I often apologize to you, oh loyal 3 or 4 readers (or 8 or 10, as my "followers" list is now telling me), for going long stretches without posting anything. I realize that I have recently been on an exceptionally long stretch, and that is partly due to to all of my usual excuses (busy! BUSY!!) as well as the fact that I've also been overseas.
Just the other day I returned home from an amazing 12 day trip with my family to Israel and Jordan. I absolutely love to travel abroad and it had been a few years since my last jaunt across the pond. Add that to the fact that Israel ranked #1 in my list of places in the world I hadn't yet been and reeaally wanted to see, I was giddy with excitement both leading up to and during the entire trip. This trip did not disappoint.
One of the things I love most about my travels is learning and experiencing different cultures. And one of the curious cultural differences between Israelis and Americans, we all quickly noticed, is that Israelis really don't drink. They have started experimenting with vineyards and wine production-- which really makes a lot of sense considering Israel's strategic location off the Mediterranean and hilly terrain-- and we enjoyed more than a few very tasty bottles of wine. But look around the average restaurant at dinner time and you will see most people drinking soda or water, with maybe the occasional table sporting just one glass of wine. The concept of having a cocktail while we perused the menu was very foreign to almost all of our waiters. We threw around many different theories of why they don't really drink but who knows if any are correct. To someone like me who has spent a lot of time in Europe, where there must be something wrong with you if you don't have a glass of wine in your hand at all times, this was all very strange.
We realized that something must be up our first full night in Eilat, a resort town in the south of the country right on the Red Sea (and in case you're wondering, the sea is in fact a brilliant blue). Before dinner we decided to grab a cocktail at a bar with comfortable outdoor couches and toast the beginning of what was going to be a spectacular adventure. My mom and sis-in-law got a glass of wine, I got some sort of a fru-fru cocktail because it was made with either a pomegranate or fig liqueur (both native plants), and my brother and dad each ordered a vodka on the rocks (which I had the foresight to explain to our patient waiter that "on the rocks" meant "with ice") with two olives and a twist of lemon peel.
The waiter did not return for a while. We joked that perhaps we had a trick order.
When he did finally return with our order, the wine and fru-fru drink were passed with ease. Only then did we realize the reason for the long delay: The glass of vodka set in front of my brother had no ice and two lonely olives bobbing haphazardly around the glass instead of being anchored on a toothpick. My father received a glass with just vodka. The waiter then set down a separate glass filled with nothing but ice, a small plate of olives, and a small plate of lime (not lemon) slices. It was clear that the bartender had never before received an order for a vodka on the rocks with olives and a twist. It ended up being do-it-yourself cocktail night!
Suffice it to say, we got the message very quickly that ordering cocktails was going to be a challenge in this country. And it was. To emphasize the point further: on our very last night before we returned to the States, my brother and dad ordered the very same cocktail before dinner (at this point they had learned to specify whether they wanted ice on the side or in the glass, and pretty much gave up on the concept of olives and a twist). The drinks arrived in a highball glass with a bright blue plastic bendy straw.
So went the tide for the duration of our trip. I mostly stuck with wine. However, there was one evening where the waiter showed up and first asked us if we wanted a cocktail of some sort, even suggesting a gin and tonic. I was encouraged: not only did he understand the concept of the pre-dinner cocktail, he even knew what a gin and tonic was! Considering the G&T is one of my favorite cocktails, I decided to pounce on the opportunity. My drink arrived without incident: a highball glass filled about 2/3 full with gin (par-TAAY!) and a small bottle of Schwepp's tonic water on the side.
Meh, close enough. But of course the Au Naturale side of me automatically went to investigate the ingredient list of the tonic water as I had an instinct that it would look different than it does in the States. I was not wrong. While there were still the same fishy "natural flavors" and a few other not-so-natural items, the most conspicuous difference is that this tonic contained sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
I had pretty much expected as such, considering HFCS is quite an American invention. But then I became curious: are there any countries outside of the US that use HFCS? Once I returned state-side, I decided to investigate.
It's interesting that when you do a search for details of HFCS, the thing you find the most is the never-ending debate on whether HFCS is the same or worse for you than pure cane sugar. Some say it is the proliferation of this corn-derived substance that is the driving force of obesity and diabetes in this country, that our bodies react to it in a different, and decidedly worse way, than natural sugar. Others, most vocally the corn growers of America, insist that sugar is sugar no matter what form it comes in. There have been studies done that compare people who eat X amount of grams a day of HFCS as part of their diet to those who eat the same amount in pure sugar, but some have been discredited because they isolated just the fructose and sucrose into individual forms as opposed to doing the studies with the substances combined into food. The debate is enough to make your head spin.
But what I learned that I found the most interesting is not that yes, America creates and consumes more HFCS than any other country in the world, even though other countries do use some of it, but why. We all know that HFCS is much cheaper than cane sugar which is why you find it in everything. It's also easier to transport because HFCS is a liquid. But it's the extreme government corn subsidies paid to farmers, paired with a high tariff and restrictions on sugar imports, that are the main driving forces behind the low cost. I knew that corn sugar in the US is extraordinarily cheap, but I was unaware of the import factor. In other countries, it would cost more to built the systems needed to convert corn into HFCS than just use the natural stuff. This is why Schwepps uses sugar in their Israeli tonic water and HFCS in their American version. And therein you find so much of what is wrong in the our food industry today.
I, for one, do not consider HFCS to be an acceptable ingredient in the Au Naturale lifestyle. Health debate aside, I have to wonder really how good it is for us to eat any substance that has been broken down, twisted, and reformulated so many times (and in a lab, no less) that it no longer really resembles food. Yes, yes, people will say that HFCS is "natural" because it comes from corn and corn is natural, but you could make a similar argument about a lot of additives (and the food industry certainly does). This is not the same as taking a kernel of corn and just squeezing it hard enough that you get drops of sugar. This is pretty much changing the molecular compound to create something entirely different.
I believe that being healthy does not need to involve breaking down foods into each individual element and then pulling out those elements to be used in a vacuum. Why not just eat the original food in the first place? Enjoying an orange does a lot more for your body than just popping a vitamin C pill. So why should I eat something like HFCS that has to go through such a complicated process to resemble something that I can just eat in its natural form? I am no scientist and certainly do not have all the research, but I just can't believe that something formulated in a lab is as equally good for me (or has the same effect) as something I can find in nature. Our bodies are just not designed for that.
So there is my rant for the day. Of course you are free to disagree with me. But now that I am back in the States and able to make myself a proper cocktail, I will continue to happily make G&Ts with my current favorite brand, Q Tonic. Ingredients: filtered water, organic agave, bitters, handpicked quinine, and lemon juice extract. Tastes great. No laboratory needed.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
When CSAs Attack!! **RECIPE(S) ALERT**
Hey, look at that... I haven't been posting my weekly CSA pictures in quite a while. Time for catch up!
And....
And if that's not enough, here is this week's:
And these photos don't even include all the weeks I didn't take pictures, or last week which was given away to the BF since I was out of town.
