LEMON.ZEST

Chevre Cream with Honey Gelee

2008-12-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

This experimentation originated with the Ile de France recipe competition. I wanted something that could end a meal in a novel manner and would satisfy both a cheese-lover and a dessert-lover at the same time.

The outcome was a gently sweetened chevre cream, matched to a honey gelee. It's the kind of make-ahead dish I've come to appreciate when I'm preparing a dinner party for friends. The gelee and the chevre cream will keep separately for several days in the fridge, which means you can get dessert ready well in advance of your other courses. It gives me great peace of mind to know one course can be ready for the table within a few minutes of assembly.

There is also something playful about offering a jelly as the end of the meal. As a child, I thought jelly was a wonderful substance. I still do, but I prefer more subtle versions these days, with more variety in the flavoring elements. Think coconut milk or Earl Grey tea or gin and tonic gelees....

Extra experimentation is up to you.

Chevre Cream with Honey Gelee
(8 diminutive portions)

1 1/2 tsp. (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup honey
4 c plain greek yogurt
3 oz fresh goat cheese (chevre), at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
cinnamon, for serving

Put the gelatin in a small saucepan and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over it. Let this sit for 5 minutes, to soften the gelatin. Add honey and 1/3 cup the water. Bring this all to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and stir until the gelatin dissolves and the honey is amalgamated.

Pour this mixture into an 8" square baking pan and chill until set. About 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, you'll want to strain the yogurt if what you have isn't already thickened to the consistency of heavily whipped cream. You can omit this step if you're using Greek yogurt.

Combine the chevre, yogurt and sugar in a small bowl, and set aside until ready for serving. Bring to room temperature if you're planning to store this in the fridge for any period of time.

To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the gelee into 1" diamonds or squares (or stars, if you're feeling artistic). Dollop some chevre on the center of each plate, top with one or two pieces of the gelee, and dust with cinnamon.

Down Time

2008-11-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

Lemon.Zest will be on break for a while. Please continue to enjoy the recipes here, and feel free to comment or add suggestions. I appreciate the feedback and encouragement you have given me.

Sincerely,
DB

Soup for Wintery Contemplations (Pea Soup)

2008-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

My life has undergone some big changes recently. In reaction to this, I found myself pouring through my recipe file to rediscover the lost loves of cooking. Here were the recipes that used to appear at the table on a regular basis. The salads, soups, tapas and little bites of many yesterdays past. That night I found the recipe card for my beloved Pea Soup, wrote myself a grocery list, and planned a return to form.

If you've not had a split pea soup before, I can hardly pitch it to you on the idea of nostalgia. Instead, I offer it to you as a simple recipe that uses many ingredients common to other soups (so you can make several soups from the groceries you'll buy for this one). What I loved about this soup in the first place was its homeliness. As Nigella Lawson once wrote,

"We need to make the most of what warmth is offered, and much of the time this needs to emanate from the kitchen rather than from the skies outside."

Soup-making is a direct expression of this. It's a way to bring the warmth of August into the frail days of November, and, for me, it's a way to bring the consistency of the past into the uncertainty of the present.

Pea soup
(makes 4 servings)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 leek, sliced
1 sprig thyme
4 cups water
2 cupsl vegetable stock
1 cup (350 g) split peas, soaked for 1 hour and drained

To serve:
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
pesto

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrot, leek and thyme and cook until softened. Add the water, stock and peas to the pan and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until peas are soft.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warm bowls, with a dollop of pesto in the middle. Add a crisp green salad and some crusty bread to round out the meal.

Seven Onion Soup

2008-11-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

Image: www.smh.com.au

I've always loved onion soup. The kind where you cook alliums down into a melted tangle, add some broth, and simmer away for another hour. It's one that always takes time, and demands that one slow down his/her day. You can always get other things done: sit and read while periodically stirring and checking the soup's progress. This recipe allows for plenty of multitasking, but it's not something you can abandon for an hour while you race around town. No, this one wants you to be near it.

And you'll be inclined to stay near it if, like it is for me, the kitchen is the warmest part of the house. Half the joy of making soup is the heat thrown out into the room while it cooks. It's nice to hover nearby and potter around in the warmth. Toast some bread while the soup is in its final stages.

