seasonal cooking Archive

seasonal eating in a snowpocalypse

– February 8, 2011Posted in: eat/drink

Okay, here’s where eating seasonally gets rough.

Its winter.  As in, uber winter, Snowpocalypse 2011 winter.

It’s rough out there, and no, I am not going to ask for your sympathy because I was forced to eat my fro-yo at 45°F temperatures the other night, bbbrrr, poor me! (BTW: cookie dough bits, excellent addition to the frozen yogurt cup). My step-ish dad & step-ish brother drove to Texas the other day, it’s freaking 13° down there. What the? How is anything in season you ask?

Cold storage. Preservation. California. Florida. South & Central America.
The dead cold of winter is a good time of year to learn a new idea for some. I always love a new word or concept to dive into, don’t you? The dwindling end of winter is a great time to learn & practice: Foodshedding.

Those of you that read Omnivore’s Dilemma will have heard the term. It is often a hard concept to sell to people. It is sort of like how this woman on the radio yesterday when asked, “religiously speaking, is sex okay according to the bible?”

Her answer, “Let’s just say yes. Yes and No, but let’s say, Yes.”

I spend all year long touting the importance of eating locally. It’s the best way to ensure you are getting the most healthful fresh, and super-tasty-perfectly-ripe food, that’s the from the selfish Me standpoint. It’s also the best way to ensure you are supporting a diverse, active local economy. That’s the community me talking.

Nevertheless, in all honesty, it’s nearly impossible to eat 100%local. That’s why it’s called a Locavore Challenge. That’s why people write books about it, it is HARD. The main outcome from such an endeavour is appreciation. Depending on where you live, you will not have sugar, coffee, kiwi fruit, bananas, good wine, many herbs. And really, how long can you go without chocolate? Let us all be honest here.

The concept of foodshedding is to purchase wisely. To offset the carbon print of an imported good with the purchases of local goods. Or, as local as you can get. To purchase things in their natural season, even if the food is from the tropics.
To try and purchase organic, artisan, heirloom, and/or sustainably sourced items whenever possible. If given the choice of an American prosciutto or an Italian one, in winter, I’ll buy American. Because I am also purchasing bananas from Chile and apple butter from Washington and honey & dried beans from a local farm.

In foodshedding we don’t have to eschew our ideals to make it through the winter, we have to adjust our habits. Incorporate dried & preserved items, embrace the potato, relish in the citrus from our coastal counties, commit to eating tropical fruit only in their season, which is, thanks be to the harvest moon, in Winter.


(click here to print!)

Fruit: Vegetables: Meat & Seafood: Edible Miscellany:
bananas

citrus:
blood orange
Buddha hand
cara cara orange
clementine
grapefruit
kumquat
meyer lemon
navel orange
oroblanco
pomelos
tangerine
Valencia oranges

dried fruits

kiwi fruit
papaya

passion fruit
pineapples
star fruit

tropical fuit

 Beans: black & pinto

broccoli

brussels sprouts

cabbage: red, green & savoy

cardoon
carrot
celery root
chicories
daikon
endive
escarole

frisee
greens : collard, mustard
kale
kohlrabi
leeks
mâche
parsnips
potatoes
raddichio
radishes : black, french breakfast, red globe, watermelon
rappini (broccoli rabe)
rutabaga
salsify
sunchokes
squashes, winter : acorn, butternut, delicata, kabocha,etc.
sweet potatoes
turnips
yams

 bass: black sea, striped

bluefish
capon
caviar
clams
cod
crab, King & snow

flounder
lobster
mackerel, king
monkfish
mussels

oysters
paté
pollock
rabbit
sablefish (black cod)
scallops
sea bass
sea trout
sea urchin
shrimp
squid

smelt (Columbia river)

sole
veal shanks
weakfish

 buckwheat

canned goods

cold storage goods :
-apples
-pears
-carrots
-onions
-garlic

chestnuts

dried nuts & seeds
dried grains
dried  beans & legumes

nuts
nut oils
pickles & preserves

rosemary
truffles, black

great friends: grapefruit & vanilla, rosemary & almonds

– January 28, 2011Posted in: eat/drink

When we are lucky enough to have great friends.

We should make them delicious things, because sometimes words can’t express how much they mean to us. And sometimes, we should write them a letter.

Dear Vanilla Sugar,

Thank you for being a friend.
It’s true that we’ve  traveled down that road and back again.

You’re heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant. And if you threw a party, invited everyone you knew, or even just a few of us. You would see the biggest gift would be from me and the card attached would say, Thank you for being a friend.

Okay. So mostly I didn’t actually write that. Andrew Gold did for a really great t.v. show who’s name escapes me…you know, the one with all those plucky hilarious old ladies. The one where I am probably Gladys, a few of our friends are definitely Blanche; we won’t say, but will always secretly know who is Rose, and well, you’re definitely Dorothy.

