browned the sausage along with the onion, then after a couple of minutes I added the mushrooms, garlic, sage and thyme (some rosemary would have been great too, but alas, the super cold week we had here killed off my rosemary) and continued to cook the mixture until the onions were translucent and the mushrooms were browned. I removed this from the heat and stirred in the cooked rice, Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese. At this point I cooled the mixture down and stashed it in the fridge (I had a big spurt of cooking energy so I cooked this filling while I made a different dinner), but I could have easily continued on at this point.

A couple of days later I continued on with my cooking. I stuffed the rice mixture into the cavity of the squash and then piled some more on top for good measure. I made a couple of rings out of aluminum foil and placed each of the squash halves on each of the rings so that they couldn't roll around while they were in the oven.

I covered this loosely with a piece of aluminum foil and popped it in a 350 degree oven. After an hour of cooking, I took the foil off and added a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. After another 20 minutes the squash was cooked through and the rice mixture was nice and bubbly.

I served the stuffed squash alongside a pear and romaine salad.

This turned out really good. With each bite a little bit of rice, a little squash and a little sausage, yummy. The husband really liked it too, a lot. And he is not a huge squash fan so that surprised me a little. I can imagine a few variations on this meal (different rice, different meat (or no meat), different cheese) and I can hardly wait to try them.

Glazed Carrots and Parsnips

2010-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

Originally I intended to write this post about my take on Pioneer Woman's Crash Hot Potatoes (and I will add a few notes on those later) but the vegetable side dish I made turned out so delectable that I decided to write about it instead.

Here are the ingredients:

2 medium carrots
1 large parsnip
2 teaspoon butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 Tablespoon pecans, toasted

I peeled the carrots and the parsnip then cut the carrots on the bias into 1/4 inch slices. I sliced the parsnip in half lengthwise and removed the woody core before slicing each of the halves on the bias into 1/4 inch slices.

In a saute pan, I melted the butter and then added the vegetables to the pan along with a little salt and pepper. I added about a tablespoon of water and covered the pan so the vegetables would steam through. After a couple of minutes I removed the lid and added the brown sugar, stirring until the sugar had melted and the vegetables were cooked through, about another minute. I tossed in the pecans, gave it one last stir and that was it.

I served the carrots alongside a flat-iron steak with balsamic caramelized onions and the aforementioned potatoes (with a couple of tweaks). I used purple potatoes and Yukon golds as the potatoes, thyme instead of rosemary, and added a little sprinkle of blue cheese during the last couple of minutes of baking.

Seriously, these were so good (and the potatoes and steak weren't have bad either). I'm sure they would be good with all carrots or all parsnips or with almonds instead of pecans. These were so easy to make too. I highly recommend these for your favorite vegetable lover (or maybe even a vegetable hater, they are that good).

Treats for Your Sweet

2010-01-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

As part of my fundraising efforts for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program I will be making delicious Cake Truffle Balls for purchase.

To order, print out and fill out the attached form and return it, along with payment to D. Ted or Jennifer Harris by Feb 5.

All proceeds will go directly to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

To find out more about my Team in Training event please visit my fundraising Web site http://pages.teamintraining.org/wa/lavatri10/chefdjen If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

ValentineTreatOrderForm.pdf

Bad Blogger, with Good Reason

2010-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been a bad blogger, but I've had good reason. Last week as part of my fundraising for my Team in Training event and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society I threw a Hawaiian Feast. I spent a fairly sizable amount of time menu planning, finding door prize donors, creating gift certificates, coordinating volunteers, making signs, etc. It was more work than I imagined (but in the end it was totally worth it). This left me with little energy for cooking much less blogging.

The menu for the feast consisted of lots of yummy traditional Hawaiian food. Here's what I prepared (with the help of some great volunteers):

Spam Musubi (think sushi but with fried spam instead of fish)
Ahi Poke (pronounced po-kay)
Kalua Pork
Chicken Luau
White Rice
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (trust me, it's different from mainland macaroni salad)
Tropical Fruit
Cupcakes (from New York Cupcakes, delicious)

I also made Haupia which is a coconut milk pudding/gelatin concoction, but it never set so I couldn't serve it.

My favorites from the night were the Kalua Pork and the Ahi Poke. I thought I would pass along the recipes.

Traditionally at a luau the Kalua Pork would be a whole pig, cooked all day in an underground imu. Obviously that is not practical for most cooks. I used pork shoulder which is not only cheap, but also very tasty. This recipe is from Epicurious.

Kalua Pork

5 pound boneless pork butt roast
2 Tablespoon Hawaiian sea salt or course sea salt
3 frozen banana leaves, thawed
4 cup Water

-Sauce
2 cup water
2 teaspoon Hawaiian sea salt or course sea salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/4-inch-deep slits 1 inch apart all over pork roast. Rub 2 tablespoons sea salt all over pork. Unfold 1 banana leaf on work surface and place pork roast atop leaf. Fold up leaf around pork, enclosing completely. Repeat wrapping pork in remaining 2 banana leaves, 1 at a time.

Tie with kitchen string to secure, then wrap roast in foil. Place pork in roasting pan; pour 4 cups water into pan.

Roast pork in oven until very tender when pierced with fork, about 5 hours. Unwrap pork and cool slightly. Shred pork and place in large bowl.

Bring remaining 2 cups water and remaining 2 teaspoons salt to boil in small saucepan. Add liquid smoke; pour over pork and stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to allow liquid to flavor pork. Serve.

Ingredient tip: Hawaiian alaea sea salt is available at specialty foods stores and online from Hawaii Specialty Salt Company at hawaiisalt.com. Banana leaves are available at Asian markets and Latin markets. Liquid smoke is a smoke-flavored liquid seasoning available at many supermarkets and specialty foods stores.

My other favorite from the night was the Ahi Poke. There are lots of different recipes around for Poke, but the one I used came from a blog called Chaos in the Kitchen. Click the link to see her beautiful poke photo (which in the end was a large part of the reason I chose that recipe). I used frozen Ahi Tuna (QFC had donated a gift card for me to use for the event and frozen was all they had) and it actually turned out great (and was substantially less expensive than fresh would have been). I cut the tuna into 1/2 squares while it was still partially frozen which made it really easy to do. My version of the recipe makes 12-16 appetizer size servings.

Hawaiian Poke

16 ounce sushi-grade tuna
1/2 sweet or red onion, julienned
2 green onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoon black sesame seeds (or toasted)

Combine onion, green onion, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame seeds and oil in a bowl.

Add bite sized pieces of tuna, mix well.

Chill the mixture for 15 minutes before serving so flavors can mix. Check for salt before serving, the soy sauce can be pretty salty without needing any additional salt.

Now that my event is in the books I can get back to blogging. I picked up my CSA box yesterday and I've already got some ideas brewing about what to make. A new entry will be coming soon, I promise.

P.S. I raised $706 for LLS with the Hawaiian Feast. A little less than I was hoping for, but not too bad. The thing that really touched me was the willingness of my friends to give of their time and talents to help make my event a success. Some friends gave amazing door prizes, others spent hours in the kitchen helping me prep and serve, another spent the evening as our DJ (setting an awesome tropical mood) and a few helped collect money at the door, sell raffle tickets and bar tend. I could not have had a successful event without all of their help.

What's in the Box?

2010-01-20T19:50:00.000-08:00

0.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
1 pound Roma Tomatoes
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Yellow Onions
1 Bunch Carrots
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Acorn Squash
1 pound Zucchini
1 pound Parsnips
1 head Romaine Lettuce
1 Cucumber
4 D'anjou Pears
3 Pink Lady Apples

Briny Pork Chops with Caramelized Pears and Sage-Roasted Potatoes

2009-12-31T20:56:00.000-08:00

Other than one meal when my mom visited during December I cannot recall having cooked at home in almost a month. First I was sick (really, really sick) and the little that I did eat was made (read warmed up) by my husband. Then I got busy with work (which, since I am a chef, involved lots of cooking) so I really wasn't up to cooking when I got home (so lots of take-out). Then we went out of town (which is exhausting under the best of cases). I even cancelled delivery of one of my boxes because I knew I would get to it.

I woke up this morning determined to cook. I picked up our box yesterday so I knew I would have lots of delicious new produce to choose from (plus, I still have lots of root veggies, which take much longer to go bad, stashed away too).

After a delicious "ladies lunch" out with one of my best friends and my Goddaughter I stopped by the QFC to pick up some sort of protein. Torn between chicken, pork or lamb I texted the husband for advice. Pork (with applesauce) was the reply (although I knew applesauce was not to be in the husband's future). I considered a pork roast, then a pork loin before spying some thick-cut pork chops in the butcher's case. Alas, they were boneless (and meat cooked on the bone is just better) so I asked the butcher to cut some special for me, bone-in, about 1 1/2 inch thick.

So, pork decided as the protein, I took a look in the fridge and pantry for potential counterparts. I turned up some garnet yams, and some pears (as a stand-in to the applesauce the husband wanted). I snipped a little sage from the herb garden and I was on my way.

Here's the ingredients:

For the briny pork chops:

2 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoon sugar
6 leaves sage
3/4 cup water
2 thick-cut bone-in pork chops

For the sage-roasted yams:

1/2 pound yams (garnet or otherwise)
2 Tablespoons or so olive oil
10 leaves sage
3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
salt and pepper
a cast-iron pan (trust me, this is important)

For the caramelized pears:

2 Tablespoon butter
2 pears, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons sugar
juice and zest from 1/2 Meyer lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Now, I was cooking everything at once, so these instructions are gonna jump around a bit.

I started by making a brine for the pork chops. I combined the sugar and the sage leaves in a mortar and used a pestle to crush and bruise the sage a bit.

I then put this into a Ziploc bag, added the sugar and the water and shook the mixture until the sugar and salt had dissolved. Then I added the pork chops and tossed the bag in the fridge for a couple of hours (turning it once).

A half hour before I was set to cook, I removed the pork chops from the brine, dried them off, then set them aside for a bout a half hour so the middles of them wouldn't be too cold when I cooked them.

Next I put the potatoes in the oven. Here they are all sliced up and ready to go.

The potatoes were inspired by a blog entry from the Food52 Website. I followed the method just about verbatim so I won't repeat it here (but they took about 45 minutes total). I haven't tried it with regular potatoes (as it is written) but that will be up very soon.

As soon as I put the potatoes in the oven, I heated up a grill pan, then brushed the outsides of the chops with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper. I seared the chops on one side, then flipped them and put them in the oven (alongside the potatoes) until they reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees (yeah, I know, USDA says 160 degrees, but that's just gonna result in dry pork chops). They took about 25 minutes to cook through and they were done before the potatoes, so I just took them out of the oven and covered them with some foil until the potatoes were done too (at least five minutes of resting is important anyway).

Once everything was in the oven I started on the caramelized pears. I started by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. I added the chopped pears and sauteed for about 5 minutes. Then I added the lemon zest and juice, the sugar and the salt and continued to cook the pears until they were golden brown and delicious.

To serve, I plated a few of the potatoes alongside a ginourmous pork chop then topped the pork with some of the caramelized pears, a bit of the tasty caramelizing sauce and a few of the crispy sage leaves.

How was it? Well, basically the whole time I was eating I was saying "nom, nom, nom this is so good". The husband agreed and said that the caramelized pears were way better than any applesauce would be.

This is definitely a case where really simple ingredients, cooked well, resulted in something fantastic.

What's in the Box?

2009-12-31T10:13:00.000-08:00

1 Yellow Onions
1 bunch Green Onions
1.25 pounds Purple Potatoes
1 pint Red Grape Tomatoes
1 pound Baby Golden Beets
2 Hass Avocados
1 pound White Satin Carrots
1 Bunch Orange Carrots
1 Cucumber
2 Meyer Lemons
1 Mango
4 Valencia Oranges
3 D'anjou Pears

Screw the Resolutions Hawaiian Feast for LLS

2009-12-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

As (hopefully) the final part of my fund raising efforts for my Team in Training event I am planning a "Screw the Resolutions Hawaiian Feast" to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for Jan 14, 2010 at Starry Nights in Kirkland Washington.

I've been spending a lot of time planning the event and recruiting donors and kitchen help. I just want to take a minute to thank all of those who have thus far agreed to generously donate their time and talents to help make my event a success.

I'm still looking for more items to use as door prizes so if you (or someone you know) owns a restaurant, is an artist, or has some other talent they may be willing to share, I would love to hear from them.

Thanks to:
Matt Jones, Starry Nights Catering ~ www.starrynightscatering.com
QFC

and all my fabulous donors:
Teresa Ritzhaupt, Executive Home Cleaning ~ urbancougar@gmail.com
D. Ted Harris ~ mysituationalawareness.wordpress.com
Bill Reimann, Spotlight ~ www.12vspotlight.com
Fred Good ~ www.ubermini.com
Jalene Hernandez ~ www.jalenedance.com
Jean Avery, Mary Kay ~ www.marykay.com/jeanavery
Dana Sullivan ~ web.me.com/danajsullivan/DanaSullivan/Home.html
Brian Vann ~ www.etsy.com/shop/bvann
Vanessa Wilke
Amanda Downing

and all my fabulous kitchen volunteers:
Conni Brownell ~ www.charmedradish.com
Jay Delong ~ www.canapechefservices.com
Cindy Hilliard ~ www.briarlaine.com
Debra Lane ~ www.mychefdelivers.com
Betsy Rogers ~ www.ovenstobetsy.com
Karen Rosenzweig ~ www.incrediblechef.com
Tom Rzegocki ~ www.tomsinhomecooking.com

What's in the Box?

