Inspiration - Week # 16

In this week's Grande box:  broccoli, bunched dill, red potatoes, sweet and red onions, sweet and hot peppers, radishes, heirloom tomatoes (there might be one more week for tomatoes after this), braising greens (with Asian and mustard greens and spinach), raspberries (some boxes this week and some next), acorn and snow dumpling squash

As I write this I am looking out at the Mississippi River on my left as it flows by McGregor, Iowa.   Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin's second oldest city (1673) is just across the river.  On my right a long freight train squeals and scrapes as it rumbles by.  As soon as I finish this post, we are going out for a catfish dinner.  (Tomorrow I am going to tell you all about my search for Mississippi River catfish.)  So I am not going to mess around.  Let's talk about some meals you can cook this week -- out of your CSA box.  There are a lot of broccoli ideas - because I think you are going to have a lot of broccoli.  Jack says Featherstone's broccoli crop is wonderful this year.  Note that I have not included winter squash in menus or recipes for this week.  That is because Jack recommends that the squash have a little more time to develop their flavor while living at your house.  Put in a warm (room temp) and dry place for another 2 to 3 weeks.  Jack says maybe the top of your refrigerator. It will be worth the wait.

If you see an asterisk after a menu idea- there is a recipe at the end of the post.

Pretend you are in a trattoria
Italian sausage with sweet or hot peppers and onions.  You can saute the peppers and onions and sausage all together.  Or you can roast the meat and vegetables together in the oven.  Use olive oil and your sweet Alisa Craig onions for this dish.; polenta or boiled potatoes; heirloom tomato salad*; good bread for sopping up all the juices.  Have a juicy fresh peach (if you can find one) or pear for dessert.  Or a few dried figs and a small orange or tangerine.


Three reds and a green with lots of fresh dill
Radish salad*;  Salmon (wild Alaskan if you can find it) - poached, baked, broiled or grilled; boiled red potatoes with melted butter and fresh dill  - put some on the fish too; broccoli vinaigrette salad*
(Note - if you don't want to take the time to make broccoli salad, just steam some broccoli, nestle it right next to the potatoes and throw some dill butter on it, too.)  If you want to save your broccoli for other recipes this week, then use any other vegetables that need to be eaten - maybe your green or yellow beans?  Or bok choy?  Or edamame?

Peanut butter - not just for sandwiches
Broccoli with spicy peanut sauce* served over thin egg or rice noodles or rice.  Add some cubed tofu to the broccoli if you want.  A simple baked egg custard would be a comforting end to this meal.

Asian braise
Braised greens Asian style*; Rice; roasted or baked chicken or BBQ pork; ice cream or sorbet

Broccoli for brunch or lunch or even supper
Broccoli souffle*; roasted red potatoes; radish, dill and butter sandwiches*; fresh raspberry parfait*

RECIPES

Heirloom tomato salad (1 1/4 pounds should serve about 4)

Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick and arrange on individual salad plates.  Drizzle about 2 t. oil over each serving.  If you have some pesto - stir some in with the oil and drizzle that.  Sprinkle just a pinch of good salt over each plate.  Serve at room temperature, NOT cold.  If you have fresh basil, chiffonade some leaves and sprinkle those on the salads.  (Don't use pesto if you have fresh leaves.) To chiffonade:  stack about 8 leaves on top of each other.  Roll up the long way.  Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut into thin strips.

Radish salad - serves 4
Vegetables:
one cup radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup cucumbers, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sweet onions, chopped or thinly sliced
(If you don't have cucumbers, use extra radishes.  You could also use thinly sliced sweet peppers in this salad)

Dressing:
3 T chopped fresh dill
Juice and zest from one lemon (about 3 T juice)
1 cup plain yogurt (you can drain in a fine strainer for a few hours if you want a thicker product)
2 t. sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Place vegetables in large bowl.  Mix dressing in smaller bowl.  Add dressing to vegetables.  Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Broccoli Vinaigrette Salad
Trim the bottom tough ends off broccoli stalks.  Peel the stalks if desired. 
Separate the head into florets and slice the stalks.  Cook in boiling salted water about 4 minutes.  Drain in a colander and spread on towels to cool and dry.
Meanwhile, make dressing.  Whisk together or blend in a food processor or blender: 2 T. red wine vinegar, 3 T. dijon mustard, 2 T. fresh chopped dill, 1 cup oil (half olive and half vegetable), salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Place broccoli in a shallow serving dish.  Pour vinaigrette over broccoli.  Marinate at least an hour.  Serve at room temperature.
Variation:  add strips of raw or roasted red sweet pepper; add thinly sliced red onion

