Nesting and Gnocchi

Rach, it was a good week. Thanks for getting off the island and spending time with me and Finn. The pre-baby wait isn't for the adrenaline junky, but it was great having company in my "nesting." I added the above pic to give you accolades for my newly-organized pantry. When
I open the door to find something it takes mere seconds- beautiful rows of baking supplies and cooking goods wait for me expectantly- no longer jumbled together in one big pile (how many half empty bags of oats did you find.. 5?). I record in writing, my solemn vow to fight my "Hale-tropy" slide toward disaster and to do all in my power to maintain this organized state. I am picturing your skeptical face right now; fine, new plan, how about you come out every few months to do a visual?? Or I could post a pic every two months or so?

I needed to document our fabulous gnocchi meal. Judging by the amount he pounded back Finn's weight is now secured at the top percentile of the two-year-old growth chart. This was a great meal that did well on our eating local aspirations - basil pesto made with my bumper crop, beans also from my garden, and potato gnocchi made with yukon gold potatoes from our Dutch egg lady down the road.



Gnocchi with Pesto
(from The Williams Sonoma Cookbook)
-makes 4 servings

Salt
3 russet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, scrubbed (we used 6 yukon golds)
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (we used dried)
1 large egg, beaten (props to us for one more local item -eggs from Fairfield Island)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more as needed for rolling
6oz haricots verts or other slender green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup pesto (see recipe below)
6 tbs unsalted butter (I used 1 1/2 tbs)

To make gnocchi, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the unpeeled whole potatoes until tender, about 30 minutes. OR follow our lead and bake the potatoes (after all, your oven is on for the muffins and date squares). Drain and let cool. Peel and place in a large bowl. Add the 2 tbs grated cheese, 1 1/4 tsp salt and nutmeg and mash well with a potato masher. Let cool to lukewarm, mix in the egg and 1 cup of the flour.

Knead the dough, adding more flour 1 tbs at a time as needed, until a soft and sticky dough forms, about 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then divide into 6 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, use your palms to roll each piece into a rope 3/4 inch thick. Cut the ropes into 1 inch pieces. To form the grooves that will hold the sauce, roll each piece over the tines of a large fork.

In a large pot of generously salted boiling water, cook the beans until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer beans to a colander and drain.

In 2 batches, cook the gnocchi in the same pot of boiling water until just tender, stirring often to prevent sticking, about 5 minutes per batch. Use the skimmer to transfer to a baking sheet.

Put the pesto and 1/2 cup grated cheese into a large bowl. In a large frying pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add the gnocchi and saute until heated through, 5 minutes. Add beans and toss for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to the bowl of pesto and cheese and toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates, serve at once.

Pesto - Note we used a combo of pine nuts and walnuts. Other note - yay, the "deflowering" of my new food processor!!

In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 large clove of garlic, halved, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Process until garlic is minced. Add 2 cups firmly packed basil leaves and 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts and process until the basil is finely ground. With, the motor running, gradually add 1/2 cup (I used 1/4 cup) olive oil and blend until almost smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate. To store for up to a week, spoon additional oil over the pesto to cover. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Before I sign off, another huge thanks for the baking in my freezer- I've got enough muffins, bread, granola, and squares to last me for a bit. Could you please post me a recipe for the apple-cinnamon-raisin bread? We finished the last of the first loaf on french toast this morning.

Here's to hoping that babe makes an appearance soon (well, after I've reorganized my closet!).

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp

I've been a neglectful blogger of late. Not because we're not eating well; I have many great blog entries in my head right now. My problem is, that when the little man goes to sleep, it seems all that I want to do lately is curl up with a good book. OK, this isn't a new problem, but has been a recurring theme throughout my procrastination-rich-book-filled life.

Ah, summer. Ah, strawberry season. When the local strawberry season kicks off my world becomes that much shinier. A good fruit crisp is my faithful standby dessert. I love it - apples, pears, blackberries.. anything goes. Almost better than a crisp with a plop of ice cream, is a big bowl of it for breakfast the next morning. Throughout the winter I have bags of frozen summer bounty to ensure that my addiction is curbed.

