Urban Homesteading for One & a Delicious Soup from the Freezer

Over the past week, I have been chief caretaker for my Better Half who went down on the black ice walking the dogs and seriously fractured her wrist.  Her right/dominant wrist, of course.  The damage was so bad that surgery - and plates and wires and pins - were required.  If you've been through this type of injury you know it is a bear.  Lots of pain and immobility.  Lots of ice and pain medications. I have been doing my best to keep things happy, light, efficient, and I am cooking up a storm of course.  I am a firm believer that good food is a cure in itself - for anything.  It is right?

I have learned some valuable lessons,  so I thought I would share. We have an excellent division of labor here at our beloved Il Moya - our urban homestead.  And I realize now, how much it is a two person operation!  I mean, I personally feel that I am doing pretty well going it alone - but I wouldn't want it as a permament situation!  Oh No.  I haven't worked this hard in - well, maybe never!  Certainly not since we decided to take our home and our life together in certain directions.  And certainly not with six furries in the house!

First of all, there is of course, the paramount issues relating to taking care of Better Half's needs and requests - as it should be.  Then there are our two dogs and two cats and the dog and cat we are fostering because their family lost their home in a fire.  I mean they all need attention, exercise, meals, and the occasional intervention.  Well, Better Half doesn't usually require the latter!  

Then there is a laundry list of things that relate directly to our systems of maintaining an urban homestead.  We cook from scratch, for example.  Nothing prepared or processed.  We shop from purveyors who provide us with seasonal, fresh, and humanely raised products and ingredients - so, we don't do "one stop" shopping. During this period, I have never contemplated more how incredibly busy working Moms must view someone like me who makes three, four, sometimes five stops to feed the household.  And usually does it a couple of times a week!  I haven't caved and I won't but I have learned more about the "why" of total supermarket shopping.  I will also say that all of that canning and freezing work in the Fall - well, it was worth every minute!  

As I have explained in other postings, we endeavor to keep the big heater in our home from kicking in, so we employ space heaters, and only in the rooms we are using.  And, as we have a south facing side on the house, we are always attempting to capture passive solar.  So it's open up.  And, close up quickly when the sun is gone!  Get moving.  It seemed so much easier before.

The Cold Frame which we set up this year in our garden is packed with growing things that need tending on a daily basis.  Lettuces, brocolli, beets, collards, etc. are growing away and the temperature must be maintained.  Of course, the weather has been crazy during this period - one day went from 60 degrees to single digits in 10 hours!  And there's the "home" growth to tend to. These include our house plants and those plants we've brought into the house to over winter.  They are all over three floors and they need watering and occasional tending.

Of course, there are also the usual daily activities of living.  I mentioned cooking.  Believe me, that's a walk in the park compared to laundry, stripping beds, dealing with the trash and the recycling, the composter, cleaning rugs where somebody had an "accident", and general home upkeep.

I'm exhausted just looking back at this!  I am learning so much about our living systems, and how we may simplify them even further.  It is a true blessing that I work from home and have a good deal of control over my schedule; I don't know how I'd be holding up under different circumstances!

There is a lot of learning and thinking taking place in this urban homesteader's mind, I have to say.  I don't think I will forget about this and return to business as usual when there are two of us to manage life again.  I'll keep you in the loop and, by the way, thanks, this was very therapeutic!  Now a recipe that I made a few days ago from the freezer.

Recipe:  Cream of Asparagus Soup

I loved making this, because we bought and froze a good deal of local asparagus last Spring when it was in season, and I so enjoy going to the freezer and pulling out a couple of bags.  Frozen asparagus will lose its "snap" of course, but not its flavor and it is wonderful for soups, frittatas/omelets and sauces.  This is so delicious and perhaps will encourage you to freeze local asparagus when it appears this upcoming Spring.

Ingredients

Twelve ounces of frozen asparagus (the asparagus had been briefly blanched prior to freezing) defrosted and chopped

Two large Shallots, chopped 

One small garlic clove, chopped

Four tablespoons of unsalted butter

Four cups of a good low salt or no salt stock of your choice:  Vegetable or Chicken

One cup of heavy cream - or half and half for a bit lighter soup

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Optional ingredients, see below

Technique

Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium sauce pan

Add the chopped shallots and cook over medium heat, stirring until they soften, about five minutes

Add the chopped garlic and stir for about one minute

Add the chopped asparagus and another tablespoon of butter and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes

Add the stock, stir, and bring the mixture to a quick boil, turn it down to a simmer and let it simmer on low to medium low with a lid on the pot for about 15 minutes - keep an eye on it.

