Dig In - Vinegar

I have the following kinds of vinegar in my kitchen right this very minute: red wine, white wine, balsamic, apple cider, plain old white, sherry, malt and rice.

And I WANT MORE.  This year I am going to make my own raspberry and tarragon vinegars for sure.  The bottles are so nice to look at and I just like the idea of being prepared, vinegar-wise.  Plus, having a complete collection of good quality vinegars is a lot more affordable- and useful -  than having a complete collection of, oh I don't know, sterling silver flatware or vintage cars or depression glassware.   Takes up a lot less space than the cars, for sure.

Vinegar is very important in cooking, because it is acidic.  Many dishes benefit from that spark and extra flavor that acidity provides.  If you have some nice vinegar choices around you can usually get away with using less salt.  Or sugar or even fat.

Storing
Store vinegar in a cool, dark place if you are going to have it for awhile.  I buy apple cider vinegar by the gallon - the kind I get comes in a plastic bottle.  I also have found decent white wine and red wine vinegar by the gallon and also in bulk at co-ops in my area.  I do a lot of pickling so it makes sense for me to buy larger amounts.  If you are not going to do any pickling, you don't need more than a pint or quart of any given vinegar at a time.  I decant my cider and white wine vinegar into a corked glass bottle for normal daily use - then refill from the jug that I keep down in the basement.

Sometimes a cloudy looking mass develops in vinegar which has been stored awhile.  It is called "mother".  It is a natural part of the fermentation process and will not hurt you or the vinegar.  I just strain the vinegar through a fine sieve if I spy some "mother".

Shopping list
Here is a shopping list for various types of vinegar along with a few hints.  Have fun getting your kitchen stocked.   A little investment in some good vinegar will pay off big time in the form of many flavorful meals.  I also have included a fun old timey recipe for vinegar pie at the end.

Apple cider -- Read the label carefully before you buy.  (This is a good overall rule for purchasing any food item these days.  Food manufacturers can be quite, uh, clever.)  A lot of "cider" vinegar is really just cider-flavored vinegar.  You don't want that.  You want the real thing.  I love cider vinegar for refrigerator pickles and beet pickles.  Also for things like German potato salad, cole slaw or wilted lettuce salad.  Definitely a kitchen staple.

Sherry -- This is a very flavorful vinegar,  with high acidity (about 8%).  It comes highly recommended as a vinegar for salads and vinaigrettes.  Excellent with walnut or hazelnut oils.  It usually comes from Spain.  The label should say "vinagre de Jerez" if it is the real thing, according to cookbook author and writer Mark Bittman.  I just checked my bottle and didn't find those magic words.  Guess I have to do better next time.  Bittman suggests using sherry vinegar wherever red wine vinegar is called for - unless you have purchased a really good red wine vinegar -- meaning an expensive one.

Red wine -- I hate to disagree with the esteemed Mark Bittman, but I like to use ordinary red wine vinegar for Greek style salads and every day vinaigrettes.  A moderately priced red wine vinegar also is a good base for homemade raspberry or herb vinegars.

White wine - This is a good all purpose vinegar to have around.  I have never purchased Champagne vinegar, but it is on my list to try.  I will make sure to find the real thing.  I am pretty sure I will have to leave Fillmore County to find it.  I'll let you know if I can even find it in Rochester.  The food scene is definitely improving there. (You would think with all those doctors and nurses around that the Rochester food world would be a bit better than it is.  Maybe they are all just too busy to cook much.  The good news is that there is an excellent co-op and the farmers market is thriving.) 

Malt - This is a favorite in England, where people use it with fish and chips.  Whenever we go to the fish fries at the Lanesboro American Legion Club, I tuck my bottle of malt vinegar in my pocket.  The Legion is a tartar sauce kind of place.  No lemon there either.  But the malt vinegar is a perfect foil to the rich fried food.  Try it on french fries too.

Balsamic - Lynn Rossetto Kasper, famous radio food personality, is the go-to person when it comes to balsamic vinegar wisdom.  She wrote The Splendid Table, a cookbook about the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy,  in which she devotes six full pages to the mysteries of balsamic vinegar.  I highly recommend this read to anyone who wants to dig in on this subject.  You can spend well over $100 for a small bottle of this vinegar made in the province of Modena or Reggio using traditional artisan methods.  This expensive kind of vinegar is served very sparingly - just a few drops or a drizzle as a finish to a dish after cooking or a spoonful or two as a liqueur.  Then there are commercial vinegars from the same regions.  Kasper says "at their best they are less complex renditions of artisan-made vinegar, with finely balanced sweetness and acidity melded together as a unified whole."  She recommends the following commercial brands: Fini,  Giuseppe Giusti, Elena Monari Federzoni,  Cavalli and Cattani.   She notes that Fini was purchased by a large American company in 1990 and worried whether the quality would suffer.  I don't know if her fears were realized.  Do you?  (Williams Sonoma sells a 17.6 oz. bottle of Fini for $24. online.)
On page 469-470 of her cookbook she lists fourteen different ways to use commercial balsamic vinegar.  Kasper cautions against using balsamic vinegars produced outside the regions of Modena or Reggio.  I suppose it depends on your budget, your tastebuds and the dishes you wish to prepare.

