springtime niçoise style salad

niçoise salad is amazing and versatile. ever tried it with asparagus? i can’t get fresh green beans in april, so i made an asparagus niçoise style salad for the spring.

the best part is, none of these ingredients are necessary. any leftover vegetables would be great in here. swap out whatever you have or don’t have, and build your dream salad. it’s a great way to use leftover boiled potatoes.

– 1 bunch asparagus
– medium-boiled eggs (the internet said 7 minutes for medium-boiled eggs. but they came out soft-boiled. delicious but not the same.)
– diced artichoke hearts
– chopped olives (use what you have in the house; they don’t have to be nicoise olives)
– leftover boiled potatoes (i used purple fleshed potatoes that were on sale at the co-op and they were beautiful contrasted with the bright green asparagus and bright yellow yolks)
– (optional: tuna or anchovies, if you eat fish)

dressing:
dijon mustard
apple cider vinegar
a few pinches of minced onions or garlic
any fresh herb you have in the house
pinch of salt and pepper

roast asparagus in olive oil on 425 until it cooked but still crunchy, just eight minutes or so

cut everything into bite-sized chunks, like for potato salad or egg salad, top with vinaigrette, and serve.

don’t be constrained by this recipe. get creative! next time, i’d love to add some radishes for crunch. epicurious says to add raw red and yellow bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, and tons of parsley. david lebovitz uses fresh cucumbers, fresh fava beans, fresh basil, and a half a head of lettuce. others call for capers, celery, salmon and sugar, baby beets….

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recipe modified from all the recipes cited above, created by friedsig, and, mostly inspired by this bon apetit recipe that planted itself into my subconscious

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artichokes and asparagus are two of my favorite foods. here you can eat them at the same time!

it’s nice to have a new quick lunch for the week with just a little weekend meal prep. if you make the vinaigrette and roast the asparagus and boil the potatoes and eggs on a weekend, you can construct this salad in five minutes. also, a great seasonal salad: use tomatoes and cucumbers in an august salad, and asparagus and radishes in an april salad. it’s also nice to have a unifying theme, and feel like, “i am eating nicoise salad,” and not, “i am eating this hastily assembled pile of leftovers”

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choucroute garnie (sauerkraut and smoked sausage stew)

maybe my favorite hearty stew ever? it’s great to have a hearty stew in the wintertime. i love my friend eli’s version of kapusta. but my new favorite pork and sauerkraut wintertime stew is choucroute. this stew is eaten in the eastern part of france, on the germany border, and also on the western part of germany, where my family is from. thanks for the recipe, mom!

here’s my version – a small-ish version. i’ll also include the version you’ll want to make for a crowd.

friedsig’s choucroute

– 1 lb smoked sausage or other smoked meats like smoked pork chop, plus whatever leftover bacon or other meat you have in the house
– 1 large red onion
– 2 sweet red apples
– half a small jar of sauerkraut, homemade or store-bought
– half a small head of red cabbage, mince
– handful of little potatoes

– cup or two of white wine, like Riesling
– cup or two of chicken stock, veg stock, or pork stock

in a tea ball or cheesecloth:
– 0.5 t each of juniper berries and whole peppercorns
– 1.5 bay leaves
– pinch of caraway seeds
– 2 cloves
– 2 smashed cloves of garlic

1. (optional) in a large pot or dutch oven, pre-cook the meat, depending on what you use. if using bacon, cook that. if using smoked sausage or pork chops, brown them. no matter which meat you use, remove meat and set aside.
2. in that same large pot or dutch oven, saute your onion in lard, bacon grease, or some neutral oil like canola. when soft, add the whole spices and apple and raw cabbage. after a few minutes, add all the rest of the ingredients, including the meat. simmer for hours.
3. separately, boil up some potatoes. serve choucroute with boiled potatoes and whole-grain mustard.

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you can add any meat from short ribs to hot dogs. try varying the meats, adding a pound or two of each kind. check out the epicurious choucroute garnie for a crowd with six pounds of meat:

1 3/4 pounds smoked meaty ham hocks
1 pound fully cooked bratwurst
8 ounces thick-sliced bacon strips, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 large onions, chopped
1 teaspoon juniper berries (optional)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
10 whole cloves
8 whole allspice
3 bay leaves
3 Red Delicious apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 2-pound jars sauerkraut, squeezed dry
2 pounds fully cooked kielbasa, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 pound fully cooked knockwurst
2 cups Alsatian Pinot Blanc or other dry white wine
2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
Assorted mustards
Prepared white horseradish

you can also try serious eats‘ version, which calls for 7 pounds of meat, or jacques pepin‘s version with 8 lbs of meat, including hot dogs.

no matter what meat ends up in your choucroute, it’s great served with potatoes, or crusty bread and mustard, or even plain pasta or couscous or rice.

watercress and buttermilk soup

cook the white and light green parts of 2 sliced leeks in 2 T unsalted butter in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring until tender, 4-6 mins.

add one chopped russet potato, 2 cups chicken broth, and 4 cups water.

simmer until potato is tender, 8 – 10 mins. add 2 bunches watercress (thick stems removed) and 1 T fresh tarragon leaves.

cook until watercress is bright green, about 1 minute.

puree, stir in 1/2 c buttermilk, season with salt. serve warm or room temperature topped with tarragon.

