Tuscan Wild Boar Sauce

In Italy all recipes are local and very specific. Traipsing about Ravenna, Italy, two years ago, we happened upon a great restaurant with an enthusiastic owner who used fresh wine in everything (it turns to vinegar quickly). We were promptly fed wild boar sauce (use your best Italian accent to say that aloud as it is part of the pleasure) and chocolate cake. Wild boar sauce could be made with venison, other game, or even fresh pork in other parts of the world. 

This version of wild boar sauce is Tuscan. Lest you think that wild boar are running about, they are not. We're in Castiglioncello, a lovely seaside town, where we had a cooking class with Simon, and Simon knows a guy (that's how you get fresh wild boar in summer). If you understand Italian or just want to see some of the fun, take a look at Simon's cooking show. 

Tuscan Wild Boar Sauce

from Simon Devone http://www.ilboccatv.com

Ingredients

Wild boar butt with shank

Celery, remove tough outer green fiber

Carrot

Red onion

Garlic clove, remove the “anima” or green stem part

Sage sprigs

Rosemary springs

Bay leaf

Juniper berries

Young red wine

Olive oil

Vegetable stock

Double concentrate tomato paste
Tuscan Cocoa Pappardelle

Helpful Tools

Container with lid for marinade

Cuisineart or dice

Large saute pan

Large pot

Small pot

Directions

Marinade. In a container with a lid, place meat and bones. Cut vegetables into large chunks and add to meat. Add springs of fresh sage, rosemary, and a bay leaf. Add ten juniper berries. Cover all with wine. Soak for six to twenty hours. Drain and discard everything except the meat and bones. 

Soffritto. Start with fresh vegetables and use only one of each item- celery, carrot, red onion, garlic clove. Place all vegetables and fresh spring of sage into cuisinart. Pulse about six times until forms a medium dice. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add vegetables (they should hiss when they hit the oil) and immediately turn heat to low. Add ten juniper berries and a fresh bay leaf. Pull needles from two rosemary sprigs and add. Gently saute until onions are clear, about 10 minutes. May add a spoonful of water as need to prevent scorching. Place cooked vegetables into large pot.

Sauce. Slice meat into bite sized pieces and brown it in heated olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add browned meat to large pot with vegetables. Add salt, pepper, and a cup of red wine to pot over high heat to cook off wine, about 3 minutes. Turn heat to medium low and allow to simmer. In small pot with a lid, simmer a quart of vegetable stock over low heat. In a heat proof container or measuring cup, add 4 heaping tablespoonfuls of tomato paste, 2 ladles of hot stock, and stir together until dissolved. Add slurry to large pot. Simmer without a lid. If dry, add more stock very slowly until reduced and cooked down, one to two hours. Discard bones and bay leaves. Add cooked Tuscan Cocoa Pappardelle and serve warm (do not serve with parmesan cheese).

Tuscan Wild Boar Sauce

Tuscan Wild Boar Sauce with Tuscan Cocoa Pappardelle

Tuscan Cocoa Pappardelle

from Simon Devone http://www.ilboccatv.com

Ingredients for Two

Flour (00 type), 200 gm

Eggs, 2

Salt, pinch or two as needed

Cocoa powder, 20 gm (10% by volume)

Semolina flour as needed

Helpful Tools

Rolling pin

Standing mixer fitted with dough hook can be used to form dough if available

Sharp knife

Large pot

Directions

S

On a clean surface place flour and form a well in the center. Crack eggs and dump contents into flour well. Add salt and cocoa powder. With fingers start mixing ingredient together from the center, incorporating more and more flour until it comes together to form a loose ball. Kneed the dough with heel of hand, adding bit of flour as needed until smooth and shiny, about 15 minutes by hand. Keep in mind that larger batches work better. Form smooth, shiny dough into a disc, wrap with plastic, and allow to rest for one hour. 

