There's a fine line between distraction and relief, and the Royal Wedding straddled it against the stark contrast of the horrific destruction caused by tornadoes in the Southeastern US at the end of this week. I live on the Left Coast, near a few faults (no, I'm not talking about the legislature in Sacramento), and am ever-conscious that we could, at any time, have a pretty good-size earthquake. That is the sort of occasion for which processed food was developed. Canned foods were developed in 1795 for Napoleon's Army - far from home and familiar supply lines, they needed a preserved food source. Strangely, the can opener didn't come around until almost 100 years later. But I digress. The point is, that in a crisis, processed (read: canned) foods can be a godsend. Proteins, fruits and vegetables are all readily available in a processed form. If you're not up for preserving your own food, this is not a bad option.
And, if the only way you're going to get some fiber from beans is by opening a can -- well, then, do so! I'm advocating mindful eating, not all of us are starting a farm like Joel Salatin -- I'd like to be self-sustaining, but it's not realistic for me. Mindful eating means thinking about what you're buying and ingesting and making informed decisions, rather than just reaching out for the same old/same old without thinking: Where did this come from? How was it treated? Has anything been added? That's the sort of thinking I'm advocating.
In the meantime, I'm having some small lamb loin chops and asparagus on the grill with a side of couscous. Asparagus from Rio De Parra coated with olive oil cooks really, really quickly on the grill, as do the chops. I marinated them with red wine, fresh rosemary (grow a plant - they're next to impossible to kill), chopped garlic, smoked salt and freshly-ground pepper. For the couscous, I'm adding turmeric, cumin, coriander and fenugreek - so it's basically curried. Just wanted to give you some food for thought. Until next time, I'll see you at the market!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
My Big Fat Greek Bake Sale
So, I didn't make it to the Monterey farmers' market because my paying job had me doing Very Important Things way past noon. What I did instead was re-stock my pantry at Star Market. Michael at the cheese counter, as always, was brilliant. He sampled me more of the coconut gouda (yum!!!) and provided the usual sage advice about my cheese choices - and cut them to my (cheapo) order.
My real downfall, though, was St. John's Greek Orthodox Church's bake sale outside the store. They'll be there tomorrow. And I have to tell you, the $3.00 baklava was SO worth it. I ate two forks-full and put the rest in the fridge. It's rich, home-made and delicious. They're using a lot of the money to feed people who might otherwise go hungry, so if you're in the neighborhood, go by and buy big.
Tomorrow and Sunday - I'll see you at the market!
My real downfall, though, was St. John's Greek Orthodox Church's bake sale outside the store. They'll be there tomorrow. And I have to tell you, the $3.00 baklava was SO worth it. I ate two forks-full and put the rest in the fridge. It's rich, home-made and delicious. They're using a lot of the money to feed people who might otherwise go hungry, so if you're in the neighborhood, go by and buy big.
Tomorrow and Sunday - I'll see you at the market!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Veggies and Pasta
Thursday nights, when I'm nearing the end of a long week, I like something quick and easy. Tonight it was whole wheat pasta (fusilli, or corkscrews), cooked according to package directions, with some fresh, sauteed vegetables. I had a couple baby zucchini (less than 3" long), some spring garlic, and some sliced mushrooms. I sliced up the zucchini and garlic to the same thickness as the mushrooms.
While the pasta cooked, I put the mushrooms and zucchini into a hot, cast-iron skillet with some olive oil. I cooked everything about 2 minutes per side, or until there were some light brown spots on both sides. Then I added the spring garlic and stirred everything for another minute or so. By this time, the pasta was cooked through and I scooped it out with a slotted spoon and put it into the pan. At the very end, I added what was left of the Mizuna, tough stems removed, and a little of the pasta water. I added some crushed red pepper and grated parmesan and ate dinner.
I may not get to the Monterey Peninsula College market tomorrow - if not, I'll be there next week, and I'll be at the Salinas Market on Saturday - have a hankering for some Cowboy Sausage! Until next time, I'll see you at the market!!
While the pasta cooked, I put the mushrooms and zucchini into a hot, cast-iron skillet with some olive oil. I cooked everything about 2 minutes per side, or until there were some light brown spots on both sides. Then I added the spring garlic and stirred everything for another minute or so. By this time, the pasta was cooked through and I scooped it out with a slotted spoon and put it into the pan. At the very end, I added what was left of the Mizuna, tough stems removed, and a little of the pasta water. I added some crushed red pepper and grated parmesan and ate dinner.
I may not get to the Monterey Peninsula College market tomorrow - if not, I'll be there next week, and I'll be at the Salinas Market on Saturday - have a hankering for some Cowboy Sausage! Until next time, I'll see you at the market!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
What on earth is Mizuna???
I was at the market Saturday and Flora's Farm had some crazy green called "Mizuna". She let me taste some raw, and I was hooked! I love arugula, and this was a lot like that, but a little milder and more complex. It can be served either as part of an Asian stir-fry or a Mediterranean salad. I chose to do the latter last night and today. I mixed it with spinach and dressed it with a lemon vinaigrette with radicchio last night as a side; today I mixed it with spinach and a lemon vinaigrette under a salmon salad (canned salmon, soy mayo, chopped green onions) for lunch.
I think it would have been equally good as a wilted side with miso dressing tonight with my Leftover Stir-Fry: skirt steak, asparagus, baby zucchini, green onions, spring garlic, chopped broccoli, chopped carrot. . . all tossed with a spicy soy, rice wine vinegar, hot pepper, garam masala, and sesame oil dressing (lots of water added; thickened with a mixture of cornstarch and water). I just had too much food as it was, so I skipped the side. I had the stir-fry all over wild and brown rice. That steak is still delish. Having leftovers from tonight for lunch tomorrow.
On Friday, I hope to make it to the farm market at Monterey Peninsula College. I'll fill you in then. if not tomorrow night.
Til then - see you at the market!!
I think it would have been equally good as a wilted side with miso dressing tonight with my Leftover Stir-Fry: skirt steak, asparagus, baby zucchini, green onions, spring garlic, chopped broccoli, chopped carrot. . . all tossed with a spicy soy, rice wine vinegar, hot pepper, garam masala, and sesame oil dressing (lots of water added; thickened with a mixture of cornstarch and water). I just had too much food as it was, so I skipped the side. I had the stir-fry all over wild and brown rice. That steak is still delish. Having leftovers from tonight for lunch tomorrow.
On Friday, I hope to make it to the farm market at Monterey Peninsula College. I'll fill you in then. if not tomorrow night.
Til then - see you at the market!!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Beef and Asparagus - Not Just For Breakfast!
So this morning, inexplicably, I woke up at 5:15 a.m. ready to go. Since I was up so early, and knew I was working until at least 7 p.m. tonight, I decided to make dinner for breakfast. I had this beautiful grass-fed skirt steak from Morris Grass Fed Beef at the Saturday Farmers’ Market in Salinas. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and a little ancho chili powder and cooked it medium rare (took only a few minutes a side) in my cast-iron skillet. In my smaller skillet, I put a little olive oil, got it nice and hot, and threw in 6 nice big asparagus spears (storing them upright in the glass of water in the fridge works very well). You could also do this in a nonstick pan with a little water, although that will tend to steam the asparagus rather than pan-roast it, which was what I wanted. You don’t even really need a spatula – just toss the pan around every few minutes until the sides have some dark spots and the texture is what you want. How do you tell? Take out a spear and bite into it!