2009-12-03T18:37:00.000-08:00

1 Broccolette
1 Cucumber
2 Hass Avocados
.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
1.5 pounds Colorado Rose Potatoes
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1.5 pounds Jewel Yams
1 bunch Red Beets
1 Celery Root
1 Red Onion
1 bunch Orange Carrots
2 Asian Pears
2 Pomegranates

Small-Batch Canning

2009-11-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been putting up a bit of my produce. Quite a few people seem to be afraid of canning. But if you follow a few simple rules it's quite safe and relatively easy to do.

The USDA has several canning guides available so I won't go into too much detail about procedures. All of the canning that I am doing uses the boiling water method. Since I am mostly working with fruits (and the occasional pickle) which are high acid, boiling water canning works easiest and is perfectly safe. Low acid foods such as meats, poultry, fish and vegetables (except tomatoes) are low acid and require a pressure canner (which is not something I ready to dive into).

The only special equipment that I have is a jar lifter, jar funnel, a magnetic wand (for sterilizing lids) and a rack to keep the jars off the bottom of the pot.

A total investment of about $10. You can buy a special canning pot, but I have found that the stock pot I already own works just fine.

I started with some peaches that were not really good out of hand (they had kind of a weird texture) and some plums that were just starting to go wrong. I hate to be wasteful so I decided to turn them into sauce then can them for later use.

Here's the ingredients for the Spicy Peach Sauce:

5 ripe peaches, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sugar
3 star anise
a few shakes of cayenne

And here's the ingredients for the Spiced Plum Sauce:

5 ripe plums, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sugar
3 allspice berries
2 cloves
1 stick cinnamon

The method was the same for each of the sauces. I combined each of the fruits with the sugar and spices in a heavy non-stick saucepan.

Peaches

Plums

I let each of them cook, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes, just long enough for the sauce to thicken. If I was making jam or jelly, I would have cooked the fruit quite a bit longer (until 220 degrees, which can take up to an hour) but since I didn't need the sauce to gel too much I didn't need to cook it for very long.

Peach sauce

Plum sauce

Next I removed the spent spices from each of the pots. Then, using a ladle and my jar funnel I filled each of the sterilized (and still warm) jars with sauce. It's important to leave about a 1/2 inch of space at the top of each jar. I actually didn't have enough jars for all my sauce, so I just stuck the extra in a couple of Gladware containers and popped them in the fridge to use right away (within 3 weeks or so).

I sterilized each lid in the boiling water for about 10 seconds, putting each on top of a jar as they were done. Next I added the screw lids, then each of the jars went into the pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to process. Once the time had elapsed I removed the jars from the water bath to cool.

Now comes the moment. Either a vacuum is going to form resulting in a "pop" as the lid sucks down (it's just the best sound when you are canning) or it's not. If the jar doesn't seal, you can try to process it again, but if it doesn't work the second time you can just pop that jar in the fridge and use it right away instead of three months from now.

I used the peach sauce as a topping for vanilla ice cream (I love that spicy sweet thing). I haven't actually tried the spiced plum sauce, but I think it's going to be great on chicken or pork.

Next up, pickled beets. I've talked a bit before about the husband's love of beets. But even if a person loves beets, sometimes you can only eat so many of them. So, I decided to pickle a bunch of them so we could enjoy them all winter long.

I combined a couple of recipes into the method I eventually used. The pickling liquid is a little sweet, kind of sweet pickle style.

Here's the ingredients for the pickled beets:

7 medium red beets (about 4 pounds)
2 onions, sliced
2 cups vinegar
2 Tablespoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
6 allspice berries

I started by boiling the beets until they were just cooked through.

While the beets cooked, I combined the vinegar, salt, sugar and spices in a stock pot, brought the mixture to a boil, then let it simmer very gently, covered, until everything else was ready.

Once the beets were cool I peeled them then sliced them into bite-size pieces then sliced the onions.

I layered the beets and onions into each of the jars (beets, onions, beets, onions, beets), packing slightly. I strained the pickling liquids to remove the spices then poured the hot liquid into each of the jars, again leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top of each jar. Lids on, bands on, then into the boiling water for 10 minutes of processing.

We took our first try of these after about a week. Delicious. Sweet and tangy. I think if I were to make these again, I would boil the onions for just a minute or so. They were still quite crisp (just a little too crisp) but not enough that they were inedible. They were perfect as an accompaniment when I cooked some of the Bierocks stashed in the freezer.

Finally we come to yesterday's canning extravaganza (a cantravaganza, if you will).

In this week's box I got four pears and two Asian pears. Well, since I hadn't even eaten the pears and Asian pears from the last box I decided to take a preemptive strike and can the pears right away.

I also decided to try using the two week old fruit. They were quite soft so I decided to make them into pear butter (even though the recipes all say not to use soft fruit).

In addition I received a wealth of grapes from someone in my hand bell choir. Two gallon-size Ziploc bags of red, green and purple grapes. With those I decided to make a conserve.

First up the poached pears. Again I used a few different recipes as reference. Most recipes for wine-poached pears use red wine, but since I prefer white wine, I decided to use it instead.

Here's the recipe I came up with for the Wine-Poached Pears:

4 pears (in this case, I think it is important not to use old or soft fruit)
2 cups white wine (I used a chardonnay)
1 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon vanilla

I started by combining the wine, sugar and cinnamon stick in a small stockpot. I brought the mixture to a simmer (stirring to dissolve the sugar), then left it on low heat until the pears were ready.

I peeled, cored and quartered each of the pears and packed them into my jars. Two of the jars ended up with 1 1/2 pears, one of the jars only had one pear.

Off the heat, I added the vanilla to the wine, then filled each of the jars with the wine mixture. Lids, bands, then 25 minutes of processing in the water bath.

I haven't tasted these yet since all my jars sealed, but I am imagining using them in a salad with greens, blue cheese, some nuts and a nice vinaigrette.

Next up, the pear butter. I peeled, cored and diced the pears and Asian pears, discarding the really bruised parts.

I followed the recipe for Caramel-Pear Butter from the Epicurious Web site so I'm not going to repeat it here. I did, however, cut the recipe by a third and substitute white wine for apple juice (because I didn't have any apple juice and I had wine open for the poached pears).

I used 6 pieces of fruit and it resulted in 1 1/2 cups of pear butter. Not a lot of product for the amount of effort involved, but it is delicious (and I was going to throw the fruit out anyway). I'm thinking pancakes, with pear butter, next weekend.

Lastly I made the grape conserve. Here's the ingredients (and sorry, I don't have a photo):

2 gallon-size Ziplocs of grapes, about 8 cups (most grape jelly and jam recipes call for concord grapes, but I just used what I had)
6 cups sugar
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 cups walnuts, chopped

A lot of the conserve recipes that I consulted called for cooking the grapes with a small quantity of water for about 20 minutes, then running the grapes through a food mill to get rid of the skins and puree the grapes. Well, I wanted pieces of grape in my conserve. That, unfortunately, meant that I had to peel all of the grapes (yes, you read that right).

Several Web sites suggested freezing the grapes overnight then running the frozen grapes under warm water to get the skins to slip right off. Well, this worked, kind of. I wouldn't exactly say that the skins slipped right off, but it was somewhat easier (except for those purple grapes, those skins stayed tight, grrr). This process took about three hours.

I cut each of the grapes in half (and removed the seeds from the red grapes) then put them in a large, heavy stockpot along with the sugar and the lemon juice. I brought this to a boil and cooked it until it reached a temperature of 220 degrees (this took about an hour). Then I stirred in the walnuts and ladled the mixture into eight 1/2 pint jars (with about 1 1/2 cups left over, but I have Thanksgiving plans for that). Once again, lids, bands then into the boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

This stuff is tasty! I'm thinking this would be yummy on waffles (hmmm, maybe I'll make waffles instead of pancakes for breakfast).

For Thanksgiving I planning on cutting a wheel of brie in half (lengthwise) loading up the middle of it with some of this conserve, then wrapping the whole thing in puff pastry to make a delicious baked brie. I'm really excited about it (and I'll try to get a picture of it before it gets devoured).

If you've never tried canning, I highly recommend it. It's so nice to have so many tasty goods stashed away for last minute guests or for an easy dinner (or breakfast).

What's in the Box?

2009-11-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

2 bunch Golden Beets
.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
1 bunch Baby Carrots
1 Cucumber
1 bunch Red Radishes
1 Hass Avocados
1.25 pounds Purple Top Turnips
1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Red Onions
2 Asian Pears
4 Bartlett Pears

Smoky Potato and Leek Soup

2009-11-14T16:29:00.001-08:00

I feel like I haven't cooked in forever (but really it's only been about a week). After training this morning I went out with the team for coffee. A couple of people asked what I was going to do today, and with nothing else pressing to do, the only thing I could think of was "cook".

We met this morning at 8 a.m. and it was only 30 degrees. Even though I eventually worked up a sweat, I ended up chilled to the bone (a weird sensation, to be sweaty and cold at the same time). A nice, steamy bowl of soup sounded like just the ticket for warming up.

Here's the ingredients:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 leeks (white and light green part only), cut in half then sliced
2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 Tablespoon flour
4 cup chicken stock (veggie stock would work too)
2 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 kubocha squash, peeled and chopped (while this isn't rally necessary to the dish, I had it left over from the risotto last week, and it did bring a tiny bit of sweetness to the dish)
2 Tablespoon cream (also optional, but it adds a nice touch of creaminess to the soup)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (a last minute addition so it's not in the picture)

To start I warmed about a teaspoon of olive oil in a 3-quart pot. When it was warm I added the onion, leeks and a sprinkle of salt and cooked until they were softened and translucent. I added the garlic and cooked it for about 30 seconds longer.

I sprinkled on the mustard powder and the flour.

Then stirred it for about a minute to make a roux.

Next I stirred in the chicken broth (making sure to get rid of any lumps) then added the squash and the potatoes.

I brought the mixture to a boil then let it simmer until the potatoes and squash were cooked through, then added the cream. I tasted for seasoning, and it was just missing something. Something like bacon. Sadly, there is no bacon in the house (I do not know how that happened). I realized that smoked paprika might just give the soup the bit of smokiness that I was looking for, so I added some to the mix (along with a hearty helping of fresh ground pepper). It worked (and gave the soup a beautiful tint).

To serve, I topped the soup with a few of the pickled peppers (as well as a bit of the pickling liquid) that I made with my chef group about a month ago.

How was it? Well I was a little worried about this soup as I was tasting it as it cooked. It just didn't have great flavor. But, the addition of the smoked paprika really turned it into something great. Filled my belly and warmed my bones quite nicely. Delish.

Holiday Treats

2009-11-13T13:36:00.001-08:00

As part of my fundraising efforts for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program I will be making delicious holiday treats for purchase. If you live in the Seattle area please consider buying some white-chocolate candy clusters or chocolate-caramel graham crackers. All proceeds will go directly to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Risotto-Style Barley with Kabocha Squash, Caramalized Onions and Sage

2009-11-06T11:42:00.001-08:00

This week my Team in Training team started training in earnest. We meet every Monday and Wednesday night (plus Saturday mornings) plus I have hand bell choir practice on Tuesday nights. Well, frankly, I am not used to having to go out in the evening quite so much. So, I have been an extra lazy chef this week. Well, yesterday I had the day off, and nowhere to go in the evening, so I decided to take advantage and make a slightly more complicated meal than I have been making this week.

I wanted to use the Kabocha Squash that was in my box two weeks ago before it started to go squishy. My original thought was to roast it, but I didn't have anything to go with roasted squash to make it a meal. As I looked through the pantry I found pearled barley and decided to use that to make a risotto-style barley (which would make a delightful meal). Whenever I make risotto, I use barley instead of arborio rice (mostly because that's the way the husband likes it).

Here's the ingredients:

1 onion, divided, half diced and half julienned
3/4 of a kabocha squash, diced (I was going to use the whole thing, but it was just too much)
1 cup barley
1/2 cup white wine
4-6 cups chicken broth (veggie stock would work too)
14 sage leaves, divided, half minced and half julienned
2 ounces Parmesan cheese

In a stockpot, I brought the chicken broth to a boil, then turned the heat down to low. In a saute pan I heated a little olive oil and added the julienned onion to caramelize. In a saucier, I heated a little more olive oil then added the diced onion and squash. I let it saute until until the onion was cooked through.

Whew, that's a lot of pots (glad I don't have to do the dishes).

I added the barley to the saucier and let it cook, stirring often, for another minute or so.

Next I added the white wine and let it simmer until it was almost gone. Then I added a ladle of chicken broth and let it simmer until it was almost gone.

I continued this process of adding a ladle of broth, then stirring until gone, over and over. The photo above is at about the 20 minute mark, which is when I added the julienned sage to the onions and the minced sage to the risotto.

After about 40 minutes, the barley and the squash were both cooked through, so I added the Parmesan cheese and tasted for seasoning.

I ladled the barley into a bowl and topped it with some of the caramelized onions.

How was it? Well, this was not one of my finest moments. While the flavor was good, the risotto got really thick as it set and the onions were a little bit over-caramelized (read slightly burned). So, while not an epic fail, things could have been better. Still, a tasty meal for a stormy night. If I made it again, I would add a bit more broth right before serving to held with the thickness problem and keep a better eye on the onions. Plus, I think a little sausage or maybe some bacon would have made this meal really shine.

What's in the Box?

2009-11-04T17:57:00.000-08:00

1 White Acorn Squash
1 bunch Orange Carrots
1 Leek
1 Yellow Onion
1 bunch Baby Red Beets
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 pound Red Thumb Fingerling Potatoes
1 bunch French Breakfast Radishes
1 each Napa Cabbage
.2 pound Shiitake Mushrooms
1 pound Zucchini
3 Asian Pears

Lavaman ... and my dad

2009-10-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the official kick-off of the winter Team in Training session. When I first heard about the Lavaman Triathlon, I thought of it as the "what's next" after completing the Danskin Triathlon in August. But in the last couple of weeks, and especially tonight, it became so much more.