Rice -- Rice vinegar is showing up in mainstream grocery stores more and more.  I still like to stock up on it when I am in an Asian market.  I buy a few quart bottles at a time.  I like to use this vinegar a lot for salads - it is light (4.3% acidity) and really makes a difference in Asian style vinaigrettes or dishes.

Tarragon vinegar, homemade - Wash and thoroughly dry unwilted tarragon sprigs.  Place a handful in a scalded pint jar.  Fill with white wine or rice vinegar that has been brought just to boiling.  Cool uncovered.  Then cover and store.   (I get plastic screw caps for regular and wide mouth canning jars at Fleet Farm  They are great. ) The vinegar will be ready to use in about two weeks.  You can use other herbs such as chives or dill or basil in the same way - but strain the vinegar and rebottle into a scalded jar after two weeks.

Hot pepper vinegar - This stuff is on every cafe table in Louisiana and Mississippi.  It is great with cooked greens of all kinds - turnip, collards, mustard, etc.   We like Texas Pete pepper sauce in our house.


VINEGAR PIE
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Dash of salt
1 t. lemon juice
1 cup plus 3 T. sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
One baked pie shell
3 egg whites
Combine boiling water, vinegar, salt and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan.  Mix 1 cup sugar and flour well.  Stir slowly into the vinegar mixture.  Stir constantly over medium heat until thickened.  Stir a small amount of thickened mixture into egg yolks, then return yolk mixture to the pan.  Bring just to a boil while stirring.  Pour filling into pie shell.  Beat egg whites until foamy.  Keep beating until stiff, gradually adding 3 T. sugar.  Spread over pie filling.  Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees.  Reduce to 300 degrees and bake another 15 minutes.

Inspiration - Week #2

This week's CSA box contains: leaf lettuce, mixed salad greens, green garlic, garlic scapes, spinach, asparagus, green beans and maybe rhubarb or strawberries depending on what day you pick up your box.  And dill.  Beautiful fresh dill, which happens to have an affinity for spinach, green beans, fish, eggs and potatoes.  And lemon.

We have been enjoying lots of salads at our house lately.  You too, I hope.  A few days ago I started a discussion group going on the Featherstone Farm Facebook page -- about salads.  I'd love to see some pictures of your salads or read your ideas.   I bet others would too.   Some people may be suffering from lettuce overload.  Lettuce help them.   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rushford-Village-MN/Featherstone-Fruits-Vegetables/80513594952?v=app_2373072738#!/topic.php?uid=80513594952&topic=16329

Last week I made some suggestions for Dealing with the Box when you first get it home.  Same for this week.  If you can, spend some time washing and drying the various greens and bagging them up.  Cut a half inch off the bottom of the bundle of asparagus and stand up in a jar with a little water and put a plastic bag over the top.  On the other hand, you can also get away with the no frills system used by some friends of mine.  Their way of managing the box is to put the whole thing in the refrigerator and deal with it later, one thing at a time.  That will work too.  Just don't wait too long to wash and dry the head lettuce.

What to do with that generous bunch of fresh dill?  If you decide to try all the meal ideas below you will have a dilly of a time.   The dill should keep at least 7-10 days, bagged and refrigerated.  Keep it dry if you can.   If you are feeling ambitious and are ready for a special culinary adventure, you could make gravlax.   This is a classic Scandinavian salmon dish that requires quite a bit of fresh dill.  Raw fish is cold cured in a mixture of salt, sugar and dill for a few days - then sliced thinly and served.  It can be served as an appetizer or a main dish and is accompanied by a mustard sauce.   This online article is detailed and has good pictures. You don't have to use such a big piece of fish if you don't want to.  I suggest using kosher salt, by the way.  The article does not specify a kind of salt.  Ordinary table salt would not do this justice.   http://scandinavianfood.about.com/od/cookingtechniques/ss/gravlaxhowto.htm

Meal ideas: (Recipes follow for bold items marked with an asterisk*) 

1.  Roast chicken*.   boiled or steamed potatoes with dill sauce*  Boiled or steamed asparagus spears (also good with dill sauce)  Mixed green salad
 (Note - cook all the asparagus - remember not to overcook.  Save about 1/3 of it for pasta salad.   Also save some of the chicken breast for the salad, too.)

2.  Wilted lettuce salad *   Bread  Fruit (maybe fresh strawberries or some rhubarb sauce?) You can snip a little dill over this salad.

3.   Broiled or baked fish (or maybe gravlax?)  Rice  Steamed green beans (make a double recipe of rice if you want to make spinach casserole* later) 
If you don't serve the gravlax, you can use dill butter on the rice, fish and green beans.   Cook all the beans - don't overcook - and save about 1/3 for pasta salad.

