19th Hole Vegetable Soup

One of the great benefits of living in the fly over zone occurred today ---several inches of perfect powder fell over night on the high plains and the golf course was gleaming. It took me about five minutes to decide to strap on the cross country skis and head out the front door. What a luxury to have an entire 18 hole course to myself! Someone had circumnavigated the course a little earlier in the day, and I followed their trail.

After 2 hours of "following my bliss" I arrived home ready to prepare a hearty winter soup for dinner.

I recently purchased a beef chuck blade roast (pot roast) on sale for $1.99 per pound (significantly less than lean ground chuck). Anxious to dust off my "Number 1 Food & Meat Chopper" which has been languishing on the top pantry shelf for years and grind some beef myself, I got going. This is EASY and ECONOMICAL, and if you have been reading lately about the ingredients in commercial hamburgers, you will be interested in grinding your own. At least you'll know what went into it--and you can use as prime a cut as you wish.

My grinder was made by the Union Manufacturing Company, New Britain, Conn. If they aren't available at the local hardware store, try a second hand store or eBay. It's a very worthwhile gadget. Your grandmother undoubtedly had one (and may still have it!)

Assemble the grinder and clamp it securely to any table or counter. I always protect the table with an old bath towel so that the metal clamp and screw mechanism do not scratch kitchen counters or find wood tables. My grinder has 3 cutting disks and I used medium today. Cut the roast into chunks and trim off any connective tissue (the shiny white stuff between the muscle groups). Each chunk should sized to approximately fit into the hopper.

Place a flat soup bowl or plate under the food outlet to catch the chopped meat. I use the skillet (frying pan) that I plan to use to brown this meat for my soup (saves dish washing) to catch. HINT: place another folded towel or rag on the floor to catch any juice drips--there will be a some.

Start cranking! SAFETY TIP: Press meat chunks into hopper the heel or palm of your hand. NO FINGERS PLEASE. It would be easy to catch a finger in the feed screw.

When finished, wash the meat grinder with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly. These "vintage" tools will rust on the cutting edges if not completely dried. I don't recommend the dishwasher for this--but if you have a more modern grinder, maybe it won't rust. Wipe a little plain vegetable oil over the cutting disc edges and store for next time.

19th Hole Beef Vegetable Soup

1 pound ground beef (your own or from the store) browned in a small amount of vegetable oil and drained on paper towels

2 quarts stock (your own or canned or made with concentrate)

1 cup chopped tomato (canned is fine in winter)

1 cup carrots, thinly sliced at an angle

1 cup celery thinly sliced straight across (for variety)

3 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, peeled and medium diced

3 bay leaves

1 tsp salt (taste stock first--if canned, you may not need to add salt)
1 tsp ground black pepper or more to taste
1 tsp imported Hungarian paprika or more to taste (sweet or smoky)
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder (optional)

Bring the stock to a boil. Use beef stock if you are using beef in the soup. If you want to substitute leftover cooked chicken for the meat, use chicken stock. If you are a vegetarian, use vegetable stock.

Add the browned meat, onion and tomato. Add bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer at least 20 minutes. Stir in paprika and/or chili powder if desired.

Five minutes before serving, add 1 cup frozen peas or frozen beans. Just heat through. These vegetables are already cooked. You may used any leftover vegetables you have on hand--fresh, canned, or frozen. It is best to pre-cook raw vegetables before adding to the stock. Prevents every vegetable from tasting the same.

Pre cook technique: Peel vegetables as needed, chop to desired bite size, place in a microwave proof dish with a little water, cover with glass lid or plastic wrap and microwave until done. Onions done this way take 2- 3 minutes, for example. Saves calories and cleanup from frying. Can be used for almost any vegetable--some will take longer to microwave, of course, depending on your microwave, etc.

If you have time, make soup earlier in the day or a day ahead and let stand overnight (refrigerated) to develop flavors. Add peas or beans at the last minute and re-heat.

More soup variations coming...


K(itchen)G(arden)C(ook)

Drying Herbs from the Garden

Gardeners never stop dreaming--even in winter (we just had 6 more inches of fluffy snow). While the precious soil sleeps, we read seed catalogs, prepare to start vegetables (mostly tomatoes) indoors, and think about the design of the next garden. Let's focus on some pantry and kitchen techniques while we are waiting for spring.

Today's posting will consider the essential herbs--famous throughout history for their fragrance, their culinary enhancement, and of course, their medicinal and magical properties. The art of apothecary has been important since ancient times--when seeds, berries, leaves, and even the bark of certain trees had cash value. Many still do (aspirin, taxol, digitalis). Hippocrates made sage tea in Rome and Charlemagne forced tenant farmers to cultivate plants for his healing. Chaucer in his tales, Pepys in his diaries, and Shakespeare in his plays all refer to herbs for medicines, aphrodisiacs, and of course, food seasonings.

Today we are fortunate to have access to hundreds of herbs and spices via local markets, our own decks and patios, and the Internet. Raising some in the garden is a rewarding pleasure. If you don't have a backyard, a few pots anywhere in the sun or even indoors will do nicely.

Climate zone is important to know for all outdoor gardening and there are many micro climates within them. In south central Montana (3300 feet altitude) we are zones 1-3. Common herbal ground covers include rosemarys and thymes. Fragrances include lavenders, lemon balm, bee balm, various roses. Perennial herbs easily grown for the kitchen include sorrel (first one up through the snow--stay tuned for poached salmon with sorrel sauce), chives, mints, oregano, tarragon, thyme, and sage (Salvia officianalis). Annuals that we cannot live without include rosemary, basil, and several types of parsley. Parsley will re-seed itself, but it is not reliable. Starting herbs outdoors by seed is disappointing because many are difficult to germinate and the growing season can be quite short. Purchase plants at a reliable year-around nursery and set them out after frost danger has passed. Perennials will reward year after year.

Because fresh herbs are not available from the garden in winter, it is possible go to the pantry and select what was cut and saved from the summer season. Carefully harvested, properly dried and stored, garden herbs will be fragrant and potent in favorite dishes all winter.

Pictured above (left to right) are shallots, tarragon, sage, and oregano, with rosemary in the smaller jar. Also pictured are 3 stages of drying--the tied bundle, the stripped leaves, and the leaves "rubbed" for immediate use. All can be grown in the back yard--some mixed in with the landscaping and some in pots, as well as annuals in the traditional vegetable plot. Keep rosemary in a clay pot year around because it doesn't like cold weather at all, and grows nicely in winter in the house.

Easy drying procedure for Sage, Tarragon, Oregano, etc.

1) Select mature, ripe stalks or shoots. Some herbs (sage, tarragon) can be harvested several times during the season, and some less (oregano). Cut in the cool of the day if possible.

2) Air dry in the shade. Direct sunlight robs aroma and flavor. Small amounts can be spread out on a clean dishtowel, covered with another to keep from blowing away if it's windy. Large bunches can be tied with string (see photo) and hung in the shade to dry. This will take 2 to 5 days in a dry climate.

3) For cooking use, strip off the leaves and store them in glass jars. Leave uncovered for a couple of days to make sure there is no moisture remaining. Then cover. Put the glass jars in a pantry or cupboard that is dark most of the time. Light is a spoiler of flavors even after drying. LABEL and DATE each jar. Glass is superior for storing--doesn't deteriorate, doesn't absorb flavors, and allows full visibility of what's in it. Buy cartons of wide mouth canning jars (quarts, pints, etc.) at the grocery market--inexpensive, dishwasher safe, and recyclable.

4) Tied bundles of herbs or certain flowers (yarrow, for example) make lovely decorations. Hang some on the kitchen wall or, if you are clever with your hands, make wreaths. Don't forget to set aside a few small jars or dried herbs for gifts. They will be appreciated!

To be continued.....

KGC

Upside down Apple Tart

Variation of French "Tarte Tatin"
Delicious winter dessert for a casual
or fancy menu. And the ingredients are always available.

First a word about pie crusts. Everyone has a favorite recipe that may be their own or their grandma's or one from a favorite cook book. If you are satisfied with it, use it.

Crusts should be flaky, tender, and add taste to the finished product. If your pie is a dessert (sweet custards, creams, fruits), the crust should contain some sugar and perhaps cinnamon or nutmeg. If you are making a savory pie (meat, chicken, cheese or vegetable style quiche), omit sweet additions and substitute a little more salt and some ground herbs or spices to compliment your filling. Crusts are more than containers---they should add to the overall goodness.

Pie crusts are a combination of Flour + Fat + Drops of Water + Salt (and optional seasonings). They are different from mixed batters (cakes) and yeast bread doughs which use a much higher proportion of liquids to flour.

With a certain exceptions, such as pie crust, this blog will not center on baking. Please refer to any of numerous baking cookbooks that discuss every detail from chemistry of ingredients and techniques to delicious recipes. Invest in the classic "Art of Fine Baking" by Paula Peck (1961), "The Cake Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum (2004), or "Stars Desserts" by Emily Luchetti (1991) for very original presentations based on the classics. Practice the basics and discover the world of possibilities.

If you are considering one reference book for all phases of cooking and food science--a book that answers all the questions, it is "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" by Harold McGee (revised 2004). I refer to it frequently for well researched facts on many different food issues.

Top Picture---finished crust after oven baking
Middle picture---unmolded tart with apples on top!
Third picture---apples cooking and caramelizing on stove top

Procedure:

I. Make your crust, shape into a flattened ball, and chill at least an hour.

If you want to try my basic recipe, here it is (I always weigh pastry ingredients):

For a double crust or two 9" shells, place in food processor with metal blade:

300 grams all purpose flour
150 grams cold lard (not the soft stuff in pails) cut into small chunks
1 teaspoon salt for sweet crust
1 Tablespoon sugar for sweet crust

Pulse a few times until flour and fat are combined into pea sized bits.

Add about 1/4 cup ice cold water--half to start, and then more if needed.

Pulse 2-3 times more (that's enough) just until dough is evenly moistened. Stop processor and test by pinching a bit of dough with your fingers. It should just hold together. If not, add a few drops more water. Too much water means tough pastry.

Scrape into a bowl (easier clean up), or on the counter, and gather it together with a plastic pastry scraper and push it away from you (smear) with the heel of your hand. Repeat 2 or 3 times. Dough should appear "layered" not kneaded. Form into a ball, dust with flour and wrap in plastic wrap for chilling.

This makes a standard American 2-crust pie crust. I like to have plenty to work with and make this upside down tart with a little thicker crust, so I use about 1 1/2 of this batch. Roll and bake the leftover as little pie crust cookies, topped with cinnamon and sugar. Yum.

II. Prepare the apples

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Use Golden Delicious apples for best results. They do not disintegrate while cooking.

8 - 10 apples, depending on their size, peeled, split in half, and cored (use a melon baller to core--a snap). Place halves in a bowl with juice of a lemon and turn them over to get some lemon on them while you continue peeling (lemon juice prevents darkening, and adds taste). Better to have an extra apple or two than not enough to fill your pan.

Use a 9 or 10 inch cast iron frying pan for the caramelizing which is done on a stove burner.
Put 3/4 stick of butter in the pan and a generous cup of sugar. Melt the butter and mix in the sugar. Add the apples, cut side up (the dome side will be the finished side after baking and unmolding), overlapping slightly. Cook apples until a thick syrup is formed around them (about 15 minutes on fairly high heat). Juices should be looking syrupy thick. Remove from heat.

Roll your chilled pastry to a circle which will fit over the apples and touch the edge of the frying pan.
Prick in 5 or 6 places with a fork. Place pan with apples in the pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until crust is well browned. I use a drip catcher (any metal tray, pizza pan, or a sheet of aluminum foil) under pies to avoid spills, even though this recipe rarely has cooked over.

When finished, remove from oven, set in a safe place (pan is HOT) to cool for about 15 minutes. You are going to turn this pie out onto a plate or platter for service. If you let it get too cool in the baking pan, the caramel will stick and you can't unmold it. If there is too much juice, it will run beyond the crust. You have to use some judgment here.

Use mitt potholders for this procedure--it's still pretty warm. Cover the cooking pan with your service plate (use a slightly larger diameter plate). Turn this over a cooky sheet if you are nervous about spills. Quickly reverse the frying pan onto the plate. Set both down on the counter and be sure all apples, caramel, etc., have come out of the pan and rest on your plate before removing frying pan. If necessary, gently arrange the apples and spoon or spatula any remaining caramel in the baking pan and spread over your tart.

Serve slices plain, or with a little dollop of heavy cream or creme fraiche.

All pies and tarts are best eaten on the day they are baked--crusts are delicate and absorb juices rather quickly. They still are tasty later, but not crisp.

ENJOY!
KGC

White Chili Today

Almost balmy here in the
fly over zone--47 degrees F
and the snow is melting.

The gorgeous pheasant returned briefly and we were lucky enough to get a snapshot of him on the fence. Should I go to the wild bird food store and lure him with something to eat? Or should we let nature take its course? Please advise. Mr. Pheasant has been living off and on in the Colorado blue spruce, which offers excellent cover.

Continuing with meals made with dried peas and beans, here is one more delight based on "cucina povera" or a poor person's food--consisting of beans, bread, and olive oil. Cucina Povera was quite fashionable for a while in very upscale restaurants on both coasts. Some health spas picked up the trend as well. It remains popular with every home cook--inexpensive hearty fare that can be prepared in quantity and well ahead of service.

White Chili 2010

Optional suggestion: cook the pre-soaked white beans in a light chicken broth -- if you use canned broth, dilute 1 can broth with 1 can water. Taste for salt--you may not need to add any to the cooking liquid if the broth or stock is salted.

Add the following to the cooking pot:

3-4 bay leaves (which you will remember to remove before puree)
1 large white onion, chopped (colored onions will darken this dish)
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 - 2 teaspoons ground white pepper

Simmer an hour or until beans are tender to bite.

Seasonings are slightly different with White Chili. Retaining the pale color is the most interesting goal, particularly if you are serving white chili with red or black chili on your brunch or buffet table. Black bean or red bean dishes use red chilis or red powders. White uses green chili, fresh, roasted, or powdered in combination.

Off heat, puree about half the cooked beans with your hand blender (or in the food processor). Return to pot, add the following seasonings, and simmer 15 minutes more:

4 ounce can chopped green chilis plus their juice if you like, or rinse them in cold water if you don't like the canned liquid taste. If you prefer hotter chili, use two 4- oz cans. Taste as you go along. You can't take it back!

OR 2 fresh jalapeno or serrano peppers may be used if available. Split, seed, and chop (with your disposable gloves ON)

OR use 1 - 2 tablespoons Chimayo green chili powder (from New Mexico) if you have it. This is my favorite, and it lends a very unique taste. Start with 1 tablespoon per pound of dried beans.

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dry oregano leaves, rubbed between the palms of your hand
(or 1-2 teaspoons from the spice bottle if you don't have dried from the garden)

2 teaspoons bottled liquid smoke

1/8 teaspoon cayenne or crushed pequin (used on pizzas) may added for more heat without coloring the beans too much.

After simmering ten minutes, taste for salt. Add it here if needed. Salt will marry the flavors and give a more rounded depth of flavor. Don't leave it out all together unless absolutely necessary.

The traditional "meat" for White Chili is chicken breast. I prefer sauteeing the chicken separately in half olive oil and half butter, with a teaspoon of cumin and a teaspoon of green chili powder mixed in the hot oil and butter before adding the breasts. Depending of size, the breasts should saute about 8 minutes on a side. Do not overcook. Feel free to use grocery store spit roasted chicken if you are short of time. Do not cook the chicken with the beans or they will be severely overcooked. One average breast usually feeds two people.

Serve your chili in warmed bowls with any or all of the following sides:

Slice chicken, of course
Diced raw onion
Sliced scallions or chives
Chopped cilantro
Grated jack cheese
Cubes of tofu (plain or sauteed like the chicken breasts)
Wedges of lime to squeeze overall

Happy Eating!

KGC

Talking Chili

January 10, 2010

Perfect day for a short hike out the back door--it has warmed up to 42 degrees F.
A Chinook!

Techniques for cooking any kind of dried bean was discussed last time. Today let's take some cooked beans and make chili, a perfect dish for the cook who is creative, hungry, and perhaps a bit broke following the holidays.

Years ago my favorite chili recipe started with ten pounds of beef brisket, seared in a cup of bacon drippings. Oh yes, it was meaty, caloric, and cooked for up to 24 hours. Delicious, but too time consuming for 2010.

Cooking the mighty bean generates many low fat, economical, and delicious dishes. There is limitless versatility--serve them cooked and drained as a side, warm or cold, puree into soup, season for many different ethnic dishes, including salads, hors d'oeuvres, or a modern version of the traditional French cassoulet. We'll get to all of these soon.

The chili dishes presented are initially vegetarian. For your friends who want a little something more, add cooked meats, sausages, game birds, poultry or cubes of tofu at time of service.

Safety tip: When working with fresh chili peppers or chili powders, please wear protective gloves and NEVER touch your face or eyes. Eye glasses are also advised. Wash cutting boards and utensils thoroughly in hot soapy water and dispose of used gloves. A box of disposable latex type gloves in the kitchen is a convenience for many tasks.

Black Bean Chili

1# dried black beans, soaked overnight, and cooked according to the January 3rd and 4th posts. Please use 3 bay leaves (per pound), and remember to remove them before blending.

There will be some "gravy" or cooking liquid remaining. Determine your preferred chili thickness at any time during this process by cooking off some of the liquid, or by thinning it down with water (or beef stock or even beer) as needed. Using your hand blender, puree about half of the cooked beans. Or blend half in the food processor. No blender or processor? Use a potato masher.

Cook the beans to the "soft to bite" stage (about 45 minutes) and add the following:

1 large white, yellow, or red onion, finely diced (add more if you love onion)
4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely diced
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced OR 28-oz. canned diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste (optional)

Carefully add the chili seasonings:

1 Tablespoon hot red chili powder (can be a combination of your favorites totaling 1 Tablespoon)
(chipotle, molido, pequin, etc.) If you are sensitive to heat, add half this amount to start and then add more if desired. You can't take it back!

Option: If you are hesitant about chili powder heat, you may substitute imported smoky or sweet Hungarian paprika. Excellent taste, mild heat, and gorgeous color.

1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon dried oregano leaves, rubbed between your palms to release flavor
1 teaspoon salt (to your taste)

Bring back to a simmer (very gentle bubbles) for 15 minutes. May be prepared ahead to this point. If you are serving within 2 hours, cover and let stand at room temperature. If you aren't serving for over 2 hours, refrigerate and then reheat.

Offer a selection of colored embellishments with service:

Roast red peppers (see January 6) which are at least room temperature or heated
Finely diced raw onion (additional) or thin slices of green onion or fresh chive
Slices of cooked sausage ---any style
Pulled beef or pork roast, gently re-warmed
Leftover chicken or duck breast, sliced
Grated cheddar or jack cheese
Top off with citrus sour cream (1 cup sour cream mixed well with the juice of a lemon, lime, or half an orange, plus zest of the same fruit for added decoration)

Serve in warmed bowls with a tossed salad, fruit salad, and corn or wheat tortillas.

Note: Fresh peppers may be used roasted or raw. They are hard to get locally in smaller towns in winter, so dried are recommended. Whole cumin may be roasted and ground at home as well but it isn't necessary.

Next time: White chili and the use of green chili powders.

Thank you!
KGC

January 6, 2010

5 degrees F

8 inches of new snow overnight.

The Fly Over Zone is in a deep freeze---all across the country. But the sky in Montana is sapphire blue. It lifts the mood. The garden benefits from extensive use of evergreens that make a colorful contrast with snow. Red Twig Dogwood shrubbery is at its peak.

This weather is a good time for continuing with our big kettle of cooked white bean soup (see January 4). Let's try some variations today. Leave the beans whole and reserve the cooking liquid, which will be quite thick and tasty.

Roasted Red Bell Peppers

Roast peppers when they are plentiful and inexpensive and store them in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Peppers are available in the grocery markets year around (even here). We buy glass quart jars by the dozen in the food canning area at the grocery store. They are endlessly reusable, easy to thoroughly clean in the dishwasher, and clearly reveal their contents.

Pre-heat oven broiler on hottest setting. Place peppers (5 or 6 at a time) on a half bun pan (cookie sheet) lined with aluminum foil, or in a rectangular cake pan, and put under the broiler as close to the coil as you can (without touching it). Elevate the roasting pan with a turned over pie pan or other fireproof pan to get closer if necessary. Watch peppers as they blacken (5 - 10 minutes). Turn with tongs to char all sides. When well blackened, remove from broiler and with tongs, place whole peppers in a brown paper bag. Close the bag and let them steam for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, pull each pepper in half, peel off black skin under gently running cold water, discarding seeds and stem, and drain in a strainer. You now have a supply of the most delicious and versatile roast vegetable imaginable.

To use right away, place the rinsed pepper sections (quartered is a good size) in a saucepan with about 1/2 cup olive oil (for 6), one teaspoon of salt and 3 or 4 cloves garlic, which you have peeled and smashed with the flat blade of a knife. Keep warm, but do not cook peppers further. Place a 1 cup serving of cooked white beans with a bit of their cooking broth in a warm soup bowl and top with several sections of roast pepper. Top dress with snipped chive, parsley, or rubbed dry oregano leaves.

If you have a gas stove, you may blacken the peppers directly over the burner flame. Use a long handled cooking fork to hold and turn the pepper. This fork will become your pepper roasting fork, as the hot flame will change the metal and you won't want to use it for other purposes. You can also buy small racks for warming tortillas that just fit over a gas burner and are great for roasting vegetables. When charred, follow the same procedure as above.

Brunch guests LOVE this combination. Black beans may also be used for dramatic color with the red peppers. Or have a kettle or each.

If you are roasting peppers ahead for later use, store in a glass jar with olive oil and cloves of garlic (covered) until needed. If you have leftover roast peppers, blend or food process, toss in a few bites of leftover meat or fish, and use as a pasta sauce.

Stay warm!

Welcome back!


The picture is a snapshot of what rose hips look like in the snow. Beautiful.

New Year weekend wildlife included a fat pheasant who hung around for 3 days, and many deer footprints. No sightings of ruminants. I set out barley for the pheasant, hoping he would like it, but it was ignored. He must have found better cuisine elsewhere in the neighborhood.

REGARDING YESTERDAY & PEA SOUP: A correction is necessary. If you have a soup bone, please cook it with the soaked peas or beans. You will NOT need any additional bouillon cubes or stock, or salt. Taste for seasoning the last 30 minutes. Ham bone may provide enough salt.

The noble bean has endless possibilities. If you like to "cook once" and "eat at least twice" or more, preparing a pot of beans (any color) will expand into many easy dishes.

Cooking Navy Beans (beans + liquid + seasonings)

1# navy beans
3 quarts cold water
Soak overnight (or if you are in a hurry, cover dry beans with boiling water, put a lid on the kettle and let stand 1-2 hours. Then drain, rinse and proceed)

In a large kettle, place rinsed beans, 3 bay leaves, and cold water to cover (at least 2" over beans) and 2 teaspoons salt.

Simmer one hour. Beans should be soft, but not falling apart.

For soup:

Remove bay leaves. Process contents of kettle with a hand blender, or in a food processor if necessary. If soup is too thin for your preference, reduce liquid and make it thicker by boiling it for a few more minutes. Some prefer a few whole beans remaining for interesting texture. Your choice. Slice in some cooked sausage. SERVE in warmed bowls with crusty bread.

Variations tomorrow. Cooked beans maybe used drained and chilled for a variety of salads and vegetarian side dishes.

KGC

Pea Soup today

Good Morning!

It is almost 35 F. today. Much improvement over yesterday. There is a little sun on the garden plot. If it continues, the snow will melt...

Family on the West Coast received a Christmas ham and now possess a lovely bone. What to do with it? How about some hearty soups?

HEARTY Soup Basics (dried peas, beans, or lentils + liquid + seasonings)

1# bag of dried peas, soaked overnight in a kettle of water
Drain into a strainer, rinse with running cold water, and return to kettle (which you also have rinsed).

Cover soaked peas with 3 inches of water, add 2 beef bouillon cubes (or vegetarian or other stock you have in the freezer or pantry shelf), 3 whole bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons salt.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (you can just see the water moving) for about one hour until the peas are tender to taste.

Meanwhile, roughly chop or dice 2 large onions, place in a microwave proof bowl with a few drops of water or tablespoon of vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap or a glass lid, and microwave until soft (about 5 minutes average). Do not brown. Optional to garlic lovers: add a few peeled cloves of garlic to the onions before microwaving.