I remember being in my apartment, it was a sunny day, my husband was there and the phone rings. "I have cancer" my dad tells me. I don't remember my response, just the fear. I know he told me a lot of details here, what kind of cancer, what the treatment would be, but I don't remember any of it. All I remember is "I have cancer".

For the next several months I would hear updates. Visits became more frequent. It was important to go home for Christmas. Then in January, the visits became almost weekly. As soon as my husband and I would get off work on Friday, we would get in the car (making sure the cats had enough food for the weekend) drive late into the night, arrive early Saturday, spend the day, then head back to Seattle on Sunday. Eight hours each way (if the weather was good) for eight hours with my dad.

I remember Valentine's day, 1996. My dad was in the ICU and wanted to give my mom a gift. I spent hours trying to find just the right card (ending up buying five so that he could pick just the right one).

I remember what I knew in my heart would be my last conversation with my father.

I remember a phone call... "You should come back" (although I knew it would be too late).

Tonight, at our Team in Training kick-off, we heard from someone who is a blood cancer survivor. She praised not only the doctors and researchers, but also the people who do Team in Training events to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The money raised by LLS directly helped to fund research that not only made her treatment easier than it would have been in the past, but ultimately saved her life. All I could think was "if only this could be my Dad's story..."

So, "what's next" is the Lavaman Triathlon on the Big Island of Hawaii on March 28, 2010. Five months of training, six days a week (in Seattle weather), so that I will be able to complete a 1-mile swim, 25-mile bike ride and a 6-mile run. I want to do this, not just for me, not just in memory of my dad, but for all the dad's out there who could have a fighting chance of beating this disease.

Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. Absolutely any amount will be appreciated, it all adds up!

Carrot and Fennel Soup with Tarragon Cream

2009-10-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

This is, quite possibly, the best soup I have ever made. 'Nuff said.

Here's the ingredients:

1 bunch carrots, peeled and chopped
2 head fennel, julienned
1 onion, julienned
3 clove garlic (not pictured because I forgot them)
2-3 cups chicken or veggie stock (not pictured because the husband had not returned from the store yet)
1/2 cup cream
1 bunch tarragon, chopped fine

To start I heated the oven to 450 degrees and lined a baking sheet with aluminum foil (the foil isn't necessary unless you're lazy like me). Once the oven was heated, I tossed the carrot with a little olive oil, salt and pepper then put them on the sheet in the hot oven to roast for 10 minutes (I just wanted to give them a little head start).

Next I tossed the onion, fennel and garlic with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper, then added them to the pan. I returned this to the oven for another 30 minutes.

While the veggies cooked I added the cream and tarragon to a blender and gave it a whiz for a few seconds. My thought was that this would chop the tarragon, but it didn't do as good a job as I would have liked. So, when I make this again (notice the when, not if) I will chop the tarragon before adding it to the cream. However, I would still whiz it in the blender for a few seconds because it thickened the cream ever so slightly, which was nice (just don't let it go for too long or you'll end up with butter).

Once the veggies were soft I put a few of them into a blender and added just enough broth to cover them (not too much, because you can always add more later it you need too).

I put each batch through a mesh strainer (the fennel was really fibrous, so the texture before straining was not so nice) into a sauce pan for a little reheating. When it was time for dinner I ladled up a little soup and topped it with the tarragon cream.

Best. Soup. Ever. Maybe a little more labor intensive than I like my soup (I did after all have to get out a blender instead of using my stick blender) but totally worth it. I'm going to make this again and again and again ...

Liqueurs and Infused vodkas

2009-10-25T16:28:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday the Puget Sound Chapter of the United Stated Personal Chef Association got together to make liqueurs and infused vodkas. The idea being that if we started them now, they would be ready before the holiday season begins.

In all, we made five different infusions.
Limoncello (which will get it's simple syrup added in about a month)
Apple-Infused Vodka
Pepper-Infused Vodka (which should be excellent for Bloody Mary's)
Coffee Liqueur (because I love a good white Russian)
Cranberry-Infused Vodka

One of the group also brought a bounty of peppers to pickle (along with some delicious tomatoes to nosh on). Here's Tom doing pickled pepper prep.

Wendy sliced apples for apple-infused vodka while Anita zested a million (okay 15) lemons.

Here's Anita adding Lime and Orange Zest to the jar in preparation for the apple-infused vodka while Tom packs jars with peppers.

Jars of packed peppers ready to be topped with hot vinegar.

Here's Betsy "helping" while the rest of us work.

Just kidding. Here's Betsy working on the cranberry-infused simple syrup. The recipe actually called for chopping up the cranberries in a food processor but we decided to pop them open in the simple syrup instead.

I made coffee liqueur and then took over stirring the simple syrups (we were stirring them to try to get them to cool faster).

Here's the limencello, apple-infused vodka, and pepper vodka.

It was Anita's Birthday so Sadie (who I managed to not get one picture of somehow) made the most delicious caramel-topped brownies.

All of the liqueurs and vodkas and now safely resting in my pantry. Each day for the next few weeks I'll be giving them a shake for optimal infusing.

It's true what they say, the waiting is the hardest part.

What's in the Box?

2009-10-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

1 Kabocha Squash
2 Yellow Onions
1 Bunch Orange Carrots
.75 pound Farmer's Choice Of Sweet Peppers
4 Russet Potatoes
1 bunch Red Beets
1 Rosa Bianca Eggplant
1 Fennel
1.25 pounds Garnet Yams
1 Parsnip
3 D'anjou Pears
3 Gala Apples

Bierocks

2009-10-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

A look through the crisper drawer yesterday revealed very little. Beets, cabbage and little else. So then, what to do with these meager supplies? I thought first about making cabbage rolls but as I checked out my cabbage I realized that its time in the back of the crisper drawer had left it frozen just a bit on the bottom. So then I thought, maybe soup, the frozen cabbage might work out in there. Then, it hit me, Bierocks. Bierocks are a German dish consisting of slightly sweet dough stuffed with a mixture of cabbage, onion and ground beef.

I'm of German descent and much of my family is from the Midwest. I spent a lot of time at my Grandparent's house and if there was one thing you could count on, it was the fact that there would be at least one potluck at the Lutheran church while I was there. My Grandmother and other ladies of the church would make hundreds (if not thousands) of these every year.

My uncle, who is a professor, writes articles, books and keeps a Web site dedicated to life on the plains. He keeps several family recipes on the site so I went there to find a recipe to start with.

Here's the ingredients for the dough:

2 packs yeast
1 Tablespoon + 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon salt
2 cups warm milk
8-10 cups flour, divided (but you might need more)
2/3 cup butter (the original recipe calls for lard, but I didn't have any of that laying around)
2 eggs

I pretty much followed my uncle's (somewhat confusing) instructions for the dough.

In each of two small bowls, I stirred together 1 packet of yeast, 1/2 Tbls. sugar and 1/2 cup warm water to proof the yeast. I proofed each packet separately because I was a little worried that one or both of the packets wouldn't be good because of their age (the one on the left was a little iffy, but I decided to go with it).

In a small saucepan, I warmed the milk along with 3/4 cup sugar and the salt.

In the bowl of my stand mixer I combined 4 cups (20 ounces) of the flour ...

... along with the butter ...

... and the eggs. Then mixed to combine.

To this I added the proofed yeast and warm milk and mixed a bit more to create a batter. I set this aside to rise. We keep our house pretty cold, so I set the "warm and ready zone" on our stove to high ...

... then set a pan over it straddling the burners, then put my covered bowl of batter above this where it's nice and toasty.

Two hours later, it had risen quite a bit (and was nicely bubbly and yeasty, more signs my yeast was good, phew).

I put this on the stand mixer and added 4 more cups of flour.

I mixed it to combine, but I could tell that there was not nearly enough flour in the mix (it was soooo sticky). So, I added flour 1/2 cup at a time until it was just a little bit sticky. In all I ended up adding about 2 cups more of flour. Then I used the mixer to knead the dough for about 3 minutes (until it had developed a nice stretch). I returned this to the warm area to rise again.

While the dough was rising I set to making the filling. My uncle says he seasons the filling heavily with garlic salt, pepper, caraway, a Bavarian herb mix and soy but provides no idea about measurements (and what the heck is in a Bavarian herb mix). With a little research I came up with what seemed like it would be a tasty, German-type combination.

Here's the ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped (my uncle calls for 2 onions, but I only had one in the pantry so I also added...)
1 bunch scallions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs or so of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
16 or so fresh sage leaves, chopped
2ish Tablespoons mustard seed
1ish Tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 cup or so soy sauce
1 head cabbage, chopped
lots of salt and pepper (I used a red wine infused salt that a friend gave me)

Okay fine, my measurements aren't great either, but it should end up very heavily seasoned because it needs to stand up to the bread that it will be wrapped in.

I browned the ground beef then added the onion, garlic, seasonings and cabbage and cooked it until the onions and cabbage were soft.

I set this mix aside to cool while I waited for the bread to rise.

One hour later ...

The bread has risen alright.

I punched down the dough and turned it out onto my board (I put a couple of silpats down so sticking could be avoided). Using my hands I spread the dough to about a 1-inch thickness then used a 2-inch biscuit cutter to portion the dough.

I flattened each piece of dough a bit.

Spooned on about a tablespoon of filling.

Then folded the dough around the filling.

And pinched the edges together.

Then laid them out on a baking sheet.

I made an egg wash by beating together an egg with about a tablespoon of water and then brushed each of the bierocks with it. I don't think this step is traditional, but I figured this would help the outsides of the bread to get GBD (golden brown and delicious)

This made 42 bierocks total and as my husband and I are obviously not up to eating that many in one sitting I stuck the majority of then in the freezer (once frozen, I'll be able to take them off the baking sheet and stash them in a Ziploc to eat later).

I set the oven to 350 degrees and baked the ones meant for dinner for 15 minutes.

My uncle recommends eating bierocks with"pickled stuff" in the winter. So I made quick-pickled beets and served them along with cornichon pickles to complement the rolls.

Mmmm, perfect fall dinner (and especially fitting for October, you know with Oktoberfest and all). I was a little worried that I had gotten too crazy with the seasonings, but once it was eaten all together it seemed just fine.

These may have taken a while to put together (this was a nice rainy day, all-day project) but I'm looking forward to eating these warm, toasty buns in the weeks to come.

Fennel and Asian Pear Salad

2009-10-09T15:27:00.001-07:00

Okay, I know that in my last recipe post I went on about fall and the slow, complex food that comes along with it. But just because it's fall, that doesn't mean I'm done grilling.

Earlier in the day I had bought some chicken thighs with no real plan of what to do with them. A quick search of the fridge revealed barbecue sauce and corn. So I settled on grilling both the corn and the chicken (brushing on the barbecue sauce as the chicken finished cooking).

I wanted to make a quick salad to go with the meal, but I wasn't in the mood for a green salad. I settled on a lovely little raw fennel salad.

Here's the ingredients:

2 teaspoon sherry vinegar (cider vinegar would be good here too)
2 Tablespoon mayonnaise
2 big pinches sugar (not in the picture because I added it after tasting the dressing)
1 small head fennel, core removed, sliced thin
1 Asian pear, core removed, sliced thin
1/4 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup dried cherries

I started by combining the vinegar and the mayonnaise, along with a little salt and pepper in a small bowl. I tested for seasoning and decided to add a little sugar to cut the tanginess of the vinegar a bit.

Next I brought out my mandolin slicer, set it very thin, then sliced the fennel and the pear.

I added the sliced fennel and pear, along with the cherries and pecans, to the dressing and stirred to combine. That's it, super easy.

This turned out really good. Kind of Waldorf Salad like, but more complex. Crunchy, tangy, sweet, and did I mention really easy to make. This paired nicely with the barbecue chicken. If you are a late fall griller like me, I would definitely recommend this as a side dish.

What's in the Box?

2009-10-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

1 Bunch Orange Carrots
.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
.75 pound Parsnips
1.5 pounds Freshly Dug Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 head Fennel
1 bunch Red Beets
.33 pound Braising Mix
1 Napa Cabbage
4 ear Sweet Corn
4 Flavor Queen Pluots
3 Nectarines
3 Asian Pears

Mmmm, root veggies. Looks like there is a roast in my future.

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

2009-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, let's get one thing straight, I love summer. Warm weather (as long as it's not too hot), sunny skies, gardening, swimming in the lake, Caprese salads.

But as temperatures get colder, food gets slower, more complex. There is something magical about a meal that cooks for hours. The transformation of the meat and the broth. The smell wafting from the kitchen. It's reason to be thankful for fall.

Here's the ingredients:

4 meaty beef short ribs
3 Tablespoon flour seasoned with salt and pepper
4 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
6 clove garlic, minced
2 cups red wine
4 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh sage

To start, I turned the oven on to 350 degrees, then set out to find my dutch oven (I haven't used it in months, what with it being summer and all, and I couldn't remember where I had put it). Once I found it, I set it on the stove top added about a tablespoon of oil and set the burner to high. Meanwhile, I dusted the short ribs on all sides with 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour then added them to the now warm pan.

I cooked them until they were nicely browned on both sides.

And the edges.

Then I removed the short ribs from the pan and added the carrots and onions (p.s. the oil is really hot at this point, so be careful adding the veggies because it might splash up and hit your arm, and that will hurt) sprinkling them with just a little salt.

After the veggies had softened a little, I added the garlic and tomatoes.

Then after 30 seconds or so, I sprinkled on the remaining Tablespoon of seasoned flour.

Then let that cook, stirring the whole time, for another minute.

Then I added the red wine (stirring to make sure to get all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan), the herbs ...

... and the browned short ribs.

I brought this to a boil then put the lid on the pan.

And put the pan in the oven.

