Scenes from a Storm

We've been prepping for Sandy for a few days. It seems there is always more to do, and then the problems that crop up, like an already leaky basement and a malfunctioning sump pump, get in the way, taking up time, cash and energy. Three things I'm perpetually short on.

 Boo hoo, right? At least we're not under water now. I hate to think of all the small animals that have lost their lives or homes to this storm, unable to get to high enough ground. They may have instinct, but they don't have our resources. The damage continues to increase, to human and animal alike.

 Before tomorrow, when the storm is supposed to hit us here in WNY, let's take a minute to help, if we can, those already affected.

 You can donate here.

 Meanwhile, look over your own preparations: Do have extra water, not just for drinking, but for washing hands, feeding animals, flushing toilets? Do you have a flashlight in every room, for easy access? Have you cooked food ahead of time, so you won't have to eat packaged junk exclusively, should we lose power?

 Hope so. And don't forget to check in with elderly or infirm neighbors that may need assistance-- make a plan with them, about how often you'll call on them. See if you can help them now, getting what they need. I have to do this myself, so I sign off here, with one extra cool link-- how to waterproof matches.


 Stay safe, stay warm, and if I don't see you before then, Happy Hallowe'en!
                                   
                                                                                                                        --Mari

                                          

Sweet Fruits of Fall

 Throughout our house, you'll see the colorful evidence of cooler weather-- squashes, gourds, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, eggplant, all clustered as decoration on the buffet, tables and hearth, while they await their turn in the oven.

 I love the sweet smoky flavor of October, when I make our first fireplace fires, bake our first pumpkins for pies and muffins and pancakes, make chili with leftover chunks of whatever roasted peppers and squash I bought the week before. And I'm sad that our local farmer's market will be ended for the year. I stock up on the few vegetables that have held out, knowing they will be sweeter and perkier in taste, precisely because of the cold temps we've had here.

 As of this writing, I've made butternut soup once already, baked some yams, and eaten my way through half an orchard full of apples in the form of salads, on sandwiches, in stews and breads. I'm still on the lookout for perfect grapes to press into flatbread, and more dark greens like kale and chard, that are always at their best around this time of year. I'm ready to mess around with some cranberries, now, too, throwing them into anything I make, like this fruity chutney, full of peppers, craisins and slivered almonds for crunch:

 We've had a fondue dinner, and a giant baked apple pancake for a weekend breakfast. I've got red pears for a tart, maybe, and peach juice blend waiting to be used in Peach Oats Brulee.

 Eating these dishes a few times per year, at the moment when the foods they're based on are at their peak, is one way I can always connect to the world under my feet. It feels good, it feels right, it keeps me earthy and productive. And a meal you prepare by grabbing just what you can chop and throw into the oven, is a boon to any writer.

 It's also a great way to make sauce, chili, or ratatouille-- put the appropriate chopped veg on a towel to absorb liquid for a minute, set in a large pan and coat lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano and rosemary or the other seasonings that make sense, and let your oven do most of the work. You might have to stir after 25 minutes or so. Oh my, what a task. It's done when it hits the texture you like. For sauce, there's no more to be done but to toss with your cooked hot pasta, or ladle over polenta. If the sauce is too thin, add and stir in a Tbsp. or so of tomato paste, and let bubble away a bit longer.

 Or you can drizzle a bit of vinegar onto the roasted veg for a salad, and top with chopped nuts; maybe serving it over fresh, raw spinach leaves, or a bed of shredded apples or pita.

 Easy, warming, tasty, perfect for now.

  Eat well; October is almost gone!

  --Mari

 

Muffin in a Mug-- Gluten-Free!

Sweet "crockpot lady" Stephanie O'Dea is always looking for a way to make the gluten-free life easier, and here she has hit a home-run. Basically a riff on the old cake-in-a-mug recipe, this little number bakes up a quick, hearty gluten-free breakfast after just a minute of mixing and a minute in the microwave. It's also low in sodium, sweetener, and has just enough fat to make it toothsome.

 Here's her original post, rejigged a little for mixing ease, and followed by my flavor changes in the notes.



Muffin in a Mug, by Stephanie O'Dea (adapted slightly by Mari Kozlowski)


The Ingredients:


1/4 cup flax meal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon ( sometimes I use pumpkin pie seasoning)

1 egg

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 teaspoons sweetener, I use honey

1 tablespoon fresh or frozen blueberries (or smashed banana, shredded apple, etc)

hearty coffee mug sprayed with cooking oil*

microwave


The Directions:

Put the first 3 ingredients into a large glass measuring cup or small bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the next three ingredients-- no need to melt the butter or get it to dissolve–if it’s still in a clump, it’s okay. 

