Potluck - True Grits

Greetings from Asheville, North Carolina where this foodie and her husband have been enjoying a few days in the epicenter of the local food movement - at least as it exists east of the Mississippi.  Today we head for Durham, which is giving Asheville a run for its money.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/dining/21carolina.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=durham,%20north%20carolina&st=cse

When we checked into our hotel, the friendly young desk clerk (who had no idea that I was a famous food blogger from Minnesota) proudly told me that I was now in "Foodtopia", and that "all the restaurants here are farm to table."

And as far as I have been able to tell so far, she was right.  This is a serious restaurant town, where most of the establishments make a big deal about using local ingredients, in season.  I have been looking at a lot of menus - online and in windows and in person and I have seen more evidence of beets, rutabagas, brussels sprouts, carrots, daikon radish and parsnips than I have ever seen in the Midwest.  We need to work harder.  I mean really - are we going to concede primacy in rutabagas to the Tarheels?  For shame.

Night before last we had dinner at the Early Girl Eatery.  Their tag line is "a scratch kitchen- simplicity, quality and local flavor."  Chard was the vegetable of the day and kale and collards were on the menu too.  Winter greens are cool in Asheville.

Lunch on Tuesday was at the Laughing Seed Cafe.  Their menu announced that "The dishes prepared here celebrate fresh vegetables, most of which come from our own Laughing Seed Farm in Barnardsville."  Vertical integration for restaurants is also cool in Asheville.

I enjoyed an open face sandwich at the Laughing Seed - Grilled focaccia bread, spread with sunflower spinach pesto and piled with roasted root vegetables - beets, rutabagas, parsnips, carrots - topped with a cashew bearnaise sauce.  And a side salad.  Pretty darn tasty.  I wouldn't want my roasted root vegetables this dolled up most of the time.  But I'm on vacation - so cashew bearnaise it was. 

Roasted root vegetables make me happy.

This being the South,  corn bread and biscuits are ubiquitous here.  (Ubiquitous Biscuits.  Hmmm.  Maybe a good name for a rock band.)  Grits are everywhere too.  Last night we ate at a seafood restaurant and Frank had shrimp and grits - a Carolina comfort food that comes in many versions.

To make shrimp and grits, you cook white or yellow corn grits in some combination of milk, cream, broth, tomato juice or water, adding grated cheddar or perhaps some parmesan for extra richness.  Maybe a chunk of butter too.  Often shrimp grits include a bit of bacon,  cured ham or andouille sausage.  The shrimp is sauteed (often in a little bacon fat) with a little onion and garlic.  Sometimes bell pepper or scallions or chopped tomatoes are used as flavor accents.  The result is quite wonderful - definitely a comfort food.

Here is one recipe that looked pretty good to me.  Some recipes I checked out were way too heavy in fat. I encourage you to make a broth from the shrimp shells and use that to cook the grits.  More shrimp flavor.   Our waiter told us they use Clamato juice in the shrimp grits Frank ate last night.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/02/dinner-shrimp-and-grits-with-bacon-recipe.html

Gotta go - today we are going to check out the year round farmers market in Asheville and then head east to visit the Meadows Mills in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.  We want to figure out how to grind our own grits from northern flint corn.  Then it's Durham for New Year's.  Will probably eat some Hoppin John.  More on that later.

Pasties

Convenience food has been around for a long time.  Centuries ago, miners' wives invented handy pastries filled with meat and vegetables and even sometimes apples for their husbands' lunchpails.  These pasties (pass-tees) are still traditional in places like Cornwall (England) and northern Michigan and Minnesota.  If you go to Mineral Point, Wisconsin,  formerly a lead mining area, you can always get pasties at a few local eateries. 

It is traditional to make pasty crusts with butter or lard or some other fat and flour - like a pie crust.  Amounts and types of fat and types of flour (e.g. some pasties call for some rye flour in the crust) vary greatly.  There is no one kind of pasty pastry.  (say that fast three times - pasty pastry, pasty pastry, pasty pastry.)  There are various types of meat and vegetable pies that call for a bread-type crust made with yeast - but those dishes are NOT pasties.  We can talk about those another day.

If you are going to the trouble of making homemade pasties, make a big batch.  More efficient and I guarantee you and your family will be glad to have extra.  Have some for dinner and save some for lunches or for "fast food" if you simply must be in the car during meal time.  And while you are eating your pasties, say a little thank you prayer to all the miners in the world who still risk their lives every day so others can have more comfortable lives.  (And yes I know coal is a serious contributor to global warming but I have looked at some of the numbers and it is going to be a little while before we figure out how to do without coal.  It is powering this computer right now.)

This recipe is adapted from a recipe in The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas.  (For another take on pasties - see the blog Heavy Table.  They apparently had the same idea I did and decided to write about this great winter food.)   http://heavytable.com/mastering-the-pasty/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HeavyTable+%28The+Heavy+Table%29

Winter Pasties
Crust
This recipe calls for mashed potatoes.  It results in a softer and flavorful crust that is quite easy to handle - important for a beginning pasty maker.  This makes enough for twelve medium sized (single serving) pasties.  If you have a stand type mixer, this is very quick and easy with the paddle attachment.
3 cups white or whole wheat pastry flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 cup (two sticks) butter, slightly softened
1 1/2 cups homemade mashed potatoes (leftover are just fine)
Enough ice water to make the dough hold together
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the butter in chunks and mix swiftly and lightly with your fingers or a paddle mixer to blend.  Add mashed potatoes and incorporate.  Add ice water a few spoons at a time - you don't want the dough to get too wet.  Form into a ball and refrigerate, covered, about 30 minutes.  When it is time to use the dough, you will need to divide it into 12 piece and roll each into a circle- about 7-8 inches in diameter.  Use flour to keep dough from sticking.

Filling
While the dough is chilling, make the filling.  (You could say that three times fast, too.  Isn't this fun?)
I figure about a heaping half cup (that means rounded up over the edges of a half cup measure) per pasty - so you will need about 8 cups of filling.  If you have a little extra, just bake in a covered baking dish like a casserole.
My suggestion is to use about 2 cups of diced raw meat (I used venison) and 6 cups of raw vegetables.  Pasties NEED root vegetables.  They will cook inside the pasty when it bakes.  This time I used carrots, onions, parsnips and potatoes.  If you want to use beets, cook them first and dice and add just before you are ready to fill the crusts.  It is important that the pieces of meat and vegetables be no more than 1/2 inch dice - maybe a bit smaller.  It takes a little longer to do the chopping, but it is easier to fill the pasties that way.  If you were making a great big pasty or even baking it in a 9 x 13 pan- then the pieces could be larger.  Salt and pepper and add some herbs if desired.  I used a little dried sage.

Roll out dough circles.  Place a heaping half cup on half of each circle.  Brush a little water on the edges before you fold in half and crimp.  Prick a few holes with a fork to let steam escape. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 minutes - until crust is nicely browned.  Serve at once or cool and refrigerate and reheat later.  These can be microwaved (briefly - or the crust will get tough).

Here are some step by step pictures to help you.

Diced venison, onion, potatoes, carrots and parsnips.  Rutabaga would be good, too.

Leave room on the edges - don't be afraid to push the filling gently around after you fold over the crust - to get it distributed like you want it.  This will get easier the more you do it.

Six individual pasties fit nicely on a big cookie sheet.  I love this sheet - it was made in the USA!

Don't forget to make little holes for the steam

Some juices leaked out of two - no worry.  Just slide a good strong spatula underneath the pasty will lift right up.

Inspiration - Winter Week #4

In this week's box:  Spinach, Carrots, Potatoes, Garlic, Green Kale, Butternut Squash, Heart of Gold Squash, Parsnips, Green Cabbage, Red and White Daikon Radishes, Beets

This week's box is heavy.   But since you have about three weeks before the next box, you should be able to manage all this beautiful food just fine.   December is a busy time filled with shopping, parties, visiting, baking or coping with winter weather.  Try to make some time for your vegetable friends.  I have included a few party food recipes as well as simple stand-bys.  Recipe headings are in italics to make them a little easier to find.

