Blue Kale Road

Turkish Haroset for Passover

2017-04-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last week I pulled out my tattered, splattered Jewish cookbooks to plan our Passover Seder. I really love this time of year. For years I’ve been cooking from these books religiously. Literally. I converted to Judaism 23 years ago and immersing myself in cooking enhanced my new Jewish identity. Even today, all these years later, I’m still evolving yet holding onto traditions and rituals that are dear to me. And with Passover beginning this week I’m all in, but it’s not as easy as when we lived in Seattle.

In Seattle, our local grocery store dedicated a large area to Passover. The shelves were stocked with kosher-for-Passover products,

and while shopping I’d run into friends and swap Seder menu ideas and ask questions like, “Want to share a box of matzah cake meal?” In Seattle, being a Jewish mom was a significant part of my identity. I’m still Jewish and still a mom but my children and my Jewish community are not here now, which gets me thinking about who I am and where I am now. I’ve happily chosen to be here in the Methow Valley, much as I happily chose to become Jewish, so what does it mean now, for where I am in life and where I’m finding meaning? Yes, asking questions is an important part of Passover.

There’s no place I’d rather be, both physically and in life. I’m drawn to the quieter pace and nature, and I’m growing in completely new ways. I’ve become a pilot.

Yes! Well, I’m not yet licensed but Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth. Since I was a little girl I’ve wanted to be a pilot and now I’m doing it. Since moving here I’d been looking up at the sky longingly, and when a friend out here got her pilot’s license six months ago that was the final inspiration I needed to go for it. I absolutely love flying. I have soloed now, which means I can fly alone, and I still have a LOT to learn and practice before I get my license. But I’m so happy in the air. It’s magical. This valley is the best, most beautiful place to learn to fly.

The poem High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr says it better than I can. I’ve put out my hand, and touched the face of G-d.

I’m now a pilot and I’ve still got my tattered cookbooks and it’s Passover and it’s time for haroset.

Passover is filled with symbolic foods on the Seder plate. We gather around the table and talk about each of them as we tell the story of Passover (haggadah means “telling”) leading up to the meal.

Haroset represents the mortar used with the bricks when the Jews built the pyramids in ancient Egypt. Traditional haroset is a mix of chopped apples, walnuts, cinnamon and sweet wine. We eat it on matzah during the Seder and the eight days of Passover. There are harosets from all over the world and we often have haroset tastings from Surinam, Yemen, Italy or Persia at our Seders. About seven years ago, a Turkish exchange student lived with us so, of course, we needed Turkish haroset on our table.

For this delicious one, apples, dates, raisins and pistachios are chopped up together and flavored with orange zest and juice. The flavors are sweet, simple and refreshing. The original recipe calls for cooking the haroset until the apples soften, but I prefer to keep it raw for the crunchy freshness.

During the Seder we look back and remember the story of Passover and then look forward to what’s ahead (the Seder ends by saying “Next year in Jerusalem”). I’ve moved to a place where I’m finding meaning in the quiet and physical beauty and diving into new opportunities. Moving forward and back, layering the new on old and feeling gratitude.

Haroset from Turkey
Adapted from The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden

2 sweet apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces
½ pound dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup raisins (I use golden)
Juice and grated zest of 1 orange
2 ounces pistachios (or walnuts)

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it forms a rough mixture. You can process until it becomes a paste, too, if you prefer. Serve in a bowl with matzah or chill in the fridge until ready to eat.

Tomatoes and a New Year

2016-10-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

This month we celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and it gave me a chance to pause and think.

We have a simple custom on Rosh Hashanah called tashlich where we cast pieces of bread, symbolizing our sins of the past year, into a moving body of water. I love it. Tossing the bread into the river and watching it lazily float away clears my mind in such a tangible way. The past year drifts away and I’m left feeling calm and ready to just be in the moment and appreciate something simple. Like a tomato.

It’s mid-October already, but we still have tomatoes at the market alongside apples and squash. We’re in that glorious time of overlapping seasons. Our neighbors had an abundance of tomatoes from their garden and generously shared them. I love neighbors.

While standing over the sink with a salt shaker in one hand and a juicy red tomato dripping in the other, I thought about what elaborate soup or sauce I could make with them. But then I tasted their sweetness. Rosh Hashanah is about sweetness, whether in food, family, friendships or new beginnings. Tomatoes are not your classic food for Rosh Hashanah (we traditionally dip apples in honey) but they are certainly sweet and become even more so when slow roasted.

Really, when roasted they’re like candy and I gobble them up. And they couldn’t be simpler to make. Slice the tomatoes, lay them on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, pop them in a low oven and wait for the magic.

The long, slow heat coaxes a rich, caramelized taste from the tomatoes and intensifies their tomato-ey flavor, filling your house with a heavenly scent. You can pull them from the oven when they’re still a little juicy and plump, or let them keep on roasting until quite dry and crinkly. You really can’t go wrong.

If you don’t eat them all off the baking pan (believe me, easy to do), these little gems freeze well for nibbling in January or keep in olive oil in the fridge. So if you’re lucky enough to still have some tomatoes left I recommend turning your oven on.

So simple it is. I guess I’m ready to say I’ve let go of summer and am well into fall, with its stunning blue sky, vibrant explosions of yellow and gold leaves and frosty nights (and snow in the mountains!). No great insights. Just a tomato. But the beginning of the year 5777 has been lovely, filled with sweetness and promise and I can truly say I’m content.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

3 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise (or enough halves to fit on a rimmed baking sheet)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Place the tomato halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Roast the tomatoes for about 6 hours and up to 8, depending upon how juicy or dry you prefer them. They will shrink and start to crinkle around the edges. I like both the juicy and drier ones and will often remove some of the tomatoes after 6 hours and continue roasting the rest for another couple. The tomato flavor concentrates and sweetens and is just delicious.

Cool tomatoes and begin eating! Roasted tomatoes will keep well in olive oil in the fridge or can be frozen.

Tiger Butter

2016-03-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hooray, spring is here! Today I sat in the sun and felt hot. As in summer time hot. Come July I may not be as excited about sizzling outside, but right now I’m gleeful. The flip flops are on and they’re not coming off. The snow is disappearing rapidly and as it melts I’m discovering rhubarb and irises and can’t wait to see what else emerges from the ground. Now I’m eager to figure out what kinds of flowers I can plant that won’t be gobbled up by the deer. Suggestions?

Bob and I finished yet another house project and built wooden floor-to-ceiling bookcases. I must say that unpacking all our boxes of books was incredibly fun and, more than anything, filling the new shelves with them has made our house really feel like home.

Also making me very happy…Sam and Isaac were just home on spring break and it was a super relaxing time - lots of cooking (General Tso’s Chicken! rhubarb shortcake!), Scrabble, movies, talking, and since it was Purim there was hamentaschen baking and hamentaschen eating. As much as I miss the boys, it is pure pleasure to see them flourishing and enjoying life in school. I also learned that the hours (and hours) of my blasting ABBA while they were growing up seeped into Isaac’s subconscious and now he listens while studying. Good taste, I say.

After Sam and Isaac returned to school I began thinking about treats I can send and Tiger Butter came to mind. I first learned about Tiger Butter back in my college days when Bob and I worked at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. We made all sorts of confections in the shop such as divinity, caramel apples, truffles, raspberry chocolate puddles and nut clusters. A vat of warm chocolate was always swirling, ready for dipping strawberries, pretzels or graham crackers. Pretty heavenly, especially as a hungry college student. It’s embarrassing how much I ate on the job. And, ahem, gave out to my friends.

So about this Tiger Butter. It’s a simple, fudge-like sweet with only three ingredients. Creamy peanut butter is stirred into melted white chocolate and then dark chocolate is drizzled and swirled on top to make the tiger stripes. After it firms up, you slice and indulge. Rich and addictive, I guarantee it will disappear quickly. Just like the melting snow!

Tiger Butter
8x8 pan

16 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and set aside. In a medium sized saucepan, warm the white chocolate over low heat and stir until it melts and is smooth. Gently stir in the peanut butter until well mixed. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it. In a small saucepan, melt the dark chocolate over low heat and then drizzle it in stripes over the peanut butter. Using a butter knife, lightly swirl the chocolate to create additional stripes. Pop the pan in the fridge and let it chill for about an hour. Remove the tiger butter from the pan by lifting out the foil lining. Cut into small pieces and serve. The tiger butter will keep for a week in a sealed container.

Chicken and Lamb Soupy Stew with Hawaij

2016-02-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

First of all, I appreciate the kind responses to my last post. Thank you. The past couple of months have brought about chances to plunge into new opportunities and it feels really good. Skate skiing is a blast, I’m starting a new venture on an awesome local board, Bob’s training to be a volunteer firefighter and we found a definite benefit of no kids at home is no school nights.