Roll out ball of dough on a clean surface with a bit of semolina flour to prevent sticking. Roll dough only in one direction, turn a quarter, roll, and repeat until even and about 1 mm in thickness. Gently roll/fold sheet into a ribbon about 10 cm long. Cut rolled dough into thick strips approximately two fingers wide. Pick up each strip and run through fingers. Place ribbons in small bundles, onto a sheet dusted with semolina. 

Bring pot of water to boil and add generous pinch or two of salt. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and add to sauce. Serve hot.

Simon demos pappardelle strips

Tuscan Cocoa Pappardelle

Rustic Tart Shell

Ingredients

500 gm flour

250 gm butter

4-6 Tbsp of iced water as needed

Fruit mixture

Helpful Tools

Large bowl

Pastry blender/cutter or Standing mixer fitted with paddle blade can be used to form dough if available

Spatula

Rolling pin

Baking sheet

Directions

Place flour into large mixing bowl. Cut butter into pieces and add to flour. Continue to blend butter into the flour until resembles fine pebbles of uniform size. Add iced water one tablespoon at a time to flour mixture and gently combine with spatula after each addition. After four to six tablespoons of water, the dough should start to just stick together; it should be a tad drier versus wetter. Press dough to form a disc. Allow dough to rest covered for 15 minutes. On a flat surface with a sprinkle of flour as needed, roll out the dough disc into two to three centimeter evenly thick sheet. Place sheet onto large baking sheet, ideally with a lip to insure that it contains any cook-over. Fill with fruit mixture. Turn edges of dough onto fruit. Bake 375ºF (190ºC) until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Rustic tart shell with apricot fruit mixture

Apricot Fruit Mixture

Ingredients

Apricots

Sugar - need .5 gm of sugar for every 1 gm of apricots

Fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 lemon

Helpful Tools

Large pot with heavy bottom

Directions

Rinse fruit, drain, cut apricots in half, and discard pits. Weigh apricots and place into large pot. Calculate how much sugar is needed - .5 gm of sugar for every 1 gm of apricots.  Pour sugar over apricots. Add juice of one squeezed lemon. Turn heat to medium high and stir to prevent sticking. Cook until thickened and apricots just start to breakdown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Pour into prepared rustic tart shell and fold edges up and onto fruit. Bake 375ºF (190ºC) until golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Apricot fruit mixture

Called by a Tuscan Apricot

The lure of a tree draped in apricots was too much! Warm jam is one of the great pleasures in life.  Jam was made without a scale, without a recipe, and without my jam pot, but it was made. If you have yet to eat warm jam, get thee to a farm stand. Buy some sugar and a lemon. Find a heavy bottom pot and await the most delicious moment of your day...

Apricot tree in Tuscany

The Anaconda Diet

An old friend, intrepid bachelor, and soon to be retired Marine Colonel whiling away terminal leave, will soon return to another Athens in the southern parts of these United States, visited while it just so happened to be Brew Week. We chatted about old times, movies, flags, Civil War battle tactics, but of all things, his comment, The Anaconda Diet, resonated with me the most for being an unusual dietary philosophy in the face of high protein, gluten free, vegan, etc., restrictions. His philosophy? "Eat first, worry about how to get rid of it later."

Yes, he's the kind of person that still wears the same sized uniform, thirty years later, as when he joined the corps since he PTs (read does physical training) religiously. He also happily hoofed it all over our fair town to the various venues to try brews and cheer on the brewers.

It seems a marvel of the modern age that we obsess about food, but really, the human species has had  food on the brain from the get go. Nonetheless, I appreciate when someone actually eats the food, whatever it is, with little compunction about the what perhaps best illustrated by leftovers on a kiddo's plate.

Kiddo stands, looks at Mama, and says, "Can you wrap this for breakfast?" Mama says, "Sure." Dada says, "No." Mama starts to intervene, explaining that while the boys were out sampling beers, the family sampled bread and cheese over a game board of Life. Dada shakes his head dismissively; his fork reaches toward the leftover half of a burger patty. He says, "I'll eat it." 

