a table in the wilderness

Secret in the Sauce -- Roasted and Frozen Summer Tomatoes

2011-09-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

This is not my recipe but is becoming mine each year I make it. Originally it appeared in a friend's comment to a blog post:

"And also? because I am the evangelist of roasted tomatoes, I'm just going to go ahead and preach the gospel: a roasted-and-frozen tomato is so much better than a canned one! Take off their skins, quarter them, douse in olive oil, put in some peeled garlic cloves and some basil, salt and pepper, roast at 375 degrees till a bit caramelized and most of the water has evaporated. Cool and put in freezer bags. This tastes like summer all over again when you use them for sauces or soup in the winter.

"I get regular old hybrid tomatoes from a little brotherhood of potheads at the farmer's market here, because they're cheap, and because you roast till the juice is mostly gone. I would not buy expensive tomatoes, like heirlooms. These, in my mind, are to eat until the season is gone, as many as you can. Get ripe and cheap. I think it would work with paste tomatoes, but I generally have used slicers (see above--ripe & cheap)."

As simple as that!

I myself pop the cooled tomatoes into ice cube trays and then when frozen, into freezer bags. Instant delicious with beans or in winter sauces!

Deep Dark Secret Chocolate Cake (triple- or double-decker)

2010-11-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

The secret? I'll just tell you right now the first one - it's mayonnaise. Original recipe from Bon Appetit April 2010: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake for a birthday cake at the end of summer. I'm not a great cake-eater, except for spice or carrot cakes. Usually they're too dry, too boring, but this cake? Amazing. Moist and rich without feeling heavy. Not oversweet, so that the real chocolate taste sings through.

Of course, we further tweaked and adjusted (because we can't help ourselves) and suggest that SALTED butter in the frosting tips the balance just that much further into perfection. You may consider adding a teaspoon or two of cinnamon to the batter along with the flour if you crave that Mexican chocolate deliciousness.

Deep Dark Secret Chocolate Cake
THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.

Combine in medium metal bowl:

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

then add:

1¾ cups boiling water

and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Sift together in another medium bowl:

2¾ cups all purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)

Beat in a large bowl until well blended (2 to 3 minutes):

1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1⅓ cups mayonnaise (do not use reduced-fat or fat-free)

then add, one at a time, beating until well blended after each addition:

2 large eggs

Beat in:

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add flour mixture to sugars in 4 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 3 additions, beating until blended after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

Divide batter among prepared cake pans (about 2⅓ cups for each).

Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 20 minutes.

Run small knife around sides of cakes to loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto racks and let cool completely.

THE FROSTING

Set in a medium metal bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Carefully remove bowl from over water; let melted chocolate cool until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Beat in large bowl

1½ cups (3 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

until smooth and creamy.

Sift over the butter

3 cups powdered sugar

and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes.

Beat in

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Add melted chocolate to the butter mixture and beat until well blended and smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl.

TO FROST: Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread ¾ cup frosting over top of cake layer to edges. Top with second cake layer; spread ¾ cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake.

~ OR ALTERNATIVELY - Frost one layer to take to a lucky neighbor, and enjoy the still generous double layer cake with plenty of family and friends at home.

Late Summer Succotash

2010-09-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

The glory of a good succotash is great ingredients - so beautifully available this time of year. I keep experimenting with recipes but I think this is the winner so far . . . though a close runner up is the recipe in Rick Rodgers Thanksgiving 101.

What makes this recipe especially fine is the unexpected splash of vinegar that brightens the flavors. That and generous fresh basil - because why would you use any other herb in late summer?

I like to add steamed flat Italian green beans but I adore the sweet tenderness of fresh shell beans - and I prefer the red & white cranberry beans instead of the more usual fresh limas. With bacon that was our neighbor's hog, basil I grew myself, and peak-of-ripeness local vegetables this, for me, is late summer in a dish.

adapted from Epicurious: Gourmet August 1999

Late Summer Succotash

Over moderate heat cook until crisp

¼ lb bacon (~ 4 slices)

Drain grease and blot, setting aside 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease. Crumble bacon into nice-sized bits.

Shell

2 lbs fresh cranberry beans in pod (a delight in itself. Try to find a rocking chair and a big wraparound porch and a little early morning birdsong) - about 2 cups of beans

Add shelled beans to

a small saucepan of boiling salted water

and cook, covered, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just tender - about 7 minutes. Ladle beans out of water with a slotted spoon.

Using bean water steam

1- 2 lbs flat Italian green beans

about 5 minutes until color is vivid. Then lift from boiling water and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.

Cut kernels from

8 ears of corn

taking care to catch the juices in a bowl or on cutting board.

Clean

1 - 2 lbs cherry tomatoes

cutting the larger tomatoes in half, then chop or mince

2 Vidalia onions
2 - 3 garlic cloves

Add the saved 2 tablespoons of bacon grease to skillet and cook onion over mederate heat, stirring, until softened. Add garlic and cook or 1 minute, stirring. Add tomatoes, corn and

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

Cook, stirring, until tomatoes just begin to lose their shape.

Remove skillet from heat and gently stir in both kinds of beans and half of bacon. When a little cooled, gently stir in

½ cup or more of generously packed basil leaves, gently torn

Pepper to taste. Family to table. Enjoy to the last bite.

Two Soups in a Blue Moon for a faraway daughter

2010-09-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today she calls from college for two comforting soup recipes:

Peace Soup (fresh peas in a sweet and slightly minty, gingery milk-based broth)

and

Sweet Dreams Soup (creamy, slighty spicy, very carrotty carrot soup)

~ both adapted from her childhood favorite cookbook, Blue Moon Soup by Gary Goss, illustrated by Jane Dyer.

Peace Soup

She likes her soup a little spicier than suggested in the original and so increases the leeks, ginger, curry and mint at least this much.

