Christine Cooks

Truffle Tremor - Lots of It!

2012-02-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

I've never bought a 3-pound wheel of Truffle Tremor before.

At it's usual price per pound, the cost of a wheel hovers around $75; more if purchased outside of Humboldt County.

The other day, however, our beloved, award-winning cheese company, Cypress Grove Chevre, which, by the way, is a mere 12 miles from my kitchen (oh how I love saying that), had a special sale of their Truffle Tremor and I snatched up a wheel of it lickity-split.

Do you see the price per pound, people?

What you see here on my kitchen counter is a well-aged wheel of Tremor; to my palate, the most perfect state this cheese can achieve. The bloom is velvety and white, the ooey-gooey layer just under the rind (called the proteolysis - my favorite part) is thick and runny, the texture of the cheese is dense and crumbly. The taste? You can read a review I wrote some years ago here.

So, why was it marked down? I have no idea.

Maybe the good folks at Cypress Grove just wanted to give us an early Valentine's gift.

Well Cypress Grove, I love you too!

Kuri Squash Soup with Kale Pesto

2012-02-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

February can bring many kinds of weather to us northcoasters: The ubiquitous rain, of course; frosty mornings; sometimes snow, but also the occasional sunny day to remind us that spring is not far off, no matter what the groundhog saw in your neck of the woods.

So on a recent day, when the sun shone and the temperature reached a balmy 55-degrees, it occured to me that I should use up the remainder of the winter squashes whose presence on my kitchen counter throughout the winter months instills a sense of culinary bounty in my heart.

The squashes I used here were a combination of red kuri and one called Cinderella, which is a French variety, but you can use any orange winter squash that is available to you. Mine were on the small side, so I used three of them. I encourage you to use locally grown and organic if you can.

Got pesto? Swirling a dollop into each serving makes for a nicely visual, and healthy presentation.

Kuri Squash Soup with Kale Pesto
Christine's original recipe
print
Serves 6-8 generous portions
Ingredients:
5 lbs peeled and seeded deep orange squash, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4-6 small cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1.5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 very ripe Bosc pear, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc (juice of 1 lemon may be substituted)
1 1/2 to 2 quarts home made or low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon porcini powder
1 tablespoon Italian herb blend
olive oil for the sauté (butter is optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Assemble and prep your ingredients as listed above.
In a large soup pot, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter, or a combination of both.
When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and pear.
Stir well and adjust the heat so things will not burn; cover and sweat for about 5 minutes or until the onions are very soft but not caramelized.
Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck bits, then add the stock, squash, porcini powder and Italian herb mix.
Bring the mixture up to almost boiling, stir, lower the heat so the soup is maintained at a simmer, cover with a lid and allow to cook until the squash is very tender and falls apart when stuck with a fork.
Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes then purée it with an immersion blender until it is very, very smooth.
Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if you choose. Stir well.
Serve with a dollop of kale pesto swirled in and enjoy.

The Italian herb mix that I reach for during the winter months is made by Frontier. It's organic and is available at many natural food stores and co-ops and also in my Amazon Store.

I use a locally made dried porcini powder from the Arcata-based company Hasta be Pasta and I just found out it can be purchased from Amazon so I've put it in my Amazon Store.
The bosc pear: It had been left on the counter too long and was becoming way too soft for eating out of hand. And while the chickens would have thought it a great treat, it made a nice addition to this soup. What the heck: a squash is a fruit; a pear is a fruit. It worked. End of story.

Kale Pesto

2012-02-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

My vegetable garden doesn't produce much during our winters, but I can always count on kale.
After a while though, too much of a good thing can wear a bit thin and I struggle to come up with ways to use it.
Over the years, I've made my share of basil pesto, arugula pesto, spinach pesto, and even cilantro pesto but, until now, had not thought to make pesto out of kale, until I made a batch of kuri squash soup the other day and craved a spoonful of home made pesto to swirl into it.

Now, I ask you, what is pesto but green leafy things, garlic, nuts, cheese, and olive oil all buzzed up into a delicious paste? You can add a bit of lemon juice or a pinch of red pepper flakes to spice things up a bit, but those are the basics. So why not kale?

Turns out, why not kale? It makes a deeply green, healthful spoonful to swirl into your winter soups and stews. Plus, it tastes really, really good. I think you should try it.

Christine's Kale Pesto
print recipe
Ingredients:
4-6 cups (about 6.5 ounces) young kale leaves, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 large fresh garlic clove, smashed and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil or walnut/olive oil mix
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1/2 teaspoon gray sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Place the kale, nuts, garlic and cheese in a food processor and pulse until well combined.
With the machine running, drizzle the oil(s) through the feed tube until the pesto is uniformly ground and spoonably moist. You know, just like pesto.
Add the lemon juice and pulse a few times then taste. Adjust the seasonings with the sea salt and black pepper, pulsing until incorporated.
Remove from the processor and spoon into a lidded storage container. Use within a week.
Swirl into soups and stews, serve over hot pasta, shake into vinaigrette. It's all good and good for you.

I used both Russian Red and Lacinato kale for this recipe. Pick only the tender young leaves; the larger, older ones may taste too strong.
Tear the leaves off of either side of the central rib before using. (My chickens love the ribs.)
I like to freeze what pesto will not be used within a week. Here's a method that allows you to control the thawed portions: spray the cups of a plastic ice cube tray with a small amount of cooking spray, wipe gently with a paper towel then fill them with the pesto, pressing down to eliminate air pockets. Freeze until solid then pop out the frozen nuggets and place them in zip top freezer bags for freezer burn-free storage.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T14:17:00.000-08:00

Although 2011 has been a year of minimal recipes and posts, many of you dear readers have stuck with me despite my non-productivity, for which I am sincerely grateful. I hope to return to the delights of culinary activity here at the turn of the new year. Meantime, I hope the holidays are bringing you comfort and joy and that you are looking forward to a bright new year in 2012.

PS - Don't know what happened to my header graphic; do know I've got to fix it.

Recipe for Spatchcocked Pan-Roasted Chicken - Redux

2011-10-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

[Ed. note: Way back in 2008, I sent this post to my friend Paz at The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz and neglected to put it on my own blog. I've decided to remedy that. This update will not have some of the same wording as the original post, but the method and recipe are the same.]

When I posted my Sunday Night Whole Roasted Chicken recipe a while back, Paz fairly sang its praises from the rooftops of New York and re-posted it on her blog, creating quite a bit of traffic my way. That's just the way she is, thoughtful and generous. And because Paz was so excited about my roasted chicken, I thought it would be fun to show her another method that I think she will find entertaining and make her giggle: Spatchcocking.

Now before your minds head to the gutter, spatchcocking (and, please do visit that link for some very funny, veddy British definitions) is simply a method by which a chicken or other fowl is opened and spread flat, enabling it to cook faster and more evenly. To achieve this, you remove the backbone of the bird, lay it out flat, breast side up, and crack the breast bone to flatten it out.

That's it. Rub it all over with olive oil then sprinkle with your favorite herbs, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put it in a cast iron skillet with a glug or two of wine (red or white, it's your choice) and roast it to perfection. Easy, simple and delicious. If you like giblets, tuck them in and around the bird so they roast together. Oh, and don't forget to baste your bird with those tasty pan juices that will magically appear at the bottom of the skillet.
To spatchcock a chicken:

Put a whole chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board.
Using poultry shears or other strong kitchen shears, begin cutting up one side of the backbone beginning at the tail end. You may have to use a bit of pressure to cut through some of the bones, especially when you get to the bones that connect the wings to the body.
When one side is fully cut, do the same thing on the other side of the backbone, starting again from the tail end.
When the backbone is completely severed from the chicken, set it aside and inspect the chicken where you made the cuts. Remove any small bones laying about that could come loose in the cooking process and get stuck in a guest's teeth or, worse, in his/her throat.
Small bone inspection done, turn your chicken over and spread it out on the cutting board as shown in the photo.
Using your hand, push hard on the breast bone until it cracks or gives to the point that the chicken lies very flat on the board.

There. You're done. You've just spatchcocked a chicken. Now, cook it...

Christine's Spatchcocked Pan-Roasted Chicken
print recipe

Serves 4-6 chicken-loving people or 6-8 daintier eaters
Ingredients:
1 (4-5 pound) broiler or fryer chicken preferrably with giblets, preferrably free-range
Good olive oil
2 tablespoons (or more) dried herbs - I used Made in Napa Valley's Meritage Rub, which I highly recommend
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
olive oil spray for the pan
1/4 cup (a few glugs) of your favorite red or white wine

Preparation:

Rub the bird all over with good olive oil. Do the same with the giblets and the backbone if you are using them (see Cook's Notes.)
Sprinkle the herb rub, salt and pepper all over both sides of the bird, pressing into the skin to help them adhere.
Lightly spray a large cast iron skillet (I used a 12-inch one, old Wagner Ware, without which I would be one unhappy cook) with the olive oil.
Place the chicken breast side up in the skillet, arranging the legs and wings so it all fits snugly. The underside (inside) of the chicken should be flat in the skillet.
Tuck the giblets around and under the wings and neck area and lay the backbone under the legs as shown in the photo.
Pour the wine over the bird, cover the skillet with foil and place in a 375-degree oven for 45 minutes.
At the 45-minute mark, remove the foil from the skillet and baste your bird, giblets and all, with the pan juices.
Close the oven and roast for 15 more minutes, basting once again during that time.
Stick an instant-read temperature guage in the meatiest part of the thigh; a nicely done chicken should register 160 degrees farenheit and the juices from the joints should run clear.
Remove the skillet from the oven and baste the chicken one more time before transferring it to a cutting board where you will let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the giblets to a plate.
Pour the pan drippings into a fat separator and decant into a warm serving bowl or pitcher.

To cut into serving pieces, using kitchen or poultry shears, divide the bird into two halves, each having a half breast, a wing and a leg-thigh. Separate the entire leg-thigh piece and finally cut the breast pieces into two equal halves, cross-wise, leaving the wing attached to one of the pieces. This will give you three pieces from each side, which will nicely feed six hungry people. For daintier eaters, separate the thigh from the leg, thus being able to share your dish with 8 guests.

Cook's Notes:
I love giblets and I love the tasty morsels of meat on the backbone of a chicken, especially the tiny tenderloins. If you can find them, see if you don't agree with me.
The corn photo? Sometimes a food photo is so delectable, it must be shared.

Recipe for Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Raspberry Swirl

2011-07-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

I coulda made this with fresh organic raspberries.

I coulda driven the 12 miles to get them - 24 miles round trip.

Coulda, but I didn't.

Instead I had a Trader Joe's moment: organic raspberry spread and raspberry wine; both in the fridge, both cold.

It took just 5 minutes to put this together plus 20 minutes to freeze.

It could be in your dessert bowls tonight . . .

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Raspberry Swirl

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups plain, organic whole fat yogurt (low fat is fine)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (or 8 to 12 packets Splenda)
4-ounces raspberry fruit spread
2 tablespoons raspberry wine

Preparation:
Combine the yogurt, vanilla and sugar in a large mixing bowl, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Keep very cold until ready to freeze.
Combine the raspberry wine and raspberry fruit spread in a small measuring cup. Cover and keep cold.
Freeze the yogurt mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
When the yogurt is frozen, place one-third of it in a lidded container that can go into your freezer, spoon 1/2 of the raspberry mixture over that, then spoon one-third more of the yogurt over the raspberry layer, and repeat with the remaining raspberry mixture ending with the last third of the yogurt on top.
Cut down through the yogurt a few times with a knife. Smooth the top.
Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the yogurt to keep ice crystals from forming then snap on the lid and freeze for several hours until ready to serve. Can be frozen overnight but if that's the case, bring it out and set it on the counter 1/2 hour before serving so it can soften.

I like my frozen yogurt on the tart side. If you like yours sweeter, add up to 2/3 cup sugar.
I think that using whole milk yogurt works best to achieve creaminess, but low-fat and non-fat will work also although they will freeze to a brick.
As can be seen on other frozen yogurt posts of mine, I usually drain the whey from the yogurt before preparing the recipe. I decided to not do this here to see how it would turn out. It turned out just fine. Maybe not as creamy, but fine nonetheless.
The Trader Joe's link in this post is not a promotion and I do not receive renumeration for it; it is there so you can see what the product looks like. Sorry I couldn't find a photo for the raspberry wine, but TG's carries it with their label at about $8 a bottle.

Garden Fresh Frittata with Zucchini, Chard, Kale and Basil

2011-07-14T04:00:00.000-07:00

. . . plus eggs from my backyard chickens and fresh farmers market garlic from Claudia's Herbs.

Yesterday I picked the first two zucchini from our garden. Now, that may be ho-hum to the rest of the northern hemisphere but to me, in my very coastal-cool-weather garden, it's something to crow about.

Chard and kale I've got growing out my ears. Basil is slowly making its way to picking size.

The tomatoes? Hmpf. Ask me in September.

This tasty frittata comes together quickly. The longest wait time is when it's in the oven, as it has to cook slowly to stay moist.

Eggs from my chickens, produce from my garden - how happy can one cook get?

Garden Fresh Frittata with Zucchini, Chard, Kale and Basil

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium-small zucchini (green or yellow), sliced thin

4 cloves fresh garlic (see cook's notes), peeled, finely chopped

3-4 cups coarsely chopped chard and kale, stalks removed

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

10 medium to large eggs (see cook's notes)

1 tablespoon water

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

butter and olive oil for the pan

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 325-degrees.

Using a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, sauté the zucchini in a small amount of butter and olive oil - about 1 teaspoon each - until beginning to soften. Add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté, stirring, until just tender. Do not allow to burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Put the skillet back over the heat and toss in the chard and kale, stirring to sauté until wilted. Remove from the skillet and set aside - the greens should be dry; if they are not, drain them through a strainer.

Put about 1 teaspoon each of butter and olive oil in the skillet and place back over the heat on medium-low.

