Christmases Two and Three

Christmas number two: Christmas Eve at my In-Laws at their house. Christmas number three: Christmas Day with my dad and stepmom at my house.

Christmas Eve dinner is kind of set.  It's basically been the same since long before I came around.  And my family has traditions that I would shit bricks if someone tried to mess with, so I keep my mouth shut.  Besides, it's good food, and I'm happy to not have to contribute.  I love cooking, and usually I get cranky if I'm not asked to bring something (or if I'm just asked to bring salad.  Or worse, fruit.  I'll bring salad AND fruit, but let me bring something I cooked, too.)  But Christmas is stressful, and I'm usually rushing around the day before Christmas (and Christmas Eve... and the day after) trying to get some last minute gift finished, so I'm happy to sit one out.

However, Jeff's mom did give me a great opportunity.  She and I share an Oberweis account (a local dairy that delivers milk, yogurt, etc).  She let me know that she was disappointed that they didn't offer any Christmas-y ice cream.  I love, love, LOVE making ice cream... so here we go!

Two out of three of my ice creams were perfect.  The third was delicious, but ugly.

The thing about ice cream is you can't try too hard.  It's not like pasta; you can't throw everything in it and expect it to work out somehow.   I've found that simpler is generally better... and that's where I went wrong.

My ice cream flavors are (starting at the top): Candy Cane Hot Fudge, Egg Nog, and Cranberry.

They all tasted delicious, and in the picture above you can't really tell that anything is wrong, but the candy cane was not what I wanted it to be.  For some reason, I thought that if I drizzled hot fudge into the ice cream while it was at the end of it's freezing process, it would swirl streaks of hot fudge in.

Not so much.  Really, it just turned the ice cream unevenly chocolaty, and left clumps of hot fudge at the bottom of the ice cream container.  Blah.  Next time I'll save the hot fudge for topping the ice cream when I'm ready to eat it.

The egg nog was absolutely perfect.  The best thing ever.  Egg nog is so creamy, and is quite possibly my favorite beverage in the whole world.  (I actually bought a few extra quarts from Oberweis and stuck them in my freezer so I can enjoy them all year round.  Egg nog ice cream in the summer might be perfect.  With a brandy old fashioned on a hot summer night... mmmm.... drool).

The cranberry was good.  It was cranberry ice cream.  Nothing new or exciting, but good.  Don't be afraid of the large quantities of booze in the cranberries.  It actually is really important, because it keeps the cranberries from turning into little frozen rocks inside the ice cream.  They become more of a cranberry slush.  I used honey, and I didn't use a lot of it, so my cranberries were very tart.  I like that, but you could use more sugar if you prefer sweetness throughout... or if you have someone elses kids that you want to sugar up!

Christmas day - dinner at my house - was the absolute opposite of Christmas Eve.  Everything was on me.  But I knew that I would be heading over to my Grandparents' house earlier in the day, and I didn't want to stress.  So I picked dishes that could be made in advance and baked with minimal effort while I finished cleaning the house.  The meal was warm, and filling, and made me want to take a great big nap.  I think it would be perfect for any winter dinner party, and I personally thought it was impressive, too, which is always a plus!  Fancy and Easy.  Just like me.  Wait, what?

This was a heavy meal, though.  I did cheat, and made a salad full of non-local veggies (local greens, radishes, and mushrooms, but also some non-local tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers) and I was glad I did.  Without something light and green and crispy, I could easily see this meal giving someone the meat and cheese sweats.

The potatoes, I thought, were a little liquid-y for my taste.  Okay, they were a lot liquidy.  I think I would skip all of the half and half in the recipe, and maybe use 1/4 cup of sour cream.  I'm writing the recipe as I found it on Epicurious, and as I cooked it this time around, but you might want to make that change if you're trying it out.

One note:  I have been doing a LOT of cooking with Oregano.  That's because I moved a large pot of oregano into the house and am growing it in a window.  I don't generally see oregano in a herb window box and I don't know why.  It's a weed, and will grow anywhere.

Christmas Day Dinner: Braised Lamb Shoulder with Figs and Goat Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

For the Lamb:
(recipe modified from William Sonoma)
 

 

• 1 bone-in lamb shoulder, 4 to 4 1/2 lb.,
   rolled and tied, 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• All-purpose flour for dredging
• 4 to 5 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife
• 1/2-inch-wide strips of peel from 1 lemon
   (with no bitter white pith)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 8 oz. total dried figs, hard stems
   trimmed, figs halved or quartered
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano

Preheat an oven to 325°F.

Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the lamb in the flour, shaking off the excess.

In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, warm 4 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a platter. Reduce the heat to low and add the onion, garlic and lemon peel to the pan along with the remaining 1 tsp. oil, if needed. Cook, stirring frequently to incorporate some of the browned bits, until the onion starts to wilt, about 3 minutes.  Add the spices and saute until fragrant - about 1 minute more.

Lay the meat on the onion mixture and add the wine, stock and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/4 hours, adding the figs during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Transfer the meat and figs to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Skim the fat from the sauce. Set the pot over low heat and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, flavorful and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Discard the strings from the lamb, slice the meat across the grain and arrange the slices on the platter, surrounded by the figs. (Reserve the bone to use in a stock later).  Spoon the sauce over the meat and sprinkle with the oregano.  Serves 6 or more.

For the potatoes:

• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 5 oz)
• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 ground nutmeg
• 1 cup grated white goat cheddar
• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping slightly and covering completely. Pour 1/3 of cream mixture over. Top with 1/3 cheese.  Repeat layering potatoes, cream mixture, and cheese 2 more times. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown in spots, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Christmas Eve: A Trio of Christmas Ice Creams

The trick to ice cream is to have everything ready ahead of time.  Especially your bowl full of ice.  Everything moves really fast, and you don't want to fall behind because letting the custard sit without cooling it will ruin it.

Yes, all of the directions here are exactly the same.  That's how you make ice cream!


Candy Cane Ice Cream

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/8 cup crushed candy canes

Combine the egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the yolks lighten in color and increase slightly in volume.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and whisk until well combined. 

In a heavy saucepan, combine the half and half and remaining one cup of cream.  Add the peppermint.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan: about 5 minutes.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat.  Turn the stand mixer on low, and with the whisk  running, slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture.  Return to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 minutes.  DO NOT let the custard boil.

Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl nested into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk constantly until the custard is cooled.  Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard, and refrigerate at least three hours - preferably overnight.

When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, do so according to your ice cream maker's directions.  When the ice cream is almost set, add in the candy cane and let the ice cream maker incorporate it throughout the ice cream.

Freeze until firm.

Egg Nog Ice Cream

• 1 1/2 Egg Nog
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine the egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the yolks lighten in color and increase slightly in volume.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and whisk until well combined. 


In a heavy saucepan, combine the egg nog and remaining one cup of cream.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan: about 5 minutes.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat.  Turn the stand mixer on low, and with the whisk  running, slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture.  Return to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 minutes.  DO NOT let the custard boil.


Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl nested into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk constantly until the custard is cooled.  Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard, and refrigerate at least three hours - preferably overnight.


When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, do so according to your ice cream maker's directions.


Freeze until firm.

Cranberry Ice Cream

For the cranberries:

• 1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup honey

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and cook until cranberries begin to pop and soften.  Transfer to the fridge and allow to chill overnight.

Strain out any liquid before adding cranberries to the ice cream.

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
•  1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Cranberries from above

Combine the egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the yolks lighten in color and increase slightly in volume.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and whisk until well combined. 


In a heavy saucepan, combine the half and half and remaining one cup of cream.  Add the vanilla.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan: about 5 minutes.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat.  Turn the stand mixer on low, and with the whisk  running, slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture.  Return to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 minutes.  DO NOT let the custard boil.


Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl nested into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk constantly until the custard is cooled.  Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard, and refrigerate at least three hours - preferably overnight.


When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, add the drained cranberries and freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. 


Freeze until firm.

I Am Thankful...

Happy Belated Thanksgiving, everyone.

It has been a busy weekend/week for me.  I accomplished quite a lot with my extended weekend, albeit obviously not in terms of blogging.  And not in terms of work, either, which means I was completely burred when I got back.  Hence my not writing until a full week after Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for words like hence and albeit.  They are fun and make me happy.

I did have a food filled Thanksgiving.  I didn't get to cook, so it wasn't all local, but it was made by friends and family which makes it good.  I didn't make that much, and didn't stress myself out, and did all my cooking thanksgiving morning during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  And the start of the dog show afterwards.

I am thankful for the dog show, because I always try to pick out the kinds of dogs that my mutt is made up of.  I'm less thankful when my husband turns off the dog show to put on football, especially because neither of us really likes football.

I also did a little bit of black Friday shopping.  No, I am not a crazy person.  I firmly believe that Midnight is a time for getting ready for bed (or getting another round), not a time to start shopping.  I don't believe I actually ever left my house on Black Friday.  I may not have ever even put on real pants.  But I still got in just a smidg of shopping.  Only a present for me... but a really good present.

