More Cupcakes!

Quinoa and Swiss Chard Fritters

2011-08-17T20:28:00.001-04:00

I know what you're thinking....I love quinoa and I love swiss chard, but they're TOO HEALTHY! Well, I can fix that for ya. Just add some egg and cheese and fry em!

I found this recipe on the New York Times website.

INGREDIENTS

I bunch Swiss chard, washed and stemmed (do not discard the stems) I like to just grab the leaf in one hand and the stem in the other and pull them apart

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 plump garlic cloves, minced, or 2 teaspoons minced green garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup quinoa

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon canola oil

For serving:

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tsp honey

1-2 tsp curry powder

1. Fill a bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the chard leaves. Blanch for two to three minutes until tender, then transfer to the ice water. Drain, squeeze out excess water and chop medium-fine. I squeezed the chard with my hands and then sliced the clump like when you make basil chiffonade). Add the chard stems to the water, and cook four to five minutes until tender. Transfer to the ice water, then drain and cut in 1/4-inch dice. Measure out 3/4 cup of the stems, and reserve the rest for another purpose (or just toss with salt and pepper and munch while cooking the fritters)

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a medium or large skillet. Add the garlic. When it is fragrant, in 30 seconds to a minute, stir in the chard leaves and stems and the cumin. Stir together for about a minute, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the quinoa, Parmesan and egg. Stir together.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the canola oil together over medium-high heat in a large, heavy skillet. Moisten your hands, and shape the quinoa and chard mixture into four hamburger-size patties (or make smaller, fritter-ish patties). Carefully place the patties in the hot oil, taking care not to crowd them in the pan. Press down on the tops of the patties with the bottom of your spatula to prevent them from falling apart; if they are thick enough, they should stay together. Cook for four to five minutes on each side until nicely browned. Remove from the heat and serve.

Variation: Substitute 2 pounds bunch spinach for the chard. Stem and wash the leaves (discard the stems) and wilt, in batches, in a large frying pan in the water left on their leaves after washing. Proceed as instructed.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

2011-08-17T00:23:00.001-04:00

I've been working overnights, and my hours are kinda weird, so I've been watching more Food Network. Ina Garten made these on her show, so I decided to bring some to work.

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks butter at room temp
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c smooth peanut butter
3 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c jam
2/3 c salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350
Grease and flour 9x13in pan
Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs 1 at a time, then add vanilla and peanut butter
Sift dry ingredients and add gradually, mixing just until combined
Take 2/3rds of dough and pat into greased pan and chill
Spread jam evenly over dough
Break remaining dough into chunks and sprinkle over jam
Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top
Bake 45min, cool and cut into squares

Cherry Berry Port Crisp

2011-08-10T14:49:00.001-04:00

I was at the ICA waiting to meet a friend for their Talking Taste series, and I decided to buy a copy of The Boozy Baker from the gift shop.

It didn't take long for me to make something inspired by it. In this case a crumble made with frozen cherries from Target and blueberries from the farmshare, and the remainder of ruby port from a bottle.

INGREDIENTS

Filling
12 oz pitted cherries
1 c blueberries
1/4 c ruby port
1 tbsp cornstarch

Topping
1/2 c flour
3/4 c chopped walnuts
1 c old fashioned oats
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter cut into cubes
(I added a tbsp or 2 of scotch)

INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk the cornstarch into the port and then let the berries soak (the longer the better)
Combine dry ingredients and use fingertips to rub butter into dry goods
Sprinkle with scotch

Heat oven to 400. Pour fruit and port into pie pan and sprinkle topping over it. Bake for 20-30 min til bubbly with brown crispy top. Be sure to let it cool off a smidge. Goes great with vanilla ice cream

Blueberry Walnut Maple Tart

2011-08-10T08:23:00.001-04:00

One of the best things about summer in New England is fresh blueberries. The're great just to eat, or to put in smoothies, salads or yogurt. Blueberry pie is another option, as is this tart, which is kind of like a no-bake cheesecake. I found the recipie at Eating Well, and made a few adjustments

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1/4 c toasted walnuts
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 egg white, beaten until frothy
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Filling
8oz cream cheese (I used the low fat one)
1/4 c plain yogurt
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp lemon zest
2 c blueberries

Instructions
Run the walnuts in the food processor until pea sized, then add the rest of ingredients and pulse until it looks like coarse sand. Press into tart pan and bake at 325 for 8 min

While crust is cooling combine cream cheese, yogurt, lemon zest and syrup til smooth. Pour into crust, top with berries, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Baked Raspberry Custard

2011-08-10T08:10:00.001-04:00

I got some raspberries in the farmshare a while back and looked for some things to make with them. I found this recipe from Martha Stewart, which is SUPER easy, and tasty. I was alarmed at how much it grew in the oven, but a pie plate is just right.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 c milk
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup (give or take) berries

Grease a pie plate and preheat oven to 400
Pour everything in a blender (except berries) and pulse untill smooth
Pour batter into pie plate and scatter berries. Sprinkle top with sugar
Bake for 20-25 min

Creamed Collard Greens

2011-08-09T21:02:00.001-04:00

I was looking for something different to do with the greens I got with my farmshare, and thought that collards, being a bit hardier than spinach, might do well creamed. I found this recipe at the nourished table and adjusted it for one bunch.

Ingredients
1 bunch greens, stems removed and cut into 1 inch strips
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion chopped
1 cup cream
Fresh nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste

Melt butter in a pan, sautee onions untill soft. Sautee greens until bright green. Add cream and simmer until cream is reduced and thickened. Season to taste

Butterbeer Cupcakes

2011-08-09T16:15:00.005-04:00

My friends and I have a kids book book club, and we are watching all of the Harry Potter movies in order to prepare for a trip to see the latest one in theaters. Yesterday we watched The Prisoner of Azkaban, and so I thought I would make Butterbeer Cupcakes.

So, how do you make Butterbeer cupcakes? Well, I looked at a bunch of Butterbeer recipes, and they all seemed to call for either beer or cream soda and butterscotch schnapps. Some of the more involved recipes called for additional spices to add warmth.

I decided on making a chocolate beer cupcake with some added spice, and a cream cheese frosting with butterscotch schnapps.

I based the cupcake recipe on Chef Chloe's recipe. I used a vanilla porter instead of chocolate stout, and substituted butterscotch schnapps for vanilla. I also added a teaspoon of garam masala spice to add some heat (it is a combo of cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and other spices). I used my standard cream cheese frosting recipe.

Ingredients

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour plus ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup stout beer (I use Trader Joe's oatmeal stout)
½ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pure butterscotch schnapps
1 teaspoon garam masala

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together liquid ingredients. Mix just until everything is moist and bake at 350 for 16-20 min.

Frosting

8oz cream cheese

6 tbsp butter softened

3-4 cups powdered sugar

3 tbsp butterscotch schnaaps

pinch salt

cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar to desired consistency. Add salt and schnapps for flavor.

Pasta, Veggies and Lemon Yogurt Sauce

2011-07-05T19:59:00.005-04:00

This recipe has been making the rounds on cooking blogs. I read about it on The Gingered Whisk.

With the CSA, we tend to get a lot of Zucchini, and I am always looking for new things to do with it. This is a fairly healthy cream sauce that goes well with the sauteed vegetables.

Ingreients

8oz pasta
1 zucchini sliced (others have cut it up into ribbons. I cut it into half moons. Either way you want the slices to be kinda thin)
1 cup small tomatoes cut in half or quarters (I had pearl tomatoes which are about the size of cherry ones)
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup thick, plain yogurt (greek is best)
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (optional)

Cook pasta in salted water and then drain
sautee the zucchini in a pan with the olive oil until just softened
add garlic for a few minutes
add tomatoes and cook until soft
add thyme right at the end

in a bowl combine yogurt, cheese, salt, pepper and lemon zest
toss pasta, veggies and sauce and serve

Blueberry Sage Muffins

2011-06-15T23:33:00.000-04:00

Blueberry Sage Muffins from Diana Dyer's blog

Inspired by Blueberry Sage Muffin recipe from The Herbal Palate Cookbook by Maggie Oster & Sal Gilbertie

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

2 c blueberries,
2 Tbsp. minced fresh sage leaves (right from my garden - I would use even more next time)
1/2 c sugar,
2-3 tsp. minced lemon zest (zest one whole lemon and use all of it)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat flour),
2 tsp baking powder,
1/2 tsp baking soda,
1/4 tsp salt,
1 large egg,
1/2 c plain organic yogurt
1/2 c milk (dairy or unsweetened soy milk)
2 Tbsp. canola oil,
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best - use the lemon that you zested).
Sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar mixture if desired. (I used a sprinkle of plain ground flaxseeds)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the berries, sage, sugar, and lemon zest. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Line 12 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.
Stir flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
Wisk together the egg, yogurt, milk, oil, and lemon juice, then add to the blueberry mixture.
Pour the blueberry mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix.
Fill each muffin cup to within 1/2 inch of the top.
Combine sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle some on each muffin.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until muffin tops spring back when lightly touched.
Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-06-11T20:47:00.002-04:00

Every once in a while I get bit by the bug to make something specific. In this case it was peanut butter cookies with chocolate. I was gonna make peanut butter blossoms (where you put a Hershey's Kiss in the middle), but I got lazy and decided to just use chocolate chips. Then I decided to add some peanut butter chips for good measure. I've also been hooked on adding oatmeal to cookies for the texture. I found this recipe on Baking Bites

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (I buy unsalted peanut butter so I added 1/2 tsp)

1 cup quick cook oats

1 cup flour (I used 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat)

optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350

cream butter and sugars together

add vanilla and egg

add peanut butter

add flour,oats, baking soda, and salt in batches just until combined

quickly stir in chips

roll dough into 1 inch balls and bake for 11-14 min

made 3 dozen (probably makes 4 doz, I tend to be generous in my rolling)

Tuna & Rice Salad

2011-06-11T12:54:00.001-04:00

This is one of my all time favorite lunches. It is adapted from this recipe on all recipes, that states it came from someone's croatian roommate.

Tuna and Rice Salad

1/2 cup cooked brown rice

chopped romaine lettuce

1 pkg tuna fish flaked

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 small shallot grated
1 clove garlic grated
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

1 handful olives

make the salad right after you cook the rice while it's still warm

toss the rice and lettuce, crumble the tuna and add the olives

combine the olive oil, vinegar, shallot, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper in a screw top container and shake until emulsified.

dress the salad with dressing and enjoy!

Strarberry Lime Basil Sorbet

2011-06-11T12:25:00.001-04:00

I got a bunch of strawberries, limes, and basil in my Trader Joe's pickup this week (I pickup food for a local food pantry and they let me keep some for myself). It's been pretty hot here in Boston lately, and I've got book group coming up on sunday, so I figured I'd bust out the ice cream maker and whip up some sorbet.

1 1/2 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1 bunch basil divided

4 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped

1/2 cup lime juice

zest of 1 lime

combine water, sugar and half of the basil in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. let it sit until the liquid cools

once the liquid cools, put the strawberries, lime juice, lime zest, and the other half of the basil cut into small strips (aka chiffonade) into a blender and puree. Cool the mixture and then follow your ice cream maker's directions.

Asparagus, kale, crabmeat quiche

2011-06-06T19:37:00.001-04:00

Today is trivia, which means dinner at our place. I have some asparagus I've been holding on to from the farmshare, and thought I would make some quiche. I also had some extra kale and a can of crabmeat. (I actually made two quiches, one with and one without crabmeat)

I DID cheat by buying the piecrust at the store instead of making it (I blame staying two hours late at work)

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp butter

1/2 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into two inch pieces

1/2 bunch kale with stems removed cut into 1 inch strips

1/2 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh taragon

1 can crabmeat

1 cup grated swiss cheese

sautee the onion and garlic in butter til browned, then add the kale and asparagus, turn heat to medium and cover. Cook asparagus and kale until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste

Put the veggie mixture in a prebaked pie shell. add taragon, crumble canned crabmeat over the mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

In a bowl combine egg and cream. Pour egg mixture over the veggies and bake at 350 for 45-55 min until set.

Plantains, Beans an Rice

2011-06-05T20:53:00.001-04:00

Today I swung by Market Basket in Chelsea for some things, and found a bunch of dented cans of black beans on sale for 30 cents, and a pile of beautifully yellow plantains. I also had some leftover cilantro from last nights supper, and rice. that seemed like a good start for dinner.

When I worked at a non profit residential program for kids in trouble (throw em a couple of bucks if you can), one of my favorite guys on staff was named Manolo. His family was from the Dominican Republic, and he would make platanos, beans and rice for the kids. I used his method for tonights dinner:

Peel the plantain (it's pretty much like peeling a banana except it helps to use a knife to get started because the peel is so thick). Slice into 1 inch slices. Fry on each side in a pan of cannola oil.

From More Cupcakes

Then drain on a paper towel

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Use the bottom of a glass or some other flat object to squash the fried plantain,

From More Cupcakes!

then refry again in the oil,

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Drain again on paper towels, and salt and pepper the finished product and enjoy!

From More Cupcakes!

For the beans I chopped up an onion and three cloves of garlic and sauteed in butter. Then I chopped up a tomato and a cup of cilantro and added a can of black beans. I seasoned them with some adobo, which is a combination of salt, pepper and spices. If you don't have it, then salt, pepper and cumin should do. Rice was just rice, so...that should be easy :P

H Mart, Bok Choi, and Korean Style Salmon

2011-06-04T22:26:00.002-04:00

Today I went to Burlington to get Ninja (my Ford Focus Hatchback) an oil change at sears, with plans for a trip to H Mart. H Mart is a Korean grocery store that is GINORMOUS, with a food court (I had some fresh rolls from the Vietnamese booth "Pho Sure") and lots of people set up sampling foods. We got Bok Choi and Cucumbers in the farm share, so I figured I'd do something with the Bok Choi, with some salmon for supper tonight, and then make some Sushi Salad for dinner later this week (maybe Monday before trivia). I LOVE asian grocery stores. They have great prices on produce (lemons are even cheaper at H Mart than at Market Basket, which seems impossible) fun products (ask my roommate G about Red Bean Ice Cream Pops sometime) and ingredients that are hard to find.

