The great thing about eating seasonally

I hit the grocery store today, meaning just to pick up a loaf of french bread to have with leftover turkey & veg soup, and then I walked into the produce section. Adam’s is a very dangerous place for me. The entrance leads directly into the produce section, and boy do they have produce! And at such great prices! Adam’s is a pretty small chain (only 3 stores and all in the Hudson River Valley), so they can easily buy from small and medium-sized farms. Right now, local apples are $0.79/lb, local pears are $0.99/lb, and lots of local veggies are equally cheap.

And when I saw the Adam’s own Applefest sausage? For $1.22? With the Empire apples I had at home, onions, and a small very green cabbage I bought for $0.40/lb, I had dinner all planned! So I boiled the sausage in water and apple cider, added sliced apples and half a medium yellow onion sliced thin. I also steamed/briefly boiled half of the cabbage, then mixed in a couple tablespoons of butter and garnished with salt and pepper.

I’m waiting for the boy to get home before we eat, but I tried some of the sausage and it was delicious! And the whole meal cost, what $3, tops? And it’s 75% fruits & veggies! If we want to (and I suspect we might), we could dig into the $2 loaf of fresh french bread I bought, too. Which would bring the grand total up to $5 to feed two people with leftovers. This is the nice thing about cooking at home. And cooking seasonally.

Anyway, just thought I’d update and encourage everyone to check out their local farmer’s market/grocery store for some seasonal, local produce and get cooking!

UPDATE: It was delicious! The cabbage was amazing! I boiled it very briefly, just until tender, but still slightly crunchy and seasoned with butter and a little pepper & salt, it came out slightly sweet and even a little nutty. It was unexpectedly good. The sausage, apples, and onions were also good. I was afraid they would be a little too sweet, but they weren’t. I highly suggest trying this!

Farmers in Social History

Oooh! An academic topic! Well, I did just get back from my class on the Great Depression. Today we were talking about Huey P. Long and Father Coughlin, both of whom were radicals who supported farmers and progressives in farm states. They were also quasi-dictatorial demagogues who flirted with fascism, but that’s another story.

In our discussion of the book Voices of Protest by Allan Brinkley, someone mentioned a passage in which members of the 1930s middle class complained that chain stores were taking over locally owned and operated stores, to the detriment of the community.

Sound familiar? That’s what I thought! So I thought a little more, and I came up with this theory: Traditional American values (and I’m talking real tradition here, not “traditional family values” a la the Republican party) are deeply rooted in rural life. The Jeffersonian ideal of the yeoman farmer existed well into the 19th Century. But by the end of the 19th Century and into the 20th Century, industrialization, falling commodity prices, and a mass exodus from rural areas to cities by rural young people, led to a decline in rural communities. Increasing formal education, technology, and more easily accessible signs of wealth (automobiles, radios, electric lights, etc.) turned the once-respected yeoman farmer into a so-called “hick” or “hillbilly.”

There’s a problem with this, though. As the middle class expanded and people moved into cities, the sense of community and family roots from rural areas got left behind. Living conditions were much more crowded because people who worked in factories and government and other large employers had to live close to their workplace – unlike in rural areas where at least half of the population lived scattered on farms, not in the small towns they supported. Sanitary conditions were worse, especially before the widespread use and installation of city sanitation. The air was dirtier, due to nearby factories, electric plants, and automobile and train usage. The streets were more dangerous – children risked being run over playing in the streets, pedestrians ran similar risks, there were pickpockets in certain areas, etc. This was not the kind of life middle class America was raised on and did not have many of the things they valued (clean air and water, peace and quiet, close-knit community, trust, cooperation, etc.).

However, until the Great Depression, middle class America was appeased by a sharp increase in consumerism, heavily supported by the rise in available consumer credit. Now one could buy a car, a radio, ready-made clothing, machine-made furniture in the latest style, all for only 10% down! Once the Crash had come and gone, people realized that they were still paying for the radio they could barely afford the electricity to power, still paying for the set of fine china that should probably be hocked to buy little Johnnie a new pair of shoes and some meat to go in the stew pot, still paying for the car they couldn’t afford to gas up. Sound familiar?

The mass exodus out of rural areas was spurred not only by technology and education increases, but also by falling commodity prices, soil depletion, drought, and machinery debt hardship. The problem with this mass exodus is that it has since led to the near-total deterioration of what was once the source of our values and our pride: rural American communities.

Rural communities of the past depended upon farmers. The populations living inside the limits of small towns were not enough to support many of the services they boasted. They depended upon farmers to make up the difference. Once farmers were gone, in debt up to their eyeballs, or so poor they couldn’t afford to buy anything, small local businesses started struggling, which sent more people from the small towns to the bigger cities, exacerbating the problem. The farmers that remained got big, consolidating land that once would have held 50-100 small family farms (and the families that worked them) into one or two farms. That consolidation of farmland has supported low rural populations, which is the main problem behind the gradual destruction of rural communities.

