get your greens in

it’s winter time and no matter your location, you’re probably seeing a lot of dark, leafy greens in your local farmer’s markets.  my friends Roni & Adam received their CSA box this week from Mariquita Farms in Watsonville, CA.  the box was filled with greens of all sorts, from curly-leaf parsley to bitter mizuna, to broad, waxy leaves of collard greens. 

dark, leafy greens, such as collards, are extremely important in our diet.  they offer up the same amount of calcium as milk, without all the drama (pasteurized/homogenized milk is difficult to digest, filled with additives and hormones and all sorts of bodily fluids you don’t even want to think about…).  leafy greens are a wonderful source of iron, calcium, and vitamins A & C. 

my favorite way to prepare collards & other leafy greens is to chiffonade them then sauté on high heat for a short amount of time.  play around with them, they’re a wonderful addition to pretty much any dish you can think of. 

here’s a rough sketch of how we made these delicious eggs – a superb breakfast made with all local foods:

1.  remove the stems of the greens.  chiffonade by stacking them up, rolling tightly, then cutting into thin strips.

2.  heat a saucepan on medium-high.  add a small amount of butter, olive oil or coconut oil, and allow to heat up.  add greens with salt, pepper & a dash of red pepper flakes, and sauté quickly for about 5 minutes or until soft.  remove from heat and set aside.

3.  mix eggs with a touch of organic milk, salt & pepper.  heat up saucepan again with small amount of butter (unless pan is already greasy from the greens) on a medium heat.  once hot, add eggs and stir every so often.  after 3-4 minutes add greens and any other ingredients you like (we used farm-fresh goat feta & avocado).  continue to stir until eggs are almost completely cooked through and remove from heat.

4.  serve immediately & enjoy!

local or organic? i'll take both please.

lots of changes have happened since my last blog entry, and I am now writing to you from San Francisco, having recently attended the Hazon Food Conference.  Hazon is a Jewish environmental organization whose mission is “to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community – as a step towards a healthier and more sustainable world for all.”  in addition to the food conference, now in its third year, they organize various environmental programming, such as bike rides in Israel and New York, a daily food blog (the Jew & the Carrot) and the first Jewish Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in North America.

the food conference offered a variety of workshops from sourdough making & pickling classes, to discussions on Jewish farming principles & panels on environmentalism and organic farming.  one of the keynote speeches, titled The Ethics of Eating: Creating a New Food Future for the 21^st Century, was led by Andrew Kimbrell, the Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety.  Kimbrell led us in a fascinating discussion about the food that we put in our bodies, where it comes from, and the huge (and often unfortunate) role our government plays in this food.  we heard a lot about genetically engineered food and the government’s despicable label – GRAS, generally recognized as safe – which assumes that genetically engineered food is fine for us if it looks, smells and tastes like the non-GMO version of that food, without offering any research to the contrary. 

at the Natural Gourmet Institute, where I received my formal culinary training, they teach 5 key characteristics one should look for in the food they eat: local, organic, whole, fresh & seasonal (there are many others, including non-irradated, real, and non-GMO).  one of the problems we face as consumers is that irradiated and GMO Frankenstein foods are often not labeled as such.  so what can we do in our daily lives & everyday choices to avoid these foods and nourish our bodies with healthy, sustainable foods?  Andrew Kimbrell offered three simple answers (though, as he pointed out, he could have offered 30): eat organic, eat local AND organic, and NEVER eat industrial meat.  organically certified foods are guaranteed non-GMO, and supporting your local farmers is good for your own health, your community, and the world at large.

what you eat directly supports your values, because where your food dollars go is possibly the most influential decision you make on a daily basis.  Kimbrell reminded us that while we only get to decide on our president and our representatives once every four years, and while it takes years to get certain bills and regulations into action, there is one vote we can make every single day.  and that is our vote on the kinds of foods and farmers we support – and that’s a vote can be cast at this very moment.

for information on farmer’s markets near you: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

to support the Organic Farmers Action Network: www.ofrf.org

for information on the Hazon Food Conference: http://www.hazon.org/go.php?q=/food/conference/2008FC/theHazonFoodConference.html

 

warming winter granola

ah yes, the weather is certainly beginning to look frightful.  the other night upon returning home from work there was actually snow blanketing all the cars, and it was cold enough to have stuck through to morning!  with this cold weather we’re left craving heartier foods - warmer and a bit fattier - our instincts kicking in to keep us warm through the cold season.  winter at my house comes with batch after batch of homemade granola – some for us to nibble on, the rest put in large mason jars and given away as holiday gifts.  it’s extremely easy to make, there are endless ways to play with the ingredients, and it tastes infinitely better than any store-bought brand you can find.  this particular recipe (please, play with it according to your own tastes) is based on my brother Josh’s delicious granola – the candied ginger is the not-so-secret-anymore ingredient and gives it the perfect kick.

