Soup(s) of the Day! (Roasted Tomato with Red Bell Pepper and Hatch Green Chile; and Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Soup)

The Why:

Yes, I am a soup addict.  Especially in the fall and winter -- nothing says comfort like a big cup of steaming soup.

I never really realized how easy it is to make homemade soup.  And once I decided to invest in an immersion blender, it became even easier.  Plus, if I make a big batch, I can put it in containers and freeze it -- most soups will freeze and reheat wonderfully.

Another technique I discovered is that roasting vegetables makes the best soups!  Now when I make any sort of vegetable soup, I pretty much always roast the vegetables first.

I picked up a few varieties of mushrooms at Lee Lee's  last weekend, intending on using them for something else (risotto, among others).  But I just started jonesing for soup, so the risotto will have to wait until I get back to Lee Lee's for more 'shrooms.  (For my soup, I used a combination of shitakes, creminis, and white button mushrooms.  You can use any combo of wild mushrooms you prefer or can find).

The thing was, I also had 10 Roma tomatoes from my Bountiful Basket that I needed to use.  Since I have my own tomato plants that are just starting to produce me a good crop, I didn't want to be lost under a pile of tomatoes.  And, I couldn't decide whether I wanted mushroom soup or tomato soup.  So, naturally, I made both!

Another little twist I did . . . I bought some canned Fire Roasted Hatch Green Chile from Trader Joe's the other day.  I was beyond excited to find roasted Hatch green chiles anywhere, even if they were canned.  I've had the regular green chiles in the can that you find in most grostos, and they always taste rather flavorless to me.  But these Hatch chiles are quite good!  Most canned and packaged goods that TJs sells are way better quality than what I've had before.  They really are awesome at preserving freshness as much as possible, and I can certainly taste the difference.

I bought several cans of the Hatch chiles, and tomatoes and chiles are just a match made in culinary heaven.  So I threw the contents of one of those small cans into the tomatoes, red bells, shallots, and garlic I was pureeing and whipped them up.  Amazing results!  There's just a hint of the roasted chile flavor, and a tiny kick of spice, and it works beyond beautifully with the roasted tomatoes and bells.  I'm not sure I'd love it quite as much with the other canned chiles, but it certainly won't hurt it to try.  My second choice, though, if I didn't have the Hatch chiles, would be to buy some Anaheims or similar fresh chiles and roast and peel myself.  They're not Hatch, but at least they'd be fresh!

This is absolutely, by far, the best tomato soup I have ever had!

As I said . . . couldn't be easier!  Cutting up some veggies and aromatics, tossing with EVOO, and roasting for a bit -- then puree, add more stuff, cook.  Done. In about an hour or so, start to finish, you can have a steaming pot of soup.  Just don't forget the grilled cheese!

The How:

Roasted Tomato Soup with Red Bell Pepper and Fire Roasted Hatch Green Chile

10 medium Roma tomatoes, halved and cored, if needed

2 medium red bell peppers, quartered

2 medium shallots, peeled and quartered

3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 T. EVOO

1 small can of fire roasted Hatch green chiles or ½ C. of roasted, peeled, and chopped Anaheim green chiles

2.5 to 3 C. chicken broth or stock

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

1 t. Italian season blend

¼ C. heavy cream (optional)

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Arrange tomatoes, cut side down, and green chiles (if using) in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with EVOO.  Wrap garlic cloves, drizzled with EVOO, loosely in another piece of foil.  (You can roast a whole head of garlic if you prefer – just cut off the top, drizzle with EVOO, and place on the baking sheet, either wrapped or unwrapped).  Roast for 10 minutes, then add the shallots, tossed with EVOO, to the pan and continue roasting for about 30 minutes more, until the skin on the tomatoes start to shrivel and blacken.

When the tomatoes and bells are cool enough to handle, peel the skin and place in a saucepan.  Add the roasted garlic and shallots.  If using fresh roasted green chiles, place them in a plastic bag as soon as they come out of the oven.  Seal the bag and let the chiles steam for about 20 minutes, then peel and seed.  Add chiles to the pan with the tomatoes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the tomato / vegetable mixture with 1 cup of the chicken broth, until smooth.  (Alternatively, you can blend in a stand blender – work in batches, if necessary).

Add 1.5 cups of the remaining broth to the puree.  Add the Italian seasoning blend, and salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Bring just to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  (If you're really in a hurry, you can skip the 20-minute step, but I like to cook for a bit when using dry herbs, to make sure their flavor gets infused.)  Add the cream, if using, and stir to incorporate.  Heat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until heated through again.

Ladle into bowls and serve with – what else??!!  Grilled cheese!

 *****************************************************************

 

Roasted Mushroom and Garlic Soup

1.5 lb of assorted mushrooms (cremini, shitake, white button)

2 shallots, peeled and quartered

6 to 8 garlic cloves (or many, many more – if you’re like me)

2 T. EVOO

3.5 C. beef broth (divided:  1 C. and 2.5 C.)

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

¼ C. dry red wine

2 to 3 t. herbs de Provence

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

½ to 1 C. heavy cream

Dash of fresh grated nutmeg

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Clean the mushrooms and trim the stems, if necessary, to get any hard ends off.  Quarter or thickly slice and place in a bowl.  Add shallots and garlic cloves to the bowl.  Drizzle with EVOO and toss to coat.  Place the vegetables in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.

