It is harvest time: tonight is the harvest moon, and I spent the day at the garden today gathering ground cherries, purple potatoes, bundles of herbs, various squashes, raspberries and green tomatoes. I gathered more than 5 lb of green tomatoes total, mostly small ones but a few large enough to try frying. I've never tried fried green tomatoes, although I knew they were a thing: I had thought it would need faffing around with batter. But Hannah recommended frying them simply in a pan, so we ate the big ones fried like this for a late lunch, hunger piqued by a day of working outside.
~4 large green tomatoes
butter or oil for frying
salt and pepper
Slice the tomatoes thickly: about 1 cm thick, making sure each one has the two flat sides without skin. Heat the fat in a frying pan then place the slices in the pan. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side, turning over halfway through, until both sides are lightly browned and the tomato is tender. Move the slices to a serving plate, season liberally and eat.
Really good: them being underripe made the texture nice and firm and not too wet, great for frying. The taste is not so strong, but tangy and good: goes really well with salt and pepper.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Roasted radicchio
This week's second-hand CSA from A included a bag of radicchio plus thyme. I've never knowingly bought radicchio - I find the bitterness hard to handle. I guess this is one of the fun things about CSA: it makes you cook things you never normally would. I thought roasting or grilling might help soften the taste. I was browsing recipes when I came across this one - roasted, with thyme: this was exactly what I was thinking of.
2 large heads of radicchio (about 1 lb total), halved through core end, each half cut into 3 wedges with some core still attached
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
balsamic vinegar
Heat oven to 450F. Rinse radicchio wedges in cold water, shake off excess water. Put pieces in large bowl. Toss with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place radicchio wedges, 1 cut side up, on baking tin. Roast until wilted, about 12 minutes. Turn over and roast until tender, about 8 minutes longer. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, and serve.
I still found it hard to get over the bitterness, but I did like this: the texture and the crispy / sweet / bitter outer leaves were especially good. S+Karin seemed to eat it quite happily too. We had it with more spaetzle and some sauteed kale.
2 large heads of radicchio (about 1 lb total), halved through core end, each half cut into 3 wedges with some core still attached
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
balsamic vinegar
Heat oven to 450F. Rinse radicchio wedges in cold water, shake off excess water. Put pieces in large bowl. Toss with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place radicchio wedges, 1 cut side up, on baking tin. Roast until wilted, about 12 minutes. Turn over and roast until tender, about 8 minutes longer. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, and serve.
I still found it hard to get over the bitterness, but I did like this: the texture and the crispy / sweet / bitter outer leaves were especially good. S+Karin seemed to eat it quite happily too. We had it with more spaetzle and some sauteed kale.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Chicken of the Woods (+spätzle)
We went mushroom hunting a month or so ago at Breakheart Reservation, with our friends Carly and Jason. We found lots of mushrooms on that trip - including black spiky boletes and one large frilly mushroom we got particularly excited about, thinking it might be Hen of the Woods (Maitake). When we got home and looked more carefully at the identification guides we decided that it was actually probably a Berkeley's Polypore and supposed to be way less tasty, so we didn't end up eating it. Even so, we were all very enthused about more mushroom hunts soon...
S+I were thinking of going to a party in a cabin in the woods with C+J on Friday night, but Seb's mum is in town right now and we ended up doing some more Boston-y tourist-suitable stuff. But while we were down in Rhode Island on Saturday I got a text from Carly saying they'd found masses of Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus: this is different from Hen of the Woods, and is supposed to have the taste and texture of chicken) on a night hike near the cabin and did we want to come help them eat it? Ohhhhhh yes!
The mushroom was indeed huge, and beautiful: red-orange on top and creamy coloured underneath, and quite thick and substantial. They cleaned it and chopped it into chunky pieces, then fried it in olive oil / butter, with onions and salt and pepper. We ate it with spätzle: Seb was able to show off his authentic Swabian spätzle-making skills (while teasing his mother about her never having made it before despite being a 'Schwäbische Hausfrau', sort of).
The spätzle came out really well, so I thought I'd make a note of the dough recipe we used - since I have some eggs at the moment perhaps a repeat effort could be a good idea?!
(quantities below make enough for two people)
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Mix together flour, salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Rest in the fridge for an hour or so (not essential).
When ready to cook, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Spread about a ladleful of spätzle dough thinly on a smooth chopping board, then hold it over the water and use a large knife with a flat, smooth blade to scrape off the dough, making small, slim worms of spätzle fall into the water. Watch each batch rise to the water's surface then cook for a minute or two while floating, then fish them out with a slotted spoon and put them in a colander. Keep the cooked spätzle warm and repeat with the remaining dough until it is all done.
Finally, either toss or saute the spätzle in olive oil or butter, and optionally garnish with parsley.
(Video of spätzle forming technique: Seb on spätzle in front, Jason on chicken of the woods behind)
Spätzle is really simple, but these worked very well so I thought it was worth hanging onto the recipe. I think the egg is relatively important, but it would be easy to make them without dairy (and likely possible to make them without egg, probably using a little raising agent for lightness and some gram flour for eggy taste and colour).
The mushroom was wonderful - really substantial, with a dense, almost dry texture, and a mild taste. It really was a bit like chicken, taste and texture wise - funny for S to try it as he has never knowingly eaten chicken.
Now I am just wishing I knew where to find more equally awesome, edible mushrooms...
