Fresh

I’ve been neglecting you.  I realize now how long it’s been since I’ve written you as I peruse my last entry and notice I was yammering on about eggplant.   I’m currently looking out at my eggplant patch as I type and it is as white as Santa’s beard and quite frozen over.  I apologize.  How can I let the season sneak by so?

There’s nothing in my yard now to carry on about, only snow.  I love this weather, if you didn’t know.  I’m one of the few enthusiastic winter-lovers you love to hate.  I’m glad now to let my garden sleep and to work with the limited foods of winter.  I’ve already pushed the subject of seasonal limitation on you before, how I think mother nature is quite clever at offering us just enough of what we need no matter the season.  Even in Minnesota we can eat like royalty this time of year.

In winter we stock up on hearty greens like kale and chard and root vegetables and fill our wide fruit bowl with satsumas and blood oranges and late-season pears.  There’s more meat stacked up and frozen than usual and that’s because we’re cold and hungry and meat (and fish and fowl) add an important depth to soups, stews and braises, the real dishes of winter.  I’m glad to be here now although my left hand is biting cold and my legs feel slightly sore from the weather.

I’m trying to be glad all around.  This has to do with my new mindfulness project, how I do squish my nose to that word, mindfulness.  I’ve been reading my Thich Nhat Hanh devotedly and sitting down to mediate in the early hours each morning.   It’s having an impact on what I say, how hurried I am (which is always, which I’m slowing down), how my mind organizes all the thoughts and concerns.  Meditation has been like hiring a long-needed secretary for the mind.

This has everything to do with food and with mindful eating.  Eating foods, especially together at a round (or rectangular, or square, for that matter) table that are seasonal and sustainable can bring us instant connection to the world around us.  Today my daughter and I had cheese sandwiches for lunch made with Wisconsin jack cheese on a local wild rice bread and pears from Barnard Farm in Michigan.  And that’s just lunch.  That said, like daily sitting meditation, it’s good to know that there can be a place (the table) where we can get back to ourselves and relate to something, to our community, to nature.  Don’t we need this sort of thing more than ever?  What an easy and ideal way to do it, through real food.

Here’s a recipe to give thanks for, but not just on Thanksgiving:

RED WINE CRANBERRY SAUCE

2/3 cup sugar; 3/4 cup dry red wine; 1/2 cinnamon stick; 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries; 1 tablespoon slivered tangerine, orange, or clementine zest

In a saucepan over moderate heat, combine the sugar, red wine, and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the wine has reduced slightly. Add the cranberries and zest.  Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are soft and the sauce has thickened. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The sauce will keep for 2 months in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Eat Well,

Kristin

Well, that’s not meant to sound so ominous.  It’s just that summer is finishing and fall is nearly begun and maybe it’s my favorite time of year for seasonal eating.  I like the idea of late-summer tomatoes colliding with autumn squashes and those types of transitional pairings.  Plus, I have a creepy cold-weather lust.

September always seems to be about eggplant for me, how to vary it and use it up while it’s fresh.  My first time growing eggplant this year and they are truly cheery and fecund, but how to keep up?  I can count on one hand the folks I know who truly adore eggplant.  I’m one, but even I can grow tired.  Yesterday, I chopped a good bit of eggplant, sauteed it in olive oil, added it to the end of a homemade, simmering garden tomato sauce, and served that over fat egg noodles.  Voila!

I’ve noticed that local apples are beginning to show up at the market.  Apples are so easy to just eat by the hand, but I always get into baking mode this time of year, and what better fruit than the apple?  At the Saint Paul Farmers Market you’ll a few good apple vendors selling their fruit in those crisp, paper bags.  Try some new (or heirloom) varieties this year, there are always new ones popping up.  I’ll leave you with a tried-and-true apple dessert recipe.

Happy eating and happy baking!

Caramelized Fruit Skillet Tart

Serves 8

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

3 cups fruit (chopped into 1/2 inch cubes) such as pineapple,

apple, pear, nectarine, mango, banana or any berries

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour (or additional all-purpose flour)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup white sugar

1 large egg

¾ cup plain, whole-milk yogurt (or buttermilk)

Turn on the oven to 375 degrees and position a rack in the middle.  Melt the butter in a large (10-inch) skillet, with an ovenproof handle, preferably nonstick, over medium heat.  Swirl the butter in the skillet until it turns nut-brown, then pour it into a medium-large bowl.  Without wiping out the skillet, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom.  Top with the fruit in an even layer.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda and baking powder.  Add the white sugar to the browned butter and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Whisk in the egg, then yogurt.  Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ones and stir only to combine.

