Citrus and Sunshine

It's a bit hard to believe, but today is January 7th, and it reached 60 degrees.  The sun was brilliant, and it was wonderful to be outside.  We even hung towels on the line to do most of their drying.  (We finish them in the dryer, since they can get cardboard-y if they dry only in the sun.  And I'll tell you what, for me, fluffy towels are one of life's simple luxuries.)

I also picked parsley from the garden today.  As you can imagine, during most winters, by now the parsley is a pile of green sludge.  Strange things are afoot, indeed.  Like I said in an earlier post, though, you won't hear me complaining!



Tonight's dinner, Sauteed Chicken over Wilted Spinach with Kumquat Sauce, is one that I don't make often.  It relies on kumquats, which aren't too common here in New England.  Strangely, I got two pints of them within a week of each other, one as a joke from one of my husband's co-workers, and one from my sister, in my annual Christmas citrus gift box (oh, how that box makes me so happy!).  I knew immediately that this recipe was on the docket.  The nice thing about kumquats, like most citrus, is that they keep for a long time if properly stored (I keep mine in the apple storage drawer of the refrigerator, and they're good for up to two months...if they last that long, of course.)

The other  nice thing about kumquats, if you're not familiar with them, is their mouth-puckering taste.  I think they seem to have a little bit of all citrus flavors in them; while the first hit is a bitter/sour thing, if you don't immediately spit it out (which I did the first time I ever had them) you get notes of lime, orange, lemon, meyer lemon, and grapefruit...all in one tiny fruit no bigger than a walnut.  They're seedy little devils, so while you can eat them whole (and I do, especially since the ones we've gotten are organic--but rinse them well) you may want to chew carefully, kind of like with seeded grapes.  This recipe calls for slicing them thinly, which means you need to stop frequently to pull the seeds out--some of the ones I used tonight had eight seeds in them!

My dad found the recipe for the chicken dish in the much mourned, late, great Gourmet magazine.  He raved about it, so naturally I had to give it a shot.  And, oh...just yum!  I usually serve it with a side of mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread to mop up the sauce that's left.  Barring that, I'd be willing to lick the plate clean.

Sauteed Chicken over Wilted Spinach with Kumquat Sauce
from Gourmet magazine
(I followed the recipe to the letter, except I doubled the kumquats.  Go with the original three if you're afraid it will be too tart.)

6 kumquats, thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 large shallot, thinly sliced into rings (about 1 cup)
2 bonless chicken breast halves, skin on; patted dry
1 tbsp butter (I used 1/2 tbsp butter, 1/2 tbsp olive oil...so okay, I didn't follow it to the letter)
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
4 cups packed spinach leaves, washed and dried (about one bunch)
salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat; melt butter and olive oil.  Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper and saute, skin side down, until skin is golden and crisp, about 5-7 minutes.  Turn chicken over and cook until just cooked through, another 5-7 minutes.  Lower the heat if it seems the bottom is browning too fast.

2.  Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

3.  Add shallot to fat remaining in skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for one minute.  Sprinkle sugar over shallot and cook, undisturbed, until sugar is melted and golden.  Immediately stir in kumquats, water, vinegar, and red pepper flakes and simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.

4.  Stir in parsley, and salt to taste.  If sauce is too liquid, simmer until thickened to desired consistency, between 1 and five minutes.

5.  Transfer two-thirds of sauce to a small bowl.  To remainder of sauce in skillet, add spinach and salt to taste, turning with tongs til just wilted.

6.  Divide spinach between two plates, top with chicken.  Spoon reserved sauce over top.

Steaming Bowlfuls

We're settling into winter's groove around here.  It hasn't been so bad; most of our days have been in the 40's, and we've actually had some 60 degree days in December.  While native New Englanders are a little disconcerted, you won't hear me complaining.  I can't garden, but walking the dogs isn't painful, and for that matter, neither is breathing outside.  Not a fan of the deep-breath-turning-moisture-in-my-lungs-to-icicles phenomenon...

I am, however, a fan of the long, slow cooking this season entails.  Earlier this week, on a visit with my brother's family, two of my nieces and I made turkey soup from their Christmas leftovers.  It was so lovely, I decided to make it again yesterday for me and Larry.  There's something about a steaming bowlful of broth and vegetables, with a little meat, that makes me happy.

Today's steaming bowlful is a version of Hoppin' John, in honor of the New Year.  I didn't have all of the ingredients to make the traditional version, but I cobbled together a respectable substitute.  I think that might be the best thing about soups and stews, really.  Don't have or like one ingredient?  Leave it out.  Have less of something the recipe calls for?  Add it with something complimentary.

The "recipes" below are approximations of the soup and the black-eyed peas I made--I didn't keep accurate measurements.  Feel free to make them your own!

