Produce Overwhelming

Anybody who knows me, knows I tend to be a planner.  In the kitchen, this is abundantly clear by my monthly menu plans and the long lists I make to get everything done before every dinner party.  So my world was rocked earlier this week.  I had been planning this for a while, but I don't think I really could have been prepared for what hit us...a produce storm of unknown proportions.

We bought a share at a local farm.  Well, actually, we bought a trial share of a local farm and we are splitting it with Mom and Dad.  The farm is certified organic and the produce is amazing!  It is beautiful!  I love the concept of getting fresh produce on a weekly basis and it only costs $16/week!  But here are some of the thoughts when we got the first box:

Peaches!  Look at the peaches!  What is this?  Is this lettuce?  It doesn't look like lettuce.  Wow, look at these cute little carrots!  Do you like beets?  Do you like grapefruit?  I think those are greens - I am not sure what kind.  What is that triangular leaf thing?  It has no smell.  What am I going to cook with all this produce? Oh, its spinach!  This is so exciting!  What am I going to cook with all this?!!

After getting the baskets and getting all of it put away, I started really wondering what I had gotten myself into.  I had a breakdown the first night - I don't think we ate any of the produce.  Then, as I lay in bed, all these ideas came to me: 

Drew likes grapefruit and I can cut it up for him and make homemade fruit cups.  Zucchini Carrot Muffins.  Arugula Pesto.  Collard  and Beet Greens and Pork Chops.  Stir-Fry.  Roasted Beets.  Spinach Salad with Cucumber. 

And I thought, this may be fun. 

So the answer to the question, "What's on the menu?" may be up in the air for a little while, but I think it is worth it considering the harvest of ideas and the harvest of produce!

Baking School: Week 3

I had a friend in high school that used to quote an (unknown to me) eighties movie all the time.  We would be mid-conversation and she would spout off, "Shut your pie hole!"  I often took offense to it, but it was definitely memorable! 
So this week, the theme is, "Open your pie hole!"  Our class covered the very intimidating (to me) topic of pastry, more specifically: pie.  And I have a confession regarding pie-making:

I have never made a pie crust from scratch before.

I know, I know, this adventuresome kitchen rat, has never made a pie crust.  I have always been intimidated by the procedure.  It seems everyone has a recipe for the perfect pie crust.  They also have different techniques for creating the perfect crust.  Pile on this the fact that the crust has to be rolled out into a perfect circle and placed in a pie tin, and I am flustered and scared.

Well, not anymore.  Well, sort of!  Let me explain:

This week I learned a great recipe (butter is always better!) and a great method (hello, food processor!) to take all the intimidation away.  The procedure takes very little time and surprisingly few ingredients and is relatively simple to get together.  Our teacher was definitely a help in de-mystifying the pie crust for me.  She guided us through the right and wrong ways to make a pie crust and pointed out what we were looking for along the way.  I now know how to make a flaky pie crust and a mealy pie crust and when each is appropriate.  I know how to avoid "soggy-bottom" and make a pie so tasty, there is nothing left on the plate but crumbs.

So that's what I learned and I was so excited to get going and start practicing!  Then, I tried it...and my first pie crust fell!  AGHHHH!

But, I am not daunted...I think I have "figured it out" and I will be working on it again today.  I think the problem was docking.  I docked the sides of the pie crust as well as the bottom.  This time I am only going to dock the bottom of the crust.  Fingers crossed!   

If I get it right, I have a very strange idea up my sleeve.  Our textbook mentioned that back in the day, home cooks would make 21 pies a week because they had a pie at every meal.  This is because most pies back then were meat pies.  Although 21 pies would be a bit much (and unnecessary considering modern refrigeration), I am kind of getting the idea of having a pie week.  Drew would be scared, if I had shared this little idea with him.  He'll never know what hit him!

Off to the kitchen...

"Men may come and men may go...but Pie goes on for ever."  George Augustus Sala

Baking School: Week 2

This week was the first week we actually got into the kitchen for baking.  Last week, we just discovered the proper way to measure ingredients, crack and separate an egg.  This week, we separated into teams and baked three different items per team. 

