DELTA ASPARAGUS

Delta asparagus...maybe the best asparagus in the world. Yes, the world. As I was planning my asparagus dish for week thirteen in The Food Matters Project I received this invitation.

Come for a Delta Asparagus Tasting

California Delta Asparagus Tasting Slow Food Santa Barbara & Market Forays WHEN: Sunday April 29, 2012 TIME: 3 to 5 pm LOCATION: 814 San Roque Road, Santa Barbara WHAT: An afternoon tasting of the best asparagus in the country, served with suitable accoutrements from prosciutto to Hollandaise, in the enjoyable company of fun-loving folks.  There will be wine and beer - I will serve Sauvignon Blanc and wheat beer, feel free to bring whatever label you think will go best. WHY: Because asparagus from the California Delta is the very best and sweetest. (Honestly, it puts our local SB asparagus to shame.) Also, because Delta asparagus is under severe pressure from cheaper imports, and I feel that it deserves to be better known. DETAILS: Asparagus is a perennial plant. In spring, the mother plant sends up shoots, the asparagus spears. Depending on the strength of the plant, the spears are either thick or thin. The thickest spears, "jumbo", are the juiciest, sweetest, and most highly prized. A few weeks ago I had my first taste of this spring delicacy, and resolved to share it with my friends at the first opportunity. I have been in Northern California at the orchard this past week, and made contact with Roscoe Zuckerman, Stockton asparagus farmer. I will be picking up jumbo asparagus from Roscoe's farm on my way back to Santa Barbara, and look forward to sharing it with you on Sunday. I thought I would use this event as inspiration for my FMP dish.  Little did I know what I was in for.  Laurence, the leader of our local Slow Food Santa Barbara chapter planned this event. What is Slow Food? Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is part of a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members in over 150 countries, which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. I did some research on Roscoe Zuckerman and found this. Please read it, it is amazing. Delta asparagus is known all over the world as the best asparagus you can find. Chefs clamor for this asparagus grown in rich peat soil near Stockton, Ca.  Think thick! They produce jumbo spears, full of sweetness and flavor. We stared out with a box of fresh spears (she brought 90 pounds with her) and then we peeled them. We had two varieties, the green and the purple.  The purple are called Viola and they have an even sweeter flavor than the green, reminiscent of snap peas. By far our favorite.    With Delta asparagus the entire spear is tender. You just give them a quick peel and then slice about 1/4 inch off the end. We tied them in bundles and stood them up in a pot of boiling water. Covered with a towel and cooked for about 5-7 minutes. Served with hollandaise, butter, olive oil, and prosciutto.  There were some well known chefs at the event who were just as exited as we were to celebrate Delta Asparagus. One chef I talked to has cooked all over the world and not only did he say this is the best asparagus in the world, but that he buys it fresh at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and has actually watched it grow an inch or two after he purchases it. I read about it and during daylight hours in the Delta it can grow as fast as one inch an hour! Delta asparagus is really threatened. The asparagus harvested in Mexico and Peru is a huge challenge. The workers are paid less than 10.00 a day and they produce a product that doesn't even come close to the flavor of Delta asparagus. The local farmers will go away if we don't support them.  I brought home a couple of pounds of it. I intended to make soup but I can't do anything to this luscious gift from nature. It needs to be pure and almost raw. It's that good. It was a fabulous afternoon with a group of chefs, restaurant owners, and  some fun foodies celebrating something that just might be the best in the world. You can find this asparagus at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market and at the San Francisco Farmer's Market. It will only be there for two more weeks. Smaller stores in the Stockton area carry it as well. The soup recipe (that I had planned on making) from Mark Bittman's cookbook is here on Adrienne's blog and go check out what the other Food Matters Project members made this week.

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR BEEF COMES FROM?

Does your beef come packaged looking like a birthday gift? 

It will if you buy it from Rancho San Julian. Humanely raised, no antibiotics or hormones, and 100% grass fed.

Check it out.

The best ground beef I have ever had.

You can read all about them here.