Pour the batter evenly over the fruit in the skillet.  Slide the skillet into the oven and bake about 35 minutes, until the tart is golden brown and springy to the touch at the center.  Remove and let cool 10 minutes.

Invert a plate over the skillet, then, holding the plate and skillet firmly together with towels or pot holders, invert the two in one swift movement.  Remove the skillet, and the tart is ready to serve.

I wrote that on a piece of my daughter’s construction paper in pink marker and scotch-taped it to the front of our fridge.  I’ve been taking note of a nasty little habit our family’s been falling into lately.  It looks like this: Pulling the trash basket and compost bin next to the fridge while rotted greens, plastic-wrapped covered bowls, and expired dairy gets tossed.  And I know it’s because we’re just not seeing; we fall out of practice.

This is the revolution, or rather, operation.  Eat what you Got.  You can do this by performing a few regular tasks.  One, clean the fridge each week.  This gives you a sense of what’s still in there and gives you the chance to organize, make visible, and make room.  Two, incorporate those few turnips in the drawer, the little bit of heavy cream, and the collection of cheese knobs into your recipes for the week.  Three, make refrigerator soup each week.  For us, soup is perfect on a Sunday, since I do most of my market shopping each Monday, by Sunday we’re struggling to pull something together.

Take this operation beyond the fridge and examine what’s in the pantry too.  I always seem to have little handfuls left of grains, beans, legumes, and canned things like chickpeas and tomatoes.  All perfect for a hodgepodge soup. Bottom-line, allow what you already have on hand to dictate your upcoming meals.

When I have leftover greens and herbs, which is ever-true in summertime, I find that pesto is a good place to use them up.  Pesto can virtually be made with any leafy green and a variety of nuts.  If you want to use tougher greens like kale, swiss chard, turnip greens, or spinach, make certain to blanch them first in boiling water and squeeze out the moisture.  Pesto freezes beautifully to boot–do so in ice-cube trays and then you’ll have cubes to grab down the line.

This kind of practical, depression-style cooking has become my mantra.  And for good reason.  It cuts down on waste, saves us money, and pushes us to be creative in the kitchen–all important and aspiring goals.

Here’s my pesto recipe, if you haven’t seen it here before:

GREEN PESTO, makes one cup

1 or 2 plump garlic cloves

salt

3 tablespoons pine nuts

3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed, leaves washed and dried, or in combination with other herbs and greens

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons soft butter, optional

½ cup good extra virgin olive oil

By Hand.  Smash the garlic with ½ teaspoon salt and the pine nuts to break them up, then add the basil leaves a handful at a time.  Grind them, using a circular motion, until you have a fairly fine paste with very small flecks of leaves.  Briefly work in the cheese and butter, then stir in the olive oil.  Taste for salt.

In a Food Processor.  Use the same ingredients but in the following order:  Process the garlic, salt, and pine nuts until fairly finely chopped, then add the basil and olive oil.  When smooth, add the cheese and butter and process just to combine.

The truth: I haven’t been cooking much lately (for my family, anyway).  May, I always forget, is one of those months where I just can’t be relied upon to do anything responsible inside the house or to get anywhere on time.  You’ll find me in the yard, in the berry patch maybe, sprinkling cayenne pepper round the blueberries, or training my hardy kiwi vines up the trellis posts, or just plain weed-pulling in the vegetable beds.  I’m truly obsessed, or to express it more gently, enamored.

Because I’m a chef and oh-so-persnickety about what I and my family eats, I feel oh-so-guilty about my lousy meal planning this time of year.  Perhaps, if you’re a gardener too (and maybe food-careful), you can relate.  So I’ve come up with a plan, which I think can work any time of year actually, however busy you are.   I’ve pulled together a smallish mental list of simple and swift dishes  that our family loves and just rotate through them rather than the usual kitchen experimenting or sometimes elaborate suppers that happen too often.  Our list is dominated by pasta dishes, such as carbonara with peas or pasta with chickpeas, but we also like just plain pan-fried fish fillets (with olive oil, salt, and pepper) with steamed vegetables.

Find those things you and your family love, and just rotate through ‘em. You’ll find yourself much more at ease and without worry over what to make and how to find the time.   Maybe you do this sort of thing anyway, but usually when someone tells me this is their ritual it is normally expressed with regret and that it is rut-like.  I don’t know, I think this plan sound fantastic, especially because I have a child, and it’s nice to be able to fall back on the foods I know she’ll devour (melon, tomatoes, cheese, fish, and most of the time, broccoli).

I’ve had a few folks request from me lately a seasonal eating chart.  Go to http://www.mda.state.mn.us/~/media/Files/food/minnesotagrown/producecalendar.ashx.