Melt in a soup pot over medium heat

2 Tablespoons butter

Add

2 cups leeks, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh mint, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add, with enough water to cover (~ 2 cups)

1 (10 oz.) package of frozen peas (or 2 - 3 cups fresh green peas)
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped

and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered until veggies are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a blender or a large bowl, blend or mash 2 cups of the soup with

2½ cups milk

Return the blended to soup to the soup pot and stir. Season to taste. Garnish with

fresh mint, or
carrot curls.

Sweet Dreams Soup

The discussion on Epicurious suggests at least increasing the number of carrots, leeks and celery and upping the spice amounts. One commenter even suggested using coconut milk in place of the bovine variety. Here are our tweaks;

Boil

2 cups salted water

Add

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

and boil until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, save the broth, and set the potatoes aside.

Melt in a soup pot over medium heat

2 Tablespoons butter

Add

2 cups leeks, chopped

1 - 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon curry

1 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (half the amount if using dried)

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or more to taste)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the cooked potato and the potato broth plus

2 stalks celery, chopped
2 - 3 more carrots, finely chopped

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a blender or a bowl, blend or mash 2 cups of the soup (or all of it if you prefer) with

2½ cups milk

until thick and silky smooth.

Return the blended soup to the soup pot, and stire. Ladle into bowls and garnish with

carrot curls
croutons (see recipe below)

Crusty Croutons

Preheat oven to 325.
Cut bread into cubes and put in a large mising bowl.
Add enough olive oil to moisten all the cubes.
Sprinkle with spices of your choice (basil, oregano, or crushed garlic). Or sprinkle with grated Parmesan or cheddar.
Place on a cookie sheet, and bake until golden grown and crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Wholegrain Spaghetti with Indescribably Good Sauce

2010-02-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

The last of summer, first of fall here in Oregon, is tomato season and hours are spent saving the luscious round globes in paste balls and roasted tomatoes. But it all pays off when the first day of Februrary rolls around and after a day of digging up bushes in the rain you can sit down to this powerful sauce after a quick half-hour in the kitchen.

I am not usually over-fond of whole-wheat pasta which can be too heavy for weak sauces. But well-cooked (a little past al dente), well-salted, well-oiled, and then combined with a powerfully zestful sauce like this one they are marvelous. Topped with mozzarella, this dish is a little taste of heaven.

PREREQUISITE RECIPES:

Tomato Paste Balls: (adapted from Joy of Cooking)

Roasted & Frozen Summer Tomatoes

Indescribably Good Sauce

Combine in a large sauce pan and begin to simmer

1 Tomato Paste Ball
1 qt. Roasted & Frozen Tomatoes
a generous amount of fresh mushrooms, sliced.

Saute

1 large onion, diced
1 red or yellow bell pepper

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

and add to the tomatoes and mushrooms along with

28 - 32 oz. diced canned tomatoes.

Simmer until the roasted tomatoes are completely thawed and the sauce begins to thicken.

Add

3 - 4 Tablespoons honey
salt
pepper.

Serve over whole wheat spaghetti noodles that have been cooked just beyond al dente in plenty of salted water, drained and then oiled with olive oil. Top with a bit of mozzarella which will melt beautifully if the sauce and noodles are served nice and hot.

Italian Tomato Paste Balls

2010-02-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

adapted from The Joy of Cooking: "This flavorful paste is diluted in a little boiling water or stock and added to sauces and soups. Fine in spaghetti and noodle dishes, as a dressing for cooked vegetables or salads, and as an addition to salad dressings."

Haven't tried it in salad dressings . . . but these tomato paste balls pay back every bit of effort for the delicious & savory depth they add to tomato sauces.

Wash and cut into slices:

1 & 1/2 pecks ripe Italian tomatoes (6 quarts)

Add:

1 large celery rib, cut up with some leaves
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 Tablespoons fresh herbs: basil, thyme, sweet marjoram, or oregano
3/4 teaspoon peppercorns
12 cloves
3 teaspoons salt
1 two-inch stick cinnamon
1 minced clove of garlic

Simmer these ingredients until the tomatoes are soft.

Stir frequently. Put the vegetables through a fine sieve.

Simmer the sieved pulp in an uncovered slow cooker. Stir frequently.

When the pulp is thick and reduced by half, spread the paste to a depth of 1/2 inch on moist plates.

Cut into the paste to let air penetrate. Place the paste in a 200 degree oven to dry.

When the paste is dry enough, roll it into balls and dip in olive oil. Store refrigerated in airtight sterile jars--taking care to remove one at a time with a clean utensil as needed.

Orecchiette with Kale and Garbanzos + Delicata Squash + Home-bottled Grape Juice + Baked Pears

2009-11-24T02:28:00.000-08:00

Kale? anchovies? Sounds like I'm trying to be deliberately unappetizing. Let me just say - cocoa powder is not too tasty either on its own - but in combination with the right ingredients, WOW! And that's what happens when you combine pasta, winter greens and dried beans. I don't know why, I don't know how - but WOW!

The optional but "highly recommended" addition of tinned anchovies brings in an indescribably subtle and satisfying subtext. You don't have to tell people how incredibly nutritious this dish is, they'll absorb more of the nutrients anyway because they'll be loving every bite.

Do try this dish at least once and see for yourself. At my house, this is the never-fail, super-quick, fall-back cold weather dish when I forget to put the beans on to soak the night before and dinner is needed within the half-hour. By the time the pasta is al dente, the greens & beans are ready to go. And rather than groans and moans, this meal is met with cries of "Yum!" while at least one child sets aside a portion to take in her lunch the next day. I usually make this without the Parmesan. Sometimes without the anchovies. Sometimes I substitute sardines instead. It's good whichever way I try it.

