Saturday Morning Chef

So, Saturday morning has become my cooking day. I did a cassoulet last week (I'm working on the post) and a quiche yesterday. I find the routine to be comforting, but I do wish I had someone in the kitchen to keep me company. I'm guessing I'll have to settle for a Mother's Day request of an ipod dock so I can listen to music, at the very least. Of course, an ipod dock won't do me much good without an ipod...

Nonetheless, the cooking continues, with or without company. And if I don't get company soon, I may as well add a freezer to my Mother's Day list!

Saturday Morning Chef

Today I made a quiche from scratch. I’m still working on the whole portion thing, but in my life, the easiest thing to do is make extra and freeze. This recipe makes two quiche with dough for four.

 

A word about the crust. As I age I’m prone to repeating myself, so if you’ve heard this before, I beg your pardon. I am no baker. I love to cook, which I consider an art form, but baking is a science. My sister is a fantastic baker, but I’m the cook (no pun intended) of the family. That said, I’m trying to branch out and take some risks. I recently learned to make lemon sugar cookies without burning them (a big deal for me!). Thus it was I came across a great starter site for crusts. According to Perfect Pie Crusts at allrecipes.com , you need only four ingredients to make a great pie crust: flour, fat, water and salt. And by “water” they mean “liquid.”

I wanted to make a Piggery-based quiche, so I chose bacon lard as my fat. I had a bit of leftover sour cream (the liquidy part), so I used a quarter cup mixed with a quarter cup water. I was in a bit of a hurry, so rolling out the dough was not perfect (but you can see from the picture that the crust still looks okay); ideally, I would have let the dough cool another hour or so, instead of the 20-30 minutes I gave it to set.

Spinach & Ham Quiche

For the crust:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 2/3 cups pork lard
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 sour cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Mix or sift dry ingredients together. Cut in lard until course. Remember that lard melts very easily, so if your kitchen is warm, you may want to pop this mixture into the fridge for a bit. In a separate dish, combine water and sour cream until smooth. Beat in egg and vinegar. Make sure liquid mixture is cold enough that it won’t melt the lard, then mix liquid in until dough forms a ball. If ball is solid enough, divide into four pieces and refrigerate. Excess dough can be wrapped and frozen for future use.

When you are ready to bake, remove ball of dough (one at a time) from fridge and roll out on a flour-covered surface. If you are an expert at making dough, you don’t need this piece of advice: Fold flattened dough into quarters for easier movement to an 8- or 9-inch baking dish (I didn’t grease mine, but I did add some flour to keep the dough from sticking). For the quiche recipe below, you’ll need to do this twice.

For the quiche:

• 3 cups diced fresh ham (I used my “ends” from the Piggery)
• 10 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• Optional spicy ingredient (more on this below)
• 5-6 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Mozarella
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

If you haven’t already done so, chop and place into quiche crust (evenly dividing the ingredients between the two pies) in this order: ham, spinach, green onion, optional spicy add-on*, and mixed cheddar and mozzarella (preferably both are freshly shredded).

*I like a bit of “zing” to my food. I also like to use up stuff from my kitchen that might not stand well on its own. Thus it was I came upon some incredibly spicy pickles. These were the kinds of things that no one in a sober state would ever eat. I diced into relish size about ¼ cup and added this into the pies.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, and salt and pepper to taste (I used very little salt, since the ham was cured). Pour over the quiche ingredients. The top of the ingredients should just be moist, not covered. You may want to use a rubber spatula to spread the egg mixture.

Cook for 20 minutes and then sprinkle on 1/8 cup (per quiche) grated Parmesan. Cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes until quiche can be cut with a knife (from center). Do not burn your quiche! Crust should be puffy and brown, not overcooked.

If serving at a meal other than breakfast, a nice side of greens with a light vinaigrette complements a quiche quite well.

Eating my share (03.11.11)

So, I admit to being a bit lazy today. It's a Friday night and I had a really busy work week, having just started a new in-house gig (on top of my other writing assignments). On nights like these, I fall off the whole foods (NOT the grocery, thank you very much) bandwagon and look for some short cuts. Well, opportunity is a dish best served cold. Or something like that.