Anyhow, for dinner tonight I made Bok Choi with peanuts and cilantro (which I love) and Korean Salmon.

Bok Choi with Peanuts and Cilantro (recipe from What Did You Eat)

2 bunches bok choi washed, and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tbsp neutral oil (peanut or canola)

1/4 cup peanuts

pinch red pepper flakes

1 onion chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 3 tbsp liquid (I used water, but OJ or lemon/lime juice would be interesting I think)

1 cup cilantro (aka Chinese parsley) chopped

heat the oil in a pan/wok and then fry the peanuts and pepper flakes and a pinch of salt for a minute

cook the onions and ginger for another minute or two

add the bok choi and cook until just starting to wilt 5 min or so

add the liquids and cilantro and simmer til the sauce thickens a bit

I used this as a side, but you could toss in some chicken or tofu and make a meal out of it. Especially over some soba noodles

As for the salmon, I made a sauce that I found on Morsels and Musings that uses a Korean ingredient called gochujang (my bottle was spelled Chogochyjang, which wikipedia tells me is actually a different product, made with gochujang with extra ingredients).

From More Cupcakes!

it looks a bit like ketchup, but it's made from red peppers and is fermented and has a nice kick. The sauce I made based loosely on the recipe from Morsels and Musings:

2 tbsp each

Miso Paste

Chogochyjang

Orange Juice

sesame oil

2tsp soy sauce

I combined them all, and then basted the salmon with it and broiled it

Fist Full of Blueberries

2011-06-04T12:02:00.003-04:00

We got a little container of blueberries in the farmshare, and I saw a recipe on The Gingered Whisk for Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes. Blueberry pancakes tend to be a bit too fluffy and sweet for me, and don't stand up well to the blueberries. This recipe is fluffy, with some crunchy. I added some lemon zest to enhance the flavor of the blueberries. I also used 2 cups milk and the juice of one lemon instead of buttermilk.

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes (Eat Live Travel Write)

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1.5 cups cornmeal
¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tso coarse kosher salt

zest 1/2 lemon
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
¼ cup canola oil
Melted Butter
1 cup fresh blueberries
Maple syrup for serving

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs, and oil.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, whisk to blend, and let stand for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and place a baking sheet in the oven to warm.
Preheat griddle/cast iron skillet over medium heat and brush with some melted butter.
Working in batches, spoon ¼ - ½ cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake.
Sprinkle each pancake with a tablespoon of blueberries.
Cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm until you are finished cooking all the pancakes.
Serve with maple syrup.

5 Spice Ginger Pickles

2011-06-02T23:20:00.001-04:00

I love love LOVE pickles. And I love love LOVE ginger. And cucumbers go bad fast, so I decided to make some "quickles" aka quick pickles. Basically these are refrigerator pickles. You slice the cucumber (and onion in this case) and then soak them in a brine in the fridge. I don't bother going through the canning process, mostly because I'm lazy and afraid of botulism.

1 cucumber sliced

1 half sweet onion sliced

1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice seasoning)

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp five spice powder

1/2 tsp salt

combine the liquid in a jar, then layer the pickles and onions and toss in the fridge. The longer they soak the more flavorful they get.

Moroccan Veggie Stew

2011-06-02T21:50:00.001-04:00

I have a bunch of Kale at my house from our CSA, and I figured I'd make some stew with potatoes and beans. I like the way the stew has both sweet and salty flavors. Zeke had a great idea of adding peanuts for some crunchy, which I would definitely do next time.

Moroccan Veggie Stew

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
4 cloved garlic minced
1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
4 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bunch kale, stems removed cut into 1 inch strips
1 can diced tomato and juice
3 cups veggie broth
1 cup dried lentils
1 can garbonzo beans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tsp aleppo pepper (or 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cup raisins or chopped dried apricots
2 tbsp butter

in pot melt butter and sautee onion and garlic
sautee kale for 3 min
add the rest of the ingredients and simmer until lentils soften

Dandelion Green Pasta

2011-06-01T20:59:00.002-04:00

Dandelion Green Pasta, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

Got some Dandelion Greens in last week's farmshare. They are mighty bitter, which is why I added the butter to the recipe.

From Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

Ingredients:
3 cups penne
1/4 c olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 small white onion chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
bunch dandelion greens with thick stems removed, cut into 1 1/2 inch strips
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese for serving

cook penne in salted water per instructions. reserve liquid

heat olive oil in pan, cook garlic and onion until just beginning to brown

stir in red pepper flakes until starts to sizzle.

cook dandelion greens 3 min until bright green

add butter and 1/3 cup pasta water and bring to boil in skillet. cook til reduced by half. salt and pepper to taste.

Toss to coat with sauce and serve with grated parmesan

Fiddlehead Pasta with Beurre Blanc

2011-06-01T20:06:00.003-04:00

Fiddlehead Pasta with Beurre Blanc, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

this is the second time I've gotten fiddleheads in the CSA farmshare. They're interesting, with a mild, fresh, green taste and interesting texture. The important thing seems to be choosing something that doesn't overwhelm the flavor, which is why I chose Beurre Blanc sauce and angel hair pasta. If I had frozen peas I would have added some of those too. Could also work with a mild protien like shrimp.

Ingredients:
1 bag fiddleheads
1 box angelhair pasta
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon
1 small shallot grated
2-3 garlic cloves grated
handful parsley chopped
salt and pepper

Directions

Boil a pot of water

soak and gently rub fiddleheads with paper towel and cut off ends as needed

drop fiddleheads in for 3-5 min until "tender crisp", then put in cold water bath to keep from over cooking

add salt to water and boil pasta per instructions

zest lemon and set aside

in saucepan heat up wine, juice from lemon, shallot and garlic. simmer until sauce reduces by half.

add two sticks of butter and zest a tablespoon at a time.

once sauce thickens, add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and toss with pasta and fiddleheads

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto

2011-05-17T22:12:00.002-04:00

Fiddlehead Mushroom Pea Risotto, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

we got Fiddleheads in the farmshare today, which are a springtime treat in new england and the maritimes. They are the unopen fronds of a fern, and taste a bit like asparagus. Apparently they are quite popular in quiche (says my boyfriend from Maine). I consulted my go-to cookbook for all things farmshare, Vegetable Love, and found this risotto recipe.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 shallot minced
1 onion minced
1 pt mushrooms roughly chopped (recipe called for chanterelle, but i used oyster)
3/4 c chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
5-6 cups veggie stock
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
2 cups trimmed fiddleheads (could sub chopped asparagus)
1 cup grated swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

sautee the shallots and onion in melted butter. Add mushrooms and cook for about 5 min. Add tarragon for 8 min. add oil and rice and cook at medium until rice absorbs the oil

add the wine and stir until evaporated

add broth a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed before adding the next cup. After four cups add the peas and fiddleheads. Add more stock as needed until rice is at desired consistency. Stir in grated cheese gradually. Salt and pepper to taste

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

2011-04-21T22:50:00.002-04:00

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

These cookies are fantastic. They are crispy and chewy at the same time. I added the cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. You may want to up the salt a smidge if you use the zest. Also, I love the texture that oatmeal adds

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(from The Frog Commissary Cookbook)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
zest from 1 small orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups oats (rolled or "quick," but not "instant")
2 cups chocolate chips (about 12-oz.)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars until mixture is light in color. Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the milk and the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest. Either by hand or with the mixer on low speed, gradually beat the flour in to the sugar mixture until just incorporated.
Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart so they have room to spread.
Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and light golden at the center.
Cool on baking sheet for at least 1-2 minutes before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely

Stuffed zucchini

2011-04-21T22:44:00.001-04:00

Stuffed zucchini, a photo by kel h on Flickr.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise
score the zucchini down the center and sides and scoop out the flesh
cut up a potato into small cubes and sautee with one chopped onion until fork tender
add one chopped up and seeded tomato, zucchini flesh, a tsp italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste
add either a cup of peas or garbanzo beans
scoop filling into hollowed out zucchini
sprinkle cheese and breadcrumbs on top
bake at 375 for 20-30 min until top is brown and crispy and zucchini shell is soft

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies

2011-01-15T22:40:00.004-05:00

Pomegranate Molasses Cookies
Originally uploaded by kel h

Today is the anniversary of when a molasses tank burst and flooded the north end of boston. They say in the summer you can still smell the molasses in the air.

I had some car trouble today, which is still unresolved, and still stressing me out, so I decided to make cookies, and figured the Pomegranate Molasses I had in the pantry would make a good candidate.

The recipe is from the Serious Eats blog

Ingredients:
2.5 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick + 6 tbsp butter
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c pomegranate molasses
1 tsp vanilla (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
vanilla sugar to dip cookies in (optional)

combine dry ingredients and set aside
cream butter and sugar
add vanilla and molasses
combine wet and dry in 3 batches, stirring just until combined

make 1inch balls out of dough and roll in vanilla sugar

Bake at 350 for 10 min

Mexican Rice Stuffed Peppers

2011-01-06T21:37:00.001-05:00

Mexican Rice Stuffed Peppers
Originally uploaded by kel h

First, make mexican rice

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (i used brown rice)
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cups water
1 10oz can crushed tomatoes
1 chipotle peppper minced (or less if you like less spicy)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1-2 tsp chili powder (use less if you used the pepper)
1 can beans (I used kidney beans because the italian market didn't have black beans)
2 tbsp olive oil

heat the oil
sautee the onion, garlic and rice until the rice is toasted and the onion is translucent
add the pepper, water, tomatoes, corn and seasoning and simmer for 30 min or until liquid is absorbed

to stuff the peppers, cut the tops off of 2 large or 4 small green peppers
scoop the rice into the cavities (i added cheese)
put them in a pan filled with tomato sauce and cover with foil
bake at 350 until the peppers start to soften 35-45min
nom!

Potato Leek Soup

2011-01-05T19:29:00.002-05:00

Potato Leek Soup
Originally uploaded by kel h

I've got a lot of potatoes from my CSA, and I'm sick. So I decided to make potato leek soup. This is loosely based on a recipe from Emeril, only I didn't have cream, or creme fraiche (or plain yogurt, which is what I usually use when a recipe calls for creme fraiche). I DID however have goat cheese, which added a tangy taste I liked. If you don't want to make it vegetarian, add some bacon when you melt the butter.

1 leek, trimmed and sliced
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp herbs de provance
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs potatoes peeled
1 cup white wine
4 cups veggie stock
1/4-1/2 cup goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes worcestershire sauce

melt butter in pan
cook leeks in butter
deglaze pan with wine
add stock and cheese and simmer 20 min
blend
season
nom

Breakfast Stuff

2010-12-25T11:55:00.002-05:00

Eggy stuff
Originally uploaded by kel h

this is an old family tradition for Christmas Morning that my dad got from one of the wives of his fellow coaches back when he coached hockey for NT back in the day

Ingredients

I lb breakfast sausage, browned

6 slices bread toasted and buttered on both sides

6 eggs beaten

1 tsp mustard

2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

placed buttered toast in 9x13 pan

spread crumbled browned sausage over the toast

cover with cheese

mix eggs, mustard and half and half well

pour mixture over toast

refrigerate for at least 6 hours

bake 40-50 min at 350

Since I'm a vegetarian I like to use veggies instead of sausage.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

2010-12-23T09:56:00.003-05:00

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
Originally uploaded by kel h

So, today I am flying home to Buffalo for vacation, and last night I decided to cook some of the things I was concerned wouldn't keep from my CSA, including the zucchini. I've made chocolate zucchini cupcakes before, but I figured muffins would be better. The trick is not to overmix to keep them nice and soft.

This is adapted from an AllRecipes Recipe

Chocolate zucchini muffins

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease or line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and chocolate chips. Mix until just moist.
Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

southwestern butternut squash and sweet potato casserole (aka savory potato kugel)

2010-12-14T20:01:00.003-05:00

southwestern butternut squash and sweet potato casserole (aka savory potato kugel)
Originally uploaded by kel h

I have a bunch of sweet potatoes and butternut squash from the CSA farmshare, and I've been looking at some different ideas. One of things that caught my eye was a savory sweet potato kugel. I decided to tweak it a little bit. I like the sweet potatoes with the smokiness of the chipotle peppers, but a little goes a long way.

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash: peeled, seeded and cubed
3 med to large sweet potatoes: peeled and cubed
2 onions diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce diced
1 cup shredded cheddar
bread crumbs
salt
pepper
2 tsp adobo seasoning
olive oil 1 tsp

Steam the potatoes and squash until soft
mash
sautee onions and garlic in butter
add to mashed mix
season with salt and pepper
stir in chipotle pepper and sauce
add cheese
beat eggs and stir into mix
pour into a baking dish and top with bread crumbs, sprinkle with adobo seasoning, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 for 45 min

Buttercup Squash stuffed with Kale and Orzo

2010-12-07T18:48:00.003-05:00

Buttercup Squash stuffed with Kale and Orzo
Originally uploaded by kel h

so, things like this make me feel like maybe instead of this mental health counseling crap, i should have my own cooking show. I mean, if Sandra Lee, of Kwanzaa Cake fame can have one, why not someone who actually COOKS once in a while?

It would be focused on local and seasonal food and would do things like go to farmers markets and farms, and guests would include local small batch food producers. Part of the goal would be to encourage people to eat more local and seasonal food, and shop at farmers markets or get farmshares.

In the farmshare we have been getting these tiny buttercup squash. I love them because they are so much fun to stuff. We also got some kale, so I thought making Kale with Orzo, and stuffing the squash with that would be fun.

Buttercup Squash stuffed with Kale with Orzo

Cut the squash in half and remove the fibers and seeds from the middle.

