Barnacle Bertha

Happy Bloomsday

2011-06-17T04:10:00.000-04:00

Yep, Bloomsday. June 16, the celebration of James Joyce's life and work. It is the anniversary of his first date with mate/muse/common law wife Nora Barnacle who served as his inspiration for characters including Bertha in Exiles. You may assume I am a devotee of Joyce. I'm not. But the name "Barnacle Bertha" is something I remember being called, growing up, as a reference to a loud, brash woman of questionable morals. It was meant as an insult, but as a budding feminist, I considered it an honor. A term that described a wild woman. A reference to Joyce? Who knew?

In the weird randomness of the online universe, OtterB received an email notification about Nora and Bloomsday because she signed up for notifications of updates to this blog. Thanks for sharing OtterB :D

Wikipedia- Bloomsday
Remembering Nora Barnacle

Autumn Vegetable Soup with Matzoh Balls

2010-10-06T19:49:00.000-04:00

Last night I made vegetable matzoh ball soup for dinner. Matzoh balls are a comfort food here in Barnacle-ville. You may recall Summer Vegetable Matzoh Ball Soup, which was a simple water based version. Last night I made it with homemade chicken stock that was in the freezer.. Chicken stock is pretty easy. Bill loves rotisserie chicken so I save the bones to make the broth. I like that nothing is wasted from the chicken. Respect the chicken. I admit that I use a pressure cooker, which speeds up and simplifies the process. You can save up the bones in the freezer until you have time to make it. You can use other bones or veggie scraps instead.

Barnacle Broth

yield 1 quart of broth concentrate

1 carcass from a rotisserie chicken

1 quart water

Place carcass (include skin if you wish) and water in the pressure cooker, and bring to a boil. Bring up to pressure and simmer 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure come down naturally. Drain the soup, discarding bones. Pour the cooled broth into a quart sized container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the yellowish layer of fat from the top of your broth, (which may be jellied). This golden disc is schmatz. Use it like bacon grease, or instead of oil in your matzoh balls. If you wish, freeze the stock and the schmaltz for later. When you use the broth, thin it with about 1/2 - 1 quart of water or to taste.

Autumn Vegetable Soup with Matzoh Balls

1 T olive oil

2 leeks, thinly sliced

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1 red pepper chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 bunch of swiss chard, stems chopped, leaves chiffonade

1 tomato, chopped

1 qt Barnacle Broth

1 qt water

1 tsp salt

Matzoh Balls

1 C matzoh meal

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 C olive oil

1/4 C seltzer

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

black pepper

Make the matzoh balls: mix all ingredients into a thick batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Saute leeks, celery, pepper, carrots, and chard stems (reserve leaves) in oil. When golden, add broth and water. Bring to a boil, cover and allow to simmer while you make the matzoh balls. Divide batter into 8 portions and roll into balls. Drop into soup, cover and simmer 20 minutes. After 20, add reserved chard leaves, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Dish Bitch

1 glass 1 quart measuring cup

1 c measure

1 teaspoon

knife

cutting board

pot

wooden spoon

Yikes Time Flies

2010-10-03T09:55:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's October. I can't believe that I haven't posted since July. There was a convergence of events (health, motherboard crash, heat and shift my focus on getting back to work) that required a lot of attention, thus I neglected my postings.

I'm still having pain from injuries sustained last fall. I'm back to work and I've faced the patient who assaulted me. The patient is still in bad shape, but cognizant enough to apologize. This person is not a killer or a criminal, just someone who was having a really bad day. I am grateful. I know, WTF? But considering some of the injuries sustained by coworkers, inflicted by people who express their intent to maim and kill, I am lucky. But, I've been questioning my own sanity in my choice to return to this environment.

One of the things I've noticed since I'm back at work is the number of my colleagues who are practicing Roman Catholics, mostly from Haiti, Latin America, and the Philippines.

I was surprised to see a scapula poking out of my colleagues' shirt. I said, "your scapula's showing" which seemed natural as breathing (flashback to high school?). She seemed amused and a bit awkward, and responded that she was trying to hide it. I smiled and put my hand on my chest " I hear you, no atheists in foxholes." She laughed and squeezed my arm.

Although I'm not RC, I was raised RC. As crazy as it seems, in times when I'm faced with sudden fear (like a deer jumping in front of the car on a dark night) , I might spit out a Hail Mary in Latin (thank you Dr. Fossa). I feel strong connection to Liberation Theology and the Catholic Worker Movement. Meaning, justice, collective work, and communal/ community experience that I sought, is present in this environment. So I'm sticking to it for a little while longer.

It's 3 AM and Bill's making Ratatouille

2010-07-24T03:18:00.000-04:00

Seriously. It's approximately 86 degrees in the apartment. I'm being kind of stubborn about the air conditioning. It's expensive and consumes a great deal of resources. It wasn't that bad today, with fans going and windows open. And we hit the city pool in the evening (thank you Robert Moses). For dinner, I made no cook wraps: mesquite turkey, pepper jack, red and green leaf lettuce, Bill's pesto on Trader Joe's habanero lime tortillas and my favorite Polar Orange Dry soda.

It's been a bit unbearable though. I'm feeling exhausted and utterly depleted this summer. Natsubate is the Japanese term for "summer lethargy." I didn't even photograph that sexy vegetable share on Thursday. It is a gorgeous haul: basil, beets, green beans, dandelion greens, lettuce, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumbers, spring onions, tomatoes (cherry and 1 beefsteak), peaches, chard.

Tomorrow is going to be 100 degrees or something. In order to avoid heating up the apartment during the day when things are at their worst, I usually do any cooking early in the morning. For example, it's the perfect time to cook up a batch of yogurt or boil pasta for a salad. Bill is a night owl. He likes to cook late at night, and many times I have awakened to the whirr of the food processor as he whips up a batch of pesto at an ungodly hour.

Right now the house smells heavenly. The kitchen fans is exhausting all of the loveliness into the courtyard, where I am sure it is causing my neighbors to salivate in their sleep.

I have given up though. I am retreating to the bedroom. I'm going to turn on the a/c and try to get some sleep, assured that I will be enjoying some variant of ratatouille for breakfast.

Bill's Midnight Summer Stew
olive oil
onions
garlic
zucchini
yellow squash
green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths
carrots, peeled and sliced
tomatoes
basil

Saute the vegetables, then cover and stew for a few minutes until everything is cooked to your liking. Eat hot or cold, with pasta or rice, on toast (bruschetta), rolled in a tortilla or straight out of the fridge with a spoon. Make a very large batch and eat it for days.

Pattypan Masala

2010-07-13T22:00:00.001-04:00

It was a hot and swampy night, with the fog rolling in from the harbor. Her name was Pan, Patty Pan, and she wore her dark green cloak like a second skin, and her perfume filled the air with the exotic scents of India.

Pattypan Masala with Rice and Naan

2 C basmati rice
1 T olive oil
1 T butter
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 t garam masala
1 large pattypan squash
2 large carrots, large dice
1/4 C water
14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 T brown sugar
salt to taste
4 pieces of masala naan, toasted

Cook rice using a rice cooker or your preferred method. Heat a large pot. Add olive oil and butter. When melted, add onion and saute until golden. Add garlic and garam masala to and continue to cook until you smell the garlic and spices. Add squash and carrots and stir until coated with aromatics and oil. Add water, stirring to scrape up the bits from the pan. Add tomatoes and brown sugar. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand to finish cooking, until ready to serve. You may serve this at room temperature or reheat if desired.

To Serve:
Gently pack rice into a custard cup and unmold onto a plate. Surround rice with squash and naan.

Cucumber Lhassi
1 1/2 C yogurt
1 large cucumber, trimmed and cut in chunks
salt to taste (start with 1/4 tsp)

Blend everything on high speed in a blender. Serve over ice.

The Verdict
It was delicious, spicy and had a bit of heat. The squash is similar to eggplant texture, but a bit more firm. The garam masala spice blend was purchased at an Indian grocery, and the masala naan from Sahadis, one of the best things about living in Brooklyn.

Dish Bitch
knife
cutting board
pot with lid
wooden spoon
rice paddle
rice cooker
custard cup (to mold rice)
blender

CSA Share - 3rd pickup

2010-07-09T11:28:00.003-04:00

First Tomato of 2010

From left to right: scallions, cucumber, tatsoi, dandelion, red chard, cucumber.

Bok Choy and Beets with greens

Patty Pan Squashes

Lettuce and Broccoli

Peaches

Sunflowers!

4th of July

2010-07-05T12:48:00.004-04:00

Happy Interdependence Day! It was 90+ degrees and a beautiful sunny day. My parents came to celebrate, and to enjoy some fireworks. Unfortunately, Macy's changed the location of the big display. We did not have a good view. Fortunately Mother Nature provided a brilliant sunset.

I planned a simple menu with minimal cooking. I mixed all of the vinaigrettes, syrups and sauces the night before. Also, Bill and I made the appetizers and dessert on Friday night. In the morning, I made the cacik, potato salad, coleslaw and put the chicken in the crockpot.

Appetizer: Cacik, Barnacle Baba with Crackers
Main: Pulled Chicken
Sides: Simple Coleslaw, Green Bean and Potato Salad
Beverages: Lemonade and Iced Tea
Dessert: Small Batch - Big Cookie, Watermelon, Coffee Float

Pulled Chicken
2 1/2 - 3 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed of fat and de boned
Potato rolls
Rub
1 T paprika
1/2 T brown sugar
1/2 T ground cumin
1/2 T granulated sugar
1 t kosher salt
3/4 t ground black pepper

BBQ Sauce
1/4 C rice vinegar
1 T brown sugar
1/4 t hot sauce (I used orange habanero)
1/2 t kosher salt

Mix together rub ingredients in a large zip top bag and add chicken. Shake the bag, and press the rub into the chicken pieces. Marinate for at least 3 and up to 24 hours in refrigerator. Place in a crockpot and cook 10 - 12 hrs on low or 6 - 8 hrs on high. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

Let rest for a half hour, still covered. Shred with forks and mix with barbecue sauce. Serve as a sandwich on potato rolls with cole slaw. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Simple Coleslaw
1 head of bok choy finely sliced
1/4 C vinegar
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/2 t black pepper
1 t salt

Green Bean and Potato Salad with Blue Cheese
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cut in chunks
2 ounces red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, mashed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 lb blue cheese, crumbled

Combine vinegar through salt in a jar, and shake to combine. Add oil, and shake. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and set up a bowl of cold water. Cook green beans until bright then remove from boiling water with a slotted spoon. Drop into cold water until cooled, then drain. Add potatoes to the boiling water and cook until tender. Drain. Combine beans potatoes in a large bowl and pour vinagrette over all. Just before serving, garnish with blue cheese.

