Regional Cuisine - Goetta

Is regional the same as local?  I've been thinking about regional foods lately and why they have remained regional and not spread around the country like the people we meet.  Regional recipes seem to have an ethnic or cultural influence and be made with locally obtained ingredients.  Like goeduck in the Pacific Northwest, lobster rolls in New England, fried diamondback in Texas, and Rocky Mountain oysters in Montana...  but ok, I'm not going there.  For the most part, all of these regional foods are based on locally obtained ingredients, and that's great, Right?

There's a regional food that I grew up with that has always been a puzzle to me.  It's not based on any locally obtained ingredients or to my knowledge, any ethnic or cultural traditions.  I have wondered over the years why it has been such a well kept secret, where it got its start, its rather odd name, and why it has never escaped from its origin.

As a child, I stood by my Grandmother while she stirred a huge pot on the stove and we always had it as a sort of porridge that first night for dinner.  It was so tasty!

According to anything I can find on the internet, it originated in Cincinnati, Ohio in the late 1800's, of German-American heritage.  Well, I think that just means no one really knows, because my Grandfather was French and my Grandmother was Swedish.  Also, if you ask a person from Germany, they have never heard of it.  The internet also says it originated as a peasant dish to stretch out servings of meat.  I can somewhat picture this convenient logic, but I still don't totally believe that either, because when we make stew, we don't say it's to stretch out the meat.  I actually think they made it because it was delicious.  

I hope I've got your interest by now, because I'm going to share my age old secret recipe handed down from my Grandmother. Goetta (pronounced get-ah) is the regional food from Cincinnati that I'm talking about.  I also want to make sure that you understand that there is NO relationship to Scrapple.  Scrapple comes from the Pennsylvania area and is made with cornmeal and parts of pigs that were destine for the rendering plant.  There are NO similarities here.

GOETTA

1 to 2 pounds pork - as in a fresh pork shoulder or any lean pork 
1 to 2 pounds beef - as in a chuck or round or rump roast

Remove any obvious fat and brown the meat on all sides and then add 3-4 cups of water, a teaspoon of salt, and cook until fork tender.  (My grandmother cooked hers in a pressure cooker and that's what I do too.  About 45-55 minutes in the pressure cooker.)  No pressure cooker?  You can braise the meat in a crock pot on medium for 5-6 hours or in a covered dish in the oven 300-325 degrees for 2-3 hours.  
Braising requires that the meat be slow cooked in liquid until tender.  Add water as necessary to keep the meat from drying out and have lots of good juices.

Once tender, remove the meat from the juices and allow it to cool completely. You can even prepare the meat the day before and refrigerate.

In the photo above, I had actually cooked extra and reserved some of that for another recipe.  I finely diced about 11/2 pounds of each meat.

Once again, I'm going to give you an alternative to cooking this.  My Grandmother and I until just recently always cooked it in a big pot on the stove.  I've adapted my recipe to a crock pot method that takes a lot of the work out of it.

In a crock pot (or large, heavy bottomed pot on the stove top), add the chopped meat along with the following ingredients.

3 cups of organic steel cut oats ( these are knows as pinhead oats to the old timers)
6 cups of the broth from the meat plus water to make the 6 cups
2 medium onions diced finely
2-3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3 teaspoons salt - it's important to add enough salt or the oats will taste bland

Set the crock pot to high for the first 2 hours, stirring every hour and keeping the lid on.  At 2 hours, turn down to low and begin stirring every 20 minutes to half hour for another 2 hours.  Do not add additional liquid as you want it to be very thick. If it appears that it is getting too thick to stir, add only a small amount - 1/2 cup and stir in completely.  When finished, the oats should be tender and your spoon should be able to stand up in the center of the pot all by itself.

If you are doing this on the stove top, ignore all of the stirring instructions above and you will need to stir it every 10-15 minutes for the first couple of hours and more often as it thickens.  Your burner should be on low the whole time as this stuff wants to stick and burn quickly. You are also going to need to add more water because the frequent stirring will evaporate more.  Add up to an additional 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup at a time as needed.  Now you can probably see why the crock pot is so great for this.  In both methods, keep it covered with the lid unless stirring.

