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Excited about our first all vegan Home Restaurant tonight– I will post menu tomorrow...
Serving stellar vegetables from the Amish Cooperative, Path Valley.
Carrot Varieties: Tendersweet, Sugarsnax and Sweetness
Beet Varieties: Chioggia, White and Red Ace
Turnip Varieties: Gold Ball, Purple Top and Scarlet Queen
Eat your parsnips, this time of year there are few things better... Roasted Parsnips
Peel parsnips, cut them in half, remove the core and then cut them into thin strips, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, coat the parsnips lightly with grapeseed oil, season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar, roast them until they start to turn brown, stir them and continue roasting until they brown some more. Total cooking time will be about 15-20 minutes.
We have a collection of small wood cutting boards that are perpetually in use. Right now many are made of bamboo which is not a favorite of mine because it is too hard a surface and quickly dulls our knives. A couple weeks ago we had an errand to do in Virginia and on the way home stopped by Eden Center, a huge Vietnamese strip mall in Virginia. We brought home vegetable bao, some delicious citrus, beautiful greens and most excitingly a $20 wood round cutting board that we found at the Cho Saigon Supermarket. We might need to make a dedicated trip back for a few more boards.
-Salsify from Path Valley Cooperative, Pennsylvania
We were thrilled to host a birthday celebration for a friend of ours we met years ago at our former restaurant, Ruppert's. American wines were requested, not usually the origin of wines at our table. Tom, the wine importer who we count on to help us match food and wine did an outstanding job as always. We enjoyed tasting wines that were all new to 1508.
Passing
Shiitake Soup, Kale with Sesame and Watermelon Radish, Parsnip, Celery Root and Shallot, Egg and Sorrel, Sweet Potato and Candy Onions, Guinea Hen and Parsley
(Illahe Vineyards) Pinot Gris Willamette 2010
Titos (Austin TX) Bay Leaf Vodka Cocktail
Seated
Wood Grilled Flat Iron Steak, Savoy Cabbage, Butternut Squash, Tiny Potato– Farm Bread
(Porter Creek) Zinfandel Sonoma 2009
Fennel, Black Walnut, White Lima Beans, Beets, Turnip, Carrot, Black Truffle– Rosemary Whole Grain Roll
(White Rock Vnyds) Chardonnay Napa 2009
Rockfish, Salsify, Saffron, Pea Shoots– Spelt Focaccia
(Porter Creek) Pinot Noir Russian River 2008
Harbison Cheese, Cracker
Carrot Cake, Coconut Sorbet, Toasted Coconut, Almonds, Pineapple
(Red Newt) Finger Lakes Riesling 'Circle' 2010
Mini Chocolate Cakes, Tonka Bean Crisps, Chocolate Mint Drops
Take Home: Chocolate, Fig, Walnut Bread
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Martin-Lane's favorite breakfast of the moment is a carrot muffin. We make the dough in advance and bake the muffins while she is getting dressed in the morning. 1/2 cup pureed silken tofu, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup coarse wheat bran, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 3 cups shredded carrot, 3/4 cup walnuts
Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Cook in a 350 degree oven until a knife inserted in the middle tests clean, about 20 minutes. Good hot or room temperature. Makes 12 muffins, the rough nutritional analysis below is for an individual muffin.
Over the years we have made lots of different versions of this granola recipe... this is my favorite of the moment with sprouted quinoa substituted for cooked quinoa that we have used in the past. Also we have added more seeds in place of some of the nuts in other versions. This recipe is only moderately sweet so you may choose to make it a bit sweeter by adding a few fresh dates or additional maple syrup.
3 cups quinoa, 1 cup raw walnuts, 1 cup raw almonds, 1 cup raw cashews, 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, 1 cup raw sesame seeds, 1 cup sunflower seeds, 2 cups dried figs tip of stem removed, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 cups raw coconut flakes, 1 tablespoon salt
Place quinoa on a large sheet tray, thoroughly moisten with water and cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Let sit until you see the quinoa has sprouted, little white tails will grow on the end of the grain and will be about the same length of the grain when it is ready. Check every 8 hours of so to make sure the quinoa is still moist but not sitting in a large amount of water. The whole process should take about 24 hours.
After the quinoa has been soaking for approximately 16 hours fill a large bowl with walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and figs– cover with water and let sit at room temperature for about 8 hours or until the quinoa has sprouted.
Once everything has soaked and sprouted drain the liquid from the nut mixture and place into a food processor, add maple syrup and pulse on and off until the ingredients are chopped but still coarse, you may need to do this in a few batches depending on the size of your food processor.
