What’s in Season: September

September is here and that means summer is almost over.

Plums

Photo by geishaboy500

Apples

Artichoke

Parsnips

Peaches

Pears

Figs

Raspberries

Wonderful Waffles

Perhaps it may be just be, but it seams like the quality of waffles has dropped around us. Everybody is trying to ether be to fancy, and do it wrong, or too cheap, and you never get anywhere that way. Over brunch Sunday morning Jess and I had this little conversation. And, she brought a nice little solution to the table. There was a book, which she had when she was a wee little girl, she told me, that had the best recipe for waffles she ever ate. Curious, I honored the request to prepare them, but the book had to be found. The title: Alpha-Bakery Children’s Cookbook by Gold Medal Flour.

The result: I think her memory was right on. perfect.

Basic Waffle Recipe

Makes about 3 waffles.

• 1 cup AP Flour
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Butter, melted
• 1 Egg, Separated

Waffle Procedure

1. Mix your drys (Flour, baking powder, sugar and salt).
2. Mix milk, butter and egg yolks.
3. Blend milk mixture with drys well.
4. Beat egg whites until high peak.
5. Fold whites into mixture, 1/3 at a time.
6. Cook

Local Food Guide

Continuing the stay in beautiful North Carolina, I came across quite an interesting book. Across news racks and stands in the area sits this helpful flier put out by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP).

The Local Food Guide is about a 100 page catalog of locally grown food and where to purchase it. Search the free guide for farms, wineries, grocers, restaurants, bakers, tailgate farmers’ markets, u-pick farms, CSAs and more. ASAP has also included a seasonal produce chart along with a regional farm event calendar.

If you live in the area this is quite a helpful aid for the local food eater. ASAP also has the complete listings online at www.buyappalachian.org.

Trout Fishing

Been up on the mountain for the week, and the water has gone dry. It has been quite a dry summer in the blue ridge, but there enough charcoal to start the grill. So it’s down to the fishing hole to catch some dinner.

Rainbow Trout Grill Recipe

Once we got the fish back up to the cabin, it was already time to get them ready.

To keep it simple, when the trout are cleaned up and filleted let them marinate in lemon juice, crushed garlic, onion, salt and pepper for about an hour.

Wrap the fillet up in foil, tightly and let grill for about 7 - 8 minutes

Night’s Sun

Just passing on a quick link to anyone following the alternative energy gossip. An approach on how to use and store solar energy after the sun’s hours by mimicking the plants ability to manipulate oxygen. Read about MIT’s recent researcher here.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Stuffed Grape Leaves, the old family classic.

I had more time than I was used to today and I think I may have gotten a little cared away. But I was hungry and needed something comforting. So there I went.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Greek Dolmades)

• 1 (16-ounce) jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon
• ~2 Cups Rice Filling

The Filling

• 1/2 cup Onion, minced
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 1 Cup Long Grain Rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbl sugar
• 1/2 tbl cinnamon
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbl fresh dillweed, minced
• 2 tbl fresh parsley, minced
• TT Salt
• TT Black Pepper

Procedure

Before doing anything with the leaves it is wise to have your rice filling prepared and cooled. This will ensure the leaves stay intact. Your filling can and will vary, I’ll save that for a latter day perhaps. To keep it simple saute the onion in olive oil. Then combine the rice, water, sugar amd cinnamon. Cover and let cook gently until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and combine the lemon juice, dillweed, parsley, salt and pepper. Let cool for about half an hour.

Out of the jar (my godmother would kill me) and into a simmering pot of water to tenderize the leaves and rid them of that brine taste:

Let leaves simmer for 2-3 minutes, then drain carefully. Lay leaves on a towel.

Remove the stems, and your a ready to roll, yes, literally.

How to Stuff and Roll Grape Leaves

Start with the stem side up, place your filling in the middle, fold leaves in. 1. 2. 3. 4. Then roll away. Illustrated:

Once rolled place in a heavy pot and align. Overcrowding will not give your stuffed grape leaves enough space to cook, and not enough will give you an uneven result in texture. Try not to go more than two rows in height, as well. If you have any left over leaves lay them down underneath the rolls to prevent them from sticking to the pot. Fill with water, olive oil, and lemon juice. Now place a plate (something oven safe) on top to hold them down and keep them from unrolling. Bring to a simmer then place in a 350 degree oven.

Make Ice Cream

Everybody is talking about ice cream.

Photo by Mo

Personally, I think Ice Cream may be the most over rated food, but I still find myself indulging every now and then.

And so does the rest of the United States with annual sales exceeding $21 billion. But why let the corporates have all the fun.

You can make your own!

Make Vanilla Ice Cream

Photo by Chris Metcalf

Ice Cream Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• Pinch of Salt
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 cups Heavy Cream
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split and scraped
• 5 egg yolks

Procedure

1. Combine the milk, sugar and salt and heat.
2. Remove the bean from the vanilla; either by snipping one end and running your finger along the hull as if where a toothpaste tube or but slicing the bean with a paring knife down the entire length and extracting it. Add the removed vanilla into the milk.
3. Mix your egg yolk, and gradually add some of the warmed milk while string to combine yolks with the milk.
4. Return milk and yolks to heat and continue to cook of low heat, constantly stirring to avoid scorching, until thick enough to coat on spoon.
5. Strain into the heavy cream.
6. Chill, with the remainder of the vanilla bean to allow for the remaining to be absorbed.
7. Remove the bean a let freeze in cream maker.

Make Ice Cream with out a Machine

1. Prepare your ice cream mixture. (Steps 1-6 above)
2. Pour mixture into a chilled durable bowl and place in the freezer.
3. Let freeze for about 45 minutes. You should see the edges start to form large cyrstals.
4. If so remove and mix thouroghly with a wisk, breaking up all the frozen parts, and return to freezer.
5. Every half hour or so recheck and rewisk, quite vigioursly, for 2-3 hours. You will want to break up as much of the crystals as possible to get a nice smooth and creamy result.

Grow Your Own Instruments

I was up in Appalachian country this past weekend, and was caught by a wonderful surprise. The retreat from city life and into fresh air was nice but there was one particular event that really turn up the smile on my face. Straight from the soil of Virgina to the auditory canal of my ear, The Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra put on quite a show.

They are refer to themselves as “A band of musicians with dirt under their fingernails–they put the ‘cult’ back into culture, and ‘culture’ back into agriculture.”

It was a fun highlight of the weekend, and thought the idea was pretty clever.

Check them out on their website at gourdorchestra.com

While your there look at the instruments they made or pick up a cd.

(and yes they are on myspace too)

“Plant a seed, grow an orchestra”

Guacamole, Guacomole, Guacamole.

I’ve been eating a lot of Guacamole lately.

Perhaps you could say it may be too much. But I have to make it every day, so why not enjoy the fruits of your labor right?

If your looking for a scientific approach, I wrote an article, How to make Salsa, some time ago that will walk you through some procedure.

So lets get to the recipe!

Guacamole Recipe

Recipe makes 1 qt

• 6 Avocados
• 2.5 fl oz Lime Juice (or lemon)
• 4Tbsp Green Onions, sliced
• 1 Bunch Cilantro, Fresh, chopped
• 1 tsp Garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded, chopped
• 3 Tbsp Tomato, seeded, diced
• TT Salt

Procedure

1. Cut avocados in half. Spoon out entire inside from the peel with a large kitchen spoon and discard seed.
2. In a bowl break up the avocado. Add the lime juice, sliced green onions, cilantro, garlic, and spices and mix.
3. Now your peppers will vary in flavor so, start adding in small amounts and test for flavor. They can be very hot. (If you want to be smarter than me the other day I would advise using gloves and do not touch your eyes! for hours!)
4. Keep the tomatoes separate until ready to serve.

Notes

1. The fresher your ingedients the better your flavor will be. Adjust meausrments accordingly.
2. Your guacomole will turn brown if left out in the air. Cover with plastic wrap, and put a wet towel on directly on the surface of the guacamole.

Pesto Chicken

My basil plants are looking good and are ready for a little harvest. And what’s everybody favorite recipe featuring these little guys, Pesto. (At least most of the people I know).

The Pesto

Photo by sa_ku_ra cc

Category of food: Condiments

Yield Amount: 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Pesto Chicken

Now to make our basil pesto into a nice dinner how about making a pesto chicken, perhaps with a fresh salad or pasta. Since its summer time, tonight turned on the grill for a nice grilled pesto chicken over fettucini and added some cherry tomatoes. The opportunities for pesto are endless, even without a widespread imagination.

What’s your favorite Pesto dish or recipe?