Roast until the mushroom are tender, about 30 minutes.  Set aside about ½ cup of the roasted mushrooms.

Place the remaining mushrooms, shallots, and garlic in a bowl, along with 1 cup of the beef broth.  Using an immersion blender, puree the mushrooms until they’re your desired texture.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour, stirring constantly, until you create a smooth roux.  Continue to stir constantly for another 2 minutes, until the roux just starts to darken to a light tan.  Slowly pour in 1 cup of the beef broth, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Continue to whisk until all lumps are gone.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until the broth starts to thicken.

Add the red wine and stir to incorporate.  Add the mushroom puree and stir thoroughly.  Add the remaining beef broth, until the mixture reaches your desired consistency (you may or may not use all of the broth, depending on how thick you want your soup).

Slice or chop the reserved 1/2 cup of mushrooms, and add to the soup.

Add the herbs de Provence, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Bring just to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the cream to your taste, if using, and a dash of fresh grated nutmeg.  Stir to incorporate and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until soup is heated through.

Ladle into bowls and serve with garlic-parmesan bread or your favorite grilled cheese sandwich.

Blender Hollandaise

The Why:

There are a few things that I love to eat, but don't often have the patience to actually fix.  One of these things is Eggs Benedict.  And the sole reason I rarely make this at home is the hollandaise.  I've never found it that difficult to make, it just takes more time and patience than I usually have at that moment.  Probably because I'm always ravenous when I decide I want it.

A little while back, I heard the term "blender hollandaise."  At first, I was offended because I thought there was just no way to make a decent hollandaise without all the work.  But the other night, I was ravenous (again), and the 'fridge full of leftovers just weren't appealing to me.  I wanted eggs.  Plus, I had some of the very thin-sliced ribeye from Lee Lee's that I'd bought for pho.  It was almost 2 pounds, though, so I figure I could spare a few ounces for some steak 'n eggs benedict.  There was just my mental block against the sauce thing.

I remembered the blender hollandaise, and decided I'd just give it a shot.  I was very pleasantly surprised, too!  The sauce took, literally, about 2 minutes to make and it was actually quite good -- smooth, rich, creamy . . . just as a hollandaise should be.  I may never make it the "real" way again.

A couple of notes:

Some people have an aversion, if not down-right phobia, of being in the vicinity of raw or undercooked eggs.  I've never been one to worry about that much -- even eating a raw egg on top of my Crepe Complet in Paris (the one in France, not the one in Tennessee) on more than one occasion.  The actual risk of salmonella is so small that I just don't even usually think about it.  Plus, the eggs in this sauce aren't exactly raw.  They're mixed with melted butter that should be very hot, which raises the temperature of the eggs.  Also, the addition of lemon juice as the acidic component helps "cook" the eggs in the sense of killing off harmful bacteria that may be present.

You'll have to judge for yourself if you want to try this recipe.  I know people who won't eat hollandaise at all, ever, because of the fear of food poisoning.  I just wouldn't want to miss the deliciousness out of fear.  But, hey, I've eaten raw sushi at least 200 times and I've never, ever been sick from it (knock on wood).  Nor has hollandaise ever gotten me down.

I would recommend, though, that you use the freshest eggs you can find -- don't use the ones that are 2 weeks past their recommended "use by" date.  I say this, in truth, less out of bacterial fear than out of a desire to have the best-tasting eggs possible in my sauce.  Eggs are the huge component, so if their flavor isn't stellar, you'll know it.

As I said above, the butter should be melted, and very hot.  The heat helps "cook" the eggs.  And when you're adding the butter to the blender, make sure you do it in a thin, steady stream.  Don't just dump the whole thing of butter in there, or your eggs may curdle.

Finally, my recipe uses a little Dijon mustard in it, because I'm a huge Dijon fan.  If you're not, you can eliminate it or substitute something else.  If you find your sauce is too thick, add another teaspoon of lemon juice -- or even if you just really like lemon.  The same goes for the hot sauce, as well -- but trust me, the small amount of hot sauce you'll add will not make you sweat or even need another sip of your bloody Mary.  I think it just adds another, subtle level of flavor.  But, again, you have to eat it, so adjust it to your liking.

(The photo is Steak and Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise and I used cheese grit-cakes instead of the traditional English muffin).

Now, on to the good stuff!

The How:

Blender Hollandaise

3 egg yolks

¼ t. Dijon mustard

1 T. lemon juice

1 dash hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco)

½ C. butter

In the container of a blender, combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Cover, and blend for about 20 to 30 seconds.

Place the butter in a microwave-safe measuring cup (or some other cup with a pouring spout). Heat the butter in the microwave for about 1 to 1.5 minutes, or until completely melted and hot.

Set the blender on high speed, and pour the butter into the egg yolk mixture in a thin, steady stream. It should thicken almost immediately. Keep the sauce warm until serving by placing the blender container in a pan of hot tap water.