4.   Pasta and Chicken Salad with Asparagus, Green Beans and Dill mayonnaise dressing*, served on top of mixed greens

5.  Egg salad sandwich with dill mayonnaise and lettuce on rye.  Serve with soup or salad or just a glass of milk.

6.  Spinach Casserole*  Tomato soup  Pita bread

Tomorrow's Dig In post: Vinegar

Week Two Recipes
Roast Chicken (and chicken broth)
There are many recipes for roast chicken out there.  This one comes from Laurie Colwin, who wrote two of my favorite collections of food essays: Home Cooking and More Home Cooking.
She was ahead of her time.  She said - in 1993 - "The best chickens are free-range, organic birds.  If you can find them, get them.  They cost more and they taste better."  I agree.

She suggests slow roasting until the meat falls off the bone and the skin is very crisp.
Her recipe is very simple: Place a whole chicken into an open roasting or baking pan.  Put a few cloves garlic and half a lemon inside the chicken. (You could smash a bulb of green garlic and use that.)  Sprinkle some salt, pepper and paprika on the skin.  Roast at 300 to 325 degrees "until the leg bone wiggles and the skin is the color of teak".  Two to three hours depending on the size of the chicken.
(Note:  I tried this recipe one day after I first posted this piece.  I have changed the roasting temperature because as much as I love Laurie Colwin, her recipe just was not working for me.  She said 250-300 degrees.  I say 300-325 degrees.  And plan on three hours.)

This is how the roast chicken turned out.  As you can see my Dad really enjoyed the meal.  We ate the chicken (raised by a local grower) with steamed green beans from our Featherstone CSA box and some creme fraiche with fresh dill - also from the CSA box.   Our potatoes were from our garden - the first of the year.  French fingerlings.  Fresh strawberries with just a little whipped cream for dessert.  What luxury.  I guarantee you no potentate or king ate as well as we did tonight. 

DON'T THROW AWAY THE CARCASS.  PLEASE.  After you have taken the meat off the bones, just scrape the carcass and the pan juices into a pot.  You can also throw in the tops of the green garlic and a little onion, carrot or parsley if you wish.  Or one or two whole cloves.  Add water about three quarters of the way up and simmer for three hours.  Strain broth.  Cool and then refrigerate.  Now you can dispose of the carcass.  Fat will rise to the top of the broth and harden.  Then it is easy to remove.  Chicken fat is also called schmaltz.  I like to save some in the freezer.  Sometimes a little schmaltz is just what you need.  Ask a Jewish mother.   If you are not going to use this broth within a few days,  you can freeze it. 

Dill Sauce for potatoes and vegetables
Melt 1/4 stick (4T.) butter.  (You can substitute part olive oil.)  Add 1 T. chopped fresh dill and 1 t. fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Wilted Lettuce Salad (You can use up a lot of leaf lettuce this way)
4 servings
About one pound leaf lettuce, washed and dried (if you don't have a salad spinner you can use kitchen towels).  You can also add some spinach, beet greens or other tender green.
4-6 strips bacon, diced (you can also use pancetta - that is my favorite)
4 green onions (or one bulb green garlic, minced fine, and some chopped garlic scapes)
4 T. Cider vinegar (or red or white wine vinegar)
2 t. sugar
While bacon is cooking, shred or tear salad greens and place in a large bowl.  After bacon is cooked, add vinegar, sugar and onions or garlic to pan drippings and heat gently.  Pour warm dressing and bacon pieces over the greens and quickly toss.  Serve on warmed plates.   Salt and pepper to taste.  Excellent garnished with chopped or quartered hard boiled eggs and sliced radishes.

Pasta Chicken Salad
Cook pasta of your choice - such as rotini, fusilli, penne or elbow macaroni.  Plan on about one to 1 1/2 cups cooked pasta per serving.  Drain and set aside.  Chop cooked green beans and asparagus into one or two inch pieces.  Add to pasta.  You may also add some chopped onions, garlic scapes or chives to taste.  Fresh spinach leaves cut into 1/2 inch strips would also be a good addition.  Then add pieces of cooked chicken.  You could also use turkey, salmon or tuna or even some cured or smoked sausage.  If I had some toasted pecans around I would thrown those in too.
Dressing:  Mix equal parts mayonnaise and plain yogurt.  Thin with a little milk if desired.  Add a few tablespoons of fresh chopped dill and a teaspoon or two of Dijon mustard.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you want to spark the taste a bit, add a dash of vinegar and pinch of sugar.  Serve on a bed of salad greens.  (Note:  Thursday's Hands On post will be about how to make mayonnaise at home.)

Spinach Casserole - 4 servings
One bunch or bag of spinach (1/2 to 1 pound)
1/2 cup chopped onion or 4 chopped scallions (green onions)
One T finely minced fresh green garlic
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh parsley (optional)
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (You could substitute grated swiss cheese)
1/2 t. salt, black pepper to taste
Cook spinach in a small amount of water for about 5 minutes.  Cool, squeeze dry and chop.  Saute about 1/2 cup of onions and the garlic until soft.  Beat 4 eggs.  Mix spinach in a bowl with rice, onions, eggs and seasonings.  Bake at 350 degrees until firm and lightly browned - about 30 minutes.

Tried and True - Pinto Beans

I will be posting "Tried and True" every Saturday.  "Tried and True" recipes will be basic or what I consider classic.   I hope you will come back to them again and again.  They will be building blocks for many meals.  When you are exhausted or busy, these dishes will help get you through.  I hope that after a while you won't even have to look at a recipe to make them.  You will just have this info in your head.  Your own personal cooking data base.

