Food | mulberryshoots

August 16, 2015

a ‘jimmy carter meal’ part 2 . . .

Here’s our dinner in honor of Jimmy Carter:

3 vegetables: cucumber soup, creamed corn, summer squash;

corn muffins;

and a glass of cold buttermilk!

Made from vegetables from farm stands ready to go on a Sunday afternoon at home. I noticed that it was a delicious meal, made from simple recipes whose tastes complemented each other in a soft and tasty way. Moreover, there was not a hint of obligation to be “vegetarian” – no moral tone to undercut the meal at all. It was just vegetables, cornbread and buttermilk.

I’m thinking we could do this pretty often from now on!

The only thing I might have done differently would be to make the corn muffins from scratch than from a Jiffy box. But the muffins were very quick and easy.

We raised a glass to Jimmy Carter and to his wife, Rosalynn – and hope that their days may be filled with grace whatever comes their way.

Leave a comment

August 16, 2015

a jimmy carter meal . . .

I read that Jimmy Carter, who has just learned that he has cancer, likes to visit a favorite diner where he lives in Plains, Georgia (Mimmie’s Restaurant) and always orders the same thing: “three vegetables, cornbread and a glass of buttermilk.”

We wish Jimmy Carter well! He’s led by example and pounded the nails at Habitat, worked in the fields and still teaches classes in Sunday School. He hasn’t just signed checks and made speeches as a philanthropist – he’s “been there and done that” for decades since he was President of the United States. At ninety years old, he and Rosalynn are fortunate they’ve had each other while sharing their life journey for so long.

And tonight, we’re going to have a Jimmy Carter meal for supper!

Our vegetables will be leek/cucumber soup, pale green squash, creamed fresh corn and cornbread. I’ll probably have a cold glass of buttermilk too! The soup has already simmered and is cooling on the stove ready to be processed in the blender. I’ll make the cornbread later in the afternoon while catching up on how the PGA tournament is going. And the squash and creamed corn will be prepared right before we sit down to eat.

I’ve discovered a way to cook supermarket corn on the cob which is not usually as sweet nor as fresh as that found at farm stands. But if one doesn’t have time to run around, it’ll definitely do. We husk the corn and make sure that there are no silk strands adhering to the cob; then cut the kernels off the cob with a sharp, serrated paring knife. (the kernels like to hop all over the place but are easily picked up on the countertop if you line it with paper towels.) For 3 ears, I melt about a third of a stick of unsalted butter in a skillet and simmer the kernels gently to absorb the butter. Then, I’ll add about a spoonful of agave nectar (sugarless sweetener) which is the secret of this recipe – others might want to add some light brown sugar. As it cooks and combines, I’ll add about 3 tablespoons of cream towards the end and stir it in along with Maldon sea salt and coarse pepper. The corn thickens slightly with the cream in it and I serve the corn in small bowls alongside the rest of the meal.

It’s so satisfying to eat simple meals from fresh vegetable bounty during the summer and in the heat, it’s refreshing to start with a cool cucumber soup! An added treat after our meal is a key lime pie that I made yesterday (G. squeezed and zested the limes!) which is chilling in the refrigerator. I’ve started whipping cream for the topping right before we serve the pie, so we’ll have that to look forward to while we’re eating our “Jimmy Carter” meal for supper tonight.

Here’s hoping that Jimmy Carter’s remaining days will be filled with as much goodwill and heart as he and Rosalynn have extended to so many for so long.

4 Comments

August 10, 2015

summer eating . . .

This morning, I looked at the wooden bowl of summer vegetables on the soapstone countertop to reflect on what to have for supper. There were three small zucchini that cried out for attention and four artichokes from Trader Joe’s. Midday, I boiled the artichokes and let them cool. I took the leaves off for us to eat as usual with curry mayonnaise. Trimmed the hearts and sliced them into thirds to saute in olive oil, fresh garlic and meyer lemon juice. I was surprised at how small the harvest of artichoke hearts looked and hoped they were worth it.

On a box grater, I shredded the zucchini along with a third of a vidalia onion. Squeezed juice from the zucchini until it was dry. Mixed the vegetables in a spongeware bowl with 1/2 cup of Aunt Jemima Pancake mix (yep! always good and reliable too); 1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 eggs and enough whole milk to make a batter that wasn’t too thick nor too thin. Sprinkled the batter with Lawry’s garlic salt and coarse pepper and let it sit while we ate the artichoke leaves.

Then, I cooked the savory zucchini pancakes. I used a medium size skillet because I wanted the pancakes to be about five inches across. We each had two pancakes with a little melted butter drizzled with maple syrup. So glad to eat a couple of vegetable side dishes for our dinner!

And there’s still some zucchini batter left which I’m thinking I’ll use for breakfast or lunch tomorrow too.

Leave a comment

August 7, 2015

‘gratitude lasagna’ . . .

Yesterday, I drove to Saratoga Springs and back, a six-hour drive, to visit a friend and to go to a concert at SPAC featuring the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, a pianist, performing the “Egyptian” concerto by Camille Saint-Saens. Of the three Frenchmen involved (the conductor whose name I can’t remember, Thibaudet and Saint-Saens, the composer was the winner by a mile.

