Pickled Vegetables

Suzie's Farm and Schaner Farm had some lovely vegetables today at the Little Italy Farmers Market so I'm pickling them. This method is not meant to be shelf stable and should be stored in the refrigerator. Each of these recipes makes a 1 pint jar:

Pickled Cucs
about 8 spiny little cucumbers, quartered
4 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
1 tablespoon sea salt

Pickled Beets

6 small beets, peeled & cut into sixth

1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 sprigs fresh parsley

a pinch of black mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sea salt

Pickled Peppers

6 assorted sweet peppers, cut into 1/2" strips

whole garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

a pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar

1 tablespoon sea salt

Pickled Thyme Carrots

3 bunches whole small carrots

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sea salt

Pickled Indian Carrots

3 bunches whole small carrots

1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 sprigs fresh cilantro

a goodly pinch of saffron

1/4 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1/2 cup coconut vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar

1 tablespoon sea salt

Stuff the herbs, veggies & spices in a pint-sized jar.  In a small sauce pan, bring the water, vinegar, salt & sweetener to a boil.  Pour into jar to the top.  Screw the lid on tight and allow to cool.  Store in the refrigerator for a couple days before eating.

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!

Roasted Garlic

So many uses for wonderfully delicious roasted garlic.  Lately we've been eating it spread on Bread & Cie ciabatta with Nicolau Farms classic chevre and some local honey.  Schaner Farm and Sage Mountain Farm both have awesome garlic.

whole bulbs of garlic
olive oil
sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Chop the tops off the bulbs, leaving them intact but exposing the cloves. Set them on foil (which can be reused). Drizzle oil over the bulbs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap up the foil to enclose. Bake at 425º until cloves are caramelized and very soft, about an hour.

Cranberry Compote

Great on stuffing, rolls, baked brie, sandwiches and all your favorite holiday foods.  This recipe is based on Julia Child's cranberry sauce.  And I think I'm going to can it this year for Winter Solstice gifts...

1 large granny smith apple, peeled, diced
1 large orange, zested, peeled, seeds removed, diced (or a cup of kumquats or tangerines, leave skin on)
1 cup orange juice, apple cider, or liquid of your choice
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon cider vinegar, lemon juice or other vinegar
½ cup maple syrup, honey or your favorite sweetener
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, ground, more or less to taste

Pour juice and cranberries into large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, including orange zest. Cover pan and bring to boil. Stir, reduce heat to medium, and cook covered for 5 minutes, until all cranberries burst. Uncover, reduce heat to low and simmer until gelled, about 20 minutes. Cool to serve at room temp. Can be kept frozen for several weeks.

Makes about 3 cups

Calabacitas - Una Receta de Mi Familia

Growing up, my nana made this for me and her abuelita, Narcissa, made it for her.  It's still one of my very favorite meals.  I feel a strong tie to my maternal line, especially to Narcissa, whom I never met but I feel her presence.  She was a farmer, a healer, a spiritual women deeply connected to nature.  I have a lot to learn from her...

Que piensas de estar en el web, tartarabuelita?

2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2-3 summer squash, quartered and thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound heirloom tomato, chopped
3 ears corn, kernels cut off the cob
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
sea salt
1/3 pound jack cheese, shredded, optional

Add the oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat, allowing it to heat up for a few minutes.  Add the onions and cook until soft, stirring frequently.  Add the squash and garlic; cook until just soft, a few minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, corn and cilantro and salt to taste.  Top with cheese, cover and turn off heat.  Keep covered until cheese has melted.

Serves 4-6

Serve with tortillas and beans or use it as a filling for tacos, burritos or enchiladas.

I like oatmeal?

Many of the foods I thought I didn't like (for example, sun-dried tomatoes), I have found I do like them once I try them from the farmers market, made from scratch, not full of chemicals and/or refined unto death.  We have forgotten what food tastes like and we've allowed ourselves to be convinced by trillions of dollars in advertising that the latest concoction in a brightly colored package is something we should put in our bodies for nourishment.

