In a Pickle, Epilogue

The chick pea salad is gone and what's left of the pickled red onions is fetchingly in a mason jar, evoking the days when our ancestors "put up."

I combined both dishes in my Saturday lunch, having made falafel for Pandagirl and me. Falafel is a ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread, and served with salads, pickled vegetables (!) and drizzled with hot or tahini-based sauce.

The Moosewood Cookbook has a recipe for making your own, but I just buy the boxed mix, to which you add water, let sit, and then shape into patties and fry. I put two on a bun for Panda with ranch dressing, lettuce and tomato, but for myself, I constructed a salad with the ginger chickpeas on the bottom, the falafel next and then topped with the red onions.

I did the same for today's lunch but instead of falafel, I piled the pickled onions on the leftover half of skirt steak I took home from Croton Creek last night. Perfection.  

Dare I say, happily-ever-after perfection.

Goose Egg

I've never had anything but chicken eggs.  I hear duck eggs are something special.  Food shopping yesterday at DeCicco's, I saw both quail eggs and goose eggs.  I don't (yet) know what to do with a quail egg but the goose eggs looked delightful so I bought two.  Here's one, with a quarter for scale:

Ain't that something?  Pandagirl was fascinated and suggested we hard-boil one for breakfast this morning.  So I did, not sure about how long to boil but I googled around and decided on 12 minutes.  This left the bright orange yolk still a little runny which is the way I like it.  The shell of a goose egg is harder, and the white is really firm.

I had it halved, salted and peppered on a plate, and was buttering some toast to attractively add to the composition when I turned around to find Panda Piglet had eaten her half already and was starting to nibble on mine.  Assassin!!  So here's the sloppy money shot, believe me it tasted better than it looks here:

I can't say it tasted any different than a chicken egg.  It was super fresh and you couldn't beat that bright orange color.  It was just...a bigger egg taste overall.  It was a big egg.  Big.  HUGE!  The best I've ever seen!

In a Pickle, Part II

These looked (and were) ridiculous easy to make and the Moose said they would keep "practically indefinitely." Love that. I can see these on top of a burger, or in fish tacos, or with bean salad, or on crostini, or with tuna salad, or... (Did I mention practically indefinitely?)

Pickled Red Onions

• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns (OR 1 tsp of pickling spice which I had in the house, don't ask me why)
• 4 medium red onions, sliced very thin (and apologies to Redman who was wept at the kitchen computer as I sliced.)

Fill a teakettle with water and put it up to boil

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper (or pickling spice) in a bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved

Put onion slices in colander in the sink and pour boiling water over them. They will wilt slightly. Drain well and transfer to the bowl with the marinade.

Cover and allow those babies to get drunk for several hours. Store in the refrigerator and use as needed. Practically indefinitely.

In a Pickle, Part I

I took The New Moosewood Cookbook to bed the other night and—... Yes, may I help you? It was sensational, all right? We are in love.

But anyway, I read through the MC like it was a novel and got really jazzed about a lot of different recipes. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I start getting into yummy slaws, cold salads and pickled things, to be eaten outside with yummy grilled things. Two particular recipes I felt I needed to try right away: Ginger Chick Peas and Pickled Red Onions.

Gingery Marinaded Chick Peas

This calls for dried chick peas, presoaked for 1 1/2 hours. But the Moose does acknowledge that some of us live in the real world, and blessed the use of canned chick peas, drained and rinsed well. I also added my own twist of grated carrot because I tend to think of carrots when ginger is mentioned. Some people think of Mary Ann. Whatever.

Apparently this also tastes best when made a few days ahead, so my batch is chilling out in the fridge and I will have to get back to you over the weekend.

• 2 cans chick peas, rinsed and drained well
• (Optional) 4 carrots, peeled and grated
• 5 to 6 tbsp olive oil
• 3 to 4 tbs lemon juice (I squeezed two lemons)
• 1 to 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 tbsp finely minced ginger (fresh or from a jar)
• 2 to 3 tbsp red wine vinegar (I confess this seemed like too much acid with the lemon juice; I left it out.
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup finely minced red onion
• freshly ground black pepper

Combine everything, mix well, cover tightly and let marinade "practically indefinitely" (I love that!!). Stir from the bottom periodically during marination.

