Fresh Tart

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.  It is all soup, all the time in this house right now!  I made both beef and chicken versions over the weekend, might as well add pork too and fill up my freezer.  It is so nice to find a container of delicious soup and heat it up for a quick lunch or dinner. I make my own day when I find such a treasure.

I just returned from a national food bloggers' conference - yeah, there is such a thing. It happened to be in San Francisco, so while the conference food was...conference food, everywhere else I dined was incredible.   From pork liver to crispy tofu, from chicken gizzards to grilled okra, I sampled serious food, washed down with equally serious wine, and while it was unforgettable, after five days of indulgence I was ready to make my way back to reality.

Reality!  Which given laryngitis (I talked too much) and tiredness (see food and wine above), for me turned out to be soup.  I was needing a good dose of restorative vegetables, but was experiencing a bit of pork withdrawal (San Francisco knows good pork!), so I decided that a hearty pork with kale soup would bridge the transition nicely.  And oh did it, wow, my not-kale-loving husband gave this a big thumbs up.  This soup turned out to be exactly what I wanted on my first day home - pleasantly spicy, rich with silky pork shoulder and tender kale, with just a hint of comforting cinnamon.

It's good to be home.

Spicy Pork Soup with Kale
Serves 6

1 lb. pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 fresh Anaheim or Poblano (mild) chile, chopped
1 dried guajillo or ancho chili, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
dash cinnamon
34 oz. chicken broth
3 c. chopped kale (leaves only, tough center rib discarded)
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Sprinkle pork pieces with salt.  When pan is hot, thoroughly brown pork on all sides.  Remove pork to a plate and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, and peppers to the pan and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add dash of cinnamon, then stir in the chicken broth.  Return pork to the pan, bring to a simmer, and transfer pot to the oven, where it will very gently simmer.

After two hours, stir the chopped kale into the soup.  Re-cover the pot and return to the oven for another hour.

Remove soup from the oven, then remove pork and gently shred into bite-sized pieces.  Stir shredded pork back into the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and serve.

We spent the day at my aunt Mary and uncle Bruce's farm, about two hours west of Minneapolis.  As always, a beautiful setting, meal, and day.

I hope you had a lovely, delicious day!

Back at you with more eggs...

John and I love a good brunch, especially with a glass of champagne.  Perhaps it should be, but the Saturday after a holiday is no exception.  Remember Poached Eggs over Potato-Green Pepper Pancakes from this summer?  Well, this recipe is a lower carbohydrate - but every bit as delicious - riff on that favorite.

Instead of potatoes, I grated celery root for the pancakes, adding a bit of green pepper and onion, as well as an egg to bind them together.  (Celery root has little starch - thus the lower carbohydrate count - so needs the egg to hold a pretty shape.)  They look and taste so much like potato pancakes, it's difficult for even the cook to tell they're made of celery root!

Like potato pancakes, celery root latkes are fabulous topped with a poached egg.

But then everything is fabulous topped with a poached egg.

Poached Eggs Over Celery Root Latkes
Serves 2

1/2 c. safflower, canola, peanut, or other high-heat oil (I prefer almond or avocado oil)
1 celery root, peeled and shredded
1/2 green pepper, shredded
1 small onion, peeled and shredded
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten

2-4 eggs to poach

Set a saucepan 1/2 filled with salted water on to boil.

Heat oil in a large (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high.  While the oil heats, stir together the potatoes, green pepper, onion, salt, and egg.  When the oil is hot, scoop up a small handful of the celery root mixture, squeeze it (over the bowl to catch drips), flatten with your hands into a 3-inch pancake, then slide into the hot oil.  Fry three pancakes at a time until golden brown, then turn pancakes over and brown on the other side.  Drain on paper towels.  Fry remaining pancakes; drain.  Place one or two pancakes on each plate.