I plated everything up with a piece of whole wheat toast – it was breakfast after all – and enjoyed. It got me through until well past noon, and I felt like I had a real treat at the beginning of my day. If you have not yet tried grass-fed beef, I urge you to do so. You will find it is more expensive than the conventionally-raised meat, but if you’re eating a primarily plant-based diet, you won’t purchase it as often and it will be more of a treat than an everyday menu item. There is a real difference I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
Until next time, see you at the market!
I plated everything up with a piece of whole wheat toast – it was breakfast after all – and enjoyed. It got me through until well past noon, and I felt like I had a real treat at the beginning of my day. If you have not yet tried grass-fed beef, I urge you to do so. You will find it is more expensive than the conventionally-raised meat, but if you’re eating a primarily plant-based diet, you won’t purchase it as often and it will be more of a treat than an everyday menu item. There is a real difference I’m sure you’ll enjoy.
Until next time, see you at the market!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Asparagus!
Asparagus is a sure sign that "spring has sprung", as my Dad used to say. The stuff I got at the market on Saturday is beautiful and delicious. It was about the same price as the supermarket, but what I got was organic and very, very fresh. I'm trying some different storage methods with it, including cutting off about 1/2-inch of the ends and putting it into a glass of water. The ends are not woody at all and it's got a delicate, lovely asparagus taste.
I have been nibbling on it raw, dipped into tamari (a lighter soy sauce that also comes in a gluten-free version); later I may dip it into some olive oil and toss it on the grill, turning after 1-2 minutes on each side, and then serve with salt and pepper. I say "I may" because I had a fabulous Easter brunch at a friend's house, and I'm still full! I used the asparagus in the dishes I brought, which included vegetable spring rolls and vegetable sushi with a peanut-soy dipping sauce. The vegetable spring rolls were surprisingly easy - I'll share them with you at a later date - and a nice, light appetizer (if I say so myself!).
My vegetable sushi skills do not warrant sharing - yet. Better Homes and Gardens, however, has taken on the task: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/fish/basics/how-to-roll-sushi/. I reviewed several how-to sites and this was the best demo I found. I learned from Morimoto's recipe in Food Network Magazine, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/masaharu-morimoto/vegetable-sushi-recipe/index.html - but the Food Network website doesn't have the step-by-step pictures that made it (relatively) easy to learn. Sushi chefs make this look so EASY! I have always respected sushi chefs for their knowledge of their ingredients, but actually making vegetable rolls has really increased my respect for the technique and skill they possess. If you decide to try it, by all means have fun with it! That's what cooking should be about - having a great time in the kitchen and sharing the love with friends -- even if it's not perfect.
See you at the market!
I have been nibbling on it raw, dipped into tamari (a lighter soy sauce that also comes in a gluten-free version); later I may dip it into some olive oil and toss it on the grill, turning after 1-2 minutes on each side, and then serve with salt and pepper. I say "I may" because I had a fabulous Easter brunch at a friend's house, and I'm still full! I used the asparagus in the dishes I brought, which included vegetable spring rolls and vegetable sushi with a peanut-soy dipping sauce. The vegetable spring rolls were surprisingly easy - I'll share them with you at a later date - and a nice, light appetizer (if I say so myself!).
My vegetable sushi skills do not warrant sharing - yet. Better Homes and Gardens, however, has taken on the task: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/fish/basics/how-to-roll-sushi/. I reviewed several how-to sites and this was the best demo I found. I learned from Morimoto's recipe in Food Network Magazine, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/masaharu-morimoto/vegetable-sushi-recipe/index.html - but the Food Network website doesn't have the step-by-step pictures that made it (relatively) easy to learn. Sushi chefs make this look so EASY! I have always respected sushi chefs for their knowledge of their ingredients, but actually making vegetable rolls has really increased my respect for the technique and skill they possess. If you decide to try it, by all means have fun with it! That's what cooking should be about - having a great time in the kitchen and sharing the love with friends -- even if it's not perfect.
See you at the market!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday's on the way!
Easter - or Resurrection Sunday, if you prefer - is my very favorite holiday. It's the triumph of life over death, the triumph of hope over despair, and the triumph of good over evil. If you want to join us at First Pres in Salinas tomorrow to celebrate, click the link to the right. We're happy to have you! The title of this blog refers to a very old sermon I've heard preached many times. "Sometimes it feels like [Good] Friday night - but Sunday's on the way!"
Life is at the center of what I'm trying to do with this blog . . . bring us back to the place where life is connected to the land, to Creation itself. I know most of us won't give up processed foods or go to only humanely-raised beef. I still drive through fast food places and sneak a small order of onion rings or french fries. I keep canned food (that I didn't can - the quantities used in home canning are formidable) in case of emergencies -- like, I need to make a black bean hummus right now -- or we've had an earthquake. One of those. And most Saturdays you can find me wine-tasting with Coach at BevMo, a large retail chain. But if we all do something - like buying from farmers who live near us, and sometimes giving up berries from thousands of miles away - we can start to move away from the industrial food complex and back to, well, home, in the truest sense of the word.
Home is simple, so my dinner tonight is simple, too. Before you poo-poo the anchovy, I dare you - no, I triple dog dare you, to try the recipe as written. This is enough for one of me or two more reasonable eaters. It's WAY quicker to make than to write - takes about 12 minutes, once you've rinsed and soaked one anchovy for 30 minutes in milk. Take a clove of garlic (the dried stuff, not the fresh spring garlic). Hold your knife horizontally over the clove and press down with the heel of your hand to crush slightly. Peel the garlic clove and cut off the little tough part at the bottom. Cut out any green parts you find. Chop slightly and put on the cutting board with your anchovy. Now, slide the blade of your knife sideways at a low angle across the anchovy and the garlic, scraping them together until you have a smooth paste.
Cook about 2 oz. of spaghetti (I use whole wheat) according to package directions. When it's within 3 minutes of being done, put 1/4 c. of olive oil into a pan just large enough to hold the cooked spaghetti. Place the garlic/anchovy mixture in one lump in the middle of the pan and stir gently. Don't spread it around. You don't want to brown the mixture, just heat it through. As soon as you smell the garlic, scoop out the pasta with a slotted spoon and put it into the oil. Stir gently to coat the pasta. Add some hot pepper, and/or lemon zest, and/or chopped parsely, and/or dried bread crumbs (a tablespoon at most, if the pasta seems runny), and some parmesan and serve immediately. Enjoy, and until next time, I'll see you at the market!
Life is at the center of what I'm trying to do with this blog . . . bring us back to the place where life is connected to the land, to Creation itself. I know most of us won't give up processed foods or go to only humanely-raised beef. I still drive through fast food places and sneak a small order of onion rings or french fries. I keep canned food (that I didn't can - the quantities used in home canning are formidable) in case of emergencies -- like, I need to make a black bean hummus right now -- or we've had an earthquake. One of those. And most Saturdays you can find me wine-tasting with Coach at BevMo, a large retail chain. But if we all do something - like buying from farmers who live near us, and sometimes giving up berries from thousands of miles away - we can start to move away from the industrial food complex and back to, well, home, in the truest sense of the word.
