Duck-licious

We typically sit around the kitchen table on the weekends and talk about the week's menu. The Junior Chefs often have clear ideas about what they would like to have. Occasionally, they ask for quick-and-easy dishes, but more often than not propose meals that require more time and preparation.

This week, while reviewing our CSA stock I was dreaming up options for our turnips, Junior Chef #2 suggested we have duck. Having made turducken twice, this bird is not unfamiliar within our family. I also don't find the prospect of deboning fowl to be daunting. Yet, duck has never made a solo appearance.

According to one of my favorite resource cookbooks, Laroussee Gastronomique (1961), duck and turnips is a classic French dish. The rationale is that turnips (navets) tend to absorb fat and thus are cooked with meats such as mutton and duck. LG offers a version of this dish that differs from the one I chose: employing white wine and onions, glazing the turnips with sugar.

The Method
I elected "Caneton poele aux navets" (Casserole-roasted duck with turnips) from Mastering the art of French cooking. You will need to debone your duck (naming it is optional). If you saw Julie & Julia, this is presented as a Herculean undertaking. I think this is an exaggeration of some measure. If you are confident with a paring or boning knife and have a bit of patience, you'll find this very satisfying when you're finished. (On that point, too, I offer this observation from Junior Chef #1 after watching the movie: "But didn't she [Julie] have to bone lots of ducks to make all of the duck recipes in Julia Child's cookbook?" True!)

I will not endeavor to describe the boning process - except to say, begin by cutting along the backbone and work the flesh moving down toward the breastbone. Ducks have a large carcass, but the bones are more delicate than those of a chicken, so you will find yourself working more carefully to avoid creating bone shards.

The need for very few ingredients balances out the work involved in preparing the duck.

• one 5-6# duckling, thawed (I placed mine in cold water bath for 3 hours to rapidly thaw it.)
• Salt and pepper
• 3 TB rendered pork fat or cooking oil
• 2# turnips
• 1/2 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• parsley

1. Bone the duck.
2. Preheat the oven to 325.
3. Season the inside of the duck with salt and pepper.
4. Truss the duck.I did not have butcher's twine, so I used a natural fiber twine.

• I did not have a large-eyed needle, so I used wooden skewers.
• Close the duck skin. Pierce and secure with pieces of skewer along the length of the back. (Poke the sharp end through, then break off a segment to leave in the duck. Repeat.)
• Criss-cross one length of twine around and along the row of skewers. Tie off the twine.
• Tuck in the neck and tail skin. 
• Flip the duck over.
• Tie lengths of twine widthwise around the duck. This will create a firm "tube-like" shape.

1. Heat the fat or oil in a deep, oven-ready pot.
2. Prick the skin of the duck around the thighs, back, and lower part of the breast. This allows the fat to release during cooking.
3. Dry the duck.
4. Brown the duck on all sides. (I didn't allow mine to brown long enough. This left the skin less crispy and more fatty than I would have liked.)

1. Remove the duck to a plate. Season it with salt.
2. Drain the browning fat.
3. Return the duck to the casserole breast up.
4. Prepare an herb bouquet by placing the parsley, bay leaf, and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth. I regularly use a coffee filter and twine for this. 
5. Add the bouquet to the pot. Cover. Place in the oven.
6. Roast for 50-60 minutes. You do not need to baste.

1. Meanwhile...prepare the turnips.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Dice the turnips. As you can see, I used both my small OPO turnips and one of the two large turnips I bought from another stall at the farmers' market. I preferred the flavor of the smaller ones, which I'll discuss later.
4. Add the diced turnips to the boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes. Drain.
5. When the duck has cooked almost an hour, remove the pot from the oven.
6. Degrease the duck juices and return them to the pot.
7. Add the blanched turnips.
8. Cover the pot and return to the oven.
9. Baste the turnips occasionally.
10. Cook until the duck is done. (Here I erred. I forgot to use a thermometer, and became so concerned with basting that I over-cooked the duck - to my liking, at least. The recipe states that the turnips will take 30-40 minutes. I think 15 would have be plenty.)
11. Remove the duck and turnips to a platter. 
12. Degrease and reserve the drippings. Serve along with the meal.

The Results

I have mixed reactions to the dish - mostly due to my choice of ingredients and errors in cooking. The overall effect was very nice. There's little to season the dish apart from the natural flavors of the bird. The turnips offered a sweet counterpoint, but were overdone. Also, the larger turnips were a tad bitter. This wasn't terribly distracting, but I would use only smaller ones next time if possible.