The topics for the night were quick breads and cookies.  We read a couple of chapters in our textbooks ahead of time, so there wasn't a need for lots of lecture.  However the discussion of the different methods of preparation helped to clarify some of the things I have wondered for a long time.  Specifically, the instruction found in many recipes regarding mixing.  Have you ever wondered what they mean when they say mix just until ingredients are incorporated/wet?   And then when you are spooning the batter/dough into the cooking vessel, you discover a big hunk of unincorporated flour/dry ingredients?  And you wonder, should I mix this and run the risk of over-mixing, or not mix it and run the risk of having a hunk of flour in my sweet thing?
I might be alone in this, but I don't think I am.  I have come to the informed decision to err on the side of moist.  Over-mixing can lead to an unfriendly characteristic called tunnelling and tunnelling does not taste good (it does not taste actually, because it is basically a hole in the middle of your baked goodness, and that is not fun).

Anyway, my team made biscotti, zucchini carrot nut muffins, and lemon cookies.  Each of these recipes were selected because they allowed us to practice different methods of preparation: creaming, bagging, aggrandizing the eggs, etc. 
For the Biscotti, we chose to add lemon zest and pistachios.  This was a wonderful flavor combination, but I don't think they go with coffee very well.  I have never been one for citrus and coffee. 
The zucchini carrot nut muffins were actually very tasty.  We made them using the batter method where basically you dump all the ingredients into the bowl and mix.   The alternate method, used by most bakeries these days, is creaming.  The result of the creaming method is a more cake-like muffin - basically eating cake for breakfast (that is something I can get behind!).  The result of the batter method is a heartier muffin, something more wholesome and satisfying for breakfast.  These muffins were very tasty and hearty, even with the addition of bran (something I usually tend to keep far away). 
For the lemon wafer cookies, we got to work with the creaming method and the bagging method.  It was very easy to do the creaming method, because anybody who has made a cake from scratch has done this.  It is basically just creaming the butter and the sugar until a desired result is reached.  The bagging method is where you place the dough in a piping bag and pipe the cookies onto a cookie sheet.  I have never done this for a cookie; but I find it useful because it produced even sized cookies. 

The other team made corn bread, tea cookies, and a different variation of biscotti.   The best part is we all get to taste and take home some of the results! 

Menu Plan Monday: Week of July 5-11

This week we are trying something different as part of the All You Grocery Challenge.  We are going vegetarian!  It has been hard to come up with all new recipes for veggie week, but I have figured it out and I hope it goes well.  Here is the rundown:

Monday:
Lunch: Sandwiches
Dinner: Vegetable and Brown Rice Stir Fry

Tuesday:
Lunch: Fresh Pesto Pasta Salad, Fruit
Dinner: Hearty Minestrone w/ Barley, Sage, and Beans

Wednesday:
Lunch: Grilled Cheese
Dinner: Ranch Style Beans, Cornbread

Thursday:
Lunch: Couscous Salad w/chickpeas
Dinner: Bacon (sneaking in some meat!), Lettuce, Avocado Bread Salad

Friday:
Lunch: Spicy Southwest Sandwiches
Dinner: Tomato-Jalapeno Pasta

Saturday:
Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwiches
Dinner: on the way to a concert in LA

Sunday:
Lunch: TBD
Dinner:  Sopes with Black Beans

Triple Take

When I was a kid, I used to go visit my grandparents in the summer.  I have lots of memories, but one of the most distinct is the impression I got that old people eat dinner early.  My Granny and Papa ate dinner at (I kid you not) 4 PM, every night.  4 PM! 
Well, the Hudson household just got a whole lot older.  At least for the next couple of months.  On Monday nights I have Baking School and I have to be there at 5 sharp.  I don't want Drew to go hungry, so I started cooking dinner at a little after 3 PM.  I think my lunch had just been digested when I started making dinner.  It is too much!  But it is worth it for the valuable instruction I am receiving the rest of the evening!

So what was cooking in my kitchen at 3:30 PM Monday afternoon?  Triple Decker Tortilla Bake.  It is yet another recipe from the CookMag Ultimate Mexican (a must own around these parts).   This is a very simple throw it together kind of meal perfect for those nights when you don't have a lot of time.  Here's the basic concept:

Salsa (I used Fresh and Easy, New Mexico)

Corn Tortilla
Mashed Pinto Beans
Tortilla
Corn
Cheese
Salsa
Corn Tortilla
Mashed Pinto Bean
Corn Tortilla
Salsa

Throw this in the oven at 450 F and bake for about 12 minutes, covered with foil.  Take the foil off and add some more cheese.  Melt the cheese in the oven for a few more minutes. Top with avocado and cilantro (you could probably also do sour cream, but I wouldn't).

There it is.  Simple?  Yes.  Tasty?  Yes.  Sounds good to me!