The Colonel, fork and butter knife at the ready, eye on the half the burger, says, "I'll take half." His fork descends into the other half of the half burger. Dada quickly retrieves his butter knife and plunges it into action. The division complete, two grown men consume the remnants of the child's meal with wide grins on their faces.

I can't imagine or recall sharing (or haggling) over half of a leftover hamburger or anything for that matter, but I think it is because I didn't grow up with a brother. It occurs to me that only men who grew up with brothers think nothing of clashing forks and knives for additional scraps at mealtime and that sport of the halving it adds to the tastiness of the meal.

Blueberry Raspberry Jam

Adding the whole berries at the end of the cooking process makes for a nice chunky jam. Using the ratio of 1:2/3 cup (berries to sugar) allows the ripe fruit taste to come through. Estimate about 2 pints of berries for 1 pint of jam. Yields 6 pint jars. Refer to manufacturers instructions for specific canning details for either the waterbath or oven method. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is nchfp.uga.edu.

Ingredients
Fresh Ripe Organic Blueberries, 750 gm ( 26.5 oz) = 562 gm (20 oz) + 188 gm (6.5 oz) (set aside)
Fresh Ripe Organic Raspberries, 750 gm ( 26.5 oz) = 562 gm (20 oz) + 188 gm (6.5 oz) (set aside)
Granulated Sugar, 1000 gm (35 oz)
Organic Lemon, 1, zest & 1 Tbsp of Juice
Kirschwasser (Cherry Liquor), 2 oz (60 ml)

Useful Equipment
Long handled spoonLarge heavy bottom Dutch OvenZester for LemonMesh skimmer or spoon to skim off foam and small bowl of water to dump the foamJars for canning with lids and bandsCanning Pot for water bath

Directions
1. Place metal spoons or plate into freezer.

2. Wash inside and outside of canning jars with lids and bands (estimate a pint jar per two pints of berries).

3. Bake jars (tops open) at 250ºF (121ºC) for 30 minutes. In a small pot over low heat, simmer the lids until needed. Lay out a clean cloth to wipe jar rims after filling.

4. Pick over the fruit and discard any unripe berries, stems, leaves, critters, or mold. Fill a bowl with water and swish the berries around-- prevents damage from the faucet's stream to the delicate fruit. Arrange in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to prevent bruising and dry.

5. Near the stove, set aside a quarter of the berries, 375 gm (13 oz), to add at the end.

6. In a large heavy bottom pot with a wide rim such as a dutch oven over low heat, add berries and occasionally stir to soften the fruit and draw out the pectin until it comes to a simmer, 5 to 7 minutes.
Continuing over low heat, add the sugar, lemon juice, and a bit of lemon zest. Stir into berries until dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Increase heat (medium high to high depending on the heat source) to boil rapidly, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the jelling point is reached, 15 to 20 minutes- see the next step below. Skim foam off the top as needed.

8. After 15  minutes begin to test for the jelling point by placing a bit of the hot jam onto a spoon or plate from the freezer. If the jam runs, continue to cook and recheck after a minute, if the jam runs in a sheet and crinkles when pushed up, the jelling point has been reached.

9. Add the remaining whole berries and return to boil until the berries are translucent and just hold their shape, about 1 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Skim off any foam.

10. Gently stir the Kirschwasser into the jam.

11. Allow to cool and thicken to let the whole fruit pieces to remain disbursed, 10 to 12 minutes.

12. Ladle warm jam into clean sterilized jars with a 1/4-inch of head space. Wipe rims with clean damp cloth. Apply lids and seal with bands- tighten bands to just finger tight.

13. Place jars in a pot with a rack and enough water to cover the jars by about an inch. Bring water to boil and process for 5 minutes. Start the timer when the water begins to boil.

14. Remove jars from the water and place on a surface (wood, folded cloth, newspapers, silicon mat, etc.) to cool. Tighten the bands. Allow to sit undisturbed and to cool completely.

