Cranberries in December

First, let me apologize for not having posted anything in a few weeks.  I've been having a difficult time with the early darkness of winter, as I always do at this time of year.  I have been trying to accept the cold, but I need the sun to help me out a little, too.

Also, it's difficult to cook a dish and photograph it before I lose natural light.

But enough with the excuses.  Let's bring some of that brightness we're craving back into the kitchen.

During Thanksgiving this year, I learned how to roast a turkey (!). This is a first for me, because I had been a vegetarian for the previous couple of decades.  My aunt Lynne usually hosts Thanksgiving and  texted me a while back so see if I would eat turkey along with everyone else if she purchased a sustainably-raised one.  I gladly accepted this offer and jumped at the chance to actually learn how to cook a turkey.

While our family has a set of traditional dishes at Thanksgiving, like the turkey and fixings, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetable sides, and my beloved cranberry sauce, the way in which each is prepared changes each year.  This is wonderful for us home cooks, because we get to try out new dishes and flavors.  Our menu is always current and accommodating (last year I wrote about cooking for a group with various dietary needs).

Cranberry sauce from a can is absolutely delicious.  But it's also easy to make from scratch and can be varied endlessly.  Aunt Lynne made a cranberry chutney this year, more savory than sweet.  Of course I wanted the recipe - it called for a reprise during Christmas!

I'm hosting a smaller group of family for Christmas this week.  I'm so excited that I planned a seven course meal and maybe even a "table scape."  Okay, not really a table scape, but I do have a tablecloth and matching napkins. And a table and chairs, if I remember to bring them in from the patio in time to warm to room temperature.

Part of this meal is a cheese plate with olives, crackers, and this festive cranberry chutney. You can make it in about a half hour and hardly need to pay that much attention.  If you have been crazy with holiday get-togethers and have been charged with bringing an appetizer to one, I encourage you to steal this idea. No one will be disappointed, except Grinches.

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

• 4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 T. ginger root, minced
• 2 t. mustard seed
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 t. salt

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Put on high heat until simmering, then reduce to low. Simmer until thickened and cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Allow to cool, transfer to fancy serving bowl, and think of all the possibilities!

Radicchio: Garden Series Part X

This will likely wrap up my 2013 garden series, which I'm happy to report was ten posts in total.

I finally made it out to the garden to clean it up a couple weeks ago, before the real winter weather rolled in. Under the mass of dried and dead tomato vines and the pole bean hedge, I found that I still had plenty of Swiss chard, sage, parsley, and thyme (no rosemary).  And radicchio!  What a beauty!

In standard store-bought salad mixes, I am not a huge fan of the thick, bitter leaves.  And although Italian eat radicchio regularly (hence its Italian name- and those are hard Cs there), I totally grew this one for its looks and it didn't disappoint.  It starts out as a hardy green that forms a head.  At one point, I tried sautéing these green leaves with salt and olive oil, but the dish was too bitter to eat - so much so, I started to wonder if the plant is actually poisonous at this stage.

Then I left the plants to themselves and they started turning their famous deep purple at the veins and edges. Quite beautiful, really.  I decided that once they turned full purple, I would try grilling or braising them... something to get some char on the cut side and to be served with vinaigrette.  It worked.

SIMPLE RADICCHIO, BROWNED AND DRESSED

• 1 small head radicchio (or endive or romaine hearts)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 t. dijon mustard
• More salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, to garnish (optional)
• Polenta-No Burns, No Mess (optional serving suggestion)

Peel outer leaves off of the radicchio until you reach the clean, tight inner leaves.  Trim stem end and slice lengthwise in half.

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet (this skillet should have a lid that fits it for later) over medium-high heat.  Once hot, place the radicchio in the skillet, cut sides down.  Allow to sizzle for a minute, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Allow to cook for about 2-3 minutes and turn off heat. The radicchio will release a lot of moisture, so to avoid oil splatter, you can leave the skillet covered until sizzling subsides.

Meanwhile, put 1/4 cup olive oil and vinegar into a Mason jar or similar container. Add mustard, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.  Seal jar and shake well.

Remove the radicchio from skillet using tongs and place on top of polenta (or by itself on a plate). Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with vinaigrette (you'll have plenty leftover for future salads), and top with parmesan. The radicchio will still be slightly bitter, but should be balanced with the vinaigrette and have some nice, crispy edges from the browning.  Enjoy!

That's Entertainment! Or, Garden Series, Part IX: Corn

The past week was full of entertainment!