Orecchiette, "little ears" or "mouse ears," are a beautifully rustic hand-made pasta - it looks like you could make them yourself by flattening a small marble of dough over the top of your thumb. I usually substitute shells or gnocchi when I can't find orechiette at the market - any midsize pasta that will cup satisfyingly around the garbanzo beans will do admirably.

Orecchiette with Kale and Garbanzos

adapted from my favorite cookbook author Andrea Chesman's
366 Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains

Chop

2 pounds kale (substitute broccoli rabe or collards, or a combination of greens

and then blanch in plenty of boiling salted water, until bright green and tender, 2 – 3 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.

In the boiling water, cook

1 pound orecchiette

until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, chop

1 onion

and saute over medium heat in

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Add

6 anchovy fillets, mashed (optional, but highly recommended)
6 garlic cloves, minced

until the garlic is fragrant and golden, about 3 minutes.

Add to the pan the blanched kale and

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (2 cans)

and cook until heated, about 4 minutes. Season with

salt (if needed)
freshly ground black pepper

Combine pasta and vegetables. If you wish you may sprinkle with

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

and toss well.

Very satisfying with either (or both):

Baked Delicata Squash

(split lengthwise and seeds scooped out, baked cut-side down with about ½-inch of water in the baking pan. 350 degrees until soft. About 30-45 minutes.)

Baked Pears

(left whole, pricked with a fork or knife tip, baked at 350 degrees until soft. About an hour. Cut in half and spooned directly fropm the toasted skin - which we don't eat. You have never tasted a pear until you have eaten one baked - its flesh transformed into a delicate custard, its juices slightly carmelized - a richness that is at the same time light and subtly spicy. People will wonder what magic ingredient you have used. But it's pure pear, through and through.)

Lime-Glazed Coconut Snowballs & Pecan Wedding Hearts

2009-10-19T15:03:00.000-07:00

Both of these recipes are from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook (with only slight adaptations)

Lime-Glazed Coconut Snowballs

Makes about 40 cookies

Prep 55 minutes (including making the dough)

Total time 1 hour 40 min plus cooling time

Whisk together

2 ½ cups flour
¼ cup superfine sugar*
¼ teaspoon salt
optional (but actually essential) 1 teaspoon lime zest

Then into the flour mixture, mix in one piece at a time

16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces and softened

using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, then continue to beat until the mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, 1 to 2 minutes.

Beat in

2 teaspoons vanilla

until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

Knead dough in the bowl by hand a few times until it form a large, cohesive mass. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter, divide it in half, and pat into two 4-inch disks. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes (or freeze and then defrost in refrigerator).

While the cookie dough is chilling, whisk together in a large bowl

2 Tablespoons of lime juice
1 Tablespoon of softened cream cheese

until smooth.

Add

1½ cups powdered sugar

and whisk until smooth, adding another Tablespoon of lime juice as needed until the glaze is thin enough to spread easily.

Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 375.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1½ inches apart. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, about 12 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 min. Dip the tops of the cookies into the glaze and scrape away any excess, then dip into the coconut. Set the cookies back on the wire rack and let stand until the glaze dries and sets, about 20 minutes.

Pecan Wedding Hearts

Makes about 4 dozen small cookies
Prep 5 minutes (including making the dough)
Total time 45 minutes plus cooling time

Process in food processor

1 cup pecans

until the texture of coarse cornmeal. Then chop another

1 cup pecans

Mix nuts together and combine with

2 cups flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt

and set aside.

Cream together

16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/3 cup superfine sugar*

until fluffy and then add

2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine nut-flour mixture and butter-sugar mixture.

Preheat oven to 325.

Working with 1 Tablespoon of dough at a time, roll into 1-inch balls, slightly flattened into a fat disc. Indent top of disk with the edge of a spoon to make heart-shape, pinching the bottom of disk with fingers. Lay hearts on parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1-inch apart. Bake until tops are a pale golden and bottoms just beginning to brown - about 18 minutes. Rotate and switch baking sheets halfway through.

Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to rack. Cool completely. Roll cookies in

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

to coat. Just before serving, re-roll cookies in additional powdered sugar.

These can be (and were) made 3 days in advance, stored in airtight container, then re-rolled in powdered sugar before serving.

* to make superfine sugar:

Process ½ cup sugar in a food processor 30 seconds and then measure out amount needed.

Pumpkin Stuffed with Potato, Pea, & Mushroom Curry and Rice + Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (week of January 4 - 10)

2009-01-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

Stuffed Pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut lid as for jack-o'lantern from

1 small pie pumpkin

and scoop out seeds. Prick all over inside with fork and rub interior with

butter
salt, pepper, mustard powder (to taste)

Add pre-cooked filling (leftovers with a handful of rice and some water - see below) and bake until pumpkin is soft (35 minutes or longer).

Potato, Pea, & Mushroom Curry (with added Red Butter)

We adapted another recipe from Sam Stern's Real Food/ Real Fast for this week's pumpkin filling. We started with a basic curry of potatoes, peas & mushrooms and then mixed in Red Butter Sauce to fill a couple of pumpkins - baked them - YUM!

Heat in a large pan

2 Tablespoons peanut oil

Add

1 small onion, finely chopped
Pinch of salt

Cook gently until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add

4 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add

½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 green chile, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 medium cold cooked potatoes, cubed
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped (or an eqivalent amount of canned tomatoes)
¾ lb. button mushrooms, washed, stalked and sliced
Fresh cilantro, chopped

Cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring so it doesn't burn.
Add

1 cup defrosted peas

plus a little water if they're dry. Cook 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cilantro.

[For pumpkin filling, stir in red butter sauce:

Melt in a large pan

6 Tablespoons butter
Add
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch of salt
and cook gently for 2 minutes.

Add
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon chlii powder
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods (or 1¼ teaspoons ground
cardamom)
and cook until onions are soft.