I have been talking to some CSA members lately.  No surprise,  some of you tell me you had trouble using up all your vegetables last summer and fall. Even those of you with Chica shares!  One reason is that some of you eat out a lot.  (Note - Americans spent 48.6 cents of every food dollar away from home in 2009. So if you eat out a lot you are not alone.)  You are on the run - juggling work, children, elderly parents, activities, shopping or lessons.  What to do?

One thing you can do is think about using vegetables for breakfast and lunch as well as dinner.  Or make your own carry out "fast food".   I will try to help you with this "vegetables are not just for dinner" campaign in the coming weeks and months.

This weekend I will share recipes for pasties (pass-tees) as well as calzones.  We call things like this "road pies" in our house.   Yes, they are a little work but if you can manage to lay in a supply on the weekend they are great "grab and go" food and light years better than a Big Mac for all kinds of reasons I don't need to explain.  Have the kids help roll out the crusts.  Great life skill.

And of course there is always soup or stew.  Hard to eat in the car but ready and waiting when you get home if you have a crock pot or a timed bake feature on your oven.  I started some borscht yesterday morning and when I got back home about 6 p.m. dinner was ready.  All we had to do was toast some rye bread and throw a little creme fraiche on top of the soup.   And slice up some radishes for our salad.  (If you decide to get really motivated you could put hot soup in a few lunch box size thermos containers and let the kids work on that in the back seat.  If the soup is fairly chunky - stew, really -  and the kids aren't too little it should work just fine.)

Enough chatting.  You have places to go, people to see, things to do.  Let's take a look at what is inside your box. 

Spinach
Your bag is modest in size but large in taste.  Wash and dry the leaves and they should store a week at least.  To make the spinach go farther, use as a bed for other salad items like grated carrot salad or roasted beets or pickled radishes.

You could also make a squash risotto and add some spinach leaves near the end of the process so they are just barely cooked.  Adds nice extra color and nutrition.

Carrots
I love carrot season.   We can be profligate with carrots.  I add them to all kinds of soups and stews.  Grated raw, they make a fine salad when mixed with a simple oil and vinegar vinaigrette or some mayonnaise or yogurt.  I like to add a few raisins, nuts and chopped apple for extra fiber and nutrition.  Grated carrots, chopped nuts and some dressing make a great sandwich filling, too.  Add a little curry powder if you are feeling daring.

Potatoes
Maybe it was the blizzard, but yesterday we had potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Subconscious carbo loading I guess.   For breakfast I made hash browns with some fried eggs and toast.   Lunch was potato soup (I just sauteed some chopped leeks and carrots and a few slices of chopped bacon, added a whole pile of chopped potatoes and simmered in water until everything was soft.  Mash a little and add some milk, salt and pepper and chopped parsley if you have some and you are done.)  Dinner was herring salad, which included chunks of boiled potatoes.

Herring Salad  (I think this would be good party food if you want a Nordic menu.  Having a lefse making party?  Serve this salad.)
If you like pickled herring you will love this salad.  If you are lukewarm about herring, try this salad.  It is an acquired taste.  Great with rye crackers and some beer or even aquavit.  A deviled egg as a first course would be a nice touch. Serve the herring salad on top of a few fresh spinach leaves if you have them. 

Mix together -  in proportions appealing to you - the following items cut in a size appealing to you:
pickled herring (not the kind in cream sauce)
boiled potato
cooked beet
sweet gherkin pickle  (or dill pickle if you prefer)
onion (red is nice) or shallot
flavorful apple
a few capers if you like them
some diced red or white daikon radish for extra crunch and texture


Bind together with sour cream or creme fraiche.  Add some chopped fresh parsley and fresh dill if you have it.  Good quality dried dill would work too.  Omit parsley if you don't have fresh.  Taste.  Add a little salt and pepper if desired.  A little squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a dash of wine vinegar would be a nice touch. 

Potato-onion-squash bake
You will need about 1 cup sliced potatoes, 1 cup sliced winter squash, 1/2 cup chopped or sliced onions, 1/2 cup milk and a teaspoon or so of minced garlic per serving.  Multiply quantities as needed.  The potatoes and squash should be cut in similarly sized slices. 
Alternate two layers of potatoes, squash and onions.  Mix garlic with milk and pour over all.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg.  Bake, covered, at 350 degrees until vegetables are soft.  If you want, uncover the last 10 minutes or so,  add some buttered bread crumbs and parmesan and broil a few minutes for a crispy browned topping.

A simple supper dish.  Bake an apple right alongside for dessert.  Cole slaw would be a good salad for this meal.  A feast.

Garlic
It is so wonderful to have good quality fresh garlic around.  I have been storing mine in the refrigerator.  Make sure you also keep some fresh ginger around.  Fresh ginger and garlic is a marriage made in heaven.  Almost any vegetable is wonderful sauteed with these two seasonings - and some soy sauce or sesame oil or both.

Green Kale
Pasta with kale

Wash the kale, trim away the tough ribs, and blanch for a minute or two in boiling water.  (Save the water for cooking pasta.)  Cut the kale roughly into strips and saute in olive oil with a generous amount of minced garlic.  Stir into your favorite cooked pasta.  Served with some crumbled feta or blue cheese or grated parmesan this is a great standby quick dinner.  It can be eaten at room temperature for lunch, too.  I think I would sprinkle on a little balsamic vinegar if I was eating it for lunch that way.

Butternut Squash
Getting tired of plain baked or mashed squash?   Make some risotto.
Squash risotto (made with rice or barley)
Peel, seed and cut squash into 1/2 inch pieces.  Steam or boil until just barely tender.  Save the boiling water for the risotto.  Saute some rice or barley or other whole grain with a little butter and oil and chopped onion or leek.  Add about 1/2 cup white wine and then one cup of broth at a time, simmering and stirring, until the grain is al dente.  Stir in a few cups of chopped squash and maybe some spinach leaves and you are done.  Serve with grated parmesan and a few toasted walnuts or pine nuts.  A few golden raisins or sun dried tomatoes stirred in would be nice too.  Thyme would be a good herb to use with this dish.

Prosciutto wrapped squash - party food
Cut about 2 pounds of butternut squash into wedges (peeled).  Blanch in boiling, lightly salted water about 5 minutes until just tender.  Drain and cool.  Wrap a wafer thin slice of prosciutto around each squash wedge and place on a rimmed baking sheet. 
Mix together 1/3 cup walnut or olive oil, 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper and 1 t. dried thyme.

Pour dressing over squash and bake about 8 minutes at 425 degrees.  Serve warm.

Heart of Gold Squash
This is a very tasty squash.  Lately I have just been cutting this type of squash into one inch slices, removing the seeds but leaving on the skin.  Coat with just a little bit of oil (maybe add a little real maple syrup to the oil) and roast until tender.  Salt and pepper and that is all you need.  You could serve this as a warm "salad" course, drizzled with some balsamic vinegar.  I have been eating the skins - they are not tough at all.  Up to you.

Warm roasted squash presented nicely on a special tray or plate could be great party food.  If you leave the skins on, the slices are easy to pick up and nibble.

Parsnips
The long awaited precious parsnips have arrived!   Because parsnips are so sweet, they once were commonly used in desserts.  The sometimes still are.

You can roast your parsnips with some carrots and potatoes for a wonderful meal.  Or you can try a parsnip pie.


Parsnip pie - adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham
Makes one ten inch pie.
Use your favorite pastry recipe to make a pie crust and partly bake about 5 minutes at 425 degrees. (prick shell all over to avoid puffing)
Pour filling into the partially baked shell, drizzle with 2 T. honey, lower temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes - until the filling is firm in the center.  Serve at room temperature with lightly whipped cream.
Pie filling:
3 cups pureed plain parsnips (peel, boil, drain and mash well)
2 T. softened butter
1/2 cup honey
1 T. orange rind, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon EACH cinnamon and mace or nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon EACH allspice and cloves (or all cloves)
1 t. fresh lemon juice

Green cabbage
Use some of your cabbage for cole slaw.  Make sure to save at least a third of the head for borscht (see recipe below, under Beets)  And you could also use part of your cabbage in a stir fry.  Pork, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, a little Chinese wine or sherry, cut up cabbage and finish with a dash of sesame oil.  Serve with rice or noodles.  Add a little sliced or julienned carrot when you are cooking the cabbage for some extra color if you wish.

