Yesterday (Thanksgiving) we went to visit our friends, Carol and Mark. They provided a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner and I brought buttermilk rolls to round out the dinner of braised rabbit, green beans, mashed potatoes, and cippolini onions, with a lemon icebox cake for dessert. It was delicious!
Today, Michael and I had our own 'mini' Thanksgiving dinner. We split two cornish game hens in half and roasted them in a 350F oven for an hour on a bed of the usual turkey stuffing (stuffing bread cubes, sauteed mild Italian sausage, an onion and 3 ribs of diced celery all moistened with chicken broth, 2 eggs and a bit o' homemade romano cheese). For an additional 20 minutes we raised the temperature to 400F and completed roasting the little birds. Michael made some gravy and we added cranberry sauce and steamed spinach to finish the meal. We were so full from yesterday that we split a half a birdie, then had pies for dessert (sweet potatoe pie for me, sweet potato pecan pie for Michael). Yes, we had another Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat. We have leftovers too, but not the gigantic turkey that usually feeds us with soup and leftovers for the next month! Next year maybe we only need one little bird for the two of us!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Baking Pies
Just like last year, I'm baking two pies the day before Thanksgiving. One pie is a sweet potato pecan pie from Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Cookbook. This is Michael's favorite pie served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The second pie is my choice and I chose sweet potato/butternut squash pie.
This year's sweet potato pie recipe comes from Lorraine, the farmer's wife from Eatwell Farm. Last year I made a Southern sweet potato pie from a recipe on http://www.thefreshloaf.com It was excellent, but this year I wanted to try Lorraine's. Here's the recipe--
Sweet Potato/Butternut Squash Pie
1 lb. sweet potatoes, roasted
1/2 lb. butternut squash, roasted
1/2 cup butter, softened (lets say just about melted)
1/4 cup maple syrup (yup, good pies doesn't come cheaply)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg (fresh ground, this seemed like alot, I only used about 1/4 tsp because that's all I had on hand)
Bake the sweet potatoes and the squash for 1 hour. Allow to cool. Remove skins and save the delicious pulp. Mash well, or mix well in a mixer. Add the butter and mix well. Stir in sugar, maple syrup, buttermilk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked deep dish pie crust. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
This year's sweet potato pie recipe comes from Lorraine, the farmer's wife from Eatwell Farm. Last year I made a Southern sweet potato pie from a recipe on http://www.thefreshloaf.com It was excellent, but this year I wanted to try Lorraine's. Here's the recipe--
Sweet Potato/Butternut Squash Pie
1 lb. sweet potatoes, roasted
1/2 lb. butternut squash, roasted
1/2 cup butter, softened (lets say just about melted)
1/4 cup maple syrup (yup, good pies doesn't come cheaply)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp nutmeg (fresh ground, this seemed like alot, I only used about 1/4 tsp because that's all I had on hand)
Bake the sweet potatoes and the squash for 1 hour. Allow to cool. Remove skins and save the delicious pulp. Mash well, or mix well in a mixer. Add the butter and mix well. Stir in sugar, maple syrup, buttermilk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked deep dish pie crust. Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Dark Chicken Broth - Who Knew Chicken Backs could taste so good!
When we have roast chicken, I buy a whole chicken, part it out myself and freeze the backs and wings for later use to make chicken broth. Up until now, I have always made golden(light) chicken broth using the backs and wings.
But today, I am trying something new. We are having our own 'little' Thanksgiving on Friday, after the usual Thanksgiving with friends on Thursday. Usually, I make a full on whole turkey dinner, but this year we are really focused on getting the house ready for sale and our pending move to Orcas Island - not much energy or time left to deal with a whole big bird, or 'elephant' as we like to call it( as in 'The gods have given us an elephant, you must help us eat it'). So we decided to have some cornish game hens roasted over the usual turkey stuffing. However, what to do about turkey gravy? The little birds will hardly render enough fat or juices to make good gravy. That's when I remembered reading about dark chicken broth in David Tanis' book A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes. You make the dark broth and then reduce it and freeze it for later use in whatever recipe that calls for a flavorful chicken broth.
Without further ado, here is the recipe -
1 organic chicken, about 4 lbs. (I can't bear to waste good chicken, so I used 2 chicken backs and 4 wings)
1 medium onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and chunked
1 celery stalk
6 quarts water
a thyme branch or two
bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Preheat the oven to 400F. Split the chicken in half. Place it, unseasoned, in a shallow roasting pan and scatter teh vegetables over and around it. Roast uncovered at 400F for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and roast for about another 45 minutes, turning frequently, roast until the bird is very brown but NOT burnt on all sides.
Put the contents of the pan in a stockpot and cover with the water. Be sure to deglaze the roasting pan to get all the good browned bits off the pan. Put the thyme and bay leaf in the stock pot. Add the tomato paste.
Simmer the stock for 2 hours or until reduced by half. Refrigerate and then degrease. Save the grease for some awesome gravy. Your stock should be a rich brown and lightly gelatinized. It can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for future use.
