Maybe I do have willpower?

I did it! I ate out and I ate vegan. I have to say I wasn't the least bit tempted, even when my fellow diners told me they wouldn't tell on me. I passed up yummy chicken wings and stuck to my salad rolls and rice noodles in spicy, sweet sauce.

I've passed up several opportunities to partake of truly delicious looking food this past week, but for some reason turning them down has been easy. Perhaps I am getting more vitamins but I have zero cravings. Before this I would go to the candy bowl at least once a day and scavenge for snacks or leftovers.

Today is the last day of my official turn as a vegan, but I think I'm going to continue on...can't think of a good reason not to?

Vegan Day One

I made it thru day one (almost day 2) and I'm surprised how easy it was. It helped that I did a lot of research and planned out a menu and snacks. I even passed up a free Baja Fresh lunch.

I guess part of the ease is our diet tends to be plant based--Mike doesn't eat red meat and isn't a fan of cheese. For breakfast I had my usual muesli with cut up banana, but instead of regular mix I substituted in soy milk. Easy! However, I missed my luscious half and half in my coffee.

Luckily I made tempeh stirfy over the weekend and had that as leftovers along with some cashews and popcorn for an afternoon snack. I have to say, I love nuts so much, but I tend not to eat them since they are so high in fat and calories.

Deborah Madison is one of my favorite chef and her recipes are not only amazingly delicious but primarily vegetarian and easy to make vegan. For dinner I made a recipe that is destined to go in our rotation for a while: Buckwheat linguine with French lentils, carrots and chard (pictured above). Simply amazing. It's from her The Greens Cookbook.

Day one verdict: Completely satisfied and not missing dairy or meat AT ALL.

(And no weird digestive issues...yet.)

Vegan Challenge and this has nothing to do with Oprah

Over plates of roasted chicken and grilled steak topped with whipped pork fat, I announced to my dinner guest that I was going to go vegan for a week starting on Monday. Her response was not what I expected, "That's so cool! Were you inspired by Oprah?"Ummm....no.

So why am I doing it?

I just finished reading "On a Dollar a Day" which chronicles a couple's experiment to better understand food poverty facing thousands of Americans firsthand. Very eye opening and highly recommended. The couple is vegan which is a lifestyle I don't think I could ever adopt. While I don't eat a lot of meat, I love cheese and there is nothing more perfect than fresh eggs from Ava, ZsaZsa or ES. Just seems so restrictive and not very fun. But maybe I just don't understand veganism because I've never tried it, right? So I decided to try it out, just for one week.

I'm going vegan starting on Monday armed with some rocking recipes from Veganomicon (thank you, Kathy Lee!). I'll be posting recipes and reaction to this new temporary lifestyle.

If you are vegan and have recipes or tips and tricks to share, please don't be shy!

Making Stock, the Julia Child Way

For our New Year's Day dinner, I am making stuffed veal breast. I couldn't turn down the butcher's offer to keep the bones, so I hurried home to make stock. While I've made basic chicken stock from a leftover roasted chicken, I had some time so I brought out my "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook. Who else could tell me more than I ever wanted to know about making stock than Julia Child!

Before I jump into the process, first lesson: stock is supposed to be clear. The cloudiness comes from the fat and scum (unpleasant but an accurate description) incorporating into the stock when allowed to boil. Instead, stock should simmer very slowly "just a bubble or two of motion at the surface."

Second lesson: never cover your simmering stock completely. Leave an inch or so open to let the steam escape, otherwise it will sour.

Third lesson: you can extend the life of your stock in the fridge by reboiling every 3 - 4 days. Not sure which is more work - remembering to defrost my stock in time for use, or remembering to boil it twice a week? I am trying the freezing route.

Fourth lesson: keeping your stock clear is hard. Maybe impossible? For this attempt, I definitely failed! But not to worry, Julia explains how to clarify it on the chance that I want to serve "a rich homemade consommé, jellied soup or aspic." Simply by beating egg whites into cold stock, then heating to just below simmer for 15 minutes, "the egg white globules dispersed into the stock act as a magnet for all the minute cloudy particles. These gradually rise to the surface, leaving a crystal-clear liquid below." For now, I am leaving it as is. :)

So, to make "fonds blanc" or white stock from veal bones, I first blanched the 2 lbs. of bones I had. Turns out veal releases a tremendous amount of scum so Julia recommends a quick boil, drain and rinse to remove much of the scum.