When the oats are tender and the entire pot is very thick, take it off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and spoon it into a couple of deep dishes to cool.  I use my rubber spatula to press it into bread pans.  Once cool, cover the pans and put one in the refrigerator and the other in the freezer.

If there's a little left over, add a pat of butter and enjoy it fresh... ummm! just like grandmother used to make.

Like I said, we used to always have a serving fresh for dinner and it's great that way, but the way it is most often prepared is the refrigerated loafs are sliced into 1/2 inch slices and fried.  (The crispy fried version is pictured at the top of this post.) Of course, I no longer fry it in the traditional bacon grease, but if you are into that, that's the way it used to be done.  I fry it in a skillet with a little organic olive oil.  It is most often served for breakfast as an accompaniment to eggs.  We used to have it for any meal with or without eggs.  A couple of slices of this and a salad make a healthy dinner as well.

The way I cook it, it has little fat, as the meat I use is lean and I fry it in very little olive oil.  It is made with organic whole grain oats, which are very good for you.  It's an old time comfort food for me.  I do hope you will enjoy it too.

Ginger Carrot Soup

I always wait until we've had a frost to harvest the carrots.  The story is that this time of year they convert some of their starch into sugar.  They are definitely sweet! 
This year we went straight from 70 degree days and very cool nights to 4 inches of snow on the ground.  When I realized the snow was coming, I quickly dug my bed of carrots and got another record harvest.  53 pounds of bright orange carrots out of one raised bed.  
Last year I was able to keep them well in a crisper drawer for months, but I've got too many this year for that.  I gave a few bags away to friends and family and today I made a delicious Ginger Carrot Soup. 

I originally got this recipe from my friend Jen and then made a few changes.  We had it last Thanksgiving as a first course and it was delightful.  My biggest word of caution with this soup is don't add salt until you taste it at the end.  I made the mistake once of using a salted stock and it changed the flavor dramatically.  The flavors here are delicate and require just a small amount of salt added at the end to balance the flavors.

Ginger Carrot Soup

1 stick unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion - chopped
3 pounds of carrots peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh peeled and shredded ginger root
5 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cups half and half or heavy cream 
In a heavy bottomed pan, saute the onion in the butter until tender and translucent.  Add the carrots, ginger, and 2 1/2 cups of the stock and simmer until the carrots are tender. 

Allow the cooked carrots and onions to cool until they can be  handled.

Puree in batches in a food processor or use an immersion blender to make quick work of the hot ingredients without the need to cool.

Add the coriander and the orange juice concentrate.  The orange juice concentrate was my addition.  The original recipe called for grated orange peel and I found that had a bitter taste while not giving it the intensity of orange flavor.  So, I tried a couple of different things until I landed upon the orange juice concentrate, which adds just the right amount of flavor and sweetness without the bitterness of the peel.  Stir in the remaining cups of stock and add the half and half or heavy cream.

An immersion blender makes the job quick and less messy.

I actually prefer the heavy cream to the half and half, but being calorie conscious is always an issue.  I've found that I can also use half low fat milk and  the rest non-fat Greek yogurt and that works well too, with fewer calories. 

Warm the soup gently.  You do not want to bring it to a boil.

Balance the flavors with a little salt and if needed a tablespoon of brown sugar.

The flavors of this soup are at their peak when it is well warmed, but not hot, so be careful not to overheat it.

This soup makes an excellent first course, or with a chunk of bread and butter and/or a side salad is a full meal.

You can garnish it with a sprinkling of fresh chopped herbs or the way I love it garnished is with a scoop of Greek yogurt.

Like all soup, it is even better the next day so make plenty and refrigerate the leftovers for another day.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

My husband could eat butter cream icing from a bowl with a spoon any day of the week, but it is the main thing that I don’t like about cake.  I’ve found a delicious way around dealing with icing and that is the old fashioned upside down cake.  I’m going to give you two versions of this cake so that you will be free to experiment with any fruit you like.  It seems like such a great answer to never having to deal with icing again.  I make them frequently with whatever fruit I have on hand or that is in season.

