Fresh Approach Cooking

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Hi peaches!

SO get this…recently I was invited to a food event featuring some lovely local chefs doing a cooking demonstration. I was in and excited to go, since a few of my friends were planning on attending, too. Sounded like a nice way to spend a few hours…ya know?

Plus…there were cocktails.

The funny part was that when I checked in and was handed my nametag I honestly was mildly surprised to see I was there representing this blog! Ha!

It’s not that I forgot I had it, I just somehow didn’t realize other people were still tuned in!

Oops.

So…after that jolt…and three weeks later, I’m back here…with a quickie post on pickled Asian pears. Because they are beyond delicious, super easy to pull off and you should make some.

Try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

xoxo

Pickled Asian Pears

(This is a quick pickle, which means it does not need to ferment and is ready to eat as soon as it is chilled.)

4 large Asian pears, peeled, cored and sliced in to ¼ inch wedges

1 large red onion, sliced in to thin wedges
3 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons white wine
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

In a large, non-reactive (that means, don’t use aluminum) sauce pot, combine the onion, water, vinegars, wine, sugar, salt and spices. Let simmer for 3 minutes then taste and adjust salt/sugar/vinegar to balance. It should be a bit salty (it IS a pickle) and not overly tart.

When the flavors are to your taste, then add the pear and simmer 4 minutes. Don’t boil, simmer. Boiling not good. Simmer, good.

That’s it! Take off the heat and let cool. Transfer to another container and chill in the fridge until ready to eat.

I served them alone, but you can try them on a cheese plate, or with pork, or any bbq kind of meal. Super yum!

Makes about 3 cups.


© 2010 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2010 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Follow me on twitter!

Asian pears are in season from July into late October.

Desserts for Breakfast posted a beautiful Asian pear frozen yogurt and lemon ginger macarons recipe. Check it out here.

Labels: Appetizer, Condiment, Gluten Free, Pickle, Vegan, Vegetarian

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For you, my peaches, we have a photo and recipe for a summery sorrel soup that has always been much maligned due to it’s fantastically unsavory color.

(So sad!)

It is a dish with a color that exists somewhere between not-so-plucky army green and decidedly cringe-worthy, cement grey.

Something one associates with World War 2 era British school dinners and/or prison food. (Or, as Sam called it, "Sludge taken from Shrek's swamp.") So…in other words…it lacks a certain visual appeal.

But that color, what-ever-it-is, is a deceptive little shade of…um…not-so-pretty, because the soup itself is really extra terrific. It packs a bit of pow in that drab dress coat. It is bright and sour and creamy and cold and unexpectedly divine.

And not only is it a wee bit hard on the eyes, and oh so very easy on the palate, but it is also a very humble Russian peasant soup (when called schav) and at the same time, a very upscale French delicacy known as soupe a l’oseille. Go figure. One soup, two ends of the culinary spectrum.

But names and looks aside, it really is one of the best things you can eat on a hot day. Simple to make, and simple to eat. You will thank me for this recipe and I promise, after the first sip, you will have a whole new opinion of that old maxim that we eat with our eyes.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

2 T olive oil
3 pounds sorrel leaves (I used a mix of French sorrel and red sorrel from my garden)
2 quarts water
1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper
1 T lemon juice
3 eggs , beaten
1 cucumber, sliced (for garnish)
Dill sprigs (also for garnish)

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, over medium heat. Add the potato and cook (stirring often) 5 minutes. Add sorrel and water and bring to a boil. Let cook about 30 minutes.

Whisk together three egg yolks, temper with the hot soup, and whisk it all into soup. Return to the stove and cook for 3 more minutes. (Do not boil, or the eggs will scramble.)

Working in batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender.

Taste, adjust seasoning and add lemon juice as needed. Chill. Garnish with cucumber slices and dill sprigs and serve.

(Some people like this with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, too.)

© 2009 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2009 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Story and recipe for schav from The Jew and the Carrot

What is it about the Tamra Davis Cooking Show that has me coming back for more?

The common sorrel, or spinach dock, is a perennial herb, which grows abundantly in meadows in most parts of Europe and is cultivated as a leaf vegetable. Because of the mildly acidic taste, it quenches thirst, and may be helpful in boosting the appetite. Wiki

Labels: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Luncheon, Soup, Vegetarian

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Oh wow. Last week…it was so terrific…cherry cherries had appeared in the market. This week…like a little, fragrant gift…apricots. I was so ecstatic. Such an amazing thing, a perfect apricot!

I had been toying all week with the idea of making a carrot-apricot soup (the idea filled my head and just had to be seen through!) and was kinda-sorta geared up to get it going…(don't you love the way I interrupt myself with parenthetical comments? LOL. Yea...me too.) but I knew I really had to be patient and not pouty if there weren’t any around yet when I arrived at the Sunday Hollywood Farmers Market.

Then happiness prevailed…they were there! Golden, sweet.

And because someone was smiling down on me, I even scored some (super inexpensive! Joyous bonus!) of the “slightly blemished” beauties for $0.25/pound and with a song in my heart I got home and got my soup under way.

This is just too, too easy to bring together. The trick is to really use the most amazing, top quality, flavorful produce you can get. Really...otherwise it's just going to be plain.

I sort of fell in love with the idea of this looking like a melted creamsicle too…giving the illusion it has cream in it…without really having any, so I went with white carrots. You can use orange, of course if you can't find white.

The flavor of apricot should not be pronounced in the soup either…it should just be something you catch at the end of a bite. If your apricots are large, use less. And if you find the whole soup is a bit too delicate for you (I do tend to like very light flavors.) try adding some curry leaves or a bit of orange zest.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy!

Cold Carrot-Apricot Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 large leek, cleaned, sliced (white part only)
6 white carrots, peeled, sliced into thin rounds
3 apricots, pulp only
4 cups chicken stock
salt to taste
optional: heavy cream or yogurt to garnish (I tried both and much preferred the cream…but didn't think it needed either...)

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Add the leeks and cook until just soft but not browned. Add the carrot, chicken stock, apricot pulp and salt.

Puree. Pass through a strainer if you want it smoother. Otherwise, chill and enjoy.

Makes four to six servings.

© 2009 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2009 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Carrot museum!!!

90% of the apricots grown commercially in the United States come from California

Ilva once made a similar soup...check it out!