Today we will talk about pinto beans and cooking dry beans in general.  Canned beans are just fine and nice to have around for emergencies.  But dry beans are the way to go if you want good flavor and variety and lowest cost.  The only down side is that they usually need to be soaked before cooking.  And cooking will take a few hours too.  You don't have to work for those hours, but you will have to wait.  Sorry.

You are going to get tired of me saying this over and over -- but if you are going to cook consistently at home,  you do need to plan ahead.  I know, I know.  This is hard.  Especially for our cell phone instant gratification fast food culture.  However, I really encourage you to occasionally think about a meal more than 20 minutes before you want to eat it.  After you do this for awhile it will become second nature.  Lots of people seem to be able to plan ahead for their TV watching or social life, so I figure a little meal planning is not too much to ask. 

The nice thing about pinto beans is their versatility. Plus they are really cheap and easy to find.  They are a staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes.  You can make a big batch and freeze some for later.  You can easily vary the basic recipe.  Add more liquid, vegetables and spices and make a soup.  Add ground meat or sausage or stew meat and vegetables and you have a stew.  Drain and mash and fry the beans with some onion and garlic in good lard or bacon fat or even olive oil and you have refried beans for a host of Mexican dishes.   Keep cooked pinto beans and some tortillas in your freezer and some salsa in your cupboard or fridge.   Add steamed or sauteed or fresh seasonal vegetables and you will be able pull off a good meal in 20 minutes (because you did a little planning ahead).  Now that doesn't seem so hard, does it?

Yields - Every cup of dry pinto beans will yield about 3 cups cooked beans.  One pound of dry beans is 2 cups.  So a one pound bag of pintos will give you 6 cups of cooked beans.  I suggest cooking two pounds at a time.  Saves time and energy.  Freeze extra beans for later.

Buying - If you buy dry beans in bulk, such as from a food co-op, you are more likely to get fresher beans.  Fresher means not as dry.  So they plump up and cook faster.  Most places sell plain old generic pinto beans and they are fine.  If you want to push the envelope try to find flor de mayo, flor de junio or rattlesnake beans.  Alice Waters says they have exceptional flavor.  I have no personal experience to back this up - but Alice does know what she is talking about.

Soaking - The first step in cooking pinto beans is the soak.  Here, courtesy of the U.S. Dry Bean Council, is their recommended hot soak method.  This can save time.  Plus - and this is a big plus - they say the hot soak method is a good way to reduce flatulence and the gas causing properties of beans.  (It's those pesky oligosaccharides you want to drain off.  I know flatulence is a sensitive subject.  But we are family here.) 


Hot Soak (reduces actual cooking time and consistently produces tender beans)

1. Step 1 - Place beans in a pot and add 10 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
2. Step 2 - Heat to boiling and boil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Step 3 - Remove beans from heat, cover and let stand for 4 to 24 hours.
4. Step 4 - Drain beans, discard soak water and rinse with fresh, cool water

Recipe link - Here is a link to dry bean recipes from the Dry Bean Council web site: http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/

Cooking Pinto Beans
After the beans have been soaked and drained, put them in a big pot with fresh water.  You want the water level about one inch above the beans.  Bring to a boil and boil for ten minutes.  Then turn down heat and simmer, covered, for one hour.  Then taste a bean.  Is it nice and tender?  Even just a little mushy?  Yes?  Good.  The beans are done.
No?  Continue to simmer until they are tender.  It is advisable not to salt the beans until they are almost done.  Adding salt at the beginning of cooking may lengthen the cooking time and also result in a tougher bean.  Use from 1/2 to 1 teaspooon salt per cup of soaked beans. 

When done, cool beans in their cooking liquid.  Then drain (unless you are making soup or stew).  Save the cooking water for soup.  If you are freezing some beans you can freeze them in cooking water.

I cooked up some beans this morning.  All I did was saute a little garlic, garlic scapes(we will talk more about these next week), green onions and a piece of red onion left over from the radish salsa recipe.  Threw in the cooked beans, some cumin and chili powder and last a handful of chopped fresh cilantro.  You can see the beans here, along with the radish salsa I talked about on Tuesday.  If you want a recipe with more detailed measurements, see the Cowpoke Bean recipe below.

Cowpoke Beans (adapted from the American Heritage Cookbook)
1 pound(2 cups) dried pinto beans
Ham bone or ham hock
Chili pepper to taste
1 t. salt
1/4 pound suet (or bacon or salt pork or lard), chopped (or some oil if you are watching saturated fats)
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
About 2 c. chopped canned or fresh tomatoes (optional but nice)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro or both)
1 t. ground cumin
1 1/2 T. chile powder

 Quick soak the beans according to instructions earlier in this post and drain.   Add fresh water to beans (one inch above beans), along with ham bone or hock and chili pepper.  Bring to a boil, boil gently for 10 minutes. Turn down, simmer (covered) until beans are tender, 1-2 hours.  Add salt after one hour or so.  Drain beans, saving cooking liquid.
While beans are cooking, heat fat, stir in onion and garlic and saute until soft and lightly colored.  Add the rest of the seasonings, the tomatoes and one cup of bean liquid.  Cook over low heat about 45 minutes, stirring often.  Add beans.  Cook another 20 minutes or so.  Serves 6 to 8.  Even better served the next day.

