Blackberry Cobbler

I've had a cobbler problem. And when visiting my cousins Dan and Carolyn Hale last week in Maine, I realized I'm not the only one. A lot of cobblers call for leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder. Last summer, I made a cobbler that called for four TABLESPOONS of baking powder. The result was acrid, bitter crust. I had to throw the whole thing away. I tracked down the contributor of the recipe to a compendium cookbook from B&B owners and she confirmed that she uses four TBSP. in her recipe and likes it just fine. Blech. Last week, Carolyn's otherwise delicious blueberry cobbler suffered the same fate; dough that wouldn't quite cook through and vaguely fizzy from baking soda. I took a look through six or seven of my cookbooks and found this gem. No leavening required. It's a little more like an upside down pie, but nonetheless perfect. 

Blackberry picking with Boy #2

Looking for the tiny crayfish in the creek

Hyde Farm Blackberry Cobbler (Adapted from Rob and Suzanne Boas, All Saints Cookbook)

5 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen

¾ cup sugar (I used 2/3 cup)

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter

Place berries in bottom of 9” square baking dish. Combine sugar, starch and salt and sprinkle over berries. Dot with butter. Set aside.

1 c. All Purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

Quite a haul; next week there will be way more

1/3 cup shortening

~2 Tbsp. cold water

1 tsp. almond extract (my addition for flavor)

1 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

The finished product. Perfect! 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening until coarse. Sprinkle with water and add almond extract and stir with fork until mixture holds together. Roll out onto wax paper (I fold wax paper in half and put the dough in the middle of the “sandwich” before rolling, so both sides of dough are on wax paper). Place rolled dough over baking dish. Cut slits into top. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

Mr. Zee and that Whole Processed Food Thing

This is a very sweet story, an apple with teeth, so to speak. It was created by Bettina Elias Siegel, the wonder woman behind The Lunch Tray blog. It is well worth your 12 minutes, and that of your kids as well. We make a lot of choices regarding the foods we bring into our homes. Children need to understand why industrial food is not necessarily a winning choice. And kids need to understand that they're being marketed to in a way that directly affects their decision making. Click play!

Pizza Party

We recently hosted a pizza party for friends on a Saturday night. This was a kid-friendly event, specifically because I'd already spent a fortune on a babysitter the night before. 

With the farmer's market now in full swing, I got several items for the pizzas there. Some of it came from the cold frame, and the rest, friends brought. 

I made two batches of pizza dough the day before (it takes a day) and had that ready to go before the guests arrived. Ditto the prep on the veggies. I also made a batch of ricotta for one of the toppings. One friend is Gluten Free, and brought her own pizza crust. 

Here's what we did: 

Pizza Dough

Make one day in advance

7/12 cups all purpose flour, plus some extra

4 tsp. fine sea salt

1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

Mix flour, salt and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Add three cups of warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated. You may use your hands to make sure that the flour in the bottom gets added in. Cover bowl completely with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a draft-free place for at least 18 hours. 

After that time, the dough will look very bubbly and very voluminous. Punch it down to remove from the bowl and put in on a floured work surface. If it feels a little wet, sprinkle a little extra flour on it. Here, you will divide the dough into six portions of roughly the same size. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel for one hour (resting time) before baking. 

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. 

Pizza Sauce

Make four hours in advance, or use jarred sauce

3 cans diced tomatoes in tomato juice

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. majoram or thyme

1 Tbsp. olive oil (optional)

Open cans and put in a medium sized sauce pan over the lowest heat. Press the garlic, add the salt, and herbs, and stir every 1/2 hour or so. It should not come to a boil, but reduce over time. It can take three to four hours to start to thicken. Season to taste and use as sauce for pizza. 

Suggested Toppings

Spring green onions

Asparagus

Grape Tomatoes

Spinach

Shallots

Mushrooms

Diced Bell Peppers

Pitted olives

Pepperoni or Salami

Queso Fresco

Ricotta Cheese

Mozzarella

Participants were given a baking sheet and parchment to line it. Then, they did whatever moved them. Bake pizzas in the 500 degree oven for about 12-14 minutes until the crust is lightly brown and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and cut as you please. 

We did have toppings left over the following day, and I incorporated those into an egg strata for dinner that evening. 