Broccoli with peanut sauce
Prepare broccoli the same way you would for the salad -- see preceding recipe.  You want the broccoli just tender-crisp.
Prepare peanut sauce:
Spicy peanut sauce (Plenty for about six cups cooked broccoli or one pound of pasta. This keeps well in the refrigerator – make a double batch for another day.
1 cup peanuts-only peanut butter (salt added is ok) – chunky or smooth
1 cup hot water
1 T peanut oil
2 1/2 t. fresh garlic – minced fine
2 t. fresh ginger – minced fine (optional)
2 T soy sauce or tamari
2 T hoisin sauce (optional – find this at an Asian market or ask your grocer to stock this great condiment. If you omit this, add an extra two teaspoons each of sugar, vinegar and soy sauce)
2 T Asian toasted sesame oil (optional but very nice if you have it)
1 T chile paste (Asian style) or red pepper flakes to taste or finely chopped fresh hot chile peppers
2 T brown sugar, white sugar or honey
5 T rice or cider vinegar
Gently saute garlic and ginger in peanut oil for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well mixed. Pour over cooked broccoli. Optional additions: chopped sweet red or green pepper, tofu cubes, chopped sweet onion or scallions, chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve broccoli and peanut sauce mixture over rice or thin rice or egg noodles.  Add a wedge of lime if desired.

Braised greens Asian style
Wash greens and shake or spin dry.  It is okay if some water still clings to the leaves.  Slice or chop greens into large pieces.   Heat 1-2 T oil in pan until hot.  Add chopped fresh garlic to taste and then add greens.  (work fast to avoid burning the garlic) Add a few tablespoons of soy sauce, cover and turn down heat.  Braise a few minutes until greens are tender.  Optional -- add chopped hot peppers when you add the garlic.

Broccoli souffle - serves three to four

Ingredients:
4 whole eggs plus one egg white
3 T. butter
1 T. finely chopped shallots or onion
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked broccoli
3 T. flour
1 1/2 c. milk, warmed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Separate eggs.  Place egg whites from four eggs in large clean dry bowl.  Set aside the three yolks.
Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish well and sprinkle in about 1 T of cheese evenly in the dish.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and adjust oven rack to center position.

Make a bechamel sauce with the butter, shallots, flour and milk.  (See post from  Sept. 2 for a detailed guide to bechamel sauce)  Whisk in egg yolks.  (add a little sauce to the yolks first - then slowly add the warmed yolk mixture back to the bechamel sauce, to avoid curdling.  Add a pinch or two of nutmeg if you like that flavor)  Add the broccoli to the sauce.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Gently stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into the sauce to lighten it.  Then fold the broccoli and sauce mixture into the rest of the egg white, taking care to lose as little air as possible.  It is all right if some streaks or patches of white remain.  Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking dish, using a rubber scraper to scrape the bowl.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Put dish into oven and immediately turn down to 375 degrees.  Bake about 30 minutes, or until the souffle is puffed and golden brown.  Serve immediately.  (You can hold in a turned off oven about 5 minutes.)

Fresh radish sandwiches - for each sandwich:
Thinly slice radishes.  Mix softened butter with fresh dill.  Spread two slices whole wheat bread with dill butter.  Add a thin layer of sliced radishes.  Place another slice of buttered bread on top.  Cut into wedges.  You can also do this with thinly sliced cucumbers.  Or heirloom tomatoes (slice fairly thin and drain a bit first so they are not too wet.)

Fresh raspberry parfait - per serving
Use old fashioned sundae dishes if you have them - or stemmed wineglasses.  Layer the following in a glass:  1 T berries, 1/4 cup yogurt (use plain yogurt and sweeten yourself to taste.  Drizzling with honey is a nice touch), 1/4 cup cookie crumbs or granola or toasted oats and almonds.  Or what the heck - a few chocolate chips.  Make two or three layers, ending with a dollop of yogurt and a berry.  Refrigerate at least an hour and up to overnight before serving.

Tried and True - Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are so easy and inexpensive to make, I really just don't understand why so many people use instant potatoes or the kind of pre-made "real" potatoes that you can find in the refrigerator case at the grocer's. Maybe it is because people don't know how quick and easy they are to make? Maybe they lost their potato masher? Or peeler?   Maybe they think peeling potatoes is hard?

If you assume that a pound of potatoes costs a dollar (and potato prices can vary widely) and take into account the cost of butter and milk,  then a half cup serving of homemade mashed potatoes costs only 20 cents. That is a really good deal. The brand of "fresh" mashed potatoes at my local grocery store cost about 60 cents a half cup serving. That is a difference of $3.20 for every 4 cups of mashed potatoes. Call me old fashioned but I don't mind peeling and mashing a few potatoes to save over three dollars a meal.   That adds up.

I did not purchase the "fresh" packaged potatoes and conduct a taste test. I am pretty sure that homemade mashed potatoes made with fresh organic Featherstone Farm Yukon Gold potatoes would beat any commercial "fresh" potatoes when it comes to taste. Plus you can control what goes in them.

I also calculated the calories for this recipe. (Note - there are 110 calories in a 5.3 ounce potato, which is considered to be medium sized.) There are 77 calories in each half cup serving of mashed potatoes, assuming you use half a cup of 2% milk and 2 T butter for two pounds of potatoes.   The refrigerated store mashed potatoes I checked out had 120 calories per half cup serving. That is another reason to make your own.

Top with some homemade yogurt or creme fraiche.  Good breakfast.