What is the point of throwing all of these pics at you all at once? To show my exhaustion.
About a month ago, my produce was piling up, but not in a good way. I was acquiring veggies faster than I could use them. My humidity controlled drawers in the fridge were filled to capacity and so were most of the shelves, too. Some produce was beginning to rot. Others weren't, but were old enough that I might as well have just bought them in the grocery store. I was drowning under all of that produce and I couldn't make it stop.
I finally reached a breaking point. Enough was enough! It was time to engage in a serious cooking marathon. I rallied, I researched, I took notes. I figured out ways to use all of my veggies without having to buy a lot of side ingredients, and to make things that did not need to be consumed the same day. I cleared out my evening schedule, and vowed to cook everything at once.
Aaand.... of course I hit a hiccup. As I think I've mentioned before, I am not the world's fastest cook. You could say I take Slow Food literally (hardy har). If a recipe says it should only take a half hour, I can count on the fact that it will take me an hour. (I think it's the chopping that gets me-- I'm always worried I will cut my fingers off.) And the first dish I attempted to prepare, the eggplant canneloni which did not come with an estimated time frame, took me well over 3 hours. So the cooking marathon got stretched into 2 evenings.
By the end, though, I ended up with some amazing dishes: grilled eggplant cannelloni with ricotta and prosciutto; grilled romaine and pecorino salad; pasta with a roasted eggplant and tomato sauce; carrot-zucchini bread with candied ginger; spicy tomatillo salsa; and ricotta and prosciutto gnudi. And you, my loyal readers, get the spoils of the fruits of my labor (that is, you get the recipes and notes, if not the actual food).
Some notes on the dishes before we get to them:
The grilled eggplant cannelloni (where the eggplant IS the cannelloni) was my winner as the most spectacular. It was also the dish that took me an entire night. Even if you are a faster cook than I, which I am willing to bet you are, this dish still takes a while, probably a good 2 hours to be sure. However, a few of the steps can certainly be made in advance, such as the sauce or the ricotta filling, to save you some time. I recommend doing that.
There was some improvisation, of course, of which I am generally not good and therefore quite proud. I halved the grilled eggplant cannelloni recipe as half of it was going to take care of both dinner and lunch the next day, but even with the half recipe I was still left with an excess of the ricotta filling. I lamented to a friend the next day- what to do with this wonderful blended mixture? There wasn't enough to really make a second batch of the cannelloni. "Why not make a gnudi?" she suggested. What a great idea! Except... I had no idea what gnudi was. See the recipe below for more details.
A word on the salsa: after making this salsa, I immediately swore I would never buy jarred salsa ever again. And I mean it! The fresh stuff is crazy easy-- as in, it took even slow-cooking me only 10 minutes to do-- and it was more flavorful than anything else I have ever had. It was also exceptionally spicy, considering I had mistaken a habanero pepper for a jalapeno. Oops!
The only recipe I am not including below is the roasted eggplant and tomato sauce. Because I'm lazy? Perhaps. But while not a bad dish, it wasn't my favorite. I will make the point though that I of course used an Au Naturale pasta: Pasta Puttana, made locally and fresh-- no dried noodles here, folks!-- here in Chicago. Also sold in convenient serving size bags. This stuff is so fresh, it only needs to be cooked for a few minutes to get it al dente. If you really want the recpe for the sauce, just message me and I will post.
Finally.... it occurred to me that leaving all of these recipes-- here and previously-- within the body of posts is not efficient for you, loyal readers, to reference. So moving forward, I am creating a second page on this site dedicated to a recipe list. It will take me a little bit of time to go back and add everything in, so be patient. However, I will still include recipes within each relevant post as I have always done.
So, without further adieu....
Grilled Eggplant Cannelloni with Ricotta and Prosciutto
As I mentioned, I halved the recipe when I made it but still had excess ricotta filling so I don't know if I was being stingy when filling the eggplant or if the recipe itself is a bit of overkill. Also, while I halved the actual ricotta, I probably used 2/3 of the suggested amounts for the additional filling ingredients, such as garlic, parsley, prosciutto, etc. It was flavorful without being overpowering. So if you are inclined to add extra garlic or cheese or anything, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so.
serves 6
Ingredients:
2 large globe eggplants; 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each
kosher or sea salt
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
tomato sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
/2 yellow onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped (no need to peel)
8 to 12 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
kosher or sea salt
ricotta filling:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, or one 15-ounce container (I ended up using a skim one accidentally, and I still thought it was good)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano cheese (I went for pecorino)
1/3 cup minced prosciutto
2 tbs minced fresh italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced (I used 2 cloves because garlic is yummy!)
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano cheese, for topping
Directions:
1. Slice off the eggplants' green cap, then cut each eggplant lengthwise into slices about 1/3 inch thick. Discard the first and last slices, which are mostly skin. You should get at least 6 large slices from each eggplant. Sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt, then set the slices on a rack and let stand for 30 minutes. Moisture will bead on the surface.
2. Prepare a moderate charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium (375). Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels, then brush on both sides with the olive oil. Place the slices directly oveer the coals or gas flame and cook, turning once, until they are nicely marked by the grill and pliable, about 3 minutes per side. They do not need to be fully cooked as they will cook further in the oven. Set the slices aside on a tray to cool.
3. To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and beginning to color, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they soften and collapse into a sauce, about 10 minutes, depending on ripeness.
4. Remove from the heat, and pass the mixture through a food mill fitted with the fine disk (or a food processor). Return the puree to the skillet over moderate heat. Tear the basil leaves in half and add to the skillet along with the oregano (rubbing it between your fingers as you do), the hot pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and tasty. Set aside.
5. To make the ricotta filling, put the ricotta, pecorino, prosciutto, parsley, and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir until blended, then season to taste with salt and pepper, Stir in the egg.
6. Preheat the oven to 350. Choose a shallow baking dish large enough to hold all the eggplant rolls snugly in one layer. Spread 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish.
7. Put a generous 2 tbs filling on each eggplant slice and spread it evenly. Carefully roll each slice like a jelly roll, and place the rolls, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the pecorino evenly over the top.
8. Bake until lightly browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before serving. Can also be refrigerated and reheated the next day.
Grilled Romaine and Pecorino
I had a pathetic little bit of romaine that was about to go bad and I found this recipe. Who would have thought of putting lettuce on the grill? But it works- supposedly because of their natural sugar, they color up beautifully on the grill. It's just a nice twist to something we generally eat raw.
serves 4
Ingredients:
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 hearts of romaine, each 5 to 6 ounces, halved lengthwise with the core attached
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
chunk of pecorino (or parmigiano reggiano, your choice) for grating
4 lemon wedges
Directions:
1. Prepare a moderate charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium (375)
2. Put the olive oil on a tray or platter. Turn the romaine hearts in the oil to coat them all over. Season with salt.
3. Place the romaine hearts directly over the coals or gas flame. Cook, turning as needed, until they are lightly browned on both sides, crisp in spots, and tender yet still a touch crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Transfer the romaine hearts to a serving platter or individual plates. Grind some pepper over the romaine, then grate cheese over them, using as much as you'd like. Accompany with the lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
Carrot Zucchini Bread with Candied Ginger
I've had my eye on this recipe all summer and the extra zukes in my fridge gave me the excuse to finally do it. Personally, I couldn't taste the ginger much in the finished product so next time I think I will add either more of the candied or ground. It calls for all-purpose flour, but I'd like to try it with whole wheat.. I just didn't want to mess with it the first time I made it. Also- this recipe as written supposedly makes 2 8-inch loaves. My baking pans are 9 inches, not much bigger, but I was able to get all the batter in to make just one normal-sized loaf. So go figure. Pick for yourself based on your baking pan size.
