My computer was in the shop for the past two weeks so there were no updates on the kiddies cooking (I didn’t have my recipes or photos available). But I’m back with a jazzy new computer shell (including a super crisp screen I feel like I have new glasses) with the same old hard drive/interior.

Two weeks ago my classes made pizza. Went great, the kids loved it– who doesn’t love pizza?! I heard many, “this is the best pizza I’ve ever tasted.” It helps when you’re buying $6 balls of freshly made mozzarella (and of course, when you make it yourself). I was pleased that many more than I thought were adventurous enough to try our super gourmet fig-arugula-ricotta pie (pictured during assembly above). It was a challenge to get many of them to try fresh fig in the first place, but as I say, “Rule #1 in the kitchen: Try everything. Rule #2: You don’t have to like it.” (That is, of course, unless you’re allergic.)

We made two pies. A classic tomato-mozzarella-fresh basil and the fig-arugula-ricotta. In addition to those, my 4th/5th grade class made a third pie of fresh basil-roasted red pepper-roasted eggplant (no sauce). I found a 1-hour pizza dough recipe I adapted into a whole wheat recipe. It worked great. I made the first batch of dough Monday 1 hour before class. Class arrived and made a batch of dough. We then swapped their dough (which was set aside to rise) for the dough I made and finished pizza assembly. At the end of our hour class time the dough the class made went into the fridge for the next day’s class (brought out to 1 hour before class to come to room temperature). Some admin folk were in the class taking pictures and loved the swap out, “it’s like a cooking show!” My favorite point of class was here too, but it was the students reactions: after the students made their dough I would say, “okay, now we have to wait one hour for your dough to rise, so let’s mop the floors!” “WHAT?!” “Ha! Gotcha! We have some already ready from yesterday!”

1-Hour Whole Wheat Dough
adapted from epicurious.com
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Add 3/4 cup warm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in yeast and let sit 5 minutes. Brush another medium-sized bowl with olive oil, set aside. Into the bowl with yeast, sift in the flour, sugar and salt and pour in the olive oil. Knead the mixture in the bowl until smooth and sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to the olive oil coated bowl, turning so the oil covers all surfaces. Cover and let sit in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. (Here you can refrigerate the dough overnight.) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin from the center out.

Fig & Caramelized Onion Pizza
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups arugula
8 fresh black figs, halved
1/2 large ball mozzarella, sliced
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (Recommended: Dodonis feta)
1 1-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe above)

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a warm medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt and the leaves from 1 sprig thyme. Saute for 15 minutes until soft and just beginning to caramelize, stirring every once in a while. Add the balsamic vinegar and sauté another 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Turn the oven to 400F. Roll out the dough and transfer to baking pan. Brush the dough with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and the leaves of the remaining thyme. Sprinkle the arugula over the dough, assemble the figs. Top with the caramelized onions, top with mozzarella and feta. Bake 15-20 minutes until dough and cheese is golden.
NOTE: Add procuitto to the pizza for an extra special pie.

Classic Cheese with Fresh Basil Pizza
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh basil
1 large ball mozzarella, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe above)

Turn the oven to 400F. Roll out the dough and transfer to baking pan. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, sprinkle with salt and arrange the basil over the sauce. Arrange the mozzarella over top, drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15-20 minutes until dough and cheese is golden.

Last week was Mushroom Summer Rolls.  I learned that the Vietnamese translation of these rolls (and spring rolls) is technically “mixed fresh vegetables,” or something similar– so summer roll/ spring roll is interchangeable. I like saying summer roll for un-fried/fresh rolls. Spring rolls for the ones you fry. We made summer rolls.

Mixed reviews on these from the students. I laid out all the vegetables for the kids to chose whatever filling they want and I’d say 20% made solely carrot rolls. They declared them delicious though (the fully carrot rolls), so that’s a start. Some made carrot-sugar snap pea rolls. Most adventurous and some mushroom-loving souls chowed down on creativity and filled them with everything on the platter. A few in my Friday class (K/1) started making square, triangular and “people stuffed” rolls. Best not to ask on those.

Everyone enjoyed the challenge of not only rolling these, but also figuring out the correct time to leave the rice paper under water to make it pliable. There was also the aspect of sharing– only 2 bowls of warm water and one rice paper at a time.

One of my K/1 boys told happily declared he doesn’t like vegetables. “Well, what do you like?” “Mashed potatoes, white rice and chicken.” Adventurous eater. “But you ate pizza last week.” “That’s because it was pizza.” “Hmm, touché.” His roll? Rice paper rolled with “invisible” vegetables. I wonder if he’ll eat our upcoming gnocchi.