The Fridge, Again

Mr. Jeffrey Immelt

Chief Executive Officer

General Electric Company

3135 Easton Turnpike

Fairfield, CT 06828

(via mail)

Mr. Charles Blankenship

President and CEO

GE Consumer & Industrial

Louisville, KY

GE Appliance Headquarters

AP6, Room 129

Louisville, KY 40255

(via mail)

Dear Mr. Immelt, Mr. Blankenship and other GE Appliance Professionals:

My name is Tina Engberg. I am a food blogger and a cheese maker in Atlanta. I am also the wife of a UPS executive, PTA volunteer, Scout Leader, and mother to two wild and crazy boys, ages 7 and 10. I rely on my GE Monogram refrigerator, which we purchased through the GE Appliance Store through the “friends and family” program on 12/20/2005, for a variety of things, the least of which is providing safe food storage for my family. At the time we purchased the refrigerator (along with several other appliances), my brother, Charles Brickley, was an employee of GE Capital.

We purchased the ZIS480NR, Serial number AL031077, and the ZIFI240PII Custom Panels. We even sprung for the GEN0010B48 Four year in-home Service plan. That coverage, which we never made use of, ended 1/20/2011.

We installed the appliances into our new home in May 2007, in time to move in on June 16^th, 2007. While we waited for the construction of our home to be complete, the refrigerator sat, in the garage, in its original crating. A professional installer put the refrigerator in for our contractor.

Since I want to get to the meat of the matter, which incidentally, is warming right now in an IGLOO cooler, this refrigerator has been nothing but a source of contention for our family. It is the worst appliance I’ve ever owned, and I want my money back. I have spent thousands of dollars I didn’t need to spend to replace food that shouldn’t have gone bad. My next door neighbor graciously allows me to put food in her deep freezer when ours is out, which is more often than anyone should endure.

I could go on and on about the fridge itself, but it might bore you, since I have the impression that I’m not the only one who owns such a poor excuse of a refrigerator. The ice-maker stopped working within the first three months of operation; we lived without. We would experience unreasonable fluctuations in the temperature between the freezer and the refrigerator. The “chiller drawer” in the bottom went out at about a year. We have had our trusted appliance person (whose father worked at the Lynn, MA GE Plant for over 40 years) replace the motherboard, HMI Board, Touch pad, Icemaker, and Damper and the Crisper Control Panel. Nothing. Right now, it’s 62 degrees in both sections. Thank goodness our technician responds immediately to my phone calls. He doesn’t charge me for more than the parts he orders and waits to receive (three weeks for a single part to be delivered on a rush order; impressive JIT Manufacturing GE!) GE, on the other hand, charges for Home Calls (where else would this appliance be?) just to walk through my door.

At one point, in April 2012, we even tried to take advantage of what my husband called “a good factory service deal” that he learned about through one of the GE online newsletters he receives. On 5/15/12, your technician Henry Pomocnik (Tech 60) came to “Unblock the air return” and put a new stripper in the ice-maker. When we tried to reach Henry a few days later when what he fixed became unfixed again, we were not able to reach him. Successive messages to GE’s Consumer Service went unanswered. Since then, we’ve found a responsive service person to help us, but this refrigerator is beyond repair, and I want you to buy it back from us.

The IRONY of all of this is that my husband’s maternal great-grandfather, Charles Tripp, headed the refrigeration unit at GE’s Lynn, MA plant; there’s a statue outside the plant dedicated to his service to General Electric and the innovations he made in home refrigeration for your company. We wanted to buy GE products because it really meant something to the family, to support the business that provided great opportunity and prosperity for Mr. Tripp and his daughters.

I would appreciate hearing from you, especially, Mr. Blankeship. My cell is 678-xxx-xxxx.

Thank you,

Christina B. Engberg

Henan Chicken Stew

This is from this week's "Slow Food Fast" series in the Wall Street Journal. I made it this afternoon for tonight's dinner, and my house smelled so good that I have to share this with you tonight. While it requires a lot of different spices, you won't be disappointed. Your house will smell like an Asian marketplace, minus the goats and cigarette smoke.

