I tasted my first pomegranate of the season this morning. A few weeks ago I tasted my first fuji apple of the season (from Howard's Organic Produce), and most evenings this week the girls and I have shared slices of Asian pears. This is why I love eating local. The pleasure of those first tastes of the season are inexplicably pure and intense.
And fall, of course, is all about plump, leathery-skinned pomegranates, the spicy notes of a crisp persimmon, the home-creating smell of pumpkin bread in the oven, and hand-warming drinks to fight off the chill of the morning.
oOo
I went to S&S Produce yesterday. I like that store. When I was a kid and my family wasn't much into 'natural foods,' and the building was old and drafty with the feeling that it might fall into Lindo Channel on a windy day, I liked going there and getting coconut popsicles. Nowadays, I like that they are are locally-owned and sell a good selection of local produce. I like that they have a real meat and seafood counter (where my cousin works!), and that they have grass-fed beef and organic pork in their freezer. I appreciate that their bulk foods section is neat and tidy and well-stocked with local Lundberg rice, all kinds of local nuts, beans and treats, such as those addictive dried mangoes. But perhaps the thing I like most is that little nook in the back where they sell the bulk herbs and spices. They seem to stock every herb or spice blend that I have ever needed (hello, whole cardamom pods, ground cardamom and cardamom seed) and it's very practical to be able to buy just the amount that you need. They even stock multiple sizes of baggies and multiple measuring units so that you don't have to eyeball proportions. If I've got a new Indian recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons of garam masala, I can easily measure out just the two 2 tablespoons, and not be left with a bag of powdery what-was-that-stuff? taking up space in my already-crowded spice drawer.
Yesterday I went to S&S specifically to restock my spices for Masala Chai making. I was craving the camaraderie of standing at that counter measuring spices into little baggies with another similarly-minded person: someone who's excited to try a new recipe, or who is stocking up on all their favorite spices, someone who cares about where their food comes from and has a real reverence for quality and an enjoyment in the process of creating something delicious. I'm not the kind of person who makes friends in grocery stores or easily starts up a conversation with someone, well, about anything. But there's something special about that spice counter and all the wonderful aromas that fill the air when multiple jars are being opened and sniffed and measured. Engaging in pleasant conversation with a stranger flows naturally---"Ooh, what are you going to use that for?" "Do you know which one of these chile powders would spicier?" and "That's an amazing smell!"---when passing back and forth the containers of ground cumin, fennel seeds, coriander, and ancho chile powder.
I've been making my own homemade chai for 15 years. My favorite recipe is essentially this one, without the star anise and rose petals. The fennel seed, which is an ingredient I wasn't familiar with until I found this recipe, adds a certain licorice-y depth to the blend without overpowering it. I tend to use equal parts water and whole milk and sweeten the brew with two tablespoons sugar in the beginning (with the water, tea and spices) and one tablespoon honey stirred in right before straining.
oOo
Looking for a fun weekend morning breakfast that says "I love you" to someone special?
I know I've mentioned this combination before, but it is certainly worthy of a second mention: David Lebovitz's Sugar-Crusted Popovers served with Masala Chai.
October 25, 2012
September 5, 2012
Caprese Salad
Not a unique summer meal, but one you definitely need to get into your dinner rotation before tomato season ends and/or it gets too chilly to dine on the patio:
Caprese Salad
Baguette slices. (I used a homemade sourdough baguette that I had rolled in sesame seeds before baking. The sesame seeds add such a nice nuttiness.)
Anyhow, thin baguette slices rubbed with a cut clove of garlic, drizzled with good local olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt and broiled a couple minutes until almost crisp. (They'll continue to crisp as they cool.) Served along side a swirl of sliced heirloom tomatoes (I had a large yellow/orange striped tomato and a small green speckled tomato) with sliced fresh mozzarella*, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and good olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper and fresh basil.
To eat, top a baguette slice with a slice of cheese and slice of tomato. And please don't be shy about sopping up oil and vinegar with the baguette.
So simple. So quick. Yet so summery and satisfying.
*I've made mozzarella before, but lately I'm happier buying it at Trader Joe's. I figure buying cheese at Trader Joe's (and my elementary tomato descriptions) balance out the arrogance of my locavorism and homemade bread baking. Right?
Caprese Salad
Baguette slices. (I used a homemade sourdough baguette that I had rolled in sesame seeds before baking. The sesame seeds add such a nice nuttiness.)
Anyhow, thin baguette slices rubbed with a cut clove of garlic, drizzled with good local olive oil, sprinkled with coarse salt and broiled a couple minutes until almost crisp. (They'll continue to crisp as they cool.) Served along side a swirl of sliced heirloom tomatoes (I had a large yellow/orange striped tomato and a small green speckled tomato) with sliced fresh mozzarella*, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and good olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper and fresh basil.