Mushroom Summer Rolls
Makes approximately 8 rolls

Marinade:
4-6 ounces mushrooms, sautéed 10 minutes in 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Recommended: Enoki or Shiitake)
1 lime, juiced & zested
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon sirachi or other hot sauce (optional)*
Filling:
1 packet 10-12 inch rice paper wrap (Available at Specialty markets in their Asian foods section, or Asian markets)
1 bunch fresh mint (or Thai basil)
1 pint bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, julienned (sliced thin)
1 carrot, julienned (sliced thin)
15 sugar snap peas, julienned (sliced thin)
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, julienned (sliced thin) (Alternatively, remove seeds and slice regular cucumber)

*Note: Ginger opens up the taste buds and has a heat of its own. Be careful adding any additional hot sauce– This gets spicy fast!

Combine ingredients for marinade, mix to combine and set aside for 1 hour, up to overnight. Fill a large mixing bowl with very warm tap water. Lay a damp paper towel in front of you as a work surface (in class we used damp paper plates). Fully submerge rice paper for 20 seconds in the water until slippery and pliable, the warmer the water the less time needed. Remove with both hands, keeping spread apart and lay out on towel. Working in just the center 3-4 inches of the rice paper circle, layer preferred ingredients, including mushrooms and a little marinade, horizontally.  Fold over the right side of the rice paper to just over center. Fold over the left side of the paper to just over center. Fold the bottom side over then push down slightly and roll to complete, keeping the ends tucked in. Continue until remaining ingredients are used.
NOTE: Use the leftover marinade as a dipping sauce!
NOTE: Other fun ingredients include shrimp, beef, lettuce, rice, radish, baby turnips, pickles, cabbage, cilantro. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to marinade for a peanut dipping sauce!

This sauerkraut receives its fuchsia-hue from beets.

Note: This post also appears on Sustainable Table’s Adventures in Fermentation.

Confession: When I was younger I hated sauerkraut. Most people will read that and think, Well, no bother. Just don’t eat the stuff. It’s not like one is presented with it often!

But, being that I am half-Latvian, sauerkraut was presented to me more often than most people would consider normal. Perhaps normal for you would be that one year at a family picnic when your eclectic Aunt Betty, having just returned from Germany, wanted to share the joys of sauerkraut along with a rousing schuhplattling. Or perhaps it was on a vacation 3 years back and it appeared mysteriously, slathered on a hot dog.

But, as I said, being half-Latvian, sauerkraut was seemingly everywhere. Forget the odd family picnic or bizarre vacation hot dog. On our regular journeys into the depths of Chicago’s Latvian neighborhood we would find my grandmother at home, stirring a large batch of sauerkraut. (Think stock pot size– enough for everyone to take home!) At the yearly Latvian block party, buckets of sauerkraut from every family on the block would be on the offering– right there, next to the jelly bean guess-the-quantity competition (which, thank you, I won one year). You know block parties, one little nibble from your own grandmother isn’t enough, you have to look good in front of the neighbors. During cold Chicago winters, my own mother would raise the stock pot and pour in the ‘kraut. Eventually, the operation was moved to a portable burner in the garage so the smell wouldn’t saturate the house during the 4+ hour cook time– and of course, so we could have sauerkraut more often.As a child I thought sauerkraut was, well, sour. It was also funny looking. And it smelled weird.

I’m not talking about the sauerkraut that is served cold with sausage on the side (though ours was most often served with kielbasa on the side). My family’s Latvian sauerkraut is slow-braised for hours until it reaches caramelization. It sits there on the plate, a deep amber mass, fit for a rustic Baltic meal: a side of meat with mustard and dark Latvian rye bread.

As a child I recall my polite no thank you’s when it was being served, but was always met with the parental, “Okay, just a little then.” So there it sat on my plate being pushed around and spread out to appear if at least not enjoyed, partially consumed.

But years pass and tastes change and that sourness now seems more sweet.

My grandmother, uncles and mother still make a stock pot full of sauerkraut, and sometimes I even find myself behind the stove on a cold New York City night taking out the stock pot.

But the start to sauerkraut, whether it’s slow cooked, or uncooked and cold, begins with fermentation.

