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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

10 Legs in the Kitchen

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Green soup (and ham?)

25 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in Health, the kitchen

≈ 31 Comments

Tags

Brunch, chard soup, cooking, Dr Seuss, fiesta Friday, green eggs and ham, green soup, ham and eggs, healthy recipe

PS_egg on wood 2

I have garden envy.  When my brother and sister-in-law moved into their newly-built house on Bainbridge Island sixteen years ago, their lawn consisted of nothing but mud, rocks, old growth trees and dreams.  Over the course of time, we have seen the transformation go from a yard that housed not even a place for Buffy to poop and pee, to many places for children to play and grow-up, adults to luncheon, retreat, tinker and entertain, and the gardener to grow vegetables rivaling those found at the Farmer’s Market.  There is a cleverly designed tree house, an elaborate garden and potting shed, a trellised patio out back with trickling water, beautiful plantings and a resident frog.  There are large trees, two in particular, that in the Summer are the anchoring points for a big screen, where movies are played for a gathering of neighbors, family and friends.  There is a water feature that was built between a neighboring house that resembles a woodsy brook that you’d never know hadn’t been there a hundred years.

But, oh what a garden has transpired.  The first time I encountered it, the vegetables were limited.  There was cabbage, very large and obnoxious looking; yet I suspect they were good.  There was kale.  This, before kale was the “it” veg to eat.  I knew not why someone would want to eat it, let alone grow it in their yard?  There it was though, not particularly interesting to me, then.  Ornamental perhaps?

On one particular visit to their house for dinner, I was taken aback by the progress.  The little garden that once was made up of a strip of property in the proximity to the length of their (long) kitchen, had suddenly become, without my knowing, a white picket fenced area, encompassing actual square footage in their yard.  Christine took me on a mini tour (because it was a mini footprint, but impressive), yes it was.

Quite some time has passed now and it is on the rarer occasion that we make it “on island”.  In the following years though, while we were still somewhat regular spectators and participants, their adjoining neighbor became family, the toddlers became kids and the kids became adolescents…the garden shed was built and the tree house was erected.  There was a dog now, other than our own, that graced the property and he (Snowball) has an orchestrated place to poop and pee.

If trees could talk, they might tell us of the nights that the neighboring families’ children came back and forth with my nieces and nephew, in happiness, in tears, and sometimes in the middle of the night.  The trees might talk of teenage gossip, pubescent fears or the story of a comforting marriage of two homes.  The trees might suggest that this was a place, in modern times, with old-fashioned values and good people.  They would also be grateful, the trees, for the love that sprouted around them and the edibles that nourished the ones within.  For that, Tom and I are happy too.

_PS_1 spoon not edited

We live off-island but fond memories (and occasional visits) still languish in our minds.  Most recently, my Mom, on her recent visit (to them, via our house) brought us home a gift from Christine; the most beautiful bouquet of hydrangeas, each stem capped in a plastic vial of water (a bouquet which made the most glorious appearance in our living room to welcome in the last of the decreasing summer sun) and a large bag filled with kale.  The most beautiful and tasty kale.  And chard. Gorgeous chard.  And tomatoes, so sweet and perfect, they were oooohed and awed upon for the appropriate amount of time before the first one burst and the fruit flies laid claim.  At this point, and not a second too soon, I had the will power and inclination to quit hoarding them for that most appropriate meal (which should always be now), and just dig in eating them raw, with reckless abandon.  So reckless, I will not share the details.  The remainder (because there were many) found their way into a most delightful fresh soup, recipe found here.

From the greens, among other things, I made soup!  Green soup…and ham.

PS_egg in soup1

 

(Almost) All Green Soup
makes approximately 12 cups

As you will find, if you continue to read what I write (in the future, and I hope you do), I am reluctant to give up a good thing…I like to dream.  I like to think about what might be best rather than what would be easiest (at the time).  So with the abundance of kale and chard (still) stored in my crisper, waiting for that perfect purpose, I decided to make soup.  Mostly with the chard, whose beautiful leaves had begun to wilt.  I had used some of them previously, in a sauté with our steak and one with our fish.  I had planned to wrap them over true cod, stuffed with bacon and leeks.  I had thought of mixing them in with ravioli and then thought of layering with eggplant, red peppers and veal.  I had imagined them as forming packets of ground lamb, co-existing with coriander, sweet onions and chopped kale.  I did though, use some to wrap my tuna salad, some to wrap my hummus, and it made its way into Tom’s turkey with cheese sandwich (surprise!).