I make a version of this cake with my frozen Flathead cherries that is beautiful and delicious too.  If you’re using frozen fruit or canned fruit, be sure to drain the fruit before using it in this recipe.  There are just 2 basics steps to this recipe.  The topping, which goes into the pan first, and the cake.

Upside Down Cake

Begin all cakes with a generous spray of Pam or similar vegetable spray on the 9 x 9 x 2 inch deep square pan or a pan that will accommodate the cake.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Heat the butter, sugar, and vanilla to make a sauce.

The topping:
4 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (for caramel apple) OR 3/4 cup white sugar (for other varieties)
1 teaspoon of vanilla (for caramel apple) OR 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice (for other varieties)

Melt the butter, sugar, and vanilla or lemon juice in a small sauce pan over low heat until the sugar melts and the mixture bubbles.
Pour into the prepared pan and coat the bottom of the pan.

Layer the fruit on top of the sauce.

2-3 Apples or fruit of your choice
Add a layer of apples or any fruit to cover the bottom of the pan.  (Apples, cherries, peaches, pears, apricots, and pineapple of course) Fresh apples like I used can have a double layer or overlap significantly as they do shrink.  Other more moist fruit won’t shrink.

 



The cake:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup of milk (or use apple cider for the apple cake)
1 ½ cups sifted flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar.  After this becomes light and pale, add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.

Continue beating adding ½ the dry ingredients, then the milk, and follow with the other half of the dry ingredients.
Spoon the batter onto the top of the fruit and bake until the cake is well risen and golden brown.  At around 45-55 minutes, the cake will be firm to the touch, a tooth pick inserted into the center will come out clean, and the cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Apples shrink so add twice as many as you think.

Have a plate or platter ready to receive the cake.  Run a knife around the edges to make sure it is free.  Immediately upon removing it from the oven, invert it onto the plate.  Leave the pan inverted for a few seconds, up to a minute and then gently lift it off.  Should any of the fruit have stuck to the pan, you can quickly transfer it back to the cake.

Allow the cake to cool and serve with a little whipped cream.  You won’t miss the icing.

Rustic Tart with Flathead Cherries

It's cherry season here in western Montana and that means Flathead Cherries.  For those of you unfamiliar with the term, The Flathead as locals refer to it, is a large valley stretching from just north of Missoula up to the Kalispell-Whitefish area.  Flathead Lake runs up the valley and is the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi in the lower 48 states, with over 200 square miles of water and 185 miles of shoreline.  The lake moderates the temperatures just perfectly for growing sweet cherries in the fertile foothills around the lake.  

Lapin Cherries

Mostly you’ll find the big dark sweet cherries, Lamberts and Lapins, and many growers also grow the beautiful Rainiers.

Rainier Cherries

Each year we try to go up and pick a lug, or get some from the co-op or local farmer's market.  Those that we don’t devour immediately, get pitted and put into quart freezer bags for later use.  Since the cherries this year are just a few days late, I decided to go ahead and use my last quart from the freezer to make this delicious Rustic Tart.
                   
Some people call this type of pastry a galette, but here in Montana the term Rustic Tart  fits just perfectly.  This can be made with many different types of fruit.  Also try apricots, peaches, or plums.

Start with a rich and flaky crust.  Here is the recipe that I use:

THE CRUST:
1 1/2 cup organic all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus more as needed iced water

Either by hand or using a food processor, incorporate the flour, sugar, salt and the butter, just until the mixture looks like a coarse meal.  This is best accomplished with a few quick pulses of the food processor or by cutting in with a pastry cutter.

Fill a 1 cup measuring cup with some ice and some water and allow to stand for a minute or two.  Then I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to drizzle in 1/4 cup of the ice water (strained, no ice) into the tube while slowly pulsing the processor.  Because we live in such a dry climate, I find that I always need more so as I slowly drizzle more into the processor, I watch for the dough to come together.  You can check it with your fingers to see if it is still crumbly or if it will stick together nicely if you are in doubt.  As soon as the dough comes together, stop adding water and pulsing and turn the dough out onto a floured board.  I fold the dough over 1 or 2 times and form into a flattened disk.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.