Put cut sides down in a baking dish with a quarter inch water and bake for 30-45 min or until soft at 400

While it's baking, make your Orzo and Kale

based on a recipe from AllRecipes (I omitted the tomato this time)

Ingredients:
1/2 box orzo
1 tsp tumeric
1 bunch Kale stems removed and cut into 1 inch strips
1 tomato chopped
1/2 onion chopped
4 garlic cloved minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Boil orzo in salted water with tumeric for 9 minutes

sautee onion and garlic for abt 2 minutes
add kale and tomato and sautee for 10 minutes
drain orzo, add to kale and tomato
add lemon juice and zest, nutmeg and cheese
season with salt and pepper to taste

Fill the cavity of the squash with the Kale and Orzo (it helps to cut a little bit off the side opposite the cut side so they sit flat) and then sprinkle with cheese. Put it under the broiler until the cheese gets brown and melty.

Butternut Squash Soup

2010-12-06T21:37:00.003-05:00

Butternut Squash Soup
Originally uploaded by kel h

The farmshare has been filled with carrots, squash and potatoes lately. It's cold in New England (although STILL no snow, which seems wierd). My lungs were made of fail today. Put it all together and that spells SOUP

Based on a recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients:
1 2-3 lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
2 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 medium carrot peeled and grated
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 ribs celery diced
2 tbsp butter
1 cup white wine
3 cups veggie or chicken stock
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup cognac
salt and pepper to taste

melt the butter in the bottom of a large pot
cook the onions and garlic til softened
add vegetables and cook for 10 minutes
add wine and cook for 2 minutes
add broth and thyme and simmer, covered for 30 min
puree in blender or with imersion blender
add cognac, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 min

Cognac (and wine) are optional, although I like the depth that the cognac adds to the soup. You could swap out the thyme for curry I suppose, but I think it's a bit much for the butternut's own flavor. Carrots are a bit more robust if you're looking for a curry soup.

Baconsgiving Cupcake

2010-11-30T17:42:00.004-05:00

Baconsgiving Cupcake
Originally uploaded by kel h

I am going to "Baconsgiving" tonight (which is a celebration of all things bacon being hosted by friends of a friend). It's an odd thing for a vegetarian to go to a bacon festival, but it sounded like fun, and the challenge of making a bacon cupcake proved too strong to resist.

My friends Mike and Clare have gotten into making milkshakes, and I had a bacon maple whiskey milkshake at their house a long time ago. It sounded like a good departure point. Martha Stewart's maple cupcake recipe (which I found on 52 Cupcakes) seemed to have the most mapley goodness, so I used that with some modifications to make it more bacony. And I am always up for a good whiskey buttercream frosting (and this time I used angostura bitters instead of food coloring to take the whiteness down a notch, which I think added a nice flavor)
Ingredients
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
1/4 cup bacon fat
8 strips of bacon
2 cups pure maple syrup,, preferably Grade B
3 large eggs, room temp
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1 vanilla bean pod

Frosting

1 stick butter softented1 lb powdered sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tbsp milk
3 tbsp irish whiskey

Directions:
preheat oven to 350

Mix dry cupcake ingredients
In mixer cream butter, then add bacon fat (I broiled my bacon and poured off the fat into a measuring cup and then ran the VERY crispy bacon through the food processor to turn it into bacon crumbs)
Once its all smooth add the maple syrup
Then add eggs 1 at a time, and add vanilla
add dry ingredients and bacon and mix until combined
bake at 350 (I did mini cupcakes and it made four dozen. They cooked for around 11-12 minutes)

for the frosting
cream the butter. Add sugar. Then add milk and whiskey. Add pinch of salt and then add a bit more sugar or milk to get the right texture

The last slice of butternut squash lasagna

2010-11-17T22:53:00.002-05:00

The last slice of butternut squash lasagna
Originally uploaded by kel h

Me and a bunch of my friends like to play trivia at a local bar on Monday nights. I usually cook dinner for me and my roommate (since we share a farmshare from Enterprise Farms). Sometimes I invite another friend who has a longer distance to travel over to have dinner with us.

Well, it has been a lot of fun to have these dinners with a bottle of wine and friends, and so I figured I would expand the invite to the whole team. It was a blast. The six of us went through the entire lasagna, a whole bunch of roasted brussel sprouts (I made converts of my roommate and another friend who both hated them before) and three bottles of wine...AND came in FIRST!

Here is a recipe for the Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna. I reccomend using the ameretti cookies, even though it sounds odd. They taste good in the lasagna, add some body, and also...you have leftover cookies which everyone LOVED

Also, to roast brussel sprouts, cut them in half, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 400 for around half an hour until they carmelize and turn brown. If you don't think you like brussel sprouts, make them this way. If you still don't like them...it's official, you don't like brussel sprouts. Most people just don't like the way they are prepared traditionally

from the Runaway Spoon
Ingredients
1 stick butter plus two tablespoons
dried rubbed sage
1 large butternut squash
1 7-8 oz container marscapone cheese
8-12 ameretti cookies (crushed to make 3/4 cup crumbs)
2 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
no boil lasagne sheets
8-10 oz grated fontina
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. put your whole butternut squash in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 to hours until soft. Set aside for a smidge so it is cool enough to handle
In a saucepan brown a stick of butter and add a few pinches of sage. Set aside
Once your squash has cooled a bit, slice in half, remove the seeds and fibrous part and then spoon the roasted squash into a bowl (should be super easy)
combine with half to a quarter of the marscapone, salt, pepper, a pinch of sage and the amaretti cookie crumbs.

To make bechemel sauce melt 2 tbsp butter and then cook 2 tbsp flour in the butter. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. simmer until thickened. Then add all but 2 tbsp of the browned butter

to assemble
coat the bottom of the baking pan with the last 2 tbsp browned butter
1 layer noodles
squash mixture
noodles
fontina
noodles
squash
noodles
bechemel sauce
fontina

Bake at 400 for abt half an hour and let sit for 10 min

New Drink: Napoj

2010-11-13T21:25:00.004-05:00

Napoj means beverage or potion in polish, and this drink starts with Krupnik (a polish honey liqueur)

1 tbsp ginger simple syrup

1.5 oz lime juice

1.5 oz brandy

3 oz krupnik

Reuben Mac and Cheese

2010-11-13T20:45:00.002-05:00

Reuben Mac and Cheese
Originally uploaded by kel h

I saw this recipe on Rachel Ray, and it sounded like a good idea. I made the mac and cheese and then filled my soup cups, layering corned beef for my roommate, and fake steak strips for me. I've seen recipes for brined seitan, but I'm lazy :P

Salt
1 pound cavatappi, hallow corkscrew shaped pasta or, other short cut
2 slices rye bread
3 tablespoons butter plus some for buttering toast
A handful fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/4 cup spicy brown deli mustard (recommended: Gulden's)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere
1 cup shredded yellow Cheddar
3/4 pound good quality deli corned beef, sliced as thick as bacon, chopped
1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta cooks, toast rye bread in toaster then butter hot bread. Coarsely chop bread and place in food processor. Add parsley and paprika to bread and process into bread crumbs, reserve.

Heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter to pot and melt, whisk in flour 1 minute then milk. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, thicken sauce 5 to 6 minutes then stir in mustard. Melt 2/3 of the combined cheeses into the sauce.

Preheat broiler.

Drain pasta and return to hot pot. Toss hot pasta with chopped meat and sauerkraut to combine, stir in cheese sauce and coat. Transfer mac n cheese to casserole and top with bread crumbs and remaining cheese. Brown under broiler 3 to 4 minutes, serve.

Shepherds Pie

2010-11-10T21:00:00.002-05:00

Shepherds Pie
Originally uploaded by kel h

So, chicken pot pie and shepherds pie are fairly similar, except swap white wine and chicken broth for red wine and beef broth and use potatoes instead of puff pastry.

I used the rest of the veggies I didn't use monday, and tossed some ground beef left over from the stuffed cabbage I made a while back for the roommate.

This recipe is loosely based on one from Food Network

Also, Cider and Bourbon is the new Gin and Tonic

Ingredients:
2 lbs potatoes washed and cubes
1 clove garlic grated
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1 onion chopped
3 celery stalks finely chopped
3 cloves garlic grated
2 carrots peeled and diced small
2 parsnips peeled and diced small
1/2 small butternut squash peeled and diced small
1/2 celery root peeled and diced small
1/2 fennel bulb core and tips removed diced small
1 pkg crimini mushrooms chopped
1 oz dried porchini mushrooms
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth (I used not beef broth from better than boulion)
2/3 cup flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp herbs de provance
2 bay leaves
butter

Directions
Boil potatoes in salted water for 20-30 min til fork tender. Mash with garlic, cheese, cream, salt and pepper and set aside
In a bowl combine 1 cup broth, wine and tomato paste and dried mushrooms. Microwave for 30 sec and let mushrooms sit to reconsitute
melt 2 tbsp butter in a dutch oven
sautee crimini mushrooms a few at a time and set aside. Melt another tbsp of butter and sautee onion, bay leaves and celery for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes
add diced veggies and cook for 5-10 minutes til beginning to brown
Remove reconstituted musrhooms and set aside with crimini mushrooms.
Add liquid to veggies and simmer or 8 minutes
then add mushrooms and simmer for a few more minutes until sauce thickens
Ladle filling into ramekins and dot top with mashed potatoes. Put in the oven for 15-20 min until potatoes are crispy
(I layered the veggies with ground beef left over from something else for the roommate)

Fall Veggie (and sometimes Chicken) Pot Pie

2010-11-09T22:10:00.004-05:00

I've taken to making dinner for friends (and not just the roommate G) more and more often, and this week has been no exception. Some friends and I go to trivia on Mondays (this week we took 3rd place). I made Pot Pie for me, G and Tom. It was easy to cook for all of us because I made a vegetarian pot pie filling with a bunch of fall veggies from the CSA share, and then roasted some chicken to toss into the boys pot pies. (I used my awesome soup cups, but I forgot to take a picture. I did the same puff pastry lattice for mine as Paula Deen did, so I used her picture). The recipe is VERY loosely adapted from Ina Garten's and was inspired by a veggie pot pie I had at Highland Kitchen (theirs had brussel sprouts, which I would have added if I had them)

Ingredients

2-3 breasts chicken

2 onions chopped

2 leeks, split and sliced into 1/2 inch slices

3 cloves garlic grated

3/4 cups flour

1 cup white wine

4 cups water

2 tbsp better than boulion (I did one each of mushroom and veggies)

1 cup crimini mushrooms chopped

1 small butternut squash peeled and diced 1/2 inch

1/2 small head of fennel (tops and core removed) diced

1 small celery root diced

2 parsnips peeled and diced

2 heads of broccoli chopped

1 large carrot peeled and grated

1 tsp herbs de provance

2-3 tbsp cognac

butter and oil

puff pastry

coat chicken with olive oil, season and roast at 350 for 35-40 min. Set aside

set the oven for 400 and toss veggies in olive oil. Season and roast for 20-30 min until tender

melt 2 tbsp butter and add a tbsp or two of olive oil

sautee onion, garlic and leeks until translucent

add flour and seasonings. cook for 2-3 min

Add wine to deglaze pan and then add water and better than boullion and cognac

when veggies are done roasting add them to the pot and simmer until sauce is thickened

Fill individual ramekins (add diced chicken to those you want to have meat in)

cut your puff pastry (which should have been dethawing) into strips. Weave a lattice pattern across the top of the ramekin (Mine used six pieces per ramekin)

bake at 400 for around 20 min until puff pastry is done ( you can do an egg wash if you want it shiny on top)

Bok Choy and Buckwheat Soba Noodles with Miso Sauce

2010-11-09T22:08:00.003-05:00

Bok Choy and Buckwheat Soba Noodles with Miso Sauce
Originally uploaded by kel h

One of the things we get a lot in our CSA is Bok Choy. I've made it a couple of times before, and I DO like it braised in coconut milk...but today i had a break from work and I stopped at the local asian market and picked up a boatload of buckwheat soba noodles and some miso paste, and decided to use some of them instead:

Ingredients
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic grated
1 tsp ground fresh ginger
olive oil and seseme oil
soy sauce
rice vinegar
miso paste
lime juice
corn starch
buckwheat noodles
1 head bok choy cut into 1 inch pieces

sautee the onions, garlic and ginger in abt a tbsp each olive oil and sesame oil
add the bok choy and sautee until just beginning to get tender and add about a tsp of rice vinegar
in a small saucepan combine 2 tbsp miso paste with 1-2 tbsp water and 1 tsp lime
add soy sauce to taste. It will probably be a bit runny to get the flavors right. Add about a half tsp of cornstarch and whisk. add to the bok choy and simmer until sauce thickens.

Toss 1 bundle of soba into a pot of salted boiling water. Boil according to directions and drain.

Pour bok choy over drained soba noodles and enjoy!

Bourbon Tasting Notes

2010-11-07T23:39:00.003-05:00

Bourbon Tasting Notes
Originally uploaded by kel h

Notes on a Bourbon Tasting:
ranked from most to least favorite ( i think...,it gets a little murky in the middle)

Woodford Reserve
Gentleman Jack
Jefferson
Knob Creek
Evan Williams Single Barrel
Sam Houston
Evan Williams
Wild Turkey = Tastes like Burning

Carrot Cake Muffins with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-11-07T23:28:00.003-05:00

Carrot Cake Muffins with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Originally uploaded by kel h

we have a TON of carrots in our CSA lately. Now, I love me some carrot soup, but I decided to do something a little different and make some muffins. I had recently watched the Alton Brown ep about muffins, and was reminded of the importance of not overmixing. This recipe is adapted from Joy Of Baking. Their recipe uses coconut, and does not have dates, nutmeg or cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 cups grated raw carrot (about 2-3 peeled carrots)

1 large apple, peeled and grated

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 cup chopped dates

3 large eggs

3/4 cup safflower, corn, or canola oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients

1 pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter softened

6-10 tbsp powdered sugar

1 pinch salt

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp vanilla

Comine dry ingredients (including dates and nuts). In another bowl combine wet ingredients (including apple and carrot). Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix just until everything is moist (over mixing=dense muffins). Bake at 350 for 20-24 min

For frosting, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and ginger, and then add cream cheese.

