Broccoli Mint Pesto

The rain has finally left us and this weekend has been absolutely beautiful! Even though Chris & I planned to plant our garden boxes next weekend, I couldn't help but plant something today while he was out of town. While on my Sunday errands, I picked up zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, and cilantro from my local nursery and planted them in the ground this afternoon. I also finished a Meyer lemon thyme sorbet (more on that in a later post) and made mango chutney (to use this week with dinners). A few days ago, I picked up ingredients for a slightly modified version of a broccoli pesto I read about online and I was really excited to make it today. Basil isn't quite ready yet, and while I enjoy the arugula and cilantro pestos, I was ready for something different. And this is!

The mint and parsley add a beautiful vibrant flavor and it is super garlicky - just the way I like it. Tossed with whole wheat penne and topped with grated Parm and toasted hazelnuts, it is a perfect dinner for a summer evening. And, if I didn't have to pick Chris up from the airport later, I would definitely be pairing this with a glass of 2008 Clos du Val Chardonnay that is patiently resting in my wine fridge right now.

Enjoy!

Broccoli Mint Pesto

Makes about 2 cups

1/4 c plus two tbsp blanched hazelnuts

2 c broccoli florets

1 1/2 c parsley leaves, loosely packed

1/4 c plus 2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c mint leaves, loosely packed

4 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

5 large garlic cloves, peeled (if you prefer a less garlicky flavor, use 3-4 cloves)

Salt & fresh ground pepper

Toast hazelnuts in skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the skillet often. Cool, chop coarsely, and set aside.

Bring large pot of water to a boil with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook broccoli in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the food processor

Pulse broccoli, hazelnuts, parsley, olive oil, mint, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in food processor until smooth. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Toss with pasta, spread on crostini or crackers, whatever you like!

Success!

So I'm sure you were all waiting anxiously (ha!) to hear how the event I catered for went. I just got a phone call not more than 30 minutes ago from my friend, and it went perfectly! All the food is gone, all of it. Guests loved the quiche and salad, truffles were being eaten two at a time, and the scones were devoured. I could not be more excited!

What have I learned from all this? Most importantly, I could never do it professionally. Despite taking a two hour break mid-day yesterday, I was burned out and exhausted by 11PM. I fell asleep on the couch, wine in hand, in mid-conversation with Chris. At the same time, I feel like knowing the party went well was like runner's high after a tough run: there are good parts and bad parts, but regardless, you feel amazing when you're done!

To review the numbers, I:

• peeled and sliced 6 pounds of roasted beets
• squeezed 32 blood oranges for juice (to make this cocktail)
• made four batches of tart dough
• hand rolled and hand coated 80 truffles
• went through well over two pounds of butter and quart of heavy cream
• woke up at 6AM today to make scones

My hands are still red from the blood oranges and the beets, and there is some stubborn chocolate under my nails that won't go away no matter how many times I wash my hands. My upper body is sore from kneading, rolling, slicing, and stirring. But man, I had a great time and would love to do it again. Apparently I probably will, because a few people at the party asked for my phone number :)

P.S. I'll share recipes over the next few weeks, but if there is a specific one you want, let me know. In the meantime, I have two more papers to submit for school before the end of the day today.

A New Kitchen Adventure

Back in January, a friend of mine asked me to help her design a menu for a baby shower she was hosting in March. After a few discussions about it, she asked if I would be interested in catering the event. Of course I was interested! Though, I do admit I was (and still am) a bit nervous about everything turning out the way I want it to. I've never cooked for people I don't know! Regardless, she offered me an incredible opportunity and I knew I had to take it.

The baby shower is a mid-morning Sunday brunch event with a color scheme of grapefruit pink and navy blue. I wanted to keep the menu simple, so I could drop off the food at her house and she could easily put it out for a buffet style service. I also wanted to maintain as much focus as possible on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. After pouring over cookbooks and my favorite food blogs, I built the menu, which the my friend (the hostess) was so excited about:

• Three quiches: traditional quiche Lorraine; arugula, lemon & homemade ricotta; and swiss chard, crimini mushroom, & sharp white cheddar
• Beet & blood orange salad with spicy greens & blood orange sherry vinaigrette
• Raspberry buttermilk and blueberry lemon mini scones with sweet lemon butter
• Truffles two ways: chocolate blueberry with lavender sugar & chocolate caramel with himalayan pink salt

I plan on sharing some of the recipes with you over the next two days as I prep and cook all of these dishes, as well as share what I learned along the way. First thing I learned? Not to boil sugar and write a blog post at the same time, because you end up with burnt sugar.

Regardless of how embarrassing or premature this is, I've also named my little catering company Sage Kitchen. I'd love to know what you think!

Quinoa Granola

Today I had every intention of working on my papers due for graduate school classes. I made quinoa granola and spiced carrot soup instead.

Last week, I had breakfast with a friend at Old Soul at 40 Acres in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento. I ordered their housemade granola, which came in a stainless steel mixing bowl (though the portion was appropriate for a normal person) with plain yogurt, sliced banana, and a generous drizzle of local honey. It was delicious, crunchy, and sweet but not too sweet. It reminded me how much I love this breakfast. So this weekend I decided to make granola, but a little different that I usually do. My typical granola recipe is oats and Wisconsin maple syrup, but this one has several more ingredients and a few spices, making it more wholesome and, quite frankly, more interesting than the stuff I'd been making previously.

My favorite way to enjoy this granola is with plain yogurt (either homemade or Greek God's Nonfat Plain), fresh fruit, and a drizzle of local honey (so local, in fact, it comes from my neighbor's bees).

Happy Breakfast!

Quinoa Granola

Makes about 5 cups

2 1/2 c thick-cut rolled oats

1/3 c quinoa (uncooked)

1/2 c sesame seeds

1/2 c whole almonds

1/2 c pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/3 c sunflower seeds

1/4 c walnuts

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c pure maple syrup*

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 c dried fruit (golden raisins, dried cherries, dried apricots, whatever you prefer or have on hand)

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, quinoa, sesame seeds, almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cinnamon, & nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir until oat mixture is completely coated.

Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat.

Bake for one hour. Cool completely, then add the dried fruit; toss to combine. Store in an airtight container.

*I prefer my granola to not be very sweet since I add honey later, so I only added 1/2 cup of syrup. Recipes I read online suggest 3/4 cup for a recipe this size, so if you want your's a little sweeter, I suggest increasing the amount of syrup used.