Add
2 (15 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
and stir. Bring to a boil. Simmer on reduced heat for 10
minutes.

Add
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup plain yogurt
Reduce heat.

Add

½ cup rice
and some water. Fill pumpkin, cover with pumpkin lid and bake.]

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Rinse and pull pulp from seeds. Soak in salted water for an hour, then drain in seive and spread seeds on cookie sheet. Bake at 350° until they start "popping" - about 10- 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Or here's an alternative method, from our local CSA

To toast pumpkin seeds, wash them in a sieve immediately after removing them from the pumpkin and clean off the pulp as much as possible.
Then toss the seeds in a tablespoon of oil and put them on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle on salt, as well as any spices or seasonings you might like, and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes for crispy seeds, or at 250 degrees for an hour for chewy ones.
Check on them in the middle of baking to stir, if necessary.

West African Chicken-Peanut Soup + Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake (week of December 28 - January 3)

2009-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00

West African Chicken-Peanut Soup

My older daughter got this spicy, and very easy, recipe from her friend and made it for my birthday. And then made it again, by universal request, the following week.

Prepare

2 cups uncooked rice

cooked in

4 cups water
pinch salt

In large skillet, over medium heat,

4 Tablespoons Oriental (dark) sesame oil

Add

2 cups (or more) diced chicken breast
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic

and sauté over medium heat until onion is translucent and chicken is cooked.
Add

1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 cups chicken broth
½ cup tomato paste
1 (15 oz.) can chopped stewed tomatoes
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons chunky peanut butter

Heat through, but don't boil. Serve hot with rice.

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

My younger daughter made my favorite cake to hold (all!) my candles. This recipe is adapted from one in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. The original has a full pound of butter and 3 cups of sugar, but this version is plenty rich - and so good with the blueberries we picked this summer.

Preheat oven to 325° and lower the oven rack. Butter and flour the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

In a large bowl, at high speed, cream together until light and fluffy

1¼ cups butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after each,

6 eggs

then set aside.

Sift together in a separate bowl

4 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Mix in another bowl

¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Add dry and wet alternately to butter mixture, mixing by hand – just enough to blend thoroughly without beating, beginning and ending with dry. Before adding the last of the dry, toss lightly in it

2 cups frozen blueberries

then fold into the batter gently.

Spread batter into the buttered pan. Bake 60 minutes or more, until a sharp knife inserted all the way down comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a plate. Cool as long as you can before slicing.

Philadelphia Pepper Pot

2009-01-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

(potato and green pepper soup)

from Blue Moon Soup: a Family Cookbook, by Goss and Dyer. My daughter has loved this beautifully illustrated children's cookbook for years. I've loved the soups she's made from it!

Boil

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 cups of water

until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, but SAVE the BROTH, and set potatoes aside.

Heat in a soup pot, on medium heat

2 Tablespoons butter

(Or, if you are making bacon bits for the optional garnish, cook bacon in the soup pot, then discard most of the grease, leaving enough to sauté the vegetables)

Add

1 small leek, chopped (1 to 1½ cups)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add half the potatoes and half the broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a blender or a bowl, blend or mash 1 cup of the soup until thick and smooth. Add another ½ cup of broth if soup too thick.

Return the blended soup to the pot. Add the rest of the potatoes and broth, and stir.

Red Butter Chicken + Garam Masala + Homemade Chappatis

2008-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

Red Butter Chicken

from Sam Stern’s Real Food/Real Fast - a great cookbook by a British teen. The girls like the breezy language of the original and all the photos of Sam and his friends. Unbelievably delicious!!

Melt in a large pan

6 Tablespoons butter

Add

1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch of salt

and cook gently for 2 minutes.

Add

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon chlii powder
3 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods (or 1¼ teaspoons ground cardamom)

and cook until onions are soft.

Add

2 (15 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger

and stir. Bring to a boil. Simmer on reduced heat for 10 minutes.

Add

4 chicken breasts, without skin, diced

and stir to coat.

Add

1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup plain yogurt

Reduce heat. Cook at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook

2 cups rice

4 cups water
Pinch of salt

Chop

fresh cilantro

and stir into chicken. Excellent served with warmed naan or warmed whole wheat tortillas or - even better - Homemade Chappatis (see below)

Garam Masala

We found this formula for a garam masala mix years ago in a children's book about India from the library. Now I see garam masala premixed in the grocery store!

Preheat oven 200°.
Roast in an ungreased 9 x 13” pan on bottom oven rack 3 sticks cinnamon

½ cup cardamom pods
¼ cup whole cloves
¼ cup cumin seeds
2 Tablespoons coriander seeds
¼ C black peppercorns

for 30 min. Stir often.

Let cool.

With fingers, break open cardamom pods: remove and keep seeds, discard pods. Crush cinnamon (rolling pin and 2 towels). Combine & mix well. Grind to fine powder.
Add

1 Tablespoon ground ginger.

Store in sealed jar up to 6 months.

Homemade Chappatis

from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook

Preheat oven to 325°. Mix in a medium-sized bowl

½ cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour

Add

½ cup water

and stir until combined. Knead dough on a clean, floured surface for a minute or two, adding more flour to combat stickiness.

Divide dough into 6 equal balls and roll each one into a very thin round – no thicker than 1/8 inch – using plenty of flour on rolling surface and rolling pin.

Oil tray and brush tops of chappatis with

olive oil

Bake for 10 minutes until very, very lightly browned.

Spiced Sweet-Potato Soup (week of December 14 to 20)

2008-12-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Spiced Sweet-Potato Soup
adapted from a recipe in Blue Moon Soup – a Family Cookbook by Goss and Dyer.