I know there will continue to be peaks and valleys in life, and this is just life. A gracious community, whether virtual or in person, can see you through the journey with compassion, humor and a friendly hand. And food.

Fortunately, food can be shared in many ways. A community I’m inspired by and enjoy cooking with is Tasting Jerusalem. We are scattered around the world and share so much. We kicked off this year with the Yemenite spice mix called hawaij (also spelled hawayij or hawaish) as our first ingredient to explore in 2016.

Hawaij was a new spice blend for me. You know me, spice mixes and condiments are my thing, so any opportunity to learn about a different one is a thrill. I dug through my boxes of cookbooks (new shelves in the kitchen just for cookbooks coming soon!) to pull out a few books by authorities on Middle Eastern cooking that I thought would be helpful to learn about hawaij.

So here we go – everything we ever wanted to know about hawaij!

In Sephardic Cooking, Copeland Marks says hawaij is the spice mix that gives Yemenite cooking its identity. He also shares a tip for keeping it fresh - store a bay leaf with the spice mix. I will. I love learning these little tidbits!

Janna Gur makes Yemenite Calf Leg Soup in The Book of New Israeli Food and hawaij is what spices it up. Calf leg soup is definitely something for me to aspire to.

Like most spice blends such as ras el hanout, dukkah and za’atar, there are different proportions and variations in the spices used. I found that hawaij traditionally includes cumin, black pepper, coriander, cardamom and turmeric. I also saw caraway, saffron, nutmeg or cloves included in some.

For my mix, I used the foundation of traditional spices and then added caraway seeds. Like other spice blends, it was quick to mix up. I was drinking coffee while grinding up the spices, and there was such an enticing aroma I dropped a big pinch in my cup. It jazzed it up quite nicely, sort of like an enhanced Turkish coffee.

So, what to make with my new spice blend?

I’ve cooked a lot from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan and when I saw her Yemenite Chicken and Beef Soupy Stew I knew I’d found my recipe. Who can resist soupy stew on a snowy day?

This hearty dish begins with simmering marrow bones and beef together to create a flavorful broth. The marrow is silky smooth and just melts. Luscious. I used lamb in place of beef since we have lots of lamb cuts in the freezer right now (no calf legs yet).

Garlic, onions, tomatoes, parsley and fresh dill enhanced the broth and then I added the chicken. I kept it easy and just plunked the whole chicken into the pot rather than cutting it into parts. Since you’ll be pulling the meat off the bones and adding it back to the pot, it didn’t seem necessary to cut the bird up.

Towards the end of cooking, add the potatoes, zucchini (I swapped in green beans) and a generous spoonful of hawaij. A big squeeze of lemon and scoop of zhoug complete it and brighten up this rich stew. Hawaij is aromatic and delicious with a warm, peppery flavor that nicely complements the richness of the lamb and beef marrow. Joan Nathan suggests serving the stew over rice – even heartier! As with most stews, I found it was even tastier the next day. This is a marvelous dish to slurp and share.

And hey, have you been following Food52’s Piglet Tournament of Cookbooks? If not, please go check it out – another terrific community. Love, love, love the collection this year. I’m disappointed that A Girl and Her Greens was already knocked out but I have my fingers crossed for Gjelina. I ordered all of the books for the store and now my big decision is which one(s) will end up in my kitchen (my kitchen that no longer has super ugly counters – hooray for warm, wonderful butcher block wood!).

So in closing, as always, it’s about food and friends. This is what comforts and sustains me, and ultimately inspires and challenges me.

Hawaij

1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cardamom

Combine all the spices in a mortar, grab your pestle and pound away until well mixed. Store in a sealed jar and sprinkle liberally.

Chicken and Lamb Soupy Stew
Serves 6-8
Adapted from The Foods of Israel Today by Joan Nathan

8 cups of water
½ pound lamb, cubed
4 or 5 small beef marrow bones
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 cup canned tomatoes, diced
¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs
2 large carrots, left whole
4 celery stalks
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ pound green beans, snipped and broken in half if long
3 small yellow potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon hawaij, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
Rice for serving (optional)
Zhoug for serving (not optional)

Bring the water, lamb and marrow bones to a boil in a large soup pot and skim the foam off the top. Lower the heat and add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, parsley and dill. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chicken. You can cut into parts or just plunk it in whole like I did. Bring back to a boil, add the carrots, celery and cumin and then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.

Carefully remove the marrow bones and chicken from the pot. Pull the chicken from the bones and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Return the chicken to the pot.

Gently mash the cooked carrots, celery, onion and garlic into the broth. Add the green beans, potatoes, hawaij, salt and pepper to taste and simmer another 10 minutes or so, until the veggies are cooked. Pour the lemon juice over the top and mix in.

If preparing ahead of time, wait to add the green beans, potatoes, hawaij and lemon juice and cook this step when ready to eat.

To serve, ladle the soupy stew into bowls (over rice if serving) and have zhoug and more hawaij on the table.

Chinese Long Beans and Tofu with Fragrant Coconut Sauce

2016-01-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Happy 2016! It’s been a long time. I know, I disappeared from this blog and have been pondering why. I looked back at my last post months ago and it was a such different time…since that time Isaac graduated high school, we moved to a new house and then evacuated a few weeks later due to wildfires, we brought a new puppy into our lives and said goodbye to our 18 year old dog, Sam and Isaac left for college, Aspen Grove has been busier than ever and I am in the process of finding a new balance and rhythm to life.

Process. Evolving, changing and embracing new. The biggest change by far has been sending both boys off to college. I knew it would be hard, but it was harder than I expected. So there’s been a lot of process. I thought I had prepared well, and I did in many ways, but when I’m totally honest with myself I’m just not ready to be at this stage of parenting and life yet. It arrived too quickly. Admitting this is a bit of a relief, since I was pushing myself to be in a place I’m not. That’s ok. I know I’ll get there and in the meantime I need to be kind to myself and be realistic.

As I think about a new year I think it’s time to think about the blog and where I am now. When I started it almost five years ago, I was writing as a mom with kids at home, about what I cooked for my family and friends in Seattle and the ways we celebrated Jewish holidays. When we moved to the Methow Valley, the plan was stay a year and then return to Seattle. But we started to take root. I didn’t write as much here since I often felt like I didn’t know which end was up. I mean, here we were living in a tiny cabin high above the valley, a dramatic change from life in the city. At times I had to ask, “What the hell am I doing?” Talk about leaping before you look. Life here is raw and inconvenient but richer and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. And the roots grew deeper. I am a different person now. I’m more willing to take risks, to be bold and to say yes. I’m excited for this new year. I have new ideas for the store, new things I want to learn (skate skiing and hunting for starters) and new opportunities for community involvement. And, of course, new things to cook.

Asian food has been topping my list lately. I really miss going out for sushi, hot and sour soup and pad Thai noodles. Whenever I’m back in Seattle, I stop at the local Asian market to pick up something to cook at home. There’s a lot of home cooking here in the valley. We don’t have any Asian restaurants and no home delivery. If you want it, you have to make it. I’m good with that.

On one of these visits back to Seattle, Japanese sweet potatoes and Chinese long beans were my finds. Japanese sweet potatoes have a drier, firmer flesh and nuttier flavor than the more familiar orange sweet potatoes. Chinese long beans are indeed very long and stay nicely crisp when sautéed on high heat. I decided a simple dish combining these veggies with a flavorful sauce would be an ideal cozy dish for our snowy nights.

I created this spicy coconut sauce several years ago. The recipe slipped to the back of my ever growing folder of scribbles, but in a recent burst of purging I discovered it and pulled it out. Some of my favorite flavors are in this one…ginger, fennel, garlic and shallots with some brown sugar and cinnamon to add warmth.

The sauce needs to simmer for about half an hour, which gives you time to steam the potatoes and prep the beans. I tossed in some tofu but you could also add chicken or beef. Once the sauce is ready, you need only saute the beans quickly, add the potatoes and tofu and then pour the sauce over. As I’m writing this I’m thinking a handful of roasted peanuts would be a nice touch, too.

Over winter break, with Sam and Isaac home (hooray!), I’m happy to say I made some other Asian dinners - Bulgogi beef and pad Thai noodles. And, since there’s no Chinese food or movie theaters here for the usual Jewish outing on Christmas day, we made Kung Pao chicken and streamed a movie at home.

The past year has been emotional and wild and wonderful. I feel deeply rooted now in this valley with incredible people and breathtaking beauty everywhere I turn. My boys are launched and happy and now it’s about Bob and me, in our house on the river, with our dogs, entering a new year and new chapter together. I don’t know what’s next but I’m alive and grateful to be here.