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from a clipping in a magazine (not sure which magazine!)

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it’s more of a watercress vichyssoise, or cold potato and leek soup, than a buttermilk soup. it doesn’t taste like buttermilk – it has a lot of flavor for being so simple. my mom hates tarragon, so i substituted dill. i figured, you can’t go wrong with potatoes and dill. i also added garlic. it came out well. if you are craving a cold potato soup, this is a good one. not my favorite soup, but definitely a good, solid way to use an abundance of cress. i liked sipping it cold out of a mug on a hot morning.

french breakfast puffs

muffin/doughnuts sounds great. smells good so far, too.

1/3 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F

With a paddle attachment in a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy (about a minute) and add the egg, mixing together. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix flour blend into sugar and egg mixture alternately with milk, on low speed. Add the vanilla last, mixing to blend together. Fill greased muffin tins two-thirds full. Bake until barely golden brown, 25 minutes. Immediately loosen the puffs from the tins (use a butter knife around the edges first).

Now, working very quickly, dip top and sides into melted butter; then roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Serve hot, at once, but honestly these are still delicious the next day!

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vintage recipe discovered and posted by the kitchy kitchen

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whoops. didn’t read the recipe very closely. tried to make sixteen. they didn’t come out “puffy,” so make sure to fill the tins 2/3 full. they were like a lighter version of banana bread – not gooey or sticky in the middle, not as dense as pound cake, but denser than birthday cake. i think i’d just as soon have banana bread. not my favorite, but would be good to bring to a party if you want to make sure to bring something unique.

green pea soup

i realized the other day when a friend brought up pea soup that i’ve never made it myself.

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1 Tbsp oil or bacon grease, or more to coat bottom of pan
1 medium leek, whites and light green parts only, halved and sliced thin
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large potato, peeled, cut into small cubes
16 oz frozen peas
4 cups vegetable stock
a couple sprigs of fresh lemon thyme, tied in a bundle (or chervil, sorrel, and/or savory) (i used fines herbs)
1/3 cup sour cream, plus more for serving (or plain greek yogurt, or coconut milk)
additional lemon thyme for serving (or other herbs)

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Heat large heavy bottomed stockpot. Add oil. Once oil is warm, add garlic and onions. Cook over medium-high heat for 30-45 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add leeks and cook until leeks and onions have softened, about 3 minutes.
Add potatoes and peas. Cook for about 2 minutes until frozen peas start to defrost. Add vegetable stock and lemon thyme bundle. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes can be easily smashed with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove lemon thyme bundle.
Puree soup using an immersion blender, or transfer soup in batches to a blender. Blend soup until smooth. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve soup warm or chilled with additional sour cream and fresh lemon thyme leaves.

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adapted from here

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fantastic. highly recommended. i threw a few pieces of ham in with the onions. wonderful.

crunchy-top bleu cheese mashed potatoes

boil potatoes

make a bechamel (equal parts flour and butter to make a roux, then slowly stir in milk, cream, or even nut milk and coconut milk)
simmer about 20 minutes or until saucy. turn off the heat.
stir in a fistful of bleu cheese

mash potatoes and stick them into a buttered oven-safe dish
pour sauce over top of mashed potatoes
top with crunched-up lightly roasted almonds or walnuts or hazelnuts and breadcrumbs (roast in a dry frying pan)
bake at 375 for about 15 minutes

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i don’t know where the inspiration came from for this – just a serious craving for something crunchy, creamy, and bleu cheese-y. this fulfilled that in a big way. highly recommended. simple and comforting. one of my new favorites!