Add soft onion to the cooked peas. Taste for seasoning (salt and pepper), and simmer another 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

REMOVE BAY LEAVES or you will have annoying little pieces of bay leaf that will not disappear (please remember how many you used). Process the mixture: The easiest way is with a hand blender. It is done right in the cooking pot and saves both time and dish washing. If you don't have a hand blender (buy one!), transfer mix to a food processor or traditional blender to process in small batches. Return to stove for warm up.

Soup can be eaten as it is now. Please use warmed bowls! Serve with crusty bread.

Variations: Put a generous tablespoon of pesto in each bowl before filling, OR top with crumbled bacon, thinly sliced Louisiana style sausages or garlic sausages, additional fresh chopped chives, chili powders such as chipotle, and of course, sour cream to embellish your creation. Lightly dust with a pinch of a green herb (parsley, chive, herbes de Provence) at serving time.

Other dried vegetables make excellent soups. They are nutritious and economical. Stay tuned--we'll deal with the mighty bean tomorrow.

KGC

Happy New Year from the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains!

It's cold here today (about 20 F. and partly cloudy) and our vegetable garden wears a blanket of snow. The perennial beds are made up of an abundance of evergreens (juniper and spruce), red twig dogwood shrubbery and red orange rose hips for color to cheer us in this colorless season. Residential landscapes here in south central Montana are planned with some interest for the bleak winter season in mind.

This blog will focus on overcoming the challenges of cooking in the heartland or the "fly over" zone. Many ingredients are not readily available here. We can order online from anywhere in the world, but it is time consuming and costly. So serious cooks depend on vegetable gardens, local farmers' markets, and neighborhood sharing to create fresh seasonal dishes. The growing season is short (outdoors about 90 days) but hot (often over 100 degrees ) so we dig in early and take advantage of everything we can.

The first quarter of the year is time to review last year's garden notes, plan the next garden, read our seed catalogs, and experiment with recipes. The deep freeze is full of stocks and sauces from the summer production, and dried herbsin their glass jars are still fragrant. It's time to fire up the ovens and have some fun.

In response to an invitation for another football bowl, I made my favorite holiday nut filled cake this morning, an Italian Panforte. This is my modification of an ancient classic, and comments will come in from Italian grandmothers whose relatives took this treat along on the Crusades, but if authenticity is your only goal, there are many published cookbooks......

Panforte for 2010 (Nuts + fruit + honey + seasonings)

Preheat oven to 325 F
9 or 10 inch spring form pan lined with buttered parchment

Combine in a mixing bowl:

2/3 cup all purpose flour (80 grams)
1/4 cup powdered cocoa (not cocoa mix) (25 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon dried lavender flowers (rubbed between your palms)
(If you do not have lavender, substitute 1/2 tsp. powdered vanilla, cinnamon, or candied ginger)
Pinch of dried thyme (about 1/4 teaspoon) (rubbed as above)

2 1/2 cups of very roughly chopped nuts (Hazelnuts are a MUST for at least 1 cup. I also love Brazil nuts and almonds, which I used today. Pine nuts are also a great substitute for half the nuts). Toast the nuts to develop flavor on a baking sheet at 325 F for about 10 minutes. Optional: While hot, dump nuts onto a CLEAN terrycloth towel and rub to remove nut skins. Then rough chop. Be able to identify the kind of nuts in the baked result.

While the nuts are roasting, combine in a heavy bottom sauce pan:
1 cup honey
2/3 cup sugar
Bring to a boil and whisk until sugar is completely dissolved--about 2 minutes. Turn off heat.

Add 2 cups of chopped, dried fruits to the honey mix and stir to coat fruit. My favorites are 1 cup candied orange peel or citron and 1 cup chopped dates, but any combination of dried fruits is fine (raisins, dried figs,, dried plums, dried apricots, etc.)

Scrape the honey fruit mix into the bowl with dried ingredients. Mix well with a wooden spoon or paddle. It should be very stiff--this is not a batter. If you can't incorporate all the dry ingredients, add a little more honey and a few drop of water. When mixed, dump into the cake pan and with a wet hand, smooth is evenly.

Bake 30 minutes at 325 F.
Remove from oven and cool.
Dust with powdered sugar or powdered cocoa or both. (about 1/4 cup total)
If you don't have a sifter, use a fine strainer (even tea strainer) and tap the powders evenly over the top.

Cut small wedges with a serrated knife. Serve with any hot or cold drinks.

Until next time!