Dough comes together

Wrap disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

THE FILLING:                                       
Now for the fruit... I drain the cherries because they produce a lot of juice when they are frozen. If you are using fresh cherries just wash and pit before measuring.

About 3 cups of fresh or frozen Flathead Cherries (or fruit of your choice)
1/3 cup of organic sugar
a pinch of salt (optional)
1 rounded tablespoon of organic cornstarch

THE TART:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Beat an egg in a dish with a tablespoon of water. Prepare your pan by covering it with either parchment or aluminum foil. ( I used my pizza pan and I covered it with two layers of aluminum foil.)  Spray the foil lightly with oil.
Roll out your chilled crust into a round about 1/4-1/8 inch thick, and about 15 inches in diameter.  Fold it in half and gently transfer it to the pan, making sure it is centered.  Then open it up again.
Toss the filling ingredients together and dump into the center of the crust.  Spread them out to be about 10 inches in diameter.
Then gently grab the edges of the crust and with a folding motion, take the edges and fold them toward the center, around the crust, making a circle with an open center.
Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour or until beautifully browned and rustic!
Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a truly Montana dessert.

Beer Anyone?

Vortlimpa - sweet and dark!

I'll admit, I'm not a beer drinker.  It’s not that I couldn’t get to like some of my husband’s homemade dark beer, it’s a calorie and quantity thing.  To me drinking a delicious tasting homemade dark beer is like eating an entire chocolate cake by myself in one sitting - too rich and too filling.  I prefer a nice dry red!

But, there’s more than one way to have your stout... A number of years ago, I first made this delicious bread using a homemade stout. So, beer drinkers and aficionados of fine taste, here is my favorite way to have beer.

The recipe originated from my 1987 version of Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads. 

Vortlimpa

This recipe makes 2 long slender loaves.  Bernard describes it this way, “Stout (or dark beer) tempered with molasses, orange zest, and fennel gives Vortlimpa a sweet, dark taste that will confound and delight the tongue.”

Ingredients:       (My changes and comments are in italics.)

2 cups stout or dark beer
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter
½ cup dark molasses
2 packages dry yeast
3 cups medium rye flour          (1 ½ cups medium rye and 2 cups whole wheat)
2 cups unbleached bread or all purpose flour, approximately
Zest of 1 orange, finely chopped    (1/4 teaspoon orange oil)
1 Tablespoon ground or crushed fennel seed   (Optional )

1 Tablespoon molasses mixed with 2 Tablespoons water

(The rye flour is sticky and I like the flavor mixed with whole wheat.  I rarely have a fresh orange on hand, but I always have my orange oil in the pantry so I don’t have to buy any special ingredients. I’m sure the orange zest would be wonderful if you have it.  I also do not use the crushed or ground fennel seed, I just like the bread without.)
Warm the beer, salt, and butter until the butter has melted.  Let cool to lukewarm and stir in the yeast.

Measure the rye flour (and whole wheat flour if using) into a large mixing bowl and pour in the stout mixture. Beat by hand about 100 strokes and add the orange zest (or orange oil), and (optional) fennel seed.  Stir and work the dough.  (You might be tempted to skip the orange, but don't, it really makes the overall flavor. I encourage you to try to fennel too.)

Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface with a cup of flour.  In the beginning the dough will be sticky. Handle the new dough gingerly, dusting well with flour until you have struck a workable balance. This could mean the addition of a cup or more of flour. After the dough is well formed, continue kneading for at least another 8 minutes.

Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Leave to rise at room temperature until doubled.  (My dough and my loaf look a little grainy.  I used a medium ground rye flour which turned out ok, but I think I'll go back to my finely ground rye flour in the future.)
Turn the dough out onto a flat work surface and cut in half.  Flatten each half with the palm of your hand into a long rectangle. Roll each into a long slender cylinder, about 12"-14" long.  Place on a prepared baking sheet (greased and dusted with cornmeal).  Be sure to place them far enough apart that they do not touch when they rise.  If they threaten to touch, place a flour dusted kitchen towel between them. Let them rise a second time to be about double.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees about 20 minutes before baking.  Prick the tops with a toothpick, 1" deep to allow steam to escape without lifting off the top of the loaf.  Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes and then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 30 minutes more.  Halfway through baking, turn the loaves around and brush the tops with the molasses-water glaze.  About 4 minutes before the loaves are done, brush them with the glaze again.

They are done when the loaves are dark and shiny and the bottom crust is hard and sounds hollow.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.  (By all means, have some softened butter ready, hack off a piece and enjoy it as soon as you can handle it.)

To keep it crisp, store it in a paper sack.  For a soft crust wrap it in a plastic bag.

The Missoula Community Food Co-op now has a nice selection of wine and beer and as soon as I heard that, my first thought was of this bread! 

Plain Old Onion Soup

I’ve been making my own version of onion soup for years.  I became curious as to why it was called “French” onion soup and not just plain old onion soup.    
I actually didn’t find a satisfying answer, but wikipedia says, “Onion soups have been popular at least as far back as Roman times. They were, throughout history, seen as food for poor people, as onions were plentiful and easy to grow. The modern version of this soup originates in France in the 18th century, made from beef broth, and caramelized onions. It is often finished by being placed under a grill in a ramekin traditionally with croutons and gruyère melted on top.”  

I suppose gruyère is French and thus makes it French Onion Soup.  If you use Swiss cheese instead, it could be called Swiss Onion Soup, or if you’re lucky enough to have local cheese...  I digress.

Superstar onions - 2011 harvest

Last fall, I harvested these beautiful Superstar onions from my garden.  Superstar is a day neutral onion that apparently does well here in the mountains above Missoula.  This box was full and so I’ve used a huge amount of them.  There are still plenty left and I need to do something with them soon before they begin to get the hint of spring and start sprouting.  So, it’s onion soup! 

 

Here’s my recipe.  You can make it from any country or cheese you desire.  Use up those stored onions now before they start sprouting.  If you’re out, look for some organic locally grown onions.

4-6 medium onions - sliced or chopped and drained
2-3 garlic cloves - minced
6 Tablespoons  unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1-2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 quarts hearty beef stock or 6 Tablespoons of low sodium Better than Bouillon - beef or veggie  in 2 quarts of warm water
1 cup of good red wine (Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel - optional but essential in my mind)
2 cups large cubed baguette or hearty toasted bread
1 cup shredded gruyère, Swiss, or cheese of your choice

Raw onions ready to saute'

 Onions have a lot of water in them and they will not begin to caramelize until the water evaporates and so I like to chop my onions rather than slice them.  (I don’t like long stringy onions when I try to take a spoon of soup.) I then lay them out on a paper towel and lightly sprinkle them with salt to help pull some of the water out.  I leave them to drain 20 or so minutes  and then I blot them with another paper towel before I begin.

While the onions are draining, I get the rest of the ingredients ready.  I’ve tried all kinds of ways for preparing the beef stock, from making my own, to buying prepared stock, to my absolute favorite way, organic - low sodium - Better than Bouillon - beef.  You can also substitute the beef with the vegetable variety for a vegetarian version with no loss of flavor.  I do NOT follow the 1 tsp to 8 ounces of water on the label.  I find that this is not rich enough for my taste - thus the 6 Tablespoons in 64 ounces of water.  Put the broth, the bay leaves and the thyme in the soup pot.

Caramelize the onions in the 6 Tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium to medium-high heat. All stoves are different and so I judge the temperature this way; if after 8-10 minutes you are not seeing any color around the edges of the pan, kick up the heat a little.  Keep a close eye on them.  They start out white.  As the water evaporates they become translucent, and then begin to caramelize. You want them to turn golden, not burnt or get crispy.  This can take about 20-30 minutes of your attention.  The pan will begin to pick up the browning as well. This is all good!