As one can imagine, northern Europe plays host to some frigid winters. (If you cannot imagine, I spent an August in Latvia, their warmest month, and wore a sweatshirt the whole time there. Of course, families were basking in Speedos on the beach, but to each their own.) Cabbage was, and still is, a mainstay of the cuisine. It grows well in cool climates and once fermented, it has a long shelf life, feeding a family through a brutal winter. A little salt and a crock pot is all it takes and in a few days natural bacterias in the air take over for a lacto-fermentation (ending as lactic acid converts sugars to acid).

Once fermented, kept raw, sauerkraut is very high in vitamin C. In fact, it is sauerkraut, and other fermented foods, that cured early explorers of scurvy (not barrels of oranges)*. Further, all those sugars, converted to acids, lowers the pH and is good for digestion. And some believe that fermented foods keep them healthy and can fight against disease and illness from the avian flu to ulcers and cancer to hangovers. (A hangover cure might also explain why my Latvian family can drink like a fish through the night and wake up raring to go.)

It should be noted that all these benefits occur when the sauerkraut is eaten raw, uncooked. If you want the same beneficial bacteria to play in your stomach and don’t want to make it yourself, seek out raw sauerkraut on the store shelves. Most of the sauerkraut you find in bags has been quick fermented with vinegar and will not have the same positive results.

Should you want to make it yourself, it’s easy and a fun experiment for any kitchen! You can add a plethora of vegetables to the mix. In my batch, pictured above, I have cabbage, beets, carrots and kohlrabi. You can even add hot pepper flakes for a kimchi-like variation.

NOTE: Never use aluminum as your fermentation vessel, or aluminum tools to stir or taste. A ceramic crock or large glass 1 to 5 gallon containers are ideal. Clean everything well so only good bacteria have an opportunity to multiply (a run through a dishwasher or hand washed with hot water and soap is fine).

Sauerkraut
Serving size= about 6. Active time= 20 minutes. Inactive time=1 to 3 weeks, depending on temperature (hot temperatures speed up fermentation)
2 medium to large heads cabbage (red or green), about 5 lbs
3 carrots
1/4 cup Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (optional)

Shred the cabbage and carrots using a food processor (or finely by hand), as you would for coleslaw. Set in a bowl and toss with salt, garlic and caraway seeds. Transfer to your fermentation vessel (see note above). Using your fist, pack the vegetables firmly into the bottom of your vessel to release as many air bubbles as possible. (This is where a glass vessel is nice because you can see your progress.) Juice should escape from the cabbage and just cover the vegetables. If not, add a little water and a bit of salt until vegetables are just covered. (The older your cabbage, the less juice it will have!) Place a weight inside your container, keeping as much of the cabbage underneath as possible. A ceramic plate or food-grade plastic bag filled with some salt water (in case the bag breaks) work well. Cover the fermentation vessel with a kitchen towel or a few layers of cheesecloth and secure. Set aside on counter.

After 2 to 3 days, taste the cabbage, fermentation will have begun! Continue to taste until it reaches a tartness you like, 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the temperature in the room. After day 3, you might notice a film developing on the top of the brine. Skim it off every day or two, but don’t wait more than 2 days. Once the vegetables have reached a flavor you like, transfer to the refrigerator. It will keep for many months.

If you are going out of town after your fermentation has begun but is not finished, just transfer your container to the fridge and replace it to your counter when you return. Cold temperatures slow fermentation. Never eat fermented foods that taste “meaty” or smell off– your nose is powerful, trust it! This is a sign the wrong bacteria have taken over (rare, but it can happen). Fermented foods should smell tangy, tart and fresh.

Other additions include curry, turmeric, hot pepper flakes, dill, onions, turnips, kohlrabi, radish or other vegetables and seasonings in your sauerkraut!

*Or is is barrels of limes?! Perhaps a combination of both– or it depends where those sailors came from!

My CSA share week #1 (last week, June 4) Photo from the Golden Earthworm Organic Farm (my CSA provider!)

I’m blogging for the newest Edible community– Edible Queens, set to launch its first paper issue September 2009. I have to admit I was feeling a little neglected. It’s about time there was an Edible community in my very own ‘hood, so I’m happy to be a part of it! I think the first issue is going to be fabulous and until then, you can read more online.

I have a weekly post about what I receive in my Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) box. I also include all the recipe ideas my heart can throw out for whatever the box contents are. So instead of just one recipe with one or two of the ingredients, I’ll list a few different ideas (with no promises I’m actually making any of them!).

The blog is called Astoria Feed.

One, because it’s about the food from the Astoria CSA, two, because it’s the feed I’ll be eating all week, and three, because it’s also a news feed of all of the above and more. You can follow the link: www.ediblecommunities.com/queens/view-by-tag/66/ to see more.

