Bottom of the Crisper

Fall in the Finger Lakes: Part Two (Butternut Squash)

2011-11-18T14:59:00.002-05:00

Earlier this fall, I had a great time crisscrossing the back roads along Seneca Lake and exploring the myriad of farm stands.

Oh, the deals. I got eggplant for a buck a piece, and a peck of apples for $2. Quarts of raspberries for $3 (some of which are hibernating in my freezer waiting for the right recipe) and a slew of tomatoes (several slow roasted and also occupying the freezer).

But my best buy was at a Mennonite farm of Rt. 414 - three huge butternut squashes for $5.

Most winter squash is pretty hardy, and can last a long time in a cool(ish) dark cupboard (I know because I recently discovered and tossed a spaghetti squash from last fall. It looked a little shriveled, but was probably still edible. I was just too grossed out to try it). I used up 1.5 of the squash in soups (two batches of butternut squash soup with white beans and kale and one batch of winter minestrone with butternut standing in for zucchini.

To use up the other half lingering in the fridge, I went back to one of my favorite "weird but works" recipes - butternut with bulgur, feta and mint, wrapped in Phyllo. I first read the recipe in Cooking Light and have made it a few different ways -- as a casserole and in spanokopita triangles. I think triangles is the way to go --you can achieve a better filling to crust ratio.

But be warned -- it's a bear to shred the squash (unless you have a food processor). And be warned -- not everyone likes the flavor combo (I made them one Thanksgiving and I was the only one who ate them). But for the feta lovers out there - it's worth a try. This time, I had a hard time finding phyllo dough so I used wonton wrappers.

Butternut Squash Wontons

Ingredients

4 C shredded butternut squash

.25 C uncooked bulgur

.5 t. salt

1 t. olive oil

1/2 Red onion, diced

.5 C feta cheese

.25 C grated fresh Parmesan cheese

.5 cup chopped fresh mint

.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

32 wonton wrappers

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine squash, bulgar and salt in a medium bowl.

In the meantime, saute the red onion in a splash of olive oil until translucent.

Add onion, mint and cheeses to the squash and bulgar, toss to combine.

Add cooked onions, the two cheese and chopped herbs to the squash-bulgar bowl and stir well.

Working one at a time, lay a wonton on a cutting board and brush entire surface with water.

Spoon .5-1 t. of squash mixture onto the corner of the won ton.

Fold the opposite corner over to form a triange, brush with water again and pinch the edges sealed.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Poblano Corn Chowder (Cheat)

2011-10-26T17:15:00.007-04:00

While walking down to the train earlier this week, I could "see my breath." So it's officially soup season. Unofficially, I've been making soup for weeks. The freezer at work is chocked full of containers of butternut squash soup with white beans and kale, lentil and swiss chard stew, and one of two servings of pobalno corn chowder, inspired by the version served at Whole Paycheck.

I actually made the soup twice in as many weeks, using the last of the season's corn and some poblanos I found at the market. The first go around was largely improvised based on what I had in the fridge -- leek for onion, chicken stock for veggie stock, fresh red pepper for roasted, and mashed potato for whole. Yes, I used Trader Joes' frozen mashed potato to thicken the broth. The potatoes, which come in pellets are actually really good and extremely convenient.

And you know what? The improvised version turned out a lot better than when I made it again by the recipe. Just goes to show that most soup recipes can handle a little improvisation...and that everyone should keep some frozen mashed potatoes in the fridge.

Roasted Corn Poblano Chowder

Ingredients

3 Poblano peppers

1 Red pepper (or .25 C. diced, roasted red pepper from a jar)

4 T. butter

1 Celery stalk, diced 2 Garlic cloves, minced 1 Onion, diced

.25 C. Flour

4-6 C. Stock

1-2 C. Milk

12 oz. Potatoes, either peeled and diced or mashed

2 C. Corn kernels

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place red pepper and poblanos on foil and put under broiler, turning until all sides are charred. When blackened, place peppers in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

In the meantime, melt butter in a large pot; sauté onion, garlic, celery, carrot.

Add flour to pot to make a roux. Cook over medium heat for five minutes before adding the stock and milk.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, add corn and mashed or diced potato. Carefully separate the blackened skin and seeds from the peppers. Important: Do not rise under water (you'll rinse away flavor too). Roughly chop the remaining pepper flesh and add to pot.

Cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste

Fall in the Finger Lakes: Part One

2011-09-26T14:54:00.006-04:00

Fall is here, but rather than being SAD (or suffering from season affective disorder), I'm actually quite happy about it. Fall is my favorite season. And I was lucky enough to spend the first true "fall-like" weekend wandering among the vineyards and farm stands of the Finger Lakes. It's harvest season. Around one corner, row upon row of grape vines dripping with purple-black fruit. Around the next corner, row upon row of corn stalks, some still featuring corn, others drying out in the sun. And around the next, an honor-system farm stand featuring the last of the season's tomatoes next to the first of the season's apples. And while the local grape traditions -- from stomping and pie -- abound, when it comes to baking, I have to say I prefer apples. The first-of-the-season apples were super crisp and just a little tart. I attempted to make a riff on the Dutch apple tart served at Winkel in Amsterdam, where a thick pie dough rises to encase the apples. I followed this recipe but unfortunately was a bit stingy on the dough (stretched one recipe to fit two pie plates), so the end result was more pie than cake. But luckily, apple season, like the fall, is young. So there is lots of time left to get it just right.

Hurricane Preparations: Poptart Alternatives

2011-08-27T21:17:00.024-04:00

Us in the metro NYC area have been freaking out about the pending hurricane. So far, it's just been sporadic heavy rain and a few gusts of wind. Like most people, I prepared early, have been hunkered down for hours and am totally bored (despite knowing the worst is yet to come). Before going into lock-down mode, I: dragged my terrace furniture in, located my old Walkman (for the radio), ran out to buy AA batteries (and water. and good dark chocolate. and wine. and a new trench coat for fall), and dropped by the farmers market. Yes, my market was open and hopping. But ironically, while the tomatoes and squash were still plentiful by the time I rolled in, practically ever single sweet was sold out. No chocolate chip walnut scones from Bread Alone. No Pie Lady & Son. It was pretty depressing. So rather than resort to strawberry poptarts, inspired by one of the many blog posts I've been reading to pass the time this afternoon, I cranked the oven to 400 and baked. I used some Italian plums I had picked up a few weeks ago in plum muffins, based on a recipe from the Joy of Baking. The yogurt and oil-based mix is super moist. The plums, which I quartered and folded into the batter, gave off a lot more juice that I expected. Although I baked the batter in muffin tins, it still almost took the full recommended baking time. In the meantime, I decided to make Julia Child's eggplant and zucchini gratin since it's a dish that tastes good hot or cold (or room temperature, if it comes down to it). The beauty of this recipe is that you "pan fry" the eggplant to start the cooking and then combine it with the other vegetables so it cooks evenly. So between the baked goods, the veg, the chocolate, the wine and my retro yellow Walkman tape player with radio, I think I am set. Best of luck to everyone...and stay safe!

Hummus and Quinoa: A Match Made in Heaven

2011-08-25T10:30:00.010-04:00

Earlier this summer, I went to an outdoor baby shower at Brooklyn Bridge Park. It was blazing hot, but that did not stop my appetite. The mom-to-be's mother in law is an amazing cook (and owner of a deli in Ithaca, NY that specializes in Middle Eastern food). She put out an amazing spread of grain- and vegetable-based dishes that were perfect for a hot afternoon, as well as a variety of dips and spreads.

So of course, when I got home, I fought the heat exhaustion and attempted to recreate a quinoa salad with herbs and beans (as well as creamy hummus using the Cook's Illustrated method). The quinoa salad served at the shower was extremely light and fluffy, with fresh herbs, crisp celery, black beans and artichoke hearts tossed in a lemon vinaigrette. I gilded the lily and added feta cheese and additional vegetables to my version. Frankly, I wished I left them out. This salad is best dressed right before serving, as it gets a tad soggy after sitting. And of course, it is best eaten outside, with friends, in the sunshine.

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad with Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

1 C. Quinoa, rinsed

1 3/4 C. Water

1 Lemon, juiced

.25 C. Olive Oil

2 Scallions, thinly sliced

1 stalk Celery, finely diced

1 14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

.25 C. Minced herbs (cilantro, mint, basil or some combination thereof)

Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

In a small pan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil, cover and turn down heat to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil.

Add scallions and celery and beans and toss to coat. Add slightly cooled quinoa and herbs.

Season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Danish Potato Salad

2011-08-09T10:47:00.024-04:00

I have yet to meet a potato salad I don't like. Scratch that - a homemade potato salad I don't like (some of the grocery deli case specimens are just gross). With mayo, with Miracle Whip, with a herbed vinaigrette, it's all good in my book.

So when I had my first taste of Danish potato salad this summer, I was hooked. And it's a perfect farmers market salad this time of year. You can literally find almost every ingredient there: new potatoes, jewel-like radish, crisp cucumbers, leafy celery, slender scallions, a variety of herbs and maybe even farm-fresh eggs. I used red new potatoes in my version, but they were a wee bit firm, so I'd suggest using a potato with a higher moisture content (that will break down a bit after cooking). I also used a bit too much scallion, so would also suggest tasting your vegetables as you go (How much of a bite do those onions have? Does the radish taste mild or bitter?) so you can adjust quantity as needed.

Sadly, summer is speeding by, so do yourself a favor and hit up your farmers market soon so you can try this salad the way the Danes intended.

Danish Potato Salad

Apparently, a true Danish potato salad has what's called a cooked dressing. I cheated and used prepared ingredients.

Ingredients

4 C. Diced white potatoes

Water for boiling

Salt for boiling

2 T. Cider vinegar

2 T. Dijon mustard

1 C. Miracle Whip

Splash of pickle juice (optional)

2 Eggs, hard boiled and chopped

1/2 Cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and chopped

5 Medium Radishes, sliced into thin half moons

1/4 C. Red onion or scallion, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Handful of chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon) (optional)

Method

Boil potatoes in salted water until just cooked through. Reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.

A la the Julia Child Method, drain and combine hot potatoes with vinegar and about a third of the reserved cooking liquid. Allow to sit and cool for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, Miracle Whip and pickle juice (if using). Add potatoes and toss to coat. Then add the egg and chopped vegetables, herbs (if using). Combine well.

Add additional salt and ground black pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries

2011-06-29T16:17:00.013-04:00

I'm not going to lie - it's been a hectic spring, and is shaping up to be a crazy summer. But I am taking a page from the song Life's Just a Bowl of Cherries and reminding myself to "live and laugh at it all."

Because it's actually the best time of year at the local farmers markets. Late season rhubarb next to strawberries; early cherries a sign of other stone fruits to come. All crying out to be tucked inside one signature dish....pie.

Unfortunately, I am not much of a baker. But with the Fourth of July around the corner, a new pocket pie gadget and pre-made crust in my freezer, I may just break out of my comfort zone.

Until then, my farmers market buys look fantastic in the stoneware Farmers Market Basket from Anthropologie!

Life is just a bowl of cherries

So live and laugh,

Laugh and love

Live and laugh at it all!

Hilton Head Farmers Market

2011-04-26T12:00:00.004-04:00

Earlier this month, I escaped the dreary New York weather and spent a week on Hilton Head. Like last year, we spent most of the week cooking and eating in. After all, who wants to leave the wide expanse of beach? I was happy to discover that the island had just started a Friday farmers market. Although market day happened to be near the end of my week's visit, I couldn't resist checking it out. The market is held on Honey Horn Road, near the Coastal Discovery museum. Despite being early in the season (even for down south), there were several vendors selling produce, including "local" strawberries. But for those not looking to buy more groceries to take back to the beach house, there are plenty of other interesting items.

Like fancy jewelry. When's the last time you saw pearl necklaces for sale at your local market? Or a guy in a toga (the vendor from Castra Rota Gourmet Foods was in costume)? I even ran across a vendor that also is present at my local market in Westchester! How weird is that?

Even if you're not in the market for food to take home, the Hilton Head Farmers Market is a great place to dine. Seriously, there were vendors selling everything to pot stickers to pork, beignets to baked goods. And many offering free samples! I tried deep fried peanuts and vegetable scones. We ended up buying a savory crepe from Claudine's Creperie and multiple pastries from The Midnight Bakers, including a pineapple strawberry danish I devoured on site. In my experience, while restaurants on Hilton Head can be hit or miss, everything at the farmers market was a hit. In fact, I would plan a trip next year just to go back. If you go:

The market address, as listed on the website, is 70 Honey Horn Plantation Road. My GPS could not find the address (tried to take me through a gated community) so if using a navigation device, try plugging in "Coastal Discovery Museum" as a point of interest instead.

Butternut Squash Soup with Kale and White Beans

2011-03-30T14:00:00.014-04:00

They say March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb, but it's March 30 and still in the 30s and 40s in New York City...with an April Fool's rain/snow storm on its way. I am trying to look on the bright side because cooler weather is also soup weather. As I've said in the past, once the thermometer hits 70, I rarely turn on the oven or stove. So I've been stockpiling treats in my freezer, from slow oven-roasted campari tomatoes to individual servings of soups of all kinds. At last count, I've crammed 10 containers of soup into the freezer at work, and at least a third are butternut squash with white beans and kale.

I was a little late to the "cook beans from scratch" party, having assumed canned beans were just as good. But then I plunked down $9 for a bag of Rancho Gordo cannellini beans (after finding them at the Blue Hill Cafe). These are like the filet mignon of white beans, as meaty as a bean can be.

The heirloom beans add a nice texture to the smooth butternut squash puree and chewy kale, making the soup a filling lunch any time of year.

Butternut Squash Soup with White Beans and Kale

Ingredients

1 T. Olive oil 2 Garlic cloves, minced

1 Medium onion, roughly chopped

2 Carrots, roughly chopped

2 Celery stalks, roughly chopped

1 Quart Chicken broth (or, if you cook your beans from scratch, try using the bean broth)

1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped (about four cups)

1 Head of kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces

14 oz. Cannellini beans, cooked or canned, drained

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

Method

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Add onions and cook for one minute before adding garlic and cooking for an extra two minutes.

Add carrot and celery and saute for five minutes.

Add broth and bring to boil before adding squash.

Cook until squash is tender (about 10 minutes); remove from stove and puree with immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender.

Return puree to stove and bring back to low boil; add kale and cook until tender (about eight minutes).

Add white beans, salt and pepper and cover, turning off stove.

Let stand for 10 minutes before eating.

Fennel Pepper Primavera

2011-03-04T09:00:00.014-05:00

Winter farmers markets can be quite interesting. You never know what you're going to find. Case in point, my local winter's market, held the second Saturday of each month, has everything from fish to fowl, pickles to pastry, chutney to cheese. But the most popular vendor is the sole produce vendor. Seriously, the crowds are three people deep around the little stand. Why? Because of the variety and the prices. Last month, I fought the crowds and spent $20 at the stand, taking home: *Mint, cilantro and dill *A butternut squash *A bunch of kale *One huge fennel bulb *Three small sweet potatoes *A handful of red onions *A carton of radishes *A bunch of scallions *Four mild white bush zucchini The butternut squash and kale went into a soup, the herbs, scallion and radish into salads and the fennel and squash into a roasted primavera. Using a technique similar to roasted ratatouille, I chopped up the onion, fennel and zucchini with minced garlic and multicolored bell peppers (from Costco), drizzled with a glug of olive oil, and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. I finished the "sauce" by dumping the contents of a large can of plum tomatoes (which I "chopped" while in-can, using kitchen scissors) into the roasting pan, turning off the oven and letting the residual heat finish the cooking. The end result was a rich primavera with a significant tomato flavor. Oven roasting concentrates the flavors of even the most pedestrian vegetables (bought at a farmers market or not). Use as a pasta topping or serve over polenta or even couscous. Now...what to do with three small sweet potatoes?