Onions translucent and caramelizing

Once the onions are caramelized, add the fresh minced garlic and the flour to the onions and continue to cook for another minute or two to lightly brown the flour.  Transfer the onions to the soup pot and de-glaze the skillet with the wine. If you prefer not to use the wine, you can use 2-3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in a cup of water to do the same.  Scrape all of the little brown bits from the sides and bottom and then dump this into the soup.

De-glazing the pan with red wine

Bring the soup to a simmer for about 30 minutes.  Taste for salt and pepper and season to taste.  Now it’s serving time....

For some reason, I object to being given a delicious bowl of soup that is difficult to eat, so my version began with the chopped onions rather than the sliced ones, I also chop my bread into large cubes that can be balanced on a spoon.  I prefer this over the huge slice that you have to try to cut into bite sized pieces in a steaming hot bowl of soup. And, I put the cheese in the bowl instead of dripping down the sides of the bowl. After all the work is done, is it too much to ask to have it move comfortably from the bowl to your mouth, without the extra effort?

I don’t always broil, but if you want that “look”, make sure your bowls can handle the heat of the broiler before you put them full of soup and goodness under the broiler.  Broil on Med or High for 5 minutes or until the desired color is obtained and serve.

This recipe will make 4-6 generous bowls of soup.  If you have only 1-2 for dinner, refrigerate the rest and enjoy another meal later in the week.  I frequently eat it without the garnishment of the bread and cheese.  It is that delicious all by itself.  Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Valentine Heart Cookies

Ok, I had decided to go healthy with the broccoli thing... but what’s Valentine’s Day without a little chocolate.  As a general rule, I don’t keep chocolate or cookies around the house. Why, because they don’t stay around the house –  they stay around my waist!

About once a year, I get a craving for those fudgie no-bake oatmeal cookies.  I decided to make a batch in the shape of hearts.  My little grandson has food allergies and can’t have most chocolate or most cookies - no eggs, no dairy, no nuts, no wheat, and so I made these so he could have them using shortening instead of butter and rice milk... awesome!


Start to finish, these are so quick -- no longer than 20 minutes.

The ingredients:
2 cups organic sugar
1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
2 tablespoons barley malt powder (optional)
1/2 cup shortening (or butter)
1/2 cup milk (or rice milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups rolled oats

Ahead of time, measure out the oats and set aside.   Place a couple of sheets of waxed paper on the counter for the cookies.
Combine the sugar, cocoa, barley malt, salt, shortening, and milk in a heavy sauce pan.  It’s best to use a 2 quart pan so you have room for the sugar to boil and to add the oats.
Bring the mixture to a boil and closely time the boil for 2 minutes.  The timing is critical because if you boil the mixture too little it doesn't set up and too long you won’t get it out of the pan before it sets up.  While it will still taste great, it’s one huge pile of formless stuff.
Take the pan off the burner and add the vanilla and the oats.  Stir together vigorously and then begin dropping by teaspoons onto the waxed paper.  I used two spoons to shape the hearts.

Delicious and delightful, and they have oats in them so they must be good for you, right?
Happy Valentine's Day!

BMW - (broccoli my way)

I heard there’s a beautiful crop of organic broccoli down at the co-op this week.  I love fresh sweet broccoli and steamed is always good.  A lot of people think just plain steamed broccoli is just too ... well, too green.  If this is you, I have a couple of alternatives that will help you win friends and influence people.  Here is a simple stir fry or roast possibility for that sweet, green, cold weather friend.

The ingredients I use for either are the same and I always tend toward the stir fry because it is so fast.

