Good Old Punkin' Pie

It's that time of year again... Thanksgiving is rolling in and bringing with it the crisp air and pumpkins & squash showcased all around the city. Here on Alabama St. we're preparing to host Mara's family, and with that comes a grand meal on Thursday afternoon. We've got pomegranate/pistachio stuffing, Nanny's yams, a Heidi Hen Diestel Ranch organic turkey, Jared's brussel sprouts, and much much more.



One of my favorite things about fall is seeing the pumpkin patches along the coast - row after row of little orange globes popping out from the bed of green below them, and the different colored squash of all shapes & sizes around them. With thanksgiving coming up, what better way to use fresh pumpkin than making a delicious, homemade pumpkin pie. No need for the canned puree when you have these little gems growing all around you.



We made this pumpkin pie for dessert for our second Sunday Supperings, and it was a smashing success. Hope you'll enjoy!


Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Filling:
1 medium sugar pie pumpkin (to make 1 ½ c pumpkin puree)
½ c brown sugar
¼ c white sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
12 oz condensed milk
cheesecloth

Dough:
1 ¼ C flour
¼ tsp salt
½ C butter chilled & diced
¼ ice water


Filling:
- Bake whole pumpkin at 400 degrees until very soft and slightly caving in. Open pumpkin, remove seeds (save if you want to roast after!) and scoop out filling.
- Place pumpkin into cheesecloth and strain out as much water as possible. In a blender, puree until very smooth.
- Mix pumpkin puree with the rest of ingredients.

Dough:
- In a large bowl combine flour & salt. Cut in butter with pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles course cornmeal. Stir in water a tablespoon at a time until mixture begins to come together (you may need to add an extra tablespoon or two of water).
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight. Remove from fridge and roll out dough to fit a 9” pie plate. Place crust in plate and press down bottom. Pinch edges all the way around the top.
- Blind bake crust under pie weights for 15 min at 400.
- Add filling & bake at 350 for 35 min, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean from the center.

eat LIVE & live healthy!

long before energy star appliances and stovetops that boil water in 60 seconds (that flat out scares me), we were somehow able to find means of cooking food that would not just taste great, but be great for us. we were also able to find creative solutions to actually cooking the food, like pickling and fermenting foods, so that they retained their original nutrients while gaining more and more good bacteria.

our bodies maintain a delicate balance of flora & fauna, but we are constantly killing off the good bacteria our bodies need to fight disease and keep us healthy. eating live, raw foods, such as yogurts and fermented foods, is helpful not just after a round of intense antibiotics (which kills the good stuff along with the bad) but also on a daily basis, to maintain that delicate balance. plus fermented foods just taste great. one of my favorite live foods is kimchi, a traditional Korean pickled vegetable dish. this recipe is a not-so-traditional one – I’ve added paprika for a bit of a smoky taste, and I didn’t bury it in my backyard while it fermented. but it tastes great and it’s simple to make. enjoy!







Kimchi of Sorts

2 heads napa cabbage, cored & thinly shredded
2 carrots, sliced in thin rounds
3 green onions, chopped
1 daikon radish, sliced in thin rounds
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons salt
½ teaspoon paprika

Mix ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Using a meat tenderizer or any other heavy kitchen tool, begin to pound down the mixture, releasing their juices and softening the vegetables. Mix well as you go. Once they begin to reduce in volume, transfer to a large jar or food-safe bucket and pound down further. Continue to press & pound down the mixture until its own liquid reaches an inch above the top of the mixture – if this doesn’t seem possible add water to cover. Place a lid on the jar but do not tighten. Sit unrefrigerated for at 5 - 10 days, or more or less to taste. Transfer to smaller jars (save some of the liquid, it’s filled with good bacteria) and refrigerate.

*Notes: I like to press down the mixture at least once a day to make sure the vegetables are consistently immersed). Also, try removing some of the kimchi after 5 or so days and refrigerating it, and allowing the rest to continue to ferment a while longer. See the difference in taste and decide which way you prefer it.