Red and white daikon radishes
These radishes are great simply peeled, thinly sliced and served with your favorite dip.
Last night we ate them with dill dip before we ate our venison borscht.

I LOVE the magenta color.

Creme fraiche is better than sour cream for soup - doesn't curdle

They also are great in a sandwich to add crunch and a little zing.  Who needs iceberg lettuce or onions if you have daikon radishes?
Try them on a burger.
You can also peel and dice or shred the radishes to use in lettuce salads or as a garnish to Asian style soup or noodle dishes. 


Beets
I highly recommend that you make a big pot of borscht some time soon.  You have practically everything you need in your box - potatoes, cabbage, carrots, garlic and - of course BEETS.  You will need to get a large onion, too.  And some kind of meat.  I used venison top round steak this week.  Any cut of beef that benefits from long slow cooking would be fine, as would beef soup bones.  And a can or jar of tomatoes or tomato juice.  Parsley is optional but nice.

Borscht
Make or buy 2 quarts of beef stock.  (You can also use water.  I used a few cups of beet cooking water, a bottle of beer and 2 cups of tomato juice along with some water.  This recipe makes a thick soup.  Add more liquid for a thinner soup.
Add the following to the stock or water:
Meat, if desired (you can use leftover roast meat or simple diced stew meat.  You could use beef or pork.  We used some road kill venison (but that is another story).
You don't need more than 1/4 pound per serving - maybe less.

The following vegetables - in approximately these amounts:
2 cups chopped onion or leek
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced potatoes (no need to peel)
4 - 5 cups sliced or chopped cabbage
2 cloves minced garlic
about 2 cups fresh or canned diced tomatoes with their juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 T. dried dill weed (or 2 T. fresh if you have it)
1-2 t. salt
pepper to taste
2 - 3 cups cooked, peeled and diced beets (add in the last half hour or so of cooking)
Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, on the stove or in the oven until meat and vegetables are tender. Even better served the next day.

It is very important that borscht have a sweet sour taste.  Near the end of cooking, add about 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice.  Taste.  Adjust with a little more of one or both as you wish.
Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream or rich yogurt if desired.

Holiday gift ideas part 2 - Cookbooks: Peggy's Top Ten

Introduction and disclaimer
I don't smoke or gamble.  I drink alcohol in moderation and hardly spend any time watching TV or playing around with social media.  I eat lots of vegetables but I also believe in the pleasures of butter, cream and lard.  I am not into flashy cars or clothes.  I believe that moderation in all things is a very good rule to live by.......

Except when it comes to cookbooks.  I love cookbooks.  I covet cookbooks.  I like to read them and to own them.  I can't seem to get enough.  They are my friends and comfort in times of trouble or confusion.  They inspire and challenge and entertain me.  They can frustrate and depress me, too. (so many recipes-so little time). 

A cookbook or even one recipe can change your life and lives of those you love if you let it.  It is not magic - you will have to do some work. You will have to spend some time learning what you like and how to pull it off.  Do not expect overnight success.  As I have said many times on this blog, learning how to cook is the work of a lifetime.

Peggy's Top Ten for 2010
This morning I surveyed "best cook book" lists for 2010 from reliable sources such as:  The New York Times, Epicurious, Bon Appetit, the Washington Post, Amazon, Jessica's Biscuit (a cookbook website),  Publisher's Weekly, NPR and the Food 52 website.  If you want to do this yourself, go to the Best Cookbooks article in the Huffington Post, where most of these sources are aggregated.  It will take you a long time.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/05/best-cookbooks-of-2010-christmas-gifts_n_781479.html#s178620


I also have surveyed some of my personal lists and favorites.  And I have come up with my own Top Ten list of gift cookbooks for 2010 - either gifts for yourself or someone you love.

These are NOT necessarily all purpose workhorse cookbooks.  (For a discussion of one of my favorite classics, go to this earlier blog post - http://cookoutofthebox.blogspot.com/2010/05/cookbooks.html)

Some of the books on this list are probably destined to become classics -- but we won't know that for a while since these are all new in 2010.    I think you will love them, or some of them.  Many of these books have been recommended by various food editors and "experts".  They are not necessarily books that have been most purchased by the general public.  If you want mass market popular books you can easily find those on Amazon or other book sites.  The word "easy" is quite common in popular cook book titles.  Also "skinny" and "fast" and "comfort".

I am not opposed to fast or easy cooking.  But I believe that the more you cook with great quality cookbooks, the faster you will get and the easier cooking will be for you. 

My List
I have calculated that the total cost of this list is around $250 if purchased on line.  Several of the books on this list can be had for only $20. 

These books are listed in no special order.  You can share this link with some foodie friends who might be looking for gift ideas.  You can add these titles to your Amazon wish list.  You could do all your holiday shopping without setting foot in a mall.  Or take this list to your favorite bookstore and spend an afternoon browsing and buying.  Pretty civilized if you ask me.

I decided not to choose a link for each book.  Just google to find links or go to your favorite bookstore or book website.

1.  One Big Table - 600 recipes from the nation's best home cooks, farmers, fishermen, pit-masters, and chefs by Molly O 'Neill
This book is on many best of 2010 lists.  It weighs 15 pounds and according to the reviews on Amazon - it is weighty in content as well.  An excerpt from one review:  It's easy to forget how diverse America truly is when reading traditional American cookbooks. This book, however, gives us a glimpse inside the menus of real Americans of various backgrounds and their families. We see local and regional culture reflected, as well as immigrant culture and how immigrants have evolved their menus to reflect their surroundings. I own many cookbooks (somewhere over 400 or so), but this is probably the best one that I have read recently. Every page draws me in and reminds of the America I know and love.

2.  The Essential New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser
A lot of good history as well as recipes.  Probably destined to become a classic.  I love my 1961 New York Times cookbook by Craig Claiborne but have to admit it is getting a bit dated.   Remember rumaki?

3.  Around My French Table: More than 300 recipes from my house to yours by Dorie Greenspan
This book is on a lot of critics' lists.  Probably not for beginners.

4.  The Food Matters Cookbook: 500 Revolutionary Recipes for Better Living by Mark Bittman
This is a "political" cookbook - in a good way.  We vote with our forks.  Might as well think more about what we are voting for or against.  Plus great recipes which we have come to expect from Bittman.

5.   Forgotten Skills of Cooking: The Time-Honored Ways are the Best - Over 700 Recipes Show You Why by Darina Allen
Ms. Allen hails from the famous Ballymalloe Cooking School in Ireland.  I can't wait to try some of the recipes in this book.  

6. Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by René Redzepi
This is probably the least practical book on this list.  It might be more an art book than a cookbook.  I hope you find it inspirational.  The author Rene Redzepi is THE hot new international chef and is a serious locavore.  His restaurant in Copenhagen has become very famous.   Any Minnesotan who claims a deep interest in food should at least be aware of this book if not own it.

7. Urban Pantry: Tips and Recipes for a Thrifty, Sustainable and Seasonal Kitchen by Amy Pennington
My kind of cook -- waste not want not.

8. Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce, Quentin Bacon, Nancy Silverton, and Amy Scattergood
I just had to include one baking book on this list. 

9. The Very Best Of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com by Martha Rose Shulman
I link to Ms. Shulman's recipes on the Featherstone Farm facebook page all the time.  She has written many many books - I think this is the most recent.  Very practical and tasty recipes and excellent for CSA members who need to cope with lots of veggies.

10. What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio
I chose this because I think good cooks need to be very aware of food cultures around the world.  America is a melting pot - culinarily and otherwise.  We are the better for it.

Potluck - Holiday gift ideas

Today I am rolling out a new category for my blog posts: Potluck.  Most everybody I know likes pot lucks.  Sometimes we like to sample lots of different things.  And there are so many things to talk about.

So here is what I have cooked up for Potluck this week:

Edible Twin Cities
If you have not yet checked out this magazine then do it today.  Even if you do not live in the Twin Cities.  If you are interested in real food, Minnesota food traditions, some good recipes and the topic of local food in general, then you will enjoy reading the articles in this quarterly publication.  And the photos are always wonderful.
Here is the website www.edibletwincities.com
You can subscribe for yourself or a friend online.  You also can sign up for the ETC free newsletter.
(Full disclosure - I have written for this magazine in the past and may do so in the future.  I think the folks behind this publication are doing important work to inform and educate the Minnesota public about the topic of food.  And to give local food businesses another way to reach their customers through advertising.)