15. Check the seals. Any unsealed jars must be used within a few days and stored in the fridge. Store jars in a cool dry place and use within 1 year. Label jars/lids with the date and contents.

At the table
Eat jam on sandwiches with brie, french toast, oatmeal, yogurt, scones, waffles, salad dressing, etc.

Blueberries and Raspberries cooking

Quiche

How could one feel grumpy with azaleas in bloom? I manage. Spring colds and a loved one on a ventilator help. However, I rousted myself from the house to check out the first week at the Chesterhill Produce Auction. The pickings were slim, but the eggs, asparagus, and rhubarb were plentiful! 

It amazes me what grows in this area- plenty. The seasons are sometimes short so with asparagus, you must act quickly if you want to make pickles. I also saw The Under Secretary of Agriculture and got interviewed by a Korean journalist about rhubarb. 

For dinner, try an asparagus, potatoes, and bacon quiche.

Making Ramen Noodles

It took the new year and several days off to chill for motivation to spike for an all out ramen fest. We used the recipes from the Ivan Ramen cookbook (they work great!) and enjoyed the feast.

Ramen refers to the noodles and soup which in our case was a triple broth mixture including chicken stock, pork stock, and dashi. We purchased back up frozen noodles from the nearby Asian store. My honey bunny did most of the work as he made the roast pork, stocks, menma (bamboo), and sofrito. I made the noodles, steam buns, and assisted with the dashi.

The ramen noodles were made using my kitchen aid mixer with a pasta attachment. These were the first try of Ivan's Toasted Rye Noodles.

Ivan's Toasted Rye Noodles

75 grams of Rye Flour
620 grams high protein bread flour
300 grams cake flour
10 grams Kansui powder (bake baking soda at 275ºF x 1 hour)
430 milliliters cool water
13 grams salt
Cornstarch as needed

1. Bake the baking soda x 275ºF x 1 hour. Cool.

2. Toast the Rye flour in pan over medium heat about 4 minutes, until you can smell the aroma. Use 70 GRAMS in the recipe.

3. Mix water, salt, and kansui until fully dissolved.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine flours and add water mix. Mix for 10 minutes-- add a spoonful of water if it isn't coming together. It will be on the dry side. Dough should form into a ball of sorts. Cover the dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Flatten dough into pieces and cover with a damp cloth.

6. Set up your pasta machine and adjust for largest size. Pass piece of dough through, fold onto self making a double sheet, run through thinner setting, and repeat for the thinnest setting. Run through 4th time without double sheeting for the thinnest you can get them. Set aside and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

7. Pass thin dough sheets through a cutter or cut by hand. As you work, toss the noodles with a little cornstarch to keep them from sticking together, shake off excess before cooking. Store the noodles in a container wrapped tightly with plastic (or individual portions in ziplock bags) for up to a day.

8. Cook in boiling water for about 50 seconds (varies with water and flour used). Drain. Place into bowl of hot soup broth. Garnish.

Making ramen noodles

Carbonara in 15 Minutes

If you eat swine, I recommend this recipe for carbaonara for two reasons-- it's great for a quick dinner and easy. 

In a big pot with a lid, over high heat bring to boil water with a fat pinch of salt. 

There are certain dishes that I love to eat when they are made with lots of bacon-- carbonara, pizza for adults, and fried rice. However, an early trek to the farmers market is necessary to get the local stuff so when I do manage to buy bacon, I stash it in my freezer. 

Pull out a frozen block of bacon, hack it to bits, and brown it. You'll notice that keeping bacon in the freezer is great for chopping it.

I buy local food, but for some items are some that have no substitute-- Dececco pasta, avocados, and pomegranates. Put the pasta into boiling water and set the timer. If you use Dececco, it's always al dente when it says it will be, ten minutes for spaghetti. Add frozen peas when six minutes have passed.

Crack two eggs and place the yolks in bowl to use. Pour out the cream.