Home is simple, so my dinner tonight is simple, too. Before you poo-poo the anchovy, I dare you - no, I triple dog dare you, to try the recipe as written. This is enough for one of me or two more reasonable eaters. It's WAY quicker to make than to write - takes about 12 minutes, once you've rinsed and soaked one anchovy for 30 minutes in milk. Take a clove of garlic (the dried stuff, not the fresh spring garlic). Hold your knife horizontally over the clove and press down with the heel of your hand to crush slightly. Peel the garlic clove and cut off the little tough part at the bottom. Cut out any green parts you find. Chop slightly and put on the cutting board with your anchovy. Now, slide the blade of your knife sideways at a low angle across the anchovy and the garlic, scraping them together until you have a smooth paste.
Cook about 2 oz. of spaghetti (I use whole wheat) according to package directions. When it's within 3 minutes of being done, put 1/4 c. of olive oil into a pan just large enough to hold the cooked spaghetti. Place the garlic/anchovy mixture in one lump in the middle of the pan and stir gently. Don't spread it around. You don't want to brown the mixture, just heat it through. As soon as you smell the garlic, scoop out the pasta with a slotted spoon and put it into the oil. Stir gently to coat the pasta. Add some hot pepper, and/or lemon zest, and/or chopped parsely, and/or dried bread crumbs (a tablespoon at most, if the pasta seems runny), and some parmesan and serve immediately. Enjoy, and until next time, I'll see you at the market!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday Fish from Frank
Just a brief note...
If you need some fish for this weekend, visit Frank on W. Market in Salinas (just outside the Amtrak station). His shop is fully stocked. I picked up some beautiful sand dabs, and he also had oysters at well below supermarket prices (.75 per oyster v. $1.10 or $1.25). If you're here in Salinas, there's no need to drive to Fisherman's Wharf...although that's fun too...to get good seafood.
If you need some fish for this weekend, visit Frank on W. Market in Salinas (just outside the Amtrak station). His shop is fully stocked. I picked up some beautiful sand dabs, and he also had oysters at well below supermarket prices (.75 per oyster v. $1.10 or $1.25). If you're here in Salinas, there's no need to drive to Fisherman's Wharf...although that's fun too...to get good seafood.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Strawberry-Cheesecake Crepes
This is going to be a long post, but it's worth it. It'll provide dessert for about 4 people, or 2 really big eaters. Three disclaimers before you start down this road with me. . .
1) If you're a novice cook, practice this recipe - particularly the crepes - at least once before you make them for a formal dinner or, you know, a marriage proposal dinner.
2) I have a crepe recipe I will share, but I'm not completely happy with it yet, so if you want to use someone else's recipe, that's fine - but add 1/2 t. cinnamon for every cup of flour to it. My recipe uses white whole wheat flour, which means if you substitute all-purpose flour, the amount of liquid will be wrong. Whole wheat absorbs liquid like the Rat Pack on a Saturday night. Note to younger readers: Google Rat Pack. I'll wait.
3) This is one of those few times when I'll recommend a non-stick pan. Normally the coating scares me, but there are some things non-stick just does better.
OK. Take a deep breath. Here we go.
Rinse 1 pt. of strawberries and remove the green tops and cut them into 1/4 - 1/2" pieces. Place them in a bowl with 1 T. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur - or 1 T. fresh orange juice - and 2 T. of sugar. Stir gently and let rest at room temperature for at least one hour.
Whip 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, at room temperature, with a hand mixer or a whisk (if you're Popeye the Sailor Man or equally endowed) until creamy/fluffy. Beat in: the zest of one orange, 2 T. fresh orange juice (zest, then juice the orange), 1/2 T. Grand Marnier (or additional orange juice), 1 heaping T. sugar and 1/2 t. vanilla. Let sit at room temp next to the strawberries so they get comfortable together.
Now for the crepes: whisk one whole egg with one cup of milk. Slowly add 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour (sift it in, if possible) and whisk until there are no lumps. Add 1 t. sugar, 1/2 t. baking powder, 1/4 t. cinnamon and whisk until everything's well-mixed. Heat up your non-stick pan with some canola oil or (cringe) some of that spray-on stuff. The pan should be about the size you'd use to make a 2-3 egg omelet. Mine measures 5" across the base and it could have been a little bigger.
Once the pan is hot, with your non-dominant hand, use a ladle to scoop in about 1/3 cup of the crepe batter. With your dominant hand, hold the pan and tilt it in a circular motion until the batter coats it. What you're going for is a really thin pancake. Let it cook until bubbles have broken and the top is dry. Flip the crepe in whatever manner works - shake the pan, use a spatula - just do it quickly so it doesn't fold over. It may take a few tries to get this down. Let it cook on the second side for 60-90 seconds until it's pale gold with a few light brown spots. Remove to a plate and keep going. It took me about 4 crepes to get it right -- I haven't made them in awhile.
Once you've made all the crepes, take the first one and give it a good shmear of the cream cheese mixture. Spoon a line of the strawberries (make sure you get some of the juices) across the middle and roll the crepe into a cigar shape. leaving the ends open. The cream cheese mixture makes a good "glue."
If you have leftover strawberry mixture, gently heat it in a saucepan and spoon it over the crepes as a sauce. Otherwise, sift some confectioner's sugar over top of the crepes, and garnish with a whole strawberry and mint leaf. You could also melt some dark chocolate in the microwave (zap 10 seconds, stir; zap 10 seconds, stir. . .until melted) and drizzle it over top with sifted confectioner's sugar...and add whipped cream for real decadence.
I tried these when they were freshly made, and also tried heating them in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes so they were warm all the way through. I preferred them freshly made or at room temp. My suggestion is if you're doing this for guests, let them do some of the work. Set out all the fixin's (cream cheese mixture, strawberries. and garnish), and then deliver the crepes in small batches and let them make their own. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Leftover cream cheese mixture and/or strawberry mixture is really, really good on French Toast.
Coming Saturday: Something astoundingly simple. 'Til then...see you at the market!!
1) If you're a novice cook, practice this recipe - particularly the crepes - at least once before you make them for a formal dinner or, you know, a marriage proposal dinner.
2) I have a crepe recipe I will share, but I'm not completely happy with it yet, so if you want to use someone else's recipe, that's fine - but add 1/2 t. cinnamon for every cup of flour to it. My recipe uses white whole wheat flour, which means if you substitute all-purpose flour, the amount of liquid will be wrong. Whole wheat absorbs liquid like the Rat Pack on a Saturday night. Note to younger readers: Google Rat Pack. I'll wait.
3) This is one of those few times when I'll recommend a non-stick pan. Normally the coating scares me, but there are some things non-stick just does better.
OK. Take a deep breath. Here we go.
Rinse 1 pt. of strawberries and remove the green tops and cut them into 1/4 - 1/2" pieces. Place them in a bowl with 1 T. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur - or 1 T. fresh orange juice - and 2 T. of sugar. Stir gently and let rest at room temperature for at least one hour.
Whip 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, at room temperature, with a hand mixer or a whisk (if you're Popeye the Sailor Man or equally endowed) until creamy/fluffy. Beat in: the zest of one orange, 2 T. fresh orange juice (zest, then juice the orange), 1/2 T. Grand Marnier (or additional orange juice), 1 heaping T. sugar and 1/2 t. vanilla. Let sit at room temp next to the strawberries so they get comfortable together.
