I finally went to Berkeley's big farmers market this weekend. Well, it was actually much smaller than I imagined (or maybe 'hoped' is a better term), but it was still beautiful with lots of colors and delicious treats. I decided to treat myself to a cookie there, but was a bit disappointed- or maybe I'm too spoiled by my own homemade cookies. I tried to restrain myself from spending too much money and walked away with most of my cash safe in my wallet. On my walk back, I chose to zig zag through the streets, making sure to take note of the local, front yard selection of produce. I was relieved to see tons of rosemary, as I have been cooking lately without any herbs, and even came across some gardens. There was nothing too special though: a really tall lemon tree and a weary-looking apple tree which I might take a bite off of, and way overgrown swiss chard. I realized though that I had been doing a really bad job of neighborhood gleaning since I got here and I know it's lurking somewhere. To my delight, as I was nearing the house, something caught my eye. Off to the side, nestled tightly in between a home and a storefront, I spotted a huge pomegranate tree. Given that I had just denied a $2/lb pomegranate at the farmers market and was starting to pity my move away from SoCal- where I can name every pomegranate tree in the town, and am not afraid to silently seize half of a dozen of the ripe crowns in the middle of the autumn nights, I finally found what I've been waiting for.
When I got into my house, I was feeling a mixture of delight from my findings and quite disgusted with myself from the cookie that I had garbled down in a one felt swoop, but excited to finally do some climbing with a great friend of mine. I packed a quick salad of some pepper that had been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days, a tomato (from my internship), half of an avocado (found in the fridge at my internship), some cheddar cheese cubes, and cubed apple chunks, also from the batch of apples at my internship. I added some chili-garlic sauce and balsamic and olive oil. Noticing that I was sitting right next to a 'No Eating or Drinking' sign, I tried to secretly shove spoonfuls into my now-hungry mouth on the BART. Nevertheless, it was quite a delicious salad.
After climbing, my friend and I were starved and we decided to try out a Chinese place near her house where nothing costs more than $6. We talked about going there a couple of weeks ago, but chose Japanese over Chinese after viewing the line that wrapped around the corner at 7:30 on a Saturday evening. I wasn't too sad then, my luck with Chinese food has never been good. When I was little, my family would often order it on Sunday evenings and I would usually find myself vomiting over the toilet from the grease. The taste never satisfied me, either. Too bland, too meaty, where was the vibrance? The complexities?
Last night, we arrived just in time for a space. We waited outside for a few minutes and when I ran inside to use the bathroom, I noticed two empty bar stools. I took a good look around: this place was truly only about the food. 12 barstools lined the counter with only a foot of walking room to get from the door to the other end of the counter. On the far wall, tucked into the corner was the refrigerator where the vegetables, tofu, packages of meat and frozen dumplings were stored in plastic bags as they were chopped, marinated, stuffed and waiting to be consumed. Next to the fridge, was the cooler. You could have your pick of it: bottles of Coke, cans of diet coke, Sprite, and incomprehensible Chinese drinks with shiny pictures, or a fresh young coconut- sold for $3.50 for only 1. But on the other hand, you had your fill of the milk and the fresh meat inside the coconut. Hard work though. Behind the counter, was the restaurant's heart. 3 middle-aged Chinese women: 1 near the window, sweating and counting as she filled a basket of rice noodles and plopped them into the steaming wok, overly seasoned with oil. 1, 2, 3, she heated them nice and hot and put them in their respective bowls and to-go containers on a secret shelf under the counter. The woman in the middle, the boss-woman. She answered the phone, always shouting at the customers: I CAN'T HEAR YOU. YOU HEAR ME? WHAT YOU WANT? as if she could hear more clearly if she yelled. The woman near the back of the space, she took the orders from the customers and tended to the rice cookers, which were always being filled and replaced. She got you your drinks, gave you your food and filled and emptied the dishwasher, tucked perfectly at the far end of the counter. Smoke filled the air, the temperature inside was hot. Bodies were warm, jackets were off, and I could feel the garlic and oil seeping into my hair, my skin, my eyes.
We waited almost an hour before they gave us our food. Something got lost along the way. The take-out orders, the new guests, our location at the far end, our starving bodies, aching stomachs. I almost suggested we leave. But, finally, my food arrived. I had given in to my carnivorous desires and ordered beef noodles in the house roasted garlic sauce. One taste and I almost keeled over. It was the most delightful food I had ever tasted. They weren't kidding. I added some sriracha and chili sauce, took a bite of the noodles. Took a bite of the meat. I closed my eyes and chewed. Slowly and patiently, allowing the juices to flow throughout my mouth and the chewed bits to roll over my tongue. I let it linger. Next came our 'appetizer,' samosas. Deep fried, curried potato, they were actually food gold nuggets. I was hooked. My friend's food still had yet to arrive, but she found delight in my beef noodles and the samosas. Finally, the stout woman in the back plopped her black bean fish down. Steam was rising off of her plate in heaps, and the smell of the fresh fish and veggies erupted into the air. I enjoyed her food as much as mine. Before long, we were stuffed to the brim and we could see the women eyeing our deliberate stay. But we wouldn't leave until we devoured every last bit. Well worth the wait.
This morning, I started off the day with a piece of tres leche cake. It is my birthday, so I obligingly agreed to a huge piece at breakfast. A good way to start off the day, I suppose. I also managed to eat 2 scrambled eggs with cheese, spinach and onions and homemade salsa, the Mexican way. A corn tortilla sealed the deal and while we ate, ideas of restaurant with big windows, wood floors and furniture, a fireplace, and a rooftop garden to make homemade salsas like Mommy, and innovative fusions of equal delight created a dream space that can truly only happen over a meal, at the kitchen table. A community space that brings together people from across barriers, across borders, across languages and across tastes and textures is a place that I want to create. One day.
After breakfast, I came back to Berkeley. In the fridge, I found 2 pieces of cake- one chocolate and one coconut, and fresh, handmade, homemade corn tortillas, all from Alice Waters' brother-in-law's Mexican restaurant, from the woman from whom I am renting a room. She must have read my mind about my burrito craving and I began getting beans ready for dinner. I didn't have black beans, so I started opted for garbanzo beans, which I brought with my from SoCal, in the hopes of making hummus, something which I still have yet to do.