Drain the pasta, keeping some of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the still hot pan. Using a pasta scoop or two forks, mix the pasta until it is coated with the egg yolks, adding cream slowly. Season with salt and pepper. Add Parmesan cheese and toss again. Add more cream to obtain desired consistency. Serve the pasta and garnish with the cripsy bacon bits.

You might find you have an emergency worthy of this dish, regularly.

Carbonara in 15 minutes

Ingredients

Box of Spaghetti (Dececo), cooked al dente 10 minutes

Bacon, sliced (I prefer the whole package but if you've more self control half is tolerable)

Frozen Peas, 1/2 cup (optional)

Egg Yolks, 2

Cream, 1 cup
Parmesean Cheese, 1/2 cup

Kosher Salt, to taste

Fresh Ground Black Pepper, 1-2 cranks

Directions

Cover and bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente ( has a bite when bitten), about 10 minutes.

Chop bacon. In a sauté pan, brown bacon over medium low heat. Remove from heat and drain onto a paper towel. Set aside. 

Add peas to pasta when pasta has about 4 minutes to go.

When pasta is al dente, drain pasta but not too thoroughly, save a bit of the water. Return pasta to the still warm pot. Add the egg yolks and with a pasta scoop or two forks, toss until the pasta is coated. Slowly, add cream until desired consistency is reached. 

Add the cheese and continue to toss. 

Season with salt and pepper. Adjust to taste.

Serve pasta topped with crispy bacon bits.

Fresh off the Cob Corn Salsa

If you live in or near Ohio in the summer, fresh corn is on the menu. Over the years it has been consumed at our table, mostly, on the cob. However, my children don't eat corn like I did so there is often leftover. I'm more a fan of reusing leftovers in another dish than reheating, but whether you cut it off the cob or use frozen or canned corn kernels, this is a great way to serve corn. I used cherry tomatoes fresh from my garden in this batch.

Corn Salsa combines black beans and fresh tomatoes to make a tasty topping to Taco Rice Salad or corn chips. For me, it's really about the cumin and lime-- I'll eat most anything with that combination. Try it!

Fresh off the Cob Corn Salsa

Ingredients

Corn-- Fresh, frozen, or Canned, cooked and cooled, 1 1/2 cups

Cooked Black Beans, cooled and rinsed, 1 1/2 cups

Fresh Tomato, diced,  2 large

Sweet Onion, diced, 1 small

Fresh Cilantro, chopped, 3 Tbsp

Fresh Lime Juice, 3 Tbsp (1-2 Limes)

Ground Cumin, 1/2 tsp

Salt, 1 tsp

Directions

Prep vegetables. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with taco rice salad or eat with Shagbark Corn Chips.

Fresh off the Cob Corn Salsa

Ohio Winner of Healthy Lunchtime Challenge

Abby Cornwell, winner of Michelle Obama's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge for Ohio, has just returned from Washington, DC, where she attended the 2014 Kid's State Dinner at the White House. Her winning entrée was Sunrise Tuscan Chicken.  There will likely be other events and opportunities that come her way. Abby told me that a guest celebrity chef from Ohio may visit her school, East Elementary, later this year!

This is a clip of our meeting about her participation in the event. A big thanks to Abby's mom, Jenny Messina,  for hosting and to Sam Girton for recording the video. It was edited by a newbie, yours truly.

Abby has been interviewed a few times in recent days:

• ABC News article 4 Reasons the Kids' State Dinner is Way Cooler than the Adult One
• The Athens Messenger on June 22, 2014
• The Athens News on June 18, 2014

Suan La Tang Chinese Hot & Sour Soup

Cravings for Chinese food hit randomly. We go on egg roll making sprees and stash them in the freezer. Egg rolls taste almost as good heated in the oven as they do fresh out of the fry oil . This is a favorite with egg rolls at my house. There is a stash of lilly buds and wood-ear ever ready in the pantry. Fresh tofu and ginger are often in our fridge so the ingredients are easy to gather together. Increase the heat by adding more black pepper. I go for middle of the road heat.