Puree:  When the asparagus is soft and the flavors have incorporated, puree the mixture.  You can do this by adding a cup at a time to a blender or food processor but be careful with hot liquid in either.   The other option is what I do - and I highly recommend this piece of equipment - if you have one, use an Immersion Blender (a hand held stick shaped tool) that allows you to puree the mixture in the pot with no pouring required.  However you make the puree, you want the mixture to be creamy with very little solids at all.  If you want you can also let the mixture cool and strain it to insure no "strings" or bits of solid will be in the soup at all.  I would do that for company but it's delicious without the strain.

For service, reheat it slowly, add the last tablespoon of butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with toasted croutons 

Options Ingredients:  Add thinly sliced toasted almonds to each bowl at service.  Add your favorite herb sprinkled over the soup at the end of cooking time, and stir into the soup.  A dollop of sour cream at service is wonderful. Or top each bowl with crispy bacon bits.

Enjoy!

Reader Requested Recipes - Part III

Probably - no, not probably, for sure - Baked Macaroni and Cheese would be on my Desert Island Food list.  Life without it would be impossible.  That's true reallly any time of the year, but in the colder months, nothing replaces it!  

This is a way of making Mac 'n Cheese that I love to employ when my cheese drawer is chock full of still good, but oft eaten, pieces of cheese - and always, always, I have some good Canadian Cheddar in the house.  A good cheddar is something that must be part of your "keep stocked" efforts.  I have been especially strict about this since we gave up "american cheese" - you know, the processed stuff. I have loved american cheese with a serious love all of my life, but for me, I decided it was time to part ways. I recovered from a long time love of Velveeta too, but that was some time ago and a story for another day.

I also employ a technique with this recipe that I have named a "reverse roux" to make mac 'n cheese.  Don't look it up. I made the name up!  I like it though.  What do you think? Over the years, I have spent a good deal of time learning to make good roux.  A roux is indispensible for a jambalaya, a bechamel, and a host of other things.  That said, sometimes when time is short and you just want to get the macaroni casserole into the oven - this technique works really well, is easy, and takes less time.

Recipe (But really just technique):  Bits and Pieces Baked Macaroni and Cheeses

 Ingredients

A regular sized box of whatever pasta you like to make macaroni and cheese with - for this most recent batch I used leftover dry pasta from the pantry - half of a box of Farfalle and half of a box of Penne.  See - it really is, "bits and pieces"!

Next, get into the cheese drawer in your 'fridge - or wherever you store your cheese - and start to decide what is not going to make the cheese board again, but is still perfect or nearly perfect.  Last time around I used Comte', Smoked Gouda, some previously grated Parmesan, and of course, Cheddar.

After you select all of your cheese, grate everything on the wide grate on your hand grater - You don't want it too fine. The amount/volume of cheeses you use is really up to you.    I like mac 'n cheese to be ridiculously cheesy.  For the batch pictured here, I had about three cups of grated cheeses. If you have parmesan that you grated for last night's pasta, you don't have to grate that, of course!  Mix all of the cheeses together and set the bowl aside.

Next, cook your pasta.  Knock about 1 minute or two off of the box instructions so that your baked pasta has some al dente quality to it after almost an hour in the oven. Remember to add a good handful of salt to your water.

Drain the pasta into a big strainer and put your pot back on the stove.  One pot, one bowl, one casserole dish for this one - that's enough!

Now - put a stick of butter (yes, a stick, it's mac 'n cheese, after all) into your pot, turn it on medium and melt the butter completely but don't let it brown.  When it is completely melted, add two cups of whole milk.  If you want, and it's in the 'fridge, and you are feeling you need more richness, you can use one cup of milk and one cup of half and half.  If I have half and half, I almost always feel that I "need more richness".  Honesty - my policy.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk the butter and the milk together and keep it on a low heat as it slowly gets hot.  Don't rush it.

While the mixture is warming, rub the inside of your casserole with softened butter.  If you want some extra kick you can also rub the casserole with a half of a garlic clove.  Depending on my mood, I either love a little garlic in my mac 'n cheese or I find it interferring with my experience. It's up to you.

Get your bowl of mixed, grated cheeses and stir in a good half cup or more of regular flour onto the grated cheeses. You want to see the flour.  Add a teaspoon of kosher salt and a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.  I like my mac 'n cheese peppery always, so add less if you are not a fan. Stir.

Pour the cooked pasta into the buttered casserole dish and set it aside.

Pour the grated cheeses and flour mixture into the warm milk and butter.  Set the heat to medium, and stay right at the pot, whisking at least every minute or more.  You will see that the mixture will start thickening up relatively quickly.  It will be thick enough in five minutes if not sooner. Much faster than a roux.