Closer to dinner, I took out my bounty from the farmers market to survey my goods. I chopped 5 cloves of garlic, 3 long rainbow chard stems (I LOVE the colors of the yellows, pinks and oranges and reds with the leaves), plus tore the leaves in large pieces, half of a bell pepper, shucked the kernels off of an ear of corn, diced a tomato from my Oakland bounty, and cut up about half of a head of broccoli, including the stem, which I actually love the flavor, but does take longer to cook.
I accidentally burnt the chick peas, not realizing that they were done, and there was no more water to be absorbed, but it was only a slight char on the bottommost layer and I wasn't about to start all over again. I put the beans to the side and began with olive oil and garlic in a pan. I waited about 30 seconds until the garlic smelled and then added the chard stems and broccoli stems, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic. I did this all on low-warm setting heat because the stove here gets very hot very fast. I then added the broccoli heads and the pepper, letting it cook for about 4 minutes before adding in the tomatoes. I tried the chard stems and deeming them on the brink of being done- a slight bitter aftertaste, I added the chard leaves and put a cover on the pan to capture the heat. I let it sit for about 1-2 minutes and then stirred everything around for another minute. I removed this from the heat, added it to a bowl and added the corn and chopped a radish to add to it. I added a fair amount of garbanzo beans, trying to have a 60:40 ratio of beans:vegetables. I then toasted the tortillas and added cheddar cheese to melt on top of the tortilla. I added some chili-garlic sauce for a kick and though I was intending a burrito, ended up with more of a picking at the vegetables with the tortilla. I'll be having the second half tomorrow evening.
Ingredients
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 long stems of swiss chard, chopped, plus leaves, roughly torn
1/2 medium-sized head of broccoli
1/2 bell pepper
1 medium tomato
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small hot chili or crushed red pepper or hot sauce, optional
1/2-1 cup garbanzo beans
1 ear of corn, shucked
1 large radish, roughly chopped or sliced
cilantro and lime juice, optional
Will Glean for Food
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Roasted Veggies, Lentils and Rice for lunch... AND an apple pie. Oh my!
After an evening of preparing salads at a local restaurant in attempts to being my pursuit at a culinary career, and an epic fail (I am 99.9% sure that I did not get the job), I decided yesterday that I was going to cook lunch today and take over for Rowena's 3 day non-stop cooking extravaganza. After perusing through the kitchen, 101cookbooks, epicurious and other random food blogs, I settled on a lentil salad with tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and a mediterranean/middle eastern style yogurt mint sauce with nuts and raisins and/or dates. I planned on coming in to work around 9-9:30 to get started on doing things for the council, but I ended up not making it here until about. I started cooking the moment I walked into the door, intending to just put the lentils on to start cooking. I quickly realized that I didn't have time to actually do any work though, as I wanted to bake an apple pie with the apples from the director's neighbor's tree.
I did as I said I would and first put the lentils on to start cooking. I wasn't sure how many people were going to show up to lunch- it's always a hit or miss with interns, full time staff, volunteers, visitors and the other CFJC non-profit who shares the upstairs space. I decided to make 2 cups of French green lentils and put them on to boil after a quick rinse and then turned the stove down to a simmer.
Meanwhile, I got started on the veggies, which I decided to roast after debating if I should cook them on the stovetop. I cubed, quartered and halved fingerling potatoes and small red potatoes and small brown ones. I wish I knew the names of each kind, but each and every potato was different: different color, different texture, different taste, and a different cut.
I took a break from the veggies, decided I better get started on the pie. I went out to the garden and picked a rather firm lemon from the tree, which I zested. I juiced two older lemons into a bowl and added the zest to keep it moist. I then cored and peeled the 6 apples, slicing away large chunks of brown mushy parts- I guess that's what happens to organic local apples. I say this because I can't even believe that apples grow here- there's no winter and no summer. Amazing. I then sliced the apples and put them in a bowl. I poured the lemon juice and zest over the apples to help them retain their color and absorb some juice, then set the slices aside. I mixed 3 tbsp flour, 3/4 cup sugar, fresh vanilla from a bean which I got at the JUSTICE BEGINS WITH SEEDS conference this past weekend, along with a few other seeds and some good info on the local movement. I mixed this all together and sprinkled a layer on the base of a pre-made crust. I'm not a huge fan of pre-made crusts, but it was in the freezer and I frankly did not have time to make a crust, no matter how easy they are!
I began adding the apple slices in layers, sprinkling cinnamon and more of the sugar-flour mixture on top of each layer. I can't say it was a very pretty pie, and once all the apples were on, I poured the remainder of the juice and, remembering the walnuts, sprinkled chopped walnuts all over the top and added 4 slices of butter to the top, hoping it would melt over the top and sink in to the filling. I put the pie in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Returning to the veggies, I cut white carrots into threes and from there worked to cut them lengthwise into sixth (I sliced them down the middle, then 2 more times for each half- all lengthwise cuts) so they were like fries. I cut about 6 large carrots and 12 potatoes and put them in a bowl with 6 cloves of unpeeled garlic and olive oil and salt and a teensy bit of cumin and crushed red pepper. I then explored the herbs available outside and settled with rosemary, which I coarsely chopped and added to the veggies. I mixed it all together and put them in an even layer on a baking sheet.
I added the sheet to the oven, placing it below the pie, hoping the flavors wouldn't interfere too much. I then put 2.5 cups of brown rice in a rice cooker and washed fresh, local greens for a salad. At this point, Rowena came in to help me and sliced some tomatoes with fresh basil from the garden. She pulled out a loaf of challah from the freezer... did I mention the bread here? The bread here is fantastic. Some of it's homemade from a friend of the director and some of it's day-old bread that's donated to us. But it's all absolutely fantastic. Crusty exterior, doughy, light inside, always hearty and dark.
Back to the meal... While everything was cooking, I juiced the zested lemon, added some olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. I then went out to the garden to grab some mint, which was few and far between. I chopped up the mint and whisked everything together. Searching for brown sugar, I stumbled upon brown rice syrup, which I decided to give a try and added a bit into the dressing to balance the acidity of the lemon. Checking on the veggies, I noticed that they were almost done, but I turned up the oven to broil to crisp them up (and of course removed the pie at this point). I then added 1 cup of greek yogurt to the lemon-oil-mint-syrup mixture and whisked together until thin and dressing-like.