Hope you enjoy some time in the kitchen this weekend.  I'll be back Tuesday morning with Inspiration - Week #2                

Focus: ASPARAGUS (asparagus officialis)

I just finished reading about asparagus in nine books and on about four or five websites and I have come to two main conclusions.  First, asparagus is special.  It is widely considered a delicacy, an elegant and extravagant vegetable which has been highly prized for millennia throughout the world.

Second, the U.S. of A. is not even a bit player in the world asparagus game.  As a nation, we have become dependent on foreign asparagus, mostly from Mexico and Peru.   As a planet, the world depends almost totally on China to grow asparagus.  I've included a few more stats below - at the end of this Q and A.  I don't know about you, but I am glad that we still grow a little asparagus in Minnesota.  I don't think we should forget how to do it.

1.  Is asparagus nutritious?
Yes.  One 5.3 ounce serving supplies 60% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of folacin, 3 grams of fiber, 6% RDA of protein, 20% RDA of vitamin C and significant amounts of vitamin A, B6, potassium and zinc.  There are only 35 calories in a one cup serving.  For complete nutritional facts, see the Michigan Asparagus Board website.  I checked out the California site too, but I think you will like the Michigan one better.  Solid, no frills, clean design - a no nonsense Midwestern website.    http://www.asparagus.org/maab/facts.html

2. What is the best way to cook asparagus?
The most important thing to remember is to not overcook asparagus.  You want it tender crisp, not mushy.  The simplest way is to bring water to a boil in a pan large enough for the stalks to fit lying down.  (Or chop the asparagus into pieces and use a smaller pan.)  Add stalks to boiling water and boil, uncovered to preserve maximum color, for about 3-6 minutes, depending on how fat or thin the stalks or pieces are or how crisp you like it.  Many books suggest cooking the stalks upright in a few inches of boiling water so the tips just steam and do not overcook.  Generally speaking I have not found that method to be worth the extra trouble.

I also think roasting is an excellent way to cook asparagus.  Using no more than 1T olive oil per pound, roll stalks in oil on a baking sheet until very lightly covered.  Roast at 425 degrees until tender - about 5-10 minutes depending on size and your tastes.  For a great taste experience, sprinkle on a little crushed anise seed before roasting.  Asparagus goes well with this licorice like flavor.  Molly Katzen, a renowned cookbook author, says "Asparagus has a passionate affinity for tarragon".  Tarragon, anise - either way.  Those flavors are great with asparagus.

For more recipes from the Michigan asparagus people, see the website link above.  You can download a nice pdf file with cooking instructions and recipes like a frittata or chicken vegetable stir fry.

3.  When is asparagus in season?
Asparagus is now available almost year-round in the U.S., thanks to imports and cold storage.  Here in Minnesota the season lasts about 6-7 weeks - from late April or early May to early or mid June.  Much depends on the weather.  The warmer the weather the faster the asparagus will grow and it must be harvested once it is ready.  Under the right weather conditions, an asparagus stalk can grow as much as 10 inches in 24 hours!  And it is true that asparagus tastes best if it is eaten in season and is really fresh, which more than likely means local.   One of the reasons asparagus is considered so special is that is does have a relatively short season.  I eat a lot of it this time of year and then I am happy to wait until next year for another round of asparagus feasting.

4.  Which are better - fat or skinny spears?
This is a matter of personal taste.  Either can be quite tender.  You may have read somewhere that you should avoid "fat stalks".  I am not in that camp.  I prefer the fat stalks, actually.  Whether spears are fat or thin, the key to good asparagus eating is proper cooking.

5.  Do I need to peel asparagus?

 If your asparagus is particularly "woody" or fibrous, or if you have not "snapped" the bottom, it is probably a good idea to peel the bottom several inches of the stalk, using a regular vegetable peeler.   But if you prepare a spear by snapping off the bottom end at its natural breaking point, chances are you do not need to do any peeling.  If you are like me and it kills you to break off the tough bottoms, you have two choices.  First, compost them and then they will be put to good use.  Or use them in soup stock (just throw in a bag in the freezer until you make the stock)  After you make the stock, THEN compost the waste.

6.  How long can I store fresh asparagus?
Most of the books say just two or three days.  Keep the spears wrapped or bagged and humid.  I recommend cutting off about 1/2 inch of the bottom and placing in a jar in about one inch of water and covering all with a plastic bag.  Stored this way I think asparagus will last as much as a week - especially if it is fresh when you get it.  If you have gotten it in your CSA box it is very fresh to start with.  The sugars in the stalk will be turning to starch all this time and aficionados think that the flavor is compromised after a few days.  I have not noticed that much difference myself.  Keep an eye on the tips - you want them to stay tightly closed and firm and not get mushy or slimy.

