Ratatouille

Made this over the weekend with help from a book which I will credit once I remember the title. [N.B. The New Vegetarian Epicure, by Anna Thomas]

Get:
1 eggplant, medium to large
3 skinny zucchini
3 big yummy summer tomatoes
some basil
6 cloves garlic
2-3 onions, or whatever you have
1 red and 1 green pepper
some parsley
2 cups tomato sauce or diced canned tomatoes
you do have olive oil and black peppercorns, right?

Peel and 1/2" dice (or 1" dice; or cut into 3" slices) the eggplant and zucchini. Toss liberally with salt and set in a colander to drain for at least 45 minutes (I recommend taking a nap during this time!). I think this is probably a key step though I'm not quite sure how it works.

Slice your onions; cut your peppers into strips or squarish bites, however you prefer. Chop your garlic.

Rinse your zucch and your eggplant in cold water then squeeze excess water from them in the colander.

Put 2 tbl olive oil in a large sauté pan or large pot. Heat the oil and add the garlic, stir for a minute, add the onion. When soft, add zucch and eggplant and sauté 6-7 minutes on medium. Add the tomato sauce and the chopped pepper and some basil.

Cook that, covered, at a simmer for about 20 minutes. Then add your parsley, a little red wine vinegar, a bunch of ground black pepper, maybe some salt to taste, more basil and the chopped fresh tomatoes just till they're warmed through a bit.

Enjoy warm or cold, with or without pasta or rice, and imagine you're in Provence.

Nick is right

I think at some point I was saying to Nick that salt was salt. Nick said no, this is incorrect, salt is NOT salt. Try Balinese sea salt, for example. And I still resisted, because I am stubborn and contrary.

Well!

I went to Glarus Chocolatier, across from Whole Foods in Harbor East (dangerously close to work, mind you), to get a little gift box for our new malaria teammate Alison. I saw that they had bars of chocolate with sea salt (which I know and love because of Vosges). So I got one for me, along with her box of truffles (one of which is lavender!).

It is chocolate with Balinese Sea Salt and eeet eeez deeeeleeeshus.

And also awesome because the salt crystallizes into a little four sided pyramid, which is called a "square pyramid". I had to look that up and was really hoping for a more latin name, like "quadratrihedron" or something. Kind of disappointing.

But - take away message - Nick is right. About salt.

Photo credit: Big Tree Farms

Lasagna OD

Did I mention I made that pork ragu into lasagne?

I reached the OD point today at lunch. It might have been lunch # 6. Please. No mas.

Surely there is someone who would like the half-pan that is still waiting in my freezer.

Blueberry-Rhubarb Crisp

It's Rhubarb season!! Don't miss it!

This is the topping from the previous rhubarb recipe over a bunch of rhubarb and a pint of blueberries. This plus vanilla ice cream? Heavens to Betsy, the most delicious thing ever. I think that this will be breakfast tomorrow.

Old Chatham Nancy Camembert

This cheese is really good.

Leftover Roast Pork Ragu Hodgepodge

What to do with the 2 lbs or so leftover roast pork that I can't bear to make into sandwiches anymore and that probably needs a lot of recooking anyways?

Ragu Hodgepodge!

Most ragus call for a mix of ground pork and beef and lamb - they're the original one pot all day dinner. So I grabbed some leftovers and things from the fridge and here's what happened:

Saute one large onion and three carrots in oil and butter.

Add your 1 lb ground beef and cook just until not red anymore. Make sure pieces aren't too chunky.

Glug in one half bottle of Bourgogne Pinot Noir that remarkably has not turned to vinegar despite being opened and left in the heat (corked) for over a month. Simmer till evaporated.

Add your pork which it is helpful to chop beforehand, instead of forgetting and then fishing out most of the pieces by hand with a fork.

Add 2 cups milk and simmer till evaporated, mostly. Try not to worry that it looks a little ugly right now.

Finally, put in some nutmeg and three large cans of diced tomatoes. Rejoice that things look a little more normal.