I never liked "oatmeal" (I use the term loosely here) before last week because I never ate real oatmeal until last week.  Oatmeal is easy, fast, hearty, wholesome, warm ...and you can add so many different things to it to suit your tastes.

1&1/3 cup water
2/3 cup oats
pinch of sea salt

Stir ingredients together in a small pot, heat to a boil, bring the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook about 5 minutes. Done!  Enough for you and a loved one.

Variations
Try other grains (cook times & amount of water will vary): barley or quinoa flakes, millet...
Sweeten it up: honey, maple syrup, rapadura, jam...
Spice it up: cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, chai...
Add chopped nuts or seeds: almonds, pecans, walnuts, chia, hemp...
Thin it out with more water, milk, cream, buttermilk, hemp milk, apple juice, fruit puree, winter squash puree, kefir...
Add fresh seasonal fruit (right now, chopped apples or persimmon)
Add dried fruit: blueberries, coconut, peach, cherries...

Flavor Combos to Try

apple + cinnamon + milk + almonds + rapadura sugar

berries + coconut milk + chia + honey

pumpkin puree + cranberry + pie spices + pecans + maple syrup

Winter Root Vegetable Stew with Cobbler Dumplings

If the weather forecast can be believed, we've got some cold days and colder nights headed our way, which makes me think of making this recipe. It's Thursday so I'm headed to the North Park farmers market to hit up Suzie's Farm, J.R. Organics, Smit's, and Spring Hill Cheese.

2 tablespoons oil (I like olive) or butter
2 cups (about ½ pound) leeks (or onions), julienned
1 fennel bulb, chopped (about 1½ cups)
3 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
¼ pound fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped (I like cremini)
1 ½ pounds (3-4 cups) root vegetables, chopped (I like Yukon potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and maybe a turnip or rutabaga)
4-5 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp fresh parsley, stemmed & minced
1 tsp fresh thyme, stemmed & minced
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

1. Prep the veggies: trim dark green parts (keep for stock) from the leeks, score leeks lengthwise, then cut the leeks into pieces about 1 inch in length; wash thoroughly and drain. Chop fennel & veggies into about ¼-½ inch cubes (keep roots end, fennel fronds and stalks for stock). Roughly chop mushrooms (save stems for stock).

2. Make the stock.
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, chopped
any vegetable scraps
1 bay leaf
3 fresh sage leaves
2 springs fresh parsley
2 springs fresh thyme

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil on high heat, add the onion, garlic, carrot, and vegetable scraps (tops, peels, stems, ugly or tough parts. Nothing rotten or dirty. No onion skin, garlic skin, nor stinky veggies such as turnips or rutabagas), stirring occasionally until you see some caramelization. Cover completely with water, about 6 cups, add herbs and bring to a boil, add ½ tsp sea salt and simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain out the vegetable pieces.

3. Make the cobbler dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces (6 if you add cheese)
1 cup milk
½ cup grated cheese (cheddar, gruyere, parmesan…), optional
1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (chives, parsley, thyme, sage…)

In a medium bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, and salt.  Work the butter into the flour mixture with your finger tips, until the texture is crumbly.  Stir in the milk until well combined, then mix in the cheese and herbs.  Set aside.

4. Make the stew: in a deep, wide skillet, melt butter or heat oil on high, add leeks, fennel, mushroom, thyme, and garlic, stirring frequently, and cook until the mushrooms give up their liquid and start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped winter veggies; cover completely with stock and season with a bit of salt. Bring to a boil and stir in the parsley.  Drop large spoonfuls of the cobbler dough on top of the stew; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt & pepper after portioning stew and cobbler into bowls for serving.

Serves 6

Variations

• Instead of or in addition to roots, use other vegetables as the season provides: winter or summer squash, Brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas...
• Make a gluten-free version by eliminating the cobbler topping or adapt this recipe for shepard's pie