As I was heading off to my CSA meat distribution yesterday afternoon, two very nice ladies were handing out what appeared to be free samples of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I generally buy this brand because it's easy and my kids like it (sometimes we make allowances; I get the fresh baked bagels, then schmeer with the Philly brand). When I finally got home (several hours later), I realized that what I had been handed was a new mass-produced product, a sauce, from the makers of the ubiquitous cream cheese. I hesitated, but after reading the ingredients (milk, water, whey protein... I had to get to the 12th ingredient before I found anything suspect, i.e. maltodextrine), I thought maybe this could pass the Velveeta test (that's what I consider the worst food we'll consume; it's saved for those really bad mommy days where the kids are in a bad mood and I'm in a worse mood... out comes the Velveeta shells and cheese, although, in my defense, I usually slice in some nitrate-free hotdog).

Thus it was, I managed the following recipe. It turned out really well. A nice end to the winter season (although maybe not appropriate for a Friday during Lent!).

Garlic Pork Casserole

• 2-3 medium grass-fed pork chops (de-boned)
• 1 1/2 cups short grain brown (or your favorite) rice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 container Savory Garlic Philadelphia-brand Cooking Cream
• 1 cup chicken broth + 1 cup water
  
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

In a saute pan, flash grill the pork chop until slightly brown. Cut into small pieces and remove from heat. Turn oven on to 400 degrees.

I like cooking in a Romertoff clay cooker, but any covered casserole dish will do. Put in rice and stir in peas and sauce until well distributed.Combine chicken broth with 1 cup water. Mix into rice mixture. Add meat. Stir in with salt & pepper.

Cook in oven for 30 minutes, then stir. Another 30 minutes should have the rice fully cooked (you may want to "peek" after 20 minutes to make sure rice is not overdone. Serve with garlic knots.

Just Food's 11th Annual CSA in NYC Conference

This past Saturday was Just Food's 11th (and my 2nd) CSA in NYC Conference. I spoke with Jacquie Berger at the Expo, and she said the biggest complaint she heard this year was, "There were too many workshop options to choose from!" I told her that I thought that's the best kind of problem to have, but I admit that I have to agree. I wanted to attend no fewer than five of the AM workshops and had bulleted three of the afternoon sessions. In the end, I let my extracurricular obligations dictate my attendance.

Thus, in the morning, as a staff representative for GetDirtyNYC, I went to the Urban Food Production panel, where John Ameroso (Cornell University), Aley Kent (Heifer International), Kristen Schafenacker (Added Value), and Anastasia Cole (Brooklyn Grange) all spoke about urban agriculture projects going on in the five boroughs. John carefully explained the evolution of growing food in the city, beginning with community gardens that were meant mostly for individual consumption during a time when the cost of living in NYC was even worse (if you can believe it) and community gardens allowed people access to affordable food. Next came the idea of an urban garden, whereby a group of people farmed collectively, perhaps sharing the various crops among their garden community. Finally, there now is urban agriculture, which is all about production and growing food more efficiently with an aim to feed people who are not necessarily working the farm.

Interestly, the morning keynote was given by Roxbury Farm's Jean-Paul Courtens, who gave several pertinent statistics about small farms and the global food supply. Among the more surprising figures was that seven percent of the world's food supply is provided by urban gardens. The work being done by the urban agriculturists backs up this statistic. (On a side note, 12 percent of the world's food supply comes from hunting/foraging; nearly 50 percent comes from 1.5 billion family or "peasant" farms.)

In the afternoon session, I joined in with Cathy Erway and Hungry Filmmakers as the representative of Jimmy's No. 43. Technical issues aside (next year, I'll bring my speakers so Cathy doesn't have to hold a microphone over the computer!), the biggest problem was all thse great short films couldn't be viewed in a one-hour, 15-minute timeslot. However, those who are interested to find out what is going on with the media should definitely join Hungry Filmmakers on May 11 for their next viewing/talkback.

The favorite part of every Just Food CSA in NYC Conference is the farmer panel. John-Paul was joined by Chris Cashen (The Farm at Miller's Crossing), Zaid Kudieh (Norwich Meadows Farm), and Elizabeth Henderson (Peacework Farm and NOFA). Among the many serious issues discussed, there were some moments of levity and tenderness, as these farmers spoke of the bonding that takes place between them and their significant others while running a family farm. (Elizabeth got the biggest laugh of the day, however, when she admitted that she preferred not working with a "pillow partner.")

The Expo gave us all a chance to mingle over Brooklyn Brewery and Kelso beer, Clover Bee Foods chocolate truffles, lovely cheeses, and wine from Upstate Wine Co., among many others. Because I love that this conference is so affordable ($15 for members, and that includes lunch!), I'll give a shout out to Jarden Home Brands (makers of Ball Brand), which was the main sponsor of the conference.

The long absence

I know I have neglected this blog terribly! However, I check in today because I want to emphasize the importance of CSAs and locally grown food. My daughter, who is nearly an adult, decided to support a cause with a monthly contribution from her own account. I was proud of her that she made a choice like this. It was a token amount, but I pointed out to her that the amount is not as important as the impact.

I support three CSAs not because it is cheaper for me to buy my groceries this way (it isn't) or easier than shopping at Whole Paycheck (it isn't) but because I believe that buying American food from small local farms benefits my country, my family and my conscience.

It isn't always an easy choice, but I want to ask everyone who is struggling to demand from everyone who is prospering to buy local food. Our welfare depends on locally grown, sustainable food. Take pride in what we are as a people and buy local!

Eating My Share (8.31.10)

Back to basics.

First off, an apology. My lack of posts had more to do with August travels than the hazy lazy daze of late summer. (If you click on my profile, you can see what I was up to in my new travel blog.) Missing posts aside, it's time to get back to work.

Sometimes eating a CSA share is all about keeping it simple. The great thing about the three "s's" - soups, salads and salsas - is that they use up a large portion of your share without being horribly labor intensive. You pretty much clean your veggies (which you should be doing regardless), chop and mix together. Minimum creativity for maximum effect.

This is really a two-fer, as the photos were taken over the course of two distributions. The week of August 24 brought rain and cooler temperatures, and as I had just returned from a week out west, most of my veggies were looking a little soggy. That is the perfect time to bring out the stockpot. Because I had been traveling, my supplies were depleted, and I could actually see the back of my freezer. In it were several ziplock bags filled with greens. Remember that smoked hock bone I was saving? Found that, too. Into a pot of water it all went. For two days on low.

Ideally, you want to cook mammal bones for three days to get all the nutrients out, but this really requires a crock pot, something I do not own. So, I let my soup simmer on the back burner for two days (turning it off at night; it was still quite warm by the next morning, although being an insomniac limited the time my stock was unheated). The result was a nice rich broth, even before I added any seasoning. I simply strained the stock of the meat, bones and limp greens, and to it I added carrots, cabbage, chives and chicken. I called it "C Soup."

Next came the salad, a mix of green and red leaf lettuce along with green onion, cauliflower, mild peppers, tomatoes and cucumber. I added a basic dressing of apple cider vinegar and olive oil; sonny took his salad with Ranch (of course! hey, just a spoonful of high fructose corn syrup makes the vegetables go down!).

Finally, this week it was tomatillo time. This little vegetable is a toughie. If you aren't used to it, knowing how to use it can be a challenge. I take it easy and go for the salsa verde (recipe below). I add it to eggs or lettuce or garnish meat dishes.

And all three leave room for leftovers (I actually froze a good bit of the soup for later consumption). Et voila, le dîner est servi!

Salsa (almost) Verde

All items should be chopped and then mixed together; add olive oil last.

• About two dozen tomatillos
  
• 1 bunch fresh pipicha, cleaned from stem (or cilantro, if pipicha unavailable)
  
• 1/2 red onion (medium-large)
  
• 1 whole tomato (large)
  
• 6 small poblano peppers
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Eating My Share (8.10.10)

Well, it was just two days ago when I was bemoaning my lack of culinary inspiration. Sometimes what you need for inspiration is nothing more than your share itself. Okay, your share, and maybe a trip to the grocery on an empty stomach.

I needed to pick up some sundries (okay, cat food and toilet paper, for the curious among you), which generally must deviate from my locavore commitment (I will never give up commercial grade toilet paper, thank you very much). There is a Food Emporium (for those of you not from New York City, that isn't nearly as nice as the name implies) right next to the park in Tribeca where I pick up my Tuesday CSA share.