Once the veggies were crispy looking, I pulled them out and put them in a large bowl, to which I added chopped and lightly toasted walnuts, just enough to release the oils, and a handful of craisins. I removed the skin off of the garlic and added the whole cloves with a teaspoon of minced garlic, courtesy of Rowena.
With everything finished and ready, the lentils with a bite to them and trusting the rice cooker's work, I called everyone in for lunch. The instructions: a little bit of rice, a little but of lentils, and a spoonful of veggies, and a splash of dressing. Mix together.
Lunch was quite delicious and even the unpresentable pie with the store-bought crust tasted amazing. And, better yet, there was PLENTY of food for everyone and leftovers.
Ingredients
Lentils w. Rice and Roasted Vegetables
10-15 small and medium-sized fingerling potatoes
5-6 cloves of garlic
5 large carrots (of any color)
olive oil
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp cumin (optional)
Ratio of 1 cup lentils : 1.5 cups water, maybe 1 cup for the number of veggies
Ratio of 1 cup rice : 2 cups water, about 1 cup for the amount of veggies
Dressing:
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1-2 lemons, juiced and zest
salt and pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
1 large handful of mint, chopped
1/8- 1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup craisins, raisins, or chopped dates, or mixture of 2 or all 3
Apple Pie
1 crust
6 large apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 lemons, juiced and zest
1/2-1 vanilla bean, sliced open and scraped
2 tbsp butter, quartered
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
about 3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
I did as I said I would and first put the lentils on to start cooking. I wasn't sure how many people were going to show up to lunch- it's always a hit or miss with interns, full time staff, volunteers, visitors and the other CFJC non-profit who shares the upstairs space. I decided to make 2 cups of French green lentils and put them on to boil after a quick rinse and then turned the stove down to a simmer.
Meanwhile, I got started on the veggies, which I decided to roast after debating if I should cook them on the stovetop. I cubed, quartered and halved fingerling potatoes and small red potatoes and small brown ones. I wish I knew the names of each kind, but each and every potato was different: different color, different texture, different taste, and a different cut.
I took a break from the veggies, decided I better get started on the pie. I went out to the garden and picked a rather firm lemon from the tree, which I zested. I juiced two older lemons into a bowl and added the zest to keep it moist. I then cored and peeled the 6 apples, slicing away large chunks of brown mushy parts- I guess that's what happens to organic local apples. I say this because I can't even believe that apples grow here- there's no winter and no summer. Amazing. I then sliced the apples and put them in a bowl. I poured the lemon juice and zest over the apples to help them retain their color and absorb some juice, then set the slices aside. I mixed 3 tbsp flour, 3/4 cup sugar, fresh vanilla from a bean which I got at the JUSTICE BEGINS WITH SEEDS conference this past weekend, along with a few other seeds and some good info on the local movement. I mixed this all together and sprinkled a layer on the base of a pre-made crust. I'm not a huge fan of pre-made crusts, but it was in the freezer and I frankly did not have time to make a crust, no matter how easy they are!
I began adding the apple slices in layers, sprinkling cinnamon and more of the sugar-flour mixture on top of each layer. I can't say it was a very pretty pie, and once all the apples were on, I poured the remainder of the juice and, remembering the walnuts, sprinkled chopped walnuts all over the top and added 4 slices of butter to the top, hoping it would melt over the top and sink in to the filling. I put the pie in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour.
Returning to the veggies, I cut white carrots into threes and from there worked to cut them lengthwise into sixth (I sliced them down the middle, then 2 more times for each half- all lengthwise cuts) so they were like fries. I cut about 6 large carrots and 12 potatoes and put them in a bowl with 6 cloves of unpeeled garlic and olive oil and salt and a teensy bit of cumin and crushed red pepper. I then explored the herbs available outside and settled with rosemary, which I coarsely chopped and added to the veggies. I mixed it all together and put them in an even layer on a baking sheet.
I added the sheet to the oven, placing it below the pie, hoping the flavors wouldn't interfere too much. I then put 2.5 cups of brown rice in a rice cooker and washed fresh, local greens for a salad. At this point, Rowena came in to help me and sliced some tomatoes with fresh basil from the garden. She pulled out a loaf of challah from the freezer... did I mention the bread here? The bread here is fantastic. Some of it's homemade from a friend of the director and some of it's day-old bread that's donated to us. But it's all absolutely fantastic. Crusty exterior, doughy, light inside, always hearty and dark.
Back to the meal... While everything was cooking, I juiced the zested lemon, added some olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. I then went out to the garden to grab some mint, which was few and far between. I chopped up the mint and whisked everything together. Searching for brown sugar, I stumbled upon brown rice syrup, which I decided to give a try and added a bit into the dressing to balance the acidity of the lemon. Checking on the veggies, I noticed that they were almost done, but I turned up the oven to broil to crisp them up (and of course removed the pie at this point). I then added 1 cup of greek yogurt to the lemon-oil-mint-syrup mixture and whisked together until thin and dressing-like.
Once the veggies were crispy looking, I pulled them out and put them in a large bowl, to which I added chopped and lightly toasted walnuts, just enough to release the oils, and a handful of craisins. I removed the skin off of the garlic and added the whole cloves with a teaspoon of minced garlic, courtesy of Rowena.
With everything finished and ready, the lentils with a bite to them and trusting the rice cooker's work, I called everyone in for lunch. The instructions: a little bit of rice, a little but of lentils, and a spoonful of veggies, and a splash of dressing. Mix together.
Lunch was quite delicious and even the unpresentable pie with the store-bought crust tasted amazing. And, better yet, there was PLENTY of food for everyone and leftovers.
