It’s a Keeper!

As you might remember, I try to plan my weekly menu so I don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner at 4:40 every day.  Some weeks the plan materializes easily, based on my cravings, and some weeks it is more challenging.  This past week I need a little inspiration so I got out a cookbook or two and started to browse around the internet.

Somehow, I found myself in the Recipes for Health section of the New York Times.  They have a list of healthy ingredients that you can click and find a list of recipes that feature that ingredient. I am having a small crush on chickpeas lately so there I clicked, and what I found was Puree of Chickpea Soup.  This sounded like a perfect mid-week, winter dinner, something I could start ahead and have ready when Adelaide returned from modern dance class tired and hungry.  I paired it with a loaf of crusty no-knead bread (thank you Jim Lahey!!) and some kale with garlic and roasted peppers.

Of course, with all new culinary adventures, we hold off on our praise until it passes the dinner/diner test.  This one, happily a keeper!  Smooth and warm with hints of cumin and coriander.  The drizzle of oil and spritz of lemon finish it off beautifully!

My only wish is that I had made a double batch!

Puree of Chickpea Soup

1/2 pound chickpeas (about 1 1/8 cups), washed and picked over

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium size red onion, chopped

2 to 3 large garlic cloves, green shoots removed, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, ground

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus additional for drizzling

Chopped fresh mint for garnish

1. Soak the chickpeas in 1 quart water for six hours or overnight. Drain.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. The beans should be very tender.

3. Puree the soup in a blender (in small batches, covering the top with a dish towel to avoid hot splashes) or with an immersion blender until smooth. Put through a strainer for a very smooth texture, pushing it through with the bottom of a ladle or a spatula. Return to the pot, and heat through, stirring the bottom and sides of the pot so that the puree doesn’t stick. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.

4. Serve, garnishing each bowl with a few drops of olive oil or lemon juice if desired and a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: The soup will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Stir well when you reheat.

 

Chicken Three Ways

Hello & Happy 2012!  I have decided to resurrect this chat about what we cook and eat and why we do the things we do.  I have been busy over the last year working and raising a new middle school student, but that has always included daily breakfast and dinner and usually lunch, which we cook, and I photograph, I just haven’t been writing about it.

2012 is going to be a year for us to really look at what we eat and who we are supporting with our food dollar.  I made a quick budget the other day and realized just how much of our monthly income we eat, a little less than 25%.  I think that might be a bit high on average, I’d be curious to hear, but I live in NYC where prices are high for everything.

One of the things that I know boost our monthly food budget is reasonably raised meat.  Last week I brought home a chicken that cost me $30.54.  I will admit, I stood at the meat counter a good, long time, deciding on whether or not I was going to put that bird into my cart.  At last, I hefted the fatty into my cart, it was a 5 pounder,  and headed to check out.  I am very happy I did.

My $30 chicken fed us for three meals.  Michael butchered it for me, roasting the carcass for stock for that night’s soup.  The leg/thigh portion were saved for chicken cacciatore later that week with the breasts frozen for the next.  Three dinners for 3 for $30!

This is what the breasts turned into.  Although we only had two, they were whoppers and easily fed the three of us!

Roasted Chicken Breast with Grainy Mustard Sauce.

Preheat oven to 400〫

salt and pepper two generous chicken breast halves on the bone (being on the bone helps keep everything moist and adds flavor to the meat)

Heat a saute pan with one table-spoon olive oil and one of butter.  When the butter is done foaming put your chicken breasts in with the skin down.  Throw in two or three springs of rosemary and let brown, not moving the chicken until it is time to flip.

When the edges of the skin start to look brown, flip the chicken and put in the oven.  I have a great electric meat thermometer that I put into the meat, not touching the bone and leave in since the reader part sits on top of my stove.  I recommend these to everyone so you don’t have to guess if your chicken is done and have bad results at the table.

When the chicken has reached 163〫take it out of the oven and transfer to a platter to rest, tented with foil.  Skim any fat from your drippings and place the pan over a med high heat.  Glug in 1/2 glass white wine, two tbs whole grain mustard and let reduce by half.  Pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream and continue to boil until sauce thickens up to the consistency you like.  Adjust the salt and pepper.

Slice the chicken against the grain and smother with sauce or serve sauce on the side.  Our chicken was accompanied by roasted potatoes,  sautéed kale with white beans and garlic and the rest of that white wine I used for the sauce!