Ingredients:
nonstick cooking spray for preparing the pan
3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 cp minced candied ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 cup zucchini, grated on the large holes of a box grater
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325. Coat two 8.5 by 4.5 by 2 3/4 " loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sift together the sifted flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt and candied ginger.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. Add the canola oil, sugar, and vanilla, whisking vigorously until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the carrots and zucchini.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture all at once and stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans.
5. Bake until the breads are well risen and firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert and finish cooling right side up on the rack.
Spicy Tomatillo Salsa
What a coup this recipe was. I was struck with the idea of making salsa when I saw tomatillos at the market, but then they just sat on my counter for forever. If I had known how incredibly easy this was, I would have made it sooner. You really can't screw it up: My recipe was actually a combo of a few different ones, as the main one I had suggested both cilantro and grilling everything first to give it a smokey flavor, both of which I generally don't like. If you aren't down for spice, just eliminate the jalapeno; if you want a lot of spice, substitute a hotter pepper, as I (accidentally) did. And you can't go wrong with too much garlic!
makes about 1 1/3 cup
Ingredients:
1/2 pound tomatillos (about 5 medium)
1/2 small white onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 jalapeno, chopped
kosher or sea salt
Directions:
1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash them to remove any stickiness. Dry well. Coarsely chop.
2. Put the tomatillos and onion in a blender or food processor. Peel the garlic and add to the blender along with the chile. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt to taste (generally 1/2 tsp works well- can also be added when blending). You can add a little water or lime juice if you feel it needs thinning, but generally not necessary.
Ricotta and Prosciutto Gnudi
As I mentioned, this was an excellent way to use the leftover ricotta filling from the cannelloni dish. Gnudi is "naked pasta": basically the filling of a ravioli but made in the shape of gnocchi and eaten like it's own pasta. Full disclosure: because this was made from leftovers and I had more than enough dishes at this point, I made the gnudi and froze it, so I cannot yet account for how it tastes on it's own. But considering how good the ricotta was in it's original dish, I'm sure it will be a winner once I finally pull it out of the freezer.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, or one 15-ounce container (I ended up using a skim one accidentally, and I still thought it was good)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano cheese (I went for pecorino)
1/3 cup minced prosciutto
2 tbs minced fresh italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced (I used 2 cloves as I like garlic)
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup all purpose flour
additional all-purpose flour for coating
Directions:
1. put the ricotta, pecorino, prosciutto, parsley, and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir until blended, then season to taste with salt and pepper, Stir in the egg. (this is the same instruction as above for the cannelloni recipe.)
2. Sprinkle up to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour into mixture in batches and stir to blend. You want to use enough so that you can make small ricotta balls without it falling apart, but not too firm.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place flour in a bowl. For gnudi, form one heaping tablespoon of ricotta mixture in a ball. Add to flour, toss to coat lightly, then roll into small log (like a gnocchi). Place on sheet and repeat. You can also make small indentations with the tongs of a fork to create spaces for the eventual sauce to cling to.
4. Cover and chill dough one hour. Alternatively, put baking sheet in freezer if you want to preserve (after 6 hours, you can then put them in a bag).
5. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook gnudi until very tender, about 5-8 minutes (they sometimes say the gnudi will float when done). Serve with any sort of pasta (or other) sauce.
Bon Apetit!
 |
| Week 5, perhaps? Peppers, eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, white onion, pattypan squash, tomatoes, broccoli. Whew! |
 |
| So then this would be week 6? Corn, spicy pepper, cantaloupe, eggplant, red onion, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, zucchini (double whew!) |
And if that's not enough, here is this week's:
 |
| corn, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers, white onion, broccoli, potatoes, spicy peppers, squash |
What is the point of throwing all of these pics at you all at once? To show my exhaustion.
About a month ago, my produce was piling up, but not in a good way. I was acquiring veggies faster than I could use them. My humidity controlled drawers in the fridge were filled to capacity and so were most of the shelves, too. Some produce was beginning to rot. Others weren't, but were old enough that I might as well have just bought them in the grocery store. I was drowning under all of that produce and I couldn't make it stop.
I finally reached a breaking point. Enough was enough! It was time to engage in a serious cooking marathon. I rallied, I researched, I took notes. I figured out ways to use all of my veggies without having to buy a lot of side ingredients, and to make things that did not need to be consumed the same day. I cleared out my evening schedule, and vowed to cook everything at once.
Aaand.... of course I hit a hiccup. As I think I've mentioned before, I am not the world's fastest cook. You could say I take Slow Food literally (hardy har). If a recipe says it should only take a half hour, I can count on the fact that it will take me an hour. (I think it's the chopping that gets me-- I'm always worried I will cut my fingers off.) And the first dish I attempted to prepare, the eggplant canneloni which did not come with an estimated time frame, took me well over 3 hours. So the cooking marathon got stretched into 2 evenings.
By the end, though, I ended up with some amazing dishes: grilled eggplant cannelloni with ricotta and prosciutto; grilled romaine and pecorino salad; pasta with a roasted eggplant and tomato sauce; carrot-zucchini bread with candied ginger; spicy tomatillo salsa; and ricotta and prosciutto gnudi. And you, my loyal readers, get the spoils of the fruits of my labor (that is, you get the recipes and notes, if not the actual food).
Some notes on the dishes before we get to them:
The grilled eggplant cannelloni (where the eggplant IS the cannelloni) was my winner as the most spectacular. It was also the dish that took me an entire night. Even if you are a faster cook than I, which I am willing to bet you are, this dish still takes a while, probably a good 2 hours to be sure. However, a few of the steps can certainly be made in advance, such as the sauce or the ricotta filling, to save you some time. I recommend doing that.
There was some improvisation, of course, of which I am generally not good and therefore quite proud. I halved the grilled eggplant cannelloni recipe as half of it was going to take care of both dinner and lunch the next day, but even with the half recipe I was still left with an excess of the ricotta filling. I lamented to a friend the next day- what to do with this wonderful blended mixture? There wasn't enough to really make a second batch of the cannelloni. "Why not make a gnudi?" she suggested. What a great idea! Except... I had no idea what gnudi was. See the recipe below for more details.
A word on the salsa: after making this salsa, I immediately swore I would never buy jarred salsa ever again. And I mean it! The fresh stuff is crazy easy-- as in, it took even slow-cooking me only 10 minutes to do-- and it was more flavorful than anything else I have ever had. It was also exceptionally spicy, considering I had mistaken a habanero pepper for a jalapeno. Oops!