I bought a chest freezer!

I am thankful for my chest freezer, even if I don't have it yet.

I also spent the good part of Sunday cleaning my basement to make room for the chest freezer.  I am less thankful for that.

It doesn't get delivered until 12/10, but I am anxiously waiting.  I'm already making a list in my head of all the things I am going to buy/make to put in it.  My freezer has been so full that I haven't had room to make ice cream, and I LOVE making ice cream.  I'm thinking cranberry ice cream to start... 

For Thanksgiving, I made a cranberry apple chutney, and a sweet potato goat cheese dip.  Both were excellent, easy, and quick - which is important in a holiday food.  One of my biggest pet peeves is going to someone else's house for a food related gathering, and then having to beg for room in the oven or on the stove or whatever to finish up my food.  Worse is when people come to my house and do that, because I always have my oven space carefully planned out and I feel like I have to give it up to them or be a bad friend.

Remember that, people who come to my house for food.  If you need oven space, ask me for it ahead of time so I can plan!


Cranberry Apple Chutney

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 bay leafs
• 2 stick cinnamon
• 1 cup honey
• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut in 1/2-inch dice

Melt butter in a large sauce pan, and add onions, ginger, allspice, bay leaf, and cinnamon.  Cook over low heat, until onions are translucent and soft - about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Stir in honey, cranberries, apricots, nectar, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper. Stir mixture to combine well, then bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25 minutes. Stir in apples. Continue to simmer 10 to 15 minutes longer, stirring once or twice, or until apples are tender yet still hold their shape.


Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Cover surface of chutney with plastic wrap. Cool at room temperature 30 minutes, then refrigerate several hours until well chilled and chutney has set up. (Chutney can be made up to 3 days before serving and stored in the refrigerator.)

 Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Dip

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 whole head garlic
• 4 cups sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 (11 ounce) log goat cheese
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• honey to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the top off of the garlic head and place on a square of aluminum foil.  Drizzle the olive oil over the garlic, and season well with salt and pepper.  Wrap the aluminum foil around the garlic and seal tightly.  Bake the garlic for about 45 minutes, or until soft.  Allow to cool, and then pop each garlic clove out of it's little garlic pocket.

Steam sweet potatoes until soft.  Place in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and beat until whipped.  Add goat cheese, lemon, and spices.  Beat again until well combined.  Taste, and season with salt, pepper, and honey as desired.

I served this both with pretzel chips, and homemade graham crackers (recipe to come!)

A Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 3

This is one of those recipes I almost don't want to share.  It has all the components of a great recipe: It's addictingly delicious, it's visually stunning and impressive, and it is EMBARRASSINGLY easy.  Seriously.  It's made slightly more difficult by the fact that I need to be an over achiever and use only fresh, local ingredients, but if you don't share my crazy you don't have to do that.  Or you could.  It's still pretty damn easy.

Recently, I assisted my dad in cooking a dinner for some "fancy" people.  Now, I'm pretty fancy as it is (I tried to find a link to Jona Hill's Saturday Night Live Monologue, but there doesn't seem to be one in existence... for those of you who saw/remember that episode, I'm fancy just like he is!) but when you're having a dinner party with your father you need to really cook to impress, right?

So, of course, I busted out the fanciest recipe I know.  Doesn't hurt that it also fits right into the fall pumpkin theme.

This was so beautiful looking, it started getting eaten
BEFORE I could get a picture!

Really, this is just a baked pumpkin, filled with hot cheese dip.  You wouldn't need the pumpkin for this dish, and you could absolutely use a pumpkin in this way to serve all sorts of dip.  I personally think that the pumpkin is a perfect addition to heavy, cheesy dips.  It helps break up the richness of the cheese, and it adds to the illusion that you're eating something healthy.  And, it looks fancy and fall like.  It's a great option for impressing people at a Thanksgiving dinner, for example.

(Side note to anyone in my family reading this.  If I bring something that looks remarkably like this to Thanksgiving dinner, it is totally NOT this recipe.  It was a way, super hard recipe, that I slaved over for HOURS.  Because I love you that much.)

First off, the pumpkin.  I used a standard "pie" pumpkin - not sure what kind exactly - that I picked up when Jeff and I purchased our Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins.  A pumpkin pie is usually small, and not quite as orange as a "regular" pumpkin.  I've also found that they tend to have slightly thinner flesh, which is good for something like this because it means you'll have lots of room inside your pumpkin to stuff your dip.