Lamb Stew in the Crockpot

The Why:

I've owned at least one crockpot for nearly all of my adult life.  This was one of those household items my Mom gave me way back when, because she had 3 or 4 and used them a lot.  And what could be more convenient for someone who works all day, then has to come home and deal with dinner?  Such an awesome kitchen invention!  Pile all your fixins in the pot in the morning, set it on low, come home to delicious aromas and a supper that's ready for you to sit down and eat.

And crockpots have come a little ways, too.  The old school ones were usually just two settings, high and low.  This was usually enough, but I admit I enjoy a couple other conveniences.  My current crockpot has three settings -- the ubiquitous high and low, and also a "warm" setting to keep the contents just at warm without cooking further (much, anyway).

Also, the big thing for me -- I can set how long I want the pot to cook, in 30 minute increments.  Whether I set it on high or low, I can program in the time and at the end of it, the pot automatically switches to the "warm" setting.  This has been especially handy, but this crockpot seems much more efficient that what I've had before -- it tends to cook much faster than I'm used to.  After using it a few times, I can fairly well judge how long I need to program the time.

It's been a while since I've actually used a crockpot on a regular basis.  I used to cook in it at least once or twice a week, especially in the cooler months.  Now, I use it maybe once a month or so, usually when I get a hankering for something "old school."

So, as I was shopping in Lee Lee's Oriental Supermarket the other day, I was loving the different meat selections that I usually don't see in the regular grostos.  Their fish market is the best I've seen locally, and their meat market is pretty extensive, too.  Some of the offerings are more ethnic than I'd ever attempt at home (chicken feet, pig liver, and other parts I'm not even sure exactly what they're used for).  But some meats, while they have their places in Asian cooking, are also very adaptable to our less-adventurous American fare.

The other day, I happened to see two things that really sounded good to me.  One was sliced rib-eye steak -- and we're talking super-paper thin slices.  This is typically used in dishes such as Vietnamese pho and Japanese shabu-shabu.  (Both of which I want to try at home).  But, I was thinking this would also work great for simple Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.  The meat is so thin it'll cook in, literally, a minute.  And I was thinking this might be something B. would eat, even though he usually prefers filet or sirloin over rib-eye (he hates the marbling, which I love).  So that's an upcoming meal this week.  (They also had super thin pork loin slices, which I may check out in a future trip).

Lee Lee's also had cubed meat -- beef, goat, and lamb.  I love lamb, so I thought I'd pick up a pack and do a crockpot stew.  (I may try the goat, too, though).  I was thinking I'd do a more traditional stew, rather than something more "exotic" like Mulligatawny.  But this is me, after all, so even my traditional tends to get a little crazy at times.

There's nothing really strange in here, by any means, but the gravy is from scratch rather than throwing in a packet of dry beef stew mix or dry gravy mix.  One little tweak that I did, which I've never seen before, is to add a bit of hot mustard paste.  I picked this up in the tube on Saturday, because I love hot mustard in Asian restaurants.  And for some reason, it just seemed like it would work well in my stew it did).  There's not so much in there that you get a pungent mustardy flavor, but there is just enough to get a subtle undertone of it.  Otherwise, my flavorings and spices are pretty "normal" stew fixins -- but like any stew, it's highly customizable.  Be creative!

I loved the way mine turned out, especially as I had the bright idea to serve it over cheese grits.  Most of the time, stew just goes with good crusty bread, but I've been in the mood for cheese grits lately, so I went with it.  I always cook my grits using a combination of chicken broth and skim milk, rather than just plain water.  This time, at the end, I also added some grated Manchego and some Blue Castello to melt right it.  The result was amazing -- rich, creamy, and satisfying -- everything grits should be!  And with the stew on top, this dish just went to a whole other level.  Can you tell I'm a huge fan?

A couple of notes:

As I said, stew is a highly customizable dish by its very nature, especially the vegetables.  I used the standards:  potatoes, onions, garlic, celery, carrots.  That's what I had on hand.  But you could certainly use turnips, parsnips, rhutabaga, or just about any root vegetable.  I'm also a big rosemary lover, so I used a good amount.  If you prefer thyme, use more of that.  There's no real rule -- except to just like what you put in.

Also, as I mentioned, my crockpot tends to cook much faster than I'm used to.  In the directions, I give a time range for the cooking part -- but know that these times are purely estimates!  I have no idea how fast or slow your pot will cook.  As a sort of guide for your comparison:  I turned my pot on high for the first 1.5 hours, then I switched it to low for another 3 hours.  (I was leaving for the gym and didn't want to overcook, so I switched it to low).  I think those times cooked it perfectly for me -- luckily, since I was totally guessing and I wasn't here to check on it.  Plus, I have a good sized pot, and it was full!  If there's less in the pot, it will cook faster.   So play with your times and, if possible, keep an eye on it the first time you make it so you can get an idea of the right time for you.

Now, on to the good stuff!