Well, let’s just say if you updated your Facebook status that you were craving a good old fashioned spaghetti and meatball dinner, I’d braise  it for you, with delicious heritage meats in red wine & a slow cooked tomato sauce. And I’d make you a super fancy farmer’s market salad, brightly colored with carrots, watermelon radishes and a homemade herb yogurt dressing. And I’d make a winter fruit dessert worthy of many salivating daydreams.

Because you love fruit dessert. And I love you. You are a super amazing friend to me & have done things to support and look out for me that fill me with endless gratitude. You know, like the kind of gestures that sometimes actually make me tear up at how lovely you are. And at how you seem to find an endless wellspring of patience & appreciation.

You have listened to me so many hours and even when I was probably being a total jerk, you’ve been one of the most incredibly accepting, loving, inspiring friends I’ve had in a good long while. You make me want to be a better person, that’s such a gift. So, naturally I would want to spoil you for your birthday.

It seems the most nuanced friendships start with unlikely pairs, unexpected serendipitous dances of each other’s best & worst qualities. Qualities that become colorful and well rounded; no longer awkward, but instead become inspiring & supportive. Like how the almost metallic sting of my nature becomes a subtle structure to hold your robust floral acrobatics.

Great friendships like rosemary, almonds and sugar, how they find the most wonderful array of tones in each other. And sweet little ways to resurrect what was once a bad situation. Like the first time I overworked biscuits when I was younger, but now know that I can make them into flaky cookies and stack them with layers of good things.

Great flavors together are like great conversations. And isn’t that really why we love being around each other? To share all these great moments then sit in sated silence & rub our bellies. That, my friend, is what a great celebratory dinner is all about. So thank you for being a friend, and for inspiring such great meals in your honor.. I look forward to eating this dessert again soon.

All my Love,
Tangy Grapefruit

Double Decker Rosemary Almond Cookies &
Grapefruit Vanilla Custard

(with fresh whipped cream!)

(click here to print!)

what you need:
whisk
heavy bottomed sauce pan
heatproof spatula
maybe a fine mesh sieve
rolling pin
pastry brush
cookie sheet
a cold bowl & whisk for whipped cream

ingredients:
vanilla grapefruit custard:
¾ cup (vanilla) sugar*
2Tbsp cornstarch
¾ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1.5 tsp, see note below)*
4 large egg yolks
1 stick or ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

double decker rosemary almond (biscuit) cookies:**
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
7 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
¾ cup half & half or whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

topping & filling:
½ cup sliced almonds
1Tbsp  fresh rosemary, chopped finely
1Tbsp raw sugar
heavy cream to brush

fresh whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp van extract
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

how to make them:
start with the custard:
1.) whisk together the cornstarch & the sugar, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients
2.) add vanilla extract to the grapefruit juice in measuring cup, gently pour the juice mixture into the sugar & cornstarch, whisking from the center  to incorporate gradually while avoiding lumps
3.) put mixture into your heavy bottomed skillet, scraping it all from the sides of the bowl
4.) heat over a medium-low flame until bubbling & sugar starts to melt some
5.) place egg yolks into your mixing bowl, and whisk a few tablespoons full of the hot liquid in, gradually adding more while whisking until you have about half of the hot liquid in the bowl
6.) transfer egg yolk mixture back to the pan with the remaining liquid and bring back to heat over a medium-low flame, being sure to stir contantly and using your spatula or a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom & the edges of the pan to keep it from curdling. You will want to continue cooking this way until it has a nice even thick consistency, about 5-7 minutes
7.)remove from heat & transfer to a clean bowl
8.) sometimes you get a little bit of scrambled egg, it’s a sad story, but hopefully its just a little bit, and if so, strain through a fine mesh strainer into your bowl.
9.) cover by patting plastic wrap into the surface & chill in the fridge while you make the rest

now make the (biscuit) cookies:
preheat oven to 375°F
1.) combine the dry ingredients well
2.) cut the butter into the flour mixture using your fingers or a pastry knife, work the butter into the flour breaking it up into little bits about the size of peas & lentils
3.) create a well in the center & incorporate the cream & vanilla into the flour mixture until you have a cohesive dough.
4.) turn out onto a lightly floured surface & roll out about ¾ of an inch thick. cut into two halves
5.) combine rosemary, sugar & slightly crushed sliced almonds
6.) brush dough with some cream & sprinkle half the almond mixture over one half of the dough, pressing it slightly in, layer the other half of the dough over
7.) cut into desired shapes, brush each top with cream & sprinkle a bit of the remaining rosemary almond mixture onto the individual cookies
8.) place on a cookie sheet & bake for about 10-15 minutes, rotating once during cooking time, basically until lightly browned on the edges & the bottom is a nice rich even brown
9.) allow to cool before serving