This recipe makes twelve 1/2 cup servings. At only 77 calories for half a cup, you could eat a whole cup and still feel virtuous. You would also be getting your day's supply of vitamin C. You can reheat any leftovers or add some milk and turn them into soup. Or you can mix a cup or so of leftover potatoes with a beaten egg and a some minced onion. Form into little patties, fry in butter and you have potato pancakes!

For lots of mashed potato recipes, see this link from the Idaho Potato Commission.  http://www.idahopotato.com/recipes/cat_id-14

Equipment
You will need a cooking pot - at least two quart size. Plus a peeler, a potato masher and a colander. And a jar if you like to save the cooking water for bread or soup like I do.  There are lots of kinds of potato mashers.  If you are not happy with the one you have, get another one.  I recommend metal.  The plastic ones I have seen are just not serious and would not stand up to the muscle power that goes into potato mashing.

This is what two pounds of peeled Yukon Golds look like

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into equal sized chunks (I used Yukon Gold potatoes - they make great mashed potatoes. So do russet potatoes.)
2 T. butter melted in 1/2 cup warm milk, 1/2 t. salt or to taste. Same with pepper.

Here are the potoates, cooked and drained

Preparation
Cover peeled potatoes with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender. Drain potatoes. (Save the cooking water for soup stock or making yeast bread. Waste not want not.) Return potatoes to pan and stir and heat gently a few minutes so they are dry. Mash with potato masher. Add butter and milk and mash some more. Don’t over mash or potatoes will get gluey. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy. If potatoes are too dry, mix in a little more warm milk to get the consistency you like.

Mashing potatoes is fun.  Takes muscle power.

Note on peeling: Some people leave the peels on their mashed potatoes. This is a matter of personal choice. If you have potatoes with very tender peels it probably is ok. Some peels can be bitter or tough and are best removed before cooking.

Note on the colander: If you are experienced and confident you can do what I do and just use the pot lid to hold the potatoes back while you pour off the cooking water.  Faster and saves having to wash a colander.

Note on herbs and garlic: If you have some roasted garlic around by all means add some to your mashed potatoes. You can also add caramelized onions. Or a handful of chopped chives or parsley or both.

Note on other flavorings: Add some grated cheese. Or chopped cooked mushrooms. Or cooked cabbage (the Irish call this colcannon). Or grated horseradish.

Focus: ARUGULA (Eruca sativa)

Arugula, which is also known as rocket, roquette or rucola, is dark green and very flavorful, with a punguent peppery taste.  It is a member of the mustard family.  Somehow it has gotten a reputation as just a gourmet food favored by food snobs.  In fact arugula is Italian peasant food - enjoyed by humble people for hundreds of years as either a fresh salad green or a cooked vegetable.  Tuscans have endless uses for arugula: chopped for a pizza topping,  sliced into soups or pasta or raw in salads.  You can eat arugula without shame or fear of being called "an elitist". 

Because arugula has such an assertive flavor, it is well suited for combination with other strong flavors such as blue cheese, citrus, olives, garlic, goat cheese and cured meats.   One especially harmonious combination - which is not uncommon to see on restaurant menus - is pears, arugula, walnuts and goat cheese.  I think it would be fun to experiment with this combination in different guises - such as salad, sandwich, omelet, pizza or with pasta -- you get the idea.  I would even throw in a few roasted beets for color and extra nutrition.

It likes cool weather and is best enjoyed in the spring and fall.  If you are an impatient gardener - plant some arugula.  With any luck you will only have to wait about 4-5 weeks from planting to harvest for medium sized leaves - depending on the time of year.

Nutrition
Arugula is high in vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.  There are only TWO calories in a half cup serving.  (Once you add some olive oil, that number goes up fast!)

Storage
Arugula is fairly perishable - it has a high water content and wilts easily.   Refrigerate unwashed and  tightly wrapped.  Ideally you should use it within 3-4 days.  You can try to extend its life by putting the stems in a half glass of water, covering the leaves and glass with a plastic bag and storing in the refrigerator.  Compost discolored or yellow leaves - they have gotten too old.

Preparation
Wash arugula well (it is probably a good idea to give it a swish in 2 or even 3 changes of water)  in a large sink or pan of water.  Allow a little time for the grit to sink, since the leaves are often sandy. Spin dry for use in a salad.  You only need to shake dry or drain in a colander if you will be cooking the arugula.

Raw:
Dress lightly with olive oil and lemon juice and use as a bed for grilled food.
Use instead of lettuce in a BLT or other sandwich
Make a salad.  By itself, arugula is good dressed with a simple vinaigrette - good olive oil, white wine or champagne vinegar, salt, freshly ground pepper and shaved parmesan.  Or combine with a milder green such as butter lettuce for a nice contrast and balance.  Or add some thinly sliced red onion, apple and fennel to an arugula salad.
Slice into strips and add to a bean, pasta or potato salad.  Or put on top of a pizza as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Add chopped arugula to an uncooked tomato-garlic sauce for pasta.  A few chopped Greek olives would be nice, too.

Cooked:
Do not boil arugula - it will destroy its characteristic flavor.  Gentle steaming - using just residual moisture from washing - for 2-3 minutes is all that is necessary.  Arugula can also be stir fried or sauteed.  Just add at the end of the preparation of a dish and cook until wilted.