Now stir in the blueberries or whatever fruit you’re using. Pour into a greased coffee mug and microwave on high for 1 minute.
Let it sit for a bit, then pour onto a plate; or you can just eat it out of the mug with a spoon. It should appear mostly dry on top, and have pulled away from the sides of the mug a bit. The butter will have melted and made a tiny bit of a “sauce” with the melted blueberries. YUM.

The Verdict:

This is a pretty customizable recipe; feel free to swap out the honey with splenda, agave, brown sugar, etc. There isn’t a drop of flour, making this a naturally gluten free muffin, and if you use non dairy butter it could certainly be dairy-free and I’m imagining an egg-replacer would work okay. If you change up the ingredients and it works, let me know!

*Mari's notes-- I greased my mug with butter, and used a generous Tbsp of grated apple, with maple syrup to sweeten, along with apple pie spice. Came out as a hearty whole-grain tasting muffin that has no grain! And pretty good and filling. I didn't get a "sauce" effect, as she does with frozen blueberries, but it was unsweet enough for me to be happy dolloping on a bit more syrup. It takes a minute to mix, a minute to cook, and a minute or less to sit and set-- that is one quick, nutritious breakfast muffin!

 Hope you enjoy this recipe, and if you riff on it, please let me know what you do, and how it worked out. I'd love to post your version.

 Peace, Mari

PB Recall Widens

For all of us that love peanut butter and other nut-laden products, the bad news is in-- the Trader Joe's PB recall has expanded, to products you might just have on your shelf now. Check out this link and look carefully at the list of over 100 products that may be contaminated with salmonella. Some of the products affected were apparently produced as long as 2 1/2 years ago!

While there's no sense in worrying over past meals now, you should look at your pantry shelves and make certain you aren't using any of the affected items.

 Here's hoping that we can all eat our PB fear-free in the future. Wishing good health to you and yours. Peace,
                        Mari

 

Off the Shelf: Beet Salad from The Silver Palate

 My friend Robert once called beets "the organ meat of the vegetable world." He was right. Like gizzards, kidneys and such, fresh beets are have a sort of muddy spiritual darkness about them. They come from a inside a living thing in a significantly different way than your average eatables. The beet is like a hard little heart you pull from the earth, and like a heart, it seems to still pulse with life's energy, while it smells like a dead thing. Many people dislike or even fear them, and few know how to cook them anymore.

 Personally, I love 'em.

 As a kid, I don't think I ever ate fresh ones-- they were one of the few vegetables my cook-from-scratch mother bought only in canned or bottled form, along with sauerkraut and spinach. The one time she tried to make fresh spinach back then, it was still too sandy for us kids, and we hated it. Now we all love the fresh, but that is easy when it comes in flat baby leaves, pre-washed in bags.

 Beets are another story.

  Fresh out of the ground, they look like something an alchemist might want to work with-- gnarly, unattractive, dirt-colored and sprouted with strange hairs.  When I peel them, the detritus could almost be a pile of rat tails and hide.

 

 

 Discussions about beets on cooking forums tend to make the best methods for preparing them seem arcane and complicated. But it's not tough to cook fresh beets. It's not even scary, unless you're wearing white, about which I'll say-- Don't. Or you'll soon be wearing white splattered with fuschia. Aside from that, all you need is a cutting board you don't mind getting temporarily stained, a vegetable peeler, and a heavy, sharp knife-- a 6" chef's knife, if you have one.

 Then you can handle them in several ways: roasting them whole and peeling afterwards, peeling them first and roasting whole or chopped, steaming them, peeled or not, or peeling and boiling them chopped. You can even grate them and serve them raw, which is often more appealing to people that believe they dislike the beet.

 I like to peel them first, no matter what. The stain washes off my hands immediately this way, and although I may get a few less of the nutrients that were hanging out under the skin, I'm sanguine about the loss.

In the classic and incredible original Silver Palate Cookbook, beets appear in several lovely dishes, but my favorite of them is the Beet and Roquefort Salad with Walnuts. A vegan variation leaves off the cheese in favor of a sprinkling of fresh dill, and having made each version repeatedly, I can say happily that either is simply delicious.

 I've owned the SP cookbook since my early twenties, and this recipe is the reason! I first tasted it at my late ex-MIL's home, after watching her make it. So enjoyable was the salad, I begged to borrow the book and it's companion tome, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. It was tough giving them back, but finally I did, and soon after, purchased the pair for my own in hardcover through a cookbook club. I've been using both books, for recipes, tips, and inspiration ever since. I'm happy to share this wonderful, seasonal salad with you now, and so honor the memory of Anginette; a generous, creative cook who taught me several key lessons of the kitchen, and of entertaining, and of family life.


Beet and Roquefort Salad with Walnuts 

8-10 medium sized beets
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp walnut oil
1/2 C shelled walnut halves
1/4 lb imported Roguefort cheese
freshly ground black pepper, to taste


 Wash beets well, and trim stems and roots without piercing the skin. Drop the beets into a large kettle of boiling salted water and cook until tender, 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the beets. Drain, cool, and peel beets, and cut into julienne.