Lemon Macarons - Good taste, Technical Failure

2011-03-02T09:35:00.013-05:00

Long time, no write. It's been a busy winter, but I have been going to the Union Square Green Market every Saturday. However, pickings are kind of sparse. My usual haul consists of apples or red onion or a similar cold weather storage kind of veg. Despite the hint of spring in the air, there are still few greens to be found (My "ramp watch 2011" has begun). So to capture a spring-like taste, I have been using a lot of lemons recently, and naturally decided to experiment with lemon flavored macarons. And once again, I learned how important macaron-making technique is. The batch was pretty much a failure. Oh sure, they formed a foot, were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, but too little liquid made the batter stiff, meaning: 1. The shell tops held small peaks, despite my attempts to pipe evenly 2. The shells did not spread at all, meaning my macarons looked more like cylinders than disks And the worse part is I know what part of the problem was! It was the darn meringue. I ignored my sugar water solution on the stove for a tad too long (it boiled down and began crystalizing again -- something I did not really notice until I pulled it off the burner). So I just threw in some more water without measuring. What I should have done was just started the sugar/water process over again. Despite my technical gaffes, the batter recipe is a keeper -- the super sweet base was tempered by the sour lemon. And the other good news is that I've learned from my mistake, and now hope you do too! Lemon Flavored Macarons with Lemon Filling Ingredients For the shells:6.5 oz. Almond flour, sifted 6.5 oz. Powdered sugar, sifted Zest of one lemon 5.3 oz. Granulated sugar 1.75 oz. Water 4 egg whites, separated into 2 containers of 2* For the filling:2 oz. Butter, softened 2 oz. White almond paste Juice of half a lemon Method A few hours to days ahead of time, separate four eggs, dividing the egg whites into two separate containers of two; store on the counter covered with a paper towel or in the fridge covered in plastic. Preheat oven to 320 degrees.** In a large bowl, sift together almond flour and powdered sugar until well incorporated; add lemon zest and two of the egg whites and combine well (at this point, the batter should look like a thick, sandy paste). In a small sauce pan, bring the granulated sugar and water to a simmer until it reaches the soft ball stage/240 degrees.*** Be careful not to let the solution boil down too much or the sugar will return to a crystallized state. In a medium bowl, start whipping the remaining two egg whites until frothy/at a soft peak stage; when the sugar water reaches a soft ball stage, remove from heat, pour into the egg whites and continue to whip until the mixture resembles shiny, marshmallow fluff (if beating by hand, you can actually feel the mixture continue to thicken). Fold the egg white fluff (aka Italian meringue) into the large bowl of almond sugar batter until well incorporated. Scrape the batter into a pastry bag and pipe out onto a cookie tray lined with parchment, counting “1, 2, 3, pause” to get small, uniform rounds. Let trays/parchment sit near an open window until a thin skin forms; place the cookie covered tray on top of an empty tray to create double insulation and bake one double-stacked tray at a time for 12-15 minutes. Remove parchment from trays and cool on a rack. To make the filling, cream together the almond paste with lemon juice until the paste loosens; add the butter and cream until well incorporated. Scrape the filling into a pastry bag and pipe onto half of the shells; sandwich together with a similar-sized unfilled shell. Pop the macarons in the fridge overnight to rest...and then enjoy! Notes: *I typically separate my eggs the night before baking and leave them in the fridge. **All ovens are different. 320 degrees is the sweet spot for mine. ***If you don’t have a candy thermometer and are brave or have asbestos fingers, you can test the solution by dipping your fingers into a small bowl of water, grabbing a pinch of the liquid sugar solution and plunging your fingers back into the bowl of water. If a soft ball forms as you rub your fingers together under water, the sugar water is ready!

Merry Christmas Macarons

2011-01-03T09:17:00.001-05:00

Happy 2011! Before I left town for the holidays, I was determined to cross one 2010 resolution off my list and recreate my macaron success one more time to prove it was not a fluke (and so I'd have gifts for my neighbors and co-workers). So I started by making two batches of macarons -- pink, grapefruit flavored (using all almond flour) and a light green, pistachio flavored (using half almond and half pistachio nut flour plus a touch of pistachio paste). Tip: Grind, sift and sift again. I sifted the nut flour alone and then sifted the powdered sugar and nut flours together to combine. This was my first time using pistachio paste. I found it at G Detou in Paris, and carted it home (which partially contributed to me having to pay an 100 euro excess baggage charge). It looks gross in the can, kind of like swamp slime, but tastes really great. Tip: Be careful of using liquid ingredients to flavor your shells. I only used a quarter teaspoon of paste in the batter. It look me about five hours to mix and pipe and bake (one tray at a time) but I ended up with 120 shells -- of each flavor. I filled the grapefruit shells with a mixture of butter, white almond paste, grapefruit zest and a touch of grapefruit juice. And I made a cheaters chocolate pistachio ganache by mixing baking chocolate, dark chocolate, pistachio paste and a touch of milk (next time I will use cream so the mixture stays soft). Tip: My favorite macarons were those on the smaller side. Rather than make outlines on parchment paper, I counted "1,2,3, relax" to remind myself to loosen my grip on the pastry bag after three seconds so I could twist and pull up without creating a little tail of batter. For my gift packaging, I found cute mini bakery boxes at The Christmas Tree Shop that just fit four macarons. After the macaron marathon, I was feeling bold, so I decided to make a pistachio lemon macaron with a lemon curd filling the night before I left town. I used a half and half mixture of almond and pistachio flour for the shells and omitted any pistachio paste or green food coloring. For the curd, I modified this recipe from The Splendid Table, since it called for gelatin to help stiffen the end result. Tip: While the lemon maracons were tasty, they quickly became soggy after overnighting in the fridge. I'd only recommend using lemon curd for macarons meant to be consumed the same day. So after four batches of macarons in two weeks, I've learned a thing or two. Macarons are all about technique -- from getting the meringue just so to piping the shells correctly to baking at the right temperature and length of time. Is it worth making your own? Yes, especially if you have a lot you want to eat or give away. But make sure you have the time and take the time to follow the proper steps. Wishing you a sweet 2011...

Promenades Gourmandes Macaron Class, or, How I Finally Learned How to Make Macarons

2010-12-03T14:25:00.021-05:00

When I was in Paris this autumn, I used my free time well. From shopping at Merci to walks along the Seine, multiple crepes from Le Comptoir, plus a self-guided macaron tour and a macaron cooking class. I do believe the macaraon is just about the prettiest cookie out there. But at $1-2 a pop, (or more. Especially at "temples to the macaron" like Pierre Herme, where I spent about $8 on three -- creme brulee, passion fruit and peach) it's no wonder people want to try to make their own. I've come clean about my past struggles with baking macarons. I was bound and determined to learn the technique once and for all. So I signed up for the macaron class at Promenades Gourmandes. The class, which I highly recommend, is taught in the kitchen of Parisian Paule Caillat by Chef Joël Morgeat. I knew the basics. After all, I had learned the hard way that you cannot really tinker with the amount of sugar in the recipe, to double up on the baking sheets, etc. but over the course of the three-hour class, I picked up a few more techniques and tips, such as: 1. You don't need to age your egg whites when making macarons (or at least, Chef Joël doesn't). 2. How to test the temperature of the sugar syrup portion of an Italian meringue recipe WITHOUT A THERMOMETER (involves dipping your fingers in water, into the boiling hot liquid sugar and back into water -- only for the daring). 3. Pipe the cookies with your pastry bag totally straight (perhaps this is Piping 101 but it was totally news to me!). 4. Let macarons rest and develop a thin skin before baking. 5. Bake only one tray of cookies at a time. And adjust the baking temperature and time to suit the quirks of your oven. 6. Temper the sweetness of the shells by using a less-sweet filling (like bittersweet chocolate ganache or a combination of white almond paste, butter and flavoring). I ended up taking about three dozen macarons home with me (ok, by the time I officially returned home to the U.S., it was about a dozen and a half. Macarons keep beautifully in the fridge for at least a week). Fast forward two months, and I finally dragged out the recipe and my macaron supplies. I had purchased finely ground white almond meal at G. Detou in Paris, found white almond paste at Whole Foods and picked up pastry bags, tips and food coloring at Chef Central. I have to say, the recipe I brought back from Paris was vague on some of the details, so I crossed referenced with this recipe and got to work. And it did work! I ended up with four trays of cookies. From left to right: 1. I left the first batch in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. It was too hot and too long. The cookies were hard at first, but softened after a few days in the fridge. 2. I turned the oven down to 320 (per the Food Geek recipe) and baked for 12 minutes. The shells came out slightly flat and undercooked. 3. The third try was a charm - 320 degrees for 15 minutes. 4. I left the fourth batch in at the same temp and length of time, but you could see I was getting tired as my piping was kind of sloppy (macarons are not supposed to look like acorns). All in all, I am happy with my progress. After my failures two years ago, this was validation that you can do it, with the proper ingredients and attention to detail. And this was only a trial run for the macarons I plan to make later this month as gifts for my coworkers. Let the 2010 12 Days of Macarons begin! For more macaron adventures, read on.

Paris Finds: Bio Market Blvd Raspail

2010-11-29T14:20:00.003-05:00

One of the reasons I love checking out farmers markets on vacation is the variety -- sometimes you find something familiar, sometimes you find something new, but every time you find some kind of tasty treat. The bio market on Blvd Raspail in Paris has a bit of a reputation for being overpriced and full of pushy Parisians. But it also has a reputation for beautiful produce, flowers, souvenirs and treats. Upon arriving, follow your nose and find some galettes tout suite. There are at least two vendors that sell these delicious, freshly fried potato pancakes -- one at the northern end and one mid-market (that sells a galette with cheese!). The one-handed snack leaves your other hand free to pull out your wallet and buy some flowers to brighten your hotel room or holiday flat. Finish your market visit by getting some gifts for the people back home. I particularly like the vegetable soaps stamped with the Eiffel Tower (the "son" scented ones that look like oatmeal soap are my favorite). But carrot perfume doesn't smell so bad either (and how often do you see that!). Then head home to whip up a post-market treat, like these roasted vegetables served over a baguette with cheese. Full disclosure, although the image above was taken at my holiday flat in St. Germain, I did buy the vegetables pre-roasted from the nearby healthy takeout restaurant Cococook (lesson learned, not all flats come with an oven). However, served over a Comte cheese covered sesame baguette from Eric Kayser, it made the perfect (and cheap) Paris supper. Marché de Raspail is near the Sevres metro stop. The Sunday market is organic (bio) but there are also weekday markets on Mondays and Fridays.

Summer nostalgia: Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market

2010-10-26T15:45:00.006-04:00

Where has the time gone? Late October already, the foliage in the lower Hudson Valley is at peak and Halloween is around the corner. In other words, a perfect time to share what I did on my late summer vacations. Unlike most people, I tend to take more vacation in September than any other time of the year. Last month, I went from the sandy shores of Delaware to the bustling (yet mostly protest free) streets of Paris to the lazy canals of Amsterdam. First up was the beach, which is an annual event. After Labor Day, the crowds dwindle but the bounty of summer is still to be had, especially at the farmers market. The Rehoboth Beach market is not huge, but seems like it's getting bigger every year. Offering a mix of prepared treats and local produce, it's the ideal place to shop to stock your beach rental kitchen. The first week of September, peaches and corn shared table space with eggplant and pumpkin. But the find of the day were multi-colored heirloom plum tomatoes. When the weather cools off a bit, or when I am staying in a fully air conditioned beach rental, I love to crank the oven to 225 and slowly roast plum tomatoes for five or six hours or so. Just halve the tomatoes lengthwise, place cut side up on a sheet pan, cover with a glug of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and you're good to go. Luckily, I've been able to find plum tomatoes at my local market, even as recent as last week, but I know the season is ending (kind of like summer). The good news is that any plum tomato, even the sad grocery store specimens of January, taste great after a few hours in the sauna/oven. Meaning slow roasted tomatoes provide taste of summer that you can enjoy all year.

Seneca Lake: U-Pick Raspberries

2010-09-21T02:50:00.001-04:00

In late August, I had another opportunity to go up to Seneca Lake for the day (and yes, passed that cute honey stand again). But this visit, I got to do something I had been waiting to do all summer: pick raspberries. I have been known to shell out big bucks for raspberries from the farmers market. So when I passed a small field with a sign saying "U-Pick -- $3 a quart" how could I resist? Little did I know that it had not been a banner year for this particular field. What berries there were were tiny. The farmers, who came out into the late afternoon sun to pick alongside me (they sell most of their berries at auction) said the weather had been terrible. It took me, and my two helpers (thanks mom and dad!) about 20 minutes to fill the quart-size container with little berries, dodging BIG bees the whole time. After some post-picking cleaning, I still had a nice quantity of raspberries to use in my morning oatmeal, top a scoop of frozen yogurt and just eat plain. Here's hoping for better weather and a better crop next year (I'll be back).

Peach Upsidedown Cake (inspired by Alton Brown)

I baked these in a 6-count, 6 oz. jumbo muffin pan but you can also use ramekins. And no, the berries pictured below are not the ones I picked in New York, but are their California cousins.

Ingredients 5 T. Butter 1/4 C. Brown sugar 3 Peaches, peeled and chopped 1 oz. Crystallized ginger, chopped as finely as you can 3/4 C. Flour 1 1/2 t Baking powder 1/4 t. Baking soda Dash of salt Dash of cinnamon 1/3 C. Sugar ¼ C. Plain yogurt ½ C. Milk 1/2 T. Vanilla Method Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the muffin pan or ramekins with non-stick spray. Add a small pat (approximately 1/2 T.) of butter to each tin and cover with about a 1/2 T. of brown sugar, 1/6 of the peaches and a sprinkling of the crystallized ginger. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, melt the remaining butter and combine with the sugar, yogurt, milk and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the peach ginger mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and then invert and serve.

Local Honey on Seneca Lake

2010-08-16T13:45:00.016-04:00

I was upstate over the weekend -- this time on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. The Finger Lakes are a great place to visit in the summer. There's a roadside stand around every corner, be it someone selling corn right out of the field or a small table loaded with squash, tomatoes and a small cash box (got to love the honor system)! But this visit, I found something I'd never seen -- a small roadside honey house. Local honey is in. And honey, let me tell you: this stand was literally golden. Surrounded by wildflowers, the little "lean to" looked like something out of the pages of a magazine (MSL - take note). Inside was a small table with a cash box, a few bottles of honey and a price list. For $5.50, I grabbed two 1/2 pound jars of honey: one pale and golden and one a dark, rich amber. Inside the small cash box was a little pad where people noted the dates of their visit and what they took ("third year visiting!" one entry read). Honey, especially local honey, is supposed to have a lot of benefits (helps with allergies?). I don't use honey very often, but nothing beats the combination of honey with banana and peanut butter. And during hot summer mornings, the combination mixed with a little milk and ice makes a great smoothie. Plus, it's a sweet way to enjoy summer (and the bounty of bees) while it lasts.

Peanut Butter Honey Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Banana, peeled and cut into chunks*

1 T. Peanut butter (preferably natural)

1 t. Honey

.5-1 C. Skim milk (depending on desired thickness)

Ice cubes

Method Add first four ingredients to blender and puree until combined.

Add ice cubes a few at a time or extra milk until smoothie is desired thickness.