If you’re in a CSA, or ever thought of what the experience might be like, the blog will be a fun place to follow my adventures. If you’re in a CSA on the northeast (or even midwest) the blog will be fun to follow along with because you’ll probably receive many of the same items around the same time. If you’re in a CSA in the south or west coast I despise you for your extended growing seasons while you sit there practically eating watermelons this time of year because and you’ve seen this produce come through long ago (I know because I was in California two weeks ago eating local cherries like a banchy (re Urban Dictionary: A wild creature with snarly brown hair that is excessive in all its activities.). (As an aside, I’m not really sure why a banchy has to have snarly brown hair, but I suppose it fits.) Please note I have to wait another month for local cherries! If you’re not in a CSA, have been there/done that, can’t join, or won’t be joining, it’s still a fun place to follow along and if nothing else, maybe you’ll be inspired by some recipe ideas!

Here’s last week’s post as a sample of what you get if you read:

WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
1 bunch baby bok choi
1 bunch beets
1 bunch French breakfast radishes
1 bunch rhubarb
1 bunch Japanese white salad turnips
1 bag arugula -or- spinach
2 heads of lettuce  or 1 head of lettuce and 1 bag salad mix

I love the freshness of spring greens! Our shares this time of year are so plush. Part of the fun of a CSA is that you receive whatever is in season. It’s like Iron Chef– you don’t get to pick what you want. It’s sometimes a challenge to come up with interesting recipe ideas, but it’s worth it to try new items and vary your diet. One thing to remember is that while the above list of vegetables is what is posted as what we’ll receive at the beginning of the week, the list often changes depending on what comes in from the fields (sometimes creating a bigger challenge!). For example, in addition to the above, we also received strawberries in our share.

Here are my recipe thoughts for this week:

Rhubarb- We received strawberries too so strawberry rhubarb pie is a given. But I love making a simple syrup with the rhubarb and whipping up mixed drinks (with alcohol or not). Bourbon goes well with rhubarb, as does tequila, but rhubarb lemonade, or rhubarb-mint with seltzer is equally refreshing.

Lettuce, Turnips, Radish- We get large glorious heads of lettuce. Really, some of our members wait all year for the lettuce! My box contained 2 billowing heads of butter lettuce– one red, one green. Golden Earthworm’s Butter Lettuce is my favorite. The white salad turnips are also spectacular. So sweet raw! I’m thinking some fish wraps in lettuce with a chipotle mayonaise (mix some mayo with chipotle in adobo sauce) and top with slice turnips and radish. You can even add shredded beets on top. Other proteins like shrimp, beef or shredded chicken would be good too.

Beets- It’s still cool enough to wrap beets in foil and roast them until tender(about 45 minutes). Or… peel and shred raw beets. Toss with some lemon juice, goat cheese, pine nuts (walnuts, pistachio work too), salt/pepper and fresh herbs– mint, cilantro, parsley. Whatever is around, just pile it on.

Bok Choi- My favorite for the bok choi is a quick stir fry. I like to add beef or chicken marinated in OJ and soy sauce and cook it up. Once done, boil down the marinade, add some fresh orange zest and toss it as a sauce for an orange beef in bok choi. Serve over brown rice.

Growing up in the midwest, I hated potato salad. It’s true. The staple side dish gracing every BBQ was the bane of my outdoor dining existence. It occurred at some point in when I hatched a distaste for mayonnaise.

I believe this decision formulated shortly after I made myself a tuna fish sandwich: In attempts to get the fishy tuna flavor out of my sandwich, I mixed in close to 2 cups of mayonnaise (into a single-serving can of tuna). It didn’t help, and I ended up discarding the sandwich, two bites of which gave me a horrible stomach ache. (Who would have thought with all that mayonnaise?)

Next, mayonnaise-heavy potato salad popped into my vision at every deli counter. There is something about prepared deli counter salads that has always told me to stay away. Is it the resemblance to the lunch line at school? Or perhaps the display that gives everything a brownish-blue hue and make nothing appear to be refrigerated?

Let us pinpoint these moments as the beginning of my mayonnaise banishment.

Obviously, this dislike of mayonnaise, living in the midwest, brings me to my hatred of potato salad. Because we all know midwest potato salad and mayonnaise go hand-in-hand.

It was not until college that I tried potato salad again. My good friend A made me her family’s Lebanese Potato Salad, which she described as simply adding the Lebanese basic seasonings: garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Light, simple and totally delicious, it awakened me to a whole new world of looking at potatoes: Did you know potatoes don’t need to be mashed with butter or fried and dipped in ketchup to taste good?