Thoroughly mix the quinoa (which should not have any extra liquid but if it does drain before adding) with the chopped nut mixture and toss in coconut flakes and salt.
Spread the granola onto two large sheet trays and place in a 120 degree oven to dry. There seems to be some debate about what temperature you need to stay below for food to be considered raw, many experts agree that most food enzymes will not be destroyed if you do not go above 120 degrees. I find that many ovens can be set as low as 120 degrees and the process of drying at this temperature can happen in 12-18 hours. If your oven does not go that low, no worries, just dry at a low temperature. While the granola is drying stir it every several hours and leave in the oven until there is no moisture left and it is crunchy.
The rough nutritional analysis below is based on 1/2 cup servings. I often eat it with almond milk. Store in an airtight container.
Just before the holidays we co-hosted a party to celebrate a major accomplishment of a couple friends. The whole event was very relaxed with food to graze on, bay leaf vodka cocktail and rose champagne to sip. In the kitchen we had a big pot of white lima bean soup on the stove and guests filled themselves bowl and topped them with arugula, black walnuts and black truffles... Lucky for us Abby Jiu documented the event.
A friend of mine Davina Sandground recently launched a fabulous new business, Nutrition Groove. A couple months ago she asked if I would be interested in teaching a class with her based on Joel Fuhrmans book Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free. I was thrilled! Dr. Furhman's book talks about eating much the way I already do but also incorporates all sorts of information that was new to me...such as– the need to finely chop or thoroughly chew kale to get full nutritional benefits, why a high dose of vitamin C is not helpful when you have a cold and that the delivery system used in the flu vaccine might be more damaging for most of us than getting the flu...
Davina and I concentrated on 6 of Dr Fuhrman's top foods for Super Immunity– kale, mushrooms, onions, beans, pomegranate and seeds. Davina talked nutrition and I cooked. This is what we ate.
Kale
-Roasted Kale– kale stem removed and chopped, grapeseed oil spray, roasted garlic peeled and chopped, salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees, place kale on a baking sheet, spray with oil, toss with garlic, salt and pepper and bake until slightly browned around the edges, about 10 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
-Raw Kale and Sesame Salad– 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons coconut nectar or other sweetener, salt and pepper to taste, kale stem removed and finely chopped (about 4 cups kale total)
In a high speed blender combine until smooth sesame seeds, cider vinegar, olive oil, coconut nectar, and enough water to make a thick dressing, season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl toss kale and dressing until thoroughly combined, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
-Kale Smoothie– 1 cup chopped kale, 1/2 pear core removed, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk
In a high speed blender combine the kale, pear, banana and milk. Process until smooth, about 1 minute.
Mushrooms
-Roasted Hedgehog Mushrooms–hedgehog mushrooms brushed clean, shallots roasted and peeled, grapeseed oil, salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place mushrooms and shallots on a sheet tray and lightly coat with grapeseed oil, season with salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms are just cooked, about 7 minutes.
-Shiitake Leek Broth– shiitake mushrooms stems removed, leeks finely chopped
In a pot combine the mushrooms, leeks and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Marinated Button Mushrooms– button mushrooms finely sliced, fresh lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl combine mushrooms, lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper.
Onions
We used garlic, shallots, leeks and chives in the kale and mushroom recipes
Beans
We discussed adding Kombu to beans during soaking and cooking to help tenderize them and aid in digestion.
-Bean Dip– 1 cup beans cooked, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs chopped, salt and pepper to taste
In a high speed blender combine beans, oil, herbs, salt and pepper. If too thick add water until desired consistency.
Pomegranate
I demonstrated a method I use for removing seeds from a pomegranate–
Cut a pomegranate in quarters. Get a bowl of cold water. Remove seeds from skin and pith over the cold water and let the seeds fall into the water. If there is any pith still attached to the seeds it will float to the top. When you are finished skim the pith off the top of the water, drain the seeds and they are ready to eat or use.
Seeds
We used sesame seeds in the raw kale salad.
-Chia– 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup almond milk, pinch salt, raw cashews, coconut flakes, raw walnuts, raw sunflower seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, fresh dates chopped.
In a medium bowl combine the chia, milk and salt. Top with the nuts, additional seeds, coconut and dates as desired.
Home Restaurants are where we feed most people these days...It continues to be a pleasure welcoming people to our home, sharing our favorite foods and wines and creating an in between place to dine and visit.