Ingredients
Lentils w. Rice and Roasted Vegetables
10-15 small and medium-sized fingerling potatoes
5-6 cloves of garlic
5 large carrots (of any color)
olive oil
1 tbsp fresh rosemary
crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp cumin (optional)
Ratio of 1 cup lentils : 1.5 cups water, maybe 1 cup for the number of veggies
Ratio of 1 cup rice : 2 cups water, about 1 cup for the amount of veggies
Dressing:
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1-2 lemons, juiced and zest
salt and pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper, to taste (optional)
1 large handful of mint, chopped
1/8- 1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup craisins, raisins, or chopped dates, or mixture of 2 or all 3
Apple Pie
1 crust
6 large apples, cored and thinly sliced
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 lemons, juiced and zest
1/2-1 vanilla bean, sliced open and scraped
2 tbsp butter, quartered
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
about 3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
An Inspiring Butternut Squash, Bay Heirloom Tomatoes and Gnocchi
I haven't really been cooking much at all and that's basically the reason I haven't been updating the blog. But an even more realistic reason- I haven't had one moment to sit and write for the blog. Since the last post, I was working on another post plus 2 other dishes- both for the same dinner. But what's even more exciting (or maybe frightening), I moved to Berkeley for the internship in Oakland. I am interning with the Oakland Food Policy Council, check it out, they do a lot of great stuff with implementing policy changes and supporting the local community surrounding food justice issues. And the best part? Lunch, every day. Free. Homemade. Fresh. Amazing.
Most of this week and last week, one of the full-time employees has been cooking. Everything she makes is amazing. We had mung bean soup with rice last week, zucchini "crab" cakes yesterday with spicy green beans/peas, pasta with tomatoes, and more. The development director cooks a few times, too, usually a pasta dish with tomatoes. There's always salad and an abundance of tomatoes right from the garden. The whole front yard is a garden, Food not Lawns would be proud. Amongst the tomatoes is a lemon tree, a last push of raspberries, basil, a barrel of sad mint, lemon verbena, and even an apple tree. Last week, while I was at an OFPC meeting, the other interns planted beans in one of the beds. It's absolutely magical!
I've been here now a week and a half. My last few days in Claremont were chaotic- I can't remember what happened at all, it all happened so fast. I remember looking for houses and jobs in berkeley/oakland on craigslist for hours at a time, posting an ad for a ride up to the bay area with my bicycle and getting in a strangers car for the 7 hour ride. I stayed at a hostel the first couple of nights. I brought some left over pilaf with me, but ended up skipping breakfast and dinner those 3 days in exchange for a huge lunch and snacks. I met quite a slew of characters in the hostel. My first night, I stayed in a shared room with, surprisingly, another intern from Food First, a French masters student, and an Aussie yogi chick who told me about a website for bed and breakfasts where people rent out rooms in homes for a night, a week, or even a month! I found a nice looking place to stay and by day 3, i was ready to leave the hostel as fast as I could. I had a woman in my room the second night who was running away from her abusive boyfriend. She said she was trying to go to San Diego asap, but she was still lingering around 2 days later. I didn't know what to do, other than give her hotline phone numbers, of which she told me she's been to counselors, called hotlines, homes, but always goes back. I think that's what she was waiting for at the hostel, too.
Last night, sick of my diet of eggs, yogurt, peanut butter and bread (not all at once), I went over to the magical Berkeley Bowl. Such an inspiring place, I can't ever decide what to put in my trail mix, something salty, something (or two) sweet, something fruity, something nutty, something savory, something spicy- another addition to my diet. I was picking up some stuff for the woman who's room I'm renting out- oh. I forgot to mention, I moved in with a great woman who graduated from Cal in the 60s. She's a real member of the free speech movement and has great stories to tell, great advice to give, and makes great art, specifically photography. She has been incredibly helpful in my chaotic movements around the area. I can't even seem to sit still here, but her groundedness (which she told me, she just recently found after 69 years of moving around) helps me come back to right here, right now. She can't eat sugar or flour, which is a bummer for me as a cook and baker, but after my terrible diet, I gave in and went for the veggies.
I bought a butternut squash and a large heirloom tomato. I have been eating tomatoes nonstop. The garden out front of my internship is just blooming with them and I snack all day on grape tomatoes, enjoy several slices at lunch and even bring some home to add with my eggs. Last night, I decided to go for a red and green stripey one, which I roasted whole with the butternut squash, and 4 cloves of garlic, still in their skin. I lightly oiled the pan with olive oil and cut the end off the squash and then cut it half and scooped out the seeds. I removed the green leaf off of the tomato and put it all in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
The tomato finished roasting before the squash, I took it out when it was oozing from all sides and let it cool. I cut the tomato into small pieces and put it into a bowl with all the juice/water. I then heated up about 2 tbsp of butter until it was browned and smelled nutty. With the butter, I added some cumin, salt and pepper and waited for it to toast. In the meantime, I turned on a pot of boiling water for the gnocchi.
When the butter was browned and the spices toasted, I added the tomato plus all of its water and about a tbsp and a half-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. I peeled the garlic and added it, mushing it a little with my fingers. I turned the heat down to low and let the flavors combine and also added in a fair amount of dried basil (I would have added fresh, but didn't have any). Once the squash was done, i took it out and peeled and cubed just one half. I added it to the tomato mixture with about 1 tsp of nutmeg.
The water had reached a boil by then so I added the gnocchi and in just one minute, the gnocchi surfaced in the water and I took each piece out as they floated. I put the gnocchi in a bowl and added the sauce and mixed well. I then sprinkled a bit of parmesan for good measure and devoured my first home cooked dinner in weeks.
Ingredients
1/2 roasted butternut squash, seeds removed, cubed and peeled
1 large roasted tomato
4 cloves of garlic, roasted and peeled
1/2 pound fresh gnocchi
water for the gnocchi
2 tbsp butter
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil for the baking sheet
Most of this week and last week, one of the full-time employees has been cooking. Everything she makes is amazing. We had mung bean soup with rice last week, zucchini "crab" cakes yesterday with spicy green beans/peas, pasta with tomatoes, and more. The development director cooks a few times, too, usually a pasta dish with tomatoes. There's always salad and an abundance of tomatoes right from the garden. The whole front yard is a garden, Food not Lawns would be proud. Amongst the tomatoes is a lemon tree, a last push of raspberries, basil, a barrel of sad mint, lemon verbena, and even an apple tree. Last week, while I was at an OFPC meeting, the other interns planted beans in one of the beds. It's absolutely magical!