Suan la Tang Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients

Tiger Lilly Buds, 20 buds

Cloud Ear Fungus/Wood-Ear/Ki-kurage, 2 Tbsp dried

Chicken stock, 3 cups

Garlic, 1 clove peeled & smashed

Fresh Ginger, 1 knob peeled & smashed

Soy Sauce, 1 Tbsp

Salt, 1/2 tsp

Black pepper, 2 grinds

Rice Vinegar, 1 Tbsp

Corn starch, 2 Tbsp + 2Tbsp Water (more for thicker soup)

Firm Tofu, 1/4 block finely cubed

Scallions, garnish, chopped 1 tsp per serving

Sesame oil, garnish with a splash

Directions

1. Rehydrate Tiger Lilly Buds and Cloud Ear in hot water until softened, about 5 to 10 minutes.  
2. Over medium heat, bring chicken stock to a boil with smashed garlic and ginger.
3. Add soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and vinegar to stock.
4. Mix the corn starch with water and slowly add to the soup stirring vigorously until you have the consistency you want.
5. Dice tofu and scallions. Add tofu to stock and simmer 1 to 2 minutes until heated throughly.
6. Turn off the heat. Garnish with scallions and a splash of sesame oil. Serve with egg rolls if you have them.

Suan La Tang Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Crispy Kosher Dill Pickles

This recipe is based on the Bell Blue Book recipe but it does use less sugar. Do follow proper canning procedures and review a resource if you're new to canning or it's been a while. These pickles are great on burgers, as a side, and can be eaten the next day, but the point of making them is to put them up for later. 

I'm slowly learning how much to make of things in terms of a year's supply now that I have a basement. Pickles are best made with fairly small cucumbers, about 4 to 6-inches long. This size cucumbers can easily be found at farmers markets, roadside stands, and produce auctions. If you take up pickling to any degree, you'll likely find the best deals come from either your own garden or a produce auction. However, I did get this peck (a big box with a handle) at the Athens Farmers Market.

Crispy Kosher Dill Pickles

Yields 3 quarts.

Useful Equipment

Quart jars with lids and bands for pickling

Water bath Pot for canning + canning equipment

Ingredients

• Cucumbers, 4 to 6-inches, 1 peck, wash, cut in half or quarters lengthwise (depending on size)
• Water, 1 quart (4 cups)
• White Vinegar, 1 quart (4 cups)
• Sugar, 1/2 cup
• Pickling Salt, 1/2 cup
• Pickling Spice Mix, 1 Tbsp per pint jar
• Dill head, 1 per jar
• Bay Leaf, 1 per jar 
• Ball Pickle Crisp, 1/4 tsp per quart jar
• Clove of Garlic, 1 per jar (optional)
• Dried Chili Pepper, 1 per jar (optional)

Directions

1. Wash and clean jars and lids. Use new lids. Reuse bands.
2. Heat jars in oven to 250ºF for 30 minutes.
3. Bring lids to simmer in pot on the stove.
4. Over low flame, heat pot for water bath with lid while preparing the pickles.
5. Rinse, drain, and cut cucumbers.
6. Add spice mix, dill head, bay leaf, pickle crisp, garlic clove (if using), and chili pepper (if using) to each jar.
7. Bring pickling juice ingredients: water, vinegar, sugar, and pickling salt to boil over medium heat, stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour hot liquid into the jars over the cucumbers and spices. 
8. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth.
9. Place lid.
10. Seal with band to finger tight (just tight).
11. Place jars into water bath and bring to boil. Start processing time from when it begins to boil, process for 15 minutes.
12. Check seals. Anything that doesn’t seal, store in fridge and use within the week.
13. Label jars.
14. Use within a year

Crispy Kosher Dill Pickles

Ohio Summer Salad

Ohio Summer Salad should be made with fresh garden produce. It tastes best when made a few hours ahead of time or even with a day ahead so that the flavors can meld. My grandmother seemed to keep the same jar going all summer. It is great served with grilled meat, fresh bread, and corn-on-the-cob. It has long been a summer family favorite.