make some whipped cream!~
the magic of whipped cream comes with it being cold. Everything should be cold, the bowl, the whisk, the ingredients, so I like to pop it all in the fridge or freezer for a while before I start.
1.) dissolve powdered sugar in cream & add vanilla
2.) using a big whisk with lots of room for air, or an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip vigorously, stopping on occasion to stir everything together
3.) continue whisking & stirring until the cream holds a softly arching peak when you lift the whisk up from the bowl

notes:
*I always keep some vanilla sugar on hand to make pastries with & to serve with tea & coffee. It’s not because I am fancy, it’s because I buy vanilla beans & forget to use them  & they dry up, so rather than waste them, I break them up and put them in a jar with sugar, I am continually adding sugar to the jar & also continually adding vanilla beans. For this recipe I used the vanilla sugar and it gave an extra punch of vanilla floral flavor. If you have it use it, if not, you can add another half teaspoon of vanilla to the mix.
**This also works as a single layer cookie. But for some reason I just really needed to make this double decker. I just did, okay.

for the brussels sprouts converts, i love you.

– January 17, 2011Posted in: tasty morsels

Brussels Sprouts are on the rise. It’s true.

They really have all the trappings of a little star, cute diminutive, round little rose shaped buds of cheery green.
The germans call them Rosenkohl, rose cabbage. Cute, right?
They are showing up on menus everywhere & in my own personal travels to potlucks & dinner parties, they are showing up all the time.

Today I want to say, Brussels Sprouts Converts: Good Job! Way to stare a childhood fear in the face and take it down in a roasting pan!

Most people exclaim such vitriolic devoted hatred for this little member of the brassica family. Though when you ask calmly and patiently, why? What did the cute little cabbage things do to you?

“My mom boiled them & they smelled gross & were army fatigue green & mushy. And I hate them.”

Well, there you have it. Who does actually like over-boiled unseasoned anything?

This little morsel of preparation notes is for those of you that are branching out & trying Brussels Sprouts in many new & varying manners. Like say, raw in slivers in a salad or slaw. For this you’ll want to just trim the tiniest sliver off the bottom, cut them in half, lay them on the flat half side then cut them from the top to the base in 1/8″ -1/4″ slices.

Halved & roasted with garlic and olive oil. In the oven or in a pan, with bacon and shallots or orange juice, tamari and walnuts. Simply trim the end & slice from the north pole to the south pole.

Or tiny & whole, simply tossed with oil and spices and roasted until tender then tossed with a handful of fresh herbs.The best way to make sure they get cooked through in this fashion is to simply cut a little “x” through the base so that the densest part of the vegetable gets cooked evenly along with the looser top.

Anyway you decide to prepare them, you will be happy you did. The biggest thing to keep in mind with this tiny vegetable is to not overcook them. The only golden rule, Do Not Overcook Brussels Sprouts. They taste nasty. The perfect doneness should have your paring knife slipping into the base of the sprout with a little resistance and the color should remain a rich range of dense bright greens ranging to a yellow-green inside.

Also keep in mind that this is a cold weather vegetable, they just do not abide the heat, so the best time to dive in is from Fall to Spring. Look for bright green, tight little sprouts no bigger than 1.5 inches in diameter. Try to use them within five days of buying them & do your best not to discard the outer leaves, as they are the most nutritious. If they are yellowing, discard those.
Whenever I have to trim them, I use the leaves with either kale or cabbage in a slaw or braise. Brussels Sprouts grow on a stalk between big leaves, so if you’re ever fortunate enough to find the leaves at a local farmers market, by all means, grab them up and braise them!

Bon apetit! Happy winter eating.

braised duck sandwich for your winter picnic

– January 13, 2011Posted in: eat/drink

This is a true story.
Duck is one of my favorite meats.

Though many people overcook it, but that is another story. Despite how the average person views duck, it is for eating any time, for any meal.

Say picnic time, in the winter-time. When it’s in season-time. This year I decided to make a concerted effort to add meat to my list of seasonal eating. And it brought me to the question of when to eat duck.  The natural season is in late fall and winter. SO that’s when I plan to eat it. And make things like sandwiches, stir fries & chili with it. Oh My.

My girlfriend tells me that sometimes I read too much into things. But I really do believe that a sandwich can be a political statement. A super fantastic political statement that will win you lots of friends. I mean, who wouldn’t love being political all the time if it always made your toes curl?

If we make food in its season, we are choosing to eat in a healthful manner that is far reaching. It reaches the family of the farmer, it reaches the chicken coops that go on a natural hiatus in winter, it reaches our belly that is cold and wants something warm and delicious.

If we eschew all the malarkey about “Eating Healthy” meaning eating only lean meats all year long and adopt the eating healthy that translates to eating sustainably, then duck should be all the rage. All winter long. Eating healthy is about eating in balance. And to me there is an element of health that includes wealth. Wealth in the form of sumptuous delicious wintry meat balanced with bright crisp vegetables. Which is why I served this sandwich with a kale, cabbage & fennel slaw.