I've been here now a week and a half. My last few days in Claremont were chaotic- I can't remember what happened at all, it all happened so fast. I remember looking for houses and jobs in berkeley/oakland on craigslist for hours at a time, posting an ad for a ride up to the bay area with my bicycle and getting in a strangers car for the 7 hour ride. I stayed at a hostel the first couple of nights. I brought some left over pilaf with me, but ended up skipping breakfast and dinner those 3 days in exchange for a huge lunch and snacks. I met quite a slew of characters in the hostel. My first night, I stayed in a shared room with, surprisingly, another intern from Food First, a French masters student, and an Aussie yogi chick who told me about a website for bed and breakfasts where people rent out rooms in homes for a night, a week, or even a month! I found a nice looking place to stay and by day 3, i was ready to leave the hostel as fast as I could. I had a woman in my room the second night who was running away from her abusive boyfriend. She said she was trying to go to San Diego asap, but she was still lingering around 2 days later. I didn't know what to do, other than give her hotline phone numbers, of which she told me she's been to counselors, called hotlines, homes, but always goes back. I think that's what she was waiting for at the hostel, too.
Last night, sick of my diet of eggs, yogurt, peanut butter and bread (not all at once), I went over to the magical Berkeley Bowl. Such an inspiring place, I can't ever decide what to put in my trail mix, something salty, something (or two) sweet, something fruity, something nutty, something savory, something spicy- another addition to my diet. I was picking up some stuff for the woman who's room I'm renting out- oh. I forgot to mention, I moved in with a great woman who graduated from Cal in the 60s. She's a real member of the free speech movement and has great stories to tell, great advice to give, and makes great art, specifically photography. She has been incredibly helpful in my chaotic movements around the area. I can't even seem to sit still here, but her groundedness (which she told me, she just recently found after 69 years of moving around) helps me come back to right here, right now. She can't eat sugar or flour, which is a bummer for me as a cook and baker, but after my terrible diet, I gave in and went for the veggies.
I bought a butternut squash and a large heirloom tomato. I have been eating tomatoes nonstop. The garden out front of my internship is just blooming with them and I snack all day on grape tomatoes, enjoy several slices at lunch and even bring some home to add with my eggs. Last night, I decided to go for a red and green stripey one, which I roasted whole with the butternut squash, and 4 cloves of garlic, still in their skin. I lightly oiled the pan with olive oil and cut the end off the squash and then cut it half and scooped out the seeds. I removed the green leaf off of the tomato and put it all in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
The tomato finished roasting before the squash, I took it out when it was oozing from all sides and let it cool. I cut the tomato into small pieces and put it into a bowl with all the juice/water. I then heated up about 2 tbsp of butter until it was browned and smelled nutty. With the butter, I added some cumin, salt and pepper and waited for it to toast. In the meantime, I turned on a pot of boiling water for the gnocchi.
When the butter was browned and the spices toasted, I added the tomato plus all of its water and about a tbsp and a half-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. I peeled the garlic and added it, mushing it a little with my fingers. I turned the heat down to low and let the flavors combine and also added in a fair amount of dried basil (I would have added fresh, but didn't have any). Once the squash was done, i took it out and peeled and cubed just one half. I added it to the tomato mixture with about 1 tsp of nutmeg.
The water had reached a boil by then so I added the gnocchi and in just one minute, the gnocchi surfaced in the water and I took each piece out as they floated. I put the gnocchi in a bowl and added the sauce and mixed well. I then sprinkled a bit of parmesan for good measure and devoured my first home cooked dinner in weeks.
Ingredients
1/2 roasted butternut squash, seeds removed, cubed and peeled
1 large roasted tomato
4 cloves of garlic, roasted and peeled
1/2 pound fresh gnocchi
water for the gnocchi
2 tbsp butter
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil for the baking sheet
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Sweet tart
A Frenchman taught me a great trick to creating sweet tart crusts. You know how you always want that crispy, gooey edge, falling apart in your mouth as you devour a sweet berry tart or peach pie? Well as it turns out, milk makes a great accompaniment to the dough. Following the original recipe:
3 cups flour : 11 tbsp butter for 2 crusts
or
2.5 cups flour : 1 cup/ 8 tbsp butter for 1 crust
add in a sprinkle, or about 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and mix well until it feels like wet sand. Instead of water, add milk (it can be whole or even skim- whole is better) in splashes until the crust sticks together and roll into a ball. Chill the crust in plastic wrap and roll out into a thin crust in a pie pan or baking sheet to make lime bars, pies, tarts, etc.
I had lunch with a new friend a couple of days ago, who is a recent graduate of a neighboring school, and a LOVER of food. We could talk about food forever and she's on board with the whole crazy healthy thing that has overtaken my purchases of whole wheat flour and raw cane sugar. I told her about my recent baking spree and she asked if I had added any spices to my crust. I said no, but I thought I must. Maybe some cinnamon and nutmeg? Or even for savory crusts, a little rosemary or dried herbes de provence? Try it!
3 cups flour : 11 tbsp butter for 2 crusts
or
2.5 cups flour : 1 cup/ 8 tbsp butter for 1 crust
add in a sprinkle, or about 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt and mix well until it feels like wet sand. Instead of water, add milk (it can be whole or even skim- whole is better) in splashes until the crust sticks together and roll into a ball. Chill the crust in plastic wrap and roll out into a thin crust in a pie pan or baking sheet to make lime bars, pies, tarts, etc.
I had lunch with a new friend a couple of days ago, who is a recent graduate of a neighboring school, and a LOVER of food. We could talk about food forever and she's on board with the whole crazy healthy thing that has overtaken my purchases of whole wheat flour and raw cane sugar. I told her about my recent baking spree and she asked if I had added any spices to my crust. I said no, but I thought I must. Maybe some cinnamon and nutmeg? Or even for savory crusts, a little rosemary or dried herbes de provence? Try it!
Lime Trees and Lime Bars
The limes are in full swing in the garden here. I can never really figure out their season- I used to think it was early spring, along with oranges and grapefruits. But it gets confusing, seeing as lemons are a year-round commodity. A neighbor's tree looked like it had been blooming lovely limes last March, I believe it was, so I plucked a few and added them to thai curries and even attempted to make lime bars. The recipe I followed was for lime-coconut bars with coconut in the crust and sprinkled on top, before the bars were done. The bars did not come out quite right; in fact the filling completely set and it didn't even taste good. The bars sat on the kitchen table for almost a month, a sign that they were truly awful if my roommates and their friends refused to gobble them down.