The first step is to cut the top off of the pumpkin.  This is, on it's own, a leap of faith.  You want the pumpkin "bowl" to be the right size to hold all of your dip, without looking empty, but at the same time you don't know how thick the walls are going to be, and therefore how big the cavity will be.  So, you just sort of cut the top off.  I amazingly guessed exactly right, and saved the top of this pumpkin for my pumpkin stew... to be seen in a Plethora of Pumpkin part 4!

Once the pumpkin is cut, and the seeds and guts are all cleaned out, season the inside generously with salt and pepper.  Place the pumpkin in a baking pan big enough to hold it, and add about an inch of water to the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a half (depending on the size), until the pumpkin is soft.  A good test is to stick a fork in the top of the pumpkin near an inside edge, and see how easy to flake away little bits of pumpkin.  It should be very easy!

Meanwhile, make whatever dip you want to put inside the pumpkin.  I used a goat cheese and spinach cheese dip.  This is an incredibly versatile dip, and you can really use any kind of cheese you want:

Goat Cheese and Spinach Cheese Dip

• 10 oz fresh spinach (L)
• 8 oz soft cheese (I used a herbed goat cheese, but you could use cream cheese or any cheese of a similar consistancy) (L)
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used one cup white cheddar, one cup Romano, but you could use any kind of cheese you want.  A mozzarella would make it really melty and gooey!) (L)
• Salt and pepper to taste (be careful with salt, if you're using a salty cheese)

This is the "base" of the recipe, and is really all you need.  From here, you can add any seasoning you want.  This is what I used:

• 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced (L)
• 1 shallot, minced (L)
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 4 dashes Tabasco hot sauce (I used the habanero)

Cut spinach into bite size pieces, and place into a pot large enough to hold it all.  Add about a cup and a half of water, and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is soft and cooked through.  Drain the water and squeeze as much water as you possibly can out of the spinach (let it cool first.)  If you want to (I do), save the cooking water to cook with later.  This is full of all sorts of great vitamins.  You could even throw some of it into a smoothy if you're into that sort of thing.

As an alternative/even easier option, use 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and all water squeezed out.

(When I was explaining this recipe to a friend, I told her it needed 10 oz of cooked spinach.  "10 oz cooked!" She exclaimed.  "What is that, like 3 pounds fresh?!?"  No, dummy.  10 oz of spinach is 10 oz of spinach.  It just takes up a bunch more room when it's fresh.)

Combine all ingredients, including cooked spinach, in a glass bowl and microwave on high for about 3 minutes, stirring after each minute.  You want the dip to be hot and soft, but not to separate.  You could easily pull this dip out of the microwave and put it right on the table in the glass bowl. 

Once the dip is done, scoop the cheese into the pumpkin and serve with bread or crackers.  I like to stick a cheese knife right into the flesh of the pumpkin and flake a little bit off, so that people get the idea that they are supposed to eat the pumpkin right along with the cheese as a part of the dip.  

It's another vegetable, which means this massive quantity of melty cheese is healthy, right?

A Giant Steak Can be Good for You!

Red meat is, okay, not the healthiest choice.  It's high in fat, high in cholesterol, and has been linked to colon cancer, breast cancer and Alzheimer.  What the hell?

On the other hand, it's high in iron (and I'm anemic, so that's a plus), zinc (which is good for the immune system), and protein.

I'm not a doctor.  (Oh, gosh, had you not realized that yet?  Seriously, I'm not.  From a medical perspective this website is even less helpful than WebMD - the Wikipedia of Medicine!), but here's my problem with studies on the negatives of red meat.  All the studies I've seen compare the "Western Diet" (burgers, french fries, fried chicken), to the "Mediterranean Diet" (fish, grains, olive oil).  Yeah, the Mediterranean Diet is going to win!  But, what if the problem isn't the red meat?  What if the problem is the fact that our meat is being fed crazy antibiotics and ground up animal byproducts and god knows what else.  What if the problem is that it's being cooked in pure trans fat?  There's too much to separate.

In the end, everything is bad for you.  Yeah, I'm probably going to die of cancer.  But I'm also going to die of cancer because I like to garden in a tank top without putting on sunscreen.  Or because there was asbestos in my high school.    Or because of the aluminum in my deodorant, or in my aluminum cans.  There's too much to worry about.  If we don't all die of cancer, it's probably only because the terrorists won.  I can try to be healthy, but that's the best I can do.

1 giant-ass T-bone.  My husband and I shared this for dinner.

And that's what this post is about.  It's about the fact that I have recently found that I really like steak.  It is about my desire, with that realization, to eat steak.  And it is about the fact that, when eating steak, my husband seems to think that bigger = better.

My realization about my love for steak was slow to come about.  I've said before that real meat - that is to say, local food from a local farm - tastes different than meat from a grocery store.  I didn't think I liked beef, unless it had been slow cooked to the point of melting in your mouth.  I didn't understand when people said that a steak melted in their mouth.  Steaks don't melt - they're chewy.  Like chewing on people, I have said in the past.  Too fleshy.

And then I realized, bad meat = bad.  Cheap meat = bad.  Processed meat with fillers and added solutions = bad.  Happy cow, killed humanely, processed properly and minimally, and prepared well = amazing.

I'm not worried about eating too much red meat.  Red meat is expensive.  If it's not, you probably shouldn't be buying it.  Try the real thing... or don't.  Once you do, you may never be able to go back.

I justify the cost of red meat, and the possible health consequences, by making sure the rest of the meal is full of healthy, inexpensive, vegetably choices. 

A good steak has it's own flavor.  The best recipe is this:

Take steak (L).  Season generously with salt and pepper, and maybe a little minced garlic (L).  Sear on a grill over high heat, until medium rare.  Cook it any more than that, and I will find you and punch you in the neck.

A good steak meal, in my mind, is about the side dishes.  They should complement the steak and fill you up.  I was very happy with both of these.  The salad was especially good, and even my husband - who I think tends to see salad mostly as a filler item - was really happy with it.  The greens were a last minute addition to the potatoes, but they were a little peppery and I really enjoyed them.  You can't tell so much from the pictures, but I used a combination of red, Yukon gold, and purple potatoes.

Still a lot of steak...

Grilled Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey Vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp minced shallots (L)
• 1/4 cup champagne vinigar
• 1/2 cup raw honey (L)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (L*), minced
• 1 clove garlic (L), minced
• 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

For the salad:

• 2 lbs whole beets (L)
• 1/4 cup water (L)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 sage leaves (L*), minced
• 3 sprigs time (L*), minced
• 1 sprig rosemary (L*), minced
• 1 bayleaf
• salt and pepper
• mixed greens (L)
• Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or quartered (L*)
• Crumbled goat cheese (L)

Combine dressing ingredients and shake vigorously.  


Wash well and chop beets into 1/2 inch pieces (I learned there is no need to peel them).  Place into the center of a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the edges to make a "boat."

The first piece of foil I used was too small :(

 Pour in water, olive oil, sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.  Fold up to create a "packet."  Grill packet over medium high heat, until beets are cooked through and soft, about 30 minutes.  Top mixed greens with beets, tomatoes, and goat cheese, and dress with honey vinaigrette.  The dressing saves well, but you will need to pull it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, because the olive oil will congeal.

Beets in their packet

Finished salad.  So pretty!

Pan Fried Potatoes with Beet Greens

• 1 lb potatoes (L) - I used a mix of Yukon, red, and purple, but you could use anything you wanted.  Unpeeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp butter (L)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (L)
• Greens from 2 lbs beets, sliced into 1 inch strips (L)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place potatoes into a large pot, and just cover with cold water.  Salt water, and bring to a boil, cooking at a gentle boil until potatoes just start to be tender.  Drain.

Meanwhile, add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium high heat.  Add garlic, and saute for about two minutes.  Add potatoes and greens, and cook until greens are well wilted, and potatoes are cooked through and golden brown.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta!

I love fresh pasta.  As stated previously, Jeff got me a pasta maker for my birthday, and it is quite possibly the best birthday present in the history of ever.  With the exception of maybe a sausage maker, which he did not get me (hint, hint), or all of my Star Wars baking accessories.  Oh yes, my friends, the most epic baking story ever will be documented on this blog eventually.

Anyway, pasta.  What I like most about my pasta maker is that it turns the act of making pasta into an annoying job that takes all day and gets good results about 50% of the time, into something I can do while I clean the house.  Or, more realistically, while I watch TV.

The pasta maker itself fits onto my Kitchenaid stand mixer.  I couldn't clean the house while rolling out the pasta, because I need to be there to catch it, but I could watch TV.  Before this, I had a hand cranked pasta roller that sort of half ass attached to the kitchen table and always popped off.  Also, you needed three hands - two to hold the pasta (one on each side) and one to turn the crank.  So Jeff always had to help.  Which is  why he bought me the new one!

So the roller goes onto the end of the stand mixer, and the stand mixer turns it.  All you have to do is feed the dough on one side and out comes pasta on the other side.  It might be magic!

Anyway, the best part is, one pasta recipe makes about 4 servings of pasta - and that's Jeff and me size servings... we eat a lot.  The rest can be frozen, and it comes back very nicely, so if you've got the time (and the pasta maker) you can make a bunch in advance and use it for quick dinners.  Or, if you're one of my friends who complain that my recipes take too long and require a kitchen, you could just buy a box of pasta.  Either way, these are both pretty darn quick to make:

Pasta Recipe:

3 1/2 cups flour (L)
4 large eggs (L)
1 tsp salt
drizzle olive oil
Water if necissary

Combine flour, salt, and eggs in a stand mixer, and mix on slow using the dough hook.  As it is turning, drizzle in olive oil.  Or, if you're extra fancy, use the flour bowl method.  If you don't know what this is, you don't want to do it.  If the pasta is very dry, slowly drizzle in just enough water to get it to come together and form a dough.  Be careful, it takes a while for it to fully incorporate, and you don't want wet pasta.  Allow to mix and kneed for at least 10 minutes.

Allow the dough to sit for 10 more minutes, then divide into four smaller balls.  Each one of these balls will be one serving of pasta.  Roll out pasta depending on your pasta roller's instructions and what kind of pasta you want.  Or, if you do not have a pasta roller, you can roll the pasta out using a rolling pin.  This will be difficult, however, as you want the pasta to be very thin.

These two recipes look very similar, but taste very different!




Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo
(Makes 2 servings)
Total Time: 25 minutes
Active Time: 25 minutes

• Salt
• 2 tbsp butter (L)
• 3 large garlic cloves, crushed and minced (L)
• 1 large handful spinach, washed (L*)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream (L)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (L)
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 servings pasta (L)

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until almost al dente.  Be aware that fresh pasta cooks a lot faster than the dry boxed stuff.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large frying pan.  Saute garlic for a few minutes, until lightly fragrant.  Remove any stems from the spinach, and slice into about 1/2 inch think ribbons.  Add spinach to butter and garlic, and then add cream.  Allow to cook, stirring regularly, until cream just starts to form bubbles around the edges (not boiling or even simmering!!)  Add cheese, and stir until cheese is melted.  Be careful not to overcook or cheese will get stringy.  Grate in nutmeg, then stir in pasta.  Allow everything to warm together, and pasta to finish cooking, about 5 minutes.


Fettuccine with Goat Cheese, Turnip Tops, Mushrooms, and Spicy Sausage
Makes 2 Servings

Active Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

• 1 link smoked, spicy sausage - I used Usingers Linguica, but any spicy, smoked sausage would do (L)
• 1/4 lb mixed mushrooms, chopped (L)
• 1 large bunch turnip tops, chopped (just the tops.  Save the turnips for later) (L)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (L)
• 2-3 oz crumbled goat cheese (L)
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 servings pasta

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add pasta to water and allow to cook until al dente.

Heat a large frying pan.  Thinly slice sausage and add to pan.  Allow to cook until just starting to brown.  Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms just start to brown.  They should still be firm.  Add turnip tops and saute until they are wilted.  Add cream, and cook until hot.  Add cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted.  Add cayenne and stir, then add pasta and stir to combine.

Falling Off the Wagon Never Tasted So Good.

In my opinion, I have been doing really well in my locavore eating habits.  Not including things that were already in my house before starting, spices, olive oil, and wine, I haven't been eating much not grown locally.  Orange juice, fruit, yogurt, cereal... I haven't really been able to find these things locally.  I know that fruit will get better as it gets warmer, and I have a plan to try to make my own yogurt...

But today was a stressful day, and I cheated.  I'll admit it - I cheated.  I bought a portabella mushroom from the grocery store because I didn't have time to go to the farmer's market last week and I wanted a stuffed mushroom.  And I bought pasta from the grocery store instead of making it myself.  AND it wasn't even good pasta.  Plain, white, bad for me pasta.  According to Alton Brown, American Comfort Food is "in no particular order, ooey, gooey, cheesy, fatty, saucy, and starchy."  He was talking about lasagna.  But I think I've got all my bases covered too.

But that's okay.  I'm a stress eater and I admit it.  On top of that, I had my braces tightened yesterday (and I mean REALLY tightened), so I couldn't really eat much of anything.  I wanted mac & cheese, and I wanted a stuffed mushroom.  As I said in my first post, this isn't about me depriving myself, it's about thinking ahead, learning how to make more from less, and supporting local business. 

