FRESH CRANBERRY or BORLOTTI BEANS

It's the season for the availability of some fresh beans in their pods. I just purchased a pile of Cranberry beans. They are much prettier when raw, as you will see. But much tastier cooked. The first thing to do is shuck the pretty pink-red shells. You'll see some of them are not quite fully formed and green. I usually leave them in but you can decide. Then you can add water and cook them for about 20-25 minutes. Or parboil them if you are going to add them to another dish. Cranberry beans are also known with different names: Borlotti, Roman, Romano, Saluggia, Rosecoco.

Here are some photos of my process:

The raw beans in their pods straight from the fields.

The raw beans released from their pods.

The empty pods. 

You can simply boil them in water. I added half an onion, a carrot, a couple of unpeeled garlic cloves, a few bay leaves, a few sage leaves, and a glug or two of olive oil. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer gently.

Slowly heating up.

Coming to a boil.

Boiling now. See how the colors are changing.

The fully cooked beans covered with olive oil. They are ready to use in other dishes.

Cranberry or Borlotti beans are very compatible with Winter Squash, Kale, jalapeno, garlic, tomatoes. They can be cooked with a soup stock and pureed. Add a mole and stir together with a fresh tomato passata, pour into a claypot and place into the oven. They are also good cold or room temperature mixed with tuna in olive oil.

Once you have all your nice beans in a jar covered with olive oil you can leave them in the fridge for a few days. They make a great addition for a fast meal. If you have some stock in your pantry, pour it into a pot then add some julienned kale, a cut-up carrot, and whatever leftover or frozen vegetables you have. I added a few Brussels sprouts, some corn kernels, frozen peas, garlic pieces. Bring to a boil and as soon as the kale is cooked through pour a serving into a bowl. Add some of the beans and their olive oil. I like to add a good grinding of black pepper! Fast and healthy and filling. 

RUGELACH (repeat recipe)

RUGELACH DEFINED

makes 3 dozen

For the dough:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups sifted AP flour

Blend the butter and cream cheese together with a hand blender or stand mixer until fluffy and well combined. Add the salt. Add the flour a cup at a time. Blend in by hand with a wooden spoon or a silicon spatula. It should come together easily. Knead the dough very briefly, then divide it into three sections, roll into a flattened ball and wrap well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Each ball will make 12 rugelach.

For the filling:

½ cup granulated or turbinado sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ cup preserves, either raspberry or apricot

¾ cup currants or sultanas

1-1/4 cups walnuts, finely chopped

optional additions: use other nuts, like pecans or almonds, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, etc.

Glaze: 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon of water.

Confectioners sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the preserves to melt, then cool.

When ready to make the rugelach take one of the dough balls out of the refrigerator about half an hour prior. Sprinkle flour all over the dough and on the table and on the rolling pin. Roll out to a  circle 12 to13-inch in diameter. It’s okay if the edges are a bit uneven.

On the rolled out dough brush the butter/preserves mixture all over. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over that. Then sprinkle the walnuts and currants or raisins, if using. Roll the rolling pin lightly over the top to set the filling in the dough. If some of the mixture gets on the rolling pin, brush it off with a little bit of flour.

With a pastry cutter or large knife cut the dough into quarters. Section each quarter into thirds (or more if you want small rugelach). Roll up each wedge from the wide end to the point. Turn the ends in slightly to form a crescent. Don’t let too much ooze out as it could burn.

Place each rugelach on a parchment covered baking sheet about

1-inch apart. Continue with the two remaining balls of dough. Brush the glaze on top of each rugelach. Sprinkle with some of the left over sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Bake 30 minutes. Turn and reverse the sheets half way through, or after 15 minutes. Take out and cool on a wire rack. Optionally, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

TOMATO TART

With early September tomatoes it’s worth making a luscious tart. Who needs pizza when you can make this? The fresh tastes and combination of flavors can bring tears to your eyes. I experimented making this to bring to a music and poetry salon in the mountains surrounding Woodstock, NY. I used a rectilinear pan, like the kind used for making a French apple tart, but finding a platter long and narrow can be a problem. Make it in a round pan placing the tomato slices all around and layer them toward the center, or vice verse. Either way it will be a hit. You may want to make two. It’s the ultimate seasonal dish. Can’t freeze it. Can’t store it. Nope. Just enjoy.

