Curried White Bean and Potato Soup

Yes, it’s another soup – my ultimate comfort food. I never eat soup in restaurants or buy it from the co-op because it’s never as good as the pots that come from my hands! I find soup totally satisfying on so many levels. First, I love the layers of healthful ingredients like beans and veggies. The heat from soup makes it soothing to consume, and the ease of putting together a large quantity of reheatable food is a true de-stressor! One pot of soup in the fridge means we can easily nourish our bodies through our sixty plus hour workweek without much additional cooking.

The other thing I love about eating soup is that it’s a vehicle for crunchy tidbits and cheese. We almost always cut up chunks of cheddar and then eat the soup with our favorite tortilla chips. Sometimes our soup gets topped with croutons, and Jeff and Max also enjoy the provincial saltine cracker. This soup is a little spicy so it pairs well with sour cream and tortilla chips. One thing is for sure, I never eat a bowl of soup without a crunchy grain along side.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger piece, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 bunch collard greens, deveined and sliced into ribbons
• 2 cups brussel sprouts, quartered
• 1 sweet potato, diced
• 6 red potatoes, diced
• 4 cups white beans, precooked
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 Tbs. curry powder

Directions:

Saute the onion in the oil until it becomes translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and jalapeno and saute just until the aromatics are released. Next add the ribbons of collard greens, potatoes, brussel sprouts and enough water to cover the vegetables. Mix in the beans and spices and cook on a low simmer until the potatoes are tender. Of course, taste it before you serve it to make sure you have a spice combination you like. I often find myself adding a little more of this and that.

 

Alligator Pie

These are the eggs…and this is…the mama! Alligator disguised as a spinach, caramelized onion and goat cheese calzone!

A few years ago I started a new holiday tradition that, to the great sadness of my brother, Theo, only went into practice once. That tradition was making alligator pie for Christmas dinner. I remember my original alligator turned out a bit more detailed and not quite as puffy. I guess I am out of practice.

Today’s alligator crust was inspired by Cafe Amy’s Calzone dough. I used this recipe as the backbone, tripled it, added whole wheat flour and opted for honey instead of cane sugar. Here’s how my recipe ended up:

Alligator Pie Dough

• 3 cups warm water
• 2 Tbs. active dry yeast
• 1 Tbs. salt
• 3 Tbs. honey
• 6 cups white flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the water then add salt, honey and oil. Mix the liquid so all solids are dissolved. Begin to add the flour one cup at a time and mix until you have included all nine cups. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. In a lightly oiled bowl, let the dough rise covered for at least an hour.

Alligator Fillings:

• 1 Vidalia onion sliced into rings
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
• Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup hard goat milk cheese, grated
• Fresh spinach
• Red pepper, diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Caramelize the onions in the oil on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. The garlic can be added the last five minutes of the process to mellow the flavor.

Prepare all the fillings and organize an assembly station area.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it briefly into another ball or log. Cut it into 24 chunks for individual Calzones. Let the dough sit for another few minutes to soften and rise a bit.

To make the Calzones, roll the dough out on an unfloured surface. You want the dough to stick to the counter so that it is easy to fill. I use a rolling-pin, but also help the dough along by stretching it and sticking it to the counter.

Once the circle is about seven or eight inches across, fill it with the toppings. Keep the toppings in the middle so you can fold the Calzone in half. Press the two sides together so the dough will stick. Once it is pressed together you can crimp it, pleat it or press it with a fork.

Place the Calzones on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned on the top. Remove from oven and brush again with olive oil.

 

Coconut Almond Granola

For many years, Jeff and Max and I have vacationed on the Mexican Riviera. We have found that the “All Inclusive” is a great way to go for a vegetarian family. The all-inclusive hotels put out amazing spreads everyday, and there are always lots of options for the vegetarian. Max particularly loves the all-inclusive buffet because he can see what he is going to eat and everything is separate; something that is very important for kids.