Chinese Long Beans and Tofu with Fragrant Coconut Sauce
Serves 4

Grape seed or other neutral oil
1 big bunch (about 1 pound) Chinese long beans, cut in 1 inch slices
2 medium Japanese or orange fleshed sweet potatoes (1 ½ pounds total), steamed until soft but not mushy and cut into 1 inch cubes (I leave them unpeeled)
1 pound firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
Fragrant Coconut Sauce (recipe follows)

In a wok or large skillet, warm a drizzle of oil over medium high heat. Add the beans and stir until they are lightly cooked but still firm, about 7 minutes. Add the cubed sweet potatoes and tofu and gently stir to combine. Pour the coconut sauce over and heat everything together until warm. Spoon into bowls and serve.

Fragrant Coconut Sauce

1 can full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ lemon, squeezed for juice
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce or sriracha
½ cup sliced shallots
1 clove garlic, chopped

Combine all of the ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to simmer. Stir and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the solids in a fine meshed sieve over a bowl. Discard the solids and set the sauce aside to use.

Pausing for Cheesecake

2015-05-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Cheesecake got me back in the kitchen. Sadly, I haven’t spent much time there lately other than to dash in for quick meals before rushing to the next task. But with Shavuot arriving, I had to take some time out to bake cheesecake. After all, it’s cheesecake!

Shavuot is a Jewish holiday that marks the day Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Festive dairy dishes are traditionally served, which may be due to Shavuot falling in spring when sheep, goats and cows are producing an abundance of milk. Luscious treats such as cheese blintzes and cheesecake are happily eaten to celebrate. Our community in Seattle even hosts a cheesecake bake-off each year. I’d love to do that here in the Methow Valley some year!

I just got some new little spring form pans in at the store – so cute! – which inspired me to try making baby cheesecakes using a terrific recipe for New York style cheesecake that I’ve tweaked and baked countless times over the years. I prefer its classic, simple flavor, adorned only with a few berries. Let me tell you, this one is dense and rich and creamy.

While the crust is usually made with graham crackers, any cookie crumbs can be used. Shortbread, ginger snaps or vanilla wafers made wonderful crusts, too. For these mini cheesecakes, I decided on chocolate wafers.

When making cheesecake, you really need to plan ahead. It’s important that all the ingredients are room temperature so that they blend together easily. Once baked, cheesecake must chill for at least six hours or preferably overnight. It’s a marvelous dessert to make ahead, especially since it will keep for a few days in the fridge. Something else I learned more recently is that you get the smoothest texture possible when the filling is whizzed in a food processor rather than using a mixer. I definitely recommend this method.

Being back in the kitchen baking was quite restorative and a welcome respite. Those tasks I mentioned earlier? More transition. We have decided it’s time to move our life here completely, which means packing up 20 years in Seattle and moving it to a house here in the valley. This house is over 100 years old and we are painting, pulling carpet, hanging drywall, ripping out cabinets and getting to know it inch by inch, making it our home. It’s by the river and the soothing sound of water rushing by is already familiar.

And there’s yet one more very big transition … Isaac graduates from high school next week! Which means 20 years of full time parenting is winding down. There are no words for all the emotions I’m feeling. I’m a proud mama with much to celebrate.

So I guess that’s all the big news. And I didn’t even mention them until the end of this post. I guess I’m still coming to terms. It’s been a whirlwind, many weeks counting down towards Isaac’s graduation, the end of an era, a new beginning, a new house. But I’m happy.

Cheesecakes with Chocolate Crust
Makes 6 – 4 ½ inch spring form pans or 1 – 9 inch spring form

1 ½ cups finely ground chocolate wafer crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
5 - 8 ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Juice of ¼ lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the spring form pans on a rimmed baking sheet. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter until well mixed. Divide the crust mixture evenly between the pans and gently smooth onto the bottoms. Set aside.

Place the cream cheese, sugar, flour, lemon juice and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it begins to come together (the bowl will be very full). Add 3 eggs and pulse a few times. Add the remaining 2 eggs and egg yolks and pulse. Scrape the sides and bottom carefully with a spatula. At this point, turn the food processor on and blend until the batter is very smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the 6 pans and smooth the tops. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until just set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cheesecakes cool.

Once cool, cover each one and pop into the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours. They will keep for up to one week. Serve with fresh berries.

If baking in a 9 inch spring form, increase the baking time to 1 hour.

Winter Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

2015-02-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

And just like that, it is February. Winter is slipping by and when I’m not in the store I’m enjoying every snowy moment I can outside. I do think it may be my favorite season in the Methow Valley. But then I’ve said the same about spring, summer and fall.

With the snow and skiing comes some richly satisfying meals of long simmered stews and roasts. At the same time, I do start craving fresh, lighter flavors around about now, which fortunately coincides nicely with the abundance of citrus that pops up in the markets.

We are kicking off a new year in our Tasting Jerusalem group and cooking with cumin (Beth shares some terrific background on the history of cumin here). I tend to use cumin with meat, but with all the Cara Cara and blood oranges, limes and Meyer lemons piling up on my kitchen counter I couldn’t help but wonder how cumin pairs with citrus. I was optimistic as cumin is so versatile.

Not much to it here: I started mixing up a simple vinaigrette and, rather than my usual lemon, I squeezed a lime. I added a generous scoop of cumin along with olive oil and salt and gave the jar a good shake.

I then set about combining all the flavors and textures I am craving: crunchy romaine, soft avocado, sharp red onion, sweet oranges and puckery Meyer lemons. A drizzle of the cumin vinaigrette and voila! We started eating our wintery salad.

My optimism paid off. Cumin’s distinctive, warm, earthy flavor really came through and balanced the bright, citrusy flavors of the salad beautifully. It was a deeply satisfying salad that seemed to bridge the gap between the snowy winter outside and the piles of citrus inside. What a special time of year.

Winter Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette

These are the ingredients I used to create a salad with some punchy flavors and textures – feel free to use any citrus or other produce that is in season. I think some pomegranate arils would be delicious, too.

Romaine or other crunchy lettuce, roughly chopped
Baby greens such as spinach or kale
Red onion, finely chopped
Avocado, diced
Meyer lemon, finely chopped (including peel)
Cara Cara oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
Blood oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
Cumin Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Assemble your greens and remaining ingredients on a platter or individual plates. Drizzle with cumin vinaigrette and serve.

Cumin Vinaigrette
Makes ½ cup

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (roughly 2 large limes)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a small jar with a cover and shake until well mixed. The dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for a week.

This recipe has been shared on the 28 Days of Salad Project which you can check out here.

Mushroom and Cherry Beef Stew

2015-01-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

With the arrival of a new year, I have been reflecting a lot. I am coming up on the first anniversary of owning the store, soon it will be two years since we moved to the Valley and 2015 has always hovered in the distant future as the year my youngest, Isaac, graduates from high school. And now it’s 2015. Whew! These past couple of years have been a journey and we are still in the midst of it. I’m excited to see what discoveries this year will bring.

For now, though, I want to share a winter stew with you. This is one I’ve been making for years and I can’t believe I haven’t shared it yet. While it’s fun to try new recipes, having a repertoire of tried and true staples is important. It’s comforting to create a familiar dish, to slip into the quiet rhythm of cooking and relax. This gives me time to ponder the recurring theme of “how did I get to this stage of parenting so quickly?” while I cube beef and slice onions.

This beef stew is a little different than more traditional stews with potatoes and carrots. Chunks of beef are simmered in red wine and beef broth along with earthy mushrooms, tart dried cherries, cinnamon and allspice. As the stew cooks, the cozy scent of warm, fragrant spices fills the kitchen.

Recently I learned about making beef bone broth and what a revelation! Instead of cooking the bones for an hour or two as I had done in the past, the bones are first roasted and then simmered for twelve to eighteen hours, yielding the richest, most nutrient-dense broth possible. After chilling the broth, I skim the fat and save it for cooking and then freeze the broth in jars. If you have access to homemade bone broth, please use it in this stew.

After cooking for a few hours, the beef is meltingly tender and it’s hard to stop taking little tastes. Like most stews, the flavor improves as it sits and is even better if you prepare it a day ahead (making it a terrific dish for guests). I find that cooking and eating a familiar dish like this one grounds me and is a constant during this time of transition. I’m happy to settle in with a savory bowl and just be.

Mushroom and Cherry Beef Stew
Serves 6-8
Adapted from Simply Classic by Kay Baxter and Lucy Bauer Footlik

3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons rice flour (can also use all-purpose flour)
1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon allspice
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons vegetable oil or beef fat
2 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
4 ounces dried tart cherries
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup good quality beef broth
1 pound mushrooms, quartered

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, allspice, cinnamon and pepper in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the beef cubes and gently toss to coat them. Add a tablespoon of fat or oil to a Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add a 1/3 of the beef and brown it on all sides (about 5 minutes). Remove it to a large bowl and repeat with the remaining meat in two batches, adding a tablespoon of oil each time.

