Beets, bread and cheese

Today's haul of fresh local goodness:

French sourdough bread
Radish greens
Beets
Garlic chive goat cheese




Hmmm. What to make?

Beet salad sounds perfect.

La Capitale's beet salad serves as inspiration. As I need a starting point, this Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges and Beet Greens recipe will be mine.

Of course I'll tweak it and substitute the radish greens.

For a small selection of local goodies visit the Saturday Public Market on Rural Street. Open 8:30-1:00

I'll let you know how the salad turns out.

Oven Fries....are good.

I love french fries.

No, seriously, I really love french fries.

I remember as a child munching on Bob's Burgers fries and double dipping in ketchup. This was before I understand that double dipping is not allowed. (So now I just turn the fry over to dunk the other side if I'm sharing the dip.)

Anyway, I digress. Back to my love of fries.

I recently saw a reference to oven fries somewhere and it mentioned par-cooking in some manner. I've looked and looked and couldn't figure out where I had seen that reference.

Since I couldn't find the recipe I decided to wing it.

Recipe

5-6 russet potatoes
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1-2 tsp of assorted spices

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and scrub the potatoes.

2. Slice the potatoes in half. Slice the halves into 1/4 inch pieces. Depending on the size of the potatoes you will end up with 8-12 fries per potato.

3. Place the sliced potatoes in a gallon sized ziploc bag (if the potatoes are no longer damp add about 1 tsp of water.) Microwave for 2 minutes.

4. Add the vegetable oil, salt, sugar and the assorted spices of your choice. I added dried parsley, a French herb mix, black pepper and some red pepper flakes. Shake. Shake. Shake.

5. Place the spiced potatoes onto a baking sheet covered in parchment and place in the preheated 450 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

They should be slightly crisp and delicious. Add a few more minutes to the cooking time if you want your fries a bit more like chips.

I like to dip mine in mayo with a touch of ketchup and vinegar.

Oatmeal Craisin Scones

I had a hankering.

I had a hankering for a nummy, crumbly scone. A currant scone. Like the ones I used to eat back in my days as a barista for The Beanery.

I discovered the iphone app for Epicurious and surfed in bed. (Thank you Patrice for inspiration. Now I just need someone to bring me coffee. Oh, thanks Joe. )

Of the numberous scone recipes on the site, I zeroed in on the Oatmeal Currant Scone recipe. It dates back to a 2001 - Gourmet magazine.

I made my list. I shopped. I substituted.

I couldn't find currants. Since it was raining and I didn't want to travel to another store I made do with craisins. I like them.

I began assembling the ingredients and realized it called for a food processor. Now, I live in a small (very small) house and space is limited. I have never had a food processer as it seems a bulky, expensive appliance that I wouldn't have room to store anyway. I usually avoid recipes that call for it's use or make do with a different appliance or tool.

Today was no different. In this situation, I used my pastry blenderto chop the oatmeal into smaller pieces as well as cut in the butter. It worked just fine!

Also,  I forgot the buttermilk. DOH! Milk with a touch of vinegar will have to do. (I was naughty and used 1/2 and 1/2.)

Oatmeal Craisin Scones

adapted from the 2001 Gourmet Magazine recipe as found on the epicurious website

Recipe:

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar plus additional for sprinkling

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces

Finely grated zest from 1 large navel orange

2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk plus additional for brushing

1/2 cup craisins

2 1/4 inch round cookie cutter

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Use your pastry blender to cut up the oatmeal (5 minutes should do it.) (Or, if you have a food processor do this as I'm sure it's easier on the arm.) Add butter and cut (or pulse) until the mixture resembles coarse meal with small (pea-size) lumps, and transfer to a bowl if using the food processor.

3. Stir together zest and buttermilk. Toss currants with oat mixture, then add buttermilk, stirring with a fork just until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 6 times.

4. Pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick round, dusting surface with more flour if necessary. Cut out as many scones as possible with cutter, dipping it in flour before each cut, and transfer scones to a baking sheet covered with parchment. Gather scraps into a ball, then pat into a round and cut out more scones in same manner. (The recipe called for a 2 1/4 inch round cutter but I did not have one so I used a pint glass. Classy.)