A Featherstone CSA share
I think a CSA membership would be an excellent gift for a special person or family in your life.  Don't forget - quality vegetables are in style.  Peeling your own carrots and potatoes is definitely a high prestige activity.  And cooking with fennel or bok choy?  A sure way to impress your friends.  And don't you want the people you care about to eat healthy food?

If you sign up by Dec. 15 a 2011 Grande share costs $640 and a Chica share will be $490.  If a whole share is a little too spendy - maybe buy one for yourself and give a half share to a buddy.  Or get a group together to give this gift. Maybe you and your siblings could get together to give a CSA share to your parents.  Better than bathrobes and slippers.

People buy things like Fruit of the Month club all the time.  I checked out the Harry and David web site.  A nine month plan costs $299. I figured out that you would get about 38 pounds of fruit.  Even if it is lovely and tasty fruit, you have to admit that $7.87 a pound is a lot to spend for fruit.

I don't know what a 22 week season of Featherstone vegetables weighs, but I can pretty much guarantee that CSA vegetables cost A LOT LESS than $7.87 a pound for fabulous taste and nutrition you can feel good about.

A night at the movies
Speaking of feeling good - last night Frank and I finally were able to see the film Troubled Waters, which was screened here in our little town of Lanesboro.  (Thanks to Lanesboro Local http://www.lanesborolocal.org/
and the Lanesboro Arts Center  http://www.lanesboroarts.org/cac-stmane.php

I think the film is very much worth seeing.  It made me proud to be associated with Featherstone Farm.  I don't know why it got so controversial, to tell you the truth.  As one person in the audience said last night.  "Sometimes the truth hurts."

Order a copy of the DVD here:  http://www.bellmuseum.org/

Cookbooks 
I am going to write a post next week about cookbooks.  What an overwhelming topic!  They make great gifts - but what to buy?
Meanwhile, you could always put together a little collection of some of your favorites as a gift - maybe along with some homemade food item.  A thoughtful and personal and affordable gift.  The best kind.

Inspiration - Winter week #3

In this week's box:  broccoli, carrots, red fingerling potatoes, garlic, bagged spinach, butternut squash, sweet dumpling squash, savoy cabbage, red leaf lettuce

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving and are not too tired from cooking and cleaning up and all that family visiting.   That is one reason I like the CSA box -- it keeps coming whether we are tired or not. We all need a little structure to keep us on track and the CSA box is part of my personal regimen.  I can see the sweet dumpling squashes on the window sill as I write this.  They are calling to me and soon I will answer.

Before I share some recipe ideas permit me a digression.
Vegetables have been in the news lately and I feel a need to report to you - serious vegetable cooks and eaters.

Vegetables, you see, are newly and increasingly fashionable, at least among a certain segment of fine-dining, CSA-belonging, Michael Pollan–reading, rooftop-garden-crazed New Yorkers.

Did you know that New York magazine (not the literary New Yorker, but gushy New York magazine) has made it official:  vegetables are the new meat.  Sunchokes are sexy.  Broccoli is way cool.  Lacinato kale is hot.  Eataly has a "vegetable butcher" and people are STANDING IN LINE for vegetables.  http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/69369/

Who knew?  I am a fashionista and did not know it.  I could hold my own at a Manhattan cocktail party - discussing such things as the relative merits of potato varieties.  Or the best way to make babaghanouj.

I am not sure how I feel about this.  Glad that the much maligned vegetable kingdom is getting its due.  Worried that the East Coast foodie establishment is going to turn vegetable eating into some kind of competitive sport for status seekers.  I mean, if Iron Chef featured "Battle Broccoli" last August, can the reality shows be far behind?

I know!  How about a show about a select group of Midwestern CSA members with day jobs who cook seasonal organic vegetables IN THEIR OWN HOMES, day in and day out?  Peeling, chopping, steaming, composting, stir frying, blanching, draining.   The visuals will be so exciting.  The suspense will be terrific.  Who will fold first and order a pepperoni pizza?  Who will have a melt down because they just can't deal with a six pound Napa cabbage?  Who will cheat, use tons of butter on everything and call it good enough?  Are you in?  Let's call a producer and pitch this idea.

This is all food for thought as you and your family deal with your latest CSA box.  I know I am not thinking about the latest food trends when I am bagging my broccoli, peeling carrots or smashing a clove of garlic.  In fact I am more than a little suspicious of food fads.  I just want some tasty and healthy homemade meals that don't require tons of time.  I am pretty happy to sit down to a plate piled with simple roasted root vegetables and a piece of cheese and fruit for dessert.

So here are some ideas from my kitchen to yours.  I am sorry if you are still tired due to Thanksgiving culinary overexertion.  Too bad.  We still have to get up and do what needs to be done.  Take comfort in the fact that we ordinary Midwesterners are right in step with the New York trendsetters.  We are so cool. We are eating vegetables!

Broccoli
I am still a fan of broccoli in pasta casseroles. A few nights ago I cooked up a bunch of mostaccioli, blanched broccoli very briefly in the pasta water at the end of cooking time and drained the pasta and broccoli.  I mixed it together with leftover chopped turkey pieces and a bunch of turkey gravy and it was great.  If you have no turkey or gravy, there is always cheese sauce.  Or some pesto.  Or some sweet red pepper puree or even thinned hummus.

And there is nothing wrong with good old broccoli and dip. Maybe take some time to experiment with a new homemade dip.  I like the flavor of curry powder with raw vegetables.  Start work now and you can unveil your new dip creation on Super Bowl Sunday.

Carrots
Even I have been having a little trouble keeping up with the robust supply of beautiful Featherstone carrots.  No worries.  They keep so well.

My strategies:
Soups and stews
Always use a little chopped carrot in soups and stews as part of the flavor base.  I put some in pea soup a few days ago and also used some in my turkey stock.

Salad
Grate or shred raw, fresh carrot and mix with a little vinaigrette for a quick salad.  Add raisins, sunflower seeds, cut up apple - you decide.

Mashing
Cook up a bunch of carrots (peel and chunk) in boiling water until they are pretty soft and the water is almost gone (if you drain water keep it for soup).  Mash with a potato masher and a little oil or butter.  I did this at Thanksgiving and added some cumin and a little sauteed garlic and it was a great dip with homemade pita chips.
I think mashed carrots would make a great sandwich filling - especially with some fresh herbs and maybe a few chopped walnuts mixed in.

Roasting
Diced roasted carrots make a great snack.  Put them in a bowl or jar on the counter and eat them like peanuts.  Very satisfying.

Garlic
Have you mastered roasting garlic?  I confess I have not. But I am having better luck by following a few rules.  I have learned to be patient - garlic does not take well to high temperatures.  I also prefer breaking up the bulb into separate cloves - UNPEELED.  Make sure to coat the cloves lightly in olive oil before roasting.  Cook in a 350 degree oven  until the cloves are soft.  Squeeze out the roasted garlic.  Use right away (add to mashed potatoes or use on a pizza or toss with pasta) or save in a covered jar.  If you have this around you will find ways to use it.

Spinach and lettuce
Do you know how lucky we are to be eating locally grown organic salad greens in Minnesota in December?  No need to get fancy with these greens. Just wash and dry and serve with your favorite salad dressing.  This is such good spinach I don't think I would "waste" it by cooking.  At least this time of year.  Don't forget your beets.  A few roasted beets on a green salad are very nice.

Butternut squash
Cut this in half and roast it.  Scoop out the flesh and mash.
Or peel and steam and then mash.  Lately I have been mixing mashed squash with cooked polenta (about 1 part squash to 3 parts corn).  It is great for breakfast with maple syrup or supper with a little bacon, herbs or tomato sauce.  Squash puree is also great mixed into quick bread or muffin recipes or even simple buttermilk pancakes.

Sweet Dumpling squash
These little guys are great stuffed and baked.  Use your creativity when it comes to stuffing.  Mix grains like cooked rice or barley with some onion and nuts - like a pilaf.  Or add some sausage to bread crumbs.  Add herbs.  Moisten with a little stock or wine or beer.