Reduce the heat, add the remaining oil, onions and cherries. Cook until the onions are soft and beginning to brown. Stir often and mix in the sugar, vinegar, wine, broth and mushrooms. Return the beef to the Dutch oven and mix everything together. Cover the Dutch oven and bake for 2 ½ hours, until the beef is very tender. Remove the lid and bake for 15 minutes to thicken the stew a little. If it seems a bit dry you can add a bit of broth or red wine, but I haven’t had this happen. Using a wooden spoon, gently mash some of the beef chunks against the side of the pan and stir in. Taste for salt and set aside to cool. If serving that day, you can reheat the stew covered in the oven or over low heat on the stove top. Or, cover and refrigerate it until ready to serve. Reheat it (covered) in a low oven or on low heat on the stove top.

Dukkah-Spiced Carrot Latkes

2014-12-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

A cozy season has arrived and we are blanketed in snow. Winter came roaring into the Valley unexpectedly a couple of days before Thanksgiving. Instead of the predicted rain, two feet of snow fell – heavy, wet and fast – and we had some adventures, including hiking in the dark up to our cabin when the car got stuck, a power outage and a tree falling over our road and blocking us in. I woke the morning after to this view out our kitchen window.

I discovered that losing electricity in the winter is a little easier than the summer since we can melt snow for water and use a snowbank as a refrigerator if we don’t feel like pulling the generator out. I didn’t bake the pies I planned for Thanksgiving, but Sam made it home (hiking the last portion of the journey!) and we were all together, for which I was very thankful. Living here, I am continually learning to adapt and adjust my plans and expectations as I never know what will happen. So now in addition to snow tires and sandbags, we have headlamps and snowshoes in our cars and a chainsaw for fallen trees. And we’ll keep shoveling!

The snow signaled the start of a festive season and December has quickly become a happy blur of busy days in the store, school concerts, gathering with friends and making holiday treats. We are well into celebrating the eight days of Hanukkah and before the holiday ends I wanted to share some new latkes I made.

Latkes are small vegetable pancakes that are fried in oil and eaten during Hanukkah. Potatoes are the traditional vegetable to make them with but really, if you can grate it you can make a latke out of it, so zucchini, sweet potatoes, parsnips and even apples appear in latke form, too. With eight days of latke eating, it’s fun to try different varieties!

This year I made some with carrots and seasoned them with dukkah, the ingredient we are cooking with this month in our Tasting Jerusalem group. Dukkah is an Egyptian spice blend that is popular in the Middle East. The mixes may contain nuts, dried chickpeas, seeds and spices, and they all involve freshly roasting and pounding the ingredients. There are many variations and I’ve shared my own recipe here on Eating Rules, which includes almonds, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and salt.

After grating the carrots, I mixed in eggs, green onions, rice flour and a generous scoop of dukkah. I heated oil (the main ingredient in Hanukkah cooking!) and fried small patties until they were golden and smelled fragrant.

I served with them with thick, plain yogurt and a pinch of dukkah and we devoured them. The latkes were crispy outside and soft inside, and the warm, earthy flavor of the dukkah blended nicely with the carrots and creamy yogurt. A true Hanukkah treat!

Wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Dukkah-Spiced Carrot Latkes
Makes 8 latkes

1 pound carrots, scrubbed and grated (no need to peel them)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup green onions, finely diced
2 tablespoons rice flour (can substitute all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons dukkah (recipe here)
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying
Plain yogurt for serving

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, eggs, onions, flour and dukkah and gently stir. Add some salt and pepper and taste. If you use salt in your dukkah mix you may not need anymore.

Line a plate with paper towels to transfer your latkes to when they are fried.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and pour enough oil to cover the bottom. When the oil is hot, add ¼ cup scoops of the latke mixture to the pan (I fried 4 at a time) and lightly press each to form small pancakes. Fry for a few minutes and when golden on the bottom and gently flip to fry the other side for a few minutes.

Remove the latkes from the pan and drain them on the paper towel lined plate (there won’t be a lot of oil, but you want to remove any excess so they don’t get soggy). Fry the remaining latkes and drain them.

Serve hot with dollops of thick yogurt.

Pumpkin White Bean Soup for Alyssa’s Baby Celebration

2014-12-05T02:30:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating with soup today! This is how much I love soup … I’m bringing it to a party, a party in honor of my friend, Alyssa. Alyssa is the creator of Everyday Maven and is welcoming her second baby in January. I am delighted to gather with a wonderful community of food bloggers to share recipes and good wishes for her.

I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with Alyssa both in Seattle and here in the Valley. She is vibrant and beautiful and creates incredibly delicious, healthy food. My family has enjoyed quite a few of her recipes (I’ve made her chocolate mug cake more times than I can count!) and I appreciate her step-by-step instructions and attention to detail in every recipe.

Knowing that Alyssa will be a busy mom to two sweet boys soon, we all wanted to share dishes that are quick and easy to prepare and will nourish her family well. With the arrival of the snowy days here, I have been making more soups and they are marvelous lunches for me to bring in to the store - I fill a thermos with steaming soup and lunch is ready to go. With her baby arriving in January, I want Alyssa to be able to prepare a filling, warm lunch to sustain her and her family on those damp, chilly days of Seattle winter. Plus, she can make a double batch and pop some in the freezer.

This Pumpkin White Bean soup is one I have made often over the years. It is hearty and simple to make, especially since it uses pantry staples that are easily kept on hand. Beans, pumpkin puree and tomatoes form the base of the soup. The original recipe calls for using black beans, but one time I had only white beans and I found they worked even better since I prefer the color of the soup more.

Onions and garlic are softened in olive oil, and then the beans, pumpkin and tomatoes are added and simmered in chicken stock. I also include carrots sometimes for extra veggies and to enhance the orange hue. A quick puree with an immersion blender creates a smooth, luscious texture. Cumin seasons the soup while a splash of sherry vinegar brightens it. Earthy, creamy and warm, this soup is full of flavor and should help energize a lovely mom with two little ones. Congratulations to you, Alyssa!

A huge thank you to Faith of An Edible Mosaic and Liz of The Lemon Bowl for hosting this celebration! Please be sure to check out all the talented cooks below celebrating Alyssa and her expanding family today.

Pumpkin White Bean Soup
Serves 6-8
Adapted from New Kosher Cuisine for All Seasons
by Ivy Feuerstadt and Melinda Strauss

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ pound carrots, sliced (you don’t have to peel)
1 28 ounce can tomato puree
1 28 ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 15 ounce cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
32 ounces chicken stock
2 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
Fresh green herb for serving, such as parsley

In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium low heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the carrots, tomato puree, pumpkin puree, beans, chicken stock, red wine and cumin and stir. Increase the heat to high until the soup just starts to bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes to infuse the flavors and soften the carrots.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree it with an immersion blender until smooth, being very careful not to splatter any hot soup. Stir in the sherry and salt and pepper the soup to your taste. Garnish with a sprinkle of green herbs when serving.

This soup easily doubles and freezes well.

Alyssa's Baby Celebration:

Breakfast

Fried Egg Topped Curried Sweet Potatoes from A Beautiful Bite

Chocolate Orange Protein Smoothie from The Lemon Bowl

Spaghetti Squash Hash from Eats Well With Others

Lunch

Hearty Garbanzo Soup from Sweet Life Bake

Pumpkin White Bean Soup from Blue Kale Road

Dinner

Slow Cooker Red Wine Pot Roast from Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Slow Cooker Beef and Bacon Stew from Girlichef

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Arugula from Virtually Homemade

Roast Chicken Ratatouille from An Edible Mosaic

Arugula Chimichurri over Roasted or Grilled Salmon from Karista’s Kitchen

Snack

Spiced Honey Nut and Seed Snack Mix from Fake Food Free

Charred Brussel Sprout, Bacon, and Toasted Sesame Guacamole from Baker by Nature

Quick and Easy Cucumber Bites, Three Ways from Hip Foodie Mom

Crispy Chocolate Bars

2014-10-28T20:49:00.001-07:00

I love Halloween. Growing up, it was always a favorite holiday of mine – dressing up in costumes, spooky walks in the dark and then sorting and snacking my way through my bag of treats at the end of the night - loads of fun! Over the years, I watched my two boys create costumes, trick-or-treat through our dark neighborhood and gleefully dig into bags filled with candy.

Halloween this year is particularly nostalgic for me as it’s the last year I have a boy at home. While it’s been quite a few years since either of my sons knocked on doors for treats, having a child at home (even if he towers over me!) makes it extra special with candy corn, spiders and pumpkin carving.