fish cakes

based on Perfect Fish Cakes

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fish cakes

– any raw fish, best with whitefish like cod, but anything from salmon to catfish will work
– potatoes, boiled and mashed – or leftover mashed potatoes (the recipe calls for a 2:1 fish to potatoes, but I usually do more like a 2:1 ratio potatoes:fish)
– optional but recommended: 1 chopped spring onion, or a minced clove of garlic or roasted garlic, or a teaspoon or so of minced onion, or some onion or garlic powder
– optional: seasoning, like cajun seasoning for blackened catfish burgers, or chopped parsley and black pepper, or fresh dill and lemon juice, or soy sauce and ginger – you can really get creative with this – not necessary if you have good fresh fish, but recommended if you live in the midwest like me, haha
– flour plus extra for dusting, about a tablespoon to every 2 lbs of mixture, so just a dusting for a small batch
– 1 egg, beaten
– sprinkle of paprika, pepper, salt

 

Steam the fish for about 10 minutes (depending on the size of the filet) until it flakes when you scratch it with a fork, then mix with the potatoes, onion, seasoning, flour, egg and salt. Form into cakes, dust with flour and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Fry the fish cakes in peanut oil, canola oil, or chili oil until brown and crusty. Serve with tartar sauce.

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taken from here

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edit: unbelievable! LOVE it. highly recommended. easy, not too floury, more like fishy latkes (potato pancakes) than anything. great texture, great flavor! infinitely customizable. crispy on the outside, creamy inside. an awesome way to prepare fresh fish, and my favorite way to prepare some slightly funky fish that wouldn’t taste great flash-fried on the cast-iron, like catfish, or frozen fish when you live a thousand miles from the ocean.

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tartar sauce: a ton of mayo to a little mustard, lemon or lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. add minced pickles if you have them.

oeufs en cocotte

this post made me laugh for a number of reasons.

mostly, i was laughing because i happen to be visiting a house that actually has ridiculous things like ramekins, cream, and Parmesan. and fresh rosemary in the middle of winter! ah, mom.

this recipe would be easy to alter, i think, to use less expensive ingredients. comment with your own, if you try it!

here’s what i did

1. boiled a few cups of water in a pot.
2. preheated oven to 400.
3. greased a ramekin with butter and poured a thin layer of cream over it.
4. cracked two eggs into the ramekin.
5. salted, peppered, and nutmegged the raw eggs.
6. poured a dash of cream and a little grated Parmesan on top of the eggs.
7. poured boiled water into a small pyrex.
8. sat the ramekin inside the pyrex and baked the whole thing for 25 minutes.

the recipe said to do it for 15, but i checked every five minutes and it still looked swimmy on top.

when i tore into it, the eggs were somewhere between hard-boiled and soft-boiled – i’d stick with the 15 minute calculation next time.

delicious! the water gives the eggs a velvety texture, and i like the creaminess.

wonder if this would work with whole milk?

it was a wonderful treat, but between the time required and the cost of the ingredients i’d save this for a special occasion.

sourdough crepes

first crepes, prepared after a fantastic bike ride to good people, a hot kitchen, and a cool night… they came out well. the butter, egg, and milk make it really rich.

getting them super-thin, thinner than you’d think, was the trick. small holes, much like rava dosai.

sourdough crepes

1 cup sourdough starter
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup of milk
extra butter for cooking

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl. Add milk until it reaches a very smooth, thin batter consistency, I normally use about 1/3 cup of milk but depending on the consistency of your starter, you might use a bit less or a bit more.

In a not too big, but not too small frying pan (about 8" – 10" is perfect) heat the frying pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add a teaspoon or so of butter, allow it to melt quickly and then immediately pour in 1/4 cup of crepe batter, tilting the pan with a circular motion to allow the batter to coat the bottom of the pan and create a circle of crepe.

socca (farinata)

apparently, this is supposed to be cooked over a fire, which sounds like a fantastic idea to me… two pans (one onion and olive oil, one sausage and bacon grease) were eaten up completely in less than ten minutes. yay fermented skillet food! if we had more than two cast-irons, i’d triple this recipe next time. the crispy bits at the edges were like delicious crunchy chips.

gluten-free baked crispy chickpea skillet cakes (socca / farinata)

1 cup chickpea flour (besan/gram flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon, at least, ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
½ large onion, thinly sliced, optional
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, optional.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. Sift chickpea flour into a bowl; add salt and pepper; then slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover, and let sit while oven heats, or as long as 12 hours. (ed: FERMENT THIS!) Batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.

2. If using onion and rosemary, stir them into batter. Pour 2 tablespoons oil into heated pan, and swirl to cover pan evenly. Pour in batter, and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pancake is firm and edges set. Heat broiler, and brush top of socca with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry.

3. Set socca a few inches away from broiler for a few minutes, just long enough to brown it spottily. Cut it into wedges (ED: other websites say it is to be broken unevenly and snacked on while licking salt from the mediterranean off your lips – sigh) and serve hot, or at least warm.

Yield: 4 to 6 appetizer servings.