Ohio Summer Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

• Cucumber,  2, wash, peel, cut into rings
• Sweet onion, 1 medium, sliced
• Ripe Red Ohio River Tomatoes, 2 large, cut into chunks
• Green Pepper, 1, rinse, remove seeds, cut into thin slices and then half
• Salt, 1 1/4 tsp
• Fresh Ground Black Pepper, about 8 cranks— enough to form a disc on the top
• Sugar, 1/2 Tbsp
• Cider Vinegar, 1 cup
• Vegetable Oil, 4 Tbsp (use a light oil with little flavor— no olive oil)

Directions

1. Wash and cut vegetables.
2. Place vegetables into a large bowl. 
3. Add salt, pepper, and sugar.
4. Pour cider vinegar and vegetable oil over the top, should just reach the bottom of the vegetables.
5. Toss all together.
6. Adjust to taste— should taste vinegary.
7. Set aside to macerate for 1 to 3 hours.
8. Toss before serving.
9. Store leftovers in fridge in a jar— it gets better!

Ohio Summer Salad

Cheese Rice Casserole

Repulsed by the appearance of can condensed mushroom soup, I created this homemade version of cheese rice casserole to replace it.  The combination of the American brown and wild rice adds texture and chewiness. Please note that I use American short grain brown rice which is not washed and differs from Japanese short grained rice though I'm not sure why or how, but it does-- it's not so starchy so perhaps is more polished, but I'm guessing. Make this ahead of time and then bake it just before serving though I do not mix the rice into the sauce until I'm ready to put it in the oven as the rice absorbs too much of the sauce even though it's cooked. According to my daughter, there is no substitute for the Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese. We go to great lengths (and distances) to keep this particular cheese in stock around our house. This dish is the most requested menu item in our household and was after Mama and Dada, the most missed thing from home while at summer camp.

Cheese Rice Casserole

Serves 4 to 5. *Japanese Rice Cup (JRC) equals 3⁄4 cup.

Ingredients

Short Grain Brown Rice + Wild Rice Mixture, 2 ¼ cup (dry)= 3 JRC*

Water, 4 ½  cups = 5 ½  JRC

Butter, ½ cup 

All-purpose Flour, slight ½ cup

Fresh Rosemary, ~½ tsp (1 sprig)

Chicken or Vegetable Stock, 4 cups

Salt, 2/3 tsp 

Pepper, 2 grinds or a pinch +

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese, 6 oz (170 gm), cut into 1-inch cubes

Breadcrumbs, 2 Tbsp for garnish

Broccoli, 1 cup finely chopped (optional and not Xan’s favorite)

Useful Equipment

Rice cooker or heavy bottomed pan with a fitted lid

Rice Paddle

Medium Sauce Pan

Food Processor or a sharp knife

Casserole Dish, 4 quart

Directions

Cook rice and water in either a rice cooker (follow device instructions) or use the stove top method. Stove top method: In a heavy bottomed pan with a tight fitting lid, bring water and rice to boil over medium heat. Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cover with the lid. Cook until the water is gone and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside. 

Make Sauce. In a medium pan, melt butter over medium low heat. Whisk flour into melted butter and cook about 2 minutes.  Add rosemary. Gradually whisk in stock and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes though it is still soupy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

Cook broccoli (if using). Bring pot of water to boil and add broccoli until bright green, about 2 minutes. Plunge into cold water, and drain. Place into food processor and pulse until finely chopped or chop finely with a knife.

Cut cheddar cheese into cubes.

Mix together. Using a rice paddle, stir the rice into the sauce and gently break up any rice clumps. Add the broccoli, cheese, and gently fold together.

