Apple Season

Luckily for us, there were plenty of apples that were ripe and ready to be picked this last weekend. M., myself and two of our friends travelled upstate and picked apples on Saturday. We had a moment of panic as we drove when the sky opened and a torrential downpour soaked us, but when we arrived at the orchard it was dry albeit a bit cloudy.

We roamed the trees, peeking at varieties we'd never heard of (orange pippin?) and tasting as many different kinds as possible. I really liked the Gravenstein varietal that I tasted. Scarlet red in color, it's flavor was bright and sweet. And then there are my favorite Galas and Honeycrisps. When it's apple season, I'm a happy camper!

We brought home 25 pounds of apples. Yes. 25 pounds. There will be a lot of apple treats coming out of my kitchen in the days and weeks to come. And I started last night.


Here is my version of a basic applesauce recipe that floats around the internet. I made it up as I went along, but there's really little way to mess it up. If you want further inspiration, a quick google of crockpot applesauce will bring you more ideas. But here's what I did.

Crockpot Applesauce
6 servings

6-8 apples (I used McIntosh, Gala, and Honeycrisp but any kind will work)
4 quart crockpot (a larger one can be used, however you will need to prepare more apples)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 cloves
2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)

Peel and chop apples. I used a handy dandy apple peeler/corer machine, but a basic peeler and knife will do the trick as well. Put in crock pot. Turn on high for 4 + hours. At the 2 hour point, remove lid and add spices. Replace lid. At the 4 hour point (or when cooked to desired texture), add sugar to taste. Cool, and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Mezze, part one

Mezze. It is such a great word. According to Wikipedia, it means a selection of appetizers or small dishes taken with alcohol. What can be more perfect then that? And the alcohol is optional. In fact, I didn't actually know that was part of the definition until now but it certainly makes me love the concept even more. Enjoying a mezze-style meal is like having a little party. So tonight, we had a little mezze. No occasion. Sunday night. Football. Mezze.

The idea of making Middle Eastern food came from two sources. First of all, we went to one of our favorite Middle Eastern restaurants last night. And I mean favorite. Here in NYC, you have to really love a restaurant to return. After all, there are hundreds of thousands of more out there. Why return for just "okay"? But this restaurant in the East Village is fantastic. No menus, $35 for 7 plus courses and just a delicious mezze of food. But last night, they weren't up to their usual standards. Yes, the falafel was outstanding, but the hummus tasted bland. The usual fattoush salad had been changed to an avocado feta salad (also too bland) and there were several other similar changes. I was left wanting more.... wanting the fattoush salad and wanting better tasting hummus. This, coupled with the three eggplants picked from the garden this week planted the idea of making a mezze for dinner tonight into my mind. And then, I just couldn't think of anything else.

Baba Ghanouj is a personal thing. I like mine creamy, smoky from the grill but with enough tahini to make the flavor fuller. M. prefers his thinner and smokier. To each their own. Except that I was the chef tonight. :)

Baba Ghanoush (Roasted Eggplant with Tahini)
Deborah Madison
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

1 large or 2 medium eggplants, about 1 1/4 pounds
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of 1 large lemon
salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chopped parsley
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slash eggplant in several places so it won't explode, and then put in pan and bake until the point of collapse (30-40 minutes). Let skin harden and char in a few places to give it a smoky flavor. I cooked my eggplant on the grill for about 40 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes or so. Peel eggplant, and puree in blender or food processor with the garlic and tahini. Season with lemon juice and salt to taste. I added a couple of tablespoons of mayonnaise to round out the flavor even more. Mayonnaise is a common ingredient in Israeli style baba ghanoush, but again optional. Mound puree in a bowl, create slight depression with the back of a spoon. Pour a little olive oil in to the depression, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Mojito Madness!

I've already made my feelings about mojitos known. So, last week I was feeling in a Cuban mood again. I made a nice pot of black beans (the same recipe as in the link above) and cooked up some brown rice. Then, I decided to get creative with some tofu I had lying around.

Now, I do love tofu. But I love flavorful tofu. Tofu marinated and grilled. Tofu sauced and baked. I like interesting tofu. But, I rarely take the time to make it interesting. But this recipe for a Mojito Marinade in one of my cooking magazines from earlier in the summer had lingered in my memory. See, I get a lot of cooking magazines. And while I love flipping through them, to be honest it is a good month when I actually cook something out of one. But often a recipe sticks in my mind and all of a sudden, it MUST be made. I couldn't tell you what else was in the article on marinades that I read all those months ago, but the Mojito Marinade stuck out. So I tried it.

The marinade was easy to assemble (the most time consuming step being grating some lime zest), and after a whir in the food processor - it was done. And, minus the shallots which are not usually an ingredient found in any mojito I've come across, the marinade looked almost good enough to drink. I split the marinade between the tofu, and some sliced vegetables (peppers, zuchini and the like) prepared to grill. After a about a half hour's wait, we were off to the grill.