To eat, top a baguette slice with a slice of cheese and slice of tomato. And please don't be shy about sopping up oil and vinegar with the baguette.
So simple. So quick. Yet so summery and satisfying.
*I've made mozzarella before, but lately I'm happier buying it at Trader Joe's. I figure buying cheese at Trader Joe's (and my elementary tomato descriptions) balance out the arrogance of my locavorism and homemade bread baking. Right?
August 21, 2012
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Last weekend the girls and I spent an hour or so at Johnson Farm in Gridley picking produce. We brought home three flats of strawberries, one and a half flats of red grapes, two melons, a box of assorted tomatoes, two bags of assorted peppers and three eggplants.
All day Saturday I rinsed strawberries, sliced off the tops, and froze them on wax paper-lined baking sheets. I ended up with about four gallons of frozen strawberries for winter smoothies.
oOo
Grace and Jason love spaghetti, but I'm not a big fan. This weekend, though, I relented and made a big batch of roasted tomato sauce, then simmered it with browned ground beef and served it over penne with plenty of grated parmesan cheese. It was quite good; even I liked it.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Roasted tomato sauce is very simple to make. Simply slice tomatoes in half and arrange cut side up on a baking sheet. Use a good paste tomato such as a roma or San Marzano. About half of the tomatoes I used had that oblong paste tomato shape and the other half were a large round variety called Shady Lady. Cut the top off of a head of garlic and add it to the baking sheet. This time I also added an eggplant--cut it in half just like the tomatoes--and a whole hot pepper for a little zest, and a white onion, sliced in thirds. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast in a 350F oven until vegetables have softened and collapsed some and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 60-90 minutes. Remove garlic after 50-60 minutes. Remove pans from oven and, when cool enough to handle, transfer roasted tomatoes--skin, seeds and all--to blender or food processor. Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves. Add the eggplant, if using, removing the stem, the roasted red pepper, peeling off the charred skin and removing the stem and seeds and the onion. Pulse to puree the vegetables, then taste for seasoning. If desired, throw in a handful of fresh basil or other herbs and puree again.
At this point tomato sauce can be frozen for later use or poured over cooked ground beef and simmered briefly to create a classic Meat Sauce for spaghetti.
Two half sheet pans held about seven pounds of vegetables and yielded slightly more than seven cups of sauce. I froze half in a quart-size zip-top bag and used half in a meat sauce to serve four people.
oOo
Johnson Farm is located off of Hwy 99 on the south end of Gridley, California. Their U-Pick produce and Farmstand is open through October on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 8am-3pm. The prices are reasonable and there is a swing set for the kids to play on if they get tired of picking.
All day Saturday I rinsed strawberries, sliced off the tops, and froze them on wax paper-lined baking sheets. I ended up with about four gallons of frozen strawberries for winter smoothies.
oOo
Grace and Jason love spaghetti, but I'm not a big fan. This weekend, though, I relented and made a big batch of roasted tomato sauce, then simmered it with browned ground beef and served it over penne with plenty of grated parmesan cheese. It was quite good; even I liked it.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Roasted tomato sauce is very simple to make. Simply slice tomatoes in half and arrange cut side up on a baking sheet. Use a good paste tomato such as a roma or San Marzano. About half of the tomatoes I used had that oblong paste tomato shape and the other half were a large round variety called Shady Lady. Cut the top off of a head of garlic and add it to the baking sheet. This time I also added an eggplant--cut it in half just like the tomatoes--and a whole hot pepper for a little zest, and a white onion, sliced in thirds. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Roast in a 350F oven until vegetables have softened and collapsed some and much of the liquid has evaporated, about 60-90 minutes. Remove garlic after 50-60 minutes. Remove pans from oven and, when cool enough to handle, transfer roasted tomatoes--skin, seeds and all--to blender or food processor. Squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves. Add the eggplant, if using, removing the stem, the roasted red pepper, peeling off the charred skin and removing the stem and seeds and the onion. Pulse to puree the vegetables, then taste for seasoning. If desired, throw in a handful of fresh basil or other herbs and puree again.
At this point tomato sauce can be frozen for later use or poured over cooked ground beef and simmered briefly to create a classic Meat Sauce for spaghetti.
Two half sheet pans held about seven pounds of vegetables and yielded slightly more than seven cups of sauce. I froze half in a quart-size zip-top bag and used half in a meat sauce to serve four people.
oOo
Johnson Farm is located off of Hwy 99 on the south end of Gridley, California. Their U-Pick produce and Farmstand is open through October on Saturdays and Wednesdays from 8am-3pm. The prices are reasonable and there is a swing set for the kids to play on if they get tired of picking.
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