Turkey Soup
serves 4

4-6 cups of turkey and/or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups diced onion
2 cups chopped carrots, a little more than a 1/4 inch thick
1 cup chopped celery, or diced, peeled celeriac  (about one small)
1-1 1/2 cups chopped parsnips, same size as the carrots
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried or 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1-2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped, leftover cooked turkey
2 cups cooked short-cut noodles, optional

1.  Bring the broth to a boil.  Add the vegetables and herbs, and return to boil.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
2.  Stir in turkey, salt and pepper to taste, and heat through, about 5 minutes.
3.  If using noodles, portion in to bowls and ladle soup over top.

Hoppin' John
serves 4-6

3 slices bacon
1 garlic clove, minced
1 shallot, finely diced
1/2 cup small diced carrot
1 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1-2 cups black-eyed peas, rinsed
4-6 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
Cooked rice or cornbread, for serving (optional)

1.  Cook bacon in a medium saucepan over medium heat until crisp.  Remove, leaving fat in pan.
2.  Add all vegetables and herbs to bacon fat, and cook until tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
3.  Add black-eyed peas and 4 cups of water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer, and cook until beans are tender.  This will vary widely depending on how old the beans are; mine took about an hour or so.  Add additional water if the beans start to dry out; you want them to be a little soupy (better sauce for the rice!).
4.  When beans are almost tender to your liking, add salt and pepper to taste.  When done to your liking, ladle over rice, if using.  Cornbread is brilliant, too.

Turkey 1,000 Ways

(I used Elise's Mom's idea, from Simply Recipes, and cooked the bird breast-side down for most of it's cooking time.  The breast meat stayed really moist.  Unfortunately, flipping it over to brown the top skin, I split it.  Fortunately, that had absolutely nothing to do with the taste!)

Okay, it's only three ways so far: herb roasted, in a pasta dish, and in a Mexican-inspired recipe.  But so far I'm having fun with this.  I'll keep going until my husband says he's had  enough.  (On deck: turkey soup, turkey croquettes, and turkey stromboli.  Why not?)

We had a 16.34 pound turkey for Thanksgiving...for the two of us.  We had asked the farm for a 12-14 lb (preferably in the lower range) bird, and we didn't realize they'd given us the wrong one until it was two days too late to do anything about it.  One whole breast is frozen and awaiting future dinners, as is about three cups of shredded meat.  The rest, I've been playing with to see if I could avoid rapid turkey overload. 

All of the recipes have been inspired by internet searches, many from Rachael Ray's leftover ideas.  But they're all originals, and so far, so good!

Turkey-Pancetta Pasta
by Me  (serves about 6)

12 oz. whole wheat rotini pasta, or other short cut, cooked til barely al dente, drained
2 oz pancetta, cubed, small
1 medium shallot, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 tbsp+ 1 tsp olive oil, divided (depending on how much fat the pancetta renders)
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup turkey or chicken broth , divided
1 1/2 cups chopped turkey
1 1/2 cups chopped green beans (ours were leftover; blanch if fresh)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
zest of one lemon
1/3 c parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350.
1.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 1/2 tsp of olive oil and the pancetta, and cook until almost crisp, about 4 minutes.  Add the shallot, garlic, and sage, and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is softened, about 4 minutes.  If the pan doesn't have at least a tablespoon of oil, add olive oil.  Sprinkle over flour and stir, cooking for about 1 minute. 

2.  Spoon in a 1/2 cup of broth; stir until it forms a very loose "paste."  Add another 1/2 cup of the broth, stir, and bring to a bubble.  Cook about 2 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken.  Add the chopped turkey and the green beans, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove from the heat.

3.  Stir the ricotta cheese and lemon zest into the turkey mixture, then stir in the pasta.  Stir well to combine.  If it seems a bit dry, mix in some of the remaining broth.  Sprinkle evenly with the shredded cheese.  Bake 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dish is hot through, but the cheese is not browned.  You don't want it to dry out.

Turkey Mexican Lasagna
by Me  (serves about 6)

1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tbsp butter (you could use all canola...I had this around waiting to be used up)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed, and chopped small
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
heaped tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth
juice of half a lime
1 1/2 cups chopped turkey
1 15 oz can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
6 6-inch flour tortillas, cut into sixths
2 1/2  tbsp chopped green onions
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup tomatillo salsa,divided

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil an 11 x 7 baking dish.
1.  Heat canola oil  (and butter, if using) in a large skillet over medium-low.  Add onion and saute until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and jalapeno, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes.  Stir in cumin, chili powder, and oregano; cook one minute. 

2.  Stir in flour, cook one minute.  Add 1/2 cup turkey broth and stir until flour is incorporated into the broth, then add rest of broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in lime juice, 1/4 cup salsa, turkey, beans.

