Cucumber Salad with Turmeric
Believe it or not, I really don’t like cucumber. It’s never been my thing - it just doesn’t do it for me. When I was a kid my family was friends with another family who grew an impressively large vegetable garden every year, everything from squash and zucchini, gords, tomatoes, green beans, okra; you name it and I’m sure they had it fresh at some point in time. One year, over a summer afternoon they had my family over and we were all admiring the garden and I wanted to try a cucumber as I had never had one fresh off the vine. I grabbed it off, wiped it clean of dirt, and bit into the most sour, revolting cucumber imaginable! It instantly gave me a sensation I can only describe as cottonmouth, something that has never again happened in my life. All of that to say I really dislike, or disliked, cucumbers until very recently.
Much like olives, which I detested until I tried them fresh in Italy one summer, I have learned to like cucumbers over time. Even still they need to be prepared in a way that either masks or improves their flavor, and you certainly will not find me chopping a cucumber for a midday snack or ordering cucumber anything. However, I recently came across a recipe for a cucumber salad in Alison Roman’s newsletter and I’ve learned that cucumbers can be enjoyed. Dare I even say that this has been my go to vegetable dish the last few weeks because Joel and I like it that much? It’s tangy, fresh, salty, garlicky, with a hint of spice and earthy flavors from the turmeric. In my onion this is the only way to eat a cucumber, ever.
Cucumber Salad with Turmeric (yields 2 - 4 servings)
Ingredients
2 hothouse cucumbers
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh dill or a combo of fresh leafy herbs (parsley, mint, cilantro, dill)
1. Cut the cucumbers in 1-inch chunks, then gently smash them with your knife until they break apart. You can also put the cucumbers in a bag, seal, and pound them with a rolling pin until the desired effect is achieved. Transfer to a bowl and salt. Set aside and let the cucumbers release some of the water and get nice and salty.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heart. Add the garlic and cook, occasionally swirling it all around - the goal is to achieve an aromatic sizzle and a lightly golden toast, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the pepper flakes, turmeric, and a dash of salt. Swirl around to infuse the oil with their flavor.
3. Drain the cucumbers and place in a serving bow large enough to hold everything. Add most but not all of the green onion and fresh herbs, splash on the red wine vinegar, and season with a dash of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Pour over the cucumbers the infused oil with the garlic and turmeric and toss everything around. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or red wine vinegar if you wish, but at this point it should be pretty well seasoned. Garnish with the remaining green onion and herbs on top and serve.
Hors-d'œuvres for Dinner, ft. a Wedge
I think hors-d'œuvres for dinner are perfectly fine when you’re having friends over and you’re pressed for time. Maybe it’s Friday and you’re just getting off from work after a long week of teaching and arguing with students over when’s an appropriate time to use a cellphone, but you’re excited at the prospect of what lies ahead over the weekend and in a spontaneous moment of excitement you invite your friends over for dinner and drinks (anyone?). Except you’ve invited them to arrive at 6:00, it’s 3:30, you haven’t even been to the store yet and you’re at a loss of what to make… Well, there has never been a better time to serve hors-d'œuvre for dinner. And a wedge salad, because sustenance. It’s fun, it’s unpretentious, and at this point it’s just an accompaniment to the camaraderie shared among friends trying to find a work/life balance.
Shrimp Cocktail - recipe found here on previous post
Charcuterie Plate
Ingredients:
-Several types of cold cuts such as prosciutto, salami, coppa, or a variety of all three
-Several large chunks of cheese such as Parmesan, Asiago, Manchego, Gouda, Brie, or any other type of cheese you like (a variety of textures is always nice)
-Fresh fruit such as grapes, blackberries, and sliced apples
-Fresh herbs such as rosemary, tarragon, basil, or dill
-Baguette, sliced
-Small ramekins of fruit spread, honey, or jams
Instructions:
1. Arrange the cheese chunks on a serving platter surrounded by the meats and fruits, then arrange the herbs around everything. You really have free reign over this, use your creativity. A pretty charcuterie plate definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. Serve alongside sliced baguette and the fruit spreads or honey, as well as a few knives for cutting.