This soup was a finale to the wonderful gift, harvested from that, now abundant, garden on Bainbridge.  The soup contains almost no fat and is vegetarian, if you leave out the ham bone I decided to throw in (used to flavor another soup effort, simultaneously occurring).  It makes more than one family could possibly eat (unless you live at that house in Bainbridge I spoke of with the two families and friends sharing the meal…but perhaps more than enough even then).  I will be freezing mine, in single serving portions, to eat for lunch at my whim.

The flavor is slightly spicy yet humble and earthy.  The coriander is apparent and the unmistakable texture of lentils adds enough weight to the soup that it tends toward the comfort spectrum rather than the light and healthy.

The health benefits are worth mention though.  There are so many green things in here, it should qualify for LEED (sorry, occupational reference).  It also contains onions, many, many onions; no feeding this to your dog(s), sorry G & B.

Chard:  Has a low impact on blood glucose, making it an excellent choice for diabetics (Linda, please take note of that and stuff it into Dad’s food, shhhh).  (a) Chard stalks: are high in glucosinolates, causing them to be a good thing for inflammatory  purposes, especially associated with surgery (pay attention Dad; I will be sure Linda is aware (heh, heh)).  (b) Chard greens: pack cartenoid which is good for your eyes and vitamin K, which is an excellent way of boosting your cardiovascular health (the stalks contain this too).  They also contain a high level of oxalates, which if you have kidney problems, should be consumed in moderation.  Consult your doctor for concerns.
Kale: Lowers your cholesterol!  Steam your kale for the best cholesterol benefit (darn, I like mine raw and massaged; still cholesterol lowering but not as much as steamed).  Steaming kale helps the fiber components to bind with bile acids which in turn help them to extract more easily (lowering your cholesterol).  Kale is also beneficial in regulating detoxification at a genetic level.  It can help with inflammation and oxidative stress.  Who knew? (Apparently everyone but me!)
Carrot greens:  Are not the tastiest eaten raw (unless you are a bunny or love bitter, herbacious and stringent, which I do) but they do pack this soup with additional vitamins A, B6, C and K, plus folate, manganese, niacin, potassium and thiamin.
Celery:  Is packed with antioxidants which protect against oxygen damage to our cells, blood vessels and organs.  The pectin-based polysaccharides in celery help to protect the stomach lining from ulcers.  However, this nutritional value is better when the celery is steamed or eaten raw rather than boiled.
Cilantro:  Is a member of the carrot family.  It helps to relieve intestinal gas pain, helps treat headaches, coughs and mental stress.  Cilantro also helps combat lead and other heavy metal toxicity (it is even being studied as a natural purification agent for water).
Parsley:  Is great as a digestive aid, natural breath freshener and more…

…I could go on, but I won’t.  You get the idea.

So, if that’s not reason enough to eat this superstar, healthy soup, eat it because it is just damn tasty (personal opinion, of course)!  You can wear it plain or dress it up with a spoonful of scrambled eggs, a dollop of plain yogurt or, better yet, a topping of tender pulled ham.  If you feel indifferent or curious, try mixing all three (green, eggs and ham!).

INGREDIENTS

1-2 TB olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 TB chopped garlic
1 cup chopped carrot (+ the greens if still attached, stems removed)
1 cup chopped celery
1 TB chopped jalapeño
2 cups sliced leeks
1 cup green lentils
2 tsp ground coriander
4 tomatillos
2 kale leaves, stemmed
12 oz chard leaves plus their stems, chopped
Sprinkle of sea salt over greens
2 TB lime juice
1 large bunch (2 cups) coarsely-chopped green onion
1 bunch cilantro, stems and all
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup fresh parsley, stems and all
Ham bone/shank

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrot, celery, jalapeño, chard stems and leeks until beginning to soften.  Turn down the heat to simmer and let them sweat until the leeks begin to melt, approximately 15 minutes.