Asparagus Ricotta Tart (With Variation)

I've long wanted to try this Asparagus Ricotta Tart that I saw on Stacey Snacks. Look how pretty:

I've held off for two reasons. First, I had a feeling 50% of the household wouldn't dig it. Second, despite being the season for asparagus, I have to say what I've seen in the stores looks pretty awful. Maybe it's not yet quite the season?

But that box of frozen puff pastry in the freezer is calling me. I think it's the concept of the tart that I find so appealing, more than the ingredients. Can I make this more kid friendly, or at least appeal to 75% of the household? Forget Redman, he can have a scrambled egg. Let's see...

Ricotta Tart with Ham and Peas

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup cubed prosciutto or ham
• 1/2 bag frozen peas, thawed and drained
• zest of a whole lemon
• salt and pepper

Roll out puff pastry in a tart pan, or lay free-form on a baking sheet. You can use whole, or cut into individual "tartlets."

Mix ricotta cheese, egg, zest, salt and pepper. Spread in the center of puff pastry. Sprinkle with ham and peas (if you are making an asparagus tart, use pre-blanched spears).

Let cool 5 minutes then slice with a pizza cutter. This wasn't as pretty as Stacey's, but it was a total hit. We killed it to the crumbs. "We" meaning 75% of us: Redman took no notice of it but Panda had three pieces. Definitely making this for a party, and with the asparagus.

Brussels Sprouts: a last stand.

I got this recipe out of Prevention magazine years ago, in one of those shaming articles called something like "10 Super Foods You Need to Eat More Of Right Now or Die." In addition to the fear-mongering title, this particular recipe was hard to ignore because it called for butter and maple syrup.

Butter and maple syrup?

"Yes," admitted the article, "we admit butter and maple syrup are hardly comme il faut for Prevention magazine." (OK, I may be paraphrasing here but it was over a decade ago.) "However," they went on, "we will do whatever it takes to get you to eat Brussels Sprouts." 

(Trust me, the tone of the article was very funny).

I made them. They were knock-you-on-your butt amazing. I now make them by rote and can't remember the exact proportions of the Prevention recipe. So I searched around and found Mrs. Stewart's very-similar version.

I really must insist that you try them this way. If you don't like them, I will never bother you again about Brussels Sprouts. I will just, in the silence of my heart, feel very sorry for you.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Orange-Maple-Butter Sauce

• 2 pounds small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil and salt. Arrange in an even layer on prepared baking sheet, cut side down.

Transfer to oven and roast until brown and tender, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, mix together vinegar, maple syrup, orange juice, and orange zest over medium heat until heated through but not simmering. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter, a few pieces at a time, until smooth and creamy. Pour vinegar mixture over Brussels sprouts and gently stir until liquid is absorbed and mixture is well combined. Serve immediately.

OR DIE!!

Moosewood Banana Bread

When life hands you those 2 or 3 overripe bananas, either make a smoothie or banana bread. If you can't do this immediately, freeze the bananas, but harken to me: PEEL THEM FIRST. Trying to unpeel a thawed frozen banana is not fun and rarely successful.

This banana bread recipe comes from The Moosewood Cookbook. It's actually their carrot cake recipe but they are thoughtful enough to give the banana variation on the facing page. One quirky part of it is that you soak the 2 cups of pureed banana in 1 cup of strong coffee. And being that today was our annual Easter Egg Hunt, guess what we happened to have lying around but the quarter-full Box O' Joe.

So not only did I have the ripe bananas, I had a cup of coffee. I am so good.  I rock. Mush up those bananas, pour the coffee over. Set the bowl aside and get busy measuring dry ingredients, humming happily to myself. I love it when these things just work out. I'm so smug. Coffee and bananas. You gotta pity those poor unfortunates who just don't have their shit tog—.... I have no flour.

What?!

No flour? Impossible. There's always flour. Flour is just one of those things that's always around, how could there be no flour? Commence the hilarious ballet of denial, looking in every conceivable and inconceivable cabinet in the kitchen, muttering to myself (in various four-letter words) that this is just impossible. After my triumph of glory of coffee and bananas, I'm going to blow it on flour?!?