Laugh as dog hunts fly in kitchen.

Take nap, and hope that bottom of the pot doesn't burn.

Final verdict: Tastes like ragu with bacon!

Bee bop a reebop, Rhubarb Pie

1.5 lbs rhubarb (minue 1/2 pint strawberries, if using both)

Topping:
1/2 c walnuts
7/8 c flour
1/3 c brown sugar
4 tbp sugar
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c soft butter (salted)

Heat oven to 375. Toast walnuts 4-6 minutes until toasty. Cool them. Chop coarsely, but not too coarsely.

Mix flour, sugars, and cinnamon, then add butter till crumbly. Add walnuts.

Chop your rhubarb into small pieces, 1/2" length or so. You should have 6-7 cups. Toss the fruit with 3/4 c sugar and 3 tbl flour. Let stand 5 min.

Pile fruit into a gratin dish, sprinkle the topping evenly and bake for 45 min or until bubbly and delicious.

Zucchini-bacon quiche

Best to make two of these as it's no harder and it goes fast. Slightly adapted from Gourmet 2005. This is for one quiche, so double this:

1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie dough round
1/4 lb sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs
2 oz Gruyère, coarsely grated (1 cup)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Fit pie dough into pie plate and lightly prick all over. Bake according to package instructions, then transfer crust in pie plate to a rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

While crust bakes, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving fat in skillet.

Add zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat in skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until zucchini is tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to a plate.

Heat cream, milk, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 1- to 2-quart saucepan until mixture reaches a bare simmer, then remove from heat.

Whisk together eggs in a large heatproof bowl, then gradually whisk in hot cream mixture until combined. Stir in bacon, zucchini, and cheese and pour into piecrust. Bake until filling is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer quiche in pan to rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes.

That sweet outdoor sound

Tuesday was the second evening of Music in the Park. The first evening, ten nights prior, featured a very competent soul/funk band and several beers each. While taking in the music we noticed:

a) large numbers of dogs
b) the people in front of us with fancy picnic paraphenalia, including special dishes with which to put salt on the rims of their margarita glasses, a rolling cooler, and a cocktail shaker.

Jealous outdo-ers that we are, we decided to show them just how fancy we could get, too. A few ideas were thrown out - creme brulee, with blow-torched crust; champagne, quiche, and fancy cheese; and of course a rolling cooler.

So on Tuesday we rolled in with the cooler, some Old Chatham Nancy Camembert from Whole Foods, and the two lonely bottles of champagne that had been pining for just such an occasion in my fridge for the last couple months. The zucchini-bacon-Gruyere quiche I made went over very well, as did Mari's creme brulee, which we scarfed down in three minutes, our forks darting in and out of the pyrex dish with abandon.

The best single moment, however, was the pop of the first bottle of champagne, and the cork's long ascent straight up into the air. It was the sound of exuberance. We all watched it rise up over the crowd, heads turning and craning up, smiles broadening in recognition. It's shorthand for celebration, champagne, and I'm sure everyone thought we were feting a birthday or a promotion or some other event, and it was even nicer for us to know that no, we're just celebrating the fact that we're outside, the night is warm, the swing band is great and the dancers are having a blast, and we're together, at least for a few hours, to enjoy all of it.

Pig Roast!

I don't want to say it was fantastically easy, but honestly, it was fantastically easy!

Claire and I picked up the pig on Friday just over the line in Pennsylvania. Brought it home and I used the old faithful machete and hammer trick to crack the spinal column and the head. He was about 70 lbs dressed weight.


Then we made the marinate with a cup of lemon juice, 1 cup lime juice, 2 cups oj, 5 heads of garlic, 6 handfuls of crushed fresh oregano, 3 tbl salt, and 3tbl cracked black pepper. And poured it over the pig in the basement.

Then we built the pit!

The next day I got up early and took Kima to the kennel, and Sean showed up with the hacksaw around 11. We made the pig holder and got the fire started.




