POG Lemonade!

My mom just had her 60th birthday and we celebrated in the park, potlucking and jamming with her musician friends and family.  She requested carrot cake cupcakes.  I also made a 7-layer dip with beans and salsa from scratch.  I had quite a lot of locally grown fruit on hand (from the farmers market and Solidarity Farm's CSA) and a tree dripping with guavas (it LOVES all the grey water it's getting from our shower). And with a few of my family members having recently been to Hawaii, I was inspired to make POG (passion fruit-orange-guava, for those who have not been blessed enough to taste this juice blend) lemonade... and OMG, yum!  I think it's my best lemonade yet:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup evaporated cane sugar (or agave or sweetener of your choice)
1 small guava (I think mine are strawberry guavas but honestly I have no idea what variety), peeled and seeded
juice of 1 orange
2 passion fruits

I make a simple sugar first, heating the sugar in a couple cups of water, stirring just until it dissolves; pour into my half-gallon mason jar and allow it to cool in the fridge.

I squeeze my citrus into another container, add the guava and blend until very smooth. Add it to the cooled simple syrup.  Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop the goopy flesh and seeds into the juice.  Add water to fill the half-gallon container, screw the lid on and shake stir.

Simple Summer BBQ

Enjoying the beautiful sky and cool breeze, tis the season for summer bbqs.  Here are my simple favorites:

Roasted Corn on the Cob
Peel back the husks, brush off all the silk and tie the husks back together as a handle, using a strip of the husk.  Put them straight on your grill until warm and slightly charred, just a few minutes. I love corn mexi-style: slathered with butter and sour cream, drizzled with a squeeze of lime juice, sprinkled with salt and cayenne.

Potato Salad with Homemade Mayo
This recipe's the most complex of the bunch here, but I just can't leave it out.  I'm using potatoes from my CSA farm, Solidarity.
Variation: sub plain whole yogurt for half of the mayo.

Caprese Salad
a few medium-sized heirloom tomatoes from Suzie's or JR Organics Farm, sliced
a large ball of mozzarella from the Cheese Store (or make your own!), sliced
a bunch of fresh basil from the Schaners
olive oil from Farmer's Daughter
an aged balsamic vinegar
Murry River sea salt from Salt Farm
freshly ground pepper

On a platter, layer by alternating a slice of tomato, a slice of moz, and a basil leaf.  Drizzle with oil and vinegar, sprinkle with salt, and a few cranks of pepper...voila! Serve with sliced baguette from the Prager Brothers.

Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade

Finish simply with fresh strawberries from Sage Mountain Farm & sliced watermelon from Suzie's Farm, and sliced nectarines from Smit Farms.

Mother's Day Dinner

Mom, do you have any requests for dinner? Will I make strawberry shortcake?  Yeees (ish).  And a salad?  I can work with that.  And that horchata I used to make?  Sounds like a plan:

Build Your Own Taco Salad
a head each of romaine & butter lettuces, torn into bite-sized pieces, from JR Organics and Solidarity Farm
1 cup dried tiger eye beans cooked from scratch, from Suzie's Farm
a bag of tortilla chips
a pint of sour cream
2-3 avocados, cubed, from Solidarity Farm
8 oz jack cheese, shredded
a pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half
a chopped and sauteed nopale, from a friend
a few radishes, sliced thin, from Suzie's Farm
roasted tomatillo salsa
chipotle hot sauce

Top Your Own Corn Soup
(let me suggest adding roasted poblano chile, avocado & tomato)

Orange Limeade
1 cup fresh juice of limes from Schaner Farm
zest & juice of 2 oranges from Solidarity Farm
1 cup evaporated cane sugar or agave, to taste
spring water

Make simple syrup by dissolving the sugar in 2 cups of water in a pot on medium heat, stirring.  Allow to cool.  Add all ingredients into a 1/2 gallon container and fill with spring water.