Beat the eggs with the water until fully broken up and creamy, add salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour the eggs into the skillet (if the eggs bubble and sputter, turn the heat down a bit) then add the zucchini and spread out evenly. Next, add the greens and spread evenly.

Sprinkle the basil over the top and push into the egg mixture a bit.

Put the skillet in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overcook or the frittata will be dry.

Remove from the oven, let cool for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy.

Fresh garlic is still moist both outside and in. The skins peel easily and the garlic clove is very white. I hope you're lucky enough to have some growing or can get some from your local farmers market.

My hens' eggs range from small to jumbo. When I use them for a dish such as this, I mix the sizes so it all comes out to about "large" - so use large eggs for this.

I don't use much salt these days, if at all, which is why I don't give measurements so please salt away, or not, as you wish. I will encourage you to use natural sea salt (the gray kind that is somewhat moist) as that seems to be the most healthy. I use Telicherry peppercorns in my pepper mill.

Photos of my vegetable garden may be seen on my garden blog, Raven Ridge Gardens.

Basics: Recipe for Crimini Mushroom Stock with Celeriac and Leeks

2011-03-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Brown mushroom stock does not a beautiful photo make, so you will not see one in this post.

Photos of the ingredients that went into making said stock? Yesiree.

Making mushroom stock takes very little effort and time and is probably as simple as stock gets. But the results are far from ordinary. Roasting deepens the flavors and brings out natural sweetness.
One could add carrots and garlic to the roasting pan, and I might in a future recipe, but this one I kept simple and clean.

Speaking of which: Clean your mushrooms. This small brush is very handy for the job,

but a quick once-over with a paper towel will also do the trick.

Coarsely slice them; one-half inch is not too large.

Peel and chop the celeriac, otherwise known as celery root.
I used a sharp knife to peel this critter but a wide-blade vegetable peeler might work as well.

I save the light green parts of leeks for stocks like this. If you have them, use them now.

Add a chopped onion, a little sea salt, a little freshly cracked pepper, a little porcini powder and ...

roast them all together to a golden, caramely brown.

Hold on, you're not finished yet. Scrape the roasted vegetables into a stockpot, cover with water, bring to just under a boil, lower the heat and simmer the stock for 1 hour, longer if you want it more concentrated.

After adjusting the seasonings to your own taste, strain the stock through several layers of cheesecloth into a large glass measuring cup or bowl. Let it cool then store it in the fridge in air-tight containers or freeze in ice cube trays then pop them out into ziptop bags and put back in the freezer.

I use these whenever I want to add some depth to a vegetarian dish, such as risottos, soups (cream of mushroom, anyone?) and stews.

Oh, one more thing: the ingredients measurements are approximate; the only error one could make would be on the side of paucity.

Christine's Basic Roasted Crimini Mushroom Stock with Celeriac and Leeks

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

2-pounds crimini mushrooms, cleaned, coarsely sliced

1 large celeriac, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 1-inch thick leeks, white and light green parts, washed, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon porcini powder (mine is local, made by Hasta be Pasta)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

olive oil for the roasting pan

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375-degrees.

Drizzle about 2 teaspoons olive oil into a large roasting pan then add the prepared mushrooms, chopped celeriac, leeks and onions.

Sprinkle the porcini powder over the vegetables along with some sea salt and generous grindings of black pepper, then, using clean hands, toss everything together so all pieces are evenly coated.

Cover the pan loosely with foil, place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Lift the foil from the pan and check to see if there are mushroom juices running around the vegetables. If so, remove the foil entirely and continue roasting, shaking pan occasionally, until the contents are golden brown and the juices have evaporated. If the mushrooms have not released their juices, cover the pan with foil and continue roasting for a few more minutes or until they do so then continue with the above instructions.

When the vegetables are done, remove them from the oven, check and adjust seasonings, then scrape them into a large stockpot and immediately deglaze the roasting pan with 1/3 cup white wine, or dry vermouth, scraping up any browned bits that may be sticking to the bottom. Pour this good stuff into the stockpot along with 5 cups of fresh, non-chlorinated water.

Bring the liquids to a low boil, then lower the heat, semi-cover the pot with a large lid, and allow to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour - longer if you want more concentrated flavors.

When the stock has the flavor you desire, remove from the heat and allow to cool until you can safely strain the stock from the vegetables. And, please, save those veggies! They can be incorporated into risottos, omelettes, even my potato galette.

To store, cool completely then strain through several layers of cheesecloth into airtight containers, or freeze in ice cube trays as I have suggested above.

A Special Note from Christine Cooks:
I already had this recipe waiting in the wings (and there are a few more in draft stage), but I must tell you that merrily writing food posts is not high on my list at the moment.
My heart is heavy over the plight of the people in Japan and I have made donations to several trusted sites. If you would like to join me in making a donation to help the Japanese people in their time of need, please consider giving whatever you can afford by either clicking on the red strip at the top of this page - which will take you to the Portland-based Mercy Corps donation page -
or by making a donation through the Red Cross web site, earmarking it for the Japan Disaster Relief. No donation is too small; a donation of $10 will make a big difference. Please join me. Thank you.

Recipe for Sugar Free Meyer Lemon, Fresh Blueberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt Creamsicles

2011-03-14T03:01:00.000-07:00

Let's get this whole sugar free business out of the way right now.

Yes, I did not add any sugar.

Yes, you can substitute sugar for the Splenda if you wish, and I have even given the sugar equivalent in the recipe below.

No, these are not totally, absolutely, positively sugar free.

Fruit has natural sugars in the form of fructose.

Dairy has natural sugars in the form of lactose.

Natural sugars existing in whole foods - fruits, vegetables, dairy - are a good thing. They come in their own natural packaging, often with lots of fiber.

Industry-packaged foods ~~often~~ mostly have added sugars, the worst being high-fructose corn syrup, and don't let them tell you otherwise. They lie.

Still, I had a hard time adding the term sugar free to the title of this recipe, cuz it just ain't so. There's fruit sugar and dairy sugar in abundance. But no added sugar. And, yeah, there's Splenda with its teeny-tiny amounts of glucose and maltodextrin, which translate to sugars. I'm not perfect.

Whew. Glad I got that off my chest. Let's move on.

These are my little ode to Spring. I had so much fun making - and, obviously - eating them. Notice I have not called them fat free. You will see why as you read on.

What began as a formulation for Meyer lemon frozen yogurt creamsicles, which I'd been thinking about for quite some time while waiting for my frozen pop mold to arrive from Amazon (thank you Jeff & Amy!), acquired a blueberry swirl when organic blueberries from Chile began to show up in our local markets. Carbon footprint be damned, I could not resist.

These frozen treats are packed with tartness from both the Meyer lemon juice and the yogurt, with just enough Splenda (or sugar) for balance. The addition of the fruit swirl provides its own sweet surprise.

Before you start, please remember to drain the yogurt of its whey before proceeding (a photo of that process is here). And be sure to read my notes below for a way to use that whey.

Using a pestle to push the blueberry purée through a fine mesh sieve worked better than anything I've ever tried. It really got all the liquid out of the fruit pulp. A word of caution: empty the sieve of any remaining pulp right away or you may later find yourself scrubbing that little screen really hard.

Fold the fruit purée into the yogurt mixture just a few times to make the swirl. Too much combining and you've lost the swirl effect.

Spoon or pour the yogurt mixture into the molds, using a skewer to remove trapped air. When the molds are filled, tap the aparatus on a counter top a few times to settle and compact the mixture then put the sticks into the center of each mold, about halfway in. Put the whole thing in the freezer, on a flat surface, and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight, which I think is best.

You will have to excercise some patience.

Sugar Free Meyer Lemon, Fresh Blueberry Swirl Frozen Yogurt Creamsicles

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:
4 cups (32-ounce container) plain yogurt (I used full fat), drained
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, strained
1 cup cream or half 'n' half (see Cook's Notes)
1/2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla
8 packets Splenda or 1/3 cup sugar (more to taste)
3/4 cup fresh blueberries (yields 1/4 cup blueberry purée)

Preparation:
The day before preparing the pops, drain the liquid, or whey, from the yogurt. (See Cook's Notes for uses for the whey.) To do this, drape a damp piece of cheesecloth over a sieve that has been set over a large glass container, such as an 8-cup measure.
Spoon or pour the yogurt into the cheese cloth then set the whole thing in the fridge and allow it to drain overnight.
Put the drained yogurt, or yogurt cheese as it is called, into the rinsed 8-cup glass measure or a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice until fully blended.
Stir in the cream and vanilla then the Splenda, or sugar. If using sugar, stir the mixture until it begins to lose its grainy feel.
You should now have about 5 cups of yogurt mixture; put this in the fridge and continue with prepping the blueberries.
Place the blueberries in a food processor and buzz until they are well puréed; they will not be a liquid at this point.
Scrape the purée from the processor bowl into a very fine mesh sieve placed over a small glass measuring cup. Then, using a small pestle, stir, stir, stir until all the liquid falls into the measuring cup leaving very dry pulp in the sieve. I started out using the back of a spoon for this process but soon found I was wasting my time, hence the pestle which did the job quickly with maximum extraction of liquid.
Drizzle the liquid blueberry purée over the yogurt mixture and give it a quick stir with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix as you want the blueberry to be a just a swirl, not a complete color changer.
Spoon this mixture into the molds of a frozen popsicle container, removing air pockets with a smooth bamboo skewer or one of the popsicle sticks that come with the mold. (It's important to do this because trapped air will cause the creamsicles to form ice crystals within and will result in not being a creamy smooth frozen treat.)

When the molds are filled. Tap them on a counter top to compact the yogurt mixture then place the pop sticks in the center of each mold and freeze until very firm - overnight is best if you can stand the wait.

To un-mold the pops, fill a large container or sink with hot water. Put the molds in the water to within an inch of the top for no more than 5 seconds, then remove from the water. You may have to squeeze each individual mold with your hands to help the frozen yogurt within separate from the mold. You may also need to re-dip into the hot water several times to get the pops to un-mold. Placing your fingers on the pop stick, close to the frozen yogurt, pull up gently until the pop releases from the mold.

Go ahead, take a bite. I'll wait.

To store the creamsicles (as if), wrap each one in its own piece of plastic wrap and layer them in a ziptop freezer bag and put them back in the freezer. Pull one out when you get a yen for a lip-smackin', tart-sweet, frozen fruity treat.

As is abundantly clear from the recipe, this is not a low-fat frozen treat. However, having made this, I think I can safely say that you could successfully lower the fat content by substituting low-fat yogurt and low-fat milk for some of the cream or half 'n' half without compromising the structure of these so aptly-named creamsicles.

8 packets Splenda equals 1/3 cup sugar. 12 packets Splenda equals 1/2 cup sugar.

Yogurt whey may be used as a substitute for buttermilk in baking with great success. I just made a batch of gluten-free buckwheat pancakes this morning and used the leftover yogurt whey instead of buttermilk. It worked splendidly and I plan to post a recipe soon.

Happy cooking!

Recipe For Tamale Pie Loaf Becomes Mexican Polenta

2011-03-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

I don't often cook from cans.

But.

This recipe, adapted from my mother's tamale pie loaf - much of the ingredients from cans - had been calling to me since I tried making it several years ago, and failed.

My mother's recipe calls for cornmeal cooked in milk, the ratios of which made me wince: 1 part cornmeal to 1 1/2 parts milk. She said the resulting mush would be stiff (and inedible - my words) and she was right. So maybe it was the recipe . . .

Undaunted, and lacking cornmeal, I used polenta and made my ratios 1:3 which worked well. The cooked polenta should be rather stiff because you're going to be putting a lot of wet ingredients into it to make the finished dish, but it should not be stiff as a hair brush nor have the texture of that white paste we used to ~~eat~~ use in elementary school.

My addition of eggs lightens this to almost soufflé level. And, if I were making this in late summer with plenty of fresh corn and peppers on hand, I would roast the corn, char the peppers and use them instead of the canned varieties. And quite possibly I would use fresh diced tomatoes.

But it's still winter, so in my mother's tradition I've used many cans. And let me tell you, this rendition of tamale pie, which I have dubbed Mexican Polenta, is light and flavorful and was a hit with the potluck goers for whom it was intended.

Search through your cupboards, people, you're gonna need some cans.

Christine's Mexican Polenta

Adapted from her mother's recipe for tamale pie loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups polenta

6 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and chopped fine

4 whole canned chilies, chopped into small dice (or 1 7-ounce can diced green chilies)

1 can whole kernel corn

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted is best

1 tablespoon Grandma's Chili Powder (it's what my mother always used)

1 whole chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

4 eggs, well beaten

1 generous cup grated cheddar or Jack or a combo of both

1/2 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce

kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350-degrees

Bring the water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil.

Whisking constantly, stir in the polenta and whisk until combined.

Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the polenta, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it leaves the sides of the pot and starts to stick to the bottom.

Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and incorporated, stirring up any polenta that has stuck to the pot. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 2 teaspoons butter in a cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft and slightly golden brown.

Add the diced chilies, adobo chile, and the chili powder and stir for another 30 seconds or so.

Add the tomatoes, corn and hot sauce and stir well to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the sauté into the waiting polenta. Mix well.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Allow mixture to cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in beaten eggs, mixing thoroughly, then stir in cheese.

Put mixture into a well oiled 9 x 13 inch baking pan, spreading out to the edges, and bake in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and springs back when you poke it with your finger.

To transport to a potluck party, cover the baking dish with foil and place in a cardboard box slightly larger than the dish. When you arrive at your desitnation, cut the polenta into serving-sized squares.

Olé!

Recipe For Crock Pot Braised Pork Ribs With Whole Garlic Cloves and Fresh Rosemary

2011-03-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

I don't use my crockpot often enough, and more's the pity.

Truth is, I don't usually think about how I'm going to cook something until I'm in the kitchen around 6 PM deciding what's for dinner. I'll bet I'm not alone in this.

There were these gorgeous pork ribs in my freezer that had come from Yolo County pig farmer extraordinnaire, John Bledsoe, and I had taken them out to thaw thinking I had all the time in the world to braise them into a tasty meal.