Some are given to believe that duck is "Greasy Goodness," as Junior Chef #1 quipped. We didn't find this true with this approach. As I mentioned, I should have browned the duck more in the beginning, so there was a little excess fattiness around the breast. And, I did cook it longer than I should have (it reached 186 degrees). For that reason, it was more tough than it should have been.

The great irony of the meal was that Junior Chef #2, who had requested duck initially, spent the night with a friend and missed it. There are leftovers, but not many - a whole duck serves 3-5 people.

One monster turnip remains in the pantry. I need to think of another dish. Lamb?

Banana Bread: Half-and-Half

In what appears to be a violation of my self-imposed rule, I made banana bread (again) yesterday. But, I enjoy a good argument, so here are two facts that you should consider before passing final judgment. First, the ingredients are not from our CSA, recording whose preparation is the primary reason for having this blog. Second, the recipe I used was different from the first in that it reduces the sugar by half, adds milk, and uses fewer eggs. The end result was entirely different - and worth sharing with you. For reasons that will become clear, call this bread ala' Lee Majors.

The Method
This recipe is taken from Jacques Pepin's, The short-cut cook (1990), which is a wonderful collection of simple yet interesting dishes generally requiring very little time to make. (Including a cheese souffle from his mother that I want to try...you add whole eggs not whipped whites.)

• 1 TB corn oil or cooking spray to grease the pan
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 TB baking powder
• 4 TB butter, slightly softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 C milk
• 1/2 C sunflower seeds (I used walnut pieces instead)

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Grease a bread pan with the oil or cooking spray.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder, butter, and sugar in a food processor. (I used a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, which makes me happy ever time I cook with it.)
4. Blend until the ingredients are well combined (10-15 seconds).
5. Peel the bananas and add them to the mixture. Blend for 5 to 10 seconds.
6. Add the eggs, milk, and sunflower seeds (nuts).
7. Blend until the batter is well combined.
8. Pour the batter into the greased pan.
9. Bake for 60 minutes, or until nicely browned. (A knife inserted at the middle should come out clean.)
10. Cool on a baking rack before unmolding.

The Result

I ran a knife around the edge of the bread in the pan then flipped it over to release it. Thunk. The loaf split in half, leaving the bottom firmly attached to the pan and the top on my counter. So much for spreading a tablespoon of corn oil around the pan. (The second loaf I made today came out cleanly. I coated that pan with cooking spray.)

Still, I enjoyed the concordance of the halving of key ingredients and the loaf itself. (I did, actually, which is probably strikes you as strange - unless you know me well.) I quickly removed the bottom portion and rebuilt the loaf. (Six Million Dollar Man theme and intro montage running through my head.) The loaf was moist and warm enough to meld together to a fair degree.

It was a much lighter and less sweet bread than the original recipe. We enjoyed it with coffee and a few fresh, Florida strawberries.

CSA week 20

Another cold Saturday at the farmer's market today, but with a constant drizzle to boot. There were a number of vendors out, nonetheless, and plenty of local produce. Jennifer said that Orchard Pond's plants have done well - except some of the thinner, younger crops. They are welcoming several people over the next few weeks to work on the farm. I heard there are great plans to prepare the worm castings and rainwater collection.


In this week's share:

• carrots
• baby radishes
• turnips
• rutabagas
• collard greens

Breakfast Monsters

We opt for fun food in our family whenever possible. One of our traditions, initiated by Senior Chef #2, is the "breakfast monster" - an amalgam of sticky, chewy, fruity, nutty items from the pantry and fridge. The beauty of these monsters is that the Junior Chefs are about to make them on their own!


Here were this morning's creations containing:

• peanuts-only peanut butter
• tangerines (We are in FL)
• homemade raspberry jam (Thanks, Papa)
• raisins

Bowtie Monster (Junior Chef #2)

Imagine the tangerine wedges as the bowtie; the raisins serving as eyes and the nose. 


My favorite aspect of this particular monster is the finger swipe through peanut butter, and the partially eaten tangerine section with seeds. 

Military Monster (Junior Chef #1)

Military monster. Hmmm? This requires a bit more interpretation...and eye squinting. The raisins, I'm told, represent the many soldiers. 


I'm not certain why this theme was chosen. The best part for me were the repeated updates from the kitchen table that the banana - secured by peanut butter - STILL had not fallen. Ah, physics.

Radishes Fowl Point Zero

The smaller CSA share this week and our earlier salad extravaganza  left us with only a few items remaining to cook. I had bought a whole chicken thinking to roast it with sage and red potatoes. That felt a little uninspired, so I decided to check the fridge. Pulling open my veggie drawer, I found a large bunch of OPO radishes, some turnips, and a number of carrots. 


