Springtime Meal for a Rainy Day

      It's finally springtime up here in good old Seattle, and while it's chilly outside, at least we are seeing the flowers blooming.  And it's thankfully lighter at both ends of the day.  I take as much comfort from that as from almost all the rest.  I guess I am like the chickens that way:  very dependent on the daylight hours.
      At this time of the year, more so than any other, I feel the arrival of certain foods to be a very welcome relief from the monotony of the season before.  It's getting a bit thin there at the farmer's markets, and we are all in a waiting game for the items that show that our gardens are giving it a go, one more time.  On the forefront of this is asparagus.  O asparagus!   If I were a poet I would write an ode to the asparagus.  This fantastic vegetable is elegant, mysterious and entirely accessible in the kitchen.  It lends itself to many incarnations.
     This dinner is thanks to a new site that I have been peeking at lately:  Food 52 (thanks, Laura!). This site operates a hodge podge of categories:  techniques, items for sale, and contributions from a host of sources for recipes.  I like looking at the pictures, but it's the recipes that catch my attention the most.
     So it was quite inspiring to find both the asparagus idea and the fish idea on this site.  The fish, based on a recipe from James Peterson, is extremely simple.  I used the opportunity to try it on two kinds of white fish, and found the cheaper rockfish more to my liking.
      The shining star however, was the asparagus.  I frankly butchered the recipe, as I was in a rush, and didn't want to fiddle with all of the ingredients.  I am sure that the addition of the full complement would be lovely.  This stripped down version was fantastic.   Add a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and you have all the makings of a fairly simple but fancy springtime dinner.
   

 Halibut and Rockfish

Finished product

       Fish Baked with Butter and Sherry

serves 2-3

adapted from Food 52

2 lbs non-oily white fish, such as halibut, rockfish or cod

Salt and pepper

2-3T butter

3T dry sherry

2 T chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400F.   Pat the fish dry, and season generously with salt and pepper.

Dot with the butter, sprinkle with the sherry and then the parsley.

Bake 10-15 min until the fish is just opaque and flakes.  Do not over bake!

Absurdly Addictive Asparagus

serves 2

adapted from Food 52

1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed, and cut in 2" lengths

2 strips bacon,  chopped

1 T butter

1 c quartered and sliced leeks, white and pale green parts only

2 T pine nuts

1/4 t orange zest

Salt and pepper

Saute the bacon in a skillet until browned.  Add the butter, and then the leeks and asparagus.  Saute approximately 3-4 min, until asparagus is tender.  Add the pine nuts, and continue to stir.  Right before serving, add the orange zest and correct seasonings.  

The original asparagus recipe included garlic and lemon zest.  It called for pancetta.  That just wasn't going to happen on short notice in my house, but this was also amazing and will be repeated.  

Sweet Potato 'Risotto'

      I went out to dinner with my parents the other day.  There is a local place here called Blackboard Bistro that serves and eclectic and inventive mix of tasty food.  One of the items that attracted my attention was something called sweet potato 'risotto.'  I couldn't resist.  It was combined with scallops and utterly delicious!

      I should clarify here.  The term risotto is used rather loosely.  There is no rice involved here.  Indeed, this is a sweet potato dish.  I could taste chicken broth and butter.  The sweet potato is chopped very finely, minced really, and thus (slightly) resembles rice in texture.  It almost eclipsed the scallops.  

     The chef may have given me the recipe, but I didn't have the courage to ask.  So I elected to devise my own recipe, and that is what we have here.  

     Even though the dish at Blackboard did not appear to have anything else in it, I have a fair number of leeks in the garden still, so that was added.   The sweet potato was added of course, and then chicken broth as the moisture.  That's it.  

Sweet Potato 'Risotto'

serves 2-4, depending on what else is served

1/4 c leeks, cleaned, quartered lengthwise and sliced thinly

2 c finely chopped sweet potato (this could well be relegated to the food processor)

2T butter

1-2 c chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan large enough to hold the above ingredients comfortably.

Add the leeks and sweet potato, stir to coat with butter, x 1-2 minutes.  

Add the broth, 1/4 c at a time, in the manner of making risotto:  Add the broth, stir frequently until the broth is nearly absorbed or evaporated, repeat until the potato is very soft.
This should take about 15-20 minutes.  There should be some moisture left in the dish.
Season to taste.

The dish at the bistro had a rougher texture to it and wasn't flecked with green.  That may be esthetically preferable.  Either way will be delicious, but that's all there is to it.  But to my mind, the result is more than the sum of the parts. 