I let this cook for two hours, then took it out of the oven to rest. While the meat rested, I made some garlic mashed potatoes and red cabbage braised in apple juice and balsamic vinegar. Then it was time to eat.

Yum! The meat was literally falling off the bones, tender and succulent. The gravy was so good, just lightly herbaceous. Carrots were a little soft, but not enough to be a deal breaker (and really what can you expect from carrots that have been cooking for two hours).

Welcome fall, I look forward to many more slow-cooked Sunday meals.

Suckling Pig

2009-09-28T14:47:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, sometime in late June, my friend Irene called me one evening. She had this wacky idea to cook a suckling pig. Her original thought was to cook it for the 4th of July party that she and her husband throw each year. Just two problems, one, we have too many vegetarian friends that attend their 4th of July Party (we thought they might take offense to dinner having a face). Secondly, she thought their house might be a little small to accommodate that kind of meal.

We both whipped out our calendars to find a date that would work for both of us. With our travel and some of our intended guests travel, the first date that we could come up with was Sept. 26. So we set that as our date and set to planning.

The first order of business was finding our suckling pig. This turned out to be more difficult than I imagined. After asking the butchers at the grocery stores I frequent, and making calls to a couple of butcher shops that I have used in the past, I ended up finding a source on the Internet that would ship it frozen overnight. Meet Stanley.

The next order of business was menu planning. We wanted to keep our side dishes fairly simple so that the suckling pig would be the star of the show. We had quite a bit of discussion about what to fill our piggy with. We thought bread stuffing would be too heavy (and unnecessary given the rest of the menu), then we considered simply filling the cavity with aromatics (apples, onions and herbs). Then I stumbled on a recipe for stuffing that used a heavy dose of caramelized onion along with bread. We decided to use this idea (just without the bread).

Here's the menu we came up with:

Appetizers:
Cherry Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Skewers
Salami Toscano, Soppressetta, Olives and Grilled Vegetables
Italian Plums, Melon and Dried Apricots

Main Course:
Suckling Pig with Caramelized Onion, Figs and Sage
Smoke Roasted Potatoes (from Steven Raichlen's "How to Grill")
Grilled Corn
Greens and Herbs with Peaches, Fresh Mozzarella, Prosciutto and Honey-Lime Vinaigrette

Dessert:
Well, we didn't really come up with dessert and one of our friends volunteered to bring peach cobbler, so we said yes, please.

We started cooking on Friday (well actually, Irene started on Thursday by making a brine). We put piggy in the brine in a cooler outside and then started on the filling.

Here's the ingredients for the filling:
6 or so tablespoons bacon fat (butter would have been good here too, but since we were rendering bacon to top the potatoes, we decided to use the fat for the filling)
9 red onions, sliced
5 clove garlic, minced
2 cups white wine (my wine guy recommended a Riesling that worked very well)
1/4 cup fresh sage, minced
1 pint fresh figs, chopped

We started by cooking the bacon over medium heat. Once it was nice and crispy we took it out of the pan (leaving the fat) and then added all of the onion and a heavy sprinkle of kosher salt. Once the onions were soft, we added the garlic, letting it cook for about 30 seconds, then added the wine. We left this to simmer for a couple of hours (which smelled divine). Once the wine had all cooked away, we stirred in the sage and figs and let it cook for just a few minutes more.

Now this was good. I could have eaten an entire bowl of this filling all by itself. We left it to sit until it was cool and then stuck it in the fridge overnight. Then Irene went home and we both went to bed.

Irene came back the next day in the afternoon. We took Stanley out of the brine, patted him dry, then stuffed him, trussed him and rubbed him with olive oil. Then we covered his ears with foil (so they wouldn't burn) and propped open his mouth with foil (so we could put a fig in there later).

We followed the cooking instructions from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. They said to start cooking with 30 minutes at 450 degrees, then to reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue cooking for 2 to 2 1/2 hours more, basting every 20 minutes. We basted with a combination of butter, some more of the Riesling that we used in the filling and maple syrup.

So, you saw that part where it should have taken 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees, well Stanley was done a full hour before he should have been. Of course nothing else was ready, so we decided the best course of action was to just turn off the oven and let him rest in there.

Finally, it was time. We took Stanley out of the oven, gingerly lifted him to the platter, them sliced him up. I love this picture above on the right with our boy Jones staring down Stanley.

We drank a toast to Stanley then dug in. So good. As Irene said "Stanley was tender and O so delicious." As the chefs, Irene and I decided that we deserved the tasty bits. As we had consumed plenty of Manhattans, we were adventurous enough to each try an eyeball (which I liked) and then the husband dared me to try brains. Well, now I can say I've tried brains and I never have to do it again. We saved the best for last, one cheek for me and one for Irene. Yum, yum, YUM!

I can say, with Irene's prompting I may have gone my entire life without making this meal. So for that I must thank her. This was truly a night and a meal to remember.

Special thanks to Ken Broman, the husband, and whoever picked up my camera and used it on Saturday. This post would have been lacking without you.

What's in the Box?

2009-09-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

1 bunch Red Beets
1 bunch Orange Carrots
.75 pound Fresh Coco Rubico Snap Beans
1 pound Red Bell Peppers
3 Tomatoes
.4 pound Button Mushrooms
4 White Sweet Corn
3 Mixed Baby Lettuce Heads
2 White Flesh Peaches
4 Nectarines
1 Farmer's Choice Of Melons
.85 pound Italian Prunes

The lettuce, peaches and a couple of the nectarines as well as the melon, some of the prunes and maybe the corn are all being used for a feast my friend and I are making this weekend. Lots of pictures will be coming.

Roasted Beet Salad

2009-09-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

It always confuses me that my picky-eater husband loves beets. I cannot tell you how many clients I have interviewed that turn up their noses at beets. It is one of the more widely hated vegetables. Yet, the husband loves them.

However, one of my clients does like beets. In fact she grows them. Last week I plucked a few from her garden and made this salad for her. I decided the husband would like it to, so I made it for him (and me, I like beets too) as well.

Here's the ingredients:

4-8 beets (try to make sure they are similar in size)
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 ounces blue cheese (I like Point Reyes the best, but they didn't have any at the store so I tried this instead, it was good)
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
a sprinkle of chives

To start I set the oven to 450 degrees. Next I trimmed the root and stem off of each beet, then wrapped each one in foil (some of the beets I had were small so I wrapped 2-3 of them together so they were closer in size to the larger ones).

I popped these into the oven for about 45 minutes (these beets were about golf ball size, smaller beets will take less time to cook, larger beets will take more). When they were tender, I took them out of the oven and set them aside to cool for a few minutes. Once they were cool enough to touch, I donned some rubber gloves (a very important step if you don't want bright red hands for three days) and then rubbed each of them with paper towels to remove the skins.

Next I chopped each of the beets into half-inch pieces then drizzled them with oil and vinegar (putting the oil and vinegar on the beets while they are still a little warm helps the beets to absorb the liquid a little as they cool). Next I put the cutting board into the fridge until the beets were cool.

I put the beets on the plate then sprinkled them with the cheese, pecans and chives.

Pretty, no? But how does it taste? Delicious. The sweetness of the beets plays off the saltiness of the cheese and the tang of the vinegar and the nuts add a lovely crunch. If you are one of the many self-proclaimed beet haters, I encourage you to try this dish (or if you are a beet lover, take this to your next potluck and see if you can make any converts).

Roasted Zucchini Soup

2009-09-17T10:40:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago I spent a week participating in the Farm Culinary 101 program at Quillisascut Farm School in Eastern Washington. The first night that we were there, the chef on staff prepared a delicious meal that started with courgette soup. At the time, I didn't have a clue what a courgette was, all I knew was that I was eating some of the best soup that I have ever tasted. When I returned home, I looked up courgette to find that it is the British term for zucchini (duh).

I set out to create my own version of this delicious soup. Over the last couple of years I have refined my recipe into the version that I make today. The additional step of roasting the squash seems to be the real key to making this soup really shine.

This summer this recipe has come in especially handy. Two of my three weekly clients have been growing their own vegetables this year. If you've ever grown your own zucchini, you know that at some point you are going to be swimming in zucchini (and there is only so much zucchini bread that one person can make). This soup tastes great and freezes nicely (it's a nice little blast of summer flavors in December or January).

This soup is best made when the zucchini are little so the seeds are small and the skin is tender. If, though, your zucchini got away from you and ended up really big, once you have cut them in half you can simply scrape out the seeds, then once the zucchini are roasted, scrape the flesh out of the tough skin and discard the skin.

Here's the ingredients:

2.5 pounds zucchini (or any other summer squash)
1 Walla Walla Sweet onion (other onions work well here too, but a sweet onion make it extra delicious)
3-4 cup chicken (or vegetable) stock
1/2 cup cream (totally optional but it gives the soup a nice mouth feel)
olive oil
salt and pepper

To start I preheated the oven to 450 degrees. I also lined a sheet pan with aluminum foil (because I'm lazy and it make clean-up a snap). Next I cut the ends off of each of the zucchini and then cut them in half lengthwise. I arranged these on the sheet pan and drizzled them with olive oil and salt and pepper. Then I julienned the onion, spread it over the cut zucchini and drizzled with a bit more olive oil and salt and pepper.

I popped the pan into the oven. Forty minutes later the onions were slightly caramelized and the zucchini were roasted through.

I put the whole mix into a stock pot added the cream and enough stock to almost cover the veggies (you can always add more stock later, and I did, but if you add to much at this point the soup can get too thin).

Next I took the stick blender to it.

Keep going...

And...done. At this point I checked for seasoning and added just a little more stock so the soup was a good consistency.

Yum. A client favorite and a chef favorite. This made a lot of soup, about eight cups in all. I stashed a bunch of the soup in the freezer for quick meals come winter (and had a bit of it for lunch). The roasted sweet onion really makes this soup sing (but it really is good with regular onions too). I can hardly wait for winter when I pop this out of the freezer.

Stone-Fruit Clafouti

2009-09-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, while perusing one of my favorite blogs, Serious Eats, I came across a photo of something called a clafouti. Having heard only vaguely about clafoutis, I decided to do a little searching to find out just what it was.

What I found was that it sounded like a delicious cross between a custard and a pancake that could be made with just about any seasonal fruit you could imagine. Writers would go on and on about what a delicious treat a clafouti could be, most adding that it is best served warm but a slice served cold out of the fridge for breakfast was equally good.

When it came time to make something for a recent potluck my thoughts turned to clafouti. This, I thought, would be a great use of some of the lovely stone fruit that I have been getting in my CSA box.

From my research it seemed that clafoutis all contain the same basic things, some kind of fruit (cherries are most traditional), eggs, flour and dairy, but there seemed to be quite a bit of variation in ratios and flavoring.

I started with a recipe from Orangette and then shaped it to my liking. Here's the ingredients:

3 Santa Rosa Plums, cut into eighths
2 Flavor Grenade Pluots, cut into eighths (I know there are three in the picture, but it only took five pieces of fruit to fill the bottom of the pie dish)
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup creme fraiche
3/8 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup rose syrup

I started by heating the toaster oven to 350 degrees (no need to heat up the big oven on a warm day). Next I lightly buttered a 9-inch pie plate, the added all of my fruit, skin side down.

Next I whisked together the eggs, sugar and salt for about a minute, until they turned from yellow to pale yellow (this was the hardest part, I hate whisking). I added the rest of my ingredients and continued whisking for another minute or so, until there were no lumps remaining and the batter was light and fluffy. Then I poured this over the pears and popped it into the toaster oven.

Forty minutes later I checked the clafouti. It was all puffed up (and set) in the middle and the edges were nicely browned. I opened the toaster oven door and let the gorgeous smells waft into the living room while we finished dinner.

How was it? Well, I thought it turned out very nicely. Still warm from the oven, it had a nice contrast of the tart fruit and the slightly sweet custard with just a hint of the rose syrup showing through. My potluck guests seemed to enjoy it as well. I won't get to try it out cold from the fridge though (since my guests ate the whole thing). I guess I'll have to make another one.

What's in the box?

2009-09-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

2 bunch Red Beets
.5 pound Tomatillos
1 bunch Purple Carrots
1 Red Cabbage
1 Farmer's Choice Of Melons
4 Bi-Color Sweet Corn
2.5 pounds Farmer's Choice Of Summer Squash
3 Gala Apples
4 Yellow Peaches
6 Flavor Grenade Pluots

This week I decided to double up the squash (because I want to make squash soup) and the beets (because the husband loves beets)

Steak Tacos with Tomatillo and Mixed Pepper Salsa

2009-09-01T14:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since my last post. Work has been busy. Life has been busy. Luckily I'm going on vacation tomorrow. Viva Las Vegas!

I made this dish two weekends ago, on a day when I had lots of time to cook. The prep for the meal and the salsa making took place on Saturday, then I was left with a relatively easy meal to finish on Sunday.

I started with a marinade for the steak. I used skirt steak because I was in experimental mode and I haven't used skirt steak a lot. Flank steak or flat-iron steak would also work.

Here's the ingredients:

1 lime, juiced
2 Tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
4 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon cumin
1 pound skirt steak cut across the grain into 1-inch strips
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

I combined all the marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag, added the steak and tossed the bag in the fridge overnight.

Next I started on the salsa. I had a half-pound of tomatillos still stashed in the crisper from the box two weeks previous (along with three green bell peppers). The next box had three-quarters pound of hatch chilies. I decided to use all of these peppers in my salsa.

Here's the ingredients:

2 clove garlic
.5 pound tomatillos
2 pounds mixed chilies and green bell peppers (pick peppers based on how hot you want the salsa, mine was pretty mild)
1/2 onion, diced
1 lime juiced
fresh cilantro

I started by heating up the grill. When it was quite hot I added the chilies and green peppers and left them to char, turning them as each side of the pepper was blackened.