Henan Chicken Stew

Boiling in a big, deep pot

Beer Braised Henan Chicken
Adapted from Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food
From Wall Street Journal

Total time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, broken down and cut into 10 pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (I used canola)
1/2 cup dried red chilies
2 Tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns or whole black peppercorns
2 Tbsp. fennel seeds
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 pieces star anise
4 pods green cardamon
2 Tbsp. Chinese chili paste or Sriacha
2 cups chicken stock or water
16 oz. lager-style beer (Budweiser, Tsingtao, etc.)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 small russet potatoes, washed and cut into 1 inch dice
Sherry vinegar to taste
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs


First, season the chicken with salt and two tbsp. fish sauce and let sit five minutes. Meanwhile, set a heavy, deep pot over medium-high heat and add oil. Once oil is hot, work in batches to brown both sides of chicken pieces, about six minutes per batch, transferring chicken to a bowl as you go.

Return chicken to pot, increase heat to high and add all remaining ingredients except the vinegar and cilantro. Bring pot up to a rolling boil, cover and cook until chicken and potatoes are tender and sauce is reduced, about 20 minutes.

Season with vinegar and extra fish sauce to taste. Top with cilantro.

Dulce de Leche Goat Cheese Cookies

This recipe is decadence upon decadence. It was printed out on a recipe card for work, and since we'd just salted a batch of goat curd, I thought I'd give it a try. Wow. The other aside is that 1. I had a free afternoon, and 2. happened to have a jar of dulce de leche sauce in the pantry. In any case, dulce de leche sauce may be a little tricky to find. Stonewall Kitchens makes it, I found it at Your DeKalb Farmer's Market. You may always look for a recipe and make it yourself. It really isn't that difficult. 

The trick here is the sable-style cookies. You really do need to roll them and measure out the cookies as indicated. Use a very sharp knife to score and slice the dough. If it is too soft, they won't cut right. 

Dulce de Leche Goat Cheese Cookies

Origin unknown

Ingredients: 

2 sticks salted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

2 large egg yolks

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup pecans, finely chopped

7 oz. Dulce de Leche sauce

3.5 oz. CalyRoad Creamery Fresh Plain Goat Cheese

Powdered sugar for dusting

In a mixing bowl, blend butter and sugars together until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the yolks one at a time, and whisk well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour into the bowl. Mix until dough is roughly the same texture throughout (I found it to be a bit crumbly). Stir in pecans. 

Divide dough into two balls. Place each ball on its own sheet of plastic wrap. Using the wrap to press the dough, roll the balls into eight inch logs. Twist the ends of the wrap tight and refrigerate the dough from two hours to overnight. When ready to bake, remove rolls from refrigerator and proceed. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Unwrap dough and place on a cutting board. Starting from the center and working your way out, score the log with the blade of your knife to mark 24 cookies on the log. Cut half, then half, then each 1/4 into sixths for a total of 24 cookies per log. Slice the log into the marked pieces. Do this with each roll. 

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Space cut cookies on parchment so that they are about 1 inch apart. Place baking sheets in hot oven, and after 10 minutes, rotate sheets, baking for a total of 20 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Remove from oven and let cool. Warm the dulce de leche in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. When just warm, remove from heat and stir in goat cheese. Cool the goat cheese de leche mix. 

To finish cookies, take about a teaspoon of the mixture and spread it on the bottom of one cookie, and sandwich it with another cookie. Continue until finished. Dust cookies with confectioner's sugar. 

Makes approximately 24 cookies. 

Dough ball

Logs chilled and ready to cut

Note the score lines in the dough to the right

Goat cheese prior to mixing into Dulce de Leche

The finished cookie

Fixed?

I seem to have been able to fix the issue I had with the site. I will post again shortly.

Farro Salad

I work at a farmer's market most Saturdays, and have a booth next to one that represents a shop that's around the corner from my house. They sell marvelous salads. This is my take on my new favorite addiction: Farro Arugula Salad. It's easy to make and so fresh and delicious. It's a pleasant reminder of the end of summer, with just enough fall feel to it. 

I could say that I know a lot about Farro as a grain, but I'd be lying. I had to look it up. In most instances, it refers to it actually being spelt. I found Farro in the bulk grain bin at Whole Foods. To cook, the recommendation is a ratio of 1:5 farro to water. Cook for 30 minutes. I brought my water to a boil, added the farro, briefly returned to a boil, and simmered over low heat for 30 minutes. The farro goes from a small, rice shaped grain to a puffed grain. Drain off any excess water that was not absorbed during the cooking. 

