Warm Caraway Cabbage

When the first rains comes each year it's only a matter of days before I begin to crave braised cabbage.  The sweetness of the apples, the tartness of apple cider vinegar and the aromatic, comforting quality of caraway tend to perfectly satisfy the first autumn chill- especially when accompanying sausage.

Caraway is a traditional spice used throughout the ages for various maladies. The ancient Arabs brought caraway to Europe where it became popular as a culinary spice and as a a digestive aid- chewing the seeds well after a meal to release their stimulating aromatic oils helps relieve indigestion. For this reason, caraway became a common ingredient in aperitifs.  As a side note, caraway was also traditionally used in love potions as it was believed to keep lovers from turning fickle!

My version of this traditional German dish includes fresh apple cider and maple syrup, other than that, it's fairly basic. Go for onions on the sweeter side if you can- cipolline or red.

Warm Caraway Cabbage 

• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons caraway
• 1 head of red cabbage (medium sized), sliced thinly 
• 1-2 tart apples- peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 cup freshly juiced apple cider (use store-bought if you don't have a juicer)
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

In a heavy-bottomed pot sauté the onion in butter over medium heat until soft and beginning to brown. Add the caraway seeds and cook a few minutes more to release the aromatics of the caraway.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for about a half hour, stirring periodically. Then remove the lid and simmer twenty minutes more. 

Lemon and Piñon Brussels Sprouts

Butter binds toasted pine nuts with the sweetness of shallots, the bitterness of Brussels sprouts and the brightness of Meyer lemon. In other words, this is delicious and I can't stop making it. Its the perfect winter accompaniment to fried eggs or roast chicken.

Pine nuts are a bit of a buzz word these days not only because of their amazing taste, but also because their prices have soared- largely due to the difficulty in extracting these tasty little seeds. Nestled deep inside all pine cones are edible seeds- most of them are too small to bother extracting though.

I have a friend who gathers his own pine nuts- but he tells me its a labor of love; the price you pay at the store is a bargain compared to the work involved in harvesting them. The harvesting process involves heating the cones to encourage them to relinquish the seeds- which are covered in an extremely hard shell. Then the shells are rolled or beaten to break free the delicate seed inside.

Pine nuts are an ancient food- a staple for Native Americans- who ground them into flour, as well as the Greeks and Romans who included them in their regular diet, as well as prescribed them as a sexual potency tonic. Pine nuts high protein and vitamin content give this idea validity. Higher in protein than any other nut or seed, pine nuts also provide large quantities of valuable vitamin E and D- two very needed vitamins in the average diet.

Recipe: serves 2- 4

1/3 cup pine nuts
1 pound Brussels sprouts- washed and trimmed of any bad leaves and then sliced very thinly
1 shallot- minced
1 Meyer lemon- the zest sliced off and finely minced, the inside juiced- set aside.
4 tablespoons butter
sea salt and freshly coarse ground pepper
few tablespoons chopped parsley

Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat- just until they release their sweet fragrance and are slightly browned. Pour the pine nuts into a bowl and set aside.

Add the butter to the pan- allow it to melt completely. Then add the minced shallot and cook five minutes or so. Add the Brussels sprouts, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Cook five minutes or so more- not stirring too often to allow the Brussels sprouts to brown slightly. But not so long that they lose their vibrant color.

Just before serving add the parsley, lemon juice (to taste- you might not need all of it), the zest, and, of course, the pine nuts.

Yogurt Cheese

I have been wanting to share this for a long time. Its so unbelievably easy and versatile, not to mention, delicious. Straining yogurt removes the whey. Depending on how long you let the yogurt sit will determine its thickness: a few hours will give a Greek yogurt consistency while sitting overnight or longer will create a tangy cream cheese consistency.

Aiming to eat fermented foods with every meal, or at least once a day, is one of the simplest ways to drastically improve digestion. The whey that is removed can be added to fermented foods such as sauerkraut to increase the range of healthy bacteria. The cheese itself is amazing mixed with honey or garlic and herbs. It is a great source of healthy bacteria, protein, and calcium.