Now for the crepes: whisk one whole egg with one cup of milk. Slowly add 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour (sift it in, if possible) and whisk until there are no lumps. Add 1 t. sugar, 1/2 t. baking powder, 1/4 t. cinnamon and whisk until everything's well-mixed. Heat up your non-stick pan with some canola oil or (cringe) some of that spray-on stuff. The pan should be about the size you'd use to make a 2-3 egg omelet. Mine measures 5" across the base and it could have been a little bigger.
Once the pan is hot, with your non-dominant hand, use a ladle to scoop in about 1/3 cup of the crepe batter. With your dominant hand, hold the pan and tilt it in a circular motion until the batter coats it. What you're going for is a really thin pancake. Let it cook until bubbles have broken and the top is dry. Flip the crepe in whatever manner works - shake the pan, use a spatula - just do it quickly so it doesn't fold over. It may take a few tries to get this down. Let it cook on the second side for 60-90 seconds until it's pale gold with a few light brown spots. Remove to a plate and keep going. It took me about 4 crepes to get it right -- I haven't made them in awhile.
Once you've made all the crepes, take the first one and give it a good shmear of the cream cheese mixture. Spoon a line of the strawberries (make sure you get some of the juices) across the middle and roll the crepe into a cigar shape. leaving the ends open. The cream cheese mixture makes a good "glue."
If you have leftover strawberry mixture, gently heat it in a saucepan and spoon it over the crepes as a sauce. Otherwise, sift some confectioner's sugar over top of the crepes, and garnish with a whole strawberry and mint leaf. You could also melt some dark chocolate in the microwave (zap 10 seconds, stir; zap 10 seconds, stir. . .until melted) and drizzle it over top with sifted confectioner's sugar...and add whipped cream for real decadence.
I tried these when they were freshly made, and also tried heating them in a 300 degree oven for 10-15 minutes so they were warm all the way through. I preferred them freshly made or at room temp. My suggestion is if you're doing this for guests, let them do some of the work. Set out all the fixin's (cream cheese mixture, strawberries. and garnish), and then deliver the crepes in small batches and let them make their own. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Leftover cream cheese mixture and/or strawberry mixture is really, really good on French Toast.
Coming Saturday: Something astoundingly simple. 'Til then...see you at the market!!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Coconut Gouda!
Next time you're at Star Market, ask to taste the Coconut Gouda at the cheese counter. Yes, you heard me right. Coconut Gouda. No, it's not made locally, but since it's being sold by a locally-owned market, it deserves a mention. When it's right out of the refrigerator, it's "Gouda with a hint of . . . what IS that???" Once it hits room temperature, the coconut is pronounced - but very, very pleasant. I'm open to wine pairing ideas. (Ventana's Dry Riesling?) Put this on your next cheese plate and really start some conversations!
Coming Thursday Night - Strawberry Dessert
Check in with me Thursday or Friday for a beautiful strawberry dessert, good for any special occasion - and quick and easy to make. See you at the market!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
The Next Easter Link. . . Sausage and Radicchio
OK, so tonight I was lucky and got to fire up the grill. Mine's kinds of fancy -- I can see the temperature on the hood, and stuff like that. So I tossed on 3 Cowboy Sauasage Italian sausages. They needed between 3-4 minutes a side once the grill was at 300 degrees. I put them on the warming rack, and put on two quarters of a head of radicchio (looks like red lettuce, kinda bitter), tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, for about 2 minutes a side or until they had nice grill marks. My radicchio were pretty small, so I didin't have to go to a second side. I tossed some scallions with them in the olive oil and put them on the grill, too, for the same period.
For dressing for the veg, I mixed one and one-half teaspoons honey plus one and one-half teaspoons fancy mustard (think Grey Poupon) and the juice of one Meyer lemon. As soon as the radicchio and scallions came off the grill, I dressed them with this. The dressing also tastes good with the sausage. That means for Easter, you can place the whole lot on a piece of sourdough toast and call it "bruschetta!"
I also made a side of chili beans. I'll discuss them another time. Til then, see you at the market!!!
For dressing for the veg, I mixed one and one-half teaspoons honey plus one and one-half teaspoons fancy mustard (think Grey Poupon) and the juice of one Meyer lemon. As soon as the radicchio and scallions came off the grill, I dressed them with this. The dressing also tastes good with the sausage. That means for Easter, you can place the whole lot on a piece of sourdough toast and call it "bruschetta!"
I also made a side of chili beans. I'll discuss them another time. Til then, see you at the market!!!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Easter/Passover Salad or Main - and it's kinda good for you!
Happy Spring! Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or just the arrival of warm weather and sunshine, this is one of my favorite times of year. I have a dish for you today that will work with any of the aforementioned celebrations. I love tabouli -- a Greek salad normally made with bulghur wheat. However, wheat is one of the five grains not permitted during Passover, so I'm going to make it with quinoa (KEEN-wah) instead. You should be able to find it in the bulk section of a natural food or large grocery store. Quinoa is unusual among grains, as it is a complete protein.
You're also going to need a couple of small or one medium-sized cucumber, a medium-to-large tomato (or a pint of cherry tomatoes, which I used). This time of year, the tomatoes are either going to come from a hot place, probably far away, or a hot house. Mine were from West Vista Farms in Watsonville, purchased at Star Market. Peel and dice the cucumbers and put them in a colander with some kosher salt and toss gently every 10-20 minutes to drain off some of the liquid, so your finished salad is not soupy.
You'll also need either a bunch of scallions, some spring garlic, or some sweet red or white onion, in fine dice -- about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on how much you like onions. Helpful hint: chop them, taste them, and let them sit for 10 minutes, then taste again - the exposure to the air helps them develop their flavor, so they're going to taste stronger after you've chopped them. For the dressing, you'll need one whole lemon and some good olive oil.
Finally, you'll need 1/2 cup of parsley leaves and thin stems (toss the thick ones), chopped very finely. I don't add mint, which is a traditional ingredient in tabouli, because I just don't like it.
Take 1 cup of quinoa and rinse it thoroughly. You need a mesh bowl or sieve for this, because it will go through the holes of a regular colander. You're rinsing off an outer layer that can be bitter. I cook my quinoa just like pasta, but without all the salt. Toss it into a big pot of boiling water; turn the water down to simmer and let it cook 20-25 minutes. It will start to look like little curlicues when it's finished, and will retain some of its crunchiness. It will nearly double in volume. Drain thoroughly and let cool, fluffing occasionally with a fork. When it's cool enough to handle, but still warm, put it in a bowl. Rinse the cucumbers and pat with paper towels. Toss them in with the chopped tomatoes (I halved my cherry tomatoes to make them bite-sized) and your allium family member of choice (the onion or garlic).
For the dressing, juice the lemon (thanks, Flora - as juicy as advertised!). You should have about 1/2 cup of juice. If not, juice another lemon! Traditional vinaigrettes are 2 parts oil to one part acid, but lemon juice isn't like vinegar, so I only whisked in 3/4 cup of olive oil. Add a teaspoon of salt and 4-5 grindings of fresh pepper. For something a little interesting, add a pinch of allspice. And I mean a pinch - it's strong stuff, but in a small quantity, it'll be that "hmmmmm" flavor in the background. I did not use all the dressing. . .I stir some in, taste, stir some in, taste. . .I hate overdressed salad. I'll save the rest for another dish.
