July 9, 2009

Savory Jellies

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Red Pepper and Garlic Jelly

Red Pepper and Garlic Jelly

I’ve been a bad blogger. In the last week I’ve been transitioning from my old PC to a spiffy new Mac, and since I’m not the most computer-literate person I know, document and photo transfers took longer than expected. But I’m back! And promise to do better in the future.

I’m kind of obsessed with canning, and you may have also noticed that I’m more than a little obsessed with hot sauces and spiciness of all kinds. Not much of a sweet-tooth, the entire condiment section of my refrigerator (all those shelves on the side of the fridge door, and then some) are filled with mustards, hot sauces, pickles, and olives. It’s a natural, then, that I’d gravitate towards savory jellies, and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at them ever since experiencing my first jar of jalepeno jelly dumped over a cube of cream cheese and served with crackers (don’t judge, just try it).

Since it’s not quite time for tomato sauce/salsa canning or pickling, I’ve been going a bit crazy with the savory jellies. Pictured above is a red pepper and garlic jelly. If you’re making your own and want to avoid all the “chunks” rising to the top, after removing jars from their water bath, gently turn them upside down and then right-side-up every half-hour or so as they cool. The above jelly representing my first attempt, I had yet to learn this skill.

Jalepeno Jelly

Jalepeno Jelly


The jelly that started a (personal) taste revolution. I got a recipe from Ball’s Complete Book of Home Preserving and was fairly faithful to it, though I added extra peppers and refused to remove the seeds, as they suggested. While some of my friends think this is the best of all my attempts, I’d like it with a little less sugar. It also has twice the pectin that most jellies call for, which makes it quite stiff, which can be a little disconcerting, depending on how you would like to use it. I’m going to keep tweaking this one.

Triple Threat Pepper Jelly

Triple Threat Pepper Jelly

This lovely little jelly is based on a recipe for Habenero Gold jelly that uses dried apricots soaked in vinegar as its base. I used scotch bonnet peppers instead of the habenero, added jalepenos, diced red peppers, and red onions. I love this one, and purposefully lowered the sugar content by about 1/3.

More jellies, and summer treats, to come!

 

July 5, 2009

Beet Risotto with Horseradish

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Beet Risotto with Horseradish

Beet Rissotto with Horseradish

I love beets, and recently learned to love beet greens, but sometimes I want to try something new with them. I found this recipe on Epicurious and though “huh.” The combination of horseradish and beets had never crossed my mind. But it work – really well. The risotto is incredibly earthy, the cheese brings a creaminess, and the horseradish is just the right amount of kick. I even added extra! And it uses both the beets and the greens!

 

June 30, 2009

Stir-Fried Cabbage and Lettuce, Tofu

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Stir-Fried Cabbage, Lettuce, and Tofu

Stir-Fried Cabbage, Lettuce, and Tofu

The Philadelphia area has a bumper crop of lettuce right now, and frankly, I’m getting sick of it. Not that I don’t like lettuce – I do, I do – but this sort of classic green leaf variety is about my least favorite. What do? Shake it. This meal was very loosely based on the Stir-Fried Garlic Lettuce recipe from The Breath of a Wok. I also had a bunch of cabbage, so I added some of that, used a whole bunch of CSA garlic scapes instead regular old white garlic, and added tofu, fried in a bit of chili oil with salt and pepper. Really, it was remarkable. You could serve it over rice, or just eat a giant bowl all on your own.

Stir-Fried Cabbage, Lettuce and Tofu
serves 4

sauce
4 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

tofu
2 Tbs. chili sesame oil
1 12 oz. block firm, organic tofu, cubed
salt and pepper

vegetables
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 garlic scapes, diced
3 cloves of white garlic, thinly sliced
4 cups of napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium head of green lettuce, sliced
chili sesame oil

Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. In a large wok, heat the sesame oil on medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan. Add the tofu cubes, stirring quickly to coat in oil. Turn every few minutes, until lightly browned. Salt and pepper generously, stir, and put tofu to the side (draining on paper towels if desired). In the same, hot wok, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic scapes, stirring to coat, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the sliced garlic cloves, and cook until they barely brown – about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, toss well to coat, and cover the wok. Uncover and turn the cabbage every few minutes, replacing the lid to steam in between turn, until the cabbage begins to soften and wilt. Add the tofu and toss. Add the lettuce and sauce then lightly toss. Cook until the lettuce just begins to wilt (one or two minutes) and the tofu is heated through. Remove from heat immediately. There should still be additional sauce left in the pan (if not, add a little extra soy sauce and rice wine). Serve over rice, drizzling lightly with chili sesame oil.