Homemade Apple Butter

My kitchen smells incredible right now. I probably say that a lot, but it really does. It smells like fall; apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

I love apple season. When I was young my parents would take me and my brothers apple picking in the bluffs near my hometown. I loved picking the apples, but also going into the barn and tasting all the different kinds of apples that tasted so different than the ones we had at home (usually Granny Smith or Braeburn). When I was in college, I would go to this place on weekends to pick up a bag of apples and a caramel apple.

This past weekend, my parents visited from Wisconsin and we were excited to share with them a wonderful local agricultural region known as Apple Hill. Though a bit touristy in some places for my taste, there are so many wonderful farms selling different kinds of apples, baked goods, winter squashes, pumpkins, and honey. There is also some good wine being made up there, my two favorites being this place (which makes an incredible smokey Pinot Noir) and this place (which focuses on natural, organic practices and sources as much as they can locally).

We brought home a 20-lb box and two 5-lb bags of apples from Larsen Orchards. My mom and I made an apple pie together, as is tradition; I've been making pies with my mom since I was little. After my parents left, however, I found I had a lot of apples that weren't going to last much longer. After doing some research, I mixed and adapted a few recipes to make apple butter, which is one of my favorite fall treats. This recipe is great because you can make it in a crock pot (meaning it doesn't require a lot of attention).

So, in addition to apple butter bubbling away in my crock pot, I sliced up several apples and put them in my dehydrator. Dried apples are great as a snack, in oatmeal or homemade granola. If you don't have a dehydrator, look around online and you'll probably find a recipe that is adapted for drying apples in an oven. For a little twist - and to make your house smell even more amazing - sprinkle some cinnamon on the apples prior to dehydrating.

This recipe makes a lot of apple butter, so give it away right away or plan on canning it. It will last about a week when refrigerated.

Now all I need is some homemade bread to go with it :)

Enjoy!

Homemade Apple Butter

Makes about 5 cups

12 large tart apples, quartered around the core (toss the core)

2 c apple cider

1 scant cup sugar*

3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

Place the apples in a large crock pot; add the apple cider. Cover and cook on low for 10-18 hours, until apples are very soft. Put the softened apples through a food mill to remove the skins or, if you don't have a food mill, push the apples through a sieve or colander using a large wooden spoon to remove the skins. Pour the fruit back into the crock pot. Add the sugar and spices; stir well. Cover the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring every two hours or so. Remove cover after three hours to allow the fruit to cook down.

If you are canning the apple butter, add the hot fruit to hot canning jars and proceed with the canning process. You can also freeze the apple butter by spooning into freezer containers, but make sure you let the apple butter cool before putting in the freezer.

*Note: the original recipe called for three cups of sugar (1 c per 2 c of fruit), which seemed like a lot to me. I recommend starting with one and checking the flavor over time. You can always add more later if you like.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips & Crystallized Ginger

If there is one thing every person - baker or not - should have in their arsenal is a good banana bread. I've been making this one for years. It's quick to throw together any night of the week, especially since my guess is you probably have a lot of the ingredients on hand already.

Not a fan of walnuts in my banana bread, I usually throw in chocolate chips. I wish I could take credit for the crystallized ginger idea, but it was actually from Molly over at Orangette (I write like I know her, which I don't, but wish I did; she is an amazing writer). The ginger adds an unexpected twist; a spicy sweetness that matches perfectly with the chocolate chips.

A note on the bananas: I have used fresh and brown bananas in this recipe. If you have bananas that go brown, throw them in the freezer. When you want to make banana bread, just take the bananas out of the freezer and thaw on a plate (it only takes about an hour). If you use fresh bananas, squish them up a bit in your hands as you throw them in (or mash them in a bowl with a potato masher).

Enjoy!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips & Crystallized Ginger

Makes 1 loaf

1 c sugar

1/4 c unsalted butter, softened

3 ripe bananas

1/4 c fat-free milk

1/4 plain yogurt

2 egg whites

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c bittersweet chocolate chips

1/4 c finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 pan with cooking spray (or whatever you use).

Combine sugar and butter in a bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended. Add banana, milk, yogurt, and egg whites; beat well.

Add flour, baking soda, & salt and beat just until blended (overbeating will make the bread more dense). Gently fold in the chocolate chips and crystallized ginger.

Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

One of my (and my husband's) favorite things is the sound of a crème brûlée shell cracking as I tap my spoon on it. It is best if it takes a few taps to actually break through it and has a good crunch when you bite into it. Because of this, we've shared many different types of crème brûlée: many classic vanillas, a butterscotch version with pear compote at Riva Grill, a tart lemon version, and even a dark chocolate raspberry crème brûlée tart at Evan's in Lake Tahoe (good even though it lacked the shell we love). There are several flavors we've experienced that are escaping me at the moment, but we always go back to vanilla. Maybe topped with a few fresh berries, a small dollop of whipped cream, and a sprig of fresh mint. But to us, garnishes can get in the way of a whole lot of wonderful.

Considering how much we enjoy this dessert, it is amazing that this is only the second time I have attempted to make it. Recipes that require adding hot liquids to eggs make me nervous because a failed attempt at ice cream has made me a bit gun-shy of this technique. The first time I made crème brûlée, I spent a good part of a day making it, only to realize that the ramekins I cooked it in were too deep and the custard did not cook all the way through (which is quite gross, actually). I decided to put the dessert aside, saving its enjoyment for when we were out for a nice dinner.

Recently, my husband purchased a crème brûlée grilling set that was on sale at Sur La Table. The set comes with two ramekins and a grill press that fits perfectly into the ramekins. After making the crème brûlée, you heat the grill press on the grill until it is really hot and use it to burn the sugar. We have a torch, but this seemed novel, so when my younger brother was visiting from Minneapolis, we decided to give it a try. I used the recipe that came with the set, and I must say, it was the easiest recipe I have ever come across. The custard is smooth and silky, with a beautiful vanilla flavor hinted with citrus and cinnamon. The recipe could easily be modified to create different flavors, like dark chocolate, Meyer lemon, and butterscotch.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Makes 2 servings

1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream

One 2-inch cinnamon stick

1/2 vanilla bean, split (or 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract*)

1 strip lemon peel (use a vegetable peeler or zesting tool)

3 egg yolks

1/3 c granulated cane sugar

2 tsp honey

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

4 tbsp turbinado (raw) sugar

Combine the cream, cinnamon, vanilla bean (or extract), and lemon peel in a heavy saucepan and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes. DO NOT allow it to boil. In another heavy saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add the egg yolks and honey and whisk until smooth and creamy.