I've been doubting whether those 'limes' I picked were actually limes or if they were un-ripe lemons and I cut their life short. I will blame the failed bars on those limes for now, and gave the ol' lime bar a second chance. My friend's obsessed with limes. She had a picked a couple limes one day, which we wedged and sliced to add to raspberry-lime margaritas one hot evening. Craving more, I went with her to the garden, upon the agreement that we would both take our bikes to the campus bike program. My tire had been flat since before I left for the Bay- this was the second time it got flat in two days and she had yet to inflate her tires since last May. I brought along a new tire and new tube, determined to set things straight with my 10-speed. I ended up finding a staple in my tire, the cause of my tube flats and with a rather slow patch process (I kept losing track of the staple's damage), we finally made it to the garden. We first explored the fig tree, finding no ripe ones on one, but an abundance of exploding flesh on a different tree, one that's a bit more off the path. After finding a tub in which to place the sopping figs, we began to move through the lime trees, exploring all of its bounty, choosing those that just fell off at a moment's notice, into our open hands. A dozen limes later, we had navigated the tree's north, south, east and west sides and felt content for the time being. Limeade and lime bars. Today's goal had been set.
This time, I followed a lemon bar recipe, courtesy of Deb and her Smitten Kitchen blog. The crust was delicious- I made a slight adjustment to the original tart crust, which I have in another post.
I baked the tart in a pie pan, following Deb's "thinner lemon layer" recipe. After rolling out the crust and placing it in the pan, I baked it for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until it was a delicate golden brown. While it was going, I first zested about 10 of the limes using a cheese grater to reach 1 tbsp + 1 tsp lime zest. After softening up the limes with my hands (I always roll them back and forth a couple of times, applying light pressure to get the juices flowing), I began juicing them in a 1/3 cup measuring cup and accidentally spilled the work of two very dear limes. Luckily, I was able to sop of most of the juice, but I ended up using all 12 limes in total to get a perfect 2/3 cup juice. I whisked the zest, juice, 4 eggs, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, and about 1 cup of sugar together in a bowl. I tasted it for good measure, unsure if I should add more sugar. I determined it was plenty sweet and when the dough was ready, I added the filling and placed it in the oven for 25 minutes at 350.
I was worried about burning the filling again, so I took it out after 25 minutes when I realized that it had set into a solid. Though it wasn't a gooey mess like I had intended, the filling was still soft and delicate, bursting with lime flavor.
Ingredients
1 tart crust
2/3 cup lime juice, about 10-12 limes
1 tbsp + 1 tsp lime zest (remember to do this BEFORE you juice)
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup whole wheat, or all-purpose flour
I've been doubting whether those 'limes' I picked were actually limes or if they were un-ripe lemons and I cut their life short. I will blame the failed bars on those limes for now, and gave the ol' lime bar a second chance. My friend's obsessed with limes. She had a picked a couple limes one day, which we wedged and sliced to add to raspberry-lime margaritas one hot evening. Craving more, I went with her to the garden, upon the agreement that we would both take our bikes to the campus bike program. My tire had been flat since before I left for the Bay- this was the second time it got flat in two days and she had yet to inflate her tires since last May. I brought along a new tire and new tube, determined to set things straight with my 10-speed. I ended up finding a staple in my tire, the cause of my tube flats and with a rather slow patch process (I kept losing track of the staple's damage), we finally made it to the garden. We first explored the fig tree, finding no ripe ones on one, but an abundance of exploding flesh on a different tree, one that's a bit more off the path. After finding a tub in which to place the sopping figs, we began to move through the lime trees, exploring all of its bounty, choosing those that just fell off at a moment's notice, into our open hands. A dozen limes later, we had navigated the tree's north, south, east and west sides and felt content for the time being. Limeade and lime bars. Today's goal had been set.
This time, I followed a lemon bar recipe, courtesy of Deb and her Smitten Kitchen blog. The crust was delicious- I made a slight adjustment to the original tart crust, which I have in another post.
I baked the tart in a pie pan, following Deb's "thinner lemon layer" recipe. After rolling out the crust and placing it in the pan, I baked it for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees, until it was a delicate golden brown. While it was going, I first zested about 10 of the limes using a cheese grater to reach 1 tbsp + 1 tsp lime zest. After softening up the limes with my hands (I always roll them back and forth a couple of times, applying light pressure to get the juices flowing), I began juicing them in a 1/3 cup measuring cup and accidentally spilled the work of two very dear limes. Luckily, I was able to sop of most of the juice, but I ended up using all 12 limes in total to get a perfect 2/3 cup juice. I whisked the zest, juice, 4 eggs, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, and about 1 cup of sugar together in a bowl. I tasted it for good measure, unsure if I should add more sugar. I determined it was plenty sweet and when the dough was ready, I added the filling and placed it in the oven for 25 minutes at 350.
I was worried about burning the filling again, so I took it out after 25 minutes when I realized that it had set into a solid. Though it wasn't a gooey mess like I had intended, the filling was still soft and delicate, bursting with lime flavor.
Ingredients
1 tart crust
2/3 cup lime juice, about 10-12 limes
1 tbsp + 1 tsp lime zest (remember to do this BEFORE you juice)
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup whole wheat, or all-purpose flour
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Saturday hike and Lentils
After two nights of intensive cooking and baking schemes, I decided to take it easy for a day and explore the surrounding mountains. It was hot. Really really hot. There's a place in Los Padres natl forest called the Fishbowl Swimming Holes that I've been wanting to go for some time and it seemed like a perfect hot day to go explore swimming holes.
We planned to leave around 8-8:30, but after a rough night from all the red wine I put into my belly, I struggled a bit to wake up and we finally headed out around 9:15- not too bad, considering I'm usually running 2 hours late. The forest is off of the 5, near the tippy top of the Grapevine pass. It's just west of the grapevine and set back pretty far. We took a zipcar to get there, a hybrid of some sort and were a bit worried about the tires on the dirt road so we went to the first trailhead, which was a 5 mi hike in, but on flat ground. After lunch of leftover quiche, pasta and who knows how old rice, we headed out. It took us some time to find the first part of the trail and probably didn't get started until 12:30 or so. We made it about 4 mi in to a wash at the base of a hill and had completely lost the trail. After about a half hour of scouting, we gave up, dripping and red-cheeked. We never made it to the swimming holes which was a major bummer. Next time, I think I'll bring a better car and go to the second trail head, which apparently is only a 2.5-3 mi hike in, of which 1 mi is a 1000 foot climb.