In December a few people who eat at 1508 often and who I have cooked for and done flowers for over the years asked if we would be willing to do small Sunday night dinners at their homes. Fully understanding how much pleasure this brings me, I said "of course"!
One of the dinners–
Passing
Guinea Hen Confit, Kohlrabi, Thyme
Jowl Bacon, Egg, Toast, Chive
Scallop, Sorrel, Pickled Beet
Seated
Baby Mizuna, Baby Arugula, Chestnuts, Parsnips, Pomegranate, Banyuls Vinaigrette– 48 Hour Farm Bread
Beef Short Ribs, Tiny Potatoes, Celery Root, Turnip, Carrot, Shallots, Young Kale– Sorghum Wheat Berry Bread
Appalachian Cheese, Walnut Cracker
Soft Gingerbread, Pear, Chocolate Sauce, Whip Cream, Cocoa Nibs
Tiny Cookies: Pistachio Coconut, Salty Rosemary Walnut, Chocolate Mint
bread making photo by Erik Johnson from a sunny day...today, it was dark and rainy– perfect bread making weather!
An enthusiastic group came to 1508 this morning for a bread class– it was fun.
We all kneaded bread, talked about gluten, different types of flours and grains, how to comfortably fit bread making into everyday life...and we made a whole lot of bread.
The recipes–
48 Hour Farm Bread
1 tablespoon fresh compressed yeast
1 ½ cup water at room temperature
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoon salt
1.Combine yeast and water in a large bowl.
2.Add additional ingredients and mix until incorporated.
3.Cover with plastic and let sit in a warm spot for 48 hours.
4.Lay a dish towel out on a flat surface and dust generously with flour.
5.Dump dough onto the towel and make into 10 inch square.
6.Fold square into thirds, dust top with flour, cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
7.Fold in thirds using short end.
8.Brush off excess flour and gently stretch top layer over the seams visible on 2 sides of the dough.
9.Cover ½ of a clean dish towel generously with flour and top with several tablespoons of wheat bran.
10.Place bread on part of towel covered with flour and sprinkle top with more flour and bran.
11.Cover with the remaining half of the towel and let rise for 2 hours.
12.After 1 hour of rising place a 2 quart casserole (I use a Le Cruset, enamel covered cast iron pan) with a cover in a 500 degree oven.
13.After an hour remove cover, place dough in the casserole and cover and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
14.Remove bread from the casserole and let cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Cracked Wheat Bread
*¼ cup cracked wheat, soaked for 24 hours in 1 cup water
1 ½ cups warm water
3 tablespoons fresh compressed yeast
¼ cup good quality olive oil
¼ cup molasses, maple syrup, honey or sorgum syrup
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup flax seeds roughly chopped
¼ cup chopped walnuts
4 cups plus stone ground whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1.In a large bowl combine yeast and water.
2.Add oil, molasses (or other), sunflower seeds, cracked wheat, 2 cups flour and salt.
3.Mix until thoroughly combined.
4.Add remaining flour and knead until smooth, add a little more flour if sticky.
5.Lightly coat a clean bowl with olive oil, place dough in bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
6.Let dough sit in a warm spot until doubled, about 40 minutes.
7.Divide into two, shape into loaves and place in oiled loaf pan.
8.Put in a warm place, cover with a towel and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
9.Bake in a 375 degree oven until top is browned and loaves sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes.
Foccacia
1 ½ tablespoon fresh compressed yeast
1 ½ cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1 ½ cup all purpose unbleached flour
2 heaping teaspoons of salt
about 2 tablesoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano, rosemary or thyme
¼ cup roughly chopped olives (optional)
1 teaspoon medium coarse sea salt
1.Combine 1 ½ cups of water and the yeast, mix until smooth.
2.Add the flour and salt.
3.Knead this dough until thoroughly combined and then an additional 2 minutes.
4.Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
5.Cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise for 30 minutes.
6.Take a large baking tray, and lightly cover it in olive oil. Spread the dough on the tray, and create little indents with your fingers for the oil to soak in.
7.Coat top with a thin layer of oil and top with oregano, sea salt, and olives (if using).
8.Cook for 8-10 minutes in the oven.
9.Cut as soon as you take the focaccia out of the oven.
Pizza Dough
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup 00 flour
2 tablespoons fresh compressed yeast
1 ½ cup lukewarm water
2 slightly heaping teaspoon of salt
1.Mix the flour and salt.
2.Dissolve yeast in the water and add to the flour mixture.