Back in the pot they go, covered with water by 2 inches, brought to a simmer, skimming any remaining scum as necessary. Then, I added a quartered onion, the leafy tops of my celery and a bouquet garni of herbs (thyme, bay leaf, parsley sprigs, two unpeeled garlic cloves tied up in cheesecloth) and 2 tsp. salt.

Now, the way Julia describes it, "my taste should convince me that I've simmered the most out of my ingredients" to know that the stock is done. After 5 hours, I was not confident in my taste as I am so used to heavily salted store bought stock, but I can tell you it has a nice rich flavor. If I had doubts, I could boil it again to evaporate some of the water content and concentrate the flavor.

When removed from the heat and cooled, I refrigerated the stock overnight. After removing the hardened fat on the surface, I strained into a glass jar and it's ready to go! Now, back to the kitchen to get started on my stuffed veal breast.

Happy new year everyone! I hope 2011 is full of culinary adventures and good eats.

Have you heard of a purple carrot?

Me neither. I also didn’t know that carrots come in lots of colors including white, yellow, red and purple.

I happened along this blog, which cited the Carrot Museum Website in the UK. I was surprised to learn that some think the reason carrots are predominately orange today is thanks to the Dutch, as an attempt to honor William of Orange who led the struggle for Dutch independence. In reality, I think this is another example of how mass production has led to the homogenization of our food.

I thought that I’d have to wait till next summer to scour the famer’s markets and talk to my CSA provider about finding these varieties, but to my surprise (and the lady next to me in the produce section when I squealed) today in the produce section of my local Town and Country were purple, yellow and white carrots!

They are approximately the same price as “regular” organic carrots and taste like them too! But they’ll add a lovely color to the Rabbit à la Moutard I am making tomorrow night.

Sausage Fest 2010!

Last weekend Kenneth and I joined our friends, Ben, an experienced Italian chef, and Carly, his trusted sous chef, and lovely host, on a whirlwind journey of making our own sausages!

It started with 20 pounds of pork shoulder from our local Cash and Carry, that Ben chopped into 1-inch cubes, and froze for 30 minutes. Then, we fed it through the meat grinder (see the one we used here) into a large pan, where we added the spices and mixed well. We split the meat into two batches, one seasoned with Ben's family recipe (no family secrets given away here), and one that we made up (so I am happy to share): salt, pepper, fresh garlic and red chili pepper flakes. To make sure we had the right proportion of seasoning, we fried some up! I love that about cooking - eat as you go. :)

Using the same appliance, with the sausage stuffer attachment, we threaded on the casing and filled it with the ground pork/spice mixture, tying it off at both ends.

Let me take a minute to talk about the casing. The larger size sausages (think bratwurst) are made from pig intestine. The smaller sausages (think breakfast) are sheep. To my surprise, you can get these from the meat counter at Whole Foods! So, I had to ask the guy - how often do people come in and buy casing? His response, and the full conversation left me speechless, often (he claims it is a Seattle thing). In fact, he just made 50 lbs. of sausage at his home that weekend! When asked what kind? Bear. That's right people, bear, and he claims it is delicious! But, his favorite is a combination of pork and elk.

Back to our own experience... Once the sausage was filled in its casing (which requires more skill than you might imagine), we twisted every other segment to create the sausage ropes you often see at the butchers. Sections of links were cut off to package and freeze, or give away.

Our hard work, and 3+ hours of time paid off immediately, as Ben fried up the sausages with onions and peppers for a delicious dinner.

I was never a big fan of sausages (much to Kenneth's disappointment), but knowing how it was made, and what went into it, really changed that. On top of that, this experience supports my plan of someday joining a meat co-op/CSA, where I would have a share of local, organic beef and/or pork. One step closer from farm to table!

Thank you Ben and Carly!

Salad Burnett and More Beets

Salad Burnett has been a new one in our CSA this summer; it's a fern-like herb that has a slight flavor of cucumber. It is apparently a member of the rose family, and can stay green all winter long (I notice it also lasts a lot longer in my fridge than other cut herbs). Here's a particularly useful column on it.

I've used it a variety of ways: chopped it up and added it to my squash as I grilled it, included it in my herb butter and baked it on some Halibut, and added it to a vinaigrette for green salad. No real unique uses, but I think it is a fun complement to the usual herb lineup. :)

As the blog title promises, when a big bunch of beets came in our CSA a few weeks back, I decided to give the Cooking Light Beet and Fennel Soup recipe I found a try. Overall, it was very easy to make and tasty. Though, I would recommend it as a starter as frankly, there's only so much beet one should have in a single meal. :) If hosting a dinner party, you could make ahead and serve it chilled.