I must've hit the store at just the right moment, because as soon as I got there, the aroma from the deli on the opposite end hit my nostrils and I was instantly starving. Happy to find the pet food in the paper products aisle, I was going to make a bee-line for the door. Then I thought, why make life more difficult for myself? The rotisserie roast chicken smelled heavenly, and I knew I wanted to maximize my vegetables. I figured, some chicken with a heaping side of vegetables would make a good dinner.

Inspiration part one, done.

When you sign up for a CSA, you take the bad with the good. Weather is usually the big culprit that interferes with a nice distribution. Tractor trailers can give weather a run for its disruptive money. Particularly when it hits your farmer's van. While your farmer and his wife are in it! Thus it was this past Monday that Pedro and his wife were hit by an 18 wheeler and happily were not badly harmed. However, they did have to go to hospital for a bit, which cut into their harvest time. Our share was pretty basic as a result: corn, cabbage, carrots, onions, cilantro, chives, lemongrass and... wait for it...

THE SEASON'S FIRST TOMATOES!

Can anyone say, "corn salsa?" So from a fairly unglamorous share came my inspiration to forgo the side dish and to garnish the chicken with salsa. The leftovers make for great tortilla chip dippin' or to go with quesadillas or any other protein.

Wishing a speedy recovery to Pedro's van, giving thanks for his health and this week's meal.

Dinner is served!

Chicken with Corn Salsa

Chicken can be roasted, grilled, rotisseried or purchased hot from your local deli

• 3 ears of corn, cooked (rinse to make cool to the touch)
  
• 3 medium-to-large tomatoes
  
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  
• 1 whole white or red onion (medium-large)
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• salt to taste (I used about one teaspoon of sea salt)
• sour cream (optional)
• fresh chives for garnish (optional)
  

While corn is cooking, dice tomatoes, onions, cilantro and garlic. Mix in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and a bit of salt (to taste). If you can allow this part of the salsa to sit for a bit, the flavor will be stronger.

When corn is cooked, run under cold water to cool. With a good knife, cut the kernels away from the cob (I used a large plate to catch all the kernels). Fold corn into tomato mixture.

Slice portions of the chicken. Add salsa to the top. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream topped with fresh chives.

The Dog Days of Summer

So, my goal at the start of the summer was to eat all my share. I'm on week eight, and I have to admit to feeling overwhelmed. I had a great time last week, being out in the countryside with access to a grill. I coated my ears of corn with olive oil and put them on the top shelf of my gas grill (on the bottom shelf were my St. Louis ribs from The Piggery). The food was fresh and beautifully prepared.

However, now I'm back in the big Bad Apple, and I don't have a grill. I don't have any new recipes. It's too hot for soup (even cold soups start with a hot kitchen). I find myself in a kind of frittata purgatory: Yes, eggs and veggies will use up my share, but it lacks any joy of cooking.

I think this is what causes many people not to renew their CSA shares, or to reduce their commitment to a half-share. It's just really tough to get through all these veggies every week. I think the reality is that we have gotten so far away from our nature, that we have evolved to processed foodies. With all these vegetables filling my fridge and erupting out onto my (limited) counters, I am actually craving processed carbohydrates! I see my half-eaten head of cauliflower and my bright orange (now much thicker than the spring garden variety) carrots, and I just cannot fathom eating them all. How sad that modern American eating is leading me to disparage my abundance.

The irony is that I was one of the late arrivals at the CSA last week and I missed out on the Calabaza squash. I've been reading recipes passed along through our CSA message board, and I'm angry that I don't have a Calabaza squash in my inventory. I keep mourning my absent Calabaza (I had to google it for goodness' sake, just to know what it was I was missing!), while my new five ears of corn languish beside baby eggplant (I sauteed about half of them), red onions, mint, cilantro (I manged to make it through all my papalo thanks to the frittatas) and the aforementioned "c" veggies. If only I had my Calabaza, no doubt I would have finished all my carrots and cauliflower!

I admit to pangs of guilt over all the waste. However, if I am to be fair, I am doing a much better job this summer in eating my share than I did last year (with one more mouth to feed; this year my family is down to three). If my goal was to eat more of my food, well, I am still striving toward that goal and am largely succeeding.

I think for next year, I will take some classes this winter (when I will, no doubt, be missing far more than my phantom Calabaza) to learn properly to freeze, pickle and store extra veggies for the non-growing months. It's a process, and I have to take it one lesson (and one share) at a time.