TUSCAN STYLE PORK TENDERLOIN IN A WHOLE WHEAT BAGUETTE

It's FOOD MATTERS PROJECT Monday! Week twelve of cooking from Mark Bittman's Cookbook. This week Melissa from The Faux Martha chose our recipes, Mostly Whole Wheat Baguettes or Real Whole Wheat Bread. I decided on making baguettes. This was a first for me and not only was it easy but tasty as well. When the baguette was finished I let it cool and then stuffed it with fresh herbs, mustard, and a pork tenderloin. Another 25 minutes in the oven and dinner was ready to go.

 I started by following Mark Bittman's recipe for mostly whole wheat baguettes. I like the addition of some all-purpose flour to the whole wheat flour, it makes the bread more flavorful and less dense. The dough takes a couple of minutes to make and then you let it rise until it doubles in size. It took about 1 1/2 hours.

When the dough has doubled in size you roll them out and shape them into baguettes. They need another rest to double in size again.

I sprinkled the top with fennel seeds and put them in the oven to cook.

After the baguettes had cooled I cut them in half, hollowed them out and put my tenderloin inside. The meat was browned first and then spread with a mustard-herb mixture.

Tied it together (I tried to tie it the way a butcher would but gave up) and back in the oven to finish cooking the tenderloin.

 

Our meat is more on the rare side which is how we like it but all you need to do is brown it a little longer and cook it in the oven a little longer if you like it medium.

There were so many yummy flavors going on in every bite. Sage, rosemary, fennel, garlic, and the delicious homemade baguette.

These made great sandwiches the next day, we sliced them and had them cold but heated would be even better.

For Mark Bittman's original whole wheat baguette recipe go to  Melissa's blog

and for all the other creative takes on his recipe check out The Food Matters Project

TUSCAN PORK IN A BAGUETTE

2 tsp. fresh chopped sage

2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp fennel pollen or ground fennel seed

1 TBSP. Dijon mustard

4 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil

1 pork tenderloin, trimmed of any fat

1 loaf crusty baguette

In a small bowl combine the minced sage, rosemary, pepper, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, fennel, and Dijon mustard.

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP. of the oil. Cook the pork, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Spread the herb mixture all over the pork and set aside.

Cut the baguette in half the long way and scoop out the soft insides. Brush the inside of the baguette with the remaining 3 TBSP. olive oil. Place the pork on the inside of the baguette so that the pork in completely enclosed. Trim off the excess ends on the bread. Tie at 1-2 inch intervals, with kitchen string.

Preheat an oven to 375~. Place the pork on a baking sheet and roast until done, 155 to 160~ when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the thickest part, 25 to 35 minutes.

Remove from oven, and let rest 10 minutes. Remove strings and cut into slices. Serve.

Serves 4

Recipe adapted from Joanne Weir 

Next week is Roasted Asparagus and White Bean Soup with Parmesan

Check out this invite!

Come for a Delta Asparagus Tasting

California Delta Asparagus Tasting Slow Food Santa Barbara & Market Forays WHEN: Sunday April 29, 2012 TIME: 3 to 5 pm LOCATION: 814 San Roque Road, Santa Barbara WHAT: An afternoon tasting of the best asparagus in the country, served with suitable accoutrements from prosciutto to Hollandaise, in the enjoyable company of fun-loving folks.  There will be wine and beer - I will serve Sauvignon Blanc and wheat beer, feel free to bring whatever label you think will go best. WHY: Because asparagus from the California Delta is the very best and sweetest. (Honestly, it puts our local SB asparagus to shame.) Also, because Delta asparagus is under severe pressure from cheaper imports, and I feel that it deserves to be better known. DETAILS: Asparagus is a perennial plant. In spring, the mother plant sends up shoots, the asparagus spears. Depending on the strength of the plant, the spears are either thick or thin. The thickest spears, "jumbo", are the juiciest, sweetest, and most highly prized. A few weeks ago I had my first taste of this spring delicacy, and resolved to share it with my friends at the first opportunity. I have been in Northern California at the orchard this past week, and made contact with Roscoe Zuckerman, Stockton asparagus farmer. I will be picking up jumbo asparagus from Roscoe's farm on my way back to Santa Barbara, and look forward to sharing it with you on Sunday. Event Cost: $25 per person. Reserve Now If you can't join us Sunday but would like to order asparagus, please e-mail me. $10 a share.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Rich, creamy, comfort food at its best. 