Well, the minute I stepped into my office, saw the quite large stack of paperwork on the desk, and realized that I would be working all day and probably into the night, I turned around, went back to the kitchen and pulled out the crock pot.

In a few minutes I had onions, carrots, celery and leeks prepped, 21 cloves of garlic peeled, and the zest of one quite large Meyer lemon waiting on a plate.

Aren't those ribs beautiful?

The rest was easy; here's what you do: Layer the ingredients as shown in the photos, sprinkle the lemon zest over all the vegetables, ribs on top with generous sprinklings of kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, and finish it off with fresh sprigs of rosemary.

Pour in some rich stock, red wine, plonk the lid on, program the crock pot to high for 4 hours then low for 6 hours then warm to hold. And walk away.

When you return to your kitchen, after dark, eyes bleary and neck achey from crunching numbers all day, the aromas that greet you will lift your spirits and the meal that has pretty much prepared itself will pamper your palate, warm your tummy and remind you that taking the crock pot out of the cupboard once in a while can be such a good thing.

Christine's Recipe for Crock Pot Braised Pork Ribs with Whole Garlic Cloves and Fresh Rosemary
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces
3 ribs celery, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces
4 carrots, pared, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces
21 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
Zest of one large Meyer lemon or regular lemon
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 pounds meaty pork ribs on the bone
1 cup rich stock (I used my rich and robust chicken stock)
1/2 to 2/3 cup Merlot or Merlot-Cabernet blend
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns
Preparation:
Beginning with the onions, layer the vegetables in the crock pot, ending with the garlic cloves.
Top the vegetables with the lemon zest then lay the ribs over, nestling them snugly into the pot.
Sprinkle the ribs with kosher salt and pepper then lay the rosemary sprigs over them.
Pour the stock down the edges of the crock pot then do the same with the red wine.
Put the lid on the pot then set the programming to High for 4 hours, Low for 4-6 hours, Hold or Warm until you're ready to eat.
The meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender, the vegetables not mushy. I always find that amazing.
Remove the rosemary sprigs before serving.

Enjoy!

Meyer Lemons: Recipes Redux

2011-03-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

When Bill (or life, as the saying goes) gives you Meyer lemons, make . . . insert any number of lemon-enhanced dishes behind those elipses.

My friend Bill did indeed give me a bag of Meyer lemons while I was in the Sacramento Valley visiting family and friends last week, picked from his backyard trees that morning. Bill has been gifting me with these beauties for a number of years now and the thrill of receiving them never lessens.

You see them up there; the photo taken mere moments ago in my rather winter-dark kitchen. Meyer lemons are to winter like sunshine is to summer: Golden nuggets of sunshine, brightening and perfuming the house; giving their soft tangerine-lemon essence to food; pushing away the still-cold, gray vestiges of winter.

Tonight I'll put juice and zest into a savoy cabbage sauté like this one.

Tomorrow I may make a sorbet kind of like this one but without so much booze.

Today I will not be giving you a new recipe, but rather photos and links to recipes past to encourage you to employ Meyer lemons into your cooking repertoire. (I know that some of my old posts leave a lot to be desired, both in content and photography. Go ahead and laugh. I do. Someday I may fix them. Or not.)

Recently, several readers - quite independent of each other - told me that they use my recipes as inspiration for creating their own. I love that.

Meyer lemon recipes to inspire you - from my kitchen to yours:

Meyer Lemon Curd, Two Ways

Plus Another Meyer Lemon Curd from a long time ago

Lentil-Vegetable Soup with Meyer Lemon Juice

Meyer lemons enhance my Homemade Refried Beans

Winter Squash Soup with Meyer lemons and so many other good things

Need a winter pick-me-up? Make this Chicken Broth for the Flu, with Meyer lemons of course

Try this rather boozy take on a Lemon Drop cocktail: Meyer Lemon Drop Sorbet

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Tart with Fresh Raspberries - yum!

And for good measure, how 'bout a Meyer Lemon Blueberry Ginger Tea Cake?

As long as I'm baking, here's an old post that really needs improving but the scones and curd are great

Dessert's not your thing?

Why not try a Meyer lemon-drenched Whole Roasted Chicken that can be fixed on a week night.

Or would you prefer a light and lovely Citrus Relish with your fish? Thought so.

And if the above recipes don't use up your stash of Meyer lemons,

juicing and freezing extends their life long into spring and summer, making yours truly one very happy cook.

Cheers!

Recipe for Sautéed Carrots and Mushrooms with Thyme and Champagne-Creme Fraiche Sauce

2011-02-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

Show of hands, please: Who doesn't like carrots? I'll bet not many of you.

Carrots are such an integral part of my cooking repertoire - I use them as the base ingredient for so many dishes, from soups to stews, sautés to braises, salads, slaws and desserts - I rarely think about them as a star in their own right.

A delicious side, especially in winter, I started making this several months ago - playing with the enhancements - never once considering it for its own post. Silly me. I've fixed that now.

Such a simple recipe - the process takes just 20 minutes tops - but you will need some special ingredients before you begin: fresh chopped thyme, creme fraiche and champagne.

And before you sigh and say why not just use dried herbs white wine and sour cream? you're gonna have to trust me. I've been there, done that, and this, this is the recipe that wins - hands down. So play around if you want, but don't say I didn't tell you.

It's so easy to make creme fraiche. The recipe is here.

Not just any champagne will do either. I tried all sorts of dry white wines and a brut Champagne in previous interations of this dish, but the Korbel Sec that was brought as a gift to my belated birthday dinner, and didn't get finished that night (it's not to everyone's taste), is the perfect base for the sauce that lightly coats the vegetables.

Sautéed Carrots and Mushrooms with Thyme and Champagne-Creme Fraiche Sauce
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
8 medium carrots, peeled and cut thinly on the diagonal
10-12 medium cremini mushrooms, brushed and sliced
1 full teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon clarified butter or ghee
1/3 cup champagne - sec, not brut (see Cook's Notes)
1 tablespoon creme fraiche
kosher or sea salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Place the ghee in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
When the ghee has liquified, toss in the carrots and sauté for several minutes.
Add the chopped thyme and stir.
Toss in the mushrooms and gently stir to mix them into the carrots. Sauté for 5 minutes or so until the carrots are almost done and the mushrooms have softened and released their liquid. Adjust the heat so the vegetables don't burn.
Add the champagne stirring constantly until most of it has evaporated. You may have to turn the heat to high to achieve this quickly.
Stir in the creme fraiche. Lower the heat to medium-high and keep stirring until the sauce thickens, a minute or so, and coats the vegetables.
Remove skillet from the heat and stir in a few grindings of black peppercorns. (You can add salt if you wish, but I found the dish just fine without.)
Serve hot.
Enjoy!

~ Confused about Brut, Extra-Dry, Sec and demi-Sec? Click here for definitions.
One needn't go out and buy a really expensive sec champagne, but make sure you like it before adding it to your food.

Other carrot recipes you might like from this blog:

http://christinecooks.blogspot.com/2008/09/roasted-autumn-soup-with-potatoes.html

http://christinecooks.blogspot.com/2006/02/chicken-breasts-on-bed-of-leeks.html

http://christinecooks.blogspot.com/2010/11/flame-charred-red-pepper-soup-with.html

http://christinecooks.blogspot.com/2006/10/best-black-beans.html

Carrot recipes from other bloggers:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_baby_carrots/

http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/recipe-for-maple-glazed-roasted-carrots.html

http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/02/recipe-vegan-carrot-ginger-soup-two.html

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/carrot-and-fennel-soup-recipe.html

Christine Cooks is Six years Old Today

2011-02-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

Today I begin my 7th year of writing this blog.

I greet this significant milestone with mixed emotions.

This morning I went on an interesting journey through my blog posts all the way back to February 2005, wincing at some of the writing and the early photography (or lack thereof), laughing at some of the recipes, smiling at others that I know are keepers.

Mostly what I see is a genuine yearning to eat well and be healthy in the process.

Sometimes that endeavor has taken me down some dubious paths: egg substitute instead of whole eggs; trans fat free margarine instead of good butter. Oy.

Grains or no grains?

Full, reduced or low fat?

Sugar or no sugar?

Splenda? (Well, yeah, it's my weakness.)

Omnivore, vegetarian, vegan?

One could get whiplash reading some of my posts.

I have often thought to delete the more wince-producing ones but then the documenting of the journey wouldn't be complete. And for me the journey is what makes the story interesting.

Life is an experiment.

We try things on, wear them for awhile to see how we like them, sometimes casting them off according to what is fashionable, sometimes making them a permanent part of our wardrobe. Of course I'm speaking metaphorically about food.

What I have learned about food is not so much all things in moderation as eat what works for you in order for you to live a healthy life - "healthy" being key.

Some need to be vegan or vegetarian. Some need to avoid fat, salt, and sugar. Some need to avoid gluten, wheat in particular. I've tried all of these things. They are on the pages of this blog, sometimes written a bit pedantically. I don't apologize. It's all part of the journey.

And after giving it some thought, I've decided to continue this journey for a bit longer. I still have things to say, food to cook and share.

As I move into year seven I know I'll mostly concentrate on recipes that will reflect my goal to eat food that works for me in order for me to live a healthy life.

I may quote Michael Pollan at times.

And I'll try not to pontificate.

Bear with me.

Oh - yes, there will be Splenda.

Some things I won't give up.

Basics: Garlic Rubbed Crostini Recipe

2011-02-14T18:16:00.000-08:00

I know. Crostini. Big whoop.

Anyone can make it.

And you can hardly call it a recipe; a method is more apropo.

But this blog began in lieu of a family cookbook for my sons and this is the year that every so often I will find the basics that appear throughout this blog and give them their own post.

Crostini, as they are called in Italian, crouton or croûtes, as they are called in France, are simply small slices of bread that have been toasted in the oven. They can be plain or brushed with olive oil as I have done here. They are the building blocks of myriad small-bite toppings.

Begin with a long baguette of good artisan bread. Cut the baguette on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices, brush one side lightly with a good olive oil and toast in a 400-degree oven for 7-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Like this.

Take a clove or two of garlic, peeled and cut in half, and when the crostini come out of the oven, quickly rub the cut half of the garlic clove over the olive oil-brushed side of each piece. Not a lot, just one or two gentle passes. You want the essence of garlic, not an overpowering crescendo.

Let the crostini cool a bit then add your favorite toppings, just like you would do with crackers. Or grate a little cheese over the top, like I did in this post, maybe add a few grains of coarse sea salt, and pop them back in the oven until the cheese melts.

Float them in soups, serve them with stews. Serve them topped with pâtés or your favorite tapenade. They are hands down a giant leap over crackers from a box.

Christine's Garlic Rubbed Crostini

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

1 long artisan baguette, preferrably sourdough

good olive oil for brushing

1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 400-degrees.

Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.

Slice the baguette on the diagonal into thin (no more than 1/4-inch) slices.

Pour the olive oil into a bowl and using a pastry brush (I keep one just for this purpose), brush a small amount of olive oil on one side of each slice of bread and line them up on the sheet pan.

Toast the slices in the oven for 7 to 12 minutes, watching them carefully so they don't burn, until they are golden brown. They will be crisp.

Remove the pan from the oven and working quickly, rub the cut garlic over the olive oiled side of each crostini. Be careful, they will be very hot.

When finished, the crostini may be served right away or allowed to cool completely and put into a ziptop freezer bag to store for several days on the counter or several months in the freezer.

So simple. And so good.

~ Lest you think I'm losing my culinary mind, most folks know croutons as those small toasted cubes of bread that are tossed into salads. A crouton is simply a small toasted piece of bread, it can be cubed or it can be sliced and comes from the French word croûte, which means crust. To make it easy, just call them crostini.

~ I keep a pastry brush separate from my baking brushes specifically for the purpose of brushing olive onto things. The brush is easily cleaned by immersing it into a bowl of hot, soapy water and letting it sit for a few minutes then running hot water over it. Remove as much of the water that you can with a dish towel and let the brush air dry before putting it away. This is not a product plug, but Dawn dishwashing detergent is perfect for this task as it cuts through the oil quickly.

Recipe for Simple Chicken Liver Pâté Using Crème Fraîche

2011-02-10T22:27:00.000-08:00

Pâtés can be smooth as silk, coarse and a bit chunky, or anywhere in between. They can be seasoned with herbs, fortified wines, vegetables, capers, onions and shallots; even brined whole peppercorns - to name a few.

Or not.

What I give you here is the not version: A simple, smooth and rich pâté that spreads like soft butter onto a cracker or crostini. A basic recipe with which to let your imagination take wing; master this and there will be no stopping you.

Christine's Simple Chicken Liver Pâté with Crème Fraîche
Ingredients:
1 pound free-range chicken livers (I used Rocky brand)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Italian herbs (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
generous grindings of black peppercorns - about 1/4 teaspoon
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 heaping tablespoons crème fraîche (See Cook's Notes)
Preparation:
If using the herbs, put them in a mortar and pestle with the salt and grind them a bit.
Gently wash the livers under cool water. Pat them dry then cut out all connective tissue and sinew.
Heat the unsalted butter over medium-high in a heavy skillet.
When the butter has melted, add the chicken livers and cook, turning once or twice, until nicely browned but still slightly pink in the center. Stir in the herb salt, black pepper and white wine and stir, breaking up the livers, until the wine has almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the heat to medium-low and stir in the crème fraîche, stirring until it has liquified and then thickened, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Remove mixture from the heat, adjust to taste with salt and pepper, let cool for about 15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend the livers until they are very smooth. You can achieve even more smoothness by pressing the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.
Spoon the mixture into a small bowl or mold, pressing down and smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon, cover with plastic wrap, seal tightly and refrigerate until cold.
To serve: If you put the pâté into a decorative ceramic mold to chill, unmold onto a plate to serve with your favorite crackers. Or you can scoop only the amount you need into a small dish and keep the remainder cold.