Add the lentils and coriander. Stir to combine.  Add the tomatillos then lay the chard leaves and kale on top.  Sprinkle a little sea salt and squeeze the lime juice over the greens, cover and let cook over low heat to let them wilt and soften, about 10 minutes.

PS_cooking

Add the green onions, carrot greens (if using), cilantro, basil and parsley.  Add the stock, water and almond milk.  The liquid should mostly cover the greens but not overwhelm them.  Add a little more liquid if you feel there is not enough.  At this point, if you are using the ham bone/shank, tuck it into the liquid.  Again, this is optional and while I think it does improve the flavor, it would be just fine without it if you prefer to stick to vegetarian.  Bring this to a simmer then cover with the lid askew.  Let cook over low heat for an hour or so to really draw out the flavors.

Let sit in the pot to cool enough to handle.  Transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor (I used my Blendtec).  Purée until very smooth.  You should have a very large bowl filled with soup when you are done.  Squeeze in the juice of one lime and stir.  Serve piping hot.

If you would like to add a little texture, mix in some additional cooked lentils.  For a heartier soup, stir in some of the meat from the shank.  Another suitable garnish would be crispy bacon pieces; so many choices, so much soup…

 

PS2_baked egg 5

You can even eat it for breakfast (or this would make an equally satisfying lunch, dinner perhaps?).  Simply heat the soup and ladle it into an oven-proof dish.  Top the soup with a sunny-side up egg, a thin slice of gruyère and tuck in some thinly shaved ham.  Broil until the cheese melts then dig in.

And a happy birthday to my blog friend, Angie.  In honor of your birthday, I made green, eggs & ham!  One Sue(ss) two Sue(ss), happy birthday to you (to the tune of the birthday song, of course!).

Turn up the heat!

18 Saturday Oct 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in Eating Out, Reviews, the kitchen

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Aneto, IFBC 2014, Jason Wilson, Lesley Stowe, Miller's Guild, Raincoast Crisps, Soy Vay, Thierry Rautureau, Todd Coleman, tomato soup, wine from Bordeaux

PS_crostini
Tomato soup as a spread on bruschetta…Buffalo mozzarella, basil and tomatoes.

I’m addicted to food.  I think it is the food.  Or, is it the packaging that helps feed my addiction (perhaps both)?  And by packaging, I don’t just mean clever graphics, pretty bottles or catchy phrases…necessarily.  Sometimes, it is how Nature packages itself up in a pretty little shape, a sexy color, or a little grit.  I am addicted to food.

Some people collect shoes.  I collect food.  I had to think long and hard before spending $10 on a pair of socks last week but didn’t even hesitate to shell out $10.00 for a bag of fresh cranberry beans at a Farmer’s Market.  It makes me happy just knowing that I helped an independent farm and that the beans are in my ‘fridge waiting for a delicious plate to land on (whereas those socks, cool as they are, will just end up lost…from each other, and inevitably with a hole in the toe after one wear).  Hopefully those cranberry beans won’t still be in my ‘fridge next week, turning brown and growing mold (yet they probably will).  This happens sometimes.  I let things sit too long.  Sometimes because I forget it is there (buried underneath the latest find).  Sometimes I am saving it for just the right thing to make, which often occurs to me a little late.  Yet sometimes, I just like to buy fancy products, or interesting products, or something unique, ambiguous, or special; as long as it is a food product.  Those might sit on my pantry shelf, in my refrigerator or out on display, too precious to open (like a beautifully wrapped gift).  Because once opened, it gets used and then it is gone (yet I know, edible things are meant to be consumed).  Like those bottles of wine we purchased in Napa Valley well over a decade ago, hand carried home on the plane (because you could do that 15 years ago) and still haven’t drank (which, let’s face it, is the point; to drink them!).  There is the obnoxiously large bottle of black truffle pieces packed in oil that I shelled out $50 for thirteen years ago.  Yep, still in my pantry (no good to me now, but there they sit, taunting me every time I open the door).  Though I may have gotten my $50 worth just by looking at them so many times, contemplating ways in which I would use them…someday!

