Mushroom Ragoût with Soft Polenta from River Cottage Veg Cookbook
The Good News: For the first time in my Adult Life I have no one to care for.
The Bad News: For the first time in my Adult Life I have no one to care for.
White Beans with Grilled Artichokes Salad from River Cottage Veg cookbook
One of my dearest friends recently lost her husband. In our frequent conversations she once lamented that she has ‘so much time on her hands,’ to which I replied, “Can you lend me some of that time?”
We laughed. I love to hear her laughter but she certainly understood that I ‘got it.’
For many, the past thirty, forty-some years have been about mates, partners, children and family, never mind work, careers, bringing home the bacon thing. Until one day, it isn’t. At first I was amazed, well, okay, angry, when some would say regarding losing Michael, “It’s easier for you because you had so much time to prepare for it.”
My yard is a flower shop but no container in sight around here. So I retrieved my cannellini can from the bin and made my own vessel for my bouquet.
Another check in that Mary-Was-Wrong column because it’s true. Thanks to our medical community, both his and mine, I was counseled and badgered eventually into ‘making a life.’ When Michael died, although rattled, exhausted and unbelievably sad, I had a wobbly framework to, as the Brits say, Keep Calm and Carry On.
Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk cookies by Ina Garten, Make It Ahead cookbook
That’s what this week’s post represents, that carrying-on thing. (I’ll never nail down calm.) Although I have no one to love and care for, I have a huge family and friendship circle to love and feed and care about. Luckily my food world collides into my friendship circle. Here’s what I mean……
It’s a lucky day when one can spot this little guy, a Burrowing Owl. He’s guarding the burrow and searching for food while Mama is minding the nest.
COOKIES for CAV, POLENTA & ROASTED ARTICHOKES
Cal Poly Care Package
This week-end I have a dinner date with a handsome young man. Cav O’Leary, a freshman at nearby Cal Poly, was our Aspen neighbor. We helped raise him, bought his fundraising offerings and loaded his Halloween sack with sugar stuff. Last May I attended his high school graduation. To say I love and care about this kid is an understatement.
The Cookie Dough
After dinner he’ll, of course, be returning to Cal Poly with a Care Package which includes Ina Garten’s favorite cookie, Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunks. Although I’ve made some adaptions and substituted ingredients, this is Ida’s cookie (recipe below). It’s terrific.
If you bake cookies often, please try a cookie scoop. It makes baking so much easier.
I’m excited about my recipes forCottage Cooking Club this month. For a recent birthday my friends, the Grauers, hosted a Polenta-on-a-Plank party. So Much Fun. Donna made three delicious ragus, beef, kale, and mushroom. After that wonderful evening we all vowed to introduce more polenta into our menus. I failed with that until this week when I put together Hugh Whittingstall’s Mushroom Ragoût with Soft Polenta from his River Cottage Veg cookbook.
Polenta on a Plank
Why Hugh calls this a ragoût instead of ragu, I don’t understand. A ragu is a sauce while a ragoût is a thick, highly-seasoned stew of meat, poultry or fish made with/without veggies. Since it’s his cookbook, he can call it what he wishes but I call it a thumbs-up dish and guest worthy. However, it’s decadently rich. Go easy on that “large knob of butter.”
Polenta with 3 different ragus
After returning from hiking with a friend last week, I had Hugh’s White Beans with Roasted Artichokes on the table within 15 minutes. This is a hot salad with creamy beans and cheese, grilled artichokes and tangy lemon dressing which, by adding crusty bread and a beer, made us a great lunch.
RECIPES
Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk CookiesMake It Ahead cookbook by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter/Publishers
Makes 48 cookies
INGREDIENTS:
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1¼ cups old-fashioned oats, such as Quaker
¾ pound bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt, chopped in chunks (Tip: I used Ghirardelli Chocolate 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips, available in your grocery store.)
¾ cup dried cranberries
Fleur de sel (I used Maldon sea salt flakes)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. On low speed, add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl again.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Mix in the oats. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Don’t overbeat it! With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate and cranberries until the dough is well mixed.
4. With a 1¾-inch ice cream scoop (or two spoons), scoop round balls of dough onto the prepared sheet pans. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel. (In my opinion, this is optional.) Put the cookie sheet into the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, until nicely browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
TIP: If you make cookies often and don’t own a cookie scoop, buy one. If you don’t have the salt, the cookie is still fabulous. I did a taste test, over and over again.