Strawberry Horchata 2
1 cup brown rice
1 cup oats
1-inch stick of canela mexicana (ceylon cinnamon), special ordered from OB People's
about 6 cups spring water
3/4 cup agave, maple syrup, or evaporated cane sugar dissolved into a simple syrup, to taste
1 Tblsp vanilla extract
1 pint strawberries from JR Organics Farm

Put the rice and oats and cinnamon in a 1/2 gallon container, fill the pitcher with water and refrigerate overnight.  Blend the mixture for several minutes until it has a gritty, oatmeal texture.  Stain through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to remove the liquid.  Return the liquid to the pitcher and compost the solids.  Add the agave, vanilla, and enough strawberries to mostly fill up the pitcher.  Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

Slightly Simplified Strawberry Tres Leches Cake
1+1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 backyard eggs
1/2 tsp homemade vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
about a cup cajeta made runny - stop cooking when it reaches the consistency of thick cream (30-45 minutes)
1 cup heavy cream 
3 Tblsp powdered sugar
1/2 inch of vanilla bean
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered, from JR Organics Farm

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides of a 9"-round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper and flour the sides.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Place the softened butter and the sugar in a mixing bowl. Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each until just combined. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk in 3 stages. Mix until each addition is incorporated, taking care not to overbeat. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown, the sides pull away from the pan and chop stick poked in the center comes out clean. Poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Slowly pour on the cajeta, allowing it to be absorbed.  Allow cake to cool completely.

In a separate bowl, whip cream to soft peaks, add the powdered sugar, scrap in the vanilla seeds and whip to combine.
 
To serve, top each slice of cake with a pile of strawberries and a heavy dollop of whipped cream.

Serves 8-12

Adapted from Rick Bayless.

Piano Recital Menu

My sister is a piano teacher but she used to own a tiny little vegetarian cafe with me. So when she asked me to cater her recital I was quite happy to oblige. And with children's palates in mind, I head to the Co-op and Little Italy farmers market:

Spring Hill cheeses & brie with Prager Brother's baguette, crackers, Farmer's Daughter honey, balsamic mulberry jam & Terra Bella real raw almonds

seasonal fruit from Smit Farms & JR Organics with creamsicle dip

crudités from Suzie's Farm with artichoke boursin dip & hummus

olives & pickled vegetables

pink hibiscus lemonade & citrus white iced tea

Creamsicle Fruit Dip

2 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

zest of 2 oranges

1 vanilla bean

Whip the cream until you have soft peaks, then add the rest of the ingredients (split and scrape vanilla seeds into cream, then add the pod to your homemade vanilla extract) and whip to slightly stiff peaks.

Re-Planning Thanksgiving

I love cooking this meal that affords us the opportunity to spend time together in gratitude with family and dear friends. But I find that sometimes I miss out on some of that time because I'm very busy in the kitchen, while others might be playing games or enjoying conversations. Each year I vow to make next years' meal more simple, so I can have more time to relax with loved ones. And each year, I can't help myself but to cook all the elaborate favorites that keep me in the kitchen.

Last year I spent the weekend before Thanksgiving with my siblings in a cabin in the woods, celebrating a little early so we could be together (because as we grow older, our family expands, and Thanksgiving is spent at the homes of our respective in-laws). On Thanksgiving day I had a revelation as I watched my spouse's brother, a professional chef, leisurely put together a meal that he mostly prepped and cooked the day before.

Duh! Why haven't I thought of this? Why have I been so rigid in my plans to do almost everything the day of?

So now I'm re-thinking my recipes and re-planning my cooking schedule for the next time this (or any other elaborate meal I make for many others) gets cooked, which will allow me to actually enjoy the present moment, and be more relaxed and engaged with my family. Isn’t that the whole point?

If you have friends and family that enjoy working in the kitchen, make use of them! If someone asks, “Can I help?” say “Yes!” and find a task so they can share with the loving preparations for the meal. Or why not have a Thanksgiving potluck? Encourage folks to come whenever they like, bring an appetizer or their favorite holiday dish if they offer to bring something.

Another way to cut back on prep time? Make half the amount of food that you think you need. But what if we don't have enough? There will be enough. And if folks eat smaller portions, it is so much the healthier for them and the planet. Still, I'm terribly guilty of this, even after years of menu planning, so I always buy half of what I think I need and I continue to end up with plenty leftovers (which we love and eat the rest of the week).