Pour the thickened mixture over the pasta in the casserole and stir it a bit so that it is evenly distributed.

Put the casserole into the 375 degree oven, covered with foil, for 40 - 45 minutes.

You want to see the mixture bubbling when you take the foil off.  So, if you check it and it's not bubbling, place the foil back on and put it back in the over for another five minutes or so.

When the consistency is where you want it, take the casserole out, turn on your broiler, make sure that you have a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and put the casserole under the broiler.  Do not leave it.  You have to keep your eye on it.  When it is as browned on top as you want, remove it.

Let the casserole sit for about 15 minutes prior to service.  It needs to "set up" and it is going to be molten lava hot anyway.

I think that you will find that your "bits and pieces' mac 'n cheese has a wonderful and different flavor - It has to! It has a different cheese mixture almost every time.  I mean what could be better?  Consistency and novelty all wrapped up in gooey deliciousness.

Enjoy!

Reader Requested Recipes - Part II

Happy New Year!  As many of you know, I have been doing a lot of cooking and trying out recipe variations over my winter break, and I am glad that so many of you have asked for the recipes.  As it is 10 degrees outside, I am going to post three of those recipes today - under separate Blog posts. I'm sure not going anywhere! It's too cold! This first one is a great appetizer/entertaining recipe that is wonderful with cocktails and contains Bourbon - one of my favorite ingredients!  The other two dishes are just perfect for the weather we are having now - rich, cheesy, spicy and comforting.

Recipe:  Bourbon Chicken Liver Pate'

(adapted from epicurious)

Ingredients

One stick of unsalted butter

One cup of finely chopped onion

One large garlic clove, minced

One quarter teaspoon dried thyme

One quarter teaspoon dried majoram

One quarter teaspoon dried sage

Three quarters teaspoon Kosher salt

One quarter teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One eighth of a teaspoon of ground allspice

One pound of chicken livers, trimmed (make sure all of the sinewy bits are pulled off)

Two tablespoons of Bourbon

A one cup or two 1/2 cup ramekins or Welke Jars

Technique

Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet over moderatly low heat, add the onion and garlic and stir it until they are softened.  This will take about five minutes.  Add all of the herbs, the salt and pepper, the allspice and the chicken livers.  

Cook the mixture until the livers are cooked outside but still pink on the inside.  This will take about eight minutes.  Be careful to keep the livers pink inside; you don't want them overcooked.

Stir the Bourbon into the mixture and remove the pan from the heat.  Let it cool a bit.

Puree the mixture in a food processor until it is smooth.

Transfer the mixture to one or two ramekins or jars -whatever you are using.  Smooth the top.

Chill the pate' for at least two hours or more before service.

Serve with toasted baquette slices or crackers.

Note:  You can keep the pate' up to two weeks if you top each ramekin with a "seal" of clarified butter.  Use Ghee or make your own and pour enough over the top of the pate' to cover the top.  Put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes until the clarified butter has solidified, then cover tightly with plastic wrap.  This process will definitely preserve the pate'.  I just never have to preserve it because it is gone pretty quickly!

Enjoy!

Readers Requested Recipes

I hope all of you are having a wonderful, relaxing, revitalizing & tasty Holiday season.

Over the past few days I have posted a few favorite holiday dishes - I use them because they are just my kind of seasonal, easy and delicious recipes.  At this time of year I spend a lot of time in the kitchen as I know many of you do as well. As a matter of fact, even when friends and family are here, and I am not cooking, I am in the kitchen!  It really is the place where folks gather isn't it? That said, it is nice to exit the kitchen once in awhile - but when we're entertaining, I have a dickens of a time moving the group out! I bring this up because it is my goal to have as much cooked, baked and finished when guests arrive or else in our small home it looks like I'm conducting a cooking class! So the recipes I choose are almost always done or just need a few steps to be complete when folks arrive.

I was so happy to hear from a number of folks requesting the recipes for some of the recent dishes I posted on my Facebook page. So, let's start with a favorite and versatile dessert that is always a hit and really straightforward and easy to put together. And it is even better if you make it the day before you are going to serve it!

Recipe:  Pisciotta - Olive Oil Cake with a Limoncello Glaze (adapted from the late, great Marcella Hazan) 

Ingredients

Two large eggs

One half cup, plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

The zest of one lemon

Kosher salt

1/3 cup dry Marsala (not something we always have around, so I have substituted cognac, and once, bourbon)

One third of a cup of whole milk

Three fourths of a cup of extra virgin olive oil

One eighth of a cup of extra virgin olive oil - for greasing the cake pan

One tablespoon of baking powder 

One and one half cups of all purpose flour

A round cake pan

Technique

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them with the all of the sugar - you want a pale, foamy mixture so whisk well.  You can also use a mixer.