I really liked this marinade on tofu. The tangy sweetness of the marinade carmelized on the grill, and complemented the somewhat bland taste of the plain tofu. The flavor did not come out as well on the vegetables, however I don't think that I had quite enough marinade for the amount of vegetables I prepared. With more marinade, the flavor might have come through better.

Sadly, my pictures of this meal did not come out well. I forgot to take a picture while plated, and the lighting in the kitchen was poor when I remembered to photograph. But, I plan to make this marinade again in the future and when I do so, perhaps I'll have more photographic luck.

Feeling Lazy These August Days....

The Veggie Kitchen has actually been producing some yummy things these days, and not by my hands. M. was inspired in the kitchen this past weekend. On Friday he created his own risotto, including creating a broth from garden picked oven roasted grape tomatoes. On Saturday he made butternut squash ravioli using a butternut squash from our garden, and making his own sheets of pasta. I sat back and revelled in not having to cook, and quite happily consumed his delicious results. But like a bad blogger, I neglected to take any pictures.

Scandalous, I know.

The other project that has kept me hopping these days is our current "Rescue the Stray Kittens Living in Our Yard" enterprise we've embarked on. When we moved to the apartment in May, we quickly learned that there were two stray cats who happen about the neighborhood. We've nicknamed them "Stripey" and "Orange", which were our very original attempts at naming them based on their appearances. In late May, we learned that Stripey had a litter of kittens in the yard next door. We were concerned for them, but since it was not our yard we couldn't get to the kittens.

Fast forward to August. All five kittens began hanging out in our yard. We actually think some of them were living in our garden, having gotten in but being too small to climb the wall to get back out. M. has taken up kitten catching, and has successfully captured 4 of the 5 kittens through a variety of means including dumb luck in grabbing one as it ran by, cartoonish traps involving laundry baskets and other creative kitten catching methods.

We have decided to keep one kitten as a companion for Helios (the one pictured at the left and below). They remain unintroduced as the kitten we've chosen had an upper respiratory infection and is currently on antibiotics. Once the antibiotics course is completed, then he can do all the feline leukemia testing necessary to make sure he's safe to introduce to Helios. He's also unnamed at the present. Artemis was a strong contender (until it was realized that the mythological character was female). I am partial to Ezra, but M. prefers Soma. Meanwhile - he remains kitten. He's absolutely adorable, but with him sequestered upstairs, his three siblings sequestered downstairs and Helios running around in between - it's been a little crazy here in Brooklyn. Three litter boxes, five cats needing feeding, one kitten needing twice daily antibiotics .... blogging time has been limited.

Hang in there though - we've decided we MUST give the three siblings to a shelter this weekend if we can't find a home for them. So, hopefully (although we will be sad to say good-bye to the cute little kittens) life will become a bit more normal next week.

How cute am I?

Quinoa, Corn, and Tomato Salad with PARSLEY-Infused Oil, CL August 2007

I have a very good memory. I tend not to use things like calendars, and can usually keep things in my head until I need them. I usually remember things like dentist appointments months in advance, whether we're out of milk or cat food and when going to a grocery store to buy things for a recipe I can USUALLY remember them.

You know what's coming, don't you? Oh how the mighty fall when they become too confident.

Yes, last week I was all ready to make Quinoa, Corn, and Tomato Salad with Chive-Infused Oil from August's Cooking Light. Went to the grocery store, came home and was halfway through the recipe when I realized - I'd forgotten chives. Ooops. Typically I prefer to make recipes as written the first time through. That clearly was not going to work in this case. So, I grabbed a bunch of parsley which I DID remember to buy and made a couple changes to the recipe.

The results were delightful. This was an excellent salad - M. is particularly fond of quinoa so he was happy and I loved the PARSLEY (not chive) taste that came through from the infused oil. The oil was an additional step, but it really makes the salad and certainly wasn't hard to make. I wouldn't use a purchased equivalent - it really needs to be fresh to add that tangy essence to the salad. Any salad containing fresh corn, tomato and herbs is a winner, especially in the summer. The salad was a hit, so please don't judge it by the picture taken outside at night (as it really doesn't do it justice). I was actually inspired by this salad to create my own Mexican knock-off a few days later (which will be forthcoming on this blog). After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.....

Quinoa, Corn and Tomato Salad with Chive-Infused Oil
Cooking Light Magazine
August, 2007

Cooking Light's notes - Brightly colored flavored oil coats the quinoa grains and lends the salad fresh chive flavor. Refrigerate leftover oil to use as a dressing to drizzle over grilled fish or summer vegetables. Garnish with whole fresh chives, if desired

My notes - If, like me, you forget chives, take comfort in the fact that this salad works equally well with parsley. And most likely basil as well, although that combination has not yet been confirmed.

