Mushroom Ragout

"Ragout" (French) means "to revive the taste". It's fall, y'all! That means more layers - of clothes, of blankets, and more layers of tastes too - spices, ingredients and heartier fare.

So, I'll begin with Mushroom Ragout. This can be served as a main course with salad, bread and some red wine. Unsweetened chocolate finishes and thickens the sauce to a warm, velvety and rounded dish that pairs well with polenta (try Bob's Red Mill organic polenta. The most extensive selection (other than online) can be found at Fairway Market, where an aisle is devoted to Bob's Red Mill! Locally, in Long Beach, this brand of polenta is available at a reasonable price at Wild By Nature in Oceanside on Long Beach Road.

Stop at Dan Madura's at the Long Beach Farmer's Market Wednesdays (and sometimes, he's there on Saturdays!) for unusual and delicious mushrooms. This recipe calls for a pound of mixed wild mushrooms, which can get pretty pricey - so, since we're not all made of money, use some conventional mushrooms, say half, and then go to town with some of Dan's more exotic varietals. Try his organic garlic - it'll reshape and deepen your love for garlic. Please: freshly grind your nutmeg. And for other spices, invest in an inexpensive coffee grinder and use it just for spices. Grind your own cardamom and white pepper together in it. It'll clear your sinuses and you'll be amazed at how aromatic this dish becomes from a whir of your little grinder. Try buying spices at Patel Brothers - there are several. This link is for the one in Flushing. There is one on Hillside Avenue near the Cross Island Parkway too - it's very bright, clean and tons of fun to shop there. The low cost of spices alone is worth it - and you can buy frozen samosas, fresh pistachios for a ridiculously low cost, almonds, raisins, tandoori mixes, and last time I was there, I bought an idli steamer! (Then can buy all the chutneys your pantry can hold - from tamarind to mint to coconut - and don't forget roti (breads) for dipping too!) In New York, go down to Lexington Ave. and 28th Street. You can market for your provisions there. Check out Kalustyans while you're down there (123 Lexington Ave.). Plan on spending a couple of hours there. 

Here's some dirt on the fungi - keep them in your fridge in brown paper bags - never in plastic bags. In plastic bags, they'll get slimy and disgusting. In paper bags (buy lunch bags!), they'll keep for close to a week.

Wild Mushroom Ragout

Adapted from Alice Medrich’s bitter sweet

Ingredients:

1 lb. mixed wild (and cultivated) mushroom, such as shitake, cremini, hens of the wood, portobellos, chanterelles, cêpes

About 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2/3 c. dry red wine such as Cabernet, Côtes du Rhone or Malbec

Scant 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (freshly ground), ground cardamom and white pepper

A pinch or two of ground cloves (if you like cloves - I omit them, because I only like cloves in Indian food and very little else)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¼ c. water

1 Tbsp. grated unsweetened chocolate* (Scharffen Berger is a good choice)

Procedure:

Keeping mushrooms separate, rub or quickly rinse, dry and then slice to about ¼ inch thick. Discard tough stems.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a tsp. of olive oil.

Add one type of mushroom and sauté, stirring frequently until browned. Scrape them into a bowl and set aside. Repeat this with each mushroom, scraping them into the same bowl. If needed, add a tsp. of olive oil to the pan before you sauté them.

Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly. Return to the burner and over medium-low heat, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and sauté the minced garlic until translucent, but not brown.

Return mushrooms and any accumulated liquids from them to the pan, add the wine, spices and salt and simmer for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol in the wine.

Add ¼ c. water, cover and simmer for 6-10 minutes to cook the mushrooms and release their juices into the sauce. Uncover and cook until the sauce is reduced and slightly syrupy. Stir in the chocolate until it melts, smoothing the sauce.

Taste and if necessary, correct seasonings.

Serve over fried or soft polenta or serve over egg noodles.

Yield: Serves 4 as a small main course or 4-6 as an appetizer

*You may substitute 2 ½ tsp. unsweetened, good quality cocoa powder for the unsweetened chocolate

Drive Safely, School's Open

Have a great school year and a happy, healthy and sweet new year'

Honeycake's in the oven at Blue Heron Kitchen

peace and love,
jane

Honeycake

I'm glazed from sitting in meetings about H1N1, hand sanitizing, how best to sneeze, peanut allergies and Smart Boards. For some (that would be me), it's the start of a new school year. I think I'm going to have my choruses sing into the crooks of their arms. comments welcome

For some, it's soon the onset of a new year too. Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the Jewish calendar, means eating lots of sweet food, symbolizing a sweet new year.

So Happy New Year! Go wash your hands!

Make this honeycake asap. Wrap it and store it in the fridge. It'll taste much better if you let it rest (already).