I'm sorry I've been off doing other things and neglecting this blog. The fridge died for close to a month and there's nothing that says abandon the kitchen than having a non functioning refrigerator! 

Farro Arugula Salad

Inspired by Simply Fresh

1 cup farro, cooked 

1 cup chick peas, drained

1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes

1/3 cup golden raisins

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

1 cup arugula, torn

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Cook farro (see above) and allow to cool. Place in large mixing bowl. To that, add 1 cup chick peas, chopped sun dried tomatoes, golden raisins, olive oil, herbs, arugula, salt and pepper. Toss with a spoon until evenly coated. Serves 6-8. 

Farro and Arugula Salad

Sun dried tomatoes I got at the market. Very colorful.

Ready to mix the salad in the bowl.

Garden Schmarden

On the first day of summer, my garden gave to me: a carrot and a beet.

On the second day of summer, my garden gave to me: two small pumpkins, a carrot and a beet.

On the third day of summer, my garden gave to me: three dead cilantros, two small pumpkins and a carrot and a beet.

On the fourth day of summer, my garden gave to me: four dying cuke plants, three dead cilantros, two small pumpkins and a carrot and a beet.

On the fifth day of summer, my garden gave to me: five lima beans, four dying cukes, three dead cilantros, two small pumpkins and a carrot and a beet.

On the sixth day of summer, my garden gave to me: six fire ant bites, five lima beans, four dying cukes, three dead cilantros, two small pumpkins and a carrot and a beet.

On the seventh day of summer, my garden gave to me: seven towering sunflowers, six fire ant bites, five lima beans, four dying cukes, three dead cilantros, two small pumpkins and a carrot and a beet.

On the eight day of summer, my garden gave to me: five hundred striped paste tomatoes, seven towering sunflowers, six fire ant bites, five lima beans, four dying cukes, three dead cilantros, two small pumpkins and a carrot and a beet.




I could go on, but this is what I do to entertain myself while weeding in the garden. It's been a long, hard, hot summer. Fire ants be damned.

Bahn Mi

This is one of my favorite summer sandwiches. The term Bahn Mi is Vietnamese for bread in general, but this style of sandwich has come to define the name Bahn Mi. In my many lifetimes, I have had opportunities to work in strange parts of Atlanta (and New York for that matter). One of my favorite was an office right off Atlanta's Buford Highway, a road that gives our city its international reputation. There are a number of blink-and-you-might-miss-it restaurants from virtually any country you can imagine. My co-workers and I would frequent one Vietnamese place in particular (just down the shopping strip from our favorite Chinese restaurant) owned by a feisty woman named Suzanne. She married an American soldier and came over after the end of the war. She would tell the best stories about her resourcefulness and we could not disagree. Gang members would try to shake her down and failed. Come for the pho, leave with a story. Here's one of the sandwiches she served to perfection. 

Bahn Mi

2 baguettes, sliced lengthwise, but not completely through (you will stuff the sandwich)

1 l lb. pork tenderloin

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup grated peeled daikon radish

2 tsp. sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

3 Tbsp. chili garlic sauce 

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 cucumber thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 thinly sliced jalapeno pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

(Vegetarian option: Use tempeh instead of pork)

Combine shredded carrot, daikon, vinegar, sugar and 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (or up to a day before). Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking pan with cooking spray or oil to prevent sticking. Mix the 1 1/2 tsp. sugar and chili garlic sauce together and spread 2 Tbsp. of the mix over the meat. (I leave a little at the end without the chili for the children). Bake the tenderloin for approximately 20 minutes, or until the meat thermometer registers 155 degrees). Remove meat from the oven and allow to cool. Once cool, cover it and refrigerate. Mix mayonnaise and the remaining chili mixture and refrigerate. When ready to prepare the sandwiches, spread mayonnaise and chili sauce on the sides of the baguette. Slice the pork and arrange in the bread along one side. Drain the carrot/radish mixture and place some in each sandwich. Continue with cucumbers, jalapenos, cilantro and green onion. Cut each sandwich into equal portions. Should serve 8. If you're cutting carbs, make this as a salad without the bread. 

Rub pork tenderloin with chili garlic sauce and sugar before cooking

This is the chili garlic sauce I use

Daikon, carrot, vinegar and sugar

Fixings for the Bahn Mi

The perfect spicy summer sandwich

Recipe for RIGHT NOW!