I started thinking about some favorite childhood chocolate bars, and when I saw homemade crunch bars featured on Food52 last week they practically leaped off the screen at me.

A few years ago I realized I had not been giving milk chocolate the recognition it deserves. I inhaled many (many) bars of dark, dark chocolate over the years and ignored milk chocolate in any form. Then I went to an evening of chocolate tasting and it all changed. When I saw we were beginning the tasting with discs of milk, I wrongly assumed it would be sugary and bland. After one small taste, I quickly learned otherwise. Good milk chocolate is rich, smooth and creamy, with hints of caramel. I kept tasting. Bliss.

So when making homemade chocolate crunch bars, I knew I had to use pure, good quality milk chocolate. I also decided to increase the decadence a bit and use chocolate crispy rice cereal. I stopped there with the tweaking, though. I wanted to keep it simple and resisted adding sea salt or cacao nibs, as I tend to do. This is an iconic childhood candy bar and you can’t mess with tradition. Instead, it replicates the original candy bar but seriously elevates it - none of the cheap, flavorless chocolate from the bars of my youth.

Crunchy, crispy and creamy, the puffed rice and rich, milky chocolate are dreamy together. A true classic. I pulled the pan of bars out of the fridge late at night to check them and started cutting off little slivers … be warned, this is dangerous. Many slivers later, I slid the pan back into the fridge.

Watching my younger son snack on these crispy chocolate bars this week warms my heart, and I know yet another treat I’ll be sending off to my sweet boys in college.

Crispy Chocolate Bars
Adapted slightly from Food52
Makes 1-9 inch square pan

20 ounces good quality milk chocolate, chopped bars or discs
3 cups chocolate crispy rice cereal

Line a 9 inch square pan with foil and set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a medium sauce pan over very low heat, stirring often, until it is creamy and smooth. Remove from heat when there are still a few pieces and keep stirring until they finish melting. You can also microwave the chocolate until melted and smooth.

Scrape the chocolate into a large mixing bowl and pour the rice cereal over. Using a spatula, gently fold the cereal and chocolate together until it is mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and pop into the fridge for a few hours, or until firm.

Remove the chocolate from the pan by lifting the edges of the foil. On a cutting board, cut into desired sized bars and begin nibbling. Store the bars in a cool area.

Zucchini and Tomato Salad with Herbed Yogurt

2014-09-30T22:25:00.001-07:00

We have entered a new season and, with Rosh Hashanah last week, the start of a sweet new year. After our summer of wildfires here in the Methow Valley, these stunning autumn days are welcome. Mother Nature is raw and fierce and beautiful in turn.

I’ve been busy chasing life this summer. I’ve made new friends and learned new skills. My new store is bustling and we recently launched a newly redesigned shopping website and I’ve neglected Blue Kale Road. Now, as we ease into fall and its sunny days and crisp nights I find a comforting time to reconnect with old friends. Although I try to slow down, our new season is already moving at a quick pace - Sam is back at college, Isaac is in his senior year, and life is full and good.

I love spiced pear cake at an autumn potluck, community gathering at a local cider pressing and seeing the first Delicata squash. We still have an abundance of tomatoes and zucchini at the market, though, reminding us that the best of summer is lingering for just a bit longer.

This month, the Tasting Jerusalem theme is to pick any new recipe from the book to try, so I chose a salad with tomatoes and zucchini in mind. Chunky Zucchini and Tomato Salad is a combination of grilled tomatoes and zucchini, stirred into an herby yogurt mix. Why I hadn’t tried this one yet is beyond me, because it is filled with so many of my favorite ingredients. First of all, the yogurt mix alone is truly fantastic and makes a tempting dip on its own. Fresh mint, parsley, chiles, garlic, walnuts, date syrup and lemon are stirred into thick yogurt. Divine.

The recipe calls for charring the tomatoes and zucchini on the stove top and then finishing in the oven, but since I’m looking for any opportunity to continue cooking outside I grilled the veggies on the barbecue.

The vegetables are then chopped and folded into the yogurt mix. I decided to serve the veggies and yogurt side-by-side in order to get the individual flavors as well as a mix of the two. In honor of Rosh Hashanah, I used pomegranate syrup instead of date syrup, which added a tart richness.

Crunchy, vibrant, creamy and bold, this is a gorgeous dish. It would be marvelous alongside simple grilled fish or make a hearty appetizer served with crusty bread. If you still have access to summer’s tomatoes, you won’t be disappointed.

Fall. It’s good to be back.

Zucchini and Tomato Salad with Herbed Yogurt
Serves 4-6
Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

2 pounds yellow or green zucchini
4-5 large, ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups thick, plain whole yogurt
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1-2 fresh chiles, to taste (original recipe calls for red, but I had a jalapeno on hand and used that), seeded and finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup, plus more to drizzle (original recipe calls for date syrup, so if using date syrup increase the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons
2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a barbecue on high. Slice the tomatoes and zucchini in half lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Place the vegetables cut side down on the grill and cook until lightly charred and soft. Remove from the grill and let cool.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt and remaining ingredients and stir gently. Spoon the yogurt onto one side of a small platter or serving bowl. Chop the vegetables roughly and spoon them next to the yogurt. Drizzle with additional pomegranate syrup and garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

Aspen Grove and Much to Share

2014-06-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while, much longer than I anticipated, and I’ve missed being here. I can’t believe it’s almost summer – Happy June to you! As I mentioned in my last post, I’m embarking on an exciting new chapter. Well, the doors of Aspen Grove, my home and kitchen store, opened in early April. (Check out our new website!) The big day arrived and I officially hung the “Open” sign for the first time. It’s been a busy, happy blur ever since!

We kicked things off with an opening party. It was a joint celebration with our friend, Leslie, who had just opened her beautiful spa, Nectar, next door (lucky me!). We had yummy food, Prosecco, a cookbook drawing

and, of course, cookies.

It was a festive day and wonderful to meet more of our community. My brother, Tim, even traveled from Washington, DC to be here! Since then, I have continued to learn and learn and learn. I have definitely pushed myself in new directions, way outside my comfort zone, and this has been a good thing.

I’ve been reflecting on the past nine years, how a love of food and cooking led to my becoming a chef, which then led to starting this blog three years ago. Now, a home and kitchen store feels like a natural next step to take in this journey. This has definitely been a family venture, with everyone pitching in. I’m grateful to them, our friends and our community for all of their support!

I believe it is good to challenge yourself, stay open and just see what life brings. But boy, it can be exhausting and overwhelming! Happily, I’m finding balance again and it feels good.

The valley exploded in yellow and green at the start of spring and now the farmers’ market is open. I’m really ready to plunge into cooking with some gorgeous produce!

I’m back in the kitchen, finding new loves like radish kimchi

and making old favorites like fudgy chocolate cake.

And if you’re ever in the Methow Valley, I hope you stop in and say hi!

Chocolate Date Truffles

2014-03-27T11:11:00.000-07:00

With the snow melting away and the sun shining, I feel warm and hopeful and glad to wear something other than snow boots. My skis are put away and I’ve even slipped on some flip-flops. My toes are happy!

Spring is a time for new beginnings. Soon the wild flowers will emerge from the earth and there’s talk of planting seeds on the radio. I, too, am embarking on a new beginning. When we moved to this beautiful valley last summer, I knew I was starting on a journey but had no idea what direction it might take.

I mentioned previously that I’ve been keeping busy (an understatement!) with a new project. I’m delighted to tell you a bit about it now – it’s a kitchen and home store! A fantastic opportunity emerged and I decided to jump on it. I’m beyond excited! You never know what life will bring, do you? I’ve been learning and planning and painting and designing and ordering and falling into bed exhausted every night. But it’s thrilling and a whole new adventure to embrace.

Needless to say, I haven’t been cooking much lately and I miss it! One evening before I collapsed I just had to get back into the kitchen. I made a little sweet that didn’t involve any cooking but still scratched the itch (and was delicious!): Chocolate Date Truffles.

My dear friend, Tristan, gave me the original recipe (thank you again!). Raw cashews are whirled in the food processor with honey, cacao powder, vanilla and shredded coconut to create a rich, lightly sweet truffle to scoop and roll. I began nibbling right away! The original recipe calls for rolling in citrus zest, nuts or seeds, but I decided to stuff some luscious, plump dates with it instead. What an indulgent treat! These didn’t last long and I know I’ll be making them again soon.

Off to the shop now – I can’t wait to share details and photos with you in a couple of weeks after we’ve opened.

Chocolate Date Truffles
Makes about 22
Filling adapted from Nourish and Heal, 2014

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in a bowl of water for 20 minutes and drained
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus extra for garnish
22 whole, plump Medjool dates

Add the drained cashews and honey to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides once. Add the cacao powder, vanilla, kosher salt and coconut and process until well combined, stopping again to scrape the sides.