Variations - you can add kalamata olives and feta cheese for a Greek feast. However, if you're taking this to a Jewish home for dinner, call first and ask if the cheese is okay with your host. Depending on what else they're serving, the cheese might not be a kosher choice.
Taste your salad and then step away from the salt. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors marry and develop in that special alchemy found in combinations like this. If you're adding the olives or feta or both, you definitely want to re-taste before adding any salt.
This salad could be a main dish in a light lunch, or a great side to an Easter leg of lamb. Tomorrow I'll be cooking locally-made sausage with radicchio on the grill. In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!
You're also going to need a couple of small or one medium-sized cucumber, a medium-to-large tomato (or a pint of cherry tomatoes, which I used). This time of year, the tomatoes are either going to come from a hot place, probably far away, or a hot house. Mine were from West Vista Farms in Watsonville, purchased at Star Market. Peel and dice the cucumbers and put them in a colander with some kosher salt and toss gently every 10-20 minutes to drain off some of the liquid, so your finished salad is not soupy.
You'll also need either a bunch of scallions, some spring garlic, or some sweet red or white onion, in fine dice -- about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, depending on how much you like onions. Helpful hint: chop them, taste them, and let them sit for 10 minutes, then taste again - the exposure to the air helps them develop their flavor, so they're going to taste stronger after you've chopped them. For the dressing, you'll need one whole lemon and some good olive oil.
Finally, you'll need 1/2 cup of parsley leaves and thin stems (toss the thick ones), chopped very finely. I don't add mint, which is a traditional ingredient in tabouli, because I just don't like it.
Take 1 cup of quinoa and rinse it thoroughly. You need a mesh bowl or sieve for this, because it will go through the holes of a regular colander. You're rinsing off an outer layer that can be bitter. I cook my quinoa just like pasta, but without all the salt. Toss it into a big pot of boiling water; turn the water down to simmer and let it cook 20-25 minutes. It will start to look like little curlicues when it's finished, and will retain some of its crunchiness. It will nearly double in volume. Drain thoroughly and let cool, fluffing occasionally with a fork. When it's cool enough to handle, but still warm, put it in a bowl. Rinse the cucumbers and pat with paper towels. Toss them in with the chopped tomatoes (I halved my cherry tomatoes to make them bite-sized) and your allium family member of choice (the onion or garlic).
For the dressing, juice the lemon (thanks, Flora - as juicy as advertised!). You should have about 1/2 cup of juice. If not, juice another lemon! Traditional vinaigrettes are 2 parts oil to one part acid, but lemon juice isn't like vinegar, so I only whisked in 3/4 cup of olive oil. Add a teaspoon of salt and 4-5 grindings of fresh pepper. For something a little interesting, add a pinch of allspice. And I mean a pinch - it's strong stuff, but in a small quantity, it'll be that "hmmmmm" flavor in the background. I did not use all the dressing. . .I stir some in, taste, stir some in, taste. . .I hate overdressed salad. I'll save the rest for another dish.
Variations - you can add kalamata olives and feta cheese for a Greek feast. However, if you're taking this to a Jewish home for dinner, call first and ask if the cheese is okay with your host. Depending on what else they're serving, the cheese might not be a kosher choice.
Taste your salad and then step away from the salt. Put it in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors marry and develop in that special alchemy found in combinations like this. If you're adding the olives or feta or both, you definitely want to re-taste before adding any salt.
This salad could be a main dish in a light lunch, or a great side to an Easter leg of lamb. Tomorrow I'll be cooking locally-made sausage with radicchio on the grill. In the meantime, I'll see you at the market!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
"I don't like cauliflower!" "Oh yeah?" "Yeah."
Well, try this on yourself and your family before you give up. It's the beginning of spring, and the beautiful cauliflower and broccoli of winter will be left behind for juicy tomatoes and refreshing cucumbers. But for one last rainy spring night, preheat your oven to 425 degrees. I had two beautiful baby cauliflowers, but you could use one big one, too. Break it up into florets - no need to go to the mini-florets. Just make them all about the same size, about 3/4 inch in my case.
I also had some spring garlic. Spring garlic looks like a bulbous little onion the size of a ping-pong ball. Slice off the root and the greens. Turn it to the root side and you can see the beginnings of individual cloves. Peel off the tough outer skin and separate into individual cloves. And thank heavens after handling the spring garlic I had some coffee soap from Hills Natural Soap (see link) to take the stink away!.
Put 2 tablespoons of everyday olive oil (see Ingredients) into a deep mixing bowl. Add some sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (use 2 turns of the mill more than you think you should. Really.). Toss the garlic cloves in the bowl and put them on aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Put it in your oven for five minutes while you toss the cauliflower in the same bowl, then put the bowl aside, as-is. Pull out the baking sheet and add the cauliflower. Turn all the veggies around and over about every 10 minutes for a half-hour. You're looking for caramel-colored spots and soft but crispy texture on the cauliflower.
The garlic will be soft-to-creamy and the cloves will have formed an outer skin. Squeeze the cloves out of the skin. Try not to burn yourself too badly.
Make a gremolata (oooooooohhhhh): take the zest (yellow but not white part of the peel) off a lemon; this is wayyyyyy easier with a microplane grater. Really. Spend the $12.00. Chop with about 2 tablespoons of parsely leaves (take the stems off) and put aside.
In the last 20 minutes, put some water on to boil (about 10 minutes to a full boil). Salt it so it tastes like the ocean (use your kosher salt, not your sea salt, for this) and cook the pasta - wbole wheat penne is the best - according to package directions. You can add oil to the water and stir the pasta once it's in to keep it from sticking. You want the pasta to finish cooking about the same time the cauliflower and garlic come out of the oven.
Now you need a spider (see Kitchen gear) or a slotted spoon. First, put the cauliflower and garlic into the bowl. Put in up to one tablespoon additional olive oil (you can use the good stuff for this, see Ingredients), and dump in the cauliflower and garlic. Then, using your spider or slotted spoon, scoop out the pasta, shake off most of the water, and toss it into the bowl. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top. Toss everything together. Put on the serving plate and sprinkle the gremolata over all. This should have been enough for two people, but I just love roasted vegetables, and I usually cut back the pasta so it's 2 parts veg to 1 part pasta. If you do this just right, the pasta will have a creamy external texture without using cream or butter. It shouldn't need any additional salt. A little crunchy bacon or pancetta in this would be delightfully decadent!
Once you roast the vegetables, you could also toss them with a store-bought curry sauce (hey, some of you are a little busy) and serve over rice, or serve on the side with a nice Italian sausage; you could toss them with parmesan and roasted walnuts -- or anything else that suits your fancy. And you can roast all kinds of vegetables (see Techniques).
Eco-note: You may question my use of aluminum foil on the pan, but I'm in a semi-arid region of the country, so I'm balancing...(picture my hands going up and down like the balances on a scale) "water to wash the pan...vs....aluminum foil..."
Homework: Buy at least 8 oz. (by weight) of quinoa (KEEN-wha) for the weekend blog. We're going to do some fancy stuff, including a totally kosher tabouleh for Passover!
Hope you enjoy, and see you at the market!
I also had some spring garlic. Spring garlic looks like a bulbous little onion the size of a ping-pong ball. Slice off the root and the greens. Turn it to the root side and you can see the beginnings of individual cloves. Peel off the tough outer skin and separate into individual cloves. And thank heavens after handling the spring garlic I had some coffee soap from Hills Natural Soap (see link) to take the stink away!.