As soon as each pepper was charred on all sides I removed it to a bowl (and then covered the bowl so the peppers could steam).

Once the peppers had cooled a bit, I donned some rubber gloves (this is very important if you don't want to be in massive pain every time you touch your eyes for the next day) and peeled off the charred skin and removed the stems and seeds.

It is important that, no matter how much easier it would make the process, you not run the peppers under water. This removes too much of the charred, yummy taste. Once I was done, I chopped all the peppers.

Next I got out the food processor. I turned on the blades and tossed in the garlic while it was running (this helps to chop it up). Next I added the tomatillos and processed until the they were ground completely. I put this mixture into a bowl then added the onion, the chopped peppers, lime and a bit of salt.

At this point I set aside some of the salsa for the cilantro-hating husband, then added fresh cilantro to the rest. Then, this went into the fridge so the flavors could marry overnight.

When I was ready to eat the next day, I removed the steak from the marinade and threaded the strips onto several skewers, then grilled them over high heat.

In addition I grilled some green beans (then added a squeeze of lime) and made Cumin-Scented Rice Pilaf (white rice cooked with onion and a bit of cumin).

For the tacos, I set out warm corn tortillas, sour cream, diced avocado and the salsa (and the steak). That way, the husband and I could each put only what we wanted on our own tacos (he doesn't like avocado on his, I like my rice on the side, not in, the taco).

I loved, loved, loved this salsa. I usually like my salsa more towards the warm side, but, as this was quite mild, I was able to heap lots of it on my tacos, yum. The husband liked it too (but he didn't rave about it like me). However, on matters of salsa, I tend to discount his opinion a bit because, in general, he doesn't like salsa.

A couple of days later, I used the rest of the salsa to top scrambled eggs. Also delicious.

All in all the salsa took about 2 1/2 hours to make (the peppers took a long time to peel). Totally worth it for a special occasion, but a little for work than I like to spend on a weeknight meal. I'll make this again, but only when I've got time on my hands...

Mussels with Fennel and Orange Broth

2009-08-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

Mussels may be the husband's favorite food. This always seems a little weird to me because he despises fish (although he will eat tilapia or halibut if coerced) and doesn't like clams or oysters. He, like me, is a big fan of escargot though, so maybe it's a texture thing (they always seems similar to me).

When I got fennel in the box I immediately thought of using it with mussels because I think fennel matches nicely with seafood (but, as mentioned, the husband doesn't like other seafood). Then I started to think about what matches with fennel. Here's what I came up with.

2 tablespoon butter
1 head fennel, trimmed, core removed and diced
1 bunch red scallion, diced (any other sweet onion or even leeks would work instead)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup orange juice
1 sprig thyme, leaves removed
2 pounds mussels, beards removed

1 loaf of crusty bread (to sop up the delicious broth)

I started by melting the butter over medium heat in a saucier (a stock pot would work just fine). I added the fennel, onion and garlic with a pinch of salt and let it all sweat until fennel and onion were cooked through. Next I added the wine, orange juice and thyme and brought the mixture to a boil.

Then I added the mussels to the pan. Gave it a stir.

Then put the lid on and let them cook. After six minutes I checked them and decided they needed a little more time (they were still slimy in the middle). Three minutes later I dished them up.

The husband enjoyed the dish immensely. I always like it when I make a dish he really enjoys (he is just so picky). I enjoyed the mussels well enough, but the broth was definitely my favorite part of the dish (it always is). Yummy bread, sweet, tangy broth. What could be wrong with that?

How does your garden grow?

2009-08-22T09:32:00.001-07:00

I thought it might be time for an update on my (tiny) garden.

The Roma Tomatoes are pretty small, but tasty (this one topped a pizza moments after I took the picture)

I've got lots of jalapenos started, but they are all round and I'm not sure they are getting any bigger.

Beets and White Beets: Fail. I had a feeling these were not going to grow when the greens bolted when it got really hot.

I have hundreds of cherry tomatoes. They are sooo sweet and delicious. The vines are so heavy with tomatoes that I have had to add lots of extra stakes to keep them from breaking.

I have four stalks of corn and two of them have tiny ears of corn starting. Yay!

White Albacore Tuna Crudo

2009-08-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

While shopping at Whole Foods for a client a couple of weeks ago, I spotted a fish that I had never seen before. Nestled next to the Big Eye and the Yellowfin was something labeled local white albacore tuna. It was the only fish that I have ever seen still in cyrovak in the display case at Whole Foods.

I decided to ask a few questions of the fish monger. I was informed that this time of year the albacore migrate by this area. They are fished younger than most tuna so their mercury levels are lower. They keep them cryovaked because they can only be fished for a few days, but they would like to sell them for more than a few days (without freezing them). I was also told that this particular Tuna can be served raw, seared or cooked through and it's still tasty (a bonus when fish is being left to be cooked by the client).

I bought some for my client and a bit for myself. My lunch that day was so good.

Yesterday while shopping once again for my client I spied that they still had the tuna. I bought a bit and decided to have it for lunch today.

Here's the ingredients:

6 ounces white albacore tuna
juice and zest of 1/2 lime
Hawaiian pink flake sea salt to taste
the good olive oil

I diced the tuna and tossed it with the lime juice and bit of the sea salt. Once I had it on the plate I drizzled it with olive oil and then sprinkled it with the lime zest and a little more salt.

That's it. So easy. I decided to enjoy this with a few tortilla chips (a nice crunch against the texture of the tuna).

Best. Lunch. Ever. Nuff said.

What's in the Box?

2009-08-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

.34 pound Salad Mix (Cut Greens)
1 bunch Red Torpedo Salad Onions
1 bunch Red Radishes
2 Orange Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
.75 pound Farmer's Choice Of Peppers
1 bunch Carrots
1.5 pounds Freshly Dug Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Walla Walla Sweet Onions
3 each White Flesh Nectarines
3 each Peaches
.75 pound Santa Rosa Plums

Sadly the corn that was supposed to be in my box isn't ripe yet. Maybe next time.

D. Jen Harris, Chef/Triathlete

2009-08-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

It all started innocently enough, about nine months ago. One day, while working with Cathy, my personal trainer, I turned to her and said "do you think I could do a triathlon?" Yes, was the answer.

I knew that I wanted to join her training group (which starts 10 weeks before the event), but I also wanted to get a head-start on my training. I started hitting the pool once or twice a week, walking (because I only run if some one's chasing me) once or twice a week and shopping for a bike. I was feeling good about my progress, until that sad day.

January 31st. My dog knocked me down, I sprained my ankle, and while I can say the triathlon was not the first thing I thought about (because at first I was just ow, ow, ow, ow, owwww), it came to mind pretty soon.

My ankle was so severely sprained I couldn't even swim (the gentlest of sports) for two weeks. I continued working out with Cathy (she adapted my workout so that I could do it in my huge ankle boot) but I was unable to walk or ride my bike for months.

I really started to worry about whether or not I would be able to participate in this year's Danskin Tri. But things turned around when I added Tami, my physical therapist, to my team. I let her know early that I needed to be ship shape in time to join the training group and together we made it happen.

Flash forward to race day. I knew that with the help of my physical therapist, my trainer, and the incredible women in my training group I was ready, but I was still nervous.

The day started early (but not as early as some). My wave was going to start at 7:34 a.m. which meant that I needed to be dropped off around 6:30 a.m. so that I had time to set up my transition area, pee, and warm up a little in the water before the race started.

Finally it was time...3...2...1...go! I took off into the water trying hard to find my own space to swim in, so many legs kicking, arms flailing. The first leg of the swim was the hardest for me, but once I rounded the first buoy, I found a space and settled into my rhythm. I started to notice swim caps of different colors around me (the waves in the Danskin are color coated by swim cap) so that meant I was passing people that had started 3, 6, 9, even 12 or more minutes ahead of me. I'll admit, that felt good. I knew at the start that the swim was going to be my strongest leg and it was. My time goal for this leg was 30 minutes (in the pool, I have not swam 1/2 mile in under 27 minutes) and my official time was 21:48. Unbelievable.

Onto the bike. Following a pretty slow transition (but my bike was FAR away from the swim) I started out on my ride. Due to a couple of vacations, I didn't get as much training for the bike as I would have liked. Of the three events this is the one I was most worried about (especially following a disastrous training ride the Wednesday before the event).

The first couple of miles were nice and flat, then one medium hill (complete with cowbell) then a super steep, windy hill. I knew this hill was coming and had decided ahead of time that I was going to dismount and walk up the hill (trust me, I was not the only one that did this). Next came the express lanes of the 1-90 bridge. I found my (slow) pace and just started pedaling. Soon came the first hill. I looked at it and said "I can get up that hill", and I did.

The road evened out inside the Mercer Island Tunnel and I let out a big whoop (it echoed very nicely) which was met with several other whoops of triumph. The first hill was followed by another hill, then another (and maybe another) until I made it to the half way point. I turned around and that's when my knee (another old injury) started talking to me. I persevered, going up and down the hills again. I heard "on your left" a LOT more than I said it (but I did say it, which, like in the swim, made me feel good). I rode down the steep windy hill and soon heard "two miles to go, and it's all downhill". Some of the sweetest words I have ever heard. My time goal for this was 1:10 (not fast I know, but that was my goal) and I finished in 1:07.

My second transition took half the time of my first. I switched out my shoes and headed for the run/walk start. My husband, who had cheered my coming in on the bike, had run around to the other side of the transition area to wish me well on my walk (I was very happy to see him again). My ankles do not like much walking, so I knew I had to find a nice, pretty slow, but steady pace. I soon found myself walking next to a 59-year old cancer survivor named Terri. It's a little embarrassing to say that my pacer was a 59-year old, but she kept me going, and I kept her going.

The end of mile 2 included a very steep, mean hill, but we conquered it (with the help of the drummers keeping the beat at the bottom of the hill). As we got to mile 3 I told Terri it was time to pick up the pace, "Were almost done, let's finish strong." As we crossed the line I was greeted by several members of my training team and lots of hugs. My goal for the walk was 1 hour (again, not fast, I know) and I completed the walk in 1:00:08.

Soon, more hugs (and kisses from the husband) lots of "good jobs" and a few "I'm proud of yous". I couldn't stop smiling (and I'm proud of me too).

While I was training, I came across a saying "If you think you can, you can, if you think you can't, you're right." This molded my training and my thoughts on race day. While I was in the race I saw lots of shirts with motivational sayings on them. The one that really struck me was "The miracle is not that you finished, the miracle is that you started." That could not be more true. I don't know how it even occurred to me to try a Triathlon, but I'm so glad that I did.

I could not have accomplished this without the help of Cathy, my trainer, Tami, my physical therapist, the cheerleading squad that was my training group and of course my wonderful and supportive husband.

Today, the day after race day, I signed up for another Triathlon. I guess I've got the bug.

Tangy Basil Potato Salad

2009-08-11T21:03:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed a whole lot of basil being used in my recipes lately. Well, that's because I have two huge basil plants in my herb garden. And, luckily, I love basil.

I wanted to create an easy alternative to traditional potato salad that would take advantage of my wealth of basil. This version contains just six ingredients (salt and pepper doesn't count).

Here they are:

1 pound new potatoes, cut into eighths
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
2 big handfuls fresh basil, julienned
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper

To start, I cooked the potatoes in boiling water until they were tender, drained them, put them in a single layer on a sheet pan (so they would cool faster) and then drizzled them with the vinegar.

While the potatoes boiled I worked on the dressing. I placed the garlic in a medium bowl and added 2 Tablespoons of the boiling water (from the potatoes) just to take the edge off the garlic. Then I stirred in the onion, basil and sour cream.

Once the potatoes were cooled, I added them to the dressing, stirred it together and seasoned it with salt and pepper.

How was it? Yummy, good and summery. And so easy to make (my traditional potato salad has nine ingredients, which doesn't sound like that many, but six of them need to be chopped, diced or mashed). I think this might be a good option for an upscale BBQ or summer party. It's going to be a definite addition to the permanent repertoire.

Purple Carrot Soup with Basil-Pea Cream

2009-08-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, the people packing the CSA box seem to lose track of where they are on the packing list. A couple of boxes ago, this resulted in getting two packs of red raspberries and no red radishes. This week, it resulted in a double helping of purple carrots. Look how pretty.

I decided to use the carrots to make soup. Often times the quantity of veggies included in the box isn't enough to make soup, but with the double helping I though it would be enough.

Here's the ingredients for the soup:

2 bunch purple carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 Walla Walla sweet onion, chopped
1-2 cups chicken stock (veggie stock would work too)
salt and pepper

I started by heating just a little olive oil in a sauce pan. To this I added my onion and let it sweat for about five minutes (sweating cooks the onion through, but doesn't color the onion at all). Once the onion was cooked, I added the carrot and then added just enough broth to cover the veggies. I let this simmer until the carrots were tender, about 10 minutes.

I blended the soup in a couple of batches until is was very smooth, then I returned it to the pan. At this point I decided the soup was a little thick, so I added more chicken broth until it was the consistency that I wanted.

While the carrot soup was simmering, I decided to make a little cream sauce to further flavor the soup. With a search through the crisper drawer I came up with some English Peas and thought that the green of the peas would contrast nicely with the purple carrot soup. Over the last couple of weeks, I have been making a Pesto Pea Soup for some of my clients, and thought that a take on this soup would be good for the cream.

Here's the ingredients for the Basil Pea Cream:

1 pound English Peas, shelled (this resulted in roughly one cup of peas)
1/4 Walla Walla sweet onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup chicken broth (again, veggie stock would work too)
a bunch of fresh basil
salt and pepper

Basically, the pea cream followed the same steps as the carrot soup, with the addition of the cream to the pan for simmering.

I added the basil to the cream when I put it in the blender.

