I thought I'd take a five minute break from cooking to put my feet up and share my Thanksgiving dinner menu in progress...
Tomorrow we'll start with a creamy kohlrabi and apple salad, followed by roasted kabocha squash soup with pancetta and sage. Fresh dinner rolls, also a big favorite, will appear next. The main course is herb roasted turkey with pineapple laced cranberries. The side dishes will be brussels sprouts with shallots and wild mushrooms, cornbread dressing, mashed yams, calliflower with cheese sauce, cider glazed delicata squash with apples and mashed potatoes with carmelized garlic and parsnips. For desert, of course, pumpkin pie!
Back to work!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Brussel sprouts
Brussels sprouts (I've always pronounced it Brussel sprouts, singular, but apparently I've always been wrong) are the ultimate vegetable. You start out with a little lettuce, move on to beets, think you've hit the big time with parsnips, and then you come to Brussels sprouts. This is the vegetable that brings all faint-hearted would-be herbivores to their knees. I'm about three steps short of becoming a vegetarian and even I have always struggled with these little characters. As a child, I called them "little cabages" and I remember liking them fairly well although I always thought they were a little bland. As an adult, I was turned off by Brussel sprouts' tart flavor. Learning how to cook Brussel sprouts is a right of passage for anyone who claims to be a foodie and critics love to rave about their favorite ways to prepare them.
I picked up my CSA box tonight and there was a full pound of fresh organic Brussel sprouts. The Farm Notes offered up a recepie that sounded amazing, so I thought I'd give them a shot this evening, even though I usually don't cook on week nights. The recepie, adapted from the November 2006 isue of Gourmet magazine (rest in peace) called for a large shallot, but I didn't have one so I used a large onion - twice the size, half the flavor. I also used less butter and twice as many chanterelles. The results are amazing. Besides the obvious (lots of butter makes just about anyting delicious), I think the key here is to overcook the Brussel sprouts. They were practically falling apart in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven and easily crushed by the tongs I used to pull them out pan. I think the problem I've been having the last few years is that I've tried hard not to overcook vegetables and, as a result, I've undercooked my Brussels.
Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Wild Mushrooms
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large shallot, cut crosswise into thin slices (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
.4 lb mixed fresh chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed, quartered if large
a splash of dry white wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
a pinch of salt & black pepper
1/6 cup water
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then spread out in 1 layer in 2 large shallow baking pans (17 by 12 inches). Roast, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender and browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Cook's note: tossing is a big pain. I threw them in the pan, covered them in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, rolled them over, did it all again, and called it good.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until temperature measures 250°F (see cooks' note, below), then fry shallots in 3 batches, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per batch (watch closely, as shallots can burn easily). Quickly transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, spreading in a single layer. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.) Pour off oil from skillet (do not clean).
Heat 5 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.
Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Add water (1/6 cup) and remaining tablespoon butter and simmer, swirling skillet, until butter is melted. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with some of shallots and serve with remaining shallots on the side.
I picked up my CSA box tonight and there was a full pound of fresh organic Brussel sprouts. The Farm Notes offered up a recepie that sounded amazing, so I thought I'd give them a shot this evening, even though I usually don't cook on week nights. The recepie, adapted from the November 2006 isue of Gourmet magazine (rest in peace) called for a large shallot, but I didn't have one so I used a large onion - twice the size, half the flavor. I also used less butter and twice as many chanterelles. The results are amazing. Besides the obvious (lots of butter makes just about anyting delicious), I think the key here is to overcook the Brussel sprouts. They were practically falling apart in the pan when I pulled it out of the oven and easily crushed by the tongs I used to pull them out pan. I think the problem I've been having the last few years is that I've tried hard not to overcook vegetables and, as a result, I've undercooked my Brussels.
Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Wild Mushrooms
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large shallot, cut crosswise into thin slices (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
.4 lb mixed fresh chanterelle mushrooms, trimmed, quartered if large
a splash of dry white wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
a pinch of salt & black pepper
1/6 cup water
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss Brussels sprouts with oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, then spread out in 1 layer in 2 large shallow baking pans (17 by 12 inches). Roast, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until tender and browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Cook's note: tossing is a big pain. I threw them in the pan, covered them in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, rolled them over, did it all again, and called it good.
Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until temperature measures 250°F (see cooks' note, below), then fry shallots in 3 batches, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per batch (watch closely, as shallots can burn easily). Quickly transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, spreading in a single layer. (Shallots will crisp as they cool.) Pour off oil from skillet (do not clean).
Heat 5 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes.
Add wine, thyme, salt, and pepper and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Add water (1/6 cup) and remaining tablespoon butter and simmer, swirling skillet, until butter is melted. Transfer to a serving dish and stir in Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with some of shallots and serve with remaining shallots on the side.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Ravioli con la zucca
I had a long week. The kind of week that leads to breakfast in the Starbucks drivethrough, missed lunches, and very late dinners from fast food joints. The sad part is that when you're this tired and this hungry, it all starts to taste good.