The only recipe I am not including below is the roasted eggplant and tomato sauce. Because I'm lazy? Perhaps. But while not a bad dish, it wasn't my favorite. I will make the point though that I of course used an Au Naturale pasta: Pasta Puttana, made locally and fresh-- no dried noodles here, folks!-- here in Chicago. Also sold in convenient serving size bags. This stuff is so fresh, it only needs to be cooked for a few minutes to get it al dente. If you really want the recpe for the sauce, just message me and I will post.
Finally.... it occurred to me that leaving all of these recipes-- here and previously-- within the body of posts is not efficient for you, loyal readers, to reference. So moving forward, I am creating a second page on this site dedicated to a recipe list. It will take me a little bit of time to go back and add everything in, so be patient. However, I will still include recipes within each relevant post as I have always done.
So, without further adieu....
Grilled Eggplant Cannelloni with Ricotta and Prosciutto
As I mentioned, I halved the recipe when I made it but still had excess ricotta filling so I don't know if I was being stingy when filling the eggplant or if the recipe itself is a bit of overkill. Also, while I halved the actual ricotta, I probably used 2/3 of the suggested amounts for the additional filling ingredients, such as garlic, parsley, prosciutto, etc. It was flavorful without being overpowering. So if you are inclined to add extra garlic or cheese or anything, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so.
serves 6
Ingredients:
2 large globe eggplants; 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each
kosher or sea salt
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
tomato sauce:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
/2 yellow onion, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped (no need to peel)
8 to 12 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
kosher or sea salt
ricotta filling:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, or one 15-ounce container (I ended up using a skim one accidentally, and I still thought it was good)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano cheese (I went for pecorino)
1/3 cup minced prosciutto
2 tbs minced fresh italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced (I used 2 cloves because garlic is yummy!)
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano cheese, for topping
Directions:
1. Slice off the eggplants' green cap, then cut each eggplant lengthwise into slices about 1/3 inch thick. Discard the first and last slices, which are mostly skin. You should get at least 6 large slices from each eggplant. Sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt, then set the slices on a rack and let stand for 30 minutes. Moisture will bead on the surface.
2. Prepare a moderate charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium (375). Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels, then brush on both sides with the olive oil. Place the slices directly oveer the coals or gas flame and cook, turning once, until they are nicely marked by the grill and pliable, about 3 minutes per side. They do not need to be fully cooked as they will cook further in the oven. Set the slices aside on a tray to cool.
3. To make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is soft and beginning to color, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they soften and collapse into a sauce, about 10 minutes, depending on ripeness.
4. Remove from the heat, and pass the mixture through a food mill fitted with the fine disk (or a food processor). Return the puree to the skillet over moderate heat. Tear the basil leaves in half and add to the skillet along with the oregano (rubbing it between your fingers as you do), the hot pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and tasty. Set aside.
5. To make the ricotta filling, put the ricotta, pecorino, prosciutto, parsley, and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir until blended, then season to taste with salt and pepper, Stir in the egg.
6. Preheat the oven to 350. Choose a shallow baking dish large enough to hold all the eggplant rolls snugly in one layer. Spread 1/3 cup of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish.
7. Put a generous 2 tbs filling on each eggplant slice and spread it evenly. Carefully roll each slice like a jelly roll, and place the rolls, seam side down, in the baking dish. Top with the remaining tomato sauce, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle the pecorino evenly over the top.
8. Bake until lightly browned and bubbling, about 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes before serving. Can also be refrigerated and reheated the next day.
Grilled Romaine and Pecorino
I had a pathetic little bit of romaine that was about to go bad and I found this recipe. Who would have thought of putting lettuce on the grill? But it works- supposedly because of their natural sugar, they color up beautifully on the grill. It's just a nice twist to something we generally eat raw.
serves 4
Ingredients:
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 hearts of romaine, each 5 to 6 ounces, halved lengthwise with the core attached
kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
chunk of pecorino (or parmigiano reggiano, your choice) for grating
4 lemon wedges
Directions:
1. Prepare a moderate charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium (375)
2. Put the olive oil on a tray or platter. Turn the romaine hearts in the oil to coat them all over. Season with salt.
3. Place the romaine hearts directly over the coals or gas flame. Cook, turning as needed, until they are lightly browned on both sides, crisp in spots, and tender yet still a touch crunchy, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Transfer the romaine hearts to a serving platter or individual plates. Grind some pepper over the romaine, then grate cheese over them, using as much as you'd like. Accompany with the lemon wedges. Serve immediately.
Carrot Zucchini Bread with Candied Ginger
I've had my eye on this recipe all summer and the extra zukes in my fridge gave me the excuse to finally do it. Personally, I couldn't taste the ginger much in the finished product so next time I think I will add either more of the candied or ground. It calls for all-purpose flour, but I'd like to try it with whole wheat.. I just didn't want to mess with it the first time I made it. Also- this recipe as written supposedly makes 2 8-inch loaves. My baking pans are 9 inches, not much bigger, but I was able to get all the batter in to make just one normal-sized loaf. So go figure. Pick for yourself based on your baking pan size.
Ingredients:
nonstick cooking spray for preparing the pan
3 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 cp minced candied ginger
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 cup zucchini, grated on the large holes of a box grater
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325. Coat two 8.5 by 4.5 by 2 3/4 " loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sift together the sifted flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt and candied ginger.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. Add the canola oil, sugar, and vanilla, whisking vigorously until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the carrots and zucchini.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture all at once and stir with a wooden spoon just until blended. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans.
5. Bake until the breads are well risen and firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert and finish cooling right side up on the rack.
Spicy Tomatillo Salsa
What a coup this recipe was. I was struck with the idea of making salsa when I saw tomatillos at the market, but then they just sat on my counter for forever. If I had known how incredibly easy this was, I would have made it sooner. You really can't screw it up: My recipe was actually a combo of a few different ones, as the main one I had suggested both cilantro and grilling everything first to give it a smokey flavor, both of which I generally don't like. If you aren't down for spice, just eliminate the jalapeno; if you want a lot of spice, substitute a hotter pepper, as I (accidentally) did. And you can't go wrong with too much garlic!
makes about 1 1/3 cup
Ingredients:
1/2 pound tomatillos (about 5 medium)
1/2 small white onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 jalapeno, chopped
kosher or sea salt
Directions:
1. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and wash them to remove any stickiness. Dry well. Coarsely chop.
2. Put the tomatillos and onion in a blender or food processor. Peel the garlic and add to the blender along with the chile. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in salt to taste (generally 1/2 tsp works well- can also be added when blending). You can add a little water or lime juice if you feel it needs thinning, but generally not necessary.