The water will likely boil as you're frying pancakes, which is great.  Turn heat down so that the water is barely simmering - small bubbles should barely break the surface.  As soon as you're done frying the pancakes, crack one egg into a small dish and slide it into the water.  Quickly do the same with the second egg.  Set the timer for 3 minutes.  The eggs whites will look shredded, but that's OK.  When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to scoop one egg out of the water.  Tilt the spoon so the water drains completely off, then place the egg on top of one of the plates of hot potato pancakes.  Repeat with the second egg and second plate of pancakes.  (Poach additional eggs if desired.)  Top eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of black pepper each.  Serve immediately.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.  If you'll have a housefull of guests this coming holiday weekend, keep this easy eggs-for-a-crowd dish in mind.  For Turkey Day ideas, see Herb-Roasted Turkey & Gravy and Brussels Salad with Pancetta & Cranberries.  Yay for Thanksgiving!

An egg baked in a cup.  You can do that.

While you're at it, you had might as well add a few seasonings (although you don't need much - an egg baked with a sprinkle of salt & pepper is a fine thing).  I added fresh herbs and crispy prosciutto to this version, because that's what I had on hand.  But you could add a little spinach and a sprinkle of cheese, or whatever combination of flavors you like with scrambled eggs.  They all work here.

I do suggest that you try crispy prosciutto at least one time if you never have.  Roasting a thin slice of prosciutto transforms it from silky to shatteringly crisp, intensifying its salty, porky essence.  Try a few shards crumbled over a green salad - or in baked eggs.  Make a big batch, it keeps nicely.

As you can imagine, this is a great dish for a crowd - no flipping, no scrambling, leaving plenty of time to make toast while you sip hot coffee (or champagne!).

Baked Eggs with Herbs & Crispy Prosciutto
Serves 4

4 thin slices prosciutto
4 tsp. heavy cream, divided
1 small clove garlic, minced, divided
2 tsp. minced fresh herbs, divided (thyme, basil, rosemary, alone or in combination, whatever you like)
4 organic eggs
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lay prosciutto slices on a baking sheet so that pieces aren't touching.  Bake for 7-10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the slices) until prosciutto is lightly browned and crisp.  Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then crumble prosciutto and set aside.

Place four 4 oz. ramekins on a baking sheet.  Put 1 tsp. of cream in each of the ramekins.  Divided minced garlic among the ramekins.  Sprinkle in a little crumbled prosciutto and minced herbs (save some of each to sprinkle on top of the eggs as well).  Crack an egg into each ramekin, top with the remaining prosciutto and herbs, and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Bake eggs for 15 minutes, or until whites are set and yolks are still soft.  Serve immediately (the eggs will continue to cook when you take them out of the oven) with hot buttered toast.

Here's a little pre-Thanksgiving What I'm Thankful for List, Internet Version.  And a thought - I wouldn't have met any of these lovely people without this blog or Twitter.

That blows my mind.

The picture above is a group of local food blogging ladies.  We all met for dinner a few weeks ago and had a rip-roaring good time.  From left-to-right: Kelli Abrahamian of I Had a Delicious Time, Amanda Rettke of I Am Baker, Shaina Olmanson of Food for My Family, moi, Kate Selner of Kate in the Kitchen, and Crystal Grobe of Cafe Cyan.

I had an incredible dinner last night at 128 Cafe with Brenda Score of A Farm Girl's Dabble.  Thank you Jill Wilson for a blast of an evening.

I received boatloads of photography advice this week from David Sherman, who I met through a networking event hosted by Joel E. Carlson, who met and interviewed both David and me (and Kate and Crystal, above) via Twitter.  Think on that for a minute.  It rocks.

John and I had a gorgeous meal at Corner Table last week.  I met Chef Scott Pampuch through Twitter, when he judged the Kingfield Market Berry Bake-Off and guest-cooked in the 128 Cafe Food Truck, which is also how I met Jill Wilson (see above).  How great is that?

I get awesome feedback every single day from those of you who read this blog, follow my tweets, follow my Fresh Tart Facebook page, or read my posts at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly.  I love hearing from everyone!  In my wildest dreams I never thought I'd be cooking, writing about, taking pictures of, and chatting about food all day, every day.  Again, the mind is blown.

Happily.

Gratefully.

Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving (from Puppy Louis too)!

Hot, salty, brothy soup, the best way I know to soothe a sore throat.  Or throats - our whole household succumbed to a particularly nasty sore throat virus last week (not strep), ouch!