But those zip locks have been emptied months ago; fortunately summer is here and berry season has begun. I also currently have a bumper crop of rhubarb that seems to grow like a weed in my garden. From a tiny little plant two months ago, I now have mammoth leaves vying for sunlight with my tomato plants. Finn and I have been eating stewed rhubarb, rhubarb loaf, and rhubarb muffins for the past month. I mixed it up a little and added a few cups of strawberries to create a delicious crisp.

A fruit crisp is another forgiving dessert. It's hard to mess up. My measurements here are all approximations. You really do need to just go for it and see what you come up with.

Rhubarb- Strawberry Crisp

Fruit Mixture
Combine in a 8 inch baking dish or casserole of similar size:
4 or 5 cups chopped rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/3 cup sugar (this results in a somewhat tart crisp, add 2/3 cups if you have a sweet tooth)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Crumbly Topping
Combine:
1/4 c melted butter
1/3 c brown sugar (again, 1/2 if you like it sweeter)
1/2 c flour
1 cup rolled oats (or old fashioned, which is what I used this time)
pinch salt (if using unsalted butter)
shake of cinnamon

You want a nice crumbly texture. If it seems to dry add a T of water or honey. Spread the topping on the fruit mixture.

Bake at 350 for about an hour .

Enjoy. Tastes great cold too.

Chicken Salad Deliciousness

I love a good chicken salad sandwich. This is the lunch that proceeds a roast chicken dinner.. or my 'quick stop and pick up a roast chicken from Safeway after work because making dinner would take way too much effort' dinner. I covet chicken leftovers simply for a glorious sandwich. I have to admit that this is a purely selfish indulgence, as I am married to (gasp) a man who doesn't eat chicken.

I'm not going to provide a recipe, but more of a method.

First strip your leftover roast chicken. You want all the viable chicken that you can get. If you are really trying to get the most out of your bird you can use the remaining carcass for chicken soup. Next chop or shred your chicken.

Now for your saucy bit. This is a personal preference - do you like your egg salad wet or dry? I like to use equal parts mayo and yogurt. For seasoning I add to taste: salt, pepper, a bit of garlic powder, and a good pinch of curry powder.

Finally, you need your add-ins. I insist on something from the onion family - green onion is what I usually have handy, although you could go with finely chopped red onion or shallots. I also like to add a handful of slivered almonds or chopped pecans, and for the really adventurous souls I love the addition of sliced grapes.

Mix it all together, find a good bread, slice on some avacado (if you have it, it also stands on its own) and voila!

Do Nothing Bread

I'm into bread. Nothing beats pulling a hot loaf from the oven with your own two mitted hands. I love the concept of creating something so tasty and nutritious (Atkins- bah) from the simplest of ingredients-- flour, yeast, salt, water and, sometimes, sugar. Bread encapsulates the miracle of baking. The raw ingredients in your mixing bowl are completely transformed by the process of mixing, kneading, rising and baking. Although for this particular recipe, there's no need to knead. This is the easiest bread you can possibly bake, and, at the same time, the most sophisticated.

I found the recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. The ingredients are simple, the process is stupidly easy, and you wind up with a loaf of artisan bread. It's very exciting. No really, I was a little giddy when I cut my first piece. This loaf is for the beginning and experienced baker a like. Appropriately titled "No Work Bread," The dough does not require kneading. Instead, the yeast develops over a delayed fermentation period (18 hours). Baking the bread in a hot pot or corning wear creates a cracked artisan-style crust. The texture is open, with lots of those wonderful holes.

No-Knead Bread

Yields one 1 1/2 pound loaf

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Enlightened Eggs Benny

For some of you egg benny lovers out there, this post will be somewhat sacrilegious -no real hollandaise sauce? Does this even constitute eggs benedict? I'm all for ordering the real deal when I'm out for breakfast - Soft poached eggs please, and load on the sauce.

However, when I'm in my own kitchen, reading a recipe that calls for one cup of melted butter, I just can't do it. This recipe is a compromise. I'm not going to pretend that my fake hollandaise is as good as the thing, but for the ease of preparation, not to mention the cup of butter issue, this is the way to go. I have taken this recipe from Crazy Plates and doctored it a bit.