With these small towns went the rural values of pre-WWII Americans. We’ve been dealing with this ever since.

I’m not saying that cities are a bad thing. Far from it, they are vibrant and diverse and strong supporters of the arts (something that is sometimes lacking in rural communities) and since they are generally so well-populated, they can sometimes better support small businesses than rural areas. However, not everyone wants to live in a big city (self included). Alas, the alternative of a modern rural town often includes few amenities (sometimes not even a grocery store, just a convenience store, or C-store as they are often called), no public transportation, and deteriorating and/or economically depressed neighborhoods.

So really, what we need are more farmers. Unfortunately, farms on the chopping block are giant, land is hideously expensive, and no banker in his/her right mind is going to invest loans in small-scale agriculture.

Thomas Jefferson had it right with is idea that farmers are the backbone of any nation. And it’s true. Industrial workers can only be the backbone when there are people (often farmers) to buy their goods. Everyone needs to eat, so everyone needs farmers. Not everyone needs a car or random plastic crap or cheap fashion trends made in China (one could argue that no one really needs any of those things). I once saw a bumper sticker from the American Farmland Trust that read “No Farms, No Food.” Perhaps we should add, “No Farms, No Communities” to that list.

Smoked Turkey Leg Soup and other things

Wow. So, October was really busy. I put in a lot of long hours at work, but I designed, manufactured, and installed an exhibit at work and it is finally done! Well, it went up Sunday. I also purchased and organized the food for the opening reception we had to celebrate. Which was super fun. BUT, I also spent the last few weeks of October getting sick from the boy (luckily for both of us, it was relatively short-lived), doing lots of car maintenance on both our cars, and driving excessively to and from his parents, school, and my job. I also didn’t get to cook much, but now that the exhibit is done with, I’m finding time again! I’m also trying to be frugal, especially since my freezer is full of meat and my cupboards full of dried stuff (beans, peas, pasta, etc.) and my crisper is usually full of fresh veggies, and cooking at home.

Tonight I made smoked turkey and vegetable soup, which was kind of amazing. The boy and I both had the day off, and I thought I could simmer it all day, but we were in and out so much today, doing laundry, hitting our favorite antique store, The Hidden Barn, in search of reasonably priced and small hutches for more storage, viewing a cottage for rent (way too small and with even less storage than our current apt., alas), and shopping at Adam’s and Target, that it simmered off and on several times. Here’s the recipe:

Smoked Turkey and Vegetable Soup:

1 smoked turkey leg
3-4 small red potatoes, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
1/2 medium yellow onion. thinly sliced
6-8 leaves green leaf lettuce (I used butter lettuce), washed & coarsely torn or chopped
double pinch salt (or to taste)
3 or so quarts water

Put water in a 4 quart or larger stock pot. Add turkey leg (if you use a 4 quart stockpot, like I did, the leg will probably stick out, that’s okay, just prop the lid up on it) and simmer until water has turned to a lightly golden broth (complete with delicious fat globules!). Turn off heat. Remove turkey leg from broth and let cool, then remove meat from bone – taking care to remove tendons and the long, thin bones – and tear/shred about half of it and put back into pot (save the other half for another use, like more soup or a pasta dish). Return stockpot to heat and add diced potatoes, carrots, onion, lettuce, and salt. Bring to a boil then let simmer until potatoes are tender. Serve with peasant bread for dipping in the broth.

See how easy this is? And it’s sooooo good! The turkey leg gives the broth a slightly smoky, almost chicken-broth-like flavor, particularly after the vegetable additions. You could add beans or a grain (like barley or rice) to this soup or serve it over cheesy polenta, but I like it better with a big hunk of fresh bread. You could also substitute stronger-tasting greens (like kale, collards, or spinach), but I really like the lettuce. It adds color without overpowering the flavor at all and cooks up more tender (and less chewy) than the tougher greens. It still tastes green, but the flavor is subtle, unlike even spinach.

I’m finding that soup is remarkably easy for me to make. Alas, I usually make a lot of it, so there are always leftovers that don’t always get eaten with just the two of us.

My guitarist friend Paul is moving to Arizona for the winter and wants to have one last big huzzah/jam session with all his local musician friends. I said a long time ago that I would cook for it if he wanted. Well, he wants. : ) So I’ve been brainstorming easy and cheap things to make in quantity. I’ve come up with: creamy baked potato soup, Vanessa’s rolls, baked pasta, scalloped potatoes with ham, smoked turkey & vegetable soup, roasted root vegetables with pork loin and fruit sauce (a little much, perhaps, but would be delicious), apple sauce, etc. Of course, I’m not going to do all of that, but a few things, perhaps. We’ll see what Paul wants.

