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.

Seared Ahi Tuna with Asparagus and Tomato Over Ginger Wild Rice

On a recent trip to Co-op I decided to venture down the frozen food aisle. I was really excited to discover a shelf of frozen meats and seafood. When the deli items aren't purchased, and the sell by date nears, they freeze the meat and fish, and only charge 50% for them! The only hitch is, once you defrost, there's no going back- you have to use it the next day. I promptly bought 2lbs of pet-quality ground turkey and lamb for Scout and Luke (1.89 for 2 lbs!), and a huge Tuna steak for us. Tonight, we feasted. Scout and Luke loved this new discovery, and so did I. Unfortunately Chris was stuck at the lab :( but he'll get some nice left-overs (I had to cook it, since it defrosted last night). This was a super delicious and easy meal:

Seared Ahi Tuna Steak with freshly harvested Organic Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes,

served over Organic, Long-Grain Brown and Wild Rice

Ingredients

large tuna steak

1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

1 cup rice

2 cups broth

3 teaspoons ground Ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1lb asparagus

several handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved

butter

Step 1: Use lemon juice, salt, and pepper to season tuna steak liberally on both sides. Set aside.

Step 2: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, brown the rice and garlic for a moment, then add broth and ginger. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook rice until just done, and liquid is absorbed.

Step 3: When the rice has about 10 minutes left to cook, start this step. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. When warmed, add seasoned Tuna Steak. Cook for a few minutes on that side, to desired doneness (like a steak). Nice to leave a little rare/soft in the center.

Step 4: 30 seconds before turning steak to cook the other side, add cherry tomatoes and trimmed asparagus.

Step 5: Flip steak, and cook second side. Add 3 tablespoons butter, sliced into small pats, all around vegetables and fish. Serve vegetables and fish over wild rice. Drizzle with pan sauce.

Autumn Dinner: Umbrian Lentil Stew, Salmon, & a Raspberry Salad (recipe)

Since returning from Vietnam, where the cuisine contains very little wheat and dairy, I have been trying to expand beyond my typical go-to dinners (some variety of pasta, with a side of bread) and have tried to think more consciously about the types of carbohydrates and side dishes in the meals I make. Don't get me wrong, I still love my homemade spaghetti and warm, rustic bread, but I want every part of the meal to be a conscious choice. This week I assigned myself a project. I decided to strive for maximum variety, and make sure the protein, carb, and veggies in each meal were unique, so that every single dinner this week was completely different. We had Israeli Cous Cous with fennel sausage and spinach in tomato sauce one night, a huge chef salad with various nuts, olives, hard boiled eggs, and blue cheese was another evening's dinner, and I followed that up with some long grain wild rice with lemon pepper cod and Greek salad. (Ok, ok, so the salads are a little repetitive- but organic greens have been on sale, and I've been using a different variety of lettuce or greens each night, and also a different dressing and additional fixings with each meal).

For tonight's dinner I bought some fresh, wild Sockeye Salmon from our market, and decide to try making lentils to serve along side. I bought a half-kilo (a little over one pound) of Umbrian Lentils- a tiny, multi-colored variety known for being smooth and light texture and flavor. They are grown organically in a traditional crop rotation schedule in the hills of Northern Italy. Aside from the unique yellow lentils in Ethiopian food, my last encounter with lentils was during my early childhood, and I really hated them. I remember the texture being mushy and terrible. This recipe was a nice surprise for me. Chris and I both enjoyed them, especially as a compliment to the salmon, and I will definitely try a variety of this dish again.

Lentil Stew

Ingredients

olive oil
1/4 C (1-2 slices) organic turkey bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
all leaves from 3-4 large sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tomato, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 lb lentils
2-3 C chicken stock
salt and pepper

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a medium sized saucepan. Add diced turkey bacon.
(Traditionally this type of dish would call for pancetta. I don't eat pork, so I substitute turkey bacon. It is actually pretty darn close in flavor to real bacon. It is leaner and cooks to be crispier, which I like, and it is available in an organic, no nitrate added variety.) As the meat begins to brown, add diced vegetables (except tomato) and herbs. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, until very fragrant and vegetables are just starting to cook and soften.