Put 2 tablespoons of everyday olive oil (see Ingredients) into a deep mixing bowl. Add some sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (use 2 turns of the mill more than you think you should. Really.). Toss the garlic cloves in the bowl and put them on aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Put it in your oven for five minutes while you toss the cauliflower in the same bowl, then put the bowl aside, as-is. Pull out the baking sheet and add the cauliflower. Turn all the veggies around and over about every 10 minutes for a half-hour. You're looking for caramel-colored spots and soft but crispy texture on the cauliflower.
The garlic will be soft-to-creamy and the cloves will have formed an outer skin. Squeeze the cloves out of the skin. Try not to burn yourself too badly.
Make a gremolata (oooooooohhhhh): take the zest (yellow but not white part of the peel) off a lemon; this is wayyyyyy easier with a microplane grater. Really. Spend the $12.00. Chop with about 2 tablespoons of parsely leaves (take the stems off) and put aside.
In the last 20 minutes, put some water on to boil (about 10 minutes to a full boil). Salt it so it tastes like the ocean (use your kosher salt, not your sea salt, for this) and cook the pasta - wbole wheat penne is the best - according to package directions. You can add oil to the water and stir the pasta once it's in to keep it from sticking. You want the pasta to finish cooking about the same time the cauliflower and garlic come out of the oven.
Now you need a spider (see Kitchen gear) or a slotted spoon. First, put the cauliflower and garlic into the bowl. Put in up to one tablespoon additional olive oil (you can use the good stuff for this, see Ingredients), and dump in the cauliflower and garlic. Then, using your spider or slotted spoon, scoop out the pasta, shake off most of the water, and toss it into the bowl. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese on top. Toss everything together. Put on the serving plate and sprinkle the gremolata over all. This should have been enough for two people, but I just love roasted vegetables, and I usually cut back the pasta so it's 2 parts veg to 1 part pasta. If you do this just right, the pasta will have a creamy external texture without using cream or butter. It shouldn't need any additional salt. A little crunchy bacon or pancetta in this would be delightfully decadent!
Once you roast the vegetables, you could also toss them with a store-bought curry sauce (hey, some of you are a little busy) and serve over rice, or serve on the side with a nice Italian sausage; you could toss them with parmesan and roasted walnuts -- or anything else that suits your fancy. And you can roast all kinds of vegetables (see Techniques).
Eco-note: You may question my use of aluminum foil on the pan, but I'm in a semi-arid region of the country, so I'm balancing...(picture my hands going up and down like the balances on a scale) "water to wash the pan...vs....aluminum foil..."
Homework: Buy at least 8 oz. (by weight) of quinoa (KEEN-wha) for the weekend blog. We're going to do some fancy stuff, including a totally kosher tabouleh for Passover!
Hope you enjoy, and see you at the market!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Coming attractions
Coming this Thursday, 4/14 - Roast cauliflower with whole wheat pasta.
Saturday 4/16 - Passover and Easter goodies. Quick, easy, and as kosher you wanna be.
See you at the market!
Saturday 4/16 - Passover and Easter goodies. Quick, easy, and as kosher you wanna be.
See you at the market!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
It's Spring and I'm Feeling Cheeky
It's definitely spring. The first asparagus spears, strawberries, artichokes and even some lettuce showed up today at the Salinas Farmers' Market at the National Steinbeck Center. It was hard not to bring it all home, but I restrained myself to some beautiful sugar peas from Flora's Farm, along with some Meyer Lemons. I also bought some cucumbers, some onions, and some halibut cheeks.
Yeah, that's what I said. I've had beef cheeks in tacos and they're delicious, but the idea that fish had cheeks - or that I'd want to eat them - never occurred to me. Plus, even at fresh fish prices, these were pricey (over $20/lb.). At the same time, I only need enough for one person and I spend more than $10 eating dinner out, so I thought, "Why not?". The next question was, "What do you do with that?" (which is sort of reminiscent of when I told people I was a political science major at Gettysburg College). One of the best things about shopping at a farmers' market is that you can get cooking recommendations from the source. The fish guy told me to "dip them in egg, dip them in flour, and fry them." I'm taking that a step further and using panko bread crumbs (or you could use Italian bread crumbs, or plain) and making some lovely fried fish for dinner.
Sugar Snap Peas
You should taste them -- they're just fine raw, as my sister can attest. We used to sit in my dad's garden and eat them right off the vine. You want to get an idea of how sweet they are before you start cooking and saucing. With sugar snap peas, you can eat the pod and all, but you do need pull the strings off first. If you can't find the strings, just start at one end or the other and snap it off. The string will come along with it. Mine are moderately sweet, and I want to boost that sweetness by adding something salty to contrast with it.
I bought less than a quarter of a pound of prosciutto, sliced very thinly. Ham and peas are good friends (think ham hocks in split pea soup). I'm making cracklings from the prosciutto and then making a dressing from the little bit of fat that will render. It's a riff on a Pennsylvania Dutch dandelion dressing I had when I was growing up. I started by tossing some sliced red onions into some cider vinegar to soak the "bite" out of them. They should soak for at least an hour, but you can leave them all day.
So here's what I ended up doing: I put a teeny bit (less than 1/2 of what I bought) of the prosciutto into a cast iron pan with hot olive oil and crisped it up. Meanwhile, I boiled the peas in their pods for 3 minutes and put them in a colander, and sprayed them with cold water. I tossed them into the pan with the cooked prosciutto and doused the whole lot with cider vinegar --- about a tablespoon or two --and a tablespooon of honey. It was yummy!! But just for the record, the peas would have been fine on their own, or with a teaspoon of butter or olive oil with a little squeeze of lemon.
Adjust amounts and taste as you go - that's what it's all about. See you at the market!!!
Yeah, that's what I said. I've had beef cheeks in tacos and they're delicious, but the idea that fish had cheeks - or that I'd want to eat them - never occurred to me. Plus, even at fresh fish prices, these were pricey (over $20/lb.). At the same time, I only need enough for one person and I spend more than $10 eating dinner out, so I thought, "Why not?". The next question was, "What do you do with that?" (which is sort of reminiscent of when I told people I was a political science major at Gettysburg College). One of the best things about shopping at a farmers' market is that you can get cooking recommendations from the source. The fish guy told me to "dip them in egg, dip them in flour, and fry them." I'm taking that a step further and using panko bread crumbs (or you could use Italian bread crumbs, or plain) and making some lovely fried fish for dinner.
Sugar Snap Peas
You should taste them -- they're just fine raw, as my sister can attest. We used to sit in my dad's garden and eat them right off the vine. You want to get an idea of how sweet they are before you start cooking and saucing. With sugar snap peas, you can eat the pod and all, but you do need pull the strings off first. If you can't find the strings, just start at one end or the other and snap it off. The string will come along with it. Mine are moderately sweet, and I want to boost that sweetness by adding something salty to contrast with it.
I bought less than a quarter of a pound of prosciutto, sliced very thinly. Ham and peas are good friends (think ham hocks in split pea soup). I'm making cracklings from the prosciutto and then making a dressing from the little bit of fat that will render. It's a riff on a Pennsylvania Dutch dandelion dressing I had when I was growing up. I started by tossing some sliced red onions into some cider vinegar to soak the "bite" out of them. They should soak for at least an hour, but you can leave them all day.