And I did make this meal as local as possible.  I used a new product I just found: Rushing Waters Trout Spread.  Rushing Waters is a trout farm about 45 miles west of where I live, and I have seen their products in the fish case at my local grocery store, but I've never tried them.  They also offer salmon spread (although the salmon isn't local), smoked trout and salmon, and fresh trout.  I haven't tried their fish yet, but am planning on ordering some. All of the cheese was also local.

Macaroni and Cheese is one of my favorite dishes.  I know it's not good for me, but it makes me so happy!  I have a secret, proprietary blend of cheeses that I use for my mac & cheese.  I call it: whatever I have in my fridge that is molding.  It's a great way to use up the cheese; just cut off the mold and go!

Trout and Goat Cheese Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Cap: 

(for 1 serving)

• 1 portabella mushroom cap, washed or brushed clean - depending on your preference for cleaning mushrooms
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 tbsp Rushing Waters Smoked Trout Spread (local)
• 1-2 oz goat Cheese (local)
• Fresh Chives (from my garden!)

Remove stem from mushroom, cutting a small, shallow hole into the cap.  Drizzle mushroom cap with olive oil and season with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Stuff trout spread into the hole in the cap, and top with goat cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melty and the mushroom is soft.  Broil for 5 minutes until cheese gets a little golden on top.  Top with chives.

Kate's Super Secret Mac and Cheese Recipe

• 8 oz pasta (I like shells because they hold the cheese inside of them... but you could use anything.  I don't know how I could possibly make shell pasta mayself)
• 2 tbsp butter (local)
• 1/4 cup milk or heavy cream - it's not like this is trying to be good for you.  Why not use the cream! (local)  
• 2 cups shredded cheese - this time I used cheddar, Munster, goat, the brilliantly named Menage Cheese (it's a blend of cow, goat, and sheep milk), and a small block of a hard white cheese with about a quarter inch of mold on the outside of it.  I guess I can't guarantee that one was local.  I'm pretty sure it was cheese, though.

Cook pasta in a pot of salted, boiling water.  While it is cooking shred cheese.  Melt butter in a large frying pan and then add cream.  Cook, stirring constantly, until it is hot but not boiling.  Add cheese and stir until melted.  Stir in cooked pasta.

Some times, I will add more cheese and/or garlic breadcrumbs to the top of this and then broil until it is melty, but you can eat it as is too.  This is a very versatile recipe, and takes any additional ingredients well: chicken, sausage, mushrooms, broccoli, etc.  Whatever you want.  Just mix it in with the noodles and eat!

A Cornucopia of Spring Time Goodness! Grilled Buffalo, Daikon and Watercress Salad with Goat Cheese and Apple Cider Vinegarette, and Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

This week was a local food roller-coaster!  On Saturday I had to teach Tamarind's Saturday class at 10, so I got up extra early to go to the winter farmer's market - only to find there was almost NOTHING there.  Meat, yes; but no vegetables!  In my mind, starting this project on the first of spring meant that things would be rough at first, but that each week would get easier.  That has not been the case so far.  I ended up leaving the market with two dozen eggs and a pound of mixed mushrooms.  

So I stopped at the Outpost on the way home.  Their local selection, while more than nothing, was also not promising:  Red and green cabbage, rutabagas, celery root, daikon radishes, parsnips, watercress, and salad greens.  Sounds like a vegetarian episode of chopped!  So, I got a few parsnips, a daikon radish, a rutabaga, and a package of watercress.  I have made parsnips before, but had no idea what to do with the rest of it.

Saturday I also had an all day performance at the Domes, which is one of my favorite shows that Tamarind does every year, but since it's all day in costume and in the heat of the tropical dome, there is no cooking (or real moving of any kind) afterward.  Dinner was the last of the spaghetti in my freezer, along with leftover homemade pasta from earlier in the week.  I had frozen some, and it cooked up nicely so I was quite pleased.

Sunday, though, it was gorgeous out.  I believe we hit a high of 84, which is almost unheard of in April in Wisconsin.  A perfect day to cook out on the grill, and then have a fire in the chimnea at night.

 The buffalo was awesome!  I've never had a buffalo steak before, and it was so much leaner than beef - but not chewy or tough.  I grilled them medium rare, which I would recomend.  I think overcooking them would quickly turn them into a shoe!  The parsnips and sweet potatoes were sweet and creamy - but not so much smooth.  I actually prefer a chunky mashed potato, but if you like yours whipped I think you'd have to do something more to these.

But my biggest surprise came from the salad.  The daikon/carrot/onion combination was tangy and spicy, the watercress was crunchy and peppery, the dressing was sweet, and the goat cheese was smooth and creamy.  I don't know that I've never had a daikon radish outside of garnishes at Japanese restaurants, I had no idea what I was going to do with it when I bought it, and I am so, so, SO pleased with how it turned out.  It was the perfect spring salad!


Daikon and Watercress Salad with Goat Cheese

• 1 daikon radish, julienned (local)
• 3-4 carrots, julienned (or enough to be about the same amount as the daikon) (local)
• 1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly (local)
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

•  1 cup washed watercress (local)
• 1 cup washed mixed spring greens (local)
• crumbled goat cheese (local)

Mix daikon, carrots, and onion in a small bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.

Combine watercress and mixed greens, and portion out.  Top each portion with a small handful of daikon, carrots, and onions, then top that with the goat cheese.  Dress with...

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
(modified from epicurious.com)

• 1 cup apple cider (local)
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar (not local, but already in my house)
• 2 tbsp honey (local)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine all items in a tightly closing jar.  Shake jar to combine.  This tastes even better on day two!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

• 2 medium parsnips (local)
• 2 medium sweet potatoes (not local, but in my pantry)
• Salt and pepper
• Butter (local)
• Milk (local)
• Honey (local) (optional)

Wash and peel parsnips and sweet potatoes, and cut into approximately 1/2 inch slices.  Add to a large pot and cover with cold water.  Add salt to the pot, and bring to a boil.  Cook until parsnips and potatoes are soft when pricked with a fork.  Drain water, and mash with butter and milk.  Taste, and add salt and pepper.  I thought that they needed to be just a little sweeter, so I added about a tbsp of honey.

Grilled Buffalo New York Strip Steaks

• 2 Buffalo New York Strip Steaks (local)
• Minced Garlic (local)
• Minced Chives (coming up in the garden!  Go Spring!!)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• A generous drizzle of olive oil

Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of a glass baking pan large enough to hold both steaks.  Add garlic and chives to the olive oil, and whisk.  Add steaks to the oil and turn so they are well coated.  Allow steaks to rest in the oil at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, turning occasionally to coat.  Grill over medium high heat for approximately 5 minutes a side, or until medium rare.  Allow steaks to rest at least 5 minutes before cutting into.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms

For my birthday this year, my husband got me one of those pasta makers that you hook up to your KitchenAid stand mixers.  I had a pasta roller previously, and made pasta on occasion, but I could never figure out how to crank the dang thing and hold on to my pasta.  Which means he had to help.  So I'm pretty sure he got me this one so I could do the whole thing myself while he sat on the couch.  He's a smart boy.

Anyway, it worked like a charm!  I was especially pleased by the pasta recipes that came with the instruction manual - not for the recipes themselves, but for the directions.  I have always done the traditional make a well with the flour, break the eggs into it, etc., but these directions just said to put everything in the stand mixer bowl and use the dough hook.  I personally couldn't taste the difference and it was SO much easier.  (Somewhere, someone's Italian Grandmother is rolling over in her grave... but not mine.  First, because she's not dead.  And second, because she's all about saving time!).

So I made basically the equivalent of fettuccine, which came out very nicely, and I had enough left over to freeze about three servings - so we'll see how that works out later.

The salmon itself was not caught or grown locally, but it was processed locally at Rushing Waters.  Apparently the grocery store "can't" sell their smoked trout, which is local.  The guy working behind the fish counter didn't want to elaborate.

Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms

• Pasta (about two servings worth)
• Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic (I found more local garlic!! YAY!!)
• 1/2 lb. mixed mushrooms
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup white wine - preferably something a little more acidic, like a pinot gris
• 4-5 big handfuls spinach, chopped roughly
• 1 fillet smoked salmon, skin removed and chopped roughly
• 3 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper

 Cook the pasta according to the directions (or make your own.  It's not so hard!)  Meanwhile, saute onions and garlic in a large frying pan.  Add mushrooms and cook until they just start to brown.  Add butter and white wine, and bring to a simmer.  Remove from heat and add spinach, stirring until spinach is wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add pasta and salmon and stir to combine, until pasta is nicely coated and the salmon is warmed.  Add goat cheese and stir once more.  The goat cheese should just start to melt, but should not blend totally into the sauce.

Top with freshly ground pepper if desired.

If I would have had them, I would have added tomatoes to this as well.  They would have added color and a nice texture.  Next time!

Total non-local ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Wine