Pesto:
I have seen many recommendations for substituting raw arugula for some or all of the basil in standard pesto recipes.  I have not tried this so cannot give you an opinion on the outcome. I also have seen arugula pesto recipes which call for steaming the arugula and squeezing it dry before using in a pesto.

Recipe: Arugula, caramelized onion and goat cheese pizza
This is a nice recipe which uses whole wheat tortillas as a crust.  Quick, easy, and low calorie.  You could also use a more traditional crust.
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
4 cups raw arugula - washed, dried and sliced or chopped
4 6 inch whole wheat tortillas
2 ounces goat cheese (blue cheese would be nice too)
Preparation
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Saute the onion, slowly, in the olive oil for about 10 minutes - until golden brown.
Add the arugula and cook about one minute more.
Place tortillas on a baking sheet.  Top each with the arugula onion mixture.  Divide cheese among pizzas.  Bake about 10 minutes until tortillas are crisp and cheese is slightly melted.

Hands On - Homemade Yogurt

Today I am going to show you how you can make yogurt at home.  I like to make a quart jar every week or two.  For about ten minutes of work, I can have plain, unsweetened yogurt whenever I need it.  If your household goes through a lot of yogurt -- just make two quarts at a time or make it more often.

Once you get into the habit of homemade yogurt, you will never have to buy yogurt again.  You can  use yogurt from your current jar to start the next one.  I confess that once in awhile I use up all my yogurt and don't set aside any starter.  No big deal - I just buy some more store yogurt and start all over again.  Maybe you even have a friend or neighbor who could be your yogurt starter buddy.  Between the two of you, you could keep your friendly starter bacteria family going for generations.

Making yogurt would be a great project - even a science project - for children.  Perhaps there is a child in your home who could take on this task as a regular duty - kind of like walking the dog or taking out the trash.  This job does require a modicum of skill and judgment.  You have to know something about biology and chemistry.  You have to measure and check temperatures and keep things clean and follow step by step instructions.  You can experiment with variables such as the fat content of the milk or the type of starter.   It is fun and you get to eat the results of your experiment.  Maybe you have the makings of a dairy entrepreneur living under your roof?  Who knows?  I want to talk to Ben and Jerry's mothers.  Maybe they were making ice cream when they were 12??  You have to start somewhere.

Yogurt can be an excellent substitute for buttermilk in baking, soups or beverages.  It can also be an excellent substitute for sour cream - especially whole milk yogurt.   I like this efficiency - one jar can play many different roles in the kitchen.  So making homemade yogurt doesn't complicate your life - it simplifies it.

Equipment Needed
One cooking pot to heat milk
Whisk
Instant read thermometer  (These are not expensive and can be found wherever basic kitchen equipment is sold.  Cooking is all about temperatures - it is handy to have one of these around whether or not you make yogurt.)
Quart jar (s) and lid (s)  - I prefer wide mouth - they are easier to work with.  Treat yourself to a package of plastic jar lids.  They look great and are easy to keep clean.
Measuring cup and measuring spoon (tablespoon size)
Small bowl for stirring the starter yogurt
Some type of heat retention system for keeping the yogurt warm while the culture works its magic (I will discuss this in greater detail below)

Ingredients
Milk 
You can use skim, low fat or whole.  Experiment to see what you like best.  2% is a nice compromise.  If I use skim, sometimes I add about 1/2 a cup of powdered milk/dry milk solids to thicken the yogurt a bit.  Whole milk will give you a thicker and richer product if you don't mind a little extra butterfat.    Give some thought to your choice of milk.  I have used ordinary not organic grocery store commercial milk,  milk bottled and pasteurized at a nearby dairy farm (that is what I am using today) and whole, unpasteurized milk a few hours out of the cow.  And I have noticed differences in the end product.   I really like whole fresh unpasteurized milk for the flavor, but that is unrealistic most of the time even for me who has friends who are dairy farmers.    I encourage you to experiment a bit to find the milk you like to use for yogurt.  No matter what you use,  you are going to end up with a product that is much better than almost any kind of storebought yogurt.

Starter bacteria

Use a starter from yogurt that is made from only milk and a bacteria culture.  No pectins, gums, stabilizers, sweeteners, etc.  This can be a little hard to find these days.  Ask your grocer to get it if it is not at your favorite store.  Now that I am learning a bit more about the bacteria part of all this, I  think I will make more of an effort to find a yogurt with a particular bacteria culture that I especially like.   I will let you know what I find out.  I might even figure out how to buy just the culture bacteria online and skip having to buy starter yogurt.

Cool the boiled milk - 100 degrees is what you are aiming for

The Process
Bring one quart (4 cups) of milk to a boil, stirring fairly constantly.  (This step helps encourage a smoother product)  Cool milk to between 95 and 110 degrees.  This is where you need your thermometer.  I am sure there are millions of women in the developing world who can - and do - do this all the time without a thermometer.  The same way our great grandmothers checked oven temperatures in their wood stoves. Feel.  Experience.  Good for them. 

Remove any skin that has formed on the milk.  Whisk 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt (commercial or taken from an earlier home batch) into the milk and pour into a clean quart jar - or even a bowl that has a cover.