I bought some gorgeous, local carrots today at Adam’s. Think I want to roast them with a honey/cider or honey/garlic glaze. They would go nicely with roast chicken or pork.

I’ve also been wanting to use the red wheat bulghur I bought, but can’t seem to use it in any savory recipes. So I think I’m going to cook it in some apple cider and a little maple syrup with dried fruit and apples and make a sweet, porridge-y dessert/breakfast. Not tomorrow, though. Tomorrow will be another long day of work from 8:30-2, then the long haul up north for class from 7-9, not including the long haul back south (I usually get home around 10:45) and the early wake-up call on Thursday. *sigh* I can’t wait until school tours are over with. Just two more weeks after this!

Speaking of, I should probably get to bed so I can get up early and go to work! Just wanted to update, since I’ve been silent for a while.

Where has autumn gone?

Here I thought that moving to NY was going to give me fall colors and comfy, cool weather until November. WRONG. Turns out this year is going to be just like back home. That’s right folks! We’ve already had snow. Yesterday, in fact. It didn’t stick, but it was snow all the same. And while we’ve had a few glorious, sunshiney, 60 degree days in September & early October, it’s mostly been cold and rainy. As in high of 40 degrees cold. *sigh* Good thing my life has been ridiculously hectic lately, which should explain my lack of posting. Not only do I barely have time to cook dinner, I have no time to post about it!

I didn’t get much sleep this week because of our complicated schedule of coming back from the boy’s parents’ late Tuesday night, getting up early on Wednesday for a school group, leaving work early to get up to Albany for class on Wednesday night, accidentally inducing caffeine-fed insomnia that led to 1 1/2 hours of sleep Wednesday night, getting up at 6 am Thursday morning to head back up to Albany for a field trip, sleeping the rest of Thursday, and getting up early on Friday morning for another school group. This afternoon we’re going to be starting installation on an exhibit we’re doing at work. So today won’t be so bad. But still. I’ve got a big paper to write, people! : ) Don’t even get me started on next week’s schedule!

Suffice to say that I’m going to be a ridiculously busy girl until November 2nd (Nov. 1st is the exhibit opening). I’m hoping the snow doesn’t stick until after Halloween. Although, I do have an awesome costume planned. I’m going as a witch (of course), but I have the most amazing giant, floppy, velvet witch hat that I’m going to decorate with a white rose pin and I’ll wear a white shirt, my black Victorian-looking jacket, a black skirt, and my new black-and-white striped tights I bought last night at Target! Oh, and my incredibly pointy stiletto mary janes. : ) I love dressing up.

The one truly bad thing about being this busy is that I feel like I’m really missing experiencing autumn. The boy and I haven’t been able to go on many walks, really, and the past couple of weekends we’ve spent up at his parents’ working on cars (his dad has an amazing garage full of all kinds of useful tools) so we haven’t been able to get out to Minnewaska or anything. I really miss baking, too. I think I’m going to try a brown sugar chocolate chip recipe on Sunday. The boy’s boss has cancer and it has come back again and chocolate chip cookies are his favorite, so I’m going to try my hand at them. I might also bake macaroons and possibly use the egg yolks to make a custard. Maybe. If I don’t feel like I should be feverishly working on my paper instead. Which I probably will feel like. *sigh* I’m SO glad I don’t have a full-time job on top of school. I’d never get anything done! Although the extra money would be nice. *sigh*

Ah well. Enough complaining. Tonight I’m going to try my hand at minestrone. I actually got my act together and soaked the white beans overnight! Now, when to find time to cook them…. Lol. Maybe I’ll start the soup this morning. And if I’m going to do that, then I’d better go off and get ready for my day!

Apple Adventures

Well, last weekend the boy and I finally went appling over at Apple Hill Farm near New Paltz. We picked peck bags of Opalescents and Northern Spys (the boy’s favorite), and grabbed few Rome Beauties and Bosc pears out of giant wooden bins they had trucked in from another farm. It was a pretty nice day out, though it did try to spit rain at us while the sun was shining. Here’s a picture:

Yes, that’s really me! Anywho, so we’ve had two giant bags of apples for about a week now, plus a few Honeycrisps still left over from the last appling foray and one aging Ginger Gold. So, since today is my day off, I decided to make applesauce with a few (and with apples this size, it only takes a few!).

When I was very young we lived in a 1901 square, single story house with a big old apple tree out back. I could see it from my bedroom window in the back of the house. One year we had a HUGE bumper crop of apples. I mean, we were giving them away by the paper grocery bag full and found we didn’t have enough friends to foist them off on, so we were handing them out to the neighbors and whoever would take them. This is my earliest memory of my mom making applesauce. I think she put up maybe 30 or 40 quarts that year. I don’t remember if she actually canned them, or just froze them in canning jars in our chest freezer, but we had applesauce year-round.