So here's my game plan - 

A Week or More Ahead of Time:

• create a menu, assemble recipes and make a food shopping list
• gather or borrow any needed kitchen equipment, silverware, plates, and glasses
• purchase all non-perishables
• make cranberry sauce or compote (you could also freeze or can it)

The Weekend Before:

• buy perishable ingredients
• prepare the serving pieces, plates, flatware, glasses, etc
• iron cloth napkins and tablecloths, if you're into that sort of thing

2 Days Before:

• make salad dressings, sauces, gravy and marinades
• bake pies and desserts
• wash all vegetables
• most vegetables can be prepped and chopped
• caramelize onions

The Day Before:

• arrange furniture and set the tables
• assemble the stuffing and keep covered in fridge. And this year I plan to substitute the bread cubes with roasted winter squash cubes, to decrease the carbs and increase the veggies and nutrient density on the table
• Chop potatoes for the mashed potatoes (you could make them entirely but they come together really fast on the day of) and store in water
• whip up cream for desserts
• sweet potato dishes can be made up to the point of final baking
• breads and rolls could be made and par-baked, but I still think they are so wonderful made the day of.

Thanksgiving Day:

9am   Start the rolls.

11am  Prep fresh salad ingredients.

12pm  Form the rolls.

1pm  Bake the stuffing; make the salad.

2pm  As room in your stove top and oven permits: cook the mashed potatoes (for something extra special - yes, let's guild the lily - stir in grated cheese and 1 beaten egg per cup of potatoes, whip briefly and bake into a souffle until golden brown on top); roast or steam up pre-prepped vegetables; heat sauces and gravy; bake pre-prepped sweet potatoes. Finish and garnish all dishes except the rolls

3pm   Serve dinner and put the rolls in oven to be served hot. Give thanks & enjoy the bounty!

5pm  Make coffee and serve dessert. Make music & have fun!

Dia de los Muertos Lunch

After building an ofrenda for loved ones who have passed on, my family and I enjoyed a lunch honoring my great-great grandma Narcissa, grandpa, uncles and other family members who continue on in other forms and in us.

Tamales with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Black Beans

Romaine Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing, tomatoes, and toasted pepitas

Pomegranate Lemonade with Chia Seeds
I have pomegranates and lemons from friends.  Stir in 1-3 teaspoons or so of chia per cup of liquid and allow seeds to hydrate for at least ten minutes (but I prefer to let them fully hydrate overnight).

Cinnamon Apple Cake with Goat Cheese Frosting
I recently made goat cheese from fresh goat milk from another friend of mine.

Tamales
This recipe makes about 50 tamales so get together with friends or family and have a tamalada! We used my large canning pot with the canning rack flipped upside down at the bottom as a steamer.

corn husks (next summer I'm saving my corn husks cuz I can't find these organic):
Soak the corn husks in hot water for a couple hours.  Make sure they are completely submerged.

For the batter:
7 cups masa harina (you can find organic masa in the bulk section at OB People's)
4 1/2 cups hot filtered water
1 pound and 4 oz Spring Hill salted butter, softened
4 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 cups vegetable broth

Stir together the masa and hot water and allow to hydrate and cool.  Set aside.

I had to make this to two batches, half of the ingredients in each batch, in my stand up mixer but if you have an electric beater, you can do it all at once. On medium high speed, beat the salt and baking powder into the butter until well combined.  Beat in the masa for about 1 minute until light and fluffy.  On medium low speed, add 2 cups of the broth until well combined.  Test 1/2 a teaspoon of masa to see if it will float in cold water.  If not, beat until it does.  Then beat in the final cup of broth.

For the filling, whatever you like or have on hand (roasted anaheim chiles and cheddar, mushroom and goat cheese...):
4 large summer squash, quartered and sliced thin
4 large red bell peppers, sliced thin
2 medium red onion, sliced thin
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Saute the veggies a couple cups at a time in a tablespoon or two of olive oil until they start to soften.  Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

For each tamale, spread about 1/4 cup masa in a 4-inch square on a corn husk (or two overlapping if they're small), leaving about an inch and half uncovered on the top and bottom, and 3/4 inch on each side. In the center, spoon a couple tablespoons of filling down the middle of the masa.  Pull each side together, joining the masa with the filling in the center. 

There are many ways to tie tamales.  If I'm making a few different kinds of tamales, I'll fold each one a different way. Here's a few examples:

1. Fold the bottom and top corn husk towards the center, forming a small rectangular package.
2. Fold bottom up and leave the top open.
3. Tie each end.

Use strips of corn husk or string to bind your tamales so they don't come undone.  Add 2 inches of water to your pot, boil and reduce to a simmer. Line the bottom and sides of your steaming pot with extra corn husks and fill with your tamales standing upright. Steam for about an hour and a half.

Delicioso!