When we got back, I was beat and thought I'd cook up some lentils, Indian style. Let me tell you about the lentils I've been eating recently... my dear friend, Korin, a recent graduate of my school, lives in town with her partner, Sash, who graduated from undergrad a couple of years back, but also just finished grad school here. Sash was born in India and has been cooking since he was very young. I met Korin under a year ago, but she has been an awesome friend, the kind that you can talk to about anything, and the kind that loves good food and loves to try new foods, meat excluded. I quickly learned that Sash is an amazing cook and have been devouring all sorts of wonderful dishes at their house, from daal to chickpeas, to stuffed eggplants, and even roasted goat. Korin has picked up a few tricks along the way and even making pizza or pilaf with her, there is never a dull taste to anything. The girl loves garlic and spicy chiles, two things that are always more than ok with me. I always try to bring them something of contribution- whether it be dessert or clusters of veggies from the farm; I know they will use it all and use it well.
I've been experimenting myself with Indian dishes and thought I'd try to make lentils Sash-style. I know that cumin and coriander are necessary, as are dried chiles, and tons of garlic. Sash and Korin always use the pressure cooker, to which they add the lentils and lots of tomatoes. Whether it comes out extra amazing because of pressure cooker or not, my attempt at the lentils definitely fell short. They were good. But didn't quite compare... here's the recipe though for easy lentils:
Ingredients
1.5 cup orange lentils
3-4 cups water
6-8 small or medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, sliced
10 heads of garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil, or ghee
cumin seeds (if handy, if not ground cumin)
ground coriander
salt
small handful of dried chiles or thai chiles
2 limes, juiced
Wash the lentils in a large pot and add the water. Allow the water to come to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Keep your eye on the lentils and add water if the bottom layer or sides start to burn/ all the water evaporates. In a pan, heat the oil or ghee on high and add the cumin and coriander to toast. When the spices begin to smell, add the garlic. Lower the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the garlic releases its smell and then add the sliced onion. Add a pinch of salt so that the onions will release their juices. Continue stirring so it does not burn. When the onions have cooked down, turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, check on the lentil and when they are done cooking and soft (you can taste them), add the tomatoes and some more water if necessary. Add the onions and oil/ghee and spices and stir well. Let the flavors meld together and the tomatoes cook down to release all their juices. Add the lime juice and mix well. Serve with rice, naan, flat bread or barley.
We planned to leave around 8-8:30, but after a rough night from all the red wine I put into my belly, I struggled a bit to wake up and we finally headed out around 9:15- not too bad, considering I'm usually running 2 hours late. The forest is off of the 5, near the tippy top of the Grapevine pass. It's just west of the grapevine and set back pretty far. We took a zipcar to get there, a hybrid of some sort and were a bit worried about the tires on the dirt road so we went to the first trailhead, which was a 5 mi hike in, but on flat ground. After lunch of leftover quiche, pasta and who knows how old rice, we headed out. It took us some time to find the first part of the trail and probably didn't get started until 12:30 or so. We made it about 4 mi in to a wash at the base of a hill and had completely lost the trail. After about a half hour of scouting, we gave up, dripping and red-cheeked. We never made it to the swimming holes which was a major bummer. Next time, I think I'll bring a better car and go to the second trail head, which apparently is only a 2.5-3 mi hike in, of which 1 mi is a 1000 foot climb.
When we got back, I was beat and thought I'd cook up some lentils, Indian style. Let me tell you about the lentils I've been eating recently... my dear friend, Korin, a recent graduate of my school, lives in town with her partner, Sash, who graduated from undergrad a couple of years back, but also just finished grad school here. Sash was born in India and has been cooking since he was very young. I met Korin under a year ago, but she has been an awesome friend, the kind that you can talk to about anything, and the kind that loves good food and loves to try new foods, meat excluded. I quickly learned that Sash is an amazing cook and have been devouring all sorts of wonderful dishes at their house, from daal to chickpeas, to stuffed eggplants, and even roasted goat. Korin has picked up a few tricks along the way and even making pizza or pilaf with her, there is never a dull taste to anything. The girl loves garlic and spicy chiles, two things that are always more than ok with me. I always try to bring them something of contribution- whether it be dessert or clusters of veggies from the farm; I know they will use it all and use it well.
I've been experimenting myself with Indian dishes and thought I'd try to make lentils Sash-style. I know that cumin and coriander are necessary, as are dried chiles, and tons of garlic. Sash and Korin always use the pressure cooker, to which they add the lentils and lots of tomatoes. Whether it comes out extra amazing because of pressure cooker or not, my attempt at the lentils definitely fell short. They were good. But didn't quite compare... here's the recipe though for easy lentils:
Ingredients
1.5 cup orange lentils
3-4 cups water
6-8 small or medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, sliced
10 heads of garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil, or ghee
cumin seeds (if handy, if not ground cumin)
ground coriander
salt
small handful of dried chiles or thai chiles
2 limes, juiced
Wash the lentils in a large pot and add the water. Allow the water to come to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer. Keep your eye on the lentils and add water if the bottom layer or sides start to burn/ all the water evaporates. In a pan, heat the oil or ghee on high and add the cumin and coriander to toast. When the spices begin to smell, add the garlic. Lower the heat to medium. Stir constantly until the garlic releases its smell and then add the sliced onion. Add a pinch of salt so that the onions will release their juices. Continue stirring so it does not burn. When the onions have cooked down, turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, check on the lentil and when they are done cooking and soft (you can taste them), add the tomatoes and some more water if necessary. Add the onions and oil/ghee and spices and stir well. Let the flavors meld together and the tomatoes cook down to release all their juices. Add the lime juice and mix well. Serve with rice, naan, flat bread or barley.
Kale Chips and Peanut Butter Cookies
The roasted corn and tomato pasta dish with pesto was not complete without an appetizer and dessert. Many glasses of red wine and a stomach completely full of pasta, I couldn't resist bringing out the peanut butter cookies I had made earlier that day to share with everyone and continue our lovely conversation. There was so much to talk about anyways, I didn't want anyone to leave. We had moved on to talking about the similarities between babies and older people, and then moved on to alzheimer's, and stories about my Bolivian friend's Bolivian grandfather who has alzheimer's and yet remains active and healthy. It's a weird dynamic to be around someone who can't remember you and who brings their own secret life to your reality in ways you can't understand. I gave my friend a copy of my other friend's Water for Elephants, which you should read too.