You've gotta love the Pioneer Woman! She's funny, energetic, and great at marketing herself, however I rarely make her recipes. They usually have too much cream or butter or sugar for me. They always sound delicious but I prefer a healthier diet. When Ree posted this on her blog I saved it. I tried not to make this soup...1 stick of butter, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup 1/2 and  1/2,  oh so sinful, but after an afternoon BBQ at one of our favorite wineries I thought a small bowl of soup would be perfect. My will power had been weakened. This soup fit the bill, and even though it's not low calorie, it is delicious and rich, and a small bowl was plenty.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

• 1 stick Butter, Divided
• ½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
• 1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
• 1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
• 1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
• 2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
• 6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• 2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
• 1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Serve immediately.

Recipe by The Pioneer Woman

AMARANTH GREENS

Amaranth, the wonder plant. It is one of the oldest cultural plants. It has been cultivated as a grain for over 8000 years. Amaranth was a staple food of the Aztecs in the 1400's. The grain is highly nutritional and most commonly ground into a flour that is gluten free. You can also find it as a grain similar to quinoa. But I want to write about the beautiful green leaves on this plant. The leaves and stems are very high in protein, taste incredible, and are easy to cook.

Amaranth is cultivated all around the world but I usually find them in the Asian stands at the Farmer's Market. I have seen them in Asian grocery stores as well. Sometimes called Chinese spinach, these greens are similar to spinach but way more flavorful. You cook and use them the same way you would spinach, cooking just a little longer than you would spinach. I like all greens but these are my favorite. The young leaves are the best, and they will start showing up in Farmer's Markets in spring or early summer.

In Greece amaranth is a popular dish know as Vlita. The leaves are boiled and then served with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. I like to saute them in olive oil and then a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper. Pure and delicious.

If you have never tried these and see them at a market, grab a bunch and give them a try.

NO WORK MOSTLY WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

This is Mark Bittman's recipe for healthy pizza dough. You use two cups whole wheat flour and one cup all purpose flour. You add 1/2 tsp. of instant yeast and a tsp. of salt. That's it. No mixing or kneading. It needs to sit in a warm place for 8-14 hours to ferment and it's ready to go. It takes 5 minutes in the morning and it will be ready for dinner. It freezes well too. We made this dough as part of the Food Matters Project and most everyone called it a winner. I loved it. We cooked the dough in a cast iron skillet over the BBQ but the oven works well too.

NO-WORK MOSTLY WHOLE WHEAT PIZZA DOUGH

(makes 1 large or 2 small pizzas / 8-14 hours, almost entirely unattended)

 

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed

1/2 teaspoon instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing

1. Combine the flours, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water (I used warm water and also added in 1 tbsp olive oil). The dough should be relatively sticky and wet, like biscuit batter. If not, add a little more water.

2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and put it in a warm spot. Let the dough sit for at least 6 or up to 12 hours. (The longer it ferments, the more complex the flavor.)

3. When you’re ready, heat the oven to 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone put it in the oven at the same time so it can preheat as well. If not, generously oil a baking sheet or large ovenproof skillet. Dust your hands with a little white flour and fold the dough over in the bowl a few times. It will be sticky, but resist the urge to use too much flour; dust your hands again only when absolutely necessary and use a light, gentle touch. If you’re making small pizzas, divide the dough in half or quarters. Gently press the dough into the skillet or onto the baking sheet; it’s not important that the pizzas be perfectly round, but you do want to be careful not to tear the dough. Note that pizza dough freezes really well; after dividing it, just wrap it tightly and use it within a couple of months.