Fastest Meal in the West

     Ok that title might be a tiny bit of an exaggeration, but not by much.  I think it was about 15 minutes from gathering ingredients to sitting down to eat.  Sadly, it was so tasty, it was less than that to an empty plate.
      I continue to channel my friend Laura here, in the endless search for dishes that are suitable for her dietary restrictions.  Frankly, this doesn't feel like a restriction however.
     The beauty of it is that, if a Trader Joe's is in a neighborhood near you, it is embarrassingly easy to throw together.  Heck, I should give them this recipe, as it uses 2 primary ingredients that both are purchased at that dangerous place.
     Truly, I struggle somewhat with TJ's.  Don't get me wrong, I do shop there.  But I am uneasy about buying all of the prepared foods that are sold in that freezer section, as it seems like a sell out when I am such a believer in preparing my own foods.  But there are days in this household when a meal on the table soon soon soon is a nice thing.  And it does prompt my child to actually volunteer to make dinner, a habit I want to foster.   Well, and another thing, you can acquire plenty of things there that are not pre-made, and are just waiting for your inspiration.
      Take this dish, for instance.  Originally from Gourmet, with a modification, it's really quite simple.  You sauté scallops that have been sprinkled with curry powder, set them aside and then sauté spinach.  That's it.  What?  It can't be that simple?  Oh, yes, it can.  And if you have a bag of spinach and a bag of scallops from sitting around waiting for inspiration, it's ludicrously easy to boot.

Seared Curried Scallops with Zucchini (or Spinach)

serves 2

1 lb sea scallops (defrosted if from TJ's)

1 tsp curry powder

1 1/2-2 T vegetable or olive oil

1t finely grated or peeled fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 " slices

        OR:  1/2 bag of baby spinach

Salt and pepper

1.  Pat scallops very dry,  sprinkle with curry powder and salt and pepper.  Heat 1T of the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat until quite hot, but not smoking.  Place the scallops in the pan and leave ALONE for 1-2 minutes (watch the clock not the scallops, to resist the urge to check), or until golden, flip and repeat.  Remove to a plate.  They should be golden brown and just opaque in the center.  

2.  Add the ginger and garlic.  Be careful not to let them burn, add the spinach (or the zucchini), a couple pinches of salt, and stir constantly until wilted.  

3.  Serve the scallops over the greens or zucchini.  

That's it.  Stupidly easy.  I think a nice baguette for you bread eaters out there would work with this dish.  But I didn't really miss it.  

A Little Floral Photojournalism: Reason to Have Faith

     It's been pretty cold and damp around here lately.  I know, I know, it could be worse, we could be in Illinois or New York right now.   Or Ukraine.  I won't even go there.  I did talk with a person recently who travelled to Wisconsin.  His observation was that, yes, it's colder there, but the humidity is less, so it is not as noticeable as here.  But I digress.
     Somehow, this time of year is rather challenging for me.  I am really ready for spring, and find the wet and chill to be particularly discouraging.  I would particularly like to work in my yard.  A couple warmer days would spur me onward, but they do not appear to be in the reliable future.
     It was with pleasure last weekend, therefore, to be able to have a vigorous walk outside and finally feel like I was enjoying the climate.  It was still cloudy but not as cold, and certainly dry.  Turns out Bryce also had a walk the day prior, and had a similar experience.  There were visual treasures to be found, and hints of the future were at hand, if one looked carefully.
     So, without further ado, I present the fruits of our labors.  Fear not, fine readers, it's now March, and Spring is nigh!

Bryce's photos, the last 6, are......more stylized than mine, but no matter, they also are amazingly evocative of the season, the fact that there are colors out there beyond the dull browns and steely grays.  Just need a bit of careful observation to see them.