To make the yogurt cheese simply add a quart of full fat yogurt to a thin cloth or several layers of cheese cloth laid over a strainer. Alternatively, you can gather the cloth around the cheese, tie with a rubber band and suspend over a bowl to collect the whey.

Let sit over night until about half of the volume is strained out in whey. Pour the whey into a jar to use later. Store the cheese in an airtight container or follow the traditional Greek method of rolling it into small balls, and then covering them with olive oil and chopped herbs.

Blackberries with Cacao Nib Cream

Blackberries are in full effect here, and I imagine, almost everywhere else. Along roads, and rivers and backyards; their bounty is unavoidable. Most of the year the brambles are unwelcome invaders: stealing valuable garden space at an unfathomable rate. But around this time, their dominating nature returns some of its yield.

I love sinking into world of the bramble, the intimacy that is created as my attention focuses on the task at hand. If I am with other people, I love how their voices quickly become faint- overwhelmed by the hum of bees and the density of foliage as we wind ourselves deeper and deeper between canes covered in thorns to reach the biggest, ripest berries.

Blackberries give back as much with flavor as they do with nutrients. Besides being rich in fiber, and Vitamins C and A, blackberries are filled with phenolic acids which are antioxidants known to be anti-carcinogenic.

Traditionally, blackberries have been used by both Native Americans as well as Europeans, (although they were originally using different varieties). In Europe, blackberry juice was used to treat infections of the mouth and eyes until the 16th century. Today blackberry root tincture is used an effective remedy against diarrhea.

Folklore in Ireland and Great Britain says that blackberries should not be picked after St. Michaelmas Day, October 10th. It is believed that on this day, the Devil was expelled from Heaven. He fell from the sky into a blackberry bramble and cursed the fruit- scorching them with his breath and making them unfit for consumption (other versions of the story say he peed on the berries). There is some value behind this legend as wetter and cooler weather often allows the fruit to become infected by various bacteria and molds- making them potentially harmful.

Cacao nibs are also full of minerals and antioxidants- being the mostly unprocessed pieces of the cacao bean. They are available mostly in the roasted form but can also be purchased raw- which will retain more of their anti-oxidant properties. It exhausts me to imagine trying to relate all the health benefits of chocolate, and given that it has gotten so much press recently, I am not going to. Just know that chocolate is really, really frickin' good for you (in its whole state, of course, we're not talking Hershey's here).



Here's the very simple recipe:
(serves 4)

3-4 cups blackberries: freshly picked- still warm from the sun is always nice
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or chocolate extract
2-6 tablespoons of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the berries and your taste)

Whip the cream- but don't over-whip it. I always use a hand beater for this because its too easy to over do it with an electric one.

Add the sugar, vanilla or chocolate extract, and nibs.

Serve over the berries.

Redcurrant and Strawberry Wedding Cake

I have been busy; I walked across Spain (most of it, anyway).

I did the Camino of Santiago- a walk that starts in the French Pyranées and ends up at the Atlantic Ocean- 500 or so miles later. It was amazing, to say the least.

I returned from Spain to attend the wedding of a beloved friend on the Sunshine Coast of British Colombia. When I heard they planned to not have a cake, part of me rebelled. I decided to override the plan.

I aimed to make a cake that avoided the things most people dislike about cake- overly sweet, unbalanced, and a dry, boring texture.

To find a recipe for the cake I searched the family’s massive collection of cookbooks. The Rombauers pulled though, yet again, with this wonderful Génoise cake recipe in the Joy of Cooking. The authors of The Joy define the Génoise cake as, “the layer cake of Europe, an unleavened whole-egg sponge cake with a delicate butter flavor.”

An abundant redcurrant bush was beckoning to have its fruit enjoyed, so I decided to make a cake that would feature the fruit. I added strawberries to the redcurrants to mellow their intensity, and to balance the sweet brightness of the fruit I filled the cake with a cream filling.

Redcurrants are rare in the U.S which is unfortunate because they are delicious and amazingly rich in vitamin C (four times more than oranges) and antioxidants. Look and ask for them at farmer’s markets or grow your own if you have the space. And as a side note- the dried currants easily found in commerce are not true currants at all, but actually a small raisin- not the same at all.

Between the layers of cake is a not-too-sweet strawberry and goat cheese frosting. The cake is topped with a strawberry cream. Keeping the fruit raw maintains the antioxidants and vitamin C that would be destroyed in cooking. Serve the fruit on the side or atop the cake just before serving.

This original recipe serves 10. For the wedding cake I doubled the recipe twice and used big baking sheets- avoiding having to split the cake to make the layers.

Génoise Cake

Makes two 1 inch layers.

Have all ingredients at room temperature and preheat the oven to 350*

Grease and flour the sides of two 9 X 2 inch round pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift together 3 times (I know this seems excessive but think of it as a ritual of love):

1 ¼ cups sifted cake flour (more sifting)

¼ cup sugar

Melt in a saucepan:

1/3 cup butter (preferably clarified)

Whisk together in a large heatproof bowl:

6 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

Set the bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is warm to the touch, but be careful not to get too hot. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat on high speed until the mixture is light colored, has tripled in volume, and is the consistency of softly whipped cream (about 15 minutes with a hand-held mixer or 5 minutes with a heavy duty one).

In 3 additions, sift the flour mixture over the top and fold in with a rubber spatula. Reheat the butter until it is hot and transfer to a medium bowl. Fold into the batter with a rubber spatula until completely incorporated about 1 ½ cups of the egg mixture along with:

1 teaspoon vanilla

Scrape the mixture into the remaining egg mixture and fold in. Scrape the batter into the pans and spread evenly. Bake until the bake begins to pull away from the sides of the pans and tht top springs back when lightly pressed, about 15 minutes. Let cool in the pans 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pans; invert the cakes remove the liners. Let cool right side up on the rack.

The Cake Filling:

6 oz cream cheese (cold)

8 oz chevre (cold)

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup very ripe, finely chopped, very ripe strawberries

Beat with a mixer until blended and smooth.

Add slowly, mixing between additions:

1 ½ cups powdered sugar- or to taste. Add in half cup increments and taste as you go. You want the mixture to be thick but not too sweet. Divide the mixture in half.

Beat until peaks form:

½ pint of heavy whipping cream.

Gently fold the whipped cream into half of the filling mixture. This is for the top of the cake. Add more strawberries if you prefer stronger color and flavor- be careful not to get the topping too runny.

The Fruit:

12 oz strawberries, sliced

8 oz redcurrants

a few tablespoons of sugar

Gently mix the fruit and sugar together. Pour off a quarter cup or so of the juice into a small pot. Add and whisk to combine while cooking over medium-high heat until thickened:

3 teaspoons cornstarch

Remove from the heat and stir into the berries.

When the cake layers are completely cool spread the thick filling mixture over the middle and sides of the cake. Just before serving spread the soft cream filling over the top. Top the cake with roses or sliced strawberries. Spoon the fruit on the side of each plate.

spring egg salad

This salad uses peas, eggs and tons of herbs. It is fresh and vibrant- a step away from the average mayonnaise-laden egg salad (notice I didn't say "a step up"- that version can be good as well).

Cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, savory---use any fresh herbs you have on hand and use lots of them. I like to use fresh herbs with abundance, more like a main ingredient rather than something carefully measured. It helps to grow your own so that you have an abundant supply always on hand. Herbs are filled with vitamins and minerals, and most aid digestion, which helps more of the nutrients in food actually get absorbed.

Fresh meyer lemon peel is a staple ingredient in my kitchen. It enhances digestion as well as immune function because it is filled with vitamin C and anti-oxidants. From a Chinese medicine standpoint it acts as a blood-mover- basically it gets things circulating- which helps detoxification and cardiovascular health. But most importantly it lends a wonderfully bright flavor. Meyer lemons, as opposed to other varieties of lemon- such as the more common, Eureka lemon, are much more complex in flavor and less intensely sour. Additionally, they are usually more juicy; always look for the really squeezable ones.

Recipe:

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 cup peas- fresh shelled or frozen and thawed

large handful of herbs- parsley, mint, cilantro, dill etc.

3 scallions, chopped

3 tablespoons capers, chopped or whole

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely minced meyer lemon peel

salt and lots of pepper

Combine all ingredients and stir gently.

A note on eggs...

I try to use the best quality eggs I can find- the freshest and most free-range. The best measure of an egg's quality is the depth of color of the yolk. Pale yolks mean little nutritional value- and to me, they just look and taste less alive.

Farm eggs (not store bought) can be kept at room temperature- in fact they last longer and stay fresher this way. As long as an egg has never been washed or refrigerated- there is a protective coating on the shell that keeps it stable at room temperature for several months.

The trick for a perfectly hard-boiled egg is to not over-cook it. When over-cooked, yolks turn chalky and develop a blue coating.

The technique for perfectly hard-cooked eggs is to place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Bring the water just to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then immediately turn off the heat. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water.

To peel, lightly tap the entire egg to crack the entire shell. Then under cold, running water remove the shell.

Red Pepper and Hemp Heart Tapanade

Recently I have been loving making dips and sauces to have on hand so that I have quick ways of dressing up vegetables, meat dishes and crackers. Often store-bought dips- even the ones with enticing packaging are filled with not so enticing ingredients; low quality oils and filler ingredients are what allow companies to make profit. I like to make my own condiments because then I can fill them with healing ingredients; they become my medicine-delicious ways to increase my intake of herbs, good quality fats, sea vegetables, fiber, minerals, etc.

My aim in this dish was to create a good dose of essential fatty acids from hemp seeds. Essential fatty acids, also known as Omega 3 and 6, are essential for most of the body's fundamental processes such as metabolism, brain function etc. Most diets are higher in Omega 6 than Omega 3 (a good ratio is one part omega 3 to five parts omega 6. Most people have a ratio closer to 1:20 ) which results in various illnesses such as depression and inflammation.

Hemp hearts are a wonderful food because not only do they have the appropriate ratio of essential fatty acids, but they are also very are high in fiber and protein. Their high fat and protein content gives a greater sense of satisfaction after meals making them an excellent food for people wanting to balance blood sugar or lose weight.

Another benefit of hemp hearts is that they are easily digested, and are usually even beneficial for people who have an intolerance to other nuts and seeds.

The one thing to keep in mind is that hemp oil goes rancid quickly, so hemp hearts should be stored in the refrigerator and bought in small quantities.

I first made this recipe as it is. The second time I made it, I added cream cheese- which was delicious, but not exactly award-winning visually- the dark olives, red pepper and white cream cheese made it a rather unsightly color- although both versions were quite tasty- your choice.

I don't own a food processor; this isn't a confession or a boast, it's simply a fact. Sometimes I wish I did, but generally, I enjoy putting a little extra love into my food. This recipe would be made even easier with the use of some mechanical help, although it's pretty easy as it is.

RECIPE:

3 roasted red peppers*

1/2 cup hemp hearts

2 tbsp minced red onion

1/2 cup kalamata olives

juice of half a lemon

zest of half a lemon

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

Mince all ingredients and combine well. Alternatively, use a food processor. Enjoy on crackers, sliced cucumber, steak, etc.

*Conventional bell peppers are one of the most heavily sprayed crops- always go for organic on this one. I get the jarred roasted bell peppers- they may seem expensive, but usually there are quite a few peppers packed in each jar. If you want to roast your own, you can simply hold a bell pepper over an open gas flame, rotating until the skin is slightly charred.