Fresh Tart

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.

You might have passed right by celery root (also known as celeriac) at the store, thinking it looked anything but edible.  I admit, it freaked me out the first time I shopped for it, but I trusted the description I'd read (pleasantly mild celery taste, texture similar to a potato, overall effect of savory, delicious with cream and/or cheese) and went for it.

I've been very, very glad ever since.

Despite its gnarly appearance, celery root is quite easy to peel, revealing a pale green interior and a lovely, celery-meets-tarragon fragrance.  Slice it thin and layer it into a gratin.  Or chop and simmer with leeks to make this creamy, luscious soup.

In addition to being delicious, celery root just happens to be a very low carbohydrate vegetable, making it a lovely stand-in for potatoes if you're mindful of such things (I am).  I topped the soup two ways for the pics - above, with sliced scallions and crispy bacon; below, with a drizzle of walnut oil and toasted walnuts.  If you're thinking cheese could be happy here, you're so right...

Did you notice that this recipe provides one more option for using creme fraiche?  Given that it's 1) magical with eggs, 2) dreamy with fruit, 3) heavenly as a pan sauce, and now 4) divine swirled into soup, let's make 2011 the Year of Creme Fraiche!

Celery Root & Leek Soup
Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

3 Tbsp. butter
1 leek, pale green & white parts only, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
2 celery roots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
6 c. water or chicken broth
1/4-1/2 c. creme fraiche
freshly ground black pepper

garnish ideas:
crispy bacon & sliced scallions
toasted nuts & a drizzle of nut oil (i.e. hazelnut, walnut)
shredded Gruyere cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Add leeks and garlic, with a light sprinkle of salt, and saute until leeks are becoming tender, about 8 minutes.  Add celery root, nutmeg, and dried thyme.  Stir in the water and 1 tsp. of salt (if using chicken broth, add less salt, to taste).  Bring soup to a simmer, then turn heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until celery root is very tender.  Puree soup in batches in a blender, then stir back into the pot.  Stir in creme fraiche.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Serve with your favorite garnishes.

I first wrote about this recipe a few weeks ago when I described our trip to San Francisco.  My friend Maud's brother Arthur made a delicious kale salad for us, and I couldn't wait to make it at home and post it for you.  In the process of raving about it on Facebook, I found out that the recipe originally came from Maud and Arthur's sister Abigail!  She claims she didn't make it up herself, but I'm happy to give her credit for introducing it to me via Arthur.  She said that Arthur added the nuts (a good addition).

The kale in the salad is raw, yet tender, because it sits tossed with some lemon juice for a bit (the acid tenderizes the greens).  In fact, I kept leftovers in the fridge overnight and enjoyed it completely the next day.  Abigail notes that it is always popular on buffets - as we all know, it's not easy to find a green salad that can sit nicely (and even improve) on a buffet!  I'm thinking...Thanksgiving.  Yes.

I brought some to Debbie & Stu the Wine Genius' home last week and had Stu asking me for the recipe over the weekend.  I've got a nasty double-whammy sinus infection/pneumonia going on - grrr - so I've been a little slow posting this.  But here it is!  I made it for myself today, in fact, adding garlic to give my immune system a kick in the you know what.

I also added fresh dill, since I love fresh dill with lemon juice and feta cheese.  You could add your favorite fresh herb, or none at all, per the original recipe.  Thanks Arthur and Abigail!

Abigail and Arthur's Kale Salad
Serves 4

1 large bunch Lacinato kale (also known as Dino kale - it's crinkly, like dinosaur skin!), center ribs removed, leaves cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
1 shallot, sliced thin
1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt + more
1/3 c. pine nuts or chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup small dill sprigs (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

About one hour before you plan to eat, put kale and shallot in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Pour the dressing over the kale and toss to coat thoroughly.  Let sit for one hour.

To serve, add toasted nuts, feta cheese, and dill sprigs to salad and toss thoroughly.  Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

OK, assuming that you used about 1/2 cup total of creme fraiche for Part I: Softly Scrambled Eggs and Part II: Sauteed Apple with Honey, you should be all set to finish off the container with this dish.  And if not - who cares?  This chicken is so obscenely delicious that it would totally be worth throwing away the rest of the container for!  Bonus: It's as easy as putting on lipstick, so tuck this in your back pocket for when your in-laws are in town and you want to impress.  (But really, just make it tonight.  So.  Good.)

I asked the kind butchers at Whole Foods to bone - but leave the skin on - four chicken breast halves for me.  All chicken breasts should have the skin on as far as I'm concerned - it's the best part and makes for a much more tender piece of meat, and if you don't want it, just toss it!  But I'm in the minority here, as I am on most things, so you'll have to either bone the breasts yourself or ask your butcher to do it for you.  Of course you could make this dish with boneless, skinless breasts but...you'd miss the skin!  Especially when it gets utterly, shatteringly crispy and golden brown, protecting the tender meat beneath.

The sauce is just lemon and creme fraiche.  And oh, the golden bits from the pan, very important.  Rich, creamy, addictively tangy - you can't screw up this dish and can't not adore it either.