as with anything, the more processed oats are the less nutrients they offer.  rolled oats are not as nutritious as whole or steel-cut oats, but still retain more nutrients than other refined wheat products, and certainly more than instant oatmeal.  oats are a natural choice during the winter, probably because – as stated in Rebecca Woods’ “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia” – they “impart stamina and warmth” as well as “improve resistance to stress and thus support the system being in a healthy state of balance.”  they also help to soothe the nervous system and stabilize blood sugar. 

flax seeds, which I also love to sprinkle over salads, are the highest source of omega 3 fatty acids, but this can only be taken in if they’re thoroughly ground up, and is killed off altogether in cooking.  grind them up and then sprinkle them over your granola, or simply use them whole (as the recipe states) and use your natural grinders – your teeth….chew well to release the fatty acids.  flax seeds also offer antibacterial and anticancer properties, and help promote digestion.

enjoy your warming winter granola and go have some fun in the snow!

Warming Winter Granola

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup mixed nuts, chopped well (pistachios, cashews, almonds & walnuts all work well)

¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt

½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup canola oil

2 tablespoons raw honey

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup candied ginger, minced
3 tablespoons flax seeds

½ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

1 ½ cups mixed dried fruit, chopped (I used dried strawberries and cranberries here)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl combine oats with nuts, seeds, wheat germ, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, warm canola oil on low heat.  Once warm add maple syrup and whisk to incorporate.  Remove from heat and add honey and vanilla extract.  Pour over oat mixture and immediately stir well, coating all of the oat mixture.  (At this point taste your granola and make any seasoning additions you think necessary.  If you don’t like the taste now you might not like it when it’s done!)
3. Spread evenly onto rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring once or twice so as not to burn around the edges.  Remove from oven once golden.
4. Allow to cool completely, then mix in remaining ingredients.  Enjoy with yogurt, milk, or on its own!

 

For Your Thanksgiving Feast: Fresh Pumpkin Cheesecake & Roasted Fall Vegetables

alright folks, this is the time to get down and dirty in the kitchen.  dishes piling up in the sink and on the counter, one of the many courses baking, broiling, roasting and simmering.  the near-palpable smells of Thanksgiving filling the hallways throughout the house – onions, carrots, sage, pumpkin, sweet cranberries – and maybe some unfamiliar ones as new favorites are added to the annual feast. 

thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays – I look forward to it for months, thinking about my favorite pistachio-mint-pomegranate stuffing, the big turkey, the many sides from which to chose.  this is a particularly special thanksgiving for me because it’s my first one as a chef – or at least a line cook – so my head is buzzing with menus showing off this years' autumnal bounty!  my goal this year: to make my pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkins, and instead of a pie to try a pumpkin cheesecake.  use the recipe below to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth & mandatory pumpkin flavored dessert, but with twist.  (this recipe does not take as much time as it seems at first glance.  it’s fun to work with the real food rather than a can, and your guests will think you’re a true culinarian..try it out!)

and if you haven’t been to the farmer’s market yet, get down there and check out all the fall/early winter foods overflowing at each stand.  pick up some fresh vegetables to roast for your thanksgiving table – the ones in the recipe below are my suggestions but you can pick your own.  but definitely try out the Jerusalem artichoke – you will be happy you did!

*If you don’t have a Cuisinart to crush the graham crackers for the cheesecake, simply place them in a clean kitchen towel and roll over them with a rolling pin.

Fresh Pumpkin Cheesecake

 Crust:

2 cups crumbled graham crackers or butter biscuits

¼ cup turbinado (raw cane sugar, or light brown sugar)

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 small sugar pumpkin, enough to yield 1 ½ cups of flesh after draining

3 packages cream cheese

3 large eggs

¼  cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg           

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup heavy cream

 

cheesecloth

 

For Pumpkin Puree:

1.              Clean the outside of the pumpkin with water. 

2.              Using a large serrated knife, cut pumpkin in half lengthwise and pull out all of the seeds (I like to save them for roasting).  Scoop out the dangly innards and throw away.  Cut each piece in half again, lengthwise.

3.              Using either a double steamer or a steamer basket with a large pot, fill with water until just above the steam holes.  Bring to a boil and add pumpkin, turning heat down to simmer. 

4.              Steam pumpkin for 30 minutes or until thoroughly soft – make sure to check that your water doesn’t completely evaporate and add more as needed, each time bringing back up to a boil and then down to a simmer. 

5.              Once pumpkin is done, remove from pot and place on cutting board. Scoop out the flesh and place in a bowl.  Using a hand/immersion blender, a regular blender, or hand mixer, blend pumpkin until completely pureed.