*This smoothie recipe works great with frozen banana chunks if you have them/have time to freeze them.

Stuffed Eight Ball Squash with Ratatouille

2010-07-27T12:20:00.009-04:00

I actually made ratatouille this morning before I left for work. Yes, I am insane, but it was a cool 70 degrees, I was already chopping vegetables for my brown bag salad, and had a bunch of stuff lingering in the crisper, including $6 worth of Japanese eggplant I got at the farmers market last weekend. So I cranked the oven to 400, combined chopped squash, onion, eggplant and pepper with olive oil, canned diced tomatoes, salt and pepper and let it cook for an hour or so (until I had to pack it into the fridge and head out the door). Hard? No. Hot? Yes. I admit I was a little flushed as I ran down to catch my train. But if you have a gas grill, there is an easier way to enjoy ratatouille this summer. If you turn the burners to medium high and leave the lid down, most grills will heat to 400+ degrees (making it an ideal outdoor oven). So the next time you're preheating the grill for steaks, chicken or burgers, try cooking stuffed eight ball squash as a veggie side dish. Your indoor oven will be glad for the reprieve.

Eight Ball Squash Stuffed with Cheaters Ratatouille

I supposed you could make ratatouille and then stuff the squash, but if you're pressed for time, you can make this "cheaters" version.

Ingredients

1 T. Olive oil, plus extra for brushing squash

2 Shallots, diced

1 Quarter of a fennel bulb, chopped

4 Eight ball squash

1 C. Eggplant caponata (Trader Joe's makes a nice version)

1-2 Slices of whole wheat bread, crumbed

Grated Parmesan for garnish (optional)

Salt

Ground black pepper

Method

Start gas grill, setting burners to medium high.

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, add shallots and cook until translucent.

In the meantime, slice off the top third of each squash at the stem end, wrap the tops loosely in non-stick foil.

Using a paring knife, start to hollow out each squash by running the knife along the edge (leaving about a quarter inch of flesh) and cut out a cone-shaped section; hollow out the remainder of the squash with a measuring spoon or melon baller.

Roughly chop the scooped out flesh and add to skillet along with fennel; cook until most of the water has evaporated.

Remove the skillet from the heat; add the eggplant caponata and bread crumbles.

Brush each hollowed out squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; fill to top with eggplant mixture, wrap in non-stick foil.

Place the two foil packets in grill pan or directly on grates; lower the lid and cook for 20-30 minutes or until squash is soft.

Garnish with the cooked squash tops for show, as well as cheese if desired.

Summer baking: Blackberry peach crostada

2010-07-24T08:10:00.000-04:00

Summer baking is the ultimate Catch-22; on one hand, there is great seasonal fruit to enjoy, but on the other, it is too darn hot (most days, the mere thought of turning on the oven makes me want to weep). But then all it takes are farmers market peaches and blackberries to make me change my mind. Was upstate last weekend and, over the course of two days, managed to hit two markets and one roadside stand, including the Vestal market, the Ithaca market and a random farmer off route 90 on the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. While the markets were great, the stand was the mother lode. Although it looked a tad suspect (as all good roadside stands do), the crusty farmer had tender corn, perfect tomatoes, red new potatoes and one loan pint of freshly picked blackberries up for the taking. So I broke my no baking during the summer rule and made a peach blackberry crostada. I like galette and crostada recipes because they are supposed to be "rustic" (which gives me more leeway if the end result does not come out picture perfect). Plus, most crostada and galette recipes call for very little sugar, which allows the natural sweetness of the fruit to shine through (and for you to top with whipped cream or ice cream with low-to-no guilt). So the next time you pass a roadside stand, slam on the breaks, put in in reverse and see what gems you can find (just watch out for the traffic!).

Blackberry Peach Crostada

I cut the butter in this recipe, so if you want a more tender crust, double the amount of butter called for. If you want a more firm (yet still tasty and less calorie) crust, use amount of butter recommended.

Ingredients

2 C. All purpose flour (plus a bit more for dusting work surface)

1/2 C. Cornmeal

1/2 t. Salt

1 T. Sugar (plus extra for dusting crust)

1 Stick butter, cut into tiny cubes and chilled

2/3 C. Ice water

6 T. Sour cream or plain yogurt

1 Pint Blackberries

5-6 Small peaches, peeled and diced

1 T. Cinnamon

1 t. Vanilla extract

1 t. Corn starch

Method

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a large bowl or food processor, combine dry ingredients (flour through sugar).

Add cubes of butter and work into dry ingredients with two forks or by pulsing food processor blade until the butter pieces are no bigger than a pea.

In a small bowl, mix water and sour cream or yogurt; pour slurry over flour/butter mixture and combine until dough ball forms (you may not need it all, or you made need a bit more water).

Divide dough ball into two, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for one hour, then roll out both dough balls on floured work surface and transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheet(s).

Combine the remaining, tossing gently until the cornstarch is mostly dissolved by the liquid in the fruit.

Dump the half of the fruit mixture in the middle of one dough circle, and the remaining on the second circle (or oval or "shape"); spread out, leaving a one inch border.

Fold the border edge over the fruit mixture, patching as needed.

Brush crust with water or an egg wash (if preferred) and sprinkle a bit of sugar on the edges.

Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Giant Stuffed Pattypan Squash

2010-07-16T17:13:00.008-04:00

Do not adjust your screens. Despite the low resolution (I was forced to use my BlackBerry camera to take pictures for this post), what you see below is not an enlarged image of a tiny pattypan squash. It is in fact A GIANT PATTYPAN! I admittedly love cute vegetables, so when I saw this giant yellow squash from Cowberry Crossing at Saturday's market, I had to buy it. I decided to treat it kind of like a pumpkin, hollowing out and discarding most of the innards, par boiling it for 10 minutes and then stuffing and baking it for another 30 minutes. The squash was really easy to cut, and the soft flesh (which I scooped out with measuring spoons -- first using the tablespoon and then moving onto the teaspoon for the "detail work") did have seeds reminiscent of a pumpkin. I was barely able to submerge the squash in my small saucepan, and in the end, needn't have bothered because after 10 minutes, the squash was almost overcooked. I let it drain and cool slightly before coating it with oil and seasoning the inside with salt and pepper to prepare it for stuffing. By using an oval container that was just bigger than the squash, I was able to preserve the shape (you could also use aluminium foil balls to help prop up the squash in a square or rectangular container). The end result tasted similar to a stuffed spaghetti squash, but with the giant pattypan, you could eat the rind and all -- one way to conquer a monster (squash) .

Stuffed Squash

This recipe makes extra filling, which you'll want to serve alongside the squash so you can maintain the good filling-to-veg ratio while dining!

Ingredients

1 Giant pattypan squash

1 t. Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 t. Light whipped butter

6 Baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 Small onion, diced

2 Cloves of garlic, minced

.25 C. Bruchetta sauce (or diced tomatoes and extra oil)

1 t. Oregano

1 t. Dried basil

1 C. Brown rice

1 Link chicken sausage, diced

1 oz. Romano cheese, grated

Method

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large saute pan, melt the butter and saute the sliced mushrooms until caramelized.

In the meantime, cut a circle through the stem end of the squash.

Using a small scoop, hollow out the interior, discarding the seeds and pulp or reserving for another recipe.

Place in a small casserole dish and drizzle one teaspoon of oil over the hollowed-out squash, season interior with salt and pepper.

Add onion, basil and oregano and saute two minutes; add garlic, diced sausage and bruchetta sauce, cook two additional minutes and remove pan from heat. Stir in cooked rice and cheese.

Stuff the squash until full but not overpacked (there will be excess filling). Bake squash at 350 for 20-30 minutes until squash is lightly browned and filling is bubbling.

Let stand for five minutes before serving.

Soup for Summer: Part 2 - Asparagus

2010-07-01T11:18:00.013-04:00

Come summer, a recipe has to be pretty intriguing for me to get the energy to turn on the stove (otherwise it's cold salads and microwaved meals). But the asparagus soup recipe from Eating Well looked good enough to risk sweltering in an already overheated kitchen. After all, asparagus season was ending, and it was my last chance to use up the half bunch in the crisper. So on a recent "cool" evening (with temperatures finally dipping into the 60s and 70s), I fired up the gas burner and made soup. In the summer.

With a little tweaking (leeks for onions, garlic scapes for garlic clove), the end result was more like a vichyssoise -- perfect for enjoying hot or cold. Or, in other words, a perfect soup for summer (as long as you can bear standing over the stove)!

Asparagus Spinach Vichyssoise

Ingredients

1 T. Light whipped butter

2 T. Olive oil

2 Leeks, cleaned and chopped

1 Clove of garlic, mashed

1/2 t. Salt

1/2 t. Curry powder

1/2 t. Ginger root, grated

1 Lemon, zested and juiced

2 C. Red potatoes, diced

3 C. Chicken broth

1 C. Lite Coconut milk

2 C. Asparagus, chopped

2 C. Baby spinach Black pepper

Method

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat; add leeks and cook until soft.

Add garlic, salt, curry powder, ginger root and lemon zest; cook for three minutes.

Add potatoes, broth and coconut milk; simmer for 10 minutes.

Add asparagus; summer for 5 minutes more.

Remove pot from heat; add baby spinach and then puree mixture using immersion blender.

Season with additional salt, freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Serve hot or cooled.

Soup for Summer: Part 1 - Squash

2010-06-25T17:00:00.004-04:00

Despite the record heat, this is one of my favorite times of year, because week-to-week, there's always something new at the farmers market. The other day, I hit my local market and bought a sea of green -- from bok choy to dill, wild arugula to squash, napa cabbage to garlic scapes. So what to do but make a green soup? I recently subscribed to Eating Well, and also receive their free email newsletter. This recipe was inspired by one of the soups featured. Although it will be a few weeks until the local corn is ready, this is a nice way to use up some of the zucchini that will be flooding the market for weeks to come. And since it's pretty low cal, it's a great soup for bathing suit season too!

Dilled Zucchini and Corn Soup

Ingredients 1 t. Olive oil

1 Shallot, diced 2 Medium zucchinis, chopped 2 C. Chicken broth

1/4 t. Salt Kernels from 1 ear of corn 1 t. Lemon juice 1/4 C. Feta, crumbled

2 t. Fresh dill, chopped

Additional dill, plain yogurt for garnish (optional)

Method Saute shallot in olive oil over medium heat; add zucchini and cook until the squash starts to soften.

Add the broth and salt, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes over low heat.

Puree the soup in a blender until smooth.

Return to put and add corn, cook for 5 additional minutes over low heat.

Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, dill and feta.

Garnish with additional dill and/or a dollop of plain yogurt.

If Is June, It Must Be Strawberry Season

2010-06-18T16:24:00.004-04:00

Yay! June in New York State means strawberry season and this year's crop is especially good. Since the season for local berries is so short, there's only one way to enjoy them: as nature made them. But after a long workweek, you may prefer to drink them. And the recipe couldn't be easier.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiris

Makes three drinks, or one super grande drink for those that are extra thirsty.

Ingredients

1 Pint Strawberries 1/3 C. Rum

1/4 C. Fresh lime or Lemon Juice

3 t. Simple syrup or agave OR 3 packets of Splenda

Splash of orange Juice

4-6 C. Ice cubes

Method

Add all ingredients to blender; blitz until well Incorporated.

Garnish with whipped cream if you're feeling extra decadent.

Spring Finds at the Farmers Markets

2010-06-02T13:57:00.009-04:00

After several weekends on the road, I am starting to return to old routines, including visits to the farmers market and some home cooking (as opposed to home defrosting). A few weekends ago, my travels took me to Ithaca, NY, and of course I stopped at the farmers market. Although Macro Mama’s was sadly missing, I did find a few other prizes, including a large bunch of rhubarb and basil plants. A few days later, I actually was able to get out of work in time to make it to the Union Square Greenmarket before they closed for the day. For a Friday market before a holiday weekend, the place was buzzing, but I managed to pick up some choice items, including spearmint mint plants (“mojitos?” the vendor asked as I handed over a 5 dollar bill), wild arugula and $11 worth of sugar snap peas (my bad for not looking at the sign saying they were $6 a pound).

So with my haul from Ithaca and my haul from Union Square, I spent Memorial Day weekend chopping and boiling and baking and braising. I prepared the Cheater’s Pulled Pork (which, with my off-brand slow cooker being on the fritz, took 22 hours to cook) and tried the potato salad with yogurt, arugula and dill posted on The Kitchn last week.

I made a riff on Simply Recipes rhubarb crumble, and enjoyed some pickled ramps on a Hoffman's Hot Dog. And I did end up mixing some mojitos with the fresh mint, lime juice, rum, agave syrup and a hit of Fresca. Not a bad way to toast the start of the summer season.

10 Ingredient Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble The tartness of the rhubarb really shines through in this recipe (aka, if you want it sweet, add more granulated sugar). Serve with whipped cream or ice cream to help mellow the flavors and make this humble dessert more special. Ingredients Cooking spray 1 lb. Rhubarb, cut into one inch pieces 1 lb. Strawberries, hulled and sliced into quarters 2 T. Corn starch 2 T. Orange juice ½ C. Granulated sugar ½ C. Butter, cubed ½ C. White whole wheat flour ½ C. Brown sugar 1 C. Ginger cookies, crushed Method Preheat oven to 375. Cover a 9x13 dish with cooking spray; add rhubarb, strawberry, granulated sugar, corn starch and orange juice and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar and cookie crumbles; add butter cubes and mash together until combined; sprinkle on top of fruit mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes until fruit has cooked and topping has crisped. Serve warm or cold, but make sure you serve with vanilla ice cream!

Crisper Clean Out: Asparagus and Ramps

2010-05-05T11:50:00.001-04:00

About two weeks ago, I hit the Union Square green market. You could tell people had spring fever, because every other person was walking around with a bunch of just-purchased lilacs (with a going rate of $7-8 a bunch, you could make a killing as a lilac farmer down here). But those in the know were walking around bunches of other springtime favorites -- asparagus and ramps. So for $10 bucks, just a little more than a bunch of flowers, I grabbed some of both. And they sat in the fridge for a week and a half. I had intended all along to try pickling the ramps. I made a special trip to Penzey's for their pickling spice mix. I got myself a nifty container. But for one reason or another, I did not get around to it until last night. Since you only pickle the white parts of the ramps, I had whole mess of the green leaves leftover. I decided to use some of them in a pasta dish based on a recipe I found online (which, ironically, was originally was inspired by a recipe from Talula’s Table). I crisped a bit of pre-chopped pancetta, and then added a few sliced Baby Bellas and sliced ramp leaves. In lieu of eggs or cream, I (attempted) to melt a wedge of Laughing Cow garlic and herb cheese into the pan, before adding the asparagus, which I sliced thinly and blanched, and a bit of cooked lemon pepper pappardelle. Since the cheese did not really melt, I added a healthy amount of grated cheese at the end and called it dinner (by then, it was 9 p.m., my kitchen smelled like ramps and vinegar, and Lost was starting). Still, I was happy to clear two more items out of the crisper.

Pickled Ramps

Inspired by a recipe from Serious Eats

Unless you have a incredibly well-stocked spice pantry, consider buying a pickling spice blend, which will save you some money and time.

Ingredients 1 C. White wine vinegar

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Bottled water

2-3 T. Pickling spice mix (a combination of mustard, coriander, and fennel seeds, plus peppercorns and bay leaves)

2 Lb. Ramps (wild leeks)

1 T. Salt

Method

Set a pot of salted water to boil.

