Kat of All Trades

I’m kind of in love with garlic scapes. They remind me of some weird vine out of a horror novel – think The Ruins – and I think they’re really tasty. I usually chop them up and use them in dishes in lieu of garlic cloves…until now. Because last week, Madura Farms Mycomedicinals, the mushroom purveyor at my local greenmarket, was giving away a shopping bag full of scapes to every customer. How could I pass that up?

The same Saturday that I came into my scape bounty, I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer of In Jennie’s Kitchen. I like her approach to food – how could I not, with her passion for Italian cuisine? – and she’s wonderful to chat with in real life! At any rate, I was browsing around her website for recipes, and I came across her garlic scape pesto. That fit my qualifications: Uses lots of scapes at once? Check. Freezer-friendly? Check.

Of course, at the same time I was readying myself to make the pesto, my oregano was flowering like crazy. By crazy, I mean that there were flowers and buds on about half the plant. I like oregano, and I can take a hint.

I used Jennifer’s recipe as a jumping-off point and added some other flavors I enjoy. I used it on roasted chicken – I’ll tell you about that soon – and I always love pesto on pasta and bread. I think I need to go home and make some more.

Garlic Scape and Oregano Pesto (adapted from Jennifer Perillo)
Makes one cup.

12 garlic scapes
1/3 c almonds
1/2 c grated Romano cheese
1/4 c oregano
4 basil leaves
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp salt
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 c + 1 tbsp olive oil

Add the scapes, almonds, cheese, oregano, basil to a food processor, and pulse until they are finely chopped.

Add the butter, salt, and lemon juice, and pulse until the ingredients begin to blend.

Begin adding the olive oil one tbsp at a time, until you reach desired consistency.

Eat on everything.

A partial loaf of bread decided to hide in the back of our fridge for a few weeks. While perfectly edible, it left something to be desired in terms of using it for sandwiches. No better way to make it new again than to drench it in milk, eggs, and spices, right?

I also wanted to try out baking with my canned rhubarb, as I’d like to use this method to preserve more while I can still get it. This seemed like a good first attempt, as I could then use the sugar syrup to sweeten the pudding.

I’ll call this sweet success, though next time, I’ll add a full cup of tangy, wonderful rhubarb.

Rhubarb Bread Pudding (adapted from Diana Shaw’s The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook)

4-1/2 c loosely packed stale bread cubes (about 6 slices)
1/2 c canned rhubarb
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 c milk (I used 2%)
1/4 c rhubarb sugar syrup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom

Grease a 1-1/2 quart baking dish, and place the bread cubes in it. Add the rhubarb

Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom until well combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread and rhubarb. Mix together to make sure all bread is coated. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.

Twenty minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 50 minutes.

In case you weren’t sure what was topping my yogurt in my last entry, those are the entire wheat kernel – sans hull – which are also known as wheatberries.

I got the idea recently that rather than just eating granola, I could change up my yogurt additions by throwing on a variety of whole grains. I spotted these grains from Cayuga Pure Organics at the farmer’s market, and decided to try them first.

Here’s the thing about wheatberries: they apparently take forever and a day to cook. I soaked 1 cup of these for over an hour in 3 cups of water, then put them on to cook with 1 tsp of salt. I brought them to a boil over medium-high heat, and then simmered until the water was gone. At that point, I tried a few, and they were still crazy hard. So I added more water – about another 1/2 cup – and continued to simmer until the water was gone and some of the kernels popped open. They were still rather al dente, but it was time for me to head out, so I went with it. Next time, I’ll start them soaking in the morning before work and cook them in the evening.

I added some of my rhubarb in sugar syrup to add some fruit and sweetness to the mix, which was pretty tasty. I can’t get enough rhubarb these days. Fresh fruit or preserves would also be good.

Variety is the spice of life, though, so I made some granola, too. Last week, Ian and I took a wild edibles cooking class with the charming Louisa Shafia, author of Lucid Food, and I picked up her cookbook at the end of class. The boastful name of her granola recipe caught my eye, and it used ingredients I had in my pantry. Why not try it?