If making a sandwich means helping biodiversity, then I want to eat all kinds of sandwiches. If we march into our butcher and insist on eating what is in season, then our dollars tell the story to our farmers and distributors that we want balance. Delicious, meaty, braised natural balance. And we are helping support a really delicious indoor picnic when we make this pulled duck leg sandwich with pickled onions and meyer lemon aioli.

Braised Duck & Meyer Lemon Aioli Sandwiches

(click here to print!)

what you need:
-excellent sandwich bread
-a handful of greens for each sandwich: lettuce, arugula, spinach, pea greens, you name it
-warm braised duck legs, meat pulled from the bone
-meyer lemon aioli
-pickled red onions
-a picnic blanket to keep you warm

Braised Duck Legs with Ginger, Spices & Fresh Orange

what you need:
sauté pan with high sides & tight fitting lid

ingredients:
2 whole duck legs
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp allspice
¼ tsp cayenne, optional
sea salt
fresh cracked pepper

1 large navel orange, zest & juice
1 inch chunk fresh ginger, cut in slices
2 cloves garlic, just crushed & removed from skin
2- ½ inch slices of yellow onion & outer skin of half the onion
½ cup white wine
vegetable stock or water as needed

how to make it:
-mix together the cinnamon, cumin & allspice & optional cayenne. season duck legs with salt & pepper & massage into skin & meat, follow with seasoning blend.
-place pan over medium flame until surface is warm, place skin side down and sear. It should take about 15-20 minutes at least to draw out the fat, and be a deep dark brown. Tip pan and drain fat as needed.
-flip legs & sear second side about 5  minutes
-remove duck from pan & drain excess fat, save fat for later use
-saute ginger, garlic & onion for about one minute over medium high flame, add wine & juice of half the orange & scrape the cooked bits up into the liquid (deglaze)
-place duck back into pan, add juice & water or vegetable stock to come just up to 1/3 of the way up the side of the duck legs. bring to a simmer & cover with lid.
-cook at a steady bubble over a medium low to low flame for about 1.5 hours, rotate pan to keep heat evenly distributed
-remove lid & continue to simmer about 15-20 minutes, remove duck from pan, remove flavoring elements & lightly simmer juices to just thicken. Turn off heat.
-when cool to touch, remove skin & pull meat from bone, tea into pieces & place back in pan to simmer in remaining juices (if there is still meat on the bone, its great to use for a soup, so don’t pitch it out!)
-once meat is coated tender, about 5-10 minutes, turn off heat & cover to keep from drying out

Pickled Red Onions

what you need:
small sauce pan

ingredients:
half a small red onion, sliced 1/8-1/4 inch thick

1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
fresh cracked pepper
water to cover

how to make it:
-place sugar, salt, vinegar & a few turns of fresh cracked pepper into a small sauce pan & bring to a simmer over medium-low heat
-once sugar & salt has dissolved, add sliced onions to mixture, add water to just cover & simmer until bright fuchsia
-set aside to cool & drain to serve

Meyer Lemon Aioli

what you need:

a medium high sided mixing bowl
a whisk
a slightly damp kitchen towel*

ingredients:
1 large egg yolk
½ a Meyer lemon, zest & juice
splash white wine vinegar
dash hot sauce
1-2 cloves garlic, minced finely w/a pinch of salt
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
¾ cup canola or grapeseed oil
¼ cup olive oil

how to make it:

-whisk together egg yolk, mustard, a squeeze of the lemon juice, all of the zest zest, garlic & a dash of hot sauce in a medium sized mixing bowl with a pinch of salt using a figure 8 motion until the ingredients are well blended & yolk begins to lighten
-gradually pour canola oil down the side of the bowl in a steady stream while you whisk constantly, if oil starts to separate, stop pouring & continue whisking until it comes back together, you may need to do this several times or you may not need to do it at all, just don’t let the oil get too separated or it will be virtually impossible to bring it all back together without adding another yolk
-continue adding oil gradually while continually whisking together & creating an emulsion
-taste the aioli for balance, add lemon juice if needed & a few turns of freshly cracked pepper
-finish aioli by gently whisking in the remaining quarter cup of olive oil.
-taste again & adjust seasoning by adding more hot sauce, lemon juice or Dijon
-to store for up to a week or so: put in a small container and press a piece of plastic wrap into the top of the aioli before sealing it with a lid, this will help prevent the formation of a skin

*sometimes its hard to get your bowl to stay steady, so take a slightly damp kitchen towel and twist it, then turn it into a ring, place it on your counter & cozy the bowl into your newly created slip proof aioli whisking collar. This frees your hands up for whisking & oil pouring. Voila.

taking back the holiday table: green bean casserole redux

– December 21, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

The Case of the Vexing Mr. Green Bean Casserole

Okay, so here’s the haps. Casseroles may just be the bane of my existence. They vex me. Especially vexing is the Ubiquitous Green Bean Casserole.