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons Chive-Infused Oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine 1 1/2 cups water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine quinoa, corn, tomatoes, and parsley in a medium bowl. Combine Chive-Infused Oil and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over salad; toss well to coat. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

6 servings - each serving size 2/3 cup

CALORIES 179(34% from fat); FAT 6.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 5.2g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 20mg; SODIUM 145mg; FIBER 2.4g; IRON 2.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.1g

Chive Infused Oil

3/4 cup extravirgin olive oil
1/2 cup (1-inch) slices fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients in a blender; pulse 6 times or until chives are very finely minced. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard solids. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

3/4 cup (serving size: 1 1/2 teaspoons)

CALORIES 63(100% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 1g,mono 5.4g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 0.0g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 0.0mg; SODIUM 49mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.0mg; CARBOHYDRATE 0.0g

Mixed Greens and Nectarine salad....

...in the night. This recipe caught my eye when reading this month's Cooking Light, so I just had to try it. What wasn't to love? Nectarines, mixed greens and a sweet but tangy vinaigrette mixed at home. Sounded wonderful to me.

This salad couldn't be simpler. Nothing to chop except one juicy nectarine. Nothing to prepare except the dressing, which, once prepared will keep for days in the fridge to make future replications easy to assemble. And the only ingredient I had to purchase was a bottle of walnut oil. Since originally making this salad on Sunday evening, I have replicated it several times. I really like the sweetness of the tangy vinaigrette, and recommend tossing the nectarines and greens in a separate bowl before plating to get the fullest effect of the dressing. Simply pouring a bit on will not do.

Mixed Greens and Nectarine Salad
Cooking Light, August 2007

This simple salad pairs juicy nectarines with a vinaigrette featuring walnut oil. For a delicious fall salad, substitute sliced pears or apples.

Ingredients

4 cups gourmet salad greens
1/4 cup walnut oil vinaigrette (see below)
2 cups thinly sliced nectarines (about 2)

Preparation

Place greens and nectarines in a large bowl. Drizzle with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette; toss gently to coat.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 83(31% from fat); FAT 2.9g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 1.8g); PROTEIN 1.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 31mg; SODIUM 132mg; FIBER 1.7g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.1g

Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

This dressing goes with the Mixed Greens and Nectarine salad.

Ingredients

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation
Combine all ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Yield

2/3 cup (serving size: about 1 tablespoon)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 39(62% from fat); FAT 2.7g (sat 0.3g,mono 0.6g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 0.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 1mg; SODIUM 118mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 4g

The "BEST" chocolate chip cookies...

... that I've come across lately. I actually made these weeks ago, and have been meaning to post them for a while. Still, no time like the present!

This recipe comes from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan which is fast becoming one of my favorite baking resources. Every recipe I've tried has turned out well, and this one is no exception. When I make chocolate chip cookies (which are my absolute favorite and therefore must be distributed as quickly as possible), I usually send some into M.'s office, keep a few around the house for us and freeze some dough balls for quick cookie fixes. I simply prepare a tray as though it were going into the oven, pop it into the freezer instead and then put the dough (once frozen) into a freezer bag or container. Then homemade cookies are only a few moments away! The dough can go into a hot oven frozen, but may require a few extra moments to cook. I'm almost out of my supply... perhaps it will be time to make these cookies again soon. :)

My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (meaning Dorie Greenspan's best, although I agree)
Makes about 45 cookies

Dorie's notes -
In the category of "Great Chocolate Chip Cookies" these get my vote for the greatest. They are Toll House Cookies' kin, but I think my nips, tucks, tweaks and variation on the basic recipe make them their own kind of wonderful. They're thin and crisp and a bit chewy in the center from just the right mix of sugars - granulated sugar for crispiness and brown sugar for deep caramel flavor.

My notes -
I add an additional step to the recipe, and I freeze the cookie dough after mixing is completed. I find this helps the cookies gain height, and not run into each other as much. I just pop the mixing bowl into the freezer for about 20 minutes or so to chill, and return it between batches. I also just used regular chocolate chips and left out the walnuts due to personal taste. I also was quite lazy about cooling the racks between batches, and the results were still delicious.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (1 1/4 if you really like salt)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (8oz) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
2 large eggs
12 oz bittersweet chocolate chpped into chips, or 2 cups store bought chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (I omitted)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

Whisk flour, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for 1 minute or until smooth. Add sugars and beat for another 2 minutes or so until well blended. Beat in the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute or so between each egg.

Reduce speed to low, and add dry ingredients in three portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated. On low speed or by hand, mix in chocolate and nuts.

(The dough can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days, or frozen. Dough can also be frozen in mounds as discussed above in my notes)

Spoon the dough by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between spoonfuls.