Living Without, or, the Deconstructed Burger

      So, I am channelling my friend Laura tonight.  She has recently been instructed to follow a very restricted diet due to health concerns, and we have had several conversations around this issue.  This is not a new topic.   I touched upon this a while back, referencing gluten free food.
      What is becoming more and more evident to me is the number of people around me who have real medical needs to avoid certain foods.  Allergies to soy, ulcerative colitis, gluten intolerance, these are just a few.  There is the mysterious Retroperitoneal Fibrosis and its possible inflammatory roots, so I have adopted a (mostly) dairy, wheat and sweets free diet, a work in progress.  My friend Kit is following a gluten free diet as well, for health reasons.   I have a friend with thyroid issues thought to be auto-immune, who is talking about this.  And now Laura is instructed by her rheumatologist to adopt a very restricted diet, as part of a program to help her regain some semblance of health.  How restrictive?  Try no grains, no starches, no refined sugars, only certain fruits, no beans or legumes, no dairy, no seed oils.
     I know, right?  When I first saw that, I balked!  Then, my second response was to obsess about all the things that are NOT on the list.  Her husband is mourning the lack of bread.   No lentils, no bananas, no yogurt, no.....Wait.  That is the problem.  It's kind of like when my oven died a few years ago.  All I could think to make for dinner involved baking.   There are parts of the world where an oven in the home is not commonplace.  (Even in France, but that's because one can just pop down to the boulangerie!).
     When I first started talking to Laura about this diet, I kept asking her if this or that was allowed.  Mostly, there were a lot of no answers.  Then I started thinking about what she COULD have.  I flipped through my book of collected recipes.  In an effort to combat the down mood that she was in, I started listing the recipes that I had that she could eat.   Even I was amazed what qualified.
      Southwestern Beef Stew, Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnut Butter, Curried Squash Soup, Grilled Steak Salad, New American Borscht, Roasted Tomato Soup, West Coast Coleslaw, Asparagus Soup, Green Chili Pork, Braised Port with Pears and Chilis, Halibut with Garlic Mayonnaise Topping, Crawfish Pie without the pie, Beef and Broccoli Stir fry, Shrimp and Cabbage Salad.
      I have only scratched the surface, and only out of my own compendium (several of these are already on the blog, by the way).   All recipes can be shared.
      Part of the point here is that if you can let go of what is not on the restricted list, and keep your mind open, there are plenty of things that you are likely already eating, things that you already enjoy, which are perfectly acceptable, even under the rubric of a severely limited diet.
      Another point, one which I have been struggling with myself, and slowly grasping, is that sometimes food just needs to be food.  This is hard for me.  I am a particularly food obsessed person.  I like food, really good food.  I think about what my next meal is going to be in a detailed kind of way.  If I invite someone over for a meal, I spend a great deal of time perseverating about different menu items, and probably take far too much time in the preparation work, making an excessive effort.   Food does need to taste good.  It's great when it tastes great.  But it also needs to fill a person up, and it doesn't have to be excellent to do that.  It's OKAY to enjoy a very simple meal and to let go of the gourmet obsession, and just get a meal in.
      Finally, sometimes, it's worthwhile to take a lesson from our picky children.  How many times  does a child eat largely the same key ingredients as the adult, but in discrete items that don't touch on the plate.  It's frankly infuriating most of the time.  But there is something to be learned here as well.
      For instance, this method allows one to focus on what really makes a particular dish delectable.   I gave a lamb stew recipe to Laura at her request, but it has garbanzo beans in there.  Now, they add a  nice textural component to the dish, but I am willing to guess that it would be fine to omit them, and it would still be a tasty stew.
      Another case in point is the hamburger.  What is the key ingredient here?  The BEEF!  Make this ingredient excellent, and prepare it well, and let go of the things that one then associates with a burger in the typical American presentation.  So, I made burgers this evening:  I took ground beef from the famous grass fed organic beef, added a tablespoon of barbecue sauce, 3/4 tsp of kosher salt and 1/4 t of ground pepper.  I mixed it all up, fried it on my trusty grill pan to rare/medium rare, and served it with sliced tomatoes, an excellent barbecue sauce, carrot and celery sticks.  It was great!
     I would like to take a minute to mention the barbecue sauce.  My friend Mark got it from About Barbecues and Grilling by Derrick Riches and it's delicious, and easy to make.  If you are going to have stripped down ingredients, it is worth it to make them really good ones.
 
   

Deconstructed burger

Mark's Kansas City Rib Sauce

makes 2 c

1 c. Ketchup

1/4 c water

1/4 c vinegar

1/4 c. brown sugar

3 T olive oil

2 T paprika

1 T chili powder (I use chipotle)

2 cloves garlic

1 t cayenne (I reduce this)

Heat oil in sauce pan, add garlic and sauté.  Add  remaining ingredients, simmer about 15 minutes. 

And, Laura?  I know there isn't a bun here.  And why do we obsess about a bun?  It's just a vehicle to get the yummy burger to our mouths without a fork and knife!  Let it go folks, and enjoy the key ingredient!  

Birgit’s Big Super Bowl Challenge

Guest Written by: Jo Epping-Jordan

It’s Super Bowl time, and the city of Seattle has gone wild. Everyone has caught Seahawk Fever, and even Birgit is not immune.

“Could I come over to watch the game?” asked Birgit, AKA ‘She Without Cable’.  “I’ll bring food,” she added hopefully.