2-3 pounds broccoli
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 red onion chopped
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice (and a little zest if you have a fresh lemon)
1/2 teaspoon of dried basil (a tablespoon of fresh is even better or if you have some basil pesto* in the frig you can use a tablespoon of that)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

To stir-fry:
Cut the broccoli into small florets.  Peel the stalk and chop that into half inch cubes as well.  You paid for the stalk and it is one of the best and sweetest parts of the broccoli, so don’t throw it away!
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the broccoli and onion.  Toss it all around to get it coated with the oil and then add a couple of tablespoons of water and put a tight fitting lid of the skillet for a minute or two.  This steam gives a quick cook to the broccoli and will evaporate quickly.
Now add the minced garlic and the sea salt.  Toss that around for a minute or two and add the lemon juice, zest, and the basil or pesto.
This whole process should not take you longer than 5 minutes.  Be careful to not overcook the broccoli - you want it to be tender, but still bright green and not mushy.   
Have some rice, linguine, or fettuccine already prepared and put a helping of this on top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese or serve it as a side dish. 

To roast:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the broccoli into florets and chop the stalks, same as above and place in a bowl.  Mix the olive oil, garlic, and salt.  Pour over the broccoli and onion and stir to coat evenly.  Put in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes, until crisp-tender.  You don’t want it to be brown and mushy. Remove from the oven and toss with the lemon juice, zest, pesto* or basil.  Serve either as a side dish or over rice or linguine topped with the Parmesan cheese.

* some of you have my basil pesto recipe already and you know this as a year round ingredient in a lot of my cooking.  The rest will just have to hang in there until basil season, when I will share it with the world and then you too will always have a supply of the world's best basil pesto on hand.

Now, what are you waiting for?  Head on down to the co-op and pick up some of that delicious organic broccoli today.  Your body will thank you for it.

Muffin Magic!

Even if the thermometer says 50 degrees, it's still only January.  Time for soup and bread.  As I started the beans for a pot of delicious chili, I decided to experiment with a muffin recipe that I had been wanting to try. These muffins had their origin in Vermont, in the test kitchens of King Arthur Flour Company. These people have been making and baking since 1790 and they have some extremely talented bakers.  I love all of their products.

I came across this recipe last fall on the King Arthur web site.  http://www.kingarthurflour.com  I’ve made it a number of times and it is fabulous!  But probably not what I would want with chili so my brain has been running through this idea of taking the basis of this recipe and making it savory.  First here is the recipe from King Arthur.  I only made one minor change to this recipe when I made it and that was, I used ground ginger instead of cinnamon... it just sounded better to me. You will not believe how delicious these muffins are and really, you would never know they had tomato juice in them.

Whole-Grain Vegan Cranberry-Nut Muffins   
Muffins without eggs, milk, or butter — what's the secret? Tomato juice, which adds the necessary acidity for leavening; nice, moist texture, and gorgeous burnt-orange color to these cranberry-nut muffins. And don't worry; they don't taste like tomatoes!


    2 1/4 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
    1 cup brown sugar
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  (I used ground ginger)
    1 cup dried cranberries
    1/2 cup diced walnuts or pecans, optional
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/2 cup vegetable oil
    1 1/2 cups tomato juice or blended vegetable juice (e.g., V8)

Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease and flour the wells of a muffin pan, or line the pan with paper liners, and grease the liners.
2) Whisk together all the dry ingredients, including the cranberries and nuts.
3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, vegetable oil, and tomato juice.
4) Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; don't over-mix, stir just until everything is moistened.
5) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each nearly full.
6) Sprinkle the tops with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired.
7) Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until they've domed nicely and they're lightly browned around the edges.
8) Remove the muffins from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Now here is the recipe for my Savory Dinner Muffins using the genius, tomato-acid leavening concept.  The corn gives them a rustic appearance, only enhanced by a bowl of chili.  Give them a try.

Savory Dinner Muffins
 2 cups of unbleached or white whole wheat flour (or 1/2 and 1/2 )
1/2 cup of medium ground corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon dried herbs (I used an herbes de Provence blend)
1 cup frozen corn (or use your imagination - I can’t wait to try chopped olives, sundried tomatoes, green peppers, sharp cheddar or asiago cheese or a combination of these - just make sure you are adding about 1 cup total for 12 muffins) 
1/3 cup vegetable oil or olive oil
1 1/2 cups tomato juice or blended vegetable juice

Follow the same mixing directions and put into the muffin cups.  Fill those cups right up to the top.  This makes 12 beautiful muffins.  I sprinkled the tops with a little coarse salt and some more of the herb blend.  The baking took just a little longer because I had frozen corn in the mix.  They were done in about 21 minutes.  (You know how to test these little quick breads for doneness don't you?  Just tap on the top with your finger - if they seem spongy, they aren't done - if they are firm to the touch good to go.)
At around 10 minutes the smell of the herbs was mouth watering and I could hardly wait to try one.  As soon as they came out of the oven, I sampled one immediately.  These don’t taste overwhelmingly like tomato either, and they are fabulous, just like the sweet cranberry version.

Until next time...

Still Enjoying Last Summer's Harvest

Several things about myself that influence the foods that I cook and love are likely to be familiar to you as well.  One, I prefer to spend my time doing something other than dishes and so if I can cook it all in one pot, that makes me happy.  Two, I love local produce and that means in the winter, it’s root crops like potatoes, beets and carrots, onions, garlic, and produce that I either grew in my garden and stored or purchased at the co-op from local sources.  Third, I’ve been known as the soup lady for some time now and even though I've moved on and sold my business The Art of Good Food,  I still identify with art, good food, and soup because it fits all my criteria.

With my new found freedom this winter, I’ve gone back to some of the recipes and cook books that I’ve used in years past.  This weekend, I dug out a cookbook written by Jeff Smith,  The Frugal Gourmet On our Immigrant Ancestors, copyright 1990.
I’ve actually made this recipe before and a number of other recipes represented in this book, but it’s been many years.  I was thinking about borscht last summer when I peeled, chopped, and froze a few quarts of Detroit Red beets that I grew in the garden. (I’ve never frozen beets before and they came out amazing, with good texture-like fresh cooked.)

I forgot to mention that I don’t cook from recipes.  I almost always use them as a jumping off point to do my own thing with what I have on hand. I am an artist and that translates into cooking as well as all other areas of my life.  Below is the recipe as Jeff published it, and how I put it together with my comments in italics.  You can follow Jeff, me, or use it as a jumping off point to do your own thing.

Russian Borscht
According to Jeff, he got this recipe from Father John, a Russian Orthodox priest and he claims it is the best soup imaginable.  (It is delicious for sure!)

        Jeff's
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic peeled and minced
1 pound of lamb stew meat chopped
1 medium onion
1 1/4 cup green cabbage cored and chopped
1 ½ pound ripe tomatoes diced
2 pounds red beets peeled and diced
3 ½ quarts beef stock
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper     
   
                Mine
3-4 tablespoons olive oil (I don’t measure)
3 large cloves garlic peeled and minced
I did not use meat
1 large onion chopped
½ of a 6"green cabbage cored and chopped
1 pint of canned tomatoes or a 14oz can
3-4 cups chopped beets (I had peeled, chopped, and frozen the beets in a quart bag last summer.)
4-5 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon-Beef with enough water to cover veggies
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 large bay leaf
2 tablespoons lemon juice
I skipped the salt because of the bouillon
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Heat a heavy stockpot and add the oil, garlic, and lamb. Brown the lamb and add the onion. (If you are browning lamb or meat, it is best not to add the garlic until just before you finish with the onions.) Saute until the onion is tender and then add the cabbage, tomato, beets, stock, vinegar, bay leaves, lemon juice, salt and pepper (all of the rest of the ingredients).
Bring it all to a boil and simmer covered for 2 hours.  (You could do this in a crock pot for the day too.)  Add additional salt and pepper to taste.  (Mine was fine with the salt from the bouillon.) 

Jeff recommends dishing the soup into bowls and passing the garnish of sour cream and fresh chopped dill.  (While my soup was simmering, I stirred together a teaspoon of dried dill weed with about ½ cup of sour cream and put it back in the refrigerator until serving time. For my taste, the sour cream or you could use Greek yogurt is essential to the soup.)

I also whipped up a loaf of pumpernickel bread to serve with my soup for dinner.  I have 3 more quart bags stuffed with beets in my freezer and so I think overall, this was an excellent use of my summer harvest.