Add the lemon zest, a pinch of salt, the Marsala, the milk, and the 3/4 cup of olive oil. Whisk a bit to incorporate.

Mix the baking powder with the flour and add it to the other ingredients. Mix well.

Smear the baking pan with the rest of the olive oil and pour the batter into the pan.

Bake in the upper third of your oven for 50 minutes.

The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when pushed into the center of the cake.

When the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, brush about a half cup of Limoncello liqueur all over the cake.  Wait a minute or two between brushings. 

Note:  If I have berries - strawberries or blueberries work best - and I have the time, I make a "Berry Concasse" to pour over slices of the cake.  Just chop the berries, add sugar to taste, and a shot or two of Cointreu or Triple Sec and bring the berries to a boil. Lower the heat to medium/low, stirring regularly until the mixture thickens.  Store in the refrigerator and remember to take it out about a half hour before service.

Enjoy!

Next Post:  Bourbon Chicken Liver Pate

Recipes: Stay - a - Bed Stew and Our Favorite Jambalaya

As requested Readers.  Her are two of my favorite cold weather recipes:

Recipe:  Stay - a - Bed Stew (adapter from Peg Bracken, the "I Hate to Cook" cookbook).  With love and gratitude to Peg Bigley.

The name of this dish suggests what you can do while this easy one pot recipe long cooks.  And, oh, the aromas in the house!

Ingredients

Two pounds of stew meat, cubed, fat trimmed, but not entirely removed

One cup of cut up carrots (wash the carrots well and do NOT peel the carrots - all of the nutrients and most of the flavor are in that skin)

Two medium onions, chopped

One teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste - at least a 1/2 teaspoon

One can of condensed Tomato Soup, mixed with 1/2 can of water - I have moved away from condensed soups, but sometimes you just have to go with the original!

Two - Three large potatoes, quartered

One tablespoon each of fresh Thyme and Parsely - chopped - OR use 1 Teaspoon of dried herbs

Technique

Mix all of the ingredients - except the parsley - into a 2 1/2 quart casserole

Put the casserole into a 275 degree oven

Cook for five hours

Remove.  Skim fat if any is floating on the top.

Top with the parsley and serve

NOTE:  Make it "Beef Bourgourgne" - add 1/2 can of red wine instead of water!  Impress folks.

Recipe:  Crawfish and Sausage Jambalaya (adapted from Emeril Lagesse, "Every Day's a Party" cookbook)

This is delicious and easy.  Feel free to substitute medium to large fresh shrimp - peeled and cleaned - for the crawfish. However, most good seafood vendors now carry frozen crawfish tales.  Look for Gulf Coast on the crawfish label.  Just defrost - they are delicious! As you will see, this recipe uses the New Orleans cuisine staple:  The "holy trinity" - onion, green peppers and celery!

Ingredients

Two tablespoons of Vegetable or Canola oil

Two cups of chopped yellow onions

One cup of chopped green bell peppers

One half cup of chopped celery

One teaspoon of sale

One half teaspoon of cayenne

One pound of smoked sausage (your choice; kielbasi is used a great deal and, I think, is perfect). Cut the sausages in half, lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices

Four Bay Leaves

Two cups of peeled, seeded and chopped canned tomatoes

One tablespoon of chopped garlic

One pound of crawfish tails or shrimp

Two cups of of long-grain rice

Five cups of low salt chicken stock

One half cup of green onions/scallions - green parts only

Technique

Heat the oil over medium heat in a Dutch Oven 

Add the onion, bell peppers, and celery and season with the salt and the cayenne

Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are wilted - about 5 minutes

Add the chopped sausage and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes

Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, garlic and if you are using crawfish, add them now

Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes

Add the rice and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes

Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil

Reduce the heat to medium - low, cover, and cook for 15 - 20 minutes

If you are using shrimp, add them now and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the shrimp  are cooked

Remove the bay leaves, stir in the chopped green onions, and serve hot.

Enjoy both of these delicious, basically one - pot, cold weather comfort dishes.

The Heart of Urban Homesteading: Act Locally to Help the Hungry

Having spent a good deal of time working in the food services business, I am always happy to say that food people are among the best folks out there -  in so many ways.

I am one who thinks that sentiment also applies to we who like to think of ourselves as, "Foodies", Gourmets, or "Food Lovers".