Once the soup and the cream were both done, I ladled the carrot soup into the bowl and then spooned on a bit of the basil cream (giving it a little swirl for good measure).

How was it. Delish! Both the soup and the basil-pea cream were wonderful on their own, but together they were great. My only disappointment was that I expected the carrot soup to be purpleyer (is that a word?) but the flavor more than made up for it.

Of course the carrot soup could easily be made with orange carrots instead of purple. Or you could get really crazy and make orange carrot soup, purple carrot soup and then the green basil pea cream. That would be really striking.

What's in the Box?

2009-08-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

.75 pound Mixed Sweet Peppers (apparently this means Green Bell Peppers)
1.5 pounds Freshly Dug Yukon Gold Potatoes
.75 pound Green Beans
1 bunch Baby Purple Carrots
.5 pound Tomatillos
1 bunch Baby Beets
1 head Fennel
1 bunch Red Scallions
1 Savoy Cabbage
3 Yellow Peaches
4 Black Splendor Plums
.5 pint Blueberries

I got a bonus bunch of purple carrots. I'm thinking about making purple carrot soup.

Not Your Typical Camping Food

2009-08-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the lack of updates lately. Last week in the Seattle area, we had record high temperatures, we're talking over 100 degrees.

Now, it is just not supposed to do this in Seattle. In fact, when the husband and I were deciding where to move after graduating from college in Phoenix, AZ. one of the factors in our decision was that it had never been over 100 degrees in Seattle (after four years we were both done with the heat). So, when it got too hot, our method for dealing with it was to turn on our portable air conditioner (which will not cool a large room, but will turn a small room into an icebox) and lock ourselves in the bedroom (which, in our house, is a small room). We moved the cable box, the good TV, brought in our laptops and lived on cheese and crackers, cold salads (that someone else had made) and ice cream. Cooking was the last thing on my mind.

By Friday, the weather had cooled down a little bit (it was only 88 degrees instead of 107 degrees) and it was time to prepare for a camping trip with lots of friends (there were 19 of us in all). This is the second year that the husband and I have thrown what we like to call "The Big-Ass Camping Trip". We provide three meals, with dinner on Saturday being a wee bit nicer than your typical camping food.

Here's what I made:

Spit-Cooked Pork Loin, Sangre de Cristo Style
Pork loin, garlic, fresh sage and marjoram, mild ancho chilies

Beer-Can Chicken
Spice-rubbed chicken, cooked with a can of beer up it’s butt

Spit-Cooked and Roasted Onions
Sweet onions, fresh herbs, butter

Summer Slaw
Cabbage, fennel, apple, poppy seed dressing

Grilled Potato Salad
Fingerling potatoes, parsley, capers, garlic

Roasted Corn

Deluxe S'mores
Graham crackers, chocolate bars, mint chocolates, peanut butter cups, marshmallows, bananas

I wish that I had more pictures of both my prep work on Friday (but I was so behind on packing for the trip because of the heat I had to hurry) and of the meal that I prepared on Saturday, but the one that I do have is pretty good.

That's the pork loin on the rotisserie (with a walla walla sweet roasting between the pieces) and the chicken on the grill. Unfortunately, about 2/3 of the way through the cooking time my chickens fell over (in my rush to pack I forgot my chicken holders) and I ended up having to prop them up in a stock pot. The chicken still cooked through nicely (and was sooo moist) but the skin didn't get very crispy.

After the meal was over, I packaged up the leftover pork loin, along with the roasted onion and all the juices the had accumulated in one of the drip pans that was under the pork. I covered it with foil and the next day reheated it right in the coals for about 45 minutes. The husband and I (and our remaining fellow campers) decided that this may have been even better than the first time we ate it. So good, super moist and tender.

All-in-all it was a great weekend with lots of greats friends and food. Can't wait until next year.

Pasta Salad with Grilled Corn and Shrimp

2009-07-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes, it is hot outside. Gonna need something cool for dinner tonight.

The other day, I was watching the Today Show. Martha Stewart was on demonstrating shrimp and corn salad and I thought it was an interesting idea, but that I could make it better (don't shoot me Martha fanatics). Now I haven't tried Martha's recipe, so it may be a good thing (and I'll admit that bibb lettuce would have been way better than the way too bitter dandelion greens).

Here's the ingredients:

1 pound of shrimp
1/3 pound shell pasta
2 ears corn
1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion, diced
a whole mess of basil, julienned
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 bunch of dandelion greens (but as I said, a milder lettuce would have been way better)
1/2 cucumber, sliced

I started by cooking the pasta in salted water and grilling the corn until is was nicely charred. When the pasta was done I cooled it down with cold water right away than left it to drain. When the corn was cool enough to handle I cut it off of the cobs.

Meanwhile I boiled the shrimp in water seasoned with salt and a bit of cider vinegar for three minutes, then immediately plunged them into an ice bath to cool.

While everything was cooking, I made a creamy vinaigrette with the garlic, mustard, sherry vinegar and mayonnaise. Then I simply stirred together the shrimp, corn, pasta, basil and onion.

To plate I made a bed of greens and cucumber, then topped it with a generous scoop of the salad.

How was it? Delicious. Seriously, the only mis-step here was the dandelion greens (they were just way too strong for the delicate flavor of the pasta salad). The cucumbers, however, were a lovely accompaniment. It was nice to have a cool, tasty meal on a day that was way too hot. The husband really liked it too (and he's not even a big fan of shrimp). The best part? Plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow (it's still supposed to be way to hot then too).

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

2009-07-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

While in Kansas, it seemed like every time we turned around someone was trying to feed us. No light food either, there was nary a salad in sight. In one day we had a cheesy potato breakfast casserole with bacon, ribs with potato salad and beans for lunch, and supreme pizza for dinner (then beer, lots of beer). Now I'm not saying it wasn't good (the ribs were some of the best I've had) there was just so darn much of it.

Since I've been home I've been craving really light food (and spicy Asian-style food, but that's another story). Today I decided to make myself a light, but indulgent lunch. And, I decided my tomato was finally ready.

Here's the ingredients (for one person):

A couple handfuls of campanelle pasta (I decided on this shape because I thought it would hold the diced tomatoes nicely)
1 Roma tomato
several leaves of basil (these are from my garden, too)
1 clove of garlic, mashed to a paste
olive oil (the good stuff)
a bit of really good Parmigiano-Regianno cheese

I started by cooking the pasta in well-salted water. While this cooked, I diced the tomato (into 1/4" dice), julienned the basil and mashed the garlic. If you've never done this, here's how.

Start by chopping the garlic.

Sprinkle it with kosher salt.

With the knife almost parallel to the cutting board, mash the salt and garlic together.

Keep going until you get a paste.

Once the pasta was cooked through, I drained it, returned it to the pan and added the garlic paste right away (just to take the edge off of it). I added a generous drizzle of olive oil, the diced tomatoes and the basil. The heat of the pasta warmed the tomato and made a nice light sauce. I topped the dish with a bit of cheese and a sprinkle of sea salt.

So good, and exactly what I had been craving. Light and summery and so flavorful. It was so exciting to take my first harvest from my garden and turn it into something so delicious.

What's in the Box?

2009-07-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

1 pound English Peas
1 bunch Yellow Carrots
1 Cucumber
.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
1 bunch Dandelion Greens
1 pound Farmers' Choice Of Summer Squash (we got zucchini)
1 Walla Walla Sweet Onion
.75 pound Lapin Cherries
1.25 pounds Yummy Beauty Plums
3 Yellow Peaches
1/2 pint Red Raspberries

We were also supposed to get 1 bunch of Red Radishes but we ended up with a second 1/2 pint Red Raspberries. Maybe it's because they were listed one after another on the packing list. Oh well, I'm not mad at extra raspberries.

While I'm away...

2009-07-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the husband and I leave for a trip to Kansas to see my family. We will be meeting my Mom in Denver then driving to Atwood, Kansas to stay with my Maternal Grandmother for two nights, then on to Ellinwood, Kansas for two nights with my Paternal Grandmother (although we will be staying in the town's only B&B). Then back to Atwood for one more night, then home.

We will be in Ellinwood during the time of the After-Harvest Festival (a time to celebrate a good harvest, or lament a bad harvest with fellow farmers and lots of beer).

I'll be posting lots of photos on my main Twitter account @chefdjen. If you want to share in the fun of the After Harvest Festival (and whatever else we manage to find) feel free to follow my adventures by following me on Twitter.

Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee

2009-07-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of summer's ago, I read this article in the New York Times about cold-brewed coffee and became quite intrigued. I decided to give the recipe a try and I absolutely loved it!

Now, as soon as the weather turns warm, I start making my cold brewed coffee mix. The only difference is, rather than the mason jar recommended in the recipe, I like to use a french press.

I also like to double the recipe so I have the coffee mix ready for a couple of days.

Put 2/3 of a cup of your favorite ground coffee in the french press.

Top this off with water, put the lid on the press (making sure the plunger is up) and let it sit overnight.

The next morning, push the plunger on the press.

Then put some of this mix into a glass (anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 full depending on how strong you like your coffee).

Next add ice and cold water to fill the glass.

I like to add a splash of cream.

Enjoy.

Potato Cake with Truffled Green Beans and Sauteed Mushrooms

2009-07-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

The last few days, I have had no desire to eat at all. Which is really, really weird for me. Last night however, I finally got my appetite back, so I decided it was time to cook.

I took a look in the refrigerator and found some items that looked like they would make great side dishes, but no main dish candidates. The husband saw me staring into the fridge and made a suggestion, potatoes.

I found a few Yukon golds lurking in the back of the crisper drawer and decided to use them to make my main dish, a potato cake kind of similar to Pommes Anna.

Here's the ingredients:
4 Yukon gold potatoes
2 Tablespoons butter
3 or so cloves garlic

I started by melting the butter over very low heat along with the garlic.

While it melted I used a mandolin to slice the potatoes (very carefully because that thing is wicked sharp).

I sliced the potatoes about 1/8" thick (traditional Pommes Anna would cut the potatoes to about 1/16" thick).

Next I got out a 9" nonstick cake pan, brushed it with the garlic butter then added a layer of sliced potatoes.

Then I brushed this with more garlic butter,

and sprinkled it with a tiny bit of salt. I repeated this process a total of three times. I would have preferred it be a little thicker (more layers), but I really needed a 6" or 7" pan to accomplish this, and the only pan I have that is that size was not deep enough.

I put this into a 400 degree oven and let it bake for 45 minutes.

While the potatoes were in the oven, I started on the side dishes. Here's the ingredients.

1 handful green beans trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
truffle oil

3 slice bacon, chopped
6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoon fresh tarragon

I tossed the green beans with some truffle oil and a little truffle salt. I considered sauteing the beans, but since the oven was on, I decided to roast them alongside the potatoes. I put them in the oven when there was 20 minutes left on the timer.

Once I put the green beans in the oven I cooked the bacon in a saute pan until it was nice and crispy, then I removed it from the pan and put it on a paper towel to drain. I left a little bit of the bacon fat in the pan and added the mushrooms to the pan to saute.

When they were cooked through, I added the white wine and let it simmer until all the wine was gone.

At this point I added the fresh tarragon and the bacon.

When the potatoes were done cooking I removed the pan from the oven.

Then I turned the potato cake out onto a cutting board.

To plate, I cut the potato cake into quarters, put two on each plate and then spooned on some of the green beans and mushrooms to each plate. Alongside I served a salad made with red and purple radishes, cucumber, fresh mint, feta cheese and a splash of sherry vinegar.

At first I tried each thing individually. The potatoes were creamy and sweet on the inside, but the outside was so crispy and delicious (like yummy french fries). The truffle oil was a perfect accompaniment to the greens beans and the tarragon was delicious with the wine-infused mushrooms. Next I started mixing and matching flavors, a little mushroom with a little potato, a little mushroom with a little green bean, etc. It was all good and it was all good together. The husband liked everything too (especially the potatoes) which is good, because the whole thing started as his idea.

My (Tiny) Garden Update

2009-07-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

You may remember this tomato (it was there when I planted the garden).

Today, it looks like this. So close. Still a little firm, but in a few days...

My neighbor, who just moved here from Nebraska (so he knows corn), told me that if it is "knee high by the 4th of July" it should be good. Mine is, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

This is my first cherry tomato to show up. It is so tiny, maybe 1/4". But I can tell from the blossoms, more are on the way.

Corn and Potato Chopped Salad with Citrus Dressing

2009-07-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

I was really excited when I saw that we would be receiving corn in our box this week. In my opinion, corm is one of summers greatest gifts.

I decided to use the corn, along with several other items from the box (and my garden) to make a nice cool salad for the hot summer day we are experiencing.

Here's the ingredients for the salad:

2 ears corn
2 yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces, par cooked for 3 minutes in the microwave
12 or so green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 slices bacon, diced and cooked
a handful of lettuce (I used red lettuce from my garden), chopped
1 ounce goat cheese

I started by grilling my corn right on the grill (meaning not wrapped in foil or anything) until it was cooked through (it changes color as it gets done) and charred a little.

Once it was done I cut the kernels off the cob.

Then put them in the refrigerator to cool.

While the corn was on the grill I cooked the bacon until it was nice and crispy.

Then I removed the bacon from the pan and then sauteed the green beans in the remaining fat for about 30 seconds (until they were crisp tender).

Then I removed the green beans (to the fridge to cool) and sauteed the par cooked potatoes until they were nicely browned.

Then I put them in the fridge to cool.

While everything cooled I put together the dressing. Here's the ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced,
1 orange, juiced
most of a lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 handful basil, julienned
salt and pepper
2 teaspoon key lime honey (not in the picture)

I whisked together all the ingredients. Tasted for seasoning and decided that it needed a little sweetening, so I searched the pantry and came up with key lime honey (score), so I added it to the mix.