Sometimes it is the anticipation that brings us the most joy?  But now that I am admitting this (to myself), I realize the food is never really gone, the memory will always be there; it is about the experiences (plus sometimes, you can buy more).  During a demonstration by Thierry Rautereau at the IFBC 2014 conference, he teased the audience that the “good olive oil”, that we shelled out the “big bucks” for, is not meant to just sit on the counter.  In fact, it shouldn’t be on the counter at all (to be destroyed by the heat, “stick it in the fridge at least”).  He urged us to put it to use, as he drizzled copious amounts over a beautiful and quick tomato soup.  I chuckled to myself and caught a little snicker in Tom’s grin as he looked over at me, knowing that I am guilty of this.  The first thing I did when we went home that night (after letting Ginger and Buddy out of course), was to pop open my latest good bottle of olive oil and douse it over some thick, country bread.  We washed that down with some wine (yet some of those bottles from Napa are still cradled in our wine fridge), baby steps.

I bought another loaf of bread today.  Actually, I bought two.  This in addition to the bag of day-old ciabatta buns and the bag of mini potato baguettes.  My bread drawer is already full, no room at the Inn(box)!  As I transfer the walnut wheat baguette from it’s paper pouch to a wrap of foil, I contemplate freezing it for later use.  When I asked the girl behind the counter to get it down so I could take it home, I really couldn’t stop thinking about how it would taste with a trickle of good olive oil and a thin slice of cheese, something sturdy and pungent.  Perhaps a little honey too?  Or a swath of blueberry conserve, freshly made.  I also pictured a smear of white bean dip, dripping with garlic, creamy and white atop the dark, nutty bread, perhaps crowned with a slice of proscuitto (and possibly a fig?).  But I am too full now, and dinner is poblano stew.  With poblano stew, I need corn tortillas.  Warmed over a flame until lightly blistered.  I have been hoarding those as well.  In fact, I now realize, I might have been hoarding the wrong kind (and they too may have gone bad).  Oops.

It might sound as if I have started off-topic (or rambling on as Tom alerted me), but in fact, this topic is precisely the point.  I promised I would give a summary of the IFBC conference I “recently” attended (Tom’s procrastination has rubbed off on me it appears), so now, that is what I am going to do, and let’s face it, people willing to fly in from out of state to attend this thing, must also be addicted to food.  It appears I am in excellent company.

I bet you all are wondering what it is like to attend a food bloggers conference?  Well, of course, assuming you have never actually attended one.  I had not attended one before this year and wondered what it would be like myself.  I expected, well, I’m not really sure what I expected.  So I did what any curious person would do.  I Googled it.  What to expect.  I typed in “what to expect at a food bloggers conference”.  Go ahead.  Give it a try.  Did you find Irvin (here)?  Funny stuff.  Sadly, this post won’t be as funny.  But for that I won’t apologize.  He is clearly a funny guy.

And I’m okay with that.  What I did not expect, was to walk into a “candy” store for food addicts.  It was insane.  Insane in a good way?!  A lot of wonderful sponsors showcased their food and wares in creative and delicious ways (yes, delicious, they fed us too).  There was mention of a swag bag on the website.  I didn’t think much of it because, we were there for the speakers and meeting like-minded people, not for the food.  But then the swag bag turned out to be a swag room.  A ballroom filled with tables of product for the taking.  So I now have a swag shelf!  I am grateful and excited to try these products (many of which I have never tried).  I know how much money and effort those companies put into this so I want to say thanks.  Thank you.  Each of you.  Too many to list here so I want to just highlight some of my favorites, especially those lesser known ones:

“Our friends from Spain“, Aneto, brought each participant a personalized apron.  These guys are really cool (and so are the aprons)!  They also brought many pounds worth of broth…from Spain(!).  This is not just any broth.  This is artisan broth, 100% natural, gluten free and from what I can tell, hard to come by (as in sells out fast), pricey but worth the money.  We all know that Spain is home of the Paella so how clever to have Paella broth?  Even though it surely put them over their weight limit at baggage check.

PS_apron newTom sporting the 10LitK apron from Aneto.