Bizarre formatting on my previous post. 


In any case, I have another dish that is perfect for NOW! Fresh corn is in season, as are fresh tomatoes. I can't say that my cilantro is in good shape. Let's say for now that it's reseeding itself and by fall, I should have a bumper crop. So, to take advantage of two of the finest crops that you absolutely, positively must eat now, I give you: 

Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Adapted from Bon Appetit, July 2006, Credit to Lovoni Walker

Ingredients: 

3 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from about six small ears of corn, cooked)

5 medium tomatoes, chopped

2/3 cup finely chopped red onion

In a blender, puree the following: 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. packed light brown sugar

1 clove garlic, peeled

salt and pepper to taste

Place corn kernels, chopped tomatoes and red onion in a mixing bowl. Add dressing just before serving and toss to cover. Serves six to eight. 

Summertime

 

We've been up to a lot around here. 

Tipping canoes

Celebrating birthdays

Getting over a fear of swimming in the lake

Crashing. My first thought was "Camp, it does a body good." 

Making pickles

Cooking pickle brine

Getting four inches of rain in one day and finding a sunflower keeled over

And doing something I've never done before: composting pickles

Our summer's been one interesting day after another. The heat has been part of it, with Atlanta breaking an all time record of 106 degrees. I know in most parts of the country there's been similar stress, and for some friends in the Mid-Atlantic region, a week without power. My hat's off to those folks. I would have lost it.

One of the side effects of the extreme heat with no rain in sight, is that the cucumbers have either died outright or turned bitter. I didn't know that about cukes until a farmer at the market told me he'd be ripping his out this week because the cukes are bitter. Which brings me to pickles. I love, love, love making this particular recipe for pickles. I think I did 50 jars of them last year. This year, bupkus. I realized too late after making six jars last week that the cucumbers were bitter. Worse than the vinegar I was trying to brine them in. Blech. So, this morning, I dumped all of the cucumbers into the compost. Sad times around here.

But, I encourage you to test some cucumbers and make this for yourself. They are a marvelous addition to your dining. They're refrigerator pickles, so you keep them in the fridge. You can put them up, but I find that it makes the cucumbers kind of soft. They make awesome gifts.


Kinda Sorta Sours
Adapted from Alton Brown, Food Network

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: At least one hour
Makes approximately eight quart jars

Ingredients:

3 sweet onions, thinly sliced
2 cucumbers per jar, for a total of about a dozen large cucumbers
16 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
6 cups water
6 cups cider vinegar
3 cups white balsamic vinegar
3 cups sugar
1 cup plus 1/3 cup of Kosher salt
1 Tbsp. mustard seeds
3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 Tbsp. celery seeds
1 Tbsp. pickling spice

Prepare jars for canning by thoroughly cleaning with hot soapy water. 

Prep cucumbers and onions and garlic in advance. Start with adding the garlic to each jar, then the onion slices and then the cucumbers. You will need to leave room at the top for the brine once it's ready. Have extra cucumbers ready for topping off the jars once the brine soaks down into the jar.

In a large non-reactive pot, combine the water, vinegars, sugar, salt, and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer four minutes to dissolve sugar and salt. Remove from heat.

Slowly ladle the brine into each jar, allowing it to settle into the jar. You may want to use a chopstick to move the contents so that air escapes the jar. Fill the jar to the top, adding cucumbers as needed. Top with remaining brine to the 1/4 inch fill line on the jar. Wipe rims of jar with a clean, wet rag. Place lids on the jar and screw down. I take this opportunity to flip the jars upside down for a minute to get the brine to the bottom. Allow jars to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

The Market Conundrum

I work most Saturdays selling cheese at local farmer's markets. There are six of us who do this all around town. Sometimes they're able to bring stuff back to the shop and sometimes there's stuff to share. Like these:

Pattypan Squash. And here's my market conundrum: I see these and don't have a clue what to do with them. I think they're so pretty that maybe I shouldn't bother cooking them, but then, that wouldn't be right either. Then I'm wasting an opportunity to try something new. That's part of my problem as a gardener. I like the pretty pictures in the seed catalogs and wind up buying seeds for things that I either decide not to grow, or worse, grow things that I hesitate to eat (like radishes). I want to like these things, and mostly I do, but some of it goes back into the composter as result of my wishy-washiness. So, I have a plan. I'm going to roast these with some olive oil, salt and pepper. A friend said to stuff them, but I don't know what to stuff them with. I will also cook the one eggplant that I've grown so far. And the beet greens. Here's hoping the boys in my life will give it all a try.