Scrape the filling into a small bowl, cover and chill for about an hour. You can prep the filling the day before serving and leave to chill overnight, too.

To assemble the truffle dates, slit each date open along one side and gently remove the pit. Place a small scoop of filling into each date and shape it to fit smoothly. Arrange the dates on a serving plate and scatter a little coconut over the top. Indulge!

One Spice, Two Spice

2014-02-28T03:53:00.000-08:00

A fire, a blanket, a snowy day, a cup of tea and a new cookbook. What could be better? Especially when the cookbook’s title is a surprise, arriving in the mail just in time to curl up for a cozy weekend of reading with a furry friend.

My new cookbook came compliments of Joanne, of the lovely blog Eats Well With Others. We are participating in the Food Blogger Cookbook Swap, a terrific event being hosted by Alyssa of Everyday Maven and Faith of An Edible Mosaic. The idea behind the swap is to share books from our collection with other food bloggers. I sent a book to someone and received one in return. So much fun!

Joanne chose well for me. She noticed from my blog that I revel in spices (so true!) and thoughtfully selected one called One Spice, Two Spice by Floyd Cardoz. The author grew up in Mumbai and Goa and now cooks in New York City. He shares some personal bits throughout the book and gives a little history of each recipe.

Right away the title intrigued me and I knew I’d enjoy diving in ... I was right. The book brings together two cultures, American food cooked with Indian spices. I traveled in India seven years ago and really appreciate Indian flavors. The first section I flipped to was the condiment chapter. Chutneys, pickles, raitas and dressings – yes, please! I began marking recipes to try and Boodie’s Ketchup, named for the author’s mother, is top of the list. This tomato-based condiment is flavored with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, shallots, garlic, cayenne and vinegar. Need I say more? And as I perused other chapters in the book many other recipes leaped out. Come summer, this pretty Chilled Cucumber Soup with Mint and Basil is sure to refresh.

I’m always happy to add fresh inspiration to my cookbook shelf and appreciate this chance to meet fellow food bloggers. Thank you for your delicious choice, Joanne! And thank you to Alyssa and Faith for hosting. Now back to my menu planning!

A lovely group of bloggers joined together for this fun cookbook swap. Please feel free to stop by for a visit and check out some of the new inspirations they received:

A Baker's House
An Edible Mosaic
avocado bravado
Blueberries And Blessings
Cheap Recipe Blog
Confessions of a Culinary Diva
Create Amazing Meals
Cucina Kristina
Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Cupcake Project
Dinner is Served 1972
Done With Corn
Eats Well With Others
Everyday Maven
Flour Me With Love
From My Sweet Heart
girlichef
Great Food 360°
Healthy. Delicious.
I'm Gonna Cook That!
Je Mange la Ville
Karen's Kitchen Stories
Kitchen Treaty
Olive and Herb
OnTheMove-In The Galley
Our Best Bites
Paleo Gone Sassy
poet in the pantry
Rhubarb and Honey
Rocky Mountain Cooking
Shikha la mode
Shockingly Delicious
Sifting Focus
Spiceroots
Spoonful of Flavor
Tara's Multicultural Table
The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler
The Suburban Soapbox
The Whole Family's Food

Steak and Zhoug

2014-02-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

I enjoy discussing homemade condiments here and I’m delighted that this month’s Tasting Jerusalem features one of my very favorites, zhoug. I’ve shared my love of zhoug before, the fiery, green herb sauce that I discovered through Bob’s host mother many years ago during my first visit to Israel. Just a bite transports me away from the winter chill here back to those hot summer days.

This versatile condiment is popular in the Middle East and a true pantry staple. A quick whirl of fresh cilantro, parsley, olive oil, garlic and chiles in the food processor is all that is needed to create zhoug. Fragrant, spicy and vibrant, it livens up any dish it graces. Especially welcome during this time of season!

We usually dollop some in chicken soup or scoop a bit onto a plate of scrambled eggs. This past weekend, though, steak was on our menu and I started thinking about chimichurri sauce, the Argentinian green sauce traditionally made with parsley, olive oil, garlic and vinegar and served with grilled meat. Why not serve zhoug with steak in a similar manner? I grabbed my bunches of herbs, smashed some garlic cloves, chopped chiles (I had red fresno chiles on hand rather than jalapenos, which added pretty little flecks of red) and glugged olive oil and soon we had steak and zhoug on the table.

I have to say, steak and zhoug is absolutely delicious! A few years ago I learned the best way to cook a steak using a combination of stovetop and oven and have been doing it this way ever since. The spicy kick of zhoug complemented the simple taste of the beef beautifully and seriously got my taste buds tingling. As I look out at our gorgeous white wonderland and watch our cute pup bounce around in the snow, I savor the spicy flavors of the Middle East and feel warm inside.

Steak and Zhoug
Steak recipe from The Week

Steaks, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes
Kosher salt
Grapeseed oil
Zhoug to serve (recipe here)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt over each steak. Heat a cast iron pan large enough to hold all the steaks over high heat and let it get hot. Pour a very thin layer of grapeseed oil in the pan. Lay each steak in the pan and let sear for a minute or two. Flip the steaks and let sear for another minute.

Take the pan and place in the oven for five to six minutes, depending upon the thickness of each steak and your preference for how cooked you like them (if you use a thermometer, 115 degrees is the rare end of rare).

Remove the pan from the oven and let sit for five minutes to collect the juices. Spoon on dollops of zhoug and serve.

Moroccan Popcorn

2014-01-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

We are doing a happy snow dance here! While we’ve had cold temperatures, the snow has not been falling, making for a very unusual winter. Happily, though, today it’s snowing steadily and I’m feeling quite cozy watching the pretty flakes float down. We can ski and sled!

It’s been awhile since I shared what’s cooking in my kitchen. I have a new project in the works and can’t wait to share it with you (soon!). In the meantime, here’s what we’re cooking with for Tasting Jerusalem this month – ras el hanout.

My love of homemade spice blends is well known and I am quite pleased with this month’s ingredient. I’ve written about ras el hanout before and, since discovering how versatile this Moroccan blend is, I have sprinkled it liberally. Ras el hanout literally means “head of the shop” in Arabic, and you can personalize your own mix easily. The blend I make includes cumin, paprika, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and black pepper. A little sweet, a little spicy, a pinch instantly jazzes up a dish.

Or a snack. We pop a lot of corn on the stove top and like to try different toppings (nutritional yeast is a favorite one, although we think it could do with a better name - we’ve been calling it “Sunshine”). Why not sprinkle some ras el hanout on popcorn? With flaky sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil? Well, I gave it a whirl and Moroccan popcorn was born.

Warm, crunchy, smoky and salty, this is some good snacking, especially while watching football. We’re getting our blue and green on around here and will be wildly cheering for the Seahawks on Sunday during the Super Bowl. I love all the Seahawks spirit and energy I’ve seen both in the valley and in Seattle! Happy munching and go Hawks!

Moroccan Popcorn

Makes a large bowl

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Olive oil for drizzling

Ras el hanout (homemade recipe here)

Flaky sea salt

Have a large bowl ready. Warm the coconut oil in popcorn maker over medium high heat. Add the popcorn and start turning the handle. When corn stops popping, immediately pour the popcorn into the serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with ras el hanout and flaky sea salt to taste. Start munching!

Collard Greens with Pickled Pears

2013-12-30T10:00:00.001-08:00

An abundance of winter greens lies ahead! Eating locally during the colder months doesn’t offer nearly the bounty of the warmer seasons, but fortunately we have a wide variety of hearty greens such as chard, kale and collards to keep us going.

Around now, after a bit (or rather, a lot) of indulgent eating during the holidays, I am usually craving crunchy fresh greens and lately this salad of Collard Greens with Pickled Pears has been topping my list.

Eating collard greens uncooked in a salad was new to me until introduced by my friend Deb, a truly talented cook. She made Collard Greens with Pickled Apples and I think I had at least three servings over the course of our dinner together! Pickled apples? I was shaking my head wondering why I hadn’t thought of doing this sooner. I’ve since made the salad on a few occasions and this last time decided to use pears in place of the apples.

The sliced pears are steeped in a warm bath of apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and water. When ready to eat, they are tossed with thin ribbons of grassy green collards, a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a scattering of toasted seeds or nuts.

A tempting wedge of blue Stilton cheese (always tasty with pears) was on the kitchen counter, so I crumbled some in for a luxurious touch.

This hearty salad is a bold one – sweet and tart, crunchy and creamy. It is virtuous eating at its best and will deliver you into the new year happy and satisfied.