Red fingerling potatoes
Try this easy recipe for potato pizza.  I might add a little bacon or chopped ham to the basic potato mixture.  This is also a great way to use up some fresh garlic.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Pizza-104621


Savoy cabbage
This is considered the king of cabbages by some.  Here is an Italian recipe (this is a variety commonly found in Italy) for soup.  It calls for one cup of chopped ramps (wild leeks).  They grow all over the woods of Southeast Minnesota in the spring.  This time of year I would substitute regular leeks or use some extra garlic or onion or even scallions.

6 T. good olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 medium head Savoy cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 t. salt
1 cup wild leeks(ramps) or other leeks
1 quart vegetable or chicken or ham broth
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian type)
8 3/4 inch slices day old peasant bread
4 garlic cloves, cut in half
Saute the onion and leeks in the olive oil about 5 minutes over low heat until soft.  Add cabbage and sprinkle with salt.  Cover and cook over medium heat until cabbage wilts - about 7 minutes.  Bring broth to boil in large soup pot and add cabbage and onion mixture to broth.  Simmer on low heat about 20 minutes.  Add parsley and take off heat.
Toast bread and immediately rub with garlic.  Put two slices in each soup plate or bowl.  Pour soup over bread and serve immediately with salt and pepper on the side.
Serves 4.

Black Radishes

Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone and so has Black Friday.  As I write this I have the turkey carcass and bones simmering in a big pot on the stove with some onion, leek, carrot and herbs.  Turkey broth is happening and I am happy about that.  I have some leftover gravy too, and that will get combined with some of the leftover turkey meat (we had a 25 pound bird) and probably served on toast with some cranberry sauce on the side.  I hope you have some leftover turkey too.  I put some of our leftover baked winter squash into our morning cornmeal mush -- that is one of my favorite things to do with leftover squash.  More leftover turkey is going into a salad with romaine lettuce, toasted black walnuts, chopped apple and dried cranberries - with a simple olive oil vinaigrette.

We had 18 at our table on Thursday from ages 3 to 94.  Some of them came on Monday and Tuesday so I have been working overtime in the kitchen for about a week now.  This is good - always takes care of any lingering fantasies I may occasionally entertain about opening a restaurant.

My family includes one vegan, one lactose intolerant person, one peanut allergy, and one gluten abstainer.  This is my family and I love them, so I rose to the challenge.  One thing about having a vegan at the table - no butter automatically added to vegetables. Did us all a favor.  And our vegan make some pretty good chocolate cake with butternut squash.

Not much going on at our house today - it is a good day to take a refrigerator inventory.  I need to use up a few things before the next winter box arrives.  Like the big black radish.  I never do Black Friday.  But I do do Black Radishes.

I am learning more about radishes in general and black radishes in particular.  (For an intro to radishes, see my previous Focus post.) http://cookoutofthebox.blogspot.com/2010/09/focus-radishes-raphanus-sativus.html

Margaret asked me especially to talk about these spicy crunchy guys, since they do not appear to be the most popular among the Featherstone vegetable line up.  If there are any readers out there who open their box and say "Oh goody -- black radishes.  I can hardly wait to eat them!" -- please e mail me right away.  We need to talk.

So this morning I got a black radish out of the back of the crisper drawer and peeled it.  I thinly sliced and then julienned some.  And I grated some.  (note - if you leave the stem on, it provides a convenient little handle when you are grating or slicing.)

I know that the Japanese use lots of winter radishes so I thought I would make a simple dressing with a Japanese twist.  These are basically radish refrigerator pickles.  I keep them on hand for whenever I want some extra crunch or freshness in a dish.  Add these julienned radishes to salads or use as a garnish on Asian noodle soups or other soups.  Use as a side dish if you are having a simple meal of rice, vegetables and broiled meat.
What the heck - have some for breakfast with a poached egg and toast.

Simple dressing for julienned black or daikon radishes
To prepare radishes:  peel, thinly slice.  Stack slices and cut into strips of desired thickness.
Dressing  (easily multiplied)
1 T. EACH :  rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sherry
plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Whisk together ingredients and pour over prepared radishes.  This dressing is enough for 1-2 cups vegetables.
Variation - add julienned carrots to the radishes

Tried and True - Stuffing

Homemade stuffing is a lot of work but worth it.  There are zillions of stuffing recipes out there using all manner of ingredients - sausage, oysters, various kinds of bread or crumbs or rice or other grains.  I read one the other day using figs.  The combination sounded excellent to me but if I tried to make that for my family on Thanksgiving there would be hell to pay.

I don't know about your family, but in mine we like to stick to the familiar when it comes to Thanksgiving.  There is a time for risk taking and a time for caution.  Thanksgiving, culinarily speaking, is a time for caution.  (There are exceptions to this rule.  Like when you are expecting both a vegan and a gluten avoider at your table.  Which is why I have some curried pumpkin and chickpea soup in my refrigerator.  And why tomorrow I am going to make a second stuffing with wild rice and pecans and no butter.)

If you are a Thanksgiving risk taker looking for new stuffing possibilities - you could try Marilyn Monroe's stuffing recipe.  It is pretty involved. but if you have the time and like the idea of including Marilyn in your celebration, then give it a try.  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/diningT

This article recipe has engendered quite a vigorous online discussion.  I liked the comments of one writer for the Boston Globe, who agrees with me that Thanksgiving is not a time for menu experimentation.
http://www.boston.com/community/blogs/fiftyshift/2010/11/why_i_wont_be_using_marilyns_s.html

So today we are going to learn about basic bread stuffing with celery and onions and a few herbs.  This is not my grandmother's stuffing but it is pretty close.   I have already consulted with three of my special kitchen friends - Marion Cunningham (Fannie Farmer cookbook), Marion Rombauer (The Joy of Cooking) and Beatrice Ojakangas (more cookbooks than I can name.)  None of their recipes were quite on target - so this one is my version.  You of course can vary it to please yourself and your family.

Stuffing principles
While there are many stuffing recipes and ingredients - there are key elements that must be present for a dish to be a "stuffing":
1.  The carbs -- usually this is some kind of bread but it can also be rice or other grains like barley.
2.  The  aromatics -- Most stuffing includes onion and celery or the equivalent.  You could use shallots or leeks or celeriac or even fennel.  The idea is to include a few highly flavored vegetables as a flavor and texture accent.
3.  The fat -- Oh yes.  You need some fat.  Butter, oil, chicken or duck or goose fat -- something to add flavor and moisture and richness.  You don't need huge amounts - but you do need some.
4.  The herbs and spices -- The most common stuffing herbs are sage, parsley and thyme.  Spices are basic salt and pepper.  You can vary these - but put some thought into this before you start opening jars.  Less is more.  I could imagine a rice based stuffing with mint, dill and parsley, for example.  Or a corn bread stuffing with cumin and chili powder and cilantro.
5.  The liquid -- I don't like stuffing too wet or too dry.  I like it "just right".  You will need some kind of poultry or vegetable stock or white wine or water or a combination thereof.

Stuffing policy decisions
In or out?
So if a dish is called "stuffing" you would think that means it is prepared inside of something else, right?  How could something be a stuffing if it is not stuffed?
Well, this is just one of those things that does not make any sense.  You can bake stuffing outside of a bird.  I do it all the time.  It saves time (bird cooks faster, less hassle to get stuffing in and out) and you don't have to worry about getting little pieces of bread out from between a turkey rib cage.  You still want some of the poultry juices in the stuffing, for flavor.  I just use a baster to draw up some of the cooking juices and squirt them into the stuffing casserole dish during its final baking.
On the other hand, the flavor of a stuffing cooked in a bird is the best and if you have the time, definitely try it this way.

Homemade bread v. store cubes?
If you want first class stuffing, either make the bread yourself or purchase the best homemade type bread you can find.  Day old is best.  It is pretty easy to stack up bread slices and cut them into little cubes.  (Let the bread sit out for a few hours or bake slices in the oven at a low temp for a short while so it dries out a bit.)

If you must purchase pre-made cubes, please get them plain and not pre-seasoned.  It is easy to add your own herbs and spices and then you avoid that strange fake flavor that storebought industrial croutons all seem to have.