I know we all have certain nostalgia for the stuff. It’s always a bit too soggy, a bit too creamy, and wow, what’s that shade of green exactly called? Because of the strength & conviction of the power of nostalgia on our tongues, many of us claim to actually love the stuff. But let’s talk about this for a second. As a professional recipe developer and person obsessed with food & food history, I have these little fantasies:

The scene: a handful of men in a dimly light conference room, c. late 1940’s-early 1950’s, a corner office in a newly erected industrial park in New Jersey. Somewhere in the distance, the moos of a cow at a local farm (soon to be grazed by construction) can be heard through the grumble of machinery below.

The men in suits sit with the ease and confidence of recently minted millions and are being tended to by a steady stream of coiffed women shuffling in & out. Some in lab coats and some with notepads and smart sweater sets. The air is thick with cigarette & cigar smoke. Mr. French is hosting. Campbell & Del Monte are just here for the scotch and the laughs. This onion guy always has something he’s cooking up.

“Listen fellas, these girls have been working hard down in the kitchens & we think it’s high time to give the great folks of the United States something they can call their own. We want to give them a holiday classic. The Green Bean Casserole!
And a crispy onion topping is just the thing to make it feel special, you know, Intercontinental. We give them a dish they can make with just 3 cans: Campbell, your mushroom soup, well, let’s face it, the stuff’s no good, it needs a good dance partner. And Del Monte, your beans look like the fatigues our guys just left behind. But say we mix them altogether & top them with my new onions & we got a hit. A real piece of magic Americana style. Margie, bring in the casserole…”

Then cut to 2003,  picture me, in the back of a cab in New York, a young energized chef, ready to take on the world of New American Cuisine. Talking, as I often did, late on a Friday night coming home after my second job of the day, with my cab driver, swapping stories of our lives, ambitions. We pull up to my Brooklyn doorstep and a thick bellowing laugh as yet another cabbie delights himself in his elaborately accented voice: “Oh, American Food, so you make Casseroles!” Hahahaha….Vexed.

I love green beans. I love mushrooms. I love crispy onions. And I love them fresh. With all the hues of greens & earthy browns. A bright tone of sage & lemon. Its winter, it’s still a casserole, yes, let’s face it, if I showed up with sautéed green beans for a Christmas or Holiday meal, I’d be booed out of the place.

So, I have conceded, I will make a casserole. Admittedly, they are easy to transfer & easy to roll out to a table full of hungry bellies & slightly tipsy guests. And, yes, nostalgia has a grip on me too, it just doesn’t seem like a winter gathering without heaping spoonfuls of mushroomy, creamy green beans with crispy onions.

Though this year, allow me to implore you: try this two-pan dish rather than the 3 can one. It’s really very delicious. Even my South American flat mate that finds most American food too heavy, too processed, loves this casserole. I love this casserole. Save the cans for an emergency or to prop your kitchen door open while the wafts of real cooking fill your home with tasty promises of happy bellies.

American food is about so much more than casseroles and canned convenience; we have the best ingredients you can find in the world. So, free them from their canned demise & share a little love this year.  I, personally, cannot wait to take over the spot on the holiday spread this year with a newly designed classic. Green Bean Casserole, I love you.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

(click here to print!)

what you need:
2 saute pans including one 10”-12” oven proof sauté pan-cast iron is perfect
(a small oval baker will do also)
micro-plane zester
citrus juicer

ingredients:
cooking oil (canola or grapeseed, preferably)
2 medium/large leeks-white & bright green, sliced on a bias
scant ½ cup oat bran or unseasoned breadcrumbs***
¼ tsp smoked or hot hungarian paprika
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, optional

1 lb green beans-tough ends snapped & cut into halves or thirds
½ medium/large yellow onion- peeled & thinly sliced

12 oz mushrooms, mixed is best, sliced or chopped coarsely*

1 cup vegetable stock
½ cup milk, cream, stock or milk substitute **
1 Tbsp fresh sage, thinly sliced (5-10 leaves)
1 lemon, zest only
half lemon, juice

sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper

how to make it:
prep the veges:
-start by making sure all of your veggies are super clean. Just snap off the tough end of the green bean where it connected to the stalk, you can leave the tail unless it looks gross.
-trim the ends off & slice the leek lengthwise & rinse under cold water to remove all the sand & silt, trim the top third of dark green & reserve for making stock
-slice the white & bright green portion of the leeks into 1/8-1/4” thick slices on the bias
-mushrooms don’t necessarily need to be cleaned in water, just wipe off any loose dirt & trim the base. If you are using a cluster style mushroom, just tear it into bite-sized pieces, for domestic button or crimini mushrooms, just trim the end of the stem to remove any browning bits, then slice about 1/8-1/4”
-using a microplane, zest the bright yellow part of the lemon, trying to leave the white bitter pith. Slice in half to juice