My preferred method of cooking potatoes now is making a potato salad using the Lebanese trio (trio because in my book, an herb, salt and pepper are given). Sometimes I spice it up with some hot chili flakes, sometimes I add other vegetables to bulk it up, as in this case. You cannot go wrong when you work with these basic, yet deliciously pure ingredients.

Please note: I have recently found new appreciation for mayonnaise. While I still do not use it in a tuna sandwich, I can understand its place in a vinegar-based coleslaw (just a little fat, not saturated in mayonnaise). I also admit that I recently made my own mayonnaise and highly suggest a homemade version over anything store bought. (Further, I prefer homemade because I know I will actually finish it– the smallest bottle of store bought mayonnaise has gone bad in my refrigerator. With a shelf life over one year, you do not want to know what rancid mayonnaise smells like.)

Potato Salad with Corn and Green Beans
Serving size= 6-8. Cook time=  15 minutes. Prep time=  10 minutes.
1 pound potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size (I prefer the texture of new potatoes in potato salad because they hold shape and texture)
1 cup corn, sliced from cob  fresh (or canned)
1 cup green beans, cleaned and halved
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt/ pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, until soft when pricked with a fork. While potatoes are cooking, place fresh corn, green beans, olive oil and garlic in the serving bowl. When potatoes finish cooking, drain, but do not rinse with water. Place hot potatoes in the serving bowl and toss. The residual heat will steam the corn and beans, leaving the beans snappy (if you prefer beans more done you can steam them for 30 seconds before you add them to the hot potatoes). Finish by tossing with the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, at room temp, or cold.

An important garden lesson: you cannot stop a cucumber plant from going crazy– Actually, you cannot stop any vining plant from clinging and climbing wherever it sees fit. But let’s talk cucumbers.

I planted an heirloom variety known as lemon cucumber. Lemon because the resulting fruit is fairly lemon shaped and ripen from light green to a bright lemon yellow. When I checked on the plant two Fridays ago there were a number of flowers waiting to burst with fruit. I left for a week to visit D in upstate New York terrified I would miss out on a massive cucumber harvest. (Seriously, I had three different dreams about lost or unattended garden bounty.)

While upstate, I purchased a beautiful 3-gallon ceramic crock pot from a lovely antique dealer– really a gift for all those cucumbers ready to spring to life. When D and I returned Sunday we headed to the garden for our first massive harvest: corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and ever more basil.

We’re overflowing with cucumbers now and decided to take action. Garden cucumbers head to the crock for brining and CSA cucumbers get crock treatment or turned into the great little snack you see pictured above. I’ll provide a picture of the brined cucumbers once the pickles are (hopefully) tasty and ready for the camera.

Until then, satisfy your cucumber (and tomato) bounty with this fresh and easy snack. I used a hearty cranberry-walnut bread as the base. Any other good bread will do, or go without bread, using the cucumber as a base. Top with any fresh herb and voila, a tasty garden treat.

Cucumber Bites
Serving Size= 5 piece. Prep time= 5 minutes.
5 small slices, or 2 larger slices cut small of cranberry-walnut bread
1 cucumber, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 vine ripe tomato, sliced 1/2-inch thick
salt/ pepper to taste
5 slices, 1/4-inch thick, feta
fresh thyme for garnish (parsley, chives, parsley or cilantro will work too)
lemon spritz (optional)

Method: Toast bread until golden. Layer bread with cucumber and tomato. Season with salt and pepper then top with feta and a sprinkle of herbs. Add a spritz of lemon over top for some added zip.

Dare I say I’ve gone strawberry crazy?

I am quite happy to inform folks that I have bushels of strawberries in my possession. I excitedly contemplated all the delicious things to make: wine, jam, ice cream, scones, lemonade… As I thought, I realized I was quickly eating through my stash. So sweet in their natural state, I started thinking, Applying them to a dish would be sacrilegious! (They do much better in my belly unadulterated.)

The more sensible part of me methodically began pulling stems and lining the berries on a baking sheet to freeze, then bag for a future use (as there was no way all could be eaten before spoiling). As I lined a cookie sheet with strawberries I realized how nicely uniform so many of them were. In fact, they appeared to be a perfect little army dressed for strawberry battle in some distant fruit land– perhaps protecting Strawberry Shortcake (the cartoon or the dessert)? Each berry was outfitted with a gnome-like cap. (How adorable.)