Of course she could.  But why not make things interesting?

So I issued Birgit her Big Super Bowl Challenge. To meet the challenge, she would need to:

•       Provide one dish per quarter;
•       Overall comprise a complete meal containing a drink and appetizer (1^st quarter), salad (2^nd quarter), main dish (3^rd quarter), and dessert (4^th quarter).

Extensive negotiations ensued. Did the food need to be prepared during the quarter, or in advance?  Could she recruit helpers? What were penalties if she missed her play clock?

The pressure mounted. As the Seahawks prepared for game day, Birgit planned her menu. She checked her ingredients, sharpened her knives, and mentally prepared herself for the challenge ahead.

1^st Quarter: Off To A Great Start

It was the fastest score in Super Bowl history as Denver coughed up a safety just 12 seconds into the game. Mark (recruited by Birgit to make first quarter’s appetizer and drink) was equally fast in producing margaritas and guacamole, both two ways.

Margaritas with the Seahawks Snake

Margaritas, recipe from “I never measure” Mark

2 ounces Herradura Reposada tequila

2 ounces Patrón Citrónge orange liquer

1 ½ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice

Ice

Adjust to taste

Non-alcoholic margaritas, recipe from food.com

2 ounces simple syrup

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce lemon juice

1 ounce orange juice

ice

Adjust to taste

Guacamole, Mark’s style

Amounts are highly approximate:

2 large mashed Hass avocadoes

2-3 Tbsp finely minced red onions

Juice of one lime, freshly squeezed

4 Tbsp finely diced ripe tomatoes,

4 Tbsp finely diced cilantro

Pinch of cayenne

Sea salt to taste

Guacamole, Bryce’s style

Amounts are highly approximate:

1 large mashed Hass avocado

1 Tbsp finely minced red onions,

Juice of ½ lime, freshly squeezed

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Guacamole two ways, plus Birgit's salsa

2^nd Quarter: Domination

During the 2^nd quarter, Seattle continued to dominate Denver in every aspect of the game. For her part, Birgit was equally effective in the kitchen. This quarter’s dish was a green salad with lemon cumin vinaigrette, produced with the speed and precision of a seasoned chef.

Green salad with lemon cumin vinaigrette

Salad

Lettuce

Tomato

Red pepper

Red onion

Red cabbage, a small whiff for color interest

Vinaigrette

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ - ½ tsp of ground cumin

½ tsp sugar

¼ cup olive oil

salt to taste 

Mr Snake approves of Birgit's green salad with lemon cumin vinaigrette

3rd Quarter: It’s All About The Team

Seattle started the 3^rd quarter by scoring once again within the first 12 seconds, bringing the score to 29-0. The Seahawks’ relentless march towards victory was distracting for all of us, and Birgit’s timing started to slip. By that point, though, no one really cared as we were all too busy doing fist bumps and victory dances around the TV.

Birgit’s 3^rd quarter dish was tacos, which was apropos for the event.  Just like a champion football team, great tacos consist of contrasting ingredients that work together to form a unified whole.  A little of this intermingles with a little of that and voila!, the magic happens.

Birgit’s tacos

Beef filling

2 tsp oil

1 onion (about 1 cup) chopped finely

3 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp chile powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp cayenne (optional; taste first)

salt

1 lb ground beef

½ cup tomato sauce

½ cup chicken broth

1-3 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp cider vinegar (optional)

Brown onions and garlic, add spices, then brown beef. Add tomato sauce and broth. Simmer 10-15 minutes, adjust seasonings.

Other taco ingredients

Tortillas

Black beans

Tomato

Red onion

Cilantro

Avocado

Queso Fresco (Mild Mexican cheese)

4^th Quarter: The Final Touch(down)

The Broncos attempted an onside kick to start the 4th quarter but weren't able to recover; the Seahawks took advantage and scored yet another touchdown. Meanwhile, Birgit was preparing the final quarter’s dish: flan. 

Flan, recipe from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) sugar

2 tablespoons water
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk (see note)

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of a large baking dish or roasting pan and place a 9-inch cake pan in the center. Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, swirling the pan gently, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture has caramelized to a deep, dark mahogany color, 7 to 10 minutes. Carefully and slowly pour the caramel into the cake pan, being careful not to splash caramel onto yourself or outside of the cake pan, and cool slightly until hardened.