I remember the first time I saw a kumquat – it was in the Tel Aviv shuk (market) and they were piled high like a million mini-oranges. after I got over the initial shock that they are in fact called Kumquats – which I thought was a joke - I proceeded to pop one, then another, into my mouth. I remember the initial burst of sour as I crunched through the skin, which molded into sweet as the juices released. kumquats have since become one of my favorite fruits and I throw them on salads all winter long. they’re very versatile as they’re delicious whole, cut up, raw on salads, or cooked down into various sauces or chutneys. kumquats themselves are warming and help to alleviate phlegm, and are used in conjunction with ginger in Chinese medicine to alleviate coughs. this recipe came out of an inkling my lady and I had on a warm, late-winter evening a week or so back, when we decided it was time to get the grill going once again.

we woke up very early and headed out to the Monterey Fish Company at their wholesale location here in San Francisco on Pier 33. It was incredible to see crate upon crate of various fish – from tiny shiny night smelt to three feet long bass with mouths wide-open. Monterey Fish Company focuses on sustainable seafood and quality product, and we went in ready to get whatever type of fish they suggested. after a great tour of the facility and a little poking and prodding around, the fish mongers suggested we try Opah. Also known as moonfish, popular in Hawaii, this fish has a light flavor but meaty texture, so it was good for the grill. we came up with this chutney recipe to accompany the fish, and for the seasoning of the Opah we simply put salt, pepper, lemon zest & a little lemon juice on either side just before grilling. the chutney would be great with any fish that yields well to a citrus-y flavor.

Grilled Opah with Kumquat Chutney

¼ red onion, minced

apple cider vinegar to cover minced onions

2 cups kumquat

1 fennel bulb, sliced very thin

2 teaspoons minced ginger

1 teaspoon minced Serrano chili

¼ cup white wine

1-2 tablespoons agave (to taste)

2 teaspoons mint, sliced thin

sea salt

1. Soak onions in apple cider vinegar to cover for 5 minutes, strain and set aside both vinegar and onions for use later.
2. Sweat down fennel and ginger, chili & a pinch of salt for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add kumquats and cardamom and cook covered on medium-low heat for 5 minutes, allowing kumquats to soften.
3. Add white wine and allow to cook off uncovered for another 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of reserved apple cider vinegar, plus the onions and agave. Cook until mixture is bubbly and thickened, and the kumquats very soft. Add salt to taste.
4. Remove from heat and garnish with mint. Serve over grilled opah or any meaty fish.

appease your crowd with split pea soup

ahh, split peas.  those awful little green buttons which had me running the other way as a child the minute they were pulled from the pantry. the truth is that I don’t recall ever actually eating split pea soup when I was younger, though I know it was made in our house, so I’m pretty sure I dismissed them without ever giving them a chance. there are certain foods that I detested simply because of the name or color, not because I actually hated the taste, and split peas must be one of those foods.

but now I’m older and wiser, and it’s been many years since I’ve turned my nose in disgust to all foods green & healthy.  split pea soup is now one of my favorite winter foods – it’s hearty, packed with protein, and extremely easy to make.  this recipe can be tweaked a thousand different ways to give it a different flavor profile or to include whatever vegetables you have in your kitchen.  dried peas are wonderful for stabilizing blood sugar, plus they contain almost no fat and help to lower cholesterol.  they are packed with isoflavones, which are important phytonutrients (nutrients from plants) that are said to reduce the risk of cancer. 

this is the perfect soup for a rainy or lazy day, and it tastes even better the next day.  when reheating it you may want to add a bit of water as it gets very thick in the refrigerator. 

(a special shout out to Kambria Hooper, for providing the title to this entry)

Split Pea Soup

yields 4 servings

 

1 cup split peas

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely minced

1 medium onion, small dice

1 medium carrot, small dice

1 stalk celery, small dice

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger

1 small potato, small dice

1 bay leaf

5 cups water

1 teaspoon sea salt + additional salt to taste

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin

pinch cayenne

juice from ½ lemon

chopped parsley to garnish

1. Measure out & wash split peas.  Soak covered in water for a half-hour to several hours. 
2. In a large stock pot, bring heat up to medium and add olive oil.  Add onions & sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for another 1 minute.  Add carrots, celery & ginger and stir infrequently, about 5 minutes until carrots soften.
3. Add potato, split peas & water and bring to a boil.  Stir in the salt, turmeric, cumin & cayenne, and bring heat down to a simmer.  Simmer partially covered for 1 hour or until peas are soft.  Add more salt to taste, if necessary.
4. Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!  This is delicious with fresh bread & sausage.

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!