TOMATO TART

The dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon organic cane sugar + 2 teaspoons

4 ounces (1 stick) salted butter + 2 tablespoons

½ cup ice water

Place the flour and sugar in a food processor and pulse to blend. Cut up 4 ounces or 1 stick of butter and add to the flour. Pulse to blend. Add enough water to make everything just barely stick together into a ball. Take out on to a flour sprinkled surface and knead a bit to bring together. Then make into a flattened ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate an hour or overnight.

Take out the pie dough and let it rest about 15-20 minutes or just enough so that you can roll it out. The warmth of your hand can move this process along. If you are using a rectangular tart pan, roll out the dough to fit. For a round pan, do the same. There should be an overhang in either case. Take the rolling pin and roll it over the edge to cut the dough. Put the pan with the dough into the freezer (or refrigerator) for at least 20 minutes to get good an cold. Then fill.

Set the Oven to 375°F. and allow to come to temperature.

2-3 tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 full tablespoon, Basil chopped

Extra-virgin Olive oil

6-8 Tomatoes, medium size, ¼ inch slice, core removed

1/2 teaspoon Thyme leaves

Ground black pepper

2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely chopped (optional)

Honey

Coarse salt, Malden

Parmigiano-Reggiono or Grana Padano cheese

If you purchase a bunch of basil and want to preserve it without making pesto first, chop it finely, place it in a glass jar and cover it with olive oil. Use a full tablespoon of it to mix with the mayonnaise. Smear a thin but adequate layer on the pastry dough in the tart pan.

Place the sliced tomatoes on top of the basil mayonnaise in neat rows. For the rectilinear pan place about three overlapping slices across the short side and keep layering until the pan is full. See photo. Using your fingers, rub the thyme and toss over the tomatoes. Do the same with freshly ground black pepper and chopped lemon zest. (You could use a good quality lemon pepper here.) No salt yet.

Place on a sheet pan and bake in the center of the oven until golden, about 20-35 minutes. The crust will brown a bit and the tomatoes will glisten.

Remove to a rack. Sprinkle the coarse salt. Take a fork and plunk it into some honey then quickly drizzle just a little over the tart…like a wand. Using a peeler, scrape the cheese to fall helter-skelter over the tart. Finally, drizzle a bit – not too much - of condiment quality extra-virgin olive oil over the top. Let cook. Remove from the mold. Watch this disappear. (Cut a slice for yourself to be sure.)

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August Bachelor Party 2017

AUGUST BACHELOR PARTY MENU

Lenny B’s Smoked Trout with butter & pickled onions on Crostini

Hookline’s Smoked Salmon with goat cheese & chives on Crostini

Avocado with goat cheese & parsley on Crostini 

Amuse Bouche: handmade Croatian Bread with olives, herbs & onion

Composed Salad: Arugula, spicy mesclun, parsley, mint, pecans, blue cheese

Pickled beets and pickled miniature cucumbers

Citrus Vinaigrette

Heirloom tomatoes & orange slices drizzled with honey & black pepper

Crispy Bacon & Marinated Shrimp      

Grilled Hanger Steak from Applestone Meats

Venison brochettes from Highland Farms

Caramelized Onions / Chimichurri Sauce / Cognac & Parsley compound butter

Grilled Vegetables on a bed of rice noodles

Peruvian Purple potatoes with Peanut Sauce

& hard-boiled eggs, roasted red pepper, Ricotta Salata

Grilled Corn-on-the-cob with Basil Pesto Mayo    

Cheese Platter with local honey & spreads

Kunik: Nettle Meadow Warrensburg, NY–Goat And Cow

Humboldt Fog: Cypress Grove, California

Raspberry Herb Tea Cheese: Brovetto Dairy, Harpersfield, NY

Five-Year Aged Gouda:  Dutch

      