Seven Onion Soup

1/8 cup butter
1 white onions, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 cup ale/stout/porter/red wine or brandy
2 cups vegetable/beef broth
1/2 Tbsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
Day-old bread, sliced and toasted lightly
Shredded cheese (eg. gruyere or parmesan or fontina)

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, and saute over very low heat until lightly browned. Stir every 10 minutes or so, to make sure the onions don't stick to the pan. Stir in the wine or beer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 40 minutes. Add the chives, broth, salt, thyme, cumin, and coriander. Simmer for about 5 minutes more or until onions are tender.

Meanwhile preheat the broiler. Grill the cheese on slices of the day old bread. Pour the soup into bowls, and garnish each serving with the cheese-on-toast.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

2008-10-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Oven Roasted Tomatoes
(makes 12 pieces)

6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
salt and pepper
1 tbsp chopped rosemary or 1 sprig of thyme (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250 F. Put the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary or thyme sprigs, if using. Bake for about 6 hours, patience permitting. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Image from www.channel4.com

Tomato Watermelon Salad

2008-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Today was very wet. The rains hammered down, acorns bounced off my tin roof, and the winds rattled the windows. C and I pulled the blinds, poured a drink, and made this dinner to share.

This recipe is one to inspire, rather than strictly adhere to. One that you can prepare at a relaxed pace, and, even then, you'll have dinner ready in 10 minutes.

We chopped up some juicy watermelon, a few locally-grown tomatoes, and sprinkled over some Ile de France chevre, a chiffonade of basil, and a pinch of salt. The simplicity of beautiful ingredients made this one for the permanent rotation of dinner salads. Each bite was salty-sweet and clean. A soothing end to the day.

Tomato Watermelon Salad
(makes enough for two)

1 1/2 cups watermelon cubes (can be red or yellow watermelon)
1 cup tomato wedges
pinch of salt
1 - 2 oz. chevre, crumbled
2 basil leaves, sliced thinly or torn

Combine all ingredients in a pretty salad bowl. Serve at room temperature.

Autumn Vegetable Salad with Frico

2008-09-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

If you are scaling up the recipe, add other vegetables like Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, mushrooms, and anything else you discover at the market that week.

Autumn Vegetable Salad with Frico
(Serves 2)

¼ pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
drizzle of olive oil
6-8 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 raddichio, leaves separated and torn smaller
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 475 F. Toss the butternut cubes and chopped sage with some oil and a pinch of salt. Roast until light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside in a medium-sized bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, make the frico by placing 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese in a mound on a nonstick frying pan. Cook on med-high heat until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. Carefully remove the cheese with a spatula and shape as desired. Draping over the side of a wooden spoon gives you a half-moon shape.

Add olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper to the raddichio and toss gently to coat well. Divide the mixture evenly among the dinner plates, first with the roasted squash, then a mound of raddichio and top each with a frico.

Portuguese Custard Tarts

2008-09-12T16:24:00.000-07:00

Little Portuguese Tarts, crispy on the outside with an unctuous custard interior. They fall somewhere on the spectrum between creme brulee and buttermilk pie. I make the pastry crust with the best butter I can find, and it pays off. The dough handles well and combines with the flour easily.

The flour, milk and eggs were all from local suppliers. With two thumbs up by my chief taster, C. and two more thumbs up from me, it makes me wonder if we could have lasted through the Local Lent experiment, had I been making lots of these. A honey sweetened version, although not the same, is probably pretty good.

Portugese Custard Tarts
(makes 3)

Pastry (1 cup flour, 2 Tbsp. butter, ice water)
3 yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup of heavy cream and milk (a 2:1 ratio is good)

Heat some water in a saucepan. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the yolks with the sugar and cornflour. Gradually whisk in the cream and milk until smooth. Place the bowl over the warm water and cook, stirring until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Cool custard.

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C).

Grease your ramekins/tins/etc. Roll out the pastry to 1/8" thickness and cut pieces to fit the shape of your ramekins and arrange pastry accordingly. Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. You want a deep golden appearance on the puffed up sections of custard.

Serve with a minuscule dusting of cinnamon.

Tomato Salad with Pomegranate and Preserved Lemon

2008-09-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

This week saw the start of cooler air, and, with it, the first of the yellowed leaves began falling from the trees. Local tomato plants are still flourishing with the last rounds of juicy fruit. With much delight, a few of these showed up beauties appeared at work, courtesy of a co-worker-turned-farmer.

