in the garden: corn

Summer corn, is there anything better? My family loves it best cut off the cob, then lightly sauteed in some butter with salt and chives. Delicious.

In the season, when it is plentiful and it is 6 for $1 at the farmer's market, you can only eat it sauteed so many times. I found this soup recipe, a great way to enjoy corn and very easy to freeze for those January days when you dream of farmer's markets and corn.

Late Summer Corn Chowder by The Family Table

in the garden: radish redux

We planted two types of radishes this year: cherry belle and pink beauty.  They were both delicious, the cherry belle a bit spicier.  I pickled them, just as good as the recipe from last year.  But as I was researching radishes and recipes,  I came across a recipe for roasting them that sounded intriguing.  So last week, with some ladies from Women out Walking, we roasted them, and sauteed them with their greens and lemon juice.  OUTSTANDING.  I do not think I have been as excited for a recipe in a long time.  Please try it before radishes are no longer at their peak....

Roasted Radishes and their Greens

in the garden: mustard greens

Mustard Greens have exploded at the YWCA Urban Garden.  They are the easiest thing to grow: very prolific, very fast.  The classic way to cook them is a long slow cook with onion, garlic, ham hocks or smoked turkey wings.  In more modern methods (where you don't cook things to death and omit meat when possible) they are great sauteed in a pan with olive oil and some diced onion or shallot.  They are great then thrown into a white bean salad, into a veggie soup or put on top of a flatbread. They can be added to a green smoothie and are also great mixed with lettuce in a salad.

Mustard Greens are the third healthiest green after kale and collards.  They lower cholesterol and are very high in vitamins K and A, great for an anti-inflammatory diet. 

Here are some recipes I have been experimenting with.  The first two are delicious and I hope to try the third one before my greens start to bolt! Enjoy.



Mustard Greens with Chorizo and White Beans


Vinegar Braised Chicken with Greens 


Spicy Mustard Greens with Asian Noodles

in the garden: spinach

The spinach came up in droves this year.  The beds were covered with cold frames and underneath the mountains of snow was spinach, hibernating, readying itself for a great spring arrival.  One of the coldest winters in the Chicagoland area, it was a huge surprise to see such beautiful plants emmerging.

We have a mixture of spinaches: bordeaux, a red veined type; a flat leaf spinach; and bloomsbury, a ruffled variety.  All of them taste great as a salad or sauteed simply and quickly in olive oil with salt and pepper (sauteed shallots or onions and fresh lemon juice can also add a lot).  The spinach is magic as the more you pick, the more it grows.

I have been cooking it weekly at Mary Lou's place.  Some tasty recipes are linked below.

Lemon Couscous Salad with Spinach and Dill:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Couscous-Salad-with-Spinach-Scallions-and-Dill-11838

Spinach Quiche
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/09/spinach-quiche-revisited/

Wilted Spinach Salad with a Burst Tomato Vinaigrette
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/wilted-spinach-salad-burst-tomato-vinaigrette.aspx

Asparagus, Tofu and Spinach Stirfry
I add many other vegetables to this, delicious, my go to healthy dinner recipe.  A crowd pleaser
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/asparagus-stirfry-recipe.html

split pea soup with ham

Split peas.  So simple, so inexpensive, so good for you.  A member of the legume family, split peas are a really great source of fiber: which helps lower cholesterol and maintains even blood sugar balance.  They are also a good source of protein and have potassium and B vitamins. 

This recipe has some smoked ham in it, which does add a rich smoky flavor.  But feel free to sub in onions and fennel instead for increased vegetable flavor.

Split Pea and Smoked Ham Soup by The Family Table

winter soup session: mushroom soup

I feel sure that anyone my generation grew up with a memory of Campbell's creamy mushroom soup.  Or their moms used it in a three ingredient casserole.  Well this recipe brought me back, I had a visceral deja vu of that taste.  However, this soup is made from fresh yummy mushrooms, homemade stock with just a hint of mascarpone cheese swirled in for creaminess. 

Mushroom Soup by The Family Table

winter soup session: fennel and celery root

Who would have thought that this:

Would turn into this (with the help of 5 women peeling and zesting and chopping):

As I did my research on these vegetables, I found that both celery root and fennel are in the same family as carrots.  Celery root is full of Vitamins B and C, and potassium.  It lacks the sweetness that its cousins, carrots and parsnips, have and thus is low in carbohydrates.  It fills you up, but is very low in calories.  Fennel is full of anti-oxidants, is anti-inflammatory, has Vitamin C, potassium and folate.  They mix nicely together, as veggies in the same family do.  This soup is very easy and very filling.

We made it with these spicy cheddar shortbread crackers (featured in the lower left corner of the picture).  They were delicious, and with a food processor, they took no time to make:

http://food52.com/blog/7049-mark-bittman-s-spicy-cheddar-shortbread


Fennel and Celery Root Soup by The Family Table

winter soup session: cauliflower soup with coconut, curry and lime

Cauliflower, yum. 