Strain the flavored cream to remove the solids and let sit for a minute or two to cool down slightly. (I transferred the mixture to a small pitcher to speed the cooling process and help with the next step.) While whisking the egg mixture, slowly pour in about 1/4 c of the cream. Continue whisking, adding the cream in small amounts, until all the cream has been incorporated. Caution: if you add the hot cream to the egg mixture too quickly, the eggs will curdle.

Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, whisking steadily, until the crème thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat just before it begins to boil, then continue whisking for another two minutes.

Divide the crème evenly between two shallow ramekins. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, covered, for at least three hours or as long as overnight.

To serve, evenly sprinkle 2 tablespoons of turbinado sugar over the top of each ramekin. Using a kitchen torch or the broiling method, caramelize the sugar until golden brown. Serve immediately. And take a moment to enjoy the cracking of the shell :)

*If you use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, make sure you use pure extract, not artificial. Artificial will give a very alcohol-like bitterness and will just not taste as good as the pure extract or vanilla bean.

Wild Mushroom & Sage Risotto

I love risotto. Even though it is a time-consuming dish, I find the process so therapeutic, as it requires patience and presence throughout. I also enjoy how versatile it is. I've had it with spring peas and asparagus, or like I am presenting it here, with wild mushrooms and fresh sage from my garden.

From making risotto more than a few times in my life thus far, my biggest piece of advice is to have everything prepped ahead of time and your liquids pre-measured and next to you at the stove. Keep your broth hot in a small saucepan next to your risotto pot, since you will need to have easy access to the broth and because keeping it hot allows for faster absorption. This also true for your wine glass; if you're cooking with with you might as well be drinking some :)

Patience and presence are most important to a great risotto, so grab your glass of wine, put on some good music (or have some good company present), and get ready to be there - stirring - for a while. I promise it is worth it.

This version is a combination of risotto recipes I've read and past experience making risotto, mixed with wild mushrooms sauteed with sage, sweet onions, and raw milk Parmesan (real stuff only - stay away from the green shaker). I folded in some cooked wild rice for a little twist, but you can leave this out if you don't have access to wild rice. I also found this incredible addition of homemade porcini mushroom "paste," which adds incredible earthiness and flavor to this dish. Pair with a dusty red wine or a smooth chardonnay, plus a garnish of fresh sage and shaved Parm, and you've got a hearty dish able to stand on its own.

Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom & Sage Risotto

Makes one really big pot

7 c water, divided

1/2 c wild rice

1 c dried porcini mushrooms, washed and sliced (stems included)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 lb mixed wild mushrooms, such as crimini or shiitake

1/4 c fresh sage, sliced thin, plus a few small leaves for garnish

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 medium sweet onions, diced (regular onions are fine)

2 c arborio rice

2 c dry white wine (that you would actually drink)

6-7 c vegetable broth (you can use chicken broth here if you like)

2 tbsp butter

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Heat 4 cups of water with a dash of salt in a small saucepan until boiling. Add the wild rice and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. The water will not be completely absorbed, so drain the remaining water and set the rice aside.

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms in the remaining 3 cups of water (which should be hot). While the mushrooms are soaking, heat a generous pour of olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add crushed garlic and saute just until browned; remove from oil and discard. Add mushrooms and sage and saute until softened and pliable; place in a bowl and set aside.

Remove porcini mushrooms from water and place in a blender or food processor. Save 2 cups of soaking liquid. Add a splash of the remaining one cup liquid to the blender and puree with the mushrooms until you achieve a paste-like consistency, adding more liquid if necessary. Set paste aside and discard any remaining liquid.

Heat a 4 tbsp of olive oil in the large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions and a healthy dash of salt and saute 2-3 minutes or until onions are softened. Add arborio rice and saute one minute until toasted. Add wine and stir until wine is completely absorbed. Add mushroom soaking water and enough broth to cover the rice. Stir until combined. Repeat this two more times with the broth. On the third repetition, stir in the mushrooms and 2 tbsp of the porcini paste. Add remaining broth to cover the rice mixture and stir until liquid is just absorbed. Fold in cooked wild rice and continue stirring until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and Parmesan cheese until melted. Add salt to taste.

Serve in warmed bowls with shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese and fresh sage leaves.

Sunday Night Ratatouille

Sunday nights are usually relaxing, lazy nights for me and Chris. Easy dinners in the backyard with an inexpensive bottle of wine, reflecting on the weekend and prepping for the week ahead.

This past weekend, I was excited to cook with the first eggplant we'd ever grown ourselves. I cannot express how excited I am that we were actually able to grow an eggplant! Is that dorky? Anyway, we wanted to make a pasta dish since, despite being people who enjoy a good bowl of noodles, hadn't had any in a while. Originally my thought was to roast a bunch of veggies together, but our taste buds were saying sauce, so we made sauce. I concocted a modified, fast version of a ratatouille, which, because of its faster cooking time, keeps the veggies intact and less mushy than some ratatouilles. The result is a chunky, herbaceous, veggie-rich pasta sauce. Tossed with whole wheat pasta, topped with Parmesan cheese and a dollop of Chris' homemade basil walnut pesto. Simple, fast, and oh so delicious!

Sunday Night Ratatouille

Makes 1 pot, enough for 4-6 meals

4 tbsp olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 medium eggplant, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 dashes crushed red pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 14.5-oz cans organic fire-roasted, diced tomatoes

1 tbsp organic tomato paste

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic cloves and saute 3 minutes. Add eggplant and zucchini; stir to coat with oil; saute 5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper and fresh herbs; saute 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, sugar, and a pinch of fresh ground black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, or until flavors meld and sauce thickens. Add more spices & herbs as desired.

Spoon over pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Golden Beets & Beet Greens with Whole Wheat Pasta

I used to hate beets. Like, I REALLY hated beets.