We sat down to a bowl of this salad for dinner. It was perfect at the end of a long day, with preserved lemon and pomegranate seeds punctuating the sweet tomatoes.

I made this salad again later in the week for my lunch, using a yellow tomato variation and changing the cut of the preserved lemon (minced it the first time; sliced it thinly the second time). It was one of those dishes where you nod your head silently, in appreciation of the good food you have.

Tomato Salad with Pomegranate and Preserved Lemon
(Makes enough for 2 as a main)

1-2 vine-ripened, tomatoes, roughly chopped
seeds of one pomegranate
1 tsp of preserved lemon, thinly sliced (subst: lemon zest)
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
olive oil

Combine all in a bowl and toss gently.

Radicchio and Artichoke Salad with Green Olives

2008-09-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

With some careful foraging at the local store I ended up with a lovely combination of green items for this salad. But it's not a green salad in the usual sense, since the radicchio is in fact a kind of purplish-red. Rather, this is a purple salad with green toppings. On a warm, autumnal evening, this makes a satisfying light meal if served with some crusty bread.

I often have some seeds and nuts on hand for making granola or toasting and stirring through yogurt. Tonight's salad had a mixture of toasted fennel seed and toasted pumpkin seed atop it, which proved to be a very pleasant addition. Honey was added to the dressing in small quantities to lighten the bitterness of the radicchio leaves, which I had already soaked in ice water for the same reason.

Radicchio and Artichoke Salad with Green Olives
(serves 2 as a light supper)

1/4 small radicchio, shredded and soaked in an ice bath for 20 minutes
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp. fennel seeds
olive oil
honey
squeeze of lemon juice
salt
2 oil-packed artichoke hearts, sliced
1/3 cup pitted green olives

While your radicchio is soaking, heat a small non-stick skillet over high heat and toast the fennel seeds for a minute, until aromatic. Put the seeds onto a plate (aside) and toast the pumpkin seeds for a few minutes until they start to pop and puff out. Shake the pan regularly to help the seeds heat evenly. Add the seeds to the same plate and set aside.

Whisk together the oil, honey, and lemon juice with a pinch of salt. Drain the radicchio and shake it dry. Put the leaves in your serving bowl and add the artichoke hearts and olives. Drizzle the dressing over and toss gently. Add the toasted seeds over the top of the salad right before serving.

Haricot Vert, Cucumber, Peach and Basil Tapa

2008-08-25T05:19:00.000-07:00

Haricot verts don't show up in Athens, GA very often. When they do, it's a wonderful thing. I usually purchase enough for several meals of green beans. I love the crunch and sweetness of a well-blanched bean, using them mostly in fresh salads.

What a delight to add other seasonal items like basil and peach (both of which were very local), and bundle it together with some cucumber and prosciutto. This makes a great first course. I could see this working well for a large party, whereby one would roll many of these ahead of time and stash away until the guests arrive. A vegetarian version could be done with a strip of blanched napa cabbage, cut to wrap around the ingredients.

HV, C, P, and B Tapa
(makes 6 mini rolls)

12 haricot verts, blanched, cooled, patted dry
1/2 cucumber, seeded, peeled and julienned
1 peach, pitted and cut into slivers/thin wedges
3 basil leaves, halved lengthwise
2 slices prosciutto, cut into thirds lenghtwise

Once all the above preparations are complete - the beloved mis en place - it's just a matter of assembly. Across a strip of prosciutto, lie two blanched haricot verts, a few slices of cucumber, one piece of peach and half a basil leaf. Roll the prosciutto around the diameter of the bundle, and place on a plate with the seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

This can be made ahead and kept in the fridge, if needed.

Apple, Beet Stem, and Ginger Amuse Bouche

2008-08-16T05:17:00.000-07:00

In my determination to use all good parts of a vegetable, this dish came into fruition. We used local apples, some blanched beet stems, and a little bit of pickled ginger. What works for me here is the contrast between tart and sweet, crunchy and soft; dark and light.

I see this as a first course, and, hence, the presentation in the photo. But it could easily transition into a rustic chopped salad, perhaps with the apple being cut into slivers and the ginger being left in shreds. The beet stems could punctuate the pale dish as bright pink polka dots. To that, I'd add a lemony vinaigrette. Something to make the dish juicier and more refreshing in its salad format.