Cook's Notes:
~ If you are bereft of an immersion blender (also called a stick blender), you can use a food processor or a regular blender. You can even use a fork and the muscles in your arm, but it takes longer.
~ Your pâté mixture will be the consistency of thick gravy before chilling. Don't despair, it will thicken and compress while it chills.
~ I always have a jar of homemade crème fraîche in the fridge; it's easy to make and can keep for up to 3 weeks. If you need to buy some I recommend Bellwether Farms.
~ One more thing: the surface of the pâté can turn a bit gray, even while in the fridge, if the plastic wrap is not placed directly onto the surface and sealed well. This is from oxidation and doesn't change the flavor, it just looks unsightly. You can skim the surface to remove the discolored pâté if it grosses you out. Something I would definitely do if serving to guests.

Other recipes that you may enjoy:
Chicken Liver Pate on Garlic Toasts
Traveling Food Lady's Got Company Coming

Socca with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Anchovy Filets and Cheese

2011-02-07T16:31:00.000-08:00

This is socca. A Mediterranean street food from the Nicoise region of France, it's made with four basic indgredients: chickpea (or garbanzo) flour, black pepper, water and olive oil, rendering it not only very simple to make, but agreeable to vegetarians, vegans and gluten free folks all.

The hit of black pepper and olive oil as you scrape this from the pan and pop it into your mouth is just short of revelatory. I've already made it twice this week: first quite plain with dried herbs, then the version you see here with sun-dried tomatoes, chopped fresh thyme and rosemary, anchovy filets and a sheep's milk cheese called Lamb Chopper because I was out of chevre. Topping possibilities seem quite endless.

You can make the batter in the morning or anytime during the day you wish to cook it, cover it and let it sit until you're ready for an appetizer and glass of wine before dinner. Then just heat up your pan, pour in the batter, cook for 15 minutes, if that, and enjoy. Be careful though, it's addictive. The first time I made it it became dinner, as we kept eating until the pan was empty.

I used a gluten free garbanzo/fava bean flour from Bob's Red Mill because that's what I had on hand. It worked very nicely. Be sure to sift the bean flour as it can clump in storage especially if kept in the fridge - which is where it should be to keep it fresh.

With nods to Mark Bittman and Martha Rose Shulman's Mediterranean Light, here is my first offering of socca. It won't be the last.

Socca with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Anchovies and Cheese
Christine's adaptation from Mediterranean Light
(Print recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo flour) or garbanzo/fava flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 full teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, half of it medium grind, the other half course grind
1 teaspoon each chopped fresh thyme and chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, coarsely chopped (optional)
8 anchovy filets packed in oil, drained, left whole (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely grated sheep's milk cheese (optional)
Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 400-degrees.
Sift the bean flour into a bowl then add the salt, pepper and herbs, if using, and whisk to blend.
Whisk in the warm water, carefully blending away all the lumps.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and set aside.
Put the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron pan or other heavy skillet and put in the hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
When the oil is hot, remove the pan from the oven and pour in the batter, scraping the sides of the bowl to get it all into the hot pan.
Immediately put the pan back in the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the batter is just set. Bring the pan out of the oven, sprinkle with the cheese then arrange the anchovy filets and the sun-dried tomatoes over the surface of the batter and return it to the oven to cook another 10 minutes or so until the batter is cooked through. It should pull away from the sides of the pan slightly.
If you are not using toppings as I did, simply leave the unadorned batter and pan in the oven for a total of 12-15 minutes cooking time. This will of course vary with the quirks of your oven. I encourage experimentation until you get it just the way you want it.
Upon removing the finished socca from the oven, allow it to cool for just a few minutes, cut it in to wedges and serve hot.

Cook's Notes:
I know 4 tablespoons seems like a lot of oil, and it is. But my research says that's pretty authentic. Experiment with using less if you wish, but it's really a big part of the flavor.
Again from my skimpy research, the original socca may have had herbs added to it, but other than that was pretty plain. I suggest beginners start with the plain version so you know what the taste is like then take off from there.
I just saw that I'm not alone in writing about socca. Mary at One Perfect Bite posted hers today and Julie at A Mingling of Tastes put her version up a few days ago. I am constantly amazed at the collective consciousness of food bloggers.
My friend, Kalyn also posted a recipe for socca several years ago. You can see the post here.

So a Guy Walks into a Diner . . .

2011-02-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

"F - U - N - E - M ?"

"S, V - F - M ."

"F - U - N - E - X ?"

"S, V - F - X ."

"O - K , M - N - X !"

I couldn't have been more than 10 years old when my mother first recited that little scenario to me.

I seem to be channeling her this morning though I can't say why.

I had M . . .

I had X . . .

There you have it.

Basics: Roasted Rich and Robust Chicken Stock

2011-02-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

One of the things that has been missing from this blog from the very start are posts dedicated to the basics: stocks and broths, salad dressings, sweet and savory sauces, gravies, the "how tos". Sure, some of those things are embedded within a post about soups or stews, crab cakes, dinner salads, and desserts, but very few are the stars of their own page. So one of my goals this year is to remedy that omission.

Herewith is my first Basics: A hearty, rich and robust chicken stock made by roasting chicken bones along with aromatics to a rich, golden, caramelized goodness, pan deglazed, then onto the stovetop to cook into a stock. After that the reduction begins. What you have at the end of the process is a deeply flavored dark stock to enhance soups, stews, braises, risottos, rice and pastas, sauces, or whatever floats your culinary boat.

I began this stock with the carcass (skin and cartilage included) from a previously roasted 5-pound chicken, but you can use backs and wings purchased from your butcher and begin the roasting with this recipe - no need to pre-roast. I do suggest that you always save and freeze the bones, wingtips, etc from any bird that you cook so you always have some on hand to make a stock.

The aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, garlic, spices) all get roasted at the same time with the chicken bones.

A touch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil and into the oven it all goes at 375-degrees for about an hour. I tented the pan with foil for the first 25 minutes then let it go naked for the remainder of roasting time.

Instead of deglazing the roasting pan with wine at the end of the cooking time (which is what I normally do), about two-thirds of the way through I removed the pan from the oven, quartered a very ripe Meyer lemon (thanks Bill!) and drizzled the juice over the pan contents, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a spatula, dropping the spent lemon parts into the pan, and continued roasting until it was all done to a golden perfection.

Bones, veggies, lemon pieces, spices, browned bits and all went into a large stockpot along with bruised fresh bay leaves, sprigs of fresh thyme, a small hot red Padrón pepper from a plant that is struggling mightily in my greenhouse, some sea salt and 12 cups of fresh, cool water (preferrably non-chlorinated).

After simmering for an hour, the yield was 11 cups of delicious stock. And really, you could stop right there and start making soup, but I wanted my stock to be richer, more concentrated and de-fatted, so I strained it through 2 layers of cheesecloth and put it in the fridge overnight to cool, allowing the fat to congeal on the surface. The next day it was easy to skim the fat from the surface of each container.

Again using 2 layers of cheesecloth and a fine mesh strainer, I strained the stock back into a stockpot, brought it to just under a boil, lowered the heat to a simmer and let it reduce down to 6 cups - about 40 minutes total. The flavors were fantastic, the stock the deep, rich brown that you see in the top photo. Four cups of it are freezing in ice cube trays as I type this, the remaining 2 cups are in the freezer to be used as a soup base later in the week. I think you're gonna like this.

Christine's Roasted Rich and Robust Chicken Stock

(Print recipe)

Ingredients:

Carcass of one 5-pound or two 2 1/2-pound chickens, cut into pieces, preferrably previously roasted

1 large sweet yellow or cippolini onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped

10 or so cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1/2 teaspoon each whole black peppercorns and whole allspice berries

1 Meyer lemon, washed, quartered, seeds removed

2 fresh bay leaves, bruised

4 long sprigs fresh thyme

1 small hot pepper, stem removed, jalapeno will do, I used Pimiento de Padrón, from my greenhouse

1 teaspoon fine kosher salt or sea salt

2 teaspoons olive oil, about

12 cups cool, fresh water

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees

Place the chicken parts, onions, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, peppercorns and allspice berries in a large roasting pan and drizzle with the olive oil. Shake the pan to distribute the oil.

Tent the pan loosely with foil and put in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

Remove the foil and drizzle the pan contents with the juice of the Meyer lemon, dropping the lemon pieces into the pan. Scrape the pan with a spatula to loosen the browned bits from the bottom and return pan to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the bones and vegetables are golden brown. Be sure to not let the garlic cloves burn. That would be a bad thing.

Scrape the contents of the roasting pan into a large stockpot and cover with 12 cups water.

Add the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, hot pepper and the salt and give it a stir.

Bring to just under a boil over medium-high heat. If scum rises to the top, use a skimmer or fine mesh sieve to remove it then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the stock to cook this way for 1 hour. Check the heat periodically to maintain a simmer, not a boil.

Remove the stockpot from the heat and allow the stock to cool for 30 minutes.

Remove as much of the solids as you can with a slotted spoon then pour the stock through 2 layers of cheesecloth in a large sieve into glass containers.

Place the containers in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours or overnight so the fat can rise to the top and congeal.

Remove the stock from the fridge and skim any hard fat from the surface (your doggies and kitties will be waiting for this part; there's nothing like a little chicken fat to liven up a dish of kibble).

Using 2 layers of cheesecloth and a fine mesh strainer, strain the stock into a large stockpot over medium-high heat and bring to just under a boil.

Lower the heat to a simmer and reduce the stock to about 6 cups; about 30 minutes simmer time.

Allow the reduced stock to cool then strain it again, for the last time, through 2 layers of cheesecloth and a fine mesh strainer. I know all that straining may seem like a lot, but I think you will be happier with a stock that doesn't end up with grit at the bottom.

When the stock has cooled, you can pour it into ice cube trays, freeze them hard then remove them from the trays into freezer-proof ziptop bags, label and date the bags, and put in the freezer. Or, you can pour the stock into freezer-type storage containers in any volume you prefer and freeze.

The stock will keep well in the freezer for up to 6 months but, honestly, once you taste this you'll want to use it up sooner. And that's good because you can always make more.

Enjoy!

January Downtime

2011-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

I am taking the month of January off from blogging. All is well, just re-grouping. I will continue to post photos on my garden blog, Raven Ridge Gardens; I hope you will pay a visit there. I'll be back here ready to cook come February.

Merry Christmas To All

2010-12-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

Coconut Cranberry Frozen Yogurt

2010-12-23T16:44:00.000-08:00

[12-31-10: See Cook's Notes below for another, more coconutty, version made on a whim over Christmas.]

My intention was to get this on the table (read blog) in plenty of time for Christmas.

I don't consider this to be plenty of time, but that's my rather disorganized life at the moment (year actually).

Just now I was about to say that maybe 2011 will find me a more organized cook and blogger, but who am I kidding? I've always been this way and will offer no more excuses. Hmmm ... I feel a New Year's resolution coming on: No more excuses; Iyam who Iyam.

I do love to make frozen concoctions and this one is as easy as pie (why do they say that? Pie is not necessarily easy). Let's just say that this can be made up in no time at all and doesn't require much organization.

Except, you do have to remember to drain the yogurt before hand.

Make this full-fat, low-fat or non-, according to your own dictates. If you prefer to leave out the cream, substitute a little more milk. And because the recipe is not made with an ice cream custard base, you can use whatever sweetener you prefer and the texture will not be affected. I prefer my ice creams and frozen yogurts to be less sweet than the commercial standard, but feel free to kick up the sugar if that floats your boat.

Coconut Cranberry Frozen Yogurt
Christine's orignial recipe
print recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt, preferrably orgainc, drained
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1/4 cup cream
1/3 cup sugar or 1/4 cup (scant) Splenda Sugar Blend, or 7-8 packets Splenda
2/3 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut, preferrably organic
1/2 tsp coconut flavoring (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Preparation:
Drain the yogurt by placing it in a damp cheesecloth-lined colander over a bowl, set in the fridge for about 3 hours. Use the drained liquid in another recipe or discard. Use the drained yogurt in this recipe.
Combine the yogurt, milk, cream, sugar and extract and stir well. Taste and adjust at will.
Stir in the shredded coconut.
Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. When the yogurt mixture is semi-frozen, add the cranberries into the machine while it is running to mix them into the yogurt.
When the yogurt has finished processing, it can be soft-served directly from the mixer or spooned into an aritight container and frozen for about 1 hour before serving.

Scoop this into your prettiest holiday dishes and enjoy.

Cook's Notes:
This is best served the same day. If kept frozen, you will have to let it thaw for at least a half hour in order for it to be scoopable.

Editor's note on 12-31-10
Josh, Kelly and Jackson visited over the holidays and one night I made a different version of the recipe above using only coconut milk. We liked it very much so here it is:
Using the measurements above, drain the yogurt for 24 hours so it's very thick.
To the yogurt add one can of whole or lite coconut milk, the sugar, shredded coconut and flavoring. Stir or whisk well to blend.
Process as above, adding the cranberries last.
Serve soft immediately after processing or pack in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 2 hours before serving.

Lentils Braised in Red Wine with Seared Duck Breast

2010-12-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

This dish looks suspiciously like my recent chili recipe but I assure you it's a beast of an entirely different pursuasion. Here I've incorporated lovely and tiny, dark green lentils with a mirepoix and red wine, cooking it down, down, down until the flavors have melted together and are ready to receive tiny slices of seared duck breast. I made enough for company but you could cut this recipe in half for a family of four.