Thankfully the weekend has arrived and my life - and food - is getting back to normal. I grew six cooking pumpkins this summer and they've been sitting on the porch for the past few weeks. Halloween seemed like a good day to eat a pumpkin. I sliced one in half, layed both sides face-down on a roasting pan, added about a 1/2 inch of water, and cooked it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. After the squash cooled, the skin pealed off really easily. I scrapped out the seeds and strings, cut off the stem, and pured it with an emulsion blender. The result was about four cups of pured pumkin.
So now what. Tomorrow I'm going to make ginger pumpkin muffins, but tonight I made ravioli con la zucca, cheese ravioli (from the isle of frozen food at costco) with a creamy pumpkin sauce. I checked a couple of websites for suggestions, including this one with great pictures, and then just sort of made things up as I went along. I sauted 3/4 of an onion (left over from last week's CSA), added the pumpkin, gave the nutmeg and pepper a good shake, stirred in a splash of cream, and wrapped things up with a handful of fresh parsley from the garden. (As an aside, my parsley has really taken off since the weather cooled off. It's under a cold frame now as I was afraid it might drown with all the rain we've had.) A poured the sauce over the ravioli and topped it off with a handful of freshly grated parmesan. Note that I didn't use any salt. The ravioli and parmesan have plenty.
The great thing about this dish is that it was really, really easy and fast. I'd love to try the FXcusine.com recipe I liked to above, but I think pealing and slicing the pumpkin would be a lot of work. Pumpkins a really hard squash. I had a tough time slicing through mine before I roasted it.
Thankfully the weekend has arrived and my life - and food - is getting back to normal. I grew six cooking pumpkins this summer and they've been sitting on the porch for the past few weeks. Halloween seemed like a good day to eat a pumpkin. I sliced one in half, layed both sides face-down on a roasting pan, added about a 1/2 inch of water, and cooked it at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. After the squash cooled, the skin pealed off really easily. I scrapped out the seeds and strings, cut off the stem, and pured it with an emulsion blender. The result was about four cups of pured pumkin.
So now what. Tomorrow I'm going to make ginger pumpkin muffins, but tonight I made ravioli con la zucca, cheese ravioli (from the isle of frozen food at costco) with a creamy pumpkin sauce. I checked a couple of websites for suggestions, including this one with great pictures, and then just sort of made things up as I went along. I sauted 3/4 of an onion (left over from last week's CSA), added the pumpkin, gave the nutmeg and pepper a good shake, stirred in a splash of cream, and wrapped things up with a handful of fresh parsley from the garden. (As an aside, my parsley has really taken off since the weather cooled off. It's under a cold frame now as I was afraid it might drown with all the rain we've had.) A poured the sauce over the ravioli and topped it off with a handful of freshly grated parmesan. Note that I didn't use any salt. The ravioli and parmesan have plenty.
The great thing about this dish is that it was really, really easy and fast. I'd love to try the FXcusine.com recipe I liked to above, but I think pealing and slicing the pumpkin would be a lot of work. Pumpkins a really hard squash. I had a tough time slicing through mine before I roasted it.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Delicata squash with herb and cider glaze
One of the things I’ve learned this fall from my CSA Farm Notes is that winter squash should not be prepared immediately after harvesting. It’s best to let them sit a week or two on the kitchen counter. Two weeks ago I got a delicata squash in my box. These mild little squash only weigh about a pound. They’re green and yellow and shaped like a cucumber. I’ve only cooked one once before (and not with particularly good results) so I tried a new recipe and I’m very pleased with the dish that resulted – a mild squash with a glaze that’s both sweet and savory.
Delicata squash with herb and cider glaze
1 medium winter squash (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup fresh sage, chopped
4 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
3/4 cup apple cider
½ cup water
2 teaspoons wine or herb vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Prep: Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, then cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds. Cut each piece in half again lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Cook: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook until the butter just begins to turn color in three to five minutes. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper and additional salt if needed.
Delicata squash with herb and cider glaze
1 medium winter squash (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup fresh sage, chopped
4 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
3/4 cup apple cider
½ cup water
2 teaspoons wine or herb vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Prep: Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, then cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds. Cut each piece in half again lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Cook: Melt the butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook until the butter just begins to turn color in three to five minutes. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper and additional salt if needed.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Bacon potato tacos
One of my favorites restaurants in Olympia is Quality Burrito. They make these amazing potato and potato bacon tacos that I absolutely love. I figured they couldn’t be that hard to make at home and after a little experimenting I came up with something just as tasty as the QB original.