The only changes I made was using a large shallot instead of a yellow onion, and just using lemon juice instead of vinegar (taste as you go, less was probably needed).

Great Salad Recipe for Kohlrabi

Remember my post on the Slate article "The Locavore's Dilemma?" I promised I would follow up with a report on my grated Kohlrabi seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, and I am here say that it was a success! I paired it with a seared Ahi Tuna salad of mixed greens with wasabi vinaigrette (courtesy of Rachel Ray) with a few alterations of my own. Here is the recipe:

Grated veggies
Finely grate 1 large carrot and 1 medium sized kohlrabi and place them in separate prep bowls
Add about a teaspoon or more of soy sauce to fully coat the veggies
Add 1 - 2 drops of sesame oil (very strong stuff, so be very careful when adding!)
Mix and set aside to marinate

Fava beans
I might end up doing a separate post on fava beans, because I love them, but here is the gist on preparing them:
Remove them from the pod as you would any other pea
Add them to boiling water until just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and shock in ice water. Drain again and remove outer skins by ripping off the tip and squeezing out

Dressing
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

Toss the dressing with a mixture of greens, add a forkful of grated carrots and kohlrabi and sprinkle the fava beans on top. Season with a few sesame seeds.

Grilled Ahi
When purchasing, make sure to confirm with the butcher that it is sushi grade so that you know it is safe to eat raw
Season Ahi steak with salt and pepper (or spice mix of choice)
Grill for a few minutes on each side to your preferred level of raw on inside
Slice and serve on top of the salad

This was a hit in my house. Hope you enjoy!

What to do with beets

A girlfriend of mine who started her first CSA subscription this year recently emailed me for help with what to do with her beets. I thought I would share my response here, as I suspect many people can find the purple veggie a conundrum.

The most basic way to prepare them is to season with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them for a long time till they can be easily pierced with a fork (depending on how thick, up to an hour). You can throw either them in a roasting pan or just wrap them up in tin foil. Once they are cooked, immediately get them into a sealed plastic bag till they have cooled to the point you can handle them. That is how you can more easily remove the peel. However, expect to have your fingers stained for a few days regardless. And be careful of getting them on anything - it is a very strong color die!

Here are some recipes that while I haven't made myself, sound like a unique use of the beets:

1. If you have a way of slicing them real thin, this sounds good: Sweet Potato and Beet Chips with Garlic Rosemary Salt (Giada De Laurentiis)
2. If you have lots, you can pickle them: Pickled Beets (Alton Brown)
3. Here is a nice recipe without roasting them: Sweet Beet Dressed Slaw (Rachael Ray)
4. For a nice fall day, or would probably be good served cold: Beet and Fennel Soup (Cooking Light)

Also, if you ever get the beet greens, they are so tasty! Cook them like you would spinach or Kale - I love them!

Top Ten Mistakes Made by Farmer's Market Customers

Awesome post by EcoSalon . I'm guilty of a few of these, but I am learning.

My favorite one is to ask more questions. I've learned a lot by asking about favorite recipes, how different varieties compare and even trying to get to know the people we see week after week.

I would add a few mistakes:

• Forgetting to buy plants. At the Hollywood Farmers' Market you can buy starters of unsual, local varieties at dirt cheap prices. They are organic to boot!
• Not spreading the love. I have my regular stalls, but I try to buy all of my stuff in one place. Variety is the spice of life!
• Assuming everything is organic/pesticide free. If this is important to you, ask about their farming practices, you may be surprised.

What are your ideas?

It was what I did to the macaroni and cheese that made me seek professional help

My friend Jerry sent me this link to an article on Slate titled “The Locavore's Dilemma” and I wanted to share it with you all. The reporter, having hit a wall on “problem vegetables” in her CSA, seeks inspiration from a few chefs. She writes, “Cabbage, kohlrabi, collards, bok choy—everyone, it seems, has their problem vegetables. And, like me, many feel guilty about it.” This is exactly the reason I contribute to this blog, because I want to motivate people to take on these unusual, yet local/seasonal, vegetables, and because I want to be helped by you all as well. Please share your ideas! Anyway, the article is worth the read, if nothing else, to learn the conclusion about the macaroni and cheese. :)

I found a little inspiration myself in this article, from Mark Bittman, author of How To Cook Everything. When put to the daikon radish challenge, he suggested “raw, grated, with soy sauce and sesame oil.” I am thinking this will also work with my first Kohlrabi delivery of the year. Stay tuned!

Have you heard of Microgreens yet??

Next time you go out to eat, or swing by your farmer’s market, keep an eye out for the latest trend in produce; the Microgreen! It’s the newest addition to my CSA this year, and so definitely required a little research. There isn’t much out there, not even a relevant Wikipedia page! But, here’s what I found out: Microgreens are the young seedlings (sometimes with flowers) of soon to be greens and veggies, that are harvested in under 14 days. Think of them as the “new” sprout (minus the root), except these are full of flavor, color and come in pretty much every variety you can think of, including arugula, beet, chard, radish, peas, and even kohlrabi!! Check out Green Cuisine for an extensive list. I love their bright color and find that they add a nice pop of flavor to salads. You can also use them as a garnish on any summer soup like squash or asparagus, and they would also be great to add to an omelet or quiche. Impress your friends and family by adding these to your menu this week!

New Potatoes and Sustainable Fish

My local Farmer's Market has been open since the beginning of May and I have to say it makes menu planning a heck of a lot easier. During the winter I relied on websites, magazines and old favorites to get me thru the week, but it is just not as fun.

Perusing the stalls yesterday I came across one of my favorite spring treats: new fingerling potatoes. These babies were unearthed that morning and the skin is rice-paper thin. Mmm...Like most people, I grew up eating mostly russet potatoes which are fine for baking but why limit yourself when there are so many varieties out there? While I am not a huge of lettuce typically I could bypass the succulent purple lettuce. Pretty.

We love fish and seafood. We don't love the state of our oceans and try to be responsible with the fish we buy. Over the past couple of seasons we've gotten to know the fine folks at Linda Brand Crab and they are always very forthcoming with how the fish and seafood were harvested. I also wanted to point out this handy-dandy guide sustainable seafood.

So tonight we are enjoying some potatoes roasted with fresh herbs garlic and olive oil. Since one cannot live on starch alone, pan-fried up some Chinook salmon with Tom Douglas' salmon rub and served both along side baby lettuce salad drizzled with fresh buttermilk chive dressing.

Coming out of Hibernation

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right


We are one week away from the opening of the Portland Farmer's Market! I am beside myself with excitement. Over the winter we've tried to focus on buying local and organic as much as possible but at times couldn't resist the urge to eat avocado or a tomato here and there.

And, yes, it's been a long, cold, but not exactly lonely winter. In February we added to our menagerie by adopting 4 chicks. It's been a fun and educational experience. I look forward to telling you all about Ava, ZsaZsa, EggSlayer and what happen to Kanye.

Stay tuned.

Discover Celery Root

If you haven't heard of celeriac, or celery root, than you are not alone! I can tell you that it is worth knowing about, because it is a valuable complement to your winter root vegetables.

Celeriac is actually not the root of the celery you buy at the market, but a variety grown for its bulb. It has a celery flavor and looks like a large, round, more gnarled potato. It can be used many ways, including in stews, gratins, mashed or pureed.

The first time I had it was over Christmas, when my sis-in-law roasted up a medley of parsnips, fennel, carrots, onion, squash and of course celery root. This is a bit of a complicated recipe, but the flavors are amazing.

Roasted Winter Vegetables
Source: Jamie Oliver

Ingredients

• Halved carrots with a bit of cumin, rosemary and olive oil
• Quartered parsnips with thyme, honey and olive oil
• Peeled and sliced celeriac with thyme, rosemary and olive oil
• Chunks of squash with crushed coriander seeds, a hint of chili powder, oregano and olive oil
• Quartered fennel with its own leafy tops and olive oil
• Whole baby turnips with tarragon, a splash of white wine vinegar and olive oil
• Peeled and quartered red onions with sage and olive oil

Directions
All the vegetables should be cut into similar-sized pieces so that they cook at the same time, tossed separately with their suggested flavorings and season generously. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the vegetables in a large tray next to each other and cover with tin foil. Cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue roasting for another 20–30 minutes until the vegetables are golden and tender. If by any chance one is cooked before another, simply remove it from the oven and keep it warm in a serving dish.

After that, I wanted to try it out on my own, so I found this Barefoot Contessa recipe. I am not a huge fan of mashed potatoes, so this is an ideal alternative. And it was SO delicious!