Soy Vay.  Say what?  Soy Vay – Toasted Sesame Dressing and Marinade (formally called Cha-Cha Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing).  I typically don’t use bottled marinades and dressings.  If I do buy them, it is usually to do with the packaging (there it is again), wholesomeness, and perhaps an unusual ingredient or combination.  They often end up on my pantry shelf along with those truffles.  Last night, however, I decided to give this a try on my salmon prep.  There are no preservatives and the ingredients were all familiar to pronounce and not unlike what I might make myself.  I was tired.  I was hungry and I didn’t want to think too hard.  And I am glad I gave it a try.  It was delicious as a marinade for the salmon (I also brushed it on my roasted eggplant) and it worked perfectly to dress some cabbage and red grapes that I tossed together for a side salad.  I grilled the salmon on a cedar plank and threw fully, non-husked, fresh, sweet corn (from Hunter Farms) directly on the grill.  Dinner was delicious (with very little effort).

Lesley Stowe stole my heart with her attention to detail, delectable appetizer pairings and a “cracker” that I can finally get behind.  Her specialty food line that boasts the small batch product raincoats crisps, is perfect for entertaining, eating straight from the box or making a mini meal.  She and her wonderful staff created a mini party and welcome oasis amongst a multitude of distracting noise.

While I am thanking people, it would be remiss of me not to give a big shout out and bear hug of gratitude to our hosts of this event, Foodista’s Founders, Sheri Wetherell and Barnaby Dorfman! These guys know how to educate, inspire and throw a fabulous party.  Thanks guys!  We will be back for sure.

Meanwhile, back to the conference; the keynote speakers were the husband and wife team Karen Page and Andy Dornenburg, that delivered a powerfull, inspiring start to the conference.  It turned out I own (and really loved reading) their book titled becoming a Chef and will definitely be buying a copy of their new book The Vegetarian Flavor Bible.

PS_TCcontact
No, that’s not Todd making mole…

Hands down though, our favorite speaker was Todd Coleman, previous Executive Food Editor of Saveur magazine, who recently launched a company called Creative Concepts.  His talk was on photography.  Although self-proclaimed as not actually a photographer per say, he really is (a good photographer and professional Photographer and Creative Director of Todd Coleman Photography).  He mostly has tenacity, vision and the ability to do the unexpected intuitively.  He doesn’t follow the rules and doesn’t think in a straight line.  Doing the unexpected, the un-allowed, even the outrageous, to get a good shot, is how he is able to deliver un-staged (staged) imagery that evoke culinary emotion.  My kind of guy.  He is also humble, casual and off-the-cuff.  I am embarrassed to admit that I actually asked someone to take a picture of us.  I NEVER do that.  Not even sure why I did.  I felt really silly afterwards because that is something I pride myself on NEVER(!) doing.

When I was young, we once had Lee Meriwether (from TV’s Barnaby Jones, as Catwoman on Batman circa 1966, and former Miss America 1955), Robert Reed (from The Brady Bunch) and others…to our house (in Alaska) during a fund-raiser my Mom was putting on for the American Cancer Society.  She bought my brother and I each a little “autograph-friendly” stuffed animal that we were to fill up with autographs from all the celebrities that attended.  I refused to get mine signed because I didn’t want to look like a groupie.  Plus, I thought it was dumb, to have someone’s signature.  Who cares?  So instead, I stood there next to Todd Coleman and smiled while someone took our picture with my phone. Delete(!).  He now classifies me as a groupie, I’m sure.  Maybe I should have sent HIM the picture instead of deleting it.  How lucky of him to be photographed next to ME?  No?  I guess not.  Silly.  In any case, if I ever meet him again, perhaps I will actually have an intelligent conversation about, say, something that he could offer unique insight into, like perhaps, publishing, magazine submittals, what it is like to be an editorial superstar/design visionary.   Instead I asked him what kind of camera I should buy.  I’m sorry Todd, I really am an intelligent person.  Don’t judge me by my (or at least my husband’s) adolescent behavior.

Todd’s words of wisdom:

PS_TCrough cake 2Abnormal serving.

“Challenge the viewer. Over the top mess…I let the milkshake sit.  I did all sorts of things to the chocolate cake after more traditional shots.” 

PS_TCpizza ladyMake friends.