My favorite way to eat cauliflower is roasting, and it is so simple.   Quick instructions:  cut the cauliflower head into florets, toss in olive oil, dust with salt and pepper and put on a pyrex glass pan or a cookie sheet.   Place in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until starting to brown and caramelize.  Eat.

For a little change of pace, this curried cauliflower soup is simple, fast and delicious.  Aside from the benefits of cauliflower, this recipe has turmeric which has huge medicinal properties: anti-inflammatory; helps give relief to arthritis; helps to prevent colon and prostate cancer; helps to reduce polyps in the colon; lowers cholesterol; protects against alzheimer's.
Truly "magical" perks.

Enjoy.  I made a pot of rice and enjoyed my curry soup with sauteed zucchini and the rice.

Cauliflower Soup with Curry, Coconut and Cilantro by The Family Table

winter soup session: ribollita

"Ribollita" means "reboiled" in Italian.  Typically, as a family would continue to eat their minestrone day after day, it would get to be more liquids than solids as people would favor the beans and vegetables over the liquid.  To thicken it up, cubes of stale bread would be added to the soup.  A new meal was created.

To make ribollita, canned beans can be used (healthy tip: if you rinse well your canned beans you can decrease the salt in them by 50%).  However, it is yummier and healthier to use your own simmered beans.  And on a wintery day in Chicago, bubbling beans is a great zen activity, it feels satisfying. Once your beans are cooked, you can put them in a tupperware, or a baggie and freeze them until you are ready to make soup.

Ribolitta can be made with any vegetables you have on hand.  I give you the recipe for what I used, but feel free to use what is on hand.  Any fresh vegetables will make a delicious soup.  Although greens of some sort are a necessity.

Ribollita Soup by The Family Table

braising: chicken cacciatore

Chicken Cacciatore is a traditional "Hunter's Stew" from Italy.  Chicken thighs (bone in or bone out) are dusted in flour, sauteed in hot olive oil until brown, then braised with onions, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and white wine with oregano, rosemary and thyme.  It is a very aromatic dish, making your kitchen and house smell like a rainy day in Tuscany (one can imagine).

Buon Appetito!

Chicken Cacciatore by The Family Table

braising: pork shoulder with guiness and dried cherries

I spent a lovely day cooking with the O'Meara ladies.  They planned a family dinner for twenty plus and then came and cooked their dinner with me, supporting The Family Table.  It was such a great idea and such a nice day!

We made a yummy dish, one that would be really good for St Patrick's day.  Pork Shoulder is trimmed, seared and then put in a dutch oven (or crock pot would work too).  The aromatics (onion, fennel, garlic) are then sauteed in the pork pot and deglazed with guiness and balsamic vinegar.  Dried cherries, molasses and orange peel are added for a sweet-ish, rich, wintery braise.  You can add chopped sweet potatoes in to make it a complete dish.  Steamed barley would also be really nice to slurp up the broth.  We also made the kale and brussel sprout salad (from BBQ Beef class in May, 2013) for some greenery.

TFT, BRAISE Pork Shoulder With Guiness and Dried Cherries by The Family Table

in the garden: radishes

"Brassicaceae", "Cruciferae", names of the cabbage family of vegetables.  I was surprised that arugula was one of those members, along with bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale, radishes, rutabagas, turnips, watercress to name a few.  They are all powerhouses of vitamins, fiber and are great for an anti inflammatory diet.

Radishes are rich in folic acid, ascorbic acid, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium and calcium.

I have tried and tried to like radishes the french way: eaten with butter and salt.  It just does not do it for me.  This spring, we grew them in the YWCA urban garden and they came up so faithfully.  In only a few weeks they were plump and sitting on the soil, letting you know they were ready.  We sliced them and ate them along with our fresh lettuce greens tossed with a simple vinaigrette.  We also threw in some cooked french green lentils (great protein and fiber source) and some shaved carrots.

Vinaigrettes are easily made and stored in canning jars.  The simplest one starts with 1/3 part acid: lemon juice or any favorite vinegar (balsamic, sherry, cider, raspberry).  Then, eyeballing it, add 2/3 part olive oil.  Add salt, pepper, any chopped fresh herbs you have on hand (chives, garlic scapes, tarragon, parsley).  Shake vigorously so that you emulsify the dressing.  Drizzle on and toss well.  We leave our salad dressing out of the refridgerator for days...just give it a shake and you are ready.
 

With this crop, I tried pickling radishes, thanks to a suggestion of Courtney's.  They are so good! Good for fish tacos, good to put out with cheeses, good to eat alone to get the appetite going.  These are "refridgerator pickles" so they will not last forever like hot water canning jars, they need to stay in the fridge.  I guarantee they won't last long... we went through our jar in an evening.

Pickled Radishes by The Family Table

I leave you with a couple recipes I found, that I plan to try next batch of radishes: a roasted moroccan mint and brassica salad and a radish and orange chopped salad. 

Here is the lovely summer garden crew for the YWCA.  Amy, working in the shelter, Kim, tending the garden and the volunteers.  They are great.

spring session: pork pot roast with root vegetables

The last spring class...pork pot roast.  This is a recipe I have used for both the dutch over and a crock pot.  Both ways come out nice and succulent, falling apart.  You can use any root vegetable here.  I added celery root, but I think turnips or sweet potatoes would also be delicious.

Enjoy.

Braised Pork Pot Roast by The Family Table

To go along with the pork, we made a quinoa salad, with orange zest, dried cherries, pine nuts and fennel.  See my last posting for the recipe with israeli couscous.  I like it better with the couscous (especially as I overcooked the quinoa in class!)

spring session: braised chicken thighs with swiss chard and balsamic vinegar

Spring and the swiss chard is stretching out in the garden...

A really delicious and nutritious dish is Braised Chicken with Swiss Chard and Balsamic Vinegar.  You sear the chicken, saute the colorful stems along with onions and garlic, and then deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar and diced tomatoes. 

This is cooked in the crock pot or a dutch oven and you have a meltingly yummy dinner for less than $3.00 per person (with free range chicken thighs). 

Braised Chicken and Swiss Chard by The Family Table

To accompany the chicken, we made an Israeli Couscous Salad with Dried Cranberries, Arugula, Pine Nuts with an Orange dressing.  I started with the recipe from the blog, "the Kitchn" but subbed in dried cranberries for the dried cherries, pine nuts for the walnuts and we mixed in orange zest as well.  It is a really tasty salad, one that I will go back to over the summer.  It was nice with the juices from the chicken.

spring session: saffron braised chicken with fennel and carrots and a spring couscous salad with asparagus and peas

Spring colors are the theme for this week's braised dish.  Saffron Braised Chicken, with fennel and carrots.

Saute the sliced onions and fennel in saffron and butter...

The stunning apron lady, aka Tracy, adds carrots to the saute...

After searing the cumin, coriander and paprika crusted chicken thighs, you add diced tomatoes, chicken stock, sherry and sherry vinegar.  The stew is then braised in the oven for 1 1/2 hours or in the crock pot for 4.

Chicken With Saffron, Fennel and Cilantro by The Family Table

Making the most of the spring produce coming to market, we made an Israeli Couscous Salad with fresh peas, asparagus and snap peas.  The salad is dressed with a lemon vinaigrette and tossed with chives and freshly grated parmesan.  This can be made ahead and served room temperature with the chicken or would be nice eaten warm as well.

spring session: barbecued beef brisket, kale salad and biscuits

The Family Table Spring session has started.  I am going back to simple, easy to prepare, good tasting family dinners, inspired by Michael Pollan and his new book "Cooked".  I particularly liked the editorial that Mark Bittman wrote on this book in the New York Times.  He wants to start a home cooking movement.  As Michael Pollan says: "Cooking is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your diet. What matters most is not any particular nutrient, or even any particular food: it’s the act of cooking itself. People who cook eat a healthier diet without giving it a thought.”

I am going to post whole family dinner menus in this spring session of the Family Table.  I hope that you will grab a friend, shop and chop with them, laugh and share while your family dinner simmers away!

Wednesday, we made Barbecued Beef Brisket in the crock pot (or dutch oven, both work great).  The advance prep time is very short (see the lovely Tracy pricking the meat before she slathers the marinade on), then into the crock pot for 9-11 hours.

Slice the meat, drizzle on the sauce, and you are good to go.

To complete this meal, I would add a kale salad, roasted sweet potatoes and either home made biscuits (these are very easy and lighter than normal biscuits) or store bought parker house rolls. You can print out the recipes below. 

Barbecued Beef Brisket by The Family Table

Kale Salad by The Family Table

Sweet Potato Wedges by The Family Table

winter soup session: tunisian soup with swiss chard, chickpeas and harissa

Swiss Chard is a beautiful, and nutritional plant.  It grows at the garden from May until November.  I like to describe it as somewhere between spinach and kale.  It wilts quickly in a soup like spinach, but you need to take the stems off as they take longer to cook.  Some mistakenly throw away the stems, but I just dice them and then throw them in when you saute the aromatics (carrots, onions and celery).  Swiss Chard is in the chenopod family along with beets, spinach and quinoa.  It is high in vitamins C, E and K.  Swiss Chard has anti inflammatory and anti oxident properties and contains lots of manganese, beta carotene and calcium. 

I adapted this recipe from Gourmet and cook it regularly.  The harissa gives it a richness, the chickpeas add protein, and the swiss chard adds color and vitamins.  Make the harissa first.  I took this harissa recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks "Sunday Suppers at Lucques".  It is possible to buy harissa in upscale grocery stores, but this is so easy and it makes enough so you can keep what you don't use in a canning jar or tupperware in the fridge.  It lasts for a while.  I swirl it into soups or toss on roasted vegetables.

Harissa by The Family Table

If you have some leftover beef brisket, shredded chicken, pork carnitas on hand, throw it in the soup pot.  I like using egg noodles, or farro, or barley, or israeli couscous...whatever is in your cupboard.

Tunisian Soup With Chard by The Family Table