Now you need to incubate the milk for about 5 hours.  The ideal temperature for incubation is 100 degrees.  The temperature can be as low as 85 degrees, but then fermentation will just take longer.

Here are some ways to keep the milk at about 100 degrees:
1.  Use an insulated container manufactured for this purpose.   I have used my Easy-Yo container for at least 15 years.  (see the equipment picture above) It does not have to be plugged in.  These are still available for about $30.  Here is a link to the Easy-Yo company.  https://www.yogurt2you.com/products/index_dynamic.php/product/3551/

2.  It is not necessary to buy special equipment.  You could put the jar(s)/bowl in a closed oven that has a pilot light.  You just need to check the temperature to make sure it is staying at about 100 degrees.

3.  You can put the jars or bowl in a pan of 100 degree water and wrap with towels or a blanket.  Check temperatures every so often to make sure they are staying at about 100 degrees.  You could try setting the pan of water on a heating pad set on low to keep the temperature steady.

After about 4 - 5 hours - check the yogurt.  It should have the consistency of delicate custard. Once you see this - refrigerate and it will firm up as it chills.   My yogurt keeps fine for up to two weeks.

Flavoring yogurt
You can sweeten your yogurt to taste with honey, maple syrup, sugar, jam, preserves or jelly.  You might need more sweetening at first if you are used to commercial yogurt.  See if you can slowly reduce the sweetening and learn to appreciate the tanginess of yogurt.
You can cook up some fresh fruit with sugar and add that to yogurt.  You can put the fruit on the bottom of individual containers or stir it in or just add fresh fruit to a bowl of yogurt.  Start the kids off with plain yogurt and sliced bananas with sugar on top.  If you have to add a few Froot Loops on top to get them started, I say go for it.  In this case the ends justify the means.
Almost any kind of spice or flavoring can be added to yogurt:  cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, citrus peel or juice.  You could even add instant coffee crystals. Or some espresso if you don't mind thinning the yogurt.
You can focus on savory flavors -- grated vegetables, minced onion or garlic, fresh chopped chiles, sunflower seeds or other nuts or seeds, chili powder -- the possibilities are endless.

Here are a few recipes using yogurt.
Raita
Raita is a yogurt based condiment often used with Indian dishes.  Raita is just plain yogurt with some  vegetables, herbs, spices or fruits added.  Here is one version to get you started:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 cup mixture of chopped tomato, onion and cucumber (peel, seed, salt and drain the cucumber first)
1 t. cumin seed, crushed
1 clove garlic, crushed and fined minced
1/2 t. salt
Chopped hot chiles - if desired

Pancakes
Testimonial - I have made thousands of pancakes using this recipe - both for my family and friends and for 18 year's worth of guests at my bed and breakfast.  Memorize it.  You will be glad you did. 

Wet ingredients: 1 cup plain yogurt, one egg, 1/4 cup melted butter or flavorless oil
Dry ingredients:  1 cup flour (you can use a mixture of flours or grains.  I like to use half whole wheat pastry flour and half cornmeal.  If that is too hard core for your family, start with all plain white unbleached flour.  Sometimes I throw in some ground flax seed or toasted black walnuts or even chocolate chips when the grandchildren are visiting), 1 T. sugar, 1 t. baking powder, 1/2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk together wet ingredients in a larger bowl.  Whisk in dry ingredients, taking care not to overbeat.  Add a little more yogurt or even a spoonful of water if batter seems too thick.  Cook on a hot griddle as you would any pancake.

These are the pancakes we had for breakfast this morning -- with creme fraiche (basically fermented cream instead of fermented milk.  An occasional indulgence in our house) and wild blackberry jelly.

Dig In - Yogurt

Yogurt is good.  
Yogurt tastes good and is good for you.  It can be used in baking.  It can be used in many types of soups, beverages, sauces or condiments - especially with Indian or Middle Eastern dishes.  It is excellent served for breakfast with granola or cooked grains.  It makes a great smoothie along with fresh fruit or juice.

Yogurt is simple. 
Yogurt is milk, period.  The milk is cultured with bacteria to produce the unique flavor and texture of yogurt.  Yogurt has the same nutritional value as milk.  Various good bacteria - such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus or Streptococcus thermophilus - are added to the milk.  The bacteria feed and grow on the nutrients in the milk.  As the bacteria ferment (digest) the nutrients in the milk, lactose gets used up and lactic acid and other substances are formed.  This elimination of lactose is the reason that people who are lactose intolerant usually have no trouble eating yogurt.

Buying yogurt - what to look for
When you buy yogurt - look for brands which contain just milk and good bacteria.  Look for a label that assures you that "live and active cultures" are present.  Avoid those with added gums, stabilizers, thickeners (like pectin or carageenan) or gelatins.  Try to find plain, unsweetened yogurt - you can always add your own sweetening in amounts which almost certainly will be less than those added for you.  You can choose from nonfat, lowfat or whole milk yogurt.  Nonfat is great for baking or beverages.  I like whole yogurt sometimes for raitas or in dishes where the added richness makes a difference.