Lemonade
3/4 - 1 C sugar
1 C lemon juice
6 C Water
ice

Make lemon syrup: combine sugar and lemon juice in a large jar and shake to dissolve sugar. Store in the refrigerator. Before serving, combine syrup, water and ice in a pitcher.

Coffee Float
Brew a pot of your favorite coffee. Pour into mugs, and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Verdict:
The chicken was spicy, tasty and literally fell apart when I stirred it with a pair of tongs. Potato rolls are essential: they absorb the sauce without falling apart. The coleslaw was very peppery, watery and needed a bit of sugar to balance. I think it was due to the bok choy. Next time I will make it with regular cabbage.

The potato salad was good, and I will make it again, but not with the chicken. It has a strong flavor that is a bit much to pair with the spicy pulled chicken. Next time I will make my grandmother's recipe.

The lemonade was too strong, and needed twice the water. The coffee float was a hit.

Bake Day

2010-07-02T00:00:00.003-04:00

Last week was bloody hot.   It was between 85 and 95 degrees and humid for 5 days straight. It's just plain wrong to use the stove or oven in this kind of heat.

I had joined Swapbot Baking Week #13, but just couldn't bring myself to turn on the oven. The weather finally broke but the next heat wave will hit on Sunday.   So, this evening Bill and I are having a baking marathon.    I made chocolate chip cookies, and Bill made baba ganouj (recipe follows) with gorgeous eggplants he bought at his favorite produce market for 39 cents a pound.

I decide to test a small batch recipe, adapted from Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Topped Cupcakes on the Not Eating Out Blog. Oh yes, you must check out the post. It's such a brilliantly evil idea to top cupcakes with cookie dough.  Someday I will make it as intended, but tonight I pressed the dough into a large disc and slid it into the oven.

Small Batch - Big Cookie
1/4 C brown sugar
1 T sugar
1/4 C butter, softened
1 tsp powdered egg whites + 1 1/2 tsp water (1 heaping T of beaten egg)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C flourpinch salt
handful of mini chocolate chips
handful of walnuts

Combine sugar through vanilla in zip top bag. Squish the bag to mix. Add flour and salt. Squish until it looks like cookie dough. Add nuts and chips. Squish to combine. Form into one Great Big Chocolate Chip Cookie (or 6 "normal sized" cookies). Place on a cookie sheet or small pan lined with parchment. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes (8 minutes for "normal sized") or until golden brown.

Prep Ahead: Combine all dry ingredients in a quart sized ziptop bag. Label it with "add 1/4 C butter, 1 1/2 tsp water, 1/4 tsp vanilla." Store in your cabinet until you are ready to bake a quick batch.

The Verdict:

The cookie rose a bit, but was crispy and chewy as a good cookie should be. You could really taste the butter in this recipe. It was delicious, and I will definitely make it again. It's the perfect size for dinner for 4. Prepping the dry ingredients ahead of time allows you to make a batch at the spur of the moment. I decided to mix it right in the bag because Bill's baba project needed a bit more space, and we have limited countertops. It really worked well though. Baking it as one big cookie is less fussy. I think I would make this for company. Serve it family style: place the cookie in the center of the table and let everyone break off pieces.

The Dish Bitch

Measuring cup

Measuring spoon

ziptop bag (yes you can wash and reuse!)

7.5" baking pan

ABOUT A BABA

Bill loves eggplant, especially baba ganouj, a roasted eggplant dip of Mediterranean origin. He makes it in large batches. He likes to make it over a wood fire, or by burying the eggplants in the coals of a wood stove. Since we do not have access to a wood fire at the moment, he roasts the eggplants in the oven at 400 degrees. He doesn't have a recipe, just adds things and keeps tasting until it's right.

It was late when we started, and I went to bed after taking this picture. Unfortunately, he was too hot and tired to snap shots of the eggplants after roasting.

Black Beauties ready for the oven.

Barnacle Bill's Baba
5 medium eggplants
tahini
lemons
garlic
salt

Prick the eggplants with a fork and place in a baking dish. Roast the eggplants over a wood fire or in the oven at 400 degrees, until completely soft. Scoop the meat from the skin into a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, and mash everything together with a potato masher. Serve with crackers, bread or matzoh. Yield: 4 1/2 cups. More than enough for company and a week of no cooking.

The finished product.

Summer Veg Soup with Matzoh Balls

2010-07-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

For the past week, the temperatures have been in the 90s. Brutal. Like the 9th circle of hell. Cooking is not an option.

BB and I try to live without the air conditioner. When we do turn it on, we set it at 78-80 degrees, unless it is just unbearable. The weather finally broke Tuesday night. What a relief. Last night the temperature dropped to 58. It was perfect for sleeping. Yesterday and today were comfortable, dry with bright blues skies and cotton candy clouds.

This evening Bill and I went for a walk at sunset. With the wind it was actually a bit cold. It felt like a September day. I made this soup for dinner.

Summer Veg Soup with Matzoh Balls

1 box of matzoh ball mix, prepared with 4 eggs, 1/2 C oil
2 T olive oil
1 garlic scape, minced
1 onion, Vidalia, chopped
bunch of peas in the shell sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
5-6 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 bunch of chard, sliced
1 potato, scrubbed and cubed
rind from romano cheese
shaved caciocavello cheese

Prepare the matzoh ball dough and refrigerate. Meanwhile, saute onions and scape until softened. Add pea pods and carrots, stirring to coat with hot oil. let cook a minute then deglaze pan with 1 C water. Add potato, salt and water to cover. Place chard on top, cover and simmer 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the pot, replace cover and cook 10 minutes more. Stir in cheese rinds.

Meanwhile, place a second pot with water and salt to boil. Remove matzoh ball dough from the refrigerator. Divide dough into 8 large portions, and roll into balls. Drop into boiling water and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Ladle soup into a bowl, then place a matzoh ball in the center and garnish with caciocavello cheese. Serve hot or room temp.

The Dish Bitch
2 pots
spoon
ladle
slotted spoon
cutting board and knife

CSA Share Week 2

2010-06-24T19:11:00.032-04:00

Today was the second week of our EOW (every other week) CSA share. It is quite a haul: spinach, garlic scapes, kohlrabi, bok choy, romaine, arugula, chard, radishes, 2 quarts of strawberries and snow peas. Tucked in with the romaine you will see a bit of white plastic grocery bag and a basil start.

We had arugula salad with chick peas and radishes for dinner, and strawberries for dessert. It is summer!

THE ROT REPORT
As of today, we used everything from last week, except a bunch of bok choy that rotted. I think that I didn't trim, wash and dry it well enough before putting it away. This week I took more care. Each vegetable was washed, trimmed and thoroughly dried before wrapping in kitchen towels, and nestled into a large plastic storage container. Hopefully this will work better.

At this point, the 1/2 share seems to be just right for the two of us.

Tortilla Bake

2010-06-21T00:00:00.003-04:00

I made this for dinner last night. It was simple, included ingredients that needed to be used, and flavors that Bill enjoys. I was able to sneak a bunch of mizuna into the filling.

Tortilla Bake

2 T olive oil

1 bunch of mizuna, washed and cut in 2" pieces
2 C cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
12 six inch corn tortillas
1 (16) oz jar of hot salsa
1/4 C water
16 slices pepper jack cheese, (about 1/4 lb) thinly sliced from the deli
2 tomatoes, sliced
sugar
salt

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 T olive oil, and saute mizuna until wilted. Stir in chicken and cook just until it's heated through.

Pour 1T olive oil into 13x9 baking dish. Use a tortilla to coat the dish with oil. Arrange 6 tortillas on the bottom of the pan. Top with the kale-chicken mixture plus any juices from the pan. Pour salsa on top of the chicken mixture. Rinse the salsa jar with 1/4 C water and pour over the salsa. Top with 8 slices of cheese and remaining tortillas. At this point, you can refrigerate it for a couple of hours or overnight, if you wish.

Arrange tomato slices on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Bake 25 minutes, then remove from the oven. Place 8 remaining slices of cheese on tomatoes, and return to oven until bubbling and the top looks golden with brown spots.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

The Verdict
Bill really liked it. It's totally guy food- cheesy and spicy. I was happy with it because it was easy, relatively healthy and tasted great. I used a modest amount of cheese, and it still had that statisfying gooey cheesy-ness. I will definitely buy the cheese from the deli counter again. The price was competitive, and the slices were paper thin. The tomatoes sprinkled with salt and sugar were an impressive topper. I will make this again.

Dish Bitch
knife
cutting board
skillet
baking dish
wooden spoon
spatula to serve

Lion Heads

2010-06-16T22:19:00.003-04:00

Lion Heads is a Cantonese dish comprised of ground pork and cabbage. The ground pork is shaped into large balls and cooked with shredded cabbage, which resembles a lion's mane. This version is something I came up with over the winter, after reading a few different recipes.

The first time I made this, I used a bag of shredded coleslaw mix, which was on sale, at a price that made it cheaper pound for pound than whole cabbage. I highly recommend that route if you are in a hurry.

Lion Heads

Lion Head Meatballs (Chinese Style Meatballs with Cabbage)
1 lb bok choy, chopped
1 lb teriyaki meatballs (Aidell's Teriyaki & Pineapple Chicken Meatballs)
1/4 C dried shiitake mushrooms
1 piece kombu (seaweed)
2 C water
4T soy sauce
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 T cornstarch
1 T water
1 t sesame oil (opt)
accompaniments: chopped scallions or sesame seeds, chili garlic sauce, rice

Place mushrooms, kombu and 1 C water in the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer 1/2 of the bok choy, meatballs, and remaining bok choy in the slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over cabbage. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high. Stirring occasionally. Four generous servings.

Faster Version: Use 2 C chicken broth for the mushrooms, kombu and water, and 1 bag of coleslaw mix for the bok choy. The night before you want to serve this, combine the remaining sauce ingredients with the broth in a jar and give it a good shake. In the morning empty the bag of cabbage into the cooker, toss the (still frozen if you wish) meatballs on top and pour the sauce over all.

The Verdict
This is a favorite in our house. Next time I will chop the bok choy more finely. While rummaging through the pantry, I found a package of slow cooker liners. I can't recall from whence they came, but I have to say, clean up was much quicker.