So here's what I ended up doing: I put a teeny bit (less than 1/2 of what I bought) of the prosciutto into a cast iron pan with hot olive oil and crisped it up. Meanwhile, I boiled the peas in their pods for 3 minutes and put them in a colander, and sprayed them with cold water. I tossed them into the pan with the cooked prosciutto and doused the whole lot with cider vinegar --- about a tablespoon or two --and a tablespooon of honey. It was yummy!! But just for the record, the peas would have been fine on their own, or with a teaspoon of butter or olive oil with a little squeeze of lemon.
Adjust amounts and taste as you go - that's what it's all about. See you at the market!!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Artichokes! Egregious Pun Alert
So the story is told of a group of mean and nasty triplets, who as children bullied everyone and as adults were thieves and thugs. They terrorized the neighborhood where they lived to the point where the residents appealed to a local hitman, "Artie Bighands" to do away with them. "Guys," says Artie, "these three guys bullied me when I was a kid. I can't stand them either. Tell you what; I'll do it for just a buck." The townspeople gladly handed it over. Late that night, he followed the trio into the all-night mega-mart. When they split up to do their weekly shoplifting, he tracked each one down and strangled him, leaving the bodies in the aisles. Unfortunately the store camera caught him and inevitably, the next evening's news story was. . .of course. . . "Artie Chokes 3 for a Dollar at Local Store."
OK, OK, I'm sorry. A true fun fact is that back when Marilyn Monroe was still Norma Jean, she was crowned the Artichoke Queen at the Artichoke Festival in Castroville. Here's a link to a neat food history blog with the whole story: http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2007/06/queen-of-artichokes.html.
Tonight I'm cooking my baby artichokes from Saturday as a snack - I get home too late for a full dinner on Tuesdays, and these are easy and satisfying. The artichokes I have are about the size of a tennis ball. Before you start, take the pot you're going to cook them in and fill it with water, then squeeze in the juice from half a lemon; or add 1/4 cup of last night's white wine; or hit it with 1/4 cup of white wine or cider vinegar (the last option's a little harsh for my taste). This keeps the artichokes from browning after you cut them. The fancy term for this is "acidulated water" (ooooohhhhh).
I'm going to tell you to do the trimming backwards of most cookbooks, but it's safer and easier. Pull off all the tough outside leaves until you have an outer row of brighter green leaves that you can see from top to bottom (no more short rows). Trim the stem to 1/2" below the bottom of the artichoke and cut each artichoke in half lengthwise. Put them immediately into the water. Pull out a half, put it flat side down on your board and cut off the pointy ends of the leaves on the top. This can be anywhere from 1/4" to 1/2", depending on the 'choke. Toss it back in the pot. When you've done this to all 4 halves, take out your Secret Weapon: the melon baller you haven't used since "Dallas" went off the air. Take an artichoke half out of the water and turn it cut-side-up on your board. Right above the "heart", which is really the bottom of the artichoke, you'll see and feel some fuzzy stuff. It's not good to eat, so you want to cut or scrape it out. This is where the melon baller comes in. You can use it to scoop the fuzzy stuff - or "choke" out fairly easily.
That was the hard part, and it's harder to read than to do. Now put your pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn it down and simmer (low bubble) until the hearts (bottom part) are tender when you pierce them with a fork. Mine took about 10 minutes. Now comes the fun part: for a lot of us artichoke lovers, they are really a vehicle for whatever you want to dip them in. I like a curry mayonnaise, which I make by mixing 2 Tablespoons of (in my case) soy mayonnaise with 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder. If you don't use spices like curry very often, find a bulk supplier like my friends at Gold Leaf and just buy as much as you need. You can also dip them in lemon butter, garlic butter, olive oil and lemon, a vinaigrette, or, if you're having Paula Deen over, butter and butter. Bottom line - you can dip in anything you like that tastes good. You can eat the artichokes cold or warm. Hot is sort of challenging.
How to eat an artichoke:
Do this only with people who love you. Preferably make sure they're doing it at the same time. For the rougher outer leaves, pull them off, dip them (everyone gets her own dip container, please) and then, put the leaf between your teeth and scrape off the "meat" and dip. Discard the leaf. As you get toward the center, you'll be able to eat the whole leaves, as they are younger and tender. Then you have the best part - the artichoke heart. Break it into bite-size pieces (or double-dip - you have your own container) and dip and enjoy. Yum!!!
Enjoy; I'll see you next time at the market!
OK, OK, I'm sorry. A true fun fact is that back when Marilyn Monroe was still Norma Jean, she was crowned the Artichoke Queen at the Artichoke Festival in Castroville. Here's a link to a neat food history blog with the whole story: http://www.theoldfoodie.com/2007/06/queen-of-artichokes.html.
Tonight I'm cooking my baby artichokes from Saturday as a snack - I get home too late for a full dinner on Tuesdays, and these are easy and satisfying. The artichokes I have are about the size of a tennis ball. Before you start, take the pot you're going to cook them in and fill it with water, then squeeze in the juice from half a lemon; or add 1/4 cup of last night's white wine; or hit it with 1/4 cup of white wine or cider vinegar (the last option's a little harsh for my taste). This keeps the artichokes from browning after you cut them. The fancy term for this is "acidulated water" (ooooohhhhh).
I'm going to tell you to do the trimming backwards of most cookbooks, but it's safer and easier. Pull off all the tough outside leaves until you have an outer row of brighter green leaves that you can see from top to bottom (no more short rows). Trim the stem to 1/2" below the bottom of the artichoke and cut each artichoke in half lengthwise. Put them immediately into the water. Pull out a half, put it flat side down on your board and cut off the pointy ends of the leaves on the top. This can be anywhere from 1/4" to 1/2", depending on the 'choke. Toss it back in the pot. When you've done this to all 4 halves, take out your Secret Weapon: the melon baller you haven't used since "Dallas" went off the air. Take an artichoke half out of the water and turn it cut-side-up on your board. Right above the "heart", which is really the bottom of the artichoke, you'll see and feel some fuzzy stuff. It's not good to eat, so you want to cut or scrape it out. This is where the melon baller comes in. You can use it to scoop the fuzzy stuff - or "choke" out fairly easily.
That was the hard part, and it's harder to read than to do. Now put your pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Turn it down and simmer (low bubble) until the hearts (bottom part) are tender when you pierce them with a fork. Mine took about 10 minutes. Now comes the fun part: for a lot of us artichoke lovers, they are really a vehicle for whatever you want to dip them in. I like a curry mayonnaise, which I make by mixing 2 Tablespoons of (in my case) soy mayonnaise with 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder. If you don't use spices like curry very often, find a bulk supplier like my friends at Gold Leaf and just buy as much as you need. You can also dip them in lemon butter, garlic butter, olive oil and lemon, a vinaigrette, or, if you're having Paula Deen over, butter and butter. Bottom line - you can dip in anything you like that tastes good. You can eat the artichokes cold or warm. Hot is sort of challenging.
How to eat an artichoke:
Do this only with people who love you. Preferably make sure they're doing it at the same time. For the rougher outer leaves, pull them off, dip them (everyone gets her own dip container, please) and then, put the leaf between your teeth and scrape off the "meat" and dip. Discard the leaf. As you get toward the center, you'll be able to eat the whole leaves, as they are younger and tender. Then you have the best part - the artichoke heart. Break it into bite-size pieces (or double-dip - you have your own container) and dip and enjoy. Yum!!!
