Got Questions? We've Got Answers...

Cook Local NW is a growing community for organic gardeners, producers, cooks, chefs and eaters who share ideas for preparing preserving and enjoying Seattle's organic produce. Have a food question? Post it as a comment to this post. Got an answer or an idea? Post that as a comment too! I'll give my professional opinion and then turn the discussion over to you.

Seattle Cook Local Dinner Club

We're doing small informal dinners where we share the bounty of our gardens and and other local products, learn from each other, and create meals and community.  Meet, share, learn, enjoy. Then go home and do it again with the rest of your family and friends. Sound like something you'd want to be a part of? Post a comment. Let's start coordinating and get the Cook Local NW dinner club going.

How can I use tomatillos?

I like to roast tomatillos before I use them to bring out their deep earthy undernotes. Depending on your recipe there are two ways to do this: dry roasting over a hot flame and pan roasting in the oven. Dry roasting will char the skin (not the paper--which should be removed before either roasting method) and introduce a smoky depth to the fruit. Pan roasting will concentrate the flavors of the fruit and highlight their sweetness.

To dry roast, which I prefer for moles, place a dry fry pan over a hot flame and let heat until a drop of water hisses when tossed into the pan. At this point, place your tomatillos in a single layer in the pan and allow them to toast, shaking the pan gently to expose all sides of the fruit to the hot pan. When chared, removed and place on an oiled sheet pan. Finish roasting in the oven at around 350.

To pan roast simply place the fruit on a generously oiled sheet pan and roast at 375-400 until the fruits loose their shape and become soft.

You are now ready for moles, salasa and anything you can think of. I recently made a pan roasted tomatillo and peach (the peach was roasted too) salsa. Just chop and combine the two fruits with live oil, salt, and a touch of lemon or lime. Delicious.

More ideas, anyone?

Harvest Fair

It was great meeting all of you at the Harvest Fair.  The recipes are posted below.  Please share your own recipes, fun variations, and ideas in the comments.  I'll periodically compile them into new posts.

Roasted Celery Root Tarts with Rosemary and Leek

Tart Dough (Makes 4 7" tarts)
2 cups All Purpose Flour
8 ounces Butter, Unsalted (2 sticks), cold -- cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 tsp Salt
6 tbs Ice Water -- may need a few more tablespoons
1 each Egg -- beat well with a tablespoon of water

Tart Filling
1 pound Celery Root (Celeriac) -- cut into medium dice
2 medium Shallots -- sliced thin
2 teaspoons Rosemary -- minced
2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper -- to taste

1 Egg
2 tbs butter, Unsalted
1 Leek -- sliced thin, white and light green parts only
1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano -- curls

Make the dough: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the flour, butter and salt into a food processor. Pulse about 30 times. Check the consistency of the dough. You want to see the butter in small pieces (the size of small peas or large grains of rice). When you have reached that consistency, dump the contents into a wide bowl.

Add 6 tablespoons of ice water to the bowl and with one hand, with fingers in a “claw” shape, mix the dough. Squeeze dough in your hands. If it holds together for a moment, before crumbling, it’s ready. If it’s completely dry and does not hold together for a moment, add a tiny bit more water. Mix again with your hand. You do not want to add too much water. Lay out some plastic wrap. Turn the contents out onto the plastic wrap (it’s desirable that it is not in one big ball, but still a bit crumbly) Pull up the sides of the plastic wrap, using it to help form a disc out of the pastry. Cut the disc into 4 quarters. Put each quarter in a piece of plastic wrap and form into rough discs. Chill completely, for at least 15 minutes.

Roll out each quarter so that the dough is 1/8” thin. You will need to dust the counter and the dough with flour to keep it from sticking. Use a 9” plate as a guide and cut a circle around it. Crimp the edges of the tart, poke the bottom all over with the tines of a fork and lay out on a sheet pan. Brush the edges with the egg wash. Chill for 15 minutes. Bake tarts in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until nicely browned. You may want to rotate the pans midway through the cooking, top to bottom, front to back. Lift the tart carefully and make sure the bottom is cooked. It should be light brown. Let cool.

Make the filling and assemble tarts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss celery root, shallot, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper together and lay out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes until the celery root is nice and soft. Puree in a food processor. Add egg and mix well. Spread onto tarts and bake in a 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes until it sets up. Meanwhile, melt butter in a sauté pan and add leeks. Saute until tender but don’t brown. When tarts are ready, slice each one into 8 pieces. Garnish each one with a small amount of leeks and then a curl of Parmesan.

Recipe Courtesy of Becky Selengut
Cornucopia, www.CornucopiaCuisine.com

Braised Leeks or Cream of Leek Soup

3-4 leeks
Olive Oil
Butter
Thyme, fresh or dried
Sea Salt
Dry White Wine or Vegetable or Fish Stock
Cream (Optional)

Remove root and cut leeks in half length-wise. Trim withered green leaves and wash thoroughly, slightly pulling apart the leaves to remove the dirt that is lodged in between.