Mushroom Ragoût with Soft Polenta by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg cookbook
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
For the Polenta
1 2/3 C milk
1 bay leaf
A sprig of thyme
A few peppercorns
½ onion and/or 2 garlic cloves, bashed
1 1/4 C quick-cook polenta
4 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
3/4 Parmesan other well-flavoured hard cheese, finely grated
For the Ragoût
2 tablespoons olive oil
A large knob of butter
1 1/2 well-flavored mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
A few sprigs of thyme, leaves only, chopped
2/3 C red wine
2/3 vegetable, mushroom or chicken (non-vegetarian) stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To Serve (optional)
A trickle of top-notch olive oil
Extra Parmesan or other hard cheese, shaved
DIRECTIONS:
1. For the polenta, put the milk and water into a saucepan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and onion/garlic. Bring to just below the boil, then set aside to infuse for 20 minutes.
2.Make the ragout. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and half the butter in a large, wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper and turn the heat up high. Cook, stirring often, to encourage the mushrooms to release their juices. Continue to cook until most of the juices have evaporated and the mushrooms are starting to concentrate and caramelise. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute more.
3. Add the wine and stock, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half. Check the seasoning.
4. To cook the polenta, strain the infused milk and water into a clean pan (or just scoop out the flavorings with a slotted spoon). Bring to a simmer, then pour in the polenta in a thin stream, stirring as you do so. Stir until the mix is smooth and then it let it return to a simmer. Cook for just 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, rosemary and cheese, then season generously with salt and pepper (adding at least ¼ teaspoon salt).
5.Immediately scoop the polenta into warmed dishes, top with the juicy mushroom ragout and serve, with an extra trickle of best olive oil and a few slivers of shaved cheese, if you like.
WHITE BEANS with ROASTED/GRILLED ARTICHOKES by by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg cookbook
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
5 ounces grilled/roasted artichoke hearts in oil, cut into wedges, plus 1 tablespoon of the oil
1 garlic clove, slivered
1 14 oz. can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good handful of salad leaves
Crumbled or shaved Parmesan CHUNKS, to finish
DIRECTIONS
Heat 1 tablespoon oil from the artichokes in a small frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the garlic and fry gently for a minute or two. Add the artichokes and heat for a minute or so, then stir in the beans. Heat, stirring, for 2–3 minutes, until everything is hot.
Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste (the artichokes may already have contributed some salt).
3 Arrange the salad leaves on two plates and top with the hot beans and artichokes. Finish with the Parmesan chunks and serve warm.
Tip: Oil-preserved, char-grilled or roasted artichoke hearts are available from delis and some supermarkets like Trader Joe’s.
Cottage Cooking Club is an international on-line group. led by Andrea Mohr of The Kitchen Lioness, which is cooking through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg. If you’d like to join us as we explore more of Hugh’s cookbooks, go here.
Cook-the-Book Fridays – Steak with Mustard Butter & French Fries
When our first grandchild was a year old, she and her parents visited us in Aspen. While Melissa and Stephen probably saw this as a vacation and relief from 24/7 parenting, I viewed their visit as an opportunity to introduce sweet Emma to our friends. I planned a party. To be truthful, I planned two parties, back-to-back, inviting forty guests to each.
Just the thought of that is now cringe-worthy.
Hummingbird Cake, a traditional southern classic
Last week-end Melissa’s family came to Cambria to celebrate her 50th birthday, a definite make whoopee moment. The Central California coast is wine country, offering memorable dining experiences. To honor this special birthday, I envisioned an elegant evening at her favorite local restaurant with my additional make whoopee add-ons.
Readers, you know where I’m going with this, don’t you?
“No, Mom,” she said, quietly. “I want filets, roasted potatoes, green beans and salad. At home.”
This is what 50 looks like: two teenagers, two businesses, and two Mothers to watch over. Like most of the Sandwich Generation, too little vacation and relaxation time.
All sorts of Buts in response to her request danced in my brain. This is a cottage not equipped for a party. The oven has only one rack. I don’t have fine china, champagne flutes or sterling silver nor a tablecloth and matching napkins. No ice cube maker. Small fridge. Could I even cobble together a matching set of dinnerware for 5? Yes, I answered myself, I’ve learned to grow where I’m planted. I can make this happen.
COOK-the-BOOK FRIDAYS
Luckily her birthday coincided with our bimonthly journey through David Lebovitz’s “My Paris Kitchen”. This week’s recipe choice, Steak with Mustard Butter and French Fries, would be good prep for the requested meal.(The recipe is below.)
French Fries, baked, not fried. Authentic in taste with less calories. Peel Russet potatoes leaving some additional skin (which is fun to do).
Nothing says bistro classic like entrecôte (rib-eye) and pommes frites (french fries). That I could pull this together in my kitchen needing only a cast-iron grill pan purchased at Cambria Hardware and a grocery market cookie sheet seems amazing.
After cutting potatoes into 1/3 inch slices, cut each slice into 1/3-inch wide strips.