We kept trying to make this soup because it sounded so good in the original with a melted chocolate garnish, but it was always unpleasantly bitter – until this time when we left the chocolate out – MUCH better! We also substituted garam masala for the curry powder of the original.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Melt in a soup pot, over medium heat

2 Tablespoons butter

Add

1 small leek, chopped (1 to 1½ cups)
¼ cup sliced mushrooms
1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced (you will need one more sweet potato later)
1 Tablespoon cooking sherry (optional)
1 teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add

1 more large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cups water

and stir.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Blend or mash half the soup with

2 cups milk

until thick and smooth. Return blended soup to the pot and stir.

Place soup crocks on a baking sheet. Ladle soup into crocks and divide (to garnish)

1 cup shredded Munster cheese
¼ cup sliced mushrooms

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

Bacon Potato Soup + Medieval Forest Brussel Sprouts (week of December 7 - 13)

2008-12-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

Bacon Potato Soup
Adapted from a recipe that came from the CSA farm we had a share in this past year - the original (from Fresh from the Farmers' Market by Janet Fletcher) called for prosciutto di Parma. I substituted bacon and love the results - the comforting depth of the potatoes and cabbage, the zippy fresh herbs. I made a huge pot in September with red cabbage and froze the delicate-pinky purple leftovers which we enjoyed now months later.

Melt:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Saute:

1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces bacon, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh sage, minced
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

until onions are transparent, about 10 minutes.

Add:

2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed, chopped in ½ inch cubes

Season with:

Salt and pepper

Stir and saute about 3 minutes.

Add:

2 cups broth
4 cups water

Bring to a simmer, cover and adjust heat to maintain simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until most of htem break down and begin to thicken soup. It's nice to leave a few slightly rough pieces to give the soup a more interesting texture.

Stir in:

¾ pounds green or red cabbage, finely sliced

Simmer gently until cabbage is just tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Medieval Forest Brussel Sprouts

On a whim, I tired combining a few Northern European late autumn-ripening foods. These tastes are meant to be eaten together. The red apple peel is especially pretty against the bright green of the lightly sauteed sprouts.

Clean and cut in half:

1 - 2 stalks of brussel sprouts

Heat in a pan:

1 - 2 Tablespoons goose fat (or butter)

Saute brussel sprouts with:

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 - 2 apples, unpeeled but chopped small
¼ - ½ cup fresh walnuts, shelled and quartered
Salt and pepper to taste

When sprouts turn bright green and onions soften, remove from heat and sprinkle with

1 - 2 Tablespoons walnut oil
1 - 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Adjust salt and pepper before serving.

Shepherd's Pie (week of Nov 30 - Dec 6)

2008-12-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

If you think this is just warmed up leftovers, you're forgetting that dinner is 75 % presentation.

I made this crowd-pleaser twice - the second time I was out of leftover mashed potatoes so rolled out some pie crust and made a pot pie with only a top lid.

Butter a covered casserole and preheat to 350°. Layer in casserole:

Cooked dressing
Mashed plain baked sweet potatoes
Turkey
Gravy
Mashed potatoes

Dot with:

Butter

Bake until top is golden. Great served with Orange-Cranberry Relish.

Ginger Pear Pie + Scandinavian Cherry + Ohio Lemon + Best Pie Crust PLUS Grandma's School Lunch Dressing + Orange-Cranberry Relish (week of Nov 23-29)

2008-11-30T16:03:00.000-08:00

Ginger Pear Pie

adapted from Epicurious "Pear Pie with Maple and Ginger"

Whenever whenever I make this pie, someone asks for the recipe. If you are using very ripe pears you may want to increase the amount of tapioca.

Prepare pie dough (top & bottom, recipe below). Line pie pan with dough. Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in bottom ⅓ of oven and preheat to 375°.

Peel, quarter, core, then cut into ⅓”thick wedges:

3 pounds firm but ripe Bosc or Comice pears

Toss in large bowl with:

⅓ cup pure maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (less if pears are quite firm)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon minced crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Transfer filling to crust. Place top crust. Cut several slits in top to allow steam to escape during baking.

Place baking sheet on bottom rack to catch any juices that may bubble over .

Bake pie on center rack until crust is golden brown and juices bubble thickly, tenting pie with foil if crust browns too quickly, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Transfer pie to rack and cool. Serve pie slightly warm or at room temperature.

Scandinavian Cherry Pie

Inspired by recipes for cherry soup and other Danish desserts, I made my own subtly spiced cherry filling to honor family heritage and take the place of the humdrum, over-sweetened canned cherry filling. The varied amounts in flavorings depend on how flavorful the fruit you use - so taste as you go along. You may substitute an undrained bottle of home-canned black cherries for the 2 cans of cherries - in which case you would not add any additional sugar.

Line pie pan with dough (recipe below).

Combine in medium saucepan - DO NOT DRAIN:

1 can Oregon Pitted Red Tart Pie Cherries
1 can Oregon Pitted Bing Dark Sweet Cherries
1½ Tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
½ - 1 teaspoon cardamom
2 drops - ½ teaspoon almond flavoring
sugar to taste, if necessary (less than 1 cup - I use none)

Let sit 10 - 15 minutes.
Bring to a simmer and cook until fruit begins to thicken.
Transfer filling to crust. Dot with:

2 Tablespoons butter

Cover with lattice. Bake 10 minutes at 450°, then reduce heat to 350° and bake about 40 minutes longer or until golden brown

Ohio Lemon Pie

from Joy of Cooking, "A very tart Shaker favorite."

I love this pie! But do use the whole amount of sugar - speaking from experience - it's still very tart!

Grate and reserve the yellow peel from:

2 large lemons

With very sharp knife remove the white inner peel from the lemons and cut them into paper-thin slices. Remove seeds.
Combine in a bowl the lemon slices, grated peel, and:

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt

let stand 2 to 24 hours—the longer the better.
Preheat oven to 425°. Line a pie pan with dough (recipe below), brush lightly with butter or give a light sprinkling of flour.