Let's face it.  At this time of year, if we have what we need, if we are healthy, if our larders and freezers are stocked, and the ones we love are safe and happy - what more do we need?  I know what we need.  In the midst of all of the fun and revelery and feasting, we need to be able to get away from the "me" and focus on the "we" for a bit - especially the "we" who are needing some help. The "we" who are hungry. 

Who better than those of use with a deep love and appreciation for all things edible than for us to use our passion to be part of helping to address - in our own local way - hunger in America.  Just typing that phrase makes my skin crawl!  It should not be, but it is.  And remember, so many of those Americans are children.

All I ask of those of us who chat on this blog and on my FB page is please, do at least one thing this Holiday season to help feed hungry people in your own city, town or neighborhood.  Donate cash to a local food program - they will know what to do with it. Or bring boxes of non-perishables to shelters and soup kitchens. Perhaps make sandwiches and containers of hot soup and hand them out to those who are homeless. This is just a short list of potential things to do. Do some research as to what is available and what is needed in your area and take action.

There's an old saying, "Do something good.  Feel something real".  So see, this will really be a gift you give yourself.

And, if you care to, feel free to share with the rest of us what it was that you were able to do.

You will never regret it. As a matter of fact, it may become habit forming!

Thank You.

Eating Fall: Spinach and Ricotta Pie

 

This delicious pie resulted from my over buying fresh ricotta at our farmers Market this past weekend. If you love good quality ricotta you know it doesn't hang around for long and wasting food puts me into a total tizzy!  

We had sweets in the house and a cheesecake just wasn't doing it.  I didn't have all of the ingredients for lasagna. Plus I wanted something easy for a Monday dinner.

A few minutes on the internet led me to this recipe, which is truly cobbled together from many I read. Frankly I think it's probably better than some of them! 

I had all of the ingredients already - either in the refrigerator or down in the big freezer. That's my kind of recipe.

It's easy and very good - it was great for dinner but it could definitely work for lunch with a quick warm up and I have it on good information that it's great for breakfast.  I had to be sure you know!  OK here we go.

Spinach, Ricotta, Bacon, Leek & Mushroom Pie

Ingredients

Three large eggs

24 ounces (or so) of fresh ricotta cheese - if it's really wet, drain it in a sieve or colander for 20 minutes or so.

10 - 12 ounces of uncooked spinach - I had a big bag (2 pounds) of fresh spinach in the freezer.  A local grower is experimenting with "flash freezing" it. Makes it easy to take some but not all out of the bag. I hope he keeps doing it.

One cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

Six or seven strips of regular bacon

One large leek, cleaned, and chopped

Two garlic cloves, sliced

Approximately a quarter pound of mushrooms chopped just a bit.  I had some mixed mushrooms - use whatever you like or none at all.  They aren't critical.

One pie crust - now you have heard me say that I keep Pillsbury ready made pie crusts in the freezer for just this sort of occasion.  Or you can use your own pie crust recipe.  Homemade would make this even better and I promise that I will use a homemade crust for it, just not on a Monday night!

Technique

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees

Lightly butter a pie plate - I like a glass pie plate for these sorts of recipes, you need a little depth.

Put your crust into your pie plate.

"Dock" the crust a bit - just make a few holes in it with a fork.

Put it in the oven for about 5 minutes.  You just want to get it started a bit. Take it out when it just starts to change color.

If your spinach is frozen, let it defrost.  To quick defrost it, put it in a colander and pour a little hot water over it. If it's not frozen, just be sure it's clean of sand. 

In a sauté pan, cook the bacon to almost crispy - it will cook a bit more in the pie.  Set it aside draining on paper towels. When it's cooled, chop it.

Cook the chopped leeks in the bacon fat; as they begin to soften, add the garlic.

In about one minute, add the mushrooms if you are using them.  Let the mushrooms get a little browned.  At this point you can add a dried herb for a bit of zing.  I added some of our dried thyme because I was using mushrooms.  Mushrooms and thyme love each other. 

Add a light sprinkle of salt and a good bit of freshly ground pepper to the mixture

Take the sauté pan off the heat and when it cools a bit add the chopped bacon, stir well to incorporate.

Beat the three eggs in a large bowl.  Add the ricotta and the Parmesan and keep whisking to incorporate the eggs into the cheeses.

Swutch to a large spoon or spatula and add the spinach to the egg & cheese mixture - mix it together well.

Then add everything from the sauté pan into the spinach mixture. Again - take the time to mix it well.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. When you take it out of the oven, let it rest for ten minutes before slicing.  Enjoy!