Lentils in Red Wine with Seared Duck Breast
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
3 medium carrots (about), peeled and cut into small dice
2-3 stalks celery, cut into small dice
1 small to medium red onion, peeled and cut into small dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon duck fat or olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups small green lentils
2 cups good red wine (I used a French Côtes du Rhone)
2 cups chicken stock
2-3 cups hot water
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 boneless duck breasts
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation:
Melt duck fat (or olive oil, if using instead) over medium-high heat in a heavy pot.
Add the carrots, celery and onions and sauté until beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic for another minute or two.
Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate.
Add the lentils, red wine, chicken stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.
Stir and bring liquid to just under a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the lentils absorb most of the liquid, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Check the lentils for doneness; they should be soft but not mushy.
If the liquid is gone before the lentils are cooked, add hot water in small amounts until the lentils are finished.
Remember to fish out the now de-leafed thyme sprigs and the bay leaf.
To Prepare the Duck:
Just before the lentils are done, heat a heavy skillet (cast iron is perfect for this) over hight heat.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat side of the duck breasts in a diamond pattern, taking care to not cut through to the meat. Season the duck on both sides with a pinch of sea salt and some grindings of black pepper.
Put the duck breasts in the skillet, fat side down and allow them to sear, untouched, until some of the fat has rendered and the skin is beginning to turn golden brown. Reduce the heat, if necessary, to keep the duck from scorching and the fat from burning.
Using tongs, turn the duck breasts and sear for another 5 minutes.
Remove the duck breasts to a plate and tent with foil.
Add a small amount of red wine to the skillet and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan and reducing the wine by two-thirds.
Pour all of this lovely goodness into the pot of lentils, which should be done by this time.
To serve:
Stir chopped parsley into the lentils then spoon them into warm bowls or plates.
Using a very sharp knife, slice the duck breasts crosswise into very thin strips and drape them over the lentils.
Open a bottle of the same red wine that was used in the cooking.

Enjoy!

It's Crab Season!

2010-12-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

The stacks of traps had been growing by height and breadth for several weeks in anticipation of opening day when right on time this year, with fairly calm if wet weather, crab season opened at 12:01 this morning.

All of we local crab lovers (some are crab fisherman lovers as well) wish our fleet safe sailing and a substantial catch.

Break out the champagne, pull out a recipe or two, and celebrate!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

Flame-Charred Red Pepper Soup with Roasted All-Red Potatoes and Carrots

2010-11-11T16:10:00.000-08:00

Dean the "Pepper Guy" at our local farmers market has had a wonderful selection of sweet, hot, hotter and hottest peppers this fall. And while this summer our local farmers had a tough time due to the weather, peppers and tomatoes have been enjoying a late and extended season.
I love stopping at his stand and talking to him about the different flavors and heat his peppers will impart to food. And while I'm not brave enough to sample the really hot, hot peppers, I have tried a few that are fairly spicy, flavorful (the best part), but not hot enough to slay my palate.

This soup was made using long, sweet Italian red peppers and one slightly spicy, long red NuMex variety pepper ~~whose name escapes me and I will have to wait until Saturday to ask "Pepper Guy".~~ (I know: not enough research.)

No matter. What does matter is that you seek out peppers you like and use them. Please char and peel them first or you will have annoying, tough little pepper skins floating in your soup. Little bits of softer charred skin are okay though; it shows what lengths you went to to please your people.

The potatoes (known as All-Red or Cranberry Red) and carrots round out the flavors and give the soup thickness and heartiness; just right for the season.

There is a bit of advanced preparation needed, but it can all be done quickly and pretty much at the same time. The head of garlic, sprinkled with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt, goes into the oven with the pan of potatoes and carrots while the peppers are charring on the top burners. After you've finished all that, the rest is a snap. And please do use a full head of garlic. Roasting reduces it to a sublime, sweet, nutty richness which dramatically enhances the flavors of this soup.

Flame-Charred Red Pepper Soup with Roasted All-Red Potatoes and Carrots

Christine's original recipe
(print recipe here)
Ingredients:
5 long (abt. 8-inches) sweet red Italian peppers, charred, skin and seeds removed
1 long red, mildly hot pepper (not too hot), charred, skin and seeds removed
1 head garlic, roasted (at least 10 cloves)
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
3 medium All-Red (also called Cranberry) potatoes, or other low-starch potato such as Yukon Gold, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
1 large bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 - 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, home made or low-sodium
small amount of olive oil for the garlic and the roasting pan
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional - I just like to cook with wine)

Preparation:
Peel the potatoes and carrots, dice them and put them in a small baking pan with a drizzle of olive oil to keep them from sticking to the pan. Cover the pan with foil and roast in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of roasting so the vegetables can brown a bit. Remove from oven, loosen pieces from the pan with a spatula, set aside.

At the same time, remove the outer skin from the head of garlic and trim the roots but don't cut through to the cloves. Place the garlic head in a small lidded, oven-proof container, drizzle it with a tiny amount of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Place in the oven with the lid on, alongside the pan of potatoes and carrots and roast until the cloves are very tender; this may take a little longer than the vegetables. Remove from the oven, remove the lid and allow to cool until you can easily handle them with your fingers. Pull the skins from the now-succulent garlic cloves and set aside.

While all this roasting is going on, place your peppers directly onto the burners of a gas stove on high heat. They will immediately begin to blister which will loosen the skin so you can remove it. Using tongs, turn the peppers as they blister and char until the entire surface looks, well, blistered and charred. Don't let them turn totally black - that's just too much charring. The photo at left, while it is not a sweet Italian pepper, is a good example. As soon as they are done, pop them into a large paper bag, fold the top of the bag down, and let the peppers rest within for about 12 minutes.

Along about this time, place 4 cups of chicken stock in the large soup pot. Add the bay leaf and garlic cloves and bring the stock to a gentle simmer. (If you want this soup to be vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute vegetable broth or water for the chicken stock. (See Cook's Notes).
Remove the peppers from their paper bag and, using a sharp paring knife, scrape the skin from each pepper. This is a messy job and will enwrap your fingers with charred pepper skins. You can rinse your fingers and knife under cool running water, but please don't run the peppers under the water as you will wash away their delicious flavor. I am of the school that a bit of pepper char is a good thing; its presence imparts character, of sorts.
Peeling done, slice the peppers from stem to stern (length-wise), open them up and remove all the seeds and the stem end.
Chop the peppers into about 1-inch square pieces and pop them into the stock.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the stock now, pour in a little white wine if desired, check for seasoning and add kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired.
Give the soup a stir and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour. Be gentle; don't allow the soup to boil.
Check and adjust seasonings again, turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool for about 15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or your food processor, blend the soup until no chunks remain and the texture is coarsely smooth. If the soup is too thick, now would be the time to incorporate more stock.
Heat the soup to serving temperature on a heat-spreader over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
If you happen to be as lucky as Mr CC and I are, Simona's flax seed baguette goes delightfully well with this warming, hearty soup.

Enjoy!

Cook's Notes:
When using vegetable stock or broth, be careful that the flavor won't overpower that of the peppers in the soup. Some vegetable stocks use too much green pepper and celery and therefore will change forever what you are trying to achieve. And what we are trying to achieve here is fresh, flavorful red pepper soup, right?

Ahem: One doesn't have to be too terribly observant to see that there is a sprig of thyme in the top soup photo but nary a mention of thyme in the post. And that's because there is no thyme in this recipe. The thyme sprig happened to be sitting on my kitchen counter because I was actually preparing two separate dishes on the same day; one, of course, using thyme. What can I say? I got mixed up.

Just what is a drizzle of olive oil? For me, it's enough to barely coat the bottom of a pan in order to keep food from sticking. I'd say it's about 1/2 teaspoon. But I never measure so I can't be certain.

Beef Chili With Beans - My Way

2010-11-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

If chili has no Tex-Mex flavors, has a decidedly Mediterranean bent, is it still chili?

When I started out with some grass-fed, local ground beef, my intention was to make a traditional chili. It's football season afterall and chili, cornbread, biscuits and beer are all over the culinary place.

The mirepoix was done and I was gathering the Tex-Mex spices from my pantry ... and paused ... I'd just made a mirepoix ... Before I knew it, the Francophile in me took over and the chili powder, dried oregano, chipotle pepper flakes, et cetera, all went back onto the pantry shelves. I'd just made a mirepoix ...

Of course right then I also changed the corn bread recipe I'd had going on in my head to a Euro-cheesy biscuit that would go with the now-more-Mediterranean-style chili or stew, or ragout, or whatever it was that was beginning to take shape.

It's delicious comfort for cool autumn nights, whether your team wins or not. Remember to give some time to soaking and cooking the beans. Like most chilis and stews, this recipe, while delicious the same day, will taste outstanding the next. You will have to decide for yourselves if it can be called Chili ...

Christine's Beef Chili with Beans - Her Way
Print recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup dried beans (I used a local cranberry bean)
1 bay leaf, dried or fresh
2 medium onions, peeled, chopped fine
3 medium carrots, peeled, diced (1/4-inch pieces)
3 ribs celery, diced (1/4-inch pieces)
6 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
2 Padrón peppers, seeded, minced
2 sweet Italian red peppers, seeded, diced (1/4-inch pieces)
2 lbs lean ground beef
Olive oil for the pan
2 cups tomato sauce (preferrably home made)
2 cups beef broth
A glug or two dry red wine
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and allspice (adjust to your taste)
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil leaves
Preparation:
Soak the beans for at least 4 hours in a large pot filled with water to cover the beans by 4-inches.
Drain beans then fill pot again with fresh water to cover the beans by 2-inches, add the bay leaf and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are tender. Drain beans, discarding the bay leaf, and set aside in a warm place.
Meanwhile, prepare your vegetables as stated in the ingredients list and have a large, heavy skillet and a large soup or stew pot at hand.
Heat the skillet over medium-high, add about a tablespoon of olive oil and the onions, carrots and celery and sauté until they have softened - 5-7 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Stir in the Padróns and the sweet peppers, sauté 1 minute more then pour all of the vegetables into the soup pot and set the heat to medium.
Add a bit more olive oil to the same skillet over medium-high, then crumble in the ground beef. Allow it to sear for about 5 minutes then stir it up and cook until no pink shows. Pour the cooked beef into the soup pot then add about 1/4 cup red wine to the skillet, stirring to scrape up the browned bits and pour that into the soup pot.
Now add the cooked beans to the pot along with the tomato sauce, beef stock, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the cinnamon and allspice.
Allow all of this to simmer on the stove for 30 to 45 minutes.
Give it a stir, add more salt if needed, and add freshly ground black pepper if desired.
Sprinkle each serving with freshly chopped basil and place a cheese-y buttermilk biscuit along side.

Buttermilk Biscuits with Jarlsberg Cheese

2010-10-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

One look at food blogs and food magazines these days will tell you that it's chili season.

And what goes better with chili (with the possible exception of cornbread) than flavorful, cheese-laden biscuits? ~~And since the my-take-on-chili post isn't ready yet~~, Now it's ready! ~~I'm giving you biscuits first~~.

These are light, slightly chewy, and perfect for autumn soups, stews and chili (post up ~~next~~ here).

Buttermilk gives them a tang, the Jarlsberg cheese gives them a golden hue (to go with autumn of course), and a heft that can hold up to hot liquid. And they can be prepared in a snap. I swear: 15 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to bake, and they're ready to eat.

A plus for me is that they are gluten free. Yep, made with my favorite gluten free flour, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between these and wheat flour biscuits. Of course, if you don't need your biscuits to be gluten free, just substitute an equal measurement of regular all-purpose flour for the gluten free kind and off you go.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits with Jarlsberg Cheese

(Print recipe)

Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten free flour, or regular all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons cold butter, preferrably salt-free, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

2 cups grated Jarlsburg cheese

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400-degrees.

Whisk the dry ingredients togther then cut in the butter using two knives, or a pastry blender, or buzz in your food processor for a few seconds.

Put the flour-butter mixture in a large bowl, add the grated cheese and toss with your fingers until the cheese is well integrated with the flour.

Make a well in the center of the flour and add 3/4 cup of the buttermilk, using a fork and your fingers to incorporate the buttermilk into the flour. Add more buttermilk if needed until it comes together as a dough. Keep a light touch when doing this so your dough doesn't get overworked which can result in a tough biscuit.

Place the dough on a well-floured surface, pat into a disk and gently flatten with your hands (flour them if needed) until 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.

Cutting the biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch diameter round cutter will yield 12 biscuits.

Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake in the oven 15 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't overbake.

When the biscuits are golden brown and give a little when pressed with your fingers, remove from the oven, cool slightly on a rack then serve with a steaming bowl of your favorite chili.

Figs Poached in Port and Thyme Over Creamy Yogurt Cheese Plus a Fig Giveaway

2010-08-26T00:20:00.000-07:00

(Update: August 30th 8:19 PM - With help from random.org, a winner of the fig giveaway has been picked!

Drumroll . . . . . . . . . Congratulations Lindsey! And a big thank you to all of you for joining in the fun.)

Mr CC and I are eating figs these days. Fresh, juicy, oozing-figgy-syrup California figs. They are impossibly delicious.

Mostly we eat them out of hand; unadorned, as you see above. Did you know that figs are filled with antioxidants, are free of fat, cholestrol and sodium and are an excellent source of fiber? Yes they are. Eat them with the skins on for optimum health benefits.

The figs you see here were sent to me by the California Fig Advisory Board, who want to give away a box of fresh California figs to a randomly selected person who leaves a comment on this post. The lucky winner will receive beautiful fresh figs delivered direct to her/his door!

The deadline for this giveaway is Monday, August 30th at 5:00 PM, so please leave your comment soon. And please be sure to leave a way for me to get in touch with you in case you are a winner.

I don't have a lot of time to cook these days, so I came up with this very quick and easy fresh fig dessert.

The poached figs came together in about 45 minutes from cutting to chilling. Allow more time for the yogurt cheese as it has to drain most of its liquid to be firm enough to stand up to the weight of the figs. I started preparation for this dessert in the afternoon and it was ready to serve by 7 PM.

The photo for this recipe does not do the dessert justice, but I promise you the result is delicious. Give it a try and see if you don't agree.

Figs Poached in Port and Thyme over Creamy Yogurt Cheese

Christine's original recipe

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

2 cups Greek-style yogurt (I used Strauss Family Creamery Plain Whole Milk Yogurt)

2 pounds fresh figs - I used 1 pound Black Mission and 1 pound green Kadota figs (about 28 figs total), cut into quarters

1/4 cup aged tawny port (I used Taylor Fladgate 20 year-old)

1/4 cup vanilla sugar (more or less depending on the sweetness of the figs)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

pinch salt

Preparation:

To make the yogurt cheese, dampen a piece of cheesecloth large enough to hang over the sides of a large strainer.