Bake in casserole dish. Grease a casserole dish, add mixture, and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top. Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) until bubbling and browned, about 35 to 40 minutes. 

Cheese Rice Casserole

Eat Your Vegetables: Quick Pickles

Determined to eat well, we tramp off to the market, buy handfuls of luscious vegetables, and then we stuff the things into the crisper. Later, the once beautiful produce is wilted and no longer looks appetizing. The old veggies are composted, tossed, or maybe made into soup?

Having trouble keeping your vegetables in the edible state? Want another way to add vegetables to your diet? Japan to the rescue!

Pickles of varying types are traditionally eaten at every meal in Japan, yes, that includes breakfast. I had previously thought of pickling to be about cucumbers and water baths, but there is more to pickling, and quick pickling is a handy food preservation method. My cooking teacher, Nansai Sensei, demonstrated how to make quick pickles using a variety of vegetables all mixed together in a jar. This is a variation of her recipe then modified for the American pantry.

You can make and eat quick pickles the same day, though they do have a more intense flavor over time. It allows fresh produce to be stored in a ready to eat state that lasts beyond the usual day or two, and it adds texture and the zingy taste of vinegar to your palate.

Vegetables are best when cut into uniform shapes which is helpful for absorbing flavor. Some vegetables, such as cauliflower, beets, broccoli, carrots, and green beans, need a quick boil (1 to 2 minutes) followed by immersion into cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and place into the hot pickling juice.  (TIP: Cauliflower will stay whiter if boiled with a slice of lemon).

Improvise with spices, use different types of vinegar, and tweak the recipe to your liking. Store quick pickles in a glass jar in the fridge up to 10 days. Now you can add vegetables to your lunch or easily eat them as a snack right out of the fridge. Heck, I serve them at parties. Combine the pickled vegetables with fresh vegetables for a textural and flavorful contrast in a salad.

Enjoy!

Eat Your Vegetables Quick Pickles

Yield 4 pints or 2 quarts

Useful Equipment

Clean glass jar with lid, pint or quart size

Ingredients for Pickling Juice

Water, 1 quart (4 cups)

White Vinegar, 2 cups

Sugar, 1/3 cup

Pickling or Kosher Salt, 2 Tbsp

Spice Options

Pickling Spice Mix, 1 tsp per pint jar

Dried Hot Red Pepper, 1 per jar (optional)

Bay Leaf, 1 per jar (optional)

Clove of Garlic, 1 per jar (optional)

Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp per jar (optional)

Ball Pickle Crisp, 1/8 tsp per pint jar, 1/4 tsp per quart jar (optional for cucumbers, beets)

Vegetable Options

• Cucumber, wash, cut in half, cut to fit into jar
• Carrots, wash, peel, cut in sticks, boil 1-2 minutes, plunge into cool water, drain
• Cauliflower, wash, chop into pieces, boil 1-2 minutes with slice of lemon, plunge into cool water, drain
• Turnips, wash, quarter, boil 1-2 minutes, plunge into cool water, drain
• Beets, wash, chop, 1/4-inch slice, boil 1-2 minutes, plunge into cool water, drain (store by themselves-- turns the juice pink)
• Green Beans, trim ends, wash, boil 1-2 minutes, plunge into cool water, drain
• Daikon Radish, peel, slice into half moons, boil 1-2 minutes, plunge into cool water, drain
• Asparagus, trim ends, wash, chop, boil 1-2 minutes, plunge into cool water, drain
• Garlic, boil 1-2 minutes, remove peel and separate cloves

Directions

1. Clean and prep vegetables.
2. Add pickling spices and vegetables to jar(s). 
3. Bring pickling juice ingredients to boil over medium heat, stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
4. Pour hot liquid over prepared vegetables in clean jars. 
5. Add pickle crisp (if using) to each jar of cucumbers, beets, etc.
6. Label jar.
7. Wait about 30-45 minutes before eating. Store in the fridge up to 10 days.

Eat Your Vegetables Quick Pickles