The Dish Bitch
knife
cutting board
crockpot (used a cooking bag so it was easy)
half pint jar for measuring and mixing
wooden spoon

Cherry Almond Oat "Cupcakes"

2010-06-16T13:10:00.008-04:00

Stocking up for winter is one of the habits you develop living in the rural Northeast. You never know when a snow or ice storm will make roads impassable. Or there's a power outage. Or you just don't want to run errands in the cold. Although we now live in an urban area with relatively mild winters (rain not snow), some habits die hard.

Over the winter, during a trip to Costco, we purchased a jagunda (aka humongous, ridiculously large) quantity of oatmeal. It's healthy but the quantity is intimidating.

The Feedbag

I hate to throw away food, so I'm on a mission to use these oats before they go bad. I left "the Feedbag" on the counter for a couple of days, hoping for a burst of inspiration. I finally came up with a recipe.

Bill and I have been having yogurt shakes for breakfast. Delicious and nutritious as they say, but by mid morning, I'm feeling a bit peckish. This recipe is based on the no bake cookies that were popular when I was a kid. This is in no way a low calorie snack. It is nutritious, has a boatload of fiber and satisfies like a cookie.

Cherry Almond Oat Cupcakes
1 C rolled oats
2 1/2 C Kashi cereal
1/2 C slivered almonds
1/2 C pumpkin and sunseed mix
1/4 C ground flaxseeds
1 C dried cherries
6 dates, chopped
1/2 C apple cider
1/2 C almond butter
1/2 C maple syrup

Place oats, cereal, almonds, seeds and cherries in a food processor. Pulse until everything (except fruit) has a uniform size. Combine dates, cider, almond butter and maple syrup in a large pot. Heat, stirring until everything is melted. Pour oat mixture into pot, and stir until everything is coated in syrup.

Line a muffin tin with paper cases. Use a wide mouthed funnel and an ice cream scoop to fill cups, pressing to compact. Let cool, then remove from pan and into a sealable container. Refrigerate until firm, and store in the fridge.

The Verdict
Pretty tasty and satisfying with nice texture. It's a pretty big serving, though, almost too much. Next time I will use a mini muffin tin, and play with the ratio of nuts. Maybe substitute carrots for the almonds.

Based on recipe calculator, each regular sized muffin has 275 calories, 11 grams fat and 5.5 grams of fiber. Compared to my favorite maple leaf cookie (220 cal, 10 gr fat, 0 fiber per 2 cookies) it has a more calories but a better nutritional profile and fiber.

The Dish Bitch
Food processor
pot
wooden spoon
measuring cups
muffin tin

Baked Jambalaya (Baking Week #11)

2010-06-14T15:44:00.001-04:00

Bill loves Jambalaya and I make it regularly. I'm a little bored with the process, so I've been experimenting. Making stock from scratch has been part of the new routine, but it takes advance planning and time. Tonight I wanted to make something that didn't need much tending. I had all of the ingredients for Jambalaya and some leftover cooked brown rice, so I decided to try making it casserole style in the oven.

6 skinless chicken thighs
5 links chicken andouille sausage
4 salt packed anchovies, spines and skin removed, rinsed well
olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper sliced
1 - 2 T Creole seasoning
15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles (from Trader Joes)
3 C cooked brown rice

Toss the chicken, andouille, anchovies, onion, pepper and olive oil together in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Spread out in an even layer, and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Poke each sausage link 3-4 times. Bake 20 minutes, then pour tomatoes and a bit of water over all, and return to oven x15 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and a little water if it seems dry. Bake until heated through.

Verdict
This came out surprisingly good. It was drier than stovetop jambalaya, and the meats had nice golden brown crust. The tomatoes with chiles combined with Creole seasoning made for a spicy dish with depth of flavor.

I used salt packed anchovies which are fussy. You have to remove the spine and skin and rinse them to remove some of the salt. You can use Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, oil packed anchovies or green olives instead.

The Dish Bitch :)
knife
cutting board
1 13 x 9 baking dish
wooden spoon
container from the cooked rice

Risi e Bisi with Pea Shoots

2010-06-12T11:29:00.003-04:00

Pea pods, peas and a bunch of pea shoots with flowers.

I decided to use the glorious bunch of pea shoots and pods to make risotto for breakfast. I made it in the pressure cooker, primarily because I wanted to make peapod broth quickly.

Once in awhile arborio, carnaroli, jasmine, basmati or japonica will make it into the rice pot, but short grain brown rice is a staple in our household, and it is used in all rice dishes, from sushi to risotto. It has a different texture, but it's worth it. One cup of cooked brown rice has 3 grams of fiber, the same amount of white rice has only 1 gram.

Risi e Bisi with Pea Shoots
1 bunch of pea shoots with peapods
4 C water
1 t salt
1 T olive oil
3 green onions, sliced thinly
1 C short grain brown rice
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tsp dried mint leaves
1/4 - 1/2 C grated romano cheese (parmesan if you like)

Separate the peapods from the bunch of shoots. Shell the peas. Wash the pods and peas separately. Place the pods, water and salt in a pressure cooker. Bring up to pressure and let cook 15 minutes. Drain and reserve pea broth in a separate container.

Meanwhile, pick the tendrils and tender leaves from the tough pea vines. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Place in a bowl with the peas and set aside.

Heat pressure cooker pot, and add olive oil. Sautee green onions until softened. Add 1 C short grain brown rice, and stir until coated with oil. Let the onions and rice cook for a minute, then add lemon juice to deglaze pan. Stir, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all of the onion and rice. Add reserved pea broth and mint. Cover, bring up to pressure, place a flame tamer under the pot and let cook 20 minutes at full pressure. Turn off the heat and release the pressure. Quickly stir in peas and leaves, and re-cover the pot. Let stand a few minutes then check. If it seems a bit watery, cook off some of the liquid, stirring constantly.

Stir in the cheese. Garnish with lemon zest and cheese.

The Verdict
Next time I will make the pea broth in the pressure cooker, then make the risotto in the more traditional method, with hot stock and stirring all the way. This batch wasn't terrible, but the texture was more of congee (Chinese rice porridge) than risotto. The dish would definitely look prettier if made with a white arborio rice and maybe a pinch of saffron. I will save the pea flowers and a few tendrils to garnish the finished dish.

The Dish Bitch
pressure cooker
bowl
knife
cutting board
salad spinner
1 quart pyrex measuring cup
wooden spoon

CSA 2010 Season Begins!

2010-06-10T20:04:00.002-04:00

This week's share, photographed by BB.

Today is the first vegetable delivery of the season! This year we bought a half-share of vegetables and fruit, which means a delivery every other week. This is a change for us: in the past we've gotten a full share. The quantity of vegetables and the challenge of using everything before it rots was the inspiration for this blog. A half-share should be more manageable and give us the opportunity to hit the farmer's market from time to time.

Above you can see this week's haul in a picture taken by Barnacle Bill. Clockwise from 9 o'clock: thyme and oregano plants in a starter pot; Mizuna (spiky green similar to kale); green leaf lettuce; vitamin green; bok choy; red leaf lettuce; radishes with greens; blue green peas shoots with pods; strawberries and rhubarb. In the center is a bunch of scallions.

Barnacle Brownies (Baking Week #10)

2010-06-07T21:34:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things: my grandmother's cake plate. I'm told it was a wedding gift, which would make it ca. 1939. It's got a few dents, from years of use and multiple moves. Usually it sits on top of my refrigerator, empty. I love the embossed oak leaves and the wooden acorn handle. It's marked, "Product of the West Bend Aluminum Company" on the bottom.

In deciding what to bake this week, I rummaged through the pantry. I found a box of Ibarra Mexican Chocolate that I bought when it was still cold enough to want hot chocolate. It is a combination of cocoa nibs, sugar and cinnamon pressed into round tablets that are divided into 8 wedges, wrapped and packaged in an hexagon shaped box. It is usually melted with hot milk or water to make a convenience version of traditional Aztec and Mayan chocolate drinks.

It has good flavor, but the texture is coarse and quite gritty. Chocolate is chocolate, but in this case, the application of heat is essential. It seemed to have potential for a good batch of brownies.

Ibarra table chocolate: in the box, the tablet, with and without wrapper.

1/2 stick butter

3 tablets (about 3 oz each) Ibarra Mexican Chocolate
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C flour
1/8 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of cayenne

Melt butter and chocolate. Let cool for a few minutes, then stir in vanilla. Meanwhile, combine flour, salt cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl, whisk to combine. Beat eggs in medium bowl. Add a spoonful of melted chocolate to the eggs, stirring thoroughly to combine. Add remaining chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Add flour to chocolate and eggs. Pour into buttered muffin tin and bake until your house smells like chocolate and the center is set to your liking, about 10 minutes.

Barnacle Brownies unveiled.

The Verdict
The brownies were chewy and pleasant without being overly sweet. I think the recipe would benefit from a little more salt and cayenne. And orange zest. Also, I will take them out of the oven sooner.

Dish Bitch
small pot for melting butter
2 bowls
whisk
measuring cup
muffin tin
disher (small ice cream/cookie scoop) to fill pan

The Best Meal I Ever Ate

2010-06-03T21:47:00.041-04:00

In November 2008 Bill and I went to California. We spent a day in San Francisco and then drove 50 miles south to our target destination, Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Pigeon Point is currently a lightstation, which means the Coast Guard installed an automated spotlight type beacon in the seventies. The original lighthouse keeper's quarters are now part of Hostelling International, and would be our home for 3 days.The purpose of our trip was to view the annual lighting of the fragile original fresnel lens, made of 1008 pieces of hand polished glass. The lighting was magnificent. The picture below is from the Nasa Astronomy Picture of the Day Website.

The area around Pigeon Point is abundant with artichoke and strawberry farms, and as luck would have it we arrived on the first day of Dungeoness Crab season. Since the area is very rural, and we planned to relax and enjoy the sea and sky, bird, whale watch from the shore, and hike along the shoreline, we stopped at the Half Moon Bay farmer's market for provisions

The Best Meal I Ever Ate is a tie: breakfast and dinner, both at Pigeon Point Lighthouse. Both meals were made with local products,shopped for, prepared and enjoyed with Barnacle Bill.

The best beakfast was coffee, artichoke bread, Harley Farms Monet Chevre (with flowers!), and persimmons. We ate on the back deck of the hostel, overlooking the ocean.

The best dinner is pictured above. Succulent, sweet, Dungeoness Crab that we bought from the fisherman, right off the boat in Half Moon Bay, with butter, sauteed artichokes, artichoke bread and fresh beautiful strawberries. We cooked it in the hostel's communal kitchen, in the company of other hostel guests. It was a cold and rainy night, so we sat around the table eating and talking for a long time. I can't remember their names but I remember their faces. It was a great meal, and a great trip.

Chocolate Cherry Pudding Cake

2010-05-28T17:00:00.007-04:00

Today's recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Pear Pudding Cake. I heard an interview with Ms. Lawson on NPR in January 2009, in which she described this cake. It was a cold January day, after the mania of the holidays. She made it sound so inviting, so comforting without any pictures, that I went to the website and printed out the recipe. I made the other recipes from the show, but for some reason didn't get to the cake.

I'm on a mission to use up things I have on hand, so instead of pears, I used a can of dark sweet cherries, which are my favorite. I made 1/2 the recipe for our small household, and fit to the ingredients on hand.

1 can (15oz) dark sweet cherries
1/2 C + 1T sugar
6 1/2 T flour
2 T cocoa powder
5 T softened butter
1/2 t baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400. Butter a 1 qt baking dish. Drain the liquid from the cherries, and put cherries in baking dish.

In a food processor, combine remaining ingredients.

Process until you have a thick batter

Spread batter over cherries.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing

What I Learned
Very good, but a bit sweet. Add a pinch of salt to the batter, and decrease the sugar by one tablespoon. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for added decadence.

Dish Bitch
Food processor
baking dish
measuring cup
measuring spoons
spatula

Yogurt

2010-05-27T08:14:00.001-04:00

The Holy Grail

NYC doesn't recycle yogurt containers anymore. This is pretty outrageous in my opinion, and every week, when I chuck the empty quart sized container in the trash, I cringe. I know I could reuse the containers etc etc, but that only goes so far. I mean how many yogurt containers can you reasonably use?   Or store in a NY apartment?

Yogurt making seems pretty easy. I've read many different recipes, using a crockpot, the oven, a yogurt maker, but I decided to try Dr. David Fankhauser's method. He is a professor of biology and chemistry, and gives a detailed, illustrated description of the process, with a handy step by step chart. I used his recipe for ginger ale a few years ago, and was impressed by his method.   I felt confident that I would be successful with his recipe.

So I made a 1/2 gallon batch and it was a success! I have two quarts plus one cup of gorgeous yogurt in the fridge. I used our favorite brand of locally produced, crunchy granola, sandal wearing, hippie commune yogurt for starter. I used our favorite brand of milk (see above).

The most daunting part of the process was sterilizing the jars. I used Dr. Fankhauser's steaming method. It was easy. I used my pasta pot. It was tall enough for the jars and the insert made things easier to manage.

PLEASE NOTE: this is my shorthand version of the process.  I recommend that you go to Dr. David Fankhauser's page for the complete process.

Place jars, lids, and funnel into the pasta pot (with insert). Add water to the bottom of the jars, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, turn off heat and let stand.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 gallon of milk in the large pot, using a flame tamer to prevent scorching. Bring milk to 195 degrees. While you are waiting for the milk to boil, fill your sink with cold water, enough to reach halfway up your milk pot. When the milk reaches temperature, cover and place the pot in the sink. At this point, uncover the pasta pot, and remove the insert.

Scalding the milk. Note the candy thermometer clipped to the pot, and the flame tamer between the pot and the grate to prevent scorching and boiling over.

Let the milk cool to 130 degrees. Place 1/2 c milk in the pyrex cup, and add enough yogurt to make 3/4 cup. Stir with the whisk to make a slurry, then add it to the milk pot, stirring well.

Pour the milk into the canning jars using the funnel. Put on the lids. Check the water temperature from the steaming pot. When it reaches around 130 degrees, pour it into the cooler. Place the jars in the cooler and cover. Let rest for 3 hours.

I forgot to take a picture right away, so what you see is what is left after two days of lassi for breakfast. I also have 1 half pint jar of yogurt in the back of the fridge to use as a starter for my next batch.

Voila! Trash free yogurt. It has the same texture as the starter yogurt: a bit lumpy with a substantial amount of whey. The picture below is very dark, but it show the texture. It looks kind of like cottage cheese, but the texture is smooth and soft. If you want a smoother looking texture, whisking will help.

Sweet Lassi (2 servings)
1 1/2 C yogurt
About 1 1/2 C fruit
2 T maple syrup or honey
Optional: 2 T milled flax seed

Whiz in the blender. Use frozen fruit or add ice cubes if desired.

Salty Lassi (2 servings)
2 C yogurt
pinch of salt
pinch of cumin
ice cubes

Whiz in the blender. Optional: toss in a cucumber.

The Dish Bitch
Pasta pot with insert
2 quart sized canning jars with lids
1 half pint canning jar with lid
whisk
Large, heavy bottomed pot
candy thermometer
glass measuring cup
cooler (one that can hold a six pack)

Royal Artichoke Risotto

2010-05-20T07:45:00.011-04:00

For Week #8 I'm continuing with the Artichoke theme. I created this recipe to highlight beautiful long stemmed artichokes we picked up a couple of days ago. It was delicious. I the future I will make this for company and/or spring holidays. The picture above shows the finished dish, in a 13x9 baking dish. The picture below shows one choke and the stems in 10" steam canner before steaming.

The preparation is a bit lengthy. You can prepare everything in advance, and store in the refrigerator. Just let them come to room temperature before baking.

2 long stemmed King artichokes
Olive oil
1 lemon

3 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
16 oz arborio rice
1 lemon
1 qt of vegetable broth
3/4 C grated romano cheese

Up to 5 days in advance: Trim the long stems from the artichokes, and peel off the outer layer with a vegetable peeler. Put artichokes and stems on a rack in a large pot. We used one pot per 'choke: stock pot with pasta insert and one deep pot with a steamer rack. Squeeze 1/2 a lemon over each 'choke, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Add water to reach the bottom of the 'chokes and steam for 1 1/2 hours.

When cool enough to handle, scoop out the center leaves and hairy choke. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Heat a deep pot over med high heat. Add olive oil, then onion. Peel the tough fibrous, stringy outer layer from the artichoke stems, and chop the tender inner part of the stem. When onions are tender add the stems and stir to coat with oil. Add rice and stir to coat. Let cook a few minutes then squeeze lemon juice into pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Stir 1/2 of the vegetable broth into the rice. When it starts to bubble, and the remaining broth. Cook, stirring occasionally until rice is al dente. Preheat the oven to 350.

Stir 1/2 C cheese into risotto. Fill artichoke cavities with risotto, then press the leaves to close the choke around the filling. Sprinkle cheese on top. Place in 13x9 pan, cover with foil and bake for 20 -25 minutes or until heated through.

To serve: let stand 10 minutes. Slice the artichoke in half from top to bottom to expose filling. Serves 4 as a main course. Cut each choke into quarters to serve 8 as an appetizer.

What I learned
1. Be diligent about removing the outer fiber on the stems. I accidentally added a few of the fibers to the risotto...it was very unpleasant!
2. If you have help, one person can hold the artichoke open in order to add the filling. I think a wide mouthed canning funnel will make this job easier for 1 person. Hot risotto sticks to skin!
3. You will have leftover risotto. Refrigerate. The next day or so, form into patties, bread and panfry.
4. Combine crushed garlic, chopped parsley, juice and zest of one lemon and olive oil to dip the leaves.
5. Next time I will use the pressure cooker, and cook the chokes one at a time. I think the pressure cooker is the best method for cooking larger artichokes with a tougher heart.

The Dish Bitch
1 pasta pot with insert and lid
1 large steam canner with lid
steamer basker
cutting board
knife
garlic press
baking dish
spoons
tongs

What you hear

2010-05-19T04:31:00.001-04:00

One of the things I really love about my neighborhood is the rich soundscape. Tonight, I can't sleep. As I walk the floor, I'm really aware of how quiet it is. There's whir and wine of the occasional car, helicopter buzzing by, once in awhile a plane. In the background, the sound of a river flowing, that is actually the BQE.

In a couple of hours, the Staten Island Ferry will resume its horn blasts to announce it's leaving the dock, and the MTA work trains will start rumbling through, blowing their horns. The "flowing river" will turn to "rushing river" as morning breaks.

Sometimes there's the pop and explosion of FIREWORKS as yet another cruise ship makes its way out of the harbor. Sometimes there's music, thumping of bass from cars, kids playing or the ice cream truck sing-songing. There's the sound of people, walking talking, arguing, walking their dogs, just doing their thing.

And languages: I think I'll try counting those instead of sheep.

Cornbread

2010-05-13T07:18:00.003-04:00

For 52 Weeks of Baking Week #7, I made Cornbread in a cast iron "wedge" pan. The recipe is from the Lodge Cast Iron Cookware website.

1 1/4 C cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1T baking powder
2/3 C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 C milk
1/4 oil
3 T mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 425. Spoon a dollop of shortening into a skillet and place in oven while preheating. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a large liquid measuring cup. Pour wet ingredients into dry, mix well. Remove skillet from oven. Pour batter into skillet and bake 20-25 minutes.

What I Learned
1. This recipe makes enough batter for a larger pan, most likely an 8" square or a 10" skillet. I overfilled the cups and still had about 1/2 C of batter left. Next time I will fill the cups less and pour the remaining batter in a cornstick pan. I like the circus tent/ flower/ wheel of the year effect that resulted from the over filled cups.

2. Surprisingly, it was fairly easy to remove using a pancake turner type spatula. Just cut along the score lines with the spatula, then gently wiggle it between the straight edge of the pan and lift up the cornbread. I did follow the directions to heat the pan in the oven. I did not have shortening, so I greased the pan with sunflower oil prior to heating. I took care to get into the corners of the pan, and greased the top of the spokes.

3. I used stoneground white cornmeal. This gave the bread texture, but it was a bit gritty. Next time I will try a finer grind.

4. I think the recipe could be improved with a bit more sugar. I think 1 T would do the trick, either added to the batter or sprinkled on top of the batter before baking.

5. Mayonnaise. Weird. You could taste a hint of it. I think an extra tablespoon of sugar will counteract the slight flavor.

Artichoke Frittata

2010-05-09T20:33:00.009-04:00

Barnacle Bill and I LOVE artichokes. It is one of the very few vegetables that we will buy, regardless of origins. Seriously, we are artichoke addicts. One year, just after Thanksgiving, we bought a case of artichokes. The price was right, around $10 for 30 artichokes. We cleaned, steamed, marinated and froze them. It was a satisfying project that kept us happily feasting on 'chokes through the winter.

A couple of years ago we went to California in November. We ate artichokes to our hearts content: in soup, in bread, in salads. For breakfast the day we left the Central Coast, we had artichoke omelets at Duarte's Tavern in Pescadero, CA. They were amazing: a tender crepelike omelets folded around a pile of sliced al dente artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese.

This week we went a little crazy. On Wednesday, we bought 4 normal artichokes. On Thursday, during a rare stop at Whole Foods, we were tempted by 2 lovely long stemmed King artichokes. I will ask Bill to take a photo: my photography skills will not do them justice.

Anyway, inspired by the memory of a great vacation, Swapbot Baking and a fridge full of beautiful 'chokes, I made frittata for breakfast.

Arichoke Frittata

4 large artichokes
1 lemon
salt

4 eggs
2 oz cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoonful chopped garlic
salt and pepper

Up to five days in advance:
Trim the tops of the artichokes, and peel the stems with a vegetable peeler. Place them upside down in a in a pressure cooker on and squeeze lemon juice over all. Sprinkle with salt, and add water to cover the tops of the 'chokes. Bring pressure cooker up to full pressure, and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool naturally. Place in a container and store for up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean the artichokes by pulling off the outer leaves, and removing the choke. Slice the hearts and stems. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove. Whisk eggs, salt and garlic in a bowl, gently fold in 'chokes and cheddar. When the skillet is hot, add oil, then add egg mixture to the skillet in the oven. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until the frittata is puffed and brown.

What I Learned
The pressure cooker is an excellent way to cook artichokes. It is energy efficient and much quicker than boiling or steaming. Using a crockpot is also a timesaver. Prep as you would for the pressure cooker, but put in your crockpot on high for 4 hours. The outer leaves will retain a little bit of artichoke heart: save them to serve with dip.

Tarocco Orange Salad with Avocado, Chicken and Tortilla Chips

2010-05-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

It's been really hot for the past three days. I made this salad tonight to avoid heating up the apartment. It was surprisingly good: creamy, crunchy and chickeny. The blood oranges are a beautiful color, and their juice colors everything in this salad a deep red. Next time I will add the avocado just prior to serving, in order to keep the beautiful creamy green color intact.

The hardest part of this recipe is supreming the oranges. It's one of those tricks that really makes a dish special. Please click for instructions for supreming an orange from Coconut and Lime Blog.

4 Tarocco oranges, supremed, juice reserved
2 avocados, large dice
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
juice and zest of one lemon
Breast meat from 1 rotisserie chicken, large dice
black pepper to taste
broken tortilla chips
blue cheese with bacon salad dressing for garnish

Toss first 7 ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. For each serving, place two handfuls of broken tortilla chips in a bowl, and top with the chicken salad. Garnish with a small dollop of salad dressing.

Dish Bitch: :)
knife
cutting board
bowl with lid

Braided Loaf with Muhammara

2010-05-02T15:31:00.005-04:00

This week I'm a bit short on time, so I decided to make a loaf of bread using the dough I stashed in the freezer a couple of weeks ago.

Braided Loaf

1/2 recipe of challah bread dough, frozen (link to recipe here)

olive oil

salt

herbs (optional)

If the dough is frozen, let thaw in the fridge overnight. Let the thawed dough rest on the counter for 1/2 hour. Divide dough into three portions, and roll each into a long snake. Braid the snakes into a loaf, starting at the center and braiding to the end, then turning the loaf around to braid the other half. Brush with olive oil on both sides, and place on baking sheet. Cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until the dough looks ripe and nearly doubled. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40, or until it is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

What I Learned:

Despite the mummified appearance, the loaf had a good crust and even crumb. Next time I will take a picture of the cut loaf. Frozen dough didn't seem to rise as quickly as freshly made dough.

UPDATED 5/8

I did take a picture of the sliced bread: here it is topped with Mahammara (recipe below)

Muhammara (Pomegranate and Walnut Spread)

1 1/2 C walnuts, toasted and chopped

2 1/2 T Turkish seedless red pepper paste (used Mamoun's)

1 1/2 T pomegranate molasses

1 t crushed garlic

1/2 t salt

1/2 t cumin

1/3 C olive oil

Blend 1/2 C walnuts, molasses, garlic, salt, and cumin in blender or food processor, gradually adding oil. Combine with remaining walnuts in a bowl. Serve with toasted pita bread, crackers or as a condiment.

Asparagus Bake

2010-04-28T04:05:00.001-04:00

For Swapbot Baking Week #4 I made Asparagus with Couscous and Blue Cheese. I was inspired by a recipe for Slow Cooked Asparagus in the New York Times. It's an interesting recipe, wrapping the aspargus in parchment paper, baking in a 200 degree oven and making the couscous separately. I'm tired and didn't feel like fussing, so I made up my own version using parsley, scallions and asparagus from the farmer's market.

Asparagus with Couscous and Blue Cheese

1 C couscous
4 scallions, sliced
1 bunch asparagus, in 1" pieces
1 t salt
pepper
1/2 C water
juice of 1 lemon
2 oz blue cheese, crumbled
olive oil

Combine couscous through pepper in an 8" square pan. Pour water and lemon juice over all. Top with blue cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes.

What I Learned
This was pretty tasty, although the blue cheese was a bit overpowering and the couscous needed a bit more flavor. I would make it with feta, parmesan or romano and use chicken broth instead of water next time. A few sundried tomatoes would be nice. Visually, the dish could be improved by laying whole asparagus on top of the couscous instead of slicing into pieces.

The Dish Bitch: Low
1 8" square pan
knife
cutting board
wooden spoon

Six Minute Chocolate Cake

2010-04-20T22:43:00.005-04:00

As you may recall, I've been participating in 52 Weeks of Baking Swap on Swapbot. I'm really enjoying this swap! It's a great opportunity to sort through the pile of 'to try' recipes. I've been intrigued by this recipe for chocolate cake. It's vegan, thrifty, and made with ingredients that most people have in their pantry. For those of you who share my dislike of dirty dishes: YOU MIX IT RIGHT IN THE PAN! The recipe and my evaluation are below.

The recipe is included in Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home by Mollie Katzen, who credits a 1976 "House and Garden" magazine as the source.

Six Minute Chocolate Cake
CAKE
1 1/2 C unbleached white flour
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 C sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C cold water or coffee
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 T vinegar

GLAZE (optional)
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate
3/4 C hot water, milk, or half and half
1/2 t pure vanilla extract

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    Sift together the dry ingredients directly into an ungreased 8" square or 9" round baking pan. In a 2 C measuring cup, measure and mix together the oil, water or coffee and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix the batter with a fork or a small whisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter where the baking soda and the vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Set the cake aside to cool, and if you choose to make the glaze, reset the oven to 300 degrees.

    For the glaze, melt the chocolate in a small ovenproof bowl or heavy skillet in the oven for about 15 minutes. Stir the hot liquid and the vanilla into the chocolate until smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake. Refrigerate the cooled cake for 30 minutes before serving.

What I learned:

Instead of sifting, I whisked the dry ingredients together in the pan. It worked well. Just be gentle or you will have a cloud of flour. The batter came together easily. The weirdest thing was the yellowish streaks from the vinegar and baking soda reacting. It looked strange but posed no difficulties. The cake rose evenly in the oven, and kept it's nice high crown even though I accidentally slammed the oven door.

I did not make the glaze, although recipe is included below. The recipe suggests dusting with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or your favorite frosting and to serve with whipped cream, ice cream, fresh fruit, or orange compote.

I am totally pleased with this recipe. It's a simple and elegant chocolate cake with a firm yet tender texture. It was delicious plain. Glazed or served with any of the above suggestions will make a fine choice for company. I plan to stock the pantry with bittersweet chocolate for the next time.

DISH Bitch: LOW
8" cake pan
2 C liquid measuring cup
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
whisk
thin bladed spatula to help release the cake from the pan

Herb Wreath Shepherd's Pie

2010-04-20T22:36:00.000-04:00

Just after Thanksgiving, BB bought a beautiful rosemary and lemon thyme wreath. Inspired by the vivacious scent of the herbs and a package of ground lamb from the CSA, I created this recipe for Winter Solstice dinner. It turned out very well.

This week we spotted fresh ground lamb at the farmer's market, BB suggested we make "shepherd's pie with the wreath."

Since this is the second time I've made the recipe, I've learned a couple of things: mince the rosemary; dot the potatoes with butter before baking for a nicely browned crust; and garnish with a spring of rosemary and a sprinkling of crushed thyme leaves. For an elegant presentation, bake in (6) 1 C ramekins. Enjoy!

Herb Wreath Shepherd's Pie
1 1/2 lbs of potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 C water from cooking the potatoes
4 T butter
salt
pepper

12 oz white button mushrooms, chopped
1T canola oil
1 t salt
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
1 T flour
3/4 C water
1 t lemon thyme and rosemary from wreath, crushed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place potatoes in cold water and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 15 minutes or until easily pierced with fork. Drain, return to pan with reserved water, butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mash and stir vigorously until desired texture.

Heat 1/2 T oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and salt and cook unitl they start to brown. Add remaining oil, carrots, celery and onion, and cook until softened. Add lamb, and cook until browned and cooked through. Spoon off excess fat from the pan. Add 1 T flour and herbs to the pan, stirring until combined. Add water, and stir to deglaze the pan

Place filling in 8" square baking pan. Top with mashed potatoes, leaving a rough texture or raking with tines of a fork. Bake in oven 30 minutes or until bubbly and potatoes are browned.

This week's share...

2010-04-18T21:24:00.005-04:00

Somehow I neglected to post this last August. So here it is, a reminder of Summer's bounty during the "cruellest month."

Yesterday, Bill and I went to the farmer's market. We were on a mission for bread, eggs from Tellos and wheatgrass from Evolutionary Organics (for our cat). Really, we werent going to buy anything else. We have a fridge full of CSA bounty. But it was the farmer's market. In August.

Let me tell you about the basil. It being August, basil was everywhere. My dear husband loves pesto, and was heady with the perfume of it floating in the air. Bill saw someone clutching a particularly wonderful bunch of basil. He asked the gentleman where he bought such a fine specimen. With determination, Bill sought out the stall. Near the register, there were buckets of beautiful, lush Genoese basil. He took his time, admiring the options, peering at the flowers at the tips. Soon, Bill was clutching his own ridiculously huge bouquet, with smile on his face.

So, with great restraint, we purchased a few tomatoes, bell peppers and basil to supplement this weeks share of corn, 3 tomatoes, peaches, plums, garlic, onions, kale, lettuce, 2 types of cucumbers, and summer squash.

This morning, Bill whizzed up a batch of pesto. And we enjoyed.....

The Perfect Summer Breakfast

Bread Alone San Francisco Sourdough

Bill's Pesto (basil, olive oil, walnuts, garlic, Locatelli Romano)

1 Ripe Tomato

Coffee

Toast the bread, add a shmear of pesto and top with a slice of tomato.

Garlic in a Jar

2010-04-17T08:23:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I bought crushed garlic in a jar. I know it's so wrong. But bear with me and follow the logic.

We were out of garlic. I haven't been able to get to the farmer's market. I tried three different markets, including Fairway, but could only find garlic grown in China. I just couldn't do it. If you are interested in more information about the impact of garlic imports on US garlic production, click here.

I bought a bottle of Christopher Ranch crushed garlic that's grown in Gilroy, California. It's convenient and has pretty good flavor. It's mellower than fresh garlic, but has a sweetness and softness that reminds me of garlic that's been simmered or baked.

Soon farmer's markets will be extending their hours and the CSA season will begin. There will be lovely garlic scapes, radishes and greens! Happy Spring

Pantry Macaroni and Peas

2010-04-14T17:48:00.003-04:00

Barnacle Bill is working late tonight so I made an old favorite for dinner: Macaroni and Peas. It is inspired by peas my grandmother made every Thanksgiving. She cooked canned peas with onion and oregano. They came out mushy and delicious. This is total comfort food.

1 T olive oil
1 med onion chopped
1 can sweet peas
1/2 lb ditalini
1/2 t dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
grated locatelli romano cheese

Saute onion in the olive oil until soft and golden. Add the peas with the liquid, and 1 can full of water. Bring to a boil. Add the ditalini, and stir well. Let it simmer, stirring frequently. If it seems very dry, you can add a bit more water. When the macaroni is halfway cooked, and there is little liquid left, stir, turn off the flame and cover the pot. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir the pot, then serve with grated romano cheese.

Modest Cinnamon Rolls

2010-04-10T14:12:00.010-04:00

I joined the 52 Weeks of Baking Swap on SwapBot. If you are in need of inspiration for cooking, arts and crafts, I highly suggest checking it out.

For this project I decided to bake bread. Since we are a small household, I divided the dough, and froze half for baking later in the week. I divided the remaining dough in half. Last night I baked a braided wreath. Of course I forgot to take a picture. So this morning I used some of the remaining dough to make cinnamon rolls.

After checking The Pioneer Woman's glorious recipe, I came up with my own. Hey, I've nothing against butter, but DH and I do not burn the calories of a pioneer family.

CINNAMON ROLLS

In the picture above, you can see the finished product (click picture for a larger image). The top 4 rolls are bottom side up and the other 2 show the naked tops. Feel free to glaze with powdered sugar mixed with milk, maple syrup or orange juice. Since the dough is not sweet, glaze will provide you eye candy and a sugar rush.

Take the dough (see recipe for challah below: I used 1/4 batch for 6 rolls, full batch will make 24) out of the refrigerator and let sit for 1/2 hour. Roll out to a rectangle, and fill with 1 T butter, a handful of brown sugar, sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp cinnamon then roll into a log, pinching the seam to seal. A little water will help this. Cut into 6 pieces, and place in a 6 cup muffin pan (or a round cake pan). Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 until you can smell it (15-20 minutes). Let stand 5 minutes then remove from pan. If you wait longer, the filling will cement the rolls in the pan...not good!

What I Learned:
-Powdered sugar is excellent to use when rolling out cookie dough, but changes yeasted dough into a slimy blob. I do not recommend it.
-You may store the dough in the refrigerator and bake up to one week later. Just take it out, bring to room temperature before shaping. The let the shaped dough rise before baking.

Challah (adapted from The Art of Jewish Cooking by Jennie Grossinger)

1 package of yeast (used Red Star)

2 t sugar

1 1/4 C warm water

4 1/2 C flour (used high gluten)

2 t salt

2 eggs

2 T oil

1 egg yolk + sesame or poppy seeds, non pareils, fancy sprinkles whatever.

Combine 1/4 c water, yeast and sugar in a 2 c measuring cup. Meanwhile, combine eggs, salt and oil in the bowl of stand mixer using paddle attachment. Add yeast mixture to bowl, and measure 1 c of warm water in cup, swirling to rinse out all yeast residue, and add to bowl. Set mixer to low speed, and let mix while you measure flour. Add about 1/3 of the flour, then change to dough hook. Add remaining flour, and let mix for 5 minutes.

Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let rise til doubled about 1 hour. Separate dough into 2 pieces. Wrap one well, and freeze. Divide remaining dough ball in half. Wrap half loosely and place in fridge.

Shape remaining half into a braid, ring loaf whatever. Cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel and let rise x 1hr. Brush with egg yolk (give leftover to A Most Grateful Cat) and sprinkle with seeds of your choice. Bake 350 about 30 minutes.

Passover

2010-04-02T11:18:00.003-04:00

Passover began last Monday at sundown. DH was raised Jewish, and gets excited about seasonal foods and traditions around this time of year. He loves matzoh and we usually get a 5 lb (yes that's FIVE pound) bundles of Streit's every year. All of the local grocery stores have crazy specials, like spend $25, get FIVE pounds of matzoh free.

We celebrate Passover with his family on the day before Easter, then Easter with my family. It's a trip (Kosher Saturday, Italian Pork Fest Sunday) but that's our multi culti life.

Since Passover is also the first full moon after the vernal equinox, celebration is in order. We usually have a simple dinner at home, that gives a nod to Jewish traditions, and avoid leavened products for the week. It's a challenge to try new things, and incorporate our own habits and favorite meals. On Monday, I made Cabbage Borscht with Beef and Matzoh Balls. On the second night we had Matzoh Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Butternut squash. Both nights we had Seder Plate Salad (my creation of romaine, parsley, apples, walnuts, hardboiled egg and horseradish dressing).

Last night we had Matzoh Lasagna. It sounds weird, but when you consider no boil lasagna noodles, it makes sense. It was delicious, was easy, and we will definitely make it again.

Matzoh Lasagna
4 matzoh
1 jar of marinara sauce (we used Trader Joe's Tomato and Basil)
16 oz of ricotta
1 egg
3 T pesto (used Bill's homemade)
8 oz shredded mozzarella (Haolam Kosher for Passover)
grated pecorino romano to taste (Haolam Kosher for Passover)
black pepper

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" square baking dish with non stick spray. Mix 1 egg, pesto and ricotta until well combined. Cover bottom of baking dish with some sauce, top with 1 matzoh, 1/3 of ricotta, 1/4 of mozzarella, some romano, a sprinkle of black pepper and a bit more sauce. Repeat layering 2x more, then finish with 1 matzoh, the remaining sauce, mozzarella, romano and black pepper. Bake x40 minutes, turn off the oven, and go watch the sun set. When you return, remove the lasagna from the oven and serve.

Easy Friday Night Dinner

2010-03-26T22:30:00.005-04:00

This is a simple dinner with minimal preparation. There's nothing to chop, you cook everything in the oven, and relax while it bakes.

Menu
Salmon
Asparagus
Baked Potatoes
Gingersnaps and vanilla ice cream

Preparation Schedule
1. Scrub potatoes in the morning and let air dry all day
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. Start baking the potatoes and set a timer for 40 minutes
4. After 40 minutes, prep the asparagus and the fish, put in the oven and time 15mins or until fish flakes easily
5. Let stand 5 minutes then serve

Baked Potatoes
4 russet potatoes
olive oil
salt
(butter, sour cream, yogurt to serve)

Scrub potatoes and let air dry (do this early in the day). Set the oven to 350. Prick each potato 8 - 10 times with a fork. Rub with oil, sprinkle with salt, and put on a cookie sheet. Bake for 1 hour.

Salmon
1 1/2 lbs salmon filets or side with skin
olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon wedges

Rub salmon on both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with lemon wedges.

Upgrade: add some fresh herbs, grill seasoning, or creole seasoning to the rub

Asparagus
1 lb asparagus, pencil thin
olive oil
salt
pepper
lemon zest
crushed garlic (bottled is fine)

cut the ends off of the asparagus near the bottom rubber band, wash and pat dry. Place in a sheet pan drizzle with olive oil, salt, lemon zest and pepper, and shake pan to coat (or use your hands to roll the asparagus. sprinkle with crushed garlic and bake x15 minutes.

Maple Baked Apples and Pears

2009-11-04T19:57:00.003-05:00

Bake this while you bake the squash for Buttercup Cavatappi. Serve warm with ice cream for dessert. Even better: refrigerate overnight and have it for breakfast with maple vanilla yogurt.

Maple Walnut Baked Apples and Pears
apples
pears
maple syrup
walnuts

Core fruit from the blossom end, using a melon baller. Stuff with walnuts and a drizzle of maple syrup. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Buttercup Squash with Cavatappi

2009-11-04T19:19:00.008-05:00

It's been awhile. After moving, it's taken some time to get readjusted to the new kitchen (built for Elves, not hobbitses). It is an excellent kitchen though, with a gas stove and a DISHWASHER. Sigh. Talk about a life of luxury.

This week, we had this for dinner. I baked the squash ahead of time.

Buttercup Squash with Cavatappi

1 buttercup squash, approximately 1 1/2 lbs
1 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 C water
pinch of sage leaves
salt
black pepper
3 packets of condensed chicken broth (Trader Joe's)
3 - 4 C pasta cooking liquid
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 T butter
1 lb. Cavatappi
Old Amsterdam cheese, grated

Cut the squash in half, seed and place in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Since you have the oven on, make Maple Walnut Baked Apples and Pears. Let the squash cool, then scoop out the squash flesh and dice the bits that are large. You may refrigerate it and make the dish up to 4 days later.

Start heating water to cook the cavatappi.

Heat a large pot or dutch oven, and add oil. When the oil is hot, add onion and a pinch of salt and saute slowly until it is starting to caramelize. Add 1/2 C of water to deglaze the pan, then add squash. Gradually add pasta water, one cup at a time, cooking and stirring the squash to break up large chunks. Add broth, salt (if needed), pepper, lemon juice, zest and butter. Stir until the butter melts, then add pasta. Serve with grated cheese.

Stoned Summer Betty

2009-08-18T21:25:00.005-04:00

It has been brutally hot and humid for about a week. I have not been inspired to cook anything but salads. Very boring.

I have plenty of plums and peaches from last week's share. I considered making a tart, crostata or pie, but that requires and oven. I considered poaching the fruit with dumplings on the stove top, still too much heat.

Remember Apple Brown Betty from home economics class? Here's my version, made on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and it doesnt require an oven.

Stoned Summer Betty
10 peaches and plums, stoned and cut up anyway you like
1/2 C brown sugar
4 T butter
1 C dry breadcrumbs
1 t almond extract
vanilla ice cream (for dessert)
vanilla yogurt (for breakfast)
toasted almonds (optional

Macerate fruit with sugar overnight (at least several hours).
In the morning, melt butter in a small pan, then add breadcrumbs and extract, stir to combine.

Sprinkle 1/3 of crumbs on the bottom of an 8" square pan or 1 - 1/2 qt bowl. Using a slotted spoon, top with 1/2 of the fruit. Repeat, top with a final layer of crumbs, then pour the juices over the top. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

Rot Report

2009-08-14T11:35:00.003-04:00

Yikes. I've been slacking. Today, mizuna, cucumber salad, and a few peaches got by. Oh well.

Upside Down Cauliflower Au Gratin

2009-08-02T23:24:00.007-04:00

There was a beautiful head of cauliflower in last week's share. I planned to roast it with olive oil, lemon and salt, then dust with parmesan before serving, but the weather was uncooperative. I simply refuse to turn on the oven on a blistering hot day. What to do? Use the rice cooker, my loyal kitchen companion.....

butter
1 clove garlic, peeled, smashed and chopped
1 cauliflower, cut in small pieces
1/4 C water
4 T cream
2 oz gruyere, grated (Roth Kase Private Reserve)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter in the pot of the cooker. Add garlic, and let cook while you cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Add cauliflower, stirring to coat with butter and garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Let saute a few minutes, then add water and cover. Let steam a few minutes, checking for tenderness of the cauliflower. When it is still a bit al dente, add the cream, stirring. Let cook a moment while you grate the cheese, then add to the pot. Set the lid ajar, to let some moisture escape, and cook until the pot shuts off on its own. You will be surprised to find it nicely browned on the bottom. As you serve it, try to turn it over to show off the golden brown deliciousness....

No Use Crying Over Rotten Veggies (aka the Rot Report)

2009-08-02T22:51:00.004-04:00

July was a very busy month. The past week was a whirlwind of visitors and swirling chaos of paperwork involved in the purchase of an apartment. As a result, out of sheer exhaustion, we ordered pizza and ate out a couple of times. The consequence: 1 small head romaine, 1 small head red leaf lettuce, 2 cucumbers, and 1 batch of veggie slaw were laid to rest.

In the past, when I've let a veggie from SuperMarket go to rot, it was a shrug at the waste and a toss in the trash. Now there's this sense of not living up to my part of the bargain, my link in the chain. From the seed, the soil, the earth, the rain, the sun, the moon, the farmer, the farmhands, the truck driver and the CSA members who work together to purchase and distribute each vegetable, a great deal of effort is expended. Not that this is any less than the energy expended by an AgribusinessFarm but I don't have faces for the links of that chain.

And so it goes.

Cucumber - Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Mint

2009-07-25T17:17:00.003-04:00

I made cucumber salad last night. Bill requested the addition of chickpeas. Have I mentioned Bill's addiction to chickpeas? It seemed a reasonable addition and one that would guarantee that Bill's interest.

2 Large cucumbers, seeded and cut in 1/2 " pieces
1 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 scallions, white and green bits, finely sliced
1-2 tsp dried mint (or 2T fresh)
1/4 C lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prepared Blue Cheese Dressing for garnish (Optional)

Put cucumbers through pepper in a bowl with a tight fitting lid (1 1/2 qt capacity). Toss everything by shaking the container. Let sit in the refrigerator for several hours. Serve with a small dollop of dressing.

Summer is flying by

2009-07-24T20:03:00.003-04:00

This week's CSA share
Arugula
Beets with greens
Cauliflower
Chinese cabbage (1 head)
Cucumbers (1 regular and 2 Asian long)
Italian frying pepper
Peaches (3 lbs)
Red leaf lettuce
Scallions
Spring onions

ROT REPORT: 2 casualties
This evening, I discovered 2 cucumbers that didn't get used in time. I failed them. They were going slime/mush/mucky, so they were tossed.

I've actually been doing very well compared to past seasons. At this point, when it seems like I'm getting behind, I try to preserve something. So far the fridge contains (shelf life in brackets)

Broccoli with garlic, lemon juice, raisins and toasted pine nuts (up to a week)
Kimchee (up to 2 months)
Pickled Daikon sushi condiment (indefinitely)
Chopped, cooked red chard- 1 qt freezer bag full (up to 6 months)

So tonight, I will chop some cucumbers for a salad

Peach Melba My Way and Weird Slaw

2009-07-18T07:46:00.009-04:00

This week, it finally feels like summer.

Peach Melba My Way
2 peaches, peeled and cut up as you like
1 t sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 container of raspberries
cream
Divide peaches between two dessert dishes. Sprinkle with sugar and salt. Top with raspberries, cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, pour about 1 T cream over each portion.
Weird Slaw

White Radish
Red radish
kohrabi
carrot
snow peas

Shred the vegetables (use food processor) and toss with salt, sugar, and a bit of lemon juice. It will last a few days as is. Serve with salad, rice, make sushi rolls, or as a filling in summer rolls. If you want a more traditional slaw, add mayonnaise, more sugar and vinegar.
Other meals from this week:
-Codfish with Greens using black kale and red chard, served with pasta and pesto. Used this recipe, but substituted cod for the scallops.
-Salmon burgers, and green chard served with toast with smoked mozzarella.
-Pasta with pesto, Sicilian Squash Pickle, and steamed broccoli with a bit of julienned bresaola.
-Frittata with bresaola and BB Artichoke pesto served on bruschetta.

Kim Chee

2009-07-18T07:20:00.002-04:00

A crock of kim chee is resting in the fridge. I can't believe how easy it is. Adapted (simplified the process) from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook. The hardest part was finding a suitable jar. I use a half gallon jar that held marinated artichokes from costco),

1 lb bok choy, cut in 2" sections, or whole if using baby
1 lb white radish, peeled, halved then cut crosswise in thin slices
3 T salt
2 T finely minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 T minced garlic
5 scallions with greens, sliced
1 T cayenne or hot Korean pepper (I have used crushed red pepper flakes and sricha)
1 t sugar

Combine 2 T + 2 t salt and 5 cups water, stirring to dissolve salt. Place choy and radish in a crock, large jar or a bowl if that's what you have. Pour salt solution over veggies, stirring and dunking them in water a few times. They tend to float. cover loosely (I rubberband a papertowel over the top) and let rest on the counter for 12 hours or so, dunking the cabbage back into the liquid if you think about it.

Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour off most of the soaking water into a large glass measuring cup or other container. Stir spices into cabbage, then add soaking water to cover (about 2 C). Give the mix a final stir, cover loosely, and let ferment on the counter for 3 - 7 days, depending on the air temp (summer will be quicker than winter). Taste after 3 days to check sourness. When it's to your liking, cover the jar and store in the fridge.

Serve about 1/4 C per person. You can use the pickling liquid to flavor soups.

MSL Spring Onion Soup (for H)

2009-07-15T03:49:00.002-04:00

Here's a way to use up lots of onions. It's pretty good. For a delicate appetizer, serve as suggested, with 'crisp flatbread.' For a more substantial meal, serve it with (or over) grilled cheese.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 pounds spring onions (or yellow onions), trimmed and thinly sliced
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
2 cups water
8 pieces crisp flatbread, for serving

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent but not brown, about 15 minutes.
Stir in salt, stock, and water. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat, and let cool for 20 minutes. Working in batches, puree in a blender, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, blending until soup is smooth.
Divide soup among 4 bowls, drizzle with oil, and serve with flatbread on the side.

Cucumber Cream Salad

2009-07-14T19:09:00.002-04:00

I saw this recipe in Good Housekeeping Cookbook ca 1963 that Bill rescued from somewhere. I couldn't reisist. We served it on Bill's Gigantic Lettuce, Rotisserie Chicken and Radish Salad with Chickpeas. It's kind of like wobbly dressing.

1 3 oz package of lemon gelatin (YES! respect the JELLO MOLD!)
1 t salt
1 C hot water
1-2 T vinegar
1 t grated onion (dry onion flakes or powder would be fine, this ain't haute cuisine)
1 C sour cream
1/4 C mayonnaise, plus garnish (I omitted on principle; Bill garnished with blue cheese dressing)
1 C drained, finely chopped cucumber
Salad greens

Early in day: Dissolve gelatin and salt in water. Add vinegar, onion. Refrigerate until syrupy, then beat in sour cream, mayonnaise and cucumbers. Pour into 6 individual molds. Refrigerate until firm. Unmold on salad greens; top with mayonnaise. Makes 6 servings.

Saturday morning

2009-07-11T11:22:00.004-04:00

A summer cold has hit the Barnacle household, which has slowed the pace of cooking adventures. During the week, Bill was inspired by gorgeous basil at the local supermarket, and made a batch of pesto with thin linguine. It was delish.

I'm feeling a bit better, Bill is feeling a bit worse. I felt like cooking, so this morning's adventure, I made pickles with the yellow squash, more Spicy Radish Leaf Furikake (recipe from Just Hungry website), and started a batch of Kimchee.

Yellow Squash Pickle - Sicilian style
2 yellow squash, sliced in rounds
olive oil
garlic scape, minced
salt
pepper
lemon juice

Brown squash, and set aside. Saute garlic scape in the same pan, adding oil if necessary. Turn off the heat, and add lemon juice to deglaze pan. In a wide mouth jar, layer squash, salt, pepper, spoonful of scapes, and pouring the remaining juices from the pan over the last layer of squash. Refrigerate. Serve with toast, over macaroni or with salad.

Today's haul

2009-07-09T21:33:00.003-04:00

broccoli, lettuce, peas, scallions, bok choy, red chard, cucumbers, daikon, pint of blueberries

Today's lunch

Brown rice with leftover Kohlrabi slaw (enhanced with carrots and peas)

Last of the cherries

Rot Alert:

cucumbers, 5 from last week

Antipasto Bento Dinner and Teriyaki Chicken Balls lunch

2009-07-08T18:56:00.007-04:00

Last night I was pretty beat. In the morning, I threw this together in the rice cooker.

No Think Lunch
8 Aidell's teriyaki chicken meatballs (costco)
1 C sushi rice
1 1/4 C water
pinch of salt
Spicy Radish Leaf Furikake (made last week, all CSA)
Kohrabi & Bok Choy Slaw (made last week, all CSA)
Cherries (CSA)

Chuck frozen meatballs in rice cooker (preferably touching the pan), add rice, salt and water around the balls, flick the switch and go back to bed. An hour later, jump out of bed, pack rice and meatballs in 2 lunch boxes, add slaw and a couple of tablespoons of radish furikake. Pack cherries in 2 other containers.

Antipasto Bento Dinner
Ok, I really should have taken a picture of this. Since I didnt, imagine this: a black bento box (think lunch at sushi palace) packed with caprese salad, carrot sticks and radishes, olive salad, pickled beet salad, and fresh cherries. I put it together after work, but BB and I were to tired to eat. So we had it for tonights dinner. Most of the items were not from the CSA (indicated by /).

/Homemade Pickled Beet salad (beets, onions, vinegar)
/Caprese (tomato, smoked mozzarella, basil)
/carrot sticks
/olive salad (straight from the bottle)
Red Radish halves
Cherries

Dish & Bitch
lunch:
rice cooker pot and lid
rice paddle
spoon
2 larger lunch containers
2 smaller containers (for cherries)
2 forks

dinner:
Cutting board
knife
2 spoons
2 bento boxes with lids
2 glasses for seltzer
2 forks

Happy Interdependence Day

2009-07-07T19:48:00.007-04:00

Well, we went away for the holiday, and it's taken a bit of time to get back into the routine.

Before leaving, I made cherry amasake pudding. It's pretty good. Amasake is rice milk, so this is suitable for vegans or those who are lactose intolerant/ dairy allergy. The original recipe calls for unsweetened amasake, so it can be considered sugar free. I admit, I added a 1/4 C sugar for my sweet tooth.

Cool Amasake Cherry Pudding (from The Changing Seasons Macrobiotic Cookbook by Aveline Kushi and Wendy Esko)

1 quart amasake (rice milk)
pinch of salt
1/4-1/3 C kuzu (arrowroot starch) or scant 1/2 cup of cornstarch
1 c cherries, pitted and halved

Dissolve starch in a little amasake, then add to remaining amasake in a suitably sized pot (add sugar here if desired). Bring up to a simmer, slowly, whisking occasionally. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until thickened. Let cool a few minutes then stir in cherries. Pour into dessert dishes and chill.

Dish & Bitch
Pot
measuring cup
cutting board
knife
wooden spoon
pot
6 custard cups

Thursday July 2 Share

2009-07-03T07:35:00.002-04:00

This week's haul:
scapes
bok choy
red chard
Snow peas
2 kohlrabi
2 summer squash
5 cucumbers
2 qts cherries

And the Rot Report- what's left from last week:
snow peas
!1/4 head of romaine!
1/2 head Bok Choy
red radish
white radish
scapes
green onions
kohlrabi

2009-07-03T07:00:00.006-04:00

Thursday's Meals

Potato and Egg Hero Redux
When I was a kid, my dad took my brother and I fishing. Sometimes we'd fish from a very small boat, sometimes from the beach. On early mornings, we'd stop at the local deli and buy a potato and egg hero to share. It was huge, made with an entire loaf of bread, and delicious.

1 tsp each butter and olive oil
2 fingerling potatoes, finely diced
1 large green onion, thinly sliced
1 small garlic scape, thinly sliced
salt
pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 slices cheddar cheese
1 large pita, split into two very thin rounds

Over medium high flame, heat butter and olive oil in a small cast iron pan. Add onions, garlic and potatoes, add a pinch of salt, then cook until golden brown. Pour eggs over vegetables in pan, and lower heat to medium. Sprinkle with black pepper, cover and let cook a few minutes until set is set. place 1 slice of cheese to top of eggs, and place pita half on top. Flip out of pan onto cutting board, pita side down. Top with the remaining slice of cheese and pita. Let cool for a few minutes, then cut in half and pack in wax paper bags to go. Serves 2.

THE DISH REPORT
cutting board
knife
bowl
frying pan
spatula

LUNCH
Rice Cooker Jambalaya
olive oil
2 small green onions, sliced
1 garlic scape, minced
1 white turnip, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 soy chorizo links, sliced diagonally
1/2 T Old Bay seasoning
3/4 C short grain brown rice
2 T tomato paste
2 1/2 C chicken broth

Turn on cooker and add olive oil. Add vegetables to rice cooker and cook until softened. Add soy-rizo slices and continue to stir/ saute until golden. Stir in Old Bay seasoning and continue to cook. Combine broth, paste and rice, stirring to dissolve tomato paste, then pour into cooker. Stir until combined. Cover and cook until the cooker finishes its cycle, stirring occasionally. Let cool and pack into bento boxes. Serves 2.

THE DISH REPORT
Knife
cutting board
wooden spoon
rice cooker bowl and lid
2 bento boxes

2009-07-03T06:49:00.005-04:00

Well, I'm skipping the pictures for this post. I'm going to try and recruit Barnacle Bill aka Muscles aka dear husband, to take future pictures. He is talented with a camera.

Wednesday night, he made dinner:

Barnacle Bill's Salad served with Sourdough toast with BB's artichoke pesto

Romaine lettuce (csa)
red radish (csa)
green onions (csa)
green pepper
carrots
chickpeas
blue cheese dressing

The Dish Report
Large bowl
salad spinner
cutting board
knife
2 bowls
1 small plate
2 forks
1 spoon
1 butter knife

Enchanted Broccoli Bentos

2009-07-01T02:28:00.009-04:00

Looks like a lush green Northeastern forest? Hm.

After some hemming and hawing over what to make for lunch, I decided to use the !russian kale! and the broccoli before it earned the !rot alert! tag. Based on Mollie Katzen's recipe, "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" from the cookbook of the same name.

1/2 T olive oil in rice cooker

1 scape, finely chopped

1 large scallion, finely sliced

Russian kale, finely chopped

broccoli stems, chopped

pinch of salt

2 T? lemon juice

spoonful of Barnacle Bill's artichoke pesto

pinch of crushed red pepper

freshly ground black pepper

3/4 C brown rice
1 1/4 C water

Turn on the rice cooker, add oil and saute scape, and chopped broccoli stems until tender. Add salt and kale, cover and steam until wilted. Add rice, and let cook a minute or two, stirring when you feel like it. Add lemon juice, BB's pesto and peppers. Stir to combine. Add water, stir again. Cover and cook until done. When the switch turns off, place broccoli florets on top of the rice, then cover to let steam.

Carefully remove florets from rice and set aside. Divide rice between two containers, smoothing the rice. Poke the florets into the rice to form the forest.. Yeah it's supposed to look like an enchanted forest.

THE DISH REPORT

cutting board

knife

4 C glass measuring cup (staging area for veggies, measure rice, water)

Rice cooker pot and lid

spoon

2 lunch containers

2 sporks for lunchboxes

LAZINESS QUOTIENT: HIGH
Few dishes, some chopping, set it and forget it.

Scallops with Greens

2009-06-30T19:30:00.000-04:00

Tonight for dinner I made this. The picture demonstrates that I'm not a great photographer.

The original recipe was from Martha Stewart Living "What's for dinner?", March 2009. It contained spinach, arrugula, garlic and served 4 (with pasta, soup and dessert). I adapted to use ingredients from the CSA, and to serve 2 adults. On the side: sourdough toast (ok ok, bruschetta) with Barnacle Bill's (aka dear husband) artichoke and sun dried tomato pesto. And of course our homemade sparkling water. It was fast (30 minutes for everything) and delicious.

10 sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 T canola oil
1 garlic scape, finely chopped
1 bunch of dandelion greens, roughly chopped
1 bunch of red chard, roughly chopped
2 pinches of crushed red pepper

Heat large straight sided skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Add 1 T oil then add scallops. Cook on one side until golden brown (about 7 minutes) then flip and cook until opaque (about 1 minute). Transfer to plate lined with paper towels.

Reduce heat to medium, and add 1/2 T oil to pan. Add scape, greens, pinch of salt and crushed red pepper. Cook until wilted. Divide greens between plates and top with scallops.

We both work full time. Ease of clean up after dinner is a consideration. Part of assessing each cooking adventure will be an assessment of cleanup.
DISHWASHING REPORT

cutting board
chef knife
tongs
skillet
bowl
food processor (for pesto)
3 plates (1 for serving toast)
2 glasses
2 forks
1 butter knife (for pesto)
1 spoon (for serving pesto)

Veggies left as of this evening
! = RotClock Alert
!russian kale!
scallions
scapes
broccoli
!bok choy!
romaine
white turnips
handful of snap peas

June 16 Share

2009-06-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

June 16 was the first delivery of the season.
It contained the following treasures: kohlrabi, bok choy, garlic scapes, radishes, scallions, russian kale, swiss chard, romaine, and two beautiful rosy quarts of strawberries
Swiss chard:

Frittata with garlic scapes, scallions and cheddar
Sauteed with garlic scapes and scallions then tossed with tortellini, lemon and romano

Romaine: 3 nights worth of salad with radishes, green onions and chick peas and/or roasted chicken
Strawberries: sliced and tossed with a little sugar and a pinch of salt. Add yogurt for breakfast
At the end of the week, Bok choy, kohlrabi, scallions, scapes, and Russian Kale remained.
Week 2
Contained: basil plant, broccoli, daikon, dandelion greens, garlic scapes, snow peas, radishes, red chard, romaine, scallions, strawberries
Strawberries:

Gave 1 quart to GB
Sliced and sugared for yogurt and Strawberry shortcake

Daikon

Made furikake
Made Japanese pickled daikon for sushi

Snowpeas were cooked with bok choy and rice for a quick lunch
Bok Choy

with snowpeas for lunch (see above)
with rice, tofu, snowpeas and scapes

A summer of recipes or how i used everything

2009-06-27T20:53:00.000-04:00

My goal this season is to use every bit of goodness from my CSA share. CSA = Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, in the spring, one buys a share in a local farm, and collects dividends in the form of produce. Here in New York State it's approximately $600 for 22 weeks of veggies and 20 weeks of fruit. If the farmer has a good year, you eat well. If not, you don't eat so well, but the payback is that the farm survives the season.

Every year it is an adventure. Like a box of chocolates, "you nevah know what cha gonna get" each week. In a 2 person household, it is a challenge to use everything before rot sets in.