Line the strainer with the cheesecloth and set it over a large measuring cup or bowl.

Spoon the yogurt into the cheesecloth and place the whole thing into the fridge for several hours.
When the liquid has drained from the yogurt, you should have about half the amount of yogurt you started with. Keep cold until ready to use.
To prepare the figs, place the quartered figs, sugar, thyme, Port and salt in a medium saucepan, stir and heat until just bubbling.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook over a heat diffusor for about 15 minutes or until the fruit is cooked through and a nicely thick syrup has formed.
Adjust the sugar to taste, remove from the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes then transfer to a large glass measuring cup and place in the fridge to cool until thoroughly chilled.
To serve, place a spoonful or two of yogurt cheese into a glass dish and top with the poached figs.

More figgy recipes coming soon!

Cook's Notes:
Vanilla sugar may be made by placing a split vanilla bean in a jar of baker's sugar (superfine), closing the lid, giving it a shake, and storing it until you need it. I leave the bean in the sugar until all the sugar is all used up; for me, that can be a year or more.

Plum Cardamom Ice Cream

2010-08-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

I love cardamom.

I especially love using whole seeds that have been extracted from their cute green pods.

When I bought plums last week, I made a gluten-free plum and cardamom galette, which turned out fabulously, thank you very much.

I saved some of the sliced plums from that recipe to make ice cream and when it came to deciding on a recipe, cardamom, this time using whole seeds, just seemed like the right flavor combination.

Plums are in season right now so get them at their peak. If you can, source them organically and locally.

I think you will like this.

Plum Cardamom Ice Cream
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
2 cups (heaping) sliced fresh plums*
2 packets Splenda or 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste), depending on how sweet the plums are
2 1/3 cups 2% milk
seeds from 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2-inch piece vanilla pod, split
3 large or 4 medium egg yolks
1/4 cup Splenda/sugar blend*** or 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:
Combine the sliced plums with the first measurement of Splenda or sugar and let sit for 15 minutes to juice.
Using a large saucepan, simmer plums over medium heat until they have cooked for at least 5 minutes.** Remove from the heat, cool 5 minutes then purée in a food processor. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the milk, cardamom seeds and vanilla in a large saucepan until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Remove the vanilla pod and strain the milk mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Put the milk back into the saucepan. You can scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk at this point if desired.
Beat the egg yolks with the remaining Splenda/sugar blend or 1/2 cup sugar until the yolks are a pale yellow and have thickened so the mixture falls in ribbons from the beaters.
Gently whisk 1/3 of the warm milk into the eggs until combined then whisk the egg mixture back into the milk and heat over medium low, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon and your finger leaves a mark when run across it. Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 minutes.
Gently whisk the puréed plums into the custard****, pour into a large glass dish or pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until thoroughly chilled (overnight is best).
Just before processing, stir the cream into the custard until blended, then process according to the manufacturer's instructions of your ice cream maker.

* I used a combination of red and yellow plums that I had leftover from this recipe. They were sweetly tart, which I like. The amount of sugar you use for the ice cream will depend on the tartness or sweetness of the plums you use.

** I learned the hard way that some fruits must be cooked to reduce their acid affect on dairy. I didn't do this with the first batch I made which resulted in a curdled custard. So, please, stew your plums.

*** I have also learned through trial and error that the addition of sugar to the beating of the egg yolks is pretty much paramount to ice cream success. I'm not liking that this is true but I'm afraid it is. So I use the least amount of Splenda-sugar blend that I can get away with. It works for me and adds just a small amount of sugar per serving. As always, if you are not a Splenda user like I am, go for the sugar rush. I will not judge you.

**** Alternatively, you can add the plum purée to the ice cream while it is processing, resulting in a more ribboned effect.

Farmers Market Fresh Frittata with Corn and Zucchini

2010-08-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Fast, fresh, easy.
Creamy and delicious.
20 minutes prep time, 30 minutes cook time.
Serve as part of a special weekend brunch or whip up for a quick weeknight dinner.
What are you waiting for?
It's Saturday and I'm off to the farmers market for more.

Farmers Market Fresh Frittata with Corn and Zucchini
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
8 large eggs
water
4 medium zucchini cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 ears corn, shucked, kernels cut from cob
1 cup shredded white cheddar
1/2 teaspoon Benson's Supreme Garlic and Herb Seasoning (to taste) and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil for the pan
a sprinkle of finishing salt (optional)
Preparation:
Crack eggs into a large glass dish and whisk gently with a fork until blended.
Add about 1/4 cup water and stir until blended. Eggs will be thick. Set aside.
To prep the zucchini, cut off the stem and flower ends, slice lengthwise in half and then lengthwise again into quarters. Cut the zucchini crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces.
To prep the corn, remove the husks and silk. Please the corn cob standing up in a wide bowl and, using a sharp knife, cut down the cob, releasing the kernels into the bowl. Do not cut too deeply into the cob.
Sauté garlic over medium heat in about a teaspoon of olive oil until softened and aromas rise.
Add zucchini and sauté until it is just tender. Do not allow to burn.
Add the corn kernels, the Benson's seasoning (or salt), and a few grinds of pepper and stir to combine.
Allow most of the water that the zucchini will throw off to evaporate, but not all of it.
Pour the eggs over the vegetables and mix oh so gently with a fork.
Allow to cook for 3 minutes to set the bottom.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top of the frittata.
Going around the edge of the skillet, lift the edge with a spatula to allow uncooked egg to run into the space created.
Keep lifting and turning until only the middle of the frittata jiggles when you shake the pan, adjusting the heat so the bottom doesn't burn.
Transfer to a 325-degree oven and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the middle is softly set. A knife inserted into the center of the frittata should come out clean.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with finishing salt if desired, and let sit for about 5 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve.

Please use no more than medium to medium-low heat to prepare this dish otherwise the eggs will turn out rubbery.
The cheese may be combined with the eggs prior to pouring over the vegetables if desired. This will result in a more homogenous egg-cheese mixture, but, hey, I was playing.
Fresh chopped herbs may be used with abandon.
The Benson's salt-free seasonings are one of several that I've been experimenting with. A subject for another post. Substitute sea salt if desired.

Christine's Quick and Easy Pasta Sauce With Ground Turkey

2010-08-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

The title actually says it all about this recipe. It can be prepped, cooked, and ready to spoon over pasta in about 45 minutes.

My boys (now men) know this sauce well; until they had grown up and fledged, I'd made it for them often, always tossed with spaghetti (although today I used gluten-free spirals), and it never failed to satisfy. Sometimes I think they liked it better than pizza.

The meat is optional and leaving it out will result in a sauce suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike.

A note about the ground turkey: That mushy stuff sold in some stores that looks and feels like it has glue in it? Try not to use that. Instead, find a good source for ground turkey that looks as though it really was extruded through a grinder rather than mashed into paste.

Yes, I'm using canned tomato products but if you have home made sauces, go for it. The measurements are not set in stone. What you want to achieve is a thick, tomato-y sauce that will cling to your pasta.

This is dedicated to my boys (now men). The recipe is a secret no longer so hone up on those knife skills and get chopping.

Christine's Quick and Easy Pasta Sauce with Ground Turkey
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey (not the mushy stuff), or other ground meat, optional
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 large sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
2 small Padrón peppers or 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins removed, minced
1 tablespoon (or more) organic Italian herbs
1 28-ounce can organic peeled tomatoes (I use Muir Glen Organic tomato products)
1 15-ounce can organic tomato sauce (preferrably sugar free)
1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste (preferrably sugar free)
1/4 to 1/3 cup dry red wine to rinse the cans (more certainly may be used)
small handful fresh basil leaves, torn
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
olive oil for the pan

Preparation:

If using ground meat, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high.

When a bead of water dances on the skillet, add roughly 2 teaspoons olive oil then the ground meat crumbled into pieces.

Allow the meat to sear for about 3 minutes then break apart with a wooden spoon and continue to sauté until no pink shows. Drain all liquid (save this for the dog or kitties), remove to a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet, add a bit more olive oil then toss in the onions. Sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir, allowing the aromas to come up from the pan, about 2 minutes.

Add the peppers, Italian herbs, and the contents of each can.

Rinse the cans with red wine and pour into the skillet.

Stir and break the tomatoes up with your wooden spoon.
Add the cooked ground meat,

the torn basil leaves, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, give it a good stir and simmer it for about 15 minutes. At this point it's ready for pasta, although you can simmer it longer if you have time.

I said it was simple.

Mangia!

Gluten-Free Plum Galette with Cardamom, Sugar-Free or Not

2010-08-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have a new god(dess) and her name is Carol.

A year ago when I went gluten-free, I tried my hand at making GF pancakes, pies, tarts, fruit galettes and more. Some of them worked fine, others came out so-so and yet others were total disasters. Mostly I couldn't get away from the "beany" taste and/or gritty texture that the flours I was using imparted, so I just gave it up altogether.

Sometime during the year I realized how much I missed pie crust. Light, flakey pie crust. It almost became an obsession. I grew up on my mother's pies. She taught me by example how to make flakey, light-as-a-feather crust. I just had to find a way to make a GF pie or tart that sung to me.

Not too long ago my subscription link to Carol's blog Simply Gluten Free heralded her new GF flour. A gluten-free flour that Carol guarantees can be used cup for cup like regular flour to make cakes, pies, cookies, breads, pastries, pizza(!), and more.

Was this to be my pie crust salvation?

I ordered some. As soon as it arrived I made pie dough, rolled it into a large rustic circle and filled it with beautiful fresh plums. I popped it into the oven. I waited. For 50 minutes I waited. It was agony.

Finally it was time to remove the galette from the oven. Then it had to cool ... more agony.

Finally I cut a piece. I took a bite...

Heaven! It was heaven. It had flake. It had lightness. It was delicious.

Carol, I bow to you. You done good!

Gluten-Free Plum Galette with Cardamom
Christine's original recipe inspired by Carol Kacinski's Amazing All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour
(Print recipe)
Ingredients for pie crust:
1 cup gluten-free flour (see link above)
1 packet Splenda or 1 tablespoon sugar
tiny pinch salt
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons each cold heavy cream and cold water
Preparation:
Whisk together flour, sugar, salt. Place in food processor and add butter pieces. Using quick pulses, process until butter and flour resemble fine sand, about 5-6 pulses.
Through the feed tube, add the cream in several pours while pulsing and stopping, pulsing and stopping, then add just enough water to make the dough come together. Pinch mixture between your thumb and fingers. If it holds together, it's ready. Take care to not add too much liquid or your dough will be too wet.
Pour dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, gather the edges of the wrap and make the dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disc and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Ingredients for plum filling:
10-12 ripe plums (yellow and red is nice), pits removed, cut into 1/4-inch slices. Makes approx. 3 cups* see Cook's Notes
Splenda packets or sugar to taste** see Cook's Notes
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon tapioca starch
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter cut into tiny cubes
heavy cream and vanilla sugar to finish the pie crust
Preparation:
While the dough is chilling, combine the plums, sugar, cardamom and tapioca starch in a bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for the plum juices to form.

Roll out the pie dough on a pastry cloth sprinkled with gluten free flour to a rough diameter of 14-inches.
Roll the dough up onto your rolling pin and center on a large parchment-lined baking sheet or pizza pan.
Place the plums (juice and all) in the center of the dough, spreading them to within 3-inches of the edges.
Dot the plums with the butter.

Fold the pie dough about 1/2-inch over itself, pleating and pinching if necessary, forming a smooth edge. Bring the smooth edges of the dough about 3-inches over the plums, pleating as you go around, leaving a good portion of the plums showing in the middle of the galette.
Brush the dough with heavy cream and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. This is optional but makes for a nice crust.
Bake in a 380-degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Cool 30 minutes before cutting.
Eat and enjoy! Then just think of the possibilities...

* I actually used 20 plums (10 red and 10 yellow) which made a total of 5 cups. I saved 2 cups of the mixture to make ice cream. Which will be coming along soon. ;)

** I have not provided a measurement for the Splenda or sugar because the amount you use will depend on how tart or sweet your plums are. Add it sparingly and taste until it is to your satisfaction. The plums I used were fairly tart so I added 7 packets of Splenda, which amounts to approx. 6 tablespoons of sugar, which is just under 1/2 cup. The finished fruit was tart with a sweet finish.

One more thing: Just to keep the record straight, Carol doesn't know that I'm writing this post. Well ... she does now, now that I've published. But there is no collusion here. She didn't ask me to write this and I received no freebies for doing so. I'm just terrifically excited by the GF flour.

We Will Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Program . . .

2010-07-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

. . . when I return in a few weeks.

I know.

Just when I start rubbing my hands together, thinking Summer! I'll have more time to cook, more time to

invent recipes, more time to blog . . .

Then I leave. Then I come home for

all of one day,

then I leave again.

I'm a bad blogger.

Sigh.

The recipe that goes with the photos will be revealed when I return. It's a fun way to grill fish.

See ya.

Creamy Potato Tart with Fennel, Leeks and Fresh Garlic

2010-06-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

I know it's not the "seasonal" thing to be posting potatoes. In the oven no less. But as I said here, summer has not quite settled in yet. Besides, freshly dug potatoes, no matter the season, are not something I can easily ignore...

Especially when paired with fresh spring goodies like fennel, leeks, and still-moist, just dug, pristine white garlic. All you need then is the cream. Okay, half n half, but no less. If you're watching fat, consider this a once-in-a-while treat. Which it is. Believe me.

The success of this dish is dependent on slicing the potatoes and aromatics very thinly, which I achieved by using a mandoline, an essential tool in any cook's kitchen. The cream poured around and through the layers is taken up by the potatoes, rendering a tender, succulent, melt-in-your-mouth finished dish. And although I wanted the taste of freshly chopped parsley here, feel free to experiment with other fresh herbs.

