Friday, May 29, 2009

carrot top + barley soup

I got these beautiful sweet nante carrots in my bin this week and decided to make carrot top soup. I created this recipe for a light meal; it can eaily be hefted up with some potatoes, chicken, or white beans. The peppery flavor of the carrot top is the predominate flavor in this soup.

Carrot Top + Barley Soup
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped (wash and no need to peel)
3+ cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
6-7 c. vegetable broth
1/2 c. pearl barley

1+ c. carrot tops, chopped and well washed
fresh grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Cook red onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add broth, barley, and salt + pepper. Keep at low boil for 35 minutes, or until barley is nearly cooked (may need to add more stock/water during this time). Add carrot tops (can include stems, but make sure are well chopped) and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add grated cheese to serve.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

thinking pesticides?


Carrots were my gateway to organic produce ... I discovered they taste so much better than regular carrots that I decided it was well worth the price (and on the dirty list to boot!). I also buy a fair number of organic apples - I am in apple country so they're easy to get from local farmers. I also frequently buy organic onions which are the least dirty but are comparable priced to conventional onions at my local market. What do you always buy organic?

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

stanch.

(image: production still)
Saw Grey Gardens: a new musical at Portland Center Stage last night. I need to check out the Mayles brothers documentary again. Check out these photos of the Grey Gardens estate.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

rainbow chard and frittata

In another attempt to use the 'unusual greens' from the veggie box, I decided to make a frittata. The word strikes some fear in me, as I still remember the so-called frittata served at my college dorm which was always wet and may best be called an egg casserole. The frittata is an Italian omelet, which is cooked on the stove top and is then broiled (or flipped!).

This frittata started with preparation of the greens. I separated the leafy part of the chard from the stems and thoroughly washed and dried them.  I saved the stems to be steamed and served with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Steam for about 10 minutes, or until tender. They have a strong earthy taste similar to beats (although texture is nothing similar). 

Rainbow Chard and Red Onion Frittata

4 stems of rainbow chard, washed, dried, torn, and separated (stems from leaves)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
6-8 eggs
3 oz. shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
sea salt
pepper

Cook the onion in olive oil until transparent in a large skillet. Add the garlic and greens, and cover. Chard is a 'tough' green so it will take longer to cook than say spinach. Season with salt and pepper continue to stir. When greens are cooked to your desire, pour beaten eggs into pan and stir. Sprinkle with cheese. The frittata should rest until it is firm. At this point take a plate and flip* the frittata onto the plate. Use another plate to flip again, and then finally flip the frittata back into the pan. The cheese should now be on the bottom and cook for ~2 minutes, or until cheese is 'fried'. Remove the frittata by flipping again. Either side (cheesy or eggy) can be on top and serve immediately (although also good cold). 

* In lieu of all this flipping, use an oven safe skillet and transfer to broiler for cheese 'frying' or buy a frittata pan that is double sided and latches shut for easy flipping. 

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

moroccan salads

A couple of summers ago I spent a month in Morocco traveling and eating. Typically with your meal you chose a salade au maroc or harira. I (nearly) always chose the soup and craved the salad. I was warned to avoid uncooked foods, and although the salad was mostly cooked it wasn't completely. You see their are some issues with water for foreigners (but if you spend a lot of time their you can learn to stomach des microbes). My first meal outside of Morocco (in Madrid) was a giant salad and since then I have been making my own version of salade au maroc at home. 

What I saw was an artists palette of veggies. As a base were greens, topped with cold (canned?) tuna in the center, surrounded by a boiled egg, potato salad, carrot salad, beet salad, and tomato salad. This was fairly consistent at every restaurant (my traveling companion ordered many salads and was the worse for wear). Each salad is cooked with a dressing (with the exception the tomato, which was not cooked) and then served cold. 

My favorite salad is the potato, which surprised me in Morocco as I have never been a fan of potato salad. The recipe I have is for boiled baby potatoes and a dressing made of red onions, garlic, saffron (soaked in water), white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, cilantro (coriander), mint, and salt n' pepper.