On location one day, Todd was out peaking in windows and saw an old women sitting at her table (stalking with good intention).  He went and got a pizza from the restaurant he was shooting (photographs, not bullets) and asked her if he could photograph her with it in her house (hutzpah?)…creative staging!

On another occasion, he was “in a really crappy place. This guy was in here with his son. I just talked to him. I showed interest…I spent an hour taking photos. I was doing a professional photoshot with them and they didn’t even know it was happening; it ran a full page spread.”

PS_TCmolePush perspective.

“Get in close with a wide angle lens. Get in really close; push into the food. Don’t worry about getting mole on your camera.”

tough guyHave no fear!

“These were some bad-ass dudes. I got the shot and got the hell out. People can get really upset with you. Sometimes it is better not to ask permission.”

With that thought, the above pictures with words of wisdom from Todd, were courtesy of my iPhone taking photos of Todd’s images projected in a poorly-lit conference space and on my iPad taking notes with auto-correct deciphering what I typed.  I did not ask permission.

After retrieving my iPhone from the stranger that took the infamous Todd ‘n Me photo and deleting it, it was time for…

PS_drinks at guild 1...a brief intermission (across the street at chef Jason Wilson’s new(er) restaurant Miller’s Guild – highly recommended).

Back to the conference. 

There were several sessions involving social media, something that is definitely not my strong suit, but since I need to make myself stronger in that department, I dutifully attended.  What I learned is this.  Google+ is (apparently) the cornerstone of social media and we should all be using it.  I will be looking into this further.  Advice or helpful hints are gratefully welcome if you want to leave me a comment (please?).  Seriously though (I am serious), both Tom and I felt that being there was a humanization of living/working in such a virtual world.  Meeting face-to-face cannot be traded for tech.  Never will!  Just like turning a physical page can NOT be traded for scrolling.  The virtual world was a little bit humanized by this conference, in that we were all here, together!

Our favorite session was on wines of Bordeaux (apparently this was everyone else’s favorite too; as they were overwhelmed with the unexpected over-attendance).  It was informative, interactive (think wine tasting) and fun.  Virginia (don’t call her that), AKA: Reggie, Reg, and er, Regina (rhymes with, well, you know) who teaches at South Seattle Community College (ironically located in West Seattle) is definitely someone I would like to tag along with to France.  Or South Central, WA, in which we were invited to harvest grapes, but sadly couldn’t attend (blasted day jobs).

PS_wine
T a s t y, and no, that’s not Reggie’s arm.

Tom has a few quick tasting notes:

1.  Sparkling Rosé from Bordeaux is…t a s t y (especially in the middle of the day, stuck in a conference room on a gorgeous, sunny Fall day).

2.  White wine from Bordeaux is…t a s t y (especially in the middle of the day, stuck in a conference room on a gorgeous, sunny Fall day).

3.  Red wine from Bordeaux is… really t a s t y (especially in the middle of the day, stuck in a conference room on a gorgeous, sunny Fall day).

4.  In all seriousness, it was informative, interactive (got to get to know your table mates trying to identify scents, easy ones like vanilla, harder citrus and nut ones, and tricky ones like “church pew” (no kidding).  Reg is a great educator, clever, funny, a little naughty, someone you would want to take a class from, even if it was calculus.  Well, maybe not.  But if you had to take calculus, she’s the teacher with the wait list.

PS_Reg
Later that night, the real “tasting” continued.

I will leave you with a little tomato soup disguised as an amuse as demonstrated by Seattle’s entertaining culinary pioneer “The Chef in the Hat”, Thierry Rautureau (see commentary above).  He didn’t need to turn up the heat to get the place smoking, because the butter used in his demonstration almost invited the local firemen for lunch.  The room, however smokin’ as it was, was F R E E Z I N G.  So my/our only request for next year is, TURN UP THE HEAT, please.  No smoke required.

Tomato soup with goat cheese quenelle – amuse bouche

PS_martini glassTomato soup with goat cheese quenelle  – amuse bouche

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 lbs fresh tomatoes, rinsed and coarsely diced
2 cloves of garlic – peeled and chopped
A handful of fresh basil, cleaned, dried and sliced
Sea salt to taste
Good quality olive oil
Optional: fresh chèvre for garnish

PS_tomato pan 4

PREPARE

Heat a sauté pan and add a bit of olive oil.  Let it rush around the pan to coat.