We brought him up from the basement and wired the pig holder around him.



And put him on the fire.


Halfway through we flipped him (adding 1/2 bag of charcoal every 40 minutes).



Mmm, juicy!


Even babies like piggies!

Pig Drama In My Head

The other night, after I had called a second farm to get a price for the pig, even though I had already ordered the one through farm #1, I had a nightmare that I ended up ordering two pigs, and couldn't 'unorder' either of them because it was the day before the roast and they'd already been butchered.

I got a call back from farm #2 today and his price is about $150 cheaper than farm #1. So I confirmed with him (nightmare coming true!!!!), then quickly called farm #1 with a white lie about mechanical problems. "Oh, that's too bad!" she said (guilt! shame!). "I'll just cancel your order, that's no problem. The pig's still alive so no worries!".

Phew!

Am still pickling in my own shame but at least nobody is hurt, right? Am sure I will make amends somehow this summer by going to farm #1 and buying expensive organic bratwurst.

Camping Chili

I don't remember this recipe well, but now that camping season is upon us:

2 cans trader joes chili
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can red beans
chili powder
whatever squash/zucchini are lying around. we may have sauteed the veggies prior to setting out on the road with some onion.
2 pouches soy crumble
two pouches minute boil in bag rice - throw in at the end, or if you just have regular rice, put in at the beginning and add more water.
garlic powder, black pepper
garnish with shredded cheddar cheese

serves 6?

Roast Chicken with Carrot Onion Puree

From Julia:

Preheat oven to 325

Slice 3-4 carrots and 1.5 onions

Season the cavity with butter, salt, pepper, tarragon
Rub outside of chicken with butter

Cook onion and carrot in oil/butter for 5 min, add salt and tarragon.
Salt chicken and put in pot with veggies, baste with oils

Cover pot with foil and heat on stove till chicken starts sizzling.

Roast 1:10 - 1:20 depending on weight, basting a few times.

Remove chicken, add 2 cups broth to veggies, and boil for a few minutes. Puree all that and put over carved chicken.

Piggie!

I am _this_ close to reserving a pig for the roasting on May 31st. Valerie at Springfield Meats is awesome and ready to provide one happy little piglet (and they're only 20 miles away!). The farm's been going for over 300 years.

There are some other options too, but further away. Fortunately most pigs up to 80 lbs can fit in a long cooler, even if their little trotters are sticking out!

Hooray for pig roasts!

Vosges Barcelona Bar - Chocolate, hickory smoked almonds, sea salt

YUM CITY WHOA!

Hologram Lunch

Why is it, when you are starving at 11:30 and eat your lunch, that you (ok, I) am starving again by 12:35? Do lunches consumed before noon literally "not count"?

Also - is watching my sleeping doggie via Skypecam making me more sleepy at work? Or is it getting up at 6:30 and going running with her?

Off to supplement my lunch with another lunch.

Roast Chicken

Roasting a chicken is so easy! You just rub it all over with salt and pepper and stuff it with some stuff, and stick it in the oven for a while. Like duh. And this recipe turned out really yummy last night with some rice and salad and a Parallele 45 Cote du Rhone.

Ingredients
1 lemon [I used a lime]
1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger [I basically doubled this, because Sean cut up a whole thing of ginger]
10 to 12 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1 3-to-4 pound whole chicken
Salt, preferably Hawaiian [seriously, enough with the salt snobbery]
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash lemon and ginger well, dry, and cut into slices.

Remove the giblet pack and neck from the chicken. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Flip the wings back and tuck under the body.

Season the inside cavity with salt and pepper. Fill the cavity with the lemon, ginger, and garlic. Fold the skin over to close the opening, and then tie the legs together with a piece of kitchen twine. Put the chicken into a shallow baking dish. Coat the skin all over with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 375°F. Roast for an additional 60-65 minutes, until the juices run clear. Try not to open the oven door too much while the chicken is cooking, particularly during the first 15 minutes. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before you carve it. Strain the pan juices, remove the fat, and serve with the chicken.