Yogurt and health mystique
I have borrowed the term "health mystique" from Marion Nestle, a nationally known nutritionist and book author who teaches at New York University.  Her book What to Eat - An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating is the source of much of the information included in this post.
You can get the paperback version for about $12.  If you are looking to become a more informed food buyer and eater and to  "cut through the confusion" in the supermarket this is a great book. http://www.amazon.com/What-Eat-Marion-Nestle/dp/0865477043

You all have probably noticed that food manufacturers really like to make health claims for their products.  It works.  People want to buy healthy food - for lots of reasons.  So that is why you see yogurt makers promoting yogurt - even the kind loaded with sugar and other sweeteners - as a health food.

So is yogurt a "health food"?   Ms. Nestle says "it depends" and adds:  "Beyond the marketing hype, I think there may be something to the acidophilus story,  and I like the idea that friendly bacteria replace the bad ones and do good things for health.  Even if the evidence for special health benefits is not as compelling as advertised, eating yogurt for its friendly bacteria is attractive, worth trying and can't hurt."

Glass on the left.  Plastic on the right.

Convenience
I understand how tempting it is to grab a bunch of those little containers at the store to keep on hand at home.  It is a quick and easy solution if the kids need a snack or you want a portable low calorie lunch.  I am all in favor of little containers of yogurt for snacks or on the go living.  But I beg you to consider taking a little time to modify your yogurt lifestyle.  The first step is to purchase reusable containers.  You could use 8 ounce glass canning jars with plastic lids.  They are attractive, durable, leak proof and easily cleaned - but they are also heavy and breakable.   Another alternative would be to use plastic screw top freezer containers.  They also are leak proof and durable - as well as light weight and non breakable.  I got mine at Fleet Farm.  They are made by the Ball jar company.  Once a week or so you could fill containers with PLAIN yogurt - either purchased or homemade.  Leave a little room for whatever flavoring or additions you wish to add.  Cover, refrigerate and you are good to go.  For a little investment of time you will end up with a much higher quality and less sweet product at a lower cost.

Yogurt is confusing - but it does not have to be
By now you may be thinking, "But yogurt isn't simple.  It is complicated.  It is confusing.  There are so many choices.  So many flavors.  So many brands.  So many added ingredients.  So many types of sweeteners.  So many health claims."  What is a person to do?

If those are some of your thoughts, you are right.  In 2010 in America yogurt is really not simple.  Yogurt manufacturers are good at their job - which is selling yogurt.  So they keep making more flavors and sweetenings and varieties and expanding their grocery store shelf space and we keep buying more yogurt.  Sweet sells.  Yogurt has been the fastest-growing dairy product in the United States for many years.  By 2003, we were consuming about 2.5 billion pounds a year - about 7 pounds a year per capita.  (The Swedes were eating about 63 pounds per capita - so Americans are still pikers when it comes to yogurt.  Don't expect the yogurt situation to simplify any time soon.  I expect choices to continue to multiply.)

Nutritionist and author Marion Nestle counted 400 kinds of yogurt in an medium sized supermarket in New York in 2004.  She had a pretty hard time finding plain, unsweetened yogurt.  I have had the same experience.   That is why I mostly make my own yogurt now.  It is easy and tomorrow I will tell you how to do it so you can make - and flavor - your own yogurt if you want to.

Inspiration - Week #15

In this week's Grande box:  Heirloom and San Marzano roma tomatoes, mixed salad greens, arugula, yellow wax beans, edamame soybeans, Yukon Gold potatoes, watermelon, broccoli, tomatillos, hot peppers, bok choy. (Some boxes will get "make up" eggplant or raspberries)


I hope you have marked your calendars for the upcoming harvest festival - Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18 and 19.  Southeast Minnesota is very beautiful at that time of year, so it is a good time to visit the farm, enjoy some good food and learn more about where your food (at least some of it) comes from. 

This week's boxes contain some new treats that you haven't seen yet this summer -- tomatillos (the green tomatoey things with husks) and edamame.   And although you got some arugula a few weeks ago, this week the bunch is quite robust - you can have a complete arugula experience. 

How are you doing at using up the contents of each week's box?   Don't be discouraged if you don't always manage to get to everything.  Have you conducted a personal fresh produce survey in your kitchen lately?  Now would be a good time.  You just may have to declare some things dead.  I am sorry about that - but that is what compost is for.    Stick with me and you will get better at vegetable management.  I promise.  And remember that it is a good sign that your food has the capacity to rot  - it means that it is whole and natural and has not been treated or transformed to last practically forever on a shelf.  It is alive and as such will eventually decay unless you cook or preserve it in some way. 

So here are some ideas for cooking this week's food.  And if you have something left over from last week or even the week before - hopefully you can find a way to use it this week.   If you get stuck, feel free to send me an e mail and I will try to make a suggestion or two.
Contact me at cook@featherstonefarm.com    I like to hear from the front lines.

MENU IDEAS
As usual, where you see an asterisk you know there is a recipe at the end of the post.
These menus borrow from the cuisines of America, Japan, Mexico, Italy and China.   I love living in a nation of immigrants.  The food is so much more interesting. 