For a simple dark sauce reduction, boils 2 cups of the half reduced stock until 1 cup remains. Just 1 cup of this second reduction will be so rich it will make enough sauce for 8 servings.
Enjoy!
But today, I am trying something new. We are having our own 'little' Thanksgiving on Friday, after the usual Thanksgiving with friends on Thursday. Usually, I make a full on whole turkey dinner, but this year we are really focused on getting the house ready for sale and our pending move to Orcas Island - not much energy or time left to deal with a whole big bird, or 'elephant' as we like to call it( as in 'The gods have given us an elephant, you must help us eat it'). So we decided to have some cornish game hens roasted over the usual turkey stuffing. However, what to do about turkey gravy? The little birds will hardly render enough fat or juices to make good gravy. That's when I remembered reading about dark chicken broth in David Tanis' book A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes. You make the dark broth and then reduce it and freeze it for later use in whatever recipe that calls for a flavorful chicken broth.
Without further ado, here is the recipe -
1 organic chicken, about 4 lbs. (I can't bear to waste good chicken, so I used 2 chicken backs and 4 wings)
1 medium onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, peeled and chunked
1 celery stalk
6 quarts water
a thyme branch or two
bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Preheat the oven to 400F. Split the chicken in half. Place it, unseasoned, in a shallow roasting pan and scatter teh vegetables over and around it. Roast uncovered at 400F for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350F and roast for about another 45 minutes, turning frequently, roast until the bird is very brown but NOT burnt on all sides.
Put the contents of the pan in a stockpot and cover with the water. Be sure to deglaze the roasting pan to get all the good browned bits off the pan. Put the thyme and bay leaf in the stock pot. Add the tomato paste.
Simmer the stock for 2 hours or until reduced by half. Refrigerate and then degrease. Save the grease for some awesome gravy. Your stock should be a rich brown and lightly gelatinized. It can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for future use.
For a simple dark sauce reduction, boils 2 cups of the half reduced stock until 1 cup remains. Just 1 cup of this second reduction will be so rich it will make enough sauce for 8 servings.
Enjoy!
Friday, November 22, 2013
Lots to be Thankful For from Eatwell Farm
What's coming our way from Eatwell Farm just before Thanksgiving -
Navel oranges or satsuma mandarins
Fuji persimmons
Green celery
Rosemary and sage
Broccoli
Romanesco
Cauliflower
Onions
Leeks
Spinach
New Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Butternut
Where do I start? Navel oranges or satsumas, I've been waiting all year - LOVE fresh oranges, but I refuse to buy the ones in the store from Australia, I'm so glad these are now in season in California. Green celery will make a great addition to the stuffing on Thanksgiving along with rosemary and sage. I like to make a stuffing bread and use it to make stuffing. The recipe is from a bread machine cookbook and has all the usual stuffing herbs and spices in it as well as some oatmeal and corn meal. The bread makes great turkey sandwiches too.
Broccoli, another stir fry is in the plans. Romanesco gratin will probably be on our menu for Thanksgiving. Cauliflower - I really need to do an Indian aloo gobi with it and the new potatoes. The sweet potatoes will get baked for sweet potato pie and Michael's favorite sweet potato pecan pie. I may need to use the butternut squash too to have enough for both pies. Spinach and leek tart sounds good for a dinner. Onions we just use all the time, I'm sure some will find their way into some stuffing and maybe even in the aloo gobi.
Can't wait to get this box of great food from Eatwell Farm, all organic and raised thanks to Nigel's chickens who till the pastures making way for the plow and planters. Chicken power! Tilling, pest management and fertilizers all in one.
Navel oranges or satsuma mandarins
Fuji persimmons
Green celery
Rosemary and sage
Broccoli
Romanesco
Cauliflower
Onions
Leeks
Spinach
New Potatoes
Sweet potatoes
Butternut
Where do I start? Navel oranges or satsumas, I've been waiting all year - LOVE fresh oranges, but I refuse to buy the ones in the store from Australia, I'm so glad these are now in season in California. Green celery will make a great addition to the stuffing on Thanksgiving along with rosemary and sage. I like to make a stuffing bread and use it to make stuffing. The recipe is from a bread machine cookbook and has all the usual stuffing herbs and spices in it as well as some oatmeal and corn meal. The bread makes great turkey sandwiches too.
Broccoli, another stir fry is in the plans. Romanesco gratin will probably be on our menu for Thanksgiving. Cauliflower - I really need to do an Indian aloo gobi with it and the new potatoes. The sweet potatoes will get baked for sweet potato pie and Michael's favorite sweet potato pecan pie. I may need to use the butternut squash too to have enough for both pies. Spinach and leek tart sounds good for a dinner. Onions we just use all the time, I'm sure some will find their way into some stuffing and maybe even in the aloo gobi.