Honeycake

Blue Heron Kitchen

Dark, Dense and Delicious for a Sweet New Year

Ingredients:

½ lb. honey (5 1/3 – 6 oz. or about ¾ c.)

1/3 lb. unsalted butter – softened

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 c. strong, freshly brewed coffee – the coffee should be HOT

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg – freshly grated is best

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

2 c. all purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. raisins, nuts or dried fruit (opt.) – in any combination

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Sift together the flour, soda, powder and spices and put in Kitchen Aid mixing bowl

Pour hot coffee over the butter and honey

When dissolved, add the sugar and mix well

With paddle attachment on low speed, add wet to dry slowly until paste forms, increase speed to eliminate lumps

Add remainder of wet to dry, gradually but being careful not to overmix.

Add optional dried fruit/nuts etc.

Pour into 2 well greased medium/small loaf pans (2/3 full)

Bake 1 to 1 ½ hours or until tester comes out clean

Cool on rack.

Wrap tightly (flavor improves with time)

Cold Tomato Soups

It's tomato time! Two cold tomato soup recipes: Gazpacho and Moroccan Tomato Soup.

Here's a tried and true recipe for Gazpacho, adapted from The Silver Palate's original cookbook. It calls for the addition of (raw) eggs. It's your call ... we have the freshest eggs at the market! I have made this both with and without, and it's good either way.

All ingredients you can buy at the Long Beach Farmer's Market are *asterisked*.

The Moroccan Tomato Soup recipe is from July 19, 1009, NY Times - the Magazine. The recipe is from 1991, Barbara Kafka.

Bernadette will be making Gazpacho on the Plaza today at the market today - so come down for a sample of her version of this fabulous cold soup!

Gazpacho

adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

6 large ripe tomatoes*

2 sweet red peppers*

2 medium-size yellow onions*

2 large shallots*

2 large cucumbers* or 4 - 6 Kirby cucumbers*

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 c. canned Sacramento tomato juice

3 eggs*, lightly beaten (optional)

pinch of hot sauce (I ♥ Sriracha!) or cayenne pepper

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 c. chopped fresh herbs of your choice - suggestions: cilantro*, parsley*, dill*

Procedure:

1. Wash and prepare vegetables. Core and coarsely chop tomatoes, saving the juice. Core, seed and coarsely chop pepers. Peel and coarsely chop onions and shallots. Peel, seed and coarsely chop cucumbers.

2. In a bowl, whisk vinegar, olive oil, reserved tomato juice, canned tomato juice, and if using, eggs.

3. In a blender or a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, purée the vegetables in small batches, adding tomato juice mixture, as needed, to keep blades from clogging. Do not purée completely! You want some crunch to this experience.

4. Stir in cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped herbs. Cover and CHILL FOR AT LEAST 4 HOURS.

5. Correct seasoning and serve into chilled soup bowls or mugs. As garnish, chop up some cucumbers, peppers and other vegetables that are in the soup.

Yield: 8-10 portions

❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧❧

Moroccan Tomato Soup

NY Times, Barbara Kafka

Ingredients:

5 medium cloves garlic*, smashed, peeled and minced

2 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (truc: toast whole cumin seed until they're aromatic in a small cast iron pan, then grind them in a spice grinder. you won't believe the difference and the aroma will make your eyes roll up in your head. i learned this from my friend, Suvir Saran, the amazing chef and owner of dévi)

Large pinch of cayenne pepper (or use Sriracha!)

4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 1/4 lbs. tomatoes*, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 c. packed chopped cilantro* leaves plus additional for garnish

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

4 stalks celery*, diced

Procedure:

1. In small saucepan, stir together garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne (or Sriracha) and olive oil. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with a large disk. Stir in the cooked spice mixture, the cilantro, vinegar, lemon juice, 2 tsp. salt, celery and 2 Tbsp. water. Add more salt as desired.

3. Refrigerate until cold. Serve, garnished with cilantro leaves.

Serves 4.

In Memory of Ted Kennedy

A sad day for the United States. We have lost one of our greatest law makers. Rest in peace, Ted Kennedy.

Super Millionaire - Double Dipping

Double Dipping is de rigeur. Bob does it here, Assemblyman Weisenberg does it in Long Beach, and today, Blue Heron Kitchen is double dipping with a recipe from one of our own farmers!

Zappa Plays Zappa - "Peaches En Regalia (Live)"

Ultimate peach crumb cake is in the oven at Blue Heron Kitchen.
peach and love,
jane

Ultimate Peach Crumb Cake (en regalia)

This summer's peaches are extraordinary. I combined yellow, white and donut peaches to make this perfect and simple peach crumb cake that can be adapted to other fruits as they appear in the market.