Rhubarb Ginger Chutney – Atina Foods, Catskill, NY

Ginger Orange Infused Honey – Phoenicia Honey Co., Phoenicia, NY

Grape Cherry Spread – House made
     

Peach Galettes with Chantilly Cream

GROCERY LIST ART

I tend to make long lists when I go grocery shopping for dinner parties. I need to use them to check that I've gotten everything and not to forget one thing. It's a real practice in organization. Sometimes people stop me in grocery stores to marvel at the extent of the lists. I thought it might be fun to post a few.

This is a drawing of a first course dish.

Interesting Film about Food

http://www.pbs.org/video/2365618573/

RADIO SHOW

Get ready to listen to this. Will post the podcast when it is up. Go to the facebook page: Eating It in the Hudson Valley to make comments and suggestions. Connections with local farms, chefs and producers of goods especially welcome.

You are invited to listen to my new radio show on WGXC 90.7 FM. Hands on community radio for Greene & Columbia counties. "Eating It...in the Hudson Valley" The first broadcast is at 3PM until 3:30PM, Tuesday, May 16th. First guest is organic revolutionary Grace Gershuny. Future shows will cover all topics food-related: agriculture, farmers, farms, farm workers, local food producers (upper Hudson Valley), foragers, farm to school, food policy, food justice, chefs, restauranteurs - and most definitely RECIPES. There will also be a podcast. Use the facebook page to ask questions and get the written recipes when they are posted. A blog may be added later.

LENTIL, WALNUT & MUSHROOM PATE OR SPREAD

This is an easy spread to put together and it’s both vegan and vegetarian. Usually brown lentils are used but when I made this the other day I only had yellow and orange ones – both Indian pantry staples – so that is what I used. If you don’t have any shallot then use a small onion and a garlic clove. Use whatever mushrooms you have on hand or a combination. The tastes will change slightly with different ingredients but the basic pate or spread will be much the same. I like to serve it on pumpernickel bread or crackers with some pickled red onion on top.

LENTIL, WALNUT & MUSHROOM PATE

(makes about 1 cup)

1 medium shallot, minced

6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to coat

5-6 mushrooms, rinsed – caps and stems, cremini or other, chopped

½ cup lentils, yellow, orange or brown

½ cup walnuts, toasted

pinch dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

seasalt

freshly ground black pepper

1-  Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan and add the shallot to sauté until well cooked.

2-  Add the mushrooms to the shallot, adding more oil, if necessary, add the thyme. Stir occasionally. Sauté until soft and cooked through. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

3-  Meanwhile, rinse the lentils in a strainer. Boil about 1-1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and add the lentils to cook though about 15-18 minutes. Taste to test doneness. When soft, drain and add to a food processor.

4-  Toast the walnuts in a frying pan, tossing frequently. Remove and set aside. Let them cool.  Optionally, if you want to remove some of the skins (they can be bitter) rub them between your hands.

5-  Add the rest of the ingredients to the lentils in the food processor: the walnuts, mushrooms and shallot. Process, scraping down the sides, add salt and pepper (to your taste), the Dijon. Drizzle in the olive oil to moisten. When everything is smoothly combined, remove to a jar. Drizzle olive oil on top then seal the jar. Keep refrigerated. Bring to room temperature to serve.

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BACHELORETTE PARTY

Your friend's getting married so you gather a bunch of her other friends and rent a house, hire a private chef, and make plans for a fun weekend. They also made flower headdresses. That's what these women did. Here are some photos of the dinner and the menu.