Sweet Potato Pie

2010-11-03T22:22:00.003-04:00

Sweet Potato Pie
Originally uploaded by kel h

I made sweet potato gnocchi, and figured since I was steaming sweet potatoes, I would make some pie as well. I adapted Emeril's Pie Crust, and used Alton Brown's pie filling recipe

Pie Crust
1 cup flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup ice water

combine flour, sugar, salt and fat in a food processor. trickle water in while food processor is running a little at a time just until the dough forms a ball. fold dough in half and squish several times and chill before rolling out. Then chill while making the filling

1 lb sweet potatoes (cubed and steamed)
1 1/4 cup plain yogurt
5 egg yolks
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1-2 tbsp maple syrup

Steam and mash the potatoes
put into a stand mixer and mix until smooth
add eggs, yogurt and seasonings
pour filling into pie shell
toast pecans in a pan. pour maple syrup over and shake for a few minutes to candy the pecans before sprinkling over the pie

bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until custard sets

Stuffed Baked Potato Soup

2010-11-02T20:22:00.002-04:00

Stuffed Baked Potato Soup
Originally uploaded by kel h

here's what I did to make some soup (based very loosely on Alton Brown's Potato Soup Recipe):

1 package chopped pancetta (to replace 5 pieces bacon)
2 leeks halved and chopped
3 cloves garlic shredded
1 bunch broccoli chopped (stem peeled)
3 tbsp butter
6 cups veggie stock
1/4 cup flour
4-6 baked potatoes (based on size)
1 1/2 cup half and half
2 tbsp white wine vinegar (original from Alton Brown suggests sherry vinegar if you have it)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

brown the pancetta/bacon
then add the butter, shallots and garlic
cook until translucent
add flour and cook for a few minutes
then add chicken stock

run baked potatoes through a ricer (or squish them through a strainer if you're me)
add potatoes, cream and vinegar to the pot
great the cheese
whisk everything together
season to taste and simmer

Squash & Ricotta Tart

2010-11-01T19:30:00.003-04:00

Squash & Ricotta Tart
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got this idea from Food and Wine Magazine. They used a puff pastry shell, but I am still too amused by my tart pan, so I used that instead.

Squash & Ricotta Tart

Tart Shell:
1 1/2 cup flour
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp shortening
dash salt
3-4 tbsp cold water

combine flour and salt in the food processor. Then add fats. Add water just until a ball forms. Roll to 1/4 inch thick and lay into tart/pie plate
pop in the freezer to chill

if needed, bake at 400 for about 15 minutes after docking (stabbing with a fork to prevent bubbles)

Tart filling

1-2 small squash
2 cups ricotta
1 egg
1 tsp herbs of choice (I used herbs de provance)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cream
1 tbsp butter melted
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper

preheat oven to 400
Slice squash into 1/4 rounds, remove seeds and wash (the original recipe didn't require the squash to be peeled but I did it anyhow)
combine melted butter, olive oil, and honey and brush squash rounds. season rounds with salt and pepper and bake at 400 for 15 min (or until soft with edges that begin to brown)
reduce temp to 375
in a bowl combine ricotta, cream, egg, 1 scant tsp salt, pepper and herbs to taste. Pour the ricotta into the tart shell. place the squash rings on top.

Bake in 375 oven for 30 min
you can also put the squash seeds on a bake sheet with salt and pepper and bake until they start to pop like popcorn.

garnish tart with seeds, let sit for ten to fifteen minutes and slice.

Braised Cabbage with Tofu

2010-10-28T23:07:00.002-04:00

Braised Cabbage with Tofu
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got this recipe from Boston.com. I added a block of tofu cut up with the garlic and ginger to add some protien, and added some rice I had leftover when I added the sauce.

Napa cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, has crunchy leaves that pair well with a light sauce. Similar to bok choy, but more delicate (use either in this recipe), Napa cabbage is more elegant than regular firm-headed green cabbage. Slice the head of Napa lengthwise in half and remove the core. Roughly chop into 2-inch pieces. Then cook the cabbage in a searing hot skillet - high heat is essential - to caramelize the leaves. Saute in two batches so overcrowding doesn’t steam the vegetables. It’s fast and good for you.

3teaspoons vegetable oil
1small head (about 1 pound) Napa cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
3cloves garlic, sliced
1piece fresh ginger ( 1/2 inch), cut into matchsticks
1/4cup water
1 1/2teaspoons cornstarch
1/4cup soy sauce
4scallions, thinly sliced
1teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil . When it is very hot, add half the cabbage. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes or until leaves begin to brown. Remove them from pan. Use 1 teaspoon of the remaining vegetable oil to cook the remaining cabbage in the same way; remove from the pan.

2. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to pan. Cook the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. Stir the soy sauce into the pan. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil.

4. Return all the cabbage to pan, stirring well to coat it all over. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.

5.Remove from the heat. Stir in the scallions and vinegar.

Golabki (aka Stuffed Cabbage)

2010-10-26T21:27:00.003-04:00

Golabki (aka Stuffed Cabbage)
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got a head of cabbage in our CSA farmshare, and decided to make some traditional Polish food. Golabki (pronounced go-WAMP-ki) means pigeon in polish, because they look like roast pigeons. The hardest part is getting the leaves off the head of cabbage in one piece. I hear if you freeze the head of cabbage they come off easier. You can also boil the whole head of cabbage first and THEN cut the leaves off. I decided to do it the hard way and peel the leaves off and boil them separately for about 5-10 minutes.

Ingredients
EITHER: 1 lb combined ground pork/beef OR 1 pkg tempeh crumbled
1 beaten egg
1 stalk celery diced
1/2 large carrot shredded
1 small onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced

2 cups cooked rice
1 tsp paprika
2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 head cabbage
2 tbsp butter
salt pepper

sautee celery, carrot, onion, and garlic with butter
combine with meat or crumbled tempeh, egg, rice, salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Put a couple of spoonfuls of the filling in a cabbage leaf and roll it up like a burrito. Put in a baking dish, seam side down.

Cover with crushed tomatoes and put in bay leaves

Cover with tin foil and bake at 400 for 20 min. Then uncover and bake for another 20 min.

I had a soup, but I ated it

2010-10-25T23:02:00.004-04:00

I had a soup, but I ated it
Originally uploaded by kel h

The bulk of our trivia team bowed out this week, so I decided to make soup for dinner for me and my roommate instead. And THEN I invited another member of the trivia team. And that's how I wound up having a small dinner gathering tonight.

We have a surefit of onions from the CSA, and I've been wanting to make vegetarian french onion soup ever since watching Alton Brown make it on Good Eats a while back. And once we went from just me and G (the roommate) to a small dinner party, I thought I should make dessert. I have a bunch of apples from the farmshare too, so I thought a french apple tart would make a good dessert.

It was a local, seasonal, french supper

The soup recipe was taken from Food Network, which cribbed from Julia Child's recipe. I made a few adjustments, and I want to kiss the man who invented the food processor (so much easier to slice onions with the slicing plate). I used less broth (although I probably could have used the whole 8 cups), and I added a teaspoon of herbs de provance and a bay leaf (Alton made his with a bouqet de garni of bay leaf, thyme and parsley, but I didn't have the whole sprigs of herbs).

French Onion Soup

Taken from Food Network, which based their recipe on Julia Child's recipe for French Onion Soup

Ingredients
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 cups thinly sliced onions (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
8 cups homemade beef stock, or good quality store bought stock (I used better than boullion No Beef Base. I LOVE their stuff and ususally have two or three containers in the fridge at any given time)
1/4 cup Cognac, or other good brandy
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp herbs de provance
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyere

Directions
Heat a heavy saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and oil. When the butter has melted, stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, increase the heat to medium high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour and cook slowly, stirring, for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool a moment, then whisk in 2 cups of hot stock. When well blended, bring to the simmer, adding the rest of the stock, Cognac, and wine. Cover loosely, and simmer very slowly 1 1/2 hours, adding a little water if the liquid reduces too much. Taste for seasoning

Divide the soup among 4 ovenproof bowls. Arrange toast on top of soup and sprinkle generously with grated cheese. Place bowls on a cookie sheet and place under a preheated broiler until cheese melts and forms a crust over the tops of the bowls. Serve immediately.

We had a side of salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

For dessert I made an apple tart based on a recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I am pretty sure I used three kinds of apples (Macintosh, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious). I altered the recipe a bit. Alton reccomends using applejack in apple pie dough instead of water, and I like bourbon in my apple pie so I used some of that in the syrup. Part of the decision was based on the fact that apple tart is traditionally french, part because I had a bunch of apples, and part based on my recent purchase of a new tart pan from Ikea

Based on Smitten Kitchens Simplest Apple Tart recipe

Alice Waters’s Apple Tart
Found buried deeply within my recipe bookmarks folder!

Dough:
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, just softened, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
3 1/2 tablespoons chilled water (I used applejack)

Filling:
2 pounds apples (Golden Delicious or another tart, firm variety), peeled, cored (save peels and cores), and sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 tablespoons sugar

Glaze:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup bourbon

MIX flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Blend in a mixer until dough resembles coarse cornmeal. Add remaining butter; mix until biggest pieces look like large peas.

DRIBBLE in water (or applejack), stir, then dribble in more, until dough just holds together. Toss with hands, letting it fall through fingers, until it’s ropy with some dry patches. If dry patches predominate, add another tablespoon water. Keep tossing until you can roll dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk; refrigerate. After at least 30 minutes, remove; let soften so it’s malleable but still cold. Smooth cracks at edges. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 14-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Dust excess flour from both sides with a dry pastry brush.

PLACE dough in a lightly greased 9-inch round tart pan, or simply on a parchment-lined baking sheet if you wish to go free-form, or galette-style with it. Heat oven to 400#176;F. (If you have a pizza stone, place it in the center of the rack.)

OVERLAP apples on dough in a ring 2 inches from edge if going galette-style, or up to the sides if using the tart pan. Continue inward until you reach the center. Fold any dough hanging over pan back onto itself; crimp edges at 1-inch intervals.

BRUSH melted butter over apples and onto dough edge. Sprinkle sugar over the crust and apples. I have some vanilla sugar that I used for this (although instead of alton's recipe I just keep a tupperware with white sugar and used vanilla bean pods that I add as I use them)

BAKE in center of oven until apples are soft, with browned edges, and crust has caramelized to a dark golden brown (about 45 minutes), making sure to rotate tart every 15 minutes.

MAKE glaze: Put reserved peels and cores in a large saucepan, along with sugar. Pour in just enough water and bourbon to cover; simmer for 25 minutes. Strain syrup through cheesecloth.

REMOVE tart from oven, and slide off parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes.

BRUSH glaze over tart, slice, and serve.

Kale Chips

2010-10-21T21:23:00.003-04:00

kale chips
Originally uploaded by kel h

we get a lot of Kale in our CSA share, and I've really enjoyed learning to cook with it. I've made stews, pasta dishes, and now CHIPS! I got the idea from Smitten Kitchen

these are super easy, addictive, and crazy healthy. One serving is only 56 calories, with 250% vitamin A, 150% vitamin C, and and 2.5g protein.

preheat oven with 300
cut out the stems and ribs
cut kale into large pieces
rinse and thouroughly dry kale
toss with 1-2 tbsp olive oil
sprinkle with salt (I added aleppo pepper for some spice) and spread over a baking sheet or two

bake for 10-20 min until kale is crispy and brown around the edges (the curly kale I used took around 10-12 min. It took smitten kitchen 20 min with flat kale)

the biggest tip I can give is to make sure the kale is well dried before you bake it or comes out chewy instead of krispy

Pretty Things Babayaga Tasting

2010-10-19T21:55:00.003-04:00

Pretty Things Pint Glass
Originally uploaded by kel h

Babayaga....the beer that drinks like a scotch. It's a smoky porter from Pretty Things, a local brewer that hosted a tasting at The Independent in Union Square with trippy eastern european cartoons of Babayaga and the 1980 olympics or something and deep fried pireogis

Daikon Radish and Mango Salad

2010-10-19T21:47:00.002-04:00

Daikon Radish and Mango Salad
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got some Daikon Radish in my last CSA farmshare, and I was looking for something interesting to do with it. While I know pickling is a popular choice, I wanted to try something different. In the original recipe, papaya is used, but I subbed it out for mango, which I like. I think it worked well.

Adapted from Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

Indgredients
1 Daikon Radish, peeled and cut into 1/4in cubes
1 mango cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 jalapeño peppers seeds and membrane removed and chopped
3 oz lime juice (for me it was about 1.5 limes worth)
1 cup loosly packed fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic peeled and smashed

place the garlic, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice in a blender and puree until you have a green liquid.

Toss the mango and daikon in the sauce and let sit for half an hour. Season to taste.

Tastes even better the next day

Seelbach at Highland Kitchen

2010-10-16T21:49:00.005-04:00

Seelbach at Highland Kitchen
Originally uploaded by kel h

went to Highland Kitchen with my friend Michelle. Had a great fall veggie pot pie, and a Seelbach cocktail

1 ounce bourbon
1/2 ounce Cointreau
7 dashes Angostura bitters
7 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
5 ounces chilled dry Champagne

combine first four ingredients in champagne glass and stir. Top with Champagne or sparkling wine and an orange peel garnish

Buttercup Squash Soup

2010-10-16T19:51:00.002-04:00

My roommate and I are splitting a large farmshare from Enterprise Farms now, so we get more veggies. This past week we got two tiny buttercup squash, and one big one. The two little ones seemed too small to do much with, so I thought I would make some soup.

