I think I may have been a cook in a logging camp in a former life. I make a meal, and the leftovers usually last into the next week. I only cook for 2, not a team of hungry lumberjacks. This tendency keeps me from making dishes like lasagna and breakfast casserole. By day 3 the leftovers are spongy, and by day 6 they make me cringe. I wish I could toss them. The only thing I hate more than eating day 6 leftovers is throwing them away.
Thinking outside the “box” with a cazuela
February 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Morel Mushroom, Garlic Wine, and Chicken Thigh Tagine
January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
After months of pouring over cook books, experimenting with unfamiliar ingredients, and multiple visits to various ethnic grocers, I was ready to create my own tagine recipe. I wanted the recipe in include as many locally found ingredients as possible.
Lucky for me, new years organization started in my kitchen this year. This summer, a friend had given me a bag of Morel mushrooms he had locally foraged. This inspired me to dig further into my cabinets where I uncovered a bag of wild rice I had bought from a road side stand this summer. I also came found a handful of dried blackberries I bought at a farm in Bayfield. This was my first year buying meat in bulk from a local farm. The Preserved lemon and green olive tagine I made was wonderful, so I decided to use chicken thighs again. This time I trimmed the fat and skin from the thighs. Finally, I chose garlic wine from our local Crow River Winery as the sole seasoning for the dish. After gathering all the ingredients, the recipe just came together. The structure of the dish follows the techniques I have learned through creating other tagine recipes. It starts at the bottom and works its way up. It utilizes the versatility of a tagine for both stove top and oven cooking. I don’t usually measure, so here is roughly how I made my Minnesota Tagine:
The Food of Morocco has arrived!!!
October 26, 2011 By 1 Comment
We have all been anticipating the arrival of Paula’s new book, The Food of Morocco. When it arrived, I thumbed through the 500+ pages over a course of a few days. The photographs are stunning and the recipes, oh the recipes! I chose the Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup as my first creation. She described it as a soup “to keep both body and soul warm.” It was the most incredible squash soup I have ever tasted in my entire life. I found myself licking the spatula like it was cake batter. I was able to make use of my beautiful butternut squash from Loon organics.
1 yellow onion coarsely chopped
Coarse salt
1 1/2 T EVOO
2 pounds butternut, kabocha, or kalabaza squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks (about 6 cups)
2 T tomato paste
1 t La Kama
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound crumbled or shredded goat cheese
1 t harissa (I used sriracha)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Walla Walla Onion Pilaf
August 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“I appreciate “nice” days so much more, and never take them for granted.” Is this a lie I tell myself to get through the not-so-nice extreme Minnesota days? We broke records in July for the highest heat index ever! 130 degrees recorded on July 19th, along with the highest ever recorded dew point. Now 2 weeks later… 78 degrees, a cool breeze, and low humidity. I appreciated every second of this weather change yesterday on the farm. Fluffy clouds obscured the sun as we worked out in the field. The sun would emerge occasionally, and with the constant, cool, breeze it was a garden utopia. We spent the afternoon harvesting onions. Unlike their difficult garlic cousins, onions are much easier to unearth. Into the totes, and onto the wagon they went to be laid out and cured in the hot house. As I rode with the onions on the wagon, I consciously appreciated every cool gust of wind. Maybe I am not lying to myself to get through rough weather. I think the extremities make beautiful days a little sweeter.
[Read more...]
Paula's Best Hummus
February 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking
Paula’s Hummus recipe
I really LOVE hummus! I always thought I did, but I never realized how much until now. Over the years, I have bought countless containers of hummus. I’ve tried every flavor. ( black olive, roasted red pepper, garlic…) Every container ended up crusty and hard in the back of my refrigerator. I made Paula Wolfert’s hummus, and it was gone in 2 days. First, I ate it with warm pita bread. Then, I used it as a dip for carrots and celery. I started adding it to everything. I spread it on my sandwich. It substituted mayo in my new version of deviled eggs. I ate the last spoonful right from the bowl. I guarantee if you try this, you will never buy it again. It is very simple, and much less expensive to make yourself.
“My Best Hummus”
Coarse seal salt
1/4 cup tahini, preferably organic
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Ground Cumin and crushed hot red pepper
1. In a large bowl, soak the chickpeas with 3 cups of water and 2 tablespoons coarse salt for at least 12 hours.
2. Drain the chickpeas, rinse them well and put them in a earthenware pot. ( I used my flameware cazuela) Set to low-medium heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, partially covered, until the chickpeas are very tender, about 2 hours. Add more water if it evaporates.
3. Drain the chickpeas, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Working by the handful, submerge the chickpeas in a deep pot or bowl of cold water and rub the chickpeas between your hands and rub and pinch off the skins. The skins will rise to the surface, remove and discard them. Repeat with the remaining handfuls of chickpeas. Set aside about 1/4 cup peeled chickpeas for garnish. (It only takes around 10 minutes to shell the chickpeas.)
4. Stir up the tahini in its jar with the oil until well blended. Place the tahini in blender jar and blend the tahini, garlic, and lemon juices until the mixture “whitens.” With the machine running , add the reserved liquor. Add the 1 3/4 cups peeled chickpeas and process until smooth and glossy. Correct the seasoning with salt and lemon juice. (I added quite a bit more lemon juice.) Allow the hummus to mellow at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. (This part is REALLY hard.)
5. To serve as a dip, spread the puree on a shallow serving dish. Use the back of a spoon to make a well in the center, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with cumin and/ or hot pepper, and scatter the remaining chickpeas on top.
My hummus "mellowing."
There are shortcuts to creating this recipe. You could use canned chickpeas, or bottled lemon juice. I would recommend not doing either. You would be amazed how much changing certain aspects of Paula’s recipes affects the flavor. I also think that shelling your own chickpeas invests you into the dish, and you become connected to it. This same connection is found through using earthenware to prepare the dish. I have a pottery lemon juicer my mom gave me for Christmas. I was excited to have a recipe to use my new piece. I would recommend experimenting with different spices. Get creative! If you find something delicious, let us know. We would love to hear any suggestions or ideas you may have.