To Bean or Not to Bean....

Of course, the answer is to bean. I suppose the more pressing question is why you should learn how to cook beans from, well, beans, rather than opening up a can. I can tell you 299 reasons why. I bought a can of Garbanzo beans while on vacation in Colorado in the only store in town. $2.99 for a can of lovely chick peas. $2.99! For that, the beans should have put on a dance or something. Sheesh. Dried beans are an inexpensive way to add low-fat fiber to your diet. My brother in law (the reason for purchasing the wildly expensive chick peas) adds them to his salad every day. And he eats an insane amount of salad each day (mind you, no dressing).

Play around with the dried beans you purchase. Some are straightforward (pinto, lima, navy/white, kidney). Others are more exotic: cranberry, Anasazi, flageolet. All are worthy competitors to the beans in cans.

So, there are a few ways of getting from dried bean to bountiful bean perfection.

First: Let's call it Jen's Method. You take a large sauce pan that has a lid and put your quantity of beans in and cover them with water, putting the lid on top. Turn your stove on high (don't leave!) and wait for the beans to come to a boil. Boil for one minute. Turn off the heat, and let the beans sit for one hour on the stovetop, covered. After one hour, drain the beans, cover again with water (and add any aromatics you might like) and keep covered at a low simmer for 45 minutes to an hour and a half (test beans at 45 minutes by removing a few from the pot with a spoon, allowing them to cool, and pinching them with your fingers). Jen is my neighbor who channels Emeril Lagasse's Cajun/Creole cooking. Her red beans and rice are the things parties are made of.

Second: Overnight Soak. You take a large bowl and put your beans in it and cover completely with water. Allow the beans to soak overnight. They will absorb the water and plump up overnight. In the morning, or when you're ready to cook them, drain them. Place the beans in a large sauce pan with a lid and again cover the beans with water (add any aromatics you might like, such as sliced garlic or onion). Bring them to a boil covered, boil for about one minute, and reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue to cook for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, checking the beans at 45 minutes.

Third: Pressure Cooker. I don't happen to have one, though early childhood memories indicate I took the steam tick-tocker off the top of one when my mother was cooking potatoes. I got yelled at as the family anticipated an explosion of potatoes on the kitchen ceiling (it didn't happen). My friend Susan has a pressure cooker and she swears by it. If you have one, use it for beans!

Apologies for the dark photos. The lighting in the hotel/apartment kitchen was subpar for photos. 

Anasazi beans with pulled pork and beet salad

Another Episode of Name this Veggie

As I left the Sandy Springs Farmer's Market today to pull the car around and load up the tent and cooler, I walked past the Taylorganics booth. They still had some odd produce out before closing up their booth. I spotted this. It's almost as tall as some toddlers I know. It isn't celery, though by its stalks, you might think it was. Any ideas?

Oh the Babies

Spring is here, and with it, the arrival of babies, wedding showers and other festive occasions where mayonnaise seems to reign. I asked a hostess of a long-ago bridal shower for this recipe. Apparently it was so easy she just rattled it off from the top of her head, while I scratched it onto a piece of note paper. I brought it out to celebrate the arrival of a friend's newborn girl (I saw her today and she's spectacular!) 

I love bringing meals to new parents. Why? First off, I received an abundant bounty of meals after both of my boys arrived home from the hospital. Second, because the afternoon we left the hospital with my second son, my mother said she and my father would be there for dinner and asked me what I was serving. Really? Just what every new mother needs to be doing. Duh, leftovers, Mom. 

This dish would be perfect for any springtime gathering. It's easy to make components ahead of time and assemble it right before you need to cook it. And my apologies for only getting a shot of it before it went into the oven. My husband baked it while we were at our Cub Scout meeting and when we came in the door, it was no longer worthy of a photo. 