I distinctly remember the day I learned to love beets, and the person who showed me they could be really tasty. I was volunteering at Burning River Farm in Frederic, WI in the summer of 2010. We had just spent the morning harvesting produce and packing CSA boxes and it was lunch time. Adrienne, the farm manager, made a pan of roasted red and golden beets, cippolini onions, and garlic (all from the farm, of course). I was really hesitant to try it, given my life-long distaste for beets, but it smelled so good and looked so pretty, I couldn't help but try a spoonful. And another spoonful. And another.

And now, I love beets. When prepared in the proper way and paired with the right accompaniments, whether sliced thin in a salad or roasted in olive oil, they are really good (and good for you, I might add).

This past Saturday, while wandering through the Davis Farmers' Market, I spotted a huge bunch of golden beets from afar. They were by far the prettiest bunch of beets I had ever seen, so I knew I had to get a bunch (and in retrospect I wish I had gotten two). At home, while prepping the beets for roasting, I remembered hearing many times that the greens were edible, so I decided to do a little research on how to prepare them. After perusing the internet and cookbooks, I concocted the recipe below and was amazed at how tasty beet greens are. They seem to be best served with the beets, since the greens are slightly bitter and the beets are slightly sweet, so they compliment each other well. Mixed with caramelized onions adds a bit more sweetness. You can boil the beets (which takes less time than roasting), but you'll miss out on the smokey sweet flavor that comes from roasting.

Pair with a well-balanced Chardonnay (like this one) for a really delicious summer dinner.

Enjoy!

Golden Beets & Beet Greens with Whole Wheat Pasta

Serves 2 as a main course

1 large bunch golden beets with greens

4 tbsp olive oil, divided

8 oz whole wheat pasta (farfalle or conchiglie work well)

1 large onion, sliced thin

3 cloves garlic, minced

Parmesan cheese

Toasted pine nuts*

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove greens tops and the tails from beets. Rinse the beets to remove any excess dirt. Cut into bite-size pieces; place in a baking dish. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Roast for 30-45 minutes, or until the beets are easily pierced with a fork.

While the beets are roasting, cook the pasta according to packaged directions. Drain and set aside.

Remove any stems from the beet greens. Gather up the greens and slice as you would swiss chard. Set aside.

In a large, heavy skillet, heat remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and saute for 10 minutes more, until onions are brown and soft. Add garlic; saute for 1 minute. Add the beet greens and saute until the greens are soft and just tender, about 10 minutes (do not allow them to turn dark, as this means they are overcooked). Add the roasted beets and the pasta to the saucepan and saute until heated through. Divide up amongst two bowls and top with Parmesan and toasted pine nuts.

*To toast pine nuts, place in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir until they turn a light brown. You can also use toasted walnuts in this recipe, as pine nuts are sometimes hard to find and can be expensive.

Cool Shiitake Sesame Noodle Salad

I hope my pursuit of the perfect work lunch is not boring you, because I am having way to much fun trying out new things!

Since summer is supposedly here (though the weather in Sacramento seems to be saying otherwise), I wanted to try something more refreshing than my usual soups and stews. The recipe I am sharing with you today is a fabulous Asian-inspired cold noodle salad. It is packed with (vegetarian) protein, veggies, and good carbs so it is sure to fill you up and keep you going for most of your busy afternoon. As always, try to get whatever veggies you can locally; my cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms are all local (as is the honey). If you are lucky to have access to locally produced tofu, this is a great place to use it. This dish would also make a lovely addition to a summer picnic, paired with a crisp unoaked Chardonnay or a citrus-y Sauvignon Blanc.

Enjoy!

Cool Shiitake Sesame Noodle Salad

Makes one enormous bowl noodle-y goodness

1 package soba noodles* (8 oz)

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 block extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned to remove the dirt and sliced thin

2 carrots, peeled

1/2 small red cabbage

1/2 c shelled edamame (soybeans)

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin (white parts only)

1/4 c soy sauce

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp honey or agave nectar

5-10 drops chili oil, to taste

1/4 c toasted sesame oil

Sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, then rinse with cold water until completely cool. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add tofu and saute until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to saute until mushrooms are soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grate the carrots and cabbage using the grating blade on a food processor or a box grater. Add to the large mixing bowl with the noodles. Add the edamame and green onions; toss to combine.

Once the mushroom/tofu mixture has cooled, add it to the noodle mixture and toss to combine.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 c soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and chili oil. Using a whisk, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/4 c toasted sesame oil, whisking until combined. Pour over noodle mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Serve sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds. (I add the seeds the day I am going to eat the salad; adding them sooner causes them to lose their crispiness.)

Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for about a week. I like to make it the night before to allow the flavors to merry, but you can definitely eat it right away.

*Soba noodles are made of buckwheat available in the Asian section of your grocery store. You can substitute udon noodles (wheat) or any long noodle you like. Just remember, whole-grain noodles are better for you!

Book Club: My Life From Scratch

While I regret having been absent for almost a month now, I promise I have an awesome recipe to share with you :)

This month, my online book club read My Life from Scratch by Gesine Bullock-Prado. Gesine previously worked as an executive in Hollywood (she is Sandra Bullock's sister) but then realized she really hated it and actually really liked baking, so her and her husband moved to Vermont and she opened a (very successful) bakery. I love how simple it sounds, but Gesine is very open with how difficult it actually is to run a bakery: the hours, the customers, the employees, and sometimes even the baked goods. While at times Gesine seems a bit tyrannical about the life she left behind, her perspectives on the wonder of baked goods and the importance of doing something you love made me enjoy the book very much.

All of her recipes sounded amazing, and for that reason alone I highly recommend reading this book. Because cherries are in season right now, I chose to make her cherry filling and make a pie out of it (using a crust recipe I've been making since I was little) to make one rockin' cherry pie. I also will probably make Starry Starry Nights at some point (recipe in the book), and in a moment of guilt in the future, I will order her macaroons from her online store.

I snagged a bag of organic cherries from my co-op, which were sourced from Ferrari Farms in Linden, CA just under 60 miles from here. I then spent the next 20 minutes pitting two pounds of cherries; hard work (made me want to invest in one of these), but totally worth it. With red fingers, a little cherry juice on my Badger t-shirt, and a bowl full of succulent and now pit-less cherries, I was ready to make the filling. Now, the chapter containing this recipe begins with complaints from a regular customer of hers about the pie being gummy one day. That being said, I took extra care in following the instructions to make sure mine was not gummy as well.