And boy was it good applesauce! Not the mealy, flavorless, “smooth” stuff you get from the grocery store. No pointy metal sieve and wooden pestle for my mom! Instead, she did applesauce the easy way: Wash and peel the apples, cut them into quarters, core them, and slice the long way into a pot with a little water and sugar and let them simmer down. The ones that go in first turn into the soft “sauce” part and the later ones remain in varying degrees of firmness (but never crunchy). A little apple pie (or pumpkin pie) spice and served hot or cold, it was delicious. It was one of my favorite desserts growing up.

Today I’m trying something a little different. I melted some brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup in the bottom of the pan, added a 1/4 cup of water, and then started tossing in apples. I may need to add more sugar, but we’ll see. My mom’s recipe always used white granulated sugar, so I’m interested to see how this stuff turns out. I was going for a more caramel-y flavor, but we’ll see.

In high school I used to bring my lunch every day and I remember bringing applesauce once and a friend asking if I was eating apple pie filling. So that should give you an idea of what the finished product looks like. Except a little pinker and not so goopy.

At any rate, I just thought I’d update quickly before I disappear for a few days. When the boy gets home we’re headed upstate for his parents’ and to fix his Jeep, the tires of which need alignment. He also needs a haircut. The boy that is, not the Jeep. And guess where his stylist lives? Lol… Ah well, at least we’re not putting more milage on the Vibe this time!

I’m starting to get the hang of my job, though when school groups come it’s still extremely hectic. I also miss not having more time to cook! Although this week wasn’t too bad. We had some friends over to help us move our dresser upstairs and I made penne alfredo with broccoli, chicken, onions, and mushrooms. It was pretty good! I just made a white sauce, added some shredded parmesan and extra milk, salt & pepper, then poured it over the pasta & steamed broccoli. The chicken, onions, and mushrooms I sauteed in a little olive oil in my “new” enameled cast iron fry pan that my mom bought for me before my move. It’s from the 1970s but looks brand new and is from Norway. It’s cute and brown with stylized white leaves around the sides. It even has a lid! This was my first time using it, but I think I’m going to use it a lot more often, now! I put in too much oil (used to cooking on aluminum) to get the chicken to brown nicely but nothing stuck, either. The chicken, onions, and mushrooms got drained from the oil & tossed with the pasta, too. It was delicious.

At any rate, I should probably go pack for our trip. Can’t wait to see the fall colors up there. They’re about halfway turned down here. Fingers crossed we don’t get any snow. I heard my homestate of ND already has some! And it’s not even Halloween yet! Thankfully the East Coast seems to have longer autumns. : )

Finally, I got to bake again!

Since I was so productive today in getting cleaning and homework done, I had time to make dinner and bake!

A note before the recipes: the boy and I bought a 1930s mahogany highboy at a reasonably priced antiques place not too far from home because we desperately needed another dresser. Our closets are quite small and mine basically holds my dress clothes and cardigans and a few wool coats. For a long time my non-button-up-shirt laundry languished cleanly on the floor, getting wrinkled and eventually becoming indistinguishable from the dirty. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have a whole dresser to myself! However, since the dresser is coming on Thursday and I’m spending all day tomorrow up at Albany and most of Thursday at work (and the boy is gone : ( at an NPS conference until Thursday afternoon), today was the day I had to clean, rearrange, and make room for the dresser! Yesterday I organized almost all of my clothes and shoes, including bringing my winter stuff out of storage. Today I moved furniture, dusted, and hauled books and drawers around to make room for the new piece. I also did my reading homework and wrote a paper for tomorrow’s class. Oh, and I did a giant load of dishes and cleaned the kitchen. See what I mean about a productive day?!

Anyway, so I finally had the leisure time to make dinner and bake for the first time in forever.

I used to work at Nichole’s Fine Pastry back home in Fargo, and they have (or had) a salad on the lunch menu called Asian Noodle Salad. It was amazing. It was basically cold soba noodles tossed in sesame oil and topped with sliced chicken breast, sliced celery & green peppers, mandarin oranges, chopped green onion, toasted sesame seeds and peanuts and served with a very salty, very yummy homemade peanut sauce. It was amazing. And y’know what? It’s not hard to make! Here’s my version:

Sesame Soba Salad

1 bunch soba noodles
1/4 small head green cabbage, very thinly sliced (optional)
1 medium navel orange, peeled and chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
2-3 ribs celery, sliced
1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
6 or so shakes of soy sauce
peanuts (I use reduced salt peanuts)
pinch of salt to taste

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add green cabbage and let boil for a minute or two, then add soba noodles and boil 4 minutes (or as directed on package). Drain and let cool slightly. Put noodles in bowl and add celery, green onions, and orange pieces. Add sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss to coat. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. Top with peanuts before serving. Serves 2-3 as a main portion or 4-6 as a side dish.