Add the tomatoes, followed by the garlic.

Give the pan a toss.  Your heat should be on medium.

Let this cook just a few minutes more until the tomatoes begin to soften.  Throw in the basil and toss again, cooking another minute.

Mix in sea salt to taste.

Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender or food processor and purée to your desired consistency.  For a simple, quick meal, freeze individual portions in Ziploc freezer bags for later use.

TO SERVE (Chef in the Hat style)

Fill martini glasses with chilled soup.  Using a spoon form the chèvre into oval (quenelle) shapes and place in the center of the soup.  Top with a basil leaf or other sprig of herb.

This is soup is also delicious warmed with a grilled cheese sandwich or spread on grilled bread and topped with soft cheese and herbs.

PS_Tommessycrop
Grilled cheese and (spilled) tomato soup…

Todd should be proud (abnormal serving + over the top mess)!

PS_Ron's DougTo new friends!  Doug (& Ron), see you next year?

PS_brunchTom and I made our finale meal back across the street at Miller’s Guild for (my favorite) fried chicken + egg brunch before I went to my next stop, writing class with Kathleen Flinn.!!  Highly recommend!

What a weekend it was!

(I am) Saucy

03 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in beach mode, From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Dipping Sauce, nectarine sauce, sauce for fish, sauces, savory fruit sauce

PS_cover

We start out as kids with nicknames that suit us.  Sometimes those names stick for life (sorry Patty Patoot-Patoot) and sometimes we are able to shake free from their implications and mockery.  I was fortunate enough to wiggle away from my nickname of Q-tip (as long as the incriminating photographs from the 80’s are avoided).

On a trip to Hawaii (over 10 years-ago this past September), I became known as Saucy.  I like this name much better than Q-tip, but the name is not because I am spicy, sexy or hot.  It is because I am one to make sauce, but moreover because I brought sauce… to Hawaii.  In a freezer bag.  Well, actually three freezer bags, three sauces – nectarine sauce, strawberry sauce and romesco, all savory, all great for fish.

The previous Summer, we had dined out every night in Maui, but realized that there were a few really good reasons not to dine out as much the following year.  First of all, it is expensive.

Secondly, my Grandfather owns a condo in a really nice complex that has a community kitchen.  On the beach.  Well, adjacent to the beach, and with a grill big enough to roast a pig on, literally.  Okay, not literally (unless it is a potbelly pig).

But most importantly (thirdly?), we could take our time on the beach at sunset, drinking our gin & tonic leisurely rather than worrying about racing back up the slope to get changed in time to eat out before sundown (which apparently indicates bedtime around there).  After the sun goes completely away (as in no more light from the sun in the sky) the moon glows brightly, romantically tickling light onto the water and the stars sprinkle sparkles from the sky.  This is when we open up our nap sack, uncork a bottle of wine and lay out the appetizers I prepared earlier in the day.  Then (after eating of course) and only then, do we head up to the beachside kitchen where our bags of groceries have been left waiting in one of the refrigerators, turn on some music and cook out, under soft light and the sound of crashing waves.

hot grillThis is just a quarter of the grill.

Which brings us back to the grill; it is large and requires coals, but has amazing airflow to get hot, and fast.  Our friend Tim, whom we met that trip, literally throws the whole bag directly onto the grill and lights it on fire.  The first time we met them, we had been sitting on the beach at sunset, drinking our G&T.  Suddenly there was a blaze of fire up the way and to our right out of sight, in the vicinity of the grill.  We thought they were sending out a smoke signal to be rescued from the island.  But then later, they thought our tuna looked like fish-bait (size-wise, but it was block-cut and just caught hours earlier).

tuna ready for grill
Okay, this is a piece of tuna and does look like fish-bait.  It was used to make an amouse though, not dinner!

And by the end of the night, we had all become fast friends, plus they were sharing our (dinner) fish with strawberry sauce + kula corn (and there were six of them and two of us).  Each night after that, we met at the “big pool” (home of the beachside kitchen), we cooked, we drank, and we ate a family meal, talking and drinking well into the night.  And of course, there was always a sauce, or three.  To them, my name went from Stacey to Saucy and for Tom, the “big pool” became (un-officially) known as, “Chez Stacey’s Beachfront Cafe” and he always managed to find the perfect ti leaf for an appetizer “plate”.