Burger Night
Hamburgers (or your favorite grill food or even a grilled cheese sandwich); potato salad with wax beans (just steam or boil the beans until just tender, cut into pieces, and add to your favorite potato salad recipe.  Or serve separately with a simple vinaigrette.)  If you still have a few radishes around, they would be nice in the potato salad; sliced heirloom tomatoes; watermelon  (Note - see my post for July 10 for a potato salad recipe.  Just because the post says russets are best - don't let that stop you from making potato salad with Yukon Gold potatoes.)

Not Your Mother's Hot Dish (and maybe your mother's chocolate pudding)
Chicken broccoli casserole*; green salad with simple vinaigrette; dinner rolls; homemade chocolate pudding*

Deconstructed sushi with a soybean starter
Boiled and salted edamame in the pods*; chirashi sushi*; watermelon compote*

Bok choy and friends
Fried rice with bok choy and green or yellow beans and maybe other vegetables you need to use up. (See June 15 post for fried rice guidance.)

Huevos rancheros - so satisfying
Simple supper or brunch dish.  Poached or fried eggs on warmed tortillas - with tomatillo salsa*.  Refried beans or rice or both on the side.  Or if you have some extra boiled Yukon gold potatoes around, slice and fry for American fries.  Add some onions or peppers or garlic or all three to the potatoes if you like.

Tuscan comfort
Soft yellow polenta with arugula and gorgonzola*; mixed green salad; good crusty bread; a ripe peach or pear for dessert - maybe with a biscotti?

RECIPES

Chicken broccoli casserole
This recipe has four basic parts.  With a little planning, it should come together fairly quickly.
Note that you can make a lovely Minnesota style hot dish WITHOUT employing canned condensed soup of any kind.
1.  The pasta - I recommend tubular pasta for this dish - it could be good old elbow macaroni or penne or something else exotic.  No long thin pasta.  While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.  8 oz of pasta should serve 4.

2.  The sauce - Make a white sauce with cheese - also called mornay sauce if you use gruyere.  See Sept. 2 post on Bechamel for a recipe.    Add swiss or cheddar cheese to the sauce.  Make a double recipe and freeze half the sauce for another day.  You will need at least 2 cups of sauce for 4 servings, depending on your tastes.

3.   The broccoli - chop the broccoli, including the stems (peel stems first if necessary.  Compost any tough ends).  Keep stem pieces separate from florets.  Add stem pieces to pasta cooking water about 5 minutes before pasta will be done.  Add florets about 3 minutes before.  Drain broccoli and pasta together.  This saves time and dishes.

4. The chicken - you can use chicken, turkey, ham or even sausage or canned tuna.  The meat should be already cooked.  About 1/3-1/2 cup cut up meat per person.

Assembly -- Put drained pasta and broccoli in a large bowl or even back in whatever pot you used to cook the pasta.   Add meat.  Pour sauce over all and mix well.  Put into a greased casserole or baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.  Optional topping - grated cheese or buttered bread crumbs.

Optional additions - saute some onion or sweet peppers and add along with the broccoli.  Add fresh herbs if desired.  Some chopped fresh parsley would be nice.

Chocolate pudding
This is a snap to make and uses staples that are likely to be in the kitchen - except for maybe the chocolate chips.  You could leave those out and just use another tablespoon of cocoa:  milk, sugar, butter, cornstarch, cocoa, chocolate chips, vanilla.
Mix together:
1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup good quality cocoa, 3 T. cornstarch, 1/4 t. salt
Add and stir until smooth:
2 cups milk (I use 1% and it works fine)
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently with a whisk to avoid lumps
Once pudding thickens, take pan off the heat and add 1 ounce semisweet chocolate (2 T of chocolate chips is about 1 ounce), 1 T butter and stir until butter and chocolate melt. Then stir in 1/2 t. vanilla.
Pour pudding into small serving dishes and chill. This recipe makes 6 average or 4 large servings.

Edamame
Remove pods from branches.  Rinse.  Place in pot of salted boiling water.  Boil about 5 minutes.  Drain.  Serve in the pods for a fun finger food appetizer.  You can serve them cool, room temperature or warm.  Sprinkle a little salt on the pods.  You can use your hands to squeeze the beans from the shells.  Or - holding the pod firmly by the stem end - put the pod partly in your mouth and kind of pop the beans into your mouth.  Here is a good short video showing how to cook and eat edamame.  http://www.wikihow.com/Cook-Edamame  (I had to watch at least five you tube videos of cute little kids eating edamame before I found this one.  I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make for you.  For some reason lots of parents like to post videos of their children eating edamame.  Now you don't have to watch them unless you want to.)

Chirashi Sushi (Scattered Sushi)
This is a great and simple way to use up bits of meat, fish, vegetables, or mushrooms.
Sushi rice is mounded in individual serving bowls and topped with meat or fish or tofu, vegetables and some type of sauce or garnish.
Making the sushi rice:  Cook short grain or sushi rice - either white or brown.  For 1 and 1/2 half cups raw rice, add (after the rice is cooked) 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 T. sugar and 1 t. salt.   Use a large bowl to toss the hot rice with the vinegar mixture - you want the rice to absorb the vinegar as it cools.

