Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

Posted on February 13, 2014 by diary of a tomato

Pork and Cabbage Dumplings

Some of our fondest food memories from living in New York were the late night take-out dinners of dumplings and sesame noodles. Though the Seacoast entertains a wide range of restaurant choices, Asian food is not high among them, and we’re fairly reliant on what we can make ourselves. With a little practice, dumplings have entered our kitchen repertory, though we still kind of miss the folded paper containers they came in.

For this particular batch, we used the recipe for Pork and Cabbage Dumplings with Homemade Wrappers from Serious Eats. As locally-sourced pork tends to come in one-pound packages, we doubled the recipe and froze the other half. Napa cabbage is harder to come by this time of year, and we used one of our more tender storage ones instead; regular cabbage also makes a fine substitute.

Local ingredients: Ground pork from New Roots Farm; cabbage from Stout Oak Farm.

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2.10.14 Snowy Owl

Posted on February 10, 2014 by diary of a tomato

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“…while they might have been looking for the avian equivalent of a zebra, they had happened on a unicorn.”
— New York Times

One doesn’t have to be a birder to get excited over the prospect of seeing a snowy owl. Ever since reading about a nearby sighting, we’ve been on the look-out for them, and finally caught sight of one blending in with the snow-covered rocks and placidly taking in the evening’s sunset. This year’s migration pattern has been newsworthy for its range and number, and though this particular owl has since moved on, we still hope to catch glimpse of another. From The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America:

Snowy Owl
Nyctea scandiaca
Uncommon to rare and irregular. Nests on open tundra. Winters in open fields or marshes, where it perches on the ground or fence posts even in daylight. More active at night, hunting small rodents and birds. Solitary. One of our largest owls and relatively sleek. Mostly white in all plumages; face and underwing coverts always pure white…. Song a deep, muffled, repeated hoot brooo. Call a high, drawn-out scream.

If you’re not sure what a repeated hoot brooo or high, drawn-out owl scream is supposed to sound like, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has audio clips >

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Pasta Carbonara with Kale

Posted on February 7, 2014 by diary of a tomato

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“In heaven, after antipasti, the first course will be pasta.”
— Steve Albini

We’d both arrived home late, so birthday dinner for the Gardener needed to be something easy, yet still feel special. We’d happened to pick up duck eggs while at the Winter Farmers’ Market in Rollinsford, and, with those on hand, a luxurious Pasta Carbonara came together quickly. A red onion plucked from root storage and caramelized in good olive oil stands in handily for the traditional pancetta, and tossing in some winter sweetened kale satisfies our mid-season cravings for greens. Thick strands of bucatini, a kind of hollow spaghetti, pairs especially well with the unctuous sauce, as did the celebratory bottle of champagne — an unexpectedly heavenly combination.

Pasta Carbonara with Kale

½ cup good olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 to 2 bunches kale, stemmed and cut into shreds
½ cup white wine
4 to 6 fresh eggs (chicken or duck)
1 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus extra for the table
1 pound bucatini, or other long pasta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

– Bring a large pot of water for the pasta to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the red onions, and sauté until beginning to brown and caramelize. Stir in the shredded kale (we liked having more than less), and continue to cook until barely wilted. Deglaze with white wine, remove pan from heat and set aside. Beat the eggs in with the cheese — 4 eggs are sufficient, especially if they’re large; we used 6 to compensate for the extra kale — and set aside.
– Salt the pasta water, drop in the bucatini and stir once to separate. Cook until just al dente and drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Set the frying pan over medium low heat, and add the drained pasta to the onion and kale. Pour in the eggs and cheese mixture, and gently toss together until the eggs are cooked; they should slowly become creamy, rather than scrambled. If necessary, add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Immediately remove the pan from heat, and season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with extra pecorino on the side. For 4 to 6, depending on the occasion.

Local ingredients: Duck eggs from Cracked an Egg Farm; kale from Two Farmers Farm; and red onion from Black Kettle Farm.

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If on a Winter’s Night

Posted on February 5, 2014 by diary of a tomato

If on a winter's night

“Relax. Concentrate. Dispel every other thought. Let the world around you fade. Best to close the door; the TV is always on in the next room. Tell the others right away, ‘No, I don’t want to watch TV!’ Raise your voice — they won’t hear you otherwise — ‘I’m reading! I don’t want to be disturbed!'”
— Italo Calvino, “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler”

Though January’s behind us, we’re not ready to come out of hibernation. At least not just yet, and today’s snowstorm is the perfect excuse to stay in and catch up on some reading. We’ve an eclectic pile to choose from, gratefully received as recent gifts or through  thoughtful recommendation:

• Hawaiian Legends of Old Honolulu from Leslie, with whom we love to swap Hawaiian ghost stories which give us the shivers.

• Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, a welcome birthday gift from the Gardener’s mother, by Anna Quindlen who we remembered enjoying reading when she was a New York Times columnist.

• The Hare with Amber Eyes and The Purloined Clinic from Carolyn and Vinnie, respectively, for some diametrical right brain entertainment/left brain stimulation.

• Beautiful Corn, on loan from Peter, because we wanted to know the difference between flint and dent corn, and how it’s nixtamalized.

• Mastering the Art of French Eating, signed by the author who looks like someone we would enjoy having a cup of coffee with at the corner cafe, from the Cook’s mother.

• Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America, on recommendation from Evan, who led us on a foraging walk and could name every mushroom along the way.

• Essential Yoga Poses by Judith Lasater, the teacher of our teacher, Erin — it may or may not help us hold the pose for longer, but at least now we’ll know what they’re called.

May you never go without something good to read — many thanks, dear ones!

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2.3.14 Spaghetti Squash, Roasted + Kale

Posted on February 3, 2014 by diary of a tomato

2.3.14 Spaghetti Squash, Roasted + Kale

Like children, each of the three varieties of winter squash we grew last season had a personality of their own. The happy-go-lucky delicata merrily went along, tucking itself in where it could, and producing at will. The domineering tromboncino was more unruly in demeanor, taking up as much space as it wanted and willfully climbing over the adjoining bed, then clambering onto the neighboring fence. As for the spaghetti squash, it proved recalcitrant and in need of two years of coaxing to appear. When it finally did, its single lone fruit turned out to be a beaut.

2.3.14 Spaghetti Squash, Roasted + Kale

We closely monitor our storage winter squash for ripeness and decay, and by February, when most of them are ready, we’re eating them in earnest. With the spaghetti squash, though, we didn’t know what to expect. Was it ripe, and how long would it store? Looking back, we’d forgotten how green it was in late October. It’s since colored up to the requisite golden yellow and, once it was opened up, it’s keeping qualities became evident. Its flesh was unblemished and the cavity still looking fresh. Next time, we’ll know it can keep even longer.

2.3.14 Spaghetti Squash, Roasted + Kale

While spaghetti squash may be cooked whole, it’s worth the effort of splitting it open to roast it in halves, and cooking it cut-side up results in firmer and more distinct strands. Once the stringy flesh is all scooped out and fluffed up, it can be eaten as is or, as we did this wintry evening, adorned with a quick sauté of garlicky kale.

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Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Kale

1 spaghetti squash
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches kale, stalks removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thinly into half-moons
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

– Heat oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Place the squash on a baking pan, cut side up. Rub some olive oil over the cut surface, then place in the oven and roast for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a fork punctures the flesh of the squash easily. If the squash seems to be drying out while while baking, brush on some additional olive oil. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh out with a fork. Place in a bowl to set aside.
– Heat a slurp of olive oil in a large frying pan, and sauté the red onions until translucent. Add the minced garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and continue cooking for another moment, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the kale, and partly cook until just wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, dress with a splash of cider vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with the cooked spaghetti squash and toasted pine nuts, and serve.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.

Local ingredients: Kale from Red Manse Farm; red onion from Black Kettle Farm; cider vinegar from Sewall Organic Orchard; spaghetti squash and garlic from the garden.

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Potato and Celeriac Gratin

Posted on January 31, 2014 by diary of a tomato

Potato and Celeriac Gratin

“It’s… about simple cooking. It’s the kind of woman’s cooking that everybody knows about but nobody knows how to do. It’s nice dining-room cooking. It can be very simple or it can be more sophisticated in terms of traditional food — but lighter, with nothing heavy. It’s a kind of poem.” — Daniele Mazet-Delpeuch

There was a time when learning to cook meant learning how to cook French food. We were reminded of this while watching Haute Cuisine, a quietly elegant film based on the not-so-quiet life of Daniele Mazet-Delpeuch, who served as a private chef for Francois Mitterand. Though some of this cuisine’s fussier aspects, as depicted in the Palace’s kitchens, have fallen out of fashion, at essence, it’s one centered on respect for good ingredients, balance of flavors, and a knowledge of technique — qualities that span time and place.

Potato and Celeriac Gratin

It was with these thoughts in mind that we set on making Potato and Celeriac Gratin, a French bistro classic. This is a hearty dish well-suited to the cold-weather season, and the addition of celeriac to the potatoes adds a haunting note. The extra step of simmering the root vegetables in a milky bath before baking lightens the richness of the dish, and keeps it from being overburdened by cream. Do use whole milk, we’ve found substituting low-fat or skim a detraction. Though we’re not usually concerned with removing the green germ from storage garlic, here it seems to makes a difference, in keeping with the spirit of the dish. It’s not always easy to use fresh herbs during winter, however, we were able to wrestle some thyme from the garden, still fragrant under it’s crust of snow.

Potato and Celeriac Gratin

A note on the cheese: Gruyere brings a sweet and nutty flavor to the gratin, and is especially known for its baking qualities. For a more local choice, look for a cheese that will melt smoothly yet retain a bit of body. Some New England options include: Green Mountain Gruyere from Blythedale Farm; Farmstead Jack from Boggy Meadow Farm; cheddar from Brookford Farm; or fontina from Maplebrook Farm.

Potato and Celeriac Gratin

1½ pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1½ pounds celeriac, peeled and sliced thinly
2 cups whole milk
2 cups cold water
3 cloves garlic, minced (green germ removed)
¾ teaspoon sea salt
3 bay leaves
A bunch of fresh thyme
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

– Heat the oven to 375°F.
– In a large saucepan, place the potatoes, celeriac, milk, cold water, garlic, salt, bay leaves and bunch of thyme. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking at the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes.
– Remove the bay and thyme. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half of the vegetables to a 2-quart gratin dish. Season to taste with nutmeg and pepper, and cover with half of the cream and half of the cheese. Cover with a final layer of vegetables, cream, and cheese. Season again with nutmeg and pepper, and sprinkle with thyme leaves. Discard the milk and water mixture.
– Place in the center of the oven, uncovered, and bake until crisp and golden on top, 1 to 1½ hours.

Adapted from “The Provence Cookbook” by Patricia Wells.

Local ingredients: Milk and cream from Harris Farm; Yukon Gold potatoes, celeriac, garlic and thyme from the garden.

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1.27.14 Winter Leeks

Posted on January 27, 2014 by diary of a tomato

1.27.14 Winter Leeks

Overwintered leeks — the first harvest of the year, and the last from the previous one.  This mix of King Sieg and Siegfried leeks, both hardy varieties, has weathered this season’s subzero temperatures with surprising tenacity. 

1.27.14 Winter Leeks

Even the trimmings are put to good use, and enriched a recent batch of chicken stock.

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