Celery Root and Apple Puree
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup large-diced fennel bulb, tops and core removed
• 2 pounds celery root, peeled and (3/4-inch) diced
• 8 ounces Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and (3/4-inch) diced
• 3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and (3/4-inch) diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup good apple cider
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions
Melt the butter over medium heat in a shallow pot or large saute pan. Add the fennel, celery root, potatoes, apples, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cider and tightly cover the pot. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft. If the vegetables begin to burn or they seem dry, add another few tablespoons of apple cider or some water.

When the vegetables are cooked, add the cream and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the mixture to a food mill or food processor. Taste for salt and pepper and return to the pot to keep warm. Serve warm.

Would love to hear your experience with celery root! Any recipes to share??

Potpourri - not just for grandmas!

When I first told my BF that I was going to make potpourri for Christmas gifts this year, he looked at me like I had truly gone mad. I promised him that I wasn't going to start putting doilies on our furniture and reusing ice cubes, and that he would even like my potpourri because it wasn't just for grandmas. I had a general idea in my head of a wintery, spicy mix of natural items that would invoke the Christmas spirit with each whiff.

So, I started a list of things I already had in my home/yard*:

• Cinnamon sticks: buy in bulk if possible
• Cloves: buy in bulk if possible
• Dried citrus slices and peels: place spiral peeled satsumas peels and thinly sliced lemon rounds on a baking sheet in the oven at 200 degrees for about an hour until completely dry but not brown. Check often!
• Pine needles: straight from the Christmas tree!
• Hawthorne berries: a bright red berry that stays on the trees through the winter, feeding birds, especially robins.

Next, I wanted to add a little more color and scent with some Eucalyptus leaves. You can usually find these at a florist or craft store where they sell dried flowers, but I decided to buy the living plant so I can enjoy it's pale green leaves year round.

The mixture needed some bulk. Since I was back in the city at this point, I took my search online where I found the Atlantic Spice Company. Here I purchased some beautiful curly pods, birch pine cones and rose hips.

One tip to longer lasting potpourri is adding a complementary essential oil, so I also purchased a vial of clove oil. These can usually be found in herbal stores, natural markets or online.

Once I had all my ingredients, I combined them into a big bowl. It's not a science, so use whatever proportions (and ingredients) you like, but here is an estimation:

• 4 Cinnamon sticks broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup Cloves
• 4 dried citrus slices and 10 -15 pieces of peels
• 1/4 cup Pine needles
• 1/8 cup Hawthorne berries
• 3 cups Curly pods
• 2/3 cup Rose hips
• 3 cups birch cones
• 1/2 cup Eucalyptus leaves
• 10 drops Clove essential oil

This amount filled about four medium sized mesh bags. The potpourri should be stored in an airtight container for a few days to really seal in the scents.

While the BF was still a little skeptical, I love the result, and I hope that my friends and family did too!!

* and by yard, I really mean my parent's since Belltown condo living isn't very green. :)

Success with Squash

As you probably noticed, we are well into the winter season where fresh, local produce is harder to come by. Many of the Farmers Markets are closed for the season, and certainly most CSAs have ended. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a wonderful time of year to cook, and so I will try my best to keep sharing my experiences here, maybe in just more creative ways. :)

Squash is in season in the fall and early winter, and can be found in abundance in the market right now. There are many different kinds, and I certainly don’t call myself an expert, but my favorites are Acorn and Butternut. I have a few recently successfully prepared recipes to share with you (courtesy of Barefoot Contessa and Cooking Light)!

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Source: 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• Good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Serve immediately.

Notes: The olive oil and maple syrup do wonders to the squash, making it nice and caramelized. I recommend cooking it for a little longer even until they start to brown and get the nice roasted flavor. The recipe also called for 1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted, but I have nut allergies in my family so I left those out. Also, I found the amount of parmesan cheese a little excessive, so I recommend putting a little in at a time and tossing till it is the amount you like.

Risotto with Acorn Squash, Pancetta, and Jack Cheese
Source: Karen MacNeil, Cooking Light, October 2004
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients
• 1 1/2 pounds Acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
• Olive oil, salt and pepper
• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Madeira wine or sweet Marsala
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
• 6 – 8 ounces chopped pancetta
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese or other spicy cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh tarragon sprigs (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 475°.

Toss squash in about 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash on a nonstick jelly-roll pan and bake at 475° for 20 minutes or until tender, turning after 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

Combine broth, water, wine, and tarragon in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.

Cook pancetta in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan; drain on a paper towel. Discard pan drippings. Add onion and oil to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add rice to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes. (Do not stir; rice will have a liquid consistency similar to stew.)

