Roasted Beet and Hazelnut Salad with Feta
March 6, 2011
One winter while living in Eugene, Oregon, my roommates and I joined a local farm’s CSA (community-supported agriculture) for the winter. We wanted to support a family that was growing organic vegetables through the winter in the soggy Northwest. As it turned out, that winter was extremely harsh. Most above ground crops froze. Our weekly box from the farm consisted of only vegetables that could be stored in the cellar or the ground.
There was an abundance of potatoes, parsnips, burdock root, sunchokes, and beets. There really was not much else aside from a scant amount of winter squashes that were harvested in the late fall. Since we had spent the bulk of our food budget for the season on our CSA share, we were fully committed to making our meals from the food on hand. It was an education. We ate the roots boiled, pureed, and roasted with just about any flavor combinations you can imagine. Still as the months wore on, our creativity began to wane. It has taken me years to regain my affection for beets. I am still working on burdock…
Chipotle Salsa
March 2, 2011
Abandoned on a desert island with just one food to eat for the rest of my life, salsa would be my number one pick, hands down. I am a salsa fanatic. In the spring, I choose which tomato plants to grow in my garden with salsa in mind. Through the summer months, our refrigerator is filled with various forms of salsa: pico de gallo, roasted tomato salsa, green tomatillo salsa, peach salsa, you name it. In the winter, I make salsa with canned tomatoes freshened up with fresh cilantro and lime. There is almost no dish that cannot be improved by some sort of salsa.
Frustration over the mediocre quality of most commercial jarred salsas and the exorbitant cost of most commercial fresh salsa inspired the creation of Chipotle Salsa. It is really easy and inexpensive to create great tasting salsa with basic pantry items. This recipe uses canned tomatoes, chipotle chiles, garlic, onion, cilantro, and lime. Blend the ingredients until they are somewhat uniform, but still slightly chunky. Serve the salsa over eggs, with tacos or quesadillas, pour it over chicken and bake, or eat it with chips. There are unlimited uses for this salsa.
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Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup
February 27, 2011
Somewhat recently, I discovered Vietnamese Pho and its cousin Hue. There are a number of restaurants in town that dedicate almost their entire menu to these hot and spicy soups. At first, they seemed so exotic and indulgent with the fresh bean sprouts and peppers topping the hot rich broth perfumed with fresh basil or cilantro. When I first made the soup myself though, I realized how incredibly simple and healthy they are. A few simple fresh ingredients come together with some basic Asian cooking staples: rice noodles, fish sauce, and sambal oeleck. The result is a hot and spicy nourishing soup.
To speed up cooking time, consider cooking the broth and meat in a pressure cooker. In just ten minutes, the meat is cooked to an almost divine tenderness. You save time and energy, and the dish is possibly more delicious than the traditional method of slow simmering.
This recipe for Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup is incredibly versatile. Feel free to substitute chicken or even tofu for the beef (and decrease the cooking time). The garnish is also very adaptable. We have an uncommon fondness for cabbage, so that is our go-to condiment, but that can be replaced with bean sprouts as well. Trade the fresh hot peppers for dried chilies if you prefer. If you do not have lime on hand, give the soup a splash of rice vinegar at the end to add the bright acidic finish. This soup is very good, one of our favorites. Try it and let me know what you think!
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Salt Preserved Lemons
February 23, 2011
Yes, it is true, I’m on a serious citrus kick. Why not? What better to brighten the palette on a dark and dreary winter day, than the vibrant colors and tart flavors of lemons, oranges, grapefruit, and lime? Lemons are my current favorite. Last summer, in an act of manifest destiny, we cut down our lemon tree to make way for a larger outdoor dining area. Luckily our neighbors have supplied us with a steady stream of Meyer lemons to fuel each of my citric indulgences. The latest… Salt Preserved Lemons.
This recipe comes from my grandmother’s recipe file. She, like me, sought out ways to celebrate each harvest and make it last. The first time I made these, I had no idea what to do with them. Luckily, they last a ridiculously long time in the refrigerator, so I had plenty of time to accumulate recipes. (After a year in the fridge, they still tasted fine, but I tossed them because it just seemed wrong to be eating something so old.) They are used often in North African and Middle Eastern foods. They can be added to dishes whole or you can remove the pulp and pith and add the preserved zest.
Biscuit-topped Chicken Pot Pie
February 21, 2011
We all have those meals that are burned in our memory for one reason or another. These are the meals that when we recall them, define a time in our lives. Though I’m slightly embarrassed to admit it, chicken pot pie is one of those meals for me. Occasionally my parents would leave me at home to go out for the night. I was always excited, because I could have a frozen dinner (those were not common fare in our home). One of my favorite dinners was always a chicken pot pie. I loved the creamy chicken and the flaky crust. Invariably, I burnt my anxious tongue on the steaming hot sauce. Those hot little pies were the highlight of my night. Even so, I always knew that the dish was not quite right. The chicken and vegetables were too small and uniformly cut. The sauce was too salty. The crust too bland. At that time, it never occurred to me that this special meal could be made at home!
Biscuit-topped Chicken Pot Pie is my effort to right the wrongs of pot pies of my past that missed the mark. Every ingredient and every step come together to create what I imagine a pot pie should be like. The chicken is poached in broth, then cut into large tender pieces, so there is no mistaking its presence. The vegetables are abundant and fresh. The potatoes are creamy. The sauce is based on a homemade chicken stock that is reduced and mixed with fresh thyme and cream. The potential of this dish is dependent on the quality of the broth used. I highly recommend using your own stock. It is so easy to make and the flavor is incomparable.
Oh, and the topping. Though I do love pie crust atop meat pies, biscuits are my favorite. Floating the biscuits on the pot pie allows the tops to brown and puff and the bottom to saturate with the rich gravy. It is the best of both worlds. This is definitely a comfort food.
My Pantry Shelf 