7.  What should I do if I can't eat my asparagus in a few days?
I suggest chopping the stalks (set aside the tips) and cooking in a small amount of salted water.  Puree when cool.  Blanch the tips in boiling water for about one minute.  Add puree to the tips and freeze.  This puree + tips is great used later for cream of asparagus soup or pasta sauce.

8.  Where does asparagus come from?
If you are lucky, it comes from your Featherstone CSA box or other fresh, local and seasonal source.  Otherwise,  the odds are - if you live in the U.S. - that it comes from Mexico or Peru.  If you live somewhere else, the odds are that your asparagus comes from China.  In 2008, the entire harvested world asparagus crop consisted of 1,386,630 hectares of asparagus.  Of that total,  1,265,685 hectares came from China.  13,030 hectares (or about .01) of the world crop came from the U.S.   Almost all the U.S. crop, such as it is,  comes from California, Michigan and Washington, in that order.  One more interesting factoid: in 1950, 131,620 acres of U.S. land was devoted to growing asparagus.  In 2009, that acreage had decreased to 29,200 acres.  I wonder what happened to that 102,000 acres of land?  What is it being used for today?

Tomorrow's post: Tried and True - Pinto Beans

Hands On - how to poach an egg

Today's post is about a basic cooking skill or technique.  That's why I call it Hands On.  I will be posting Hands On every Thursday.

Tip:  This is a good opportunity to practice multitasking and efficiency.  While each egg poaches for its alloted three to four minutes, you can be doing other things in the kitchen.  I washed some dishes, chopped shallots, made a short phone call and sauteed spinach.   So poaching the eggs really didn't take much time at all.

How to poach an egg:
 Assemble the following:  Cooking pot or pan, white vinegar, eggs (the fresher the better.  Also better if they are still cold from the refrigerator), slotted spoon or strainer, cooking spoon, small bowl or cup, clean kitchen towel, timer.

Fill pan with water to a depth of 2 inches.  Heat water to a steady simmer.   Add about 1 T. white vinegar to the water.    This helps the egg white (albumen for the science buffs) to coagulate.

What does a simmer look like?  You don't want bubbles breaking the top - boiling is a no-no here.  You do want to see little bubbles on the bottom and up the sides and some movement in the water.  After some experience you will know a simmer when you see one.  If the eggs seem to be cooking too slowly, turn it up a bit.  Too high and the eggs will be tough.  You don't want that.  The theme song for eggs is "Love me Tender".   Maybe the next time you tell some children to "simmer down" it will mean more to you.

Crack an egg into a small cup or saucer.  Give the simmering water a stir with a cooking spoon or chopstick - forming a little whirlpool in the middle of the pan.  Lower one end of the saucer into the water and gently slide the egg into the center of the whirlpool.  Leave it alone for about three minutes.  You can cook it an extra minute if you don't like runny yolks.

When the egg is done, lift it out of the water with a slotted spoon or strainer and put it on a clean kitchen towel to drain.  You can use it right away or you can save it a day or two in the refrigerator.  If you are going to save the eggs and want the egg yolk to stay soft and runny, you can dip the egg in a bowl of ice water for a minute or two to stop the cooking before you drain it.  To reheat, bring to room temperature and place in a pan of very hot water for a minute or so.
Until you get experienced, I suggest poaching one egg at a time.  I did six, and they are going to be supper for me, Frank and my Dad.  We are going to eat them with sauteed spinach and some toast.  No hollandaise for us tonight, but I have a little creme fraiche around and I think I will gild the lily with a dollop of that and some chopped fresh chives.

Postscript on olive oil:
Yesterday I wrote about olive oil.  Olive oil is not a local food (at least in Minnesota).  I still think it is ok to eat it.  I get somewhat exasperated when I read of rigid locavores who think they should eliminate olive oil from their lives because it is not produced within 50 or 100 or 200 miles of their kitchens.    My local food credentials stack up pretty high - we grind all our own cornmeal and polenta from corn that we grow, for heaven's sake.  And I haven't bought a California strawberry in about five years.  But I think it is crazy to give up wonderful basic foods like olive oil or chocolate just because they are imported.  Italians who live in the Piedmont region don't produce olive oil, but they do make great red wine.  They have been trading for olive oil and anchovies from Liguria for many centuries and both are an essential part of their highly developed regional traditional cuisine.  (remind me to tell you about bagna cauda.  for another day.) It is just not possible to grow olives around here, so I think that means we can buy olive oil and be proud.  Maybe in my lifetime we will have enough hazelnut oil in Minnesota that I could stop buying olive oil.  But until that happens, I say cook your locally grown vegetables in olive oil and be happy.

Tomorrow's post: Focus on Asparagus
I welcome your comments on this blog - or you can e mail me at cook@featherstonefarm.com

Dig In - Olive Oil

Every Wednesday I will be writing a post under the heading "Dig In".   In these posts I will go into a little more depth on subjects I think might be useful for aspiring or experienced cooks alike.  Today's topic is olive oil.