This lovely clam chowder so hit the spot on Sunday night, we almost wept into our bowls for the relief.

And oh, medicinal attributes aside, it tastes a-mazing.  Rich with bacon and onions, thankfully creamy (but not overly thick!), briny and sweet with clams - I crave it all winter long.

You can skip the flour without consequence and enjoy the chowder gluten-free.  I also halve the potato amount for less starch.  Experiment and see how you like it best.

New England Clam Chowder
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 6

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped small
1 large Spanish onion, chopped small
2 Tbsp. flour (I skip this)
4 medium red potatoes, peeled, cut into ¼” dice
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. dried thyme
½-1 c. heavy cream (depending on your taste)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
4 cans (6.5 oz each; preferably Snows or Doxsee) minced clams, drained over a bowl, broth reserved
2 bottles clams juice (8 oz. each; preferably Snows or Yankee)
1 c. water
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, 5-7 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir until lightly colored, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam broth, clam juice, and water. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the clams, cream, parsley, and salt (if necessary) and pepper to taste; bring to simmer. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and serve immediately.

As I've mentioned, I'm trying to eat as little sugar as possible.  So far, so good, although I absolutely love pumpkin pie and didn't want to miss out this holiday season.  Since pumpkin itself is quite nutritious, I decided to experiment with a classic, cream-based pumpkin filling (the best kind, in my opinion) and see how low I could take the sugar and still enjoy it.  (I've already been baking the filling without crust for years, since it's the custard I really enjoy.)

Three tablespoons of brown sugar turned out to be the sweet spot, nicely complimenting the naturally sweet pumpkin.  I added just a pinch of sugar to the softly whipped cream for the full effect, et voila, a lovely pumpkin custard that will definitely fill a craving for those of you trying to keep holiday sweets to a dull roar.

And in case you're wanting the real deal?  No problem!  The original recipe (with a delicious gingersnap crust enhancement) is here at Joy of Baking.  It's all good.

PS If you're shopping around for a turkey and ideas for roasting it, check my post last week on Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly for Herb-Roasted Turkey and Gravy, and don't miss Chef Scott Pampuch's excellent Star Tribune video on how to carve it!

Hint-of-Sweet Pumpkin Custard
Adapted from www.joyofbaking.com
Serves 8-10

Note: The custard can also be baked in 4-oz. ramekins.

soft butter
3 large eggs
2 c. fresh pumpkin puree or 1 - 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
few gratings of fresh nutmeg

softly whipped cream sweetened with a pinch of sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Butter a pie plate.  In a large bowl lightly whisk the eggs.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.  Bake custard for 45 minutes or until the filling is just set (center will look wet; a knife inserted about 1 inch from side of pan will come out almost clean.)  Cool custard to room temperature and serve, or cover cooled custard and chill.

Behold, the first cake I've baked since giving up gluten.

I baked it for John's office's annual United Way bake sale - which I contribute to every year - so it's not like I was going to eat it anyhow (and therefore couldn't cut into it for pics, sorry).  But not eating it because it's not mine and not eating it because I can't are two different things.  Not terrible, since I'm not a big dessert eater anyhow, just strange, because let's be honest - I cook for myself.  I feed my family, of course, but I cook what I like to eat.

So making this cake, knowing that I don't eat cake, was a new experience.

It's a beauty of a cake by the way.  Thank you to Amanda of I Am Baker for the recommendation - she knows of cake! - and of course to Ina Garten for another perfect recipe.  Does she ever write a bad one?  I think not...  It's easy to put together and the buttercream icing is just dreamy to spread around. A winner, big time.  (Note: Sift the confectioners' flour, as directed, to avoid the little lumps you see in the pic, ahem.)

Because the purpose of the cake is to raise money, I baked it as an 11x14-inch sheet cake (vs. as two 8-inch layers) so they could cut as many pieces from it as possible.  Based on the almost 900 positive reviews of the cake on the Food Network site (not kidding - indeed a well-loved recipe), you can successfully bake the batter into any shape you like.

Here's John standing with a cake on our deck because...it's dark in November in Minnesota and I needed as much light as I could steal!  It's fabulous that it's actually warm enough for him to comfortably stand out there, though, so I'm not really complaining.