Toppings:  Up to you.  It could be as simple as a boiled egg with a sprinkle of soy sauce and some bits of dried seaweed.   Or some sliced cooked or raw fish.  Or leftover sliced grilled meat or chicken.  Or marinated tofu.  Vegetables can be cooked or raw or some of each.  Lightly steamed yellow or green beans would be nice.  Sauteed shitake mushroom too.  Or some roasted winter squash.  Maybe use a combination which is the same as the filling for your favorite restaurant sushi hand roll.  Possible garnishes - toasted sesame seeds, dry seaweed cut into little strips, pickled ginger.  Possible sauce:  soy sauce, more rice vinegar, a sauce made with miso.  (For many good ideas, see Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, page 472-474.)

Watermelon compote
Make a syrup sugar syrup: boil together 1/2 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water until sugar is completely dissolved.  Add 2 T. fresh lime juice and 2 T. chopped candied ginger.  Cool.  Cut watermelon into cubes while syrup is cooling.  Pour over melon.  Stir a few times to distribute syrup.  Macerate at least one hour before serving.  Serve chilled.

Tomatillo Salsa
This salsa goes especially well with egg or pork dishes.  You can use tomatillos fresh or cook them.  I am giving you a recipe for cooked salsa because I think it will keep better.  The fresh tomatillos themselves should keep a week or two in your refrigerator.   For fresh salsa simply combine some mild poblano chiles, tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, salt, and lime juice and hand chop or lightly process in a food processor.  If you like heat - add some chopped fresh hot chiles.

Ingredients
one pound tomatillos (about 12 medium)
one clove garlic, peeled and sliced
salt
serrano or jalapeno chiles - seeded and chopped - about 2 T. (Use more if you like lots of heat)
1 cup lightly packed cilantro (optional but recommended)

Preparation
Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse off the sticky residue.  Place in a saucepan (water should barely cover the tomatillos), bring to a boil, add a pinch of salt, then turn down and simmer about 5 minutes.  Drain, saving the cooking liquid.
Place in blender or food processor: 1/2 cup cooking liquid, chiles, cilantro, garlic .  Blend so all is finely chopped.  Roughly chop the tomatillos and add those.  Blend very briefly - you don't want too smooth a texture.  Salt to taste.  If you want a thinner sauce, add more cooking liquid.  Flavor will develop as sauce sits.  Allow at least several hours before serving. 

Polenta with Arugula and Gorgonzola - serves 4
Cook polenta.  Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 t. salt.   Slowly pour in one cup polenta cornmeal (coarsely ground) , while stirring to avoid lumps.  Simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (Optional - add about 1 T butter or olive oil to the polenta near the end of cooking.)  Vary the thickness by adding a little extra water.  For this recipe you want a creamy and relatively soft polenta.
Cook arugula.  Crush 4 cloves of garlic.  Saute in 1/4 cup olive oil.  (optional - use less olive oil and saute 2 pieces bacon along with the garlic.)  Saute about 10 minutes - taking care not to burn the garlic.  Turn off heat.  Add about 6 cups washed and coarsely chopped arugula to the pan and stir to coat it.  Stir in about 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese.
Place arugula in the bottom of a baking dish.  Sprinkle with 2 T. balsamic or sherry vinegar.  Spread polenta on top.  Drizzle with a little extra olive oil.  Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes - until polenta is lightly browned and bubbling.
Variation - omit blue cheese.  Sprinkle grated parmesan or asiago cheese on top of the polenta before baking or even stir into polenta at the end of cooking.


BONUS RECIPE- watermelon AND arugula!  Who knew?
Check out this watermelon salad - with arugula, a sweet balsamic dressing and goat cheese.  Looks lovely. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/02/french-in-a-flash-watermelon-salad-with-fromage-de-chevre-brule-recipe.html

Tried and True - Ratatouille

Here is the ratatouille recipe I promised in yesterday's post. This is indeed a tried and true dish in our house.  Ratatouille on polenta - baked with a little cheese on top - pretty good on a cold January or February night.  This is the time of year when it is not too hard to find all these end of summer vegetables. You will need onion, garlic, peppers, eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes.

Ratatouille – Makes about 8 servings. Serve hot or at room temperature. Use as a side dish or serve over pasta or polenta with grated parmesan or asiago or similar cheese for a main course.
For best flavor use fresh garden vegetables. Make a double or triple batch – this freezes beautifully. Saute 2 cups of chopped onion and 4 cloves of minced FRESH garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil about 5 minutes over medium heat. Then add about 3 cups EACH of eggplant, zucchini squash and bell peppers and 4 cups fresh tomatoes – cut into approximately 1/2 inch cubes or pieces. Season with 1 1/2 t. salt, fresh ground pepper and about 1/2 c. chopped fresh herbs ( a combination of basil, thyme, oregano, parsley and rosemary is nice if you have these. Often I use just fresh basil and parsley.) Simmer covered until all vegetables are tender, about one hour. Stir occasionally while simmering. Even better the next day. A few Mediterranean olives on the side would be a great idea, too.