Olive oil is a good fat.  And it should be consumed in moderation if for no other reason than it is very calorie dense.  About 120 calories a tablespoon.  Olive oil is monosaturated.  For now this is all you need to know about the FAT thing.   I am not going to be like other people in the world of food media who leave you hopelessly confused and anxious about fat - usually for the purpose of selling you more of some questionable and overpriced foodlike substance.  People buy these products because they want to be healthy (that's good) and they are seduced by the ads and labels.  And then they eat too much of the products because they are "low fat" or have no saturated fat and then they GET fat and then we haven't made any progress at all, have we?

So for today we are not going to worry about trans fats or poly- or mono- or un- saturated fats or even Omega 3's or 6's or whatever it is that nuts and flax seeds have.   We are just going to learn more about olive oil, which has been making food taste better for the human race for at least 3,500 years.  And if it was good enough for the ancient Greeks and the Romans and the Jews and Jesus, it should be good enough for you and me.  And besides,  olive oil is essential if you are making salads and cooking with vegetables.

North Americans have not been eating olive oil forever so we have a lot to learn.  Like what kinds are best?  And how to use them?  This is a worthwhile discussion to have.  You could write a whole book about it and some people have.  So I will try to keep this simple.  If you want to Dig In even deeper, you could start by going to Wikipedia.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil  Or you could read a book, such as Olive Oil -  From Tree to Table, by Peggy Knickerbocker.  http://www.amazon.com/Olive-Oil-Table-Peggy-Knickerbocker/dp/B0030EG0MK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275482270&sr=1-1  (No I do not get kickbacks from Amazon - just want to make things easy for you.)

Most of the world's olive oil comes from Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Turkey, in that order.  The price of olive oil can vary widely, depending on where and how it was made and what kind of olives were used.   Flavor, fragrance and acidity are all important factors in determining quality.  Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO in foodie language) is considered the highest quality type of oil.  In the last few years there have been scandals about some unscrupulous producers or importers trying to pass off cheap oil as the good stuff.

So my advice is to be cautious when buying olive oil.  Read labels carefully.  Just because the label says "imported from Italy" it does not mean the oil was produced in Italy or necessarily that the oil is better.   Much good oil comes from countries other than Italy.  Buy from a reputable and knowledgeable merchant.  Ask questions about what the label means.  If you are buying especially expensive oil,  ask to taste it first. 

Over the last twenty years or so  I have gotten a lot of my olive oil from Bill's Imported Foods on Lake St. in Minneapolis.  Being a moderate and frugal Midwesterner, I favor varieties that are middle of the road in flavor and price.  I usually buy 3 liter cans and use the same kind for both cooking and salads.  I keep a quart bottle of it right near the stove at all times and store the rest in a cool dark place.  I love my spout with the little ball inside.  I never have to unscrew a cap and the pouring is very controlled.

I admit I am still playing the field and have not yet settled down with one or two brands.  For a while it was Minerva from Greece and the last few years I have favored Zoe from Spain.   I guess I just have issues with olive oil commitment. 

Since I don't really have a strong recommendation for you, I spent a little time perusing people's comments and reviews on Chowhound so you don't have to.  Some popular EVOO brands mentioned:  Whole Foods 365 brand, Colavita, Trader Joe's Santorini, Zoe.  One person referred to a recent Cook's Illustrated review, which recommended Columela EVOO for tossing in salads and other "raw" applications, stating that  "it has a full, beautiful, fruity flavor but it is hard to find and a little pricey at about $20." For cooking or sauteing several reviewers liked Da Vinci 100% pure olive oil.  (Note - "pure" is not the same as EVOO)

Do you have a favorite EVOO?  What does it cost?  Do you use different kinds of oil for salads and for general cooking?  What do you think we all need to know about olive oil?  Your comments are welcome.

Meanwhile:  Here is a simple and basic vinaigrette recipe.  Double it and keep extra in the refrigerator so you will be salad ready at all times.
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
3 T. good quality wine vinegar
1 t. prepared Dijon mustard
a few grinds of fresh pepper
1/4 t. kosher salt (or a little more, to taste)
Optional: 1/2 t. finely minced garlic or 1 T. minced shallots

Tomorrow: Hands On:  How to poach an egg

Inspiration - Week 1

I picked up my Grande box #1 Monday morning at the farm.   Now safely stored in my refrigerator: mixed salad greens,  a head of leaf lettuce,  big bunches of radishes, rhubarb, spinach and asparagus and last but not least a tidy aromatic bunch of fresh cilantro.  It took me half an hour to DEAL WITH THE BOX, and that included clean up.   I even took a few big bowls of used water out the back door and threw it on the thirsty strawberry plants.  Put the trimmings into the compost, too.  Waste not want not.

 I was efficient and you can be too.  I trimmed, washed and dried first the spinach, then the mixed greens and last the cilantro.  While the batches sat in the water and I waited for the little bits of grit to sink, I did other little chores like trim 1/2 inch off the bottom of the asparagus before I stood it up in a few inches of water in a wide mouthed jar.  I didn't wash the radishes - just trimmed off the tops and bagged them.  I bagged up the head lettuce for washing later.  While one bunch of greens/spinach waited in the washing water, I spin dried another bunch.  You can get a lot done in half an hour if you don't mess around.  Later on this week I will be glad I took this time to prep a bit.   Make yourself do this too - you will be happy you did.  (For details on salad washing and spinning, see my April l3 post)

My plan for the next 22 weeks is to supply you with useful and maybe even sometimes entertaining information so you can get your beautiful food out of the box and onto your plate.  Every Tuesday morning will be dedicated to Inspiration - a week's worth of meal ideas - with a few recipes thrown in.  I will also be posting Wednesday through Saturday mornings with more recipes and other tidbits.