Prep the ramps by cutting off most of the leaves and the hairy root ends; clean well by submersing in a bowl of water and letting the grit settle to the bottom (as you would clean regular leeks). Once the water is boiling, blanch ramps for about 30 seconds, then immediately shock them by adding to a bowl of ice water; drain well and insert into a glass jar; sprinkle with salt.

Add the vinegar, sugar and bottled water to the pot; bring up to a boil.

Add the spices to the pot and leave on heat for one minute.

Pour brine mixture over ramps; let cool to room temperature and then seal glass jar and refrigerate.

Crisper Cleanout: Apple Muffins

2010-05-04T10:00:00.006-04:00

I admit it -- I've been letting produce pile up in the crisper. Oh sure, if it gets soggy and/or brown, I'll toss it, but if it has some life left in it, I let it sit, waiting for the right day, right moment, right recipe. But no more. This week, I am using up all of the odds and ends that have been in the fridge drawer for too long. First up: Fuji apples. Shamefully, I've had about 10 small apples lingering around SINCE THE SECOND WEEKEND OF MARCH. Because that's when I bought them at the Hastings Indoor Market. They were starting to look a little shriveled, so I pulled them out on Sunday and made apple muffins. After all, who doesn't bake when it's 86 degrees out? After much deliberation, I chose Ellie Krieger's recipe, which uses apple sauce and raw apples. Since I had so many apples, I actually made my own sauce (which actually was more of a mash, since Fuji's don't break down easily). Making apple sauce is simple, and it does not take much effort (of course, turning on the oven and the stove on a warm day has it's own challenges). But the nut topping is what makes these a standout. Do not omit! Despite slaving over a hot stove/oven and dirtying all of my mixing bowls plus assorted other implements, the end result was worth it. And getting to enjoy breakfast al fresco on my newly madeover terrace made it that much better.

Double Apple Muffins

Inspired by Ellie Krieger's Apple Muffin Recipe

Ingredients 5-6 C. of apples, chopped ½ C. Milk 1 T. Lemon juice ½ C. water ½ t. Cinnamon 2 T. Brown sugar 1/2 t. Cinnamon ¼ C. Pecans, chopped 2 C. White whole wheat flour 2 T. Corn starch 1 t. Baking soda ½ t. Salt ½ t. Cinnamon ¼ t. Nutmeg ½ C. Brown sugar ¼ C. Vegetable oil 2 Eggs 1 t. Vanilla

Method Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Simmer over medium high heat about two-thirds of the chopped apples with a quarter cup of water and a dash of cinnamon, reserving one-third of the raw apples. In the meantime, pour half a cup of milk into a liquid measuring cup. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and set aside. Next, mix the next three ingredients (brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts) in a small bowl, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg) and whisk to insure they are well incorporated. In your largest bowl, whisk together the oil and remaining half cup of brown sugar. By now, your apples on the stove should be tender and starting to break down into a sauce (if not breaking down, give it a whirl in the blender). Add apple sauce/mash to large bowl and whisk to cool slightly. Once close to room temperature, add eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the large bowl, mix until just combined. Follow with half of the milk mixture, and then repeat dry-milk-dry until everything is in the bowl. Fold in the remaining raw apples. Scoop the batter into a prepared muffin tin. Top with the sugar-cinnamon-nut mixture. Bake for approximately 20 minutes; allow them to cool before removing from pan.

Hastings Outdoor Market Returns...Sort Of

2010-04-22T10:00:00.013-04:00

The Hastings market had its first outdoor showing earlier this month. Despite the cool temperatures, the flowers were out in full force.

I had the chance to visit old favorites (Breezy Hill had my favorite Honey Crisps, Chutney Masala was out) and find some new favs. First up was Big Girl Baking, whose table was literally groaning under the variety of treats.

I am usually hesitant to buy baked goods at the market...unless I can sample first, and Big Girl was really generous on the samples. So of course I picked up a loaf of olive oil tea cake (after reading a lovely recipe in the New York Times for lemon olive oil cake, I actually went out and bought all the ingredients to make it, but had been too lazy to turn on the oven). Next up was Hudson Milk Company. I am usually a non-fat Greek Yogurt person, but their yogurt from Maple Hill Creamery has made me a convert. Their flavored, whole milk yogurts are just sweet enough and so much better than any run-of-the-mill grocery store variety. I bought the lemon, and it did not disappoint. And then how could I pass up the cute offerings from Honey Locust? I snagged a bunch of young carrots for $1.50 and scallions for $1.00.

The April market got me super excited for Hastings' official outdoor season, but sadly, it does not begin until the beginning of June! But the market continues to pop up monthly, with the next date slated for May 8.

Carrot Soup with Yogurt

Using the carrots from Honey Locust and the lemon cream yogurt from Maple Hill, I did a lazy riff on the recipe for Moroccan carrot soup that was published in the April issue of Bon Appétit. By lazy, I mean I used ground cumin (rather than cumin seeds) and lemon flavored yogurt (in place of yogurt and lemon juice). Luckily, it’s hard to screw up soup! This only made 1.5 cups of soup so, for a larger batch, adjust the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients 1 t. Butter 1 Large shallot, finely chopped 4 oz. Carrots, peeled, cut into thin coins 1.5 c. Chicken broth 1 t. Cumin 1 t. Honey .25 c. (Non-sweetened) Lemon yogurt Salt and pepper Method Melt butter in small saucepan, add shallot and sauté for two minutes Add carrots, cumin and broth; bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer until tender Add honey and then puree soup using immersion blender, or in batches in standard blender, until smooth Before serving, drizzle yogurt over the soup and sprinkle with additional cumin

Beach Rental Cooking: Hilton Head Island

2010-04-08T16:19:00.012-04:00

Just back from the beach, and boy do I have the vacation blues. I spent the past week on Hilton Head Island, and six days never went so fast. Despite it being early in the season, my visit coincided with spring break. And while the wide, sandy beaches provided plenty of space for everyone, sadly, the local restaurants did not. It seemed like hour-long waits for a table and overtaxed kitchens were the rule rather than the exception. A local pizza joint stopped answering its phone (walk-in orders welcome, 90 minute wait for a pie). So we ended up doing a lot of cooking. And discovered that while Hilton Head has a huge assortment of grocery stores (I hit the Fresh Market, Piggly Wiggly and Harris Teeter during my stay), there are really few produce stands. Maybe it was the season, but I only spotted one -- just off island before the bridge. Calling it a "stand" may be slightly generous (series of tables in a dusty parking lot?) but I gamely stopped and spent about $9 on tomatoes, red skin potatoes, green and yellow squash and a bunch of Vidalia onions (based on the conditions, I suggest skipping the "fresh local jumbo shrimp"). The challenge of beach rental cooking is to make the most of what you have, including limited ingredients and sub-standard kitchen equipment (e.g., dull knives). Since we had already purchased such staples as eggs, celery, mayo, baby spinach, feta, bow tie pasta and bruschetta topping, it was easy to turn the potatoes into potato salad, to toss roasted squash and onion with pasta, and to serve sliced tomato in sandwiches or with baked eggs.

Cooking while on vacation may not be everyone's first choice, but when you focus on simple, easy dishes, it's a heck of a lot better than fighting hunger pangs or loud patrons at the local tourist traps!

Beach Vacation Baked Eggs

If you're making breakfast for a crowd, or if your rental doesn't have large ramekins, you can also bake these in a metal muffin tin. Just reduce the quantity of ingredients slightly (don't overfill the tins) and cooking time (15 minutes or until set) accordingly.

Ingredients (for a single serving)

Cooking spray or olive oil

2 Slices of tomato

.25 C. Baby spinach leaves

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1 T. Crumbled feta

Method

Preheat oven to 400.

Lightly grease a large ramekin or muffin tin.

Layer tomato on bottom of ramekin or tin; top with baby spinach, beaten egg and feta crumbles.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until egg has set.

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week: X2O Xaviars On The Hudson

2010-03-22T12:40:00.019-04:00

I love the idea of restaurant week. Something about a limited time, pre-fix menu really motivates you to get out and try someplace new. Or someplace that you've been dying to go, but couldn't justify the expense. So, in honor of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week(s), I drove a few miles south to X2O Xaviars On The Hudson. The restaurant, which was featured on Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Hudson Valley special, sits on top of an old pier near the Yonkers train station. We were seated in the smaller dining room on the highest level -- at a corner table by the window, looking south toward the GWB and Manhattan skyline. After starting with a Hudson Bubble Cocktail (sparkling wine, blood orange juice and elderflower liqueur), we perused the featured menu which had a ton of options. I started with the spicy tuna roll, and I don't even really like raw tuna. But the generous eight piece serving was delicious and totally not fishy at all. My table also ordered the fennel soup (looked nice) and the mushroom custard, which unfortunately was a little too reminiscent in look and taste to Campbell's cream of mushroom soup straight from the can (although I am sure only the finest wild mushrooms and cream made it into the dish!). We all went with the roasted sirloin for our entree. And it was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy (and this from someone who typically orders her meat medium well). Paired with two sauces, the sauce choron listed on the menu and a sweet and spicy red sauce, the portion was perfect -- filling but not overfilling. Leaving room for dessert! While some went for the rich Belgian chocolate dome... ...I went with an off menu special -- chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream, which was perfectly nice and actually quite light (which I appreciated after my surf and turf dinner). I wish the ice cream (which initially sold me on the selection) had a little more pistachio oomph (like the pistachio gelato I had in Milan last year) but at least it wasn't green!

All in all, I had a great time. Although I felt a tad bit rushed through our meal (I get it -- they need to turn the table), the service was great and as Restaurant Week patrons, I did not feel like we were treated like second class citizens (as some places have been known to do).

There are six more days of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week 2010 -- plenty of time to try to snag a reservation at X2O, or start planning your trip to Yonkers this time next year!

Hastings on Hudson Indoor Market

2010-03-15T13:05:00.026-04:00

Saturday morning. High winds. Torrential downpours. A sane person would stay in bed. I went to the Hastings on Hudson indoor farmers market.

The Hastings market, which has been running indoors the second Saturday of each month since January, is slated to move back outside next month. But I am pretty sure all of the vendors were happy to be inside the community center last weekend.

I had never been inside the community center before, and was impressed with the openness and light in the space. Like other indoor markets, the Hastings winter market is heavy on the prepared food and meats, but there were a number of produce vendors. The most popular was tucked into a corner. The farm, which I think is the same as the one I frequented at the Scarsdale market, had all bases covered -- from winter squash and sweet potatoes to greens and spring onions! After waiting patiently in line (the "stand" had a "single occupancy" set up, if you catch my drift), I snagged a several red onions, two sweet potatoes, and small bunch of cilantro. Next door was Red Jacket Orchards, the which I consider one of the more sophisticated farmers market vendors as it's a bigger operation than most. With no honey crisps available, I had to be satisfied with a bag of Fuji apples. Just before leaving, I spotted some blush pink breakfast radishes I had to have. I'm pretty sure they were from Honey Locust Farm, which has been profiled in Edible Manhattan, but I'm not really sure, as by this time I was getting hot and bothered (between the crowds and my non-breathable rain gear). So I picked up my radishes and a bag of chickweed, which I was told was good for my, verbatim, "female parts" (sold!) and especially nice in sandwiches. I have since learned chickweed in fact an edible weed that most people try to kill (except those who raise chickens or are in herbal medicine circles, apparently) but a few people pay to hunt it. Not sure what I'll do with it, especially given the concern over the nitrate levels, but you'll be the first to know. I'm thinking some kind of pesto that can possible double as a salve if I get bug bites...Seriously! Despite the rain, I was on the go most of the weekend, and did not cook much, so the only farmers market find I used was the cilantro on top a bowl of southwestern style chicken soup. But since the next market isn't until April 10, I have some time to use the rest.

Southwestern Style Chicken Soup

This is a great fridge-clean-out soup, especially when you have the less appetizing bits of leftover rotisserie chicken lingering on a shelf. It also freezes well (omit the garnishes).

Ingredients

1 T. Olive Oil

1 Medium Onion, peeled and diced

2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and minced

2 Stalks Celery, diced

2 Carrots, peeled and diced

1 Zucchini or 1 Cup green beans, chopped

1 Red pepper, chopped

1 Yellow or orange pepper, chopped

1 Can Diced tomatoes

4 Cups Low sodium chicken broth

1 Cup Corn kernels

1 Cup Black beans

2 Cups Cooked chicken, shredded

1 Cup Cooked brown rice

Chili seasoning, salt and pepper to taste

Optional: Hot sauce, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, crushed corn chips, sour cream (for garnish)

Method

Heat olive oil over a medium flame, add onions and saute until translucent.

Add garlic, celery and carrot and saute for three minutes.

Add chili seasoning, salt, black pepper, raw red/yellow/orange peppers and zucchini, if using, saute for another five minutes.

Add broth and diced tomatoes, bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add green beans (if using), corn, black beans, cooked chicken and cooked rice and heat until warmed through.

Garnish with shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, crushed corn chips and/or a dollop of sour cream.

Ithaca Indoor Farmers Market

2010-02-22T10:00:00.005-05:00

I was upstate President's Day weekend, and headed to Ithaca to enjoy a veggie bagel sandwich from Collegetown Bagels, hit the local TJ Maxx and check out the indoor farmers market. Now the outdoor market at Ithaca is pretty darn impressive so I wasn't sure what to expect from the "winter alternative."

But I was pleasantly surprised. The indoor market, which has been running since January, is located right downtown in the Womens Community Building (which also happens to be right across from the Dewitt Mall and the Moosewood).

There were a bunch of vendors stuffed into a room the size of a small gymnasium -- offering everything from baked goods to sprouts to meat to jewelry. In addition, some of the favorite prepared food vendors had turned out to tempt shoppers with samosa and tacos. Sadly, Macro Mamas was not among them. So I consoled myself by picking up a small bunch of baby leeks ($2.50), a head of napa cabbage ($3), parsnips, a pair of earrings ($5) and this really good piece of sweet almond brioche for $3 (hey, a half a veggie bagel only sticks with you so long). Since the following day was Chinese New Year (go Year of the Tiger!), I used the napa cabbage in a slaw inspired by a recipe in Eating Well (my new favorite food magazine). The recipe calls for cabbage to be combined with grated sweet potato instead of the traditional orange carrot. I fiddled with the recipe it a bit, cutting the amount of sweet potato in half, adding shredded snow peas, chopped mint and chopped cilantro plus rice wine vinegar for extra kick. Although you could not tell the orange was sweet potato, the end result was pretty tasty and a nice complement to the Chinese-themed meal my aunt prepared. If you happen to be in the Ithaca area next Saturday, be sure to check out the market. Sadly, it's only slated to run until the end of the month. Otherwise, you'll be stuck waiting for spring until the outdoor market opens again.

Soup for a Snowy Day

2010-02-16T12:47:00.005-05:00

After a long dry spell, we've been getting "a lot" of snow in the metro NYC area this month. There was about an inch on the ground when I left the house today, which was nothing compared to the "snow day" last Wednesday. Fearing "blizzard-like conditions" (which never quite materialized), I elected to work from home.

There are two benefits to working from home: I had a window to look out of (since I worked from my kitchen table) and I was able to make lunch at home. In fact, I dragged out the root vegetables I had purchased at Union Square a few weekends before -- fingerling potatoes, carrots, parsnips and turnips -- and set to make soup.

Taking inspiration from Ina, I peeled (all but the fingerlings) and chopped the green market vegetables into small pieces, combining with diced onion and garlic, sea salt and Penzey's Parisien Bonnes Herbes mix. After 40 minutes in a 400 oven, they were ready to join the broth and chicken bubbling on the stove. I let a handful of egg noodles cook in the broth (yes, it's a double carb soup) and stirred in a teaspoon of dill just before serving...myself.