I was a little nervous, because I cannot remember having ever made a cherry pie before, and haven't made a pie since the holidays. Even then, I remember having several "run-ins" with the crust and, since the crust makes the pie, I was determined to get it right. For the most part, I did, but noticed after baking that the bottom crust sunk down more than I had expected, leaving less of a crust on the edge, so make sure you leave a lot of extra crust up there by folding the excess over and pinching with your thumb before cutting off the rest.

As I was making this, I noticed some confusing parts how the recipe was written, so the recipe below is slightly different than hers. I also took out the vanilla, just because I didn't want to dilute the cherry flavor. However, I will stick beside her in her claim that sour cherries work best. Honestly, it is really true - sweet cherries are not only too sweet, but they lack the flavor punch that sour cherries provide. If you cannot find fresh sour cherries, Gesine says that frozen cherries are a fine substitute. Plus, you can use this recipe for other fruit pies by simply swapping out the cherries for other summer fruits, such as raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. I didn't try other fruit, but if you do, please let me know how it turns out!

Enjoy!

Cherry Pie

Makes one eight-inch pie

Pastry for a two-crust pie

5 cups pitted sour cherries (about 2 lbs fresh, unpitted cherries)

1 c sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch*

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c water

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cornstarch, and salt in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup water and stir to combine. Continue to add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture reaches a milk-like consistency. (Gesine's recipe called for only 1/4 cup, but I needed a 1/2 cup to get to the consistency desired in the recipe.)

Heat the cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until cherries are soft and the sugar is melted. Add the cornstarch mixture and heat, stirring occasionally, until the filling is thick and bubbly. Keep an eye on it, as if cornstarch is overcooked it will lose its ability to thicken. Remove from heat.

Line the bottom of an 8-inch pie pan with pastry. Pour in the cherry mixture. If you are doing a full top crust, dot a few pieces of cold butter on top of the filling before covering. Otherwise, use the remaining crust to create a lattice-top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until crust is golden.

Serve with Greek yogurt or homemade whipped cream.

*I use Rumford non-GMO cornstarch and highly recommend seeking out a non-GMO cornstarch.

Book Club: The Language of Baklava

My husband goes to LA every month for a weekend-long training. While he's gone, I usually spend my time cleaning, playing with our dogs, and of course, cooking. I also like to prepare a yummy special meal for when he returns on Sunday. I was in the mood to try something different this weekend, and the need to write a blog post for my book club seemed like the perfect opportunity.

This month, we read The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber. It is a lovely, vibrantly written book about the author's life: being the daughter of a Jordanian man and an American woman and her experiences living in Jordan as a child and as an adult, told in the language of food. I love Mediterranean-style cuisine, but don't cook it nearly as much as I should. I love it because it is centuries-old, family focused, and is a true utilization of local ingredients. What I like about Diana's book is that she mingles American-style recipes with Jordanian ones; a true representation of her life.

In choosing a recipe, I wanted to make something that I was unlike anything I had made, or even had, before. I skipped over the baba ganouj, the homemade pita, the baklava, and others (even though they sounded delicious) and made spinach-stuffed fetayer. These little triangles of soft, salty dough are filled with a mixture of spinach, onion, pine nuts, lemon juice, and sumac. I had never cooked with sumac before, but was able to find it at a local specialty grocer. It is a deep purple color and at first smell reminded me of salt and vinegar potato chips. It gives the filling a beautiful purple hue and a salty, sweet, slightly sour scent, and a light, almost vinegar-y taste. I'm excited to find other places to utilize this previously unknown spice.

Take your time with the dough. It is yeast-based, so it will require rising time as well as kneading time. I opted to not use a stand mixer with a dough hook, and instead do it all by hand. Be sure to slowly incorporate the flour at the end, as you do not want it to be too try, but not too sticky either. This is the benefit of hand mixing and kneading; you'll be able to find the perfect balance. When the dough is ready to be rolled, it is soft, smooth, and stretchy.

Brushed with olive oil and baked to a golden brown, these little pouches were the perfect start to our meal. Our dinner was "Bud's special rice for special company" (a basmati rice with toasted pine nuts and cinnamon) and "distract the neighbors grilled chicken,"* made from locally raised chicken, skewered and grilled (yes, I've started to eat some meat again), accompanied with skewers of grilled local veggies. It was a delicious way to welcome my husband home, and a great way to end the weekend.

Enjoy!

Spinach-Stuffed Fetayer

Makes 12

DOUGH

1 package yeast

1 c warm water

1 tsp cane sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 c olive oil

3 - 4 c unbleached flour

FILLING

1 pound fresh organic spinach, washed, drained, and chopped

2 medium onions, minced

5 tbsp olive oil

Salt & freshly ground pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 c toasted pine nuts

3 tsp ground sumac

In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the water. Add the sugar, and let sit for a few minutes. Stir in the salt and oil, then add the flour in small batches, continuing until the dough isn't sticky. Turn onto a floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and cover it with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm kitchen for about 1 hour; the dough should be double in size.Punch it down and let it rise again, about 30 minutes.

Next, prepare the filling. In a medium frying pan, saute the spinach, onions, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, pine nuts, and sumac on medium heat until onions are soft. Remove from heat and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Pinch off small handfuls of dough, shape and roll so that each piece is a 5x5-inch square, about 1/4-inch thick.

Working quickly, place about 2 tablespoons of filling inside one corner of the dough square and fold the opposite corner over to this so the dough forms a triangle. Pinch the ends together, sealing in the spinach mixture. Brush the remaining olive oil over the top of each fetayer. Bake on a greased baking sheet (or use non-stick mat) for about 15-20 minutes, or until the dough is browned.

From The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber, page 261-262.

*These recipes are also from her book; you'll have to read it to get them!

Squash Stuffed with Moroccan Couscous

This week, despite the rain during the day and the frost on my lawn this morning, I am really excited about spring. The plum tree in my backyard blossomed this week; beautiful pink flowers dotting my otherwise brown and green backyard. The farmers' market last weekend had piles of delectable, skinny stalks of asparagus. And I was SO ready to get rid of the winter squash still lingering in my kitchen. I am now ready to cook with it, evacuating any evidence of winter from my kitchen so I can be ready for the peas and heirloom tomatoes to come.