Snacks, Hydration & Greywater

I'm so very excited to have some of my greywater now going into my soil to water some newly planted grapes (muscat and wild native).  I also plan to plant bananas, a few passion fruit vines and more.

I'm very happy that I was able to do this as a workshop, providing an opportunity for folks to learn and share and build community.  Three of the 17 folks who came were my neighbors living within a few blocks of me!  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get to know them.  And one of them will trade me his kale & lemons for eggs (love the chance to build the barter/underground economy)!

Folks worked so hard (my soil needs serious rehabing).  Here's what I fed them to keep them fueled:

granola, trail mix & fresh farmers market fruit (strawberries, grapes, tangerines, tangelos, apples from Smit, Schaners, Suzie's Farms

garlicky hummus with fresh veggies (carrots, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, romanesco, broccoli, green onions, radish from Sage Mt and Suzie's Farms)

fresh squeezed lemonade

and iced tea...

Orange Ginger Iced Tea
1 oz black tea (I used Darjeeling)
1/2 oz dried orange peel
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Bring a gallon of filtered or spring water to a boil.  Add tea, orange peel and ginger and steep for 5 minutes.  Strain the tea and allow to cool.  Serve over ice, sweeten as desired or mix with lemonade.

Mother's Day Picnic

To celebrate and show gratitude for our mothers, this year my family will be picnicking on a small farm surrounded by lavendar, sweet peas and sunflowers. I get immense joy from sharing a meal made with care and love from beautiful, wholesome ingredients with those I love. In May, we still have the best that spring has to offer us and the bounty of summer begins.

me & mom when we were young

My picnic basket will include a trio of salads, deviled eggs, assorted cheeses and crackers, and mulberry lemonade… oh, and probably some cookies or lemon bars, although mom is sweet enough already.

Deviled Eggs
1 dozen back yard chicken eggs, hardboiled
mayo
mustard
relish
a small shallot, finely diced
fresh parsley, minced
paprika
Peel the hardboiled eggs and cut them in half lengthwise.  Remove yolks and place in a bowl.  Arrange the whites on a serving tray.  To the yolks, add the remainder of the ingredients (except the parsley and paprika).  Mash the yolks with a fork and stir ingredients together until creamy.  Dollop the yolk mixture back into the egg halves.  Sprinkle with paprika and parsley as desired.

Kitchen Tip: how to easily peel a hardboiled egg
Crack each of the 2 ends, removing a bit of the shell at each end, seal your lips on one end and blow; the egg pops out of it's shell!

Spring Vegetable Salad
Mixed greens (a handful per person)
a diced avocado
fresh basil chiffonade (stack several leaves, roll them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves, producing thin strips)
a julienned red beet
roasted asparagus
a couple thinly sliced carrots
fresh corn (slice the kernels from a cob)
tossed with a champagne vinaigrette
…and if you really want a rich salad, add chevre & toasted pine nuts (but that just may be gilding the lily)

Champagne Vinaigrette
Shake ingredients together in a jar: 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (or red wine vinegar or lemon juice), 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon dijon or whole grain mustard, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Grain Salad or Pasta Salad

Seasonal Fruit Salad
Toss together sliced nectarines, pluots, strawberries, and oranges, with mulberries or raspberries; drizzle with a little local honey, top with fresh mint chiffonade and garnish with edible flowers.

Camping Menu

We'll soon be heading up to Big Sur with most of my family (parents, siblings, in-laws, a niece and friends).  We did a lot of camping growing up so there's a big element of nostalgia here.

And while my menu planning will still reflect my local/organic leanings, some of my food "rules" will be a bit more lax (like the level of acceptable cleanliness in the outdoor kitchen) as others share in food purchases and I let go of dogma and get closer to nature and interbeing...

Mornings
fair trade coffee
fair trade hot chocolate
oatmeal
granola (made ahead of time)
backyard eggs (which do not need refrigeration if you don't wash them until you're ready to use them)
pancakes with grade B maple syrup
potatoes and fresh fruit from the bay area

Midday
assorted crackers & baguette
cheeses from the Cheese Board Collective
cheddar bunnies, yogurt covered pretzels, nuts & dried fruit
PB&J: freshly ground organic peanut butter and locally made jam on sprouted whole grain bread
fresh squeezed lemonade 

Dinner #1 – grillin' over the campfire 
hot dogs (ours will be veggie but still a very processed food)
organic sprouted whole grain buns
organic ketchup, mustard, relish
corn on cob fresh from the bay area