2. Bring a kettle or large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Whisk in the zest, sweetened condensed milk, and low-fat milk. Pour the mixture into the cake pan, and gently place the roasting pan on the oven rack. Being careful not to splash any water inside the pan of custard, pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until the water reaches halfway up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the center of the custard is just barely set, is no longer sloshy, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 170 to 175 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes (start checking the temperature after 25 minutes).

3. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully transfer the cake pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Wrap the cake pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

4. Run a knife around the cake pan to loosen the custard. Invert a large serving platter over the top of the cake pan, and grasping both the cake pan and platter, gently flip the custard onto the platter, drizzling any extra caramel sauce over the top (some caramel will remain stuck in the pan). Serve immediately.

The final touch: flan

Summary

Final score: Seahawks 43, Broncos 8. The Seahawks routed the Broncos in every aspect of the game and exhibited their command of the sport.

Similarly, Birgit displayed her versatility and expertise in the kitchen by producing a varied and complete Super Bowl meal. Did she deliver on time? Not really. But did anyone care? Not at all. Was it great food? Absolutely. 

All in all, a resounding achievement for all!

Cute, but not that cute, or: asserting our dominance

     It's been a while since I have commented on the girls.   Brandis' girls molted in the fall, and my girls have been laying.  As we cruised towards the solstice, the Easter Eggers continued to lay, but the Welsummers have stopped.  And Calamity Jane not at all.
     Things are hopeful in the CJ department:  she is starting to assume a, for want of a better expression, submissive posture, which precedes laying.  So we are ever hopeful.  The days are longer and all should start increasing production again.
     What has been plaguing us is the flying.  Initially charming and entertaining, the flying has become a habit.  Again, it's Patty and Peanut, the Easter Eggers who are the instigators, followed in a close second by the Welsummers, Hazel and Dottie.  The goal is a generalized desire to expand horizons and look for bugs.  This, combined with a sense of 'heck, I can, so I will' mentality.  I am hypothesizing here, as who really can tell what is in the mind of a chicken?
     As I put out bird seed in feeders, what is particularly motivating is the seed cast to the ground by the little birds on the feeders.    This makes my back yard the prime spot for escape.  Again, all of this was amusing in the fall and early winter.  And periodically, I enjoy having the girls come out for a walkabout.

     What was a harbinger of things to come was the broccoli.  That and the carrots.  I put out overwintering broccoli this fall,  which the industrious girls readily found and consumed.  Oooh, look a snack!  Then they found, dug up and ate my carrots.  Oooh, look a buried snack!  My amusement began to wane rapidly.
     It was clear that this behavior would need to be curtailed by the end of the winter, as I would be unable to police the flying and keep the girls out of the garden.  That would mean a failed vegetable garden.   A collision of my two urban gardening projects!  What to do?
     Brandis' inspiration proved to be effective toward the front of the run.  Score one for the Alpha Chicks!  This involved culling multiple hangers from our closets and those of our friends, cutting off the 'elbows' and inserting them into drilled holes to create a barrier on top of the gates.    We also added barriers to prevent flying onto the roof, to further deter their escapism.
     However, this was a minor delay for Patty and Peanut, when motivated by the seed desire.  They merely landed with their claws between the elbows and then hopped over.  I will say that none have figured out how to get onto the roof yet.  Score one for the Beta Chicks and another for the Alphas!
     Okay, we added jagged fencing between the elbows.  No problem, they figured out how to simply fly over.  Another score for the Betas!  This has been so exasperating!
     Time for the big guns.  After chasing Peanut around both runs, we finally captured her and clipped a wing.  Wing clipping is painless for chickens and the idea is to essentially ruin their aerodynamics by shortening the flying feathers on one side only.  Brandis tells of how she did both wings to her erstwhile flyer, Yum Yum, and she duly figured out how to fly with shortened feathers.  So one side only.   As we released Peanut back into the coop and turned around, who should fly over?  Patty!  Ok,  we captured her and proceeded to give her the same treatment.  Release and feel smug.  And turn our backs and WHO should again fly over?  Peanut!  Score another for the Betas!  We again capture her and cut some more, as we determined (with a google search) that perhaps we were too timid the first time around.

 Peanut, pre-clipping

Peanut, post clipping

     As of this writing, a full 30 minutes post clipping, I am tentatively giving another point to the Alphas.  No fly overs yet.  Patty and Peanut are probably regaling the others with their indignities ('And then they cut my feathers off!  Can you believe they would stoop so far?!'  But who knows?  They may have already forgotten we did it....)
     Current score:  Alphas 3, Betas 3.  It's a draw for now, and time will tell.  We will assert our dominance however, Brandis and I.  Stay tuned for further developments as they unfold!