6.              Place a large piece of cheesecloth in a colander in the sink,transfer pureed pumpkin 

to cheesecloth. Bring all of the ends of the cheesecloth together and squeeze out excess moisture from the pumpkin.  Keeping the ends of the cheesecloth twisted so no puree leaks out, place something heavy over the puree (like a pot) and allow to drain for at least 20 minutes. 

For Crust & Filling:

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter until a crumb mixture forms, then press onto the bottom of a 9” – 9.5” springform pan.  Bake crust until golden, 8 - 10 minutes, and allow crust to cool.

2.  Beat cream cheese until smooth in a KitchenAid mixer or with a hand mixer.  Add sugars and mix well.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add pumpkin, seasonings, vanilla, and cream, and beat on medium speed to quickly incorporate all ingredients. 

3.  Pour filling over cooled crust.  Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes.  The cake is done when you shake it and it stays mostly still but the middle still wobbles a bit.  Allow to cool completely.

4.  Refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow flavors to develop.

 

* * * *

Roasted Fall Vegetables

 

2 medium Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes

10 small potatoes

6-8 small carrots, greens attached

1 sweet potato

2 cups brussel sprouts

2 tablespoons EVOO + ½ tablespoon EVOO

1 teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon salt

3 large sprigs rosemary

Fresh cracked pepper

2 large cloves garlic, skin on

2 bay leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Oil a roasting pan and set aside.
2. Clean all veggies well.  Slice Jerusalem artichokes into ½” rounds, and chop potatoes into small 1” pieces.  Cut all but 1” of greens from the carrots.  Peel & cut sweet potato into thick slices. 
3. Mix all veggies except brussel sprouts.  Chop 1 sprig of rosemary leaves and sprinkle on veggies.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt & pepper and mix well.  Spread out on oiled pan (saving the used bowl) - use 2 pans if necessary, so veggies are arranged in a single layer.  Add remaining sprigs of rosemary, bay leaves and garlic, and cover with aluminum foil.  Pierce several times with a fork.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, cut off the very bottom of the brussel sprouts, then cut them in half.  Mix them in the bowl used for the other veggies, allowing them to be coated by the remaining oil & herbs.
5. Remove foil and add the brussel sprouts.  Add remaining olive oil & salt (adding more if necessary) and bake for 20 minutes more. ***If you are cooking this as a side dish to meat, cook at the same time and add ½ cup of juices from the meat at this point.
6. Turn oven to broiler and broil on high for 2-3 minutes until gently browned.
7. Remove from oven and enjoy!

 

today at the farmers market I discovered a new leafy green.  semposi, which is like collard greens but a bit sweeter, is definitely my find of the week.  leafy greens are essential in our diets, offering a tremendous amount of chlorophyll, iron, calcium, and vitamins A & C.  they’re sweetest in the colder seasons after a nice frost, so this is the perfect time to get your leafy green party on.

I based my meal (recipe below) on what I found at the farmers market, plus a ltitle inspiration from my current work at Spice Market.  there’s nothing more delicious then sitting down to a homemade meal whose ingredients all come from local farms – you can literally taste the freshness.  the apples & pears came from Breezy Hill Orchard in Straatsburg, NY, and the Semposi & Sunflower shoots came from WindFall Farms in Montgomery, NY. 

this dressing is great with the Fall Salad below, but can also be used with raw lettuce salads or even as a sort of dipping sauce. 

Spicy Candied-Ginger Dressing

yields ¾ cup

 

¼ cup EVOO

4 teaspoons minced cayenne pepper

1/4 cup diced candied ginger

1 tablespoons brown rice vinegar

2 teaspoons mustard

2 teaspoons agave

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup water

3 tsp lemon

2 scallions, chopped thin (whites only)

1.  Add all ingredients in a blender and blend well.  Chill before using to allow flavors to develop and dressing to thicken.

 

Fall Salad

serves 4 side portions

 

5 cups chiffonaded semposi

1 teaspoon EVOO

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 medium radishes

1 apple

1 pear

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup spicy candied-ginger dressing

sunflower shoots for garnish

1.  Chiffonade semposi by placing leaves one on top of the other & cutting out the spine. Roll width-wise into a log, and slice into 1/4” pieces.

2.  Bring a pot of water to a boil; once water is boiling heat a sauté pan on medium-high.  Blanch kale in boiling water for about 45 seconds, strain immediately.  Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to hot pan and add strained semposi. Saute on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, mixing in salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3.  Julienne the apple & pear (cutting into long, thin strips) either on a mandolin or by hand.  Thinly slice radishes either length or width wise. 

4.  Combine apple slices, pear slices, radishes, both seeds & salad dressing and mix well (adding more dressing if desired).  Arrange semposi on a plate, top with apple & pear mixture, and add sprinkle sunflower sprouts on top.  Enjoy!