A flavor-packed, top-of-the-stove steak in the winter or if you have no outdoor grill, seals my bond with David. His french fries are baked in the oven but taste like the real deal. Magical. Not traveling in France this year? Open a bottle of good red wine, toss a warm baguette on the table with this classic duo à la Lebovitz and pretend.
Put the potato strips on a cookie sheet and mix with olive oil, kosher salt, rosemary and thyme. The oven and high heat make bonafide french fries
THE BIRTHDAY
It took two barnstorming trips through Michael’s craft store and Target for me to crank into party mode. After settling on a pink plastic tablecloth and big silver tinsel birthday banner, the decor started to pull, Gulp!Gulp!, together.
I bought 50 roses but had no container. Scrounging around the garage, I discovered a huge fish bowl, hosed it down, scrubbed it mightily and, voila, perfect. The champagne would need ice and a bucket. Three bags of ice solved one problem and a huge popcorn bowl hidden on a top cabinet shelf, another. The light over the table was unreliable, it blinked. God bless duct tape. The filets fit beautifully in my newly purchased grill pan. Since the one-rack oven was engaged, I created roasted potatoes in my slow cooker. The dinnerware didn’t match. We re-washed some forks.
Yep, it’s a fishbowl.
The birthday cake. Since Melissa was born in Tallahassee I baked the classic southern Hummingbird Cake (recipe is below). Because they now live in the Eastern Sierras, the white frosting replicated those mountains. Admittedly, it took several guesses and clues for them to figure out that frosting/mountain thing.
After buying 3 bags of ice, I was able to keep the champagne very comfy in its popcorn bowl container.
My family has returned to Bishop. The birthday, well celebrated. The decorations, however, are still hanging, the pink plastic cloth, still in place. Whatever the reason, all this silly stuff seems good company and makes me happy. I can’t think of one reason to take it down.
While this was not the birthday celebration her Mother envisioned, it was the one Melissa wanted.
STEAK with MUSTARD BUTTER by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
I grilled this steak on high heat for a total of 7 minutes for a delicious Rare to Medium Rare.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
STEAKS
Two 8-ounce rib-eye steaks
1/2 teaspoon hickory-smoked salt, sea salt, or Kosher salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil or clarified butter
MUSTARD BUTTER
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
DIRECTIONS:
1. Pat the steaks dry and rub them with the salt, chipotle powder, and cilantro or parsley. Refrigerate the steaks, uncovered, for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
2. To make the mustard butter, mash together the butter with the mustard powder and the Dijon. Form it into two mounds and chill on a plastic wrap–lined plate.
3. Heat a little oil or clarified butter in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet and cook the steaks over high heat, being sure to get a good sear on each side. For rare steaks, cook 5 to 7 minutes total on both sides, or aller-retour (“to go and return”).
4. Remove the steaks from the pan and put on plates. Top each steak with a knob of the mustard butter and some ground black pepper and serve with a big pile of frites.
Author Notes: To make this bistro classic in my kitchen, I use a cast-iron skillet or grill pan that I get really hot, and then I sear the steak on both sides. David Lebovitz
NOTE: We cannot publish David’s recipes unless they are already on the Internet. If you want the recipe for Pommes Frites, find it on page 219 of My Paris Kitchen or e-mail me.
HUMMINGBIRD CAKE,Southern Living Magazine
INGREDIENTS
CAKE BATTER
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large)
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake chopped pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
2. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix in 3 lightly beaten eggs and next 4 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Sprinkle 1 cup toasted pecans into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Pour or spoon batter carefully over pecans.
5. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).
7. Prepare Glaze: Process cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp. milk in a food processor until well blended. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, processing until smooth. Immediately pour glaze over cooled cake, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup toasted pecans.
TIP: I used a 10-cup bundt pan and filled it 2/3 full. With the remaining batter, I baked muffins.
COOK-the-BOOK FRIDAYS is an international, on-line group cooking its way through David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen. To see what we’re cooking or to join the group, go here.
Winter Salad by David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen
Dear Readers,
Although I admit to flaws, you must agree, I am no complainer. In fact, I am often obnoxious in my upbeat-ingness. Let’s just throw it out there…January was the pits. That towel I’ve never thrown in almost got hurled. While I realized there would be bumps in my 5 1/2 month winter sojourn, I didn’t expect a crater.
Mississippi Roast – the food sensation of social media . This chuck roast can do everything alone but shred itself.
I left Aspen in mid-November before the snow flurries and will return in May. While leaving Colorado was a tug, I was anxious to escape Mother Nature’s winter largesse. Since I would be on-the-road for two seasons, from the holidays through tax time, my car groaned with its load albeit my thinking I’d only packed the bare necessities. (Ahem!)