Christine's Creamy Potato Tart with Fennel, Leeks and Fresh Garlic
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes
1 medium fennel bulb
2 leeks, white and light green parts only
4 cloves garlic
3/4 to 1 cup cream or half n half
olive oil, sea salt, black pepper

Preparation:
Using a very sharp knife and your best cutting skills, or a mandoline for ease of the task, slice the peeled potatoes along their length, the cleaned fennel from the bottom of the bulb to where the fronds begin to form, the leeks from the bottom up to the light green parts, and the garlic cloves along their length. Keep everyone in their separate pile.
Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees.
Heat a 10-inch cast iron or other heavy skillet to medium, add a few teaspoons olive oil, tilting the pan to coat, then add the fennel, leeks and garlic and sauté until they are softened but not browned, about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often. Remove to a plate, scraping out the pan.
Off heat, add another teaspoon or so of olive oil to the pan and tilt until the oil covers the surface. Layer the potatoes in an overlapping circle, spiraling in toward the center, until the bottom of the pan is covered. Make two layers of potatoes this way.
Sprinkle the potatoes with a pinch or more of sea salt and a few grindings of black pepper, then spread the aromatic sauté over the top, covering the potatoes completely.
Make two more layers of potatoes on top of the sauté, sprinkle with a bit more sea salt, a few more grinding of black pepper, then pour the cream over and around the layers.
Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft and the tart is bubbly.
Remove the cover and bake 10 minutes longer to brown the top.
Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped parsley, slice and serve.

Another potato dish I've made is similar but not quite the same as this. The addition of cream or half n half (really, use the cream) makes the potatoes and sautéed aromatics practically melt in the pan, melding their tastes together. The result is a thinner, smoother, more homogenized, if you will, creation. It seems like it should be akin to scalloped potatoes, but it isn't. In my humble opinion.

Oops! I forgot to say that the potatoes should be peeled, the leeks washed and outer layer removed, the garlic peeled, and the fennel washed, fronds and bottom stem removed and any blemishes removed with a vegetable peeler.

Bon appétit!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chevre (soft goat cheese), Fresh Corn, Thyme and Potato Croutons

2010-06-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Highs in the low sixties, lows dipping into the low to mid-40s, with a brisk (read cold) north wind off the ocean, no less, led to the creation of this soup last night. (That and what happened to be in fridge, pantry and garden.) We are, in mid-June - almost the Solstice, experiencing early spring weather which includes cold north winds that can make your bones rattle, and cloudy-sunny-cloudy days with an occasional rain shower thrown in for good measure. (The wind: Good for the ocean becauses it causes a phenomenon called upwelling, which brings cold water up from the depths, cooling off the surface and bringing fish food with it; not so good for humans who suffer from allergies, arthritis and/or are prone to anxiety. This wind even makes cats nervous.)

Fear not, those of you living blissfully in hotter climes, for the soup you see before you is quite versatile. Serve it up hot when it's cold out and cold when it's hot out, the only caveat being that you do have to cook it over a stove, which may not appeal to those living in 90-plus temps. If that's the case, save the recipe for cooler weather.

Cauliflower is the main ingredient, the potato is added for thickening and making the cute little croutons, the corn kernels add interest and a gentle crunch.

The leek, fresh spring onion,

and early China Rose garlic are from our local and best-beloved farmers market.

Then there's The chevre - ah, the chevre. Made right here, 12 or so miles from my kitchen, it is soft but not gooey. It breaks into snowy-white pieces that leave streaks in the hot soup as it melts, then combines thoroughly, adding a creaminess, tang, and deep note you must taste to appreciate.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chevre, Fresh Corn, Thyme and Potato Croutons
(Print Recipe)

Christine's original take on Potato-Leek Soup and Vichyssoise

Ingredients:

1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and thinly sliced

1 spring onion, red or white, thinly sliced

6-7 cloves garlic, fresh if you can find it, minced

2 medium heads white cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 large yukon gold potato, peeled, cut into small cubes, about 2 cups

4 cups organic, low-sodium chicken stock, or your own home made version

Juice from 1/2 of a Meyer Lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

4-ounces fresh chevre (I used the herbed kind) broken into small pieces, room temperature

4-6 sprigs fresh thyme, left whole

White corn kernels cut from 1 ear of corn

Sea salt and freshly ground black peppercorns to taste

Olive oil and unsalted butter for the pan

Preparation:

Heat a large stockpot (soup pot) over medium heat. Add several teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter and allow to melt. Sauté the leek, onion and garlic until soft but not browned - you may have to adjust the heat to prevent scorching.

Add the cauliflower florets, chicken stock and 1 1/2 cups of the potato cubes, reserving the remaining cubes for the croutons (see below). Stir the pot and bring to a low boil.

Add the lemon juice, toss in the thyme sprigs, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until the cauliflower and potatoes are quite tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, remove the thyme sprigs from the soup (the small leaves should have fallen from the stems by now) and, using an immersion blender*, blend the soup until it is creamy-smooth with just a few small chunks of potato lurking about. (Little chunks of potato give the soup character, in my humble opinion, but you can make it as smooth as a baby's bottom if that floats your boat.)

Stir in the fresh corn kernels now, do not heat; the soup will be hot enough to cook them within 2 minutes.

Stir in the chevre, let the pieces sit a minute or two then stir until all the cheese has melted.

Now you can taste and adjust the seasonings with sea salt and good freshly-ground black pepper.

To Serve:

Ladle hot soup into large, flat bowls, top with a few potato croutons and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.

To serve cold, allow the soup to cool at room temperature for 20 or so minutes then chill, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Stir before serving, without the potato croutons. Thin soup, if desired, with more chicken stock or water.

To make the potato croutons:

In a heavy skillet, heat about 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the remaining cubes of potatoes and saute, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are golden brown on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. Toss with a sprinkling of sea salt and remove from the heat.

While the potatoes are still hot in the pan, add a teaspoon or so of unsalted butter, a pinch of sweet paprika, and toss until the butter has melted and glazed the potatoes. Serve as a garnish with the soup. Try not to eat too many beforehand ...

The soup will be very, very hot when removed from the heat so take great care when using an immersion blender to not splatter yourself. If you do not own an immersion blender (and how can that be?), you can blend the soup in a food processor in small batches. Take care not to overfill the processor bowl as the hot soup will expand when being processed and could overflow the bowl.

I appeal to you lovely cooks to seek out fresh, local and organic food products whenever possible.

When you're trying to read a blog post, do you find those pop-up links that block out text annoying? I do. That's why you won't find them on this blog. What you will find are links to the very items I use when preparing the recipe I've made and posted. These items are for sale in my Amazon Store and may be accessed by clicking on the icon in the sidebar.

Bon Appétit!

Pausing to Remember my Brother

2010-06-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I've been struggling with how to let you know the reason for my silence without seeming to be soliciting condolences, but eloquent words are not forthcoming so I'll just blurt it out: My brother passed away on Tuesday, June 8th. For almost a month prior to that, my head just wasn't into creating new recipes and all the stuff that food bloggers do. I'm not sure it is yet. You can see a small tribute to him, if you would like, on my garden blog. The flowers are from my garden. My brother would have liked them.

I suppose I could write and write and write about how I'm feeling right now, and believe me I've got a lot of feelings. But the words won't come and it seems that the process must be silent. So I'll just take the time I need and get back here when I am able. I know you will understand.

The farmers market is in full swing and produce abounds. I'm sure I'll be cooking soon.

Retirement Can Be Messy

2010-05-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

Putting order into chaos is messy business. What initially prevails is more chaos. And that can be very disconcerting when what you are trying to accomplish is order. Many of you will know of what I speak - conceptually.

I actually have no excuse for succumbing to chaos other than that I am often easily overwhelmed when faced with too many decisions and, evidently, too much time in which to make them. If I look back on my life's history, it's easy to see that I accomplished the most when I had the least amount of time in which to do the accomplishing. (There's a Murphy's Law in there somewhere, I'm sure of it.)

This week marks a rather distinctive milestone: I have just gained more personal time by dropping down to a three-day work week (I retired, then immediately began a curtailed work schedule) which will, I am sure, after the order sets in, result in more free time for me to pursue the things that retired, or semi-retired, people do. For me that would be recipe development, cooking, photography and the constant learning thereof, gardening, blogging, travel ... I have a long list.

So you'd think, with the onset of my first four consecutive days off, that I would just get to the business of doing all those things that I love while catching up on some of those not so pleasant chores that can get shoved into corners waiting for when I have the "time" to do them.

Hmpf.

Laziness set in almost immediately. What I put on the list of things to do for the first day quickly got moved to the list of things I would do on the second day, which then got moved to the list of the things I would do on the third day. And now it's the fourth day. I haven't even answered comments; something I find as abhorrent as telling your best friend he/she should go suck eggs.

The laundry piled up while I was outside sitting with my face lifted to the (finally!) warm sun. Spiders made cobwebs in corners while I took leisurely walks. Dust settled on tabletops and house plants while I pulled a weed here, mowed a strip of grass there, talked to my horse, my chickens, my dog; anything but catch up with chores, cook something exciting, research a recipe, take a spectacular photo.

Waiting to be planted tomato seedlings wilted in the greenhouse while I read a cooking magazine. Dinner didn't get started until 9 PM while I spent hours in that zone you can get lost in while looking up something on the Internet, then forgetting what it was you were looking for in the first place.

It's the fourth day and here I sit with a list a mile long, facing my three-day work week then a long weekend out of town from which I will return to go straight to my three-day work week, then another long weekend out of town. See what I mean? Chaos. For this I (semi) retired?

Recipes are waiting in the wings. Maybe with the looming time scrunch I'll get some posted. But first I have to go put order into that chaotic pile of laundry. Then maybe brush away a cob web or two.

One baby step at a time ...

Have a great week!

Sautéed Savoy Cabbage with Fennel, Spring Onion, Green Garlic and Orange Peel

2010-04-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

I don't always enjoy the weather here in our northern climes. Sometimes I'm really grumpy about the rain. And sometimes I'm awfully tired of being cold. But when I can walk into my local co-op grocery store from October to right now, and buy a beautiful head of locally grown savoy cabbage, I get all warm inside.

We've been eating a lot of this stuff. It's sweeter and crunchier than those big round balls of green and purple cabbage that go into cole slaw, cooks up quickly, makes a beautiful bed for roasted fish, is a nutritious filler for stir-frys, its crinkly leaves can be parboiled and stuffed (oh, just gave myself an idea), and it can even be eaten raw.

Back here when I roasted the duck, I said I would post the cabbage you see on the plate. So even though I didn't get a good photo of it, then or since, I think the recipe is so fine that I'm going to make good on my promise. Then you can take your own photo.

I used a Cara Cara orange in this recipe, a short season variety that is no longer available up here. If you can't find one, substitute Meyer lemon, navel orange, or sweet tangerine peel. Be sure to remove all the bitter white pith from the inside of the peel, then slice it finely into 1 to 2-inch strips.

Fresh fennel, spring onion and green garlic are always in my fridge this time of year; I can't get enough of them. If you have access to them in your area, go get 'em. They are such a compliment to so many spring dishes, not the least of which is this simple and quick sautéed melange.

Everything is thinly sliced before sautéeing. To prepare the cabbage, cut the head in half and cut out the solid core. I found that cutting it into quarters made the slicing easier.

Cut the fronds from the fennel bulb and peel the outer layer if it's tough. Cut it in half and thinly slice crosswise.

Remove the outer layer of skin from both the spring onion and green garlic, slice off the roots and thinly slice the bulbs up to the neck of the stalk for the onion, and up to where the white goes pink then turns to green for the garlic.

Sautéed Savoy Cabbage with Fennel, Spring Onion, Green Garlic & Orange Peel
(print recipe)
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
1 medium head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1 green garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 of a fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Peel from 1/2 of a Cara Cara orange, thinly sliced
Juice from 1 Cara Cara orange
Olive oil for the pan
Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper to taste
A dash of dry white wine wouldn't hurt either (what can I say? I just add when the whim hits me, and I don't measure.)

Preparation:
Heat a heavy skillet over medium. Add several teaspoons of olive oil.
Sauté the fennel, onion and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Adjust the heat so it doesn't burn.
Add the orange strips and toss to coat. Add the cabbage, orange juice and white wine, if using, and toss with tongs until the cabbage is coated with the liquid.
Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, turning often with the tongs. When the liquid is but a glaze in the bottom of the pan, the cabbage will be wilted but with a slight crispness to it.
Remove the pan from the heat, season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper if desired. Serve while it's hot.

Happy Eating!

Oven Roasted Halibut Fillet with a Relish of Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, Green Garlic and Spring Red Onion

2010-04-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

Slender stalks of green garlic and tender spring onions are fleeting seasonal delicacies that should be snatched up from your green grocers or farmers markets while they are still available.

Green garlic is a mild immature version of its grown up dried self, pulled from the ground before its bulbs form, and can be used now in fish dishes, light soups, sauces, and relishes such as the one featured here.

Spring onions are simply yellow, white or red onion youngsters; slim and delicate, mild and sweet.

Pair these two kids with the puckery flavors of blood orange and Meyer lemon and you've got a mouthwatering topping for a thick mild white fish like halibut. Cod, rockfish and sablefish will work just as well, but may take less time to roast depending on their thickness.

The cooking method used here is fast and easy. Prepare the relish while the halibut is roasting in the oven; they will both be finished at the same time, ready to serve in about one-half hour from prep to plate.

A perfect springtime weeknight offering.

Roast Halibut Fillet with a Relish of Blood Orange, Meyer Lemon, Green Garlic and Spring Red Onion

Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)

Ingredients:

1-pound piece of halibut fillet

1 large Meyer lemon

1 small blood orange

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon gray salt with herbs (sel gris aux herbes)

2 sprigs fresh oregano plus 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 green garlic stalk and 1 spring red onion stalk

Halibut Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Oil the bottom of a ceramic baking dish. Set aside.

Rinse fillet under cold water and gently pat dry.

Place fillet in baking dish, skin side down (skin removed) and rub the top with olive oil.