Ricotta and Prosciutto Gnudi
As I mentioned, this was an excellent way to use the leftover ricotta filling from the cannelloni dish. Gnudi is "naked pasta": basically the filling of a ravioli but made in the shape of gnocchi and eaten like it's own pasta. Full disclosure: because this was made from leftovers and I had more than enough dishes at this point, I made the gnudi and froze it, so I cannot yet account for how it tastes on it's own. But considering how good the ricotta was in it's original dish, I'm sure it will be a winner once I finally pull it out of the freezer.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese, or one 15-ounce container (I ended up using a skim one accidentally, and I still thought it was good)
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino or parmigiano reggiano cheese (I went for pecorino)
1/3 cup minced prosciutto
2 tbs minced fresh italian parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced (I used 2 cloves as I like garlic)
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup all purpose flour
additional all-purpose flour for coating
Directions:
1. put the ricotta, pecorino, prosciutto, parsley, and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir until blended, then season to taste with salt and pepper, Stir in the egg. (this is the same instruction as above for the cannelloni recipe.)
2. Sprinkle up to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour into mixture in batches and stir to blend. You want to use enough so that you can make small ricotta balls without it falling apart, but not too firm.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place flour in a bowl. For gnudi, form one heaping tablespoon of ricotta mixture in a ball. Add to flour, toss to coat lightly, then roll into small log (like a gnocchi). Place on sheet and repeat. You can also make small indentations with the tongs of a fork to create spaces for the eventual sauce to cling to.
4. Cover and chill dough one hour. Alternatively, put baking sheet in freezer if you want to preserve (after 6 hours, you can then put them in a bag).
5. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook gnudi until very tender, about 5-8 minutes (they sometimes say the gnudi will float when done). Serve with any sort of pasta (or other) sauce.
Bon Apetit!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
This One is for Florence and Harold
When I first started writing the post about my recent trip to Oregon, I had to stop halfway through, erase it and re-write. I didn't realize that instead of writing about food, I instead had unconsciously begun to write about my great Aunt and Uncle who were the catalysts for the annual trip in the first place.
My great Uncle Harold and my great Aunt Florence were my de-facto grandparents growing up in an idyllic suburb just north of Chicago. Their house was just a few blocks from mine and it wasn't unheard of for me, while riding my bike around the neighborhood (this was back in the day when it was safe for children to do so alone), to stop in on them just to say hi. When I was probably about 10, we all flew out west along with their children and grandchildren to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They were staples at every family occasion and major holiday. To this day we reminisce about Aunt Florence's Thanksgiving gravy, which we could never quite do on our own after they moved to Oregon.
Uncle Harold and Aunt Florence truly lived life to the fullest which I could say is the ultimate Au Naturale lifestyle, in a way. It's certainly one that I hope to emulate as I get older. Uncle Harold-- who I took to calling "Huncle Harold" as a little girl and eventually got shortened to simply "Hunk"-- was quite the joker. For as long as I can remember he always greeted me with "Hey, it's ol' Whats-Her-Name!" even though he knew perfectly well what my name was. As my dentist growing up, he would make a point to first fill my mouth up with flouride and then ask me how my day was. I would get so frustrated when he then imitated whatever drooly incoherent response I gave back.
The Hunk played tennis and could whoop anybody's ass well into his 80s. Once they relocated to Corvallis, he joined the local gym and took a cross-training class on a daily basis. He was the only man among a throng of younger-ish women and after class they sat around and had coffee and chatted. We took to calling those ladies "Harold's Harem". He was eventually the star of a television commercial the gym made, where he proclaimed loud and proud that he was training for a triathalon. (He wasn't, but we loved it anyway.) When we visited those early years, he always invited me and my brother to join him at the morning class. My brother went a few times, but I always declined, loving to sleep in the way I did. I always said "maybe next year". Uncle Harold passed away a few years ago at the ripe young age of 92, I believe. To this day I regret never getting up and joining him, even just once.
Huncle Harold also loved music and played in an ensemble. He took his martinis seriously: "Pour the gin and then just wave the vermouth bottle over the glass." He also baked a mean bran muffin that was a staple of our legendary breakfasts out in Corvallis, accompanied by jars of marionberry jam, locally roasted coffee, fresh fruit, and some sort of herbed or infused butter. Just this last trip, I learned from Aunt Florence that when Uncle Harold first retired "he couldn't boil water", in her words. He needed to take up a hobby, and baking was the one he fell into with great success. Our waistlines have always forgiven us his muffins.
Aunt Florence- or Flo, or Flush, depending on your mood- was equally a renaissance woman. She threw a mean pot and our family still has many of the plates, bowls, and flowerpots that she expertly crafted. She was in acting classes with the legendary Studs Terkel. And she was a total chocoholic. No trip could be started without my mom bringing her a tin of truffles. Aunt Florence made and appreciated good food, too. Before the airlines got too annoying we started a tradition of bringing her a pound of classic Chicago corned beef, a loaf of rye, and a jar of pickles. In the evenings after we left town she would go into the kitchen and totally chow down, then admit it with just a touch of guilt when we next spoke to her on the phone. We assured her there was nothing to feel guilty about- we've all done it, too! On one trip out to Corvallis when I first started growing herbs on my deck, I had lamented to her that I had more basil than I could handle. She immediately went to her recipe book, pulled out a piece of paper, and copied a pesto recipe down for me. I still have that recipe, on a the lined paper that is beginning to brown, and use it at the end of each season. This past trip I brought her one of the strawberry basil muffins that I packed as a travel snack. Looking back, I feel like the basil had come full circle.
The thing that amazed me most about Aunt Florence is that even as she got older and weaker in the body, her mind remained as sharp as a tack. This past trip she "held court" as she rested in bed and we gathered around and updated her on our lives. Inevitably she would tell her own stories that our stories had triggered. Someone had told her a joke that she wrote down and repeated for us with perfect comic timing. I'm trying to remember it now, but I can't quite get it. It was hilarious, and I dare say a little raunchy.
I don't think I fully understood truly how much the two of them contributed to that grandparent role in my life until a few years ago, while I was thumbing through some old photo albums at their house and came across one that I instantly recognized: Aunt Florence and Uncle Harold, sitting at those tiny one-piece desks in a classroom at my Sunday School, staring very intently and with great interest at some sort of art project that a very young me had made. I remembered that day instantly as I looked at the picture.
"Uncle Harold and I were so flattered that you invited us to attend that day," opined Aunt Florence, as she looked over my shoulder at the photo.
"Really?" I asked, somewhat confused. "Why?"
"Because you invited your great Aunt and Uncle to Grandparent's Day," she responded matter-of-factly.
I was confused. Yes- so what? And then I realized what she had meant: technically, they weren't my grandparents. But they were the ones I wanted at that day dedicated to grandparents. And I knew it was Grandparent's Day- I remembered the event, and what it was called. But it seemed so natural to me that they should be there, and it never occurred to me that they were technically not my grandparents, even though I always referred to them as "Aunt" and "Uncle". It just simply made sense. That conversation was truly the first time it hit me in such a literal sense.
On August 14th, exactly 3 weeks after we returned from this year's trip out to see her, Aunt Florence passed away. She was 96 years young.