The basic ingredients are obvious: bacon and potatoes. I bought two slices of thick bacon at the deli counter since I don’t cook bacon very often and whole package seemed like a bit waste of space in the freezer. The key with bacon is to cook it slowly over medium heat. While that was simmering away, I peeled two pounds of potatoes (tasty ones from my garden now stored in the garage for the winter) and cooked them in a little water until they were soft enough to stick a fork through them.
When it was crispy on both sides I pulled the bacon out of the pan, patted it dry with a paper towel, crumbled it into tiny pieces and set it aside.
I drained the potatoes and dropped them in the bacon grease. I used the back of a wooden spoon to smash the potatoes and turned them often, slowly browning them.
When the potatoes were the color of breakfast hash browns, it was time to add the fix’ns. Most important is the cheese. By adding it now I was able to spread it evenly through the mixture and get it thoroughly melted. The key to these tacos is to use both shredded pepper jack cheese and a bit of cotija – a salty Mexican cheese with a crumbly texture like feta. Finally, I mixed the bacon crumbles back in.
This mixture of bacon, potatoes and cheese will keep well in the frig for a few days and it’s easy to reheat. I made the tacos up right before sitting down to dinner. I heated soft tacos in the often on a low temperature, filled with a generous scoop of potato mix. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro, a spoonful of sour cream, and voilà!
There are endless possible variations – leave out the bacon and cook the potatoes in butter instead, add grilled onions and other veggies, try different cheese, top with salsa, etc.
Now if I could only figure out how to make their amazing fresh tortilla chips… and their salsa… and those burritos…
The basic ingredients are obvious: bacon and potatoes. I bought two slices of thick bacon at the deli counter since I don’t cook bacon very often and whole package seemed like a bit waste of space in the freezer. The key with bacon is to cook it slowly over medium heat. While that was simmering away, I peeled two pounds of potatoes (tasty ones from my garden now stored in the garage for the winter) and cooked them in a little water until they were soft enough to stick a fork through them.
When it was crispy on both sides I pulled the bacon out of the pan, patted it dry with a paper towel, crumbled it into tiny pieces and set it aside.
I drained the potatoes and dropped them in the bacon grease. I used the back of a wooden spoon to smash the potatoes and turned them often, slowly browning them.
When the potatoes were the color of breakfast hash browns, it was time to add the fix’ns. Most important is the cheese. By adding it now I was able to spread it evenly through the mixture and get it thoroughly melted. The key to these tacos is to use both shredded pepper jack cheese and a bit of cotija – a salty Mexican cheese with a crumbly texture like feta. Finally, I mixed the bacon crumbles back in.
This mixture of bacon, potatoes and cheese will keep well in the frig for a few days and it’s easy to reheat. I made the tacos up right before sitting down to dinner. I heated soft tacos in the often on a low temperature, filled with a generous scoop of potato mix. A handful of chopped fresh cilantro, a spoonful of sour cream, and voilà!
There are endless possible variations – leave out the bacon and cook the potatoes in butter instead, add grilled onions and other veggies, try different cheese, top with salsa, etc.
Now if I could only figure out how to make their amazing fresh tortilla chips… and their salsa… and those burritos…
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
My first celery root
Celeriac (also known as celery root) is one ugly vegetable. I’ve avoided it at the Farmer’s Market because it looked hard and woody like an old rudabegar but when it turned up in my CSA box I figured I’d give it a shot and now I’m a convert. Once the rough outer layers are cut away (my farmers were nice enough to do that part), celeriac has the texture of a fresh potato and far less starch than other root vegetables.
My CSA includes a copy of their Farm Notes in the box each week with suggested recipes for some of the more unusual produce. They adapted this recipe from one in Bon Appétit and I made a few more changes myself. The results are fantastic. Essentially this is a savory, healthy (no butter or cream) scalloped potato dish or potato gratin dish.
Layered Potato, Onion and Celery Root Casserole
1 celery root (celeriac), peeled, quartered, thinly sliced
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (packed) grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of celery root slices in dish. Top with 1/3 of potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Top with half of onion slices, half of garlic, then half of cheese. Repeat layering 1 more time. Cover with remaining celery root, then potatoes. Bring broth and cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Pour over vegetables. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake casserole 1 hour. Remove foil. Bake until vegetables are very tender and liquid bubbles thickly and is slightly absorbed, about 55 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes; serve.
My notes: I didn't have Gruyère on hand so I used a mix of Parmesan and a soft white cheese from the Farmer’s Market. I also substituted 1 cup whole milk for the cream and added a layer of fresh parsley that needed using up.
My CSA includes a copy of their Farm Notes in the box each week with suggested recipes for some of the more unusual produce. They adapted this recipe from one in Bon Appétit and I made a few more changes myself. The results are fantastic. Essentially this is a savory, healthy (no butter or cream) scalloped potato dish or potato gratin dish.