About a month ago, I picked up a lovely buttercup squash at the farmers' market. A deep sultry green color, it has sat happily on my counter waiting to be a part of something delicious. I sliced it in half, cleaned it out, and roasted it until it was soft and fork tender. I brushed it with a brown sugar butter sauce and stuffed it with a delicious blend of whole-wheat couscous, vegetables, spices, and chickpeas. A handful of golden raisins thrown in before cooking the couscous plumped up beautifully. The dish was a perfect way to wrap up the winter still left in my kitchen. Warm, delicious, inviting, and cozy. (And I was so excited to eat it that I forgot to take a picture of it beforehand!)

Enjoy!

Squash Stuffed with Moroccan Couscous

Serves 2 (but makes enough couscous filling for four)*

1 buttercup or acorn squash, cut in half and cleaned out (cut off the ends so it rests flat)

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp cinnamon

Salt & pepper to taste

1 c garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

1/2 c golden raisins

14 oz (1 can) vegetable broth (chicken broth can be substituted)

1 c whole wheat couscous

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place squash cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with a non-stick mat. Roast for 30 minutes or until fork tender. Meanwhile, dissolve brown sugar in butter. When squash is done, remove from oven, turn over, and brush inside and top with brown sugar mixture. Keep warm while making filling.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, carrots, and celery; saute for 5 minutes. Add spices and stir to coat. Add garbanzo beans and raisins. Add broth and heat through. Stir in couscous, cover, and turn off the heat. Let sit for 7 minutes or until liquid is absorbed; fluff with fork. Spoon filling into warm squash half. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds, if desired.

*If you want to make four servings, use two squash and double the amount of butter and brown sugar.

Book Club: Tender at the Bone

I've mentioned in past posts a few of my resolutions for 2011, and this post is the result of accomplishing one of them: joining a book club. I was really excited about the idea of joining a book club, but had some concerns about having to read books I didn't want to read or couldn't get into. I read a lot, and have a pretty extensive to-read list on Goodreads.com, so I hate to waste my time reading books I don't want to read.

Recently, I read A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. It was a wonderful book; beautifully written with delicious collection of recipes. The book came about as a result of Molly's very successful food blog, Orangette, so I decided to go check it out. After reading some posts, I came across a comment from someone who said they read her book as part of an online food book club. This immediately piqued my interest and, as a result, I joined the online group This Book Makes Me Cook. Every month, a group of food bloggers (like me) vote on a book, read it, then cook a recipe out of the book and blog about it. This post is the first of what will hopefully be many posts for my book club readings.

The book we read this month was Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl. I found the book well written, and so truthful in some parts it was almost painful. The book allows you to follow her life through the food she made and the people she shared it with. Her prose is very thoughtful and makes you appreciative of how the food you share and those you share it with really impacts your life. Her recipes I found somewhat old fashioned and not necessarily up my alley (many of them contained meat), which left me looking to her baked goods. Being that Valentine's Day was coming up, I opted to try her Devil's Food Cake and 7-minute Frosting so I could take a delicious treat to my co-workers on the 14th.

Blogger Note: I realize that this does not exactly fall in line with my typical recipes, which showcase local produce and local artisan products. That being said, please try to use local dairy and local eggs, and shop locally for your ingredients (i.e. stay away from the chain stores if possible).

I made the cake, but with a few modifications (I've inherited my dad's inability to follow a recipe exactly, even when baking). First, I made them into cupcakes instead of a layer cake as she instructs in her book, to make workplace distribution easier. This required a shorter baking time, as noted below. I also point out a few things below I think are important to the recipe that Ruth does not point out in her book. I'm not trying to out-do her, but as an experienced food writer and cook, she may have assumed bakers would do these things. The cupcakes were moist with a robust chocolate flavor; something I was excited to share with my colleagues.

The frosting, unfortunately, was another story. I made it exactly as instructed and am confident I did it correctly, I just think I wanted (and needed) something more substantial for these cupcakes. The frosting turned out to be very close to a whipped cream frosting, but even lighter; more like a meringue. The vanilla flavor was not strong enough for me, but adding more vanilla I still was a bit put off by the texture of the frosting. Plus, I knew that frosting made in this fashion would fall in transport. Instead, I opted to fill and frost the cupcakes with a chocolate Chambord ganache, which was incredibly divine and indulgent (and thick enough to handle the drive to work). I've provided Ruth's frosting recipe below, in case you would like to try it. If you do, please let me know how it turned out and what you think. Otherwise, I promise that the cupcakes I made are delectable. My co-workers certainly thought so!

Enjoy!

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Chambord Ganache

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes and more ganache then you will ever need

1 c milk

1/4 c cocoa

1/3 c cane sugar

1 c unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 c brown sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 c sour cream (I used plain yogurt), at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2 c sifted cake flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners or grease with butter and dust with flour.

Heat milk in a small pan until bubbles begin to appear around the edges. Remove from heat.

Mix cocoa and sugar together in a small bowl; slowly beat in warm milk. Let cool.

Cream the butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, sour cream (or yogurt), and vanilla. Add the cocoa mixture.

Mix remaining dry ingredients together and gently blend into butter mixture. Do not overbeat (overbeating will cause the cupcakes to be tough).

Fill muffin cups until 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Wait to cool completely before filling and/or frosting.

Note: If you want to make a layer cake, turn the batter into 2 well-greased and floured 9-inch layer cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the pan and springs back when touched gently in the center.

Seven Minute Frosting

If you are feeling brave...

4 egg whites

1 1/2 c cane sugar

1/4 c water

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in the top of a double boiler. Set over simmering water and beat with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, until soft peaks are formed. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Keep beating until frosting is stiff enough to spread. Use immediately.

Adapted from Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl, p. 75-76

A Lunch of Roasted Vegetables

I am leaving for vacation this coming weekend and am so excited about it! It is my family's annual trip to Summit County, Colorado; a Ford family reunion of sorts. We spend a week on the slopes, eating tasty food, drinking some good wine and local beer supplied by Applejacks in Denver, and enjoying everyone's fabulous company. It is certainly one of my favorite trips and I am so excited to snowboard on the snowy slopes!

Since I am going to be gone for about 9 days, I am starting to think about all the food I have in my house and what I am going to do with it before I go, as I do not want it to spoil. Today, I also happened to be thinking about lunches for the week. Standing at my kitchen cart, which is the home to all fruits and veggies that don't require refrigeration, I grabbed a butternut squash, some potatoes and a few sweet potatoes. Digging through my refrigerator's vegetable drawer, I found some carrots and beets. Clean them off, dice them up, add some spices and throw them in the oven to roast and I've got lunch for the week!