As I admired my infantry, the Giant of Terror in the Land of Berries approached. Oooo, strawberries! D exclaimed as his colossal hand reached into my helpless army patch and snatched up soldiers. One after another he ate my freshly stemmed friends. “Stop eating my strawberry army!”

“Uhhhh… Your what?”

“Nothing… They’re just my strawberry army. You can’t eat them, eat these.” I shoved over the random piling of discarded strawberries sprawled on the counter, not perfect enough to join my forces.

So now sits a bag of berries marked “not for giants” awaiting recipes in the freezer. If I can rein myself in they will be saved for a blistery day in late December. While I ponder future berry times I’ll whip up an occasional strawberry smoothie: 2 parts frozen berries, 1 part heavy cream. It is the purest and sweetest milk shake I ever had.

Strawberry Smoothie
Serves 2
1.5 cups fresh frozen strawberries
3/4 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)

Method: Place ll ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Add more heavy cream to thin out if necessary.

If you can still find some fresh berries this late in the season a favorite application was in salad. You may add or subtract from any of these ingredients.

Strawberry Salad
Serves 4-6
1 head romaine, or similar crisp lettuce, washed and separated
1 handful arugula, washed
1 bulb kohlrabi*, sliced into matchstick size cuttings
1 bunch fresh herbs (thyme, basil, parsley work well), loosely chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, washed and stemmed
4 ounces goat cheese or fresh ricotta, crumbled
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
mustard vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Method: Toss all prepped ingredients and serve with dressing on the side.
*Kohlrabi is an odd looking vegetable, but worth a try (it’s very high in vitamin C). The flavor is similar to cabbage, but crossed with the crispness of a perfect apple. It is a great addition raw to coleslaw or salad. Just cut off the stalk and slice (I don’t even peel mine).

Mustard Vinaigrette
This dressing will keep so make enough and store in a small glass container. Season to preferred acidic taste.
1 part whole grain mustard (Dijon makes an excellent one)
1 part lemon juice
1 part olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin

Method: Add all ingredients to a jar and shake just before applying to salad. (This dressing is great over fish like halibut or salmon.)

NOTE: This strawberry salad recipe was entered into Healthy Cooking’s recipe event, because hey, what’s more healthy than fresh ingredients? No substitutes needed!

(Don’t forget! You have until Friday to enter the Cool Beans Giveaway! Leave a bean-related comment in the post for your chance to win a 3-pack of Cool Beans. Beans are a delicious and healthy snack! Deadline is 3PM, March 7)

Is it too early to think about summer? Too early to write dreamily about foodstuffs like fresh corn? Let us take a moment out of our hectic lives, meetings, winter gloom, and think about sweet July corn (non-GM, of course). Close your eyes and meditate: Ohmmmmm Cornnnnn.

The above soup, was in fact, made this past summer. It is a corn chowder, and while I speak of other chowders, I thought it was appropriate to post. While the bitter winds of winter blast through us, we can take a deep breath and think of summertime corn (D’s favorite).

Most people think clam chowders are the only true variety [an aside: New England is the true chowder!]. A chowder is traditionally a salt pork based soup. Meaning? Bring on the bacon! Traditionally, it is also a thickened soup base, whether it’s by crushed crackers and milk, flour, or another means, is your decision.

I make this corn chowder every summer when it is available for bargain prices (we’re talking farmstand, 12 ears for $2.00 prices). I eat it cold, though when it is fresh and slightly warm it is hard to resist. On a cold day like today, it would make a soothing warm soup.

So while I dream of summer, maybe I’ll have to purchase some frozen corn and make a batch of this soup. I suggest you do the same. With it’s vibrant colors we can wash the winter away.

Note: I thicken this soup base with buttermilk. While I despised, caught, and promptly disposed of my mothers attempts to pass buttermilk off as regular milk as a child, (a warning to all you mothers hiding foods from your children! I still can’t drink the stuff) it makes a wonderful soup base. The slightly sour nature cuts the sweet corn perfectly. You can find another version of this soup with seafood here.

