Pie for Thanksgiving is a big deal in my family, especially on my husband's side. Not only does there need to be plenty for the big day, with family sticking around all weekend, there needs to be plenty of leftovers! Apple and pumpkin are non-negotiable necessities and not to be messed with, but we always do at least a couple other kinds as well and there is always room for a little creativity. Peach, blueberry, and cherry are all frequent additions to the table. Last year I made a triple cranberry meringue pie (I think I found the recipe on the New York Times website), which was quite tasty but involved too many steps to make again for a holiday where food prep time is at a premium. Here are some other ideas to jazz things up without straying too far from tradition:
1. For apple pie, add a handful of cranberries
2. For pumpkin pie, add minced candied ginger or substitute maple syrup for some or all of the sugar
3. For peach pie, add some minced fresh or candied ginger
4. For peach, cherry, or berry pies, top with streusel topping instead of pastry crust
5. Mix apple and pear in a pie, or apple, pear, and poached quince
6. Mix different berries in one pie (e.g. blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry)
7. For berry, cherry, or peach pie, add a teaspoon of almond or hazelnut extract to the pastry dough
8. Combine peaches with blueberries or blackberries
And, of course, don't forget to have plenty of Snow's or Bart's ice cream on hand for the a la mode part. Vanilla is classic, of course, but we have found that Snow's ginger goes really well with most fruit pies - skeptical relatives have been converted!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Miso Soup with Soba Noodles and Kale
Apparently I was on sort of an Asian kick this weekend. Here's a tasty soup I put together in an attempt to use some of the items in our CSA box.
4 cups water
4 cups chicken or veggie stock (or more water)
5-6 cups chopped kale (I used lacinato)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced daikon
12-16 oz. firm tofu, in 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz. uncooked soba noodles
4-6 Tbsp miso paste
Salt to taste
Heat the water and stock to boiling in a large soup pot, then add the kale, carrots, daikon, and tofu and reduce heat to a simmer.
While the veggies simmer, cook the soba noodles separately according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. When the vegetables are tender, add the noodles to the soup pot.
Scoop 1 cup or so of broth out of the soup pot. Stir the miso paste into it, then return to the pot. Taste soup and add salt as desired.
Serves about 6.
4 cups water
4 cups chicken or veggie stock (or more water)
5-6 cups chopped kale (I used lacinato)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced daikon
12-16 oz. firm tofu, in 1/2-inch cubes
8 oz. uncooked soba noodles
4-6 Tbsp miso paste
Salt to taste
Heat the water and stock to boiling in a large soup pot, then add the kale, carrots, daikon, and tofu and reduce heat to a simmer.
While the veggies simmer, cook the soba noodles separately according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. When the vegetables are tender, add the noodles to the soup pot.
Scoop 1 cup or so of broth out of the soup pot. Stir the miso paste into it, then return to the pot. Taste soup and add salt as desired.
Serves about 6.
Spicy Asian Linguine with Vegetables
This is a dish I sometimes make when I'm in the mood for a stir-fry but want dinner on the table faster than it takes to cook rice. Like any good stir-fry, you can vary the vegetables and protein with whatever is in season or on hand. You can also toss in frozen vegetables, such as peppers, though they will be soft when cooked. This is the version I made this weekend.
12 ounces dry linguine
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola oil
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 medium red pepper, in thin slices
1 1/2 cups sliced daikon
1/4 cup soy sauce, plus more for topping if desired
2 tsp chili paste
8-12 oz. tempeh, tofu, or cooked chicken, cubed
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted (optional)
Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, toss with the sesame oil, and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a wok or large skillet. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms (and tempeh if that's the protein you're using) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they start to get tender. Add the carrots, red pepper, daikon, chili paste, and soy sauce, and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still a bit crisp. If using tofu, add it and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently but being careful not to it break down. If using cooked chicken, toss it in at the last minute.
Add the cooked linguine to the wok or skillet with the vegetables and toss to mix well.
Top with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.
Serves 4-6.
12 ounces dry linguine
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola oil
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 medium red pepper, in thin slices
1 1/2 cups sliced daikon
1/4 cup soy sauce, plus more for topping if desired
2 tsp chili paste
8-12 oz. tempeh, tofu, or cooked chicken, cubed
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted (optional)
Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, toss with the sesame oil, and set aside.
Heat the canola oil in a wok or large skillet. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger over high heat for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms (and tempeh if that's the protein you're using) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they start to get tender. Add the carrots, red pepper, daikon, chili paste, and soy sauce, and stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are tender but still a bit crisp. If using tofu, add it and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently but being careful not to it break down. If using cooked chicken, toss it in at the last minute.
Add the cooked linguine to the wok or skillet with the vegetables and toss to mix well.
Top with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Serve hot.