I went to a play reading, started one of those free trial months on Netflix (turns out it still isn't for me), went to see Thor: The Dark World, and watched the Broncos defeat the Chargers.  I had popcorn more than once and decided that you all might like to see about growing and making your own popcorn.  It's fun!

I decided that growing regular corn does not really work in my garden.  It takes up too much space to get a reasonable amount and there is about a one-day window to harvest and eat it in the proper stage, if you choose to grow an heirloom variety, which I do.  Popcorn varieties, on the other hand, tend to be a little smaller and you just leave them out there until the stalks start to dry out.  And say a little prayer that the squirrels don't figure out how to peel back the husks (hint: don't help them by checking the ears of corn).

I grow a variety called "Strawberry Popcorn" - named for its brilliant red kernel color.  It's an heirloom variety and the seeds save very well.  It grows to about four feet and each stalk produces two small ears and the kernels pop up small and bright white.  This year, I gave regular eating corn another chance, but had I given over the space I had for corn to just popcorn, I think I would have had a decent stock for winter.  The eating corn I grew is "Rainbow Inca" (shown below) and is quite pretty.  It has an honest corn flavor, but goes to starch about two days before I try it every year ("dent" stage, as can be seen by the dents in the tops of the kernels).  Very gummy.

Popcorn is such an entertainment food!  It can serve the needs of a variety of dietary restrictions and almost everyone loves it.  Today is not so much a recipe - it's pretty basic, but a reminder to give it a try and dream up possibilities with it.  I like the standard buttered and salted popcorn, but also love adding jalapeño powder, chocolate drizzle, or dried fruit.  I have a friend who adds a milder chili powder and truffle oil to great results. Pets also like popcorn, which to their delight inevitably gets dropped on the floor during snacking.

POPCORN

• 3 parts popcorn kernels
• 1 part oil or fat of choice - plain vegetable, olive oil, or combination with flavored oils
• Salt to taste
• Extras! (see suggestions below)

Place oil and kernels in a popcorn maker (I have a super-seventies one with a butter drip container built into the lid), plug in, and allow to pop.  Unplug the maker when the popping subsides.  I have never actually made popcorn on the stovetop, but I found great instructions here.

EXTRAS

• melted butter and salt
• jalapeño powder, chili powder, chili spice blends
• melted chocolate, drizzled over top and allowed to harden
• nuts and dried fruit
• mini pretzels and peanuts
• paprika and minced fresh herbs
• cumin and/or garam masala
• grated parmesan or other hard cheese
• toasted sesame seeds and/or nori strips
• za'atar
• caramel corn (I have not attempted this yet, but I do love it)
• mix into homemade granola-nut bars (an idea I have for an upcoming post)

Any special additions that you like?  Please, please, please, put them in the comments - I love collecting new ideas!  Now go make popcorn and be entertained!

Apples + Onions

Apples sautéed with onions is quite possibly one of my favorite combinations.

Throw in some browned butter, sage, chèvre, and toast and you have a delicious appetizer - or, in my case, breakfast.  Something about this is reminiscent of stuffing (probably the onions and sage) and everything about this says fall.  Heck, I picked the sage from my Mid-Autumn garden this morning.

Speaking of fall, the trees on the south side of my home have begun dropping leaves!  This is exciting, because I can start taking food photos inside again.  Yeah, yeah, it was seventy-two degrees yesterday, but I wrote this post this morning and the high today is in the forties.  Not bad, but it's nice to keep my breakfast indoors and eat it while it's hot.  Plus, I have a cold.  Or allergies.  I still haven't decided three days into it.

After making these crostini, I realized that the apple-onion-sage combo would also make just about the best home fries ever.  Tossing a couple chopped potatoes (all standard or combined with sweet potatoes) along with the onions would be fantastic.  Something to think about for your next, ahem, dinner party (Thanksgiving side dish).

*Side Note: I use tags and labels for every post, along with putting links to each in the Recipe Index. Recently, I have been trying to tag everything that is vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, but also want to include tags when each is just an option.  Today, for instance, the butter can be switched for olive oil and the cheese left off.  And with crostini, gluten-free bread isn't so bad. I plan to update the Recipe Index to include separate sections for these categories, too.  Librarian-ed.