Love is in the air. Greater Sandhill Cranes mate for life. This guy is trying to attract attention, with no success. California Delta, 2/2016
What gets packed must be unpacked. By the time I arrived in January to my rental house in Cambria, I’d suffered enough pack duty. Finally, after enjoying the holidays and 1,500 driving miles later, I was landing at my 4-month destination. Readers, here’s when we pause to beat me up. The thing is, I never previewed the rental. I only saw pictures. From the get-go I realized this house and I were probably not simpatico.
In addition, El Niño came calling. Its January deluges were not kind to many wacky Cambria homes including mine. You don’t want details. As January ended, we all agreed I should move to another house. Pack. Load. Unpack. Get settled.
NEW Temporary Home Sweet Home in Cambria, California.
I am now happily settled in a quirky beach cottage located two blocks from the Pacific. It suits me. So, join me to CELEBRATE?: 1) My new house; 2) Our CooktheBookFridays’ premier; 3) Mouthwatering food with recipes included; and, 4) My California Delta field trip.
Read on and thank you for joining me,
Mary
During this week’s trip to the California Delta I saw thousands of birds and waterfowl. This gorgeous male Green-winged_Teal has paired up with his Lady.
COOK THE BOOK FRIDAYS (bi-monthly)
Many of you remember when FRENCH FRIDAYS WITH DORIE, an international on-line cooking group, ended last summer. After five years and having completed cooking through Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table, we “Doristas”, closed our cookbooks but not our friendships as we moved on. In fact, we’ve kept in touch via our Facebook alumni page and various personal reunions while we searched for a new project to bring us back together.
We try to stay in touch. Last Fall seven of our French Fridays gang had dinner at the Bocuse Restaurant at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park.
Finally, Katie Baillargeon, who blogs at ProfWhoCooks, said, “Let’s do it.”
Many of us had already been salivating over David Lebovitz’s widely popular “MY PARIS KITCHEN”. Although Lebovitz now lives in Paris, he started his food life at Alice Water’s Chez Panisse. In fact last winter. shortly after its publication, Susan and John Lester of Create Amazing Meals and I cooked his delicious cover.
Last winter my French Fridays comrades,John and Susan Lester, joined me in cooking-the-cover of Lebovitz’s newly published “My Paris Kitchen.”
As I recall, this pan was very heavy.
Katie wrote to David, receiving his appreciative approval. Since Betsy Pollack-Benjamin and I were administrators of the FFWD site and Candy Johnson masterminded the reunion network, Katie asked us to be her back-up crew.
David’s Roquefort salad dressing is calorie friendly without loss of flavor. His secret is Greek yogurt. This will be my go-to recipe for salads and dips.
David’s recipes are user-friendly which is exemplified with his WINTER SALAD (Salade D’Hiver). It’s dressed with a calorie-friendly Roquefort dressing of equal amounts of Greek yogurt and crumbled Roquefort cheese. He suggests using Belgian endive. I had Romaine on hand. Any head of ‘sturdy winter salad greens such as frisée, radicchio, watercress, or escarole’ will also work, he says.
Into the cooker we go. The seared chuck roast is first topped with butter and peppers.
To serve with Lebovitz’s simple oh-so-French salad I made MISSISSIPPI ROAST, the wildly popular 8-hour slow cooker recipe boasting over one million pins on Pinterest. I’m obviously late to the party but hiding a chuck roast beneath a stick of butter, packages of ranch dressing mix and “au jus” gravy mix topped with a handful of pepperoncini didn’t seem, uh, healthy. Recently The New York Times’ Sam Sifton, who also was running late, played around and made this a more palatable dish. I served this absolutely scrumptious meat/gravy combo with freshly harvested roasted fingerlings from my Talley Farms produce haul.
Pour the gravy mixture over the meat, butter and peppers. Put the lid on the slow cooker. Don’t even blink at the slow cooker for 7 or 8 hours.
BIRDING & ECOLOGY on the CALIFORNIA DELTA
Every night at dusk thousands of Greater Sandhill Cranes fly over Central California’s Mt. Diablo and into the Delta’s wetlands to roost. It’s quite spectacular to watch.
After settling into my new cottage, I threw clothes together and headed towards Sacramento to join 24 others on a Birding & Ecology 4-day boating trip on the California Delta. I almost bagged this trip. I was just so tired. Giving up would have been a huge mistake. At the evening’s reception I met a retired micro-biologist from UC/Davis. After an hour or so of dinner conversation, she said, shaking her head, “You don’t know anything about northern California, do you.” (Not a question, just a fact.)
A pair of Northern Pintails.