Although the garlic flavor was a little too pronounced, the end result was hearty and healthy, and gave me enough energy to go out and shovel eight inches of snow off the car. Spring cannot come soon enough.

Chicken Soup with Roasted Root Vegetables

*Note: I diced the garlic and roasted it with the vegetables but think that roasting the cloves unpeeled and whole would have given the soup a more mellow and more desirable garlic flavor. If you go this route, don't forget to peel and diced the roasted garlic before adding to the broth.

Ingredients

3 Carrots, peeled and diced 2 Parsnips, peeled and diced

1 Medium onion, peeled and diced

2 Small turnips, peeled and diced

3 Fingerling potatoes, diced 2 T. olive oil 1 t. salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 6 C. chicken broth

2 C. water

2 C. cooked chicken, diced or shredded

1 C. egg noodles

1 t. dried dill

Method

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine vegetables, olive oil, salt, pepper and extra seasonings (if using) in a large pot; dump contents onto baking sheet that has been covered in foil.

Roast vegetables for 40 minutes, or until they start to turn brown and caramelize.

Heat chicken broth and water in original pot, bring to boil and add egg noodles; cook for six minutes or until noodles have softened.

Turn off burner. Add roasted vegetables* and diced chicken to pot and let sit for 10 minutes.

Stir in 1 teaspoon of dried dill and serve immediately. This soup is best eaten fresh as the noodles will continue to soak up moisture as it sits.

Top of the Muffin To Ya

2010-02-07T09:22:00.011-05:00

Call it the winter blues, perhaps, but the last few weeks I have been craving muffins. Not the Starbucks calorie laden versions (thank goodness) but the smell and taste of a home cooked treat. First, I made the apple sauce muffins from the Moosewood.The following week, I whipped up the batter for the apple spice cake recipe in the same cookbook (which only uses maple syrup for sweetener) and baked that in muffin tins. Similar to the apple sauce muffins but with instant oatmeal part of the list of ingredients, the end result was hearty and healthy.

Cross-section of the apple spice cake muffins with fresh cranberries

Then, with leftover ricotta in the fridge, I stumbled upon Giada De Laurentiis' Nonna's recipe for lemon ricotta muffins. It's stretching it a bit to call these babies "muffins." Chock full of moist goodness and super sweet, these were more like little cakes. Add some glaze or frosting and you're looking at a birthday party treat.

And then I ran the recipe through MasterCook. Clocking in at 274 calories and 13 grams of fat EACH, these were "special occasion" muffins and definitely not the winter workday morning everyday indulgence I was after.

So I went out on a limb and messed with the recipe. I know baking is a science, it's all about chemistry, yadda, yadda, but even scientists experiment. So I slashed the fat and added fiber. The end result? Down to 200 calories and 8 grams of fat per muffin. So not exactly made for an everyday breakfast, but good for a weekend indulgence. And, given the temptation of moist lemon cake and tart berries, good thing they freeze well. After all, no one wants to gnaw on a frozen muffin in February.

Lemon Ricotta Berry Muffins

Inspired by a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients 1 Cup All-purpose flour

1 Cup Whole wheat flour 1/2 t. Baking powder 1/2 t. Baking soda 1/2 t. Salt 1/2 C. Sugar

5 T. Unsalted butter, softened 1 T. Lemon zest 1 C. Part-skim ricotta 1 Egg 1 T. Lemon juice 1/2 t. Almond extract 1/4 C. 1% Milk

1 1/2 C. Frozen blackberries, raspberries and/or blueberries

2 T. Sliced almonds

Method Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour through salt) in small bowl.

In a larger bowl, cream sugar, butter and zest with an electric mixer; add ricotta and beat until incorporated.

Add egg, lemon juice and almond extract to ricotta mixture and beat until well combined.

Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand; adding up to 1/4 cup low fat milk if needed (batter should be stiff, but all dry ingredients should be well incorporated).

Fold in frozen berries by hand.

Using an ice cream scoop or two tablespoons, scoop batter into a 12 cup muffin tin that has either been sprayed or prepped with paper liners.

Sprinkle a few sliced almonds on top of each muffin.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing from tin and cooling on baking rack.

Union Square Revisited

2010-01-20T15:29:00.011-05:00

I went into the city on Saturday for the first time since moving (three months ago). I had fun doing my old routine -- swimming at the Y on 14th Street, getting sushi at Whole Foods Union Square, trekking down to Chinatown for won ton soup, and walking through the Union Square Greenmarket. I realize now I really took the greenmarket for granted. Living in the land of indoor markets, it'll be late spring before the vendors venture outside again. So I grabbed shallots and fingerling potatoes and about 8 lbs. of apples to haul back with me (after first taking them on a trip downtown through Soho and Chinatown. My left shoulder may never be the same). Since I got a mix of eating apples and cooking apples (at $3 a 4 lb. bag, I was willing to take my chances with the "slightly imperfect" ones), I settled on making apple sauce muffins with half the haul. The recipe, which is based on one in the Moosewood Low-fat Favorites cookbook, combines apple sauce with fresh whole cranberries and walnuts for a tart-sweet breakfast treat. With a mix of white and whole wheat flour, and only two tablespoons of oil, this muffin beats the low fat options at your favorite coffee shop hands down. And helps justify buying a grande mocha latte to wash it down.

Apple Cranberry Muffins

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

Ingredients

1 C. White Flour

1 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 T. Baking Powder

1/2 t. Salt

1/2 t. Cinnamon

1/4 t. Nutmeg

1 Egg

1 Egg White

1 C. Applesauce (Homemade or commercial)

1/3 C. Brown Sugar

Zest of one Lemon

2 T. Canola Oil

2 T. Skim Milk

1/2 C. Walnuts, Toasted and Chopped

1 C. Cranberries (Whole or Chopped)

Method

Preheat oven to 400; spray or grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

Sift together dry ingredients.

In another bowl, beat egg and egg white until frothy; add applesauce, brown sugar, lemon zest, oil and milk and beat until well incorporated.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mixed until just combined; fold in walnuts and cranberries.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill the muffin tins to just below the rim.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

London: Market to Market

2010-01-11T11:43:00.020-05:00

After a hectic holiday, work took me to London the second weekend of January. It was a quick trip, and I literally had 36 hours of free time. But I made good use of the time, seeing a show ("An Inspector Calls"), dining in two of my favorite quick casual restaurants, attending evensong services at Westminster Abby (I think I prefer St. Paul's, but still worth checking out) and of course, visiting two of my favorite markets: Greenwich and Borough. Greenwich, just down the Thames from London, is a really cute college town I got to check out on my last visit (in October). Back in late October, the weather was still nice enough to take the river cruise to Greenwich. However, with the bitter January weather, I decide to take the train. And the one hour journey (tube to DLR) was worth it for the shopping and food. Greenwich market has a ton of stalls selling everything from handcrafts to fashion to accessories. And many offer unique items at reasonable prices. The market is also lined with really interesting stores specializing in clothing, jewelry or home goods, so you could spend the whole day there. On this visit, I picked up two makeup purses at Afxentiou. I discovered the stall on my last visit, the bright graphic prints (one could say almost Orla-Kiely-esque) catching my attention straight away. And since it's a small, London-based company with prices that are most definitely not Orla-Kiely-esque, the purses make great gifts too. I also couldn't resist buying a funky chicken doorstop from refab (despite not really having a door to prop up!). And then there's the food. From Portuguese to crepes to "Louisiana sausages," you could eat around the world from the food stalls. I decided to try a lahmacun wrap. The flatbread was crisped on the griddle and then stuffed with salad, hummus and a yogurt sauce. Nice and compact for eating on the go. Later that day (after training back to London, meandering through Soho and attending services at Westminster), I walked across the London Bridge to Borough Market. Sadly, I arrived a bit too late. By 30 minutes before closing, most stalls had gone or were breaking down for the day, including Kappacasein. With no cheese toastie for me this visit, I followed my nose (and the scent of grilling meat) to a new stand -- Northfield Farm. Northfield operates in the market as both a butcher and food stall. On one side, you can get your raw meat product and the other, cooked meat product. The "cooked side" had quite a menu -- from beef to pork to lamb. Although I was hoping for a sausage, by the time I made it to the front of the line, all they had left was lamb, lamb or lamb. So I opted for a lamb burger with mature cheddar and a sweet curry mustard. Once I peeled off the top bun (too much bread!), I actually enjoyed the burger. The lamb patty had been seared a deep brown on the outside but was still moist inside. And the cheese, although cold and not melty, was a nice touch. The burger really couldn't compare to a cheese toastie, but was a good substitute, especially since I was cold and hungry! The moral of the story is, when visiting either market, go early, go hungry and go to the ATM, as there's a lot of temptation at London's food, bric-a-brac and antique markets! Greenwich Market is open Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Take the DLR to "Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich" station. For more information, visit http://www.greenwichmarket.net/. Borough Market is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday but most of the food stalls are only open Friday and Saturday. Although the market closes at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays, many stalls begin breaking down much earlier. Take the tube to London Bridge. For more information, visit http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/.

Ham for the Holidays

2010-01-05T08:52:00.010-05:00

January 5. Also known as the 12th day of Christmas, making it an apropos time to reflect on the holiday season. Although I am back to the grind, I did enjoy a great few weeks upstate with family and friends. And while I did not do a lot of cooking, I did do plenty of eating. But when I did drag out the pots and pans, the one ingredient that kept showing up time and time again was ham. Full disclosure: I don't even really like ham (it has something to do with college and the biology for non-majors class I was required to take -- I'll spare you the details). But there is something about spiral ham that screams holiday. So serve ham diced in a jambalaya-style stew, or hide it under scalloped potatoes, and I'll eat it. Especially if the potatoes are covered with leeks and cream and Gruyere, as in the Williams Sonoma Potato-Leek gratin recipe. I think this is a perfect holiday recipe because, frankly, it's time consuming to clean and cut and cook the leeks, and peel and slice the potatoes, and grate the cheeses. But the end result is worth it. An easier weeknight take on the recipe would be to use the ingredients to make a potato leek soup (after all, if you're going to puree everything, no need to take the care to make perfect 1/4 inch slices!). Of course, this is also a perfect holiday recipe because it's not exactly low calorie. But if your New Year's resolutions allow for a splurge now and then, bookmark this recipe. Happy New Year!

Sweet Potato Biscuit Muffins - A Holiday Baking Mishap

2009-12-26T16:24:00.009-05:00

Ironically, it's always this time of year -- prime baking season -- when I have baking mishaps. I chalk it up to being in a rush and not reading directions. Case in point, a few weeks before Christmas, I hosted another holiday open house and decided to make Sweet Potato Biscuits with Ham, Mustard and Honey. Although the recipe was recently published in the December issue of Bon Appetit, I had been wanting to make it since reading about it in Molly Wizenberg's book, A Homemade Life. Heck, I even tracked down the mustard she recommended in preparation.

But in my haste, I did not read the whole recipe closely enough and neglected to let the sweet potato mash (made from potatoes purchased during my final farmers market run) cool before mixing it with the dried ingredients and cold cubed butter. Needless to say, the chilled butter melted on contact with the mash, resulting in a gloppy mess. Since there was no way I could roll out the sticky dough, I decided to try to salvage the biscuits by scooping the dough into muffin tins and baking as is. Although the end result was a little flat and heavy, it actually worked really well, and the "biscuit muffins" were perfectly shaped -- even more so than they would have been had I attempted to cut them out of the rolled dough. Just goes to show that there are holiday miracles this time of year after all. Maybe I should get out the almond meal and attempt macarons again...or maybe not!

Review of The Scarsdale Winter Market

2009-12-17T15:00:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, I drove over the (Saw Mill) River (Road) and through the (sparse) woods to Scarsdale, NY on a quest to find the indoor farmers market. Scarsdale has a reputation for being a rather tony place (in fact, the village's Wikipedia entry list dedicates quite a bit of space to the famous and infamous who live(d) there).

Which is probably why everyone was flocking to the downtown area on Saturday afternoon. By the time I navigated the quaint and cramped streets lined with Tudor-revival-style architecture and Land Rovers, I was ready to make this my one and only visit to the market. But as I pulled into the municipal parking garage, I realized the indoor market was really incongruous compared to the other parts of the village.

Because the market is literally set up in a parking garage. No frills, but it works. With a mix of vendors selling everything from cheese to honey to woolen scarves, you can pretty much find anything you want (except takeout Indian. Chutney Masala was not there, as I had hoped).

In fact, the lone produce vendor had quite the assortement -- including purple cauliflower and a variety of mushrooms. He even had greenhouse tomatoes (which, if not as tasty as summer tomatoes from the field, were at least locally grown).

I picked up some apples and shallots, plus a head of purple cauliflower (still looking for inspiration on how to use it!) and drove back home, passing a Hastings farmers market sign on the way. Yes, I could have avoid the trip (and probably scored some samosas) as my local market is open one Saturday a month during the winter season. Oh well, I would have missed counting Land Rovers.

Notes:

The Scarsdale market is located in the garage at 1 Christie Place every Saturday.

Future dates for the Hastings on Hudson market are January 9, February 13 and March 13 at the Community Center on Main St.

'Tis The Season for Entertaining

2009-12-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

The holidays are here and everyone is scrambling to shop, cook, eat and entertain. This year, I am trying to take a simpler approach in every way possible, including parties. Take last weekend -- I hosted a family brunch for nine adults and two babies. I planned the menu around things I could either: make ahead or in an instant, have people make themselves or items I could cook once and eat twice (or thrice!). So the day before I prepared the spinach artichoke dip and frittata filling, made all of my desserts, and prepped the vegetables for crudité and tossed salad. The morning of the brunch, I juggled oven space, heating the dip, baking off the frittata in muffin tins, warming a spiral ham and cooking scalloped potatoes. At the last minute, I baked the thawed-from-frozen croissants and threw together a fruit salad and batter for make-your-own waffles. Thanks to a few helpers, everything came together beautifully, everyone enjoyed the meal and I had a ton of leftovers. In fact, some of those leftovers, including remaining slices from the 8 lb. ham currently tucked in the freezer, will make a second appearance next Sunday at Holiday Brunch -- The Sequel. After all, 'tis the season. Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin Trifle (adapted from Gourmet)

Do a Google search and it seems like everyone and their brother has a pumpkin trifle recipe. Last weekend, I made this as written but am thinking about using artificial helpers (e.g., the old instant pudding and whipped topping route) next time to get a lighter and fluffier mousse with fewer calories. Will let you know how it goes!

Ingredients

1 8x8 pan of Gingerbread cake (prepared from scratch or from a mix like the one from Trader Joe's)

1 (1/4 oz.) Envelope of gelatin

1/4 C. Water

1 14-15 oz. Can of Pumpkin (unless you're lucky to have fresh puree on hand) 1/4 C. Brown sugar 1 t. Cinnamon 1/2 t. Nutmeg Dash of Salt 2 C. Whipping cream 1 1/2 t. Vanilla extract

1 1/2 T. Sugar

Method

Using a bread knife, cut the cooled, prepared gingerbread cake into 1 inch cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt; whisk until well incorporated.

Pour the water in a small pot; sprinkle on gelatin and let sit one minute. Heat mixture, whisking until gelatin dissolves completely. Pour gelatin mixture into pumpkin mixture and combine.

In a separate bowl, combine whipping cream, vanilla and sugar and beat until the mixture forms and holds soft peaks.

Fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture, reserving 1/3 of the cream.

In a clear glass bowl, layer 1/3 of the gingerbread cubes and top with 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture; repeat for two more layers.