Serves 4-6.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Buying Local Through the Winter
Buying and eating local food through the winter is getting easier each year. Even if you don't have a big freezer or a root cellar, you can sign up for a winter CSA, head for winter farmers markets, or stop by the farm stands that remain open. CISA has put together a great resource page with information and links to sources up and down the Valley - check it out!
There will be a one-day farmers market in Gill in January, plus Winter Fare in Greenfield in February and a new Winter Fare in Northampton in January. According to CISA, Turners Falls is also working on putting together a winter market. Additionally, the Brattleboro winter farmers market is happening every Saturday through the end of the year, then twice a month for January-March.
There will be a one-day farmers market in Gill in January, plus Winter Fare in Greenfield in February and a new Winter Fare in Northampton in January. According to CISA, Turners Falls is also working on putting together a winter market. Additionally, the Brattleboro winter farmers market is happening every Saturday through the end of the year, then twice a month for January-March.
Apple Edam Pizza
I have been toying with this recipe idea for a while, along with a few others that are variations on the theme. Finally got around to trying it out - inspired, in part, by an apple pizza blog post by Tinky Weisblat (who may be familiar to Franklin County folks as the force behind the Pudding Hollow Pudding Contest and the writer of the Recorder's Blue Plate Specials monthly features on the Food page) with a different take on the concept. (I want to try Tinky's too - it looks great!)
This came out really well and I will definitely make it again. It is simple to make and the balance between sweet apples and savory cheese and seasonings was just right. I used an unyeasted thin crust with whole wheat flour substituted for one quarter of the white flour, which worked really well with this particular combination of ingredients.
1 14-inch pizza crust (whole wheat is good)
olive oil
3-4 ounces shredded Edam (such as Chase Hill Farm's Dutch Gold)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8-1/4 inch thick
2 shallots, minced
1/4 tsp dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 for a standard crust or 500 for an unyeasted thin crust.
Paint the crust lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with the Edam. Arrange the apples on top of the cheese in a single layer. Sprinkle the shallots over the apples, then carefully sprinkle the sage on top. Add salt and pepper as desired.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.
Serves 2-3.
This came out really well and I will definitely make it again. It is simple to make and the balance between sweet apples and savory cheese and seasonings was just right. I used an unyeasted thin crust with whole wheat flour substituted for one quarter of the white flour, which worked really well with this particular combination of ingredients.
1 14-inch pizza crust (whole wheat is good)
olive oil
3-4 ounces shredded Edam (such as Chase Hill Farm's Dutch Gold)
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8-1/4 inch thick
2 shallots, minced
1/4 tsp dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 for a standard crust or 500 for an unyeasted thin crust.
Paint the crust lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with the Edam. Arrange the apples on top of the cheese in a single layer. Sprinkle the shallots over the apples, then carefully sprinkle the sage on top. Add salt and pepper as desired.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.
Serves 2-3.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Late Season CSA Shares Still Available
Picadilly Farm still has a few shares left for its late season CSA. We signed up and will be getting our first box tomorrow - with what sounds like an incredible array and quantity of food. Everything from sweet potatoes to cilantro to beets to sweet peppers (!). See the farm's website for details. Pick-up options include Bart's Cafe in Greenfield, The Works Cafe in Keene, NH, and the farm itself in Winchester, NH.
Quinces
On his last trip to Clarkdale for apples and pears, my husband also picked up some quinces, which I didn't know they grew. My prior experience with quinces is limited - out in California, some friends had a neighbor with a big bush of them and served us up some for dessert, cooked with a bit of sugar. They had a lovely, spicy flavor; I found it hard to believe my friend had not added spices. Quinces are inedible raw, though. They smell incredible - a sweet, intoxicating scent - but are tough and astringent unless cooked.
The only one of my cookbooks that does more than mention quinces in passing, if at all, is Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. She offers several recipes and, helpfully, notes that quince cooked in syrup will keep in the fridge for months (you could also can it), so that you can easily add a bit to apple pies, pear tarts, etc. She also says that a long-steeped infusion of quince seeds and peels is good for a sore throat.
I have not yet had a chance to experiment with the quinces Donovan bought, but the good news is that unless bruised or damaged, ripe quinces will keep for a long time. For now they are pleasantly scenting my dining room from the fruit bowl. If you're intrigued, pick some up yourself - I am not sure how long they will be available.
The only one of my cookbooks that does more than mention quinces in passing, if at all, is Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. She offers several recipes and, helpfully, notes that quince cooked in syrup will keep in the fridge for months (you could also can it), so that you can easily add a bit to apple pies, pear tarts, etc. She also says that a long-steeped infusion of quince seeds and peels is good for a sore throat.
I have not yet had a chance to experiment with the quinces Donovan bought, but the good news is that unless bruised or damaged, ripe quinces will keep for a long time. For now they are pleasantly scenting my dining room from the fruit bowl. If you're intrigued, pick some up yourself - I am not sure how long they will be available.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)