Roasting at 450 first was key. Don't forget to run the fan over your stove to prevent a smoky house!

The chicken was moist and tender and the breast basically fell off the bone once I cut the ribs away. The skin was crispy and delicious! Am on a mission now to roast a chicken once a week for the next 8 weeks to get better at cutting it up, but honestly, this way, it practically cuts itself up!

Iron Chef Squash

I had a butternut squash to use so I made two things last night:

Butternut Squash Soup with Sage:
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled seeded butternut squash
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 garlic clove, minced
5 to 6 cups Chicken Stock or 5 to 6 cups purchased organic chicken broth

Breadcrumbs:
2 crustless slices fresh whole
grain wheat bread, torn
4 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
Preparation
For soup:
Melt butter with oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, parsley, and sage; sauté until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add squash and coarse salt; sauté until squash softens and onions are golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add 5 cups stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until squash is very soft, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender, allowing some texture to remain. Return soup to pot. Thin with stock, if desired. Season with pepper and more salt, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.

For breadcrumbs:
Place bread in processor; blend until fine crumbs form but some slightly coarser crumbs remain. Cook butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and sage. Cook until crumbs are crisp, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature.

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

I put in a little too much liquid but it was still yum-city. Also I neglected the breadcrumbs. Oh well. Didn't matter much because we had this very delicious and vegan (!!) dish:

Lentils with Butternut Squash and Walnuts

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound)
1 large shallot
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 cup walnuts
1/3 cup lentils
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro sprigs
fresh lime juice to taste (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°F.

Halve, peel, and seed squash and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Finely chop shallot and in a shallow baking pan toss with squash, oil, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Bake squash mixture in middle of oven until almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Chop walnuts and sprinkle over squash. Bake squash mixture 10 minutes more, or until walnuts are lightly toasted and squash is tender.

While squash is baking, in a saucepan of boiling water cook lentils until just tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Drain lentils in a sieve and transfer to a bowl.

To lentils add squash mixture, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste and toss until combined well.

Mm Pea Soup

I will try to recreate this recipe that I made over the weekend:

Get a big cast iron or ceramic pot. Put 7-8 strips of bacon in and turn on to medium. Fry the bacon until crisp. Try not to burn it!

Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Drain off the fat, reserving 1/4 cup in the pot. Add half an onion and some diced carrot (2 carrots) and sauté until soft.

Add 1 lb split peas. I fried them a little in the bacon fat before adding 2 1/2 quarts (that's 10 cups!) of liquid. I used half chicken stock and half water. Add a tsp of salt and a bay leaf. Add a ham hock if you have one lying around, which I didn't.

Simmer for ~2 hours. Blend some of it, and/or add some cream or half & half if you want. Serve with pepper and some of the crumbled bacon you fried earlier. Good with bread too!

Totally yum, especially when it's 15 degrees and gale force winds outside.

Julia's Stew for when times are bad

Cold War Spy Beef Daube

Marinate 3 hrs (or 6 in fridge):
3 lbs lean stew beef
1.5 cups red or white wine
2 tbl olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme/sage
1 crumbled bay leaf
2 cloves mashed garlic
2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups thinly sliced carrots

simmer 1/2 lb bacon cut into 1" x 1/4" x 2" strips in water, 10 minutes, drain and dry

mix:
6 oz sliced mushrooms
large can chopped tomatoes (drained or not)

preheat oven 325

drain meat in strainer, get plate of flour

layer in casserole:
2 bacon strips (why 2? they are so small. who knows)
veggies
floured beef pieces
more bacon
repeat

pour in wine from marinade and add stock to cover. simmer 3-4 hours in lower 3rd of oven, skim fat.

I like the lackadaisicality of this recipe. You can also add 1/4 cup gin OR brandy OR vermouth to the marinate. Serve with mashed potato or some kind of potato and some green vegetable. Whatever you want!