Note: Alvin says that Chicken of the Woods is really best eaten raw. Not entirely convinced, but now we know that we don't have any adverse reactions to it perhaps next time we can try it (if there is a next time)...
 |
| Black spiky bolete aka Old Man of the Woods aka Strobilomyces floccopus (photos by Carly) |
 | |||
| Berkeley's Polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyi) |
S+I were thinking of going to a party in a cabin in the woods with C+J on Friday night, but Seb's mum is in town right now and we ended up doing some more Boston-y tourist-suitable stuff. But while we were down in Rhode Island on Saturday I got a text from Carly saying they'd found masses of Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus: this is different from Hen of the Woods, and is supposed to have the taste and texture of chicken) on a night hike near the cabin and did we want to come help them eat it? Ohhhhhh yes!
The mushroom was indeed huge, and beautiful: red-orange on top and creamy coloured underneath, and quite thick and substantial. They cleaned it and chopped it into chunky pieces, then fried it in olive oil / butter, with onions and salt and pepper. We ate it with spätzle: Seb was able to show off his authentic Swabian spätzle-making skills (while teasing his mother about her never having made it before despite being a 'Schwäbische Hausfrau', sort of).
The spätzle came out really well, so I thought I'd make a note of the dough recipe we used - since I have some eggs at the moment perhaps a repeat effort could be a good idea?!
(quantities below make enough for two people)
1 cup plain flour
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 pinch freshly ground white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Mix together flour, salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Beat eggs well, and add alternately with the milk to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Rest in the fridge for an hour or so (not essential).
When ready to cook, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Spread about a ladleful of spätzle dough thinly on a smooth chopping board, then hold it over the water and use a large knife with a flat, smooth blade to scrape off the dough, making small, slim worms of spätzle fall into the water. Watch each batch rise to the water's surface then cook for a minute or two while floating, then fish them out with a slotted spoon and put them in a colander. Keep the cooked spätzle warm and repeat with the remaining dough until it is all done.
Finally, either toss or saute the spätzle in olive oil or butter, and optionally garnish with parsley.
Spätzle is really simple, but these worked very well so I thought it was worth hanging onto the recipe. I think the egg is relatively important, but it would be easy to make them without dairy (and likely possible to make them without egg, probably using a little raising agent for lightness and some gram flour for eggy taste and colour).
The mushroom was wonderful - really substantial, with a dense, almost dry texture, and a mild taste. It really was a bit like chicken, taste and texture wise - funny for S to try it as he has never knowingly eaten chicken.
Now I am just wishing I knew where to find more equally awesome, edible mushrooms...
Note: Alvin says that Chicken of the Woods is really best eaten raw. Not entirely convinced, but now we know that we don't have any adverse reactions to it perhaps next time we can try it (if there is a next time)...
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Chocolate mousse
I had to buy eggs for that protocol at work again. I bought the happiest-looking box I could find, and I'm determined not to waste a single bit. For the protocol I have to separate the egg, beat the white until it is in firm peaks, then drain off the tiny bit of liquid remaining underneath (usually about 2 ml). The best thing I can think of to do with the separated egg after that is chocolate mousse. I use an old Delia recipe I typed out in a collection of my favourite recipes when I left home, back when I was seventeen. There were two mousses I used to make often as a teenager - this rich chocolate one, and another with whipped cream and lemon, which was at the same time light and decadent. Anytime I've made this chocolate mousse then and ever since, it has always been intense and lovely but also dense - I have trouble folding the white through the chocolate mix evenly without losing the bubbles. But anyway, it is simple and it's good.
1 egg, separated, white beaten to peaks
2 oz plain chocolate
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Allow to cool a minute, then add the yolk and mix. Cool for 15 more minutes, then add a tbsp of the beaten egg white to the chocolate mixture and fold through to loosen. Add the rest of the egg white and fold in as gently as you can until it is evenly distributed. Dollop into a ramekin or glass, put clingfilm over the top and chill for a few hours or a day or two.
1 egg, separated, white beaten to peaks
2 oz plain chocolate
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Allow to cool a minute, then add the yolk and mix. Cool for 15 more minutes, then add a tbsp of the beaten egg white to the chocolate mixture and fold through to loosen. Add the rest of the egg white and fold in as gently as you can until it is evenly distributed. Dollop into a ramekin or glass, put clingfilm over the top and chill for a few hours or a day or two.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
More golden food: vegan 'cheese sauce' with moghrabieh
We had a leaving party at the weekend for a colleague who is moving to France. My boss's wife has a tradition of making 'American food' for such events, and this time is was macaroni cheese. S couldn't make it to the party, but I got to thinking yesterday about how he used to love cheese sauce when I made it before I stopped eating cheese, and also how it is a good, warming, comforting thing to eat with cauliflower or chard or similar. So I was thinking about whether a vegan alternative would be remotely viable (a vegan white sauce would be easy enough, but how to make it cheesy?), and consulted ppk - seemed like the obvious place to start. I found this recipe there. The ingredient list looked somewhat weird - sauerkraut?! But actually we have a huge jar of sauerkraut in the fridge that S bought and decided he didn't like. And way better than anything involving fake cheese. So, much though I feared it might turn out disgusting, I thought I'd give the recipe a try.
3/4 cup cashews, soaked (perhaps blanched almonds would be an alternative)
2 cups veg stock, divided
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 cup sauerkraut
1/6 cup plain flour
black pepper
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
To soak the cashews, put them in a bowl and submerge in hot water. Leave for at least an hour, preferably 2 hours or overnight.
Prep whatever you want to eat with the sauce in parallel or in advance: pasta, cauliflower, whatever (I boiled some moghrabieh in the same way as I would pasta).