And for once, I actually have a picture! Here it is!

It looks kind of slimy and gross in this picture, actually, but I promise that it is delicious!

I also got to bake today. Finally! Remember that blueberry oat quick bread I made a while ago? I decided to use up some peaches I had on hand and made a peach almond bread! The sad but good news is that I added the dry ingredients right to the chopped peaches (instead of folding those into the batter at the end) and added the sugar with the dried ingredients (instead of whipping it with the buttermilk & eggs), but it still turned out! Here’s the recipe:

Peach Almond Oatmeal Quick Bread (adapted from thekitchn.com)

1-2 cups washed and chopped peaches (I left the skin on and you can’t even tell)
1/2 cup chopped/crushed whole raw almonds
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking or steel-cut)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or a few pinches)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (this much extract makes the bread taste quite a bit like mild marzipan; add less if you don’t like that much almond flavoring)

Pre-heat the oven to 325°. Grease one loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the almonds and the peaches and toss to coat. In separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and stir gently until you see no more dry flour.

Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes, rotating the pan partway through. The loaf is done when the top is puffed and dry, and when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before unmolding. Allow it to cool completely before slicing.

Haha. I can never let this stuff cool before slicing. So good! If you are allergic to nuts or don’t like almonds, you could sub chopped candied ginger for the almonds, vanilla extract for the almond, and if you really wanted to ginger it up, ground ginger for the nutmeg and/or cinnamon. Hmmm, too bad I don’t have any peaches left or I’d try that, too!

And what’s that? I have a picture of this one, too! Why yes, yes I do! Enjoy:

What’s that? It seems that I have two pictures for you!

And now, kiddles and bits, it’s time for me to review my paper, e-mail it to the boy for further revision, and get packed up for tomorrow. We’ve got another field trip tomorrow, so I’ve got to get up to Albany by 9:30 am. That means leaving by 7:30 am or earlier! *sigh* I will be happy when I can schedule next semester’s classes on one day. The commute isn’t terrible, but it gets old.

Anywho, I’m off! Enjoy the recipes!

The Karma of Sharing

I’m reading Studs Terkel’s Hard Times for my class on the Great Depression. It’s a collection of oral histories taken in the 1960s from people from all walks of life and all ages and it asks them what they remember about the Depression. In it, there are several stories that make note of the fact that people shared a lot more back then, but there are several more that indicate that people grew more guarded and secretive and fearful of sharing. The one tale that struck me was from a guy who was hoboing around and who said (and I paraphrase), “The less people have, the more they share. When you got nothing, you don’t have to worry about someone takin’ it.”

Sharing isn’t often done in big cities. I think it’s the anonymity factor – you don’t really know anyone, and no one knows you. There’s safety in that, but there’s also danger. For instance, fewer people who witness crimes, accidents, or people in trouble do anything about it.

In rural areas, everyone knows everyone, which means a whole lot less privacy, but also means more safety. More than in cities. Because if everyone in your town or on surrounding farms knows who, they are more likely to help you out when you’re in a bind. Farmers are great at this, sharing equipment, loaning tools, helping with planting and harvest, especially if someone on the farm is injured or sick. The other nice thing about everyone knowing everyone is that if someone sees a strange person sneaking around someone’s house or farm, they’re likely to tell the owner and/or call the police. They might even challenge that person.

There’s also more trust in dealing with people in rural areas. I was talking with my mom about this, particularly the “3 Degrees of Separation” that seem inevitable in and in reference to North Dakota. We’re such a small state that invariably you’ll run into someone who is either related to or friends with one of your relatives or friends. If the person with a flat tire on the side of the road is married to your cousin’s best friend’s sister, you’re more likely to help them, and you’re more likely to help them more. I think it’s because there’s accountability in knowing who someone is. If the person you’re helping steals your car or takes off with your wallet, you can tell the police and find that person through your network of friends and family.

But I digress. Let’s get back to sharing.

I love sharing. Well, mostly. I don’t like sharing/loaning out favorite books or my fancy kitchenware. But pretty much everything that I truly love to do involves sharing. For instance: playing music, cooking and food, writing, telling stories and talking, dancing, etc. Gardening is also very much about sharing, but I haven’t gotten there yet. I need a patch of dirt first!

To me, sharing is different from giving. Sharing is taking part of what you are doing/making and spreading it around to people you like and love or sometimes to people you don’t even know! Giving, to me, is taking something that you don’t want or don’t need and foisting it off on someone you perceive needs help. Giving comes with debt, like it or not. Sharing is guilt-free.