The Best Granola Ever (adapted from Louisa Shafia’s Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life)

2 c raw nuts, coarsely chopped (My mix was about 3/4 c walnuts, 1/4 c slivered almonds, and 1 c cashews)
2 c rolled oats
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Dash or two of salt
6 tbsp maple syrup
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 c dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 c raw, unsweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine nuts, oats, spices, and salt in a large bowl and stir. Add the maple syrup, 4 tbsp of the oil, and the vanilla extract, and mix thoroughly.

Spread the granola evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir the granola well, rotate the pan, and bake for 15 minutes more. At this point, the granola should be almost completely dry. (Mine didn’t get especially dry; next time, I would bake for longer.) Add the apricots and the remaining 1 tbsp of the oil to the mixture, stir well, and return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes. Add the coconut flakes and bake for 2 minutes more.

A friend/coworker of mine made these Earl Grey shortbread cookies a few months ago, and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about them. I want to make a scone version, so I decided to make the original recipe first and then play off that. All in all, these are a pretty quick venture, especially if you have a food processor and can follow the recipe to the letter. I don’t have a full-size food processor – I have a little three-cup one – so it took a little longer, though I doubt by much. I’d like to try these with other tea flavors, too!

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies (from Claire Robinson/Food Network)
My additions are in italics.

2 c all-purpose flour
2 tbsp loose Earl Grey tea leaves (or substitute tea leaves of another variety)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (I bet almond or lemon would be good with other teas!)
1 c (2 sticks/8 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, tea, and salt, until the tea is just spotted throughout the flour. If you have a three-cup food processor, pulse together the tea, salt, and three tablespoons of flour, then whisk that mixture into the rest of the flour. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop the tea leaves, and whisk together with flour and salt.

Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together just until a dough is formed. If you do not have a food processor, whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, then cut in butter using a pastry blender or your hands. Combine ingredients until dough is able to be formed into a log.

Place dough on a sheet of plastic wrap, and roll into a log, about 2 1/2-inches in diameter. Tightly twist each end of wrap, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice the log into 1/3-inch thick disks. Place on parchment or silpat lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart (One inch apart worked fine for me; these don’t really spread.). Bake until the edges are just brown, about 12 minutes 15-20 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.

I love hummus, and it seems like every time I find my dream hummus at Whole Paycheck, they stop carrying it. This happened about a year ago with their in-house edamame hummus – which I have yet to recreate – and then again a few months ago, with their smoky harissa hummus.

Since I haven’t had it in a while, I can’t guarantee that I’ve been able to precisely replicate it; however, the recipe below is a more than adequate stand-in. It’s garlicky, the harissa adds an amazing spicy kick, and the pumpkin seed oil provides a delicious nutty note.

Harissa Hummus

1 can chickpeas (or 1 c that have been soaked and cooked chickpeas)
2 large garlic cloves, minced to a paste (or use a garlic press)
1/4 c tahini
juice from 1 medium lemon (approximately 1/4 c)
1-1/2 tbsp pumpkin seed oil* (plus a little extra drizzled on top before serving)
1 tbsp harissa (plus a tiiiiiiiiny bit on top before serving)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coarse kosher salt

I remove the skins from my chickpeas because that’s what my dad and I did when we made hummus together; it’s definitely more labor-intensive, but the finished product is smoother and has a better mouthfeel. I usually pinch the chickpeas between my thumb and forefinger to remove the skins, though I found some other methods online that people say work for them.

Blend all ingredients together using an immersion blender or food processor.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

*I was fortunate enough to get Styrian Kernöl from my friend Kay; if you can’t find it, I’d recommend substituting Stony Brook Oils, or olive oil would work in a pinch.

I tend to have very specific food cravings. I’m sure they correlate to nutrients that my body needs; however, what comes through to my brain is “Tomato soup, NOW!” or “Cheeeeeeeeeeeeese.” Lately, my cravings have been of a more healthy variety, including quinoa (No really, who craves quinoa?), tofu, greens, and cannellini beans. When my body asks for certain foods, I try to eat those things, so I’ve been coming up with different ways to use them than my usual stand-by recipes.