Once the dressing was seasoned to my liking, I stirred in all of the salad ingredients (except for the goat cheese) and tossed the salad together.

I put this into the bowls and topped it with the goat cheese.

This was pretty tasty. Nice and light for the summer. A couple of tomatoes would have been a great addition to the mix. The husband said it was pretty good, but a little tangy for his taste. Overall, I'll give this dish a solid "B" (although the dressing get's an "A"). Room to improve, but not bad in any sense.

What's in the Box?

2009-07-01T19:24:00.000-07:00

.4 pound Cremini Mushrooms
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 bunch Yellow Carrots (although they don't look very yellow to me)
1 Cucumber
1 bunch Baby Bok Choy
2 Red Bell Peppers
.5 pound Green Beans
4 ear Corn
5 Pluots
4 Nectarines
.6 pound Red Grapes
.5 pound Bing Cherries

Tasty Camp Stew(s)

2009-06-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend the husband and I went camping. It was our first camping trip of the year after having a previously scheduled trip canceled because I was sick. We were lucky to have beautiful weather all weekend.

I like to have tasty food when I camp (technically I always like to have tasty food) but I also don't like to have to put in a lot of effort cooking once I am there. After many years of trial, I have designed a menu that is tasty but also involves minimum cooking/cleanup effort (in fact dishes only have to be done with breakfast).

Here's what I make:
Friday night dinner - Sausage Stew
Saturday breakfast- Grits with Cheese and Bacon, Donettes (I only eat donettes when I'm camping so it's quite the treat)
Saturday lunch - Hot Dogs (or Polish Dogs) cooked over the fire, chips
Saturday dinner - Beef Stew
Sunday breakfast - Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Home-style Hash Browns with chopped Bacon and Onion, more donettes
Anytime there is a fire - Smores (made with Peanut-Butter Cups)

I like to do all my prep work before I leave home. I chop the onion for the hash browns and the hot dogs, chop and par-cook the potato for the hash browns and assemble both of the stews.

For the sausage stew, I use a lot of the ingredients, and flavors, that I use for a crab boil, just minus the crab.

Here's the ingredients for the Sausage Stew:

1/2 of a kielbasa, cut into large chunks
2-3 good size red potatoes, cut into eighths
2 ears of corn, each cut into four pieces
4 green onions, chopped
2 Tablespoon butter
Cajun Seasoning

I tossed all the ingredients together.

Then wrapped them in 2-3 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Here's the ingredients for the beef stew:

8 tiny carrots, scrubbed and chopped (the skins are really thin so they don't have to be peeled)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
12 small crimini mushrooms
20 frozen pearl onions
12 cloves garlic
3/4 pound beef stew meat
2 Tablespoon tomato paste
4 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from the stems
12 sprig fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
truffle salt (cause that's how I roll)
black pepper

I combined all the ingredients except for the liquids, sealing my packet on three sides.

Then I added the liquid.

And completed the packets.

I made sure to label them, because the two stews look an awful lot alike.

For either of the stews, I wait until the fire has some nice embers, then place the packets near/in the embers turning them (being careful not to poke a hole in the packets) every fifteen minutes.

Usually, the sausage stew takes about 1 1/2 hours and the beef stew takes about 3 1/2 hours. However, this time, because of the weird set-up for the fire (it was open on two sides and I just wasn't used to it) both stews could have used more time.

To eat, I borrowed the husband's Leatherman and sliced open the packet. The packet turns into a bowl for the stew.

With both meals, the potatoes were not quite cooked through (but they were cooked enough to eat). And most everything else was delightful.

The only exception was the garlic in the beef stew. It was still really hard (which is sad because I LOVE the creamy flavor of the roasted garlic) but it still provided a great flavor to the stew.

Overall, I was delighted with all the food for the weekend (and the husband was glad that he didn't have to do too many dishes).

We had a great weekend. Unplugged and enjoying nature. The only downside, just look at the dirt on this dog.

Here's a closer view.

That is just not right.

Curried Chicken Salad

2009-06-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last week I came home exhausted almost every night. Between my full cooking schedule and the triathlon training, I am felling a little worn out. With the tiredness, I ended up ordering in a bit more than I like so I decided to be proactive and do some extra cooking on Sunday.

Here's the ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (the meat from a rotisserie chicken would work well here too)
1/2 of a red bell pepper (I used the rest in the shrimp tacos)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup of celery, diced
a bunch of grapes, halved
2 spring onions, diced
2 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

I started by baking the chicken breasts. I used frozen chicken breasts from Costco that I cooked right from their frozen state (following the instructions on the bag).

While the chicken cooked I prepped the rest of my ingredients and stirred them all together. Once the chicken was cooled I diced it and added it to the mix. Then, into the fridge it went.

On Monday I served this with lettuce leaves, crackers and some cherry tomatoes with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

On Tuesday I ate a little for lunch, then the husband ate some for dinner while I was out. Finally the husband finished it off on Wednesday while I was at tri-training (a sure sign that he liked it).

All-in-all, five servings of a really tasty salad, all for less than 30 minutes of active cooking time in the kitchen. I love that I was able to eat and provide a tasty home-made meals with minimal weekday effort. It was like having my own personal chef!

Shrimp Tacos

2009-06-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

Lately I have had a craving for shrimp tacos. There is a local taco place that makes a pretty fair version, but since I am trying to cook more at home I have resisted the urge to get them.

So, when I saw that I would be getting cabbage in my box this week, I decided that this would be a good opportunity to make my own.

Here's the ingredients.

2 limes, juiced, divided
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
30 or so smallish shrimp
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
1 mango, julienned
creme fraiche
white corn tortillas

I started by marinating the shrimp in half of the lime juice and the adobo sauce (whenever I open a can of chipotles I stick whatever I have left in the can in the freezer, so I almost always have adobo on hand). I set this aside for about 20 minutes.

While the shrimp marinated I worked on the cabbage slaw. I combined the cabbage, red bell pepper and mango along with the juice of 1/2 a lime and a little salt and black pepper, then set it aside.

To grill the shrimp, I skewered them the long way through the entire shrimp so that they would be a bit straighter when they were done.

I sprinkled the shrimp with a little salt then grilled the skewers for about 3 minutes on each side. While the shrimp cooked I warmed the tortillas, wrapped in wet paper towels, in the microwave for 30 seconds.

When everything was ready I created tacos by spreading each tortilla with about a Tablespoon of creme fraiche, a bit of the cabbage slaw and a few shrimp.

How was it? Well, these were quite good. The slaw was maybe a tiny bit too limey but overall really tasty. With a couple of tweaks (less lime, a little more spice) I could see these going on the permanent repertoire.

Poker Night Grub

2009-06-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

Last night the husband and I hosted our (almost) monthly poker game. Before we get to the game, we always enjoy drinks and dinner. Most everybody brings some food to share and I always try to make something (although I have been accused of being a lazy chef at times)

Last night we had an international smorgasbord with pizza, Thai food and I made some salsa (and a tasty dessert, but more on that later).

I had to buy some jalapenos and a lime but I got the rest of the ingredients in my box this week.

Here's what I used:

2 tomatoes, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 limes, juiced (I added a second after I took the picture)
1/2 red onion, diced and 1/2 vidalia onion, diced (also not pictured)
kosher salt
2 avocados, diced

A few hours before the gathering I combined the tomatoes and jalapenos (I took the seeds out, but left the membranes in so that I would get a little heat but nothing too crazy) along with the lime juice. I stirred it together, tasted it and thought "hmm, something is missing here". That's when I realized that I had forgotten the onion, so I tossed that in too, tasted it again and added a healthy pinch of salt and the juice of another lime.

Just before my guests were due to arrive, I diced and gently stirred in the avocado (I didn't want to add it to early in the day in case the avocado turned brown). I tasted it again, added and pinch more salt and then it was good to go.

This is my favorite chip and dip bowl. I got it for a steal it at a garage sale a few years ago.

The salsa was pretty tasty. It could have used some cilantro but the husband has an aversion to it and I would have liked a little more heat, but some of my guests do not like the spicy stuff.

Now to that dessert I mentioned earlier. The last two CSA boxes that I have received both contained peaches. Now I love peaches, but a couple of years ago I spent a week at Quillisascut farm school. One morning instead of making breakfast, we went to a nearby orchard and picked our breakfast directly from the plum, nectarine and peach trees. Ever since than I have been a little ruined for peaches. If I get a peach that does not have great flavor or texture, I'm out, I don't want to eat it at all.

Well on Thursday, I tried one of the four peaches that we received in the box this week. The flavor was okay but the texture was no good. I knew then that the remaining peaches were destined to be cooked rather than eaten out of hand.

Somehow, I settled on ice cream. It seemed like an application where the sub-par texture of the peaches wouldn't be a problem. Plus I had an ingredient on hand that I knew would be a hit with the peaches, lavender.

I have three ginormous lavender bushes in my front yard (this is just one of them) and I have been eagerly waiting for them to be ready to use.

They are so close to blooming and this is the very best time to use the buds.

I adapted a recipe for peach ice cream from Williams-Sonoma Ice Creams and Sorbets.

Here's the ingredients.

3 medium peaches, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lavender buds
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream (divided use)
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a spice grinder I combined the sugar with the lavender buds whizzing them together until the lavender was pulverized into the sugar (the smell of this is so nice). I combined half of the lavender sugar, the corn syrup and peaches in a large pan and heated it until the sugar was dissolved. Then I transferred this to a bowl.

To the now empty pot I added the half-and-half and 1/2 cup of the cream and brought it to a simmer. Meanwhile, in another bowl, I whisked together the egg yolks and the remaining sugar. When the cream was warm I removed it from the heat and then slowly whisked it into the egg yolk mixture, adding just a bit of the hot cream at a time so as to not cook the eggs. I poured this back into my saucepan and cooked it over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the custard was thick, about 5 minutes.

I poured the custard through a sieve into a bowl and then stirred in the peach mixture, the last 1/2 cup of cream and the vanilla. Then I covered the mixture and put it in the fridge overnight.

The next day I poured this mixture into my ice cream maker and when it was done working it's magic I transferred it to a plastic container and stashed it in the freezer to freeze through.

Now this was good. The lavender and peach combined beautifully. I could (and probably will) make this over and over again this summer (and next summer and the summer after that...).

What's in the Box?

2009-06-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

1 bunch Purple Radish
1 Celery
1 Red Bell Peppers
2 Red Tomatoes
2 Hass Avocados
1 bunch Baby Carrots
1 Napa Cabbage
1 bunch Walla Walla Sweet Spring Onions
1 pint Strawberries
4 Yellow Peaches
2 Ataulfo Mangos
.7 pound Green Grapes

Flat Iron Steak Sandwich

2009-06-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

Once again tonight's meal was inspired by the Serious Eats Cook and Tell. This weeks theme: Sandwiches!

I am of the opinion that sandwiches always taste better when someone else makes them. I think that is because a truly great sandwich has a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps. So if you can enjoy the final product, without all the effort, it is just tastier.

Before I get started on the sandwich, I must introduce you to my kitchen clean-up helper.

This is Jones. He is almost 11 years old. He has been taught that he is not allowed in the kitchen while I am working (except for, as you can see, his paws). He is very helpful at cleaning up when I am done.

I created this sandwich over the course of a few hours, so I don't have a photo of the ingredients all gathered together. But here's what I used.

2 yellow onions, sliced and caramelized (see below)
1 small flat iron steak, grilled, rested then sliced
a handful of lettuce, julienned (I used red lettuce from my garden)
1 Roma tomato, sliced
horseradish sauce (made from 2 T sour cream, 2 T mayonnaise, 1 T horseradish and 2 T garlic chives, chopped)
3 ounces Seastack cheese (see below)
2 small baguette rolls

For the caramelized onions I warmed a little olive oil in a pan then added the sliced onion. Once it was sizzling I turned the heat down very low (but high enough that I could still hear it sizzle). I stirred the onions every 10 minutes or so.

Here they are at the beginning.

This is after one hour.

This is after two hours.

The smell of onions caramelizing is just delightful.

I thought about using blue cheese for the sandwich (blue cheese and steak is a pretty classic combination) but then I saw that the store had Seastack cheese from Mt.Townsend Creamery and decided that was definitely the way to go.

Seriously if you have not tried this cheese (and you like cheese at all) you have to try this.

To compose my sandwich, I sliced the baguette in half and slathered each side with horseradish sauce. Then I piled on some lettuce, a few slices of Seastack cheese, some grilled flat iron steak, some caramelized onion and a few slices of tomato.

How was it? Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Admittedly it was a little difficult to eat (fillings falling out and what not), but it was sooo worth it. So good. Totally worth the time and effort that I had to put into making it myself. The only thing that would have made it better would have been for someone else to make it.

My New (Tiny) Garden

2009-06-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

Today I did some planting. In the herb garden I added rosemary, thyme, lemon thyme and basil (I already have sage, chives, garlic chives, mint and oregano growing). I wanted to plant some nasturtiums but the plant store did not have any.

In the back yard I added a very small container garden in an area where we are thinking about planting beds next year.

This is our shed (yep, the husband and I are pretty artsy), with the pots right in front.

On the left I've got roma tomatoes, jalapenos, corn (which I have doubts about) and red beets.

On the right I've got cherry tomatoes, "kung pao" peppers, white beets, and brussel sprouts.

I don't know if any of it will produce produce, but it'll be fun trying.

At the very least, this tomato should ripen up.

Asian-Grilled Chicken with Stir-Fried Vegetables

2009-06-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week for me and I'll admit, I've been a bit of a lazy chef this week. Today was my at-home paperwork day (and triathlon training rest day) so I had more energy for cooking tonight.