At the market (mine is Mississippi Market Co-op in St. Paul), I’ve noticed a few local goodies you should consider taking home.  From Harmony Valley Farm there is a delicious bagged salad mix, bagged baby spinach, ramps (on their way out), and nettles.  As well, the much-anticipated local asparagus has piled the shelves.  So, with my quick and simple pan-fried fish from above we might just steam some asparagus to go alongside and dollop a bit of refrigerator mayo mixed with chives and lemon.  Truly a fast, delicious, and seasonal supper…oh, and more time for me to linger in the garden.

Speaking more of being outside, my daughter, Riley, and I have made it down to the St. Paul Farmers Market a few times now and have been so blissed out.  I adore the St. Paul market, it’s my favorite.  I bought hanging red impatiens baskets, some tomato and pepper transplants for the garden, a messy egg and swiss breakfast sandwich (which I shared with Riley), and a few indulgences from Heartland Deli on the corner, such as strawberry and ginger pickles. Most importantly though, because each visit to the market was accompanied by monsoon-like weather, we traveled via covered-horse-and-wagon to our car with our goodies. Riley couldn’t be more impressed.

Seriously, get outside, whatever you do.  Here’s a seasonal recipe for you, straight from my time in Ireland:

Irish Nettle Soup

Serves 6

3 tablespoons butter; 10 ounces (about 2 cups) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 medium leek, chopped; salt and pepper; 1 quart chicken stock; 5 ounces young nettle leaves, washed and chopped; 2/3 cup cream

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.  When it foams, add the potatoes, onion and leek, tossing in the butter until well-coated.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with a paper lid (to keep in the steam) and the saucepan lid, and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not colored.  Discard the paper lid, add the stock, and boil until the vegetables are just cooked.  Add the nettle leaves.  Simmer uncovered for just 2-3 minutes.  Do not overcook or the vegetables will lose their flavor.  Add the cream or creamy milk and puree.  Taste and correct seasoning if necessary.  Serve hot.

Alright, I have a new personal rule.  It’s this: Once I begin to feel any sort of self-pity or downtrodden I hurriedly take that energy and redirect it into something charitable or practical.  That said, a garden is a great place to encounter therapy and well, grow food.  A place for multi-tasking.

This is when I annually begin pushing and shoving you to begin a garden of your own, big or small, if you haven’t already.  I can’t possibly cover all the benefits.  But listen, no one will ever be able to call me a green thumb, I garden clumsily and just wish myself luck most of the time.  Gardening is something I’ve nervously fallen into, but each year I’m astounded by how much I learn.  If you’re just unable to do it yourself, and I do know how that feels, you could call A Backyard Farm, a local business that builds backyard vegetable gardens and provides maintenance and harvesting through the season.  If you don’t have a yard yourself, or sun, then you can either join a community garden in your neighborhood or share a garden.  Finally, if you just want to eat like you have a garden but don’t want to build or maintain one you can easily purchase a share of a CSA farm and receive a box of produce each week to eat.  We are lucky, there are endless possibilities for eating well in our community.

Here’s what I’m growing this season to feed my family, friends and clients (some of which will just not grow, of course):  tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, nasturtiums, carrot, mint, winter squash, melon, lettuces, chard, kale, cucumber, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, green bean, sage, tarragon, parsley, cilantro, basils, lavender, chives, beet, radish, summer squashes, turnips, strawberries, and asparagus.

One food I’m not growing this year but is one of those delicious, quirky, spring delicacies you should check out is the ramp.  I’ve told you about ramps before.  A wild onion, quite like a miniature leek that has a sharp, garlicky quality.  And either you fall in love with them (and have I seen ramp-lust before) or you despise them (like my husband, who suffers serious indigestion at the whisper of them).  If you’re intrigued now you must dash to your local food co-op now and pick up a bunch, for their season is spectacularly short.  I usually add ramps to eggs and egg dishes, but here is another quick recipe:

Ramp Butter

1 stick of unsalted butter (4 oz.)

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon ramp leaves, finely chopped

parchment paper

Leave your stick of butter on the counter for an afternoon to come to room temperature (unless it is very warm out, leave it until it begins to soften).  Place your butter in a large bowl and add the rest of your ingredients.  Cream the mix with a wooden spoon until it all comes together.  Cut a 10-inch square of parchment paper and dollop your butter into a long mound at the mid-bottom part of your square.  Now, slowly roll up your butter into the parchment, trying to create a log-shape.  Twist the end of each side and place your butter in the fridge.  When you’re ready to use you can slice the butter into coins.  Use ramp butter on toast, with noodles, on top of fish or chicken fillets, or grilled vegetables.

Eat well and be well,

Kristin