Step 2: Add in tomato, cook for one minute more.

Step 3: Add in lentils, and stock. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until lentils are cooked and just a bit soft, but still retain some bite. As lentil cook, you may need to add a little more stock. There should be a bit more liquid than lentils.

Step 4: Plate a large scoop of lentil stew, pair with salmon and salad.

Notes/ Varieties:
If serving as a whole meal, consider adding some extra turkey bacon and some mushrooms to round out the meal. Vegetarian version- Substitute mushrooms for bacon. Add extra tomato and vegetables. A similar, traditional Unbrian lentil dish is served with fried eggs on top.

Salmon

Ingredients
1 lb fillet of fresh salmon
lemon (juice)
salt
lemon pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
3 medium tomatoes, chopped

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil (I love recycled aluminum foil!), and place fish in dish with skin side down.

Step 2: Squeeze the juice from half of a lemon over the fish, then season with salt and lemon pepper. Chop 2 Tablespoons butter into small pats, and place them all over the top of the salmon fillet. Cover and surround fish with chopped tomatoes.

Step 3: Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on thickness of fish), watch closely to make sure fish does not over cook.

Step 4: Plate alongside lentils and salad, serve and enjoy!

Salad

Ingredients

1 part organic raspberries
2 parts fresh seasonal greens (spinache, arugala, dandylion, butter lettuce, etc)
a light drizzle of balsamic vinagrette

Step 1: Combine ingredients in a bowl, toss together. Serve alongside lentils and salmon.

Vietnam

We arrived back from Vietnam at the end of August- it was an amazing journey. Truly life altering. Since a picture is worth at least a thousand words, if you're interested in the details you can check out our little photo album with explanations in the captions, for a brief synopsis of our adventure. Thanks to everyone for their support! We were able to help so many people, and bring clean water, toys, school supplies, and friendship to so many children!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2629442&id=10701959&l=582f44916e

Good Morning Sunshine! Muffins (recipe)

Now that our chickens are finally getting the hang of things, I'm trying my hardest to use up the 4+ eggs we're getting each day. We also have some big crab apples up in the tree, and I wanted to put some of those into a recipe as well. This is how I used today's batch. Fresh fruit + Fresh Eggs = Good Morning Sunshine! Muffins (makes 12 large muffins- 219 calories/3g protein each)

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 C olive oil
1 C brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
a splash of fresh lemon juice
Fresh Fruit (2 C shredded sour apples + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or 1 1/2 C fresh berries)
2 C unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1.2 teaspoon salt



Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, stir together eggs, olive oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. When combined, add fruit, and stir until evenly mixed.
Step 2: In a small bowl stir together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt). Fold dry ingredients into wet until just evenly mixed. Do not over stir.
Step 3: Use a large spoon to plop the batter into the cups of a muffin tin. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes total, until still very moist- not browned- and a knife inserted into center comes out clean. Pull out at about 15 minutes before done, and add a dab of butter and sprinkle of brown sugar to the top of each muffin.

Enjoy warm. I made a batch of each type. 3 large apples from our tree produced about 2 cups of grated apple. The apple muffins were sweet and tasty- really nice to eat warm. The berry muffins are a little tart- not too sweet, and get a little bit more fluffy. Next time, I'm going to try pumpkin/pine nut muffins. Good Morning Sunshine!

Berry Muffins next to Apple Muffins

Reagan's Seafood Bisque (recipe)

I made this bisque after adapting a couple of classic recipes to include more vegetables and cut down on heavy cream. I wanted a soup that had more lean protein in it, and ended up deciding to add a final step, of adding in my favorite types of seafood after the bisque has been pureed. This is a rich, delicious soup that goes wonderfully with fresh bread, and any fresh, seasonal seafood and herbs that you have on hand.The whole prawns create the base for this dish, but aside from that, you can add just about any favorite fish or shellfish. I chose to use shrimp, lump Dungeness crab meat, and Alaskan cod. I also used fresh thyme and parsley from the garden. This recipe creates a giant crock pot of soup- I made it this way so that I could share it with friends, and freeze small containers to pull out for a quick meals down the road. If you are planning to make just enough to serve a family for one night, I would cut the recipe in half- which would then fill up a 4 qt saucepan rather than a crock pot, and easily serve 6 people as a main dish (and would give you 12-16 small cups of soup for side dishes/appetizers).