We've come to love both radishes and turnips. In fact, the other day, we all set upon a sliced raw turnip: crunchy and spicy with just a hint of sweetness. Both remind us of horseradish - another favorite. Then it struck me: Horseradish roasted chicken. It sounded quirky but worth trying.


The Method


If you don't have the luxury of homemade horseradish grown in Midwestern soils (thanks, Dad), you will want to a) buy a horseradish root and make some, or b) purchase really good jar. You could brine the chicken in advance, but I prepared this without doing so.

• 1  roaster chicken
• 3-5 turnips, sliced in half/quarters if large
• 1 bunch of radishes
  
• 3 carrots, roughly chopped
• several new, red potatoes
• 2 TB horseradish, ground
• 2 TB butter, melted
• Salt and pepper
• 2 TB real maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Place the turnips and radishes in a plastic bag.
4. Season the turnips and radishes with salt and pepper.
5. Add the horseradish and melted butter to the bag. Mix to coat the vegetables well.
6. Stuff the chick with the turnip and radishes. Set breast-up into a roasting pan. (I use one with a rack, adding 2 C of water, so that I can make gravy.)
7. Turn the bag inside-out and rub the chicken with the horseradish butter.
8. Place the remaining vegetables around the chicken. 
9. Season the outside of the chicken with a little salt and pepper.
10. Drizzle with maple syrup.
11. Roast until done, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. (Check the water level to ensure it doesn't dry out completely.)

The Results

As with several of our previous radish meals, this was scrumptious. The chicken was moist, buttery, and sweet - with just a hint of the spiciness from the horseradish. Roasted vegetables are always delicious. They held up well to the peppery flavor of the dish. The resulting gravy, however, made by adding a few tablespoons of flour and water blended together with the pan set over high burners on the stove, was the star! It had an ambrosial aroma and taste - piquant, yet creamy, blended with a touch of maple syrup. On the side, OPO mustard greens, turnip, tops, and kale.

Enwraptured: The Filling Tale of Two Dishes and a Salad

Buffalo. Junior Chef #1 asked me to make buffalo recently. Yes, our junior chefs are experienced and relatively adventurous eaters, so this request didn't catch me too much by surprise. We bought a pound of grass-fed ground buffalo, and I began to think about how best to prepare it. An obvious choice: Buffalo Empanadas. (Only obvious if you know that I've been planning to make empanadas for a couple of weeks, and thought to substitute buffalo for ground beef.)


But there were gorgeous oyster mushrooms on offer at the farmers' market this week. I had to buy a pound. While they would keep a couple of days in the fridge, I decided to make the for dinner, too. The question was, how?


We tend to overbuy food for the holidays. Generally, most of our families join us here for the week of Christmas. And to feed the multitudes, we make sure the pantry, fridge, and freezer are well-stocked. I had intended to make a couple of pots of blackbean and turkey chills to feed the ravenous throngs, but we had more than enough other food. The turkey remained unused in the freezer. Then there were the leftover crepes from our Gateau de Crepes, which have set atop several other items in the freezer - longing to be used. 


A vision. Turkey and oyster mushrooms wrapped and baked in crepes - a savory, mild counterpoint to the spicy empanadas.


... and a salad from the lovely OPO offerings this week.


It was the best of menus.


The Method (Buffalo Empanadas)


Every culture has its version of travel-friendly food.  While living in Africa and traveling through southeast Asia, I sample many interesting items - perhaps most interesting was "mbewa pan ndodo." (A quick Google search of the individual words will reveal more than you'd like to know about that culinary treat.)


The empanada takes various names and forms around the world. But the notion of stuffing breads with meats is familiar. Think of burritos and sandwiches. The calzone takes this to a larger scale. Alternate starchy coverings give us sushi/sashimi, the corndog, and meat-filled crepes in the night markets (pasar malam) of Malaysia. 


Here, I offer spicy buffalo in a crispy, buttery pastry.


The Crust

• 2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1 stick butter, chilled and cut into tablespoon pieces
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 egg
• ice water (about 1/4-1/2 C)
• 2 egg whites (reserve for filling the empanadas)

1. Mix the flour and salt.
2. Cut in the butter using a fork or pastry knife  until the consistency is like cornmeal
3. Beat together the egg, vinegar, and 1/4 C of ice water.
4. Mix the liquids with the flour and butter until the dough just begins to hold together. (It should be very flaky and loose.)
5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and press it into a mound. (Add a bit of ice water if it's too dry.)
6. Knead the dough quickly and gently. You want it to just hold together.
7. Press the dough into a disk-shape about 1/2" thick.
8. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1+ hours. (This allows the butter to firm up and the gluten in the dough to relax.)