Many leek recipes call for the removal of the greens. One reason for this is that the higher cellulose content of the leek greens requires longer cooking that the whites. Braising over long slow heat makes renders both the greens and the whites tender.

Place your leeks in an oiled pan with a secure lid and dress in olive oil. Dab with butter and sea salt and fill to half the height of the leeks with wine or broth. Sprinkle with thyme.

Bring the uncovered pan to a boil on the stovetop. Reduce to very low heat, cover tightly, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.

Taste and season. For a richer dish add fresh cream to the reduced juices. Braised leeks can also be blended and strained for a creamy leek soup.

Wild Honey and Sage Glazed Chestnuts

1 lb fresh unshelled chestnuts
2 sprigs sage
Butter
Wild Honey
Salt

Peeling Chestnuts:
Cut an “X” on the flat side of each nut. This keep the nuts from exploding as they roast by giving steam way to escape. Place the scored nuts in a heavy cast iron pan or other oven-proof pan which you can also use on the stove top. Add butter sufficient to coat the pan when melted. Put the pan in a 400 degree oven and let stand for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and peel off the shells with a small knife while the nuts are still warm.

Glazing:
Place you skillet on medium heat and melt 3tbs butter. When melted, add sage and fry lightly, 1-2 minutes. Add peeled chestnuts and enough honey to lightly coat the nuts. Cook together until caramelized and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Homemade Cranberry Quince Sauce

1 ¾ lb quince, cubed
1 lb fresh cranberries
4 cups water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Salt

Pick through berries in a bowl of clean water, discarding stems and rotten berries. Drain berries.

Bring water to a boil and add cubed quince. Reduce heat and simmer until quince is tender, approximately 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered for 5 minutes or until cranberries burst. Use a slotted spoon to remove any foam that forms.

Serve hot or cold as you would traditional cranberry sauce. This sauce is also delicious served as an appetizer with a local blue cheese and crackers.

Washington Wine Winter Salad

For dressing:
¼ cup homemade wine vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup light olive oil
1 tsp stone group mustard
2 tsp light honey
Salt & Pepper

For Salad:
Winter lettuce
Grapes, sliced in half.
Blue cheese crumbles

The hardest thing about making wine vinegar is refraining from finishing a bottle of wine. Any wine will turn into vinegar over time with exposure to oxygen. The easiest method is to simply lightly re-cork and unfinished bottle and leave it on your counter for several weeks.

Combine dressing ingredients in screw-top jar and shake vigorously. Taste and adjust seasonings. Combine with lettuces from your winter salad garden, local blue cheese crumbles, and Washington sliced grapes.

Winter Salad with Cranberries and Toasted Hazelnuts

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup light olive oil
½ cup canola oil
1 tbs water
2 tbs honey
2 tbs whole cranberry sauce (or Homemade Cranberry Quince sauce)
1 tbs stone ground mustard
Salt & Pepper

Combine ingredients in screw-top jar and shake vigorously. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Heat oven to 375. Place shelled hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place in oven, shaking every 5 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt and sugar.

Toss dressing with a hardy winter lettuce and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

Top with fresh pepper and enjoy.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Any type of winter squash can be used for this recipe.

1 butternut squash (smaller squash have more flavor)
Vegetable stock, preferable homemade
Chestnut or other dark honey
Reserved squash seeds
Olive or Canola Oil
2 Tbs. butter
Salt

Serves 4-6

Preheat your oven to 400.

Cut your squash in half long ways and reserve the seeds in a colander. Rub the pieces of squash liberally with oil and place them on a baking sheet in the oven. Oiling the squash creates a barrier to moisture loss during the roasting process. Roast until the flesh turns golden brown and soft, the texture of a baked potato.

While your squash is roasting, clean the seeds and toss them lightly in olive oil. Spread them one layer thick on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. A sprinkle of sugar, curry powder, or paprika is also a nice accent. Place this tray in the oven, shaking vigorously every five minutes until the seeds are evenly toasted.

Let your roasted squash cool slightly. If the flesh has darkened and bubbled, or formed a slight skin peel it off with a spoon and compost. If you have an emersion blender, scoop the rest of the flesh into a saucepan, if not, into the container of a food-processor or blender. Pulse until smooth, adding warmed stock as needed to liquefy the pulp to your preferred consistency.

Taste the soup. It should be sweet and neutral and deeply orange. Salt significantly and mount with butter. Taste again. Chestnut honey will add a deep richness and should be used in moderation. If your squash warrants it, add honey one teaspoon at a time.

Bring your soup back to temperature. Ladle into bowls, top with toasted seeds, and enjoy.

What do you do with leek greens? My recipes only call for the whites.

Last night my boyfriend took our dinner meal at Saint Germain on Madison. We were lucky to have the place and Jean- Michelle, the undeniably French owner, entirely to ourselves. Fortuitously the soup de jour was potato-leek. So I asked him.

He repeated my question in confusion and amazement, and then as if nothing had ever been so obvious:

“I eat them.”