The How:

 

Lamb Stew in the Crockpot

1.5 to 2 lbs boneless lamb, cubed

¼ C. of flour

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

3 C. beef broth

1.5 C. red wine (a good wine that you’d actually enjoy drinking)

1 6 oz. can of tomato paste (good quality)

1 T. hot mustard paste

3 T. Worcestershire sauce

4 springs fresh rosemary (about 6 inches each), either left whole on the stalk or finely chopped

1 T. dried Herbs de Provence

1 t. paprika

1 large or 2 small bay leaves

1 medium onion, chopped

1. 5 lb potatoes, cut into chunks

Several cloves of garlic (to taste) – I used some whole, some rough chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 C. carrots, sliced

1 8 oz. package of mushrooms, sliced into halves

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

If using stew meat, trim the excess fat.  Combine the flour, salt and black pepper in a plastic zipper bag (or large bowl).  Dredge the meat in the flour mixture (in batches if necessary). Shake off any excess flour.

Heat 1 T. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, place chunks of meat in the skillet and brown on all sides.  Don’t crowd the meat.  Put the browned pieces into the crockpot as you finish them.

Add the beef stock and red wine.  Add the Herbs de Provence, the paprika, the rosemary, the bay leaf, the tomato paste, the hot mustard, and the Worcestershire sauce.  Stir gently just to distribute.  (The mustard and tomato paste will dissolve as the pot heats up).

Add the onion, potatoes, garlic, celery, carrots, and mushrooms.  Add salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours, until meat is fork-tender and gravy is well-thickened.  (Note:  Cook times will vary based on your particular crockpot).

Remove the bay leaf and the rosemary stalks, if you used it whole.  Serve over rice, pasta or grits, or with fresh, crusty bread.

Bountiful Basket - December 11, 2010

I was happier with this week's basket, compared to last week's -- but still MORE pears and applies!  I did have an appointment yesterday with my pain management staff and we were chatting about holiday treats, so I promised I'd make them one of the pear-hazelnut frangipane tarts after the holidays (they were swimming in sweet treats already).  If I get very industrious, I should just make a bunch of fruit-oriented desserts to give away.  No doubt they'd go over well at B's work, too.

I was pleased to see an eggplant this week, which we haven't had in a while.  We got more yellow squash, which is a pretty easy one to work with.  And another new one -- Kabocha squash.  I can't remember having this one before, but a quick google search indicates that it's a Japanese cousin to our pumpkin.  My favorite way to do just about any squash is roasting (except for zucchini, which I love grilled).  So, I'm thinking the Kabocha is destined for the oven, and maybe eventually paired with something else for a blended soup.  When we finally get some good soup weather here, anyway!

Speaking of grilling, that's one of my favorite ways to do eggplant, as well.  I was thinking of doing a grilled vegetable plate, using the eggplant, squash, some sweet potato (another bunch this week, so I'm swimming in those, too), and some red onion, with a basil-cucumber-garlic dressing.  Maybe with a little blue cheese for just a bit of tang and creaminess.  I haven't put this all together in a final version yet, but I'll post the pic and The How when (if) i get to do it.

I did get inspired to use some of those same vegetables in a curry this weekend.  One of my favorite stores is Lee Lee's Oriental Supermarket.  Lee Lee's is amazing -- it's like taking a mini Asian/Middle Eastern tour all under one roof.  And the sheer size -- it's bigger than the Fry's I usually go to when I go to a big chain.  At Lee Lee's, the shelved products are organized by country/region.  There are aisles devoted to Japan, China, India, the Philippines, the Middle East, Korea, Thailand, Viet Nam, and many more.  Just about every Asian country is represented.  It's mind boggling.

So much so, in fact, that I spent nearly FIVE HOURS shopping in there on Saturday.  (And another 2.5 hours on Monday!)  I love going aisle-by-aisle and perusing all of the offerings, many of which I've never seen.  There's just so much to see that I could never address it all in one blog post, so I won't even try.  But just about anything you can think of in the Asian world of food, they've got it.

Plus, every time I go in there, I'm in the little minority as a white girl.  Although recently, I have noticed quite a few more caucasians shopping in there.  I guess the word is out!  It was fun for me being one of the tallest people in the store, though.  ; )

Anyway, back to my original subject -- after my trip to Lee Lee's, I was set to try making something curry.  I got a variety of curry pastes to try -- I haven't yet been ambitious enough to try making my own curry bases, but I did find a link to Jamie Oliver's site, where he gives recipes for five basic curries.  I've bookmarked it to try.

But, as I've never really made an actual curry before, I decided to just try the bases.  And because I had all of these curry-friendly vegetables, I decided to make a vegetable korma curry.  My favorite Indian restaurant across the way has a wonder korma curry, and I thought I'd give it a shot.  It's actually quite easy when you start with a paste.  I didn't take a pic of my final outcome and I didn't write down an actual recipe, but if you've ever been intimidated by trying a curry at home, don't be!

I just cut up the following into manageable eating pieces:  sweet potato, Yukon gold potato, eggplant, yellow squash, onion and garlic.  I started off by sauteing the onion and garlic in a saucepan until the onions were soft.  Then I added the korma paste and fried for a minute or two.  Note:  Most curry spices and pastes need to be fried before you put them in the curry, in order to release the flavors.  Normally, you are told to not fry dry spices because they could burn and taste funky, but the opposite is true for curry spices.  So, fry them for a bit, just don't do it over high heat, and stir frequently to keep from burning.