I miss her and Uncle Harold more than I ever thought possible. I have more memories of them than I could possibly fit here. They lived and loved life to the fullest, and if I can find the supply of whatever Fountain of Youth elixir they must have hidden somewhere in their house, I'm chugging it all.
In honor of their extraordinary lives, below are the recipes for Uncle Harold's bran muffins and Aunt Flo's pesto. Should you ever get around to making either one of these, please raise a glass in their memory, and know that these recipes were shared-- and enjoyed-- with love.
Harold's Bran Muffins
Ingredients:
3/4 cup salad oil
2 beaten eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup bran
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375. Combine salad oil, beaten eggs, buttermilk and stir well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar, and bran. Mix well.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add liquid. Beat together, but do not overbeat. Bake in tins at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Notes: muffins supposedly come out better if batter rests in refrigerator overnight. Batter will keep for 3 weeks in refrigerator. Baked muffins keep well in the freezer. Also, for a different twist, add 3/4 cup chopped dates or 3/4 cup raisins.
Florence's Pesto
Instructions:
My great Uncle Harold and my great Aunt Florence were my de-facto grandparents growing up in an idyllic suburb just north of Chicago. Their house was just a few blocks from mine and it wasn't unheard of for me, while riding my bike around the neighborhood (this was back in the day when it was safe for children to do so alone), to stop in on them just to say hi. When I was probably about 10, we all flew out west along with their children and grandchildren to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They were staples at every family occasion and major holiday. To this day we reminisce about Aunt Florence's Thanksgiving gravy, which we could never quite do on our own after they moved to Oregon.
Uncle Harold and Aunt Florence truly lived life to the fullest which I could say is the ultimate Au Naturale lifestyle, in a way. It's certainly one that I hope to emulate as I get older. Uncle Harold-- who I took to calling "Huncle Harold" as a little girl and eventually got shortened to simply "Hunk"-- was quite the joker. For as long as I can remember he always greeted me with "Hey, it's ol' Whats-Her-Name!" even though he knew perfectly well what my name was. As my dentist growing up, he would make a point to first fill my mouth up with flouride and then ask me how my day was. I would get so frustrated when he then imitated whatever drooly incoherent response I gave back.
The Hunk played tennis and could whoop anybody's ass well into his 80s. Once they relocated to Corvallis, he joined the local gym and took a cross-training class on a daily basis. He was the only man among a throng of younger-ish women and after class they sat around and had coffee and chatted. We took to calling those ladies "Harold's Harem". He was eventually the star of a television commercial the gym made, where he proclaimed loud and proud that he was training for a triathalon. (He wasn't, but we loved it anyway.) When we visited those early years, he always invited me and my brother to join him at the morning class. My brother went a few times, but I always declined, loving to sleep in the way I did. I always said "maybe next year". Uncle Harold passed away a few years ago at the ripe young age of 92, I believe. To this day I regret never getting up and joining him, even just once.
Huncle Harold also loved music and played in an ensemble. He took his martinis seriously: "Pour the gin and then just wave the vermouth bottle over the glass." He also baked a mean bran muffin that was a staple of our legendary breakfasts out in Corvallis, accompanied by jars of marionberry jam, locally roasted coffee, fresh fruit, and some sort of herbed or infused butter. Just this last trip, I learned from Aunt Florence that when Uncle Harold first retired "he couldn't boil water", in her words. He needed to take up a hobby, and baking was the one he fell into with great success. Our waistlines have always forgiven us his muffins.
Aunt Florence- or Flo, or Flush, depending on your mood- was equally a renaissance woman. She threw a mean pot and our family still has many of the plates, bowls, and flowerpots that she expertly crafted. She was in acting classes with the legendary Studs Terkel. And she was a total chocoholic. No trip could be started without my mom bringing her a tin of truffles. Aunt Florence made and appreciated good food, too. Before the airlines got too annoying we started a tradition of bringing her a pound of classic Chicago corned beef, a loaf of rye, and a jar of pickles. In the evenings after we left town she would go into the kitchen and totally chow down, then admit it with just a touch of guilt when we next spoke to her on the phone. We assured her there was nothing to feel guilty about- we've all done it, too! On one trip out to Corvallis when I first started growing herbs on my deck, I had lamented to her that I had more basil than I could handle. She immediately went to her recipe book, pulled out a piece of paper, and copied a pesto recipe down for me. I still have that recipe, on a the lined paper that is beginning to brown, and use it at the end of each season. This past trip I brought her one of the strawberry basil muffins that I packed as a travel snack. Looking back, I feel like the basil had come full circle.
The thing that amazed me most about Aunt Florence is that even as she got older and weaker in the body, her mind remained as sharp as a tack. This past trip she "held court" as she rested in bed and we gathered around and updated her on our lives. Inevitably she would tell her own stories that our stories had triggered. Someone had told her a joke that she wrote down and repeated for us with perfect comic timing. I'm trying to remember it now, but I can't quite get it. It was hilarious, and I dare say a little raunchy.
I don't think I fully understood truly how much the two of them contributed to that grandparent role in my life until a few years ago, while I was thumbing through some old photo albums at their house and came across one that I instantly recognized: Aunt Florence and Uncle Harold, sitting at those tiny one-piece desks in a classroom at my Sunday School, staring very intently and with great interest at some sort of art project that a very young me had made. I remembered that day instantly as I looked at the picture.
"Uncle Harold and I were so flattered that you invited us to attend that day," opined Aunt Florence, as she looked over my shoulder at the photo.
"Really?" I asked, somewhat confused. "Why?"
"Because you invited your great Aunt and Uncle to Grandparent's Day," she responded matter-of-factly.
I was confused. Yes- so what? And then I realized what she had meant: technically, they weren't my grandparents. But they were the ones I wanted at that day dedicated to grandparents. And I knew it was Grandparent's Day- I remembered the event, and what it was called. But it seemed so natural to me that they should be there, and it never occurred to me that they were technically not my grandparents, even though I always referred to them as "Aunt" and "Uncle". It just simply made sense. That conversation was truly the first time it hit me in such a literal sense.
On August 14th, exactly 3 weeks after we returned from this year's trip out to see her, Aunt Florence passed away. She was 96 years young.
I miss her and Uncle Harold more than I ever thought possible. I have more memories of them than I could possibly fit here. They lived and loved life to the fullest, and if I can find the supply of whatever Fountain of Youth elixir they must have hidden somewhere in their house, I'm chugging it all.
In honor of their extraordinary lives, below are the recipes for Uncle Harold's bran muffins and Aunt Flo's pesto. Should you ever get around to making either one of these, please raise a glass in their memory, and know that these recipes were shared-- and enjoyed-- with love.
Harold's Bran Muffins
Ingredients:
3/4 cup salad oil
2 beaten eggs
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cup bran
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375. Combine salad oil, beaten eggs, buttermilk and stir well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, white sugar, and bran. Mix well.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add liquid. Beat together, but do not overbeat. Bake in tins at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Notes: muffins supposedly come out better if batter rests in refrigerator overnight. Batter will keep for 3 weeks in refrigerator. Baked muffins keep well in the freezer. Also, for a different twist, add 3/4 cup chopped dates or 3/4 cup raisins.