Last year while we were in Akumal Jeff surprised me with his breakfast choice. He began to eat granola with yogurt and fresh fruit. I don’t know why that surprised me other than the fact that  granola was never a thing we ate nor was yogurt ever added to the grocery list. When we returned to the states, granola and yogurt became staples in our house…and our food bill went up. There is some fantastic organic granola at the co-op, but by the time the bag is full, I have a ten-dollar item. After a few weeks of this, it suddenly dawned on me that I could probably make granola for a little less at home.

Rolled or steel-cut oats are inexpensive as is quinoa, flax seed and oil, but the nuts and sweetener can be expensive. To make a less expensive granola, I have had to resort to Costco bulk -  the almonds, and agave in plastic bottles from Costco, lessen the cost.

Note: Co-ops try to buy things like agave nectar and salad dressings in glass bottles for environmental and food safety purposes. Perhaps Surly will help usher in an increased awareness of aluminum as a better food packaging alternative.

Thanks to Heidi Swanson over at Cookbooks 101, I came to understand how granola is ridiculously easy to make, and once you get the hang of it, your granola will become more creative. Jeff loves the almond coconut combination, but doesn’t like dried fruit. If you are a dried fruit friend, add it to the granola after it is baked and cooled.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried coconut, unsweetened
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup whole flax seeds
• 8 cups rolled or steel-cut oats
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup agave nectar
• 1 Tbs. Amaretto
• splash of water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a saucepan, heat the oil, agave nectar and Amaretto until it begins to simmer.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a big bowl and add the liquids. I use a splash of water so there will be a few big chunks of granola. It helps bind it together before it gets baked.

Spread the granola out onto two cookie sheets and bake for 45 minutes.

 

Hide the Beet

This is one of my favorite kitchen games as of late! How many different ways can I sneak these tuberous rubies into the food we eat? Most creative wins! This week we’ve had them in apple crisp – that was tasty – and now they are pureed and hanging out in the latest version of Black Bean Chile. All that manganese, folate and fiber are said to fight against colon cancer. Hopefully my game has a payoff.

Chile, or any soup for that matter, is a great hiding place for many veggies, and if you have a kid who likes soup, consider yourself lucky! Just think about all the vegetables that can be hidden when properly pureed or otherwise disguised. Max never guessed that there was a beet in the soup, but the first thing he said was, “It’s so red!”

You probably won’t be able to replicate this recipe unless your freezer looks like mine: pesto, homemade chile paste and corn, but remember, Chile is a great place for hiding nutrient rich tidbits! Last summer I took three or four huge bags of dried chiles (chipotle, guajillo and de arbol), reconstituted them and made them into a paste which I froze in a cake pan and then cut into squares for individual servings. I didn’t record the recipe and don’t remember how it was done…sorry.

The basics of the Chile recipe are here:

• 1 large onion, sauted in peanut oil
• 1 head of garlic, minced
• 1 pound black beans, precooked
• 4 cups frozen corn
• 4-6 tomatoes, pureed or diced
• 1 roasted beet, peeled and pureed
• 2-4 Tbs. Chile Powder (I used my paste)
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• salt, to taste

 

Rainbow Smashed Potatoes

Move over boring white whipped potatoes – here comes the new standard! Bring this beauty to Thanksgiving or any holiday party and you will never be short on invitations!

This concoction sports potatoes of the rainbow variety that I found at the co-op today. Included are Cranberry Reds, Blue Potatoes, New Reds and a Garnet Yam. I boiled them, let them cool, slipped the skins of, smashed them with a fork and infused the dish with Indian spices toasted in peanut oil with a simmer of tomato. Very simple and over-the-top yummy!

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 pound potatoes
• 3 fresh tomatoes, pureed
• 3/4 cup peanut oil
• 1 Tbs. brown mustard seed
• 1 Tbs. cumin seed
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seed
• 2 Tbs. curry powder ( I used Pensey’s Balti)
• 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes

Directions:

After the potatoes are boiled and skins removed, smash them with a ricer or fork. I like my potatoes a little chunky.