Another product I've stocked up on from Lee Lee's is coconut milk.  I love coconut milk-based curries, and the korma is one.  So after the curry paste cooked for a bit, I added a can of coconut milk.  Then I added the vegetables and let them simmer, covered, on low heat for about half an hour, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables were the texture I prefer (soft, but not mushy).

And because I just can never do anything the standard way, I decided to play with the flavor a bit.  I fried about 1/2 of a small can of masaman curry (a Thai curry), then added that to the korma and vegetables and cooked.  I was really pleased with the outcome!  I hope India and Thailand will forgive me for blending their cuisines.

As I said, I bought several different curry bases, so I'll have fun playing around with them.  When I get a little more curry-making experience under my belt, I'll post the recipes.  But if you like curry, don't be afraid to try it at home using a curry paste -- couldn't be easier!

I have to say, my Bountiful Basket is inspiring me to cook a lot more at home, and to be creative in the kitchen.  And Lee Lee's is inspiring me to attempt some different cuisines that I'd never thought about trying at home.  (Up soon -- Vietnamese pho!)  So, now you know what I do for fun!

Now, on to the good stuff:

This week's Bountiful Basket:

8 sweet potatoes

2 yellow squash

1 Kabocha squash

1 pint of grape tomatoes

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 eggplant

1 head of garlic

1 bunch of green onions

9 bananas

8 Fuji apples

5 navel oranges

5 pears

2 Oro Blanco (white) grapefruit

1 pineapple

Pear - Hazelnut Frangipane Tart

The Why:

We've had pears in our Bountiful Basket every week for the last several weeks.  That's a LOT of pears, considering we usually get at least half a dozen a week.  I haven't been able to use all of them before they turn, which I hate. 

So, since I've been in such a baking mood lately, I decided to make a pear tart.  I originally planned to make this for Thanksgiving, but I ended up doing the lemon cake instead.  I was thinking about the tart earlier this week, and trying to remember to get some blanched almonds at the grosto. 

Frangipane is traditionally made from almonds, but hazelnut frangipane has become popular, as well.  As I was going through my pantry looking for something else, I found a bag of hazelnuts I'd forgotten about (story of my life).  The only thing I had missing for my tart ingredients were the nuts, so I decided to do the tart with hazelnuts instead of almonds.

Typically when I make a recipe, I do a little research online first, just to get the basics of what I want to do.  I can never follow another recipe without doing my own thing with it -- and such is the case here.  I discovered there were only about 3 or 4 versions of this tart recipe -- lots and lots of links, but the recipes turned out to be the same as I'd already seen.  So, basics in hand, I set out to do my own.

Traditionally, the pears aren't poached before being added to the tart, it appears.  But I was thinking that lightly poaching them first would just add a whole new depth of flavor.  And the spices I used in the poaching liquid are ones I associate with "the holidays."  And the poaching liquid smells so good!  White wine, cinnamon, ginger, orange peel -- yummy holiday scents!

I only lightly poached the pears because they still cook a while longer in the over.  I'm sure poaching makes them harder to deal with for placement on the tart, but as always, I tend to go more for flavor than aesthetics.  You can forgo the poaching first, of course, but I recommend it highly to get the extra level of flavor.  And yours may turn out perfectly!  I'd never made a pear tart before, so I may get better in the aesthetics department with a little practice.  Mine wasn't ugly, by any means, but I just didn't get it as perfect as I wanted.  It's very rustic!

Another little twist I did was to put a thin layer of Nutella on the bottom of the crust under the frangipane.  (I did this while the crust was still pretty warm, so the Nutella spread easily without damaging the crust.)  The frangipane is hazelnut, so I thought the Nutella would be great -- chocolately - hazelnutty goodness!  I was right!  I love it!  Again, this step is optional, but I think it's awesome.  Alternatively, you could use a thin layer of your favorite jam -- blackberry, raspberry, etc.  I thought about using blackberry jam that I have in the pantry, but went with the Nutella instead.  You could also just do it the traditional way, with no extra layer.

Other recipes I looked at all seemed to have a "glaze" of apricot preserves over the pears.  Some were done before cooking, some after.  I didn't do this because I had poached my pears first, and I wanted that flavor to come through.  If you decide not to poach the pears first, I'd recommend using the glaze.  I'd think you could use any flavor of jam or preserves -- apricot is probably standard because it wouldn't change the coloring of the pears.  I'd mix apricot preserves with a bit of lemon juice and microwave to melt the glaze for easier spreading over the pears.  I may try this next time, even with the poached pears, just to compare.

Finally, I would only use fresh pears for this!  I saw some recipes using canned pears, which I guess is okay if you just have to make the tart and you just can't get fresh pears.  Personally, I'd just make something else rather than using canned pears in this.

Now, on to the good stuff!

The How:

Pear – Hazelnut Frangipane Tart

1 C. hazelnuts -- toasted, loose skins rubbed off in a kitchen towel, and cooled

½ C. sugar (divided into ¼ cups)

¼ C. all-purpose flour

6 T. cold unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 t. pure vanilla extract

½ t. pure almond extract

¼ to 1/3 C. Nutella

3 firm-ripe pears, poached (see below for instructions)

Tart shell or frozen pie crust, thawed and pre-baked according to package directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse hazelnuts with ¼ cup sugar in a food processor until finely ground, then add flour and pulse to combine.  (Don’t overprocess).