The first answer to your question is simple: anything where the white part of leeks are used, the greens can be too. Just be sure to wash them well since the less compact greens harbor more dirt. But as Jean-Michelle said on the subject: “Well, yes. Vegetables grow in the dirt.” Another thing to remember is that the leek green is older and contains more cellulose than the whites. If you want to use both parts together, you might think about sweating (cooking gently without coloring) the greens a bit more than the whites to bring them to the same texture. Of course, texture and crunch can be a good thing too. Try adding slivered leek greens for a slight crunch in a lightly dressed potato salad, or on top of that potato leek soup, or in a salad with apples, fennel and bib lettuce (another Jean-Michelle creation).

The second answer is to make a stock, or even a fish fume with the greens. To make a stock simply simmer the leeks with other vegetables or bones until the liquid reduces by half. Since I often don’t have enough scraps for a stock (and almost any combination of vegetables or vegetable off-cuts (carrot tops, onion skins, etc.) will do) I collect the scraps in a freezer bag and make a whole pot when the bag is full. (Beware: Peppers and cabbage over-power your stock).

A fish fume is simply a stock made with white fish bones and white vegetables, and sometimes a dash of Pastise: a wonderful way to turn leeks, and a fish carcass if you have it into a delicate soup.

If you want to give the leek greens center stage, try a LEEK AND MUSSEL OMELET. Simply slice the greens and soften them in olive oil, add a can of mussels ever so briefly and then, either scramble in eggs or use the mixuture as the center of an omelet. I also love LEEK AND MOZZARELLA PIZZA. Again, soften the leeks in olive oil and then spread them atop a simple yeast pizza dough with rounds of fresh mozzarella, sea salt, pepper. Drizzel an interesting grassy olive oil over the whole and grill over hot coals or in an oven at 475 degrees. Serve with a lemon wedge, a green salad and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Other ideas and suggestions? How do you use your leek greens?

What do I do with my parsley flowers? There are hardley any good leaves in comparison.

This is a hard one, and since I have always treated my parsley as an annual and pulled it up at the end of the first season, I have never had parsley flowers of my own. But I have been researching and I have a couple of ideas.

The first thing to know is that parsley flowers make a wonderful home for beneficial insects so you shouldn’t feel too much pressure to use them since they are working hard for you in the garden. On the other hand, if you want to have more usable leaves next season (the leaves tend to get bitter after the plant flowers) consider cutting off the shoots before they blossom.

If you want to use your parsley flowers in the kitchen first try using them as a garnish, especially with a dish that uses parsley in an unusual way, like an herb crème brule. The flower, like your dish, will help them to think about the herb differently.

Considering that parsley is a relative of dill, another idea is to use the flowers in a pickling liquid, like you would dill flowers.

One way that I have used rosemary flowers, that might work for parsley, is to incorporate them into a relatively neutral but lightly sweetened dessert batter like a yellow cake or biscotti. If you want them to retain their color in the batter (and add a nice tartness and crunch), paint them with egg white, dip them in superfine sugar, and allow them to dry before incorporating them (gently) into the batter. If you go this route you can definitely use more flowers for garnish.

One last idea is to use them to flavor water, with a few slices of lemon. Just make sure to rinse them will before you go this route so you don't get any of those beneficial insects in your drink.

Post more ideas!

Home-Cured Sauerkraut

What do you do with extra cabbages?

If you have more than you can saute with apples, make Saurkraut. I am brewing a batch in my basement as we speak.

The recipe I used is quick and easy, and can be halved or doubled depending on the amount of cabbage that you have.
Green cabbage is the classic, but I would love to hear how a batch of purple turns out.

Adapted from Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing.

Home-Cured Sauerkraut:

Bring 4 liters (17cups) of water to the boil. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons kosher salt and stir to dissolve. You can add whatever seasonings you like to the brine mixture. Some standards are bay leaves, juniper berries, pepper and fennel seed. Cool and then chill brine. If you are in a hurry, or have little refrigerator space, dissolve the salt in half of the water and then make up the difference with ice water.

Slice one green cabbage, about 3 pounds, thinly, and combine with the brine in a non-reactive container. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and weight the mixture down with a plate so that the cabbage is completely submerged. Take another wet towel and place it directly on the surface of the brine. It is very improtant to keep this towel damp to provider a barrier to mold growth on the surface of your kraut. Cover the container loosely with plastic wrap and let ferment (yes, this is a good thing) in a cool place (between 70-75 degrees) for two weeks.

When the time has elapsed, drain the cabbage and reserve the brine. The cabbage should have a nice sour-salty flavor, pale green color and slight crunch. Bring the brining liquid to a boil, remove of heat, and chill. Pour enough of the chilled liquid over the kraut to cover it and discard the rest. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

And here is the important part--share how yours turned out, and what you ate it with! Organic Brautwurst? Where did you find them? Did you spice your mixture? Add maybe red pepper berries, cumin, or curry? Tell us how it worked out, or didn't.