Add to the lemon-and-sugar mixture:

4 well-beaten eggs

Stir well. Pour into pastry-lined pan and cover with top crust.
Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° and bake about 45 minutes longer.
Cool pie before serving.

Best Pie Crust (9-inch double crust)

I've always liked the Joy of Cooking pastry recipe, but this past year my husband gave me Sweety Pies (by Patty Pinner)- a GREAT pie cookbook full of womanish wisdom as well as the best pies I've ever tried - if pies are your thing you'll want a copy of this cookbook for your own. I've adapted the wonderful pastry recipe, substituting lard & butter for the called-for vegetable shortening. This is the flakiest crust and very easy to handle.

In a medium-sized to large bowl, sift together:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Combine in a small bowl:

½ cup chilled lard
½ cup chilled butter

With pastry blender cut ½ of lard mixture into the flour mixture until it has the texture of coarse cornmeal. Cut the remaining half of lard coarsely into the dough until it is pea size.
Sprinkle dough lightly one Tablespoon at a time with

5 to 6 Tablespoons of ice-cold heavy cream (or evaporated milk), more or less as needed

pushing wetted dough away to one side of bowl as you sprinkle.
When you can gather dough into a ball, stop handling it.
Refrigerate until 1 hour before use: allow it to come to room temperature. Pinch off just enough dough for one pie shell and press it into approximate shape needed. Roll as lightly and as little as possible, working from the center to the edges.

Grandma's School Lunch Dressing

Those must have been some mighty fine school lunches back in Grandma's day. This is a heavier stuffing than some - especially if made from homemade whole-grain bread. I like the moistness and the savory vegetables. Best if the bread crumbs are crushed or cubed quite small.

Slice thinly and toast in a warm oven enough bread to make:

2 quarts of breadcrumbs

Remove from oven and cube and partially crush the dried-out bread.
Cook over medium heat, until transparent:

½ cup butter
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cups carrots, shredded
2 cups celery, chopped

Mix vegetables and breadcrumbs with:

5 - 6 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped (1¾ teaspoons dried)
3 eggs
½ cup milk or broth
Salt to taste

Bake at 300° for 1½ hours or until good and hot.

Orange-Cranberry Relish

adapted from Thanksgiving 101 by Rick Rodgers with additions from my Mom.

This relish was the surprise hit of this year's Thanksgiving dinner. Good with roasted turkey. Great on turkey sandwiches with a little blue cheese softened with cream cheese the next day.

Cut into quarters and pick out seeds from:

4 - 5 satsumas (or 1 medium orange)

In a food processor, combine one-part satsuma pieces with one-part of

12-ounce bag fresh cranberries

until the fruit is evenly chopped.

Mix in:

½ cup walnuts, finely chopped (and the fresher the better, walnuts go rancid dismayingly fast. We gather ours from a neighbor's tree or look for them at farmer's markets.)
1 cup orange marmalade.

Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup (week of Nov 16-22)

2008-11-25T14:03:00.000-08:00

Creamy Cabbage and Potato Soup
adapted from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, by Mollie Katzen

Scrub and cut into chunks:

2 - 3 good-sized potatoes

Boil in plenty of water. Drain when tender. Save the water to use as stock.

Meanwhile, in a large kettle cook:

5 Tablespoons butter
2 cups onion, chopped

After a few minutes add:

2 teaspoons caraway seed
2 teaspoons salt

Cover and let cook over medium-low for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add:

8 packed cups shredded cabbage (1 medium head)
6 cups potato water

Cover and simmer 25-35 minutes.

Whip potatoes, blending in:

1 cup heavy cream (or 1 cup half-and-half or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup sour cream)

and add to the soup. Simmer a few minutes more and serve!

Poverty Soup (week of November 9 - 15)

2008-11-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

Rich Poverty Soup

Made from often overlooked trimmings - and other vegetables - the fresher, the better. The beet greens and carrots are both sweet and the Kluski noodles have heft and a soft texture -- all of which makes this soup especially satisfying. The ambitious could substitute homemade noodles, of course.

Heat:

1 - 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Saute until soft:

one medium onion, chopped
2 - 3 stalks celery, chopped
2 - 3 medium carrots, chopped

Stir in:

1 lb. beet greens, chopped thin

Once greens are wilted, transfer to large stockpot with:

2 - 3 cups beef broth
water to taste
16 oz. package of Kluski noodles
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook until noodles are soft (timed according to instructions on package). This soup is even better warmed up the next day for a quick Saturday lunch.

2008-11-15T13:08:00.000-08:00

BEEF AND STOUT STEW

This is dee-licious. I used bleu cheese and apple juice.

This hearty beef stew is slowly simmered on the stovetop, then topped with Stilton pastry and finished in a hot oven.

Ingredients:
7 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. white button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 1/2 lb. beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 1/2 cups Irish stout
1 cup beef broth
1 lb. carrots, cut into chunks
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh thyme
One 16-inch round Stilton pastry (see related recipe at left)
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

Directions:
In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Dredge the beef in the flour, shaking off the excess. In the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add one-third of the beef and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Transfer to a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup water to the pot, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Pour the liquid into a separate bowl. Repeat the process 2 more times, using 2 Tbs. oil to brown each batch of beef and deglazing the pot with 1/2 cup water after each batch. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the beef, stout, broth and reserved liquid, stirring to scrape up the browned bits. Add the mushrooms, onions, carrots, potatoes and thyme and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beef and vegetables are tender, about 3 hours. Preheat an oven to 400°F. Brush the rim of the pot with water. Lay the pastry round on top, allowing it to droop onto the filling. Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang, and crimp to seal. Brush the pastry with the egg mixture, then cut 4 slits in the top of the dough. Bake for 30 minutes. Let the potpie rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8 to 10. Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

My Mom's Hamburger Soup (week of Nov 2 - 8)

2008-11-10T22:33:00.000-08:00

My Mom's Hamburger Stew
Soul satisfying for the end of a rainy day.
Brown in a medium skillet:

1 lb organic ground beef
2 onions, chopped

In stockpot, heat:

2 Tbs olive oil

Add and saute:

4 good-sized carrots, sliced into coins or half-coins
8 small to medium potatoes, scrubbed and in small chunks
4 stalks of celery, sliced across stalk into C-shaped curves

Combine browned meat with veggies in stockpot. Add:

1 qt bottled tomatoes
2-3 qts water
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Add more water as necessary. Cook until potatoes are soft about 1 hour.