Apricot means "precious" in Latin. (I keep giggling imagining Golum referring to the Ring as "My Apricot.")

Labels: Gluten Free, Soup

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In the seemingly endless world of online meme’s, one of my darling friends asked me to list the first 25 songs that came up on my ipod and then pass the list along.

I got so far as pulling out the ipod and listening but decided against sharing what came up...turns out my musical taste is pretty bland...

I did notice something though…a lot of the songs were about rain. And umbrellas. Three umbrella songs and seven rain songs actually. In a row.

Weird, right? Is my music player trying to tell me something?

That would be nerve wracking.

And considering how gloomy it is today…well, I was that much more driven from those melancholy musings and in to my kitchen, to make something good and filling and happy making.

Labels: Chicken, Entree, Gluten Free

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Happy new year everyone! I hope you had a safe and lovely NYE and that you are primed and ready for the next 365 days of madness, glory, good eating and delights.

(What can I say...all things considered, I still hold out for hope and change and all those pretty buzz words...)

My holiday season was quite terrific – with warm days and lots of festive goings on. It really was just flawless.

The one mistake I have made though, was neglecting my beautiful garden. I hadn’t even peeked at it until today and while it really does look a mess (grass has sprung up everywhere. Aye-yi-yi) the soil is dark and rich and lovely and lots of things have burst out in their winter glory.

The celery and fennel have gone wild in a good way, the arugula and sorrel in not-such-a-good-way. And the spinach! My word, it was everywhere. Again. It’s amazing and beautiful. So, naturally, I tore it all out. Not in a malicious way…but because I wanted to eat it. Mmm. But the big suprise was that there were exactly three parsnips. I was so shocked. Sure, they were a bit anemic but I had grown them myself and was pretty excited about that.

Starry-eyed surprise.

I decided to make a soup I have posted here before...but this time, had the time to really sass it up. Because while a bowl of soup is a beautifully rich meal, a bowl of soup with some sass to it is all the better. And that is where the parsnips came in as little starry soufflés.

The concept is based on the Fluffy Spinach Bites in Michel Richard’s glorious cookbook, Happy in the Kitchen, but I changed it up quite a bit to meet my needs.

They came out beautifully. They have the most incredible texture. Light and fluffy for sure, but dense with flavor.

And if you like them (and I know you will.) they also make a fab little passed appetizer. And don't be daunted by the long recipe, it really is a snap to do. Just go with it and reach the zen.

To make three different croutons, I made a base of the parsnip flavor then divided it in to thirds and flavored the other batches with carrot and roasted pepper (respectively.) You can really do any assortment of flavors you like, but my point is that this makes three batches of 64 bites each which is a lot. They hold in the fridge for three days or you can just make a third of this in only one flavor. Just don’t try to make three flavors with a third of this…you won’t get enough “batter.”

Now try this my peaches and taste the joy.

3 pounds parsnip, peeled and diced small
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced
3 cups heavy cream
12 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
salt
3 tablespoons gelatin
2 cups parmesan cheese
1 large pinch black pepper
1 large pinch grated nutmeg
½ cup (additional) parmesan cheese
1 large pinch chile flakes

Preheat oven to 300F. Line three 8” square baking pans with foil. Make sure the foil overhangs on two sides so later you can lift the soufflés out. Butter the foil and set aside.

Steam the parsnips and carrots, separately until very soft. (In a steamer basket works best, though I admit, I microwaved them with a bit of water.)

In a blender, combine the steamed parsnip with all of the cream, eggs, sugar, salt, gelatin and parmesan. Puree until smooth. Remove and divide evenly between three large bowls. Season one batch with black pepper and pour in to the first baking pan.

Puree the second batch with the steamed carrots. Add a pinch of nutmeg, pour in to the second baking pan.

Puree the third (last) batch with the roasted pepper, additional cheese and chile flakes. Pour in to the third baking pan.

Bake all three pans for 30 minutes or until firm. Remove and let cool. When ready to serve, cut in to desired shapes and re-heat on a lined baking sheet for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

If you are using them in soup, ladle some of the soup in to a shallow bowl. Swirl some cream on top (using a squeeze bottle works best.) then top with croutons.


Serves six to eight as a soup garnish and 20 - 24 as an appetizer


© 2009 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2009 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

We served this soup at the November edition of the CWK Sustainable Supper Club. Are you on the list?

Crystal City, Texas is the self proclaimed Spinach Capital of the World, though California produces far more spinach than Texas growers annually.

Michel Richard was the James Beard Outstanding Chef award in 2007.

Looking for other spinach soup ideas? Check out what Ilva did at Lucullian Delights.

Labels: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Soup

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I feel like getting all-kindsa serious up in here...because in some weird fashion, this cheesecake deserves it.

Without a doubt, this here slice of delights has been my single greatest culinary triumph to date.

(In the dessert realm, anyway.)

How so? Well, you see...

As a few of you astute readers may have caught on by now; for the last few months I have been working along with a friend, throwing roaming dinner parties under the guise of the Chicks with Knives Sustainable Supper Club.

It's your basic underground, moveable restaurant kinda thingy. A la the Ghetto Gourmet.

We pick a date and write a menu, send out invites and lo and behold a fantatic set of total strangers show up at a secret location and good times are had by all.

It's simply dreamy.

And my peaches? Thus far, it has been a smash-hit.

(Can I get a holla? Holla!)

We make the kinds of foods that rock our own world - being all Sustainable/Organic/Local and Ethical - and it has been our distinct pleasure to serve it to people who really seem to dig our vibe.

Hip-hop-hooray!

As an added bonus, I get to feed people the food I grow in my own garden, and the food my friends and neighbors have grown too. We serve local meats and fruits and veg and keep it as earth friendly as possible without getting preachy.

So really, it's just lovely and fun and puts a smile on my face.

Which leads me to the cheesecake...the featured dessert at our most recent and most decidedly faboo, sit-down. An insane sounding Fennel Cheesecake. More to the point, a Crustless, Franchi Fennel Cheesecake with Candied Carrot Frizzle and Tree-Tomato and Grapefruit Sorbet.

Welcome to the wackness.

And yet, it worked like a DREAM! I swear.

So much so that I have made it three times since and am still getting calls and emails asking for the recipe. Raves I tell you, raves are all I hear. Such a nice thing!