3.  Coat the bottom of the baking dish with about 1/4 cup tomatillo salsa.  Layer the tortilla wedges so they cover the bottom of the pan in a single layer.  Spoon over half of the turkey mixture, sprinkle over 1 tbsp green onions, and 3/4 cup of cheese.  Repeat tortilla, turkey, onion, and cheese layer.  Add  a final layer of tortillas to the top; spread the remaining salsa over them, and top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until bubbly.  Remove from oven, top with green onions.  Let sit about 10 minutes before cutting.

Remind me to tell you about this one, too.  It's not turkey, but it could be!  This one is a butternut squash, red onion, walnut and bleu cheese crostata.  I am a little bit in love with it.

Hello, Beautiful!

Alas, I don't have a picture of this one.  It was impromptu, and wasn't actually made to be eaten immediately.  It was made to keep me awake and on my feet during a migraine that I refused to let win.  It worked.  And, oh, what a good way to beat a migraine.  The smells...just lovely.  Had it for lunch today.  Trust me, this one is greater than the simple sum of its parts.

 Autumn Minestrone
by Me

2 tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped onion
2 tsp chopped garlic
hefty pinch red pepper flakes
1/2 c chopped celery
2 cups cubed, peeled rutabaga
1-2 cups chopped carrot (I went with more)
6 thyme sprigs
1-2 tsp chopped sage (some people find this one too strong, so maybe err on the side of caution)
bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vermouth
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
rind of a piece of parmigiano (you could leave this out...but don't)
4-5 cups thinly sliced kale or other sturdy green
1 peeled, diced delicata squash, about 3 cups (could use butternut)

1.  Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onion through bay leaf.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until vegetables start to get tender.  (For a deeper flavor, turn the heat up to medium-high and let the vegetables brown a little bit before step two.)

2.  Add the vermouth; cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the pan.  When it is almost evaporated/absorbed, add the broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the kale and parmigiano.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3.  Add the squash, simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the squash is tender but not mushy.  Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaf, and serve.

Summer's End

Surprise!  You missed us when you grabbed the others!

Pizza with homemade dough and sauce and garden grown arugula. Yum!

Tomatillo and Pepper Salsa

Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread

Beer Braised Pork with Polenta and Spicy Cabbage Apple Slaw

I've been doing a little cooking lately... 

It's that time of year again, when being outside in the garden is no longer an option, especially now that I've cleaned it out, composted it, and put it to bed for the season as of today.  It wasn't a bad haul for a garden that hadn't really been tended for a while.  I got about a pound of tomatillos, four cups of arugula in varying leaf sizes, a few stray tomatoes, and some potatoes that I didn't find when I harvested their brethren.  There were also some raspberries (and some still to ripen, if they beat the race with the weather) and some sorrel leaves.  The Lacinato and Curly Kale will be around for a month or so...if I don't devour it sooner.

There are some greens under row covers, and the peas are doing their best to mature in time.  The slugs have had a field day with them.  Alas, for the slugs anyway, there's no where left to hide now that the garden's cleaned up.  (Cue evil laugh track here.)

There will be herbs like parsley, dill, sage, thyme, and rosemary for a few weeks yet, and then one by one they'll drop off.  I'll be able to harvest sparingly from the woodier ones all winter, but I tend to go easy on them since I want them to come back in the spring.

We ate well today in the midst of all of the raking, shoveling, and ripping out of plants.  Lunch was the pizza, with a dough recipe from Giada De Laurentiis that I found on Epicurious and a roasted tomato sauce that I got from my friend Winter.  It was lovely.  So lovely, we might have eaten the whole thing...but I'm not telling for sure so you can think what you want. 

Dinner was Black Bean-Chicken Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa.  I wanted to make chicken stock, so I simmered a whole chicken until done, skinned it, shredded the meat (most went in the freezer) and added the bones back to do some more simmering.  I mixed the chicken with black beans, rolled the mix in corn tortillas, and smothered it with tomatillo salsa (recipe to follow) and cheese.  Baked at 350 for about 1/2 hour, it was a nice way to end the day (though my husband would think it nicer if the Patriots had actually won).  We definitely did eat all of those, hence no pictures.  (Cue oink here.)

Tomatillo Salsa
by Me

1 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 green onions
1 poblano pepper
2 Anaheim chiles
1 jalapeno
1 tbsp canola
salt, to taste
lime juice, optional

1.  Preheat grill to high.  Place all peppers and the green onions directly on the grill.  Use a vegetable grill plate or make a foil packet for the tomatillos; place on grill.
2.  Once onions are somewhat charred, move them on top of the tomatillos.  Let the skin of the peppers get blackened and blistered.  Remove to a container, cover, and let steam until cool enough to handle.  Cook the tomatillos until very soft and some are starting to burst.
3.  Chop the green onions and put in food processor.  Skin and seed the peppers, add to food processor.  Scrape in tomatillos and any juice.  Add oil and salt, and blend to desired consistency.  Stir in lime juice, if desired.