I keep the skins on the potatoes and sweet potatoes, since they have lots of good nutrients in the skin. If you do this, be sure to give the potatoes a good scrub with a potato scrubber or clean kitchen scrubber. It is fine to remove the skins, too, as it will not affect the flavor.

This dish incredibly simple and really delicious. The sweet potatoes add a brown-sugary, almost indulgent sweetness that compliments the earthy flavors of the other ingredients. Feel free to use other vegetables, like turnips, parsnips, red potatoes, and other kinds of squash. You'll find this recipe to be very versatile to what is available in your kitchen. Just remember to keep it local if you can :)

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetables with Fresh Rosemary

Makes 1 large pan, good for at least 1 week of lunches for 1 person

1 small butternut squash, peeled, cleaned, and diced into 1-inch cubes*

2 sweet potatoes, cleaned and diced into 1-inch cubes

5 baby yukon gold potatoes, cleaned and diced into 1-inch cubes

2 carrots, peeled and diced as above

1 bunch beets, tops removed, cleaned and diced as above

2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stems and roughly chopped

Salt & fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place all vegetables into a large bowl. Add oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.

Turn the vegetables onto a baking sheet lined with a non-stick mat or into a large baking pan.

Roast for 15-30 minutes, until all vegetables are fork-tender. If you are using a deep baking dish, stir the mixture a few times during baking. (Baking times will vary depending on if you have it in a large baking pan or in a single layer on a baking sheet.)

*Note: I had a rather large butternut squash needing to be used, so I used half of it for this recipe. The other half I cleaned and diced just the same, but froze individually and then transferred into a container to freeze for later use.

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

I have two loving, high-energy black lab-border collies. My youngest (at 1 1/2 years) is still too delinquent to be left unattended when we are not at home, so we have to crate her. Left uncrated, she has destroyed library books, eaten Christmas gifts (including a tin full of homemade toffee), and annihilated a box of dryer sheets, among many other things. In training her, I gave her a treat every time I was leaving to coax her into her crate. She has gotten so good at this that when she hears the door to the closet where her treats are kept, she goes in her crate. We are ecstatic that she is so well trained in this regard, but it means we go through a lot of treats, since there are days when I leave the house three or four times.

I usually buy a basic peanut butter dog biscuit from our co-op. Peaking at the label, as well as the label on many other treats we've bought (and acknowledging that there are dog bakeries popping up), I figured I could probably make them myself. They're as easy as baking cookies, and even using high quality ingredients still end up being cheaper than buying treats at the store.

I used a combination of two kinds of flours and rolled oats, but this part of the recipe is pretty flexible. Because I used rolled oats, I had to up the flour a little bit. If you choose to just use flour, use 2 cups total. You can also grind up oats in a food processor to make oat flour, but again, the total flour should be 2 cups if you are just using flour.

Try to use a natural peanut butter if you can. The only ingredient should be peanuts, but if you have one with sea salt in it, that is fine. Just avoid ones with added sugar or oils.

The end result is crisp, snappy little cookies that my dogs adore. Hope your canine companion enjoys them as much as mine do!

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Makes about 60 treats, depending on size

1 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c rye flour

1/2 c rolled oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 c natural peanut butter (smooth or creamy)

1 c skim milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together milk and peanut butter until combined (be patient, this may take a few minutes). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; stir until well mixed.

Turn some of the dough onto a well-floured surface. Roll out dough and cut into shapes. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Repeat until the dough is gone. Cool completely on a drying rack before feeding to your furry friend.

P.S. I know the picture doesn't really do much for the biscuit, but I couldn't do a recipe for dog treats and not show how excited my dogs were about them :)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

We were treated with a few weeks of lovely spring weather starting around the end of January. Sixty degrees, sun, not much wind. Even the trees and flowering plants got confused and started sprouting their buds. Chris and I took advantage with a few long bike rides on the American River Parkway and a hike in Napa Valley. And then, this week, the temperature dropped and the rain came in. Now, I'm not complaining, because I know we need the rain and all of that, plus the rain gives me the opportunity to wear my green rain boots (which I just adore). Also, it gives me the opportunity to cook some more comfort foods, because 45 degrees and raining requires comfort food.

Butternut squash soup is really a divine form of comfort food. Not heavy or dense, this soup is velvety soft and incredibly smooth, with a hint of woodsy maple syrup to just lightly enhance the sweetness of the squash. I use just a small amount of cream and butter; enough to give it softness but without drowning out the flavor of the soup (which is what I feel happens with recipes that use too much of these ingredients). Served with a slice of homemade crusty bread and a glass of equally smooth Chardonnay, and you're ready for a cozy evening.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Makes one big pot of soup

1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 onions, sliced thin

36-oz vegetable stock or broth

2 tbsp real maple syrup*

Salt & fresh ground pepper

1/4 c heavy cream

2 tbsp butter, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a non-stick mat.

Place butternut squash in a bowl with the garlic cloves. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and a pinch each of salt & pepper; toss to coat. Turn the squash onto the baking sheet and spread across the baking sheet into a single layer. Put in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until soft.

While the squash is cooking, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Once the squash is done, add the squash to the pot. Pour in the vegetable stock and use it to deglaze the pan. Add maple syrup, stir to combine. Turn off the heat.

Spoon the mixture into a food process or blender, trying to get as even an amount of squash and liquid as possible. Puree until smooth. Place a fine mesh sieve over a clean soup pot; pour the pureed mixture through the sieve. Using a wooden spoon, push the puree through the sieve. If anything does not go through, return it to the other saucepan to be pureed again. Repeat this process until all the soup is pureed and strained through the sieve into the new soup pot.

Place the new soup pot (of the pureed soup) on the stove over low heat. Add cream and butter, stir until butter is melted. Taste, adding more salt, pepper, or maple syrup as needed (it should not be sweet, but you should get a hint of the syrup). Continue to stir until the soup is heated through. Serve hot.

*Please use real maple syrup in this recipe. Many syrups available at grocery stores are combinations of corn syrup and caramel color and will add a painful sweetness with absolutely no flavor. The only ingredient should be "pure maple syrup."