My friend asked me afterwards if I had played this concerto when I was sixteen because I had related how fond of the piece I had been. And I replied, “Yes, I played the record hundreds of times!” I remembered the record jacket and that the pianist had been Phillipe Entremont (another Frenchman, by the way!) On the way back to drop her off at home, I played the 3rd movement performed by Sviatoslav Richter, (my favorite pianist I think) – and for five rollicking minutes, the finale burst forth from the car speakers in a torrent of notes. Just wonderful!

Anyhow, to make a long story short, I got lost twice on the road between Saratoga Springs and the Mass turnpike while also getting stopped by a policewoman because the passenger seat headlight was out, apparently. Plus, it’s illegal to use a cellphone while driving in New York State. Did you know that? I didn’t. Mine wasn’t on but it was in full view as though I was getting ready to make a call (which I was!)

Despite these setbacks, I made it back home a little after 1 a.m. – which was a minor miracle time wise, but a major miracle in every other respect because I was going pretty fast to do that and relieved and so glad to be back home safely with my husband and in our own home. Even a little day trip apart makes the heart grow fonder!

So this morning, as a prayer of thanks to the Universe and the Helpers who were there to make sure I didn’t get in an accident in my rash haste to make it home, I decided to put together what I call a “gratitude lasagna.” It’s ingredients include whole wheat lasagna noodles, a jar of light tomato sauce with herbs that I had bought on sale at the market, half a bag of thawed spinach (water squeezed out) sauteed with some butter and scallions, slices of bella mushrooms sauteed in butter; whole milk ricotta, mozzarella cheese and aged parmesan reggiano cheese that I grated on the microplane. To top it all off, florets of fresh basil leaves from the kitchen planter on the back deck.

It’s in the oven now at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. In the meantime, here are some prep photos I took along the way. When the lasagna is baked, I’ll put a clean cloth over it until it’s reheated for our supper tonight.

I’m very grateful for friends, family, health, piano music and life itself! With so much to be grateful for, this “gratitude lasagna” may become a regular dish in our house!

Leave a comment

July 30, 2015

a fresh peach pie for two . . .

peach pie ready to go in the oven . . .

Even though it feels like I am cooking more these days, trying out new recipes, I have also consciously been making much smaller portions. It’s been fun, actually, scaling down recipes so that the end results are just meant for two.

Simplifying the steps has also been an outlet for being creative – no crusts for quiches, for example, but make them in an individual sized ramekin with organic eggs, cream, gruyere cheese, parmesan cheese, bits of leftover broccoli or asparagus tips, baked in a bain marie until they are golden brown, poufed up and slightly jiggly in the middle. Come to think of it, a crustless quiche is similar to a souffle, isn’t it? It’s so much fun to be served an individual souffle on your plate!

This afternoon, I had three fresh peaches left from the farmer’s market in the fridge. They had to be used up because they were beginning to show bruises and I thought that making a small scale peach crostada would be perfect. So, I reduced recipes for homemade crust and chilled the butter and crisco in the freezer. Then I took out the Cuisinart and measured a cup and a half of flour, spun the chilled butter (3/4 stick unsalted) and 1/4 cup cold Crisco using the pulse button until the flour mixture was mealy looking. Added a teaspoon of Maldon salt. Then about 5 tablespoons of ice water added gradually while continuing to pulse. The crust dough came together into a ball and was a little sticky when I took it out, but with just a smattering of a little more flour, was smooth as a baby’s bottom. Wrapped in parchment paper, it went into the fridge for over a half hour. During that time, I peeled the peaches – they were ripe enough so that the skin almost zipped off with a sharp paring knife; sliced them up into a small glass bowl, added a mixture of flour (a tablespoon plus; teaspoons of cinnamon, nutmeg and stevia (in place of sugar) respectively.

When ready to bake, I took out the Silit pad and floured it lightly, rolling out the crust with a very light touch because it was so tender to the touch – I folded it into quarters so I could lift it into a prepared tart pan, opened it up again and spooned the peach mixture into the center. I folded the crust into overlapping folds towards the center, brushed the crust with an egg wash and sprinkled the crust with turbinado sugar.

In a 400 degree preheated oven, I slid the pie in and set the timer for about half an hour. Turned the pie around almost towards the end to brown evenly. Left it in the turned off oven so that the crust would be crisp and not undercooked in the parts of the crust I could not see. There’s nothing worse than underdone crust to a pie that looks this glorious!

just out of the oven! . . .

Leave a comment

July 30, 2015

8-hour tomatoes . . .

3 hours so far in the oven . . . .

Eight Hour Tomatoes . . .

Looking through one of the “Kinfolk” volumes, I came across a recipe for cooking tomatoes meant for “darn good sandwiches.” I have a few of the Kinfolk volumes and while some might view them as precious in the way that photographs are taken and articles written, it’s that very earnestness that wins me over. I love looking at them.

Anyhow, these sandwiches were composed (that’s the only word for it) of grilled/toasted hearty peasant bread brushed with olive oil and toasted on a heated grill pan until dark striations appeared on the toast. The inside ingredients included thick slices of cooked bacon and a fried egg, frisee lettuce coated in ranchy dressing and these 8-hour tomatoes.