Ingredients that are available at the market are asterisked. Support our farmers! If you're raising your eyebrows a little because the prices are slightly higher than at Waldbaums, just don't. The produce at the farmer's market is brought by individual farmers and is grown in small quantities. The quality is extraordinary. Much of it isn't sprayed. And the taste is incomparable. Truly. It's the way fruit and vegetables should taste. When you bite into a donut peach at Red Jacket Orchards, and the juices run down the side of your mouth or when you bite into a sweet and crisp ear of just picked corn from Carucci Farms or an organic mushroom from Dan Madura, you'll become a farmer's market member for life. Eat pickles, live longer! A whoopie pie never hurt anyone.

Check out the recipe below for BLUE FISH, just published in today's Times. I heart blue fish. But get to Casey's early - he runs out of blue fish quickly. It has all the good for you oils and it's a real recession buster too. Don't think it's too stinky .. it's not. When it's fresh and cooked well, blue fish tastes fabulous. Try this recipe and leave a comment.

Don't forget to stop by the Market Manager's table and tell Bernadette what an angel she is and how she has single-handedly changed the lives of so many people around here because of the market.

peace and love,

jane

Ultimate Peach Crumb Cake

Adapted by Blue Heron Kitchen from Gourmet Magazine

The fragrance and perfume of peaches will permeate your home when you bake this perfect peach crumb cake. Use fresh peaches from the market. As they come into season, be creative and substitute other fruits such as berries or apricots or a mixture of several fruits. When apples come into season, this will be fabulous! And you can play with the crumbs! Add some chopped candied ginger (or powdered ginger) – which pairs well with peaches. Throw in some sliced, toasted almonds (also a fantastic marriage with peaches). This will be great with pears in the fall. Just add a little Poire William instead of vanilla extract to the batter.

This rivals any ‘ultimate crumb’ you’ve ever tasted, and you can pronounce every ingredient!

Serve this warm, at room temperature, ‘as is’ (if it makes it out of the cake pan), with some vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream.

Ingredients for crumb topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

6 oz. unsalted butter, 83 % European style preferred, softened

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

Ingredients for cake:

8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, 83% European style preferred, softened

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs*, room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

6 large ripe peaches* (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, sliced about ¼ - ½” thickness and then

cut in half

Procedure:

Make the topping: In a food processor combine the flour, the brown sugar, the butter, and the cinnamon and pulse the motor until the topping is combined well and crumbly. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350º F.

Butter and flour a 9 x 13- inch baking pan.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter and the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract and the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour/baking powder/salt mixture to the batter and mix until just combined, taking care to not over mix.

Spread it evenly in the pan. (An offset spatula works perfectly.) Arrange the peaches evenly over the batter, sprinkle the topping over them, and bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean.

Bluefish With Lemon-Almond Butter and Swiss Chard

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Bluefish fillets*, 6 to 8 ounces each, preferably center cut and about 3/4-inch thick

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/4 tsp. grated lemon* zest

1 tsp. fresh thyme* leaves

1 Tbsp. butter, cut into bits

2 Tbsp. slivered almonds

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves*, minced

1 large bunch Swiss chard*, ribs removed, leaves torn into pieces

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Lemon wedges, for serving.

1. Preheat oven to 400º F. Place fish skin-side down on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Smear lemon zest all over fillets and sprinkle with thyme. Dot top of fish with butter and sprinkle with almonds. Roast until fish is just opaque and almonds are starting to brown at edges, 6 to 9 minutes.

2. While fish cooks, sauté chard. Heat oil in a skillet and add garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let cook for 30 seconds, then add chard. Sauté until chard is very tender, about 5 minutes. If pan starts to dry out before chard is cooked, mix in a tablespoon of water. Season with more salt, pepper and nutmeg. And serve with fish and lemon wedges.

Yield: 2 servings.

Aout You

August ... ("Aout" or "oo" in French)

Aout You!

from Blue Heron Kitchen.

peace and love,
jane

Aout You

Aout You

Aout (pronouned "oo") (It's French, silly) is here, and I've been cooking up an aouray of salads and a chowder too for friends and family, thanks to our fabulous farmers at the Kennedy Plaza Farmers Market in Long Beach. The market is open every Wednesday from 10-7, and the variety and bounty is peaking. Ingredients you can purchase at the market are asterisked*.

What's going on in the kitchen has so much to do with aroma. The scent of basil, parsley, mint, cilantro and fresh fruit .. punctuated by some sugar cookies and wild flowers... how can anyone claim they don't like summer?