Quick and Cheesy Macaroni (week of Oct 26 - Nov 1)

2008-11-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

Quick and Cheesy Macaroni
adapted from Sam Stern's "Cauliflower Cheese" in Cooking up a Storm: "This is great comfort food. The sauce has to be thick and creamy with punchy seasoning and a really strong-tasting Cheddar. You want it smooth, so measure out the ingredients as exactly as you can."

Rather than baking the sauce over steamed cauliflower, we simply poured it over leftover pasta spirals that had been reheated in a buttered dish in the oven at about 250 degrees. Very quick and very tasty. (We used whole milk - yes, organic - because we're weird that way.)

Boil:

macaroni or other mid-sized pasta

salted water

for 12 minutes. Drain.

On low heat, melt in a saucepan:

4 Tablespoons butter

Gradually stir in:

1/4 cup flour

Continue stirring until the mix bubbles. Don't let it brown

Remove from heat. Whisk in:

2 cups milk

beating constantly so that the milk and flour mix together smoothly without lumps.

Return pan to heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, then simmer 2 to 3 more minutes, continuing to stir so it doesn't burn.

Add:

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Return to the heat and stir for 1 minute. Pour over cooked pasta and mix together. (If you want, you may bake at 450 for 30 minutes.)

Very Basic Bread + Stir Fry Salad + Basic Cornbread (week of Oct 19-25)

2008-10-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

Very Basic Bread
6 loaves

Sprinkle

1 Tablespoon yeast

over

¾ cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Let soak.

In a separate bowl, combine:

1 cup oil
1 cup honey
3 Tablespoons salt
7 ½ cups warm water

Mix in:

7 ½ cups whole wheat flour

To the flour mixture, add yeast (which will usually be foamy) and mix.
Add and mix thoroughly:

4 ½ cups of flour

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise about 1 hour, longer if kitchen is cool, until dough is almost doubled.
Add and mix thoroughly:

4-6 cups flour (twice that if using white flour).

Knead 10-15 minutes. Let dough rest as you oil 6 loaf pans. Divide and roll dough into 6 loaves, put in pans and let rise 1 hour (or more).
Preheat oven to 400° then turn it down to 350° just before putting the bread in.
Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes. It’s cooked through when water touched to the bottom of loaf pan sizzles.

Stir Fry Salad
adapted from Mollie Katzen's "Warm Salad" in Moosewood Cookbook

" . . . featuring an assortment of ultranutritious leafy greens, lightly cooked and delicately marinated. This can be a main dish unto itself, or a prelude or accompaniment to a simple pasta supper. However you serve it, be sure to include some fresh crusty bread to mop up the juices."

We substituted radicchio for escarole and used local chanterelle mushrooms. Amazingly delicious and wonderfully satisfying - you need to try this at least once! Delicious with cornbread.
Heat:

1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a deep skillet

Add to the pan, a little at a time, the following greens, adding more greens as soon as the ones in the pot cook down enough to make room, salting lightly after each addition:

1 small head radicchio, chopped
1 medium bunch red chard, chopped
about 10 large leaves Napa cabbage, chopped
2 cups (packed) chopped mustard greens
(1 to 2 teaspoons salt)

Use a fairly intense heat under the pot, and stir as you cook.
When all the greens are wilted and tender, stir in:

2 large cloved garlic, minced

Cook and stir just 1 or 2 minutes more. Remove greens from heat and transfer to a platter.
Heat in the skillet:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

and when it is hot, add:

2 medium leeks, chopped
2 cups chopped red onion
3/4 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/2 small cauliflower, chopped

Salt lightly and stir-fry quickly over medium-high heat until just tender (about 5-8 minutes).
Add to the platter, mix gently to incorporate the greens, and sprinkle while still hot with:

3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 Tablespoons Parmesan, freshly grated

Grind:

Black pepper

over the top, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with pieces of cornbread to mop up the juices.

Basic Cornbread
from Moosewood Cookbook (Katzen)

Moist, hearty, and dee-lish! So good you won't need to spread with butter and honey - it's baked in already.
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9 x 13 pan with:

Butter

Whisk together:

2 cups cornmeal
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

In a separate bowl, combine :

2 cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
2 eggs
6 Tablespoons honey or sugar
3 Tablespoons melted butter

Stir the wet into the dry, mixing just enough to thoroughly combine. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch.

Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, Lettuce + Cinnamon Apple Mesclun (week of Oct 12-18)

2008-10-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Bosc Pear, Blue Cheese, Sweet Lettuce
A classic combination. Simple. Simply delicious.
(makes 5 individual salads)

Wash and spin dry:

1 small head of mild lettuce, tinged red,

laying a leaf or two on each salad plate.

Slice thinly:

1 perfectly ripe, firm, golden brown Bosc pear,

so that there are 5 slices per salad, and fan slices out on the lettuce leaf.