The Filling (while the dough is chilling)

• 1# ground buffalo
• 2 TB canola oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-3 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped finely
• 1 tsp Adobo seasoning
• 1 TB tomato paste

1. Saute the onions and garlic in the oil over medium-high heat until lightly browned.
2. Add the ground buffalo and cook thoroughly.
3. Stir in the chipotles, Adobo, and tomato paste.
4. Simmer 5 minutes.

Creating the Empanadas

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Remove the dough from the fridge. 
3. Roll the dough until it is about 1/8" thick.
4. Cut out circles of dough about 5-6" in diameter. 
5. Brush one half of each circle with beaten egg whites.
6. Add 2-3 TBs of filling.
7. Fold the dough over the filling and seal the edges using a fork.
8. Brush with egg white.
9. Bake for 45 minutes.

The Method (Turkey and Oyster Mushroom Crepes)

Crepes freeze very well, so we used what was on hand along with a few newly-made. They are simple to make from scratch - and quick, apart from the one hour rest period for the fresh batter.


The Crepes

1. Whisk together until smooth: 3/4 C flour, pinch of salt, 1 C skim milk, 1 egg, and 1 egg white.
2. Chill covered for one hour.
3. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high.
4. Spray with cooking spray.
5. Remove the pan from the direct heat.
6. Tilt the pan toward you. (Far end from the handle is higher.) 
7. Pour about 1/4 C batter into the far end of the pan.
8. Tilt the pan until the batter covers the bottom. (This should be a thin layer with a lacy appearance around the edges.
9. Cook 1 minute.
10. When the underside is lightly browned, flip the crepe.
11. Cook 30 seconds.
12. Remove to a plate. 

(If you choose to freeze crepes, separate them with waxed paper.)

The Filling

The filling was more involved, but still uncomplicated.

• 1 TB butter
• 1/2 C onion, thinly sliced
• 4-5 C oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 TB flour
• 1 1/2 C chicken broth
• 2 TB sherry
• Salt and pepper
• 1# ground turkey
• 1/4 C Grana padano cheese, grated (Parmesan or Asiago would substitute.)

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Brown the turkey in a pan with a little butter. Set aside until you fill the crepes.
3. Saute the onion in butter over medium heat until softened.
4. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and thyme. Cook until mushroom release their juices, 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle flour over the mushroom mixture and cook for 1 minute.
6. Slowly add the broth and sherry.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Return mixture to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce thickens. (But don't overcook the mushrooms; they should retain some firmness.)
9. Remove from heat.
10. Reserve 1/2 C of the sauce.
11. Stir the cooked turkey into the mushroom sauce.
12. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
13. Add 1/3 - 1/2 C of the turkey and mushroom mixture to the center of a crepe.
14. Fold one side over the mixture, and pull it tight against the filling with your fingers - holding the filling tightly under the flap.
15. Fold the second side over the first to create a sealed "tube" containing the filling.
16. Place the filled crepes in the baking dish with their seams on the bottom. 
17. Cover the crepes with the reserved mushrooms.
18. Sprinkle with cheese.
19. Bake for 15 minutes.

The Results


We savored this meal in three courses beginning with a crepe apiece. These were soft and creamy with a meaty, earthy flavor from the mushrooms. The turkey contributed a firmness that offered nice contrast.

The salad was an inspired creation from our CSA share - and definitely worth a few notes here. We placed a small head of loose-leaf lettuce (variety?) on each plate. We then sprinkled chopped arugula around and over the lettuce. Next came layers of grated carrots, raw turnips, and radishes. We added sprigs of shunkigu (edible chrysanthemum) and a dressing concocted by Senior Chef #2, which was purposefully sweet to balance the strong spicy and bitter flavors of the greens. (Brown and yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, canola oil, garlic powder, and brown sugar)

We concluded with the empanadas. Dense, crunchy, and full of hot, peppery meat! They were entirely different from the crepes in almost every way. (I would roll the dough more thinly next time, and add a bit more fat to the buffalo meat.)


The meal, divided in three parts, was thus enjoyed by us one and all.


(Although there is plenty of both for a second meal.)

CSA Week 19

Mary and Jennifer, from Orchard Pond Organics, were distributing our CSA shares in bone-chilling, finger-numbing cold yesterday. At 10 a.m., it was only 25 degrees here in northern Florida. There were a few other vendors out, too, including Ben from Manatee Mushrooms who was selling gorgeous oyster mushrooms. (He will be at the market in coming weeks with shitakes as the weather grows warmer.)