I’ve been lucky enough to live a kind of charmed life so far. No major tragedy, no true hardship. I think part of it comes from liking to share. Oh sure, when I was a kid I was a brat and didn’t want to share toys or cookies or whatever. But as I’ve grown up, sharing has become more important to me. Particularly in regards to food. Maybe it’s a gene I inherited from my great-grandmothers, but somehow whenever I’m cooking, I always make enough to feed at least four people, sometimes eight. And when I lived all by my lonesome in my big apartment back home, I was always wanting to throw parties and have people over to feed them and hang out. I miss that now, but our current apartment is just too tiny to have more than a few people over.

Another thing about sharing is that it feels good. And not in a patronizing, munificent kind of way. But in a feel-good, fun kind of way. Hmm, I can’t explain it really. Maybe it has more to do about having something you love and/or love doing and having other people enjoy it makes you feel satisfied, justified perhaps.

What do you think about sharing? I’m curious to know.

Potato Leek Soup and the easiest white sauce EVER!

Remember the barbecue pork and potato/leek/cabbage casserole I made a few days ago? And that I added way too much milk to the casserole and it turned out weird? Well friends, problems solved! I made Potato Leek (and cabbage) Soup out of it!

The basis of the soup, as with my homemade cream cheese macaroni & cheese, is a white sauce, a.k.a bechamel if you’re going to get fancy and French. The first time I ever made a white sauce, I was going for alfredo. The directions I had (the one time Joy failed me) were slightly vague and I wasn’t sure how things were supposed to work. So as soon as the butter melted, I dumped in the flour, whisked until smooth, and added the milk. What I neglected to do is what gives a white sauce/bechamel its taste – let the flour cook in the butter. A coworker once gave me the easiest ratio for bechamel ever: 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup flour, 1 cup milk. Here’s a step-by-step recipe:

Basic White Sauce (a.k.a. Bechamel):

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk (add a little more, if you like your sauce thin)
salt & pepper to taste (or whatever seasonings you want to add – nutmeg, basil, sage, garlic, etc.)
shredded or cream cheese (optional)

Melt butter in medium- to large-sized saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble. Whisk in flour a little at a time, whisking until smooth before adding the next tablespoon or two of flour. It will probably bubble and clump up but don’t freak out, just keep whisking. When it is all combined and bubbly and golden (but not brown!) in color, add your milk, still whisking. Whisk until smooth and fully combined. If adding cheese(s), add now and keep whisking until cheeses are fully melted and combined. If adding seasonings, add now. Salt is highly recommended, pepper and others are optional.

Serve over pasta, vegetables, poultry, fish, whatever you want! Or, use as a base for a soup or another sauce.

After I made this, I just sliced the casserole into chunks with a knife in the pan, added the leek-y milk in with a little extra new milk to the sauce, then dumped in the newly cut-up vegetables and cooked over low heat. If you let it simmer too long, the sauce will bind with the milk and start to thicken pretty quickly, so you’ll want to watch it. Mine did that. I might need to add a little extra milk, in fact.

If you wanted to make the soup without having leftover casserole, do this:

Potato Leek (& Cabbage) Soup:

3 large red potatoes, cut into quarters and sliced
2 medium-small leeks, thoroughly washed and sliced
1/4-1/2 a small head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 recipe white sauce (see above)
2-4 cups milk
1-2 oz. cream cheese or neufchatel (about 1/4 a 8 oz. package)
shredded sharp provolone
garlic powder
salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add potatoes and cabbage (but not leeks!). Cook until tender and drain. Make white sauce in a large pot (I use a 4 quart stockpot) and add extra milk, cream cheese, provolone, garlic powder, and salt. Stir until smooth. Add potatoes, cabbage, and leeks. Simmer very slowly until leeks are tender and mild (or rather, even more mild). Add more milk if soup is getting too thick for your liking.

Serves 3-4 as a main dish.

There. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? I hope there’s a little leftover for me to bring to work tomorrow. It gets quite cold in our building and in order to save money, they’re trying to keep the heat off for as long as possible, which is understandable. So I bundle up. But sitting all day is not conducive to staying warm! So soup would be nice.

Anywho, just a short update. Things have been super busy lately. School is starting to catch up with me. I knew graduate classes would be hard, but who knew they would simply take up so much time? I’ve been driving a lot. A LOT. My poor car has put on nearly 6,000 miles since I moved out here in June (although, 2,500 of those miles were spent just to get out here).

I haven’t had nearly the time to bake that I want. The clafoutis I made on Saturday was the nearest I’ve gotten in a long time. I really want to make a peach almond oatmeal quick bread (based on the blueberry quick bread recipe), but I don’t know if I’ll have time until Saturday. And then I’ll probably want to sleep in and do nothing as this week (like last week) has been very hectic. We’ll see. Those peaches need eating!