The dinner was delicious and I can feel rest assured that the bird had a good life.

phew! It’s been a long time!

Wow, is it just me or is the summer flying by?  Since I have last posted (ashamedly 2 months!) two things are different in my life, Adelaide is home every day (school break) and I have gone back to the restaurant business (desperate times, desperate measures!).  These two things combined make for little time for blogging but that does not mean I haven’t been cooking!!

I will admit that I did fall off the wagon a little, I went on a small vacation from my weekly meal planning and shopping.  Adelaide and I found ourselves out and around town and knew the cupboard was relatively empty at home and so ate out more than I care to admit.  I even left cash for the babysitter to order in Chinese once, the ultimate in laziness!!   Now as the farmers market is gorging with beautiful produce and we are turning our eyes back to the reality of back to school I have reigned in my wild horses and put my apron back on.

This week I am enjoying having a big jar of cream of broccoli soup in the fridge.  This is a favorite recipe from my beloved Moosewood Cookbook, the original, published by Mollie Katzen in 1977.  My grandmother gave it to me a decade later with the inscription “to Gretchen from Gram, don’t cook yourself to death”.  The Cream of Broccoli soup page is the most wrinkled followed closely by the Moosewood Brownie page, but that is for another day.

This soup is delicious hot or cold but I think I prefer it cold, the flavor seems to sit on your tongue longer for some reason when it’s cold, or maybe I just hold it in my mouth longer!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

4 T butter

1½ c onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 t salt

1 bell pepper, diced

4 c broccoli, chopped

2½ c veggie stock or water

2 c milk

½ c heavy or sour cream

¼ t allspice

pepper

Dash of thyme or basil (optional, to taste)

1 c broccoli florets, sliced and steamed (optional)

1/2 c buttermilk whisked in right before serving

Directions Melt butter in the Dutch oven, then sauté onion and bay leaf with salt over medium heat until onion is clear, about 5-7 minutes.

Add bell pepper, broccoli, and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, until broccoli is tender, but still bright green.

Discard the bay leaf and purée the soup in batches with the milk.

Stir in the heavy or sour cream and spices, adjust salt and pepper to taste, top with optional florets, and serve.

My mother sent me this soup in bell quart jars when I was in college and I would keep it in my little fridge.  When I was feeling peckish I would get it out and take a swig.  I think I grossed out one or two of my friends but maybe now they will read this and remember and make it for themselves because it is SUPER DELISH!!

I have found that chilled soups are good to have around in these hot summer months for quick snacks. Full of calcium, vitamins A and C, a glass of this chilled soup is just enough to get you through that afternoon trip to the swings!

While planning ahead is an aide in cooking at home, I think another good trick is to space out more time consuming recipes over the course of a few days.  I tried this this week with my sweet onion and peppers chicken with ricotta gnocchi.  The gnocchi hail from the same Moosewood Cookbook (thank you Mollie Katznen!)  The recipe looks too fussy, but if you break it down into steps, it is easy and fun!

Ricotta Gnocchi

• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2/3 mozzarella cheese, grated
• ½ c parsley, minced (optional)
• 1/4 tsp garlic, minced (optional)
• ½ t salt
• 1/2 c parmesan, finely grated
• pepper
• 2/3 c flour
• Step 1 (which I did the night before).  Combine all ingredients and beat well with a fork.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate.
• Step 2 (which I did in the AM of the day we were to eat them).  Flour your hands and make the batter into little balls (about 1/2″ in diameter), rolling them until firm between your palms.  roll them in flour shaking off the excess.  Place them , single layer, on a tray.  Refrigerate.
• Step 3 (that night during dinner preparation)  Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling.  Lower to a simmer.  Drop the balls in, one-at-a-time and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a buttered baking tray.  (I have frozen half of the batch at this point for a dinner down the road, I will let you know how they do)
• Step 4  just before serving, broil the balls until golden brown on all sides.  Drizzle them with melted butter and sprinkle them with grated parmesan as you broil and turn them.  The cheese and butter  make a delicious coating.

I served these golden nuggets of cheezey happiness with chicken that I had braised with onions, red peppers and kale.  This is a loose interpretation of chicken cacciatore that changes every time I make it depending on what’s around.  Tonight’s dinner went like this

Chicken Braised with sweet onion and red peppers

Wash and dry a chicken that has been cut into eight pieces.  Liberally salt and pepper the  chicken and brown it on all sides in olive oil. remove the chicken from the pan and drain off the excess oil.  Add to the pan one onion, cut in half and sliced, one red pepper, cored and sliced and two garlic cloves, quartered.  Saute until the onions start to get golden on the edges.  Return the chicken to the pan with its juices.  Toss in 1/2 (28 oz) can of chopped tomatoes, one bay leaf and 1/2 c water or chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 45 or so minutes, turning once.  When the chicken is fully cooked remove it to a platter.  Add to the pan two large handfuls of julienned kale and cook until tender and the pan juices have evaporated a little.  Sprinkle in a tablespoon or two of fresh basil and spoon over the chicken.

Class Breakfast

It’s ten thirty PM and my house is awash with the smell of sizzling bacon and citronella.  What?  Yes, it is true, I am frying bacon at 10:30 while my crusts rest for another half an hour before I assemble the quiche for tomorrow’s 3rd grade class breakfast.  This class breakfast is a perfect example of what I feel ails America, why we have shows like The Biggest Loser, here is what has been volunteered for the breakfast of eight and nine year olds…bagels,doughnuts, cake and fruit.  I am not going to preach here, people are going to do what they will but I am going to make quiche as a matter of fact I am going to make two one for the lovers of the bacon and one for the others and Adelaide will eat a slice along with her  doughnut and fruit and so will I.

My quiche recipe comes from my hero Julia Child, it is so easy that I remember the ingredients and don’t even have to bother cracking the book.  You can make it even easier by buying your pastry crust already made, they have beautiful ones in the frozen section of your grocery but if you want bragging rights to the pastry follow this simple formula:

Mark Bittman’s Fullproof Pie Crust

Ingredients

	1⅛	cups (about 5 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting work surface
	½	tsp. salt
	1	tsp. sugar
	8	Tbsp. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into about 8 pieces
	~	About 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed Because I am making quiche I omitted the sugar in my crust tonight.  Mark likes to make his crusts in the food processor, but I hate to wash that thing so I just use my hands.  Put the flour and salt in a bowl.  Cut the butter into small pieces and drop them into the flour.  With your fingers, brush the butter into the flour until it is an ugly mess, pieces of butter covered with flour mixed in with flour that has been covered with the butter.  Next sprinkle in the water and toss around with your fingers.  Before the mixture has had a chance to form any type of respectable dough, toss it out onto your cutting board and make it into a little crumbly wall.  With the palm of your hand push across the top of the wall smooshing the crust away from you a little like the first motion of kneading bread.  CAUTION!! NO KNEADING YOUR PIE CRUST!! The idea it to touch it as little as possible.  This motion helps the crust come together quickly.  After the dry bits have been added to the crust family quickly form your crust into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for an hour. For this quiche recipe you have to pre bake your crust.  I know, the frozen crust is sounding better and better, but it really isn’t that big of an extra step.  Roll out your crust and fit it neatly into your pie pan.  Crimp the edges and prick the crust all over with a fork.  Line the crust with aluminum foil and fill your pan with dried beans or pie weights if you are fancy.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and beans carefully and return the crusts to the oven to bake until golden brown. While the crusts were resting in the fridge you have time to prep the rest of the quiche ingredients.  Tonight I thawed out a 16 oz bag of frozen spinach for the veggie pie and cooked off about half a pound of bacon that I had cut into 1/4 inch pieces for the meaty one.  The bacon I am going to pair with cheddar cheese, the spinach will be married with swiss.  I sauteed a minced yellow onion to divide between both the quiches because I love the sweetness it imparts to the eggy custard. After the crusts are cooled I simply toss in the filling and cheese and then for each quiche I scramble well 3 eggs with enough milk to make 1 1/2 cups of liquid.  A pinch of salt and a generous grind of pepper and a grate or two of fresh nutmeg and the quiche are ready for the oven.  375 degrees and 30-35 minutes later you have egg pies fit for the kings and queens of the 3rd grade. I hope some of the kids will eat it tomorrow.  I hope some of the parents will think about making something more substantial than frozen waffles for their kids for breakfast, but mostly I hope the have a great time!! OH!  Why does my house also smell of citronella?   Adelaide has been the dinner of choice for a nasty mosquito that has been hiding in our house.  Yesterday I had had enough and made her some home made bug spray safe enough to wear to bed. Homemade Bug Spray In a spray bottle, combine 1/3 of a cup of organic apple cider vinegar, 1/3 of a cup of witch hazel, and 5 drops of essential oil of citronella. You can substitute vodka for the witch hazel and eucalyptus oil for the citronella oil, depending on what you have access to. If you have trouble finding citronella oil, you can also try oil of lemon balm. She’s good and stinky snoozing in her bed, I hope the bugs think so too! Just a postscript… I saw three children walking around this AM with wedges of my quiche in their hands, Adelaide told me that one boy even ate two pieces!

Dinner with the Ladies

I come from a family of five children.  The ladies, of which there are three, all live in NYC albeit in three different boroughs, the two gents hit the road and landed in Florida.  Although the sisters live within a train ride of each other, it is hard to get us in the same place at the same time.  The other day I decided enough was enough, it was time for a Sister Supper.

Since I am the most high maintenance, schedule wise, of we three, I volunteered to host.  I was having a hard time thinking of what to make for our supper under the trees, my older sister tries not to eat pork, my little sister had been eating a lot of pasta lately and wanted a reprieve , Adelaide isn’t the biggest fan of fish and I am growing weary of the bland  chicken bird.

And then I had an inspiration!! Lamb and pomegranate molasses!!  Michael had made me some delicious lamb chops for my birthday many moons ago that he served with a pomegranate sauce, I could make it again for the ladies!  I quickly logged onto Epicurious.com to see what they suggested.  Here’s what I found…

Lamb Kebabs with Pomegranate-Cumin GlazeBon Appétit | October 2006

1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, pressed 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 pound trimmed boneless leg of lamb, cut into twenty-four 3/4-inch cubes 1 large red bell pepper, cut into twenty-four 3/4-inch squares 24 small metal skewers or bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes, drained *Available at some supermarkets, at Middle Eastern markets, and online from adrianascaravan.com. Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin and stir until aromatic and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Grind cumin in mortar or spice mill. Mix pomegranate molasses, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cumin in 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add lamb; chill at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Remove lamb from marinade. Thread 1 lamb piece and 1 red pepper piece on each skewer; place on baking sheet. Do ahead Can be made up to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Sprinkle kebabs with salt and pepper. Cook, turning often, about 4 minutes for medium-rare. I do not have the ability to grill so I put my skewers under the broiler, flipping them when they were just beginning to caramelize.   You might have noticed the recipe calls for 24 skewers,  that is if you want to serve these at a cocktail party, I skipped the red peppers and just put 4 cubes of meat on each skewer.  I served the lamb with a very summery tabouli also found on Epicurious 1/2 cup fine grain #1 bulgur 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 cups finely diced tomatoes 1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions 2 pinches of ground cinnamon Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons slivered fresh mint leaves Tender romaine leaves 1. Place the bulgur in a fine sieve, rinse under cold running water, squeeze dry, and soak in the lemon juice for 45 minutes. Use a fork to fluff the bulgur. 2. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, scallions, cinnamon, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Drizzle on the olive oil and toss. Fold in the bulgur,parsley, and mint and mix well. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally. 3. Taste and correct the flavors with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve with crisp inner leaves of romaine lettuce for scooping up the salad. A delicious combo with a few sugar snap peas  and a cold bottle of Gruner Veltliner thrown in there to celebrate the season!  The ladies came, ate, drank and talked while Adelaide skipped through the dusk with her classmates, a perfect evening.

spring sippers

There is something about warmer weather that makes me want something in my hand that I can sip through a straw.  I am a big fan of iced coffee and the chocolate milkshake but for obvious reasons these can not be my only choices, I must diversify.

Spring Sipper #1  Fresh Strawberry Milk

This is a simple concoction that is delicious, nutritious and a good way to use up those berries that were a little too jostled on the way home from the farmers market.  Put as much milk as you would like to drink (cow, soy, rice … your pick) and about 1/2 cup washed and hulled strawberries.  Blend until smooth in your blender and pour over ice.  You will NEVER go back to Strawberry Quik again!!

 

Spring Sipper #2 Pomegranate Iced Tea

I must admit that I stole this idea from the BEST falafel place in NYC, Taim at 22 Waverly Place. The perfect accompaniment to their green falafel pita sandwich is their pomegranate iced tea.  I made it at home by brewing a very strong pot of simple black tea.  Cool.To make the pomegranate syrup make a simple syrup by boiling equal parts sugar and water (1/2 cup each) in a pot until the sugar is dissolved.  While the syrup is still warm combine with 1/2 c pomegranate molasses, stir to dissolve.   Cool.

When you are ready to partake of said beverage simply pour your tea over ice and add as much syrup as you like.  The tea will have a delicious tangy sweetness.  

Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb

 

As I was marching to the bank today the last thing on my mind was dinner, ok that is a little bit of a lie since dinner is never really far from my mind, but it was pushed pretty far back.  Anyway, I was on my way to the bank when I found myself smack dab in the middle of the Union Square Farmer’s Market.  I was not prepared for what I beheld.  Flowers in full bloom, yes, potted herbs looking all lush and succulent, sure, but then I rounded the corner and KA POW!!  a whole table full of strawberries!  Strawberries red and warm from the sun, smelling like cotton candy but even better, and right next to these delicate, delicious creature?  Straight stalks of pink and green rhubarb.  Right there, on the spot dinner was already decided, or at least dessert.

Rhubarb is a treasured taste from my childhood.  My parents would stew it up into a sauce and eat it with a spoon, just as it was, or sometimes over vanilla ice cream.  My grandmother made a  rhubarb pie whose filling included an egg and had a delicious custard like interior and I  fear I have eaten my weight in Tarte a la rhubarbe during visits to Paris.  My father once tried to start us a rhubarb plant in the back yard,  that was a misguided adventure, but I digress…

The happiness of my day was that on the way to the bank, I filled my bag with a quart of locally grown strawberries, 3 pounds of beautiful rhubarb, a fist full of perfect asparagus and a plan for a delicious meal that would be a snap to put together, dessert included.  

Pan Roasted Pork Chops with Asparagus and Rhubarb Sauce  and Mixed Fruit Crisp with Ice Cream

To start the meal I washed and chopped the rhubarb stalks into 1/2 in pieces.  Of the 3 pounds of fruit I put 1/3 in a pot with 1/4c water, covered the pot and let it simmer away over med low heat until it was sauce.  When all the pieces of fruit had broken down into a slurry I added 1/2 of a vanilla bean that I had scraped (I used the inside for the dessert) and about 1/4 c sugar.  I then let the sauce simmer slowly with the cover off the pot until it reached the consistency that I wanted, you have to be careful not to burn the sauce at this point because you have added sugar.  

The rest of the rhubarb went into a bowl along with 1/2 quart of washed and hulled strawberries and about 1c frozen blueberries.  I tossed the fruit with 1/2 cup of sugar, the scraped out insides of 1/2 a vanilla bean and two shakes of cinnamon.  After dumping the fruit into an 8″ square baking dish, I rinsed my bowl and made the crisp topping.  The topping is easy, equal parts of flour, brown sugar and oatmeal, in this case 1/2 c with 6 Tbs cold butter worked in with your fingers until it is the size of peas.  I always give my topping another two or three shakes of cinnamon but you could add ginger or nutmeg or a combo , a dash of salt and a hand full  or two of nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios or pecans).  Toss all together and sprinkle over the fruit.  Bake for 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven until bubbling all around the edges.

Next I marinated my chops for a few minutes in olive oil laced with one crushed garlic clove, cracked black pepper and a sprig of rosemary, leaves removed and chopped.  I dredged each chop in the oil and stacked them up to soak up the deliciousness as well as come to room temperature to assure quick and even cooking when they hit the pan.

Last, but not least, I washed the asparagus, trimmed off any tough ends and set it aside to steam last minute.

When the sauce was thick enough for my liking and Adelaide was finally finished with her homework, dinner was ready to pick up.  I heaved my trusty 14″ cast iron skillet onto my stove top and let it get good and hot over medium high heat.  The chops went in and stayed put (no moving!!) until I could see the edges on the bottom were getting nice and crispy brown, I flipped them and then the pan went into the oven (under the crisp) to finish cooking (about 4 minutes)  Next I steamed the asparagus until  JUST tender, drained it and slathered it will a little butter and a sprinkle of salt.  Voila!  Dinner was done!  I pulled the pork chops from the oven and let them rest while I set the table, make sure all hands were washed and poured  myself a nice glass of rose . 

I must admit that we were pretty full after all that dinner but we forced ourselves to have little bowls of crisp, still warm, with vanilla ice cream.  We might have some for breakfast too, with yogurt, in our house, the breakfast of champions!!

The Masters of the Picnic

There is something so special about eating outside.  I can remember countless freezing mornings driving  to school cursing my life, with wet hair and a backpack of not quite finished homework, the only saving grace was the toasted onion bagel slathered with butter on the passenger seat of my car.  The cold winter air gave my nose a clean slate to absorb all the aromas of the toasted, buttery bread, so delicious.  I think all outdoor eating hold the same charm.  The kitchen and its array of cooking smells is left behind and you can experience your food with a fresh palate, things just seem to taste better.

For this reason I try to get Adelaide and myself outside as much as possible once the days begin to lengthen and the temperatures start to rise.  In a NYC fantasy world I would have a terrace large enough to seat six, but alas, Adelaide and I have become the masters of the picnic.  We are lucky enough to have several tables outside our building free for us to use as well as a sizable amount of dog-free grass. During the warmer months I keep a basket under the bed stocked with an old table cloth, jacks, jump ropes, a pack of cards and chalk for post dinner hop scotch.  We pack the whole shebang, plates and cutlery to be taken back in and washed and we take out beverages in old salsa jars which have never leaked.  It seems against the rules of Nature to dine in all Her splendor only to litter Her with endless piles of plastic and paper dinner ware.

Our “dining out” dinners always have to go together quickly, usually assembled  in the minutes fresh from the playground, trying to be ready before the monsters start clamoring for a snack.  Tonight’s selection was grilled Niman Ranch uncured ham steak, grilled peach halves, roasted sweet potato slices and steamed broccoli sauteed with shallots and balsamic vinegar.  The longest preparation for this meal is the sweet potato so make sure you deal with that first.  Sweet potatoes are a staple for Adelaide and me and we usually eat them the same way, simply sliced into thick slices, brushed with olive oil and dusted with salt and pepper and then roasted in a 375 degree oven for about half an hour, turning once.  Roasting the potatoes deepens their flavor and crisps the skin which provides a delicious contrast to the creamy, dense flesh.

After the spuds are in the oven the rest is a snap.  Turn on your grill pan (or your grill if you are a lucky duck).  Cut your peaches in half and remove the pit.  Brush the open side with olive oil and place cut side down on the grill.  Open the slab of ham and chuck it on the grill.  In a few minutes flip them both, the peach skin will protect the flesh and it shouldn’t stick or need any extra oil.  For the broccoli, peel the stem and thinly slice, separate the flowerets, steam in a covered pot with 1/4c water until just tender.  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.  In a medium size saute pan gently saute one thinly sliced shallot in 2tbs olive oil.  Add the broccoli and toss to re-warm. Put broccoli in a sealable container and sprinkle with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar to taste.  You could omit the vinegar and replace it with lemon juice or saute the shallots in butter and omit the acid all together.

Tonight I called into service all my ziplock storage plastic containers.  Adelaide and I each got one containing a generous slab on ham and a grilled peach.  The broccoli went in the third with the sweet potatoes in a fourth.  We ate everything right up so the clean up back home was super quick… everything into the dish washer!!   I cheated a little on dessert, we shared a cup of Ciao Bella mint chip gelato and watched the sun set across the Hudson.

I have a bad case of culinary spring fever!!

Here in the North East it has been raining.  Raining, raining, raining.  I know that that is what Spring is all about but the April showers have turned into the May showers and I am felling a bit water logged.  Having a soggy brain, it has been hard for me to decide what I want to eat.  The braised meats and roasted vegetables that so flip my lid in the fall and through the winter now seem heavy both on my palate and in my belly.  Stews and casseroles that fill the house with their homey aroma no longer tempt me and I am really sick of looking at the brussel sprouts at the grocery… I love them but enough is enough!

What is a girl to do when the season is still telling me Winter, but my soul is longing for Spring?

Adelaide  is studying New Amsterdam this semester.  Last week we took a very exciting field trip to Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY.  It is a working farm and grist mill that is still run as it was in the 1850′s.  We brushed oxen, ground pepper in a mortar and pestle and watched corn be ground into flour with the power of water and a wheel.  One of the most interesting things to me was when we were sitting in the kitchen, shelling beans, the woman running our tour asked the kids what sorts of foods would the people of the 1800′s be eating at this time of year?  The kids listed off all the things they see in the produce section everyday, oranges,strawberries, peas…

The woman reminded us that they had planted the peas only a month ago and they were mere shoots striving for the sun, with luck they would have fresh peas by the end of June as long as the frost held off.  Fresh berries, asparagus, ramps, all the things that scream “IT’S SPRING!!”  are just beginning to grow.  

Well that puts me in a pickle.   

So tonight  took a deep breath and embraced the flavors of the fall and winter, because that is what is really available to me, and it was delicious.  

 

Grilled Bratwurst with French Lentils and quick Pickled Beets

Find a good quality bratwurst, Adelaide and I like Original Brat Hans.  Put as many links as you’d like to eat in a pot and cover with water.  Gently bring to a boil and simmer until heated through.  Poaching your brats before grilling heats them through evenly and cooks out some of the fat in the sausage.  Heat a cast iron griddle or fry pan over medium heat.  When the brats are heated through transfer them to the griddle and brown on all sides.

For the lentils, finely dice one carrot, one rib of celery and one small onion.  Saute the veggies in olive oil with one garlic clove gently crushed until soft and a little brown.  Add 1 cup of french lentils and saute until the lentils are nicely coated with the vegetables and oil, add water or chicken stock to cover.  Bring the a boil, cover the pot and turn down the heat very low.  Let the lentils steam for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally and checking for doneness.  Salt and pepper the lentils and keep warm.

For the beets, peel and dice as many beets as you think you are going to eat.  Steam in the top of a steamer until tender and cool.  Place the beets in a bowl and drizzle them with a couple TBS of olive oil and half as much balsamic vinegar.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and a pinch or two of sugar.  Stir and taste, adjust seasoning to your liking.

We ate our crunch brats with the earthy lentils and the bright beets with some sauteed kale (surprise!!) and some quince mustard.  

Delish

The traveling cook

My family just returned home  from a long weekend in California.  I have a professional Wine Guy for a husband who was asked to work a fancy wine event in Pebble Beach that perfectly coordinated with her spring break so we decided to tag along.

While Michael was off pouring, tasting and talking about wine, Adelaide and I ventured up and down the coast, taking in the beautiful sites, hiking and basking in the sun.  I had done some online searching for interesting places to eat, trying not to spend too much money  but find tasty treats.  Traveling with an eight year old has its tricky bits and one of them is  she does not love to sit at restaurants meal after meal.  I get it, while I am more than pleased to sit under a looming redwood tree, smelling the blossoming flowers and hoping all the birds flying overhead do not decide to add anything to our meal we did not order, to her it is just another hour to have to sit and wait.   She loves to eat out, just not three meals a day, you can see who does the dishes in our house.

To solve this problem in a fun and economical way (the girl loves the room service!!) we decided to visit the local Whole Foods and create an al fresco patio dinner on our tiny terrace.  I had read about a BBQ place in Big Sur that had ribs so good Bobby Flay had stopped to have a few.  On our trek back to Monterey from hiking in Big Sur we stopped by to get a rack to go, since we only had a microwave I thought we’d leave the protein preparation to a man with a real stove.  At the grocery we picked up a frozen veggie medley some salt and pepper packets off the salad bar as well as a butter packet for the veggies.  At the prepared food section we also scavenged some plastic wear and plates to eat with.  Dessert?  Fresh strawberries, which in California are in season, we had driven past fields of them the day before, the rich red berries visible from the road, and a small seedless watermelon.  While we were at it we picked up some yogurts and granola for the morning and some popcorn to pop for an in-bed movie night, a hotel stay tradition with us.  $40 later we had a dinner with dessert, a breakfast and a late night snack, all to be consumed without our shoes on. 

Not to brag, but I think it was one of our best meals of the trip.  I am not sure it was licking the sticky sauce off our fingers while having out feet propped up on the edge of the terrace, eating buttery mixed veggies out of a soup container or the simplicity of sweet, juicy berries for dessert but it was really good.