I was the only out-of-stater in this knowledgeable group and a willing listener. Besides seeing thousands of migratory birds and waterfowl that inhabit the California Delta’s 738,000 acres and broadening my knowledge of water issues, I now enjoy a working relationship with northern California. This was just the right trip with remarkably nice people to rid me of my January grumps.
Mississippi Roast, Photo by Melina Hammer for The New York Times.
MISSISSIPPI ROAST Adapted from Sam Sifton, The New York Times
1 boneless chuck roast or top or bottom round roast, 31/2 to 4 pounds
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 to 12 pepperoncini (Pepperoncinis make a point! Use less (6) if you’re not into strong flavors but don’t leave them out.)
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use Hellmann’s® Real Mayonnaise)
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoon of buttermilk
Chopped parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1.Place roast on a cutting board. Rub the salt and pepper ALL over it. Sprinkle the flour over the seasoned meat and massage it into the flesh.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over high heat until it is shimmering and about to smoke. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes a side, to create a crust.
3. Remove roast from pan and place it in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the butter and the pepperoncini to the meat. Put the lid on the slow cooker, and set the machine to low.
4. As the roast heats, make the gravy mixture. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill and paprika in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify. Add the
buttermilk and whisk again. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and pour the dressing over the meat, butter and peppers.
5. Replace the top and allow to continue cooking, undisturbed, for 6 to 8 hours, or it is shreddable. (TIP: When it was cooked sufficiently, I carefully lifted the entire roast to a cutting board and discarded whatever pieces of fat I spotted. Using 2 forks, I shredded the meat.
6. Give the gravy a whisk or two before returning the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Then, mix the meat with the gravy surrounding it.
7. Garnish with parsley.
8. Serve with egg noodles, roast potatoes, pile on sandwich rolls or toast. Or, grab a fork and eat it from the slow cooker!
WINTER SALAD (Salade D’Hiver) by David Lebovitz, My Paris Kitchen
Slice and cut, as you prefer, any sturdy lettuce greens including frisée, radicchio, watercress, escarole, Romaine or Belgian Endive. Mix equal amounts of Greek yogurt (Tip: I use full fat) and crumbled Roquefort, blue or Gorgonzola cheese. Season and flavor with lemon juice, chopped chives, salt and pepper to taste. Mix the lettuce and dressing thoroughly before seasoning again with pepper and garnishing with chives.
David presents many variations to his winter salad on this link:
NOTE TO READERS: During the past two weeks with the assistance of GoDaddy, I had Sitelock and SLL Certification installed/added to my site. Having worked with more than 8 different male techs (it’s the best social life I’ve enjoyed in years), I was assured that ‘my site is as safe as Fort Knox.’ Quite honestly, that wasn’t all that reassuring..
CHICKPEAS and SPINACH served over SPAGHETTI SQUASH
My end-of-month post is often a favorite since I’m meeting unique recipes and buying ingredients that have never graced my pantry. Michael was a meat and potatoes, Oreo cookies, chocolate marshmallow pinwheels and Häagen-Dazs guy. If there was a bag of Snickers around, hip, hip hooray. He did love spinach, if it was creamed, but other veggies, not so much. And, pass on those salads.
Hundreds of Black-Necked Stilts find the food plentiful at the Merced Wildlife Refuge , part of the San Luis Refuge Complex.
It was food blogger Andrea Mohr, The Kitchen Lioness, who suggested I look at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Veg. Hugh’s cookbook contains 200 inspired vegetable recipes simple enough for beginners but sophisticated in their flavoring and spices. I’ve been cooking this book with Andrea’s monthly group, Cottage Cooking Club, for almost two years.
Moroccan-spiced Couscous
This week’s CCC recipes include Chickpeas and Spinach served over Spaghetti Squash. Cumin and chile (fresh or dried), provide the kick. Using Cumin again, I added coriander and cinnamon to pull together Moroccan-spiced Couscous. Dried fruits, toasted nuts and chickpeas mixed into couscous is a delightful lunch or lovely side. Spaghetti squash, to me, may be the Jim Carey of the squash world. It’s hilarious and we’ll return to it later.
It’s always thrilling to spot Bald Eagles. Morro Bay Marina, 1/15/16
Over the Martin Luther King holiday week-end I attended the 20th annual Morro Bay Bird Festival. Although rain dampened some field trips, this is a wonderful year for Central Coast birds. Thank you, El Niño. With a predicted two-day sunshine break, I jumped in the car last Wednesday and headed for the San Joaquin Valley, the state’s top agricultural producing region. It’s also where the San Luis Wildlife Refuge complex, 45,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian habitats, as well as over 90,000 acres of private conservation easements for the protection and benefit of wildlife, is located.
The Tule Elk, a non-migratory elk found only in California, went almost extinct in the early Seventies. Today a herd is protected, lives at the San Luis Wildlife Refuge and is thriving.