Bake cookies one sheet at a time, rotating at the midway point, for 10-12 minutes or until brown at edges and golden in the center. They may be soft in the middle, and that's just fine. Pull the sheet from the oven, and allow cookies to rest for one minute. Then carefully transfer with a wide metal spatula to racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with remainder of dough, cooling the sheets between batches.

Summer's bounty continues...

We returned from a weekend trip to Washington D.C. to find a tomato explosion in the garden. Tomatoes, tomatoes everywhere! Well, not quite. But from the number of green grape tomatoes lurking about, those words may ring true soon enough. You'll see four red heirlooms in front, with a quite large summer squash and a bowl full of shy little grape tomatoes. Not bad for one day's harvest!

I utilized one of these red, jaunty heirloom tomatoes in a hummus, cheddar cheese and basil sandwich for dinner. It was so tasty that I made two more for lunch tomorrow - one for me and one for M. With my new job keeping me travelling from classroom to classroom during the day, I've lost my access to a fridge and microwave. My busy schedule this summer has made it harder for me to plan around these challenges, and so I've resorted to purchasing food out and about. But, I'm determined to return to my brown bag roots... so hummus tomato sandwich it will be tomorrow!

Do excuse the less then perfect picture ... I was too hungry for more sophisticated food styling tonight! :) You'll see the sandwich at the top, with broccoli also picked from our garden, homemade pickles and the above described tomatoes. Summer's bounty on a plate, if I may say so myself.

One of the charms of having a garden (or a jungle as ours is now resembling) is encountering the random plantlife that develops. If you look to the back of the chair in the produce picture above, you'll notice the "friendly" little weed grabbing hold of the Adirondack chair. Here he is again working his way into our Japanese Maple tree. He continues to demonstrate more then a friendly affection for our Japanese Maple tree despite numerous cutbacks. The weed is a wild grape of sorts (deduced from the presence of a similar one bearing grapes on an opposite wall) and I had wanted it to climb the fence in an orderly fashion. But I fear his days are numbered now....

Where to begin?

This summer I read a book. A stupendous achievement, I know. But seriously, I read an excellent book. A book that inspires one to really look at the food we eat. A book that inspired me to think consiciously about the food choices I make not in terms of vegetarian versus non-vegetarian, but in terms of locality. Where is the food coming from? Is it really fresh and local? Or is it fresh and local from Wisconsin or California, having travelled many miles creating exhaust to come to New York City?

The book I'm referring to is titled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I highly recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in any of the above topics I mentioned. But be warned, reading it will cause you to re-evaluate even the quickest of trips to the grocery store. You'll find yourself visiting farmer's markets several times a week (if available). You'll find yourself lugging heavy bags of produce with you as you go about your day, despite the inconvenience and weight. But, you'll feel better for it.

These items were the result of a Saturday at the Farmers Market in Union Square. It's still my favorite market, not only for the number of farmers and sellers who attend but for the fact it is there 4 days a week. 4 days! I cannot pass through it without stopping to browse, and buy. Especially at this time of the year when the stalls are bursting with beautiful produce, fresh fruits and veggies abound along with eggs, meats and cheeses made from the vendors who sell them. It truly is a food lover's paradise.

Still, reading Kingsolver's book not only inspired us to shop from farmers but to become better farmers ourselves. Our garden is booming - look at a few of the wonderful vegetables we've harvested, or will be harvesting soon!

Green peppers, still on the vine.













Butternut squash, growing happily.















Broccoli.












A shy, little eggplant.















Mr. Stripey, an heirloom variety green tomato.













M. and I are certainly not going to live off our tiny garden patch for a year, as Barbara Kingsolver and her family do in her book, but we have made a conscious shift towards more localized and healthy foods obtained at farmers markets not at grocery stores of late. It is an imperfect process, and I do obtain items that I need which cannot be found locally as they are required. And I will continue to do so, but for every imported package of pine nuts I purchase, I feel better about the local purchases that support not only local farmers but taste better as well.

Now, if I could only remember to take more pictures of the dishes I make with these foods, life would simply be perfect. :)

Changes afoot...

I love having a blog. But sometimes life gets in the way! Sometimes there isn't enough time to cook, bake, photograph and type up the way I'd like to. And then weeks go by, and the catching up seems to become a bigger and bigger task, and it's just easier to keep putting it off.

And here we are almost a month after my last post.

School ended. M. and I went to England for a week, and I've started a new job. Three great reasons for being busy, and they are all true. But the kitchen has been working overtime lately, but that will be its own post. Hopefully tomorrow.

But I'm here... cooking away, if not always photographing and posting away, and enjoying a blisteringly hot NYC day. It's been so hot that I'm almost starting to miss those rainy England days (see picture). Almost. :)