Sauce, Butter, and Leeks

Well last weekend Naomi and I went west in order to go apple pickin'. McHenry county has quite a bit of apple orchards but unfortunately Naomi and I waited to the last possible month, one could wait, to go apple pickin'. Luckily a few orchards still had some late season varieties and some apple cider left for us.

Our first stop was to All Seasons Farm Nursery & Landscape, which is a large orchard with all the bells and whistles; hayrides, mazes, cafeteria, and so much more. Last year we went to this one at the height of the season and left without anything due to the crowds. Yet, this year no crowds, no waits, and much cheaper apples. Our next stop was to Prairie Sky Orchard where we bought some more Jonagold and some honey crisp. This orchard was more to our liking; small, pleasant, and a homier feel. Lastly, we stopped at Homestead Orchard and actually picked apples off of the trees. This orchard was by far my favorite of the three. Here the owners were having a special which basically amounted to buy one peck of apples get another peck free. Needless to say we picked two pecks and ended up with 24 obs. of apples just from this orchard. At Homestead Orchards we picked Galas, Empires, Golden Blushings, McIntosh, Braeburn and Winesap varieties. By the end of the day we had a trunk full of apples, a couple gallons of cider, and a busy couple of days cooking ahead of us (by us I mostly mean Naomi).

Later that day Naomi began making apple sauce and apple butter. Both of these recipes can be found in the Ball canning book. Yet the main difference in apple sauce and apple butter appears to be in cooking time. The apple butter is cooked for longer in order, I guess, to give it a thicker texture. That night we also had apple pie and an apple/leek pastry for dinner and just to complete the theme a bit of apple cider to wash it all down with.

Apple/Leek Cheese Pastry

2-3 medium size apples

1 medium size leek

(In actuality there should be an equal amount of apples and leeks)

2-3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Pinch of Pepper

Olive Oil

1 Thawed Package of Phyllo dough

Start by coring and slicing the apples--We have an apple corer that does an awesome job with this. If you don't have one and are going to cook with apples I suggest that you get one. Life becomes so much easier.

Then slice the leeks into pieces of equal size to the apples.

Put the oil into the skillet and then heat the pan to medium heat.

Put the apples and leeks into the pan and the season lightly with pepper. Stir the contents of the pan occasionally and cook until the apples and leeks are soft.

While the apples and leeks are cooking shred about three cups of cheddar cheese and then put it into a large bowl.

After the contents of the pan are cooked put them into the bowl with the cheese. Next stir the mixture until every thing is mixed thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put a sheet of Phyllo dough onto a sheet pan and then brush half of it with olive oil. Then fold in half so the unoiled part is folded into the oiled part. Now brush half of that with olive oil and then fold again. Now you should be down to a quarter of the original sheet. Place a spoonful(s) of the apple, leek, cheese mixture into the center of the phyllo dough. Now fold up the edges as you would with an egg roll wrapper. Place the finish pastry onto an oiled sheet pan.

Repeat the above step until you run out of the apple, leek, cheese mixture. Then place the sheet pan into the oven and cook for approximately 30 minutes or until they are golden brown.

We be Jammin', Strawberry Jammin' Part II

Well here is about 20 quarts of strawberries just waiting to be jammed.

This past Wednesday Naomi and Five Crows got together at 9:00 in the morning to begin what was to be an all day affair of canning strawberry jam. Between the two of them they made approximately 480 ounces of strawberry jam or about 60 jars. They have made plans to can more fruits and who knows start a whole business.

Watching these two work took me back to my grandparents house in Arkansas. Where my grandmother would spend many of hot summer days canning preserves. Just the sight of a Mason jar can bring back many happy memories. I wonder how many people in the United States still can food?

First step is washing and then cutting off the caps off of two quarts of strawberries

Next put the 2 quarts of strawberries into the pot and then mash them right in the pot. This will help to save on dishes that you will need to wash later.

Then add six cups of sugar and stir the concoction thoroughly.

Put the Mason jars into a dishwasher and wash them to heat up the jars.

Next heat up the concoction until it gets to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then using a ladel and a jar funnel pour the jam into the Mason jars. Next put the lids on and then screw on the rings, but make sure that they are not to tight.

Place the jars into a water bath canner and lower them until they are submerged.

Boil them for fifteen minutes and then remove them using the tongs.

You may hear a slight popping noise as you remove them. Let them sit for a bit until all the lids have sealed-The popping noise. The jars take up to 24 hours to cool.

Basil + Scapes = Pesto

Scapes are the flower stems of garlic. They are removed in order to force the garlic plant to put all of its energy into creating bigger bulbs of garlic. Scapes have their own wonderful flavor and can be used in any meal as a substitute for chives or garlic. In the recipe below it was used as a substitute for garlic since we were down to our last clove.

Pesto is an ancient dish whose roots go all the way back to ancient Rome. It can be found in supermarkets, but these are usually made with cheaper ingredients. If you have never made pesto yourself I suggest that you try. It is a wonderful sauce on pasta or pizza. And as always freshly made at home is always better than store bought.

Ingredients

2 cups of Basil

3 garlic scapes or 3 garlic cloves

1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup of Olive Oil

1/4 cup of Parmesan

(It is nice to have a food processor when making this dish)

Rinse the basil and the garlic scapes

Cut the flower part or the umbel from the scape

Put the washed garlic scapes in the food processor and chop them finely

Put the washed basil into the food processor and chop and mix it with the garlic scapes

Next add the Olive Oil through the top of the food processor as it is running.

Then add the toasted pine nuts into the food processor and chop and mix them in

Lastly add the Parmesan into the food processor and chop and mix it in.

Scrape the pesto out of the food processor into a bowl.

Then added it to whatever you desire and enjoy.

Remember that you can make more pesto than you will need and freeze it so you will have some in the long depths of winter.

This Week in the Garden and a New Recipe

This week I was gone a couple of days on a camping trip with my classroom.  I came back to find out just over two inches of rain has fallen and the plants are in a flourishing stage.  I am going to add more soil to all of my potato bags. The basil is starting to take off.  I can't wait to make the first batch of pesto.  Last night we used some of the spinach and the sage from our garden to make a wonderful sage, butter, spinach pasta dish.  This is a great dish and Naomi and I love to make it around this time of the year when the spinach is fresh.

Pasta with Sage Butter Sauce

Pasta (any Kind)

1 bunch of Spinach

2 dozen large sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1 stick of butter

1/4 cup of pine nuts

Parmesan Cheese

1. Start boiling water for the pasta once at a boil rolling or otherwise put pasta in for specified time.

2. Start boiling another pot of water and place washed spinach in a colander.  Then proceed to steam the spinach.

3.  Toast the pine nuts in a toaster oven or in the oven  at 350 until toasted

4. Melt the stick of butter in a pan and then saute the sage in the butter.

5. Combine the butter sage sauce, the steamed spinach, and the toasted pine nuts over the pasta.  

6. Lastly add the amount of Parmesan that you desire (I always desire quite a bit) and enjoy.

The CSA, Pac Choi, and Egg Rolls

Well two Thursdays ago was the second week of the CSA pick up (for more about CSA's in the Chicago area and Sandhill Organics see this news article).  Last week we recieved some potatoes, green garlic, spinach, radishes and a few mixed greens.  This prompted Naomi and I to cook potatoes over our wood fire grill and lounge on the deck last Friday night. We made some garlic, chive butter for the potatoes that was quite exquisite.  This Thursday we recieved pac choi, stone ground flour, mixed greens, and a few other items.  Last night the pac choi led to the making of 25 egg rolls.  The production of these egg rolls took about an hour and the feast took another full hour.  We had to take a short break in order to catch our second wind.  (I am not as young as I used to be)  Naomi tells me that I am quite the egg roll chef, but it all seems pretty simple and when your frying something how can it not taste good.

Egg Roll Recipe

This recipe is adapted from the Smith & Hawken Gardeners' Community Cookbook which was compiled and written by Victoria Wise.

1/2 cup of Sweet and Sour

3/4 pounds of pac choi finely chopped washed and spun dry

3 Green onions finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 tablespoon of ground ginger

6 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce

One package of Egg Roll wrappers

Vegetable Oil for deep Frying

Combine the pac choi, green onions, garlic, cilantro and ginger in a bowl then toss and mix

Add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce to the bowl and then toss again.  Set aside

Take out the egg roll wrappers and place one on a plate in front of you.  Put one to two tablespoons of the filling in the middle of the wrapper.  Roll up the wrapper envelope style or by following the directions on the package.  Seal up the wrapper with some of the left over soy sauce to keep the wrapper from springing open.

Continue this process until all of the filling has been used or you run out of wrappers

Then in a frying pan or a wok pour oil until it is about 1 1/2 -2 inches deep

Fry egg rolls until they are golden in color.  You will have to turn them as they are cooking.  Frying of egg rolls will of course cause splattering so be careful.

When all done eat when they are hot and enjoy them

A Scrumptious Squash Serving

Not too long ago those winter squash that were havested in the fall by the CSA turned into quite a tasty meal. Naomi and I were having some good friends over and decided to experiment with a recipe we had never made, winter squash raviolli with an orange balsamic reduction sauce. The end result was a sweet and savory treat that felt almost like eating a dessert. In fact if I was to make this meal over I would tweak the sauce in order to tone down the sweetness. However here is the recipe. Make it for yourself and enjoy.


Ingredients
for the filling...
1 butternut squash (about 1-1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
about 5 sage leaves, minced
pinch of nutmeg
2 to 3 tablespoons grated pecorino-romano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

for the ravioli dough...
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil

for the sauce...
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and brush the entire surface with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake, cut side down, until completely soft (about 1 hour). When cool enough to handle, scoop the soft flesh out into a bowl, mash lightly with a fork and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage and cook until warm and fragrant without letting the garlic brown. Add the butternut squash and cook, stirring frequently, until the squash has dried out some (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and season with the nutmeg, cheese, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature before using in the ravioli.

Sift the flour and the salt together into a large mixing bowl and make a well or shallow pit in the center. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and the olive oil. Pour the eggs into the well and start incorporating the flour into it with a fork. Once enough of the flour has been incorporated to keep the liquid from being too runny, transfer the contents from the bowl to a clean work surface or counter dusted with flour. Start kneading the mixture to finish blending it all together. Knead for another 5 to 10 minutes, dusting the counter with more flour, if necessary, as you go. At this point, the dough should be satiny and elastic in texture. Wrap the dough lightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour at room temperature.

Using a pasta machine, follow the manufacturer's instructions and roll the pasta dough out to one of the thinnest settings. Cut the strips into lengths that are easy to handle (about 12 to 16 inches long), lightly dust each with flour, and set the strips on top of one another. Work with one strip at a time and keep the others covered with a kitchen towel. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour. Drop tablespoons of the filling onto the bottom half of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart. Fold the top half over the filling. With your fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife to cut each mound into squares and crimp the edges of each with a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with flour to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

To make the sauce, combine the orange juice, brown sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a small pot and simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Melt the butter into the sauce and keep warm over low heat as you cook the ravioli.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes (they'll float to the top when ready). Lift the ravioli from the water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. In a large warm bowl, gently toss the ravioli with the orange sauce and serve garnished with the chopped hazelnuts and minced parsley.

Makes 4 to 6 servings