Put the soaked cashews and 1 cup of the veg stock in the blender and blend until smooth.
Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium heat, then fry the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt in half a tablespoon of the oil, until onions are softened. Drain the sauerkraut in a sieve, squeezing it in your hands to remove as much of the wetness as possible. Add sauerkraut to the pan just to heat through, a minute or two.
Add the sauerkraut mixture to the cashew mixture in the blender. Blend until smooth.
Wipe out the pan reheat it over a medium heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, along with the flour. It should become a gooey clump. Toast the roux for about 15 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns medium brown. Stir constantly so that it cooks evenly.
Gradually pour in the remaining cup of stock, whisking constantly so that it doesn’t go lumpy. Whisk until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the cashew sauerkraut mixture, and whisk until well incorporated. Add the black pepper, nutritional yeast if using, salt and lemon juice. Heat through and stir occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken.
(If you want to make a baked macaroni cheese, at this point heat oven to 350F and grease an 11 x 13 oven dish with olive oil, then mix the cooked pasta back with the sauce and put it in the oven dish, cover with tin foil and bake for 20 min, remove foil and bake 5 more min... Otherwise just mix the hot sauce with whatever)
It worked amazingly well! The sauce was not completely smooth, neither was it exactly like cheese sauce, but it did have a creamy, comforting texture and consistency, and it tasted really mellow and interesting (the sauerkraut definitely remained secretive). S liked it too (I only told him about the sauerkraut after he'd tried it). Perhaps that sauerkraut will get eaten after all (I'll have to stock up on cashews...). This quantity was plenty for S and I - would prob serve 4 - and the leftovers keep well in a pot in the fridge (unlike non-veg cheese sauce). Other recipes I saw use miso to get that 'matured' taste - perhaps I will try that too (if we ever run out of sauerkraut).
3/4 cup cashews, soaked (perhaps blanched almonds would be an alternative)
2 cups veg stock, divided
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 cup sauerkraut
1/6 cup plain flour
black pepper
1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
To soak the cashews, put them in a bowl and submerge in hot water. Leave for at least an hour, preferably 2 hours or overnight.
Prep whatever you want to eat with the sauce in parallel or in advance: pasta, cauliflower, whatever (I boiled some moghrabieh in the same way as I would pasta).
Put the soaked cashews and 1 cup of the veg stock in the blender and blend until smooth.
Meanwhile, heat a large pan over medium heat, then fry the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt in half a tablespoon of the oil, until onions are softened. Drain the sauerkraut in a sieve, squeezing it in your hands to remove as much of the wetness as possible. Add sauerkraut to the pan just to heat through, a minute or two.
Add the sauerkraut mixture to the cashew mixture in the blender. Blend until smooth.
Wipe out the pan reheat it over a medium heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, along with the flour. It should become a gooey clump. Toast the roux for about 15 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns medium brown. Stir constantly so that it cooks evenly.
Gradually pour in the remaining cup of stock, whisking constantly so that it doesn’t go lumpy. Whisk until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the cashew sauerkraut mixture, and whisk until well incorporated. Add the black pepper, nutritional yeast if using, salt and lemon juice. Heat through and stir occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken.
(If you want to make a baked macaroni cheese, at this point heat oven to 350F and grease an 11 x 13 oven dish with olive oil, then mix the cooked pasta back with the sauce and put it in the oven dish, cover with tin foil and bake for 20 min, remove foil and bake 5 more min... Otherwise just mix the hot sauce with whatever)
It worked amazingly well! The sauce was not completely smooth, neither was it exactly like cheese sauce, but it did have a creamy, comforting texture and consistency, and it tasted really mellow and interesting (the sauerkraut definitely remained secretive). S liked it too (I only told him about the sauerkraut after he'd tried it). Perhaps that sauerkraut will get eaten after all (I'll have to stock up on cashews...). This quantity was plenty for S and I - would prob serve 4 - and the leftovers keep well in a pot in the fridge (unlike non-veg cheese sauce). Other recipes I saw use miso to get that 'matured' taste - perhaps I will try that too (if we ever run out of sauerkraut).
Golden salad
Once again, our regular weekly CSA gift from Alvin delivered something fun - this time, golden beets. I haven't cooked them much, but boiled the bigger ones up at the weekend, and then began to nurture an image of a beautiful, golden, autumnal sunshine kind of salad, with plenty of sweetness (perhaps to note Rosh Hashanah and a sweet Jewish new year). Pecans were a given, and I was thinking of cranberries, but when I pulled out my box of dried stuff the golden raisins were staring me in the face, and it seemed like it would be utterly fatuous not to use them.
4 medium-large golden beets
bunch of rocket leaves (from the roof!)
1 1/2 tbsp golden raisins
1 1/2 tbsp toasted pecan pieces
1 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
salt+pepper
Wash the beets and put them in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Cover the pan and bring to the boil. Boil until the beets are tender (about half an hour, give or take - depending on the size of the beets - test with the point of a knife). Allow to cool to room temperature (this step is best done in advance - the whole cooked beets can be stored in the fridge for several days).
When ready to make the salad, peel the beets (the peel should come away pleasingly easily between your fingers) and chop them into chunks ~ 2 cm square. Wash the rocket and tear into pieces, removing any tough stems. Put the rocket and beets in a salad bowl and add the golden raisins and pecans.
To make the dressing, mix the mustard, honey, oil, vinegar and seasoning thoroughly in a small bowl.