APPLE ONION CROSTINI

• 1/4 cup butter, separated
• Sprig of fresh sage, with about 8-10 leaves
• 1 onion, sliced thinly hull-to-hull
• 2 apples
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 6-8 slices good-quality, artisan-style bread
• Chèvre, to top

After rinsing sage, separate into individual leaves and dry thoroughly between the layers of a dish towel. Set aside while melting three tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.

Once the butter is melted and starting to foam, add the sage leaves.  Allow them to crisp up and became fully saturated with the butter.  If the butter starts to brown, that's great!  Turn the heat to low until the sage is cooked (or take off the heat if using an electric stove).  The whole process can take a few minutes.

Remove the sage leaves to a paper towel and set aside.  Add sliced onions to the skillet and turn up the heat to medium-high.  Salt the onions to help them break down and develop flavor.  Tossing only occasionally, allow the onions to soften and begin to brown.  While you are waiting for them to cook, dice the apples, then add them to the skillet.

I pretty much always use a non-stick skillet, but also love some browning.  To achieve this in a non-stick skillet, resist the temptation to stir often.  I tend to toss ingredients in the pan once every few minutes.  During the few-minutes-waiting-periods, butter the bread slices with the remaining tablespoon of butter and place under a broiler for about 3 minutes, until toasted and golden, depending on your broiler.  Of course, if you have an actual toaster, you can use that, too, logically buttering the toast afterwards.  No kitchen fires, please.

When the apples and onions are softened and some edges are browned, turn off heat and stir in apple cider vinegar.  Divide the mixture evenly over the toasts and top each with chèvre and fried sage leaves. Serve warm.

The Best Beets

Beets are one of those vegetables that make people think, "Oh, do I have to?"

While I've never disliked beets and have always been in love with their color, I was never really into them until I had this salad.  Beets and walnuts make such a lovely combination!  The tender beets, toasted nuts, and bright vinaigrette may just change beets for you, too.

Growing up, my experience with beets was mostly limited to my mom's "Blender Borscht," a chilled, smooth, and hot pink soup we would have alongside knaidlach.  This is also a very good way to eat beets, but it's not my go-to. The reason is not that I don't like it, because I do, but just that I forget about it.  It does require a blender and since I didn't have one for a long time, the borscht made a permanent home in the back of my mind...kind of like how I ignore recipes that require a microwave. However, I have a blender now and that borscht would make beautiful photos for this blog!

But back to the excellent salad...

BEET SALAD

• 1# beets, with their greens
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 T. balsamic vinegar
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 3 T. olive oil (or combination with walnut oil, if you have it)
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 cup parsley
• Fresh baby spinach or mixed greens, for serving
• Blue cheese, chèvre, or feta, to top

Remove greens and scrub beets well. Place them in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Wash a few of the greens, chop and set aside.  Bring the beets to a boil and cook for about an hour, until tender.  You can cover the pan if there is enough space between the water level and the top, or keep an eye on the pot and add water as the beets are exposed.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts over low heat, allow to cool, chop coarsely, and set aside in a large bowl. In a small bowl (or measuring cup), combine vinegars, oil(s), and salt.  Set aside. 

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and parboil onions until just translucent, about two or three minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse well with cold water - even the extra-pungent onion I had smelled sweet and fresh and almost floral after parboiling!  Add the well drained onions to the vinaigrette.  While this is not absolutely necessary, I found that in the vinaigrette was a convenient place to keep the onions while waiting for the beets. They also picked up a little extra tartness from the vinegar, which was so nice.

Chop the parsley and add to the bowl with the walnuts, along with the chopped beet greens.

When the beets are fork tender, strain in a colander and run them under cold water.  Peel the beets and chop into large dice.  You could also do slices, but as I have mentioned before, I do not like unwieldy bites of messy foods. Respect your diner (even if that's you)!

Add the beets to the large bowl with the walnuts and greens.  Pour over the vinaigrette and onions and stir to combine well.  Allow to sit for about a half hour, to allow flavors to meld, but you can skip this step if you're hungry and need to get dinner on the table.

Serve over a bed of mixed greens and top with your choice of cheese.  I used blue cheese here, but feta is really great.  The supermarket closest to me only had dry, mediocre feta. Boo.  I love chèvre on pretty much everything. Enjoy your delicious beets!

*Oh, and remember that you had beets later on when you have to pee. (*Sighs with relief.*)

Japanese Pickled Ginger and Sushi at Home. Sort of...

Like many, one of my favorite meals out is sushi.  I have made (vegetarian) sushi at home, too, which is a lot of fun, but also an event.

When I'm wanting the flavor of sushi without the cost of going out or all the work, I make "Sushi Salad."  It satisfies my craving and is fairly easy to make.  It does call for a few specialty ingredients, like the pickled ginger that is a standard at sushi bars, which I tried making at home recently with very good results.

If you have a mandoline (I'm absolutely loving my new one!), Japanese Pickled Ginger is quite simple. Slicing the ginger paper thin is definitely the most difficult and time-consuming part, but it's certainly worth the effort.

I bought about a pound of ginger a few weeks ago at the Asian market with the intention of making the condiment, and I was lucky enough to find very fresh, young ginger at a good price.  I made a double recipe, which is a couple pints, and the ginger will keep for months in the refrigerator.

So, basically, I have a lot of home sushi projects to complete in the coming year.  For now, I will settle for my simple sushi salad.  The flavor and texture of the pickled ginger is so nice, though, and I may dream up other ways to use it.  At the very least, it make for a great pick-me-up and cook's snack while other ingredients are being prepped.

JAPANESE PICKLED GINGER
(adapted from The Joy of Pickling, by Linda Zeidrich)

• 8 oz. fresh, peeled ginger, very thinly sliced
• 1 t. sea salt (or pickling salt), plus more for sprinkling
• 1 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 t. soy sauce

Bring a saucepan with about a quart of water to a boil.   Add ginger and return to boil.  Boil ginger for a few seconds and drain well in a colander.  Place ginger in a bowl and sprinkle very lightly with salt.  Toss to coat and pack into one pint or two half-pint jars.  These are quick fridge pickles and a loose pack will be fine.

In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar, one teaspoon salt, sugar, and soy sauce to a simmer.  Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar.  Pour hot mixture over ginger and cap the jars.  Store them in the refrigerator for at least two days before using. Ginger will keep for several months.

Of course, you can also find pickled ginger at an Asian grocery, but it will likely have MSG and pink food dye.  I won't judge you.

SUSHI SALAD

• 1 1/2 cup rice - I like brown rice in this application
• 1/4 cup plus 3 T. rice vinegar (again, unseasoned)
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T. sesame seeds (I like the black ones for this, but I'm out of them at the moment)
• 3 T. vegetable oil
• 2 T. Japanese Pickled Ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup carrots, julienned (or fine dice)
• 1 cucumber, seeded and julienned (or fine dice)
• 1 avocado, sliced thin
• 2 t. wasabi powder
• 3 T. water
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 1 T. ginger pickling brine
• 1-2 sheets nori

Cook rice according to type and transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan and stir until sugar and salt is dissolved.  Stir into cooked rice along with sesame seeds.  Stir in three tablespoons vinegar, oil, ginger, carrots, and cucumber.  Set aside.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine wasabi powder, water, soy sauce, and pickling brine. Set aside.

In serving bowl, place rice mixture and top with avocado.  Drizzle with wasabi mixture and strips of nori.  With the nori, I like to cut a sheet in thirds with kitchen shears, roll lengthwise, and cut crosswise with the shears over the salad.  Enjoy!

Ratatouille on the Stovetop

Plus, a trick for making polenta without burning your arms!

It's October tomorrow and we have a possible freeze coming later this week.  That's about right for Colorado, although our actual First Frost Dates seem to be inching later and later into the fall.  Not so long ago, and possible in the future, first snows would come about this time of year - and already have in the higher elevations.

So, it's final harvesting time.  I will not have much in the way of "putting up" this year, as my tomato harvest was rather small and it was a low-production year for the rest of my garden, too.  I think my soil is becoming depleted, despite my efforts to rotate crops where I can and incorporate as much compost as I can make and afford each year.

Aside from the slight disappointment, I certainly have lots to enjoy!  And a great thing about stir-fry and ratatouille and just about any mixed-vegetable side is that you can use a little of a lot of varieties to make something delicious.  And then put some basil on it.

I gathered up anything and everything that sounded good for a ratatouille and I was off!  Yes, tomatillos are rare (er, non-existent) in French-ish food, but they were good in the dish and I have hundreds of them on the plants. Since my last post on tomatillos, I have made an excellent batch of enchiladas suizas and a roasted tomatillo-garlic-serrano salsa and am developing a plan for canning them.  I'm really liking tomatillos!  I think that if you happen to be growing them, go ahead and toss them into anything that includes other Nightshade family members and you'll be good to go.

I was weary of posting another tomato and pasta dish and went directly to polenta.  This time, I am posting the instructions, because I figured out how to make great polenta without the burn hazard (!).  And it makes a great base for something like ratatouille...which is rich in flavor because it is usually slow-cooked in a moderate oven for a long time.  This one is made on the stovetop so you can eat earlier than 9:00pm on a work night.  Yay!


POLENTA

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup course cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Slowly add cornmeal and whisk to break up any clumps.  Return to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Continue to whisk for about one to two minutes, until thickened, but not so thick that it's popping and splattering.  Cover and reduce heat to the lowest setting.  Set timer for 8 minutes.

Turn off heat, remove lid and whisk.  Replace cover and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes, or until you are ready to serve.*  Stir in butter and keep pan covered to stay warm.  You can add cheese at this point if you would like - I like to put in on top instead, so I can really taste it.

*I always cook on my gas stove.  You may have to remove the pan from the burner if you are using an electric range.  If I were you, I would also look into getting a new (gas) stove.

STOVETOP RATATOUILLE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chile (serrano or jalapeno are great), minced
• 1-2 eggplant, chopped
• 1-2 zucchini, chopped
• 2-4 tomatillos, chopped (optional)
• 4-6 plum tomatoes, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• basil to garnish, in chiffonade
• shredded parmesan, to top

While the polenta is simmering or sitting, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add the onions and cook until softened, a couple minutes.  Add in garlic and chile and stir to combine and cook until fragrant. Continue to add in vegetables one at a time, in order of cooking time (how they are written above).  I like to add each as I finish chopping them.

The goal here is to cook everything down to concentrate flavor, so in the end everything is very well cooked and you can't really go wrong.  Do add the tomatoes last, though, when all other vegetable have a good start on cooking - they're acid can slow the cooking process down.  Add a little salt with each vegetable, too, if you feel confident about not adding too much.  The salt helps break down the cell walls of each vegetable, which in turn helps release the juices and develop flavor.

Continue to cook everything together on medium-low while the polenta is sitting and absorbing the water (without boiling and popping and burning you!).  Cook until the tomatoes are thickened and check for seasoning.

Spoon the polenta into each serving bowl (it will be soft until slightly cooled), top with ratatouille, cheese, and the pretty ribbons of basil, and eat.  Wasn't that quick and painless? Literally?

*For any leftover polenta: spread on a plate and allow to cool.  Cut cooled, firm polenta into wedges. To reheat and eat, set a dry, non-stick skillet over medium heat and cook wedges until any moisture has evaporated.  Add in oil to the skillet and lightly brown and crisp-up each side of the polenta wedges.

Garden Series, Part VIII: Carrots and Cucumbers

Recently, I was in the middle of a baking project and realized I had missed lunch.  Also recently, I went on an excursion to H-Mart in the suburbs with a dear friend of mine and loaded up on ingredients not found in the local grocery.  Such a good match, these two occurrences.  Throw in some garden produce, and you've got a late lunch. Or dinner, I'm not picky.

But not to worry, I'm not giving you a recipe with a bunch of hard-to-find ingredients.  In fact, it relies on the American standard of the sweetest, most-hydrogenated peanut butter, which I love despite all its failures.  Of course, you are welcome to use the natural stuff, if you have that sort of thing lying around.

Besides the Jiffy, the most exotic ingredients are soba noodles, Sriracha, and shiitake mushrooms - all of which one can find in the regular grocery store, but probably for twice the cost.  I'm not sure about the Sriracha, though, since I bought a huge bottle of it the last time I went to H-Mart and have never looked back.  It's basically an essential pantry ingredient.

In the pictures, you'll see a pile of fried seaweed with sesame seeds.  This stuff is seriously delicious, but probably far less likely to be found anywhere but the giant Asian grocery in the suburbs.  It turns out that it's best eaten as a snack on the side anyway.  I have no idea what's in it it either, but I'm pretty sure that it's manufactured to have an addictive balance of salt, sugar, and fat that makes it so you can't stop eating it.  You'll never know whether I'm snacking on it right now while I'm writing this.

As for the carrots and cucumbers, I highly recommend getting your hands on homegrown.  I know this isn't necessarily that easy, but homegrown carrots are the best.  They taste really, really good and if you eat conventional baby carrots from the supermarket, you will be really surprised at the carrot-y taste of back yard carrots.  I grow a variety of them because I am still fascinated by purple (Cosmic) and red (Atomic) carrots after my fifth garden.  I grow a few different cucumbers, but my long-standing favorite is Suyo Long.  It's a strange-looking variety that stays crisp, has few seeds, and refreshing cucumber flavor.