Smooth or chunky?
I love texture in stuffing and if it was up to me I would chop the celery and onion coarsely and add dried fruit and nuts besides.  However, I am cooking for 18 people next Thursday and I know several of them WILL NOT EAT stuffing if they can discern even the slightest nugget of celery.  So I chop onions and celery in the food processor to the point of mushiness.  The flavor is still there and everyone is happy.

Fruit and nuts
The recipe in this post does include some chopped fresh apple.  I like the flavor, moisture and nutrition it adds to stuffing.  Apples are a safe choice if you want to go at least one step beyond basic bread stuffing.  Otherwise, it is up to you.  Raisins, pecans, walnuts, pears - all can be very good in a stuffing.

Other stuff in the stuffing
Oysters, sausage and mushrooms often show up in stuffing recipes.  So do olives, capers and a host of other items.  My advice - use caution.  Now is not the time to use the kitchen sink approach to cooking.  On the other hand, there is Marilyn Monroe's recipe to consider.  Sometimes more is more.

Grandma Peggy's stuffing for a Thanksgiving turkey (about 15 servings)
Ingredients
2 cups chopped celery AND 2 cups chopped onion (If you want to finely chop in a food processor you will end up with about 1 1/2 cups of each)
1/2 cup (1 stick butter) or a bit more (I added a few tablespoons of chicken fat I had from making stock)
18 cups of bread, cut into 1/2 cubes or torn into small pieces (note - three slices of bread equals about 2 heaping cups cubes)
1/4 cup dried sage (you might want a bit less.  I like sage.  If you use fresh sage you can use more because the flavor is not as concentrated. )
2 t. dried thyme (more if using fresh)
1 t. dried rosemary (optional)
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 cup loosely packed parsley - chopped
2 cups chopped apples (no need to peel)
1-2 cups chicken broth or other flavorful stock.  You can add a little white wine if you want.)

Use good bread.  It helps to have a good bread knife.  I use crusts - why not?

Three slices of bread equals about 2 heaping cups of cubes

You will need a great big bowl if you are working with 18 cups of bread cubes.  Once you add the broth, the amount will shrink down.  You have lots of nice fresh sage in your CSA box - this is a great way to use some of it.

Preparation
Saute celery and onion in butter on medium heat about 7 minutes - until it is softened.  While that cooks, prepare the bread cubes.  I stack about 4 slices and slice strips and then cut those into cubes.  It goes pretty fast. 
Stir together all ingredients except the broth in a large bowl.  Then add broth in desired amount.  At this point you can refrigerate the stuffing for up to a few days until you are ready to bake it.  Bake at 325 degrees, covered, for about 30 minutes.  If you have pan juices, add them during baking.  Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more. 
If desired, you can also put this stuffing into the bird.  Don't pack in too tight - leave some room for expansion.  Always take all the stuffing out of the bird before you refrigerate the leftover carcass.

Inspiration -Winter Week #2

In this week's box:  cilantro, parsley, sage, bunched broccoli, cauliflower, bunched tat soi (type of Asian mustard green); carrots; red potatoes, black Spanish radishes, garlic, beets, bagged spinach, butternut squash, acorn squash

Are you getting into the rhythm of winter boxes?  It is kind of nice to be dealing with hardier crops that can hang around for awhile and still be in top form.  Less worry about looming decay.  Less pressure.  Two whole weeks to relax with your vegetables.  I am certainly feeling a bit more mellow now that I am not posting five times a week.

I feel like a party host when the party has moved into the perfect second stage.  You know - when most of the guests have gone home, the eating is pretty much over and you finally have time to sit down with a glass of wine and the plate of food you hid on top of the refrigerator until you had time to eat it.  Time to enjoy some quality time with some of your favorite people.  Less noise,  more laughing and longer stories.  Winter CSA boxes are kind of like that last part of the party.  Take your shoes off.  Simmer down.  Cook like it matters.  Which it does.

During the regular box season I always included menu ideas in each week's Inspiration post.  I think for winter shares I will mostly just give you some ideas for how to use each item in your box.  I bet you can take it from there.  If you are a winter share member by definition you are adventurous, creative and brave.  Who else would sign up for peeling, chopping, grating and otherwise preparing large quantities of cabbage, winter radishes, root vegetables and sometimes unfamiliar greens?  You hardy souls are probably ready to start creating your own menus with hardly any help from me at all.

TIP - make sure you have onions and celery around the house.  You will need them.  

Long live cilantro
How have you been doing with all the cilantro we have been getting?  I have been using a lot with Asian noodle soups as well as Mexican and Indian dishes.  Just search this blog for lots of cilantro ideas.   My fresh cilantro has been lasting a really long time with very little deterioration.  I have not been putting the stems in a jar of water in the refrigerator - I have just been putting it in one of these cool zip loc bags.  Nobody is paying me to say this - these bags are great for storing all kinds of produce.  Give them a try - especially with fresh herbs or leaf lettuce. The product name is Hefty Fresh Extend One Zip bags.

Parsley
The bunch in my box was perky and cute - but not huge.  I am going to save it for making Thanksgiving stuffing.  Just wrap and refrigerate - it should last for a couple of weeks.  Great in soups and as a garnish for eggs, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots.

Sage
Sage is lovely with winter squash and with poultry.  I will use mine for stuffing and also with some squash dishes.  If you want you can hang your sage in a warm and well ventilated place and dry it.

Bunched Broccoli
My kids always loved raw broccoli with dill dip.  There is nothing wrong with serving broccoli this tried and true way.  Good for those hours before Thanksgiving dinner is ready and everybody needs a snack.

Instead of going shopping the day after Thanksgiving - why not hang around the house and have a nice brunch?  Make a baked egg dish using blanched chopped broccoli, cheese, ham or sausage or mushrooms,  bread cubes, some melted butter and milk and eggs (about 1 egg to every 1/2 cup milk).  Make sure the bread is well soaked with egg mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Maybe some dill or parsley or both.  Bake in a greased dish at 350 degrees until lightly browned and set.

Cauliflower
I got three cute little cauliflowers in my box.  I am going to break them up into florets and make some curry.  Chopped onion, carrot, maybe a few diced red bell peppers from the freezer, and some potatoes.  I am getting better at curry improv.  Start with some oil and lightly saute curry powder.  I like to add some mustard seed, cumin, turmeric, chile pepper and fresh ginger to the curry powder.  After the spices have "popped" a bit - add the vegetables and saute a few more minutes.  Add water or broth to desired soupiness.  I love to add a cup or so of red lentils - they add a lot of flavor and texture and protein to curry and they cook really fast.   I also like to add some coconut milk - just enough to round out and enrich the flavor.  Go easy with coconut milk - lots of fat there.  A few handfuls of fresh spinach or chard added at the end of cooking also add great flavor and nutrition.  Cook vegetables until tender and serve over rice with desired chutneys or Indian style pickles.  Yogurt is also nice on the side.

If you don't want to make a curry there is always the tried and true cauliflower with cheese sauce.  Blanch cauliflower.  Mix with homemade cheese sauce - which is just a white sauce with cheese melted into it.  Maybe add some dry mustard powder to the sauce.   Put into a greased shallow baking dish.  Add buttered bread crumbs on the top.  Bake until heated through.  A gratin of cauliflower.  How elegant. 

Tat soi - Asian mustard greens
You can simply wash, dry and stir fry these in some oil with some ginger, garlic and soy sauce.  Serve on the side with any kind of meat, poultry or fish.
I also like to add these greens to boiling chicken or beef stock.  Cook for just a few minutes and pour over cooked rice noodles in a warmed bowl.  Condiments/additions:   fresh herbs like cilantro, basil or mint; lime juice; fish sauce or soy sauce; hoisin sauce; chile sauce or chile paste or hot peppers; bean sprouts, grated winter radish or carrot.  Add a bit of meat or tofu if you want some protein.  I still can't compete with a good bowl of Pho from a Vietnamese restaurant - but I am getting there, with practice.

Carrots
You can't go wrong if you simply roast peeled and diced carrots with a bit of olive oil and salt.  Roast along with potatoes and beets for a great combo.  We will often make a whole meal of roasted vegetables, with maybe a piece of bread and cheese on the side.