When ready to eat, add the dressing to the salad bowl and toss.
This was a very pretty, very tasty salad. I have been underwhelmed by golden beets previously but these had great taste and texture, and looked lovely. I think my mistake in the past has been to mix them with regular beetroot - the taste and colour of normal beetroot (much though I love it) overpowered the golden ones. Better to keep them separate to let them shine!
I think this salad would work just as well with red beetroot, spinach (or finely chopped parsley), cranberries and red wine vinegar instead of golden beets, rocket, golden raisins and cider vinegar.
4 medium-large golden beets
bunch of rocket leaves (from the roof!)
1 1/2 tbsp golden raisins
1 1/2 tbsp toasted pecan pieces
1 1/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
salt+pepper
Wash the beets and put them in a medium saucepan. Cover with water. Cover the pan and bring to the boil. Boil until the beets are tender (about half an hour, give or take - depending on the size of the beets - test with the point of a knife). Allow to cool to room temperature (this step is best done in advance - the whole cooked beets can be stored in the fridge for several days).
When ready to make the salad, peel the beets (the peel should come away pleasingly easily between your fingers) and chop them into chunks ~ 2 cm square. Wash the rocket and tear into pieces, removing any tough stems. Put the rocket and beets in a salad bowl and add the golden raisins and pecans.
To make the dressing, mix the mustard, honey, oil, vinegar and seasoning thoroughly in a small bowl.
When ready to eat, add the dressing to the salad bowl and toss.
This was a very pretty, very tasty salad. I have been underwhelmed by golden beets previously but these had great taste and texture, and looked lovely. I think my mistake in the past has been to mix them with regular beetroot - the taste and colour of normal beetroot (much though I love it) overpowered the golden ones. Better to keep them separate to let them shine!
I think this salad would work just as well with red beetroot, spinach (or finely chopped parsley), cranberries and red wine vinegar instead of golden beets, rocket, golden raisins and cider vinegar.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Moghrabieh (massive Lebanese couscous)
S is not a fan of normal sized couscous. But, we discovered, he does like the larger one you see marketed as 'Israeli couscous' or 'Giant couscous'. Mograbieh is even bigger than the giant stuff - cooked, the balls are almost big enough to be mistaken for chickpeas (which made me think it would be fun to mix them with chickpeas another time). I found it in the Armenian stores (although I think it is Lebanese), and thought S might like it even more (perhaps because the bigger it gets, the more it is like pasta?). I didn't feel like looking anything up yesterday, so I just cooked it how I thought it wanted to be cooked.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3/4 tsp sumac
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup moghrabieh
2 cups veg stock
2 tbsp chopped curly parsley
salt+pepper
Heat the oil in a lidded frying pan, add the onion and sweat on a medium heat until well softened. Remove the lid and cook until any liquid is gone and it is starting to brown. Add the chilli, cumin, caraway, sumac and cinnamon and stir-fry for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the moghrabieh and fry for a minute or so more, then add the veg stock, cover and cook until the moghrabieh are about doubled in size and the stock is all absorbed (about 25 min), adding the parsley and seasoning to taste in the last few minutes. Bite one of the balls to make sure it is cooked through - they didn't go completely soft, remaining a bit of stodgy bite. Cover and leave to steam for ten minutes or so when done, as you would with rice.
The texture of the moghrabieh was interesting (stodgy but chewy?) and I wondered if it was a little underdone? But they tasted fine. I liked the spice combination, with the red onion and parsley - it was warm and comforting. Another time I might add (pre-cooked) chickpeas about halfway through the moghrabieh cooking time.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3/4 tsp sumac
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup moghrabieh
2 cups veg stock
2 tbsp chopped curly parsley
salt+pepper
Heat the oil in a lidded frying pan, add the onion and sweat on a medium heat until well softened. Remove the lid and cook until any liquid is gone and it is starting to brown. Add the chilli, cumin, caraway, sumac and cinnamon and stir-fry for a minute or so until fragrant. Add the moghrabieh and fry for a minute or so more, then add the veg stock, cover and cook until the moghrabieh are about doubled in size and the stock is all absorbed (about 25 min), adding the parsley and seasoning to taste in the last few minutes. Bite one of the balls to make sure it is cooked through - they didn't go completely soft, remaining a bit of stodgy bite. Cover and leave to steam for ten minutes or so when done, as you would with rice.
The texture of the moghrabieh was interesting (stodgy but chewy?) and I wondered if it was a little underdone? But they tasted fine. I liked the spice combination, with the red onion and parsley - it was warm and comforting. Another time I might add (pre-cooked) chickpeas about halfway through the moghrabieh cooking time.
Kale salad, v. 2 (coconut, sesame and lime)
Alvin gave us another bunch of kale. I was pretty excited about kale salad after the one I made the other day: it seemed like there was a lot of potential. I used sufficient salt and oil to soften it (ie slightly more than before), and was thinking kale and coconut would be good together. I wanted everything I added to stick to the kale, so each bowlful and mouthful would be complete, avoiding the problem of all the additions dropping to the bottom and leaving the kale up top on its own.
1 bunch (purple) kale
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp tahini
juice of 1/2 a lime (perhaps a little more, depending on consistency)
2 tbsp dried shredded coconut
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 marigold flowers (with multiple layers of petals, optional)
1 tsp sumac
Wash the kale, shake or pat dry, tear into pieces and put it in a bowl. Add the salt and coconut oil and massage with hands until everything is coated. Leave for about an hour, until reasonably wilted. Meanwhile mix the tahini and lime juice in a small bowl until it is a creamy texture (add a little more lime juice if it doesn't go smooth). Also dry fry the shredded coconut and sesame seeds in a frying pan until lightly browned and fragrant. When ready, add the tahini-lime mixture to the kale and toss until everything is evenly coated. Add the toasted coconut and sesame seeds, marigold petals (take care not to add any seeds by accident), and sumac, toss and serve. It will keep well for up to a week in the fridge.