In some ways, this is a “what do I have around that needs to be used?” recipe. You can use any sort of greens you want, though I think the smokiness of the tea works really well with collards. You could roast tomatoes instead of bell peppers for the sweetness. And of course, you could use basil instead of arugula in the pesto, as is traditional.

Pesto Pasta with Sweet and Smoky Vegetables

For roasted bell peppers:
2 red or orange bell peppers
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For pasta and collards:
16 oz pasta (1 bag or box)
1 bunch collard greens
1 tea bag lapsang souchong
1 tbsp butter
1 15-oz can cannellini beans (or equivalent of dried beans, soaked and cooked)
Pesto (recipe below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. While oven is heating, place pine nuts from pesto recipe (below) on a small tray in the oven to toast. Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Mix together olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put pepper halves on a baking sheet, skin side up, and brush olive oil mixture over peppers.

Remove pine nuts from oven when they begin to brown after five to ten minutes, and prepare pesto. When oven reaches 450 degrees Fahrenheit, put peppers in the oven on the top rack. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until skin begins to bubble and darken.

While oven is pre-heating, roughly chop collards and rinse beans. Put water on to boil when the peppers go into the oven. Cook pasta according to directions on the box or bag.

While pasta is cooking, add about a cup of water and the butter to a medium pot. When water approaches boiling, put the lapsang souchong tea bag into the pot. Allow the tea bag to simmer for a few minutes, and then add the collard greens. Once the greens have wilted, drain the tea water, add the beans to the pot, and heat for a minute or two. Sprinkle on salt and pepper to taste.

Drain the pasta, mix the pasta and the pesto, and slice the bell peppers. You can either mix all vegetables into the large pasta pot to serve, or portion out pesto pasta and then top with peppers, greens, and beans.

Arugula Pesto (adapted from How it all Vegan!)

2 cups fresh arugula
1 cup fresh parsley
2 tbsp grated parmesan, romano, or asiago cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
3 tbsp miso
1/4 – 1/3 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients in a food processor* until you reach desired consistency.

*I have a little 3-cup kind, and if I add the arugula and parsley in two portions, it’s plenty big enough.

There’s been lots of baking happening this week, more than any other homemaking activity. Some of it has been for business; some has used up leftover produce and dairy; and all of it has been for pleasure.

Baking is really fun for me because it’s generally relatively quick for me to throw something together, and then we have tasty treats to last for a few days. I’m really looking forward to having all kinds of fresh farmer’s market fruit in the summer, but for now there are apples and dried fruit and chocolate chips, so I’m getting by.

Apple and rhubarb is one of my favorite combinations, and I think it’s a great transition from a fall and winter full of apples into spring flavors. I have a variety of pie and pastry cookbooks that I often use as inspiration; this recipe was for straight-up rhubarb pie, and I adjusted and tweaked and came up with what you see above. There’s apple and rhubarb and lemon and honey and…YUM. I think I’d like to try making and canning some apple-rhubarb jam or jelly. Y/Y?

The pie bites were free at MoCCA Festival this past weekend if you bought a pie comic from my lovely friend Tea. She is a purveyor of adorable things and draws awesome comics. The full-size pie went with me to my knitting group. I had a few apples that were at the end of their days, and rhubarb that had been hanging out in my freezer for a while. It was time to use them for a delicious cause.

One thing to note about recent pies: I’m officially obsessed with my pastry blender. I thought I made an awesome pie crust before, and I’m certain it’s gotten better since the holidays. The one change I’ve made is using a pastry blender, which was a Christmas gift from my cousins. I’m in love.

Then there are smitten kitchen’s dreamy cream scones, which are one of my current obsessions. I make them with dried cranberries or chocolate chips, though I’m going to try make them with tea leaves soon. One of my coworkers made Earl Grey shortbread cookies recently, and since then I can’t stop thinking about tea scones.