I’d also like to make applesauce this weekend to use up some of the Honeycrisps we bought a while ago (some of which were not very Honeycrisp-like! *frown*). I still want to foray out to New Paltz again for those intriguing Opalescent apples we missed last time (went to the wrong place!). I bet they taste yummy. The boy and I are both anxiously awaiting the arrival of Northern Spy apples, which I think might already be here. Maybe Sunday.

We also went upstate to the boy’s parents’ last weekend, mostly to get Rust Cop put on my car. Alas, it rained all weekend, so we had to reschedule. Happily, we got to go on some long, wet, autumn walks down barely-maintained country roads in our thankfully water-proof hiking boots. I even wore my sunshine yellow scarf because it was cold out. I matched the leaves. We also managed to swing by the Little Falls Community Co-op, where I bought mission figs (for poached dried fruit compote) and currants (for scones) as well as some golden flax, wheat bran, and oat bran (for health), simply because they were ridiculously cheap (the wheat bran was $0.23 for a little bag, people) and I thought it might be fun to experiment with them and/or have them on hand in case a recipe ever calls for them. Or just so I can go looking for recipes that include them. : ) Speaking of cheap, I think my whole bill (subtracting the $18 Peterson’s field guide I bought) was $10. I love that store. They have everything but quinces. Which I can’t find anywhere but want to try someday. And comice pears. Gotta buy me some of them this weekend. Possibly to make pear gingerbread or pear black chocolate cake.

*sigh* Can’t wait until the boy gets home so we can eat! I might add some leftover sausage to the soup, too. Just for a little protein. Man. This is making me hungry. Off to distract myself before I devour the soup and leave nothing for the boy. ; )

Kitchenware Wish List

My kitchen is far from perfect. For one, my current one is tiny. If I open the oven all the way, it almost touches the kitchen chairs when all the way pushed in against the table. Our table is small and round, with only three little chairs. I have precisely three cupboards and four drawers. Top cupboards for dishes and glasses and some serving ware, bottom cupboard for dry and canned goods, cupboard by the sink for mixing bowls and baking dishes. On drawer for cooking utensils, one drawer for silverware, one drawer for kitchen and tea towels and one drawer for parchment paper, aluminum foil, wax paper, and plastic baggies. Where, you may wonder, do I store my pots and pans? Well, we have a giantly tall but skinny wire rack in the corner by the radiator and hemmed in by the kitchen table. On the top go cereal, flours, and sugars. Second rack from the top is for spices and honeys and molasses. Then the drawer for random bits topped by half sheet pans that hold breads. Then the a shelf of pots & pans, and the bottom for cake and loaf pans and my electric mixer. Skillets and fry pans hang from the hooks on one side, cutting boards, my wire cooling rack, box grater, and pot holders hang from the other.

All in all, it’s not a bad little kitchen. It works. But space is tight. Especially in our small, apartment-sized fridge/freezer, both of which are generally completely full. In our search for a cottage to rent and eventually a little house to buy, a decent kitchen is going to be one of the most important purchasing decisions.

That being said, there are some things I can’t wait to have (provided I have the space for them, of course).

1. Enameled cast iron dutch oven (LeCruset would be nice, but any will do)
2. 12″ cast iron skillet
3. heavy-bottomed 8 quart stockpot
4. better chef’s knife and paring knives
5. sharp edged professional loaf pans
6. 9″ round cake pans (at least two, maybe three)
7. a square cake pan*
8. roasting pan
9. mandoline slicer/julienne-er
10. microplane zester*
11. 9×13″ covered cake pan
12. square grill skillet (the kind with raised lines so you can grill stovetop)
13. popcorn popper (stovetop?)
14. food mill
15. airtight glass storage jars (for flours, beans, sugars, etc.)
16. small ice cream maker (very small – quart at a time, please!)
17. muffin tin*
18. another glass pie dish*
19. stainless steel tongs*
20. medium-large deep stainless steel skillet/fry pan
21. magnetic measuring spoons
22. stainless steel measuring cups
23. crock pot*
24. digital kitchen scale

*Things I will probably just go out and buy myself. The rest will have to wait for many Christmases and birthdays or perhaps a wedding registry. ; )

These things are definitely going on my Christmas wish list (and then birthday, since I’m a January baby), though LeCruset and such other pricey items may have to wait until a wedding registry is needed. ; )

You may have noticed that a KitchenAid mixer and Cuisinart food processor are not listed. This is because I like easy, uncomplicated food. A food processor may be nice at some point, but for me, a KitchenAid takes up more kitchen space than it is worth. I’d rather have my compact little hand mixer, which I think works just as well and if I’m making something like a meriengue, gives me a bit of a workout, too! : D I just don’t feel I do enough baking to justify a KitchenAid. Plus, they are really freaking expensive!

