Fig and Chevre Salad with Caramelized Shallots

 

After a long winter, it's nice to have something fresh and new. Granted, there's not a whole lot of "spring" out there right now. Technically, this one could go year- round, but for some reason it seems great for right now. Maybe it's the light, creamy chevre and fresh burst of lemon zest.

Relatively simple to put together, it's just color, texture, and flavor- a fabulous starter.

No need to mix up a dressing, but the shallots will take a bit of attention as you need to cook them for some time until they're nice and caramelized. But it's worth it (and they can be finished ahead of time and left at room temperature to cool... all you have to do is a bit of last-minute assemblage).

The extremely simple dressing is made up of oil and vinegar. That's it. A drizzle of one and a splash of the other right on top of each individual salad.  Because of this, you want to have a GOOD olive oil, and a GOOD, real, aged, syrupy balsamic vinegar. Nothing black and watery, ok?

Of course, it's a good rule of thumb when you're going with fresh and simple anyway- do with the best you're able. 

Fig and Chevre Salad with Caramelized Shallots
serves 4
Based on Suzanne Goin's cheese course Young Goat Cheese with Dried Figs and Saba
From The AOC Cookbook

1 T (15ml) olive oil
2 T (30 g) butter
4 medium-large shallots (a bit bigger than a golf ball)

Mixed spring greens
Small handful fresh parsley, stems removed and leaves reserved
8-12 dried mission figs (2-3 per person), each stemmed and cut into quarters
4 oz (113g) log of chevre
Good olive oil (maybe about 1T/15 ml per person)

Good balsamic vinegar (maybe about 1t/5 ml per person)

Fresh black pepper
Salt
Lemon (for zesting)

Peel the shallots, halve them pole-to-pole, and cut each half into thirds the same way.
Place the olive oil and butter in a skillet and set over medium-low heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the cut shallots, and stir until all are coated. Season with a pinch of salt and a couple grinds of fresh black pepper. Flip all the sliced shallots cut side down and let cook about 5 minutes, without stirring. Continue cooking another 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook 15 minutes longer, stirring more frequently and shaking the pan a bit so the shallots caramelize evenly.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the shallots cool to room temperature.

Place a nice handful of spring greens in the center of each of four salad plates and sprinkle with parsley leaves.
Add 6 pieces of caramelized shallot to the greens, and scatter eight to twelve quarters of the cut dried figs over the salad.
Top each with a slice of chevre, about 1 oz (28g).
Drizzle salads with olive oil, followed by balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt (such as fleur de sel), and a good grind of fresh black pepper. 
Top it all off with a little shower of fresh lemon zest. 
Serve immediately.

A Simple Breakfast

I have to say, a soft boiled egg is a simple pleasure.
Even so, I don't think enough people eat them. Maybe they're forgotten, maybe they're too elementary.
But perhaps it's because they don't know what they're missing out on. On the other hand, not everyone prefers egg yolks very soft...

With fresh asparagus, only just cooked, it's even more pleasant and a perfect addition to brunch.

If for few enough people, both the asparagus and eggs can be made in a single pot.
I'm aware that people don't normally add salt to their water to boil eggs in the shell, however, remember that the water is also meant to cook asparagus (which certainly needs a bit of seasoning). Then again, eggshells are porous, maybe you can get some of that seasoning into the egg, too. I'd like to think so.

For one or six, it's a recipe easily multiplied for however many people you need to feed.
If you need, of course you're more than welcome to use two pans: one for eggs and another for asparagus.

You can pierce either end of the egg to take off a bit of pressure to help keep the shell from cracking, but you'll more than likely have a bit of the egg white cooking on the outside of the egg.
Either way, you choose.

With coffee or tea, toast and jam, and maybe small dish of yogurt, a soft boiled egg breakfast is made complete.

Soft Boiled Egg with Asparagus Spears
serves 1

1 egg
3 asparagus spears
Salt to season the water (such as kosher or grey)

Optional:
Salt to season (something more delicate and flaky would be preferable)
Freshly ground black pepper

Using a pin, poke a hole into both the small and large end of an egg (optional).
Bring a few inches of water in a saucepan to a rolling boil. Add a nice amount of salt to season the water.
When the water comes back to the boil,  carefully place the egg in the pan and cook 5 minutes for a soft-boiled, somewhat runny-yolked egg. 
Two minutes before the egg is finished, add the trimmed asparagus spears to the boiling water. When time is up, remove both the egg and asparagus, and rinse the asparagus in very cold water to shock it, keep it's bright color, and stop the cooking process. 
Season and serve as desired. 

Dirty Chai

A dirty chai is deeper than a regular chai latte due the the addition of espresso... yes, the espresso gives it something more than just depth.
I know it has at least one other name, though I can't recall right now.
Besides, dirty chai is what I call it, and it seems to work most of the time.
(And if that doesn't work, I'll order a chai latte with a couple shots of espresso.)

I think of it as a treat- great with a book on a cold day.
It's one of the things I tend to sample around town, and I certainly prefer some to others.

This dirty chai is similar to the masala chai recipe I have somewhere here, but I wanted to add a little more kick with a few of the spices since the espresso adds it's own type of strength to the drink. I wanted to make sure the spices were strong enough to stand up to it.

Those more robust spices include black pepper, clove, a bit more cardamom from the pods, and some nice fresh ginger.
Fresh ginger is wonderful, and much more intense than the powdered version, but it became apparent that milk and cream curdle in a very bad way if brought to a boil with fresh ginger.

It's an enzymatic reaction, and that enzyme in ginger needs to be killed if you prefer your beverages to be liquid.

There's less likely to be curdling if the ginger is brought to a high heat prior to adding it to milk.

So, because I (unfortunately) found I'm not a fan of cheese/spice/tea/coffee texture (more so if the spices cannot be easily removed), the ginger will not be added as the other spices are in this particular recipe.

It's written for part half and half (light cream) and part whole milk. If you'd like it a little less rich, skip the half and half and use all milk.

You may ask whether there is an easier way to do this- there are three things on the stove to create one drink! Well, I'm awful at doing things the easy way, so, no.
(Saying that reminds me of Tina Turner, "We never, ever do nothin' nice, an' easy."
Not that I'm exactly Tina Turner...)

Dirty Chai

serves 4-6

8 green cardamom pods- cracked, seeds removed and pods reserved

1, 1 1/2 inch long cinnamon stick (about 1/2 a regular-sized, bottled stick)

5 black peppercorns

3 whole cloves

1/4 t (1 g) fennel seeds

1 c (250 ml) half and half (light cream)
1 c (250 ml) whole milk

1/8 t (generous pinch or two) freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 t (generous pinch) kosher or sea salt (anything but iodized)
fresh ginger, a generous nutmeg-sized knob, thinly sliced

1 1/4 c (310 ml) water

5 t (enough for 5 cups) loose black tea
3 T (45 g) raw sugar

8 shots fresh, hot espresso

Grind together cardamom, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, clove and fennel in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Bring the half and half and milk to a simmer over medium heat in a heavy saucepan along with the ground spices, nutmeg, cardamom pods, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently about 3 minutes to infuse the spices into the milk, stirring occasionally.

While milk infuses, bring the water to a full rolling boil in a small saucepan along with the ginger. Boil about 3 minutes,  remove the pan from the heat, add the tea, and let steep for 5 minutes.

Pour the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into the milk and spice mixture, discarding the tea leaves.  Pour the milk and tea mixture back through a fine mesh strainer into the small saucepan that previously held the tea (rinsed, of course, if any tea leaves remain). 
Add the sugar and warm the tea and milk over low heat 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar and incorporate everything together. Add the espresso, stir, and serve.

Shaved Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad

Using seasonal vegetables is a great thing, and the even better news is that there are such things as winter vegetables. Perhaps the variety isn't as great, and the colors aren't as flashy as those vegetables in other seasons, but they do exist.

As it so happens, vegetables belonging to the cabbage family fit the bill.
Those cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale...) can certainly be grown year-round, but are sweeter in flavor when harvested during cooler months.

Things like cauliflower and Brussels sprouts definitely have a solid place in the winter vegetable canon, there's no denying it.

Semi-conversely, I'm not so sure about Brussels sprouts in July- they just don't sound as appetizing (yes, we're all aware that some would say they never sound appetizing).
The same goes for that dark green, plastic/rubbery looking leaf that's so wonderfully put to use by caterers to beautify trays and in buffets (it hides the crushed ice so well). Yes, it's kale, and it is edible- unless it really is the faux kale and truly made of plastic (officially inedible, or at least not very good for you).

The raw texture of kale and Brussels sprouts is hearty, not delicate, and they can withstand some strong flavor combinations well without being overpowered themselves.

Bite from mustard, zip from lemon, fruity green from good olive oil, while the vegetables are more of an earthy green- especially when raw.

Parmesan adds a bit of creamy nuttiness.

One really nice feature about this particular recipe is that the salad can be made in advance. In fact, it's good the day after it's put together. How many salads can you say that about?

I didn't toss them in this last time, but I think I would really enjoy this salad with a nice handful of toasted pine nuts.

If looking to make this a complete meal, perhaps consider adding a poached or hardboiled egg.


Raw Shaved Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad
based on a Saveur recipe
serves 6

1 lb (about 450 g) Brussels sprouts
1 bunch lacinato kale (maybe 15 leaves)

1 medium garlic clove, minced

finely grated zest of 1 lemon 

4 T (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 T (27 g) whole-grain mustard
1/2 c (120 ml) good extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt (maybe kosher or grey salt)
freshly ground black pepper
fresh Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler


Wash the kale and brussels sprouts. 
Remove the stem from the center of each leaf of kale and cut about 1 cm wide on the diagonal so you have rough ribbons. Place the kale in a large bowl and set aside. 
Thinly slice the Brussels sprouts (with mandolin or a knife) from top to bottom, holding each sprout by the stem end. Discard the stems and place the sliced Brussels sprouts in the bowl along with the kale ribbons. 

Make garlic paste by sprinkling a moderate pinch of coarse salt over the minced garlic on a cutting board. Using broad knife, smash and scrape the garlic and salt, dragging the side of the knife across it several times with some force until you have achieved a uniform paste. 
Place the garlic paste in a large bowl along with the lemon zest and juice and mustard. Whisk to combine. While whisking continuously, add the olive oil in a slow stream until all has been added and the dressing is emulsified. 

To the dressing bowl, add the shaved greens. Toss several times to coat with the mustard dressing then taste. Season with salt and pepper as desired, toss again thoroughly and taste again (and season again as necessary). 

Mound the salads on individual plates and sprinkle with shards of shaved Parmesan cheese. 

The Pantry

This is something I started a while back, and it's been written because one of my sisters asked me to do so.
Apparently she was trying to look up what should be included in a well-stocked pantry, but could only find lists of things she deemed "weird" and "random."
I guess we're talking basics here- things you want around and not have to run out to the store to purchase, but I don't know how basic I'll actually be.
Maybe it's reality for some people, though others might say they have no use for something I think important.
In that case, maybe it's an example of well-stocked for Natalie's purposes.
Frankly, I don't believe anyone's going to print out this list and take it to the store with them, and I don't think there are many out there building a pantry from scratch.

These things I list should last a while shelf-life wise, and at least a week for those that expire (and for that you would check out the expiration date on the milk to be sure).
Fill in with things that you should be purchased closer to the dates they're used: meats, salad greens, many fruits and vegetables other than those I have listed.
I'm not saying anyone needs to really stock up on the perishables. Those weeks you NEED three gallons of heavy cream are probably few and far between in a home kitchen (and then the issue of economy can come up once it's gone bad and you've used less than a half gallon).  A pint, however, is a more appropriate amount.
And there's the question, what are five ingredients you always have in your shopping cart? Mine would probably be fresh garlic, fresh lemons, kosher salt, whole black peppercorns (to grind), and wedge of real Parmesan cheese (no green shakers). But then if I start thinking about other things, I wonder about whether I need to substitute good olive oil for something.... and are the salt and pepper understood, or do they have to stay on the five-things-only list? I'll keep thyme in the garden, so that's not an expense to worry about.

Then again, the whole idea could make a good challenge: you will have a plain chicken breast, salt, and pepper. You may have 4 other things to make up a completed dish. What will you do?
My only other comment is to buy the best you are able. Assume the word "good" precedes each item. You generally pay for quality. If organic is important to you, please buy it. If small businesses are important to you (and small and/or local farmers trying to eek out a living), please support them.
And if you're partial to Wal-Mart, I don't really want to hear about it. But if that's what you can afford, that's fine.
One other little thing: beet sugar and cane sugar are not the same thing (and a sugar beet is not the same as the commonly known beet root). They may have the same chemical makeup, but they don't behave the same way, and cane sugar is the winner in comparative tastes of finished products. I would rather not listen to the salesmen on the subject, but instead to the people who use mass quantities of it every day.
Plus, think of all the happy children in Hawaii who benefit from your purchase of pure cane sugar.

Sweeteners
sugar (raw if you can)
brown sugar
golden syrup (mmmmm)
real maple syrup
molasses
honey

Dairy
Parmesan cheese
heavy cream
whole milk
plain yogurt
butter (both salted and unsalted)
large eggs

Grains/Nuts/Seeds/Dried Beans
basmati or jasmine rice
arborio rice
millet
quinoa
whole oats
polenta
raw almonds
pecans
walnuts
sesame seeds
popcorn
several varieties of dried beans (black, lentils, split peas, cannellini, etc.)

Oils and Vinegars
olive oil
sunflower oil
white wine vinegar
red wine vinegar
balsamic vinegar
sherry vinegar

Spice Cabinet
kosher salt (plus grey salt, fleur de sel, and maybe another type or two if it's up to me)
whole black peppercorns or a blend (and a pepper grinder)
dried thyme
dried oregano
bay leaves
cinnamon
cumin
cayenne pepper
curry powder
whole nutmeg
whole cardamom
whole cloves
real vanilla or vanilla beans (if not real, I'd personally not want anything)

Cans/Boxes/Jars
chicken broth
vegetable broth
whole tomatoes (in a glass jar or lined can)
a variety of beans
chickpeas
Dijon mustard

Baking
AP flour (if you use it, and/or  a variety of GF flours if you're using them)
aluminum-free baking powder
baking soda (bicarbonate)
cocoa powder
dark chocolate

Vegetables
carrots
onions
potatoes
celery
garlic

Fruit
lemons
dried cranberries
dried apricots
raisins
shredded coconut

Bonus
fresh parsley
fresh rosemary
fresh thyme
fresh ginger root

Oatcakes

I've always liked granola in all forms: homemade, store bought, raw, baked, bars, loose cereals, shards and clusters for snacking...

This time the aim was a granola bar in muffin form, containing many of my favorite granola accoutrements.

I wanted something potentially portable, certainly substantial and filling, good with a cup of coffee or tea, for breakfast or a snack, not sticky, not tooth-achingly sweet. 

Instead they turn out to be lightly sweet, with a toasty, almost brown-sugary caramel flavor. 

The bit of batter helps hold together the oats, nuts, and coconut, without being the more common sticky "glue" that holds many granola bars together.
Really, the texture is pretty nice: nubbly with a bit of crunch, craggy, a little crumbly.  

And in the end I even think they're pretty to look at.

Because I didn't particularly want to make an extra trip to the store, I went with what I came up with after going through the grain stashes and some of the pantry staples at home. Luckily it didn't turn out too shabby. 

By this time I've made the recipe twice, and I'm thinking about other things I could do with it. 

In truth, and I suppose it's the easiest way to go, I mostly found myself thinking of particular granola flavors I enjoy. 

Perhaps another time I'll end up adding dried fruit (blueberries, cranberries, cherries, chopped apricots) or a mashed banana, maybe switch up the nuts and seeds. 

Then again, the basics are always good...

As they cool, the muffins end up with a crust- but a crust that easily gives way to an oat-packed interior without difficulty- dense without being rock hard.
And actually (coincidentally, and happily), this project ended up tasting very similar to one of my all-time most favorite granolas.

Oatcakes
makes 12 standard-sized muffins
based on a recipe from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day

2 1/2 c (260g) old-fashioned rolled oats (GF if that's what you're looking for)
1/3 c (74g) raw millet
1 c (128g) sorghum flour
1/2 c (62g) teff flour
1/2 c (52g) tapioca flour
1/3 c (53g) sunflower seeds
1/2 c (42g) shredded coconut
1/2 c (84g) raw sugar (turbinado, or brown sugar if you don't have raw) 
1 t (3g) cinnamon
1 t (6g) baking powder
1 1/2 t (10g) salt
1/3 c (80ml) honey

1/3 c (80g) coconut oil

5 T (72g) unsalted butter

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.
Grease a 12-hole standard-sized muffin tin with coconut oil or butter (alternatively, place cupcake papers into the muffin tin).
Place the honey, coconut oil, and butter in a small saucepan and heat on low, stirring frequently, until just melted and well-combined. 
In a large bowl, combine the oats, millet, sorghum flour, teff flour, tapioca flour, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, raw sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir well to combine.
Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture, and mix with a spatula until homogenous.
Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl and pour over the oat batter. Mix and fold in the eggs until everything comes together and the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture among the prepared muffin holes.
Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and the tops and sides are golden.
Remove the pan from the oven to a wire rack and let the muffins cool 10-15 minutes.
(Initially the muffins are soft and crumbly- too delicate to remove from the pan successfully, so they require a little cooling time so that they firm up enough so each can be extracted in one piece.)

Gently run a knife along the perimeter of each muffin and remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

The muffins can be stored several days at room temperature in an airtight container (otherwise, they would probably freeze well for another day).