 

 

beet & carrot chips with sage crisps

the other day I spent my day off walking around the farmers market, sipping on warm apple cider (they had already run out of doughnuts…shame) and marveling at all the beautiful fall vegetables that adorned every stand. 

beets and carrots are still out in full swing, and I decided to grab a few of each to make a little homemade, healthy snack-food.  beets & carrots are wonderful because they’re both so naturally sweet, so they are a great choice for satiating a sweet craving.  beets help promote circulation, aid the liver, and help alleviate constipation.  carrots also promote elimination, as well as lowering blood sugar and acting as a tonic to the kidneys.  both carrots & beets help to purify the blood.

these beet & carrot chips are a great alternative to store bought chips – although they will not get nearly as crispy, they are still great!  they also have a nice autumny feel because of the sage, which turns deliciously crispy in the oven.  try them out with any excess veggies you might have from your CSA box this week, or go to your local farmers market, grab your ingredients, and get into your kitchen!

beet & carrot chips with sage crisps

2 large beets

2 large carrots

10 medium-large sage leaves + 2 sage sprigs

2 cloves garlic, skin on

extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

 

Preheat oven to 375 and thoroughly oil a baking sheet – make sure it’s completely oiled or the beets & carrots will stick.  Bring a medium pot of water to boil.

Peel beets and carrots – careful, beets will stain!  Slice beets width-wise and carrots length wise into ¼” slices.  If carrots are long, you can slice them in half lengthwise as well.

Chiffonade sage, meaning slice sage lengthwise into very thin strips.

Once water is boiling, par-boil the veggies for 3 minutes.  Remove from water and toss in enough olive oil to coat them thoroughly.  Add salt & sage and mix well.  Lay out on the baking sheet in one row, making sure not to overlap the veggies or they will cook unevenly.  Lay out sage sprigs & garlic cloves over them. 

Cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping once midway through.  Allow to cool on a cooling rack.  If desired, add more salt to taste once they’re out of the oven.

Sweet Alternatives: Salad Dressing & Sweetened Nuts

For anyone looking to healthify their life, there is one essential change which must be made: eliminate white sugar from your diet…altogether.  This can be hard, because white sugar is hidden in sweet and savory foods alike, often so much so that it is one of the first ingredients. 

White sugar (and brown sugar too, since it’s almost just as processed) is truly detrimental to your health. While naturally found sugar contains many healthful vitamins & minerals, the refining & bleaching process in sugar strips them all away.  However, your body needs them to metabolize the sugar, so it ends up stealing minerals from other parts in the body, like your bones & teeth.  When they say sugar rots your teeth, they mean it.

White sugar is also highly concentrated, which causes a peak & drop in blood sugar.  As you consume sugar your body begins to break it down and it gets in your blood stream – but you can only metabolize so much of it at a time.  When you’ve metabolized as much as you can, your blood sugar plummets, and whatever hasn’t been metabolized gets stored as fat.

Not scared yet?  White sugar interferes can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, suppresses the immune system, can contribute to eczema in kids, can affect the body’s mineral balance, promotes weight gain & obesity….I could go on and on and on. 

Why not try sweeten up a different way?  The two alternatives I use the most (besides raw honey & pure maple syrup, which I use as well) are sucanat and agave.  Sucanat (also called Rapadura) is like an unrefined brown sugar, and has 80% sucrose as compared to the 99.9% sucrose in white sugar.  Sucanat has a slighty earthier taste and does not dissolve as well, but I use it as a substitute in everything from coffee to chocolate chip cookies.  Another great alternative sweetener is agave nectar, which is concentrated cactus juice.  Agave has a low glycemic index and therefore hits the blood stream slower than other sweeteners, so the pancreas reacts with less panic.  It has a very sweet but neutral flavor, so you can add just a bit of it to whatever you’re making and it won’t alter the flavor profile. 

Below are two simple recipes which use agave as the sweetener – a Sweet Green Dressing & Agave Sweetened Nuts.  Get some fresh greens from your local farmers market and enjoy a sweet & healthy salad sprinkled with sweet-savory nuts & homemade dressing!  Your body will thank you for setting aside the white sugar.

Sweet Green Dressing

yields ¾ cup

 

3 teaspoons chopped mint

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon agave

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients to a blender or immersion blender.  Mix well, until smooth and creamy, adding more water if necessary.  Store in fridge for up to a week.

 

Agave Sweetened Nuts

1 cup roasted, unsalted nuts – pistachios or cashews work well

1 ½ teaspoon agave

½ teaspoon salt

pinch cayenne

 

Preheat oven to 375. 

Roughly chop nuts and mix well with remaining ingredients.  Spread out on a pan and bake for 5 minutes, stirring once so as not to burn.

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes in the pan, allowing nuts to harden as they cool.  Sprinkle over salad or yogurt, or eat plain as a snack.