Hot Chicken Salad Pie

Thanks to Nancy Godfrey

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes plus 20-25 minutes baking at 350 degrees

Ingredients: 

2 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed*

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. grated onion

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. salt

1 small jar chopped pimientos, un-drained

1 9-inch pie shell, baked

1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup crushed potato chips

To prepare, use a large mixing bowl and blend cooked chicken, celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated onion, chopped pecans, pimientos and salt. Stir well to blend (you may refrigerate this covered until ready to finish the "pie.") Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie shell (either the pre-made ones that come in their own pan, or one that you roll out into your own pan, or even your own pie crust) about 10 minutes at 350 degrees to brown it before putting filling into it. Cool pie shell slightly and pour chicken salad mixture into the pan. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese and then top with crushed potato chips. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned on the top. Makes 6-8 servings. 

* I am a devoted follower of Ina Garten's method of cooking chicken for chicken salad. Use split breast with the bones in. Bones add flavor that you wouldn't get with a boneless chicken breast. Salt and pepper the skin before cooking in a 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes (meat should reach at least 155 degrees with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the breast). Chill cooked chicken for at least an hour in the refrigerator before attempting to remove from the bones. Remove breast meat from the bones and chop for the recipe.

Hot Chicken Salad Pie, pre-baking

Toombs County's Finest

Vidalia Onions are one of my favorite things about early summer. The onions come from Middle Georgia, Toombs County. The soil there is particularly suited for growing onions. They're mild and slightly sweet. Some say (and I have tested this theory in my childhood) you can eat them like an apple. 

Vidalia's are a finicky addition to the pantry. They are very soft skinned, and don't hold up over time. One way you can preserve them is to tie them up in the legs of pantyhose and tie a knot at each onion, so they don't touch one another (vital). Then, you hang the pantyhose legs in a dark, cool closet. That way, you can get a couple of months out of your onions. Otherwise, they're a blink-and-the-season-is-over kind of vegetable. 

This is my number one favorite way to cook Vidalias.

Veggievangelist's Baked Vidalia Onions

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes in the oven

Ingredients: 

Four medium sized Vidalia onions, sliced into 1/2 inch slices, separated

2 Tbsp. butter, plus 2 Tbsp. (optional)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Approximately 20 butter crackers (e.g., Ritz Crackers)

Cut onions into 1/2 inch slices and separate the rings. Heat large skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp. of butter. Add onion , stirring frequently, as the onions begin to caramelize. Add salt and pepper. Cook approximately 8-10 minutes over medium to medium-low heat. Onions should look lightly browned, and will start to look translucent. Remove from heat. Transfer cooked onions to a baking dish. Crush crackers over the onions, add extra butter to the top (optional) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Vidalia Onions

Slice into half inch slices and separate rings.  Sorry if the photo's a bit blinding. 

Casserole pre-oven

Casserole ready to eat

Name that Veggie!

A lot of the local farmer's markets open this coming Saturday. I'd like to challenge you to go to one of your local farmer's markets, wherever you may be, and buy a vegetable you don't normally prepare and give it a go. Widen your repertoire.

Do you know what this purple lovely is? It's got a mild taste, very crunchy, and is a great addition to a tasty salad. Boy #1 describes it as a "white carrot."

Spring's Here, Bake a Lemon Pound Cake

I love lemons and springtime. This is one of my favorite go-to cake recipes. In part, for its simplicity, and also because it's so delicious. It's a caloric splurge. And, as a bonus, it also freezes well.

Veggievangelist's Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 60 minutes (give or take a few)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. lemon zest
3 cups cake flour (King Arthur and Swans Down make fine cake flour)
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt


Place oven rack in the center and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10 inch fluted tube pan (or bundt pan). Tap out excess flour.

Cake:

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Break eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until fluffy. Add sugar, beating on high speed, and then add butter. Continue by adding lemon extract, lemon zest and sour cream. Mix until smooth. Reduce speed on mixer to low and gradually beat in the sifted flour. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour batter into prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Take both hands to hold the cake pan and gently tap it on the counter five times, to settle the batter. Bake in preheated oven for one hour (60 minutes), or until a test knife comes out clean.

Syrup for Cake:

1 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup 10x powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. softened butter

Combine lemon juice, powdered sugar and butter in a bowl. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth.

When cake is done, remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Invert onto serving platter and slowly drizzle with the lemon syrup covering completely; allow it to cool further before serving.

Egg Fanatics

We tried natural dyes last week to test out, but these work really well too.

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy. 

Veggievangelist's Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake