BLUEBERRY CUSTARD PIE

It's blueberry season around here. You can even pick your own. I'm going to give it a try but either early in the morning or after the sun peaks. Meanwhile, I purchased a quart or more already picked. Made an experiment with Blueberry Custard pie last night. Decided to make two - double the fun. And needed to try out my new oven to see how even and hot it gets. I'm also trying to work out the choreography in this kitchen; it takes a while to get your moves right.

I'm going to give you the recipe for the pie but only if you ask. Why? Because I'm too lazy right now and I'm waiting for some friends to come by and eat the pie and I've got to make some tea. IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS RECIPE WRITE SOMETHING IN THE COMMENTS AND I WILL RESPOND.


Without being specific, I made a crust the usual way, flour, butter, bit of water. I bought salted butter in error and it might have helped frankly because the crust is about the flakiest I've ever made.

I used about a quart and more of blueberries. It looked like a lot in the bowl but once I put them into the pie shell it was only one layer, which turned out to be enough.

I sprinkled the blueberries with a bit of flour and arrowroot powder. By a bit I mean about a tablespoon full.

Then I prepared a custard with creme fraiche, sugar (the white stuff), an egg, well 2 eggs since I was making two, and also about a tablespoon of toasted and ground up almonds and hazelnuts, plus a capful of vanilla extract. I make my own vanilla extract with vanilla strips and vodka. It takes about 3 months but after that you just pour in more vodka. Mix well.

Roll out the pie dough really thin. Really. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the bottom of the pie in the oven, having pricked it with a fork in several places, and bake for about 8 minutes. Take out and put on a rack to cool for about 10 minutes.

Roll out some of the dough meanwhile and cut into strips.

Then put the blueberries in, spread them around, pour the custard over. Cross-hatch the strips over the top of the pie. I also put some around the edge...you'll see in the photo. I baked it over 30 minutes...until golden as it appears. The blueberries and the custard mingled together to form a whole.

The thing that is interesting, and surprising to me, about this pie is that the bottom crust is crispy. It might be because of being so thin. I tasted it after it cooled and then again in the morning thinking it would be soggy, but it was still crispy. So no more guey cornstarchy gloppy pie!

Here are the photos:

Here is the recipe:

Blueberry Custard Pie

Pre-heat oven to 400° F.

Pie Crust

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 sticks salted butter, cold and cut into pieces

3-6 tablespoons ice cold water

Place the flour in a food processor and buzz a couple of times. Add the butter and buzz until just flaky. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time. If the flour is dry you will need

all 6 tablespoons. Take out on to a floured board. The dough should be slightly most and

pliable. Knead together and mound into a disc about 6 inches by 1-1/2 inches high. Wrap in plastic or waxed paper and put into the freezer for about 10 minutes or the refrigerator up to overnight.

Roll out the rest of the dough and cut strips with a zig-zag cutter or a knife.

The Filling

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

Wash the blueberries and put into a bowl. Toss with the flour and arrowroot.

The Custard

1/3 cup crème fraiche

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon hazelnuts

1 tablespoon almonds

½ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

Heavy Cream or 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Toast the nuts. You can use a cast-iron pan. Put them into a coffee grinder reserved for everything but coffee. Or if you have ground nuts, use them. Grind to a powder or paste.

Mix all the ingredients together with a whisk.

Take the pie dough out of the freezer and place on a flour sprinkled surface. Divide in half. Roll out to a very thin circle large enough for your pie pan. Place into the pie pan by rolling it up on the rolling pin and then unrolling it into the pan. Press down the sides and prick the bottom with a fork in several places. Place into the preheated oven on a sheet pan and back about 8-10 minutes. Take out and let cool on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Put the blueberries into the pre-baked shell. Pour the custard over. Place the dough strips across the top in a lattice and place some strips around the circumference of the pie, pressing down so that they stick. Brush some cream or an egg mixed with water over the dough.

Place in the middle of the oven on a sheet pan. Bake about 40 minutes or until the dough is golden and the custard and berries have set.

NEW BEGINNING

This is the first time I am writing from my new location in Spencertown, NY where I moved to from Piermont, NY this month, July 2013.

The moving has kept me busy, first with packing and now with unpacking and arranging. I'm still waiting for some bookcases so I can take the cookbooks out of the boxes. I hope that will happen soon. Maybe even today.

I'm gearing up to be able to teach cooking classes in my kitchen. Photos of the kitchen will follow.

There are a multitude of farms here and it is most glorious. When you say you want to eat locally you have to have farms and people who make products. I logged on to localharvest.org and found over 132 places within a 25 mile radius.

The local peaches are here. My first interest is in preparing foods to store over the winter. I like to freeze things over the other choice of canning. A vacuum sealer is very helpful for freezing.

I will be making some Brandied Peaches this week and will post the process and recipe. Simply cutting up, or leaving whole, you can freeze fruits and then package them. Usually we are told they are good up to 3 months but they do last longer.

Next will be an Eggplant Caponata.

WHAT I'M COOKING TOMORROW

Since I haven't been showing you what I am cooking lately...I am listing what I'm cooking for a client tomorrow. You can also see how they are packaged. Photos below:

Chicken Breast stuffed with Prosciutto and Herb Garlic Cheese

with a Lemon Sauce

Quinoa Pilaf with Shiitakes, Carrots, and Pecans

Soy-roasted Salmon

Asparagus and Beets with Goat Cheese

In the refrigerator

Beef and Sauce Stuffed Eggplant with Bechamel Sauce

Sauteed Broccoli and Tomatoes

and a Mixed Green Salad with Green Goddess Dressing 

(no photos)

MATZO BREI TUTORIAL

 I still have a few friends who do not know how to make their own Matzo Brei, even if they are Jewish. So to help them out I've created this simple 16-step (four beyond 12-steps) tutorial to make this simple dish. Personally, I never make it except during Passover but there is no reason not to make it at any other time.

What you need is some fat - butter, chicken fat, olive oil...even the current predilection for coconut oil would be fine...whatever you like; 2 eggs, 2 pieces of plain matzo, (I suppose you could make this with the flavored onion or poppy matzos too, but I've noticed that they aren't de rigeur for Passover, whatever, let's stick with the simple) salt, water. When it comes to condiments you will have to determine whether you want a sweet or savory Matzo Brei. Suggestions follow.

Don't be fooled here that because the first letter of Matzo Brei is the same as Mario Batali; there is no connection. And, no Franne, it's not a Matzo Bra.

So, if you like your ingredient list vertical, here it is:

2 pieces plain matzo
water
2 eggs
salt
1 tablespoon fat : butter

The instructions are given here step-by-step under each picture:

You need a bowl, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of matzo, butter.

Break up the matzo into small pieces and put into the bowl.

Add water and soak the matzo briefly to soften slightly. 
You can also use milk if you like.

Squeeze out the liquid.

Add the 2 eggs.



Mix the eggs and the matzo together.

 

 Add some salt.

Warm a small non-stick frying pan (I use Circulon) and add  the butter.

Let the butter melt. I went a little too far for some...I prefer brown butter.

Add the matzo egg mixture.

Cook over a low flame.

When it looks like this on one side, turn it over.
Be brave and use a flipping motion, or a spatula if you must.

When it's browned on both sides and cooked in the middle turn it on to a plate.

Don't worry, you'll know when it's done. Don't raise the flame.

Here are some options for toppings: honey, salt, jam, powdered sugar, cinnamon, lox...
I recommend you choose just one. 

Here it is with a sampling of each.

I chose the blueberry jam.

That's it: Matzo Brei. Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Enjoy!

Long Hiatus

It's been a long hiatus since I last posted something here. Stay tuned for a "Matzo Brei" tutorial coming up very soon....and more.

There is also this event:

THE GRAND AIOLI

 THE VERY GRANDISSIMO AIOLI

THE AIOLI IS ON THE UPPER RIGHT

All summer, or so it seems, I have been thinking about making a "grand aioli" and finally got to do it last night as the long, hot summer has been winding down. I have been surprised by the amount of people who do not know what this is. It is a large array of freshly steamed or lightly boiled vegetables, some beans, of the season, with additions of white fish, like cod, and sometimes mussels and/or small octopus. All these things act simply as a delivery system for AIOLI, which is a garlicky mayonnaise, preferably made fresh.

I gathered my vegetable ingredients: fingerling potatoes from the farmer's market, green beans (not haricot vert, tho you could,  but whopping big fingers of green), large carrots (not baby carrots or newly pulled thin ones and certainly not those things called baby carrots you can buy in packages), a hefty cauliflower, a fennel bulb with fronds, small zucchini (the only kind I like because of fewer seeds).

Then I made some dried chickpeas in the pressure cooker that only took about 40 minutes. And they are oh-so-much-better than the canned variety. Though the canned ones, once rinsed and drained, are fine and I use them all the time, still when you do make some fresh you can taste the difference. I drained them and added extra-virgin olive oil, pimenton, salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. I also chopped up some of the fennel fronds and tossed them in. Stir well. Pile on.

 I purchased some fresh cod.

First I made the Aioli. Alas, I must admit that I used the food processor. Though I have many mortar and pestle sets there was just not one large enough to do this task. I keep promising myself to make a trip to NYC Chinatown to purchase one of those large Thai sets...

THE AIOLI
3-6 large cloves of organic garlic, minced (not the stuff imported from China, okay?)
3 egg yolks
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Salt

With the processor running, drop the minced garlic in through the feeding tube. Add the 3 yolks, quickly followed by the lemon juice. Keep the processor running and slowly, slowly drizzle in the oil until it is all used. You should have a thick emulsion with a beautiful yellow and slightly green color. Stir in some salt. If you think it's too thick turn the processor on again and drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of water. Check it. Taste it. See if it needs more lemon juice or water or salt. Take out and put into a non-reactive container, like glass or ceramic. Cover and refrigerate.

When you are ready to cook the vegetables. Put the potatoes into a large pot and add a little salt and enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. (Since all that is required is to boil all the vegetables to the perfect doneness your task and attention is well-defined.) Remove the potatoes to a platter when done.  (I like to slice them in half to serve.) Next, add the carrots, I have cut these fat ones on a very diagonal slant. Cook about 3-5 minutes. Done. Take out with a perforated spoon. Put on platter. Then the green beans, after they have been tipped and tailed. Cook until perfectly crisp and not toothy. Then the zucchini, cut in wide sections, for about 2 minutes - just a quick bath. The fennel that has been quartered will only take another 2 minutes. The cauliflower that has been cut into flowerettes to be submerged and cooked for 2-3 minutes. Don't make it too soft. Attention must be paid. What else, did I forget something? The choice of vegetables is really up to you. Maybe a sliced sweet potato would be nice...or save that for the autumn grand aioli...

The cod needs to be salted the day before. Rinse and dry. Then salt on both sides. Place in a bag and leave for 24 hours. When ready to cook it, rinse again and dry. To poach you can either use all white wine, or, as I did, about 1 cup of white wine and the rest water. Use a wide pan and cut the cod to fit. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so that you don't see any more bubbles and slide the cod in to cook. The poaching liquid should cover the fish. Cook about 5 minutes.

THE PLATE

Everything should be warm, room temperature, not hot. If you have one large platter it's nice to arrange everything on it. I don't have one so I used an assortment of deep vessels. It's colorful and very lavish. Have a good white wine and maybe a warm crusty bread.  Everything should be clean and well-arranged. For color you can toss on some smiggens of chopped parsley and black olives.

Sit yourself down and gawk at the beauty presented before you. Enjoy this well because you have now figured out how to eat lots of vegetables and love every bite. It's soooo healthy. But please don't smear any of that Aioli on your face though you might well be tempted; it's so good.

Bon Bon Appetit!

Le plat du jour.

COOKBOOK FROM CHILDREN

 All you parents, here is a cookbook put together by Michelle Obama and others with the winning recipes submitted. Over 1,200 recipes were submitted and these are the winners. It's interesting to look at and might help you with inspiring your children.

http://www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/pdfs/healthy-lunch-challenge-cookbook.pdf

I would have a children's cooking class if I had a space to do so. We could make some of these recipes. If anyone wants to donate their kitchen for an afternoon, call Cooking on the River and we will see what we can do.

SUMMER OR AUTUMN CAPONATA

 

Caponata is more familiar as a dish made with eggplant. Here eggplant is used instead of the eggplant  try substituting butternut squash in the autumn. Using different seasonal vegetables keeps the tastebuds awake and surprised. This is simply a mouth-watering vegetable medley soaked in flavor. Taste at the finish to get the right balance of sweet and sour. Good as a starter with a crusty bread, or as a side dish.

2  red onions, peeled, quartered and sliced

½ - 3⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 can tomato puree or peeled and seeded whole tomatoes

1⁄2 cup dry red wine

1⁄2 cup sugar

2 butternut squash, or 2 eggplants, ½-1 inch cubes

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 head celery, stalks separated and peeled, large dice

1⁄2 pound pitted green olives

1-2 tablespoons capers, preferably the salted capers, well rinsed

1⁄2 cup parsley, chopped

1⁄4-1/2 cup pine nuts

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute, quartered and sliced onion in olive oil in a large thick bottomed saucepan. Add the tomatoes or tomato puree, wine and sugar. Simmer gently for 30 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Peel, seed and dice the squash or eggplant.  I left the peel on the eggplant.

Stir the vinegar into the saucepan, stir and scrape up from the bottom of the pan.

Add the eggplant or squash. Season with salt and pepper.  Stir to coat the squash with the sauce.