Enjoy; I'll see you next time at the market!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
It's not easy being greens
But thankfully, it's really easy to cook them.
This is the first installment in what I hope will be a source of useful information about all that stuff you find at the farmers' market and what to do with it. I love organic, locally-grown food and I love to cook. And I want you to try more of it yourself, because that's going to support our local farmers and improve your quality of life. You may not be able to do this kind of thing every day, but even if you replace one processed, frozen or fast-food meal - maybe on a day off - with something that's come from a farm that morning and is on your table the same day, you'll be making an important difference.
And hopefully, this will become a great community where you'll share your ideas, too!
Today I went to the Salinas farmers' market and bought some pea greens (the young greens of a pea plant - they have a mild pea flavor), baby zucchini, amaranth leaves, baby artichokes, spring garlic and scallions (green onions that are feeling fancy). For this entry, I have some tips on cooking the pea greens and using the zucchini.
Pea Greens
The first thing you have to do is taste the pea greens. They're mild, right? You can use them raw in a salad, with other baby greens like arugula or spinach, and toss with a little olive oil and lemon or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. To use raw, pick them off the stems. If you're going to cook them, just chop off the biggest stems - the smaller ones cook down and are very tender. They "cook down" a LOT - that means they look like there's a lot of greens, but when they're cooked, they become smaller. I bought a big bunch for $1.50, and I think it's about enough for 3 people when cooked. Raw, I can barely get my hand around the bunch.
You need a pan (non-stick, if you're cutting down on fat), 1-2 T. of olive oil, a little chopped garlic or onion, if you enjoy that, and a stove. Make sure all your ingredients are ready to go, because this goes fast! You could also use butter or a small amount (less than 1 T.) of bacon fat, but I think they would overwhelm the delicate flavor of the greens. Put the olive oil in the pan and heat it until it ripples a little. If you're using the chopped onion, put it in first and let it become transluscent - about 2-3 minutes. If you add 1-2 teaspoons of chopped garlic, don't let it brown - it will be bitter. Toss it in and as soon as you smell it, add the pea greens - about one big handful per person. In about 30 seconds the greens will wilt - take out and serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Baby zucchini
Zucchini is one of those "chameleon" vegetables - it can blend into almost anything. You can grate it and make little pancakes, you can shred it into cole slaw, you can chop it and toss it in a sauce or an omelette . . . and it adds a little nice greenness, sweetness and crunch. The smaller the zucchini, the better the flavor - in my opinion. Wash them first - they can be sandy. For a really special appetizer with minimal effort, make zucchini noodles: Using your vegetable peeler, create thin ribbons of zucchini, 2 baby zucchini per person. This is the hardest part of the dish. If you have a mandoline, that makes this part a lot quicker - but please, use the hand guard! Lightly salt the "noodles" (1/2 - 1 t. per serving) and set them in a colander to drain. Go have a glass of wine and read for a half hour or so.
Rinse and drain the noodles - if you have a salad spinner, this is really easy. In fact, if you're going to spend some time with me at the market, a salad spinner's a good investment. Put 1-2 T. of olive oil in a pan (use the smaller amount with a non-stick pan) and toss in 1/2 T. of chopped garlic (or if you're me, a whole Tablespoon per serving). As soon as you smell the garlic, add the "noodles." They'll turn this lovely bright color along the edges. As soon as you start to see some light brown spots (3-4 minutes), take them out of the pan. Drain on paper towels to remove any excess oil. You can toss with any number of things - chopped toasted walnuts, chopped kalamata olives, a little roasted red pepper, parmesan cheese, chopped sundried tomatoes from a jar (drain them a little first). . .serve warm. Again, a squeeze of lemon juice never hurt.
See you next time I visit the market!
This is the first installment in what I hope will be a source of useful information about all that stuff you find at the farmers' market and what to do with it. I love organic, locally-grown food and I love to cook. And I want you to try more of it yourself, because that's going to support our local farmers and improve your quality of life. You may not be able to do this kind of thing every day, but even if you replace one processed, frozen or fast-food meal - maybe on a day off - with something that's come from a farm that morning and is on your table the same day, you'll be making an important difference.
And hopefully, this will become a great community where you'll share your ideas, too!
Today I went to the Salinas farmers' market and bought some pea greens (the young greens of a pea plant - they have a mild pea flavor), baby zucchini, amaranth leaves, baby artichokes, spring garlic and scallions (green onions that are feeling fancy). For this entry, I have some tips on cooking the pea greens and using the zucchini.
Pea Greens
The first thing you have to do is taste the pea greens. They're mild, right? You can use them raw in a salad, with other baby greens like arugula or spinach, and toss with a little olive oil and lemon or red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. To use raw, pick them off the stems. If you're going to cook them, just chop off the biggest stems - the smaller ones cook down and are very tender. They "cook down" a LOT - that means they look like there's a lot of greens, but when they're cooked, they become smaller. I bought a big bunch for $1.50, and I think it's about enough for 3 people when cooked. Raw, I can barely get my hand around the bunch.
You need a pan (non-stick, if you're cutting down on fat), 1-2 T. of olive oil, a little chopped garlic or onion, if you enjoy that, and a stove. Make sure all your ingredients are ready to go, because this goes fast! You could also use butter or a small amount (less than 1 T.) of bacon fat, but I think they would overwhelm the delicate flavor of the greens. Put the olive oil in the pan and heat it until it ripples a little. If you're using the chopped onion, put it in first and let it become transluscent - about 2-3 minutes. If you add 1-2 teaspoons of chopped garlic, don't let it brown - it will be bitter. Toss it in and as soon as you smell it, add the pea greens - about one big handful per person. In about 30 seconds the greens will wilt - take out and serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Baby zucchini
Zucchini is one of those "chameleon" vegetables - it can blend into almost anything. You can grate it and make little pancakes, you can shred it into cole slaw, you can chop it and toss it in a sauce or an omelette . . . and it adds a little nice greenness, sweetness and crunch. The smaller the zucchini, the better the flavor - in my opinion. Wash them first - they can be sandy. For a really special appetizer with minimal effort, make zucchini noodles: Using your vegetable peeler, create thin ribbons of zucchini, 2 baby zucchini per person. This is the hardest part of the dish. If you have a mandoline, that makes this part a lot quicker - but please, use the hand guard! Lightly salt the "noodles" (1/2 - 1 t. per serving) and set them in a colander to drain. Go have a glass of wine and read for a half hour or so.
Rinse and drain the noodles - if you have a salad spinner, this is really easy. In fact, if you're going to spend some time with me at the market, a salad spinner's a good investment. Put 1-2 T. of olive oil in a pan (use the smaller amount with a non-stick pan) and toss in 1/2 T. of chopped garlic (or if you're me, a whole Tablespoon per serving). As soon as you smell the garlic, add the "noodles." They'll turn this lovely bright color along the edges. As soon as you start to see some light brown spots (3-4 minutes), take them out of the pan. Drain on paper towels to remove any excess oil. You can toss with any number of things - chopped toasted walnuts, chopped kalamata olives, a little roasted red pepper, parmesan cheese, chopped sundried tomatoes from a jar (drain them a little first). . .serve warm. Again, a squeeze of lemon juice never hurt.
See you next time I visit the market!
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