Top the bowl with the reserved whipped cream; cover and chill for two hours or overnight.

Crispy Kale on Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T12:15:00.001-05:00

Well, I finally made kale chips. I had a bunch of Tuscan kale that was starting to look forlorn, and I figured it was use it or lose it. I tried making the chips once before, but they steamed versus crisped in the oven (or stuck to the tinfoil I lined the baking sheet with). This time, I followed the method recommended by none other than Dan Barber (as published in Bon Appétit). I did decide to jazz it up by using a combination of wasabi and sesame oil instead of olive oil and a sprinkle of soy instead of salt. This time, I lined the pans with parchment and the smaller leaves came out perfect. The larger ones started to burn a bit, and the stems never cooked through, making eating the final product difficult (unless you like chewing and chewing and chewing with green bits of the leaves stuck to your face). The taste of crisped kale was oddly addicting at first, but then, after a few leaves, kind of sickening -- even after I sprinkled a bit of sugar on the crisps to counteract some of the bitterness. In fact, my family nibbled on a few leaves (more as a dare than anything, I think), but we ended up tossing most of the crisps. What a waste of kale. In the future, I think I will reserve kale for soup, and leave the chips to the potatoes!

Stocking up for the Winter

2009-11-16T10:02:00.003-05:00

For us in the Northeast, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is traditionally the last farmer's market of the season. In other words, it's time to stock up. Which is why I braved the rain on Saturday and hit my local market.

With a little Googling, I found a great table listing produce and ideal storage conditions (from Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers by way of the University of Wisconsin). Just like our ancestors did, you can actually store much of the late fall produce (and you don't even need a root cellar). *Apples: According to the guide, late season apples store the best at cool temperatures and high humidity (to help retain moisture). The chart indicates you could get two-to-six months under the perfect conditions, but I was not quite ready to buy a bushel and test it out. Instead, I bought some to use in apple sauce, some to eat and a few to save in the crisper. *Cabbage: I don't eat a lot of cabbage, but the guide claims a head should last three-to-six weeks in the fridge. I got some brussel sprouts to roast this week (as I don't think they will last quite as long as a big head of cabbage!). *Garlic: Farmers market garlic tastes a lot better than the kind you get a conventional grocery store, and has a shelf life of six-to-nine months. *Kale: I am new convert to kale, particularly Tuscan kale, and throw it in everything from stir fries to soups. While I still have not figured out how to make a good kale chip (they say they taste like potato chips) or how to enjoy eating kale raw in a salad, I picked up two bunches, which should last two-to-three weeks. *Onion: I heart small red onions. I like to make a salad and use up one small onion versus hack off part of a big one (and then have the remnants stinking up the fridge). Onions are fickle, though, and can last anywhere from a few weeks (especially if they seem moist) to eight months, according to the chart.

*Potato: Under ideal conditions, tubers will last a while. Cool, dark and dry places are best to avoid rotting, sprouting and greening. *Winter Squash: Most sources claim that squash will last about one month, cool, dark place. I bought two butternuts, so check back in and I will let you know!

Eldress Bertha's Apple Sauce (From Cooking Light)

If you think apple sauce is for babies, you have not tried homemade! I like texture, so I use a variety of apples, including those that are a bit more firm and keep their shape. Try adding pomegranate seeds for extra crunch and flair. This also makes a good topping for vanilla ice cream!

Find the recipe here.

Keuka Gold meets Green Leeks: Potato Leek Soup

2009-11-09T13:09:00.015-05:00

Hard to believe there are only two more weekends for most outdoor farmers markets (many shut down the weekend before Thanksgiving). Judging by the weather, and bounty of produce and prepared food at my local market on Saturday, you'd never guess. Since the end is near, I went a bit wild, dropping a bundle on staples like red onions, apples and yams, but also special items like Tuscan kale and vanilla yogurt and Indian food (you gotta love a market that has a stand selling samosas next to a stand that sells winter squash). However, despite being in a buying mood, I wasn't really in a cooking mood over the weekend. But with a new bunch of leeks, and those Keuka Gold potatoes from the Irvington market sitting on my counter for almost a month, I decided to throw together a quick potato leek soup. Keuka Gold (featured in The New York Times last month) have really thin skins, so I just left them unpeeled and diced the well-scrubbed spuds. Perhaps because I chose to leave the skin on, the final product took on the slightest greenish (leek) gray (potato skin) cast. But it tasted great. And was simple to make, leaving me more time to enjoy the Indian summer sun and less at the stove.

Easy Potato Leek Soup

Believe it or not, this soup actually freezes ok, but the components do separate, so you must add dairy after it's thawed to bind the ingredients back together. And if you bring a frozen container to work to heat up for lunch? Stir in one or two of those small containers of creamer at the end! This recipe makes two, 2-cup servings.

Ingredients

2 Leeks, washed and roughly chopped

1 T. Butter

1 T. Olive oil

1 Shallot, roughly chopped

2 Slices of Bacon, diced

1 Lb. of Potatoes, 1/2 inch dice (I used Keuka Gold, but you can sub Yukon Gold)

3 C. Chicken broth

Splash of milk/half and half/cream

Chives, minced (for garnish)

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Saute leeks in butter and oil over medium heat for about eight minutes (until softened but not browned).

Season liberally with salt and pepper; add shallot and bacon to the leeks and cook for two minutes.

Add potatoes and broth; bring broth to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender.

Turn off heat and let cool slightly; puree with an immersion blender (or in batches in a regular blender) until desired consistency.

Stir in a splash of milk, half and half, or cream before serving; garnish with chives.

London Calling: Kappacasein at Borough Market

2009-11-02T09:37:00.024-05:00

I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, which is why I have been doing less cooking (and less blogging!). In fact, I just returned from a big trip -- across the pond to London. I first visited London as a recent high school grad and have been back several times since. It was great to visit old favorites as well as make new discoveries. And for me, no trip to London is complete without a stop at Borough Market. Tucked under London Bridge, on the South Bank, Borough Market is foodie paradise. With a 50-50 mix of whole and prepared foods, even tourists without access to cooking facilities can eat their way through the market. But for me, there's only one stand to hit -- the "Raclette Guy." Originally affiliated with Neal's Yard Dairy, this visit, I noticed a new name on the stand -- Kappacasein (which Google tells me is a protein that is key to the cheese-making process). A recent Serious Eats post makes it sound like Kappacasein is still associated with the famous cheese shop, which is a relief. Despite the new name (and new prices), the stand still sells two dishes, both featuring gooey, melted cheese: raclette (which I have attempted to make before) and luscious cheese toasties, otherwise know as THE BEST TOASTED CHEESE SANDWICH IN THE WORLD. In my opinion, the key to their success is not the sourdough bread (although I think that is really the only kind of bread one should use for toasted cheese). Nor is it the nice mix of scallion, red onion and garlic sandwiched between the bread. No, it's the cheese. This time, I am pretty sure the cheese was a cows milk variety called Ogleshield and it was delicious, mild and melty. I must find some here in the States. If you visit, once you're done with your sandwich, resist the urge to go back for seconds, and instead wander west along the Thames River and hit the Tate Modern or cool home design stores (including Joseph Joseph and Black + Blum) at the Oxo Tower. Then, retrace your steps back to the market for seconds! After all, you'll have walked off the first sandwich no problem. Look for Kappacasein near the London Bridge side of the green market, directly opposite Southwark Cathedral (which has some stone walls and benches for you to sit and enjoy your sandwich).

Autumn Salads, Rainy Weekend

2009-10-19T15:13:00.011-04:00

The harvest may be over, and the glory days of the farmers market ending, but last week, I found a lot of good stuff at two different Westchester farmers markets -- the Wednesday night market in Irvington and the Saturday morning market in Hastings. Wednesday was my second time at the Irvington market, but my first time ever shopping at a farmers market in the pitch dark. Oh sure, some vendors had rigged up small battery-operated lanterns, but mainly I had to rely on the senses of touch and smell (and the flashlight on my key ring) to pick out shallots, chard, Keuka Gold potatoes, baby leeks and what is probably the last of the summer sweet corn. On Saturday, I avoided the prepared food temptation and picked up a few supplemental items at the Hastings market, including yams, breakfast radishes and a variety of apples. And on Sunday, it rained. So it was a perfect day for cooking, particularly as I had a friend coming over for lunch. The menu included roasted pork loin, Mark Bittman's Roasted Sweet Potato Salad (with the fresh corn), Smitten Kitchen's acorn squash with chile-lime vinaigrette and a green salad I made up on the fly.

Despite the surplus of yellow and orange in the meal (beta Carotene is all good, right?), my skin has not turned orange like an Oompa-Loompa or anything. But since I am trying enjoy the autumn produce while I still can, who knows what will happen before the season is over!

Crunchy Green Salad

I love cheese in salads, but get sick of feta or goat cheese crumbles, so Ricotta Salata is a good alternative that pairs well with the sweet flavors in this salad.

Ingredients

3 Cups mixed greens (I used the Sorrento blend from Trader Joes)

2 Scallions, sliced on an angle

5 Breakfast radishes, sliced into thin rounds

2 T. Pine nuts, toasted

2 T. Pomegranate seeds

1/4 Cup Ricotta Salata, crumbled

Olive oil

Rice wine vinegar

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Combine all ingredients and toss with olive oil, rice wine vinegar and spices to taste.

Enjoying the Harvest at Stone Barns

2009-10-08T14:35:00.001-04:00

As I hinted in my last post, I've had a crazy few weeks. The big news is that I did it -- I moved out of New York City. I am now a resident of Westchester County. Although I've been consumed with unpacking and setting up my new place, I have been exploring my new area. In fact, last weekend I made it to Stone Barns for Harvest Fest.

Ever since the farm was featured on Top Chef (not to mention a slew of blogs), I've wanted to visit. When I saw the listing for Harvest Fest online, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity.

I admit, I was a bit surprised by the admission fee but I figured I was actually making a donation, since the farm operates as a nonprofit (on a typical day, the center has a $5 parking fee, reimbursed after purchases totaling $15. If you want to attend a program, those have a separate fee). I was also a bit surprised by the lack of program information online, but ended up just going with the flow.

The program, which I received once I arrived, was pretty extensive, with music and demos and hayrides and a street-fair like farmers market. The place was also packed -- but more with families than foodies. Let's just say the stroller brigade was out in full force (one of the reasons I did not take the hayride).

But I enjoyed wandering the grounds and greenhouses, as well as sampling the food: from Stone Barns' own grassfed beef sloppy joes and roast pork sandwiches to tacos from Chipotle (hey, they were a sponsor, and their tacos are good) to Mast Brothers Chocolate to Balthazar's baked goods.

Stone Barns also had a table full of produce for sale, including delicata and dumpling squash. I had never seen dumpling squash before, and since they looked ideal for stuffing, had to buy some. The ladies at the stand recommended a savory stuffing built around rice, as well as a sweet stuffing with apples and nuts.

I opted to go for the former, and combined cooked brown rice with chopped fresh spinach and diced chicken sausage in a light cream sauce. The end result was super cute and tasty, but I realized one thing...I am not a huge sweet, winter squash fan. Oh sure, I like it as a side or in a salad, but squash as a main course is a bit too glutenous for me. Live and learn!

Stuffed [Sweet] Dumpling Squash

As with delicata, you can eat the skin/rind of dumpling squash.

Ingredients

Two dumpling squash, cut in half through stem end and de-pulped and de-seeded

1 Clove of garlic, minced

1 Shallot, minced

1 T. Olive oil

1 c. Cooked brown rice

1 c. Baby spinach leaves, chiffonade

1 Link chicken sausage, chopped

Splash of chicken broth

Splash of half and half

Dash of red pepper flake

Dash of nutmeg

Salt

Pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 375.

Place squash halves in greased baking dish cut side down and roast for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, saute the garlic and shallot in olive oil; add baby spinach until wilted.

Turn off heat and add rice, chicken sausage, liquids and spices to taste.

After 20 minutes, remove the squash and turn cut side up; season interior of squash with salt and pepper; pack loosely with rice filling.

Cover dish with foil and return to oven for another 20 minutes.

Serve immediately.

The Wetlands of Amsterdam

2009-09-28T14:58:00.014-04:00

It's been quite a hectic September between travel for fun, travel for work (and fun), getting socked with a triple whammy of a ear infection, eye infection and upper respiratory infection, and, if that wasn't enough, packing up and moving out of New York City (more on that later).

Needless to say, I haven't been doing a lot of cooking. So while I get my new place set up, and plan for my first trip to the local farmers market, here are pictures from my canoe tour of the countryside around Amsterdam a few weeks ago.

After watching a segment on 60 Minutes featuring Rick Steves paddling through the canals around Amsterdam, I knew I wanted to do the Wetlands Safari tour. The 60 Minutes segment aired in 2005, right after my first trip to the city and right before my second visit. I tried to make a booking back then, the trips were filled, so I ended up waiting four and a half years to get my chance.

On a cool and cloudy Sunday morning, I met a group of tourists from Australia, Austria, California, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland and yes, Holland, at the local TI and boarded a bus a few minutes outside the city limits for what turned out to be a five-hour tour through small villages, part of a major canal, and then a nature preserve.

And despite a little rain and wind mixed in with sunshine, it was worth it for the combination of scenery, wildlife and sound of the water. During the lunchtime pit stop, I even picked some wild blackberries.

So if you've already hit the Rijks Museum, toured the cramped Anne Frank House, bought your van Gogh Starry Nights poster and gawked your way through the Red Lights District, a canoe trip is not a bad way to spend an afternoon in Holland.

Foodie Day in Amsterdam

2009-09-13T16:37:00.005-04:00

You know, I could really see myself living in Amsterdam. The people are friendly, just about everyone speaks English, the canals are charming and the food is good. True, you need to hunt down the good food, unless you have the munchies and even a treat from the FEBO automat will do.

My first stop on Saturday was the Noordermarkt. I love this organic farmers market, meets clothing market, meets bric-a-brac market. In addition to picking up some cool souvenirs, you could cobble together a meal out of the prepared food items offered -- from pizza to sushi to Vietnamese food. Or, if you have access to a kitchen like I do, you could pick up bread, cheese, vegetables, and even pate and actually cook. But this time, I just chose to wander versus buy (although I did pick up a cute Miffy toy for my niece).