cooking instructions:
-preheat oven to 365°F
-heat the larger (oven-proof, if you have it) skillet over a medium-medium-high flame, when warm, add about 2 Tbsp of oil to heat, add sliced leeks & season gently with salt & freshly cracked pepper
-stir occasionally until leeks are browning & crispy
-once done, remove leeks, while reserving as much cooking oil as possible in pan
-quickly mix leeks together with the oat bran/bread crumbs, add paprika, thyme & season with salt & pepper, set aside
-in the same pan you cooked the leeks, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, if needed, pan should just have a light coating of oil, heat over medium flame & add mushrooms
-season with salt & pepper, add thyme
-saute by stirring only occasionally, if the mushrooms start to stick , just add a little (a few tablespoons at a time) water or stock or white wine if you have it handy, and stir to release the mushrooms, sauté mushrooms until they release their liquid and begin to brown, 10 or more minutes
-meanwhile, in the other sauté pan, heat 2Tbsp of cooking oil over medium flame, sauté the thinly sliced onions until tender, about 5 minutes.
-once translucent, add the green beans, season gently with salt & fresh cracked pepper & stir. Once they begin to turn bright, add a half cup of stock & cover the pan to steam, about 5 minutes.
-once mushrooms start to brown, add the lemon juice to pan & stir well so mushrooms evenly absorb. Add the other half cup of broth & simmer
-after the green beans are steamed & almost tender, they should still have a crispness to them, combine them in the oven-proof pan with the mushroom mixture, stir in lemon zest, sage & half cup of milk or cream, taste & adjust seasoning if needed
-if you are using a separate baking dish, you may want to gently coat it with cooking oil.
-sprinkle over with crispy leek mixture & bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browning on top.
-serve warm.

NOTES:
*MUSHROOMS: use fresh mushrooms you can find, I am lucky to have a mushroom guy at my farmer’s market that always has great mushrooms at a great price, though I have made this with a simple mixture of domestic white & crimini. If using grocery store selection, I would strongly urge you to add some shitakes to the mix because they add such great flavor.
**MILK: okay, the simple fact is, I can’t have very much dairy, it is really bad for me in particular, but I don’t want to keep you from your lactic loves, so go for it if your belly & sinuses are down with the dairy, I use unsweetened oat or almond milk & have best luck with oat, but its not mandatory
***BREADCRUMBS OR OAT-BRAN: I genuinely love oat bran. Its’ super good for your heart, it tastes delicious & you would never know its “healthy,” if you use breadcrumbs, please use high quality unseasoned

eating seasonally: late autumn, early winter

– December 2, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

Eating seasonally starts with knowing what’s in season.

Maybe it sounds like I am being redundant or saying this while looking down my perfectly nourished nose. Neither of these is the case.

It’s not as easy as it seems. When I first put myself up to the challenge of learning to eat with the seasons some decade ago, it became a wild ride in consternation, frustration & ultimately found myself feeling maddeningly bamboozled by my local grocers. I wanted to support diversity & the grand potential of our agricultural offerings and was greeted with a staggering display of sameness.

Your local grocery store chain may carry a seasonal display of butternut, acorn & spaghetti squashes, all arriving at the same week just after the Halloween pumpkins. And they are large. Uniformly so. The same large, stuffable squash specimen they will continue to be until they are cut-off by truckloads of strawberries in early spring. Too early, Spring. (there’s no such thing as a ripe strawberry in March, or at least, not in our hemisphere.)

It’s hard to know what is genuinely in season when year round we are entreated to the same array of: red bell pepper, green bell pepper; red cabbage, green cabbage; zucchini, asparagus: sometimes thin, sometimes thick; red apples, green apples.

Brown potatoes, red potatoes, sweet potatoes. Basically, that’s what you get, with the occasional variation. These variations usually accompanied with the springing up of paperboard signs telling you not to forget to reserve your turkey, your gefilte, your ham. It’s hard to know what is genuinely in season when our grocery stores have traded in the sometimes temperamental timeliness of nature with the rolling calendar of their advertising outputs.

When a person decides to try & eat seasonally, we are left trying to piece it all together with vague recollections of specific ingredients enjoyed some distant August ago. Or at the celebratory holiday spreads from Independence Day to Thanksgiving. However, really, many of us have been lead astray by a universe of grocery store mono-culture.

So, I guess, today I am here to say, don’t give up. If you’re even remotely genuinely interested in seasonal food, sustainabality, agricultural diversity, local food, the healthiest most delicious food available, whatever your motivation: don’t give up. There are trained chefs that don’t know what’s in season, I promise. Your local farmers market is the best place to start. Even if you can’t find one, which many of us cannot, use your dollars to support produce in season wherever you find it.

Below you’ll see a list I’ve compiled of seasonal foods. Just know that I am working with a broad guideline because we all live in wildly different regions & seasonality is known to change with even the teeniest microclimate. What is in season also has so much to do with what the farmers in your region practice, or shipping companies, it all depends. I don’t make judgments, I can attest to a great appreciation on occasion for kiwi fruit & exotic mango varieties.