Thousands of Snow Geese and the smaller Ross’s Geese winter in the San Joaquin Valley
Not knowing what to expect, I was unprepared for this natural world theatrical extravaganza, The Refuges play host for 6 months to more than 20,000 lesser Sandhill cranes, 60,000 arctic-nesting geese and swans who migrate along the great Pacific Flyway to mingle with thousands of other visiting waterfowl and shorebirds. My, it’s noisy! I stayed in nearby rural Los Banos and, surprisingly, enjoyed some of the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted at M&M Restaurant owned by the six Munoz brothers.
Sprinkled throughout my Central California coast driving adventure last week were thousands of stacked and nondescript white boxes which are visible from the highway. They contain honey bees.Though not image inspiring, I found their story to be incredibly inspiring. The bee hive boxes are trucked here to spend a warm winter before almond pollination begins. In total, 1,800,000 hives are estimated to be in California (54 billion bees) now. These beekeepers allowed me to take pictures and ask questions. Since bees were swarming outside the boxes also, I didn’t linger.
Hopefully you will not only enjoy these recipes but also some photos from my last two weeks’ adventures.
A Trumpeter Swan. The “rock” in the background is a juvenile swan eating.
SPAGHETTI SQUASH
Aren’t you surprised that spaghetti squash isn’t more popular? Yes, it’s difficult to entice kids to willingly try different vegetables but sometimes we raise their expectations. At first bite, peas aren’t delicious. They’re mushy and stick to the roof of your mouth. It’s not really necessary to ever like cooked carrots if you prefer raw. And, spaghetti squash is not pasta although it looks like pasta. Throw Marinara sauce and a juicy meatball on top and it still tastes like squash. Start slowly, with butter, salt, pepper, a squirt or two of lemon…..
It may be magic but it’s still squash!
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Put the whole spaghetti squash into the oven.
3. Bake for 40-45 minutes. When it is easily pierced with a fork, remove, and let cool enough for handling
4. Cut in half, diagonally.
5. Using a spoon, remove the seeds. Then, with a fork, scrape the flesh under the seeds
CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH served over SPAGHETTI SQUASH, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
Chickpeas and Spinach served over Spaghetti Squash
MOROCCAN-SPICED COUSCOUS, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg
Moroccan-spiced Couscous
If you want either of Hugh’s recipes, let me know. MH
Last summer a good friend returned to Aspen after a week of sifting through, sorting and discarding boxes she’d left behind in her mother’s attic. “I had so many dreams and hopes back then,” she told me rather regretfully, “that I’ve never fulfilled.”
WINTERY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP with BISON MEAT and CARROTS, spicy and hearty
Color me shocked. As she later acknowledged, her life is privileged and bountiful. And while those early dreams and hopes have been unrealized, I suggested they were just replaced. “Yes,” she replied, deciding she would buy into that.
Melissa’s friend, Linda, made this fantastic paper art typewriter for me. I actually used a typewriter once upon a time.
At Thanksgiving dinner my family returned to this same subject. Melissa and Stephen are turning 50 this year. This has brought them up short, of course, a pause for soul-searching. Like many of you readers, they are peddling overtime with businesses, raising two teenage daughters, countless responsibilities. But during our annual “I am thankful for” pre-dinner grace, they both made it abundantly clear there is no place they’d rather be. To their two girls, who do realize they are running their parents ragged, those were reassuring moments.
There something beautiful about fresh carrots just pulled from the earth.
While I’ve been somewhat haunted by my friend’s revelations, I hadn’t had time to run through my personal hopes and dreams checklist until recently. My recent 1,500-mile car trip equaled thinking time. I’ll not only share those thoughts but also showcase Wintery French Lentil Soup with bison beef, carrots and red wine. It’s a quick and hearty meal adapted from Lori Lynn Hirsch’s blog, Taste with the Eyes. For sweets, try my faux Chaussons aux Pommes made easily with homemade applesauce.
The Chaussons aux Pommes are ready for the oven.
Although Lori Lynn and I are not related, I was attracted to her blog because of name coincidence. I subscribed because she is a fantastic cook. Her French lentil soup hit all my buttons and provided a home for my fresh carrots. In trying to introduce more grains to my diet, the lentils, a grain legume, were perfect and, as Lori wrote, ‘eating lentils in the new year is said to bring luck and prosperity.’
The Garlic Bulb after it’s had a haircut and been coated with EVOO. Now, into the oven.
Another change I’m making in many recipes now is to roast my garlic instead of mincing/sautéing it. Liz Berg at This Skinny Chick Can Bake and Peggy Gilbey at Spiced Peach Blog persuaded me that soft, caramelized cloves are a sweeter, user-friendly addition to cooked food.
