Green Bean Salad

At the farmers markets, green beans appear regularly now. You don't need to do much with fresh green beans, but we've been eating a lot of them, so I thought it was time for a little something different. For this recipe, the key is to add one subtle flavor plus a dramatic one:

Steam the green beans until just tender. If you want this as a cold salad, put the beans in ice water, but the salad is also good warm or at room temperature.

Dressing:
This is just a mustard vinaigrette, but ideally, you should use nut oil. Someone gave us walnut oil as a present, and we've discovered all kinds of delicious uses for it:

1 1/2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 T. walnut oil
1 tsp. coarse mustard
1 T. vinegar (preferably sherry vinegar)
pinch of sugar
salt & pepper

Whisk the dressing until well combined. Toss with the beans.

Fall Food - Ratatouille

Ratatouille

Ingredients
2 Tbls olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 med eggplant, chopped
2 med zucchini, chopped
1 can (15oz) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 bayleaf
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Saute the onions in the olive oil.
2. Add the eggplant and zucchini and continue to cook stirring occasionally.
3. When the eggplant begins to soften add the rest of the ingredients.
4. Cover and allow to simmer until all of the eggplant and zucchini is soft, 1-2 hours.
5. Serve hot or cold. Good with cheese.

Theory of the Dish

To me Ratatouille is a mixture of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes, flavored with onions, garlic, and Italian spices. Quantities and details may vary.

This dish keeps well, it is even better the second day.

Around the oven

This weekend the weather has turned cold, though it isn't snowy. Yesterday we went up to a nature preserve near the confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers so that we could watch the bald eagles nesting there. We arrived at a partially frozen pond near one of the locks and saw, out on an island, about seventeen eagles perched in a single tree. Trumpeter swans had made themselves comfortable in a a free patch of water, and I couldn't count the number of ducks we saw (merganser, bufflehead, eider). We eventually retreated to the ranger station to watch the birds in comfort, but I came home with an urge to make something that would warm me and the house.

Potato casserole:

5-6 medium sized potatoes, sliced thin
4 T. melted butter
salt and pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth

Slice the potatoes and toss with the melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread in a wide casserole pan and add the broth. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes, until top is golden and crisp. (from Edna Lewis's recipes in Gourmet magazine)

Chocolate Bread Pudding
(since you've already turned on the oven . . . )

4-5 slices firm sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 T. instant coffee or espresso powder
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Beat eggs with sugar, add milk, cream, vanilla and espresso powder.
Put half the bread cubes on the bottom of an 8 in square casserole.
Place half the chocolate on top of the bread.
Add another layer of bread.
Finish with the remaining chocolate.
Pour the liquid over the whole.
Let stand 20 minutes.
Place in a 325 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and is semi-solid.
Let cool and set for about 30 minutes.
[from Cook's Country magazine]

Pickled Eggs and Swiss Chard

I really feel the need for some protein and healthy vegetables lately.

Dad's Pickled Eggs are an easy quick protein pick me up.
1 Doz large eggs, hard boiled
1 (15oz) can whole beets
1 tsp salt
Cider vinegar

I have a pickle jar that hold 1 doz hard boiled eggs easily. I peel the eggs and pop them into the jar. Then I add the can of whole beets (I prefer the whole beets because they are the same size and shape as the eggs :-D), the salt and enough vinegar to fill the jar.

I can usually only wait 24 hours before I start eating them.

Fresh Red Swiss Chard.
1 bunch red swiss chard
salt & pepper
Butter
balsamic vinegar

I cut the stems out of the leaves and cook them separately, they take longer to cook and have a totally different flavor.

Rinse the chard.

Cut the stems into bite sized pieces and put in a small sauce pan to simmer until tender.

Rip the leaves into medium sized pieces and put in a large pot with a little bit of water to steam.

Serve the stems with butter, salt, and pepper.

Serve the leaves with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a chopped pickled egg :-D

Simple Winter Food

Winter is a good time for soups. I made Beef and Barley soup last night. I also made mashed Rutabaga. Did you know Rutabaga is a cross between turnip and cabbage. (I didn't. Thanks Wikipedia!)

Mashed Rutabaga is easy. Just peal off the outer layer of the Rutabaga (and all that wax they dip it in). Chop it into chunks and simmer it in salt water until it is tender. Then throw it in the food processor with some butter, salt, and pepper (and a little milk if it doesn't move easily). It has the consistency of mashed potatoes but more flavor.

Beef and Barley Soup is an old stand by. I just brown a pound of beef in my heavy soup cauldron. Throw in one coarsely chopped onion, a few ribs of diced celery, one large carrot cut into rounds, one (15oz) can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 cup pearl barley. 6 cans of water, salt and pepper to taste and let it simmer for a couple of hours.