I also happen to live in a state that has multiple growing seasons per year, so it can be a bit dizzying. Without the marching band precision of seasonal change, it can be hard to track the passage of time here in Southern California. Though, if we care to, we can trace the lineage of a year by the meals that grace our tables night to night, from month to month. Or at least, that is the sort of meal-driven utopia I am striving towards.

The table I have put together for what is in season for the next few weeks. Some things are hugely dependent on your region. Like say here, in California, we don’t have quince. I miss them. Stewed, poached, compoted & chutneyed, I miss that knobby fruit. Although, here have grapes. Actual grapes. Sweet delicious grapes for a few more weeks. And, did you know that meat has a season? It does. Turkey. Prime Example.

In any case, I hope this helps. And I would really love to hear from you what you see in season in your region & what you love to make with it all. We’re heading toward weeks/months with such lean offerings, we all need a little inspiration. Right now, my favorite thing from the list below is garlic mashed rutabaga & radicchio, charred then drizzled with honey & vinegar.

seasonality chart: late autumn/early winter

(click here to print!)

fruit:
apple
blood oranges
coconut
cranberries
dates
fig
grapefruit
grapes
meyer lemon
oroblanco
papaya
pears
persimmon
pomegranate
quince
tangerines		 vegetables :
bok choy
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
celery root
chanterelles
chicories
daikon
fennel
garlic
kale
leeks
mâche
mushrooms
onions
peppers
potatoes
pumpkin
raddichio
radishes
sweet potatoes
squashes
truffles		 meat & seafood:
capon
caviar
duck
eel
foie gras
game
herring
lobster
partridges
pheasant
quail
rabbit
shellfish
squab
swordfish
turkey
venison		 edible miscellany:
beans: green  & lima
black & pinto
buckwheat
chestnuts
garlic
lentils
most nuts
nut oils
maple syrup
rosemary
sage
savory
thyme
walnuts

salad for the thanksgiving hangover

– November 30, 2010Posted in: eat/drink

Holy gluttony, Pilgrims!

That was a lot of turkey. And stuffing. And cranberries. And greens.
And pie. My favorite pair of corduroys can’t take much more of this.

I was the lucky guest at three tables this year. One of them: a day-after leftovers table that introduced me to Brussels sprouts roasted with vanilla and pomegranate. What? Oh, heck, yes. Another was 30+person soiree of with a freaking delicious array of homemade food & a deep fried turkey. The official Thursday affair was a long table filling an entire room with 18 TDay orphans. All of us with family elsewhere came together and put on a stellar spread. I made so much gravy last week.

Yesterday, I ate the last bowl of turkey noodle soup. It was really quite delicious, even if it was my fourth bowl in two days. Having always been a devotee to the traditional turkey noodle soup with thick handmade egg noodles, this year I discovered that mustard spaetzle is the long lost lover of homemade turkey broth.

At some point during lunch yesterday, it dawned on me, mid-turkey spaetzle slurp, this Thanksgiving holiday season I have eaten: 3 turkeys, 4 different kinds of stuffing, 3 different mashed potatoes, 2 sweet potatoes, 3 cranberry sauces & 4 varieties of gravy. One of which was a vegan mushroom gravy that I hope to never cross paths with again. It was weird. It was not homemade, so I do not feel bad dissing it.

That, my friends, is a lot of food. So much food. Moreover, that is not counting the 4 different kinds of pie & 2 varieties of whipped cream. It is unending. I did love the favorable trend of Kale! I have had 3. Three different kinds of braised kale. I have somehow managed to beat my corduroys past their favorable habit of stretching throughout the day & they are now like dexterously acquiescing sausage casing. I ate too much. It hurts.

This is why today I am only eating salad. Thank you. I gathered up all the bits leftover from thanksgiving preparation & made a superfood salad full of greens & pomegranate seeds & the sweet aromatic crunch of fresh fennel. Kale & Brussels sprouts love citrus to help absorb all their super vitamins & minerals, so I used an orange left over from cranberry sauce preparation. This salad is making me happy. Very, very happy. Bright, crunchy, fresh.

My corduroys will be happy for it too. Hoping next time I put them on I won’t be insisting they stretch their cottony borders so much. Besides, I gotta make room for the Hanukah & Christmas chow downs this month!

crunchy greens & pomegranate salad

for 2-4 servings

what you need:
no special tools required

ingredients:
4 leaves curly kale
5 large Brussels sprouts
a large handful of arugula
a small handful of fresh parsley leaves or basil
1 small head of fennel
1 large or 2-3 small radishes
1 small pomegranate, seeds only
1 small crisp apple, cut into sticks
½ cup walnut pieces

for the dressing:
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
a few Tbsp of coarsely chopped fennel fronds
1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
salt & freshly cracked pepper

how to make it:
-make the dressing:
~*pour juice & cider vinegar over fronds in a small bowl, season with salt & pepper & leave to steep for 15-45 minutes before whisking in oil to taste. Make sure to taste the vinaigrette as you are making it to check for balance between acid & oil, I prefer a tangier dressing