Apple, Beet Stem, and Ginger Amuse Bouche
(makes 2)

1/2 small granny smith apple, seeded, diced into 1/4"
- toss the dice in some lemon juice to prevent discoloring while prepping the rest
1/8 cup pink pickled ginger, slivered
1/2 to 1 cup beet stems, blanched for 5 minutes in boiling salted water, and refreshed in an ice bath.

Combine the apple and ginger in a small bowl. Drain the beet stems well and cut into 1/4" dice, matching that of the apple. Using a small ring mold, half fill the mold with beet dice. Top off with the apple-ginger mix. Repeat on a separate plate for the other portion. Serve.

Set aside any leftover bits for addition in a salad.

Pissalat-Stuffed Tomatoes

2008-07-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Pissalat is a Nicoise condiment, mixed from the amalgam of anchovies, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and olives. It's the dominant flavor in pissaladiere, the French onion tart, being spread on the crust before caramelized onions are layered on top.

This provided the basis for stuffing tomatoes in the same way. The tops were carefully removed, the seeds were scooped out, and the tomatoes drained for about 10 minutes on paper towels. The pre-made pissalat was added -- about one teaspoon per tomato -- and then some cooked-down onions went on top.

I bake the whole thing for only a brief time, since it's summertime and the tomatoes are gorgeously fragrant as they are. About 20 minutes at 350 F does the trick, then allow them to cook to room temperature before serving.

Allowing one medium-sized tomato per person, this makes a lovely start to the meal. I was delighted by how well this dish came out. It would be fun to try this with smaller tomatoes, amuse bouche (or tapas) style. It would be easier to eat them, too, since the large ones have to be cut with a knife and fork when served.

A Marmalade Recipe Repository

2008-07-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

Image: find.myrecipes.com

What to do with all that marmalade I've been processing? I think the tally is 7 jars. Sure, it's good on toast, but there's a bit more to marmalade than as a topping. Here are some other ideas for how to use the sweet stuff:

Savory:
Marmalade-glazed ham
Green salad with citrus vinaigrette
Fish tacos with citrus salsa (combine a small amount of marmalade with some diced tomato, minced red onion, cumin, cilantro and jalapeno)

Sweet:
Marmalade pudding
Orange rice pudding
Carrot cake with a marmalade-cream cheese frosting
Mandarin tartlets
Grapefruit tartlets with edamame ice cream and sesame seeds.

Kolaches

2008-07-16T14:29:00.000-07:00

This week the weather from Texas rolled in. It was gloriously hot and dry - all night and all day. It made me think of Texas and what they do to cool off in the midst of their summers. They probably don't make kolaches.

Kolaches come from the Czech immigrants in Texas. A soft, yeasty roll of multiple incarnations, filled with apricots, prunes, cheese, or sausage. This is my second attempt at making them. I used the recipe from the Homesick Texan's site, since, not being a native I needed some guidance from someone in the know.

I thought they came out well. Then again, I don't know what they're supposed to look like. Online photos don't always give you a sense of proportion or texture. C was very polite about them, which made me realize I was way off the mark. My best argument for them was that this might be a different regional recipe from what he had tried.

I was being authentic to the "other" kolache-making region. Right?

Kolaches
(makes 18 rolls)

1 package of active dry yeast
1 cup of warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup of melted butter
1 teaspoon of salt

Method:
In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk, sugar and one cup of flour. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size. Beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of melted butter (reserve 1/4 cup for brushing on the pastry) and salt.

Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and blend. Stir in about two more cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time. The dough should be soft and moist. Knead dough for about 10 minutes on floured surface. Don't worry, it’s a joy to knead as the dough is smooth and highly malleable.

Put dough in a greased bowl and let rise covered until doubled in size—about an hour.
After dough has risen, punch it down and pull off egg-sized pieces. In your hands, roll pieces into balls and then flatten to about three inches in diameter. Brush with melted butter. Place flattened pieces on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise again for another half-hour.

After second rising, with your finger gently make an indention in the center of the dough (be careful not to flatten it too much) and fill with one tablespoon of fruit filling (recipe to follow) and sprinkle with posypka (recipe to follow).
Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter when you take them out of the oven and serve warm.