Florence's Pesto
Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2C olive oil
2C basil
1/4C pine nuts
1/2 cup parmesan
Instructions:
Put garlic, salt and oil in blender/processor- process smooth.
Add basil and nuts and blend.
Transfer to bowl and stir in parmesan.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Milestone
Let it be known that on Monday, August 22, 2011 at 4:10pm, I had my first sip of "regular" soda for the first time in all of 2011.
I was slightly disappointed in myself- I was hoping to never drink one of those things ever again. However, having been quite ill for no apparent reason the night before (funky stomach pains? Food poisoning? Allergic to relaxing vacations?) and still feeling a little shaky with a 10-plus hour car ride ahead of me, I needed to find the nearest can of ginger ale.
It was also pointed out to me that come the end of 2011, I can most likely truthfully say that I only drink one to two cans of soda a year. Certainly better than the average American. For that, I will forgive myself yesterday's indiscretion.
I was slightly disappointed in myself- I was hoping to never drink one of those things ever again. However, having been quite ill for no apparent reason the night before (funky stomach pains? Food poisoning? Allergic to relaxing vacations?) and still feeling a little shaky with a 10-plus hour car ride ahead of me, I needed to find the nearest can of ginger ale.
It was also pointed out to me that come the end of 2011, I can most likely truthfully say that I only drink one to two cans of soda a year. Certainly better than the average American. For that, I will forgive myself yesterday's indiscretion.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Green Pepper!
Look! Look look look!
What you see there, my friends, is the first official pepper out of my Earthbox. This has made me unbelievably excited: due to the crazy windy storms we've had here throughout the summer, so many of the fresh buds on my pepper plants have been blown off that my crop is coming in late and very slowly. This is in sharp contrast to last year's cucumber harvest. I couldn't keep up with those guys.
The good news is another green pepper is about ready to be picked, a yellow is coming along nicely, and I've seen a good 3 or 4 reds that have started to form. My first poblano is coming in too, with a ton of flowers that are just ready to pop. Please, crazy winds, pleeeeease hold off!
Not the most insightful post, but I was just happy to share. You will be pleased to know that shortly after this picture was taken and I had tasted an unadulterated slice (delicious!!), this pepper gave its life to be part of an egg scramble with onion, tomato, and goat cheese with some toast and butter on the side. And of course, every single ingredient was fresh from the market or farm box. Au Naturale all the way!
 |
| (and yes, that is indeed a shark slipper in the background) |
What you see there, my friends, is the first official pepper out of my Earthbox. This has made me unbelievably excited: due to the crazy windy storms we've had here throughout the summer, so many of the fresh buds on my pepper plants have been blown off that my crop is coming in late and very slowly. This is in sharp contrast to last year's cucumber harvest. I couldn't keep up with those guys.
The good news is another green pepper is about ready to be picked, a yellow is coming along nicely, and I've seen a good 3 or 4 reds that have started to form. My first poblano is coming in too, with a ton of flowers that are just ready to pop. Please, crazy winds, pleeeeease hold off!
Not the most insightful post, but I was just happy to share. You will be pleased to know that shortly after this picture was taken and I had tasted an unadulterated slice (delicious!!), this pepper gave its life to be part of an egg scramble with onion, tomato, and goat cheese with some toast and butter on the side. And of course, every single ingredient was fresh from the market or farm box. Au Naturale all the way!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Ground Turkey Recall. Yawn.
This is old news already, but I think it still begs to be given some attention. Our good friends at Cargill, the folks who generously gave us CAFOs and genetically modified corn, had to issue one of the biggest ground meat recalls in history due to salmonella contamination that has already killed one person.
Good work, Cargill.
Normally this news would not be worthy of a post. Sadly, food recalls are issued with as much regularity as movie premieres. And hey, it's just salmonella: apparently the USDA knew about this issue long before the recall but did nothing because salmonella is no big deal as long as you cook your food properly. This one, however, is noteworthy because this particular strand of salmonella is antibiotic resistant. And that, my friends, gets to the heart of why CAFOs are as bad for us as they are for the animals that spend their lives cooped up in them.
Let's review: Turkeys (or cows, or chickens, or whatever animal you want) are forced to live in close quarters, therefore sharing diseases. They are fed a diet of foods they are not biologically equipped to digest, also causing illness. The way to deal with these illnesses when you're working with thousands of animals at a time? Antibiotics! After a while, the strands of salmonella can only adapt and mutate to survive against those antibiotics. And us humans are left to defend ourselves against the resulting onslaught.
Not to say we still shouldn't be cooking our meals properly, or that animals that are 100% pasture-centered will never get sick or carry diseases like salmonella. Truthfully, in my eyes the USDA is more the bad guy than Cargill in this case, as the USDA will say it's unsafe for a small-scale farmer to slaughter or process his own animals on the farm yet they can't keep up with sanitation issues at the supposedly "safe" mass meat-processing facilities.
Totally natural meat (and not the "natural" branded meat that my local Dominicks is now touting, which is a play on the uneducated masses to eat mass produced meat without knowing really what it is still going through) is more expensive, so I've found myself eating less of it lately. And I loves me some meat! But in the end I'd rather eat less, enjoy what I'm eating more, vote with my dollars by supporting my local farmer, and be safe. That's much better than an antibiotic-resistant alternative.
Good work, Cargill.
Normally this news would not be worthy of a post. Sadly, food recalls are issued with as much regularity as movie premieres. And hey, it's just salmonella: apparently the USDA knew about this issue long before the recall but did nothing because salmonella is no big deal as long as you cook your food properly. This one, however, is noteworthy because this particular strand of salmonella is antibiotic resistant. And that, my friends, gets to the heart of why CAFOs are as bad for us as they are for the animals that spend their lives cooped up in them.
Let's review: Turkeys (or cows, or chickens, or whatever animal you want) are forced to live in close quarters, therefore sharing diseases. They are fed a diet of foods they are not biologically equipped to digest, also causing illness. The way to deal with these illnesses when you're working with thousands of animals at a time? Antibiotics! After a while, the strands of salmonella can only adapt and mutate to survive against those antibiotics. And us humans are left to defend ourselves against the resulting onslaught.
Not to say we still shouldn't be cooking our meals properly, or that animals that are 100% pasture-centered will never get sick or carry diseases like salmonella. Truthfully, in my eyes the USDA is more the bad guy than Cargill in this case, as the USDA will say it's unsafe for a small-scale farmer to slaughter or process his own animals on the farm yet they can't keep up with sanitation issues at the supposedly "safe" mass meat-processing facilities.
Totally natural meat (and not the "natural" branded meat that my local Dominicks is now touting, which is a play on the uneducated masses to eat mass produced meat without knowing really what it is still going through) is more expensive, so I've found myself eating less of it lately. And I loves me some meat! But in the end I'd rather eat less, enjoy what I'm eating more, vote with my dollars by supporting my local farmer, and be safe. That's much better than an antibiotic-resistant alternative.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Oregon, Oregon, Oregon....
