too much of a good thing
Rudi should never be allowed to leave home, particularly if I am there and armed with a refrigerator full of ingredients. I decided to be adventurous and actually cook something today. Unfortunately, I followed Rudi's method and not my grandmother's. Gramma measures ingredients carefully and adjusts all her measurements based on how much she's making. Rudi, being blessed with some sort of natural cooking gene, just throws things together.
This does not seem to work for me.
I decided to use some of the fresh garlic and cannellinis we picked up at last week's farmers' market to make Tuscan-style white beans. But I didn't want to use half a pound -- just two handfuls.
Maybe I should have found out how much two handfuls measured out to. It was probably a 1/2 cup.
I cooked them with some dried sage, per the recipe, added salt (too much) and pepper and simmered until they were tender.
Then I added a clove of garlic.
This, of course, was not your generic bland garlic. This was a head of Silver Solitude, Solitude Farm's best and most potent garlic.
The recipe, back when it called for a 1/2 pound of beans, called for two cloves. I decided to ignore the math (which also would have required dividing the clove into some fraction) and just put the whole thing in.
Big mistake.
After adding the olive oil, I put it into a bowl and dug in for dinner.
I suspect I will reek of garlic for the next week.
I probably could have cut it with something, but the garlic had already gone to my brain, and I had no idea what to add. Tomatoes, maybe? Rice? Spaghetti?
I'm sure with slightly less (or less pungent) garlic, this would have been a fine meal. I will try it again sometime -- after doing the math.
The original recipe:
(From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian Cooking)
- 1/2 pound white beans, washed and picked over
- 20 fresh sage leaves or 1T dried sage
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2T extra-virgin olive oil
1. Place the beans in a pot with water to cover. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. [I was using fresh, not dried, beans, so I just simmered them.] Add the sage; adjust the heat so the beans simmer. Cover loosely.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans begin to soften; add about 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Continue to cook until the beans are very tender; add additional water if the beans dry out.
3. Drain the cooking liquid if necessary, then add the garlic, along with some more salt and pepper if necessary. Stir in the olive oil and serve.
The notes add that you can add some coooked sausage (an interesting note in a vegetarian cookbook) and sautéed red bell peppers to make this into a main course dish.
Makes 4 servings.
imbb 16: eggs
Eggs are such a staple in my house. They are handy for a quick meal, essentiall for certain dishes and desserts, and have such a happy shape.
I've recently grown fond of eggs bought at the Dupont Circle Freshfarm Market. The farmers at the market (many of whom use organic and/or no-pesticide growing methods) sell the most lovely eggs, with deep, golden yolks that create egg dishes that are simply radiant.
So my recipe is simple, something almost anybody here has probably done, but is so essential to my life.
Distressed Eggs with fresh herbs and Tobasco
4 large eggs (for stronger egg flavor, use goose or duck eggs)
5 fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp garlic chives, chopped
1/2 small shallot, finely minced (could substitute spring onion or sweet onion, or omit)
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste
Tobasco sauce to taste
1 tsp butter (unsalted preferred), separated into 3/4 tsp and 1/4 tsp amounts
- Heat a small pan (preferably seasoned cast iron or nonstick) over medium-low heat for 3 minutes or until water drops immediately sizzle off surface of pan.
- Add 2/4 tsp of butter and melt to cover bottom of pan.
- Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes or until tender (not until burnt).
- Break eggs into pan, using spatula to break yolks (thus the "distressed" label). Stir to mix in shallot.
- Add salt and pepper (to taste) while egg mixture is still liquid and cook eggs for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add basil, chives and thyme to eggs, letting them sit on top.
- Use spatula to ensure eggs are loose from the bottom of the pan.
- Fold egg "patty" in half, like an omelette and reduce heat to low (nonstick pan) or turn heat off (cast iron).
- Let eggs sit in pan for 2 minutes to allow inside to cook a little.
- Cut into halves and serve, drizzling Tobasco over eggs if desired.
Serve with toast or bread of your choice. Serves 2.
sugar high friday — lemon chiffon tart
For my inaugural posting here on off the eaten path, I thought I'd take a stab at this month's Sugar High Friday. Redbeard from life in flow had chosen the theme of tarts for June. I have never cooked a tart. I usually don't even make pies. But I'm game for an adventure, so I went out and bought myself a tart pan.
Then I hit the hard part of the process: what to cook. I thought I'd delve into some of the cookbooks I've bought over the years but never baked from. After consulting several, I decided on the recipe for Lemon Chiffon Tart from Marie Simmons' the good egg.
I am pleasantly pleased to report it was not nearly as hard or as scary as I thought it would be. It wasn't even as time consuming as expected.
And the best part is that it's tasty. And very, very lemony.
The crust is delightful. Rudi compares it to a graham cracker crust, because it's flaky and crunchy. According to Simmons, the dough for this tart crust is known as pâte sucreé in France and is used to make homemade butter cookies as well as tart shells. And I could see why. This may be the only pie crust I've ever had that I would consider eating on its own. (Sorry, Gramma!)
The filling is light and fluffy. It tastes a lot like a lemon merengue pie, which, essentially, it is. Rudi describes it as tart and creamy.
This is definitely not a healthy dessert, but I would argue it's excellent for the soul. And especially good with a cup of tea late at night.