There is just something so decadant and different about it. You will just have to try for yourself and see. It's is creamy and smooth and rich and airy. All at once.

The fennel is not at all pronounced, but just lends a backround note that leaves you guessing. And if you don't tell your guests that the garnish is carrot, they may never be able to figure out what it really was. (Just make sure you use a truely sweet carrot. Taste a few in your bunch to find out.)

Now me, I used all fair-trade/organic/homegrown/local ingredients and I swear it added to the specialocity of this...but even if you aren't (like me) out harvesting fennel seeds, you can still make a good show of this...and I hope you will.

So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


1 organic fennel bulb, small dice (about three quarters of a cup)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup organic, fair-trade, vegan sugar
1 tablespoon organic butter
2 teaspoons ground fennel or anise seed mixed with 1 T. sugar
2 pounds organic cream cheese
1 1/4 cup sugar
5 cage-free, organic eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Ouzo, Ricard or Sambuca or 1 teaspoon anise extract
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream


Preheat oven to 325F.

In a small saucepan, combine the fennel, sugar and water and simmer until the water is mostly evaporated and the fennel is sticky and translucent. Carefully pour out on to a Silpat non-stick baking sheet, non-stick baking sheet or parchment paper. Set aside to cool. Break up with a fork a few times as it cools to prevent clumping.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Lightly butter a 10-inch Springform pan and dust the interior with fennel or anise seed. Knock out any excess. Wrap the exterior of the pan with foil. Set aside.

Using a Cuisinart, blend the cheese until soft. Add the sugar and blend for 2 minutes, to incorporate. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then add the lemon zest (if using. I didn’t use it.), alcohol (or extract) cream and sour cream and process for another minute. Fold the candied fennel into the batter.

To create a water bath, place the prepared, foil-wrapped, Springform pan into a larger roasting pan. Pour the batter in to the Springform. Place roasting pan with the cheesecake in it into the oven on the center rack and then pour the boiled water in to the roasting pan to create a water bath. The water should come half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.

Bake for 1.25 hours or until just set; the center should still have a wiggle to it.

Turn the oven off and let the cake cool in there for up to two hours, then refrigerate for at least six hours prior to serving.

Makes one large cheesecake.

(I served this with carrot strips that I tossed in corn-starch, fried, and then dusted with confectioners sugar, slightly sweetened whipped cream and a tree-tomato and grapefruit vodka sorbet.)

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake anyone? How about a Vegan Eggnog version?

The book the Professional Pastry Chef says: "The main difference between the New York style cheesecake and the regular cheesecake, is that here, the sour cream is part of the filling and is mixed with the other ingredients at the beginning. In the other cake, the sour cream is added as a topping after the cream cheese filling is partially baked. Secondly, in the regular cheesecake, the ratio of sour cream to cream cheese is just about equal. In the New York style, only a small amount of sour cream is used by comparison. Lastly, the New York style contains approximately half again as much egg." Which I guess makes this cake NY style...

Labels: Dessert, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

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Hello!

How are you today?

Feeling sassy?

I hope so! (Me? I'm stupendous! Cannot complain~)

Are you prepared for the onslaught of holiday delights? Are you ready to start indulging like none-other?

Perhaps you are in need of the taste appeal of a potato chip?

I thought so.

These are - without a doubt - the fussiest and silliest things to make...and there is even an easier way to do them that involves a few sheet pans and a brick, but I like this method and am here to share - yes indeedy.

It does require a Mandoline slicer though, for sure. So bust that pretty thing out and rejoice that you have an excuse to use it. And if you haven't got one...um...you should skip this. Because as much as I would like to say you can accomplish this with a good sharp knife...you can't. (Shrug.) But onward anyway!

So this recipe is for stained glass potato chips. Sometimes called potatoes Maxine (but only by someone I'm not entirely sure I trust with culinary nomenclature.)But you know...it's the method when you sandwich herbs in between two paper thin slices of Idaho potato. So it looks purdy and has a hint of fabulous. Because in these economic times, potatoes are still cheap and cheerful even if not much else is.

So try this my little peaches and taste the salty-fried joy.

2 large Russett/Idaho/Burbank potatoes
2 cups clarified butter or canola oil (go for the butter if you can)
1/2 cup assorted fresh herbs (obviously I used fennel fronds and oregano leaves. Just make sure you use soft herbs and nothing woody that will tear the potatoes...like rosemary)
Salt

Slice the potatoes in to almost translucent thin slices. Keeping pairs together.
Lay one slice down and add some herbs. Flatten with your fingers and top with the matching slice. Continue with the rest of the potatoes.

Heat the butter/oil and add the chips two or three at a time. Fry until golden. Remove to a cooling rack (good idea to put that rack over a paper towel or cloth so your counter stays clean.) Salt and continue frying the rest of the chips.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

As dictated by French law, the third Thursday of November -- is the first day of the year when Beaujolais Nouveau can be sold. The red wine, made from Gamay grapes, is the first wine of the new season. Though critics long have dismissed Beaujolais Nouveau as unsophisticated, the wine surged in popularity in the 1980s and '90s. More recently, subtle price increases in the relatively inexpensive wine, along with competition from other cheap wines, have chipped away at sales. Distributors and wine shops expect sales to drop slightly, maintaining the downward trend that began earlier this decade. Last year, 2.55 million bottles of the wine were shipped to the U.S. That's down from 3.9 million bottles sold in 2001.The average price this season will be $12.99 to $14.99. That's up about a dollar from last year, he says. Sales for the 2007 season were down 12% from 2001. - WSJ

History of the potato? Sure! Right here.

Labels: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

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Last Sunday night I was expounding (as I am prone to do) to an enthralled audience (I'm sure...) on the difference between beets and chard, when someone stated that they are nothing alike, from a nutrition standpoint.

Well. She was just plain wrong.

And, of course, exactly right.

Beets and chard are not much alike - nutritionally.

One is a sugary root and the other is a leaf for heavens sake.

But I was talking about beet greens.

Which are nutritionally quite similar to chard, only a bit of a different color and texture...because chard is just a variety of beet in which the root is not overly developed.

In other words (and much like this post) I wasn't clear about what I was talking about. Since I was talking about beet greens.

And to think, I used to work in "communications." The irony is not lost on me. (And I do hope that is the proper use of that word.)

The good news is, I have this space to clarify (or not, depending on if this is clear to you.) and to post a nutritional power-house recipe for chard and chick peas.

A quick side-dish. It is perfect with brown rice or as a filling for tacos. I also like to use the left-overs in a fritatta.

So try this my peaches, and taste the joy.

1 bunch chard, sliced thin
1 bunch beet greens, sliced thin
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
juice and zest of one small tangerine
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 large beet, cooked and diced
1 cup chick peas (boiled or canned, whichever)

Rinse the greens and set aside. Do not dry.

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the greens and fruit juice and zest. Saute until wilted. Add the beets and chick peas and stir to heat through.

Serves four.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.comIf you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Chard - n. - Long succulent whitish stalks with large green leaves; Beet lacking swollen root.

The beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant in the amaranth family. It is best known its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is probably the red root vegetable known as the garden beet. However, other cultivated varieties include the leaf vegetables chard and spinach beet, as well as the root vegetables sugar beet, which is important in the production of table sugar. - Wiki

Misshapen fruit and vegetables won a reprieve on Wed from th EU as it scrapped rules banning overly curved, extra knobbly or oddly shaped produce from markets. Ending regulations on the size and shape of 26 types of fruit and vegetables, authorities killed off restrictions that had become synonymous with bureaucratic meddling. In July, these standards for the 26 products, as varied as peas and plums, will disappear. For 10 other types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, citrus, peaches, pears, strawberries and tomatoes, shape standards will remain. – NY TIMES

Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

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When the phone rang at 8pm (well, did it’s little tune/jingle thing. Can you program a phone to actually just, ring anymore?) I glanced down at the number so artfully displayed and did a double take.

Knowing there is an eight-hour time difference I had to wonder, who on earth was calling me from England at that hour?

I figured it must be a drunk dial, let it go to voicemail and forgot about it. Drunk dialers are only fun for about a second after all.

What a bummer mistake.

It was a British friend and they were calling with a bit of a rambling message, but alas, she was in Los Angeles on a layover to Hawaii and had been trying to reach me all day.

Sigh.

She had called in the morning asking if I wanted to meet for a pumpkin scone.

At noon, she called to see if I wanted to meet for pumpkin curry.

At three, for a pumpkin latte, and at dinner time for a slice of…you guessed it…pumpkin pie.

Turns out the radiant lass loves her some pumpkin and apparently had spent her entire 9 hour layover alone except for one very happy cab driver, hunting it down all over this fair city and consuming with abandon.

Had I only picked up that call. I could have invited her over for a feast.

Happily, she will be in town again on her return and I will be able to offer her this delight.

I emailed and confirmed.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


1/2 shallot, minced
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
1 small Kabocha squash
2 large Asian Pears
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 small heads frisee, rinsed and torn
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Preheat grill to medium.

Whisk shallots, rice vinegar and Dijon mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with curry powder (if using) and salt and pepper.

Slice the squash in half. Remove seeds and slice in to 1/4 inch thick slices.

Core and slice the pear into ½ inch slices also.

Toss the squash and pears together with the vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

Grill or pan sear the squash slices until just cooked through about 6 minutes. Set aside and repeat with the pears, which will take one or two minutes.

Toss the frisee and walnuts in the dressing and serve with the squash and pears.

(The vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper were not local. Everything else was.)


© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.comIf you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

Frisée - French, from feminine past participle of friser, to curl. The pale, yellow salad green is a member of the chicory family.

In the last few years plantings of Asian pears were made in New Zealand, Australia, Chile, France, and the eastern and southeastern United States. Since 1984 about 500 acres of Asian pears have been planted every year in California. - Perdue.edu

LONDON, England (AP) -- The British pint has become the latest victim of the global credit crunch, with total beer sales dropping around 7 percent in the third quarter of this year. The British Beer and Pub Association said that 161 million fewer pints were sold between July and September compared with the same period last year -- a fall of 1.8 million pints a day.

Labels: Gluten Free, Luncheon, Salad, Vegan, Vegetarian

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The weather forcaster just informed me that she expects the weather to be 80F at the beaches today.

A siren song if I ever heard one.

But I promised to take in an exhibit at the Getty Museum with the fam. Who I love. And am always excited to spend time with. (Because they rock.)

That said...I'm wondering...

What if I show up at the wrong Getty museum (the Getty Villa, which is in Malibu and therefore closer to the beach) and then feel oh-so-sorry and traipse off to get some rays instead?

Nah.

Better stick with the plan. The beach will be there tomorrow too...

Lucky I have a plan to keep my beach-body (ha ha) through the winter, so it will be there tomorrow too.

What's my plan, you ask?

More salads!

Like this one. A variation of my beloved Waldorf. Crunchy, tangy, full of flavor and with the excellent addition of roasted grapes. Gots to love it.

Try this my peaches, and taste the joy

1 cup red grapes
1/4 cup walnuts
2 stalks celery, sliced
Leaves from celery, torn
1 small fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 teaspoon minced winter savory (or other winter herb)
1 tablespoon mayo
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Turn your oven on to 400F.

Toss the grapes with a tiny amount of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the grapes in an oven proof pan (I used my trusty cast-iron). Arrange the walnuts on a sheet pan. Put both into the oven. Toast the nuts until just browned (about 8 minutes.) and the grapes until just bursting (about the same, but they may need a turn or two.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Toss together the rest of the ingredients. Season to taste. Add more or less lemon juice as needed.

Add the walnuts and grapes after plating. (They don't look as pretty when they are coated in mayo. And this way the nuts won't get soft.)

(This was 99% local for me. Even the eggs and olive oil for the home-made mayo. The salt and pepper were the only imported items.)



© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com
If you are not reading this at the aforementioned URL or in your RSS feed, the site you are looking at are violating my copyright. And that's rude.

The Franciscans planted California's first vineyards the 1700's.

Today, the average person in the U.S. consumes about 8 pounds of fresh grapes per year. 98% of these grapes come from California.

The name fennel originates from the Greek word for "marathon” which is the famous battle at Marathon in 490 B.C. where the Greeks fought against the Persians on a field of fennel. - Food Reference.com

Labels: Gluten Free, Salad, Vegetarian

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Tell me peaches, are you taking part in the Eat Local Challenge?

You know...one month of 100-mile diet/local eating? Brilliant concept.
Important concept.

I'm on day six and rockin it like no other. (With exceptions of course. Since there isn't much alcohol for those cocktails produced in these parts. Yet.)

And talk about fab-tastic diet! I feel so invigorated and empowered and sassy. Supporting local farmers and the local economy.

Plain and simple, it's the best! (Plus, I swear, I lost that stubborn 3 pounds I am always whinging about. Most happy!)

I could go on and on, but since most of you aren't in a temperate climate, it may not be the easiest thing for you to take part in. But no worries, since this recipe can be made any old place. Texas, for instance. (Since I assume, based on the name - that is where it originated.)

It's just a bean-dream. All kinds of yum. Makes a girl smile.

The flavors are smokey and salty and creamy (that be the beans) and nutty (beans again) and get better n' better after a day or so of marinating. And it is totally open to being fussed with so you can really do whatever you like to make it your own. I personally served it as a side dish, but I hear tell that in Texas it is actually a kind of salsa. (As in, for chips. Seems...tricky to me. What with the beans being round-ish and all. But hey. Texans have skillz.)

So try it my lovelies and taste the joy.


4 cups cooked black eyed peas
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
2 sweet chile peppers, sliced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1 stalk celery, small dice
1 ounce speck (smoked prosciutto), torn

Toss the beans with the oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Toss in peppers, onions, parsley and celery. Let rest until ready to serve.

Just before serving, in a dry skillet, saute the speck until crispy. Garnish beans with speck and serve.

Serves six to eight

In this recipe, all of the ingredients either came from the Hollywood Farmers Market or my own garden.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com/This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of my copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

Speck is leg of pork which has been cured in salt and spices. It rests for several weeks before being cold-smoked slowley at 20°C or lower. The speck is then allowed to mature for about five months.

We served a version of this at our August Chicks with Knives Sustainable Supper Club. If you are in LA, I hope you will join us for the next one!

I heart Tiffany.

The suburban New York store where Tom Carvel launched his Carvel's ice cream empire is set to close after more than 70 years. Tom Carvel's ice cream truck got a flat tire on Hartsdale's Central Avenue in 1934. He was forced to pull over and did such brisk business that two years later, he opened an ice cream stand on the spot, about 25 miles north of Manhattan. - AP

Labels: Gluten Free, Salad, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Well it certainly has been an age since I put up a post for my Kitchen Project series, now hasn’t it!

The idea being that this is a recipe that takes some time and is more of a “let’s spend the day indoors” event than a “Hey, what’s for dinner”? It's a way to connect with food in a more meaningful way by dedicating a block of time to it.

So let's get on with it!

What with today being the beginning of (Northern hemisphere) autumn, I can think of no better time to wax rhapsodic about that which is the beet. Seasonal, bright and tasty.

And to gild the lily as it were, we will be, immersing said beet in to a briny solution and calling it a pickle.

Oh my oh my.

I love pickles.

Who’s with me?

It’s the sweet-and-sour saltiness that gets me.

Plus, I can make them myself which adds to their fabulocity. Mix and match flavors, and a bite full of heaven is mine.

And if you play along, it can be yours too.

In this case, by using golden beets the counter tops (and my fingertips) stay white and I end up with jewel-like glasses of treats. Heady and delightful. Perfect with a charcuterie plate or cocktails or alongside roast meats. Nothing could be more autumnal.



So try this my peaches and taste the joy.

7 pounds of small golden beets, with roots and 2 inches of tops
1 California bay leaf, dried

A few sprigs of fresh thyme
10 cloves
10 peppercorns
2 cups organic, raw sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
8 – 10 pint jars (I like Kerr or Mason brand)

Scrub beets thoroughly. Add to a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until just tender (approx. 15 – 25 minutes depending on size.)

Drain beets and cover with cold water. When cool, trim the tops and remove skins. Slice into ¼ inch thick slices or wedges.

Combine bay leaf, thyme, cloves, peppercorns, sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Reduce the heat and let the liquid simmer for 10 minutes.

While the liquid simmers, pack the beets loosely into pint or quart mason jars.

Pour hot liquid over the beets, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Close the jars and process for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Store the beets in a cool, dry place for three weeks before eating.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" http://www.freshcatering.blogspot.com/This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of my copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

Restaurant review I just felt like sharing. Aronia de Takazawa.

Told you I like pickles! Here we have fennel, carrots and onions…

Labels: Gluten Free, Kitchen Project, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Now lookie here my little geese. My darling ganders. My sweet peaches.

What with that arbitrary holiday known as Labor Day (which I am all for, being a Union lovin’ gal and a bit of a socialist at heart and whatall) having come and gone you may be thinking “Alas! Summer is over! Whoa is me!”

But lament not!

According to the sun and the moon and the celestial path of this good earth I can assure you summer (in these here parts) is not at all over. (Unless you are the school attending type I suspect) And the bounty continues and the delicacies abound and let’s face it…there is much to revel in still.

You can still feel the sweet kiss of the sun and bite in to the heavenly fruits of the day. The moment has not passed.

(And to think. You accuse me of being hyperbolic. Haven’t we talked about this? I am! I am!)

As a darned fine example of the sustainable pleasures on which we feast, I offer you this. This dreamy delight. This earthy rendition of fantastic. This which will make your eyes smile and your mouth sing. Yes indeedy my angels my loves, this is that good. This is that simple. This is that close to summertime perfection.

This recipe, which was taught to me (though altered slightly) by the amazing, the incredible, the utterly foxy, Meg, of Large Marge Sustainable Catering, is what I am talkin' about. (And I hope if you have any catering needs you will give her sweet self a jingle and tell her I send my love.)

And as a fabulous bonus in my particular case, the ingredients seen here are all from my garden (yes, even the avocado). Which makes my heart beat that much louder and my desire for you to try it that much stronger. Home grown happiness.

Now please do try this and taste the joy.

4 ears of sweet corn
1 large avocado, diced
1/2 cup small, whole, purple (opal) basil leaves
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt

Cut the kernels from the corn. Toss (oh so gently) with the rest of the ingredients. Season. Taste. Re-season as needed. Serve as soon as possible.

Serves four.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com

This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of my copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

In LA? Come take a cooking class at LA Food Works!

More than 50 million students eat lunch in school cafeterias daily. With the dawn of the new school year, districts across the country are signing on to the burgeoning "farm-to-school" movement. As a result, a number of school districts have cut back on fruits and vegetables purchased from large distributors in favor of working individually with local farmers. While that can be more expensive and may involve more work, food directors say it pays dividends in fresher, better-tasting produce that more kids eat. Signing up more kids for school lunches can help the bottom line, since schools receive a per-student subsidy from the Agriculture Department's National School Lunch Program. At the same time, schools are bolstering regional agricultural economies. - WSJ

Dark opal basil is a cultivar of Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil), developed by the University of Connecticut and John Scarchuk in the 1950s. With deep purple, sometimes mottled leaves, it is grown as much for its decorative appeal as for its culinary value. Dark opal basil is a past winner of the All-American Selection award. - Wikipedia

Labels: Gluten Free, Raw, Salad, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

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On one flawless Southern California morning, I dolled up and walked my self over to photographers heaven, Samy’s Camera.

Armed with the make and model of the camera I had meticulously researched scrawled on a slip of notebook paper, I was finally ready to commit.

Arriving on the 4th floor, my info was conveyed to the adorable sales clerk. The camera was procured. Price was confirmed and a credit card about to change hands.

It all seemed so easy. (Sigh)

But then, alas, a few questions were posed. A revelation was made. (That I take pictures of food.) A different camera was offered up. (Waterproof! Smaller! Not available in fashion-colors!) The transaction completed and I traipsed off with what turns out to be the most annoyingly lame and un-useable camera known to human kind.

Seriously kids, do you see those pictures? That is a sampling of a month’s worth of trying every silly setting on the thing. Here there and everywhere the camera has come out and failed me spectacularly.

Dishes have not been recorded, moments not captured, and sadness has settled in my heart due to a stringent no-return/no-exchange policy (and a vague hope it was just really me and not the camera.)

But then I realized something…a little something. I can still share recipes without photographic evidence and you will still love me.

Well, I hope so anyway!

So while I do my darndest to figure out this shamefully overpriced digital contraption, I shall leave you with a recipe for Greek salad.

And I leave the imagery of this perfect summer salad to you.

1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
Juice from 1 lemon
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced
½ teaspoon salt
A few grinds of black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
½ medium red onion, sliced thin
2 English cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, thick slices
6 large tomatoes, each tomato cored and cut into wedges
¼ cup loosely packed torn fresh parsley leaves
20 large kalamata olives, each olive pitted and quartered lengthwise
¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped

Whisk together the first seven ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the sliced red onion and cucumber and toss; let stand 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and parsley to bowl with onions and cucumbers and toss to coat.

Divide lettuce on wide, shallow serving bowl or platter; top with vegetables, sprinkle olives and feta over salad. Serve immediately.

Makes enough for six to eight people.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

Are you coming to the Chicks with Knives Sustainable Supper Club dinner?

More than 90 % of American wine production occurs on the West Coast. A large part of carbon-dioxide emissions associated with wine comes from simply trucking it from the vineyard to tables on the East Coast. A wine bottle holds 750 ml and generates about 5.2 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions when it travels from a vineyard in California to a store in New York. A 3-liter box generates about half the emissions per 750 ml. Switching to wine in a box for the 97 % of wines that are made to be consumed within a year would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, the equivalent of retiring 400,000 cars. - NY Times

Labels: Gluten Free, Raw, Salad, Side-Dish, Vegetarian

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The Ombudsman is not just a mediating master...he is a regular Svengali when it comes to food (and pretty much everything now that I think of it). Just one off hand suggestion and next thing you know, I am growing corn. Because home grown corn is so fab. Or so we hear. (Report on that next week.)

One side-ways glance at a taco truck and everyone in the group is lining up with cash in hand. A whim involving Santa Rosa plums, a jar of pickled herring and a surf board and next thing you know…trip to Mexico. (There is a food correlation there. It’s just hard to extract.)

I tell you the boy is like an air borne pathogen. In a friendly way. (Is there such a thing? Maybe he is more like perfume? No. That’s too girly. I’ll stick with pathogen.)

He is forever getting people to try running a marathon (really) or eat at random Vietnamese hole-in-the-wall mini-mall lunch spots. Sampling fare such as this.

Then, of course, you/one/I become addicted to it/that/whatever-it-was he has introduced in to your life and you/one/I become that much more worldly and happy for it. And you/one/I start to wish I were better at navigating since I could never find that spot again without a chauffer.

So I am forced to make my own version at home and that is just fine by me.

And for you my peaches (and Santa Rosa plums) I share this version of the classic dish that is the best side-salad you can imagine.

Try it and taste the joy.

2 firm, green mangoes
2 vine-ripe tomatoes
1 cup blanched green beans, sliced on the bias
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 red Thai bird chile, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 kaffir lime leaf, minced very fine
Fish sauce, to taste (optional)
1 cup mint leaves
1 cup Asian basil (Thai Holy, Opal or Siam Queen)

(My ingredients were all local and organic. Even the mango. A good way to go, ya? But if that's not feasible where you are, try it anyway. It's a tasty dish)


Peel the mangoes with a vegetable peeler. Grate or julienne the mango and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, chile, lime juice, brown sugar, vinegar, kaffir and fish sauce.

Taste and adjust as needed. It should be a balance of sweet, sour, spicy and salty.

Toss the dressing with the mango. Set aside.

Slice the tomatoes into long strips, removing the seeds. Add to the mango along with the green beans. Let rest for 10 minutes. When ready to serve, add fresh herbs.


Serves four.


© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

Bennigan’s, an Irish-themed bar and grill with about 200 sites across the country, filed for bankruptcy, a move that will put hundreds of employees out of work and leave many landlords with empty retail space during a painful time in the real estate market. Sister brand, Steak & Ale, will also close. - NY TIMES

If fresh kaffir lime leaves are not available, use the tender new leaves of lime, lemon or grapefruit.

Are you coming to the next Chicks with Knives Sustainable Supper Club dinner? If you are in LA, I hope you will!

Labels: Gluten Free, Raw, Salad, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Everything is daisy-sunshine happiness these days. Summer rocks!

In other words...what's not to like?

Brilliance!

*grin*

And me, I'm taking the summer one day at a time. Lots of relaxing and lots of tooling around thinking about the wonder of it all.

And one great place to spend an hour or so is one of our lovely outdoor markets.

I'm sure you know (or have maybe read), the SoCal farmers markets are a bit of a dream in terms of edible options. A cornucopia if you will.

So if you are open minded, flexible with your menu and willing to try new things (and eat a lot of fruit) it really can be a guilt free and lovely day-time excursion.

Phew.

So here is my recipe for a grilled triple lemon fish - ingredients for which can usually be found year round at any good farm stand. Sustainable, delicious, delightful. Perky too. Zippy, really, if you must know. And except for the pepper, it all came from my local farmers market.

I only wish I had captured a better shot of this before we ate it on down...

Now try this my peaches, and taste the joy.


6 each lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup black olives, diced, dry cured such as Gaeta
4 each Arctic Char, fish steaks, six ounces apiece
1/4 cup olive oil
1 each lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon pink peppercorn, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the honey and lemon juice and set aside until ready to grill.

Marinate the fish in the lemon oil, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, pink pepper and salt at room temperature for no longer than 1 hour.

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemons in long strips. Squeeze 6 tablespoons juice from lemons. Blanch peel in small saucepan of boiling water 30 seconds; drain. Bring 6 tablespoons of the lemon juice, olive oil, canola oil, garlic, and pinch of salt to simmer in small saucepan. Add lemon peel and simmer over low heat until peel is soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the black olives.



Preheat your grill.

Grill the fish for 7 minutes per inch, basting once with the honey-lemon glaze. Remove and serve with lemon confit as garnish.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

The city of Beverly Hills gave final approval Tuesday night on a deal that will bring a local restaurant from Thomas Keller, the only American chef with two 3-star establishments.Keller will be opening one of his casual-dining Bouchon bistros in Beverly Hills by fall 2009.

Popcorn was $11 for 20 lbs in January of this year. It's now $17 for the same bag.

Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Seafood

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Oh dear, oh dear.

I am officially a guilt-ridden bourgie girl with a food-complex.

How could this happen? It's so tragically cliche.

In the last few weeks (between reading a few intense books The Ombudsman threw my way in his ongoing effort to nurture my inner nerd/keep me single) I managed to read The Omnivore's Dilemma and Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood.

Whoooo.

Now peaches, in case you aren’t familiar with these tomes, they are of the genre that can best be described as, “we are all going to h*ll in a hand-basket unless we start making some informed decisions - stat.”

These books are informative, brilliantly written, methodically researched, heartbreaking and scary and happily (very happily) also tinged with hope.

The hope part being that, if we really do all pull ourselves together (for heavens sake!) just a tiny bit - and pay attention to our food choices - crisis can be averted and our lives and health and the world in general may just well improve. Super-fab news indeed. (And what a relief to hear!)

Phew.

My immediate (band-wagon-esque) instinct after all this intense info was to run out to the farmers market (as I do every week. I'm not really that new to this bandwagon) and buy something, anything, that I could feel chic and eco about. Naturally I ended up with...sea vegetables from The Carlsbad Aquafarm.

I mean, talk about a non-controversial food choice! It's (mostly) local, it's (totally, fer sher)healthy and it grows back quick as a wink.

Joyousness.

Sure, sure, it could be argued that it looks like something Little Orphan Annie's plumber pulled out of her shower drain...(oy!) but thrillingly, it's crisp, ocean breeze taste trumps it's trendiness impaired looks. In fact, there is also an delicate beauty to it that cannot be denied.

Keeping it light simple, I added a few salad-y ingredients and voila, a perfect summertime meal. And guilt free to boot.

Try it my peaches and taste the joy. (And I promise this is my last preachy post. For now...)

1 cup red seaweed, torn apart
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, large mince
1 small jalapeno, large mince
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
A few drops of sesame oil
1 green apple
English cucumber
Sea salt (naturally!)

To make the dressing, combine the ginger with the jalapeno, vinegar and oils. Taste and season with salt.

Peel and dice the cucumbers and add to the dressing.

Slice the apple and fan out on two chilled plates. Top with the sea vegetable. Spoon some of the cucumber over it and serve immediately.

Makes two large salads.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright. And generally cheesing me off.

The latest edition of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, now includes edamame (immature green soybeans), pescatarian (a vegetarian who eats fish) and about 100 other newly added words that have taken root in the American lexicon. GoErie.com

2007 vodka sales at the supplier level reached $4.3 billion, a 7.65% increase over 2006

Joey Chestnut is the 2008 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest winner. It was initially a tie between Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi at 59 hot dogs each, which lead to a sudden death show down. This year's event was cut down to 10 minutes vrom 12. Prior to Chestnut's record - Japan's Takeru Kobayashi had been the crowning champ for five years straight. - Gambling911

Labels: Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Raw, Salad, Vegan

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All this glorious early summer sunshine is going to my head.

I tell you it's just peachy keen!

Trouble is, it has me forgetting lots of stuff too.

Like, to post recipes.

Whoopsee!

My shoulders are tanned, the garden is growing and my days are full with good friends and whimsical cocktails. This is just the richest, most soul satisfying business.

And now, for you, my glamorous readers, I am reprinting (with not so many words changed) a recipe from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Why?

Because kids, this little bit of knowledge is just far beyond a recipe, it strikes me as prose.

Seriously!

Read this recipe. Then, if you have a - oh, I don't know - Gordon Ramsay or some other hyper-masculine chef's cookbook at home, compare them.

It's easy to see.

This is so obviously written by a real woman. A woman with a gentle appreciation of her craft and a respect for her product. (Reminds me a lot of the beautiful writing by one of one of my favorite bloggers - Lucy at Nourish Me) It is a simple recipe with elegantly beautiful results.

Such a lovely thing to find in a world full of kitchen-intensity. I had to share.

It has such a wonderful layering of flavors and unexpected delights.

So try it my dears, and please do taste the joy.

1/2 cup pistachios
1 small garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of a tangerine or mandarin
Brandy or grappa (I actually used cognac)
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, trimmed
salt

Turn the oven to 350F.

Go through the pistachios and discard any that are shrunken or brown.

Spread on a baking sheet and heat the pistachios until warm to the touch, about 3 minutes, long enough to heighten their flavor without burning their fragile oil. Coarsely chop.