5. Brush tops of scones with buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown, 15-18 minutes, and transfer to a rack.

6. Eat. They're tasty.

Gotta go. I have to make another batch.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Options

Thanksgiving is coming. What is a vegetarian to do? Do I care? 

I enjoy and gladly gobble up that big turkey bird every year. Alas, a good friend and many family members don't share my love for the carnage.

This recent post by Food in Jars looks perfect for those looking for some original T Day options.  Thanksgiving Favorites

Not only is there a Brined Turkey recipe there are also some tasty, interesting recipes for the veg in your life. I think the Napa Cabbage Gratin and Yumpkins are on my to-do list

Enjoy!

I Love Me Some Pork Carnitas

I love me some tasty Mexican food and I love me these carnitas.

Pork Butt
Lard
Oranges
Salt and Pepper
and a Dutch Oven

This is all you need to make the best pork carnitas around.

I have a weak spot for caramelized savory dishes. These carnitas are little nuggets of delicious goodness.

Serve warm on a corn tortilla with a little fresh guacamole and a touch of cilantro and lime. Ah, bliss.


Give it a try.


Recipe by: Zarela Martinez
Cookbook: Food From My Heart


Pork Nuggets


1/4 to 1/3 cup lard, or vegetable oil 
4 pounds lean boneless pork butt, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 
Zest of 1 or 2 oranges, finely chopped or slivered 
3/4 cup fresh orange juice 

In a large, heavy Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat 3-4 tablespoons of the lard or oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add about one third of the pork (just enough to fit in one layer.) Season lightly with salt and pepper and scatter one third of the orange zest over it. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionallly and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the pork is browned and crisp on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the meat to a large bowl and reserve. Cook the remaining pork in two batches in the same manner, adding another 1 or 2 tablespoons of lard if necessary. 

Drain off the excess fat from the Dutch oven; return the browned meat to the pan, add the orange juice and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to coat the meat on all sides. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid reduces to a syrupy glaze, 10 to 15 minutes. While the orange juice is reducing, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Bake, tightly covered, until the meat is very tender but chewy, about 40 minutes.

Drain off the excess fat that has accumulated and serve the carnitas hot, with hot flour or corn tortillas and any kind of salsa.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Salud!

Chili is good

Soup.... Stew....Chili.

These are three of my favorite things about fall.

My coworker, Mike, makes good, simple chili. He brings it to team potlucks on a regular basis. The last time he brought some, I was tied up with a meeting and when I finally arrived, with bowl in hand, the chili was gone.

Enough was enough. I needed that recipe.

The story he tells, is that a roommate of his in college (I suspect he was in college about 35-40 years ago) created this simple, but delightful recipe.

It is simple. It is delightful.

The recipe he provided didn't use many measurements. I have amended the recipe, as is my way, and alter it a bit every time I make it. For example, adding tomatillos, experimenting with a variety of different peppers and amending the spices here and there.

Miguel's Chili

Ingredients

2 lbs ground chuck, lean

2 anaheim peppers

2 jalapeno peppers

1 large onion

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes

2 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

3 15 oz cans of kidney beans (dark and/or light)

chili powder

cumin

sugar

canola oil

Dice the onion and garlic, set aside in separate piles.

Chop the peppers. I use a course chop on the anaheim and a fine dice on the jalapeno. (if you wish to minimize heat, de-vein and seed the jalapenos)

Over medium high heat in a large pot or dutch oven.

Brown the onion in 1-2 TBS of canola oil.

Add the ground chuck. Drain. (If not using lean, drain the majority of the excess fat)

Add the garlic.

Add the peppers.

Add the cans of kidney beans, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with their juices

At this point stir and add spices.

The original recipe didn't call for measurements and neither do I. Sprinkle approximately 1 TBS, enough to cover the top, of the chili powder and about half that amount of the cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add approximately 1-2 tsp of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes and to even out the flavor. Sample and adjust spices as needed.

Stir and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least a half hour before serving. If I'm serving several hours after putting it together, I bring it to a boil, let it simmer a bit and just leave it covered and turn off the heat.

I have used poblanos in place of the anaheims, added red/yellow/green peppers for a bit of color, and have added 5-6 chopped tomatillos, all on different occasions.

At this point, it's up to you. Tell me what you add.

Enjoy.

Sassy Beans

I've got a weakness for pickled vegetables. So, when I received a big bag of green beans I knew I had to track down a recipe to pickle them.

I adapted a recipe I found from the wonderful blog :food in jars:. This site is inspiration. The recipe in question, was itself adapted from another source. So Easy to Preserve.

I cleaned, prepped, measured and cut the beans and then packed them in the jars. Now, the packing part was a little crazy making cause my green beans weren't particularly straight.

Due to my orderly nature (issues, I know) I had to have them perty. But then due to my frugal nature (issues, I know) I couldn't waste the extra bits. So, in the end, I had a variety of prepped jars.

Here is the recipe.

Pickled Green Beans (aka Dilly Beans)

2 pounds green beans, trimmed to fit your jars
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons dill seed (not dill weed)
4 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups white vinegar (5%)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup pickling salt (use a bit more if you’ve only got kosher)

Prep your canning pot by inserting a rack to keep your jars off the bottom of the pot, place pint jars in (wide-mouth pints work best here. A 12 ounce jelly jar is also nice, as it’s a bit taller than a standard pint and makes for less trimming) and fill it with water. Bring to a boil to sterilize while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Wash and trim your beans so that they fit in your jar. If you have particularly long beans, your best bet is to cut them in half, although by doing so, you do lose the visual appeal of having all the beans standing at attending.

Combine vinegar, water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. While it’s heating up, pack your beans into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace (distance between the tops of the beans and the rim of the jar). To each jar, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove of garlic and 1 teaspoon dill seeds.

Pour the boiling brine over the beans, making sure to leave that 1/2 inch headspace. Use a plastic knife to remove air bubbles from jar by running it around the interior of the jar. Wipe the rims and apply the lids (which have been sitting in a small saucepan of water at a mere simmer for at least ten minutes in order to soften the sealing compound) and rings.

Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath (remember that you don’t start timing until the pot has come to a roiling boil).

These beans want to hang out for a least two weeks before eating, to thoroughly develop their flavor.

The beans were finished on the 13th and we're now 2 weeks out. Drum roll, please......

They're delicious. They still retain a snap and the cayenne has added a delightful sass.

I now dub them Sassy Beans.

Swiss Chard Pie

I'm amazed by the power of social networking.

Just today I was searching the internet for a local Sunday Farmer's Market with no luck. I logged into FB and noted an old high school chum had posted a link to her friends' website with the notation that they would be selling their veg at a local farmer's market.

This is how I found you Pitchfork and Crow. Cute website and lovely veg. Their noted recipe for Swiss Chard Pie was my inspiration for dinner.

Of course I tweaked it a bit. The recipe below only varies slightly from the original.

I used a no roll pie crust recipe and adjusted the amounts to my liking for one pie.

Swiss Chard Pie

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons butter

1 small bunch Swiss Chard (6-7 leaves)

6 eggs

1 cup shredded cheese

1 teaspoon salt

pie crust

~

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brown onion and garlic in butter. Trim and chop chard, add to pan, and cook until wilted. Beat eggs in a bowl; mix in cheese, salt, and chard mixture. Pour into pie crusts.

Bake until knife inserted into center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes.

.

Recipe adapted from the excellent book: From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, Third Edition

Red Currants

I made a quick stop today at the Saturday Market to pick up a present for the birthday party. What to get a two year old? I chose a yellow/red tie dyed sun dress and two peacock feathers. Perfect.

I also picked up a quart of red currants. Hmmm. Currants.

They're charming. They're tiny. They're tart. They're beautiful. ..... and I have no idea what to do with them.

I resort to some of my favorite cooking blogs for inspiration. Eureka! delicious:days saves the day.

Red Currant Sorbet

I'll let you know how it turns out.