Just beyond the market is a small shop I stumbled upon during my last visit to Amsterdam (circa 2004) -- Delicious Food. And the name says it all. Picture a gourmet food shop lined with bulk dry good containers filled with unusual treats, a variety of olive oils available by weight and even an extensive raw food section. I restrained myself and got a few grams of mixed nuts, another small bag of museli and a container of salad sprinkle to take home (looks like a combination of dried cranberry, dried apple, seeds and nuts to toss with a green salad). From the market area, I meandered down the Prinsengracht and found Pancakes!, a tiny restaurant that got high marks on chowhound.com and on nytimes.com for its many varieties of pancakes. But it was packed, so I continued all the way down to Wagmama. I know, overpriced ramen seems like a cop-out, but I love the chilli chicken and so rarely get to Wagamama, so I went for it. Stuffed, I continued to follow the canal ring to scout out De Waaghals, another highly rated vegetarian restaurant. It is only open for dinner, so I just looked at the menu and made a mental note to go back someday. One block east, I passed the cutest tea shop -- Taart van Mijn Tante. With elaborately decorated styrofoam cakes lining the windows, and mismatched tables and chairs, the shop has a lot of character. But after over 20 minutes of sitting an outdoor table without being waited on, I bailed (this was after I went in and asked if I could sit outside). Tsk, tsk, but to be fair, they were busy. Sad, but still seeking a sweet, I found another patisserie. During my long walk, I noticed several people carying bags from Holtkamp, and figured it must be a local favorite. It was clear the shop was closing by the time I entered, but I did get a slice of the apple tart and another slice of an electric green and pink cake (which ended up being a delicious sponge with strawberry cream. Wish I had gotten two slices of that and passed on the apple). The shop had really nice looking chocolates, which I noticed after I paid. But in the time I entered the shop and paid, no less than five other people had crowded in, so chocolates would have to wait for next time. Despite the sweet treats in my bag, it would be a while before I would sample them. I got the bright idea to drop by the VVV (Tourist Information office) to ask a few questions, and ended up waiting 45 minutes to speak with someone (the VVV staff also help with hotel bookings, and apparently, this is one of the busiest times of the year due to a huge conference going on. Most hotels were fully booked, so I was very lucky to find the accomodations I did, and felt very sorry for those looking for a room last minute). By the time I left, I was exhausted, and in no mood to dine out. The one bright spot during my 45 minutes at the VVV was that I had time to read the September issue of Time Out Amsterdam cover to cover, and noted that Small World Catering, a catering outfit with a small deli storefront, was right around the corner from my flat. So I swung by and picked up a sandwich and salad to go. The store is very small, and in fact the name does not even appear on the awning outside, so it's easy to miss. There are about four seats inside and four outside, so it's more of a grab-and-go kind of place. The sandwiches (I got a tuna melt on cibatta) were huge and at 6.75 euros, enough for two (or two meals). I know the Dutch love their sandwiches, and I have sampled a few broodjies during my visits, and I can definitely say this one was the best. So I set out for home, carrying a huge tuna sandwich, a small container of couscous salad, a container of Greek vegetable salad and two pieces of cake, when I virtually ran into two people coming out of a small shop carying ice cream cones. Despite my load, I could not resist stopping at Jordino for a gelato. For 2 euros, I enjoyed a small scoop of yogurt and a small scoop of a champagne citron flavor. Some people come to Amsterdam to drink. I think I prefer to eat champage flavored gelato. Lest you think I am a complete glutton, no, I did not eat everything in one sitting, or even two for that matter. That's the benefit of staying in a flat with fridge -- I have lots of leftovers to take on the plane home with me. Bet the other passengers will be jealous that I am bringing a taste of Amsterdam home.

Live Blogging Amsterdam: Dutch Flat

2009-09-12T04:50:00.009-04:00

I am staying in a Dutch flat for the weekend. I actually prefer to rent an apartment vs. stay in a hotel because you get more space, a kitchen so you can breakfast at your leisure and overall, a better taste of local life. My current digs are on a busy street in the Jordaan neighborhood (which I really like). No canal view, but it's right around the corner from the Prinsengracht. Of the flats I've stayed in over the years, I give this one pretty high marks for amenities. In fact, there's free Wifi, the mini fridge came stocked with a bottle of Cava and OJ, and there was a hair dryer in the bathroom. But the feature I am most impressed with is the bedroom "open wardrobe." Plenty of room to spread out my junk, but the unit itself has a very compact footprint. Could use something like that at home! P.S. Yes, that's the full content of my suitcase. And yes, that's a vintage-looking KLM travel poster over the faux fireplace. Kind of ironic, considering what brought me to Amsterdam!

Live blogging Amsterdam

2009-09-11T13:12:00.003-04:00

36 hours ago, I was at the Delaware shore. Now, I am canal side in Amsterdam. Isn't jet travel grand? I had a work meeting today and decided to splurge on a weekend here in Holland since my beach break was cut short. Even though I've been up for almost 30 hours, I feel very chill and relaxed after my hectic week. And I have not even sampled the local treats (the local coffee shops don't just serve java)! Just a glass of organic wine at De Bolhoed.

Bethany Beach, DE Farmers Market

2009-09-07T21:33:00.016-04:00

I am spending part of this week at the shore -- Bethany Beach, to be exact. On Sunday, my mom and I took at walk down the beach to the town's small farmers market.

It was the last market of the season, and it was kind of fun to literally see the fruits of summer (e.g., tomato) alongside the first signs of autumn (e.g., gourds, acorn squash).

It's not like we needed much food. In fact, my parents had literally packed and hauled most of the contents of their cupboards, fridge and freezer. Case in point, they packed two kinds of couscous (Israeli and whole wheat), an immersion blender and a panini press.

But we needed some garlic, and who doesn't love watermelon at the beach? The sweet corn was picked that morning, and the tomatoes were too gorgeous to pass up. The green beans were so thin, "almost like haricot vert" the farmer claimed. And I had never seen the green-and-gold zephyr squash, so of course we had to get some. Finally, the sample of pumpkin mushroom soup convinced us to pick up a few cremini.

Did we go overboard? Perhaps, but I've already enjoyed roasted vegetables and shrimp over orzo and a zucchini-corn-bacon-cheese quesadilla. Despite the sun on Sunday, the weather has turned cool and damp, so soup at the beach now doesn't seem like an oxymoron. The watermelon? Well that might have to wait until the sun shines once again (here's hoping).

Berryfields Farm: One of New York Times Places to Visit in 2009

2009-09-01T15:30:00.005-04:00

Happy September! Nine months ago, The New York Times published a list of 44 places to go in 2009. Now, I've been to a few of those destinations over the years, but never would have included number 43 on my list of "must sees." But when I saw the entry quaintly titled "a farm in Pennsylvania" I knew I had to check it out.

Unlike Bhutan or The Red Sea, Berry Fields Farm, outside New Albany, P.A., is a bit easier to get to (particularly as it's a 90 minute drive from my parents house). However, finding the farm proved just as challenging as getting into Cuba (let's just say Google Maps is apparently not reliable out in those parts). But after making a few loops on back-country dirt roads, and asking some locals for better directions, we winded our way up the steep driveway to the farm.

Nestled on the hillside (all the better for the goats) with the actual berry fields below, the farm looks more like a country home, albeit with ducks and pigs and a rooster.

The day I visited was originally supposed to be the annual blueberry fest, but due to heavy rains the night before, the festivities were cancelled. But that did not stop us from touring the farm, and enjoying some blueberry treats, including:

Blueberry crab cakes...

...a farm-to-table salad with blueberry vinaigrette...

...and blueberry ice cream with blueberry topping.

One of the owners admitted to me that they never really wanted to get into agrotourism, but that it helps sustain the farm and their current way of life. And it helps us city folk (or even suburb folk) see what country life is all about...that is, if you can find the farm in the first place*!

*From Route 202, turn up Overton Rd. After several miles, Overton Rd. actually bears right (the road headed straight becomes another name) and takes you up the mountain. If you hit a series of hairpin turns the locals call "Devil's Elbow," you're on the right track. Turn right on Cahill, which is a hard pack dirt road, and follow for about a mile.

Summer Harvest at Hastings-on-Hudson

2009-08-20T15:00:00.002-04:00

The Hudson Valley is hot right now -- literally and figuratively. The New York Times travel section just happened to do a piece on farmers markets in the region last Saturday, the same day I was scouring the lower Hudson in my quest to find a slice of village life within a 30 minute commute of Manhattan. While you could call the article a wee bit pretentious (full of quotes from city folk who have weekend homes in Dutchess and Columbia counties), my visits to the "river towns" of Hastings-on-Hudson and Dobbs Ferry, NY showed them to be anything but.

Both villages are in southern Westchester county and are station stops along Metro-North's Hudson line. And both have very active farmers markets. Although I missed the Friday market in Dobbs Ferry, I did get to check out the Saturday market in Hastings-on-Hudson.

First: the view. Perched high above the river in the library parking lot, the market looked like something out of a movie set. And there were more vendors than I expected, crammed into the lot and set up along the path down to Maple Ave.

Second: the variety. Want to buy some lasagna to take home? How about pickles? Or olive oil from Greece? Flowers for the table? Or just some stone fruit? No problem. They had it.

Third: the services. The market offers more than just food (prepared or raw). While one stand offered knife sharpening, another woman was giving impromptu yoga lessons just beyond the market boundary and some enterprising kids were

setting up a lemonade stand (at 50 cents a cup, high competition for the folks from The Station Cafe who were churning out iced coffee at 6 times the price). The overall atmosphere was one of a food fair versus collection of farm stands.

Finally: the unique. While I've seen ice cream at farmers markets, I've never seen gourmet popsicles for sale. Like the iced coffee, the Go-Go Pops were not cheap -but $3 is a small price to pay for some cool relief in 85 degree weather.

Beyond the market, Hastings-on-Hudson has some cute foodie shops too -- from the independent organic food store to a pharmacy complete with soda counter (serving my favorite Frogurt brand of frozen yogurt) to a really-well regarded butcher. Not a bad way to eat a Saturday away.

Tomato Experiment: A Fungus Amongus?

2009-08-18T10:30:00.001-04:00

About a week ago, I first noticed that the tomato plants I bought in Skaneateles in early June finally sprouted fruit! I Googled "tomato plants how long from fruit to harvest" and learned that I have at least another six weeks to go before I can pluck a ripe tomato off my fire escape. That is, of course, if I escape the dreaded late blight fungus that is making the rounds. Despite having purchased the plants from an organic farmer vs. a big box retailer, I am worried. One of the bigger green tomatoes has an ugly black bruise that I decided today is definitely some kind of fungus, but hopefully an isolated case of "contact fungus" (from the fruit brushing up against the wet leaves of the basil plant living next to it). So I did a bit of rearranging, pruned both the herb and tomato plants (probably a little too much) and have my fingers crossed for the best! In the meantime, I am buying tomatoes from the greenmarket. My new go-to breakfast is sliced tomato and cucumber on toasted sunflower millet bread with a schmear of cream cheese. With lots of fresh ground black pepper on top, this is the ultimate summer breakfast sandwich (McMuffin watch out). Something tells me I may be turning to the Union Square farmer Stokes Farms for tomatoes all season long. Check back in six weeks (mid-September) to find out.

Bronxville, NY: An Upscale Farmers' Market

2009-08-10T13:52:00.010-04:00

On Saturday, I took the Metro-North railroad 15 miles north of Grand Central Station to Bronxville. Yes, after 9 years living in Manhattan, I am toying with the idea of moving to the 'burbs so I can get a bigger space, finally get a car and some nature. I had never been to the village before, so of course I had to check out the amenities, including the gorgeous library and the local farmers market. Easily accessible from the train station and main village shopping area, the market was hopping when I arrived around 11:30 a.m. Along with the standard fruits and vegetable offerings, the Bronxville Farmers Market is heavy on the prepared foods -- and not just baked goods. Perhaps it was a bit reflective of the residents (Bronxville has a reputation of being quite the upscale village). I saw soups and salsa, pickles and empanadas. And cheese. Oh the cheese. The market had an outpost of an Artisanal Fromagerie. I've been to the restaurant in midtown, and gorged myself on Gougères, which were for sale at the market (albeit in bulk).

I did indulge in the small fruit tarts from "Dutch Desserts" after snagging a sample of the raspberry. As the Web site claims, the 5-inch tarts make two perfect servings (for dessert and/or breakfast the next day, I discovered.).

While it's too soon to say if I will be a Bronxville resident in the near future, I will certainly be back to hang out in the library, enjoy the fresh air, and shop the market.

Cherries revisited: Stone Fruit Patchwork Bake

2009-08-04T16:00:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, I bought what looked like a luscious pint of cherries at the farmers market. Alas, they were kind of squishy and past their peak. Undaunted, I pitted them (using a drinking straw, and wearing an old t-shirt!) and froze them for a rainy day. Well, it rained on Sunday, and so I finally pulled out the cherries just in time to make Mark Bittman's recipe for a stone fruit patchwork bake. Since the whole point of this recipe is to form a non-perfect crust, it was my kind of dessert. In addition to using frozen fresh cherries, I also: used frozen (not fresh) peaches; subbed 50-50 white-whole wheat flour; decreased the sugar in the filling to 1/4 cup; and added cinnamon and nutmeg (with a dusting of extra cinnamon on top). Despite the less-than-food-magazine-worthy appearance, it was yum. And perfect for a cool, wet summer day.

Cantaloupe Ice Cream with Agave

2009-07-30T13:04:00.003-04:00

I've never been much of a melon fan. Oh, I enjoy watermelon during a hot day at the beach (or a watermelon-flavored Jolly Rancher any time!), but that's about it. If you think about it, melon is really the second class citizen of the fruit world --be it the honeydew filler in a fruit salad, or the straggly slices of cantaloupe that pass for a fruit plate at some restaurants. Granted, some people enjoy melon wrapped in prosciutto, but when it comes to sweet vs. savory, there is one way to make melon shine: in ice cream. Growing up, there was a local ice cream shop that made all sorts of flavors, including seasonal favorites like pumpkin (fall) and cantaloupe (summer). Despite being a melon-hating kid, I really dug the cantaloupe flavor. Sadly, the shop kind of went down hill, and the flavor is really hard to find elsewhere. And it's even more of a challenge to find cantaloupe ice cream recipes online. In fact, the one I came across time and time again was credited to Ben & Jerry's! The basic recipe calls for making a standard French-style custard base and combining with a bit of cantaloupe juice then freezing almost completely before mixing in well-drained cantaloupe puree at the very end. I followed the basic premise, but tweaked the base, going Philadelphia-style (e.g., no eggs, no cooking) by combining cream, a dash of vanilla and agave syrup since I was out of white sugar. I've been reading a lot about agave, and while it has about the same calorie count as sugar, is supposed to have a lower glycemic index. I've used in in place of simple syrup in drink recipes, but this was my first attempt "cooking" with it. And it worked fine. I have to admit I tasted the ice cream both before and after adding the puree and think I liked it better before adding. Although the melon taste was less prominent (since I only used a half cup of juice), the texture was a lot silkier. Next time, I may experiment with reducing and concentrating the cantaloupe juice rather than adding both juice and puree. Because even with a chunkier texture, the taste (and memories it brought back) made the ice cream good enough to make again!

Cantaloupe Ice Cream

Although I made this batch with agave syrup, you could also substitute white sugar.

Ingredients

1 Cantaloupe, peeled and cubed

1 Lemon, juiced

2 c. Heavy cream

6 T. Agave syrup

Dash of vanilla

Method

Puree cantaloupe cubes and lemon juice in blender or food processor; place puree in a sieve over a large bowl.

Combine .5 cup of the juice from the puree with the cream, agave syrup and vanilla, blend well and chill completely.

Add cream mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.

Approximately five minutes before the ice cream is totally frozen, add the well-drained puree to the machine, discarding the extra juice.

Once the puree is well-incorporated, your ice cream is ready!

Sunday Salads: Hot Weather Cooking

2009-07-26T18:00:00.006-04:00

Summer has finally hit NYC with temperatures in the mid-80s and high humidity. So it was rather serendipitous that this week's New York Times dining section had an article with 101 Salad suggestions. Based on my farmers market haul this week ($16.40 worth of produce -- pretty restrained for me!), I've already made riffs on three of the salads. Number 30 called for red skinned potatoes, but I used a small handful of Russian Banana fingerling potatoes, sliced into half moon shape and tossed with a Dijon-shallot-lemon-olive oil dressing, capers and chopped parsley. It turned out a little too acidic for my taste, so I added a tablespoon of Miracle Whip to tone it down a bit.

I "slaved" over the stove the longest for Number 27. Without a grill, I had to soften the eggplant in a small stir fry pan on the stove. Despite the size of the eggplant, it took 20 minutes over a medium low flame until it was ready.