Sprinkle the fillet with the herb salt and cover the top of the fish with lemon slices. Reserve the remainder of the lemon.

Lay the oregano sprigs over the lemon slices.

Roast for 15 to 18 minutes or until the fish is cooked through but still very moist. It should be springy when pushed with your finger.

Meanwhile ...

Relish Preparation:

Wash both the green garlic and the spring onion stalks. Remove the outer layer of skin from each, slice off the root ends and thinly slice each one crosswise until you reach the neck. (The necks may be saved for soup stock.)

Using a sharp knife and working over a bowl to catch the juices, remove the skin, seeds, white pith and membrane from the blood orange and the remainder of the Meyer lemon. Chop each citrus separately, reserving juices.

Heat a skillet over medium low and add 1 teaspoon or so of olive oil.

Sauté the green garlic and spring onion slices for about 1 and 1/2 minutes, stirring to separate the rings, until they are softened but not browned.

Add both chopped citruses and their juice to the pan, stir and sauté 2 minutes more, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

Add the white wine, stir, turn the heat up to medium high and cook until the liquid is reduced by one half.

Stir in the chopped oregano and continue cooking until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute more.

You may have to adjust the heat as you go along to prevent the relish from burning.

Remove the pan from the heat.

To serve, remove the oregano sprigs and lemon slices from the roast halibut and slice the fish into serving size pieces. Place on warm plates, top with the relish and a few more sprinklings of herb salt.

Enjoy!

Cook's Notes:
Sel gris aux herbes may be found in my Amazon store. Click on the link in the sidebar.

Gently Sautéed Fresh Asparagus with Sel de Guérande and Meyer Lemon

2010-04-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

The simplest plate of a single vegetable is sometimes the best plate on the table.

I'm a staunch proponent of roasting vegetables to bring out their flavors and concentrate their sweetness and I dearly love to roast asparagus. But these California babies are sautéed and boy are they delicious.

Good olive oil, sel de guérande, a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice - those and the freshest asparagus you can find along with a light hand with the sauté pan are all you will need.

Oh Happy Spring!

Sautéed Asparagus with Sel de Guérande and Meyer Lemon

(print recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus

1-2 teaspoons good, fruity olive oil

A pinch or two of a good fleur de sel (French sea salt, see my sidebar)

Juice from 1/2 of a small Meyer lemon plus extra wedges for serving

Preparation:

Gently wash the asparagus under cool water. Pat dry with a dish towel.

Pick up a spear with both hands, holding it as if you were going to bite into an ear of corn.

Gently bend the spear and allow it to snap where it wants, using your thumbs to help bend the spear. (This ensures that the woody end will not end up on your plate. If your asparagus spears are very thin and don't have woody ends, you could lay them out on a cutting board so the bottom ends align, then cut off about one inch of those ends.)

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan 12-inch pan (I use cast iron for this) over medium high.

When the oil is hot but not smoking, lower the heat to medium, add the asparagus in a single layer, sprinkle with a generous pinch of sea salt and let cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to coat each spear with olive oil.

Using tongs, gently turn the spears so they can cook on all sides, no more than another 3 minutes. The spears should be easy to bite into with just a little resistance - in other words, al dente.

Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the spears. Shake the pan to distribute the juices and using the tongs, transfer the asparagus to warm plates.

Sprinkle with another pinch of sea salt if desired and serve with additional wedges of Meyer lemon.

Bon appétit!

Sugar Free Blackberry Cabernet Ice Cream

2010-04-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

In order to make this, you will first have to make this. Yes, the sauce that was made for the duck that inspired the ice cream. Sure, I could have saved the sauce for seared salmon, or chicken cutlets like Sophie may do, or pork chops. But ice cream ... it just screamed for ice cream. (I know, I can see your eyes rolling.)

Not a lot of talk here. You'll want to get started on that sauce. Think deep, rich red wine and blackberry reduction with heady notes of fresh ginger, rosemary, cracked black peppercorns, all wrapped up in a cold, palate-pleasing post prandial scoop. And please, use a good cabernet. It will make all the difference between a so-so sauce and a knock your socks off sauce.

Sugar Free Blackberry Cabernet Ice Cream
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
2 cups 2% milk
3 egg yolks
9 packets Splenda (6 tablespoons sugar for you non-Splenda users), more if you want it sweeter
1 cup Christine's Blackberry Cabernet sauce, strained
1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

Bring the milk to a simmer on low heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Romove from heat.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until the yolks begin to turn pale yellow.

Add in the Splenda or sugar and continue beating until the yolks are thickened and form ribbons when dripping from the beaters.

Using a whisk, mix one-third of the hot milk into the egg yolks then gently whisk this back into the remaining milk in the saucepan.

Heat gently over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Do not allow mixture to boil. It is ready when the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon and you can run a track through it with your finger that won't disappear.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

Gently whisk the strained blackberry cabernet sauce into the custard, mixing thoroughly.

Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Gently whisk in the cream just before processing. See Cook's Notes.

Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instruction.

Cook's Notes:

The reason the ice cream in the photos above are sporting ice crystals is because I, um, forgot to add the cream. This particular batch resulting in ice milk. And while Mr CC and I like the lower calorie properties of ice milk, you might just want to add the cream ... like I tell you to do in the recipe. One of those do as I say, not as I do things. I'm just sayin'.

I have a negative thing about overly sweetened ice cream and sorbet. In my opinion, commercially processed products have far too much sugar in them, even the ones that use Splenda. That said, I will also admit that my frozen desserts may not be sweet enough to the average bear, so add more Splenda, sugar, whatever to result in the sugar rush you desire. Just the right amount will bring out the flavors of your ingredients; too much and you will have a cloying sugar taste - something I obviously strive not to achieve.

Blackberry Cabernet Sauce with Rosemary, Ginger and Tellicherry Pepper

2010-04-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is the sauce

that accompanied the duck

that we ate for Easter dinner.

It was painted on the duck at the end of roasting, then a pool of it was placed under the slices of duck on our plates. Great idea. Great sauce. Good side dishes. But the duck sucked.

What can I say? It did. Could have been the duck, could have been the cook. I'll have to try it again to find out.

So this photo? Forget the duck. This photo is to point out the next post. That would be the savoy cabbage with fennel and slivers of cara cara orange peel.

The sauce now ... what a delight. As soon as I realized there would be a lot left over from the duck fiasco, I knew I would make ice cream... And so I did... And that post is coming along soon.

Blackberry Cabernet Sauce with Rosemary, Ginger and Tellicherry Pepper
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
4 heaping cups of blackberries (from last summer's crop that you found in the bottom of the freezer several days ago, thawed.)
2 cups good Cabernet Sauvignon
2 stems fresh rosemary, leaves pulled from stems
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh orange juice from a Cara Cara orange
6-8 Tellicherry peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar

Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a very low boil.
Maintain a low boil for about 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced by one-half.
Taste and adjust with a bit of sugar or a pinch of salt if necessary.
Strain into a glass measuring cup, pressing on the solids to release all the liquid and flavors.
Store in the fridge if making in advance.
Serve with roast duck, salmon, or lamb chops, OR ... make ice cream!

Happy Cooking!

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Buttermilk Tea Bread

2010-04-02T16:04:00.000-07:00

I cannot take the credit for this luscious gluten free tea bread. That would go to Britt of GF in the City.

Yep. I took her recipe, left out the bananas, made a few other changes, and offer it to you here - with no credit to myself.

I've said before that I didn't inherit the baking genes in my family. Those belong mostly to my sister Di, with sister Cyn running a close second. So when I want to bake, unless it's a dirt simple recipe like this, I go recipe hunting.

For anyone who eats gluten free and occasionally gets cravings for a nice slice of moist, slightly sweet bread with their afternoon tea, this is the loaf to make. It's easy to whip up and may be stored in the fridge for a week or so, or in the freezer for several months. What are you waiting for?

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Buttermilk Tea Bread
Recipe adapted from GF in the City
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup sweet white sorghum flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds, or almond flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
12 packets Splenda or 1/2 cup sugar if preferred
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preparation:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and Splenda until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well.
In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, stirring with a whisk to incorporate.
Adding the dry ingredients first and last, alternate dry with the buttermilk until all of it has been used. Beat thoroughly.
Put batter into a large loaf pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray and bake at 350-degrees for about 45 minutes. When the bread is done, the top will be golden and crusty and a toothpick inserted into the loaf will come out clean.
Allow the loaf to rest in the pan for about 5 minutes then turn onto a rack to finish cooling.

This bread holds its own in a toaster so if you're toast-deprived like I am, give it a try.

Happy cooking!

Beautiful Blogger Award . . .

2010-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

. . . and I'm blushing!

Mary, who blogs over at Work of the Poet, and who is a multi-faceted person and stellar photographer,

sent me a Beautiful Blogger Award.

I am so pleased!

Pleased also that I get to pass it on to some of my beautiful blogger friends.

The rules are: Tell seven things about yourself and then pass the award on to 15 beautiful bloggers.

Here goes:

1. I hate to fly. Even though I have to do it from time to time, I truly hate it.

2. I'm a farm girl at heart and would have sheep, goats, more horses,

and maybe even a cow if Mr CC could abide it.

3. I love Mr CC too much to indulge in my farm girl fantasies.

4. My day job is being a business manager.

5. Blogging makes me sedentary; I really should exercise more.

6. I love taking photos of plants, critters, and the great outdoors and have another blog devoted to just that.

7. I would live in France if I could. Even if for a short while . . .

Now I'd like to pass this along to:

Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen

Susan of Food Blogga

Mimi of French Kitchen in America

Katie of Thyme for Cooking

Paz of The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz

Sophie of Sophie's Foodie Files

Makiko of Weather Hare

Annamaria of A Passing Fancy

Kate Hill of Kitchen at Camont

Penny of Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

Susan of Farm Girl Fare

Cynthia of Tastes Like Home

Jann of Traveling Food Lady

Magical Mystical Teacher

Simona of Briciole

Truly beautiful bloggers, all of you!

Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream - Sugar Free or Not

2010-03-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

[8/16/2010: ed. note. Saveur picked this ice cream for Sites We Love this August! Thanks, Saveur!]

[10/7/2010: ed note. A kind commenter pointed out an error that I have now corrected. Then I noticed a few more things...]

When Mr CC and I took a trip along the south-east Atlantic seaboard recently, one of the cities we stayed in was beautiful, historic Savannah, Georgia. And one of the first things we do when in a new area is ferret out a really great place to get really good coffee and tea.

Preferrably locally owned and operated. With really tasty, homemade food. [The reallys are on purpose. Really]

A little pre-flight online sleuthing brought me to a promising website for Gallery Espresso in downtown Savannah: ostensibly a comfy, homey, artsy, laid back coffee house - just what we would be wanting.

Apropos of nothing Savannah, I had discovered Mariage Frères tea (only THE BEST tea in the world) not too long ago and, being a tea junkie and a snobby one at that, had been going about trying to find an outlet on the west coast. The only one my search brought up was in New York City and it was très expensive. Well, so is Mariage Frères tea, but I still wanted it.

As dumb luck, divine providence, or whimsy would have it, after walking all over historic Savannah our first morning there, we tiredly headed over to my website find to refresh ourselves with a soothing cup of tea and I practically swooned when I saw the extensive display of, you guessed it, Mariage Frères tea.

Be still my heart.

You may well ask what all this has to do with ice cream. Patience, grasshopper.

Not only does Gallery Espresso carry all manner of Mariage Frères teas, you can even buy a cup of it! Imagine that. Or 5 cups if you wish, which is about how many I had during our 3-day stay. Served to you by very friendly and knowledgeable waitstaff, who will also sell you your choice of this lovely tea in either a small sampler tin or a large, très expensive, canister.

And not only that, you can contact Jules, who is in charge of all things tea, on line, put in an order and she will mail it to you post haste, and it isn't near as expensive as ordering it from NYC.

And not only that, Gallery Espresso is everything we could have asked for in a coffee house and I highly recommend it. This is not a pinkies in the air kind of place; students pack the overstuffed couches and easy chairs, laptops cover tables, steaming cups of coffee and tea accompany plates of rustic, home made pastries, soups and salads while monthly student art shows hang from the walls.

I was in tea heaven then and still am now, as I brought home four sampler tins of the elixir of my heart and have been sipping tea since.

OK, on to the ice cream. My little tin of Mariage Frères Japan Green Sencha was the inspiration for this frozen offering. The ginger was simply a no brainer. Think about it. Use fresh and organic from Hawaii if you can get it.

And if you ever come to my kitchen, I will share my little stash of tea. And feed you ice cream. Promise.

Ginger Green Tea Ice Cream
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups 2% milk
3 tea bags good green tea or 2 tablespoons loose leaf green tea
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated, more if desired
8 packets Splenda or 1/3 cup sugar
3 extra-large or 4 large egg yolks
2 packets Splenda or 4 teaspoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
green paste icing coloring just a little bit on the tip of a toothpick (optional)
2 tablespoons candied ginger, cut into small dice (optional)
Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, tea, grated ginger and 8 pkts of Splenda or 1/3 cup sugar. Heat to just under boiling. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pushing on the solids to extract all the good flavors. Return the milk to the saucepan.

If you wish your ice cream to be green, and it won't be unless you do this, pick up a tiny bit of the coloring paste on the end of a toothpick and swirl it into the warm milk until you attain the color you want.

Heat the milk mixture gently until bubbles form around the edge.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks on high speed of an electric mixer, adding the remaining Splenda or sugar, until the yolks have thickened and become a pale yellow.

Whisk 1/4 of the milk mixture into the egg yolks, blending thoroughly, then whisk the egg mixture back into the milk remaining in the saucepan.

Heat this mixture gently on low, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens slightly, coats the back of the spoon, and leaves a track on the back of the spoon when you run your finger across.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.

Pour into a glass container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until thoroughly chilled.
Stir in the cold cream prior to processing in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions. Add the candied ginger to the mix during the last 5 minutes of processing.

Life's short ... eat dessert first!