My idea was to modify the sandwich recipe a bit, using Dietz and Watson thick-sliced turkey bacon which I already have for my breakfasts, no egg (too gooey) and lettuces instead of frisee. Have the creme fraiche vinaigrette that I used last night to dress the lettuce.

As the acid content from tomatoes can sometimes result in disagreeable reactions (mouth canker sores, for example) I thought that cooking them this way might reduce that troublesome aspect. Even if it doesn’t, with the August surfeit of luscious tomatoes approaching at local farm stands, this recipe’s an experiment worth trying. Leftover tomatoes are stored in a layer of olive oil and taken out when needed.

Preparation: use a fresh, ripe home grown or farm fresh tomato. Slice in half and then each half into 1/4 inch slices. Brush with olive oil. Cut up fresh garlic into bits and sprinkle on the tomatoes, along with sea salt and coarse pepper. Pick some fresh sprigs of thyme and strip the leaves, sprinkling them on the tomatoes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the tomatoes for ten minutes. Turn the oven off and without opening the door, leave the tomatoes in the oven for eight hours. Refrain from peeking at them with the door open. Yep, that’s right. At first I thought I would make them overnight. But, on second thought, waited until the morning because when the eight hours are up, it’ll be time for supper.

Tonight’s supper will be filet of sole with meyer lemon, the rest of the patty pan squash that we had last night and these tomatoes. And for lunch sometime, how about spreading whole-milk ricotta on grilled bread with tomatoes, coarse pepper and fresh basil on top?

Postscript: We ate these tomatoes along with the sole and summer squash. They were flavorful from the garlic and the thyme, but the most memorable taste was a deep sweetness emanating from the tomato flesh itself. I think it’s from curing in the heated oven after it was turned off. Will definitely make again with bigger tomatoes – for that fresh ricotta on grilled bread sandwich on my wishlist!

Leave a comment

July 29, 2015

fresh as can be . . .

farmer’s market bounty from northampton on tuesdays! an added bonus to making the drive west is having a sushi lunch at the osaka restaurant, a hop, skip and a jump up the hill from where the farmer’s market sets up at 1:30 p.m. WEBS, a prime source for knitting yarn is also located nearby.

made fresh peach ice cream last night (more like a sherbert) and trying out mark bittman’s recipe for crustless quiche in ramekins with these gorgeous eggs and gruyere cheese for supper tonight.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017528-crustless-quiche

Leave a comment

July 11, 2015

a late lunch lite! . . .

Went by the local health food grocery store called “Living Earth” here in our little town on a Saturday. Picked up some small golden beets, fresh watercress that looked like it had just been plucked from a cold mountain spring, small white nectarines and some organic yogurt from a local farm. Selected some nuts labeled “Himalayan nuts” – I think someone just thought that sounded like a good marketing name. Brought back the bounty and couldn’t wait to make my lunch.

Into a pottery dish, I spooned out organic whole milk yogurt (with luscious cream topping, I must admit.) Rinsed off a small white nectarine and sliced it, adding a generous sprinkle of nuts on top. I didn’t add any honey because the fruit was sweet enough.

Light, crunchy and delicious!

Leave a comment

July 8, 2015

‘nectar of the gods’ . . .

Along with the grilled kielbasa sausage we had for supper tonight, I had a lone ear of corn in the fridge that shape-shifted into a golden pudding.

I cut the kernals off the cob and browned them in sweet butter along with some finely chopped vidalia onion. When cooling, added a little agave nectar, melted butter and a tablespoon of corn starch, stirring to mix well.

With a whisk, I beat 3 eggs, 1/2 cup of light cream, salt, pepper. Added the corn into the custard mix and poured into a buttered white fluted pan. Sprinkled a scant handful of shredded cheddar jack cheese on the top. Baked in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes,

When it emerged from the oven, it smelled like Nectar of the Gods. Tasted pretty good too!

Leave a comment

July 7, 2015

cucumber soup! . . .

English cucumbers have been on sale at the market and I usually have one or two in the fridge. They’re crisp and flavorful to add to salads or to combine with wakame seaweed for a quick asian relish.

This morning, I thought it would be nice to have cream of cucumber soup for our lunch. It’s such a simple recipe and takes no time at all.

Wash the cucumber and slice lengthwise. With a spoon, gently scrape out the seeds; then rinse and cut the two lengths in half again. Then cut up into pieces about half an inch cubes. Melt some unsalted butter in a 1.5 quart pot, chop up half a vidalia onion and stir fry in the butter along with the pieces of cucumber.

When the vegetables have nicely browned, add 1/2-2 cups of chicken stock and cover, simmering for a half hour until tender. Let cool with the lid off. When soup is room temperature, pour into a blender and process into a smooth consistency. Pour back in the pot and add some light cream – a 1/2 -3/4 cup.

Taste it for seasoning – I didn’t add any salt but it’s up to you.

This cream of cucumber soup is light, tasty and so easy to make – I could probably eat it every day!

Leave a comment

Category: Food