Dinner #2 – fajitas
sweet peppers, summer squash and red onion sliced up and sauteed in olive oil with cumin
served with salsa, avocado, sour cream, flour tortillas, refried beans and cilantro-lime rice

Dinner #3
summer vegetable stew with dumplings

Sweet Things
s'mores with fair trade chocolate & organic graham crackers 
organic popcorn with Spring Hill Butter & sea salt
chocolate chip cookies (made ahead of time)
and I'm pretty sure my spouse's mom will be making an upside-down pineapple cake in the coals in a dutch oven

mixed in with lots of hikin', river raftin', card playin' and music makin'

Brother's Bday Brunch

One of my brother's has a birthday this month and while I'm not big on presents, I love to get a bit of the family together and share a meal made with love.

me and my brother, almost 30 years ago

For me, brunch is easier and simpler than a dinner party, so I'll probably get a chance to actually sit down and eat with the family.  Here's what I'll be serving:

muffins

poached eggs

roasted fingerling, yukon, & purple potatoes

sautéed garlicky lacinato kale

strawberries (JR Organics Farm has beautiful, delicious berries in season now!)

fresh squeezed citrus juice from Schaner Farm

organic, fair trade coffee & teas

New Years Eve Party Foods

This is the first year in quite a while that I will not be cooking for a New Year's party.  My spouse and I usually head up to the Bay Area to hang out with my spouse's family.  And for New Year's we come up with a menu of small plates or finger foods, usually around some theme or another.  But here's some party food menu ideas...

Easy Nibbles
cheese plate with seasonal fruit & nuts
bowl of lovely olives
homemade pickled vegetables

Dips & Spreads
artichoke boursin dip & pita crisps
crudités & hummus
blue corn chips with assorted salsas & guacamole
smashed cannellini bean spread with caramelized onions & toasted sliced ciabatta

Finger Foods
stuffed mushrooms
soup shots
filo rolls of winter greens

Something Sweet
open-faced cookie sandwiches of ginger molasses crisps with vanilla bean neufchatel frosting & persimmon slices
mini hippie bars
mini mexican mocha brownies

Winter Solstice Menu

trees release their leaves to prepare for new growth

The Winter Solstice is December 22nd this year.  I don't celebrate Christmas (way too commercial and material for me) but I'm happy for the opportunities to spend time with my family and friends.  Growing up, the English side of my family always had a large Christmas Eve celebration, which is the inspiration for much of this menu.

X-mas Eve when I was very young

The spread back then

Wassail
Honey Thyme Carrots
Sugarsnap Peas sauteed in Butter with Fresh Mint
Roasted Winter Vegetables
Yorkshire Pudding with Onion Sauce
Sauteed Mushrooms with garlic
Trifle of Ginger Spice Cake, Honey Vanilla Apple Compote, Persimmon Pudding & Maple Whipped Creme Fraiche topped with toasted pecans

Thanksgiving Menu and Preparations

Thanksgiving is my favorite meal to cook. I do not celebrate its beginnings, but I give true thanks for all that I have to be grateful for. I love to share my thanks through mindful and loving preparation of very special recipes. Over the years, my menu has changed a bit, with my adaptations of coveted family favorites and new additions as my sense of family has expanded.

This year's menu is pretty ambitious, with even more items from scratch, some required to be made several weeks in advance (my spouse has been saving a few bottles of his latest beer). Some friends of ours shared fruited gingerales they made recently that I want to attempt to recreate...

Appetizers
potluck
homemade pickled vegetables

Drinks
homemade grapefruit gingerale
homebrewed Mad Stork black IPA & assorted local beers
family-made wines

Dinner

arugula, persimmon & pomegranate salad
sweet & savory stuffing

cranberry compote
yin yang smashed garlic potatoes & carrots with parsnips
wild mushroom gravy
twice baked sweet potatoes
balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts with homemade mustard
broccoli with sauce mornay
Grandma Roberts’ rolls

Dessert
fair trade organic decaf coffee
apple tarte tatin
pumpkin praline pie in a ginger cookie crust
whipped maple sour cream

So that's the plan so far.  I'll be posting these holiday recipes and various preparations during the next week or so.

This weekend: taking stock of what we have and what we need to accommodate the 30 folks that we'll share a meal with.

beautiful turkey at City Farmers

Happy Cooking!