DSC07573
This one is named “Tuna” and is NOT FISH BAIT!! Cute little beach bug, huh?

in iceNectarines on ice.

Nectarine Sauce

This sauce came to me one night when I had an excessive amount of nectarines (is that even possible?), a craving for roast duck and the desire to make a sauce.  It has been made every year since that first year, recorded in my journal (volume 2, page 72) in July, 2001.  I always freeze it in half-cup portions to use throughout the winter.  It is excellent with duck, lamb and fish but works well as a dipping sauce for wontons, potstickers, or shrimp rolls too.  It can also be added to a little Dijon mustard, sea salt (of course), lime (or lemon) juice and olive oil for a great vinaigrette.  In other words, it is versatile (and travels fine on a 5 hour flight).

You will likely have a little sludge (nectarine solids) left in the pointed part of the chinois;  I like to save this in a small bowl with a tight-fitting lid to use as a spread on toast with a little soft cheese or as a condiment on a sandwich (perhaps on ciabatta with sliced leg of lamb, or on rye with turkey, havarti and avocado).  Think of it as a bonus: spicy nectarine conserve.  I even use it on tacos.  It is the rugged cousin to the nectarine sauce, chunky and good for spreading, whereas the sauce is smooth, pretty to look at and perfect to dip in.

You can adjust the heat of the sauce to your liking by adding more lime juice and/or honey if too spicy, or adding another pepper if too tame.  It should be a nice color of butterscotch and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  This sauce is spicy, sexy and hot.

INGREDIENTS

4 large-sized nectarines, pit removed
1 yellow wax pepper
1 jalapeño
1 Hatch chilli or 2 red Fresno chilies
1 smallish onion (sweet onion or red onion preferred), skin removed and ends trimmed
A drizzle of olive oil

1 good sized clove of garlic, chopped
1 cup sake
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime (and potentially from the other half)
1 TB Demi-glacé
1-2 TB simple syrup or honey (if needed)

PREPARE

Put the nectarines, peppers and onion on a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Shake to coat.

Pre-heat the broiler and broil them on the middle rack, turning frequently, until the peppers are nicely browned on all sides.  The nectarines and onion will not be as cooked as the peppers.

Remove the pan from the oven.  Trim the stem from the peppers then scrape out and discard out the seeds.  Cut the peppers into large pieces.

Cut the onion into chunks.

Remove the pit from the nectarines and cut into large chunks.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat some olive oil (approximately 1 tsp) and sauté the garlic.  Add the peppers, nectarines and onion.  Cook for a few minutes until they begin to soften and meld together.

Add the sake and juice of half a lime.  Continue cooking over medium-low heat for another 10-15 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Transfer to a food processor and purée (this recent time I used my Blendtech on the sauce setting).

Pass the purée through a chinois.  It is okay (and preferred) to have 1/4 to 1/2 cup solids left that don’t pass through the mesh; reserve this to use as mentioned above.

Put the sauce back to the pan and add the Demi-glacé.  Simmer for a few minutes then taste.  If it is too spicy, add the simple syrup or honey, and possibly the juice from the other half of the lime.

This will store in the refrigerator for several days.  I usually use this sauce once or twice when freshly made and then divide it into small Ziploc freezer bags to keep frozen for use through the winter months.

PS_opahGrilled opah is a lovely choice for eating on a beach.

DSC00802

Since I’m not on the beach this year, I’ll take this over to Fiesta Friday for the Novice Gardener with a party hat on my head!  This party hat is in celebration of my Dad’s birthday (happy birthday!!!!).  I heard the party at his house this evening is drinking margaritas and eating some pretty good grub.  So, since I can’t be there, I thought I would join my friends at the notoriously glorious fiesta that is being co-hosted this week by Selma and Elaine, and I will try not to break into song (as I did earlier on his annual birthday wish).

I am lighting the candles on his virtual banana cream pie!  Blow out the candles Dad and hope your wishes come true!

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