Heat the oil in a pan and add all the spices. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the tomatoes and cook for a minute or two.

Mix the oil gently into the potato mixture and pour into a baking dish.

Note: I kept the sweet potato out of the other potato mixture. I added a little salt to the sweet potato and put it in a well in the middle of the colored potatoes.

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until warm and beginning to brown on top.

 

Chestnut Crabby Crisp

What a lovely little blushing princess is this! She’s called the Chestnut Crab, about the size of  a golf ball, just sweet and tart enough for a demure little nibble, with a finish reminiscent of childhood in the tree. The Chestnut is flying off the shelves of your local co-op because folks like Dan Walsh know their pleasures.

You may have met Dan and his family if you visited the Kingfield Farmer’s Market. The Walsh family spends their summer tending heirloom tomatoes, the early spring tapping maple trees and for a few Sundays in the summer, Kingfield can enjoy the fruits of their labor. Dan’s wife, Kathleen is a co-worker of mine – a fellow teacher extraordinaire!

Well, a few weeks back, Dan informed me that the Chestnuts had arrived and I had better hurry if I wanted to indulge. Chestnuts you say…what exactly is the chestnut? He explained simply that they are one of the only edible crab apples and are quite delicious little delicacies. Well, of course, being the (clear throat here) foodie that I am, I suddenly had an urgent need to acquire some Chestnut Crabs, so off to the co-op I went.

Lo and behold, Dan was right. There, amidst the apples was a small section with a tag labeled, “Chestnut Crabs,” but there were no tiny lovelies to be had, boo hoo. I immediately inquired as to their whereabouts and was quickly reassured that they were just coming out of the cooler! Whew. Once the box of little crabbies was wheeled to the produce section, I had my pick. I packaged my two pounds and off I went to make a pie…

Four weeks later…

Apple pie turned to apple crisp! It’s Wednesday after all, I have the math tests yet to correct this evening, report cards are waiting in the wings, and a mock-up of this week’s art lesson is pounding on the door – not to mention that I better get started thinking about next week, or I’ll be planning lessons all weekend.

Yes, I am busy, but not without a little creative energy. Tonight’s apple crisp has a few surprises. First and foremost it is sweetened entirely with the Walsh family maple syrup from the spring of 2009. The demure little Chestnut Crabs also share their quarters with a large diced beet, some blueberries from last summer, a little amaretto glaze and chopped almonds to top it off. Not your average crisp. This one is hearty and not too sweet.

Chestnut Crabby Crisp – Ingredients

Filling:

• 2 pounds Chestnut Crabs, cored and sliced
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup roasted beets, diced
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbs. Amaretto

Topping:

• 2 cups oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 6 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• pinch of salt

Coring the Chestnuts is a pain. I tried the old-fashioned method of quartering and cutting out the seeds, and figured that would have taken me until tomorrow. Next I tried the apple cutter, but the skins are too tough to break through. So, I ended up cutting the bottoms off the little apples and that way they went right through the apple slicer. Check it out.

Once you get all the fruit sliced, dump it into a 9 by 13 pan. Sprinkle it with the amaretto and pour the maple syrup over the top.

Mix the crisp topping ingredients in a bowl. The oil and syrup should make the topping stick together slightly. Spread this out over the fruit and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. I found out that Chestnut Crabs remain pretty crunchy after baking and so this dish turns out to be pretty hearty – perhaps a good breakfast meal. Enjoy.

 

Max and Kate’s Decadent Adventure

Today our dear friend, Kate invited Max over for an ice cream making adventure. I sent the camera along for the ride and in the end, got to enjoy ice cream sundaes! I’ve mentioned Kate in this blog before – she is an amazing cook who can whip up some mean Indian dishes. She’s inspired me to understand Indian spices, buy into a CSA and eat organic. If I had it my way, she would be my personal chef! Now, I am going to pass the reins off to her as today’s guest blogger!

My two cents on the afternoon would be that Max was a huge help in making the ice cream and sauces, separating eggs like a pro, slicing the vanilla beans lengthwise to reveal the tiny seeds, assisting in the egg tempering by whisking as I poured the hot cream-milk mixture, dedicating himself to stirring the custard (which took a long time!), eyeballing the caramel to keep it from burning, and stirring, stirring, stirring some more.  He was an all around helpful co-ice cream chef!  He seemed quite curious and interested in the process – an absolute pleasure!

Here’s the Scoop – Sauces and Ice Cream Recipes

Hot Fudge Sauce-adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s adaptation of the Silver Palate version – both New Yorkers!

• 4 ounces semi-sweet dark chocolate
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons corn syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Melt the chocolate and butter very slowly in a double boiler, stirring frequently until combined. Meanwhile, heat the water to boiling in the small, heavy saucepan. When the butter and chocolate have melted, stir the mixture into the boiling water. Add the sugar, corn syrup and salt and mix until smooth. Turn the heat up and stir until mixture starts to boil; adjust heat so that sauce is just maintained at the boiling point, stirring occasionally. Allow sauce to boil for nine minutes.  Sauce can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave or a pan of hot water.

Double French Vanilla Ice Cream -adapted from the Food Network Kitchens.

• 8 large eggs yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups cold milk
• Pinch of fine salt
• 2 vanilla bean
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the yolks and half of the sugar. In a non-reactive saucepan combine the cream, 1 cup of the milk, the remaining sugar, and the salt.

Split the vanilla beans in half, lengthwise, to expose the tar-like seeds inside the pod. Scrape the seeds loose with a knife; add the bean and the seeds to the cream mixture along with the vanilla extract.

Heat the cream over medium-high heat until just at a boil. Remove from the heat. Gradually pour the hot liquid into the yolks, while whisking constantly. Return the cream-egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring the mixture constantly, with a wooden spoon in a figure-8 motion, until thickened, about 10 minutes. When the ice cream mixture is properly cooked it should coat the back of a spoon, be satiny thick, and be free of any bubbles on the surface. (If you taste the ice cream base it should have a slight egg-y taste.) When thickened, pour in the reserved milk to prevent the mixture from overcooking. Strain into a medium bowl. Add the cognac if desired.

Fill another bowl with ice. Set the bowl of ice cream base in the ice and stir until thoroughly chilled. Freeze the base in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (Take care not to over churn the ice cream or it will get a grainy texture.) Transfer the ice cream to the freezer to set up for at least 1 hour. Serve.

Caramel Sauce -slightly adapted from Ina Garten with the use of organic sugar.  We had a hard time gauging the readiness of the caramel because the sugar was already a chestnut brown.  The caramel ended up being on the light side making the color not so nice, with pretty mild flavor.

• 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Mix the water and sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar dissolves. Do not stir. Increase the heat to medium and boil uncovered until the sugar turns a warm chestnut brown (about 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer), about 5 to 7 minutes, gently swirling the pan to stir the mixture. Be careful – the mixture is extremely hot! Watch the mixture very carefully at the end, as it will go from caramel to burnt very quickly. Turn off the heat. Stand back to avoid splattering and slowly add the cream and vanilla. Don’t worry – the cream will bubble violently and the caramel will solidify.

Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramel dissolves and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 4 hours. It will thicken as it sits.

 

Sweet Potato Zuppa, White Beans and Crust

Man is this delicious, or what! And so easy. The beauty of pureed soup? Very little prep as it all get’s pulverized in the end. Ready made were the white beans in the freezer from a big batch made a couple of weeks ago, the veggies came from last week’s CSA, and the bread a cinch. After all is said and done, the aromatics of the curry and ginger fill the house with an away-from-Minnesota smell and we end up with a beautiful and satisfying Minnesota winter soup. Oh, actually, it’s not winter yet. Would somebody please tell Mother Nature – not it!

Zuppa Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1 inch piece ginger, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, cut into pieces
• 4 Thai chiles
• 1 tsp. cumin seed
• 1 tsp. garam masala
• 1 – 2 tsp. curry powder
• 2-3 sweet potatoes, diced
• 3-4 large carrots, diced
• 6-8 cups white beans, pre-cooked
• 3/4 cup condensed milk
• salt to taste

Directions:

1) Saute the onions, garlic, ginger and chiles in the oil.

2) Once the onions begin to caramelize, add the cumin seeds, garam masala and curry powder. The idea is to toast the spices for a few minutes on a low heat.

3) Add the sweet potatoes and carrots and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

4) Use a blender to puree the sweet potato and carrot mixture and return to the stock pot.

5) Add white beans and salt to taste. Allow the soup to simmer for at least five minutes to bring the flavors together.

Crusts:

1) Slice a loaf of chiabatta or peasant bread.

2) Cover a cookie sheet with a thin layer of olive oil.

3) Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

4) Place slices of bread into oil and rub around to collect some of the oil, salt and pepper. Flip the slices over and do the same to the other side. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.

5) Bake at 375 degrees just till the bread starts to brown on the edges. 7-10 minutes.

 

Braised Brussel Sprouts with Curly Kale Chips

Curly kale, curly kale, curly kale! Now that is something to celebrate! When I saw the bright green and purple leaves bubbling out of this week’s CSA it was like a giant edible ribbon on a birthday present. I’ve become a fiend for nutty crunchy kale chips – a highly palatable way to get calcium! Of course I did not make them the same as I did a few weeks ago; I have an incessant need to always change.

These were made on the same premise as my original recipe, but instead had an Asian flair with peanut oil, sesame seeds, ground ginger and rice vinegar. I also sprinkled the salt on them once they were on the cookie sheet as it’s easy to add too much. Paired with braised leeks and brussel sprouts, the surprise crunch topped the cake!

Braised Brussel Sprouts with Curly Kale Chips – Recipe

Brussel Sprouts – Ingredients:

• 1 pound Brussel sprouts, washed and halved
• peanut oil
• 2 small leeks, washed and sliced
• dash rice vinegar
• salt and pepper

Kale Chips – Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch kale, washed and deveined
• peanut oil
• ground ginger
• sesame seeds
• salt/pepper
• hot pepper flakes

Brussel Sprouts – Directions:

1) In a saute pan heat the peanut oil and toss in the leeks to caramelize.

2) Once the leeks begin to turn translucent, toss in the Brussel sprouts and cook on medium heat until they being to brown.

3) After the leeks and Brussel sprouts are well browned, deglaze the pan with a splash of rice vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Kale Chips – Directions:

1) Tear kale into small pieces after it is deveined.

2) In a bowl, toss kale with a little drizzle of peanut oil and a shake of rice vinegar. The kale should be lightly coated.

3) Next, place the kale chips in one layer on a cookie sheet or two.

4) Sprinkle the chips with sesame seeds, ground ginger, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

5) Bake at 375 degrees until the chips are crisp. It is important to use dry kale to make these otherwise they will steam, and it will take much longer to bake them. If they are dry, the baking time should be about seven minutes.

 

Jimmy’s Lentil Soup

I know we’re not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but what about soup? Last week my high school sweetheart died in the Arizona Sweatlodge Accident – an event that surprisingly rocked my world. I am devastated by this loss, saddened by the tragedy, angered by the senselessness, and in mourning over the separation of a father from his children, a husband from his wife, a son from his mother, a brother from his siblings and a friend from us all.

The last time I saw Jim was in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1995 when Jeff and I returned from the Peace Corps. Jeff and I decided to try life in the American Southwest, and my old friend from high school happened to be living there. Jim arranged for us to stay with a friend of his while we looked for an apartment, and on one hot desert summer evening we had a party. Jim made lentil soup.

I don’t really remember much from that night except for a few small details. I remember watching Jim cut the carrots with a big chef’s knife at the kitchen table. He was fastidious about his work. Each carrot was made to be the same size, and there was no hurry to get it done. I remember Jim explaining to me how the “Swamp Cooler” worked by using water vapor to cool homes in the desert, and I remember his hair was really short.

We shared three years together, and despite the fact that it didn’t work out, he extended kindness to me long after we broke up. He supported my boyfriend (now husband) and I in making a new beginning for ourselves. From this day forward I will not be able to eat lentil soup without remembering that night and James Scott Shore.

Jimmy’s Lentil Soup – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 pound lentils, washed
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 cups sweet potato, diced
• 5 medium tomatoes, pureed
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 2 Tbs. cumin
• salt to taste
• 8-12 cups water

Directions:

1) Saute the onion until it becomes translucent then add the garlic and jalapeno. Saute just long enough to smell the garlic.

2) Add all the other ingredients except the cilantro and sweet potato.

3) Cook the soup until the lentils are almost soft then add the sweet potato. Cook just until the potato is tender and add the cilantro.

 

Brussel and Sweets Roasted

Yikes, another not-so-beautiful-the-kids-will-hate-it one dish delicacy! Here we have slow roasted brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes and chard – all from this week’s CSA.

Brussel and Sweets Roasted – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds brussel sprouts
• 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch swiss chard chopped
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Saute the garlic in olive oil. As soon as it becomes fragrant, mix in the washed brussel sprouts and swiss chard. Cover to steam a bit. You want the brussel sprouts to get a head start as the sweet potatoes roast up pretty quickly.

2) After the brussel spouts have the chance to soften a bit (perhaps 10 minutes), add the sweet potatoes, maple syrup and seasonings.

3) Pour everything into an oven proof dish and bake for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

 

Pepper Pie

This morning I was cruising through some of my favorite blogs, and I noticed that Lee Zukor, from Simple, Good and Tasty was wondering what to do with the plethora of peppers that have been arriving in the CSA boxes the last few weeks.  I had been planning to make a roasted pepper and white bean chili of sorts and dashed him off a few ideas for the soup. After surveying the contents of my crisper, I decided instead to make a dish that I came up with a few years ago. It’s my second favorite thing to do with an abundance of peppers – the first being pepper stew with beans.

Notice I have many sweet red peppers and a few jalapenos. I only used one of the really hot jalapenos, but also had a few mildly hot reds that made it into the pie. The dish came out with just a little zip – perfect. In the past when I have used only sweet peppers I add 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper to liven it up a bit.

This dish I make is another one pot creation. It’s simple and delicious, but not particularly beautiful.  I do use TVP, but have, through research, started to question the healthfulness of soy. It seems that the jury may still be out on that one, so while my family has cut back on soy consumption the last few years, it’s still an occasional part of our diet. Any thoughts?

And now, for what you’ve been waiting for…I present the illustrious and delicious, Pepper Pie! The answer for an abundance of autumnal peppers.

Pepper Pie – Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups TVP – sprinkled on the bottom of a baking dish 9×13ish
• 2 Tbs. oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs. whole brown mustard seed
• 1 Tbs. whole cumin seeds
• 5 – 8 peppers, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz. feta
• 4 whole fresh tomatoes
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 cups grated provolone, mozzarella or cheddar to top

Directions:

1) Begin by pureeing the tomatoes, feta and cilantro in a food processor.

2) Next, with oil in a saute pan and over low heat, slowly caramelize the onions. When they begin to brown on the edges, toss in the garlic for a quick saute. Don’t burn the garlic.

3) Shortly after you add the garlic, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Keep everything in the pan moving until you hear the mustard seeds begin to pop. This is all happening on low heat.

3) Add the peppers and mix well with the other ingredients already in the pan. Turn off the heat. The peppers do not need to be totally cooked as they will be in the oven for a good while

4) Pour the pepper saute over the TVP in the bottom of a baking pan.

5) Cover the peppers with the tomato, feta, cilantro mixture.

6) Cover the dish with grated cheese.

7) Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted.

 

Birthday Cakes

This is the sweet birthday cake my two favorite boys brought home from Whole Foods (cough, cough, shh, don’t tell, please!) It is an amazing lemon layer cake sandwiching lemon custard all wrapped up with a pretty buttercream icing. It is so delicious in all it’s sugary badness!

This is the savory, healthy, adult version of the “birthday cake.” Thin slices of potato and roasted beets act as the crusts holding in the garlic speckled brown rice in place. To decorate, radishes were halved before roasting. This crazy concoction was tasty enough, but the beets didn’t really pair well with the rice and potatoes. The fact that they bled onto the rice gave the dish a unique esthetic, but the sweetness of the beets didn’t match the other flavors. The dish won points for interest and beauty, it’s definitely edible, but overall fantastic, it is not. How can we make thinly sliced beets into something fantastic? I had visions of a beet upside down cake of sorts. If you come up with anything, let me know!

In the mean time, I’ll eat two birthday cakes for dinner!

 

Dinosaur Chips

The other day one of my neighbors and I were comparing CSA stories. In sharing with me some of her experiences with veggies she doesn’t normally buy like romanesco, fennel and kale, she mentioned having made kale chips. She said she tossed them with a little olive oil and salt and baked them until they started to brown. She also mentioned that she tried them at the co-op once where they had been tossed in vinegar before baked. A better way to go, she thought.

So, I tried it. Dinosaur kale, deveined, tossed in a little olive oil, sage leaves, salt, crushed red pepper and a dash of vinegar. Bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees just until they start to brown on the edges (about seven minutes). Very nutty, very crunchy, very lizard-looking snack.

 

Bruschetta

(Sing the following words to the tune of “Goin’ to the Chapel”)

Goin’ to a party and we’re gonna bring brusche-e-eta, goin’ to a party and we’re gonna bring brusche-e-eta, goin’ to a party for fun!

Catchy, isn’t it? I had that song rolling through my head the entire evening. Why? I have no idea. I started to prepare the bruschetta for a little neighborhood gathering, and those words and that tune popped into my brain and wouldn’t leave! It’s crazy. Going to the Chapel wasn’t playing on The Current on the way home from work. It just spontaneously combusted! As did the recipe, for this little lively easy-as-pie Friday night treat. The tomatoes, garlic and basil were the only things left from last week’s CSA. Thanks Foxtail Farm!

Fresh Tomato Bruschetta – Recipe

Ingredients:

Tomato Mixture:

• 6-8 medium tomatoes
• 1 large handful fresh basil leaves
• 2 – 4 cloves garlic (I used 2 VERY large cloves)
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 Tbs. raspberry balsamic vinegar

The Bread:

• Italian peasant or baguette sliced 1/2 inch
• Oil to brush-coat each side of bread
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt

Directions:

1) Begin by making the toasted bread. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. I needed two large cookie sheets for one large loaf of Italian peasant bread.

2) In a food processor, mince the garlic. Place it in a bowl and cover generously with olive oil.

3) Brush the garlic infused oil onto both sides of the bread. Place the bread on the baking sheets.

4) Sprinkle the bread lightly with a little bit of salt before baking. Bake until the bread starts to brown.

5) Next, make the tomato mixture. Place the leftover garlic and oil mixture into the food processor.

6) Cut the tomatoes into pieces so they don’t need too much processing.

7) Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and pulse as few times as possible. You want the tomatoes to still be chunky.

Strain the excess liquid off the tomatoes by placing it in a mesh colander over a bowl. (If there is a smiley face where the eight should be, I have no idea why it is there – some strange thing having to do with WordPress?)

9) Serve with good wine, of course!

Thanks, neighbors for the home tours and the great community building!