MENU

ASSORTED CROSTINI w/GREENS SALAD

sundried tomato tapenade w/goat cheese & thyme

black olive tapenade w/almond slivers

prosciutto w/parmesan & fig jam

chopped tomato & marinated shrimp

Fennel, Belgian endive, parsley & arugula

citrus vinaigrette

ROASTED HERB & GARLIC CHICKEN

roasted garlic, broiled lemon, mixed herb pesto

BRAISED ZUCCHINI

onion, garlic, tomato, white wine & pine nuts

CRISPY PURPLE BABY POTATOES

salt, vinegar, chives

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

chocolate ganache, whipped Chantilly cream, fresh raspberries

The bride to be.

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HAMANTASHEN 2

Poppyseed filled Hamantashen - one with and one without

 [Recipe alert: I posted an earlier version of this recipe some time back. This is the 2017 updated version. Mostly it relates with the manner in which the poppyseed filling is made. This is an easier version.]

This is one of those Jewish pastries made for a particular holiday, Purim. But nowadays you can find them everyday on the pastry shelves, even in your local supermarket. They are sometimes filled with prune or apricot pastes as well as the poppy seeds.

Purim and St. Patrick’s Day are very close together. One year I made Corned Beef and Cabbage and served Hamantashen for dessert. I like to use special foods to mark times of the year. It’s the ritualistic in me. Foods that are made once a year seem to mark certain times and help to create a memory of continuity and harmony.

Poppy seeds, a tiny seed, come both in black and white.  The black ones are used here.

This particular version is not too sweet. If you like to have them sweeter, add some more of that sweet stuff...sugar...to the dough and the filling, if you must. Remember though, that you are going to dust them with confectioner’s sugar later.

HAMANTASHEN

makes 36-40 cookies

Almond Dough

Mix together in a bowl:

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pulverized almonds (Trader Joe's ground almonds)

In another bowl (of a mixer, preferably), beat together until smooth:

1 cup or less of sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

Then add:

3 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

Add dry (the flour mixture) to wet (the butter/sugar mixture). Mix until it forms a ball then take out on to a lightly floured surface. (I tried making this in a food processor. It’s possible. Add the dry ingredients, then the zest, eggs, add some orange juice if  too thick) Knead lightly until it holds together and is smooth and pliant, not stiff. Divide the dough into four sections. You can refrigerate it covered up to 24 hours. You can also use it right away. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll each section to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter with a scalloped or straight edge, cut rounds in the dough. Pick up the scraps and knead them together, put aside.

Working one at a time, moisten the edge of the circle, using your finger, with a bit of water (put some in a small dish) so that the dough holds together. Put a full teaspoon of filling in the center. Pull up one arc of the circle into another, pinching the ends together, then pull up the third arc and pinch those ends together well. You don’t want them to open up when baked.  Leave an opening in the center where you can see the filling. You will have made a triangular shape with an open center. See photo.

Place on a sheet pan that is covered with parchment paper. Repeat with each circle. Roll out the other three sections of dough in the same manner. Knead the scraps from each section and keep re-rolling until most of the dough has been used.

Brush each hamantashen with the egg glaze. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes, until slightly golden. Cool. Place on a grate to cool. Store in a closed container. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar to serve.

Egg glaze:

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream or water

Prune filling:

2 cups prune butter

1/2 cup ground almonds

1 tablespoon orange zest

1-2 tablespoons orange juice or orange flower water

Mix until a smooth, soft paste.

Poppy Seed Filling:

3/4 cup poppy seeds

1 tablespoon, chia seeds (optional)

½ cup almond milk or orange juice

3 tablespoons honey

¼ cup brown sugar

grated zest of ½ orange

juice of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2/3 cup raisins, chopped

½ tablespoon brandy

½ tablespoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Grind the poppy and chia seeds in a spice grinder in batches. Heat the seeds with the milk or orange juice. Add the other ingredients then cook it down with medium-heat until it becomes a thick paste. Cool. Can be made and refrigerated, covered, the day before. Serve sprinkled with confctioners sugar.