Kolache filling
Ingredients:
1 pound of dried fruit such as apricots or prunes.
Sugar to taste
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
Lemon zest

Method:
Soak the dried fruit in water for a few hours or overnight.
When fruit is re-hydrated, cook on low for 15 minutes, adding sugar to taste (I find the fruit sweet enough so I don’t add sugar, but you may prefer it sweeter), cinnamon and lemon zest. Mash with a potato masher until you have a puree.

Blackberry Beetroot Salad

2008-07-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Serendipity strikes at the most unusual times.

What I wanted was a small vegetable side to go with some oven-roasted salmon. The beetroot (a.k.a beets) had been boiled and peeled the night before. It was a simple matter of slicing beets, adding some blackberries, and taking it to work. Before serving, I added some balsamic vinegar, which added a soft acidity to that of the berries. It was gorgeous -- who would have thought leftovers could combine so well?

I've since made this dish several times, changing the berries used (blackberries are my favorite, but blueberries or strawberries make a good substitution). I suspect the berry choice makes sense depending on the accompanying items in the meal. Darker berries working well with game meats and fatty fish. Strawberries are be better offset by white fish and milder meats or cheeses.

My ultimate combination, recipe follows, used manouri cheese to make this small salad a meal in itself. Manouri provides a pleasing softness and color contrast to the salad. This could well be the purple fruit equivalent of a caprese salad (sliced tomato and mozzerella).

Blackberry Beetroot Salad
(serves 1)

1 small-medium beetroot, cooked, peeled, and cut into wedges (or sliced/diced/etc.)
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
1/4 cup diced manouri
A Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper (optional)

Cucumber & Smoked Salmon Rolls

2008-06-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

This simple, make-ahead amuse bouche pairs well with any Summer drink you can imagine. Typically, when C. and I make this, we garnish the plate with cherry tomatoes and mint leaves. Tonight, we just stacked the rolls high and had them as a light supper.

Cucumber & Smoked Salmon Rolls

3 oz. chevre, at room temperature
1 tsp olive oil
some thyme leaves (dried or fresh)
salt
white pepper, ground
2 lebanese cucumbers, cut into 1/8" slices lengthwise
smoked salmon slices
toothpicks
cherry tomatoes and mint sprigs, for garnish

In a small bowl, mix the chevre and oil, together. Add a drop of water if necessary to loosen it into a spreadable consistency. Season to taste with the thyme leaves, the salt, and the pepper.

To assemble, take one strip of cucumber, and spread with a small amount of cheese. Trim the salmon to the same width as the cucumber. Place on the cucumber-cheese strip and roll up tightly. Secure with a toothpick.

Repeat with all remaining ingredients. Usually the salmon runs out first because the chef snacks on the off-cuts while rolling these. Serve with cherry tomatoes and mint leaves scattered around.

Sushi

2008-06-02T02:30:00.000-07:00

Every time I make sushi at home, I think, "I should do this more often. Maybe every day." And then I think, "Gee, sushi is good." Honestly, once you've moved on from any intimidation factor, and have chosen what ingredients to use, it's just a matter of keeping your hands clean of rice while you roll the sushi.

Hand rolls are one way of getting around the sticky-finger issue (and it's not that bad an issue if you keep a finger bowl at hand). You can cut the nori (seaweed) into quarters, and spoon a bit of rice directly onto a quarter of nori. Add the other ingredients and wrap the nori over it, forming an ice cream cone shape around the contents. The sushi monsters website contains a lot of good information for how to go about this.

The rolls above were made for fun this week. It took most of my time to make the rice - a mostly hands off process - and the rolling was the last 30 minutes of my time. It's a peaceful task, as long as you're not in a hurry.

Salmon with Poached Leeks and Radishes

2008-05-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

In lieu of a trip to France this year, small quantities of my money go towards ingredients for my Franco-centric dinners. Today's posting illustrates the idea, with a springtime meal of poached leeks, radish, and salmon.

There's not much to the dish. I steam each item separately, poaching the fish last so that it can cook in the flavorful broth left by the leeks and radishes. Very little is wasted. After cooking, I seasoned the dish with salt and pepper. That's it.

You could round out the meal with glass of wine and some cheese to follow. It's nice to enjoy some of the things that I would do were I in France. One can linger over freshly-prepared, seasonal meals anywhere.

Terrine de Sud (Southern-US Terrine)

2008-05-23T18:32:00.000-07:00

This redux of the earlier country terrine adds a little Southern flair. I've included the whole recipe, with the few variations that make it more Deep South, USA than french. Note the ingredients are the only switch here...the method remains untouched.

Most of these substitutes are not a far stretch of the imagination: they're very good equivalents, but more practical for a cook who's in the US. They embrace the local flavor, rather than being a compromise of geography. For example, use a nice bourbon, such as Evan Williams single barrel, so that you use something of similar quality to the Cognac that the recipe originally used. Cheaper bourbons tend to be more heavy-handed with their oak chip infusions, so only use that if you want a strong oak presence in your terrine. Otherwise, play it safe and use a bourbon that you would savor neat.

Dill has replaced the thyme, and again this is owing to availability and seasonality. The local CSA provided us with some beautiful fresh dill this week, so it has been fun incorporating that in several different dishes. Together with the bay leaf and allspice here, dill forms an aromatic base for the other ingredients. It's in the background and not a dominating ingredient.

Terrine de Sud
(makes 1 1/2 - 2 loaf pan terrines)

1/2 cup finely chopped baby leeks (about 3 leeks), white and light green parts only, and/or Vidalia onion
1 Tbsp. butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 Tbsp. black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. whole allspice or 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 Turkish or 1/4 California bay leaf
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 lb chicken livers, trimmed
1/4 lb ground fatty pork shoulder
1/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb baked ham (1/2-inch slice), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
12 collard leaves, stems removed, blanched briefly

Cook onion in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl set in a bowl of ice.
While onion cools, pulse salt, peppercorns, allspice, nutmeg, and bay leaf in grinder until finely ground. Add to onion mixture and whisk in cream, eggs, and brandy until combined well.

Pulse chicken livers in a food processor until finely chopped, then add to onion mixture along with ground pork and veal and mix together well with your hands or a wooden spoon. Stir in ham cubes.

Line bottom and long sides of terrine mold crosswise with about 6 chard leaves, arranging them close together (but not overlapping) and leaving a 1/2- to 2-inch overhang. Fill terrine evenly with ground-meat mixture, rapping terrine on counter to compact it (it will mound slightly above edge). Cover top of terrine lengthwise with 2 or 3 more chard leaves if necessary to cover completely, and fold overhanging ends of bacon back over these. Cover terrine with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 (and no more than 24) hours to marinate meats.

When ready to bake, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Discard the plastic wrap and cover terrine tightly with a double layer of foil.

Bake terrine in a water bath until thermometer inserted diagonally through foil at least 2 inches into center of terrine registers 155 to 160°F, 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Remove foil and let terrine stand in mold on a rack, 30 minutes.

Weight terrine:
Put terrine in mold in a cleaned baking pan. Put a piece of parchment or wax paper over top of terrine, then place on top of parchment another same-size terrine mold or a piece of wood or heavy cardboard cut to fit inside mold and wrapped in foil. Put 2 to 3 (1-pound) cans on terrine or on wood or cardboard to weight cooked terrine. Chill terrine in pan with weights until completely cold, at least 4 hours. Continue to chill terrine, with or without weights, at least 24 hours to allow flavors to develop.

To serve:
Stand the mold in a pan with 1 inch of hot water (to loosen bottom) 2 minutes. Run a knife around the sides to loosen completely before turning out. Tip the terrine mold (holding terrine) to drain excess liquid, then invert a cutting board over terrine, reinvert terrine onto cutting board, and gently wipe outside of terrine (bacon strips) with a paper towel. Let terrine stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, then transfer to a platter if desired and cut, as needed, into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Serve with cornichons, crostini, and strong mustard.

Vegetable Casserole with Tofu Topping

2008-05-20T09:27:00.001-07:00

This recipe comes in handy when you've got a bunches of greens that all need using at once. It's not a common occurrence for me, but, when it happens, this is the most satisfying dish I can think to create.

And what is it that's so good? I think it has a great balance of color, savory notes (soy sauce), and protein (cheese and tofu). This is good the next day with some spicy harissa or hot sauce drizzled over. I imagine it would work well as a vegetarian offering at a picnic or cookout, too.

The recipe comes from epicurious.com, and what's below contains my modifications. That's what appears in the photo above.