I do want an ice cream maker, though, because the boy and I love ice cream, but it can get a little pricey. Plus, homemade with fresh seasonal fruit and heavy cream would be way more delicious. Also, I could make sorbets! Of course, then we’ll have to get a chest freezer. : ) But that’s on the long-term list anyway. And popcorn? We like to eat a lot of that, too, but it’s hard to make on the stove without burning (at least, for me it is) and microwave popcorn is too heavily salted/oiled/fake-buttered to eat very often.

Anyone have any suggestions of things that I would absolutely “need?”

A barbecue for autumn

I know bbq sauce is more of a summery thing, but last night at our gig in New Paltz at a fancy wine bar, the bandmates and I ordered “small plates” (aka appetizers) which included honey almond chicken wings/drumsticks. They were sticky and not too sweet, but not all that almondy or honey tasting and not at all spicey. The chicken was, however, fall-off-the-bone tender, if a little on the dry side. The sauce needed a zing of something. They should have used raw honey, a little almond flour or almond paste, and maybe some cider vinegar or lemon juice to punch it up.

This past week has been an incredibly busy one and the next week is going to be just as busy. So, tonight I’m taking the opportunity to finally do some home cooking again, since I have the whole day off from school and work and rehearsals and gigs. A great deal of homework needs to be done, but I can work on that this afternoon and tomorrow.

So, there are boneless pork ribs thawing in the fridge and I just made some homemade barbecue sauce. I’ve discovered that I don’t really like to follow recipes when cooking. Even when I am “following” a recipe, I read through the whole thing first, then I look at the ingredients, the composition, the cook heat & time, and basically wing it. It usually turns out just fine. Sometimes not as good as I would like, but definitely more than edible. I’m also learning that I need to taste things. I have a habit of just thinking of what other flavor elements would work well with something and dumping in a little spice or adding another vegetable or a pat more of butter or a little more salt, and I don’t tend to taste. I have a very good sense of flavor pairings (they called me the “flavor queen” sometimes at the pastry shop) and things usually turn out delicious. But often I notice something that I could have tweaked slightly, like adding a little more salt or a little less pepper; things I would have noticed beforehand if I had only tasted.

That is the principle by which I made today’s barbecue sauce. I knew that many barbecue sauces had a tomato-based element (usually ketchup), molasses, honey, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, butter or oil, and/or a variety of spices and heat-inducing ingredients. I had on hand: tomato paste, full-flavor molasses, clover honey, dijon mustard, olive oil, and cider vinegar. I also had chopped garlic, hot pepper sauce, black pepper, and dutch processed black cocoa powder. Basically, I started with a 6 oz. can of tomato paste, added half the can of water, a glug of mild olive oil, two glugs of cider vinegar, a tablespoon or so of dijon mustard, a heaping tablespoon of chopped garlic, about a 1/4 cup of honey, what ended up being probably a 1/2 cup of molasses, probably a teaspoon of hot pepper sauce (I used a habanero sauce Chad had in the fridge but you could use Tabasco), a heaping teaspoon or so of ground black pepper, and a heaping teaspoon of black cocoa powder (my “secret” ingredient). Here’s a more formal, coherent estimate of my recipe:

Honey Molasses Barbecue Sauce:

1 – 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 can water (3 or so oz.)
2 tablespoons mild olive oil
3-4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup full flavor molasses (use more if using light, use a LOT less if using blackstrap)
1/4 cup clover honey (I had buckwheat, but I thought the flavor would get lost)
1 teaspoon (6-10 shakes) hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco
1 heaping teaspoon black pepper (provides a surprising amount of heat)
1 heaping teaspoon dutch process black cocoa powder (or whatever cocoa powder you have on hand)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Taste and adjust spices/sweetness as necessary. This barbecue sauce is quite sweet (just like I like it), so you might want to go light on the honey. This sauce also has a little heat. Enough to make your lips tingle/burn, but definitely not enough to make you run (or even walk) for a cold beverage. It should be noted that I have a pretty low tolerance for spice. Adjust heat accordingly to your personal tastes. Makes appx. 4 cups sauce.

I thought about cooking the sauce, but decided just to let it marinate in the fridge. I’m planning on putting the boneless pork ribs on a greased aluminum baking sheet with high sides and dumping the sauce over top in increments and cooking it slow in the oven. I want the sauce to reduce and get sticky but I want to keep the meat moist.

I went to the farmers’ market that the museum hosts in their parking lot every Wednesday and picked up some really cheap produce: a large bunch of radishes (tops intact) cost $1 and a giant bunch of 6-10 leeks – normally $3.50 year-round for 2-3 leeks in the grocery store – for $2.50. So, tonight I’m going to make potato-leek-cabbage gratin to go with the barbecue pork. It’s going to be delicious. I’ll probably make a bechamel/white sauce with a little cream cheese and sharp provelone added to pour over top. Nom, nom, nom.

*sigh* And now? Homework is calling. : (