Mary and I talked about how the recent weather extremes were affecting their efforts. October and November saw an historical heat wave that took its toll on new plantings. That was followed a few weeks ago by daily rain - leading to the third wettest December on record. This kept them out of the field. Now we are experiencing some of the coldest days and nights in recent decades. At a minimum, this slows growth; at worst, it damages or kills plants. Difficult days for farmers - and requiring patience among those who support local agriculture.


Our share this week was, therefore, understandably light. Mary anticipates it will continue to be so for another couple of weeks. But she hopes to see increasing yields in the near-term. In addition, they will have OPO broilers for sale. 

• Shungiku (the small greens, which went unidentified last week)
• Lettuce
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Radishes
• eggs
• oyster mushrooms (from Manatee Mushrooms)

Triple "B" Pasta

I have a problem. I love cookbooks. Fortunately, people give me cookbooks regularly as gifts, so I don't often need to feed my addiction. Occasionally, however, I have perused and purchased a new cookbook before I've thought through the consequences: namely, that I have now committed myself to making several new dishes in the coming days.


Several family members and friends have mentioned they enjoy America's Test Kitchen, which I think appears on PBS. I haven't seen the show, but spied an eponymous magazine at the grocery store the other day. (The Winter 2010 issue, to be specific.) Among the many promising recipes, I stumbled upon this pasta dish. The editors note that the recipe works because "...the [Brussels] sprouts integrate with the pasta." As a lover of sprouts and integrated pasta dishes, this had to be my first choice. (Even if you are a sprout skeptic, I strongly encourage you to give this a shot. It's wonderful!) I give you Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, and Blue Cheese (plus a few improvised additions).


The Method

• 3/4# Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced thinly (They recommend using a food processor, but it takes only a few minutes by hand.)
• 5 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 shallots, sliced thinly (I used red onion.)
• 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 C crumbled blue cheese (I used Kellie's Blue from Sweet Grass Dairy, salty and intense)
• 1# rigatoni
• 1/2 C walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 3 large turnips (my addition)
• 1/4# mushrooms (my addition)

1. Cook the pasta al dente while completing the next steps.
2. Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and drain off fat, reserving 2 TBs.
3. Add reserved bacon fat to pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook the sliced sprouts and shallots (along with turnips and mushrooms, if using) until tender, 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in cream and broth. Cook until sprouts are tender, 3 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
6. Toss with the cooked pasta and garnish with walnuts.

The Result


Wow! As much as we enjoy Brussels sprouts, these were even better than I'd envisioned. (A little cream and bacon certainly helped.) The turnips were an excellent addition - they brought a little spice, snap, and sweetness to the dish. The mushrooms gave another layer of earthiness. Rigatoni holds up perfectly against the thick, rich sauce. You could be tempted to add chicken, which would be fine but is unnecessary. An excellent cold weather meal.

Haluski: Pasta and Cabbage United

Unseasonably cold. As a midwesterner by birth and rearing, a little winter in Florida doesn't bother me too much. I still run around in short-sleeved shirts and sandals. But, the chill makes me crave warm, one-pot dishes. Enter Haluski. At the risk of repeating myself, we recently watched an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives that featured this dish. Thumbing through my Christmas gift, More DD&D by Guy Fieri, I found the recipe from the show and Guy's own version: Holy Haluski (p. 75). I opted to make the later, because it included two ingredients I especially love: pancetta and capers. I also used the dish as the chance to use the humongous cabbage I found last week at the farmers' market.


The Method
I made this one by the book. With an almost 8 pound cabbage, I doubled the recipe (below is the single batch). This was nearly too much for my favorite Le Creuset dutch oven; but as the cabbage cooked down I managed to fit everything. 

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 pound thin-sliced pancetta, diced (I had mine sliced too thinly. Opt for something a little thinner than bacon.)
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 medium head of cabbage, cored and sliced 1/2" thick (I have no idea what a medium head weighs, but I was probably cooking with 3-4 times this amount.)
• 2 carrots, julienne (Save yourself the hassle and just diced them.)
• 1 TB fresh thyme
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 8 ounces wide egg noodles (I used the real deal, not the no-yolk style.)
• 3 TB garlic, minced (Okay, I probably used triple this amount.)
• 3 TB capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 C peas (I used frozen)
• 1/4 C white wine
• 1 TB lemon juice
• Italian parsley to garnish