Initially I thought about making this a curry soup, or using some herbs de provence or something, but one I tasted it I liked how simple it was

Ingredients

2 small buttercup squash

1 onion, minced

1 leek halved and sliced (light green and white parts only)

3 cloves of garlic grated (it's so much easier than mincing)

1 bay leaf

1 carrot shredded

1 tsp paprika

1 pinch aleppo pepper

1 cup veggie broth

1 cup soup

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Cut the squash in half and place cut side down in a baking dish with a quarter inch of water

bake at 4oo for about 25-30 min

in a soup pot melt butter and add olive oil

cook onion, leek and garlic in the pot

add carrot and bay leaf and continue to cook

once the squash is done and cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop out the soft flesh into the pot

add the broth and then either use an immersion blender or put into a blender to make it smooth

pour back into pot, add milk and season to taste

Daring Cooks: Stuffed Grape Leaves

2010-10-14T00:01:00.003-04:00

Stuffed Grape Leaves
Originally uploaded by kel h

Our October 2010 hostess, Lori of Lori’s Lipsmacking Goodness, has challenged The Daring Cooks to stuff grape leaves. Lori chose a recipe from Aromas of Aleppo and a recipe from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food.

I love me some stuffed grape leaves, but I always thought it would be too complicated. Pshaw! Can you make a burrito? Can you get too much rice with your indian takeout? Can you stir? Than YOU can make stuffed grape leaves

BTW, it it me, or does every culture have some sort of burrito/sandwich/roll type food?

Wara Einab or Dolma/Cold Stuffed Grape Leaves
Adapted from Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Eastern Food a Borzoi Book, published by Alfred A. Knopf

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

24 – 30 preserved or fresh grape leaves.
1¼ cups (300 ml) (9 oz) (250 gm) long grain rice
1- 3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped or 4 tablespoons (60 ml) (35 gm) finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (25 gm) finely chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) crushed dried mint
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) ground allspice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6½ gm) dill
Salt and pepper
2 tomatoes, sliced **optional**
3 or 4 cloves garlic
2/3 cup (160 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (5 gm) sugar
Juice of 1 lemon or more

(I didn't have mint so I used 1 tsp of dried basil, and I didn't have allspice so I used allepo pepper instead. I sped things up a bit and used some leftover rice from indian last friday, which was great because when they simmered the rice got soft. Getting the grape leaves was fun because it gave me an excuse to drive to Watertown and hit up the Armenian market. I also got pomegranate molasses I plan to use in cupcakes)

you can get all sorts of fun stuff at the armenian market

Notes:

If using grape leaves preserved in brine, to remove salt put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Make sure that the water penetrates well between the layers, and leave them soaking for about twenty minutes, then change the water a time or two using fresh cold water.

If using fresh leaves, plunge a few at a time in boiling water for a few seconds only, until they become limp, and lift them out.

Directions:

1.Pour boiling water over the rice and stir well, then rinse with cold water and let drain.

2.Mix the rice with the chopped tomatoes, onion or scallion, parsley, mint, cinnamon, allspice, dill, salt and pepper to taste.

3.Place a grape leaf on a flat surface, vein side up.

4.Place about two teaspoons (10 ml) of the filling in the center of the leaf, near the stem edge.

5.Roll the leaf end to end, starting from the stem edge. As you roll, fold the sides of the leaf in toward the center. The leaf should resemble a small cigar, about 2 to 2 1/2 inches (50 mm to 65mm) long.

6.Repeat with the remaining leaves and filling.

a.(You can freeze the stuffed grape leaves at this point. Just line a baking sheet with wax paper. When firmly frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag place back in the freezer.)

7.Pack the stuffed leaves tightly in a large pan lined with tomato slices or imperfect grape leaves Place a whole garlic clove in between them for extra flavor. The tightness will help prevent the rolls from unraveling.

8.Mix together olive oil, 2/3 cup (160 ml) water, sugar and lemon juice and pour over the stuffed leaves. Put a small heat proof plate on top of the leaves to prevent them from unwinding, cover the pan and simmer very gently for about 1 hour, until the rolls are thoroughly cooked, adding water occasionally, a cup at a time, as the liquid in the pan becomes absorbed. Cool in the pan before turning out. Serve cold.

I don't know why, but making these made me feel kinda badass :) Can't wait to see what's next

Port Wine Truffle

2010-10-11T22:38:00.002-04:00

port wine truffle
Originally uploaded by kel h

So, it's my roommate's birthday this weekend, and he is a fan of port. I decided to make the port and salted caramel cupcakes I've made in the past, but with a liquid center. The best way I could figure was to make truffles and sink them in the batter. They didn't quite turn into lava cakes, but they were goey and tasty in the middle, and the truffle ganache also made for a tasty frosting.

Today I decided to make more truffles just for fun

Port Wine Truffle

Ingredients:
12 oz semi sweet chocolate chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup port

melt butter and add cream
heat until simmering
add chocolate, reduce heat and stir until smooth
pour into a container and chill

once it gets clay like, scoop into balls
melt more chocolate
chill the balls of ganache and then roll around in melted chocolate and let cool
you may also want to roll it in powdered cocoa or chopped nuts once you coat in melted chocolate

Baked Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom Risotto

2010-10-10T23:15:00.007-04:00

Baked Acorn Squash Stuffed with Mushroom Risotto
Originally uploaded by kel h

This weekend was Harvest Fest, which is a fundraiser for Somerville Local First (a non-profit organization that supports sustainable local economic growth). There was food and beer from a bunch of local restaurants and breweries. The Independent served a version of this, and since I had a TINY acorn squash to cook I decided to make it at home for my roommate and me

Ingredients (this made dinner for 2 with leftovers)
1 acorn squash
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
water
1 cup Arborio rice
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup chopped portabella mushrooms
1/4 cup dried mushrooms reconstituted
4 cups mushroom broth
1 cup white wine
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used smoked swiss)
1 pinch thyme
salt and pepper

preheat oven to 400
cut squash in half and scoop out the fibers and seeds
score the inside and cut a bit off the bottom so they sit flat in the baking dish
put half a tsp of butter in each squash
put the squash cut side up in a baking dish with half inch of water and bake
Once the butter melts spread it up along the sides and on top. Continue to bake until browning on top and soft

while the squash is baking melt the butter and heat 2 tbsp oil in a sautee pan
cook onions and garlic with a pinch of salt
then sautee mushrooms
add rice and toast for a minute or two
add cup of wine and cook until rice absorbs liquid
then add a cup of broth at a time while on low to med-low heat
with last cup of broth, add pinch of thyme
once rice is soft, add cheese and 1 more tbsp butter

Chard, Tomato, Leek Quiche

2010-10-10T23:10:00.004-04:00

Chard, Tomato, Leek Quiche
Originally uploaded by kel h

due to a mix up, my CSA share came a day late this week. To make up for it they gave me double greens, which is great, but means I need to use them.

Loosely based on Emeril's Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Ingredients
Flaky Butter Crust, recipe follows
1/2 bunch chard
3 cloves garlic
1 leek cut in half and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tomato diced
1 cup cheddar
1/3 cup goat cheese
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Directions
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the edges. (Alternatively, a 9-inch pie pan can be used.) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

In a medium skillet, cook the garlic and leeks in butter and olive oil with a pinch of salt and some pepper. After a few minutes, add chard and cook until wilted. add tomato and cook til heated through

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and half and half. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared crust and bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Flaky Butter Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed
To make the dough in a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter in the processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse quickly 5 or 6 times, or until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the container. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To make the dough by hand, combine the flour, salt, and butter in a medium bowl, and mix with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together and is no longer dry, being careful not to overmix. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface according to the recipe, fit it into the pan, and allow to rest again in the refrigerator before baking.

Yield: one 9-inch tart or pie crust

Drinky Drinks: Gin Fizz and Gin Daisy Fizz

2010-09-29T21:22:00.003-04:00

I'm getting ready to go on a trip home to Buffalo this weekend, and I've been cooking up a storm, and enjoying some adult beverages.

Gin Fizz:

1 oz lemon juice (abt 1 lemon)

2 oz gin (I have New Amsterdam in the house because it's a good mixing gin, and affordable)

1 tsp simple syrup

seltzer

make it in a highball glass (tall glass)

pour the first three ingredients over ice, then top off the glass with seltzer

to make it a daisy fizz, add 1/2 oz grenadine

Easy Braised Eggplant Dinner

2010-09-29T20:56:00.003-04:00

Tonight I made dinner for me and G (my eminently quotable roommate). I'm headed off for vacation tomorrow, so I wanted to cook up as much of my farmshare produce as I could. I had an eggplant that was going to go south, and some green peppers. I really enjoyed the asian style braised eggplant with tofu I made not that long ago, and I figured it would be easy to do an italian version of it.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant cubed

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 onion chopped

1 green pepper roughly chopped

3 tbsp olive oil divided

2 tbsp butter

8oz can of diced tomatoes with juice

1 tsp italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

heat up 2 tbsp oil and butter in a sauté pan. Sauté the onion, garlic, pepper and eggplant for about 10 minutes. Add the seasoning and diced tomatoes and juice and simmer until eggplant is soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta with cheese.

Vanilla Shortbread with Cocoa Nibs

2010-09-29T20:30:00.006-04:00

I've had this in my mind for a while. Vanilla shortbread cookies studded with cocoa nibs. Mostly inspired by Taza Chocolate, which is a local chocolate factory here in Somerville, MA that makes a variety of flavors of chocolate in a traditional mexican style using organic and ethically sourced ingredients. You can order from them online, and they also have a factory store that does tours (but no ooompa loompas).

Also, I'm sort of obsessed with vanilla beans now.

So I went to The Joy of Baking site and adapted their shortbread cookie recipe by adding half a cup of chocolate covered cocoa nibs and using the seeds from 1 vanilla bean instead of a teaspoon of vanilla.

Shortbread Cookies:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

seeds from 1 vanilla bean

Instructions

Shortbreads: In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick circle. Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

to decorate them, I melted some semisweet chocolate and put it in a ziploc baggie. Then I snipped the corner and used it to pipe some shapes.

Daring Bakers' September 2010 Challenge: Decorated Sugar Cookies

2010-09-27T00:01:00.003-04:00

The September 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mandy of “What the Fruitcake?!” Mandy challenged everyone to make Decorated Sugar Cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and The Joy of Baking.

This was a good challenge for me to start with, because it was pretty straightforward. I've made sugar cookies before (usually for Christmas), but this batch turned out a lot better thanks to the tips I got from the challenge. I'm usually too lazy or rushed to chill the dough after I cut out the cookies, but it really did make a difference (you can see the shapes SO much better this way). Also, while I could have probably used a smidge more sugar in my icing, it definitely worked better than my usual gloppy mess, and I was able to do the flooding technique AND the swirly bits. I also used this as a chance to try cooking with a vanilla bean pod, which I've never done before. I like the flavor of it, and I

am using the used pod to make vanilla sugar (I got the idea from Ina Garten. You take the used pods and put them in a container with white sugar and shake it a bit and let it sit. The longer it goes the more vanilla-y it gets)

I will say that, if I'm really going to get serious about baking, I should probably get a scale, as most really good recipes use weights instead of cups.

Sugar Cookies

1 stick + 6 tbsp butter (room temp)

3 cups + 3 tbsp flour

1 cup sugar

1 lg egg (lightly beaten)

1 tsp vanilla extract OR seeds from 1 vanilla bean pod

cream the butter, sugar, and flavorings together (don't overmix. It will add air to the dough which will cause your cookies to spread when baking. See? helpful hints)

Beat in egg til combined

Add sifted flour and mix until dry dough forms.

Roll out dough into small 1/4 inch thick sheets and chill for at least 30 minutes (you want to chill the dough before you cut the shapes, and it's easier to roll it out now while it's soft and THEN chill it. I stacked mine between sheets of tin foil in the freezer for 15 minutes as a cheat, but it worked)

after your dough is chilled, cut out the shapes and chill again for 30 min

Bake at 350 for 8-12 min, until just starting to brown around edges. It helps to have cookies of all the same size on one sheet because the smaller cookies will bake first.

Royal Icing

3 cups powdered sugar

2 lg egg whites

2 tsp lemon juice (approx juice from 1/2 med lemon)

1 tsp almond extract (optional, but i used it)

mix the egg whites, sugar, and flavoring (you are not making them frothy, just mixing them)

add powdered sugar and combine

you want to keep this in airtight containers because it thickens up quickly.

Since the theme of the challenge was Fall, I got some owl, pumpkin/apple, and leaf shapes.

I had my roommate G, and my friends Krysta and Lee help me with the decorating.

To flood a cookie you outline it with the royal icing and then pipe some more inside the outline and use a toothpick or knifes edge to spread it out evenly.

You can make a cool spider web pattern by flooding an area, then imediately piping a spiral of a contrasting color on top. then drag a knife tip or toothpick from the center of the spiral out several times.

Lee's Cookies

Krysta's Cookies

Geoffrey's Cookies

Roasted Tomato Pesto

2010-09-26T23:30:00.003-04:00

Roasted Tomato Pesto
Originally uploaded by kel h

I had some tomatoes in my CSA share that were going to go bad, so I thought I would make this. It came out pretty tasty. It's a combo of two recipes. Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce from Earthbound Farms and Tomato Basil Pesto from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 large tomatoes cut into quarters
1 large sweet onions cut into wedges
8 cloves garlic
1 bunch basil
1/2-1 cup toasted almond slivers
1 tbsp tomato paste
olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 475
pour tomatoes, onions and garlic into roasting pan and coat with olive oil
season with salt and pepper
Roast in oven for 10 min
reduce temp to 425 and continue roasting for 40-50 min
let cool and remove tomato skins

toast almond slivers in pan
grind in food processor for a few pulses
add tomatoes, onions and garlic along with leaves from 1 bunch basil and tomato paste. Run until it becomes a paste and drizzle olive oil to desired consistency. Season to taste.

Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-09-25T10:05:00.003-04:00

Oatmeal Pancakes
Originally uploaded by kel h

adapted from AllRecipes

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
zest of 1/2 orange
1 egg beaten

Heat the buttermilk in the microwave for 30 sec. Pour the oatmeal into the warmed buttermilk and let it sit for a minute. Combine all of the ingredients and then cook on a griddle. Makes four good sized pancakes. I ate all four, but they're pretty hearty so you could probably feed two with this recipe.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic and Apple Onion Butternut Squash Gratin

2010-09-25T09:33:00.005-04:00

So, I went to see The Town yesterday with some friends, and before the movie I invited them over for dinner. I had a whole roasting chicken in the freezer from Trader Joe's, so I decided to make Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic from Ina Garten's recipe. For sides we had Butternut Squash, Apple, and Onion Gratain and Mixed Green Salad.