4. Brush or drizzle the top of the pizza or pizzas with 2 tablespoons oil, cover, and let sit while you get your toppings together, but no more than 60 minutes or so.

5. Top with your favorite Food Matters Way Toppings (see below) and cook for 8-12 minutes.

Crunchy No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Substitute 1/2 cup cornmeal (fine or medium grind) for 1/2 cup of the whole wheat flour.

Herbed No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: This works of the main recipe or the variation above. Add 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, oregano, or tarragon, or 1 tsp dried, to the dry ingredients at the beginning of Step 1.

Topping Pizza, the Food Matters Way

Go easy: Overloading your pizza makes the crust doughy and often underdone.

-All-Purpose Tomato Sauce

-Herb Pesto

-Cooked Mushrooms

-Caramelized onions with fresh thyme or rosemary

-Roasted garlic

-Sun-dried Tomatoes, soaked in hot water and drained

-Chopped, pitted oil-packed black olives

-Chopped marinated artichoke hearts or baby artichokes

-Spoonful of capers

-Chopped anchovies or sardines

-Sliced fresh tomatoes

-Thinly sliced fennel

-Parboiled broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts, drained

-Sautéed spinach, chard, or kale

-Sliced cooked waxy potatoes or sweet potatoes

-Grilled or broiled eggplant or zucchini

-Lightly mashed beans: black beans with chopped chipotle chiles or salsa, white beans with walnut oil and lemon juice, chickpeas with tahini…

-Smear of fresh ricotta or creme fraiche

-Crumbled goat cheese

-Sliced Fresh Mozzarella

Ingredients to Put On After Baking

-A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, flavored olive oil, nut oil, or sesame oil

-Chopped fresh basil, mint, or cilantro

-Shaved Parmesan, grated ricotta salata, or crumbled feta

-Freshly ground black pepper

-Baby spinach, arugula, or macho, tossed with a little olive oil

-Sliced hard-boiled eggs (or raw eggs, broken over the pizza and broiled for the last 2 minutes of baking time)

-Toasted pinenuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, sesame seeds…

 

Recipe by Mark Bittman

SKILLET GRILLED PIZZA

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Arugula Pizza. Sauteed Amaranth greens and Feta Pizza. Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette Pizza.

This week Niki from Salt & Pepper chose our Food Matters Project recipe. It was Mark Bittman's No-Work Mostly Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. I was excited to try his recipe for dough. It is part whole wheat flour and part all purpose flour. I liked the mixture of the two flours and he uses instant yeast so this dough comes together in just a few minutes. There is no kneading or punching just mix it up and let it sit in a warm spot for 6 to 12 hours. I got the dough started and headed off to the Farmer's Market for inspiration.

I spotted some lovely Amaranth leaves. Using the Greek dish Vlita (boiled amaranth leaves, served with a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon) as my inspiration for my topping my plan started. I would saute the greens in olive oil, salt, pepper, and some  lemon juice. Cheese...hmmm Greek Feta of course.

Done.

But I kept walking and a farmer suggested I taste his arugula. Oh my, so spicy and wonderful. It was sitting right next to the fresh asparagus. Ah....pizza topped with asparagus, arugula pesto and goat cheese.

Done.

And then I saw some beautiful fresh romaine. I could top a pizza with grilled romaine, blue cheese, and a bacon vinaigrette. And while the fire is hot I will grill the pizzas as well.

Woo Hoo!

Really done.

I decided to make three small pizzas with three different toppings. We started the BBQ and soaked some oak chips for added flavor to the pizza. I looked at the dough. Ooops, it was way too soft to put on the grill. I only let it sit for 6 1/2 hours, maybe if it was longer it would have been firmer. So plan B. In the skillet over the fire. That should give it a nice smoky grilled flavor.