Can't wait to get this box of great food from Eatwell Farm, all organic and raised thanks to Nigel's chickens who till the pastures making way for the plow and planters. Chicken power! Tilling, pest management and fertilizers all in one.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
This Week's CSA Basket from Eatwell Farm
Can you say cruciferous vegetables? Not sure I spelled it right, but this week's CSA share is loaded with them -
Broccoli
Romanesco
Cauliflower
Wakefield cabbage
Beets
Lettuce
Persimmons
Onions
Radish
Baby Bol choy
Italian parsley
Sweet potatoes
I like stir fry with broccoli and bok choy so that's one meal. Romanesco gratin with roasted sweet potatoes - I just can't get enough of that, along with some meatloaf - a tasty dinner. The cabbage and beets will be used with another head of cabbage to make some sauerkraut. Macaroni and cheese with pureed cauliflower, whole peas and a bit o' ham sounds good to me. Lettuce for salads along with the radishes. Onions are always good in so many things - a little in the meatloaf, some in the mac and cheese, sauteed of course. Italian parsley adds a dash of green to any dish or use the stems for making chicken broth.
Good meals here any way you look at it.
Broccoli
Romanesco
Cauliflower
Wakefield cabbage
Beets
Lettuce
Persimmons
Onions
Radish
Baby Bol choy
Italian parsley
Sweet potatoes
I like stir fry with broccoli and bok choy so that's one meal. Romanesco gratin with roasted sweet potatoes - I just can't get enough of that, along with some meatloaf - a tasty dinner. The cabbage and beets will be used with another head of cabbage to make some sauerkraut. Macaroni and cheese with pureed cauliflower, whole peas and a bit o' ham sounds good to me. Lettuce for salads along with the radishes. Onions are always good in so many things - a little in the meatloaf, some in the mac and cheese, sauteed of course. Italian parsley adds a dash of green to any dish or use the stems for making chicken broth.
Good meals here any way you look at it.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Sourdough Rye and Sesame Crackers
I've been making lots of rye bread lately- 2 loaves for my quilt friends and today, another two for Michael and I. I invariably have some rye starter leftover when putting the bread together. What could be better than homemade rye crackers? I essentially follow the recipe in a previous November 2011 post regarding sourdough whole wheat crackers, using leftover rye starter in place of the whole wheat starter. Also I put the sesame seeds directly into the dough before rolling it out as thinly as possible. Cut the crackers and bake.
These are really good with some brie, or fresh soft cheese, or just munch them, yum!
These are really good with some brie, or fresh soft cheese, or just munch them, yum!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Pizza, pizza!
I LOVE pizza, any kind, but I am partial to mushrooms. Today I made a half whole wheat half white flour pizza and topped it with some of the eggplant tomato sauce, sauteed mushrooms and artichoke hearts along with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Baked for 20 minutes in the oven at 400F this pizza was delicious served with an arugula salad containing apples, blue cheese and toasted pine nuts. Too bad we couldn't have some wine with it, but Michael was headed for work in an hour so that was out of the question.
My recipe for pizza dough is pretty simple -
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white bread flour (I like King Arthur bread flour the best)
1/2 tsp salt
Mix this together to distribute the salt and combine the two flours.
In a 1 cup glass measuring cup, measure 1 cup of warm water and add to it 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast, stir to combine then add 2 TBSP olive oil. Pour this into the flour and mix well. You may need to add some water to get a workable dough. Knead of a few minutes, then lightly oil a bowl, put the dough in the bowl and turn it over so all sides are coated with oil. Let it rise in a warm place 45 to 60 minutes. When doubled, spread it out in a pizza pan - I have a round one about 14 inches wide. Top with your favorite sauce and toppings, bake in a 400F oven for 18 to 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and melted. Remove from the oven, allow to cool a few minutes then slice and eat. Yum!
You could make this dough ahead of time up to the point of allowing it to rise and freeze some in a plastic baggie coated with olive oil for later use. To use later, remove from freezer, remove dough from the baggie and allow the dough to defrost slowly outside the fridge in a covered bowl until it reaches room temperature. Allow it to rise until double in bulk and then proceed as for pizza as outlined above. This pizza beats waiting in line at Papa Murphy's any day of the week.
My recipe for pizza dough is pretty simple -
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white bread flour (I like King Arthur bread flour the best)
1/2 tsp salt
Mix this together to distribute the salt and combine the two flours.
In a 1 cup glass measuring cup, measure 1 cup of warm water and add to it 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast, stir to combine then add 2 TBSP olive oil. Pour this into the flour and mix well. You may need to add some water to get a workable dough. Knead of a few minutes, then lightly oil a bowl, put the dough in the bowl and turn it over so all sides are coated with oil. Let it rise in a warm place 45 to 60 minutes. When doubled, spread it out in a pizza pan - I have a round one about 14 inches wide. Top with your favorite sauce and toppings, bake in a 400F oven for 18 to 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and melted. Remove from the oven, allow to cool a few minutes then slice and eat. Yum!
You could make this dough ahead of time up to the point of allowing it to rise and freeze some in a plastic baggie coated with olive oil for later use. To use later, remove from freezer, remove dough from the baggie and allow the dough to defrost slowly outside the fridge in a covered bowl until it reaches room temperature. Allow it to rise until double in bulk and then proceed as for pizza as outlined above. This pizza beats waiting in line at Papa Murphy's any day of the week.
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