Divide among the salad plates and sprinkle over the lettuce and pear:

1 - 2 oz. blue cheese, in 1/4-inch slices
1 scallion (I used the tender green sprouting tips of a yellow onion from my pantry cupboard), minced fine
1 Tablespoon walnut oil
salt
plenty of freshly ground pepper

Cinnamon Apple and Mixed Greens
Crowd pleaser. The cinnamon is surprisingly subtle and warm.
(makes a large bowl of salad)

Wash and spin dry:

mixed greens including red and green lettuce, raddichio, mizuna, etc.

Toss with:

1 - 2 Tablespoons walnut oil
1 or 2 Gala apples, chopped small
1 scallion (or the tender green sprouting tips of a yellow onion), minced fine
salt and pepper, to taste
cinnamon, to taste

Italian Mushroom and Eggplant Sauce + Assorted Fruit and Berry Gratin (week of Oct 5-11)

2008-10-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

BEST Italian Mushroom and Eggplant Sauce

adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook: "With its meaty texture, eggplant makes a wonderful vegetarian pasta sauce, which pairs well with ziti."

We used whole wheat penne.

Cut in half lengthwise and sprinkle with salt:

1-2 lbs. eggplant (globe or Japanese)

Drain in colander for 1/2 hour. Rinse. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange eggplant and:

3-4 cloves of garlic

on an oiled baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and bake until tender (20 minutes). Let cool, then remove skin from eggplant and coarsley chop the pulp. Smash the garlic to squeeze cloves out of their skins.

In a mid-size skillet over medium heat, heat:

1/4 olive oil

Add and cook:

1 large onion (sweet or yellow), chopped fine

stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes.

In a slow cooker, combine all the above with:

4 cups roma tomatoes, peeled and seeded (or one 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes)
1 tomato paste ball *(recipe below) (or one 6 oz. can tomato paste)
12 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 Tablespoons red cooking wine (or 2 T. grape juice & 1 T red wine vinegar)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 & 1/2 teaspoons dried)

Stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours (HIGH for 3-1/2 to 4 hours).

During the last hour add:

3 Tablespoons fresh flat-leap parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

The sauce will hold on LOW for a few hours.

Italian Tomato Paste

adapted from The Joy of Cooking: "This flavorful paste is diluted in a little boiling water or stock and added to sauces and soups. Fine in spaghetti and noodle dishes, as a dressing for cooked vegetables or salads, and as an addition to salad dressings."

Hmm . . . at any rate it adds a delicious & savory depth when used in place of canned paste.

Wash and cut into slices:

1 & 1/2 pecks ripe Italian tomatoes (6 quarts)

Add:

1 large celery rib, cut up with some leaves
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 Tablespoons fresh herbs: basil, thyme, sweet marjoram, or oregano
3/4 teaspoon peppercorns
12 cloves
3 teaspoons salt
1 two-inch stick cinnamon
1 minced clove of garlic

Simmer these ingredients until the tomatoes are soft. Stir frequently. Put the vegetables through a fine sieve.

Simmer the pulp in an uncovered slow cooker. Stir frequently. When the pulp is thick and reduced by half, spread the paste to a depth of 1/2 inch on moist plates.

Cut into the paste to let air penetrate. Place the paste in a 200 degree oven to dry.

When the paste is dry enough, roll it into balls and dip in olive oil. Store refrigerated in airtight sterile jars--taking care to remove one at a time with a clean utensil as needed.

Berry & Autumn Fruit Gratin

adapted from True Blueberry: "This light and lovely gratin, a traditional French baked dish with a golden crust, is prepared with fromage blanc, the versative low-fat or fat-free creamy French-style fresh cheese that visually resembles a cross between sour cream and yogurt. The fluffy gratin topping is a cross between a meringue and a souffle."

What is fromage blanc? it sounds like a close cousin to yogurt cheese (directions below). This gratin is also good with a full 7 cups of fresh blueberries instead of the assortment of fruit.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter an 8- or 9-inch square or oval baking dish with:

1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened

and set aside.

In a large bowl, lightly whip with a whisk, until it is aerated and smooth (~1 minute):

1 & 1/2 cups yogurt cheese

Add, whisking until the mixture is smooth and fluffy:

6 Tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons white flour

Set aside.

In glass bowl, combine:

2 large egg whites
Pinch of salt

Beat with rotary beater until the mixture holds soft peaks. Do not overbeat. Gradually and gently fold the egg whites into the yogurt cheese until smoothly blended but still very airy. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine:

4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (or 1 cup raspberries & 1 cup chopped peaches or pears)
2 cups fresh black berries (frozen are too bland)

Place 2/3 cup of the fruit in a small bowl and set aside. To the remaining fruit, add:

3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

and stir to combine.

Transfer the fruit mixture to the baking dish. Spoon on the egg and cheese mixture, spreading it smoothly and evenly over the fruit. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the egg & cheese topping is puffy and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with

1 & 1/2 Tablespoon powdered sugar

Garnish with the reserved barries, placing them in the cracks of the crust. Dust with additional powderd sugar if desired and serve immediately.

Yogurt Cream Cheese

adapted from Nourishing Traditions: "Makes 5 cups of whey and 2 cups cream cheese. . . . .[Whey can be used] as a starter culture for lacto-fermented vegetables and fruits, for soaking grains and as a starter for many [mild] beverages."

Our neighbor Delbert Powell who passed away last winter showed me how to make this cheese to serve with a Lebanese bean recipe called facula. This tangy cheese is also good spread on a chewy slice of sourdough with a fresh salsa or pico de gallo spooned over the top.

Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a square of clean cheesecloth.

Pour in:

2 quarts of yogurt

and cover with a clean dishcloth and let stand at room temperature for several hours. The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer.

Tie up the cheesecloth with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. (I use a clean rubber band.) Tie the sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a pitcher or bowl so that more whey can drip out. (I slide the handle of a wooden spoon through the rubber band.)

When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready. Store whey in an airtight and sterile mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months.