I put olive oil in the bottom of the skillet, spread the dough out and put the skillets over the hot fire. When the bottom was cooked we flipped the dough over and cooked it another 5 minutes or so and then added the toppings and put the lid on the grill so the pizza would pick up some of the oak smoke.. Flipping it over made for a crispy crust that we love. The crust reminded me of Indian Fry Bread that I made a million years ago. This was the BEST pizza ever. Hubby's favorite was the grilled romaine pizza and then the asparagus pizza. My favorite was the amaranth pizza. I'll post the recipes over the next few days. For the original Mark Bittman recipe go over to our host, Niki's blog here. For more really creative ideas for pizza visit all our adaptations here.

Thanks Niki! This was really fun.

GARBANZO BEAN AND SPINACH SALAD WITH CILANTRO LIME VINAIGRETTE

You can't get much healthier and tastier than this salad. It's easy to put together and even better when you make it a day ahead.


GARBANZO BEAN AND SPINACH SALAD WITH CILANTRO LIME VINAIGRETTE

4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach

4 cups cooked garbanzo beans or two 15oz. cans drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

3 oz. of lime juice

1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

1 1/2 TBSP. honey

2 TBSP. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

Chop spinach into small pieces.

In a large bowl combine chopped spinach, garbanzo beans, and onion.

In a food processor or blender, add the lime juice, cilantro, honey, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, and pepper flakes. Process for a few seconds and add the olive oil slowly, allowing the dressing to emulsify. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Pour 3/4 of the dressing onto the salad and toss to combine. Serve the rest of the dressing drizzled on top when serving. Let salad sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge to let the flavors meld.

You are going to think you are over dressing this salad but don't worry. It needs a lot of dressing and it is really good.

Recipe adapted from www.mindoverbatter.com

 

 

RASPBERRY-ASPARAGUS MEDLEY

 

I found the most beautiful purple-ish asparagus at the Farmer's Market. I thought the color would go nicely with raspberries so I whipped up this easy spring time recipe. This is wonderful addition to any brunch. You can make it ahead and serve at room temperature.

RASPBERRY-ASPARAGUS MEDLEY

1 TBSP. white wine vinegar

2 TBSP. raspberry preserves

1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 lb. asparagus, tender parts only

1 1/2 cup fresh raspberries

2 TBSP. chopped pecans, toasted

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Combine first four ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest.

Cook asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain and pat dry.

Toss the asparagus in the raspberry mixture and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle the asparagus with fresh raspberries and drizzle the fresh lemon juice on top. Sprinkle pecans on top and serve.

Serves 6

Recipe by Linder Hunt

CAJUN TURKEY MEATLOAF

This is one of my favorite meatloaf recipes. I use turkey to make it lower in fat but you can use 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork if you like. Sometimes turkey can be dry but in this meatloaf you add 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and it keeps it tender and moist.

I like to serve this with jalapeno turkey gravy.

 During the holidays I make gravy and freeze it. This is how I make the gravy. After I defrost it I add chopped jalapenos and warm for about 15 minutes.

I hope you give this a try, it really is good.

CAJUN MEATLOAF

Seasoning mix:

2 whole bay leaves

1 TBSP. salt

1 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. white pepper

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Meat Loaf:

4 TBSP. unsalted butter

¾ cup finely chopped onions

½ cup finely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped green bell peppers

1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 TBSP. Tabasco sauce

1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup ketchup

2 lbs. Ground Turkey or 1-½ lbs. Ground beef and ½ lb. ground pork

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup very fine dry bread crumbs

Gravy if desired

Melt the butter in a 1 quart saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire and seasoning mix.  Sauté until mixture starts sticking excessively, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well.  Stir in the milk and ketchup.  Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the ground meat in an ungreased 13x9 inch baking pan.  Add the eggs, the cooked vegetable mixture, removing the bay leaves, and the breadcrumbs.  Mix by hand until thoroughly combined.  In the center of the pan, shape the mixture into a loaf that is about 1 ½ inches high, 6 inches wide and 12 inches long.  Bake uncovered at 350~ for 25 minutes, then raise the heat to 400~ and continue cooking until done, about 35 minutes longer.  Serve immediately with a gravy if desired.  I use a can of turkey gravy heated with some chopped fresh jalapenos.

Recipe slightly adapted from Paul Prudomme