Corn Chowder
6-8 servings. Prep time= 30 minutes. Cook time= 30 minutes.
2 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, cut into thin slices
4 ears of fresh corn (or 1 16oz bag frozen), removed from stalk, keep ears
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 russet potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 carrot sticks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 quart buttermilk
salt/ pepper to taste
fresh parsley (cilantro or chives would be nice too)

1) Prep ingredients. To remove corn kernels from stalk, hold ears vertical, resting one end on a cutting board, holding the top. Use a sharp knife and slice downwards, as close to the stalk as possible. Work your way around the ear until all kernels are removed. You can slice the bottom half, flip the ear and slice the top half to avoid fingers.
2) In a stock pot over medium high heat, fry bacon. Once browned, remove bacon bits and set aside. Add onion and saute 3-5 minutes. Add 3/4 of the corn, the stripped ears, celery, potatoes, carrots and stock. Cover and bring to a boil.
3) Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, 20 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Turn heat off and stir in remaining corn, buttermilk, bacon and salt and pepper to taste (add salt at the end because the bacon will add a lot of salt). Serve warm or cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving. Top with parsley.

I realize this salad sounds all too simple. It is a variation of the classic Greek Salad that has become all too common in our restaurant going (or home) lives. Just below the “house salad” we now often find the “Greek salad.”

The downfall I find with the Greek salad is it leaves me wanting more. The cucumbers fail to fill me and there are only so many tomatoes I can eat before the acid hits my stomach and turns me the wrong way. I realize many folks have their own versions of this clasic salad, but this is my simple take on it (rather, one of many simple takes on it).

I made this a few weeks ago when I was alone. D often objects to eating salad as a mid-day meal, complaining the energy doesn’t last. I was so captivated by this salad I decided to try it out on D the following day. I knew he would love it, but would it fill him for a day running around?
The result… You bet so. Not only was D satiated until dinner, he even made several exclamations about the flavor combinations (which are really nothing so unique).

The trick is in the bread. Homemade croutons are a must. For this salad I used old sourdough bread cut into “fingers,” brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and pepper and toasted until golden. They are great to pick up and munch on between bites, or used to scoop up leftover cheese and olive oil. They work in any salad and act as a tasty filler.

This salad might sadly be the last viewing of fresh local tomatoes. If you hurry, your local market might still have some end-of-season tomatoes left, but they are fading fast.

Greek Adaptation Salad
Serving Size= 2 persons. Prep time= 10 min. Cook time=3 minutes.
2 slices old sourdough bread
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup green beans, picked and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ripe tomato, sliced into 8 wedges
1/4 cup crumbled feta
Kalamata olives
Salt/ Pepper
Parsley

1) Brush sourdough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slice into 1 inch thick strips and toast until golden.
2) Blanch green beans in boiling water, 30 second to 1 minute, until darkened. Dredge in ice water.
3) Gently toss green beans with sliced tomato, chopped red pepper, crumbled feta, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper.
4) Sprinkle with parsley and top with Kalamata olives. Arrange croutons around salad or sprinkled over top.
NOTE: Want to make this even more of a meal? Add 1 can washed and drained butter beans!

It’s been a crazy week here at Just Braise. In the midst of some freelance writing on deadline, I filled a friend’s shoes and helped cater a restaurant opening for 200 people. I have never catered an event before (other than my own parties of no more than 25 people) and thought this might be a good experience. Plus, I would get to work with some trained chefs.

Key words are “restaurant opening” with a restaurant (including kitchen) that was not workable until 5 PM the evening before the event. We had to set up and organize not only the kitchen, but the walk-in refrigerator, and dry storage all the night before the event. All prep and cooking for those 200 folks happened day of the event. It was a haphazard day, but we pulled through– with a few menu items nixed, a successful event none the less.

Due to a day a recuperation this post will remain short.

I made this salad the other week with the leftover wild salmon from the Gnocchi with Green Bean Pesto. I even had a little of that delicious pesto left and threw it on top as a dressing. In my mind, this salad is so similar to the Nicoise Salade made almost one month ago, but looks and tastes entirely different. Really, in comparison, these two salads are totally different. Perhaps it is the vivid colorings of both that make it seem so similar? Maybe it is because both use such brightly hued fish.

The salad is a brilliant reminder of a summer departed. At least in the Northeast, one can still find most of these ingredients locally (which equals extra tastiness).

Note: I mentioned previously that I often boil, blanch and prep items when I bring them home, even if I do not know what I will make with them. The work may take an hour or so, but the effort is worth it. With pre-prep I was able to throw this salad together in just minutes– proving you can have a delicious meal even when pressed for time.

While this salad is a great use of leftovers, you can easily make this salad without the green bean pesto. Just toss the salad with olive oil, salt and pepper or your favorite dressing. (My favorite homemade dressing has a base of dijon mustard, tahini and olive oil. Add to that roasted garlic, anchovies and fresh garlic, lemon juice, or anything else you can think of and it’s delicious).