These cookies are probably the best pb cookies I have ever made, thanks again to Heidi Swanson and her peanut butter cookies recipe. They're made with olive oil, maple syrup and sea salt. I've never made them with syrup, but opt for agave nectar, though I'm sure if you have real maple syrup from vermont or maine, or even canada on hand, they will be drop-dead delicious. I've made them before with sea salt, but don't have any here so I used regular kosher salt.
For the cookies, first mix together flour, which I used whole wheat, as always, baking soda, and the kosher salt, in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix together the peanut butter, which I prefer to use chunky and definitely unsalted, though I ran out and had to use a small amount of creamy salted that was in the fridge and the agave nectar, olive oil and vanilla. Mix that all together and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing well with a wooden spoon until everything has been blended together just perfectly.
Grease a baking sheet and, with your hands, grab about 2 tbsp of the batter with your hands and roll into a ball. Place onto the sheet and press down to flatten it out. The first batch cooked just like this and then on the second batch, I remembered to use a fork to flatten it out even more and make the pretty criss-cross designs. They tasted the same, it's all a matter of presentation... I cook them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until still soft, but slightly browned... after all there are no eggs in the batter and they can get too dry.
The cookies go fast so I don't know how long they can be stored for, probably 7 days in an airtight container. I gave a couple to my friends, both graduates from my school and who still live in town because of grad school and that's where one grew up. I'll talk more about them later though... My "housemate" who LOVES any and all baked goods finished them up.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup agave nectar
1 cup organic, natural, chunky unsalted peanut butter
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
KALE CHIPS
I don't always start with dessert, but will usually have an appetizer, if anything. While the oven was still going after the cookies were done, I thought I'd attempt to make some kale chips- something I had tried once before and ended up burning so that they left an awful bitter after bite, but which luckily my loving housemates from last year gobbled up in half a day and told me were delicious.
Kale chips have been all the rage in the organic/health food craze lately. Lucky for me, I hate potato chips (I think it's a potato thing that I have) so I don't have to worry too much about having to swap kale for potato. When I was in NY this summer, in a VERY posh place, I saw a teeny bag of kale chips for $12. Plus tax. That's absurd. Kale is probably one of the easiest things to grow and it keeps coming back. Not to mention all the different varieties- there's dinosaur, curly, plain, rape (kind of a weird name...), and they even grow well in cold weather!
After finding some leftover kale from the winter/spring at the farm the previous day, I looked up a recipe on Smitten Kitchen, a cooking blog that a wonderful friend from the camp where I worked this summer turned me on to when he told me about a great challah recipe. There's a lot more than challah and just like 101 cookbooks, everything I've made has been absolutely divine. I found a kale chip recipe and followed it more or less. I tore the hard stems off of the leaves and ripped the leaves into somewhat smaller pieces, knowing that they shrivel up a bit when you bake them.
I mixed them all in a bowl with a little of olive oil, just enough to coat them, but not too much to make them oily, some salt and fresh rosemary. I had to make two batches, but I cooked them at 300 degrees for 20 minutes and they were great!
I can't really give exact measurements for this recipe, but just go with it! If you mess up the first time- as I did, try again! Feel it out.
These cookies are probably the best pb cookies I have ever made, thanks again to Heidi Swanson and her peanut butter cookies recipe. They're made with olive oil, maple syrup and sea salt. I've never made them with syrup, but opt for agave nectar, though I'm sure if you have real maple syrup from vermont or maine, or even canada on hand, they will be drop-dead delicious. I've made them before with sea salt, but don't have any here so I used regular kosher salt.
For the cookies, first mix together flour, which I used whole wheat, as always, baking soda, and the kosher salt, in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, mix together the peanut butter, which I prefer to use chunky and definitely unsalted, though I ran out and had to use a small amount of creamy salted that was in the fridge and the agave nectar, olive oil and vanilla. Mix that all together and slowly add the flour mixture, mixing well with a wooden spoon until everything has been blended together just perfectly.
Grease a baking sheet and, with your hands, grab about 2 tbsp of the batter with your hands and roll into a ball. Place onto the sheet and press down to flatten it out. The first batch cooked just like this and then on the second batch, I remembered to use a fork to flatten it out even more and make the pretty criss-cross designs. They tasted the same, it's all a matter of presentation... I cook them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until still soft, but slightly browned... after all there are no eggs in the batter and they can get too dry.
The cookies go fast so I don't know how long they can be stored for, probably 7 days in an airtight container. I gave a couple to my friends, both graduates from my school and who still live in town because of grad school and that's where one grew up. I'll talk more about them later though... My "housemate" who LOVES any and all baked goods finished them up.
Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup agave nectar
1 cup organic, natural, chunky unsalted peanut butter
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
KALE CHIPS
I don't always start with dessert, but will usually have an appetizer, if anything. While the oven was still going after the cookies were done, I thought I'd attempt to make some kale chips- something I had tried once before and ended up burning so that they left an awful bitter after bite, but which luckily my loving housemates from last year gobbled up in half a day and told me were delicious.
Kale chips have been all the rage in the organic/health food craze lately. Lucky for me, I hate potato chips (I think it's a potato thing that I have) so I don't have to worry too much about having to swap kale for potato. When I was in NY this summer, in a VERY posh place, I saw a teeny bag of kale chips for $12. Plus tax. That's absurd. Kale is probably one of the easiest things to grow and it keeps coming back. Not to mention all the different varieties- there's dinosaur, curly, plain, rape (kind of a weird name...), and they even grow well in cold weather!
After finding some leftover kale from the winter/spring at the farm the previous day, I looked up a recipe on Smitten Kitchen, a cooking blog that a wonderful friend from the camp where I worked this summer turned me on to when he told me about a great challah recipe. There's a lot more than challah and just like 101 cookbooks, everything I've made has been absolutely divine. I found a kale chip recipe and followed it more or less. I tore the hard stems off of the leaves and ripped the leaves into somewhat smaller pieces, knowing that they shrivel up a bit when you bake them.
I mixed them all in a bowl with a little of olive oil, just enough to coat them, but not too much to make them oily, some salt and fresh rosemary. I had to make two batches, but I cooked them at 300 degrees for 20 minutes and they were great!
I can't really give exact measurements for this recipe, but just go with it! If you mess up the first time- as I did, try again! Feel it out.
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