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for the noodles.
2. In a large pot, melt 1 TB butter and fry the pancetta until crisp (12-14 minutes). 
3. Remove pancetta and drain, reserving the fat.
4. Add 2 TB pancetta fat to pot along with the remaining butter over medium-high heat.
5. Add the onions, cabbage, carrots, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the veggies with butter.
6. Cover and cook until cable is wilted and almost tender, 10 minutes. 
7. Uncover and cook until the cabbage is very tender, 10 minutes more.
8. While the cabbage cooks, boil the pasta al dente.
9. Increase the heat under the pot to high and cook until the cabbage and onions are golden. [Maybe it's my stove - a lack of BTUs - or the moisture content in 8 pounds of cabbage, but it took much longer: almost 40 minutes. I also had to drain off several cups of liquid so that the veggies could sautee and not simply steam.]
10. Add in the garlic and capers. Cook for 1 minute.
11. Add the peas.
12. Deglaze the pan with wine and then add the lemon juice. [I didn't achieve much of a glaze, again, probably due to the veggie volume.]
13. Add 3/4 of the pancetta (reserve the rest to garnish). Remove from the heat.
14. Drain the noodles and toss with the cabbage mixture. [It took so long for my cabbage to brown that the noodles were a congealed mass, which I lovingly teased apart with my fingers...okay, not really, I threw them in and stirred until they separated.]
15. Serve immediately garnished with parsley and pancetta.

The Results
This dish has several things in its favor. It's a great way to prepare cabbage. I suspect it would be passable even among cabbage-doubters or haters. Second, it has a mixture of sweet (onion, cabbage, peas), sour (capers), and salty (pancetta) flavors. Still, the overall dish is mellow. We paired it with a glass (or two) of the remaining wine and an OPO  arugula salad with a sharp, tangy vinaigrette.


Doubling the recipe means that we've eaten only half during three separate meals this week. As good as this was, it's going to take really willpower to eat it three more times. Unfortunately, I think it will freeze poorly; but I may give that a shot. In the end, I should have used half of the monster cabbage to make sarma.

Pizza: Flexible, Forgiving, and Fantastic

Admittedly, I consider myself a gourmand and yet readily acknowledge that pizza is one of my favorite foods. While everyone has their favorite local or chain pizza place, I prefer homemade pizza. It does take time to prepare the dough, but beyond that it requires little preparation and the final product is.


Tonight we were making pizza for birthday party crowd, but I ran out of sauce (both tomato and pesto). I turned to the fridge for options. Here was the delicious, extemporaneous result.


The Method
Three of today's purchases came immediately to mind (with their intended dishes for later in the week shown):

• prosciutto (for haluski)
• raw goat's milk blue cheese from Sweet Grass Dairy (for rigatoni with bacon, brussel sprouts and blue cheese)
• grapes (for snacking)

1. Preheat the oven to 475.
2. Brush the pizza dough (stretched to size; here 6" diameter) with olive oil.
3. Layer sliced grapes, followed by slices of prosciutto and crumbled blue cheese.
4. Add a dusting of mozzarella.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes. (Keep an eye on this; it browns very quickly toward the end.)

The Results

Salty, sweet, savory...with a crispy crust. This is a decadent treat - and a tasty alternative to more standard sauce, meat, veggie combinations. (Sorry for not including a picture of the cooked pizza; we ate it too quickly!) It could include spinach or other greens. Also, I kept the toppings to a minimum, which allowed the crust to play a starring role. After all, it was the most involved part of the dish - and worth the prandial attention. This will make many repeat appearances at our table.

CSA Week 18

After forgetting to collect our CSA share last week, we were determined to arrive early at the farmers' market today. Lydia was kind enough to reward this effort with a few turnips she had harvested yesterday. Yay! Thank you! In addition, we received:

• mustard greens
• arugula
• radishes
• carrots
• eggs (the OPO hens are laying well)
• fennel (hmmm, fish perhaps?)
• kale
• small green chile

I also bought this incredibly large cabbage from my favorite grower. Take a guess at its weight...

7 pounds, 12.7 ounces

I'll use half to make haluski this week, and half for stuffed cabbage leaves.

Holy Mole!

One of my culinary loves is the mole. Spicy, sweet, rich. Despite this, I have never attempted to make it myself. A few months ago, we watched an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives that featured moles from the Red Iguana restaurant. One in particular – the Mole Negro -  required more than two dozen ingredients – needless-to-say, this is exactly the kind of cooking challenge I enjoy – but it was too complicated to write-down completely at the time. However, for Christmas, I received “More DD&D”, which contained this recipe (pp. 237-238). I hope you’re as inspired as I was.


The Method
Some recipes are really exercises in preparation and organization. This mole requires a well-stocked pantry. I had to make a few substitutions here – after researching the acceptable alternates. It contains almost 30 ingredients, but none needs any extensive prep.





In order of appearance, by column (L to R):

• 7 pasilla negro chiles (guajillo as substitute)
• 6 mulatto chiles (ancho as substitute)
• 1 quart hot water
• 1/2 C vegetable oil
• 1 flour tortilla, roughly torn
• 1 overripe banana/plantain
• 1 small poblano chile, stemmed/seeded/chopped
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled/chopped
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 C raisins
• 6 whole sprigs of epazote (I used 1 TB dried)
• 3 whole springs cilantro
• 1/3 C walnuts, roasted/chopped
• 1/3 C salted peanuts (I used peanut-only peanut butter)
• 2 ounces Mexican chocolate (I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 avocado leaf (Nope, couldn’t find one – maybe an avocado rind next time?)
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp. anise seeds
• 3/4 tsp. dried marjoram
• 3/4 tsp. dried whole thyme
• 1 whole clove
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 C sugar (I also added 2 TB dark brown sugar)
• Kosher salt to taste

1. Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles (pasilla and mulatto).
2. Soak the dried chiles in hot water for 20 minutes (keep the water).
3. Heat 1/4 C oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat.
4. Toast the tortilla in the oil until golden brown.
5. Add the banana/plantain, poblano, tomatoes, garlic, onion, raisins, epazote, and cilantro.
6. Sauté until poblano and onion are soft.
7. Add the nuts, chiles and their soaking water, chocolate, bay leaf, avocado leaf, and all the spices (peppercorns through cinnamon stick).
8. Simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Remove the bay leaf and clove. (Finding the clove was a minor miracle, but doing so in under 20 seconds told me this sauce was preordained for gastronomical greatness.)
10. Transfer the very hot mole to a blender and puree until smooth. You want it to be the consistency of tomato sauce. Add water if necessary.
11. Heat 1/4 C oil in the deep pot over high heat.
12. Carefully pour the mole into the pot. (This is very dangerous, as the sauce is thick and slurpy – it likes to pop and sputter.)
13. Stir in the sugar and then salt to taste.
14. Simmer for 15 minutes – partially covered to reduce splattering. 

The Results
Magnificent. I lightly seasoned and browned several chicken breasts then cooked them in the simmering mole for 15 minutes or so. We ate these sliced in homemade tortillas with a few refried beans, lettuce, and fresh avocado.


The sauce hits you with some initial sweetness and a little heat in the front of your mouth. After a few seconds, the heat travels back and becomes deeper, but the chocolate and toasted nuts suddenly appear, too. You could probably discern many of the primary ingredients, if you set your mind to it.


Moles are a treasure. This one seems especially forgiving because of the number and variety of ingredients. I’m dreaming of variations already…but for now, we have plenty of leftovers.

CSA Week 17

While you may believe in Santa Claus (and I hope you do), you cannot imagine my disappointment this morning when I realized that we’d forgotten to collect our CSA share this week. With family in town and everyone recovering from a long Christmas day of eating, talking, and – yes – more eating, it didn’t even occur to me to head to the market.

We have enough left0vers to feed ourselves for the next three weeks, but I am sadden to know my eggs and veggies had to be sent to another home.

Radishes 3.0

Well, somehow I failed to report on a third way to prepare red radishes, which has further ensconced these as a family favorite. I stumbled upon this recipe in the the Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash (p. 241).


The Method

1. Prepare a marinade of the following:
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 2 TB white vinegar
• 1 TB sugar
• 2 TB sesame oil
2. Add up to 4 C of thinly sliced radishes.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

The Results
We ate these with homemade chili. They would be wonderful by themselves, too.


The sesame oil makes the difference. It has almost a creamy, nutty flavor and complements the crunch and spice of the radishes.


We have leftover radishes from Christmas Even hors d'oeuvres that I have marinating now in the fridge. Yum!

Just between Us

We’ve known each other long enough for me now to entrust you with my very favorite way to prepare chicken. I learned the general approach from my mom, and have developed my own version.


First, I recommend that you buy a whole chicken (hen, fryer, or roaster is fine) rather than pay the per-pound premium for pre-cut. With a sharp knife and a bit of patience, you can save yourself $1-$2 – plus relearn some high school biology.
Second, you need to inherit as I did (or buy) a large cast iron skillet for this recipe to work. I am fortunate to own three of various sizes. This dish uses the largest – a 13-14” behemoth weighting close to 10 pounds.


Third, it is best to use a charcoal grill – although I have made it in a gas grill and in the oven.