Ingredients

1 yellow onion
1 medium leek, chopped
1 bulb fennel, chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 Tablespoons butter
2 cans peeled, diced tomatoes, drained
1 small can tomato paste (around 5-6 Tablespoons)
1 cup Oloroso sherry
1 pound medium sized, whole, shell on, prawns
1 cup uncooked Basmati rice
4 cups heavy cream
4 cups half-and-half
2 cups vegetable stock
8 sprigs parsley & sprigs thyme- tied with cooking twine
2 teaspoons crushed, dried bay leaf
2 teaspoons crushed, dried basil
fresh ground salt and pepper
8 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
a few pinches of cayenne pepper
1 pound shrimp-I like the cooked, peeled, deviened shrimp meat (looks like tiny baby shrimp)
1/2 pound lump Dungeness crab meat
1/2 pound fillet of Alaskan Cod

Tools needed: Blender (standard or emulsion) and large crock pot

Step 1: Heat butter and olive oil in a large crock pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and fennel. Cook until translucent (about 8 minutes).

Step 2: Add tomatoes and tomato paste. cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated (about 6 minutes). Add sherry, and simmer until reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Count your whole shell on prawns, and write the number down. This will help you later when you need to remove all of them from the soup.

Step 3: Stir in prawns, rice, cream, half-and-half, and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. Add bundle of fresh herbs, as well as dried basil and bay leaf. Simmer gently, stirring every few minutes, for 25 minutes. Add lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes more (total time simmering = 45 minutes).


Step 4: Remove herbs and whole prawns. Discard. Puree soup in a blender. You could also use an emulsion blender or a food processor. I just have a small blender, and I ended up needing to blend two batches (about 90 % of the soup). The bisque can be served at this point. If adding seafood such as crab, shrimp, cod, halibut, shellfish, scallops, etc. follow step 5.


Step 5: After pureeing, return soup to crock pot, over medium heat. Add cod, shrimp and crab (or desired seafood). Simmer for a final 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. If adding fish, flake into small pieces with a wooden spoon as you stir.

Step 5: Garnish with sprigs of parsley, and serve with warm bread. Enjoy!

Orecchiette Pasta with Brown Butter Sage Sauce (recipe)

This is such a quick and delicious meal. It is rich and flavorful, and is a good choice as a side dish to roasted veggies or chicken dishes. Here, I served it with some homemade meatballs. I added lots of fresh sage, garlic, and Pecorino-Romano cheese to the meatballs, along with extra red pepper flakes. See the previous meatball recipe for details on how to make homemade meatballs. Once those were in the oven, while the pasta was cooking, I made the sauce. One important factor with this sauce is the type of pasta- It works well with smaller, thicker types of pasta such as campanelle, orecchiette, and is outstanding with stuffed pastas such as a cheese or mushroom ravioli.

Ingredients

Two large handfuls of fresh sage leaves, julienned (30-40 leaves)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound of pasta (see above for pasta types)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a pinch of salt

optional- homemade garlic-sage meatballs with Pecorino cheese

Step 1: Make and cook meatballs. See previous recipe for details. Modify as follows: add 5 cloves minced garlic, 15 diced sage leaves, 1/3 cup Pecorino cheese, and 2 extra teaspoons red pepper flakes, into ground beef mixture before shaping meatballs.



Step 2: Boil water for pasta. Add pasta, cook to al Dente, and drain. Pasta should still have a nice 'bite'

Step 3: Make sauce. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat until it begins to foam. At that point, add in 3 Tablespoons olive oil, and all of the julienned sage leaves. Continue to cook, stirring slowly. Be careful that the heat is not too low (needs to be high enough to maintain foam and slowly brown butter) and not too high (be very careful not to burn/overcook). Just as the sauce begins to turn a pale golden color, add minced garlic. Continue to cook until sauce is golden throughout, but not burned. Add a pinch of salt, to taste.