So, it didn't go exactly like that. I DID have to take the chicken apart, which I've never done before. It wasn't to bad, really. I mean, I'm sure I could have done it and gotten a little more meat off the chicken and made it look more professional, but it really was pulling the limbs and cutting where they meet the bird, and then cutting the breast off the breastbone.

The fact that with this recipe it simmers in sauce for half an hour after searing the surface makes the meat really tender, and the sauce was really tasty. I used pre-peeled garlic, but I still blanched them since comments on the website indicate that it was helpful not only in the peeling process, but started getting the garlic soft.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Ingredients

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves

2 (3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons good olive oil

3 tablespoons Cognac, divided

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

The Butternut Squash, Apple, and Onion Gratain is something I have made in the past. I love making it with tart apples, and using thyme in the seasoning.

Butternut Squash, Apple, Onion Gratain

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1/2 cup flour divided

2 teaspoon salt divided

2 pinch nutmeg divided

1 tsp dried thyme divided

1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded and sliced

4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 cup veggie stock

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9- x 11-inch glass baking pan with cooking spray.

Place half of the flour, salt, nutmeg and thyme into a large plastic bag. Add half the squash, apples, and onions; shake until lightly dusted.

In glass dish, layer the first 1/2 of squash, apples, and sweet onion. Pour 1/2 cup stock over the top, then sprinkle 1/2 of cheese. Repeat step 2 with remaining veggies and add to glass dish. Pour remaining stock over the top, and cover with foil.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Take out and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return, uncovered, to oven; bake for another 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

By the way, The Town was a nice, tight little heist movie that was obviously made by someone from the Boston area who knows and loves the town. Little details like the fact that you could see the Logan Airport tower through the window of Jon Hamm's characters office were really nice, and the car chase was EXCELLENT, especially the ending. Definitely worth seeing on the BIG screen

Callaloo Butternut Stew

2010-09-23T23:12:00.004-04:00

Callaloo Butternut Stew
Originally uploaded by kel h

This is based on a recipe from the food network. Callaloo is a green from the carribean, and is sort of a hearty spinach.

The original recipe calls for salt pork which I omitted being a veggie and all, and I subbed butternut squash that I got in my CSA for the pumpkin in the original

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 bunch Callaloo cut into strips
kernels from 1 ear corn
1 small butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp soy sauce 1/2 tsp thyme
cyanne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter
sautee onion and garlic until translucent and season
add butternut squash, callaloo,corn and coconut milk
bring to boil and simmer for 10 min or until squash softens
add soy sauce and season

I also tossed frozen shrimp in with 5 min to go to add protein.

Serve over rice or with cornbread

Radiant Bok Choi

2010-09-22T20:25:00.003-04:00

Radiant Bok Choi
Originally uploaded by kel h

One of the best parts of having a CSA Farmshare is getting a variety of different veggies and learning different ways of cooking them. I have this great cookbook Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka, which is a must have if you've got a farmshare. Not only does it have a bunch of great recipes for every vegetable you can imagine and then some, but it also has a great index with general buying and preparation information on all sorts of veggies. This recipe is from that cookbook

1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp tumeric
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 lbs bok choi (halved lenthwise)
1 can coconut milk (add water until = 3c liquid)
1 tbsp lime juice

Heat the oil on low and add the tumeric and salt. cook for 1 min

Add bok choi in one layer in the pan

pour the liquid over the bok choi and bring to boil for medium heat and cook covered for 6 minutes

turn bok choi over and cook another 6 minutes

add lime juice and stir

My new favorite cooking word: Braised

2010-09-22T19:31:00.010-04:00

I've gotten a bunch of eggplant from my CSA Farmshare, and I've tried a few different ways of cooking it. I've roasted it, I've fried it, and I've grilled it. But THIS is possibly my favorite way of preparing it.

Braising means to cook something first in fat, and then in liquid. I've made some great Braised Collard Greens, but I think it works especially well in eggplant. The one thing you have to keep an eye on with eggplant is using TOO MUCH oil, because eggplant can be like a sponge and it can get greasy if you're not careful.

Braised Eggplant and Tofu

adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe.

I used dried mushrooms and used the excess liquid left from reconstituting them for the broth. I also cut the kernels from an ear of corn and tossed that in with the tofu to add some sweetness

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 30 minutes

A more-or-less traditional Sichuan preparation, creamy and delicious with soft-cooked eggplant, made crisp by the addition of sautéed shiitakes. Substitute green beans for the eggplant if you like.

1 /4cup peanut oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn

1 cup sliced shiitake caps (reserve stems for stock or discard)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (optional)

11/2 pounds eggplant, trimmed, cut into 11/2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon Chile Paste (optional)

1 /2 cup vegetable stock or water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 pound tofu, blotted dry and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil for garnish (optional)

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

2 tablespoons minced scallion for garnish (optional)

1. Put half the oil in a deep skillet or shallow saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shiitakes and some salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Add the remaining oil and, a few seconds later, the garlic and the ginger if you’re using it. As soon as it sizzles, add the eggplant. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the eggplant browns, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chile paste if you’re using it, along with the stock. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan if necessary to release any stuck bits of eggplant. Cook until the eggplant is really tender, 10 to 15 minutes more, adding a little more liquid if necessary (unlikely, but not impossible).

3. Stir in the soy sauce and tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is heated through, about 5 minutes; stir in the reserved shiitakes and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish as you like and serve.

whats in the box 9/8/10

2010-09-08T20:23:00.003-04:00

whats in the box 9/8/10
Originally uploaded by kel h

Contents of this weeks Enterprise Farms CSA Box
corn
beets
red pepper
eggplant
carrots
flat leaf parsley
swiss chard
red onions
apples
tomatoes

I'm makin' me some copper pennies.

Kale and Chickpea Stew

2010-09-06T00:30:00.004-04:00

Kale and Chickpea Stew
Originally uploaded by kel h

this is based on a recipe for Lentil and Kale Stew from Jiko....The Cooking Place in my Delicious Disney cookbook. I made this with the Kale from my CSA farmshare, and grape tomatoes and mirepoix I have from Trader Joes. I always seem to have red potatoes around.

Ingredients:
2 cups chickpeas (I used dried this time. the original recipe calls for lentils)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
(In my case I had a container of prepared mirepoix from trader joes I used instead)
2 garlic cloves grated1 bunch kale washed and thinly sliced
1/2 pint grape tomatoes halved
3 red potatoes cubed
32 oz chicken stock (in this case fake chicken stock made from "Better Than Boullion", which I love)
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp ground black pepper
Olive Oil and Grated Parmesan for garnish

Directions

Heat olive oil with bay leaf, carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Add Kale and simmer for 5 min
Add tomatoes and potatoes
Add cooked chickpeas, stock, and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 min
Add parsley and pepper. Season to taste.
Top with cheese and olive oil if desired

It's hearty and tasty. The restaurant this recipe is taken from does african cooking as part of the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Probably the best vegetarian food in all of Disney World.

This is a picture of my dad, sister and brother in law at Animal Kingdom for my sisters birthday.

The cookbook claims it tastes better the next day. We shall see :P

Lemon, Ginger and Honey Buttermilk Ice Cream

2010-09-04T22:39:00.004-04:00

Lemon, Ginger and Honey Buttermilk Ice Cream
Originally uploaded by kel h

My dad and sister come and visit me in Boston a couple times a year, and I am always looking for something fun to do with them. One year we went to Northampton, and I had a Honey Ginger Lemonade in a little coffee shop that was just fantastic. I wanted to try to recreate that flavor, and came across a recipe for creamy lemon popsicles from Whipped, and decided to modify it.

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 pinch salt
1 2/3 cup buttermilk

whisk everything together except the buttermilk. Once the sugar dissolves, add the buttermilk and whisk. Refrigerate for an hour before putting in the ice cream maker. Follow your ice cream maker's instructions.

The texture is kind of like ice milk. I think next time I might try to use yogurt or cream along with the buttermilk to make it smoother. The flavor is good, but you might like it a bit sweeter. It's pretty lemony.

These also make good popsicles

What's in the Box: Sept 1, 2010

2010-09-01T17:10:00.002-04:00

What's in the Box: Sept 1, 2010
Originally uploaded by kel h

I love putting out my empty CSA box in the morning, and getting a full one in the afternoon. It's like the tooth fairy with local organic produce :)

Here are the contents of this weeks CSA share:
Arugula
Heirloom Tomatoes (om nom nom)
Kale
Bok Choi
Green Pepper (I can't seem to eat these fast enough)
Eggplant
and another adorable baby Watermelon

I can't wait to make something fun with the kale, bok choi, and eggplant. And those tomatoes look pretty tasty.

Ninja to the (food) Rescue!

2010-08-30T14:48:00.003-04:00

010 - Copy
Originally uploaded by kel h

So, I know I mention Trader Joe's every once in a while, but I'm not sure if I've explained what it is that I do to get the fun foods from Trader Joes.

I am part of the Boston Food Rescue (Mass Appeal), which means most friday mornings I drive down to the Trader Joe's on Boylston St in downtown Boston, and fill my Ford Focus hatchback with banana boxes filled with food that was otherwise going to be thrown away. You'd be surprised how much you can fit in the back of a Focus hatchback. My record is 14 banana boxes.

Once I pick up the food I drive it to a distribution point where folks drop of food from other stores (stop and shop and Panera also participate in this area). Then someone else distributes it to local food pantries and homeless shelters. As a perk, you get to take a box home with you. I try to keep what I take in proportion to what I pick up, so on lighter weeks I bring home less, and I try to take home things that my roommates will appreciate too.

They are always looking for volunteers around the country to pick up food, and it is an easy way to make a difference to hungry families in your area. Check out the website to find out how you can sign up

Banana Yogurt Muffins

2010-08-30T14:31:00.004-04:00

Banana Yogurt Muffins
Originally uploaded by kel h

One of the things that are pretty much in EVERY Trader Joe's pick up is bananas. I usually pick up a couple to make smoothies or muffins. I also usually have fat free plain yogurt in the fridge for said smoothies. And now I can use it to make the muffins too.

This recipe is based on one from AllRecipes, with some changes by me

Banana Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 4)
plus one banana sliced for garnish
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup plain fat free yogurt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together banana, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in the sour cream.

Stir banana mixture into flour until just combined. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Top each muffin with a banana slice

Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let cool before serving. For best flavor, place in an airtight container or bag overnight.

These came out super moist and tasty. I want to figure out how to sub honey for sugar and still account for the liquid. Also, I might add some orange zest next time to add a smidge of brightness.

Wheat Berry Tabouleh

2010-08-28T16:37:00.002-04:00

Wheat Berry Tabouleh
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got wheat berries in my CSA share a while ago, and some parsley a week ago. (mis)adventures in food wrote about her hodgepodge salad, which gave me the idea to do this:

1 bunch parsley, stems discarded
1 bunch mint, stems discarded
1 tomato diced
1 cup cooked wheat berries
Juice 1 lemon
3-4 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper and cyanne pepper to taste

Gather the herbs together and thinly slice them (the fancy term is chiffonade, at least with basil)
in a bowl combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cyanne (I used a pinch. traditionally you use alleppo, but i don't have any). whisk to make a dressing

toss the chopped herbs, tomato, wheat berries and dressing in a bowl and serve

If you want to make it more traditional, you can sub the wheat berries with bulger.

Om nom nom

This is my last post in the Living Local Blogathon for the MA Farmers Market Association. If you haven't yet, please consider donating to support the farmers market association and everything they do.

Lemon Rosemary Scones

2010-08-28T15:57:00.003-04:00

Lemon Rosemary Scones
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got a bunch of rosemary with my trader joes pick up this week, and I decided to make Lemon Rosemary Scones. I really like lemon and rosemary together, and this sounded like a good way to combine them

based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

Makes 8

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup plus 3 tbsps buttermilk
Juice of one lemon
3 large eggs (2 for scones, 1 for egg wash)
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (abt 1 lemon)
1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary (about 1 sprig)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix at low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand.

In a separate bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp lemon zest, rosemary, and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form into a flat disc, about 8 inches across and 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together remaining egg and 3 tablespoons buttermilk to make an egg wash. Brush scones with egg wash. Combine 3 tbsp sugar with 1 tbsp lemon zest and sprinkle scones with lemon sugar.

Bake until the tops are golden brown and firm, 40 to 50 minutes.

The colder the butter, and the less you mix the scones, the better they turn out

Everybody say Jamaica! Jamaican Callaloo

2010-08-27T00:46:00.004-04:00

One of the great things about getting a CSA farmshare, is that it exposes me to a variety of new foods I had passed by in the market (or that I had never even seen in the market), and keeps me from falling into the rut of cooking the same five things over and over again (one cannot live on black bean enchiladas and stir fry alone). Today's recipe is a great example. I had never seen callaloo before joining a CSA. It's pretty tasty, like a hardier spinach.

Callaloo is a green found in the Caribbean, as well as a type of stew made of the greens traditionally seasoned with thyme, onion, garlic, and scotch bonnet pepper. It can also include ham, lobster or crab. I made some adjustments based on what I had on hand (specifically subbing jalapeño for the scotch bonnet, and adding grilled shrimp)

I started with a recipe from a website on Jamaican Traditions

Quick and Easy Callaloo Recipe....

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch freshly cut callaloo (six or seven stalks)

1/2 c coconut milk

1 onion chopped

1 ripe tomato chopped

1 jalapeño pepper seeds and membrane removed, diced

1/2 tsp thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Pluck the leaves off the stems, wash and dry

cook onions in oil and butter until soften

add rest of ingredients and bring to boil

simmer until leaves are tender

abt 20 min or so

I served it with grilled shrimp

Enjoy. Everybody say JAMAICA!

Futurama

Thursdays 10pm / 9c

Bureaucrat's Song

www.comedycentral.com

Futurama New Episodes

Big Lake

A New Comedy from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay

This is my third post in the Loving Local Blogathon to support the MA farmers market association. Please donate and help support the imporant work that they do to help increase access to locally grown fresh produce across the state and especially in urban areas.

What's in the Box

2010-08-25T23:33:00.004-04:00

Whats in the Box
Originally uploaded by kel h

I love Wednesdays. Not only is it the second to last day in the work week for me (I work Sun-Thurs), but it is also the day that my farm share from Enterprise Farms comes. I always look forward to coming home and opening my box to see what awaits.

Here is today's bounty:

loose beets
Callaloo Greens
Japanese eggplants
cucumber
tomatoes
mixed salad greens
a green pepper
basil
and the worlds cutest watermelon

The one challenge of having a farm share all to myself is cooking all of the food, especially since I have some intestinal issues and occasionally have to go on a low fiber diet. Today while putting my produce back in the fridge, I noticed that I had more green peppers and eggplant than I knew what to do with. Not being in the mood to do anything complicated, I did the following:

cube up the eggplant and two red potatoes (I've become a HUGE fan of the red potato for roasting and boiling because they are waxier and hold their shape better),
cut one tomato and two small onions into wedges
roughly chopped one green pepper.
toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and four large smashed garlic cloves.
Roast for twenty minutes at 400 degrees, then flip and roast another 10-20.
I love eggplant prepared this way. When you bite into it, it's salty on the outside and sweet and silky on the inside

I had about half with two slices of sourdough bread and some shredded italian cheese blend

This is my second post in the blogathon supporting the MA Farmers Market Association. MA farmers markets provide access to fresh and local produce to people around the state, especially in urban areas where it is difficult to find these things. They've even been at the forefront of programs encouraging people to eat more produce, including accepting SNAP bennefits (AKA food stamps) at many markets and making those dollars go further by giving $2 credit for every $1 spent with SNAP, as well as the Produce Prescriptions, where local doctors give families a prescription for fruits and veggies that can be redeemed for produce at a farmers market.

Childhood poverty is an issue that is really important to me in part due to my working with underprivileged kids in the state with mental and behavioral health issues. These programs are addressing the real problems of nutrition and obesity among kids living in poor urban areas, and I'd love to see them get the support they deserve.

Local Food Blogathon Post 1: Tortillas

2010-08-23T23:42:00.006-04:00

I'm participating in a blogathon to benefit the MA farmers market association. MA has a great selection of farmers market, and has been working on making healthy food accessible across the state, especially in urban areas where it is difficult to find fresh healthy food. It's a worthwhile cause.

So, I am going to be focusing on locally grown food, which is pretty easy since most of my recipes are made from food from my Enterprise Farms CSA box.

I love participating in a CSA. For starters, It is a way for me to support local farms and farm workers. Studies show that for every $100 you spend at a local retailer, $68 stays in your local community, compared to $43 when you spend at a chain. I also love the variety I get. It keeps me from getting into a rut. Also, my farmshare is delivered by a local bike delivery company (metro pedal power), so it is green, and supporting even MORE local business. Also, eating local means your food is fresher, seasonal (which means tastier and more nutrient rich) and takes fewer greenhouse gasses for transportation.

One of the challenges with using a CSA is finding ways to use the food. Especially if you are a single woman like me. Fortunately I like to cook. But sometimes you wind up with a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and you aren't quite sure what to make of it.

This is what you make of it: Tortillas

Spanish Tortillas are essentially big a omelet that you don't fold. Traditionally its egg and potato, but you can throw a whole bunch more in there. My problem is that i get a bit over ambitious and my tortillas become "overstuffed" and don't hold together really well. Not that its a terrible thing, it just means that it's a meal that eats with a fork. The great thing about tortillas is that they freeze well, and you can serve them at room temperature, which make them perfect for lunch.

Here is what I did for mine

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

2 small red potatoes small dice

1 tomato, cored, seeded and diced

2 small tomatillos diced (tomatillos are those green things that look like tomatoes in husks. they have a slightly sour taste and are pretty firm)

7 eggs mixed

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 grated cheese optional

1 tsp cumin optional

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp oil plus extra

cook the onions and garlic in the butter and oil 2 min in large nonstick pan

add potatoes and cook another 8

add tomatoes and tomatillos and cook another 2

in another bowl mix eggs and milk

pour eggs and milk over veggies

stir and scrape for five minutes

lower heat to med-low and cook another 5-7, pressing down, and loosening edges with a spatula

if your pan is oven safe you can chuck it in the oven and bake it off

otherwise flip it (put a plate over your pan, and then turn the whole thing upside down. Then slide uncooked side down back into the pan)

cook another 5 min or so

let sit for 5-10 min then slice into wedges

om nom nom

Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding

2010-08-20T22:39:00.003-04:00

Cinnamon Bun Bread Pudding
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got some Cinnamon Bun Bread in my Trader Joe's charity pick up. It was a bit stale, so I decided to make bread pudding out of it. I used Paula Deen's recipe, but I forgot to account for the fact that it was already sweet, so I'm posting it with the sugar cut in half (and a few other changes). I also made a simple cream cheese glaze.

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed cinamon raisin bread that is stale
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp maple syrup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, spices, syrup and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

Frosting
1/2 pkg cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp maple syrup

combine cream cheese and sugar
add milk and syrup until smooth

Making new friends: Tomatillo Corn Chowder

2010-08-19T13:10:00.002-04:00

Corn Chowder
Originally uploaded by kel h

I made this for lunch. I got Tomatillos in my farm share, which I've never used before. Most of the recipes I found for them were salsas, but I thought this would be more fun. I still have some left, so I will probably make salsa this weekend

Ingredients:
1 onion diced
2-4 cloves garlic minced
1 jalapeno pepper minced (seeds and membrane removed)
2 tomatillos diced
2 red potatoes 1 inch diced
1/4 cup flour
1 can hominy
1 ear corn (cut off the kernels, keep the ear)
4 cups veggie stock (I used better than boulion no chicken stock)
1 cup cream
1/4 tsp cyanne (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp dried cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

heat up the oil and butter
sauté the onion and garlic for abt 2 minutes til soft
add jalapeno and tomatillo
cook for another two or three minutes
add potatoes and cook for five minutes
add flour and some salt and pepper and cook for a minute or two
add liquids, spices, and corn and corn cob (you keep the corn cob in to simmer and add more flavor)
bring to a boil then simmer for about 5-10 min til potatoes are at the consistency you like

The tomatillos add a nice tang, and the hominy has an interesting texture

Sometimes Simple is Best...italian stir fry

2010-08-19T01:49:00.003-04:00

Today I got my farmshare. I got green peppers, lemon cucumbers, tomatoes (OMG, local organic seasonal tomatoes are light years away from other tomato-looking things you may have been eating before), eggplant, cantaloupe, and collard greens. I also got home stupid late from work today. Exhaustion being the mother of invention, I tossed together a simple supper:

1/2 onion diced

1 pepper 1 inch dice

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tomato 1 inch dice

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

6 frozen shrimp

1 pinch red pepper flakes

handful of basil sliced (chiffonade is the fancy word for it)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup leftover rice

brown the onion and garlic

add the pepper and cook until begining to brown

add tomato, rice, red pepper and basil and cook until warmed through

in grill pan, cook shrimp flipping halfway through

add shrimp to onions and peppers and then serve

Om nom nom

coconut rice pudding

2010-08-18T01:05:00.002-04:00

coconut rice pudding
Originally uploaded by kel h

i had leftover coconut milk from the eggplant earlier today. I also have more sweetened condensed milk than i know what to do with. and a sweet tooth.

also, this is my favorite mug. It is from the Guggenheim, and is based on the Frank Lloyd Wright designed building

1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1 cup parboiled brown rice
1 tsp orange juice (and orange zest if ya got it)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 to 1/3 c sweetened condensed milk

bring the coconut milk and water to a boil
add the rice and seasonings
cook rice according to directions
once its cooked, add the sweetened condensed milk to make it creamier

Thai Style Eggplant

2010-08-17T23:25:00.002-04:00

Thai Style Eggplant
Originally uploaded by kel h

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant low fat Favorites cookbook

Ingredients
1 large eggplant cubed
2-3 tbsp lime ponzu
4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 c coconut milk
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 tsp grated ginger
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
3 dashes hot sauce
1 scallion sliced I separate dark end and white end)

Spray a baking dish with oil
lay out the cubed eggplant
pour the ponzu over the eggplant and sprinkle with garlic and white part of scallion
broil in oven for five minutes, then flip and broil again for another five (may want to go a bit longer depending on how firm you like your eggplant)

In a bowl, combine coconut milk, herbs, peanut butter, lime juice, brow sugar and hot sauce and stir. Add warm eggplant to sauce and toss. Serve over brown rice. Sprinkle green end of scallions over top

Kale with Orzo

2010-08-17T02:08:00.004-04:00

Got some Kale in my CSA farmshare, and got some Orzo from a friend who was moving.

Kale with Orzo

based on a recipe from AllRecipes

Ingredients:

1/2 box orzo

1 tsp tumeric

1 bunch Kale stems removed and cut into 1 inch strips

1 tomato chopped

1/2 onion chopped

4 garlic cloved minced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

zest of 1/2 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Boil orzo in salted water with tumeric for 9 minutes

sautee onion and garlic for abt 2 minutes

add kale and tomato and sautee for 10 minutes

drain orzo, add to kale and tomato

add lemon juice and zest, nutmeg and cheese

season with salt and pepper to taste

ratatouille panzanella

2010-08-14T17:23:00.002-04:00

ratatouille panzanella
Originally uploaded by kel h

Ratatouille is a rustic french vegetable dish. Panzanella is a rustic Tuscan bread salad. I saw Bobby Flay make a grilled ratatuille the other day, and when I got a giant eggplant in my CSA share last week, the idea for this recipe was born

Ingredients;
1/2 of one large eggplant cut into 1 inch cubes
1 zucchini cut in half and sliced into one inch half circles
1 summer squash cut in half and sliced into one inch half circles
2 small red onions cut in halves and cut into quarters
4 roma tomatoes cut into four slices each
1 lemon zested and juiced
1/3 to 1/2 olive oil
2 cloves garlic grated
1/2 tsp thyme
I sprig basil sliced into strips
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
1 small baguette or four small dinner rolls (stale) Should be a type of bread that will hold up to soaking
1 ball fresh mozzarella cut into small cubes

Directions
Make a vinaigrette out of the olive oil, lemon zest and juice, garlic clove, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano.
toss veggies in about half the vinaigrette and either put on skewers and grill or roast in the oven at 400 for half an hour turning once.
cut the bread into cubes and toss into the rest of the vinaigrette.
Add the fresh herbs and cubed cheese
Let the roasted vegetables cool for a bit until they are warm, then toss with the bread and cheese
can be served warm or cold

Bread and Butter Pickles

2010-08-13T00:31:00.003-04:00

Bread and Butter Pickles
Originally uploaded by kel h

I have an abundance of cucumbers from my CSA, so I decided to make pickles

taken from AllRecipies.com

Ingredients

2 small onions, sliced
1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 tsp corriander seed
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon and 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cucumbers, sliced

pour the spices and sugar in a saucepan with the vinegar. Add onion and garlic and boil. Layer cucumbers and onions in a jar, alternating ever half inch or so. Then pour the liquid over. You may need to squish the cucumbers and onions down a bit. Refrigerate. The longer the better.

If you want to "put them up" you should follow a canning recipe, as this is just a refrigerator pickle recipe and is not suitable for keeping unrefrigerated (mostly this has to do with me being too lazy do sterilize everything, and also liking pickles enough that I'm pretty sure I will eat them within a few weeks)

Blame it on the celery

2010-08-13T00:21:00.002-04:00

Hot Sauces
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got celery in the last two CSA farmshares, which always reminds me of chicken wings from home. I made buffalo-style tofu tenders for dinner tonight, but I ate them before I could take a picture. They're super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 block firm or extra firm tofu
vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp hot sauce

Take a block of tofu and press it between some paper towels to get rid of excess water. Then cut into four slices. Dredge the slices in egg and then seasoned flour (you can add some breadcrumbs for extra crunch, but the crunch is less like the traditional wing than I like) and fry in a pan with oil. Meanwhile melt 1 tbsp butter in the microwave and then stir in two tablespoons of Franks Red Hot (I mixed it up by doing one tablespoon franks and one tablespoon chipotle tabasco, which is less authentic but I like it). Flip the tenders and brown on both sides, then toss in the sauce and serve with celery and bleu cheese dressing on the side

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Taza Chocolate and Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-08-07T10:09:00.004-04:00

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Taza Chocolate and Cream Cheese Frosting
Originally uploaded by kel h

I keep getting zucchini in my CSA farmshare, and I keep trying to find different uses for it. One of the cooking blogs I read is called Chocolate and Zucchini, and the author recently posted a recipe for chocolate zucchini cake that I decided to turn into cupcakes. I used a package of Taza chili chocolate, which brought some heat, but next time i think i might do one and a half to two packages (Taza is this great local company here in somerville that makes stone ground mexican chocolate in lots of interesting flavors. They recently suffered a lot of damage in the last round of flooding, and can use some support so go buy some chocolate. It's OK, I'll wait...)

The frosting is a basic cream cheese with a package of cream cheese, a stick of butter, and powdered sugar to the proper consistency with some vanilla drizzled in for fun. It's also good if you add a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger.

Much like the parsnip muffins, the great thing about adding zucchini to the cupcakes is that they make the cake incredibly moist without adding fat. You really can't tell the zucchini is in there.

Chocolate & Zucchini Cake

- 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 60 grams (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 180 grams (1 scant cup) light brown sugar (I use unrefined cane sugar)
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, or 1/2 cup virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or 2 tablespoons strong cooled coffee -- this is just to deepen the chocolate flavor, you won't taste it in the finished product
- 3 large eggs
- 350 grams (2 cups) unpeeled grated zucchini, from about 1 1/2 medium zucchini
- 160 grams (1 cup) good-quality bittersweet chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate
- Confectioner's sugar (optional)

Serves 12.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 25-cm (10-inch) round springform pan or a 22-cm (8 1/2-inch) square pan. For cupcakes you want two muffin tins as it makes around 15 cupcakes

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a mixer (or by hand in a large mixing bowl), beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the vanilla, coffee, and eggs, mixing well between each addition.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, chocolate chips, and about a third of the flour mixture, making sure the zucchini strands are well coated and not clumping too much.

Add the rest of the flour mixture into the egg batter. Mix until just combined; the batter will be thick.

Fold the zucchini mixture into the batter, and blend with a spatula without overmixing. Pour into the prepared cake pan, and level the surface.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (20 to 25 for cupcakes), until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer onto a rack to cool for 10 minutes, run a knife around the pan to loosen, and unclasp the sides of the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or a chocolate glaze if desired.

Parsnip Currant Muffins

2010-08-04T23:17:00.002-04:00

Parsnip Currant Muffins
Originally uploaded by kel h

I got some currants in my CSA share this week, and had some leftover parsnips I hadn't used used yet. Alton Brown did a show with different parsnip recipes, and I thought parsnip muffins would be a good place to try some currants.

taken from Alton Brown's Recipe

Ingredients
Nonstick spray
1 3/4c all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 whole eggs
3/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
4 meduim grated parsnips
1/2 c currants

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 and spray a standard 12-cup muffin tin with the nonstick spray and set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process for 5 seconds.

Whisk the eggs, yogurt, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture, currants and parsnips, and fold with a spatula until all of the flour is moistened, there will be some lumps. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups using a level 2 1/2-ounce disher or 1/3 cup measure. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins reach an internal temperature of 210 degrees F and are golden brown, rotating halfway through baking. If needed, use a small knife or offset spatula to loosen the muffins and immediately remove them from the tin to a cooling rack, and cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm. Store completely cooled muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I can taste it just by looking at it!

2010-08-03T00:31:00.002-04:00

Photo0968
Originally uploaded by kel h

So, a bunch of my friends are on twitter, and one of my friends mentioned the excellent Basil Lime Sorbet he made. And then a bunch of us commented on it, and the ice cream party was born.

We had peach rosemary ice cream (yum) and strawberry champagne rose sorbet (YUM), smartie ice cream with red hots (om nom nom) and banana ice cream with rum caramel sauce (which we liked so much some of us put it on their hot dogs (I'm not saying who)

Also, I made beet ice cream, which was....accurate. I doubt you'd want to make it, and I have NO IDEA what do to with the leftovers. But it is a gorgeous color, and as one of my friends said "I can taste it just by looking at it"

Braised Collard Greens and Shrimp

2010-08-02T23:58:00.002-04:00

Braised Collard Greens and Shrimp
Originally uploaded by kel h

Holy COW! was this a tasty supper

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
2 dashes Worcester sauce
1 bunch collard greens, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Saute the onions until slightly softened, about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper flakes, garlic and cook another minute. Add collard greens and cook another minute. Add the vegetable stock and spices, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. I tossed in 5 frozen shrimp with about 10 minutes left. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Potato and Zucchini Pancake

2010-07-29T13:37:00.003-04:00

Potato and Zucchini Pancake
Originally uploaded by kel h

Ingredients
Vegetable cooking spray
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
2 medium zucchini, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, plus leaves, for garnish
1/4 cup grated Parmesan,
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Olive oil, for drizzling

grate zucchini and potato and pile into a tea towel or several layers of paper towel and squeeze out excess liquid.

Combine ingredients

Gently pack into patties, and fry on a nonstick skillet with oil.

Zucchini and Summer Squash Crustless Mini Quiche

2010-07-29T13:33:00.002-04:00

Zucchini and Summer Squash Crustless Mini Quiche
Originally uploaded by kel h

I've gotten a lot of squash and zucchini in my CSA boxes lately, so I'm trying to find new things to do with it. The original attempt didnt hold together well, so I upped the baking mix and added the tomatoes at the end

4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup all-purpose baking mix
1 large zucchini shredded
1 large summer squash shredded
1/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic minced
1 pt grape tomatoes quartered
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c fresh basil chiffonade (sliced into thin ribbons)
1 tsp fresh oregano chopped

Put the zucchini and squash into a tea towel or a bunch of paper towels and squeeze out excess water
whisk together egg and oil
stir in everything but tomato until combined
pour into a greased baking dish or into greased mini muffin tins
drop tomato on top
bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes until golden brown on top

Potato, summer squash, and zucchini gratin

2010-07-23T00:44:00.002-04:00

Potato, summer squash, and zucchini gratin
Originally uploaded by kel h

2 potatoes thinly sliced
2 summer squash thinly sliced
1 zucchini thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup milk or cream
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp flour
2 gloves garlic chopped
salt
pepper
10 fresh oregano leaves
panko breadcrumbs
shredded cheese (i used italian blend)

Butter a baking dish
spread out a third of the sliced veggies, season and then sprinkle with cheese
repeat twice
in saucepan heat up milk, add thyme and garlic and heat for five minutes or so to infuse flavors. whisk in flour
pour over veggies
top with breadcrumbs and oregano
drizzle olive oil
bake at 375 for 35 min or so

om nom nom dinner with friends

2010-07-17T22:51:00.003-04:00

I had my friends over for dinner friday night before watching Inception. I didn't take any pictures, but we had corn and swordfish on the grill, a salad made of cubed watermelon and cucumber with mint, goat cheese and a simple lemon vinaigrette, and grilled peaches with ice cream and bourbon caramel from the NYTimes. The bourbon caramel was a HUGE hit, and so I'm posting the recipe here. The one change i would make is don't let the sugar at the beginning get too dark, because then it's burnt, which is tasty but not the flavor you are going for. It should look kind of like honey.

Grilled-Peach Sundaes With Salted Bourbon-Caramel Sauce

For the Peaches

4 ripe peaches
3 tablespoons peanut oil
Sea salt

For the pecans:
1 cup whole pecan halves
1 1/2tablespoons melted butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

For the caramel:

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup bourbon

For the whipped cream:

1 cup best-quality heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup buttermilk

1. Prepare the peaches: Heat a charcoal grill while you bring a saucepan of water to simmer. Score the bottom of each peach with an X, then blanch for about 45 seconds, until skin near the X looks loose. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and cool in a bowl of ice water. Peel the peaches. Then, with a paring knife, start at the stem of the peach and make a single cut around to the tip. Rotate hands in opposite directions, twist and free flesh from pit.

2. Lay the peach halves cut side up and brush lightly with peanut oil; sprinkle with salt. Place the peaches cut side down on grill (you can also use a stovetop grill pan set over medium heat) and cook until there are grill marks, about 2 minutes. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip and grill the other side.

3. Make the pecans: Toss the first four ingredients in a bowl; spread on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until nicely toasted. Remove and toss with the sugar.

4. Make the caramel: Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Gently swirl the mixture in a circular motion (do not stir) and allow it to boil down until it is a deepamber caramel, at least 10 minutes. Carefully whisk in the cream, protecting your hand from the steam. Immediately whisk in the butter and continue to stir over low heat until mixture is smooth. Stir in salt and bourbon and whisk again. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using.

5. Make the whipped cream: Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla and whip to stiff peaks. Drizzle in the buttermilk and whip until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.

6. To assemble: Place 2 peach halves in a bowl; scoop ice cream into each pit and add a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with pecans and drizzle salted bourbon-caramel sauce over the whole shebang. Serves 4. From John Currence, chef and owner of City Grocery, Snackbar, Big Bad Breakfast and Bouré in Oxford, Miss.

Lemon Raspberry Corn Muffins

2010-07-17T22:44:00.002-04:00

Lemon Raspberry Corn Muffins
Originally uploaded by kel h

1 1/2 c fine yellow corn meal
3/4 c flour
2/3 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c milk
1 tbsp raspberry vinegar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 egg
3 tbsp melted butter
1 container raspberries (or 1 c frozen)

Preheat Oven to 400

combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl combine wet ingredients (and sugar). Combine wet and dry just until combined. Fold in raspberries. Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes 1 doz

Lemon Rosemary Sugar Cookies

2010-07-17T22:42:00.002-04:00

Lemon Rosemary Sugar Cookies
Originally uploaded by kel h

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 3/4 tsp. grated lemon rind

preheat oven to 350

Combine flour and butter in a bowl, cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add sugar mixing well. Add egg yolk, vanilla, rosemary and lemon rind. Blend well.
Roll dough into a log about 2 inches, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the freezer to chill. Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 min. makes about 3 doz

Greek Caponata

2010-07-14T01:16:00.002-04:00

Greek Caponata
Originally uploaded by kel h

I have a bunch of squash and potatoes from my CSA, so I made this: Taken from Giada De Laurentiis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/greek-caponata-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juice
2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch rounds (I used one Magda squash that came in my CSA box, quartered and sliced into 1 inch slices)
2 summer squash, cut into 1-inch rounds
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (I used a pint of grape tomatoes halved)
1 japanese eggplant cut into 1 inch rounds (I used a regular one quartered and cut into 1 inch slices)
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 to 6 slices toasted sourdough bread, optional for main dish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Pour the canned tomatoes into a 3 1/2-quart baking dish and spread to cover the bottom. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients (excluding the bread). Toss to coat. Pour the vegetables over the canned tomatoes in an even layer. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the vegetables are golden, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Serve alone as a side, or over toasted sourdough bread for a main dish.

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

2010-07-10T16:17:00.002-04:00

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
Originally uploaded by kel h

Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes

Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes
3 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
4 large egg whites

Lemon Curd
1 cup butter, cubed
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
Zest of 3 lemons
10 large egg yolks

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar

These sweet and tangy treats are sure to interest young and old alike at your next special gathering. Lemon chiffon cupcakes hide a surprise lemon curd filling and are topped with fluffy toasted meringue.

Directions
Prepare the Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prepare pans with cupcake liners. Sift the flour, baking powder, and half the sugar together into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer and reserve. In another large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, water, vanilla, and zest. Mix with a handheld mixer or whip attachment until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolk mixture gradually to the dry ingredients, mixing with a handheld mixer or whip attachment on medium speed until a paste forms. When a paste has formed, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and continue adding the remainder of the yolk mixture until it is all incorporated. Beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium speed. In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, whip the egg whites with a clean whip attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar while beating the egg whites and continue to beat until medium peaks form. Gently blend one-third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake at 375°F until the top of the cupcakes spring back to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling before decorating.
Prepare Lemon Curd.
Combine half of the butter, half of the sugar, the lemon juice, and zest and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently to dissolve the sugar. Meanwhile, blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar. Temper the mixture by gradually adding about one-third of the lemon juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whip. Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the whisk leaves a trail in the curd. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining butter. Strain the curd into a shallow container or bowl. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the curd. Cool over an ice bath. Store the curd, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Prepare Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Put the egg whites and sugar in the clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and stir together until the sugar is blended into the egg whites. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 140°F. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and beat on high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy and has a stiff peak.
Finish the cupcakes.
Fill a piping bag fitted with a large plain tip two-thirds full with lemon curd. Insert the tip as far as it will go inside the center of the cupcake and apply gentle pressure. Try not to squeeze too hard or lemon curd will squirt out the top of the cupcake. Stop filling once you see any lemon curd around the base of the tip. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes. Clean the piping bag and tip and fill it two-thirds full with Swiss meringue. Pipe a large pearl of meringue on top of each cupcake. Use the back of a spoon to lift up areas of the meringue, creating spikes. Lightly toast the meringue with a kitchen torch or under the broiler until the tips of the meringue are golden brown.

Corn Relish

2010-07-09T18:53:00.002-04:00

Corn Relish
Originally uploaded by kel h

i got some corn and cucumbers in my CSA farmshare this week, so i decided to make corn relish

Corn Relish

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen corn
2 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped seeded cucumber
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon corriander seed
1/2 tsp mint
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

put all ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer for half hour until liquid thickens a bit.

warm lentil, roasted beet, and goat cheese salad

2010-07-02T20:40:00.005-04:00

warm lentil, roasted beet, and goat cheese salad
Originally uploaded by kel h

tonight is my first night of vacation. I used the beets and red lettuce from my Enterprise Farms CSA to make this salad for dinner. I didn't use a cheesecloth bag and just fished out the celery and bay leaf, celery and carrots in. I am enjoying it with a gin and tonic and Lost in LaMancha, the doc about Terry Gilliam's attempt to film Don Quixote (which would have starred Johnny Depp)

warm lentil, roasted beet, and goat cheese salad

Ingredients
Lentils:
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and sliced into weges
1 carrot, quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 cups dried French green lentils
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound slab bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 shallot minced
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
4 cups frisee or mixed greens
Sherry Vinaigrette, recipe follows
4 slices goat cheese
French bread, for serving
Begin by roasting the beets.

Lentils:
put onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs together in chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the lentils, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and discard the celery, thyme sprigs, and carrot.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a dish lined with paper towels. Add the garlic, shallot, and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked lentils and bacon to the pan and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.

To assemble, place the frisee in a large bowl, toss with half of the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the roasted beets around the outside of 4 dinner plates. Divide the greens among each plate in the center. Top the frisee with some of the warm lentils and place a slice of the goat cheese on top. Drizzle each salad with the remaining vinaigrette. Serve with slices of French bread.

Roasted Beets:
3 medium beets (red or gold), scrubbed, leaves trimmed

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat beets lightly with oil. Wrap beets in aluminum foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven until cooked through, approximately 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and then peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Sherry Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 shallot minced

1/2 cup olive oil

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, thyme and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil and whisk until emulsified.

warm lentil, roasted beet, and goat cheese salad

2010-07-02T20:40:00.004-04:00

warm lentil, roasted beet, and goat cheese salad
Originally uploaded by kel h