Today, I cooked some corn chowder. There are a zillion corn chowder recipes .. all interesting and good. Last week, I published one for roasted corn chowder . But this one, I created in about 15 minutes, and it's really good. You'll need good chicken stock (I make my own, using good quality chicken ... Murray's Chicken - go to the link and check it out. It's a nice piece of chicken.)

Corn Chowder, Blue Heron Kitchen

When corn is peaking, and you’ve bought more corn than you know what to do with, here’s a rapid chowder. Very easy too.

If you don’t have homemade stock, use low sodium organic chicken broth. But the next time it rains, make chicken stock. It takes a couple of hours, and you can freeze it in containers and ice cube trays.

Ingredients:

4 oz. slab bacon

6 ear of corn*, kernels removed (but keep 3 of the cobs to cook in the soup)

½ yellow pepper*, diced

2 medium potatoes* (not baking type), peeled and diced

2 cups homemade chicken stock, or alternatively, good quality low-sodium organic chicken broth

½ cup whole milk (organic is best)

kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

Procedure:

Sauté bacon until browned and remove from soup pot. (Discard the bacon)

Sauté diced potatoes, yellow pepper and potatoes in rendered bacon fat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to lose their raw quality and just start to brown.

Add 2 cups of chicken broth and 3 cobs. Simmer, partially covered for 20-30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Cool slightly. Remove and discard the cobs.

Remove 3 cups of mixture and purée in a blender.

Return to the soup pot and add ½ cup of whole milk.

Season with freshly ground white pepper and kosher salt, heating gently. (Don’t boil soups that have milk!)

Yield: approx. 2 quarts

The rice noodle/squid* salad is light and refreshing. You can substitute shrimp* or scallops* or even chicken if squid makes you gag. I like squid.

Rice Noodles with Squid and Herbs

Adapted from Gourmet, August 2009, by Blue Heron Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 lb. cleaned squid*, bodies cut into 1/3” thick rings and tentacles halved

8 oz. dried rice-stick noodles (vermicelli)

6 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

5 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

6 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp kosher salt (more or less, to taste)

1 small carrot*, peeled and grated

1 Kirby cucumber*, seeded and sliced into thin half-moons

2 scallions*, thinly sliced

1 cup mixed coarsely chopped herbs such as mint*, basil* and cilantro*

Procedure:

Whisk together lime juisce, fish sauce, sugar, hot red pepper flakes and vegetable oil. Add salt, to taste. Add grated carrot. Set aside or this dressing may be made several hours in advance and refrigerated.

Cook squid in a 5-qt. pot of well-salted boiling water, stirring once, until just opaque, about 1 minute.

Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to stop cooking, reserving boiling water in pot.

Boil noodles in same water until just tender, about 3 minutes.

When squid is cool, gently lift from the ice bath with your hands, gently squeezing water from the squid and transfer to the serving dish.

Drain noodles, then transfer to ice bath to stop cooking. Drain well, then snip with kitchen shears 2 or 3 times.

Mix together drained and snipped noodles and squid. Add sliced Kirby cucumber, sliced scallions and chopped herbs. Pour dressing and toss.

I make bulghur wheat salad by soaking Bob's Red Mill brand whole grain bulghur (Fairway carries a huge amount of their line, but local markets like Bob's Natural and Associated also carry some Bob's Red Mill stuff. Or you can order Bob's Red Mill products , which, by the way, are of the finest - check out the site! - online), chopping up massive quantities of mint*, parsley* and cilantro*, throw in diced white and tender part of scallions*, lots of lemon juice and excellent quality olive oil. Toss in whole cherry tomatoes* and diced Kirby cucumbers* (but take out the seeds first). When you think you've added enough lemon juice, add more. This salad is always a crowd pleaser. It keeps well and it travels well too.

For your pesto, toast (and cool) your nuts first. I combine walnuts and pine nuts. Use the best quality pasta you can find and DON'T overcook it. NEVER rinse it with cold water. That washes away the starch and the starch is why stuff sticks to the pasta. Make a big batch of pesto, but DON'T grate in the cheese. You can freeze it in small batches without the cheese. Add pesto to whatever you'd like .. pasta, fish, meat, legumes, veggies, smear it on baguette and broil it. But grate the cheese to taste, after you've added the pesto base ... to taste. Always use the best quality cheese. Always. And you don't have to always add cheese.

Peel and grate a raw beet* on the large side of the grater (or if you're chicken, do it in the food processor). Toss in feta, chopped mint*, some lemon juice and muscat vinegar (or add a little orange juice if you don't have a sweet--ish vingegar), some extra virgin olive oil, chopped parsley* and/or cilantro*. For fun, you can add some chopped toasted walnuts and some golden raisins. This is tart/sweet/crunchy/refreshing and it's almost confusing. And it's gorgeous!

peace and love,

jane