Place pan in oven; bake at 325° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Stir in the squash, pancetta, cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover with a clean cloth; let stand 10 minutes (rice will continue to cook). Garnish with tarragon sprigs, if desired.

Notes: You can use Acorn or Butternut for this recipe. Next time I cook this, I will toss the squash with olive oil, salt and pepper (not called for in the original recipe) in an effort to roast and caramelize the squash much like in the salad recipe above. Without it, I felt that the squash was a little bland. I also increased the amount of pancetta from the original recipe, why not! Again, I left out 1 tsp (pine) nuts, but in this case mostly because I am not a big fan. :)

Baked Acorn Squash w/ Butter and Brown Sugar
Source: Packer Family!
Serves: 3 – 4

Ingredients
One acorn squash
2 – 4 tablespoons of butter
2 – 4 tablespoons brown sugar

Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut acorn squash into half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place into baking pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, 45 minutes.

Split butter and brown sugar into each cavity of the squash, and bake uncovered, for 10 - 20 minutes, or until butter is melted and bubbly and squash is fully cooked.

Shortcut! Baking for the full time in the oven frankly takes too long for me. So I get the process started in the microwave:

Use a fork to stab holes into the whole acorn squash, about 7 times. Cook in microwave on high for 10 – 15 minutes until soft to the touch.

Cut acorn squash into half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place into baking pan, and put desired amount of butter and brown sugar into each cavity of the squash. Bake uncovered, for 10 - 20 minutes, or until butter is melted and bubbly and squash is fully cooked.

Hope you all incorporate squash into your winter menus! I would love to hear your ideas on other interesting squashes to add to mine. :)

Basil Preservation

I held out as long as I could, but the last few days of cold weather has taken its toll on our basil. Fall is officially here and I need to face the music!

Typically I just make pesto in the food processor and freeze it. Super easy. However after getting the basil cleaned and dried I realized I didn't have enough pine nuts. I decided to forge ahead anyway using salt, garlic olive oil and of course basil. (Marcella Hazan recommends adding the cheese and butter in right before using.) I spooned the mixture into a clean ice tray and popped it in the freezer. The ice tray trick is from my sister in law, Penny. It makes serving sizes which will come in handy this winter when I want to add a little summer brightness to sauces and soups.

I plan on using a bit of pesto as the filling for tonight's dinner of crespelle.

Easy Oven-dried Tomatoes

I am in serious denial that summer is over! This year I planted my first real garden and have really enjoyed having so much yumminess in my backyard. My favorite thing so far has definitely has been fresh tomatoes. Cannot be beat! I planted 5 varietals: chocolate cherry, sungold, beefsteak, plum, and one other I can't remember. Delicious so many ways.

Some day I would like to learn how can, but for this year I've been preserving tomatoes by making sauce or peeling whole tomatoes and storing in the freezer. And let's just say our freezer is getting mighty full! So I was excited to come across a more space friendly method...oven drying.

We use sun dried tomatoes a lot but they can be expensive. I had no idea how easy they are to make especially if you have a convection oven. Here are the steps (I used plum tomatoes):

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Quarter washed tomatoes
3. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
4. Place in one layer on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
5. Cook for 12 hours (or until tomatoes have dried to desired consistency)

You can either freeze or store in a jar with some olive oil. So easy and so yummy!

30 minute, yummy veggie meal

This month's Cooking Light has some great recipes, and the one I picked tonight was a real winner: eggplant and goat cheese sandwiches. It is a great opportunity to use those lingering veggies from your gardens or CSA, as well as some of that pesto you've got stocked up in the freezer. :) The recipe is not yet online, so I will share it here:

Serves 2:

• One medium eggplant, cut into 6 slices (about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into quarters, seeds and membranes removed
• Pesto
• Goat cheese
• 4 slices crusty white bread, like ciabatta
• Handful of baby arugula or mix of greens
• Olive oil

1. Preheat broiler

2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheeting. Brush both sides with olive oil. Arrange bell pepper quarters, skin sides up on baking sheet as well, flatten with hand. Broil about 4 minutes until eggplant is browned, and then turn eggplant over. Broil additional 4 minutes or so and then remove eggplant from oven. Leave peppers in until blackened, then place in a ziplock bag, seal and let stand for 15 min. Peel and discard skin.

3. Broil bread slices until lightly browned on one side. Spread pesto on one side and goat cheese on the other. Layer eggplant, peppers and arugula between the slices.

4. Serve with pre-made creamy tomato soup.

Delish and so quick!