Black Rice & Kale Salad

This past weekend, Chris & I spent a long weekend in Yosemite National Park. We had a great time hiking in the park and cozying up in our yurt with a few good books. On our way home, we stopped at Oakdale Cheese in Oakdale, CA (because, as you know, I am a total nerd for artisan cheese). They have the cutest little gift shop where you can purchase their cheese, and you can even see cheese being made. We tasted all of their cheeses and even treated ourselves to a grilled cheese sandwich made out of their mild gouda. We left with a few wedges of cheese, my favorite being Seascape: an aged cheese made of cow and goats milk. It is simply divine!

So, onto this week's recipe...

I started a new job in January and, as a result, needed to start planning my lunches ahead of time. This is something I try to take care of on the weekends to prevent the two things that would happen if I didn't plan: either throwing a bunch of stuff together from the fridge (which would inevitably result in me being dissatisfied with my lunch) or going out to eat (which would most likely result in me being overfed and in a food coma by 2PM). I also need something that is satiating yet light and tasty yet healthy. And I totally hit the jackpot with this recipe.

You've heard me talk about Heidi Swanson before, and her food blog. She always puts together fabulous vegetarian dishes, and this one is no exception. It is a delicious combination of black rice, kale, and tofu with a fantastic Asian-inspired dressing. Following her suggestion, I also topped it with a poached egg and it was even more tasty, but you could certainly omit it if you are vegan, or just not an egg person. The egg & tofu provides a great amount of protein for my active lifestyle, the rice is filling and nutritious, and the kale is currently in season, so it was fabulous (I am a big fan of kale). The whole dish is tied together with a combination of sesame oil, shoyu, rice vinegar, lemon zest, ginger, & honey. This dressing packs such a punch and really elevates the dish.

If you cannot find black rice, you can also use brown rice (I just happened to have black rice in my pantry). Just stay away from white rice, as it lacks the nutrients of these other rices. If you want the egg too and are planning on this being a work lunch, poach the egg either the night before or in the morning, then at lunchtime heat it separately for 30 seconds (heating it longer will cook the egg more and in turn could make it rubbery). Make sure you get your eggs from a local, organic, reputable seller. The eggs will be more flavorful and healthier for you.

Enjoy!

Black Rice & Kale Salad

Serves 4-6 people (or one person's lunch for a week)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 c extra-firm tofu, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 c kale, stalks & veins removed, finely chopped (chard could work as well)

2-3 c black rice (brown is a fine substitute)

4-6 good-quality eggs (depending on how many you are serving)

Zest of 1 lemon, grated

1-inch knob of fresh ginger, grated*

1 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp cayenne

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c shoyu or soy sauce

1/3 c brown rice vinegar

4 tbsp sesame oil (or 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 2 tbsp olive oil)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tofu and cook until just slightly browned. Add the kale and garlic, saute until the kale is soft, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the rice until heated through. Remove from heat.

To make the dressing, combine the lemon zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor; process until smooth. Add lemon juice, shoyu, and rice vinegar, pulse to combine. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Once oil is incorporated, you can stop the food processor.

Put the kale-tofu mixture back on low heat and pour the dressing over it, stirring to incorporate completely. Remove from heat.

To poach the eggs, heat a pot of water on the stove until simmering. While waiting for the water to heat, crack an egg into a ramekin or small dish. Over the sink, slowly pour the egg into a fine mesh sieve (this will prevent flyaway whites during poaching). Return the egg to the ramekin. Once the water is simmering, gently slide the egg into the water. Poach 3 minutes for a runny yolk; 5 minutes for a fully cooked yolk. If serving right away, repeat this process with the remaining eggs.

To serve, add a scoop of the rice & kale mixture to a bowl. Top with a poached egg.

*Note: A great way to always have ginger around is buy a big piece and keep it in your freezer. Whenever you need some, grate the frozen ginger with a microplane grater.

Adapted from Poached Eggs Over Rice and Otsu from Super Natural Cooking, p. 62

Ta'miyya

Another one of my blog-related resolutions for 2011 was to try new things. This applies to the ingredients I am using, the cooking styes & techniques, and cultural cuisines. That being said, last week while at the farmers' market, I picked up a one pound bag of dried fava beans. I have never cooked with fava beans, fresh or dried, but they run rampant at farmers' markets here, primarily in the spring when they are fresh. I had no idea what to do with them, so I let them sit on my counter and did some research.

Most fava bean recipes center around fresh favas and are often mixed with other spring-time favorites, including asparagus and peas. They all sounded fabulous, making me more excited for spring and all the fresh produce that comes along with it. But for now, I had a bag of brown, dried favas that I had to do something with. Finally after some searching, I came across a recipe that sounded delicious and also allowed me to venture into a new cultural cuisine: Ta'miyya.

Ta'miyya is an Egyptian food which is very similar to the falafel we know and love, but its primary difference is that it is made with fava beans instead of chickpeas. It is a lovely puree of soaked favas, green onions, parsley, cilantro, garlic, and spices, formed into little patties and pan-fried, providing the perfect combination of a crispy outside with a soft-warm inside. Dipped in a yogurt-mint sauce, they are a perfect appetizer and would provide great variety to the nacho-and-chicken-wing spread at your Super Bowl party. They can also be stuffed into warm pitas with sliced tomatoes and yogurt-mint sauce for a delicious sandwich. Even better, is that you can make the mixture ahead of time and cook them up only when you need them.

Enjoy!

Ta'miyya

Makes 24 pieces

1 pound peeled, split, dried fava beans*

1 garlic clove, halved

3/4 c parsley

1/2 bunch of scallions, chopped (green tops only)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cilantro

Vegetable or olive oil

1 6-oz cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 handful of mint leaves, diced finely

Soak the fava beans in water overnight (or at least 8 hours).

The next day, drain the beans and place them in a food processor. Add the garlic and puree until ground. Add the parsley, scallions, cumin, salt, baking powder, and cilantro. Puree until the mixture is thoroughly ground and comes together. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Take a small amount (about 2 tbsp) of mixture and form into a ball with your hands. Flatten slightly then place in pan. Fry about 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. If you are making them all at once, keep finished ta'miyya in a low heat oven (150-200 degrees F) until ready to serve.

To make the dipping sauce, mix the yogurt and chopped mint a small bowl. Serve alongside the fresh ta'miyya.

*Note: You can find dried fava beans at Middle Eastern grocery stores if you cannot find it at a farmers' market or food co-op. You can also substitute chick peas (garbanzo beans) if you cannot find fava beans.

Adapted from Epicurious.com