seasonal fruits and veg - fall 08

if you're like me, you've noticed with considerable alarm the increase in your outlay for provisions. you might also have a slight weight problem like i do, and have a definite need to add additional vegetation to your diet. perhaps you're already a vegetarian (snaps to kona :D), and you've grown bored with your usual lineup of stuff.

perhaps you're already familiar with the concept of eating seasonally, and perhaps not. if not, did you know one can eat better AND cheaper by eating this way? and did you know the vast amount of stuff other than the root veggies and hard squashes to choose from? in our increasingly dire circumstances, both financial and environmental, more of us ought to be giving more thought to what we're eating, and the time of the year we're eating it. take peaches for example. i saw some at the store today. $3.99 a lb, and they're from chile, for fuck's sake. they must be scrumptious.

so, without further ado, here's the list of the stuff that's currently in season, and most of it is widely available.

after the list, you will find a recipe for one of my favorite soups. it contains three of the things on this list. give it a try on some chilly evening. we're having it tonight. it's supposed to get down into the 40's for the first time since last winter tonight, and here in california, that qualifies as cold.


apples
artichokes (second crop)
arugula
beets
broccoli
broccoli rabe (aka rapini)
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
cauliflower
celeriac (aka celery root)
celery
chard
cranberries
edamame
eggplant (early fall)
fennel
figs
garlic
grapes (early fall)
green beans (early fall)
horseradish
jerusalem artichokes (aka sunchokes)
kale
kohlrabi (late fall)
leeks
lemongrass
lettuce
limes
mushrooms (wild)
okra (early fall)
onions
parsnips
pears
peppers (early fall)
persimmons
pomegranates
potatoes
pumpkins
quince [killer with manchego cheese!]
radicchio
radishes (all types)
rutabaga
salsify
scallions
shallots
shelling beans (early fall)
sweet potatoes
turnips
winter squash

and now, the recipe... baked potato soup! and sorry, but this won't work for vegans. lacto-ovo's, sure.

4 oz. bacon, rendered and crumbled, reserving drippings OR 3 T butter (or oil, i suppose)
6 c chicken stock, hot
4 large leftover baked potatoes, halved. pulp scooped out and put through a ricer or mashed
1½ c buttermilk
½ c sour cream
½ c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
2½ t salt (and don't use morton's for fuck's sake!)
1 t freshly ground pepper
2 T sherry vinegar
¼ c minced chives

in a dutch oven, over medium heat use the drippings or melt the butter and add the leeks. cook until the leeks are translucent and add the garlic. add the hot stock and whisk to combine. in a separate bowl, whisk together the potatoes, buttermilk, sour cream, and grated parmigiano-reggiano. add this mixture to the soup stirring constantly. season with salt and pepper. remove from the heat and add the sherry vinegar.

ladle into bowls and garnish with chives.

carnitas de julia

this is the easiest thing i cook. it's great for the warmer months too. all you need equipment-wise is a crock pot. the ingredients and part of the procedure i found in gourmet magazine. i love me some foodie porn. anyway.. it was written by amy finley, the winner of last year's food tv contest. i made it, and i could tell it was lacking one thing... a certain crispiness. also, no garlic, and that's a crime.

there's one thing in it that might not be available in just any grocery store though. mexican oregano. if you don't have that or can't get it, i'd throw a bay leaf in instead. or, omit it entirely. it'll still be tres delish.

your mise-en-place:

1 5 lb boneless pork shoulder (butt end preferably), cut in about 5 1½" thick slabs
1 T salt (and use good salt dammit! i use gray salt from trader joe's)
1 T pepper (and i use a mill and it takes forever, but it's worth it)
1 T dried mexican oregano (or one bay leaf, or not)
2 good-sized onions, sliced into ¼" thick rings
4 large cloves garlic, smashed

one slow cooker

put the pork into the crock part of your slow cooker. in a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and mexican oregano. toss with the pork in the crock. place slightly broken up onion rings on top. place cover on crock and cook on low heat for 7-8 hrs.

remove to a plate to cool enough to shred. shred into large-ish chunks.

place a 12" (or larger, if you're lucky!) saute pan over med-hi heat with 1 T vegetable oil. this is inportant! do not forget that teeny little bit of oil. it will make all the difference in your crispies. when it's just starting to smoke, throw in all the pork and resist the urge to mess with it too much. just leave it be for about 4 mins. then bust it up a little and flip it over. give it another 4 mins. and you're good to go.

i usually serve this with steamed corn tortillas (handmade if you live where you can find them *swoon*), avocado slices and pico de gallo. i think it's the best thing i cook.

fer ozz... a lovely lemony digestivo

limoncello is a wonderful after-dinner drink from the island of capri in the bay of naples. one can also make an assortment of cocktails and desserts like cheesecake and granita with it.

here's the recipe:

the zest of 10-12 lemons
1 liter vodka
1½ cups sugar
1 cup water

place vodka and zest in a sealable jar, like a mason jar and allow to sit in a cool, dark place for at least 7 days. at least 7 days later, place the sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. allow to cook 5 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool. add simple syrup to the vodka mixture and allow to stand overnight. strain through a layer of cheesecloth in a conical sieve, pressing the solids firmly. strain again through a second layer in the same manner. chill and allow to stand 1 week.

serve very cold. we keep our jar of it in the freezer.

house burgers a la wen'l

so wen'l made brioche hamburger buns yesterday. i'm not posting the recipe (mostly because i don't understand it), but you can click on the title of this post to find the book he got it from.


w/ further ado, the food porn:





piping hot from the oven :)







an artfully styled house burger, as done by wen'l

yes, i know i'm lucky.

a recipe!

you better have some skillz if you think you're going to try this recipe. having a stand mixer wouldn't hurt either.

i know most cooks don't bake, and most bakers don't cook... but i could be either. all baking is is measuring properly and in the case of this recipe below, knowing how to not overwork your batter/dough.

chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting:

2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t kosher salt
1 c buttermilk, shaken
½ c vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 c freshly brewed espresso
chocolate buttercream, recipe follows


preheat the oven to 350° F. butter 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans. line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. in another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. with the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. with mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 min, until a cake tester comes out clean. if you're using 9" pans, you'll definitely want to check them after 30 min. cool in the pans for 30 min, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

place 1 layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. with a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

chocolate buttercream:
6 oz good semisweet chocolate (recommended: callebaut, valhrona or scharffen berger)
½ lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 t vanilla
1¼ cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 T instant coffee powder (i use medaglia d'oro instant espresso powder)


chop the chocolate into fairly small placesand place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of just simmering water. stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 min. add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 min. turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. dissolve the coffee powder in 2 t of hot tap water. on low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. don't whip! spread immediately on the cooled cake.