Some meal ideas for this week.  Items marked with an asterisk * - see recipes below
Main dish salad, whole grain bread,  rhubarb crisp *
Toss mixed greens with a simple vinaigrette .  Add your favorite cheese, meat, hard boiled egg, fish, nuts, fresh or dried fruit. 
Some possible combinations to stimulate your imagination:
cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, apple, raisins
blue cheese, grapes, dried figs, walnuts
ham, bacon or sausage, swiss cheese, sweet onion, radishes
tuna, hard boiled egg, onion,  cut up asparagus

Pasta with asparagus sauce*, green salad using mixed greens or leaf lettuce.   A simple baked custard made with honey or maple syrup would be good with this meal - adding needed protein as well as a sweet finish.   (Sorry about that little glop of asparagus on the plate - I never claimed to be a food stylist.  This is real life we are talking about here.)

Japanese spinach salad * - Serve with rice and grilled, broiled or baked chicken (or other meat or fish or tofu)  A first course of simple miso soup with a few cooked spinach leaves or chicken broth with some sliced spring onions would make this meal special.

Poached Eggs on a bed of lightly sauteed spinach (if you have used most of your spinach in the Japanese salad, just put the eggs on toast or English muffins and use less spinach) - serve with  baked or roasted potatoes, cooked polenta, or other grain on the side.  Serve with hollandaise sauce *  if you are feeling celebratory.   If you have extra salad greens - add a side salad.


Tortillas with beans,  shredded leaf lettuce and radish-cilantro salsa *  Fresh melon or pineapple would be a nice addition to this meal.  Add any extra fresh cilantro to the cooked beans - stir in a few minutes before serving. 


**Recipes **

Rhubarb crisp
Cut rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces.  Add about 3 T. sugar per cup of rhubarb.  Mix well and put rhubarb into a baking pan.  Sprinkle with topping.  Bake at 375 degrees about 1/2 hour - until top is browned and rhubarb is bubbling.
Topping:  mix together until crumbly:  1 cup flour (white or whole wheat), 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats, 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 t. ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces. (Tip - double this recipe and freeze extra.  Use with any fresh fruit for a quick dessert.)


Pasta with asparagus sauce
Chop asparagus stalks (about 4-5 per serving), setting aside tips.  Cook stalks in about 1/2 cup water until tender - not more than 5 minutes.  Cool, then puree in a food processor, blender or food mill.  Set aside.
Heat about 2 T. olive oil or hazelnut oil in a pan - add a few cloves chopped garlic or a handful of chopped onion (more or less depending on amount of asparagus) and lightly saute, along with asparagus tips.  If you have some shitake mushrooms or other mushrooms, saute those too.  After about 5 minutes, add asparagus puree.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Optional - add a few tablespoons cream or creme fraiche.  Serve on top of cooked pasta, along with grated parmesan or other hard grating cheese.  A spoonful of chopped, toasted Minnesota hazelnuts as a garnish makes this dish truly special.  Pine nuts would also be good.  As would chopped fresh chives.


Hollandaise sauce - 
copied from my April 27 blog:  For the hollandaise all I needed was one raw egg yolk,  2 T of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 a juicy lemon) and 6 T. cold butter (that is 3/4 of a stick)  I whisked together the egg yolk and the lemon juice in a small saucepan.  Then - over very low heat - I gradually whisked in one T. of butter until it melted.  Then another T. and another until I had a beautiful thick bright yellow sauce.  The trick here is to keep the heat low, add the butter one piece at a time and keep stirring gently.   Some recipes tell you to use a double boiler but I have never found it necessary


Japanese style spinach salad
Steam spinach (cook it over- not in- an inch or so of boiling water) for 3-4 minutes.  Cool, squeeze dry and chop.  Add dressing: 1/4 c. soy sauce, 2 t. sugar, 2 T. peanut or vegetable oil,   Optional: 2 T. sesame seeds (lightly toasted in a dry skillet and then crushed) and 1/2 t. toasted sesame oil.  This is enough dressing for about 1 1/2 pounds of spinach.


Radish-cilantro salsa (based on recipe from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
Dice fresh radishes and add some diced cucumber if you have it.  For every 2 cups of radishes, add 1/3 cup chopped red onion or scallion (green onion), 1 t. minced fresh garlic and 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves. Add zing with a few tablespoons of fresh lemon or lime juice or red wine vinegar and -of course- chopped fresh chile peppers or red pepper flakes to your taste


Next post: 8 a.m. Wednesday - when we will Dig In - and learn more about olive oil
I welcome your comments on the blog - or you can e mail me at cook@featherstonefarm.com