-clean & prepare all greens:
~*kale: remove the fibrous stalk & chop or slice into bite sized pieces.
~*brussels sprouts: trim bottom, cut in half through base & slice into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
~*arugula: chop coarsely if large, otherwise, leave whole
~*herbs: remove stems & coarsely chop
~*fennel: trim green stalks & reserve a few fronds, cut in half through base &  slice into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
~*radishes: trim & slice into 1/8-1/4 inch slices
-peel pomegranate & remove seeds
-cut apple away from core in ¼” slices & cut into sticks
-place all ingredients into a large bowl, scatter walnuts over & season with salt & pepper
-gradually add dressing to coat; taste as you go along

~*if you dare shove another piece of turkey in your gullet, it is an excellent addition to the salad.

hooray for little sprouts!

– November 9, 2010Posted in: eat/drink


You know how there
was that awkward kid in school?

The one for which “the ugly duckling” was dreamed up? That kid who talked to him/herself in different accents in the back row of class? The one that kept a secret stash of eight sided di & “magical amulets” in their cubby?

Or the one that got tall really quick over one summer and came back as a veritable giant on twig legs? Or the one that just never quite fit into the hand-me-downs they were dressed in & were always tugging at some sleeve or cuff or waistband?

I imagine the Brussels Sprout to be that kid of the vegetable world. The mere mention of them makes most people uncomfortable. They see them, then curl up their nose & almost instantly feel the need to point fingers & gather the cool kid wagons to hurl up a big guffaw at Brussels Sprout’s expense.

Really, it’s not the little guy’s fault. It fell victim to multi-decades long blaspheme called American Vegetable Cookery: a.k.a. Boiled, Not Salted. Everything tastes bad like that. Name me one dish & I’ll give you a present. A huge one. Or wait, maybe I won’t give you a present, because that just seems a mean thing to do to food. Boiled, No Salt.

I am an equal opportunity vegetable lover, I even love broccoli when it doesn’t love me back. I used to hate these cute little cabbages. Used to hide them in my napkin or discreetly spit them into my plastic milk tumbler & hop up, first to volunteer to clear the table, a.k.a. Dispose of Evidence.

A good friend of mine whose mother learned it from a healing foods practitioner taught me a version of this recipe. It is said to have magical healing properties. I can dig it. It is a rather genius simple method using fresh orange juice, a dash of tamari sauce & high, quick heat.

I have used this method to make other vegetables, including cauliflower & broccoli, and it always pleases. In fact, I would go so far as to call it The Best Brussels Sprouts Ever recipe. I have dressed it up some with walnuts & fresh parsley, because I love good accessorizing as a rule.

Therefore, in honor of outgrowing awkward phases and finding your own lovely charm, I offer you this delicious simple recipe. It is easily adjustable to feed one or ten, which makes it a great dish for the holidays, see below for holiday preparation tip.

Hooray for Little Sprouts! Long live the Ugly Duckling.

The Best Brussels Sprouts Ever

serves 4

what you need
wide sauté pan w/tight fitting lid

ingredients
½ cup walnut pieces
3 Tbsp grapeseed or other cooking oil
10 small sprouts or 5 medium sprouts per person (20-40 sprouts)
¼ cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce (Bragg’s amino acids will do also)
½ cup filtered water
handful of flat leaf parsley

how to make it
-prep sprouts by trimming the base of any dried up or browning bits
-if the sprouts are larger, cut them in half lengthwise, if they are small, cut an “x” into the base so they cook evenly
-combine strained orange juice, tamari & water
-coarsely chop the parsley
-heat a skillet large enough to hold all sprouts over a medium high heat
-brown walnuts in the dry pan until just brown, about 30 seconds -2 minutes depending on the heat of your pan
-remove walnuts, set aside, add cooking oil to pan & swirl
-when oil is hot, add the sprouts & distribute evenly, leave the flame at medium high heat
-let sprouts char slightly & toss every few seconds to evenly heat
-once bright with little black bits on it, add the liquid mixture & cover immediately
-reduce heat to medium and steam 5-7 minutes, check at 5 minutes for doneness

-once done, they should be easily pierced with a sharp paring knife, but not mushy
-quickly toss with walnuts & parsley & serve
-season with salt & pepper as needed or desired

tips for holiday service:
I know everyone is planning for the holidays. If this were something you’d like to serve as part of your holiday meal, I’d recommend preparing the sprouts to the point just before adding the liquid.
Char the sprouts earlier in the day & set them aside to cool. Do not refrigerate, though do not keep them near the cooking heat either as you run the risk of them turning army green.
About 10 minutes before serving, go ahead and heat your pan then add the room temperature sprouts to pan & add liquid. It may take slightly longer to steam, but not much. Voila, happy dinner.