Friday, May 15, 2009

food safety.

Why you should own an instant read thermometer even if you don't cook.  Food Companies are Placing Onus of Safety on Consumers, Michael Moss (New York Times)

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Allah's light should fall on you like drops of rain...

Recently opened, the Sakirin Mosque is the first Turkish mosque whose design is attributed to a woman, Zeynep Fadillioglu. The design has brought about other mosque comissions for the architect and interior designer best known for boutique hotels and posh eateries. 
Radikal photos (including the one above) are here

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

radish top pesto

For better or worse I recently joined a CSA (and I realize it doesn't strictly meet this definition).  What has held me back in the past: I live alone (so much produce!), expense (esp. if you can't finish your box each week), and the commitment (many must commit for the whole season). I found one that offers an every other week option (surely I can eat a box of produce in two weeks?), the price is at the low end of the weekly offerings, and you can join/quit at any time. They source from many organic farms in the northwest (so it might be out if you're a locavore) - in truth it's a compromise from the idealized, but seems a workable solution and better than the chain grocery. I got my first box last monday and have been looking for recipes to use all the 'unusual' greens in my fridge. Happily Chocolate and Zucchini posted a radish top pesto recipe on Tuesday and I promptly made it for lunch.

The recipe is the same as the traditional basil pesto, but with the basil replaced with radish greens. Remove the stems from the greens and wash well and spin dry. I added an extra clove of garlic (in basil pesto I usually quadruple the typical amount - I love garlic), but for this I wouldn't add any more. The greens are spicy, like radishes, and are powerful enough on their own. I added a splash of lime juice (in lieu of the lemon zest) and the chili powder Clotilde recommends.

The recipe yielded nearly a cup of pesto, which I watered down with pasta water and more olive oil for the rigatoni lunch. The remainder is sealed in a jar with a thin coating of olive oil to seal it. Bon appetite!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

sesame broccoli.



1 lb. of broccoli, trim for stir-fry
1 T. vegetable oil, or other high smoke point oil

Prepare the sauce:
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. sesame seeds, toasted
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. sesame oil
1/2-1 t. dried red pepper flakes or chili sauce

Begin to stir fry broccoli in heated wok (or large saucepan) with 1 T. veggie oil. When broccoli is cooked to ideal doneness(~4 minutes), add sauce and stir. When sauce is heated through remove from heat and enjoy!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

spear grass (aka asparagus).

I love asparagus! It was my favorite vegetable as a child and is still one of my favorites. I was lucky to be introduced to it via our family garden so spears were harvested and cooked nearly immediately. Between the garden my parents kept until I was 8 (we moved) and visits to my grandparents farm where they kept an extensive garden I learned to love vegetables at a young age because ate the freshest. Yum! 

The New York Times posted a piece on asparagus and the best technique to remove the tough ends (cut, not snap). McGee also suggests slicing the tough bits for adding to soups and other dishes (stir-fry!). The shortened fibers won't be as noticeably tough. At the farmer's market nearly every booth is loaded with asparagus right now.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Monday, May 4, 2009

Friday, May 1, 2009

Happy May Day!

As a child, we would rise early on May 1st to deliver our may baskets and then hide so no one caught us. We used those green plastic baskets berries used to come in and wove paper and ribbons through the sides and filled with candy. It was a beloved holiday and I am sad that it isn't commonplace. On our street it was de rigueur and continued throughout the day with making new things to deliver via the ring and run. HAPPY MAY DAY!!!

stitch 'n bitch

A little over five years ago I worked with a couple of ladies who embroidered. Working throughout their lunch breaks they also met once a week with others for stitch 'n bitch. Well I envied their workmanship and regular gossip sessions -- and just found my first projects. These are produced by Patch NYC and are sold for $325-$380/piece (finished). Many embroidery projects look like complicated paint by number canvases but I love the vintage illustration inspiration.  (Image: Elle Decor issue156 p.40)