The Method

• One whole chicken, cut into serving pieces (I would suggest halving the breasts width-wise.)
• 4 limes
• 1 head of garlic, separated into peeled cloves
• Seasoning – I prefer Penzey’s Southwest or Northwoods Fire spice mixes, and have made my own versions of this. I use 3-4 TBs.

1. Put the juice, garlic cloves, and seasoning in a gallon ziploc bag. Squish to blend. You can add the lime rinds, too.
2. Add the chicken pieces.
3. Shake and turn the bag to coat all of the pieces.
4. Allow marinade to set for at least an hour – 3-4 if possible.
5. Prepare the grill as you would normally – with a pile of ~30 briquettes.
6. After the grill is hot and ready for cooking, remove the chicken to a deep cast iron skillet skin-side down.
7. Place the garlic cloves (and limes) on top of the chicken.
8. Set the skillet on the grill screen directly over the coals.
9. Close the grill for 45 minutes.
10. Open the grill and use tongs to reposition the chicken pieces. (Turn once the skin has browned.)
• NOTE: the skillet will fill with juices from the chicken and marinade during the first hour of cooking. I’ve always left these to cook off, although you could remove them. They help to caramelize the skin and flavor the meat, however; so I would leave them.
11. Cook for another 20-30 minutes after turning. (The chicken will be done before you flip it, but I like to have it brown on all sides.)

The Results
We eat this 3-4 times per month. The chicken absorbs the marinade and develops an almost-chewy caramelized texture on the outside. The best portions, in my opinion, are the back and wings. These don’t have much meat, but do become especially flavorful.
We served this with brown rice and OPO greens (steamed with radishes). [You can see the brown crispies from the skillet to the right – these include chunks of now-roasted garlic. Heaven!]


I don’t recommend using a juice or marinade with much sugar in it, as these tend to burn over such a high heat and long cooking time. For example, I have had difficulties in substituting orange juice for the limes.


You owe me one.

Leaving nothing behind

Having lived abroad and traveled to many countries, I’m keenly aware of the almost-unique American' propensity to use only select portions of fruits and vegetables. For example, greens – now a favorite in our family thanks to Orchard Pond Organics – are widely seen as a Southern staple, but are less commonly eaten in the North. However, in many places – particularly those in less developed regions around the globe – so much effort is required to grow food plants that all edible portions are used. (You can extend the same argument to the eating of offal, use of plant roots/branches to make tea or medicine, and the inclusion of vermin and insects in the diet.)


This week we received a beautiful set of broccoli heads. Attached to each was a set of deep green leaves. If you consider store-bought broccoli, you’ll note that it generally comes without leaves.


Our neighbor brought over some pork and venison sausage, which he had prepared after a recent successful deer hunt. It was smoked, and therefore had a deep, rich flavor.  I decided to brown it over high, dry heat, and serve broccoli and fresh bread along side.
I cooked the broccoli, along with its leaves, in the microwave – steaming it for only two minutes. While I can’t promise that my neighbor will share his sausage with you, I can highly recommend enjoying all of your broccoli – and buying it fully adorned whenever possible!


 

The Roots of Happiness

I’m several days behind in blogging. We had the good fortune to host both families this past week. Nearly everyone joined us, and those who didn’t received plenty of food updates via text and email messages.
The week opened with the weather finally turning cooler and the holiday approaching, it was time for the quintessential winter dish: pot roast. Fortunately, there were plenty of root vegetables during the past two week’s OPO shares to add. And the general busyness of the season made this a perfect crock-pot dinner, which we shared with one set of parents who had driven down from Illinois.
The Method

• One chuck/pot roast
• Assorted root vegetables, roughly chopped (I used OPO carrots, rutabagas, and radishes, along with celery.)
• Seasoned flour – I used salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne pepper.

1. Bring the roast to approx. room temperature.
2. Dredge the roast in seasoned flour.
3. Heat 2 TB oil and 2 TB butter over a high burner.
4. Brown the roast on all sides. Remove to a plate.
5. Leaving the fat in the pan, lightly brown the vegetables.
6. Add the vegetables to the crock-pot.
7. Add 1/2 C red wine.
8. Stick 4 cloves into a whole, small, peeled onion; place in the crock-pot.
9. Add 2 bay leaves.
10. Place the roast on top of the vegetables.
11. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. (In all honesty, it wasn’t done after 6 hours on high, so we allow it to cook on low until the next evening – about 25 hours.)

The Results
This is a very low-commitment dish. It takes only 15-20 minutes to prepare; then you simply allow the crock-pot to do its magic. We served this with brown rice. A fine meal.