Enlightened Eggs Benny

1) Fry your bacon, or for a veggie option (see pic), slice some tomatoes

2)Make your Mock Hollandaise- Combine the following and heat in the microwave until warm (don't press start until your eggs are almost done, you want the sauce to be warm on your eggs). This is enough for three bennies, or 6 eggs.

• 1/4 cup light mayo (I insist that you use Hellmans 1/2 fat, no other light mayonnaise measures up).
• 1/4 cup light sour cream (Please buy light, not no fat. No fat equals no taste).
• 1 T lemon juice - the bottled worked fine but fresh would be the best
• dash cayenne
• pinch salt and pepper
  
• fresh dill - if you have it, but I can't do without anymore. Go down to your nearest garden centre and get some herbs for a pot on your deck or window sill.
• squirt of mustard - regular, dijon, or honey according to your taste
  
• 1 or 2 T water

2) Poach your eggs - I like mine soft, maybe a scant 3 minutes or so in the pot

3) Assemble your bennies on toasted english muffin halves. Two per good appetite. Layer as follows - Muffin, bacon (or tomato), egg, and smother with sauce. Garnish with extra dill and Voila!

All you need to round out your brekky is a nice cup of fair trade, heavy on the cream, coffee.

A Mexico Mission

I’m back on the blog. Haley has been picking up my slack for the past few weeks. Under a heavy load of report cards, a missions trip to Mexico, and a frantic semi-prepared return to term three at PCS, my food entries were muscled to the wayside. Nonetheless, I feel called to share my Mexico culinary experience.

A few weeks ago I traveled down to the top of the Baja in a convey of over-sized vans with thirty grade twelve students. Along with five adult leaders, the team’s goal was to build three houses for three Mexican families in need. Our goal (Joan and I), was to prepare food throughout the week to feed the unstoppable teenage metabolisms.

Homey, yet wanting in many obvious conventions, the kitchen at the Saint Vincent Guerro base became the center of our universe. Our base was located in a ‘residential’ neighbourhood, characterized by rutted dirt roads and stray dogs. A thick gate—never locked—shielded a square courtyard bordered by our sleeping quarters and kitchen. I enjoyed waking at five (really!) to smell the pink droop of flowers climbing the overhang outside the female chaperone quarters. The sky was also pink, less vibrantly so, and the roosters which began cawing at three a.m. continued to call across rows of Mexican houses. The lights in the kitchen were on. Joan, up since four, had trays of muffins ready to bake. Breakfast preparation began.

Days were busy as we skipped from breakfast to lunch, with a quick breather before dinner, when cooking began in earnest. I took to kneading dough or mixing cookies on the warm stone counter in the courtyard. Preparing pizza dough, sauce and toppings for forty people was an exciting challenge, particularly as the kitchen lacked an adequate supply of cookie sheets. We rummaged through the hodge podge shelves of equipment to unearth each and every bent and brittle pan. A lining of tin foil rendered the most useless pan pizza worthy (cookies, potatoes, and whatever else needed to be baked also found a home on this depressing army of aluminum). Another challenge proved to be the single oven. Sadly, the door refused to seal. If we found ourselves idle for a scrap of a second we leaned a hip against it. Eventually, one of the girls dreamed up a solution, a stack of deck chairs pressed against the handle. Checking the chicken became a bit of a battle. In addition, only one of the two fridges generated passably cold air. There was a sink that dripped, sudden loss temporary losses of propane…yet we rather enjoyed these little trials. They became a mark of the Mexico experience: make it work—tie it with twine, wet it with your spit, close it with chairs.

We also enjoyed shopping with our Spanish dictionaries in hand. It was an adventure to find sugar, produce, chorizo sausage, and all the rest. In the shops we communicated with locals, met two mice in the hands of ten-year-old shelf stockers, found giant pails of ice cream, and, of course, bought gallons of vanilla to bring back to Canada. Joan (my mother) and I drove one of the school vans along the highway running through these teensy Mexican towns. It was on one of these afternoon shopping trips that we spotted the store lined with massive piñatas. We bought one, stuffed it with candy, and let the kids bash it open on the final night.