Beat together butter and remaining ¼ cup sugar with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. Reduce speed to low and mix in nut mixture until just combined.

Spread a thin layer of Nutella on the bottom of the crust while the crust is still warm.  Spread frangipane filling evenly over it.

Cut the poached pears lengthwise into ¼ inch-thick slices, cutting to just below the stem end to keep the slices together. Arrange pears decoratively on filling, fanning slices slightly.

Bake until pears are lightly golden and frangipane is puffed and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Poached Pears

1.5 C. white wine

3 C. water (enough to cover pears)

½ C. sugar


2 to 3 long strips of fresh orange peel

1 T. fresh ginger, sliced

1 cinnamon stick

½ t. pure vanilla extract

2 T. orange liqueur (e.g. Grand Mariner)

3 firm pears; peeled, cored, and halved (Bosc or Concorde)

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except the pears.  Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

Slide in the pears, making sure they are covered with liquid.

Keep the liquid at a simmer and poach lightly, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let the pears cool in their liquid.

Caprese "Bruschetta"

The Why:

With Dave the Garden Guy's stamp of approval, I decided to set out some tomato plants this year.  Arizona has pretty much a year-round growing season, so I thought I'd take advantage of that and grow one of my favorites -- and tomatoes, like most other produce, are always better fresh off the vine.

I set out most of my tomatoes in September.  I'd originally planned to put them in raised garden beds, but I decided instead to put them in containers so I could move them around.  I'm really glad I did that.

First, the vegetables in my raised beds just aren't producing like I'd hoped, and I think that's due primarily to the light situation in the back yard.  I really was hoping there would be enough sun coming through, but I just don't think that's the case.  Don't get me wrong -- I love the great big shady trees in our lush neighborhood, but those same gigantic trees are not conducive to growing sun-loving vegetables out back.  Next year, I may try to move them elsewhere, if I can find space, and try again.

The tomatoes, however, have been thriving.  I put those containers on the front patio, which gets much more sun than the back, and the tomato plants have been doing beautifully.  I haven't counted lately, but I know there are at least 50 to 60+ tomatoes in various stages on the vines.  I've only harvested 2 red ones and 2 yellow pears so far, but they're starting to ripen up now.  I have 3, maybe 4, that are thisclose to ready, and a whole lot more on the way.

We had a few nail-biter times.  Shortly after I set them out, we had a period of record heat.  It was near 110 everyday for a while -- in mid to late September!  But they, literally, weathered the heat.  Then, as if record heat wasn't enough, we had a spell of record cold at night.  It's uncommon for it to hit in the 30s here, especially so early in the season, but yep -- more records.  We were hauling all 10 tomato plants, plus my jalapeno and serrano pepper plants, and my herb boxes into the garage at night, then hauling them back out in the morning.  We did this several times.  It was a pain, but I was determined to not lose all of those tomato plants!  And it worked, because they're still doing very well.

I LOVE being able to just walk out and pick a tomato off -- and they even smell like tomatoes.  I made this comment on Facebook and a friend asked, "Well, what else would it smell like?"  The ones in the grosto don't really smell like anything at all -- and it's been a long time since I've smelled a tomato that actually does smell like a tomato. 

And that first one was delicious!

I sliced it and made a caprese "bruschetta" out of it.  It's not a traditional bruschetta in that the tomatoes are not chopped up and mixed with the other seasonings.  It's more of a caprese on grilled bread kind of thing.  But SO good whatever it's called!  This is fabulous as a snack or an appetizer -- even a light meal!

I recommend using the freshest tomatoes you can find -- I think that really makes this dish.  If you can find any at the farmers market still, I'd say go with those if you don't grow your own.  The fresh tomato makes this rock!

Now, on to the good stuff!

The How:

Note:  I don't have quantities included.  Just decide how many pieces you want to serve per person, and go from there.  One tomato will serve about 2 to 3 people, depending on its size and how many pieces you allot per person.

Fresh tomatoes
Fresh mozzarella cut into about 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
Fresh basil leaves
Sliced bread -- ciabatta or Italian or your favorite crusty bread
EVOO
Good balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.  Drizzle each slice of bread with a little EVOO.  Put a slice of mozzarella on each piece of bread, then top with a fresh basil leaf or two, then top with a tomato slice.  Drizzle a little more EVOO and a little balsamic vinegar over each piece.  (I usually just drizzle these over separately, but if you prefer, you can mix the vinegar and oil together in a separate bowl and then drizzle over the tomatoes).  Sprinkle sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

Place each piece on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until the cheese melts and starts to bubble.

** As an alternative, if you don't like your tomatoes cooked or warm, make the pieces as above through the mozzarella step.  Bake the bread and cheese, then top with the fresh basil, tomato, and EVOO / vinegar.

Bountiful Basket - December 4, 2010

They didn't offer a Bountiful Basket last week because of Thanksgiving, so I obviously didn't post anything for it.  We were back this week, though. 