Coarsely chop the garlic then pound in a mortar (or pulse in a food processor), scoop out and set aside.

Transfer the pistachios to the mortar (or, again, food processor) and pound to a dry paste. Blend in the pounded garlic to taste. Pound or grind in about half the oil to bind with the nuts, then stir in the remainder.

With a few strokes of a zester, carve a teaspoon of fragrant orange filaments. Chop, then stir them into the paste. Add the brandy or grappa and salt to taste.

The finished aillade will be a dense, heavy paste. Set aside to mellow. As it sits the crushed nuts will settle out of the oil, but a few stirs will reamalgamate the paste.

Prepare your grill.

For the asparagus break off the woody ends, then peel away the toughest skin. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and salt lightly. Blanch the asparagus for about one minute. Drain. Cool in lightly salted ice water, drain and pat dry. (Skip the blanching if your asparagus is pencil thin). Oil and arrange in a single layer on the grill.

Grill until hot through and emblazoned with pretty char marks, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Serve with the aillade.


© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking

______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of infringing upon terms of copyright.

MIAMI (AP) -- South Florida schools are having to back away from goals to offer more nutritious meals because of rising food costs. Switching from fresh fruit to canned saves money and maintains the same level of nutrition. Schools have also cut some whole grain breads, replacing it with white bread. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach schools are all looking to increase the price of their school lunches. Besides food costs going up, another problem is that the money school districts get from the federal government for each meal has not changed since last year.

Aillade is the name used in southern France for two different garlic-based condiments. In Provence, it is a garlic-flavored vinaigrette, while in some other areas, it is a form of garlic-flavored mayonnaise. In the latter meaning, it is a synonym for aioli. - Wikipedia

Labels: Condiment, Gluten Free, Low-Carb, Side-Dish, Vegan, Vegetarian

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I believe I was rhapsodizing to the Ombudsman about my unabashed crush on my butcher.

He is so smart! And his prices are the best! And did I tell you he knows everything about meat? Like, everything?

Swoon.

So what if he is in his mid 70's and has grandchildren! I still lurve him.

As this was going on, the Ombudsman was just looking at me. Quizzically.

I could read it on his face, he officially thinks I may have lost what was left of my fabubbloicity.

The man obviously cannot wrap his mind around that which is the brilliance of a true, old school butcher.

It's a joyful thing.

Noting the look on his face, I paused. I decided to start again.

"So, how do you want your steak?"

Plain. With mushrooms.

Good to go.

Simple steak, simply fantastic.

Try it my peaches, and taste the joy.

2 6 oz. filets of beef, room temperature
2 tablespoons high quality butter
salt and pepper
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thick
1 teaspoon minced fresh savory

Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat a large, cast iron skillet over a medium flame. When it is good and hot add half the butter. When melted, add the mushrooms in a nice single layer. Then just leave them alone. Don't push them around, don't flip, just let them cook for three minutes. You can peek under one if you must, but really, trust me, just let them cook. Then flip. When they are golden on both sides, toss in the savory (or any fresh herb you are partial to.) stir a moment and remove all to a warm plate. Add the rest of the butter and then the steak. Again, don't touch it, just let it cook. Don't shake the pan, don't press down on it, just let it be. When golden, flip and repeat. When almost done (how long is that? However long it takes my peaches. I suspect you can tell) add back the mushrooms, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove from the pan, let rest at least 6 minutes then serve. Voila, perfect steak.

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
______________________________________

© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Last year 24,000 cookbooks were published in the U.S.

Wanna read the sweetest thing? That Hazel, what a peach!

Americans consume about 26 pounds of pasta per capita each year. Italians, it almost goes without saying, are the world champions, averaging 60 pounds of pasta a year for every man, woman and child in the country. - WSJ

Wright’s Hickory Seasoning is made by collecting the smoke from burning hickory wood in a condenser and cooling it until it forms water. The droplets are captured and filtered twice, before being bottled without any additional ingredients. - Chow.com

Labels: Beef, Entree, Gluten Free, Low-Carb

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Omnivore
Herbivore
Carnivore
Pescatarian
Lacto-Ovo Pescatarian
Vegetarian
Vegan
Kosher
Macrobiotic
Halal
Gluten Free
Lactose Intolerant
Low Carb
Low Fat
Low Sodium
Fruitairan
Raw
Sugar Free
Allergic
All-Natural
Locavore
Picky

I wonder which combo would be the hardest to cook for.

My bet is on low-fat, Halal follower with a nut and soy allergy.

Nah, they eat lots.

What about a carnivorous locavore on a sugar and salt free diet. Tricky, but do-able.

Perhaps kosher, low salt, low sodium.

Pfft.

Nursing homes around to world contend with that daily.

I've got it. Low-carb, low-fat, low-sodium, nut-allergic, picky eating fruitarian.

Oh wait, fruitarians are super easy to (not) cook for! Just give um fruit!

My point here kiddies, is that no one diet is really SO out there that you can't find a way to accommodate. Just use your noodle! (Unless they are low-carb...) And make it look pretty. The person you are cooking (or, not cooking) for deserves that.

Now try this my peaches, and taste the (warm, smooth, heady) joy.

1/4 cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Salt
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
1/2 pound rutabaga (aka Swede)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup heavy cream (yup!)
2 (more) teaspoons vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out
Salt

Preheat your oven to 275F.

Toss the hazelnuts with the oil, extract and some salt. Roast for 5 -8 minutes or until just fragrant. Rough chop and set aside.

Peel and chop the potatoes and the rutabaga. Boil in salted water until soft (the rutabaga takes longer...so either chop it smaller than the potato or boil them separately.)

Drain and mash with the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning to preference.

Serve garnished with chopped nuts.

(I served it with herb crusted lamb chops. Mmmm.)

© 2008 Fresh Approach Cooking
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© 2008 Rachael at "Fresh Approach Cooking" www.freshcatering.blogspot.com This RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, or at the aforementioned url, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringment.

Yukon Gold potatoes are slightly flat and oval in shape with light gold, thin skin and light yellow flesh. They can be identified by the rosy pink coloration of the shallow eyes. Anthoxanthins are the compound which gives the potato its yellow color. - About.com


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Labels: Gluten Free, Side-Dish, Vegetarian