When the garlic cooled, I squeezed the caramelized cloves into the soup.
Chaussons aux Pommes are a gussied up apple turnovers. Using apples from my Talley Farms Fresh Harvest box, I made one-step, no fuss applesauce and, with puff pastry, baked some sweet nibbles for snacks, dessert and breakfast. The recipes are below.
When it’s low tide I usually walk down the stairs to the tidal pools. Not this week. Sometimes the Pacific gets unruly.
Now, back to hopes and dreams. In the past three years as I dismantled our home, I cornered the market on that walk down memory lane. While there’s been some wishing I’d have done things differently or made wiser choices (don’t we all), that’s all shoulda, woulda, coulda poppycock. I was a halfwit at 21 when Melissa was born. Now, 50 years later, I consider myself a candidate for Mensa!
Although I prefer the applesauce in my slow cooker to be chunky, I do mash it up for the turnovers.
Each twist and turn in Life, I guess, is a building block to realizing dreams and fulfilling hopes and handling those damn disappointments and regrets. Frankly, I threw so many hopes and dreams at the wall, the odds were that something was gonna stick.
If you don’t wish to sprinkle cinnamon/sugar on the pastry, that’s fine. I just found it more flavorful because I purposely don’t add sugar to the applesauce.
Today my only shock is that after a big bump or two, I was able to rebuild a happy life again. Perhaps I just put my dreams and hopes in different costumes. After Michael died, all I wanted was to return to my Aspen home and friends. To do that, there were compromises which I elected to make. Then I revisited my passions, writing and the nature gig, and morphed them into possibilities which now consume my daily life. And, what I do best, being a grandmother, is a glorious role I play seriously. That’s it. Presently, my hopes and dreams are reimagined in those pursuits.
This is a Surf Scoter. These ducks hang out at the San Simeon pier with their relatives, the Black Scoters.
I might suggest to my friend to be more gentle with herself. Success or failure cannot be measured by something packed in a cardboard box for 45 years. However, her one innocuous comment has given me pause and will also hopefully stimulate some conversation at your house this week.
the San Simeon pier located near the Hearst Castle
WINTERY FRENCH LENTIL SOUP
Adapted from Lori Lynn Hirsch, Taste for the Eyes
INGREDIENTS:
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 roasted garlic bulb
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. chile powder (or to taste)
4 to 5 c. beef stock
1/2 c. of red wine
1 lb. Bison ground meat, cooked and drained
12 oz. french lentils, steamed (I like Trader Joe’s pre-cooked)
salt and pepper
parmesan, grated
large handful of cilantro, rough chopped
DIRECTIONS:
1. Roast Garlic (directions below)
2. Heat Oil in Soup Pot. Add onion and cook until soft. (If you’d rather use 4 minced garlic cloves, add them after onions are softened and saute for a minute or two until lightly golden.)
3. Then add carrots, cumin, chile power, softened roasted garlic cloves and beef stock.
4. When carrots are al dente, add Bison meat, cooked lentils and red wine.
5. Simmer for 10-15 minutes
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Place soup in warmed bowls. Dust with Parmesan and garnish with parsley or cilantro.
ROASTED GARLIC
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole head of garlic
2 tsp. Extra-virgin Olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the papery layers off the garlic, keeping the bulb intact.
3. Trim the top off the garlic, as shown (1/4” to 1/3”).
4. Drizzle EVOO over garlic bulbs, rubbing your fingers lightly over the top so oil sinks through.
5. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 45-55 minutes.
6. Let garlic cool before squeezing into the soup.
CHAUSSONS aux POMMES
APPLESAUCE
1. Peel 12 Apples (more if you wish)
2. Add Cinnamon Sticks, if you wish.
3. Put in Slow Cooker and add 1/2 cup water.
4. Set at Low and Cook for 8 hours (or, overnight).
CHAUSSONS aux POMMES
INGREDIENTS:
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed per package directions.
1 C. of applesauce
Cinnamon/Sugar
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
3. Sprinkle work surface lightly with flour. Roll out thawed puff pastry into 15-inch square.
4. Using a coffee mug, small bowl or large round cookie cutter,
make cutouts with a paring knife.
5. Brush each square with egg wash. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon-sugar and spoon applesauce in the center as shown.
6. Fold each in half and press edges together tightly to seal.
7. Transfer to cookie sheet.
8. Use a sharp knife to make a few slices in the chaussons WITHOUT slicing completely through the puff pastry.
9. Bake between 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
10.Sprinkle top with plain sugar.
TIP: Let cool. (Applesauce can burn your tongue.) They will de-pouf a small amount.