How I love thee... let me count the ways!
Or, to use a less generic way of describing my favorite trip of the year: should I ever freak out, or lose my grip on reality, or have a nervous breakdown and need to escape from life and the Big City... you get the idea.... Corvallis, OR is where you will find me.
The annual family vacation over a long summer weekend is my favorite of the year primarily because of the fabulous family I have there-- my cousins Jeff and Patty and my Great Aunt-- but also because Oregon is the epitome of everything Au Naturale. Basically, everything you've heard about the Pacific Northwest is true: the scenery is gorgeous, the people are friendly, and the pace there... well, that's hard to describe. It's slow, but it's not Midwestern slow, the kind of slow that makes you want to scream "Hurry up!". It's not annoying-tourists-on Michigan-Avenue-blocking-my-path-home-from-work-slow. It's good, I'm-going-to-enjoy-whatever-it-is-I'm-doing-right-now slow. See? Hard to describe. Just trust me on this one.
As I've been doing this annual trip for 11 years now, I've developed an appreciation for and understanding of it's Au Naturale-ness long before I committed to the lifestyle myself. Beyond everything else I've mentioned above, the food and wine there is spectacular. Corvallis is a college town, home to Oregon State University (go Beavers!), but also home to some amazing restaurants and options for local, natural, and organic food at every turn.
Take Saturday Market, for example, as one of the highlights of the trip. It's the greatest farmer's market ever, so much so that when my cousin Patty suggested we skip it this year in favor of other activities because hey, "it's just the market", we almost skinned her alive. It's a huge market, the biggest I've ever seen, with all local and organic farms and where even the most basic of vegetables looks like they're on steroids. None of the booths were lacking for anything. In fact, just check out this assortment of fruit we grabbed for the dessert portion of the homemade meal we were making later in the day, including my favorite, the succulent marionberries I've mentioned in an earlier post:
The fruit was so amazing that Patty had to yell at us to stop snacking on it or else there would be none left for dessert. Instead, we bought a huge bag of the sweetest cherries to tide us over.
Saturday dinner, as has become tradition, is cooked at home with only what we've grabbed from the Market and what we pick up from the local fishmonger, who gets his catch fresh from the coast just a few hours drive away. Even I, who generally does not like cooked fish, can appreciate a fresh Pacific salmon.
Beyond the homecooked meal, however, Corvallis and the Willamette Valley in general can be counted on for great food and wine. On Friday night, we drove to nearby Philomath to dine at Gathering Together Farm, which may be the most Au Naturale restaurant I have ever visited. The name is strange, but that's the actual name of the farm where the restaurant is located. On the front porch they have only about 10 tables and are only open for dinner two nights a week-- so make your reservations now, folks! The head chef came from Chez Panisse in San Francisco and makes incredible dishes from the bounty they grow right on the farm. Whatever they don't have there comes from other farms just down the road. Add a great wine list from the excellent vineyards surrounding the area and we've never been disappointed. As a bonus, they keep the inside market open during dinner so once you're done stuffing yourself, you can also pick up some market-fresh items to take home with you. One stop shop!
I could go on and on... and writing this makes me feel that I should dedicate a post on our vineyard visits and the virtues/pitfalls of organic wine vs. non-organic wine vs. wine made with organic grapes... but I don't want to keep you reading about the details of my trip forever. I've done that a lot recently. That being said, if you happen to catch yourself on a flight west and need some vineyards or restaurants or camping/biking/boating gear (here is where I shamelessly plug my cousin's store, Peak Sports), I will be more than happy to profer suggestions. Suffice it to say I'm already counting down the days until next year's trip.
Or, to use a less generic way of describing my favorite trip of the year: should I ever freak out, or lose my grip on reality, or have a nervous breakdown and need to escape from life and the Big City... you get the idea.... Corvallis, OR is where you will find me.
The annual family vacation over a long summer weekend is my favorite of the year primarily because of the fabulous family I have there-- my cousins Jeff and Patty and my Great Aunt-- but also because Oregon is the epitome of everything Au Naturale. Basically, everything you've heard about the Pacific Northwest is true: the scenery is gorgeous, the people are friendly, and the pace there... well, that's hard to describe. It's slow, but it's not Midwestern slow, the kind of slow that makes you want to scream "Hurry up!". It's not annoying-tourists-on Michigan-Avenue-blocking-my-path-home-from-work-slow. It's good, I'm-going-to-enjoy-whatever-it-is-I'm-doing-right-now slow. See? Hard to describe. Just trust me on this one.
As I've been doing this annual trip for 11 years now, I've developed an appreciation for and understanding of it's Au Naturale-ness long before I committed to the lifestyle myself. Beyond everything else I've mentioned above, the food and wine there is spectacular. Corvallis is a college town, home to Oregon State University (go Beavers!), but also home to some amazing restaurants and options for local, natural, and organic food at every turn.
Take Saturday Market, for example, as one of the highlights of the trip. It's the greatest farmer's market ever, so much so that when my cousin Patty suggested we skip it this year in favor of other activities because hey, "it's just the market", we almost skinned her alive. It's a huge market, the biggest I've ever seen, with all local and organic farms and where even the most basic of vegetables looks like they're on steroids. None of the booths were lacking for anything. In fact, just check out this assortment of fruit we grabbed for the dessert portion of the homemade meal we were making later in the day, including my favorite, the succulent marionberries I've mentioned in an earlier post:
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| L to R: Marionberries; strawberries; raspberries; blueberries |
Saturday dinner, as has become tradition, is cooked at home with only what we've grabbed from the Market and what we pick up from the local fishmonger, who gets his catch fresh from the coast just a few hours drive away. Even I, who generally does not like cooked fish, can appreciate a fresh Pacific salmon.
Beyond the homecooked meal, however, Corvallis and the Willamette Valley in general can be counted on for great food and wine. On Friday night, we drove to nearby Philomath to dine at Gathering Together Farm, which may be the most Au Naturale restaurant I have ever visited. The name is strange, but that's the actual name of the farm where the restaurant is located. On the front porch they have only about 10 tables and are only open for dinner two nights a week-- so make your reservations now, folks! The head chef came from Chez Panisse in San Francisco and makes incredible dishes from the bounty they grow right on the farm. Whatever they don't have there comes from other farms just down the road. Add a great wine list from the excellent vineyards surrounding the area and we've never been disappointed. As a bonus, they keep the inside market open during dinner so once you're done stuffing yourself, you can also pick up some market-fresh items to take home with you. One stop shop!
I could go on and on... and writing this makes me feel that I should dedicate a post on our vineyard visits and the virtues/pitfalls of organic wine vs. non-organic wine vs. wine made with organic grapes... but I don't want to keep you reading about the details of my trip forever. I've done that a lot recently. That being said, if you happen to catch yourself on a flight west and need some vineyards or restaurants or camping/biking/boating gear (here is where I shamelessly plug my cousin's store, Peak Sports), I will be more than happy to profer suggestions. Suffice it to say I'm already counting down the days until next year's trip.
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