I couldn't decide what I thought about this week's items.  For some reason, the basket seemed a little "lean" to me.  I think part of that is because I'm much more a vegetable fan than a fruit fan, and we only received 5 different vegetable items.  (There are usually 6 types of vegetables and 6 of fruit).  I read on the BB Facebook page that some sites got pears as a sub for tomatoes, which seems kind of odd, but whatever. 

We seem to be getting an extraordinary amount of apples and pears -- every single week for about the last 2 months or more.  I'm throwing out more of them than we eat, which I hate.  But seriously -- I'm not into the literal "apple a day" thing.  I'd love to see a little more variety.  (And, personally, I don't consider it "variety" when we get Gala apples one week, Braeburn apples the next week, Fuji apples the week after, etc.  They're still apples!)

Plus, although I got 5 different types of vegetables, there wasn't as much quantity as usual, it seemed.  (Our site had extra celery and lettuce they were giving away, so I grabbed an extra celery -- the basket only came with one).

Perhaps the dearth of vegetables is a reflection of the season.  It's late fall, after all, so a lot of things are out of season.  Although, a lot of our produce comes from Mexico and Cali, so I'd think the options were still pretty good.

I wasn't too upset about the tomatoes, because I'm growing my own and those are way better than anything I could buy elsewhere.  I wish there'd been another sub, though, besides yet more pears.  If I canned, I'd put up preserves.  But I don't.  Hopefully I can think of something to do with some of this fruit before another batch goes bad.

Okay, you get the point.  Here's this week's "bounty:"

9 bananas

8 Fuji apples

6 Concorde pears

3 Asian pears

6 oz. package of blackberries

1 cantaloupe

1 pineapple

2 yellow squash

2 seedless hothouse cucumbers

1 bunch of celery (plus 1 extra from our site leftovers)

1 head of leaf lettuce

1 spaghetti squash

Oatmeal - Golden Raisin - Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Why:

I can't remember the last time I made cookies from scratch -- I'm sure I haven't done it in this century.  It's probably been more like since the early 90s.  But for whatever reason, I've been baking up a storm lately and cookies seemed to be a logical choice.  That, and B. has been asking for cookies for a while.

I'm very impressed with myself for finally buying all of the pantry items for most baking -- flour, granulated and light and dark brown sugars, baking soda and powder, etc.  It's been decades since I've kept this kind of stuff on hand, but it really does make it easier to start baking when I don't have to make a special trip to the grosto for ingredients.

So when I decided to make cookies, I started to do just the standard chocolate chip.  But then I got to thinking that I wanted something a little different.  I happened to have some old fashioned rolled oats in the pantry -- from a year or so ago when I decided to eat oatmeal for breakfast for a while.  I also had golden raisins I'd bought to put in couscous, which I hadn't gotten around to doing yet.  And chocolate chips -- I haven't bought chocolate chips in, again, decades, and now I'd bought two bags in two weeks.  So oatmeal raisin chocolate chip it was.

The recipe is really easy, but I have to get a new hand mixer.  I bought a cheap, $7 one at Target a couple of weeks ago because I have no idea where my old one is and I like to whip my mashed potatoes with a mixer.  And it was only 7 bucks.

You get what you pay for.  I've used it a few times, so it's probably been worth the price.  But it's not a good mixer (Chefmate is the brand).  The "low" speed isn't at all.  It's WAY too fast and batter goes everywhere, even though I'm trying to contort myself to keep it in the bowl.  Plus, it is not really holding up to thick cookie batter.  I'm thinking it's either going to explode into flames, or the beaters are just going to fly off and put an eye out, or it will just die.  Soon.  So a new hand mixer is on my list.

Aside from my mixer issue, the recipe is a cinch.  The cookies bake up nicely -- they shouldn't "brown," so keep an eye on your time.  They come out warm and chewy, just like an oatmeal cookie should be.

A couple of notes:

As I mentioned, keep an eye on your time.  Most recipes I looked at before I made this one had a cooking time of 10 to 12 minutes.  That didn't work for me -- the cookies were still raw-ish.  I found on the first batch that 14 minutes is the perfect time for me.  (I set the timer for 7 minutes and rotate the pan so they cook evenly, then go another 7 minutes to finish cooking them).  The first time you try the recipe, I'd recommend starting to check for doneness at about 10 minutes, then keep an eye on them every minute or so until they're done.  It's a pain, but after the first batch you can pretty much nail the time down.

With the raisins and chocolate chips, I'm very generous.  I used a cup of each, which makes very full cookies.  You can adjust those quantities to suit your personal tastes.  Also, I used golden raisins because that's what I had on hand.  I think the taste is a little milder than regular dark raisins, and I love the chewy "pop" of the raisins in oatmeal cookies.  If you hate raisins, you can certainly leave them out.  You can substitute walnuts, or really any dried chewy fruit (e.g. dried apricots).  This is a recipe that can be played with as far as the add-ins, so have fun with it.