This came out well: everything stuck to the kale successfully, there was the right amount of dressing, and it tasted interesting. It was very pretty too, with the dark curls of the kale, light-brown shavings of coconut, and bright red and orange marigold petals. S liked the 'salty and sour' (he's really into pickles right now).
1 bunch (purple) kale
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp tahini
juice of 1/2 a lime (perhaps a little more, depending on consistency)
2 tbsp dried shredded coconut
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 marigold flowers (with multiple layers of petals, optional)
1 tsp sumac
Wash the kale, shake or pat dry, tear into pieces and put it in a bowl. Add the salt and coconut oil and massage with hands until everything is coated. Leave for about an hour, until reasonably wilted. Meanwhile mix the tahini and lime juice in a small bowl until it is a creamy texture (add a little more lime juice if it doesn't go smooth). Also dry fry the shredded coconut and sesame seeds in a frying pan until lightly browned and fragrant. When ready, add the tahini-lime mixture to the kale and toss until everything is evenly coated. Add the toasted coconut and sesame seeds, marigold petals (take care not to add any seeds by accident), and sumac, toss and serve. It will keep well for up to a week in the fridge.
This came out well: everything stuck to the kale successfully, there was the right amount of dressing, and it tasted interesting. It was very pretty too, with the dark curls of the kale, light-brown shavings of coconut, and bright red and orange marigold petals. S liked the 'salty and sour' (he's really into pickles right now).
Sunday, September 9, 2012
My garden: salad
This is a crappy picture, but I made a big salad tonight using only stuff I grew in my pot garden (except the dressing), and felt very proud: it might be the first time I ever made a salad containing only stuff I grew myself. Certainly the first time in years.
It had:
lettuce
rocket
chives
basil
marigold petals
mung bean sprouts
yellow cherry pear tomatoes
raw baby courgettes
dried yellow cherry pear tomatoes
(I also successfully grew chard, mint and radishes)
It had:lettuce
rocket
chives
basil
marigold petals
mung bean sprouts
yellow cherry pear tomatoes
raw baby courgettes
dried yellow cherry pear tomatoes
(I also successfully grew chard, mint and radishes)
High speed bread!
This is exciting! After making flatbreads the other day, I was initially thinking: yeah, this is awesome, we can make these any old night, they don't take long. Then I thought about it a bit more and realised that realistically, for a weeknight supper, even a 40 minute rising time just isn't going to cut it...
Then, somewhere on the internet, I stumbled across this method (also here). It's a no-knead, minimal rising time bread method - absolute minimum effort. You just mix up the dough, leave it at room temp for a few hours, then either use it right away or (this is the best bit) transfer it to the fridge and keep it there for up to 2 weeks, using it as and when you need it, with just a little resting time required for oven-baked loaves. Sounded amazing - too good to be true?!
So I decided to try it out - I mixed up a batch one evening last week and this morning (~3 days after the initial mix making) I decided to make the bread: the quantity I'd mixed up should have been sufficient for 2 loaves, so I used half for a loaf baked in the oven, and made instant za'atar flatbreads out of the other half.
(NOTE: I usually make half the quantity below at a time, which is enough for 2 good sized pizzas and a couple of flatbreads, or 3-4 pizzas, or a couple of batches of flatbreads - this seems to be our usual intake over the couple of weeks the dough is good for)
1 1/2 tbsp dry yeast (3 tbsp / 25 g fresh yeast)
1 1/2 tbsp salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (+more for dusting)
3 cups lukewarm water
cornmeal
In a large bowl, mix yeast, salt and water. Then mix in the flour, just until there are no dry patches. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours.
Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks.
For a small loaf:
(takes ~2 hour 10 min)
Cut off a grapefruit-size piece (~1/4 of the total quantity) with a sharp knife. Stretch in hands to make a small oval with a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Sprinkle baking tray with cornmeal, then put the shaped dough on it. Let rest for 40 minutes (or an hour and 40 min if dough refrigerated). Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450F. Put an ovenproof dish of water in the bottom of the oven. When ready to bake, slash the top of the loaf three times with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with flour or za'atar or seeds. Put the tray in the oven and bake for ~30 min, until browned and sounding hollow when tapped. Allow to cool before eating.
For flatbreads:
(takes only the time needed to roll out and cook the breads = 5-7 min per flatbread; this made about 6 so about 35 min)
Cut off a satsuma sized piece of dough (for small ones - use more for bigger ones). Flour a surface and rolling pin well, then roll out the dough piece into an approximate circle about 2 mm thick. Coat one side of the rolled out piece with a little olive oil (or could use veg oil, or marg). Heat a frying pan, then place the prepared dough piece oil side down in it. Cover and cook for about 2.5 minutes on that side, then flip (optionally sprinkle new top side with za'atar, salt, seeds, similar), cover and cook about 2.5 minutes on the other side. Keep warm while you cook more lumps of dough the same way, until you have the desired number of flatbreads.
Note: for garlic naan, while you are preparing the flatbreads as above, melt about 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 chopped garlic clove per flatbread together in the microwave or in a pan. Pour / spread a tbsp of mixture per bread as soon as it is cooked. Great with curry.
For pizza:
(takes only the time needed to shape dough, followed by about 20 min in the oven)
Put the oven on to heat to 400F, and put a pizza stone or cast iron in if you have one. Grab an orange sized piece of dough. Flour a clean surface generously, then squash, pull and roll the dough into the desired shape. Aim for a thickness of approx. 0.7cm - we have found that too thin ends up rather crispy-crunchy while too fat ends up a little doughy - no big deal if it's a bit off through, totally edible in any form. If using pizza stone, lay a piece of parchment paper big enough to fit the pizza base onto a flat, movable surface (large chopping board or upside down baking tray), then put the dough on top. If using a normal baking tray just move the dough directly to the baking tray. Arrange sauce and toppings on top of the base, then put straight in the oven for the baking tray, or slide together with the paper onto the hot stone if doing it that way. Bake for ~20 min, until lightly browned.
The flatbreads were brill, definitely a great anytime quick recipe and a great summer recipe as it is bread without oven. The za'atar sprinkled on top made them extra tasty (think I am having another za'atar moment). Pizza works similarly well.
The bread came out less well, but that is probably because I missed the bit about resting it for 1 hour 40 min and only rested it for 40 min (this was the recommendation if you're using a pizza stone: I don't have one). It's tasty and edible, just the crumb is a bit dense and the loaf is therefore a bit small. Hmm, an hour and 40 min is a bit long...
S and I ate all the flatbreads for a Sunday breakfast (he had ~4 1/2, I had ~1 1/2). Meanwhile, I let the loaf rise, then baked it and also mixed up a new batch to put in the fridge. This seemed like quite a good combination / approach - instant bread plus bread for a bit later plus bread for sometime in the next 2 weeks, all in the same kitchen session.
Edit: I've been making flatbreads a lot, and experimenting with rolling stuff in the middle (in the style of these) - did some with za'atar and nigella seed, and some with some cooked spelt berries I had in the fridge - the former were fine but not really worth the bother when you can just sprinkle on top instead, the latter were a bit random in original thought but were actually really good - made the white-flour flatbread into a chunkier, more texturally interesting wholegrain version with very little bother.
Then, somewhere on the internet, I stumbled across this method (also here). It's a no-knead, minimal rising time bread method - absolute minimum effort. You just mix up the dough, leave it at room temp for a few hours, then either use it right away or (this is the best bit) transfer it to the fridge and keep it there for up to 2 weeks, using it as and when you need it, with just a little resting time required for oven-baked loaves. Sounded amazing - too good to be true?!
So I decided to try it out - I mixed up a batch one evening last week and this morning (~3 days after the initial mix making) I decided to make the bread: the quantity I'd mixed up should have been sufficient for 2 loaves, so I used half for a loaf baked in the oven, and made instant za'atar flatbreads out of the other half.
(NOTE: I usually make half the quantity below at a time, which is enough for 2 good sized pizzas and a couple of flatbreads, or 3-4 pizzas, or a couple of batches of flatbreads - this seems to be our usual intake over the couple of weeks the dough is good for)
1 1/2 tbsp dry yeast (3 tbsp / 25 g fresh yeast)
1 1/2 tbsp salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (+more for dusting)
3 cups lukewarm water
cornmeal
In a large bowl, mix yeast, salt and water. Then mix in the flour, just until there are no dry patches. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 5 hours.
Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered, for as long as two weeks.
For a small loaf:
(takes ~2 hour 10 min)
Cut off a grapefruit-size piece (~1/4 of the total quantity) with a sharp knife. Stretch in hands to make a small oval with a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Sprinkle baking tray with cornmeal, then put the shaped dough on it. Let rest for 40 minutes (or an hour and 40 min if dough refrigerated). Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450F. Put an ovenproof dish of water in the bottom of the oven. When ready to bake, slash the top of the loaf three times with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with flour or za'atar or seeds. Put the tray in the oven and bake for ~30 min, until browned and sounding hollow when tapped. Allow to cool before eating.
For flatbreads:
(takes only the time needed to roll out and cook the breads = 5-7 min per flatbread; this made about 6 so about 35 min)
Cut off a satsuma sized piece of dough (for small ones - use more for bigger ones). Flour a surface and rolling pin well, then roll out the dough piece into an approximate circle about 2 mm thick. Coat one side of the rolled out piece with a little olive oil (or could use veg oil, or marg). Heat a frying pan, then place the prepared dough piece oil side down in it. Cover and cook for about 2.5 minutes on that side, then flip (optionally sprinkle new top side with za'atar, salt, seeds, similar), cover and cook about 2.5 minutes on the other side. Keep warm while you cook more lumps of dough the same way, until you have the desired number of flatbreads.
Note: for garlic naan, while you are preparing the flatbreads as above, melt about 1 tbsp butter and 1/2 chopped garlic clove per flatbread together in the microwave or in a pan. Pour / spread a tbsp of mixture per bread as soon as it is cooked. Great with curry.
For pizza:
(takes only the time needed to shape dough, followed by about 20 min in the oven)
Put the oven on to heat to 400F, and put a pizza stone or cast iron in if you have one. Grab an orange sized piece of dough. Flour a clean surface generously, then squash, pull and roll the dough into the desired shape. Aim for a thickness of approx. 0.7cm - we have found that too thin ends up rather crispy-crunchy while too fat ends up a little doughy - no big deal if it's a bit off through, totally edible in any form. If using pizza stone, lay a piece of parchment paper big enough to fit the pizza base onto a flat, movable surface (large chopping board or upside down baking tray), then put the dough on top. If using a normal baking tray just move the dough directly to the baking tray. Arrange sauce and toppings on top of the base, then put straight in the oven for the baking tray, or slide together with the paper onto the hot stone if doing it that way. Bake for ~20 min, until lightly browned.
The flatbreads were brill, definitely a great anytime quick recipe and a great summer recipe as it is bread without oven. The za'atar sprinkled on top made them extra tasty (think I am having another za'atar moment). Pizza works similarly well.
The bread came out less well, but that is probably because I missed the bit about resting it for 1 hour 40 min and only rested it for 40 min (this was the recommendation if you're using a pizza stone: I don't have one). It's tasty and edible, just the crumb is a bit dense and the loaf is therefore a bit small. Hmm, an hour and 40 min is a bit long...
S and I ate all the flatbreads for a Sunday breakfast (he had ~4 1/2, I had ~1 1/2). Meanwhile, I let the loaf rise, then baked it and also mixed up a new batch to put in the fridge. This seemed like quite a good combination / approach - instant bread plus bread for a bit later plus bread for sometime in the next 2 weeks, all in the same kitchen session.
Edit: I've been making flatbreads a lot, and experimenting with rolling stuff in the middle (in the style of these) - did some with za'atar and nigella seed, and some with some cooked spelt berries I had in the fridge - the former were fine but not really worth the bother when you can just sprinkle on top instead, the latter were a bit random in original thought but were actually really good - made the white-flour flatbread into a chunkier, more texturally interesting wholegrain version with very little bother.
Orange and orange blossom 'cream'
Saw this, here (I've been enjoying the ideas on that site), looked like an interesting variation on the chocolate tofu pudding I made before, had some silken tofu that needed eating and am slowly getting in the mood for cooking again as Autumn is slowly creeping into the air.
I didn't have lemons, but did have an orange, so tried out an orange version instead.
~12.3 oz extra-firm silken tofu (used soft silken)
2 tbsp fine or medium-ground cornmeal
pinch of salt
~1/3 cup honey
grated zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp orange blossom water
Drain and roughly slice the tofu, then drain for 10 minutes and dab dry as well as possible with kitchen paper.
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend til smooth.
Pour into a bowl and chill for 2 hours to a day.
This was totally fine and tasty and filled the yogurt-shaped hole in my diet for a few days. But it was nothing special, and the cornmeal was weird - I thought it might soak up the liquid and make everything thicker and firmer, but it remained grainy and I wasn't that into it. Still, the orange / orange blossom / honey combo was good, and I think I managed to judge the quantity of orange blossom water correctly for once - I could taste it, but it wasn't overpoweringly perfume-y.
I didn't have lemons, but did have an orange, so tried out an orange version instead.
~12.3 oz extra-firm silken tofu (used soft silken)
2 tbsp fine or medium-ground cornmeal
pinch of salt
~1/3 cup honey
grated zest of 1 orange
3 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp orange blossom water
Drain and roughly slice the tofu, then drain for 10 minutes and dab dry as well as possible with kitchen paper.
Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend til smooth.
Pour into a bowl and chill for 2 hours to a day.
This was totally fine and tasty and filled the yogurt-shaped hole in my diet for a few days. But it was nothing special, and the cornmeal was weird - I thought it might soak up the liquid and make everything thicker and firmer, but it remained grainy and I wasn't that into it. Still, the orange / orange blossom / honey combo was good, and I think I managed to judge the quantity of orange blossom water correctly for once - I could taste it, but it wasn't overpoweringly perfume-y.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Latest yellow split pea dal
Pretty much based on this recipe: trying to perfect my method.
1 cup yellow split peas
3 cups water
1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in piece ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp nigella seed
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp cumin seed
seeds from 4 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
Put the split peas and water in a medium saucepan, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the ginger, garlic and whole spices. Cook for a few minutes, until spices are aromatic and garlic light gold, then add the turmeric and cook for a few more seconds. Stir the peas and check they are soft and collapsing. When they are, Add the spice mixture to the peas, along with the salt, and stir. Eat with rice or with flatbreads.
This is really warming and good. I've worked through a few iterations and like this one best (with optional fried onion addition). Must be patient and make sure the peas are fully cooked - the softer the better, really.
1 cup yellow split peas
3 cups water
1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in piece ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp nigella seed
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp cumin seed
seeds from 4 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt
Put the split peas and water in a medium saucepan, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the ginger, garlic and whole spices. Cook for a few minutes, until spices are aromatic and garlic light gold, then add the turmeric and cook for a few more seconds. Stir the peas and check they are soft and collapsing. When they are, Add the spice mixture to the peas, along with the salt, and stir. Eat with rice or with flatbreads.
This is really warming and good. I've worked through a few iterations and like this one best (with optional fried onion addition). Must be patient and make sure the peas are fully cooked - the softer the better, really.
Cardamom flatbreads
They made flatbreads on 'The Great British Bake Off' the other day (I love that show), and they looked really good. Thus, I remembered noting this recipe from this cookbook on Amazon (the cookbook looks intriguing).
Makes 8
3/4 tbsp dried yeast
1/2 tbsp sugar
250 ml lukewarm water (test for temperature - too hot will kill the yeast)
3 cups plain flour
seeds from 15 cardamom pods, crushed in a mortar and pestle
3 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
Combine the yeast, sugar, and water and set in a warm place until foaming, about 10 minutes. Mix the flour, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl with a fork. Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture, then pour into the flour. Mix the dough with your hands.