Blanch the diced celery (it is really important to peel the celery) in boiling water then drain and dip into ice water. Add to the mixture. 
Simmer for about 30 minutes or until the squash is fork tender. The eggplant should be soft and silky and cooked through.

Chop the olives, or just break them up with with your fingers. Stir in the capers, parsley, olives, and pine nuts for final five minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning. Add more vinegar or sugar if necessary. If you taste this immediately after it is made the vinegar will be the top note, if you let it rest for a day or two it will smooth out and loose it's bite.

 

Let the mixture sit and cool off the stove. This Caponata is better the next day. 
Remove from the saucepan and place in a jar or covered serving containers.

Serve room temperature with an additional flurry of salt and pepper, a drizzle of very good 
quality extra virgin olive oil, maybe some torn and tossed genoa basil leaves and several 
slices of crusty bread.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA

JULIA CHILD'S 100th BIRTH DAY

In honor of Julia Child's birth day here is a menu for an Informal Dinner from her cookbook, Julia Child & Company:

Beautiful ingredients prepared with loving care but little effort: this simple menu is an example of the wisdom and sane good taste of civilized cookery.

Menu

Asparagus Tips in Puff Pastry, Lemon butter Sauce

Casserole Roast of Veal with Carrots and Celery Hearts

Wok Saute of Grated Zucchini and Fresh Spinach

Floating Island

Suggested wines

A light white wine with the first course, like a Chablis, Chardonnay, or dry Riesling

A red Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon with the veal

A Champagne or sparkling white wine with the dessert

Bon appetit!

SERVICES AND RATES

Listed below are current general pricing guidelines that include the initial consultation, menu planning, grocery shopping, meal preparation, clean up, and reheating instructions.
    
With a continuing service agreement, take $50 off of each category.

Meals include an entree and a side dish. Add-ons $15 per item.

Five Meals / Four Servings	$325 plus the cost of groceries
Five Meals / Three Servings	$300 plus the cost of groceries
Five Meals / Two Servings	$275 plus the cost of groceries
Four Meals / Four Servings	$300 plus the cost of groceries
Four Meals / Three Servings	$275 plus the cost of groceries
Four Meals / Two Servings	$250 plus the cost of groceries
Three Meals / Four Servings	$275 plus the cost of groceries
Three Meals / Three Servings	$250 plus the cost of groceries
Three Meals / Two Servings	$225 plus the cost of groceries

Cooking Classes in your home kitchen and Dinner Parties from 2 to 12 people are available.

FUNNY RANT

Give this a read and laugh a bit:
http://www.nwedible.com/2012/08/tragedy-healthy-eater.html

HOME BISTRO

Fresh vegetables in the fridge. A couple of pieces of fish. A Romesco sauce made a few days ago. All these ingredients made quick work for a simple and nutritious dinner at home last night.

Here is what I did:

STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH CAPERS AND OLIVE OIL

Take the carrots and yellow summer squash and cut them in irregular shapes on an angle. Pop into a pan with a little water and steam briefly. Put into a bowl, add some rinsed capers, a coating of good extra-virgin olive oil (the kind you have saved for a condiment and not for cooking), and some dried calendula petals (optional), and flaked salt.

SAUTEED EGGPLANT AND ONION

For the eggplant: Take two thin Japanese eggplants, an onion - white in this case. Saute the sliced onion in some olive oil. These onions came with their green parts attached and I saved them. They look like gigantic scallions. I sliced up some of the green parts too. After the onion was sufficiently sauteed with a bit of browning I added the diagonally sliced eggplant to saute down to a soft and velvety consistency. Then I added the juice of 1 orange and a splash of vinegar...you can use what you like...in this case Ume Plum vinegar, and some flaked salt. Toss well.

PAN FRIED ARCTIC CHAR

The fish was rinsed and dried off, sauteed in the olive oil with some flaked salt on top. I added the Romesco sauce (recipe for that on another day) and a dab of coconut butter...that's what the white blob in the picture is... also, a squeeze of lime.

ARCTIC CHAR WITH ROMESCO SAUCE AND COCONUT BUTTER

TASTING

 

A little while ago I did a tasting for a client. They paid for the groceries. Here is the menu:

Appetizer

   Artichokes a la Grecque

   with anchovy toast,

    garlic scape & parsley vinaigrette

·       

Entree

     Spiced Duck with Cherry Sauce

     Maple-whipped Yam

     Steamed Pattypan Squash

French-Fried Shallots

·       

 Dessert

     Blueberry Tart

      Stilton Cheese with  Blueberries

The Entree

Would you like a three-coarse meal like this? Great for a dinner party.