Layered Potato, Onion and Celery Root Casserole
1 celery root (celeriac), peeled, quartered, thinly sliced
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3 large), peeled, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (packed) grated Gruyère cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange 1/3 of celery root slices in dish. Top with 1/3 of potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Top with half of onion slices, half of garlic, then half of cheese. Repeat layering 1 more time. Cover with remaining celery root, then potatoes. Bring broth and cream to simmer in medium saucepan. Pour over vegetables. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake casserole 1 hour. Remove foil. Bake until vegetables are very tender and liquid bubbles thickly and is slightly absorbed, about 55 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes; serve.
My notes: I didn't have Gruyère on hand so I used a mix of Parmesan and a soft white cheese from the Farmer’s Market. I also substituted 1 cup whole milk for the cream and added a layer of fresh parsley that needed using up.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Fritters and pies
Last weekend I went to Lattin’s farm, on the Tumwater side of Olympia, to introduce my favorite ten-month-old to pumpkins. His mother claims that orange is K’s favorite color, but he seemed pretty unimpressed by the squash. He was fascinated, however, by the nine-year-old boy throwing a tantrum in the check-out line. I have to admit, the kid was impressive.
As I’m sure K realized long before the rest of us, introducing him to pumpkins and farm animals was really just an excuse for mom, dad and Auntie Jo to collect our annual Lattin’s apple fritters. We’d all been daydreaming about these fritters for a full year and they did not disappoint. Picture a giant doughnut, shaped like a bear claw, with apples baked into the dough and a sugary glaze over the top. They only serve them on weekends and they are in such hot demand that you literally get them straight out of the oven. Can you make them at home? Well you’d need a deep fryer to start, but given that they cost just $2.50 and that they’re clearly not a health food, it’s really better to just go out to Lattin’s once a year.
As most locals know, the Lattin’s family suffered a terrible tragedy earlier this year when an employee’s abusive ex-boyfriend showed up at the farm one morning. I made a small donation to her memorial fund at the register and bought a $6 gallon of their pasteurized apple cider, a $6 jar of wild blueberry freezer jam, and a $10 frozen wild blueberry pie. Since the small jar of apple butter I bought last year only lasted a few months, I bought the big $8 jar this year. Considering that the apple butter and freezer jam will last months in the refrigerator and that I can freeze the cider too... not a bad investment.
Blueberry pie is my absolute favorite and I love how naturally sweet the tiny wild berries are in this pie. Props to the baker for holding back on the sugar to let those flavors come through and rolling out a light crust that doesn’t get in the way. I like the pies at the Boston Harbor Pies downtown and at San Fransisco Street Bakery on the Eastside, but they both make their fruit pies really sugary sweet so I think Lattin's has the best pie in town.
As I’m sure K realized long before the rest of us, introducing him to pumpkins and farm animals was really just an excuse for mom, dad and Auntie Jo to collect our annual Lattin’s apple fritters. We’d all been daydreaming about these fritters for a full year and they did not disappoint. Picture a giant doughnut, shaped like a bear claw, with apples baked into the dough and a sugary glaze over the top. They only serve them on weekends and they are in such hot demand that you literally get them straight out of the oven. Can you make them at home? Well you’d need a deep fryer to start, but given that they cost just $2.50 and that they’re clearly not a health food, it’s really better to just go out to Lattin’s once a year.
As most locals know, the Lattin’s family suffered a terrible tragedy earlier this year when an employee’s abusive ex-boyfriend showed up at the farm one morning. I made a small donation to her memorial fund at the register and bought a $6 gallon of their pasteurized apple cider, a $6 jar of wild blueberry freezer jam, and a $10 frozen wild blueberry pie. Since the small jar of apple butter I bought last year only lasted a few months, I bought the big $8 jar this year. Considering that the apple butter and freezer jam will last months in the refrigerator and that I can freeze the cider too... not a bad investment.
Blueberry pie is my absolute favorite and I love how naturally sweet the tiny wild berries are in this pie. Props to the baker for holding back on the sugar to let those flavors come through and rolling out a light crust that doesn’t get in the way. I like the pies at the Boston Harbor Pies downtown and at San Fransisco Street Bakery on the Eastside, but they both make their fruit pies really sugary sweet so I think Lattin's has the best pie in town.
Hello, my name is Jo
Hello, my name is Jo. My life revolves around growing, buying, cooking, baking, ordering, serving and eating food. Mainly this all happens here in Olympia, Washington, the town where I live, but sometimes I'm elsewhere and wherever I go I must find food. This blog has nothing to do with Oprah. It's about the oh so delicious food (and perhaps occassionally not so delicious food) in Olympia. At least that's what it's about most of the time. Stay tuned!
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