Hello again, hello
Just called to say hello
Hello, my friends, hello…..Adele, “25”
Pina’s homemade Sicilian Cannolis
Although my 14-year old Emma is ‘so over Adele, Grandma,’ she understands I am not. In early December she gave me the English singer’s latest release, “25.” During the past six weeks of drive time I’ve amused myself listening to The Wright Brothers (David McCullough), Rogue Lawyer (John Grisham) and Adele. Truthfully, despite committing her lyrics to memory, I’m kinda over Adele also.
Hello again, Readers. Hello, 2016. My new year’s resolutions are few: 1) Follow through on good intentions; 2) Learn to assemble a respectable Bloody Mary; 3) Besides subscribing to The New Yorker magazine, actually read the articles inside it.
That’s it. Just three. It’s already apparent I’ve pulled everything from the back burner to the front, set them to boil and am peddling as fast as I can. “Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is simply believing you’re worthy of the trip.” ***
Pina’s cannolis are always put together just as we’re ready for dessert. She still oversees the operation!
Yes, I know, it’s a wobbly world. While I am not without concerns, worries and scars, my gratefulness jar runneth over. As in the past, this blog is my safe haven…..a time-out, be happy place for me and, hopefully for you. If you try a recipe, smile at my remarks or just enjoy the photos, it’s a Win. Let’s begin…..
GOING GLOBAL ON CHRISTMAS EVE
This year I celebrated Christmas twice. Yes, it’s legal. My Christmas Eve was spent in Henderson. For the 8 years Michael and I lived in Nevada we spent Christmas Eve with our backdoor neighbors who were Sicilian, fabulous cooks and generous with their hospitality.
Adriana was making Affogatos for everyone the rest of the evening, except for those sipping Crown Royal.
Since I would be back in town, Adriana gathered together not only their ‘big, noisy, Italian family’ (her words) but many others. As always we threw together a cultural mix of delicious food. Amalia, from Spain, brought Tortilla Espanola and her requested ratatouille. With a nod to Iowa, I made a honey-smoked, bone-in ham with mashed sweet potatoes and apples, and a cauliflower gratin. Tom, who is not southern, baked a pecan pie that would have made Paula Deen cry again.
Amalia with Adriana and her sister, Lorena
Pina, Adriana’s mom, and her three daughters had been in the kitchen all week. The table groaned, including, among many, an Antipasto platter and lasagna. But let’s fast forward to the wrap-up, Affogato al Caffe, which translates to “drowned in coffee” and consists of a shot of hot espresso poured over a scoop of gelato. Although this traditional Italian treat is simple, it’s a finale. Enhanced with hazelnut/chocolate chip gelato rather than vanilla bean gelato and with espresso beans sprinkled on top, it’s a grand finale. (see recipe below)
The most perfect of ham bones, ready for the slow cooker.
I CRY FOR YOU, MR. HAM BONE
I planned to use my leftover ham bone to make Minnesota Wild Rice with Ham Soup for this week’s post. I made the soup. Delicious. Seriously delicious. However, after letting the soup cool, I forgot to refrigerate it. Overnight. Left on the counter. The seriously delicious soup? Buried in the garbage.
All was not lost. With some leftover ham, I did make a spinach, roasted artichoke, Parm and ham pizza topped with honey and roasted pecans.
“I think life is like a ham bone if you live it right. You enjoy it and then you bury it when you’re finished. If you don’t enjoy it and let it go to waste you still have to bury it, so you might as well savor everything you can.” Kevin Herne
It’s a family tradition to make saffron biscuits for the holidays. Melissa bakes them for us all. I added chicken broth and turned the leftover mashed sweet potatoes and apples into a delicious soup.
HELLO, El Niño
Last Saturday I drove to Cambria where I’ll again spend the winter. For Christmas my California son-in-law gave me Patagonia rain gear. I cannot say I wasn’t warned. At least I got to unload my car before Señor El Niño came calling. Yes, it’s raining. I keep reminding myself that hydration is good for the skin!
This Great Blue Heron was standing in a nearby vacant lot as I drove into my Cambria driveway. This was the last dry moment for both of us!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016, My Friends
Now I’m officially back in Cambria. Just picked up my first Talley Farms Fresh Harvest Box. P.S. It’s still raining.
AFFOGATO al CAFFE
INGREDIENTS:
Fresh and Strongly Brewed Espresso
Vanilla Bean or Hazelnut with Chocolate Chips Gelato or your choice
Espresso Beans (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Depending upon number of guests, arrange small glasses or cups on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. Scoop 1/3 to1/4 cup gelato into each glass or cup. Freeze 20-30 minutes, until firm.
3. Slowly pour at least 3 tablespoons espresso over each.
4. Garnish with espresso beans, if desired. Serve immediately with a small spoon.
Tip: Put together each Affogato only as guests request them.