Step 4: Pour sauce over cooked pasta, and toss pasta so that it is evenly coated. If using meatballs, add those to the pasta as well. Serve immediately. Garnish wish Parmesan cheese and a couple of fresh sage leaves.

Davis-Vietnam Community Outreach Project

We are so excited to announce our travel plans for this summer! We are going to have quite an adventure, trekking through the jungles and communities of Northern and Central Vietnam with a few of our good friends. We will be in Vietnam in August, for a total of three weeks. The focus of our journey will be our community outreach project, and our volunteer efforts in a local orphanage. We hope to share more information as our trip comes together, and share pictures and stories as we travel! We are also looking forward to exploring Vietnam's natural beauty including its National Parks, wildlife, and ocean. We are excited about meeting people from local villages, staying in stilt houses, hiking in the jungles, and learning about the history, culture, and landscape of Vietnam- as well as reach out to the orphans of Ba Vi and support their needs.

Click HERE to follow us on Facebook


Davis-Vietnam Community Outreach Project

Goals/Fundraising Plan

Goals

Volunteer our time and services in Ba Vi Orphanage, in Northern Vietnam

Make a connection with the community of Ba Vi Orphanage by developing relationships with the children and workers; learning about daily life in the orphanage; observing the needs of the children, staff, and building; and beginning a dialogue about how to extend and continue our support

Purchase much needed supplies and materials for the children at the orphanage

Travel through Northern and Central Vietnam to learn about the country, language, culture, landscape, and local villages

Visit the Cuc Phuong National Park to view one of last remaining preserved habitats in the country, and the endangered animals and indigenous Muong Hill Tribe that lives within the park.

Visit and make a contribution (donation, possibly also volunteer some time) the Endangered Primate Rescue Center (operated by the Frankfurt Zoo) within Cuc Phuong National Park.

Bring photos, stories, and information back to the children of La Rue Park CDC and Russell Park CDC in Davis, CA; help the children develop a sense of global citizenship, an awareness of other cultures and ways of life, a sense of responsibility to care for others in need, as well as knowledge about the country of Vietnam and the people and animals who live there

Plan future support efforts

Expenses

5 volunteers (Melissa Chordas, Lisa Heritage, Reagan Carosino, Chris Carosino, Palina Chordas) from Davis California are traveling to Northern and Central Vietnam from August 1 – 21, 2010. The following figures reflect the actual costs of travel and living expenses for the trip, excluding any donations/contributions we will make.

Cost of airfare: $1206.00 per person

Cost of trip once in Vietnam: $1,300 per person (including guide, interpreter, transportation, lodging, food, etc.)

Total cost per person: $2,500.00

Total cost for group: $12,500.00

(This figure does not include cost of Visas, passports, vaccinations, malaria medication, and health and safety related travel supplies including DEET, sunscreen, Sipro, etc. or equipment such as leech socks, backpacks, hiking shoes, etc which each person will need to obtain)

Fundraising Goal for Community Outreach Project

Fundraise $2,000 to purchase supplies for the orphanage. We will take most of the funds with us to Vietnam to purchase supplies there. We may purchase some supplies in America to take with us if transport is feasible. This includes the following items which the orphanage has already specified as an area of dire need:

-Board books and picture books in English

-Baby formula

-Educational basics including paper, pencils, etc.

-Some clothing for the children

We would like to use about 250 dollars for a donation to the Endangered Primate Rescue Center. This will help to support their efforts to rescue primates from smuggling and illegal trade, as well as support habitat preservation, breeding programs, education, and program development.

We would also like to fundraise $600 per person coming on the trip. This will help pay for the cost of food, lodging, interpreter, transportation, and expenses while we are volunteering.