Last but not least, a quick and tasty treat that I threw together for a coworker’s goodbye potluck. I wanted to whip up a gluten-free and sugar-free batch so that I could bring some to my book club as well. I actually whisked the eggs whites and salt into a meringue by hand rather than using a mixer, and oh man, did that make me feel badass! I want to develop my whisking muscles!

One thing worth noting is that these definitely tasted better after being in the fridge overnight. I’d recommend making them at least a few hours before you’d like to serve them so that they have time to chill.

Coconut Macaroons (recipe adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

6 egg whites
1/4 tsp finely ground sea salt
1/2 c agave nectar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp almond extract
2-1/4 c shredded coconut
1 c coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. (Trust me, you’ll want to use the parchment, or these guys will stick!)

Whisk egg whites and salt until stiff. Fold in remaining ingredients until well combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop balls of dough about an inch onto the parchment-line cookie sheet. Pinch each macaroon at the top.

Bake until lightly brown, about 12-17 minutes.

Makes 20-24 depending on size.

I didn’t eat meat during what I consider my formative cooking years (ages 20-25ish), so cooking meat has always been a little intimidating to me. Heather was kind enough to share her recipe when I roasted my first chicken back in February, and as it turns out, the prep and roasting are much easier than I’d thought!

Since that first bird, I’ve been really excited to try out different recipes and play around with it. It’s less expensive to buy a whole chicken than to buy four boneless skinless breasts (dinner and a lunch or two for my Ian – my partner – and me), and buying a whole chicken also gives us the bonus of being able to save the bones and other bits for chicken stock, which we can discuss in another post. It’s an all-around win in my book!

Last night, I was going to go back to H’s basic recipe when I realized that I had a lot of grapefruits to use, but no lemons to stuff inside the bird. Change of plans! I pulled out my trusty copy of The Flavor Bible and looked up grapefruit to see what seasonings would work well. Tarragon? We’ve got some. Miso? Dear lord, we have a gigantic container full.

Ian says this is his favorite of the roasted chickens I’ve made thusfar. It’s a little salty from the miso – I think next time I might mix it with a little butter or oil to cut the saltiness – and pretty flavorful and tender.

I served the chicken with this cauliflower gratin recipe to use up a few other ingredients that were languishing in our fridge.  It’s delicious and just the right amount of cheesy, so you can feel kind of healthy while eating a gratin.

Grapefruit-Miso Chicken

1 chicken (I usually get a 3 lb bird for the two of us)
2-3 medium onions
1 grapefruit
3 tbsp miso
1 tbsp dried tarragon

Preheat oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel and slice onions into 1/4-inch slices, and lay the slices at the bottom of a large baking pan (I use my 11×17 rectangular cake pan). Peel grapefruit, removing both rind and white pith, and divide into sections. Mix miso and dried tarragon together in a small bowl.

Rinse chicken with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to separate the skin from the meat as best you can.* I try to separate it on the thighs and back as well as the breasts. You want to separate the skin enough to get your hands under it.

Using your hands, spread the miso-tarragon mixture under the skin. It’s gloppy and messy, but do your best to coat the chicken evenly everywhere you lifted the skin. Use the remaining miso mixture to lightly coat the bird on top of the skin, as well as inside the cavity.

Once your bird is thoroughly miso-ed, take the grapefruit slices and stuff them all in the cavity, minus one or two. I never keep twine around to tie the drumsticks, so what I do is cut a little slice in the skin near each of them, and then you can tuck the end of the drumstick through that to hold them in place.

Put the chicken on top of the onions. Squeeze the juice from the remaining two grapefruit slices over it, and then stuff them in the cavity with the others.

Bake for about an hour and twenty minutes, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thighs (Make sure you aren’t hitting a bone).  The skin on mine got quite dark, so don’t be surprised if that happens – though if it does happen, I’d recommend not eating the skin!

Allow the chicken to rest for about ten minutes before carving and serving.

*This is Heather’s amazing tip. I wish I could take credit!