3.Knead this dough by hand until thoroughly incorporated and then continue kneading for 2-3 more minutes.
4.Cover with plastic and leave to sit at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.
5.Pat out dough by hand to desired thickness and cook in pizza oven or conventional oven at 450 on a stone.
No Recipe Bread (this is a rough recipe, start with this experiment and make it your own)
3 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh compressed yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons finely ground sea salt
4 cups spelt flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups organic all purpose unbleached flour (exact amount determined when making)
Olive oil or olive oil spray for pan
1.In a large bowl combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt . Mix until smooth. Gradually add flour, about 2 cups at a time, switching back and forth between the spelt, whole wheat and the all purpose unbleached. Knead in flour after each addition.
2.When the dough can stick together as a ball take the dough out of the bowl and place on a clean surface. Knead the dough adding more flower until it stops sticking to your hands. Knead dough vigorously for about 2 minutes.
3.Place bread in a clean bowl and let rise at room temperature or place in refrigerator to use later.
4.When ready to bake you can bake in a loaf, in a boule shape, as a flatbread...in a 375 degree oven until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
5.Possible additions are wheatberries, rosemary, nuts, seeds, olives...
Last week fried chicken mushrooms were available through the wild mushroom forager in Oregon that I often rely on when wild mushrooms are not available locally or I do not have the time to hunt for my own. I had never heard of them before... They were delicious, fairly mild flavored with a slightly sweet and woodsy flavor and a meaty texture. We served them roasted with spaghetti squash, celery root sauce, chickweed and a little bit of pickled beets. I will order them again...and am wondering if I might be able to find them in the woods locally.
When I saw huckleberries were available from the Amish cooperative Path Valley I immediately added them to my list despite the fact that I had no specific plan about what I was going to do with them. Some became part of a pudding (recipe below) for a tiny first dessert course that I served with a salty rosemary walnut biscotti. The remainder got cooked and sweetened with local honey, put in little jars and given away as to-go gifts for guests at last Friday nights Home Restaurant. I am now a fan of huckleberries!
Huckleberry Almond Pudding
1 cup huckleberries, cooked, pureed and passed through a fine sieve
2 cups almond milk
1/4 cup sugar or more if you want a sweeter pudding
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
In a small saucepan combine huckleberries, almond milk, sugar and salt.
Heat over medium heat stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and mix until smooth.
Slowly add the cornstarch to the huckleberry mixture and combine thoroughly.
Heat over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
Pour into individual serving cups or 1 large bowl and chill until set, about 12 hours.
Photo Kate Headley
Very much enjoyed our lively guests at Friday night Home Restaurant!
Passing
Brussel sprouts, pickled ginger
Lamb sausage, fig, carrot
Egg, jowl bacon, toast, sorrel
Rabbit, apple, corncake
Roasted tomato garlic soup
Chicken, sweet potatoes, grainy mustard
Lemon Thyme Vodka Martini
Seated
Flat iron steak, parsnip, broccoli greens
(Pierre Gauthier) Bourgeuil "Soif du Jour" 2010
Spaghetti squash, celeriac, chickweed, pickled beets, chanterelle and fried chicken mushrooms
(Thevenet) Macon Pierreclos 2009
Sablefish, stinging nettles, leeks, tiny potatoes, truffle salt, fennel
(Henri Jouan) Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grain 2009
Jasper Hill Harbison cheese with walnut cracker
Huckleberry custard with salty rosemary walnut biscotti
(Eudald) 'Familia' Brut Cava NV
Squash pecan pie chocolate sorbet and cocoa nibs
Cookies: Coconut cashew, chocolate mint, gingersnap
Take home
Seeded bread
Cooked Huckleberries
Until very recently I had never heard of pili nuts...found them online at One Lucky Duck. They are very rich and kind of buttery tasting– great for eating on their own, baking with or making into a smooth sauce. I learned they are native of the Phillipines and grow in volcanic soil. They are healthy like most nuts but in addition contain a large amount of magnesium and Vitamin E as well as omegas and all essential amino acids.
Cardoons from Path Valley Cooperative in Pennsylvania. To cook– slice (some varieties have sharp edges so take care when handling raw), bring salted water to a boil, add cardoons, return to a boil, drain. Repeat this process until the cardoons are tender but not mushy, this usually takes 5 or 6 times.
At our last Home restaurant we made a salad with the cooked cardoons, wild capers, golden raisins, picholine olives, fresh parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper– and served the salad passed on a warm corncake.