 

June 28, 2009

Late Spring Pho

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Late Spring Pho

Late Spring Pho

Kate was sick. “I just want something salty and spicy and soup,” she said. I had more vegetables than I knew what to do with, so I offered to make some soup and bring it over. Spicy and salty – obviously had to been Asian influenced. And I had snap peas and carrots and mushroom and cabbage and broccoli and jalapenos – perfect for Pho. The cabbage, broccoli, snap peas, and green onions came from my CSA, the mushroom selection and tomato from the Fair Food Farmstand, and the Soy Boy tofu from Mariposa Co-op.

Late Spring Pho
serves 4

5 cups homemade vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 Tbs. chili sesame oil
1 tsp. ground white pepper

1 pound extra firm tofu, pressed
1 tsp. sesame oil

5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
5 shitake mushroom caps, sliced
1 large wood ear mushroom, sliced
1 tsp. sesame oil

8 oz. dried rice stick noodles

2 cups of napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup snap peas
1 carrot, grated or cut into matchsticks
1 head broccoli, divided into small florets
1 large tomatoes, cubed

1 jalapeno, sliced
4 greens onions, sliced
fresh cilantro, if desired

Combine broth, oil, soy, vinegar, and white pepper in a large pot. Bring to a low boil. In a separate saucepan, lightly fry the tofu cubes, and place to the side. In the same saucepan, add another teaspoon of sesame oil, and lightly fry the mushrooms. Place the rice stick noodles in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Add the shredded cabbage to the soup broth and bring back to boil. When the cabbage begins to wilt, add the snap peas and boil for one minute. Add the broccoli, carrots, tomato, mushrooms and tofu. Cook for one minute, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Drain the noodles, now softened, and stir into the soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with onions, jalapenos, and cilantro. Add additional chili sauce, to taste.

 

June 26, 2009

Green Pea and Pecorino Custard

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Green Pea and Pecorino Custard

Green Pea and Pecorino Custard

What to do early on a Saturday morning with a house full of guests and a wedding (not your own) to attend later in the day? Get up at 8AM (the bay window in my bedroom lets in a lot of early morning light, and I just can’t bring myself to shut the curtains), do a few loads of laundry, and quietly, so not to awake the people sleeping on the couch, begin cooking.

I know it sounds crazy, but besides the sticky-roll muffins I wanted to make my houseguests, I had a deadline for an upcoming recipe in GRID magazine, and had been scheming all night about how to use some beautiful fresh peas and a lovely pecorino from DiBruno Brothers.

The recipe is loosely based on one by Mark Bittman in How To Cook Everything Vegetarian, but lighter. It has a touch of fresh mint for brightness, a creamy consistency (with a few little pea chunks for texture) and would work perfectly as a first course. You can find the recipe here.

 

June 24, 2009

Rainbow Chard, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Fresh Egg

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Rainbow Chard, Heirloom Tomatoes, Organic Egg

Rainbow Chard, Heirloom Tomatoes, Organic Egg

I didn’t get home until 8:30 last night, just in time for the last light of the day. I walked out back to check on my garden – something, I suspect the alley cats that keep kicking up my baby lettuces, is gnawing at my parsley – to pick some fresh mint for a soda and St. Germain, currently my favorite early summer drink.

By nine, I realized that I had yet to eat any dinner. This simple meal is made straight from my refrigerator, currently bursting with CSA vegetables and goodies from the Fair Food Farm stand. Just a garlic scape, diced and fried in local salted butter, with rainbow chard, diced stems and all. Some baby heirloom tomatoes, sliced and salted, and a local organic egg fried in more of that delicious salted butter. Fast and perfect.

 

June 23, 2009

Bun Gio Chay at Vietnam Cafe

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tofu spring roll

I eat at Vietnam Cafe at least twice a month, and I’m always so hungry and excited when the food comes that I forget to take a picture before my meal is half-devoured. I stopped in for a University City dining days preview (3 courses, $15, July 23-30) and finally remembered to photograph before shoving everything into my mouth. Above, the Goi Cuon Chay, un-fried spring rolls filled with lightly fried tofu, lettuce, bean sprouts, fresh basil, and a beautiful green onion garnish. I particularly loved the green onion place right in the center of the roll, and the sauce was just lovely.

crispy vegetarian spring roll vermacelli

It’s hard for me NOT to order Bun Gio Chay – rice vermicelli noodles topped with crispy fried spring rolls, shredded lettuce, carrots, sprouts, and special vegetarian nuac mam sauce. It’s my classic dish, and if I haven’t had an appetizer I sometimes even add tofu to it. I should only ever eat half. And I always eat the whole thing, doused in a healthy amount of hot chili oil that, by now, they just put on the table as soon as I arrive. Now that’s neighborhood service.