That winter thing

It's definitely going to do the winter thing here this year. Not that I really thought it wouldn't...but the warmer temps we've had until recently made me irrationally hopeful. The crazy storm that dumped a foot of snow in Western Massachusetts and other places, along with mornings in the low to mid-30's, have brought me back to reality. That reality means soup.

Tonight's soup was a variation on one I've made often. It's an escarole and bean concoction that I remember my mom making occasionally. I LOVE escarole. There's something wonderful about it's rather squeaky texture and earthy, herby bitterness that makes me happy. And unlike most lettuces, which it is similar to in raw texture, escarole is great raw and cooked. I can't say I've ever enjoyed cooked lettuce. It tastes rotten to me. Anyway, back to dinner.

I decided to combine some flavors I've been reading about in Melissa Clark's new book, Cook This Now. (Love her writing. I'm most happy about having discovered her and Nigel Slater this year.) The resulting soup was great; warming, hearty but not heavy, and perfect for dipping bread into the broth.

Escarole and Bean Soup with Pancetta
By Me

3 tbsp olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup pancetta, diced small
4-6 anchovies
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped into small-ish pieces
Scant tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
Scant tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups beans (I used cranberry beans I had in the freezer, but any white and/or creamy mild bean will work, like canelinni...which I suddenly can't remember how to spell...)
1 large head escarole, chopped
Parmigiano cheese for topping

1. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and browned. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon; reserve.
2. Add the anchovies to the oil on the pot and stir until they "melt" into the oil, about 1 minute. Add the garlic through parsley, a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots begin to soften, about five minutes.
3. Add the wine or vermouth and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about two minutes.
4. Add 6 cups of the broth and the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer about five minutes. Taste the broth and adjust gently for seasoning. Add the escarole and stir until just wilted, (add more broth now if you think you need it) taste again for seasoning and add salt and/or pepper as necessary. Add the pancetta back to the soup.
5. Ladle into bowls, and top with cheese, if desired.

Salt Lick

The weather here this weekend turned downright wintry, so soup was on the menu. I've been thinking about lentils lately (because, really, what else would I be thinking about?) and so I knew I wanted to do something with them. I did some surfing, and cobbled together a basic lentil soup with a fancier, more Mediterranean-spiced version, and then decided to throw in some chicken. It turned out great, and I predict it will be on the menu often this winter.

One note of caution: make sure the lid of your 16 oz. Whole Foods Sea Salt container is firmly affixed to the base.

Lentil-Chicken-Vegetable Soup
By Me

For the chicken:
1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large bay leaf
Pinch of saffron
Sprig of lemon thyme (regular thyme would be fine)
Water to cover chicken

1. In a large, high-sided skillet, put all of the ingredients. Bring to a low boil.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook til chicken is done, about 10 minutes. It's okay if it's not quite cooked, because it will cook more in the soup. Leave in the water until ready to chop.

For the soup:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 chopped onion
4 chopped carrots
2 chopped celery stalks, with leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped hot red chili, to taste
4-5 sprigs lemon thyme (regular thyme is fine)
Pinch of saffron
1/2 tsp fennel seed
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cups shredded savoy cabbage (other mild cabbages would be good, too)
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1tbsp sherry vinegar
1 cup brown lentils
2 cups chicken broth
Water, as necessary
3 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and roasted til soft (optional)
1 lb sea salt (optional, not recommended)

1. In a large dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion through a pinch of salt and pepper, and sweat the ingredients until they begin to soften, about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the cabbage and potatoes, and cook, stirring until cabbage starts to wilt, about 5 minutes. Add vinegar, stir.
3. Add lentils, stir.
4. Remove chicken from poaching liquid, place on cutting board. Carefully pour poaching liquid into pot with lentils. Add chicken broth and water (at least one cup of water; as the lentils cook, you might want to add more depending on whether you want it soupy or stewy).
5. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
6. While soup simmers, chop the chicken and tomatoes into bite sized pieces. Once lentils are tender, add both to soup. Simmer ten minutes.
7. Taste soup to adjust seasonings. If necessary, turn sea salt container over pot, let lid fall off, and dump 15oz salt into pot. Swear loudly and spin in a few circles while trying to figure out what to do, while spouse fights urge to laugh. (okay, I'd probably skip this step next time.) but do taste for seasoning...

I'd tasted the soup enough to know that the broth was wonderful. Sadly, i had to quickly rinse and recreate a broth...but next time I'll know better than to hold the whole salt container over the pot, now won't I? :/

Enjoy!