But at least I had time to make a pesto sauce and use some of the basil growing rampant on my fire escape. I blitzed about four cups of basil leaves with the zest and juice of half a lemon, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of toasted pine nuts, one clove of garlic and lots of Romano cheese. It made a ton, so I reserved about 1/4 cup for later and tossed the rest with the chopped eggplant, grape tomatoes and half a can of cannellini beans. Stuffed INSIDE a small pita with some baby spinach, it was a light and refreshing lunch.

I love quinoa, and made note of Number 94, but was fresh out of mint (sacrificed earlier in the week for a pitcher of mojitos!). So instead, I decided to make a kitchen-sink style tabouli, combining quinoa and bulgar with a ton of chopped vegetables, parsley, crumbled feta and a Greek-style dressing.

Yes, it was a lot of chopping, and yes, I did a lot of dishes, but the end result was worth it. Now I have salads for a week's worth of lunches. Three salad recipes down and only 98 more to go...

Kitchen Sink Tabouli

Be sure to rinse your quinoa very well before cooking. The outer layer contains saponins, which tastes really bitter and is not always completely removed during commercial processing (as I discovered the hard way the first time I made quinoa!).

Ingredients

1/4 C. Quinoa, rinsed

1/4 C. Bulgar

1/2 Lemon, juiced

2 T. Red wine vinegar

2 T. Olive oil

1 Persian cucumber, diced

1/4 C. Grape tomatoes, quartered

1 Large radish, small dice

2 Scallions, chopped

1/4 C. Grated carrots

4 C. Flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1/4 C. Feta cheese, crumbled

Method

In a large bowl, combine bulgar with 3/4 C. of boiling water; cover and let sit for 30 minutes; drain any excess water.

In the meantime, cook quinoa in approximately 1 C. of water over low heat until the quinoa "unfurls"; drain, combine with bulgar.

In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and Greek seasoning (a combination of salt, oregano, garlic, lemon peel, black pepper and marjoram).

Add all vegetables, the parsley and dressing to the grain mixture and mix to combine; add feta and toss well before serving.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday: Playing Catch Up

2009-07-19T20:07:00.009-04:00

Yes, it's Sunday night, so I am a bit behind. But I have a good reason -- I was away this weekend. But I did manage some simple meals both before I left and while I was away.

Thursday morning, I used the leftover egg whites from my ice cream making endeavour and scrambled with a little early summer corn, green onion and cilantro from the greenmarket. Tucked in a tortilla with some cheese and salsa, it made a great weekday hot breakfast.

On Friday morning, before I headed out for the weekend, I attempted to recreate a favorite side dish from Houston's -- the couscous salad. However, I tried to shake things up by using half quinoa and half coucous, which made the dish a little too soggy. In fact, I ended up tossing most of it versus packing it for the roadtrip.

On Saturday, I visited the small market in my parents' town, and scored some more local corn along with just-picked-that morning raspberries.

The corn got tossed into a lunchtime chopped salad and the raspberries made a sweet ending to Market Week (especially since I ate them over takeout vanilla softserve).

Wednesday: Black Raspberry Ice Cream

2009-07-16T18:50:00.005-04:00

I had a long day at work yesterday and by the time I got home, was in no mood to prepare anything. Luckily, I had planned ahead and there was a vanilla custard ice cream base in the fridge. My one indulgence buy at the greenmarket on Saturday (ok, other than the chocolate chip coconut scone I snagged at Our Daily Bread) was a $6 pint of organic black raspberries from Norwich Meadows. Placed strategically by the "check out," they were gorgeous (and apparently, a super fruit too), so of course I succumbed to the impulse buy. David Lebovitz has a recipe for Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream in The Perfect Scoop, where macerated berries are mixed with a vanilla ice cream (versus a puree of berries incorporated into the base directly). Since a pint is not a lot of berries, I thought this method would be the best way to stretch what I had. In fact, I attempted to stretch the fruit further by adding a few blueberries and strawberries I had lingering in the fridge. The end result was creamy and icy, a sorbet meets ice cream, and black raspberry flavor really shined through. If I had to do it again, I would strain the fruit mixture to get rid of the seeds. But yesterday, seeds were the last thing on my mind, and a bowl of ice cream for dinner was just the comfort food I needed.

Triple Berry Ice Cream

Inspired by the The Perfect Scoop

Ingredients 1/2 C. Milk (I used 1%)

12 C. White sugar

Pinch of salt

5 Egg yolks 2 C. Heavy cream ½ t. Vanilla extract

1 Pint berries

1 T. Vodka

1 T. White sugar (optional)

Method

Whisk together milk, salt, sugar in a small pot and warm through.

In the meantime, beat egg yolks in a small bowl; add a small amount of the warmed dairy mixture, whisking gently.

Add the egg mixture to the pot and heat until custard thickens.

Strain mixture into medium size bowl (strainer will catch any scrambled egg bits) and add cream and vanilla; chill completely.

About 30 minutes before you're ready to turn on your ice cream maker, combine berries, vodka and sugar (if using) in a small bowl.

Toss with fork or bliz with an immersion blender until combined; strain seeds if desired.

Add vanilla custard to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacture’s directions.

Swirl finished ice cream with berry mixture.

Tuesday: Philharmonic Picnic in Central Park

2009-07-15T08:30:00.021-04:00

One of my favorite New York City traditions is going to Central Park to hear the philharmonic perform. It's the one night of the year you feel safe in the park after dark since tens of thousands of people are crowded on the Great Lawn (and nearby areas) to eat, drink, relax...and, in some cases, actually listen to the music! While there are those that go low key -- a bottle of wine, perhaps a take out pizza -- others stage quite elaborate picnics, complete with tables, candles and an assortment of food and drink. My friends fall into the later camp.

This year, we schlepped blankets and mini coolers, along with citronella candles and a battery-powered lantern, and food...lots of food. From the standard cheese and crudités (gussied up in a Pampered Chef Chillzanne) to soppressata and tabbouleh. My contributions included mini cans of Sofia Blanc de Blanc (so cute) as well as a tuna niçoise pasta salad.

The beauty of this salad is that it's mayo-free, but still chock full of interesting flavors and textures. And although the recipe calls for some fresh ingredients, the others are easy to keep in your cupboard to have on hand when inspiration strikes...or when an impromptu picnic is on the agenda!

Tuna Niçoise Pasta Salad For this recipe, I used shallot, tomato and basil from the farmers market. The other ingredients were from, you guessed it, Trader Joes.

Ingredients

8 oz. Dried pasta (I used farfalle)

1 Can Tuna in water

1 T. Capers

3 T. Olives, quartered (if you cannot find niçoise olives, use Kalamata)

1 Med. Tomato, roughly chopped

1 C. Haricot vert, roughly chopped

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 Lemon, juiced

3 T. Olive oil

1 Shallot, minced

1/4 C. Feta cheese, crumbled

3 T. basil, Chiffonade

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Cook pasta to package directions; rinse drain and cool.

Add drained tuna with next four ingredients (capers to haricot vert).

In a small bowl, combine mustard, lemon juice, shallot and olive oil; blitz with immersion blender until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Toss dressing with tuna pasta mixture; add feta and basil.

Season with a little salt to taste (remember that capers, olives and feta are salty!) and ground pepper.

Monday: A New Twist on the Boiled Dinner

2009-07-14T12:00:00.012-04:00

Technically, New York is not in New England. But that doesn't mean we don't enjoy the boiled dinner every now and again. Particularly when it's too hot to turn on the oven, but just cool enough to stand in front of the stove for 12 minutes or so. And particularly when you're boiling pasta, shrimp and fava beans instead of meat and potatoes. I've apparently led a sheltered life since the first time I had fresh fava beans was a few months ago while on vacation. Ever since then, I've been looking for them in the market. Fava beans are supposed to be spring vegetables, and given the cool and wet summer we've been having, I guess it's no surprise that I just found them. Some people complain that prepping the beans is a lot of work. It is a multi-step process: 1. First, split the velvety pods to unearth the beans 2. Then, sort the beans by size (small, medium, large) to help facilitate even cooking 3. Next, throw the beans in boiling water (first the large ones, then, after about 30 seconds, the medium beans, and then the little guys) 4. Drain the beans and shock them in some ice water to stop the cooking process 5. Finally, pinch off the outer membrane using your thumb nail to uncover the bright green prize inside Unless you're cooking for a crowd and have a mound of beans to get through, it actually doesn't take too long. Especially if you fish the beans out using a skimmer/strainer, and bring the water back up to a boil to cook your pasta, and then repeat the process to cook the shrimp. Finished with some olive oil (or in the case of last night, sundried tomato bruschetta), a little crumbled goat cheese and mint and voila, dinner is served in far less time than it would take for pizza delivery.

Fava and Shrimp Pasta for One

I used Lemon Pepper Pappardelle from Trader Joes, but if you want to use plain pappardelle or another pasta, consider adding a bit of lemon zest to the recipe. The shrimp, goat cheese and bruschetta were from TJs as well, but the fava beans and mint were direct from the greenmarket.

Ingredients

2 oz. Uncooked pasta

8 oz. Fava bean pods (or 3/4 c. of beans)

8 large raw shrimp, defrosted

1 t. Olive oil or 1 T. tomato bruschetta

1 T. Goat cheese crumbles

1 t. Spearmint, chiffonade

Salt

Pepper

Method

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.

Separate fava beans from pods, sorting by size.

Add large beans to boiling water, followed by medium and small beans. Cook for a minute or so before removing from pot with a skimmer and shocking in ice water.

Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, remove outer membrane from fava beans and place bright green beans into a medium sized bowl.

Using tongs, remove cooked pasta from water, drain well and toss with fava beans, oil or bruschetta and goat cheese.

Bring the water back to a boil and cook shrimp for two minutes.

Toss warm cooked shrimp with pasta/fava mixture, sprinkle mint on top before serving.

Sunday: Stuffed Round Zuchini

2009-07-13T20:46:00.008-04:00

I'm a sucker for cute packaging. I judge a book by its cover, a store by its window display and a vegetable by its shape. So when I saw round zucchini in the market on Saturday, I had to have some, especially since the last time I came across them was in Bologna. In my mind, a round zucchini is a zucchini made for stuffing. And so when I spied some early sweet corn, inspiration struck: I would make a riff on the corn gratin featured in the New York Times a few weeks ago and use it to fill the squash. So despite the semi-heat (hey - it hit 80 yesterday), I cranked the oven to 375 while merrily sauteing veggies on the stove top. Since each squash only held about 4 tablespoons of gratin mixture, I baked the leftovers in a small dish.

Although I wished I used more cheese in the mixture, the end result was tasty: an eggy custard studded with corn and red pepper. But perhaps because of the cheese I used (or maybe the extra egg white, or the fact I used 1% milk), the custard did have a bit of a gray tinge.

However, the gray was barely noticeable in the gratin I baked in the squash. In fact, it looked very impressive, and would make a great brunch dish (but only for those who will appreciate the cute factor!).

Green and Yellow Squash Stuffed with Corn Custard

Although you can cook the squash in a baking dish or cookie sheet, I was paranoid about them collapsing and used large ramekins. Remember to season the inside of the squash before filling.

Ingredients

1 t. olive oil, plus extra for rubbing on squash

1 Cippolini onion, diced

1/2 Red pepper, chopped

1 Clove of garlic, roughly chopped

2 Ears of corn, de-kerneled

1/4 c. Milk

1 Egg

1 Egg white

1/4 c. Grated or shredded cheese (I used a combination of Romano and Swiss, because that's what I had)

Salt

Pepper

Spices (the original recipe called for cumin seed, I used some ground cumin and chili powder)

Method

Prepare the squash for stuffing by slicing off the top third, reserving the stem end. Using a pairing knife, carefully hollow out a first chunk of squash, taking care not to puncture the sides of the vegetable. Then, with a teaspoon, continue scooping out the squash flesh until all sides are smooth and even; chop the flesh and set aside.

Rub the interior and exterior of the squash cups with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Rub the reserved stem ends with olive oil and set on a piece of foil.

Prepare the vegetable filling by sauteing the onion, garlic and red pepper in olive oil until soft. Add the chopped squash flesh to the pan; season with salt, pepper and any additional spices and pepper; and saute until most of the water from the squash has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the kernels from one of the ears of corn.

Prepare the custard base by combining the remaining corn kernels, the milk and egg and blitzing in a traditional or immersion blender until smooth.

Add the sauteed vegetables and cheese to the custard base along with extra salt and pepper. Spoon approximately 4 tablespoons of the filling into each squash cup; bake the remaining filling in an oiled dish.

Put the filled squash cups, stem ends and extra gratin in a 375 degree oven. Check the stem ends after approximately 20 minutes and the extra gratin after about 35 minutes. The stuffed squash will take the longest to cook, but should only require a total of 40 minutes.

Market Week (Or a Plan for My Farmers Market Haul)

2009-07-12T10:17:00.012-04:00

After I transplanted the tomato plants I bought upstate, I started worrying about their future -- they were so small, was that normal? What kind of life would they have on my fire escape? Would they ever bear fruit?!

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time Googling for tips. And that's when I found the blog eat make read.

The more I read, the more I realized that eat make read was my kind of blog (and not just because some of the pictures used an Orla Kiely for Target tea towel as a backdrop!).

So when I saw the author, Kelly, was encouraging the food blogosphere to commit to a solid week of cooking based on seasonal farmers market finds, I knew I had to join in.

So I dropped $40 at the Union Square Greenmarket, loading up on staples like red onions (cipollini this time) and shallots and radishes, but also walked away with some prizes, including fava beans, round zucchini and black raspberries.

My plan is to use the produce in combination with what's in my cupboard and freezer, as well as the small order I got from Trader Joes this morning. Yes, I am cheating slightly.

Partially because of availability (no red peppers spotted yet), partially because of cost (while the $5 pint of Ronnybrook cream is likely far superior to the $1.99 half pint carton I purchased, a half pint is all I need) and partially because I just love TJ's stuff! But I am committed to featuring the "bounty of summer" upfront in each dish.

Right now, I have a corn gratin bubbling away in the oven for Sunday night supper. How will it turn out? Will I truly find ways to use all the produce? Stay tuned for the next installment!

P.S. Had a "foodie celeb" sighting at the greenmarket on Saturday. Food Network personality and chef Alexandra Guarnaschelli was buying a flat of cherry tomatoes from Stokes Farm, the place I get my tomatoes and persian cucumbers.

A Study in Green and Red

2009-07-08T13:33:00.009-04:00

I was upstate for the 4th of July and hit the local farmers market. For a smaller market in a small town, there really was a lot of variety. I counted at least 10 tents lining the library parking lot, selling everything from granola to gladiolas, scones to stone fruit. Compared to Union Square Greenmarket, it was quite nice and peaceful, except for the crowds at opening time. All I can say is good luck jockeying for space in front of the organic lettuce lady's table. Despite the selection, everything I ended up with was green or red: red romaine (green and red!), sugar snap peas, zucchini, totsoi (which looks more like bok choy than any of the images on totsoi I've seen online), grape tomatoes and cherries.

I actually used most of the stuff raw (in salads). I still have to cook the totsoi (which I purchased solely because I had never seen it before). And the cherries? A sad tale.

They looked so good, but upon closer inspection at home, they were a tad over ripe, and several had "skin splitting issues." Frankly, they did not taste that great. Undaunted, I decided to pit them for use in some to be determine recipe. I got as far as removing the pits (with a drinking straw - a genius idea I picked up online, but still slightly messy. Be careful where the other end of that straw is pointing!) before I ran out of steam and ideas. So the fresh pitted cherries are now hibernating in my parents' freezer, waiting for their moment. Now to find a cherry recipe...