Salmon Pesto Salad (Remember Summer Salad)
Serving Size= 2 people. Active time= 10 minutes.
2 salmon steaks (already prepared or a quick 2 minute sear each side w/ salt and pepper)
3-4 cups loosely packed arugula
1 red pepper
3-4 new potatoes (already boiled or slice into quarters and boil 10 min)
1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
green bean pesto (see Gnocchi w/ Green Bean Pesto)

1) Boil potatoes if not already cooked. Sear salmon if not already cooked.
2) Char red pepper in a skillet set over high heat. Rotate to cook 3-4 sides until blackened, 2-3 minutes each side. Remove stem, core and seeds and chop.
3) Wash arugula and cherry tomatoes.
4) Arrange salad. Place arugula in serving bowl. Add tomatoes, red peppers, potatoes. Set salmon over and top with a scoop of green bean pesto (or favorite salad dressing), salt and pepper.
Optional: Top this salad with chopped walnuts or pecans or blue cheese.

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Here lies another gnocchi creation to contemplate the many forms of this versatile dumpling. Thinking about this dish, and seeing its image up there, makes me hungry for it all over again. But let’s get to the heart of the matter.

So D and I made gnocchi. I tricked him into whole wheat flour and he was none the wiser. I tricked him into milk instead of cream and he slurped it up regardless.

This dish was another in a long line where my sanity was questioned by D, yet was happily lapped up at the end of the night.

As you can see, the gnocchi has turned a slightly off gray-brown. I had no idea that whole wheat pasta, when exposed to air, would discolor. (Have others had this experience and how do you solve it?) The flavor is fine, I assure you, but it was no fun opening the refrigerator the morning after a gnocchi-licious meal only to find my whole wheat army awaiting the boiling pot cloaked in a sorrowful shade. How they rebelled for not being eaten!

No worries I thought. I’ll say I added a little octopus ink! So if anyone asks, just say there is octopus ink in the pasta. Brilliant. I was even going to add it to the recipe, but realized if anyone tried to make their octopus ink pasta and it didn’t work heads might roll. (I’ve never bought octopus ink but think it would be hard to get and expensive.)

So what would go nicely with my “octopus ink” pasta? Why another sea creature of course. Nothing like fish to bring out the fishy quality of octopus ink, right? And what better than the brilliant shade of salmon?

At the fish monger, D and I picked up a fabulous 2 pound fillet (there is more salmon dishes in the line up). As we walked home I thought of other ways to brighten up my sad gnocchi. And what goes with a salmon shade better than a brilliant spring green? We had green beans left in the fridge, but I thought tossing some green beans along with the salmon would be too boring. A pesto would be much more interesting. And voila, this dish was born.

This dish truly is as delicious as it looks. The hearty gnocchi make marvelous spoons for the thick, creamy pesto. Everything was offset perfectly by the sweet salmon. Even better, this meal (since gnocchi were leftover) took all of 8 minutes to throw together. There is nothing like brilliance (of color and flavor) at the blink of an eye.

Better still, you can make this pesto with frozen peas, shelled edamame, romano beans, white beans, etc. No gnocchi? Use fettucini (or almost any other pasta). Hate pasta? Spread some olive oil, salt and pepper on bread and toast it. Can’t stand salmon? Try mahimahi.

Whatever you do try this dish. Make it for friends. They will be wowed by the amazing flavors and you will be thankful it hardly took any time.

Gnocchi w/ Green Bean Pesto & Salt/ Pepper Salmon
Serving size= 4 persons. Prep time= 3 minutes. Cook time= 8 minutes.
2 pound fillet of wild Alaskan salmon (an eco-friendly choice!)
1/2 pound green beans, cleaned and picked over
2 tablespoons Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup loosely packed basil
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt/ pepper to taste
1 pound gnocchi

1) Blanch green beans for 1 minute in boiling water. Place in blender with Parmesan, garlic, basil and olive oil. Puree, taste, salt and pepper to taste. (The pesto will be very thick and creamy, and will still have small bits of green bean. If you desire a smoother pesto, add more olive oil, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt or tahini to smooth it out.)
2) Boil water for gnocchi. Heat a skillet on medium-high for the salmon. Once gnocchi goes into the boiling water, salt and pepper salmon fillet and brush a thin layer of oil onto the skillet. Place salmon on hot skillet skin side up. Cook 2-3 minutes, flip, cook 2-3 minutes more, depending on desired doneness.
3) Drain gnocchi and place in serving bowls. Slice salmon into serving pieces, place over gnocchi. Add scoop of green bean pesto.