Wishing you all a delicious 2014!

Collard Greens with Pickled Pears
Adapted from Epicurious. com
Serves 4-6

3 medium sized, firm pears (I used red and Bartlett)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup pepitas or pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and thinly sliced across into 1/4 inch ribbons
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste
Small wedge of Stilton cheese, crumbled (optional)

Core and slice the pears into eighths and set aside in a heatproof bowl. In a medium sized saucepan, bring the cider vinegar, water, coconut sugar and salt to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and return to a boil, then pour the whole mixture back into the heatproof bowl. Chill the pears uncovered for at least an hour. If using later, cover and keep cold for a day or two.

To assemble salad, drain the pears and reserve a few tablespoons of the pickling liquid. Gently toss the pears, seeds and greens together in a serving bowl. Drizzle on a little olive oil, add a couple tablespoons of pickling liquid, salt and pepper to taste and gently toss again. If using, crumble some Stilton cheese over the top and serve.

Chocolate Peppermint Stick Mousse

2013-12-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas lights are twinkling around town, snow is falling, we’re going to see Little Women performed at the local theater and, best of all, Sam is home from college and our family is together for winter break! It’s a happy time and I’m delighted to be here in the valley for this festive season.

It’s also time for seasonal treats! Isaac’s girlfriend made incredible homemade eggnog for us and let me just say, it’s the best eggnog ever and I’m never going back to the carton stuff (I may have snuck spoonfuls of fresh cream off the top when no one was looking, too).

More indulgences that somehow make their way into my shopping basket during this time of year are peppermint bark and peppermint stick ice cream. I really can’t resist. Peppermint stick and chocolate are a classic combination no matter the season. When I was little my favorite ice cream cone at Brigham’s was always peppermint stick with chocolate jimmies. But in December they are especially tempting flavors, which led to this mousse.

Coconut cream has been my go-to dessert topping for some time. It whips up light and creamy, and (like many things!) when chocolate is added it becomes sensational. With peppermint on my mind, I blitzed some candy canes in the food processor, added chilled coconut cream, cocoa powder and maple syrup and gave them a whirl.

What emerged was billowy and downright decadent. This mousse also happens to be vegan, raw and gluten-free and would be especially nice as part of a holiday dessert buffet. Luscious and rich, with creamy chocolate and little hits of refreshing mint, it’s deeply satisfying and so easy to make. I spooned it into tiny bowls with a sprinkle of crushed candy cane and then dove in.

Wishing you all a warm, happy Christmas!

Chocolate Peppermint Stick Mousse
Serves 4-6

3 candy canes, wrappers removed
1-14 ounce can thick, unsweetened coconut cream (I find it at Trader Joe’s) or 2-14 ounce cans whole, unsweetened coconut milk, chilled overnight in the fridge
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Break two of the candy canes into smaller pieces and place in the bowl of a food processor. Blitz the candy canes until they form a fine powder. Dump the peppermint powder into a small bowl and set aside. Break the remaining candy cane into pieces and pulse it in the food processor a few times until smaller rough pieces form (this is for garnish). Dump this into another small bowl and set aside.

Open the can of chilled coconut cream and scrape it into the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean after the candy canes). If using coconut milk, open the 2 cans and carefully scoop out the solid coconut cream from each into the food processor. Reserve the clear liquid to use in smoothies. Add the remaining ingredients and whiz until smooth and creamy. Stop a couple of times to scrape down the sides and make sure any chunks of coconut are blended. Sprinkle in the powdered candy canes and pulse a few times to mix in.

Spoon the mousse into small bowls. It can be eaten right away or kept covered in the fridge overnight. When ready to eat, sprinkle with the crushed candy cane pieces to garnish (if you do this too early the candy canes start to soften and cause red streaks).

Cranberry Malabi

2013-12-04T11:41:00.002-08:00

December slipped in when I wasn’t looking. Last week, Thanksgiving was a cozy blur of happy times with Sam home from college, football, good food, and celebrating with family and friends. And now we’re nearing the end of another festive holiday, Hanukkah. I can’t keep up!

Before I flip my calendar page to December, I want to share with you what we were cooking with for Tasting Jerusalem in November. Pistachios! Pistachios are quite popular in Middle Eastern cooking and baking. The best baklava I ever tasted was a version with green pistachios at the Abulafia Bakery in Tel Aviv. Truly a decadent treat. Another delicious sweet that I enjoyed while in Israel was malabi, a milk-based pudding. There are several names for this luscious custard, including muhallabieh (as it’s called in Jerusalem), sutlaj or sutlach. No matter what it’s called, it’s creamy and wonderful and I can eat it by the bowlful.

When I spotted the recipe in Jerusalem, I knew I had to make it. Traditionally, malabi is flavored with rose water and topped with a drizzle of sweet syrup and pistachios. Since I had Thanksgiving flavors on my mind when I was dreaming about a dish of malabi, I came up with a variation using cranberries and maple syrup as a topping and swapped out the rose water for vanilla. I also used cream in place of water with the milk, making it rather like a rich panna cotta. The pudding here is made with milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and cornstarch and whisked together over heat until smooth and custardy (this happens quickly, so be sure to remove from heat the moment it thickens to avoid lumps).

For the topping, I stirred together fresh cranberries (such pretty little jewels!) and maple syrup over medium heat until the berries were bursting and bubbling away. Both the pudding and topping can be made ahead and chilled before layering. I spooned the pudding into wine and champagne glasses for an elegant dessert and then topped each with a smooth layer of the cranberries and a scatter of chopped pistachios.

The bright, tart flavor of the cranberries contrasts nicely with the creamy sweetness of the pudding, while the pistachios add crunchy texture. The cheery red and white colors make this a merry dessert for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, too. And with the frigid cold we’re having outside now, I don’t need any reminders that December has indeed arrived!

Cranberry Malabi
Serves 6
Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

6 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

For the pudding, whisk the cornstarch together with 6 tablespoons of the milk until it forms a paste. In a saucepan, stir together the rest of the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla and warm it over medium heat until it begins to steam. Whisk in the milk/cornstarch paste and keep stirring until it turns to custard. I found this happened very quickly, so be ready to pull it off the heat. Pour the pudding into 6 pretty glasses or dishes. It’s nice to use clear glass so you can see the contrast in colors. Cover and place in the fridge to chill.

For the topping, stir the cranberries and maple syrup together in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes. The berries will start popping, so stir often to prevent sticking and mash them gently against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. When the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and chill.

Both the pudding and sauce can be made the day before. When ready to serve, divide the sauce between the 6 custards and gently smooth. Garnish each with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios and serve.

Cheese Crackers with Almond Flour

2013-11-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

Last year I started making homemade cheese crackers and they instantly became my favorite savory treat to serve during the festive fall and winter months.

A long-time fan of Cheez-It crackers, I was delighted to be making a healthier version with real cheddar cheese and whole wheat flour. For most of 2013, though, I’ve been baking gluten-free so these homemade cheese crackers have not appeared and I’ve missed them. I enjoy the tastes, textures and nutrition in other flours such as coconut, almond and buckwheat and find I feel much better eating them. So, with the holiday season approaching quickly, it’s time to recreate these cheesy nibbles!

I pulled out my hand grater and a started grating cheddar cheese. The cheese went into the food processor along with some almond flour, turmeric, a bit of cayenne pepper, butter, salt and an egg. After pulsing a few times, I dumped the rough dough out and wrapped it up to chill. At this point, you can keep the dough in the fridge for a couple of days until you’re ready to bake.

After rolling out the dough, I started cutting different shapes. This week, we are celebrating both Thanksgiving and Hanukkah (they won’t overlap again for 79,000 years!) so in honor of this I cut out turkeys and dreidels. You can also cut the dough into the more “traditional” Cheez- It square shape. But no matter what shape you choose, be sure to sprinkle the tops with a healthy pinch of flaky sea salt before baking. That salty punch is just delicious and one of the reasons I can’t stop eating these once I start.

I’ve also rolled, cut and frozen the dough ahead of time, making it easy to pull out and pop into the oven for a quick appetizer. This is especially helpful when prepping ahead for Thanksgiving. Early in the morning, before the turkey goes in the oven, just bake the frozen dough (add a minute or two to the baking time) and you’ll have a great snack to hold hungry guests over until the big feast is ready.

Happy Hanukkah and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheese Crackers with Almond Flour
Quantity depends upon what size cookie cutter you use or size of squares you cut

2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
2 cups finely ground, blanched almond flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne or Aleppo pepper (optional)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into smaller bits
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the cheese, almond flour, egg, turmeric, cayenne, butter and kosher salt together until a rough dough forms. Remove the dough, shape into a ball and wrap in plastic. Chill the dough for at least an hour and up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into quarters. Place one quarter of the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out into 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into squares or use your favorite cookie cutters. Place the cut outs on the prepared pan and sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of each. Bake until crispy and just beginning to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Repeat with the remaining dough. You can also roll and cut the dough, then freeze on a baking sheet. When baking, add a minute or 2 to the baking time.

