The end of the week . . .

Well, here we are approaching the end of Nat'l Eat Together Week and Marja and I have posted one lousy recipe. We are going to try another one, but at the end of a long week it just isn't that likely that it will be too involved.

Annie's Macaroni and Cheese

You will need:
1 (one) box of Annie's Macaroni and Cheese
1 (one) small pot
Some (some) water
2 (two) tired nerds
Inability to gather the energy to do anything active or social (optional)

Directions:
Cook the pasta
Add the cheese
Eat
Fall asleep at 8:00 on a Friday night.



Notice the hastily torn open box of Annie's, the piles of tests and papers that await grading, and the vacant stares of the diners.

Happy Friday all. Safe travels to everyone who is flitting about. Safe sleeping to the rest of us.

Sam and Marja

Holy Mounds of Basil, Batman!

It was a dark and stormy night when Pete and Jane entered their house to find a stranger lurking in their midst....

...however, after careful examination of the questionable character it was revealed that it was indeed their long lost Virginian friend, home for a weekend of celebrations, Smellin'.

She took instantly to her old nickname and began smellin' up the house by cleaning and picking through the mountains of fresh basil that Peter had brought home from the farmers' market.

Pete, Jane and Smellin' worked tirelessly (and fearlessly as the tornado sirens wailed around the neighborhood that was fast becoming a floodplane in the mid-September torrent). There was a schedule to adhere to, and a hungry Pete to feed before he had to brave the storm to attend to duties elsewhere.

The pasta was sacrificed on the uphill side of "al dente" yet the zucchini was cooked to perfection. The blender was taught a lesson that night by a mountain of basil. And the blender wept. It wept from being beaten up by a girl with some basil and 3 cloves of garlic. It shall never be the same again.

Once the parmesan cheese was garnished and the wine glasses ceremoniously clinked, the three hungry Oles sat down for a dinner together that had been more than two years in the making.

A better homecoming could not have been imagined as they seasoned their culinary teamwork to their individual perfection.

Soon the rain subsided, and Pete had to bid his farewell for the evening, but there was still more to come. After downing our wine and washing the dishes, those ginger bread cookies didn't even see it coming....

Tune it next time for another episode when Peter comes home from the market with excessive quantities of something else and another meal is inspired. Same bat time. Same bat channel. Brought to you by Northwest Airlines.

No really. Not shameless advertising. Helen wrote this post, and she was brought to Minnesota by Northwest Airlines...

[cricket. cricket. ehem. cricket...]





Fool proof poison testing.

Stew from a Nalgene

It was a pastors day out at the farm...and we're reaping all the benefits. I biked some fresh bread out for their lunch, ate, and got sent home with leftovers (putting the beef stew in a Nalgene so it wouldn't make a mess of my backpack). Kira and I ate on the floor of the living room, surrounded by poster-making supplies. (Kira is making some signs for the Firehouse fundraiser this weekend--it's a big one: fundraiser Saturday, Farm Fest Sunday.)

Ah, leftovers are always sweetest when they're someone else's. They were bittersweet tonight, however, for this is my last meal with Kira during "National Eat Together Week." She leaves tomorrow for a weekend in Minnesota!

Soup for the Sick

One of my favorite things about FunFest is the public library book sale. This year, I found a copy of The New Laurel's Kitchen for $12. I keep hearing about The Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book, (which I hope to add to my collection soon), so I thought this would be worth picking up. It sure came in handy tonight. Kira woke up with a pretty nasty cold, so I turned to Laurel's Golden Noodle Soup. Mom came over to run lines before rehearsal, so that's the theme of the picture.



Golden Broth
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup yellow split peas
2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 quarts hot water

Saute onion, whole garlic clove, and split peas in oil until delicately brown. Stir in turmeric and add water. Simmer at least half an hour. Strain for a thin stock, puree for a thick one.

Green Broth: substitute green peas for yellow. Add a bay leaf and omit the turmeric. For a very full flavored broth, add a carrot and potato, cut up. Celery leaves are good too.

Golden Noodle Soup
2 quarts Golden Broth
big handful whole wheat ribbon noodles
1 cup each diced celery, potatoes, carrots
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Bring broth to a boil in a heavy pan. Add noodles, celery, potatoes, carrots, and salt. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about half an hour. Stir in the parsley, adjust seasoning, and serve. Makes about 10 cups of soup.

Timesaving variation: If you don't already have the broth, cook the noodles and vegetables in another pot whilt the broth simmers, combining them after you puree or strain the broth. Total cooking time is about half an hour.