Don't forget carrots make a great curry.  They are also indispensable added to all kinds of soups like beef barley, pea or bean.  I like them grated raw with raisins and a simple vinaigrette made with maple syrup and a little orange juice.

Garlic
Essential for so many dishes. 
Simplest pasta
Don't forget the simple pleasure of gently sauteing plenty of chopped garlic slowly in a generous amount of  butter and olive oil.  Serve tossed with thin pasta such as vermicelli or angel hair.  Add salt and fresh pepper and some fresh grated Parmesan.  Quick, easy, cheap and wonderful.  If you are starving and tired you do not need to order pepperoni pizza.  Just start boiling water and sauteing garlic.  The garlic aroma will immediately have a restorative effect.  Before you know it you will have a plate of steaming flavorful pasta before you.  It might heal you to the point where you can manage to make yourself a spinach salad too.

Potatoes
If you are having a lot of company for Thanksgiving,  then just go wild and make a great big pot of mashed potatoes.  Need some instructions?  Check out my post for September 11.  If you have leftovers, great.  Just saute a little onion and garlic  and maybe diced celery and add the potatoes along with some milk and maybe a little broth.  Voila!  Potato soup.  Or add some cooked bacon and corn.  Chowder. 
You might want to save out a potato or two to use with the cauliflower for curry.

Black Spanish Radishes
I will come back to these later this week.  I hope you appreciate winter radishes for their crunch and bite.  I am finding uses for them in many salads and in cooked dishes.  Mix together equal parts of rice vinegar and sugar.  Add a dash of salt and a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil.  Peel and grate radish and marinate in the vinegar sugar mixture.  I am quite fond of this as a simple first course salad.  Add grated carrots for extra color and nutrition.  Serve on a bed of spinach or lettuce if desired.

Beets
Try this classic salad with a simple meat and potato meal or as a light lunch with bread and cheese.
Salade Russe
Prepare relatively equal amounts of cooked diced potatoes, carrots and beets.  Add some diced fresh onion, lightly cooked peas and a little sweet pickle.  Mix with good mayonnaise - preferably homemade.  Add a little fresh or dried dill to the mayonnaise if desired.
Save some of your beets.  When you get some cabbage in your box we will talk about borscht.

Bagged Spinach
Wash and dry well and store in a ventilated bag.  (Maybe one of those Hefty Fresh Extends?) This time of year it is nice to use spinach in salads.  Try mixing the spinach with a mustardy vinaigrette and serving with some chopped apple, walnuts and blue or swiss cheese.  A little diced or sliced roasted or pickled beets would be a nice addition - on the side of the salad.
If you have some extra spinach - try adding some to a vegetable curry.

Butternut Squash
In a pizza rut?  Try winter squash pizza!
Bake or boil squash and make a puree of the flesh.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Try this on a partly baked pizza crust instead of a tomato sauce.  Top squash pizza with some caramelized onions, some chopped fresh sage and parsley and maybe a little dried thyme,  some chopped cooked chard or spinach and grated cheese of choice.  (Gruyere would be nice.)   If you have some roasted peppers around a few of those would be nice.  Or fresh mushrooms.  Bake in hot oven until crust is done and top is light brown and bubbling. 

Squash and white bean soup
You also could add diced peeled raw squash pieces to cooked white beans and broth for a lovely squash and white bean soup.  Sage and thyme would be a good seasoning, as would rosemary.  Salt and pepper of course.  And start with some sauteed garlic, onion, leeks or shallots.  Maybe a little finely diced carrot and celery for some extra flavor.

Everyday squash
http://content.markbittman.com/recipes/braised-and-glazed-butternut-squash

Sunshine in a bowl
I like to add some cooked mashed squash to polenta when I am cooking it.  Cook until thick and serve as a breakfast porridge with some dried cranberries (or even leftover cranberry sauce), maple syrup and a little milk, cream or butter or even yogurt.  If you have some toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds sprinkle a few of those on top too.

Acorn Squash
Make your favorite stuffing.  Partly bake acorn halves.  Add stuffing and bake until squash is done.  A full meal, along with a salad.

I hope you are looking forward to a great Thanksgiving holiday.  On Thursday I will tell you what's going on in our house.  And give a shout out to black radishes, what the heck.

One last mini rant.  Since when did "pan seared" become the word for "fried"?  Keep your eyes peeled for inflated menu-speak.  It is everywhere.  As a defender of the English language I say be careful of these new phrases that come from marketing people.  I am going to start looking for examples and will warn you when I can.

Tried and True - Turkey Gravy

I have roasted many Thanksgiving turkeys.  Like a first love, one of those turkeys has a special place in my heart.  My husband and I were young, poor students living far from home.  It was our first Thanksgiving as a married couple and we were only two at the table.  We bought our 18 pound bird at the local Grand Union supermarket for about 29 cents a pound and barely made a dent of course. Thanks to the freezer, we eventually ate it all.  It was good, cheap food.  I don't remember the gravy, but I am sure I made some.

Not that I don't have gravy memories.  I remember often not making enough.  But I think I have finally figured out that part and want to share my secrets with you.  Making gravy is not the same as invading Normandy.  But you do need a plan.  (Note - today I am talking about only the gravy plan.  That is different from the big T-DAY plan.  One step at a time.)

Step 1 - Equipment inventory  
Do this as soon as possible.  Don't wait until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
You will need:
One roasting pan, preferably with a rack (This keeps the bird up off the bottom of the pan.)

One bulb baster (This is the easiest way I know to get at the lovely turkey juices - especially during the roasting process.  Mine is plastic.  Some day I am going to get one of the metal ones.  Either should work fine.)

One whisk (This is for making the roux and the gravy.  Lumps begone.)

The fat rises.  You pour the broth out of the bottom.

One fat separator (You could do without this but it is a very nice tool to have around any kitchen.)

I just love the curvy profile of this gravy boat

One gravy boat (This is also optional.  But I believe in good presentation and Thanksgiving turkey gravy deserves its own showboat, as it were.  It will become an icon to your family over the years.  It will stand for the soothing balm of homemade gravy. This is important.  Because Thanksgiving is not just about the food.  It is about the feelings.)

The official Hanson family roaster

This is my speckled enamel turkey roaster.  I got it 32 years ago at Ayers 5 and 10 cent store in the Westover neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia.  It is a sacred vessel to me and I hope someday to pass it on to someone who will appreciate its charms and benefit from its good juju.  Please do not roast your turkey in a disposable aluminum foil type pan unless you absolutely have to.  For one thing, I think they are dangerous.  They can crumble and fold.  Especially if the contents are too heavy.  Better to borrow a roaster.  Or get one at a second hand store.  Or buy one at a hardware store.  You can still get the kind I have.  They are very affordable and perfectly adequate.   It is good if you get a rack to set the turkey on, too.  I do not think you need to spend $149.95 on a roaster.  (If you are planning on using it for half a century or so, it probably would be a good investment.  But not necessary.)

Step 2  About 4 days before Thanksgiving
Bring your turkey home from wherever you are getting it.  Thaw in refrigerator if it is frozen.  Remove the giblets - the neck, gizzard, heart and liver and keep cold in a separate container.  Make sure you have some onion, celery, parsley, bay leaf and carrot in the house.  Salt and pepper too of course.  And you might need a stick of butter depending on how much fat is or is not in your turkey.

Step 3 Two days before Thanksgiving
Yes you can buy broth and that is ok if you need to.  But it is very expensive and just not as good as what you can make yourself.  And if you don't make broth, what will you do with all the giblets?  One side benefit of making broth is that it will make your house smell good.  Who needs potpourri if you have broth on the back burner?

How to make turkey broth - you will need about 6 cups when you are done
7 cups water
turkey giblets (save the liver for sauteeing separately - a special treat for the cook and a friend while everyone else is watching football)
one cup EACH coarsely chopped onion, carrot and celery.  If you have some leek tops use those too.
7-8 peppercorns
1 cup loosely packed parsley sprigs
3 bay leaves
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
Put all ingredients in a pot big enough to hold everything comfortably.  Bring to a boil.  Turn down and simmer, partly covered, for 2-3 hours.  Remove the giblets and put in a dish to cool.  After the broth has cooled a bit, pour through a strainer into a large bowl.  Remove meat from the neck and chop.  Finely cut up the heart and gizzard.  (I usually trim the gristly part from the gizzard.)  Reserve and refrigerate the meat in a covered dish.  Refrigerate the broth.