After a quick perusal of the crisper drawer I was rewarded with shitake mushrooms, a whole bunch of green veggies (including a zucchini that had seen better days that went in the bin rather then the meal) and in the meat drawer some chicken. I decided to put a quick marinade on the chicken and stir-fry some veggies.

Here's the ingredients for the chicken:

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon honey
a healthy squeeze of sriracha
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken breasts

I combined all the marinade ingredients in a ziploc bag. Then I trimmed my chicken and cut each breast in half horizontally so that they were thinner and would cook faster. I set this aside which I worked on the veggies.

After about 15 minutes I removed the chicken from the marinade (reserving it for later), dried them well with paper towels then tossed them on my hot grill. When it was done I set it aside to rest covered with foil while I cooked the veggies.

Here's the ingredients for the veggies:

On the left are the veggies to top the chicken on the right are the veggies for under the chicken (that will make more sense later).

8 or so shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
4 green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup dry sherry

1 shallot, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
12 sprigs asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch spinach

In a small saucepan I warmed the sesame oil and then added the mushrooms and green onions to saute.

When they were just about cooked through I added the sherry and then put it back on the heat and let it cook until the pan was almost dry.

While this was cooking I added just a little more sesame oil to a large saute pan then tossed in the shallots, green onions and asparagus. When the veggies were cooked almost through I added the reserved marinade (making sure that it boiled for at least a minute since it had raw chicken in it) and then the spinach.

Now I was ready to plate. I made a little bed of rice, then topped that with the stir-fried asparagus combo, then topped that with grilled chicken, then topped that with the shitake mushrooms.

How was it? Well I think I would give this dish a solid "B". It could have used more garlic, especially in the mushrooms, a little soy sauce wouldn't have hurt anything (but their was none in the pantry) and I could have been a little more heavy handed with the sriracha. For the most part the husband enjoyed it too, but I did get a "was there spinach in this" when we were done. I can't get anything past him.

Asparagus and Green Garlic Soup

2009-06-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I had my first Triathlon training session in the pool. I knew that I was going to need to eat before I swam, but I wanted something light and quick to make. Soup and salad fit the bill perfectly.

Earlier in the day I had been doing a bit of research about the green garlic in my box (because I had never used it before and I wasn't sure what to expect). Most resources said you could use it just as you would use garlic, but to expect a milder flavor. I wanted to really highlight the flavor of the green garlic so I kept my soup very simple, just five ingredients (I'm not counting olive oil and salt and pepper).

Here they are:

2 shallots (mince about a tablespoon for the salad, chop the rest)
3 bulbs green garlic, divided
a large bunch asparagus, stems trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
about 2 cups chicken broth
a couple tablespoons of cream

I minced a half bulb of green garlic (about 2 teaspoons) then set it aside. Then I chopped the remaining green garlic (bulbs and the light green part of the stems) along with the shallots (you don't have to take a lot of time chopping this nice because it's all going to get pureed at the end anyway). I sat a large saucepan over medium heat and heated up a little olive oil. When it was warm I added my chopped shallots, green garlic and a good pinch of kosher salt.

I let this sweat (saute without browning) for a while until the shallot was translucent. I added my asparagus and enough broth to just cover. Then I let this simmer for about 15 minutes.

While the soup was cooking I started on my salad. Here's the ingredients:

1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon olive oil
a big pinch of sugar
salt and fresh ground pepper
a handful of salad greens
a few radishes, sliced thin
a few carrots, sliced thin on the bias
a couple of sunchokes, peeled and sliced thin (these aren't in the picture because they were a last minute crisper drawer find)

In a bowl I whisked together the shallot, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. While continuing to whisk, I drizzled in the olive oil to create an emulsion. At this point I tasted the dressing and decided to add the sugar. To the bowl I added my greens and sliced veggies and then tossed everything together.

At this point my soup had been simmering away and the asparagus was nice and tender. I added a splash of cream and then used my stick blender to puree the soup. A blender would have made this a much smoother puree, but I happen to like a little bit of texture in my blended soups, plus the stick blender is easier to use and clean.

I seasoned the soup with salt and pepper then topped the soup with a drizzle of olive oil and some of the minced fresh green garlic. I served the soup and salad with a piece of Parmesan-topped toast.

How was it? Well I am now a true believer in the power of green garlic. It is my mission to search this stuff out and use it every spring (the only time it is available). I make asparagus soup a lot (my clients love the stuff) and this just added a really nice flavor to the mix. The salad was also delightful (I'm really happy I found the sunchokes, they are so good in salad). The husband really liked everything too, which is a little surprising because he is not a fan of salads (unless they have lots of ranch dressing).

Dinner was so easy to make, we finished in plenty of time so that everything could settle before my swim (Mom always said to wait an hour after eating before getting in the water). So I guess I accomplished my mission of light and quick to make (with the nice addition of tastiness)

What's in the Box?

2009-06-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

The great thing about the CSA with Full Circle Farm is that they allow you to switch up to five items in every box. Unfortunately, this week I neglected to make any changes so I ended up with a few things that I would normally not get (specifically the spinach and mustard greens because the husband REALLY does not like them). So, cooking this week may be a bit more of a challenge. We'll see.

.34 pound Salad Mix
1 Bunch Spinach
1 bunch Red Mustard Greens
.75 pound Roma Tomatoes
1 Green Bell Peppers
1 bunch Green Garlic
1 bunch Baby Bunch White Turnips
.75 pound Asparagus
.2 pound Shiitake Mushrooms
4 Yellow Peaches
4 Braeburn Apples
1 pound Strawberries

Rhubarb and Strawberry Crisp

2009-05-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for over a week. Really sick. Like, canceled my clients, stayed in bed, got winded when I crossed the room, eventually needed antibiotics because I have a bronchial infection, sick. For the first four or so days, the only things that sounded good to eat was ramen soup, white rice and mac & cheese. Even when things started to sound better, I was too tired to cook.

Today, I finally had some of my energy back. So, I took a look in the fridge to see what I could find to work with, and found that, sadly, a lot of my CSA box (including the fava beans I was so excited about) had turned not so good. Instead of cooking, I was left with cleaning out the bad food from the fridge. A few things are still good (the potatoes, carrots and zucchini are in fine shape). But a lot had to go. I took a look at the rhubarb and the strawberries and decided that may be salvageable in cooked form. I thought about a pie or a tart, but making crust sounded hard. The easier (and just as tasty) option seemed like a crisp.

Here the ingredients for the filling:

4 stalks of rhubarb, chopped
1 pint of strawberries, quartered
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoon flour

I started by chopping by rhubarb and strawberries, cutting off and discarding the parts that were too far gone.

I put the fruit in a bowl, along with the sugar and flour, gave it a good toss and then set it aside while I worked on the topping.

Here the ingredients for the topping:

1 cup slivered almonds, toasted and then cooled
1/2 cup oats
2 Tablespoon flour
2 Tablespoon sugar
4 Tablespoon butter
a pinch of salt

I mashed together all the topping ingredients using my fingers (you could use a fork, but fingers is easier). The nuts were still a little warm, so the butter got a little meltier than I would like, but it worked out okay.

The filling had exuded a bit of liquid (which I expected, that's what happens when you put sugar on berries), so I gave it a final stir and split it between two ramekins.

Then I distributed the topping over the berries.

I put the completed dishes on a small baking pan (in case they bubbled over).

Then popped them into a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. I knew they were ready when the topping was nicely browned and the filling was bubbly and thickened.

How was it? Well, if you are only going to cook one thing all week, this is not a bad way too go. Sweet and tart, and even better with a scoop of vanilla on top. Plus, lucky me, the husband deemed this "too tart" for his tastes. So I get to enjoy it again later. My reward for feeling lousy for days.

The day before I got sick...

2009-05-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

... I made this for dinner. Chicken and Black Bean Tacos (chicken marinated in spicy vinegar, cumin and chili powder plus black beans with cumin and red onion),

with Corn and Tomato Salsa (frozen corn, green bell pepper, tomato, red onion, lime juice),

and avocado relish (avocado, red onion, garlic, lime juice)

Delish.

Artichokes with Sriracha Aioli

2009-05-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

I was really excited when I found that I would be getting artichokes in my CSA box this week. I love artichokes, but I hardly ever make them because it just seems like a pain (and let's face it, it is). However, if I just happen to have them, you can bet I'm going to cook them.

The aioli was inspired by the Serious Eats weekend cook and tell. The theme of the weekend is sriracha sauce, inspired by an article in this Wednesday's New York Times.

Here the ingredients for the artichokes:

Yep, just two artichokes

I prepared a steamer basket and a big bowl of acidulated water (as an effort to keep my artichokes from browning). Then I trimmed the points off of the artichokes, cut the artichokes in half, removed the choke and peeled the stem.

I worked quickly and put each half in the acidulated water bath before and after cutting.

I used a pan lid to hold the artichokes under water.

When all the halves were prepped I put them in the steamer for about a half an hour (letting them cook until I could pull a leaf out easily). Then I let them cool for a few minutes.

While the artichokes steamed I started work on my Aioli. I've made a fair amount of mayonnaise at home using an Alton Brown recipe (the party mayonnaise is delicious). This uses the same method.

Here the ingredients.

2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
a pinch of sugar
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
1 cup vegetable oil

I combined everything but the oil in the bowl of my food processor.

Then gave it a few pulses. Once it was combined I started adding the vegetable oil in a slow stream.

With the artichokes cooked it was time to try it out.

Hello, delicious much. So, so good. Really good with the artichokes. I think if I was going to make the mayonnaise again (and I plan too because it was so good) I would probably use more sriracha. However, against the mildness of the artichokes, this was just spicy enough. I have enough mayonnaise left for a tasty sandwich tomorrow. I am looking forward to that already!

update:
Sandwich accomplished. Ham and cheddar with lettuce, tomato and sriracha aioli on sourdough. Delicious.

What's in the box?

2009-05-21T18:06:00.000-07:00

1 bunch Carrots
2 Tomatoes
2 Artichokes
.75 pound Rhubarb
.75 pound Asparagus
.75 pound Zucchini
1.5 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 Hass Avocados
1.25 pounds Garnet Yams
2 Lemons
1 Red Onions
2 Ataulfo Mangos
1 pint Strawberries

I also added a couple of items from the "green grocer" this week:
2 pounds fava beans (I've never cooked these before so it sounded fun)
2 limes (because I wanted to make salsa)

Pasta with Grilled Veggies and Tomato Confit

2009-05-17T22:14:00.000-07:00

Last week my local QFC had two pounds or grape tomatoes for only $3.99. What a deal. And as I like to say, when life gives you tomatoes make tomato confit.

So, yesterday I did just that. I use the method from the Tom Douglas cookbook Tom's Big Dinners, but I switched the herbs around a bit to use what I had on hand.

I put all the tomatoes I had left (I had to eat a few) on a baking sheet (I used a small one so that I could roast in my toaster oven) added a few cloves of garlic and a bunch of fresh oregano. I topped this off with olive oil (not the really good stuff, just the kinda good stuff) plus a generous helping of salt and fresh ground black pepper.

I roasted this at 225 degrees for 3 hours, then let it cool before stashing it in the fridge (it is sooo much better the next day).

Now, tomato confit is one of my favorite things on the planet. It smells so good while it is cooking and can be used for so many things, as a condiment for meat or poultry (maybe even fish but I haven't tried it) as a bruschetta topping, or, as I am going to use it, as part of a pasta dish.

I took a look in my very full crisper drawer and found a lot of vegetables that I would usually like to roast. The problem with that is, it's almost 80 degrees out, so grilling seems like a much better idea. Luckily I remembered one of my favorite cooking tools, my grill saute basket. With it I'm able to take produce that is too small to grill (broccoli, for example) put it in the basket and get the high heat cooking of roasting with the ease of sauteing.

Here's the ingredients for the veggies:

broccoli
carrots
sugar snap peas
asparagus
sweet onion
3 clove garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper

You'll notice that I didn't really put any amounts, that is because I used what I had, and other veggies would work here too (cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers, etc.).

I chopped the broccoli, carrots and asparagus into bite-sized pieces, julienned the onion and chopped the garlic. In a large bowl, I combined these with the snap peas, olive oil and salt and pepper.

I put all this into my grill basket and put it on the grill.

I tossed the veggies every few minutes (for about a half hour) until they were crisp tender and char-cooked.

For the pasta:

1/2 pound spaghetti
1 Tablespoon olive oil from the tomato confit
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

I added the pasta to boiling water and coked it until it was al dente. I drained it, reserving some of the pasta water.

To the now empty pasta pan I added the olive oil and anchovy paste, then stirred in the ricotta cheese and the pasta, adding enough reserved pasta water to loosen it up (make it saucy).

To finish:

1 cup tomato confit
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
really good Parmesan

I doused the tomatoes with the vinegar and then heated it for one minute in the microwave. Then I stirred in the parsley.

In my bowl I placed my finished pasta, then layered on my grilled veggies, and topped it with the tomato confit and a dusting of Parmesan.

How was it? Well, the tomato confit smelled insanely good while it was cooking, then the grilled veggies smelled insanely good while they were cooking, so I had very high hopes, and I was not disappointed. Each part of this dish was sooo good on it's own, but together, wow. I loved this so much, light, but filling and just good.

The husband, though, well, I have to discount his opinion a bit since he doesn't really like broccoli, asparagus or tomatoes. So while he ate it, he certainly didn't enjoy it as much as me. But it doesn't look like he cares.

As an aside, while I was making my tomato confit, I was also making strawberry sauce and strawberry-rhubarb jam. I have more of this than I know what to do with, so if you would like either one, the first five people that let me know their preference shall receive it.

Lilacs

2009-05-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

These are lilacs from my back yard. Lilacs are my favorite flower (with gerbera daisies running a close second).

My mom tells me that lilacs were my dad's favorite too, so maybe it's genetic.