Nat'l Eat Together Week Has One Flaw

Though we all appreciate "National Eat Together Week" and the many social and sensational benefits it offers, it does leave one question unanswered: "What does one do when one is alone?"

Lucky for you, I'm here to provide the answer to that question. Last night, while both Jane and Ann were busy with their respective Tuesday night obligations, I was home alone. I considered surrounding the dining room table with my eclectic collection of stuffed dolls, but thought better of it. After all, our dining room window has no shades and it's situated close enough to the sidewalk that onlookers may mistake it for a display case in a museum. Instead I embraced my situation and made what I like to call: "Dinner for One."

How old is this granola?

Hello friends,

Just wanted to let you all know how much I've enjoyed eating with you this week. For John and I, its moving week. This means going out for last meals with friends from Cardiff and trying to eat up the odds and ends of our cupboards before heading out. So we haven't had a chance to really intentionally prepare a meal together this week. But I'm glad to see all of your happy, well-fed faces, and share a cyber meal. Can't wait to do it in person soon.

Love to all,
Anne

Let's start a pizza farm

In a comment on one of the posts of this blog, Jane made mention of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Have all of you read it by now? What a book, huh? I wish she was our friend.

After reading the book, Kira and I were inspired by her family's weekly pizza nights, so we thought it would be fun to establish a similar tradition at our house. Tonight was the first night we actually got around to it, however. My mom and Kira travel to Wabash nearly every weeknight now to rehearse for "Hello, Dolly." Mom mentioned yesterday that she might swing by Mr. Dave's and get some dinner and eat it at our place before rehearsal tonight, so in the name of "Eat Dinner Together Week" I suggested that she and Dad come over for supper (and James Hersch, too, who is town performing for the week, but he had a prior engagement). Tuesday night party!

As we all know, it's not a party unless you learn something (ok, that's not true, but I needed a transition). I learned tonight that Gorgonzola cheese freezes pretty well. I put some leftover wedges from the wedding in the freezer to see how they'd do. I transferred one to the refrigerator earlier today, and it was soft by dinner time. After crumbling it up, I put some on fresh greens from the garden, along with apple pieces from a local orchard, cashews, and a balsamic vinaigrette. The texture was a little different, but it still tasted pretty good. The real lesson, however, is that frozen-then-thawed Gorgonzola seems to better suited for pizza then "fresh" Gorgonzola. Now, Sam, I know I'll need to put this up for peer review before it can be called fact, but tonight the cheese was more firm as it baked (rather than slide all over the pizza like it usually does). Kinda cool.

So, we had a Gorgonzola/pineapple pizza, a pizza margherita, and a pizza with some of Dave's tomatoes, mushrooms, and green and yellow peppers from the garden. I started another batch of tomato sauce to use tonight, but it wasn't ready in time, so I just put it in the freezer when it was done.

I've been a bit obsessed lately with the idea of an entirely local pizza. Soon (hopefully) I'll be making my own mozzarella with milk from a neighboring farm (I've been making my own yogurt...delicious!). Tomato, basil, and other toppings from the garden, obviously. I'm also looking into planting some wheat, or getting some from a local farm, for the crust. I suppose you could use a sourdough culture to leaven the dough. The only thing I can't figure out is salt. Any suggestions? Maybe extract some from my sweat?

Because of this obsession, it was serendipitous that Sam sent me a newspaper article about a farm in rural Wisconsin that hosts "Pizza Night" every week, serving up pizzas made with produce from their farm. It sounds great and I hope we can all go some time. And, if you ever want to start a similar project, please let me know. (I've already started talking about it with my dad.)

Anyway, I hope you guys are still having fun with this. We're having a blast!

Putting Food Up

Pete, Jane, Marja, and I went on a hike on Sunday and, despite the severe case of explosive diarrhea I got from eating too many Buckthorn berries in an effort to prove to Jane that that is how it got its scientific name ('Rhamnus cathartica'), we talked about food a bit.

One topic that came up toward the end of our hike was how much fun it is to 'put food up'. I have been doing a little this summer (pickling cukes and beans and freezing beans, corn, tomatoes, soup, and pesto), but I want to do more. I tried my hand at building a food dryer and it worked, but I could only dry one apple at a time.

Anyway, I guess this is another request. I know we are in the middle of 'Eat Together Week', so don't interrupt that flow of recipes. However, when the week is over and we go back to eating alone (thank God), maybe we could share some ideas on how to put up food.