Step 4 Thanksgiving day -- it's SHOWTIME
I will assume that you have figured out how to roast the turkey and that it is cooking away in your oven and you are basting it occasionally.  About half an hour before you think the turkey will be done, pull off some turkey juices with your baster and put them in the fat separator.  You want about 1/2 cup of fat as well as some rich broth. If you don't have at least 1/2 cup of the turkey drippings, then melt some butter so you have a total of 1/2 cup fat.
Make a roux in a large pan with the 1/2 cup fat and 1/2 cup of white flour.  Stir with a whisk about 10 minutes - the mixture should be smooth.  Heat  turkey broth while the roux is cooking.  (You will need about 7 cups total of broth.)  Add hot broth to roux mixture, 1 cup at a time, whisking all the while.  Also add broth from the turkey roaster which you have hopefully extracted with the turkey baster. If gravy is too thick and you don't have any more broth, you can add a little milk or cream to the gravy.Taste for seasoning.  If you have it, add a little chopped fresh parsley.  Just before you are ready to serve the turkey and the trimmings, put HOT gravy in the gravy boat and serve.  Keep reserve gravy hot because you will need to refill the gravy boat several times.

Good luck and may your gravy be smooth.


BONUS RECIPES
If you didn't catch this link on Featherstone's FACEBOOK page - check it out.  Root vegetables roasted. Basic skills.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/dr-weils-simple-roasted-root-vegetables/?scp=1&sq=roasted%20root%20vegetables&st=cse

Focus: CRANBERRIES (Vaccinium Macrocarpon)

Cranberries are not vegetables and they are not a fruit grown at Featherstone Farm -- so why I am writing about them?  First,  cranberries are in season.  They are very affordable this time of year.  It is almost Thanksgiving and I think there is a law that some kind of cranberry dish has to be on the table. 

Second, Featherstone Farm is located in the Driftless Region, which includes SE Minnesota and SW Wisconsin.  Our neighbors to the east grow cranberries, big time.  Wisconsin produces more cranberries than any other state - a little over half the national crop. (The next biggest cranberry growing state is Massachusetts at 28% of the national crop.  Michigan, Minnesota and Maine also have significant commercial cranberry production)  Cranberries are also the Wisconsin state fruit.  Read all about Wisconsin cranberries here.  http://www.wiscran.org/about_cranberries_0002/

Third, we can't live on vegetables alone.  (Well, maybe we could but who would want to?  Even vegans consume fruits, nuts, grains and legumes)  Vegetables need buddies, companions, and friends.   Humans need variety.  Cranberries provide extra color, flavor and nutrition to the plate.  A hearty winter vegetable stew with carrots and potatoes and onions is a good thing.  But a little pool of cranberry apple chutney on the side can transform good into perfect. 

Growing cranberries
Cranberries grow on low creeping shrubs or vines in acidic boggy or marshy areas with cool climates.  In Wisconsin and other places, the cranberry bogs are flooded during the fall harvest so the fruit floats. It is then easier to mechanically harvest.  95% of the fruit is used for juice, sauce or drying.  Only 5% is sold fresh.  Much of the fresh crop is dry harvested by hand, to ensure better quality.

Preservation
Fresh cranberries freeze well.  Just put in freezer bags and store in freezer.  They will keep a year or even longer if well wrapped.  Use them right out of the freezer for baking or other recipes. You can also use cranberries to make juice, jelly or sauce which can be canned or frozen.

Nutrition
Cranberries are marketed these days as "functional foods" or a "superfruit" because various scientific studies show that the fruit is high in antioxidants and cancer preventing properties.  The fruit is also high in vitamin C, A and K and fiber.  There are 46 calories in 100 grams (that's before any sugar is added!)

RECIPES
The Ocean Spray web site has several recipes combining cranberries and vegetables  http://www.oceanspray.com/recipes/  such as: 
Roasted pumpkin (or squash) risotto with cranberry brown butter sauce
Brussels sprouts salad with pancetta and cranberries
Cranberry carrot saute

Cranberries also combine surprisingly well with onions or leeks.  This is a wonderful recipeadapted from Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland by Lucia Watson and  Beth Dooley.     

Cranberry Leek Compote - makes 5-6 cups
Serve at room temperature.  Will keep in refrigerator about 5 days or freeze.
1/2 cups currants or dried cranberries
1 cup apple cider
4 cups cranberries, rinsed and sorted
3/4 cup sugar
6 T. butter (you could cut this back a bit and not hurt the results.  Or use part olive oil)
2 1/2 pounds leeks, sliced (white and light green parts)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Soak dried fruit in cider in a sauce pan about half an hour.  Add fresh cranberries. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes - until berries begin to pop.  Stir in sugar and set aside. 
Saute leeks in butter over low heat about 25 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Add cranberries and liquid and cook another 3-5 minutes.  Cool and salt and pepper to taste.

Here is a similar recipe with a wonderful name - from Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet.  She suggests baking this dish not more than 8 hours before serving for best results.  Use an ovenproof skillet to avoid extra dishwashing
Pearls and Rubies
1 1/2 pounds pearl onions (peel by dropping into boiling water for 2 minutes to soften skins.  Slice off root ends and skins will slip off)
1 T. butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook onions in butter in skillet until they are lightly browned.  Turn occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add sugar, salt, pepper, cranberries and broth.  Place skillet in the oven, uncovered and bake for about 30 minutes.
Cranberry condiments

Traditional whole cranberry sauce
Boil 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar for about 5 minutes.  Add one 12 ounce bag (about 3 cups) cranberries and simmer another 10 minutes - until the berries pop.  Cool.  Store in refrigerator for up to a week.
Try this with acorn or sweet dumpling or other smaller squash.  Just cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, add about 1/3 cup whole cranberry sauce mixed with 1 t. port into the cavity.  Place in baking dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees until squash is tender.

Cranberry chutney
This is wonderful with any kind of meat or poultry.  It also would be a good complement to pasta or rice dishes made with squash, potatoes, beets, cabbage or carrots.  This will keep in a covered jar in the refrigerator for many weeks.
2 cups chopped apples (Haralson would be good)
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup cider or white vinegar
1/2 cup golden or dark raisins
1 t. minced fresh garlic
1 T fresh grated ginger
hot red pepper flakes to taste
Simmer all ingredients in a non reactive pot about half an hour - until apples are tender.  Refrigerate at least a day before eating.

Cranberry salsa
Add the following to 2 cups of whole cranberry sauce:  1 T chopped fresh hot peppers, 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro, 1 t. cumin, 1 T fresh lime juice, 1 clove minced fresh garlic, 1/2 cup chopped red onion

Cranberry sauce for cooked beets
Mix 1 cup cranberry juice, 1 T cornstarch and 1 T. sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.  Add 1 t. grated orange zest.  Mix with sliced or chopped cooked beets.
(Try adding some extra sugar and using this as a topping for pancakes or gingerbread)

Cranberry vinaigrette
This can be used on salad greens or with blanched vegetables as a marinade.  I think it would be good with as a salad with cooked carrots or brussels sprouts.  You might try it with finely sliced red and green cabbage as a slaw.  Add a few dried cranberries for a double cranberry treat.
1/2 cup olive or walnut oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup whole cranberry sauce
2 t. Dijon type mustard
1 T. real maple syrup or honey or sugar
1/2 t. salt  (Or more to taste)
1/8 t. pepper
Mix until smooth in a blender or food processor.

Baking with fresh cranberries

Dried cranberries can be used just like raisins in zillions of recipes for cookies, muffins, quickbreads and granolas.  I like to use fresh cranberries in baking - the flavor has more zing.
This recipe won a prize at the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair
Cranberry walnut banana bread

2 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. grated orange zest
2 c. flour (whole wheat pastry flour is nice to use)
1/4 cup ground flax seed
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, cut in half (I know, I know, this is a pain.  But it is better than chopping in a food processor)
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and orange zest.  Stir in mashed bananas.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Add cranberries and nuts, stirring to mix well.  Put batter into two greased 9 x 5 pans and bake 60-70 minutes in a 350 degree oven.