 In a mixing bowl toss the beets gently with the vinegar and walnut oil. Taste, and add more of either if you like; there should be just enough to coat the beets. Cover and chill until serving time.

 To serve, toss the walnuts with the chilled beets and arrange in a shallow serving bowl. Allow to return to room temperature. Crumble the Roquefort evenly over the top (or sprinkle generously with chopped fresh dill), and grind on black pepper to taste. Serve immediately. 6 to 8 portions.

 That was how I first had it, although I believe Anginette simply sliced her beets. I sometimes do, too, but most often now, I roast the peeled, quartered beets in a Tbsp of olive oil, and use a little more oil in the viniagrette, not the full amount as given. (You may want to use paper towelling to dry the peeled beets on, before roasting, or do what I did and use an old purple napkin that won't take any harm from such use.)

               

 Today I cooked a pumpkin in the oven at the same time as the beets, and roasted the cleaned seeds in oil and sea salt-- so I'm using that oil, seeds removed, in place of the walnut oil, which I'm out of at the moment. The flavor from the pumpkin seeds should help replace the nuttiness, as will toasting the walnuts... using the oven on the second cool day of the month, I made sure to get my money's worth!


(ready to roast!)




 And I'm not chilling the salad, as written above. There are reasons for chilling the beets in their nutty oil-- it helps the simple, strong flavors penetrate them, and the vinegar does its job in the marinade better, too. My way of roasting them brings out their sweet earthiness enough that I can skip the chill if I want, and just let the dressed beets sit awhile before garnishing with the nuts and Roquefort.

 Another change I often make is to use a milder blue cheese, but add instead the bite of a tangier vinegar, like raspberry. I'll often add some dill along with all that. But this time, I've switched up the flavors a bit, roasting a clove of garlic alongside the beets for extra oomph, and sprinkling them beforehand with garam masala from Penzey's. I'm adding a handful of dried sweet cherries, the toasted walnuts are broken smaller to cover more ground, and as a final assault on tradition, I've put Champagne vinegar into the pumpkin-seed flavored oil to make the dressing. These small tweaks have turned an already yummy salad into the main dish of our Sunday Supper. The flavors are still clear and simple, but not as austerely perfect.

 

 And who could believe such a pretty meal came from those nasty looking roots?     


 Have a lovely evening. Peace, Mari

 

Looking Ahead...

 It's good news that gestation crates for pigs are becoming a thing of the past... what about the future? Well, we have to take it slow, I think. Real change comes in time.

Here's a link I happened on today, while reading about the recent promises from Qdoba and Jack-in-the-Box to end their support of that cruel crating practice. There's wisdom in Wayne's post, and I just had to share it.

And I'd like to introduce something else: A new, semi-regular feature here, Off the Shelf will comprise recipes and reviews from my own, and borrowed, cookbooks. The recipes will be given both as originally written, and as adapted by myself in the case of real changes. Similar to Tried and Tweaked Thursdays, but with more history, and perhaps recipes that haven't been tweaked beyond all recognition!
 I hope to learn how to use the blogger categorising gadget very soon. It should make searching veg@large easier for all of us.

 Peace, Mari

A Link to the Future, and Kickin' Green Beans

A not--so-shocking article I found in my email box this a.m.:

http://www.thedailymeal.com/we-may-all-be-vegetarians-40-years


 Enjoy your weekend, and the weather, while the seasons change. Here's a neat little recipe that livens up a picnic. I may have posted it before, but there's getting too much of this tangy salad!

 GREEN BEANS with TWO MUSTARDS from Madhur Jaffrey's Cookbook, adapted by Mari

 

Salt

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 super-full Tbsp dijon mustard

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard seeds (can use brown, if necessary)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slivers

1 1/2 lbs green beans, trimmed

 Set a large pot of salted water to boil (should be just slightly saltier than your natural preference).

Put the lemon juice in a small bowl, add the dijon, 1 tsp salt, black pepper and cayenne. Mix and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a small cast iron frying pan over medium heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop (this takes just a few seconds), put in the garlic. Stir until the slivers turn a light brown, take pan off heat, and allow to cool slightly. beat the cooled oil mixture into the lemon juice mixture until you have a creamy dressing.

The pot should now be at a rolling boil. Drop in the beans and boil vigorously for 3-5 minutes, just until crisp-tender. Drain thoroughly. Put beans in a large bowl, beat the dressing again and pour it over beans. Toss to mix. Serve cool or at room temp.

 I have found that although you can make both beans and dressing a day ahead, it is best to let the dressing come close to room temp again, and dress the salad just before serving instead of mixing the two way ahead of time; it keeps the beans fresher looking, and avoids greasiness.

 We love this salad, especially with grilled foods. So delicious and savoury.

 Peace, Mari