I have no flour.

Thank God for my next-door neighbor who keeps me in eggs, and now keeps me in flour as well. The kids were up playing with hers, and she sent them home with 4 cups of flour in a ziplock, thus saving the bread.

Moosewood Banana Bread

This makes 2 loaf pans, or 1 9X13 baking dish, or some variation thereof if, like me, you think you have 2 loaf pans but you only have one (I'm an idiot). You could also cut the recipe in half.

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups pureed banana soaked in 1 cup black coffee.
• Optional:  1 cup fresh or dried blueberries
• Optional:  2 tbsp poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking pans with Pam.

Sift together salt, flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and orange zest.

With mixer on lowest setting, add half the dry ingredients. Then add banana-coffee mixture. Then add rest of dry ingredients and poppyseeds (if using).

If using blueberries, stir in by hand.

Spread batter evenly in pans. Bake anywhere from 45 to 55 minutes (a cake pan will take less time, a loaf pan more). A tester inserted in the center should come out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and let cool completely.

Spinach Pie

When I think Spinach Pie I immediately think Spanikopita. Until I saw this on Stacey Snacks.

I guess technically this is a quiche but whatever name you call it, this was so easy, and so delicious.

Easter Spinach Pie (from Stacey Snacks)

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 packet Lipton Vegetable or Onion Soup Mix (Stacey used vegetable; I had onion)
• 1 cup of cubed Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
• 10 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed, excess water squeezed out
• 10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved (my own addition)
• 1 frozen pie shell

Mix all together and fill the pie shell. Bake 40 minutes at 350. Can be served hot, warm, or room temperature. Can be the appetizer, the side, or the main course. Stacey advised, and she is right, to not add any salt whatsoever because the soup mix is so heavily seasoned. The next time I make this I may experiment with half the soup packet, or at least try the vegetable mix.

Now you will have had my Cornbread

Little bit of heaven and a little bit of HELL YEAH!! (This song makes me blush)

I wish I could give provenance but I don't even remember where I got this recipe. It's written down on a post-it note so I assume I got it online somewhere. Can it be mine? Please? Thank you. Let's get to it.

Heaven and Hell Yeah Cornbread

• 1/2 cup (one stick) butter, melted
• 2/3 cup sugar (this bread is on the sweet side, you can fiddle with the sugar to your taste)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a little plain yogurt mixed in)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 and grease an 8" square baking pan

Sift flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Put sugar in mixing bowl, stir in melted butter, then add eggs and beat until well blended. Add buttermilk and combine. Add dry ingredients and combine. There will be lumps. Pour into baking pan, bake for 30-40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Cut it down the middle, open wide and jump right in.

Dave can tell you the rest...

Gnocchi with Ham and Peas

A ham steak is a useful thing, I'm finding. I bought one a while ago, on impulse, either vaguely recalling an interesting recipe that called for a ham steak, or simply figuring I could use it for something, by golly. I threw it in the freezer and promptly forgot about it. Such is how I roll.

But recently pried from its frozen grave, I've used this one steak on two occasions. Half of it went into split pea soup, made in David Crockpott. 

I used a quarter of the remaining steak tonight with gnocchi and peas. I almost used all of it and I'm glad I didn't because it's really quite salty, especially when paired up with a packaged sauce mix. I used Knorr Garlic & Herb. Remember these? They came out in the 90s, I still remember the radio commercials. Being young and broke in the city, Jeeps and I lived on pasta and we became Knorr Whores for a while. I don't use them as often now but they are handy to have around.

Gnocchi with Ham and Peas à la Knorr Whore

• 1 package potato gnocchi (bowties or oriechiette are a nice substitute)
• 1/2 ham steak, diced
• 1/2 bag frozen peas
• 1 packet Knorr Garlic & Herb pasta sauce mix, made according to package directions

Bring water for pasta to boil but do not salt water. Add gnocchi and cook until they rise to the surface. Add the peas and cook another 1-2 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain pasta and peas in colander.

Return pasta to pot, add diced ham and the sauce and toss well.