Vegetable Casserole with Tofu Topping
(serves 6)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 lb mixed greens such as cabbage, kale, spinach, radish tops, cored and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices (8 cups)
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
For topping
1 1/2 cups fine fresh or dried bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
7 oz firm tofu
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon paprika
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sauté vegetables:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in a deep 12- to 14-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add greens, carrots, water, soy sauce, and salt. (Skillet will be full, but volume will reduce as vegetables steam.) Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish.

Make topping:
Pulse all topping ingredients together in a food processor until combined well. Alternatively, mash ingredients together in a large bowl with a potato masher. Sprinkle tofu mixture over vegetables in baking dish and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and vegetables are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep 12- to 14-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate and add cabbage, kale, carrots, water, soy sauce, and salt. (Skillet will be full, but volume will reduce as vegetables steam.) Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish.
Make topping:
Pulse all topping ingredients together in a food processor until combined well. Alternatively, mash ingredients together in a large bowl with a potato masher. Sprinkle tofu mixture over vegetables in baking dish and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and vegetables are heated through, 15 to 20 minutes

Local Salad with Pistachio, Golden Raisin, and Manouri

2008-05-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

Manouri is a cheese made from sheep and goat milk. Compared to feta, it has a much firmer texture and less salt, since it isn't stored in brine. Still, feta or any other sheep/goat milk cheese would substitute well here.

Local Salad with Pistachio, Golden Raisin, and Manouri
(serves 2)

2 cups mixed salad greens, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/8 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup crumbled Manouri
1/8 cup golden raisins
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper

Toss all together. Add any herbs you have on hand, such as dill, thyme, or parsley. Enjoy.

Christmas Pudding in May

2008-05-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Stir up Sunday, typically the last Sunday in November, is the day one makes Christmas pudding. You mix everything together in one bowl (what we call a "dump cake" in the US), boil it for three hours, letting its rich aromas fill the house, then store it away and sit patiently for 3 weeks as it cures into a congruence of spiced fruitfulness.

That all sounds very traditional. Except that I'm telling you this in May.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas falls at the start of Summer. And, frankly, it feels very Christmassy when the weather here reaches the gently warm temperatures of home. I'm all about simple green salads, Summer fruit, some good wine, and a bit of pudding. I serve the pudding cold, with cream poured over, and enjoy that the sun is still up when we're having the evening meal.

This recipe was adapted from one published on The Guardian's website. Where they called for golden syrup, I used a splash of maple syrup in its place. This is in the spirit of British cooking: I can't imagine a farmwife jumping in the car to drive into town for a jar of something she didn't have. Or even stocking up on a product she wouldn't use every bit of.

This will serve 8-10, if you adhere to discreet portions.

May Christmas Pudding
1 cup raisins
1 cup sultanas (or golden raisins)
~50 g melted butter (half a stick)
1 cup dark brown (or muscovado) sugar
A drizzle of golden (or maple) syrup
1 cup brown or white breadcrumbs
½ cup plain white flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 grated carrot
Zest and juice of an orange
Zest of a lemon
½ cup dark ale

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until just combined. Grease a small pudding basin (3-4 cup capacity), and place a disc of paper in the base. Pour in the mixture, cut two large squares of non-stick parchment and foil, pleat them together in the centre and secure over the top with a few lengths of twine wrapped round and over. Sit in a pot on a trivet, pour water halfway up the sides and simmer for three hours.

Cool to room temperature, then leave untouched and sealed until the big day (much like you don't open a jar of jam until you're ready to use it). Simmer for three hours before serving.

Watermelon Pickles

2008-05-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

Watermelon Salad

2008-04-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Watermelon and feta salads show up all over the globe. I just don't see enough of them here. They're incredibly juicy and refreshing, which makes sense in the middle of Summer. This version came as a modification of one Mum makes sometimes. Mum - it's wonderful. Please make it again when I'm home. The pickles I'd made recently were a delicate shade of pink (I used some red onion in the same jar), so this was a girly salad in some regards. Only the ingredients are listed below. Quantities should be vague - just a bit of this and a bit of that. Mix it up and rush out the door with it to a potluck picnic, like we did.

Watermelon Salad

watermelon, deseeded and peeled, cut into 1" cubes
sheep cheese, such as Manouri, cut into 1/2" cubes
pickles (red onion and cauliflower), cut into small pieces
olive oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper

Toss all in a bowl as you're chopping it (or tupperware, if you're going to take this to the beach). Keep chilled before serving.