I love this blog, by the way.

Sam

A Late Addition: Tempeh Ruebens with Homemade Russian Dressing

Well, I have to say I feel a little embarrassed. All these delightful recipes cropping up and I have not posted one for awhile. Thanks for the tip-off email, Zach. I might have let things go even longer if I hadn't been clued in. Jane and Pete, thanks for posting the soup recipe. We decided to hold off until it cools back down, but we can't wait!

Anyway, here is our contribution. Zach, what you said about having a busy Sunday and so needing a quick recipe is sort of the theme of our weekday lives right now. We usually don't get home til after six and we are both beat, so easy meals that don't involve beans, cheese, tortillas, and a microwave are always nice.

Materials:

-1 block Tempeh (I hope you can find this out in No. Man. land, Zach and Kira. Get it? Anne and John, I don't know what the availability of Tempeh is in Wales/India. I suppose good, huh?)
-A little bit of Saurkraut (You'll have to open a whole can, of course, but it keeps for a long time in the fridge. Good ol' lactic fermentation.)
-Rye bread
-Swiss Cheese
-Russian Dressing (see below)

Russian Dressing (this makes a large quantity, so it could probably be halved or . . . er . . . thirded?)
Mix together:
-1/2 cup mayo
-1/4 cup ketchup
-1 T minced onion
-1 T red wine vinegar or lemon juice
-dash dry mustard
-salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

First, make the dressing. This takes only a few minutes, but everything else is so quick that you want to do it first.

I like to fry or saute the Tempeh in a little oil, but it tends to break if the pieces are too big. So, I cut the flat brick in half through the broad side, then lay it on the just cut side and carefully cut it into two thinner slices. I end up with four slices of Tempeh that are about 2" x 3" x 0.5". Sorry for the techno-babble. You can marinate these in anything you'd like, or nothing.

While the Tempeh is cooking, warm a little saurkraut up on the stove or in the microwave, cut some swiss cheese, and toast some rye bread.

Once the Tempeh is done, make your sandwich: bread, cheese, Tempeh, dressing, saurkraut, bread. Be sure to eat it with chips and 'extra ingredients' from Beer-Cheese soup.

Sam and Marja

P.S. We were going to post pictures, but ate too fast. Next time.

P.P.S. I want a Squeezo!

Shall we move to the dining room?

I failed to mention yesterday that Dave also brought a box of butternut squash to the farm with his tomatoes. This delighted me because I knew just the recipe for the squash: Sam and Marja's Butternut Squash Soup with Spicy Bourbon Sauce. I biked out to the farm around noon with a hot loaf of Pain de Campagne in my backpack for the HOPE CSA pastors that were meeting today, and made the return trip lugging some squash. When I got home I flipped through the pages of our Wedding Wine Shower binder to find the recipe, and after another bike ride around town for some errands (including a stop at the liquor store where the woman behind the counter called me "hon" a lot and made certain that I wasn't going to serve the soup cold) I was ready to cook.

I was also excited to make this soup because I think it could find its way onto the menu at the coffee shop (I wonder what the rules are about using liquor in cooking...). I may have to do a little tweaking, however. While the flavors were spot on, my soup came out extremely creamy, almost pudding-like. Sam and Marja (and anyone else who has made the soup), have you experienced the same thing? Do you have any suggestions? (I'm thinking a little chicken broth.)

Regardless of how it may work in the coffee shop, it was delicious tonight. Kira and I scooped it up with pieces of sourdough. And the best part is, now I've got some "leftover ingredients" to sip on while Kira is at rehearsal. Thanks Sam and Marja!

Guten Morgen!

Nothing beats a Blue Monday like Whole Wheat Pancakes with Bananas and Pecans!

Whoops. Let's try this again...


That's better. Cheers!

Here's a link to our delicious main course, brought to you by the National Pork Board: Pasta with Sausage, etc.

Happy National Eat Dinner Together Week! See you tomorrow night!

Love, Peter and Jane

Sunday Night Spaghetti

Boxes of tomatoes keep showing up at the farm. It seems as though every time I stop out there I find another box or two filled with Romas and Big Boys. They're coming from Dave, a family friend who apparently has planted his entire property in tomatoes. Even though the shareholders take a few every time they come out to the farm, there are still tomatoes coming out of our ears. Dad brought out an amazing contraption called a Squeezo that skins, seeds, and sauces the tomatoes with the turn of a crank, and sent me home with a gallon of tomato puree. So, when it came time to think about dinner I knew we'd be seeing a little red.

We had a surprisingly busy Sunday, also, so we were looking for something that wasn't too involved. In other words, tonight was a definite spaghetti night.

I recently discovered a bulk food store run by Mennonites a few miles from Manchester, out in the middle of the country. They carry all sorts of great stuff, including organic whole wheat pasta. As long as we're here, we'll have a lot of that on hand. For the sauce, I wanted to use up the rest of the ground beef left over from our hamburgers last night (still raw) and some green peppers that I picked from the garden a few days ago. I also had garlic and onions from the farm, as well. I must admit, I'm more comfortable cooking from recipes--even when it comes to putting together a simple spaghetti sauce--so I sort of impressed myself when I just started putting one together. I soon realized that I was creating a hybrid of Mark Bittman's spaghetti and meatballs recipe from How to Cook Everything (a meal we had last week) and Cooks Illustrated's Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce (which I've been making to freeze). Another spinach salad with a vinaigrette by Kira and thick slices of the display miche from the farmer's market and it was time for dinner.

While we ate, Kira pointed out that I may not have been completely clear in my intentions for this National Eat Together Week segment of our blog. My hope is that you all will post a few words about your nightly meals (and perhaps some photos). In a way, then, it's like we're sharing in each other's meals. It might be a little annoying if it's just us doing it. If we all join in it might be...a little less annoying?

So, what did you have for dinner? Sam and Marja, how was the soup (it looks great, Jane!)? What time do we eat tomorrow?

Soupe au Pistou (Soup with Pesto)

Pistou

True pistou is made by hand with a mortar and pestle. I prefer the easy way out: the blender.

4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
4.5 cups basil leaves, torn
¼ cup diced tomato
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup finely grated parmesan (or slightly aged Gouda)

Blend/process all ingredients until creamy paste forms.


Soupe au Pistou

A Provencal version of minestrone; delicious hot or at room temperature.

Heat in large soup pot over medium heat:
4 Tbsp olive oil
Add and cook until tender but not browned, 5-10 minutes:
2 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped; celery tops
2 bay leaves
Stir in:
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 5 ripe tomatoes peeled seeded and chopped)
3 baby red potatoes, chopped
9 cups water
2 tsp kosher salt
2 pinches saffron threads
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender. Stir in:
2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 small zucchini
2 summer squash
2 cups chopped green beans & wax beans, cut into ½ inch pieces
Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 10-20 min.

Meanwhile, prepare the pistou (above) and bring pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
1 box pasta, such as rings, elbows or ditalini

When ready to serve, remove celery tops and bay leaves. Stir in pistou and season. Ladle soup over a small heap of cooked pasta, garnish with basil leaves and serve.

Yum,
Jane

Scarlet Nantes Carrot Soup

Two weeks ago I pulled up every last carrot in our garden. The recipe that follows yielded a colorful cauldron of carrot soup. Known for its sweet flavor and consistent abundance, Scarlet Nantes is an old, well-loved variety. But any carrot will yield delicious results. I happen to know Marja and Sam will be serving this up tonight - let us know how it turns out!

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lg onion, roughly chopped
1.5 lbs carrots, scrubbed well and roughly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1.5 inch piece of ginger, sliced
good pinch cardamom
pinch saffron strands
4 c. chicken broth/veg broth

salt, pepper
sour cream
chives

Saute onions over med-high heat until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, cardamom and saffron and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes.

Add carrots and stir until well integrated. Add chicken broth, bring to boil. Cover, reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Cool, then puree well. If you're feeling luscious, add a little heavy cream.

Serve with garnish of sour cream and chives.

Note: The soup can be served hot or cold. We first served it cold, with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives. The next day we ate the leftovers hot with crusty bread.

Warmly,
Jane

National Eat Dinner Together Week

Tomorrow marks the beginning of National Eat Dinner Together Week (brought to you by the National Pork Board). We'd like to invite all of you to dinner with us, every night this week. In fact, we're getting a head start by beginning tonight, serving up hamburgers, spinach salad, and a few potato chips, along with two questions. Will you reciprocate the invitation? And, would you like mustard on that?

Roasted Red Peppers

I picked a peck of peppers today (well, not really a peck). Kira's off at rehearsal, so I decided to roast the red ones and freeze them. This isn't so much a recipe but a word of encouragement to get to the farmers market, partake in the harvest, and put some up for winter!

Fondly,
Zach