Until it snows tomorrow.

Then all bets are off.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa at Home, 2006
Serves 8

butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 c. sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. buttermilk, shaken
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 c. freshly brewed hot coffee

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar
1 Tbsp. instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

I've always been a coconut fiend, but I am having a particular moment with coconut milk this fall.  I'm pretty much obsessed with it.  Some will caution against coconut milk's saturated fat content, but worry not - the short- and medium-chain fatty acids in coconut milk are great for you.  And oh my goodness the deliciousness!  What it does to beef should be illegal - this is a seriously rich, silky dish, mmm.

You'll notice that the seasonings are a riff on the Quick Coconut Curry with Halibut & Broccoli I posted at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly a few weeks ago.  So easy, so packed with flavor, it all translates quite nicely to beef.

I made rice for the family but ate mine as is, alongside a pan of kale braised with a little garlic and ginger.  Very nice together.  I even diced some leftover beef (as is always true of braised dishes, the flavors continue to improve) and stir-fried it with mushrooms and spinach.  I'd be very happy with a steady supply of this just ready to go in my fridge, any time.  Someone get on that...

Beef Braised in Coconut Milk
Serves 6

1 Tbsp. coconut oil (or other oil)
3 lbs. beef chuck roast, cut into 6 pieces, trimmed of obvious excess fat
coarse salt
1 small onion, sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
zest of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. green or red Thai curry paste (available in the Asian foods section of most grocery stores)
1 can coconut milk (do not use the carton-version of coconut milk, which is actually quite watery; go for a can of rich, thick coconut milk)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar (or more to taste)
2 Tbsp. Thai fish sauce (or more to taste)
1 bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp.)
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 c. thinly sliced fresh basil

hot rice

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle beef pieces with salt.  Add oil to the pan and when it is hot, brown the beef pieces thoroughly, three pieces at a time, setting pieces aside on a plate as you go.

When all the beef is browned, lower heat to medium, and add onion, garlic, ginger, lime zest, and curry paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in coconut milk, brown sugar, and fish sauce.  Settle beef pieces into the pan (and any accumulated juices from the plate) and cover tightly.  Bring to a simmer, then transfer pot to the oven.

Bake for 2-3 hours, or until beef is falling apart (or "fork") tender.  Remove beef pieces to a cutting board.  Set pan over medium heat and when it simmers, stir in bell pepper and simmer uncovered for a few minutes until pepper is tender.  Stir in lime juice and taste sauce for seasoning - add more fish sauce for saltiness, more sugar for sweetness, more lime for sourness.  Stir in scallions and basil.  Pull beef into bite-sized pieces and add back to the pan.  Serve with hot rice, if desired.

These homemade crackers couldn't be easier or faster to make.  Who knew that nothing but seeds, water, and salt could make such a lovely, crisp cracker?  These have an intense and rich sesame taste, which I love, and which is particularly delicious with savory and cheese spreads.

I'm particularly enjoying them with cottage cheese for a late-afternoon snack.

I found the recipe on Mark's Daily Apple via Girl Gone Primal, who also provides a recipe for shrimp pâté to serve with the crackers, mmm.  I'll be bringing these around for various upcoming holiday parties, oh yes.

Sunflower Sesame Crackers
From Mark's Daily Apple via Girl Gone Primal

Note: Girl Gone Primal provides directions for soaking the seeds first if you're so inclined.

1 c. raw sunflower seeds
1 c. raw sesame seeds
1 tsp. coarse salt plus more for sprinkling
3-4 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a food processor, process the sunflower seeds for 2-4 minutes or until very finely ground and flour-like.

Add the sesame seeds and pulse a few times, then slowly add the water (note: start with 3 Tbsp. of water, add more if necessary) until seed flour comes together in a thick dough.

Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out the dough to 1/8" thick (cracker thickness).  Remove the upper piece of parchment.  Lightly score the dough into desired cracker shapes.  Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt (and/or other herbs/seasonings).

Bake until golden and crisp, about 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool thoroughly before gently breaking into pieces along score lines.  Store in an air-tight container.