The green beans are sadly the last of the season, at least here in Minnesota.  I boiled them until just-tender and tossed them with a little walnut oil, toasted walnuts, and mushrooms sauteed in butter with shallots.  It was all so pretty together.  I will miss good green beans.  Until next June...

The chicken?  We'll be eating it all winter!

Amanda Hesser's Lemon Chicken
Serves 4

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 whole chicken legs with thighs attached (I used skin-on, boneless chicken breast halves)
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. creme fraiche

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  After 3 minutes, add the butter and oil.  Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.  Place the chicken, skin side down, in the skillet and brown well on both sides, turning once.

Transfer the skillet to the oven.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife.

Return the skillet to the stove top.  Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm.  Remove all but 1 Tbsp. of fat from the skillet.  Place over medium heat, add the lemon juice, and stir to scrape up any pan drippings.  Simmer for 1 minute, then add the creme fraiche and lemon zest and stir until melted and bubbling.  If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with additional pepper.  Serve hot.

I'm making these today at the Minneapolis Farmers Market - come out and visit!  The demonstration is at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine.  In fact, because it will be raining, we'll be next to Blue Gentian Farm's stall, under red roof #3.  Handy, since I'll be preparing a big ol' rack of Blue Gentian Farm pork ribs!  (Update: We lucked out with no rain so the demonstration was in the usual spot.  Thank you to Brenda Score of the beautiful blog A Farm Girl's Dabble for stopping by!  And thank you to the market's Sandy Hill and Emily Noble for making the demonstration so fun and easy!)

The weather stinks (although I am not complaining after our lovely fall), which just happens to make today a perfect day for this dish - slow roasted ribs, falling-off-the-bone tender, a little sweet, a little spicy, next to crusty root vegetables.

I'll post the recipe when I get home...rushing...typical.  I hope to see you!  (Update: Recipe posted!)

Oven Roasted Pork Ribs with Root Vegetables
Serves 4
Minneapolis Farmers Market Demonstration, October 24, 2010

1 Tbsp. each chipotle chili powder, salt, garlic powder, oregano, dried sage
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4-5 lbs. pork back ribs (ribs pictured are from Blue Gentian Farm)
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage leaves
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce

At least four hours before you plan to eat, preheat oven to 275° F.  Set out a rimmed baking sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, salt, garlic, powder, oregano, sage, and brown sugar. Rub mixture generously into all sides of the ribs.  Lay rib rack on the baking sheet in one flat layer.  Cover pan tightly with foil.  (Can be done one day ahead; chill ribs, bring to room temperature before proceeding.)

Bake ribs for 2 hours.  A few minutes before the 2-hour mark, place vegetables and chopped herbs in a large bowl.  Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle generously with Kosher salt, and toss.  In a small bowl, stir together the honey, mustard, and soy sauce.

Take ribs from the oven (leave oven on) and gently remove the foil (reserving foil).  Scatter vegetables around the ribs, brush the ribs with the honey mustard glaze, and replace the foil covering.  Return pan to the oven and bake for another hour or until vegetables are fork-tender and meat pulls easily away from the bone.

Transfer ribs to a cutting board and cover with foil, leaving the vegetables in the pan.  Increase oven heat to 400° F.   Stir the vegetables around a bit in the pan drippings and return the pan to the oven, uncovered.  Roast vegetables until browned in spots, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Slice the ribs between the bones and serve with roasted vegetables.

Do you cook with creme fraiche?  Non?  Oh, you should, you should, it's a breeze to use and makes everything it touches absolutely luscious.  Creme fraiche is technically French-style cultured cream, somewhat similar to sour cream, but easier to cook with because it can be whipped as well as boiled without curdling.

Even better, it's as lush as Angelina Jolie's lips, with a softly nutty flavor that beautifully elevates...eggs, for instance.

I'm going to focus on creme fraiche for a few days, to give you a reason to buy a small container and then use it all up.  I'm starting with scrambled eggs because you'll never make them without creme fraiche again.  (OK, you probably will, but you'll wish that you'd made them with creme fraiche.)

I am ridiculously picky about scrambled eggs.  I like them soft, but they repulse me if undercooked.  I've tried stirring cream cheese into them as they finish, but for my taste that takes the temperature down too far, because they also repulse me if they're not piping hot.

Annoying?  No!  Not if the scrambled eggs are made with a generous dollop of creme fraiche!  Beat it into the eggs with lots of chives, scramble slowly in a spot of butter, cook them until they're nicely done yet still soft.  Creamy, fluffy, lush scrambled eggs, every time.

The picture of my dog?  Gratuitous cuteness.  (He's getting a hair cut on Monday!)

Softly Scrambled Eggs with Chives & Creme Fraiche
Serves 1

1/2 Tbsp. butter
2 large, organic eggs
1 Tbsp. creme fraiche
1 Tbsp. minced chives
1/4 tsp. salt + more to finish
freshly ground black pepper

Put butter in a large nonstick skillet and set over medium low heat.  While the butter melts, in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, creme fraiche, chives, salt, and a grind of black pepper until uniform.  When the butter is melted, stir in the egg mixture.  Slowly cook the eggs, stirring with a rubber spatula the whole time, until eggs are just set (if they're cooking too quickly, just pull the pan from the heat and continue stirring).  Serve immediately with a bit more salt & pepper.