Chicken dinner, chocolate cake with cane sugar (it’s what they use!), breakfast tacos, tomato sauces, focaccia bread…our list of success grew with the week. We loved the hectic dinner times, with the hoard of kids, the frantic output of food onto the serving table, the last minute fear—did we make enough? Those boys are huge! It was such a pleasure to share, feed, and enjoy,

We also had a chance to try the local cuisine, and ate a few Mexican meals, including a barbacola, which is cooked in the earth. These inspired me and encouraged me to experiment. In Mexico, avocados and mangoes were inexpensive and readily available. One of my most favourite and simplest lunches combined the two. What follows are two recipes using the avocados and mangoes together. The first, the quesadillas, I made in Saint Vincent, the second, the halibut, I prepared in Victoria, using freshly caught fish. Both are simple, not even recipes really. I had the pleasure of cooking a mountain of these quesadillas on our propane griddle under a leafy tree in the courtyard in St Vincent.

Mango and Avocado Quesadillas

1 mango

1 avocado

I cup grated cheddar cheese

6 whole wheat flour tortillas

(Vary amounts to suite your tastes)

Peel the mango and cut it into slim one inch long slices. Cut the avocado in half. Remove the pit using the tip of a knife. Use a spoon to gently scoop out each half, keeping the fruit intact. Slice length-wise into narrow pieces.

Spay a grill or pan with cooking oil. If you have a grill, you can cook more than one quesadilla at once. Put a tortilla (or as many as will fit) on to the hot surface. Leave for five seconds, then flip. Then, place three pieces of avocado and three pieces of mango on half the tortilla. Don’t fill it too full. If your pieces are big, use only two of each.

Sprinkle with cheese. Fold in half like a card and cook for a couple minutes then flip and leave a couple minutes before removing from heat.

You can eat your tortillas as you make them, or store them in a just-warm over, or on a tray under the cover of tin foil.

Halibut with Mango and Avocado Salsa

For the Fish:

2 thick halibut fillets (you can substitute any white fish)

1 lemon

1 tsp olive or avocado oil (hard to come by but I bought it in Mexico)

Rub the fish with oil and place in a shallow dish. Squeeze lemon onto the fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat your oven to 350. Leave the fish to marinate while you prepare the salsa. (Let it rest for at least ten minutes.)

When you are ready, bake the fish for ten minutes-twenty minutes depending on the thickness of your fish. It should flake open when you press it with the side of a fork but still moist. Don’t let it dry out.

For the Salsa:

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp oil

1 tsp curry powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Use a spoon or your hands to gently toss.

When the fish is ready, transfer it to a plate or platter and top with the salsa. If you have too much salsa, save some to use later in a wrap. Although the fish should be covered in the topping.

Jumpstart on Easter

A lot is going on at the Reems-Campbell household.. a new baby in September, a trip to Mexico last week, and a move next weekend. I am now in post-holiday grieving/procrastinating from packing, cooking and baking mode. Yesterday I made two lasagnas. Today I made hot cross buns. Yes, I know I'm a week early, but with our impending move the day after Good Friday I got cracking today.

I can't take the credit for this recipe -that goes to Joan. These are the time honoured buns, made on Good Friday, year after year at the Reems homestead. I have taken the liberty of swapping the customary fruit "peel" (you know, those chopped-up, unaturally-coloured pseudo-fruit bits that come out at Christmas), with cranberries. Not because I don't like peel, but because I typically make hot cross buns on a last-minute, nostalgic childhood Easter whim, and not wanting to rush to the store to find said peel, I always have my giant Costco bag of Craisins on hand.

Mom's Hot Cross Buns

1) Combine 2 cups warm water, 2 tsp sugar, and 4 tsp yeast

2) Add:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
2 T oil
2 cups raisins
1 cup fruit "peel" or dried cranberry or..
5 cups flour

3) Mix until smooth. Dough will be a bit sticky.

4) Let rise for 1 hour

5) Divide into 24 muffin tins

6) Let rise until double, about 45 minutes

7) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

8) Drizzle on topping (Combine 3/4 c icing sugar with 1T cream or milk). Make crosses if you have a steady hand - you should let them cool a bit before you drizzle, but I'm a greedy pig and like to eat them when they're hot.