Knead for about 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-1 1/2 hours. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 balls.
Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Place rolled out pieces on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (you can keep in the fridge for up to a day at this point). Preheat a grill pan (or frying pan) and brush each piece with a little olive oil. Lay the piece oiled side down on the pan, and cook over medium heat, about 1 minute, or until golden brown and bubbles rise from the surface. Turn over and cook the other side. Keep warm while cooking the remaining flatbreads
These were really tasty: S loved them - lovely, soft, naan-y texture, and I enjoy cardamom in pretty much anything, sweet or savoury. Note that the recipe suggested using other spices such as chilli flakes, nigella seeds or cumin seeds instead of the cardamom, all of which sound like great ideas. I also fancy trying out Paul Hollywood of GBBO's own flatbread recipe, as hyped by Nigel Slater here.
We ate them with a yellow split pea dal, made combining a few recipes I've used before.
Makes 8
3/4 tbsp dried yeast
1/2 tbsp sugar
250 ml lukewarm water (test for temperature - too hot will kill the yeast)
3 cups plain flour
seeds from 15 cardamom pods, crushed in a mortar and pestle
3 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
Combine the yeast, sugar, and water and set in a warm place until foaming, about 10 minutes. Mix the flour, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl with a fork. Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture, then pour into the flour. Mix the dough with your hands.
Knead for about 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, 1-1 1/2 hours. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 balls.
Using a rolling pin, roll each ball into 1/4 inch thick pieces. Place rolled out pieces on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (you can keep in the fridge for up to a day at this point). Preheat a grill pan (or frying pan) and brush each piece with a little olive oil. Lay the piece oiled side down on the pan, and cook over medium heat, about 1 minute, or until golden brown and bubbles rise from the surface. Turn over and cook the other side. Keep warm while cooking the remaining flatbreads
These were really tasty: S loved them - lovely, soft, naan-y texture, and I enjoy cardamom in pretty much anything, sweet or savoury. Note that the recipe suggested using other spices such as chilli flakes, nigella seeds or cumin seeds instead of the cardamom, all of which sound like great ideas. I also fancy trying out Paul Hollywood of GBBO's own flatbread recipe, as hyped by Nigel Slater here.
We ate them with a yellow split pea dal, made combining a few recipes I've used before.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Plum jam
The other day, Grandma was telling me about their anticipated harvest of Victoria plums. I have never yet found any Victorias here, a shame since in my opinion they are a completely different and more wonderful fruit than any other kind of plum. And so, I had plum jam on my mind. And this afternoon at the Haymarket I scored a bag of small, purple plums (labelled 'Prunes') - 3 lb for $2.
I considered putting in something else - cassis maybe, or vanilla. But the most excellent thing to add to plum jam is the kernels from the plums themselves. My grandma and my mum both did this - I remember Mum sending Dad out to the garden to crack open the stones and extract the kernels for her jam. They have a delicate, almondy flavour (and look a bit like tiny almonds too).
Makes 5 standard sized jars.
3 lb plums
300-450 ml water
3 lb sugar
Wash, halve and stone the plums. Crack some of the stones and remove the kernels. Put the kernels in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Leave for 1 minute, then rub off the skins. Put the plums, halved kernels and water in a large pan (start with smaller quantity of water, add more as needed during cooking).
Bring to the boil, then simmer until the fruit is tender and the pan contents much reduced. Add the sugar and stir til dissolved, then boil hard to setting point. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then spoon into sterilised jars while still hot.
I considered putting in something else - cassis maybe, or vanilla. But the most excellent thing to add to plum jam is the kernels from the plums themselves. My grandma and my mum both did this - I remember Mum sending Dad out to the garden to crack open the stones and extract the kernels for her jam. They have a delicate, almondy flavour (and look a bit like tiny almonds too).
Makes 5 standard sized jars.
3 lb plums
300-450 ml water
3 lb sugar
Wash, halve and stone the plums. Crack some of the stones and remove the kernels. Put the kernels in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Leave for 1 minute, then rub off the skins. Put the plums, halved kernels and water in a large pan (start with smaller quantity of water, add more as needed during cooking).
Bring to the boil, then simmer until the fruit is tender and the pan contents much reduced. Add the sugar and stir til dissolved, then boil hard to setting point. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then spoon into sterilised jars while still hot.
Best banana muffins
Our bananas have been going brown faster than we can eat them - I've frozen some, dehydrated some, and now felt like baking with some. I've been through a few iterations of banana muffins (this one, this one, this one), trying to figure out what works best. I think these are the best yet, and the simplest. Based on this recipe.
Makes 12
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup veg oil
3 very ripe bananas, mashed unevenly
1/4 cup almond milk, mixed with 1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Heat oven to 350F. Prepare muffin tin. Mix flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl with a fork. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugars and the veg oil. Mix in the bananas, fake milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until just combined, adding the walnuts in the final strokes. Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake for 35-40 minutes.
These are good - I like the simplicity - it's just bananas, walnuts and vanilla, and I think it works.
Makes 12
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup veg oil
3 very ripe bananas, mashed unevenly
1/4 cup almond milk, mixed with 1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Heat oven to 350F. Prepare muffin tin. Mix flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl with a fork. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugars and the veg oil. Mix in the bananas, fake milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until just combined, adding the walnuts in the final strokes. Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake for 35-40 minutes.
These are good - I like the simplicity - it's just bananas, walnuts and vanilla, and I think it works.
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