The crackers are lovely on the day they’re baked or keep well overnight at room temperature in a well-sealed container.

Chocolate Cherry Granola

2013-11-14T20:44:00.000-08:00

We had our first snowfall of the season last week! We woke up to the hush of snow-blanketed ground and it was just beautiful. Of course, it also meant the chickens’ water was frozen so I needed to get one of those warmers to put their water container on, and Bob hung a heating light in their coop so they can be toasty warm for the winter months. We’re still adapting to living full-time in the valley!

One of our dogs, Boots, found the warmest spot in the cabin to spend her day. I think she’ll be spending a lot of time there!

The snow was a reminder that winter is nearing and, since we could easily be snowed in for days at a time, I’ve been filling our shed shelves with staples such as beans and grains for those snowy days we can’t make it out.

It’s also time to start thinking about holiday gifts, especially since Hanukkah begins the night before Thanksgiving this year. I like to give (and receive!) homemade gifts, and a jar of granola tied with a festive ribbon is always welcome. Granola is also something that can be made with those pantry staples, so I plan to keep a jar ready on the counter all season.

I’ve made many batches of my Blueberry Maple Granola, but this last time decided to mix it up a bit and made a chocolate version. I stirred together honey, coconut oil, vanilla, cocoa powder and a big pinch of flaky sea salt before mixing in oats, cacao nibs and chia seeds. After baking, a handful of dried cherries finished it off.

A scoop of chocolate granola is hard to resist for breakfast and I don’t expect it to last long. We’re expecting more snow this weekend so I may be making another batch soon!

Chocolate Cherry Granola
Makes about 4 cups

1/3 cup raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the honey, coconut oil, vanilla and cocoa powder until smooth. Add the chia seeds, cacao nibs and salt and mix in. Gently fold in the oats until just coated. Spread the mixture out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake the granola for 9 minutes, stir the edges to keep from burning bake for another 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Stir in the dried cherries and store the granola in a sealed container at room temperature.

Delicata Squash and Apples with Cider Vinaigrette

2013-11-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Crisp air, sunny skies, vibrant leaves and beautiful squash...the autumn season is truly splendid. Remember when I mentioned I was picking up forty pounds of squash from Farmstr? Well, I now have a gorgeous variety of winter squash in my shed to dig into! Time to indulge in some festive fall cooking.

The first squash I grabbed was delicata. Delicata squash are marvelous and quickly emerging as my favorite. This squash is quite pretty with its green and yellow stripes (important football colors in our family these days with the Oregon Ducks and Liberty Bell Mountain Lions!). Unlike other types of squash such as butternut, there’s no need to peel delicata, making it quick and easy to prepare. Just cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, slice into half-moons and roast until it’s sweet and delicious.

To top my roasted squash, I made a vinaigrette by simmering apple cider until it reduced (filling the kitchen with fall coziness) and whisking in maple syrup, cider vinegar, Dijon and olive oil.

We’ve had boxes of apples stacked in the kitchen for applesauce, so when the squash came out of the oven I tossed some apple slices on the roasting pan and popped it all back in. It turns out that when roasted, the apples caramelize and are irresistible. I could eat an entire pan of them! I may have to try a batch of applesauce with them next.

I tucked roasted apples in with the cute little squash slices and finished the whole thing with a drizzle of cider vinaigrette and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. We had friends coming for dinner and we gobbled it all up – always a good sign. With Thanksgiving coming, I’m adding this to our menu. And now back to the shed for more squash!

Delicata Squash and Apples with Cider Vinaigrette
Serves 4-6

3 delicata squash, sliced in half lengthwise, seeded and sliced into 1/2 inch half-moons
3 medium sized apples, cored and sliced into eighths
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Flaky sea salt
1 cup apple cider
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the squash slices evenly in one layer, sprinkle a pinch of flaky sea salt over and roast for about 20 minutes, until soft and nicely browned. Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula to gently move the squash to a serving plate. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the pan and scatter the apple slices in an even layer. Roast until soft and browned, about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

While the squash and apples are baking, make the vinaigrette. Bring the cup of apple cider to a boil in a small sauce pan, lower the heat to medium and let simmer until it reduces by almost half, about 10 minutes. Let cool. Whisk in the cider vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup and remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Gently tuck the apple slices in among the squash slices. When ready to serve, drizzle some of the cider vinaigrette over and scatter the parsley. Serve room temperature.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies

2013-10-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Boo! It’s time for pumpkin patches

and spooky deviled eggs.

And, of course, treats! In the past I’ve made pumpkin cookies, but this year I decided to try making cookies with sweet potatoes. I simply love sweet potatoes and appreciate all the healthy goodness they bring.

First I roasted the potatoes to bring out their caramelized sweetness. After mashing, I added a combination of oat and almond flours and sweetened the dough with maple syrup and brown sugar. A big handful of chocolate chips was absolutely necessary, too! This dough is soft, so I chilled it for an hour to firm it up a bit and make for easier scooping.

Fresh out of the oven, the cookies are ultra-soft with gooey chocolate. With their hint of orange hue and touch of cinnamon, they are perfect for an autumn celebration. Or, cozy up with a plate of these wholesome cookies after a day of raking leaves. And if you’re looking for something to nibble on the next morning, they make a fine breakfast with a piping hot cup of coffee.

Wishing you all some ghostly fun! Happy Halloween!

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 17 cookies

1 1/4 cups roasted, cooled, mashed sweet potatoes (from 1 large or 2 small)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups oat flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sweet potatoes and butter together until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again. Stir in the brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla.

In another bowl, stir together the oat flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mix to the wet mix and gently stir together. Add the chocolate chips and stir just until mixed.

Pop the bowl into the fridge and chill for at least an hour. This makes scooping easier.

Preheat the oven 375 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop large rounded scoops of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop) onto the pan. I fit 9 on the first batch, and 8 on the second. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed and lightly brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before gently removing and baking your second batch. These are very moist, soft cookies and keep well at room temperature for a day or two.

Deconstructed Stuffed Potatoes from Jerusalem

2013-10-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

October is all about tamarind in our Tasting Jerusalem cooking group. Tamarind has quite an exotic appeal and conjures up tropical visions for me. Sure enough, tamarind trees grow in tropical areas and produce pods with an edible fruit pulp. The pods are available in some markets or you can easily find the dark brown paste on store shelves. Tamarind is popular in Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines and the tart, sour taste can go either sweet or savory.

When perusing the recipes in Jerusalem that contain tamarind paste, I was intrigued by the Stuffed Potatoes. Hollowed out small potatoes are individually stuffed with a well-seasoned meat filling and simmered in a tamarind and tomato sauce. The recipe cautions, though, that it is time consuming and best to have someone help with it. With this in mind, I decided to make a deconstructed version: meatballs simmered in sauce and served over mashed potatoes. This way I could get the benefit of all the delicious flavors in a rustic, homey fashion.

I began by making the sauce. Chopped tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and tamarind pasted simmered away, seasoned with fragrant cumin, paprika and allspice. A dash of crushed red chile added a nice little kick. While the sauce cooked, I made meatballs with ground beef, almond flour, parsley, cinnamon and garlic. The meatballs gently cooked in the flavorful sauce, filling the kitchen with its enticing scent. One of the most comforting sounds is a bubbling pot on the stove!

Once the meatballs were cooked, I spooned them over bowls of mashed potatoes, drenching it all in the rich, brown sauce. Something about eating mashed potatoes and meatballs is just so soothing and lovely. This cozy dish explodes with spice and taste, the tamarind adding a deep note of flavor. It warmed our bellies while we watched the sun set over the valley, pockets of color from the changing leaves peeking out here and there. Truly one of the most gorgeous Octobers ever!

Deconstructed Stuffed Potatoes
Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Serves 4-6

Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile peppers
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon allspice
1 28 ounce can tomato puree
1 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Hot mashed potatoes for serving (I mashed Yukon Gold potatoes with olive oil and some of the potato water)

To make the sauce, warm the olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven and add the garlic, onion and carrots. Cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, make the meatballs. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and gently mix (I use my hands). Scoop out enough of the mixture to make roughly a 2 inch ball. Place in the simmering sauce and repeat until all the meat is used (you should have 12 or so meatballs). Use a spoon to gently move the meatballs around so they are not too crowded and are covered with the sauce. Let cook for about 20 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked.

To serve, scoop some mashed potatoes into a bowl and ladle a couple of meatballs and some sauce over.