SOBA NOODLES WITH VEGETABLES

• 1 bundle (serving) soba noodles
• 2-4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• large handful mung bean sprouts, picked over and rinsed
• radishes, or any other vegetable that sounds good (optional), cut into matchsticks/julienned
• 1/4 avocado, sliced
• olive oil
• pinch salt
• 2 t. peanut butter
• 2 t. soy sauce
• Sriracha, to taste

Cook soba noodles according to package directions.  Rinse well under cold, running water and allow to drain.

Heat a scant tablespoon olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add shiitakes and stir to coat with oil. Stir in salt and sauté until thoroughly cooked.  Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, and Sriracha.  In individual serving bowl, toss together noodles, shiitakes, cucumbers, carrots, sprouts, and sauce.  Top with avocado.  Feel free to add more soy sauce and/or Sriracha to season to taste.

Serves one. 

*Later in the week I made a crazy delicious Bacon Pad Thai.  I took no pictures of it, but perhaps round two will surface in a week or two.

Eating Well

Well, maybe.  We humans can't quite figure out this very basic survival instinct, can we?

Having read multiple books and watched documentaries and listened to lectures and so on, it seems that we are very confused what how to eat well.  No matter how much we praise things like flax today, tomorrow it will be deemed over-estrogenic and out out out!  And it is generally well-known these days that low-fat diets lead to weight instability (and inhibit healthy brain function) and that once-vilified butter is way better for you than trans-fatty margarine. It seems to me that keeping it simple is the way to go.

Of course, I'm not the first person to notice this (thank you Michael Pollan, personal idol).

And I mean simple in a variety of ways.  Unless we have diagnosed health problems, our nutrition should not be so complex that we cannot figure it out for ourselves - after learning the basics, of course. It should also not be so strict that we can never indulge.  I call this the Mental Happiness-Body Forgiveness Principle (actually, I don't and just made up that term right now).  If I don't feel like a bad person for enjoying a slice of birthday cake or poorly planning my day's food plan, I will probably feel good and healthy afterwards.

And our food should generally be simple, too.  Limiting pre-packaged and processed foods makes a huge difference, which throws a wrench into the simplicity of planning meals. Now, understand that I make complicated foods at home, like gumdrops and marshmallows.  Each of these require a couple of processed ingredients that I wouldn't suggest eating all of the time, like carageenan gel and boxed pectin, and well, sugar, albeit organic and fair trade.

People tend to make the assumption that I have a sugar addiction, which is not true.  Sure, I enjoy sugary treats, but for me candy works perfectly. If I want something sweet, a couple of pieces of candy quenches the desire and I'm done with it.  I understand that having candy around doesn't work like that for everyone, though.

So why am I offering this diatribe?

I just finished with the main phase of testing my food sensitivities.  And speaking of simplicity, this was an inordinately complex process. Each day started with a large glass of water and liver-support tea before eating anything.  And before coffee.  I also tend to skip breakfast normally, so I had to get on schedule.  Breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner were all planned and balanced and, thankfully, good.  But I did have to make and pack all of my food, every day.

Water is calculated on individual body weight, daily weather, and activity level.  It's a normal amount of water, but I needed to drink steadily throughout the day and not save it all for the evening like I tend to do.

I also needed to take a probiotics supplement.  I should start by stating that I feel weird about supplements - or anything that is expensive and takes weeks to work, if it does at all, and offers no proof of success. And the whole Butter-Margarine-Butter Problem (also just made that up), in which a wonderful new supplement is considered poison a year later (fish oil, I'm looking at you).  But probiotics are awesome.

Without getting too detailed, taking a program of probiotics does wonders if your systematic yeast is off.  I will try to keep this short, especially if you've seen Gentlemen Broncos and would rather never hear the word "yeast" again. Basically, because I've taken antibiotics a couple of times in the past year, my bacterial balance was thrown off.  I cannot believe how much better I feel after the probiotics.  It worked within two weeks and now I'm done with them until the next time I notice symptoms.


Anyway, I felt great for the duration of this process.  I'm currently taking a three day break to enjoy the holiday weekend and eat some treats, but now I have a common sense plan to go back to.  Here it is:

• Eat three meals a day, plus a snack and a small dessert.
• Lunch and dinner should be mostly vegetables, some cooked and some raw.  Don't eat anything raw that doesn't sound appealing raw.  (That's my takeaway, since raw zucchini sounded gross and it was gross and it made me feel gross.)
• Remember to include protein. Fat, too, but I was already on board with that.
• Remember to eat fruit (I'm notoriously bad about actually eating fruit).
• Stop drinking water a few hours before going to bed.
• Stick to olive oil and butter for cooking fats.
• Weigh oneself every morning to collect data on weight gain.  This is for checking water retention (read: inflammation), not actual weight.
• Keep track of other negative responses to food, like upset stomach, increase in seemingly-unrelated health issues, traditional allergic reactions, or skin irritation.
• Continue to make meals look appealing and attractive and enjoy them.
• Don't worry about it.

These guidelines allow me to feel well and determine if a new food is something I react to.  Or that something that is commonly reactive is fine for me, like wheat or dairy (YES!).

So here's a balanced meal that makes me feel good.  Hopefully it makes you feel good, too.


A BALANCED VEGETARIAN DINNER

• olive oil
• onion, sliced hull-to-hull
• carrots, diced
• beet (here I used a candy-stripe or "chioggia" beet), diced
• zucchini, diced
• 2-4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• kale, chopped
• handful of mixed greens per serving
• apple, diced
• 2 ounces cheese, diced (I used blue cheese) (optional)
• 1 ounce goat cheese, per serving (or 2-3 ounces if not using other cheese)
• balsamic vinegar
• dried cherries or cranberries, handful per serving (optional)
• pepitas or sunflower seeds, handful per serving
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat a tablespoon-ish of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and sauté until softened, then add carrots and beets.  Once softened, add zucchini and shiitakes.  Continue to sauté until all vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned on the edges.  Season with salt and pepper, toss, and add kale.  Stir in gently and cook until kale is bright green.  Put about half of this on a plate and top with goat cheese and seeds.

Place mixed greens in a bowl and  top with apple, cheese, and dried fruit.  In a jar, pour in equal amounts balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Add a pinch of salt, cover, and shake to emulsify and pour over salad.

Depending on  your opinions about combining apples and dried fruit with everything, you may want to stick with just goat cheese and mix half of the cooked veg directly into the salad.  Top with the goat cheese, vinaigrette, and seeds and dig in.

(About 2 servings)

And finally, don't forget to enjoy these last few weeks of summer!

Garden Series Part VII: Tomatillos

Okay, it's more like Part VI-b because I just wrote about the nightshade family a couple of weeks ago...

...but my nightshade recipe did not include tomatillos and I have now written over fifty (!) little articles for you all, so I have license to be a little cavalier.

I spent a little hangout time in the garden the other morning realizing how terribly overgrown the whole thing is and then lost track of time pulling up over-prolific strawberry plants, rearranging cucumber vines, and staking quinoa stalks.  I also disentangled the many, many branches of tomatillos that were starting to climb through the privacy fence to my neighbor's yard.  Guessing by the way she ripped the pole beans apart that reached her side, I don't think she would appreciate the tomatillos.

I'm actually really happy with the shear abundance of fruit on the tomatillo plants this year.  Last year I grew one very large plant that had hundreds of sweet yellow flowers, but never produced a single fruit.  While I hadn't read anything on the subject, I know that sometimes growing more than one plant of a single variety is necessary and I gave that theory a shot this year.  It worked.

The tomatillos you see here are the Purple de Milpa variety and are quite a bit smaller than the standard ones you find in the grocery store.  As they get more direct sunlight, they get more purple (purpler?).  The purple stripes and shoulders you see on the fruits themselves are where the husks either split or grew transparent as they dried.

So what to actually do with tomatillos?  I only know one recipe that uses them, which is an especially delicious salsa I learned to make from my friend Hector's mother, Angelica.  She's from Mexico (they both are) and the salsa is likely traditional to Michoacán, but I got the impression that she is inventive in her own right.  She makes a smoky chile oil that I would buy by the case.

DISCLAIMER: I checked to make sure the recipe isn't a family secret and now I get to share it with you here.  If you like it, Angelica gets all the credit.  If you don't, I probably forgot something and it's totally my fault.  Or you simply have bad taste, you poor thing.

This is an avocado salsa, but is completely different than guacamole.  It's wonderful on just about anything, especially fish tacos.  I didn't have the fixin's for fish tacos today (plus, I'm still working on the food-sensitivity thing from last week), so I put it on the chicken I made for dinner.  I'm not a huge fan of chicken, so this was a good move.


SALSA DE AGUACATE

• 1 pint tomatillos

• 1-2 jalapeños, depending on how spicy you like
• 1 avocado
• salt to taste

Peel the husks off the tomatillos and rinse thoroughly to remove the sticky film.  Wash the jalapeños and trim the stem from the end.  Put the tomatillos and jalapeños in a medium saucepan, add water just to cover, and set over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the tomatillos are softened, about five minutes.

Using the saucepan lid to hold the tomatillo mixture back, drain off the excess water.  Put the mixture into a blender.  If you are using a standard blender, remember to remove the center of the lid and cover with a washcloth and your hand to avoid a hot-blended-mess from erupting onto your ceiling and into your eyes.  Blend until smooth.  I sort of have a feeling that Angelica strains the seeds from the mixture at this point, but I'm a little lazy and don't mind the seeds.

Add the avocado and salt and blend until smooth.  The consistency should be just pourable, so add water as necessary to thin.  Taste for salt before pouring the salsa into a bowl.  My favorite way to taste-test a salsa is to use a tortilla chip.  And to do several tests.

Allow to cool and chill until ready to use.  Seriously, put it on anything you can think of.

Look at that well-balanced meal!!!

Note:  Uhh...I'm aware that I posted two salsa recipes in a row.  I'm letting the 50+ posts thing go to my head and I'm fine with that.  And also, my dear friend is hosting a Labor Day Salsa Challenge and it's been on my mind.  And it's summer, for crying out loud.  But I promise something more substantial next week.

Garden Series, Part VI: Solanaceae, or The Nightshades

Tomatoes! Tomatillos! Chiles! Eggplant! Potatoes! And basically everything good!

My favorites of the garden are starting to come into season.  There is a strong tomato focus to my garden and I have recently discovered that eggplants are quite beautiful. If you know me, you may know that I'm not a fan of bell peppers (blech!), but I do love the spicy kind, and chiles also make for pretty plants.  This year, I gave Purple de Milpa tomatillos another chance, and while they are not ready yet, there may be hundreds in a week or two.

It turns out that the members of the Night Shade family make great cooking companions.  Most of my gardening and cooking energy goes to the tomatoes, as I can them and freeze them and use them throughout the year.  As if I'm a pioneer.  Or a survivalist.  (I'm neither, but that's beside the point.)  But other than a potential jar of pickled jalapeños, the non-tomato night shades get consumed right away.  We'll see about using up those tomatillos...

It also turns out that mixing together tomatoes, eggplant, and chiles makes for a great puttanesca sauce.  Well, at least with the addition of some pantry ingredients, like capers and pickled peperoncini (American-style, not the strict Italian translation). Olives would be great, too, but I'm out. It's also entertaining to me that "night shades" make up the sauce that was for "ladies of the night." But I love a little wordplay and I'm aware that I'm kinda nerdy and cerebral. 



I was a little worried about posting too many pasta recipes, and then realized that pasta can almost always be replaced by pouring the sauce over polenta.  I thought of this as I was eating and found myself wishing I had done this in the first place.  So, if you're not into pasta, think about polenta.


PUTTANESCA

• olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 hot chile, sliced
• 1 small eggplant, chopped
• 4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 2 T. capers
• 2-3 peperoncini, sliced (American-style)
• salt and black pepper
• handful of basil
• parmesan, to garnish
• chèvre, to top
• 1/2 pound penne OR POLENTA

Start water for the pasta, or prepare polenta.  While heating and cooking, prepare the sauce.

In a medium cold skillet, pour in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Add garlic and set heat to medium.  Once the garlic begins to sizzle, stir a few times and allow to cook for about 30 seconds, depending on the heat of the stove. Add chile slices, give a couple stirs, and then add the eggplant.  After about a minute, add the tomatoes, capers, and peperoncini.  Allow the ingredients to cook and release their juices.  After about five to ten minutes, they will come together as a nicely textured sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

If using pasta, reserve a little pasta cooking water, drain, and toss directly into the sauce.  Loosen with pasta water as necessary.  Chop basil at the last minute and toss along with the pasta and sauce. Serve topped with parmesan and some good, solid chunks of goat cheese.

If using polenta, ladle the polenta into bowls.  Toss freshly-chopped basil into the sauce and pour over the polenta.  Garnish with parmesan and goat cheese.  Enjoy outside on the patio overlooking the garden.  Perfect.