Vietnam Cafe on Urbanspoon

 

June 22, 2009

General Tso’s Tofu

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General Tso's Tofu

General Tso's Tofu

My sister was visiting, and had a hankering for some Chinese food. My CSA has been more than plentiful with the broccoli lately, so I decided on on of my favorites – General Tso’s. The extra step of shocking the broccoli may seem annoying, but it’s essential for keeping the broccoli from getting soggy.

General Tso’s Tofu
serves 4

12 oz. Soy Boy (or other extra firm) tofu
1 egg
1/2 c. cornstarch
4 Tbs. vegetable or peanut oil
3 cups broccoli, in small spears
1 Tbs. chili sesame oil

sauce
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sweet soy sauce
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 Tbs. white vinegar
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cloves of garlic, diced
6 dried red Thai chilis, broken
8 green onions, sliced

1. Steam the broccoli spears for 2 minutes, until bright green. Immediately move to a bowl of ice water to shock.

2. Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. With one hand, dredge in the beaten egg, and with the other hand, toss with cornstarch. In a large wok, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until a drop of water fizzles. Add the tofu in bathes, frying until lightly brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

3. Mix all ingredients for the sauce, except the green onions, in a small bowl. Heat the sesame oil in the wok over high heat. Drain the broccoli and add to the oil, stirring often. When the broccoli begins to fry, add the tofu and sauce, tossing to evenly coat. When the sauce is heated through and thickens, remove from the heat. Serve over rice, and garnish with the fresh green onions.

 

June 20, 2009

Spring Greens, Rasberries and Goat Cheese in Grid

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Spring Greens with raspberrries and goat cheese

Spring Greens with raspberrries and goat cheese

The folks from Farm to Philly were asked to contribute a local menu for the June issue of Grid magazine. I contributed a spring greens salad with raspberries and goat cheese. Enjoy, and pick up the issue of Grid!

Spring Greens Salad with Raspberries and Goat Cheese
serves 4

Salad
6 cups Green Meadow Farm baby greens
4 oz. Shelbrook Farms Sharp Chevre
4 oz. local raspberries
Fresh mint leaves, torn

Vinaigrette
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. Lancaster Farms fresh mint
3 Lancaster Farm Fresh young garlic bulbs (or one small garlic clove)
5 local raspberries (take from your 4 oz. container)
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend all vinaigrette ingredients, except the raspberries, in a small food processor or blender until smooth. Choose a few raspberries and add to the mix, pulsing until the vinaigrette turns a deep, rosy pink.

Place the salad greens in a large bowl and add the vinaigrette, a few tablespoons at a time, blending between additions, until the greens are lightly coated. Add the remaining raspberries and the crumbled goat cheese to the dressed greens. Lightly toss, and serve.

 

June 18, 2009

Pub and Kitchen

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Old Bay Potato Chips

Old Bay Potato Chips

If it seems like all I’m doing is eating out, well, it mostly is all I’m doing. A steady stream of house guests and celebrations will do that you. I was pleased to finally make it to Pub and Kitchen. I worked with Johnny Mac back in the first year of Marigold Kitchen, and was eager to visit his spot. Initially I went for the bloody mary, of which I’d heard good reports. I said spicy and gave the waiter a meaningful, seriously look and dammit, it was. With a delicious pickled hot pepper. I also went for some eggs, be they boiled or deviled, but sadly, they aren’t on the menu anymore. Never mind. I found other things to gorge myself on, like the above hand-cut potatoes, fried crisp and dusted with Old Bay. Yes please. These were just right in their cute little cream and brown crock.

Vegetable Bruchetta

Vegetable Bruchetta

Vegetable bruchetta with roasted eggplant, onion, and red pepper, perfectly diced and mounded on just-crisped bread. A little bland, flavor-wise.

Mustard Green Beans

Mustard Green Beans

For some reason, perhaps just because I was in a pub, I thought these green beans would come fried. Nope. But they were perfectly still-crisp steamed, and topped with a shallot/grainy mustard and I suspect white wine vinegar sauce. I ate them with my fingers.
Beets and Feta

Beets and Feta

I love beets! That’s just what this little dish was, with a few chunks of good salty feta, a sprinkle of parsley, and a dash of olive oil. Close to perfect, and a generous size for the price.
Fries with truffle dijonaise

Fries with truffle dijonaise

By now, it should be obvious to you that I was on a sort of small plates binge. I love small plates, and side and appetizers, and I certainly didn’t need to eat as many as I did, but I saw “truffle dijonaise” on the fries description and it was a done deal. The fries are pretty classic – good pub style but nothing to write home about – but that sauce, with actual flecks of black truffle in it, is a killer.

I enjoyed feasting on all of Pub and Kitchen’s tasty sides. They had some salads that sounded nice, but I wanted something more substantial, and sadly, they don’t offer any vegetarian sandwiches or mains. Hope that changes!

Pub & Kitchen on Urbanspoon

 

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