5 people x $600 = $3,000 total to help cover volunteer costs

Total Fundraising Goal: $5,250

Italian Wedding Soup with Homemade Meatballs (recipe)

Today a friend gave us a ton of greens from a weekly produce basket. I decided to try and use them by making homemade Italian Wedding Soup, with fresh greens, Israeli couscous, and homemade meatballs. I have never made meatballs before, and even though I was winging it, I was really happy with how they turned out. The quality of meat makes such a huge difference. We have been getting our meat from the UC Davis Meat Sale. Every couple of weeks UC Davis offers meat from their animal sciences program for sale. It is extremely fresh (slaughtered and butchered on site), and raised naturally- free of unneccessary antibiotics. The animals are raised in small numbers and recieve vetrinary care from UCD. The meat is SO delicious, and ground beef goes for about $2/pound. I just made up the recipe as I went along, and added what I happened to have, so I thought I'd share the basics here:

Ingredients for Meatballs:

fresh ground beef (2.5 lbs)
1 sweet yellow onion, finely diced
2 fresh eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
freshly ground salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, using hands. When evenly mixed, use hands to shape into small meatballs. Each one should be about 2 tablespoons worth of meat mixture. This recipe should make enough to completely fill 2 cookie sheets. Bake until cooked through (~8-12 minutes).



Ingredients for Soup:

free range chicken broth
Vegetable bouillon cubes
1 pound organic Crimini mushrooms, diced
several large bunches freshly picked seasonal greens (you could use any- I used chard, kohlrabi, mustard greens, arugula, spinach, bay leaf, and a few varieties of lettuce)
Israeli couscous (I used around 2 cups, dry, for a huge stockpot of soup)


For soup:

Put a stockpot on the stove, and fill with 50% free range chicken broth, 50% water. Bring to a boil. Add vegetable bouillon cubes (Use the amount of water added to broth to determine number of cubes- ratio on package, usually 2 cups per cube).
Add diced Crimini mushrooms, simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add choped greens and bay leaves, cook for another 5 minutes. Add Isreali couscous, cook for a final 5 minutes.

Vegetarians can eat soup plain (if you are eating with people who don't like to use chicken broth, you can use veggie stock exclusively), meat eaters can add meatballs as desired. A bowl of soup with 4 meatballs is well balanced. Garnish bowls of soup with parmesan cheese, and serve with freshly baked rustic bread.

Quick and Easy Banana Bread (recipe)

This is a nice recipe for those forgotten bananas that are starting to look a little spotty:

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 x 3 bread pan.

Step 2: Peel bananas, and place them into a small bowl. Add cinnamon and milk, and use a fork to mash mixture together until evenly mixed and creamy.

Step 3: In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, add the banana mixture, stirring well until evenly mixed.

Step 4: Add dry ingredients, and mix until flour has disappeared, then stop. Transfer into baking pan. Bake until cooked through and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (1hour to 1hour 15 minutes).

Step 5: Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then enjoy warm!



Variations: add crushed walnuts, dried cranberries (or both) with dry ingredients. Enjoy with honey or butter on top.

Next time I make it, I am going to try brown sugar instead of granulated, and crumble some on the top... we'll see how it turns out!

Spring Projects

Spring has sprung in Davis. The sunshine and 75 degree weather sent us outside, to work on some of our garden projects and yard work. Two of our accomplishments this week included building a 4 x 4 compost bin using recycled wood pallets, and getting our first batch of chicks. We are hoping to build a coop in the coming weeks, and look forward to having chickens, fertilizer, pest control, and our own eggs by the end of summer.

Here is a picture of one of the chicks next to an egg, for size comparison. She hatched from her own egg just two days ago.

These are our little ladies... we hope. The chickens are pre-sexed, so 95% of them should be hens. We picked up a total of four chicks from one of our favorite stores- Higby's Feed, in the neighboring town of Dixon. The little yellow ones are Buff Orpingtons, and the black and white ones are Barred Plymouth Rocks. Someday they should look like this....



Buff Orpington

Barred Plymouth Rock

Here is our compost bin- still under construction. It has now been completed and is in use. It is also completely lined with chicken wire, and has a lid. We salvaged the wood pallets from the alleyways of Davis. The only cost was about $7 worth of chicken wire. We are really excited to decrease our household waste and create some beautiful compost for our garden.