Finally, I always use parchment paper to line a pan when I bake.  You don't have to use it if you don't have it, but I highly recommend it.  The goodies lift right off of it -- even easier than if you use non-stick spray.  And it makes clean-up a breeze.  It's not that expensive, so I'd recommend just buying some and having it in the pantry (it's with the aluminum foil in the grosto).  A warning!  Thanks to a goofy Xmas movie I was watching the other day -- do NOT substitute wax paper for parchment paper.  They are NOT the same thing!  If you don't believe me, just try it.  Or not.

Now, on to the good stuff!

The How:

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1.5 C. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

¾ C. all-purpose flour

½ t. baking soda

¼ t. salt

½ t. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg

½ C. butter, room temperature

½ C. packed dark-brown sugar

¼ C. granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1 C. golden raisins

1 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Gradually add oat mixture; beat just until combined.

Stir in the raisins and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown but still soft, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Potatoes Dauphinoise a la Vix

The Why:

Freaking Bobby Flay.

I'm not the biggest Bobby Flay fan, but recently I've started to warm up to him.  Although, I still want to reach through the TV and smack him in the head every time he says "chi - POAT - uh - lay."  There are only 3 syllables in chipotle.  There's no "uh" in there.  And he says it a lot.  Has no one ever tried to correct him, or does he just not care?  I know he's all about the Southwest cuisine -- he should at least have enough respect to learn to say it properly.

I'll try not to injure myself climbing down off my soapbox.

So . . . yesterday I was working on something on the computer and I had the TV on in the background.  Food Network, of course.  One of Bobby's shows came on -- I'd seen this one before and I think it's a few years old.  He visits his old culinary school, then cooks some basic dishes with 2 of the students.  One of the dishes they were making were potatoes dauphinoise.


I'd had these potatoes before (well, not the exact ones, but the restaurant's version), but I'd never made them myself.  Story of my life lately.

It was around lunchtime, I hadn't eaten at all yet, and those potatoes were just screaming for me.  I did a quick mental inventory to figure out if I even had the ingredients.  I did, sort of.  I didn't have any gruyere cheese, but I did have manchego and I thought that would be a great substitute in this dish.  Before I made my version, I looked up Bobby's online, as well as perusing a few other on google.

The most basic of this dish is just potatoes cooked in cream.  Some recipes don't contain cheese, or shallots, or herbs.  I just can't go that way.  I had some shallots, which are always great with potatoes, so I knew those were going in.  And fresh thyme and rosemary are rarely ever bad ideas in a savory casserole.  I pretty much always add a pinch of fresh grated nutmeg to any cream dish.  Oh, look, I pretty much have a recipe!

Unfortunately, I knew I wouldn't get this completely done before I had to leave for the gym (how's that for irony?), so I put it all together, baked it, turned the oven off and just left it.  It was still warm when I got home.  And delicious.  And I felt slightly less guilty after working out for two hours before eating it.  Very slightly.

A couple of notes:

I made this in a 9 x 13 pan, and I only used 4 or 5 medium potatoes, so the end product wasn't very "thick" in depth.  It came out fine, but I might try using a smaller dish next time so that the potatoes are higher and the end result is a thicker stack of potatoes.

Alternatively, you could up the ingredient amounts called for in my recipe -- double, maybe? -- and make a thicker version in the big pan.  This would work if you have several people to serve . . . otherwise you're going to have a lot of leftovers.

I started out baking this with a sheet of foil just laid over the pan.  Because it has to bake for at least an hour, I didn't want the top to burn.  I took the foil off about 30 minutes in, and let it go uncovered for about another 40 minutes.  I like my cheesy - creamy crust to get pretty dark on top (as you can see in the photo), so these times were great for my preference.  If you don't want your top that dark, you can leave the foil on a little longer.  It's easier to adjust the end time because there's really not much danger of overcooking this dish.

This dish, being French in origin, is traditionally made with gruyere (if cheese is used at all).  As I mentioned, I didn't have gruyere on hand.  I did have a hunk of manchego which, in the unaged version, is a great white Spanish sheep's milk cheese with a mildly nutty flavor that melts wonderfully.  I was pleased with the outcome!

Now on to the good stuff!

The How:

Potatoes Dauphinoise

2 T. butter

2 shallots

2 C. cream

1 to 1.5 C. milk

4 to 6 cloves roasted garlic, mashed

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

1.5 t. fresh thyme, chopped

1.5 t. fresh rosemary, chopped

5 medium potatoes, sliced thinly (mandolin is preferred)

1.5 C. grated cheese (gruyere or manchego work very well, but you can use your favorite white melting cheese)

Heat oven to 425 degrees and roast garlic cloves in a little EVOO for about 40 minutes.  Mash the garlic in a bowl, using a fork or wire whisk.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Sauté shallots in butter in a medium saucepan.  Add cream, 1 cup of milk, roasted garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer, but don’t boil.  Simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.  Remove from heat and stir in the fresh thyme and rosemary.

Peel the potatoes and slice thinly (about 1/8 inch) using a mandolin.  Spray the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with non-stick spray.  Spread the sliced potatoes evenly in the bottom of the pan.

Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes.  The liquid should just cover the potatoes.  If there isn’t enough liquid, add a little more milk to the pan until the potatoes are just covered, but not swimming.

Cover evenly with grated cheese.  Lay a piece of foil over the pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil.  Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown.