Food for Thought: The Top 100 from the Environmental Working Group

The Environmental Working Group's latest effort is a nice visual presentation of the "Top 100 Foods" which combine the qualities of being affordable, highly nutritious, and less likely to be contaminated with pesticides, toxins, or additives. When considering that daily "What's for dinner?" question, this is a great source of inspiration to get the ball rolling. The proteins were my favorite category, where I personally tend to get into a rut with meal ideas.

http://ewg.org/goodfood/protein.php

When in doubt, my personal rule of thumb is- shop seasonal, shop local, shop colorful, shop organic where you can (when prices are close, when cooking for young kids or pregnant women, or when the food is highly likely to have pesticides which are difficult to remove even with washing, such as those on the "dirty dozen list").  When I follow these rules I always have fresh ingredients and variety in my cooking and don't spend too much.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek egg-lemon soup with chicken and orzo)

This is a tangy, Greek soup, which is thickened using eggs, and is a fall and winter favorite. The lemon/citrus flavor is unique compared to the other soups I make in the winter. The use of eggs as a thickener is also different- many other soups are thickened by pureeing the ingredients, adding thickening agents such as cream or potatoes, etc. After ordering it every time we visited our favorite Greek restaurant, I decided to learn how to make it myself. I adjusted the recipe each time, and this has been my favorite version so far:

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Butter

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Quarts Chicken Stock

1/2 Roast Chicken, shredded 

(or equivalent in chicken breasts/pieces, cooked and shredded)

1 teaspoon dried parsley 

1 bunch oregano, chopped finely

1 1/4 Cup orzo pasta (substitute rice if preferred)

Juice from 4-6 Lemons (~ 1/2 Cup)

5 eggs

Salt and Pepper/Lemon Pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. As butter starts to foam, add celery, garlic, and onions. Cook gently until just translucent/tender. 

2) Add chicken stock, bring to a boil. Add chicken, oregano, and parsley. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing chicken to further tenderize and separate.

3) Add orzo pasta, cook until "al dente" for time specified on package (~9 minutes), then reduce heat to low.

4) In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Whisk in lemon juice, and 1 C broth from the hot soup. 

5) Turn the heat off  on the soup. Stir egg-lemon mixture into the soup pot. (If soup is boiling when egg is added, it will curdle and chunks of egg white will cook and float in soup). Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with bread and a Greek salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, onions, chopped celery, and mixed greens, in oil and vinegar with Mediterranean herbs)

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Garlic, Chives, and Andouille Sausage

Nothing says comfort food for me like Soup. I have been making it a goal to try some new recipes with this season's ingredients. This soup is my new favorite. It pairs nicely with rustic bread on a cool evening, and is just the right combination of rich, creamy, sweet, and spicy. I highly recommend it. This is a gluten free recipe, which is easily adapted to suit your dietary preferences. Veggie and Vegan friends: see the bottom of the page for substitutions/adaptations. Because the meat is added in at the end after the soup has been made it is perfect for omnivores and vegetarians to share together! I challenge everyone to give it a try- it is not that complicated!

I love sweet potatoes. And I'm not talking about bright orange Thanksgiving "yams" that people drench in syrup or marshmallows and overcook once a year (gag). If you have a sweet potato aversion and that has been your only experience- hear me out. The tubers I am referring to are the buttery, subtle, sweet varieties of yellow and white sweet potatoes, such as my favorite- the Hannah Hannah variety. Organic option for this, and other white and yellow fleshed sweet potatoes are readily available in our area at this time of year.

Pictured above: two vintage advertisements for Louisiana Sweet Potatoes. Do an image search for "Vintage Sweet Potato Ads" if you have time, and take a look at some of these. They are pretty amazing examples of early 1900s fruit and veggie posters from the southern U.S. - with some beautiful art as well as some unbelievable Jim-Crow marketing campaigns.

Before we get cooking, if you are wondering what the difference between the commonly confused and mislabeled sweet potato and a yam is: most of the orange-fleshed tubers sold in the United States as "yams" are actually sweet potatoes. True sweet potatoes originated in the Americas, and are members of the Morning Glory family, distant relatives of the potato. True yams, long, cylindrical tubers which have origins in Africa and Asia, have scaly skin and are contemporary carbohydrate staples in Africa and the Caribbean. The title "yam" is used for marketing purposes in the United States to distinguish the sweet potato varietals with deep orange flesh. Sweet potato flesh can vary in color from white or beige to bright orange or yellow, or even purple. For pictures of yams vs. sweet potatoes and more information from a blogger who is very passionate about this topic you can visit:

http://youknowthatblog.com/2009/06/14/yams-are-not-sweet-potatoes/

As I do not eat pork I use an organic chicken andouille sausage. Andouille sausage and sweet potatoes are commonly featured in French-Cajun cooking in Louisiana, as well as other southern cuisine. This is the stuff Jambalaya is made of. Andouille sausage is traditionally a smoky and pork sausage made in a very specific way- I don't want anyone to lose their appetite so I'll be brief- but varieties of Andouille have probably been made in France for over 1,000 years. The recipes include wine, and unlike other sausages, utilize the stomach and entire digestive system of the pig. Although Andouille is traditionally mild, Cajun Andouille, which has been adopted in the United States, has a real kick. In the end, the chicken variety is a pleasing substitute that will not disappoint. Its use in this soup imparts a warm smoky flavor to the whole dish- perfect for a cozy autumn meal.

This creation is an adaptation with roots (hehe, food pun) as an Emerille Legasse recipe. Take caution not to overfill traditional blenders with hot soup. I ended up with a scald mark on my arm when the heat and steam within the very full blender led to increased pressure and an explosion of hot soup. Whoops. Good little science experiment which i won't be repeating. Blend in reasonably sized batches and pulse with care, or use an immersion blender. And now, for the recipe:

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup with Garlic, Chives, and Andouille Sausage

Cooking Time: about an hour Serves: About 6-8 large bowls of soup

Ingredients

Olive Oil

3 medium-large sweet potatoes (ex- organic Hannah Hannah sweet potatoes)

3 large links chicken andouille sausage, diced into quarter-inch cubes (or 2/3 lb ground andouille)

1 Cup onions, diced

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 quart chicken broth

2/3 Cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

Fresh ground black pepper

A handful of diced chives (3-4 Tablespoons)

Sour Cream

Directions

Step 1: Cut the sweet potatoes in halves, and coat in olive oil. Place them in a small baking dish and roast in the oven until soft all of the way through when pierced with a fork (45-55 minutes).

Step 2: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin from the potatoes. Reserve the sweet potato flesh until ready to use.

Step 3: While potatoes are cooking, heat a 1 gallon stockpot over medium-high heat and add olive oil twice around the pan. Add the diced andouille to the pot and stir occasionally. Saute until the meat is well caramelized (crisped and deep golden-brown on the outside), ~ 6 minutes. Use a spoon to remove the cooked sausage from the pan and reserve- set aside in a small bowl.

Step 4: Add the onions and garlic, and a dash more oil if needed, and saute until golden and softened, ~4-5 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and chicken stock the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer.

Step 5: Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the soup and stir, using a spoon to break apart into smaller chunks. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend. This can be done with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth. Use care not to burn yourself. Return the soup to the pot, if necessary, and stir in the heavy cream. Season with the salt and black pepper. Stir in chopped chives and andouille sausage. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream in the center of the bowl, alongside favorite bread (rosemary sourdough! woot woot!) and mixed greens (arugula and spinach with sunflower seeds in a light vinagrette).

Substitutions: For lighter/vegetarian/vegan option omit cream and cook with one additional potato to thicken, use soy-rizo instead of andouille. Substitute veggie stock or vegan bullion for chicken stock. For omnivores cooking to share with vegans/vegetarians, wipe/rinse pan and add new oil after sausage is cooked, and hold meet aside and add only to bowls of those who eat meat.

Experiments in Home Preserves- Organic Peach and Nectarine Jam

Organic Peach and Nectarine Jam

This jam combines the sweetness of ripe summer peaches with the warm fall spices of vanilla and nutmeg. Perfect on a scone for a lazy morning breakfast. Naturally occurring pectin in the fruit peels causes the mixture to gel, and the jam turns a light rose color while cooking and processing.

Ingredients

4 cups chopped organic nectarines and peaches, with peels still on

2 cups sugar

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

1 Cook chopped fruit, sugar, and lemon juice at a mild boil until liquid begins to gel and sheet off of spoon (around 20 minutes, up to 30 minutes, depending on cooking temp and fruit)

2 Add spices, cook for 5 minutes more.

3 Skim any foam off surface.

4 Ladle into sterilized jars.

5 Process in boiling water bath for 10-mins.

After reading up a bit on hot water bath canning during the winter, I decided to give it a shot now that all of produce is ripe and the prices are good. Here in Northern California berries, peaches, nectarines and cucumbers are all in season (along with about a thousand other things), so those are the ingredients I used. Canning turned out to be much less tricky than I had feared. Fruits, veggies, pickles, sauces, and salsas are an attainable goal for anyone with some produce, a few supplies, and a free afternoon. Those horror stories of bacterial poisonings and such are from back in the day, when people used home recipes to can dairy products, breads, thick stews and meats in pots of hot water. The USDA and various agricultural groups have perfected the sterilization procedures and recipes over the past several decades, and everything is fairly simple and extremely safe if you just follow a recipe. I bought a copy of Better Home and Gardens "You CAN CAN!"... mostly because I liked the title, and have done further searching online for recipes to try. Because there is chemistry involved- things have to gel, or set, or pickle, as well as be sterile and vacuum seal, I have only slightly altered spices/flavorings, never cooking times or ratios of ingredients. I first made two batches of garlic-dill pickles- one spicy, and one mild. I followed those up with a batch of organic raspberry jam. Having only purchased one pouch of pectin, not realizing that it would only make one batch of jam, out of sheer laziness I started searching for fruits that I already had, with naturally occurring pectin so that I wouldn't have to drive to the store. I had some organic peaches and nectarines on hand, and found that leaving the peels on provides plenty of pectin to create a firm jam, and the added spices taste delicious- this is a very easy, sweet, and flavorful jam that will be warm and delightful over Chris's Swedish Pancakes. I do think organic fruit is worth the investment if you are making large batches of jam. Peaches, nectarines, berries, and grapes are all thin skinned and treated with lots of pesticides. We are lucky to live in an area where organic options are both cheap and readily available, at Costco as well as the grocery store.

Project: Custom Recycled Dog Bed; and A Short Original Story About the Busy Dogs

A short story about two busy dogs, and their special bed- and some pictures showing how I saved the gross old thing from getting thrown away, and refurbished and recycled it into something newer and better:

The Feather Bed

Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a feather bed. It was puffy and cozy and wonderful. Then, she married someone who preferred not to sleep on feather beds, and they decided to get rid of it. It was tossed onto the floor of the bedroom, waiting to go to Goodwill. That's where it was found by a very spoiled little terrier puppy, who decided that she deserved a feather bed of her very own. She curled up on the thick, white, down bed, and decided it was her favorite spot to sleep. . .


She liked to hide her toys inside of it, and roll on it after baths, and dive into the the big squishy piles of fabric and feathers. The puppy slept there every night. She grew and grew, until she was all grown up- 17 lbs. The feather bed was much too big for her, and there was lots of extra room. One day, another dog came along.


A very naughty little dog, who was scrappy and skinny, and knew how to make mischief of all kinds.


The dogs liked to curl up together, and snuggle on the feather bed. When the people saw how the spoiled little puppy loved her new friend enough to share the special feather bed with him, they decided that even though he was scruffy and naughty, the new dog could stay.

After awhile (more than two years!)... the feather bed was looking very dingy and dirty and flat and sad. It was leaking feathers, and covered in dog hair, and it didn't look so nice and white anymore. The people wanted to get rid of it, but they just couldn't. The dogs loved it too much. So....

The girl got some special fabric (a strong, waterproof kind, with a beautiful pattern), and some big buttons, and strong thread...


And the dogs looked them over and decided they were ok....
And the girl made them a cover, so that they could keep using their special feather bed. Only it wasn't a feather bed anymore. It had turned into a dog bed. A plump and puffy, snuggly dog bed with lots of room for two busy dogs. And the dogs would race into the room and jump gleefully onto their new bed.

And they slept there every night, and they were happy. And at night the people could hear them snoring- but that was ok, because it was very quiet snoring, and the people didn't mind it so much because it reminded them that the dogs were happy and close by, and they loved them very much.

THE END

Pumpkin Spice Baby-Cakes with Orange Cream Icing

Inspired by today's trip to the Pumpkin Patch with the preschoolers, Pumpkin Spice Baby-Cakes made a sweet dessert on an October evening. I used organic canned pumpkin to make this batch of cookies, which are soft (almost cake like), and lightly spiced, and covered in orange-cream icing. They are nice with cider, coffee, or as a dessert to share- and are super easy to make.

Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Baby Cakes:
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Icing:
2 Cups powdered sugar
1/4 Cup (half stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons orange juice

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with waxed/parchment paper. Foil would also work.

Step 2: Make cookies. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy.

Step 3: Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix well.

Step 4: Add (remaining) dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Drop cookies (about one Tablespoon of dough each) onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until firm and light golden-brown.

Step 5: As cookies bake, make icing. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, and whisk together. If too dry, add more OJ. If to wet, add more sugar.

Step 6: Remove cookies from oven. Cool for a few minutes, then top with a small dollop of icing.

Step 7: Eat, share, enjoy!

Variations: Icing makes enough for about two batches. I doubled the cookie recipe. I also took a hazelnut-chocolate bar, broke it into tiny pieces, and mixed it in to about a dozen of the cookies. Tasty. Nuts or chocolate chips can be added as desired. I used all organic ingredients in this case, as they are easy to find and comparable in price for their non-organic substitutes.

Chicken and Barley Garlic-Ginger Soup with Everything

I have a head cold, and this soup did the trick in making me feel better- warm and nutritious, as well as sinus-clearing. Went into Co-op and bought all seasonal ingredients - the soup was fresher and cheaper because of it! This was seriously an everything goes in the pot, Autumn day kind of soup- and it turned out great. I made a huge pot- probably about a gallon, of really hearty and ingredient-rich soup. Lots to freeze and lots to share.


Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Large Bunch of Carrots, diced
(I used organic, rainbow colored carrots for some variety and color- and got them with the giant tops on- a good snack for the chickens)
1 leek, sliced into thin pieces
3 celery stalks, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon dried basil leaves
1-2 handfuls of favorite mushroom, diced
2 Cups Barley, Dry
1 whole chicken, roasted, then shredded- include all dark and light meat (free range all natural, pre-roasted chicken = cheap, easy and good)
4 quarts chicken stalk (or veggie stock, or bullion, etc)
approx. 1 lb colorful, fingerling potatoes, diced into 1/4" cubes
1 GIANT bunch dandelion greens (a little over 1 lb)
Salt and Pepper to taste




Step 1: In a large stockpot heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add carrots, leeks, celery, garlic, and spices. Cook until fragrant and just tender.

Step 2: Add mushrooms and Potatoes. Grate in a few teaspoons worth of fresh ginger. Cook until mushrooms start to gain color. Add another drizzle of olive oil if needed. Add chicken, broth, and barley. Use a zester or grater to grate all of rest of the fresh ginger into the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes- seasoning to taste and stirring occasionally.

Step 3: When flavors are coming together, soup is fragrant, and barley and potatoes are cooked through, serve soup along with foccacia.

Variations: Endless. Add everything. Spice it up. More greens, more veggies, more spices. Go crazy. Yum.