Wedge Salad (serves 4)
Ingredients:
4-5 slices of good quality bacon cut into lardons
1 large head of iceberg lettuce, quartered
Blue cheese dressing (store bought is just fine)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
Blue cheese
Parsley, chopped (optional garnish)
Fresh cracked pepper
1. Cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked through and tender, 8 minutes. Remove from pan to a paper towel to eliminate excess grease. Arrange the quartered lettuce on a platter and pour on as much of the dressing as you prefer. Arrange over the lettuce the sliced onion, tomatoes, bacon, and cheese. Sprinkle on some parsley and generously top with fresh cracked pepper.
Serve everything with your favorite drinks and enjoy!
Chou Farci, better known as “stuffed cabbage”
Well, quite some time has passed since I last met you here. Such is life; sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down. In good news, spring has finally arrived and the long, cold days of winter are quickly fading into memory. Summer will soon be arriving on our doorsteps to set ablaze that youthful mischief which is aroused with warm weather.
Speaking of warm weather, it’s once again nice enough in the evenings to enjoy dinner outside. This is that rare sweet spot of the year when the temperature is just right and the pesky flying bugs aren’t abundant. Perfect for a delicious evening meal and chilled wine.
Chou Farci/ Stuffed Cabbage (serves 2 -4)
Ingredients:
1 large head of Savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 or 3 carrots, diced
2/3 pound lean ground beef
2/3 pound hot Italian sausage
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
3 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup dry white vermouth or dry white wine (optional, but adds a touch of acidity and sweetness)
3/4 of 15oz can of crushed tomatoes (juices included)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 cup grated Swiss cheese
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a pot of salted water to boil. In the mean time, remove the first two outer leaves of the cabbage and toss. Then, remove the tough core at the bottom of the cabbage with a knife. Cutting away from you, cut into the cabbage and around the core, remove. Peel the cabbage layers apart from the bottom (keeps them from ripping), using the knife to detach any leaves which still might be attached to remaining parts of the core. When all leaves have been removed, place them into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. First cook the onion and carrots until they begin to soften, 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage, along with the garlic, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and allspice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. As the meat cooks break it up with a spatula until it’s crumbly. Once the meat has browned, add the vermouth or wine and simmer down until it’s nearly all evaporated. Then pour in the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes or longer if needed, until the liquid has mostly simmered and been absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and let the meat filling cool.
3. Smear the butter into any dish large enough to hold all the ingredients, such as a deep 9 inch cake pan, or a deep bread or meatloaf pan. Don’t be shy on the butter! Place the largest and prettiest cabbage leaf down first, this is what will display when it’s un-molded. Top with another leaf and arrange the leaves until the base and sides are covered. It’s okay if the leaves extend beyond the pan, you will eventually fold them under the top layer. You won’t use all the leaves, reserve enough to create four or five layers.
4. When the mixture has cooled, discard what remains of the sprigs of thyme and the whole bay leaves. Add the egg and mix well. Scoop some of the mixture into the bottom of the pan, top with some of the cheese, and finish with a layer of cabbage leaves. Repeat this until you have three or four layers. Finish with a layer of cabbage leaves, making sure to tuck the leaves in on all sides.
5. Bake for 40 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Once finished, unmold by placing a plate or serving platter on top of the baking dish, flip, and remove the mold. Cut into slices and serve right away.
Goose Getaway
This year we were lucky enough to have Veteran’s day fall on a Friday, which meant that many of us had a three day weekend. I had been looking forward to this weekend since August - I had originally suggested this trip to friends one evening after feeling overwhelmed with work and annoyed with the blazing, scorching heat of August, in anticipation of a long relaxing weekend with beautiful fall colors and colder temperatures. Coincidentally, I had came upon an article about “the best places to see autumn colors” and noticed one of those places was unexpectedly Arkansas, a state not entirely far from my own. I was reeled in, I wanted go and my friend Veronica very graciously organized a cabin trip in Royal, Arkansas not far from Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was picturesque and absolutely fulfilled my Autumn Getaway fantasy; a cozy cabin in the woods, fall colors and leaves abound, cold fresh air and most importantly good friends and food.
Of course no trip to a cabin would be complete without our favorite companion, Paxton. I think he had the best time of anyone, roaming around unleashed on a fenced property without the fear of getting out. It was the cutest thing watching him explore. He’s the best boy!
Now for the food. The last few years I have been eyeballing the goose that happens to appear every year during the holidays at the store. Prior to this trip I had never eaten goose, let alone cooked one. Needless to say I went into this cooking endeavor blind and unsure about how the goose would taste. I combed through a few cookbooks, namely the Art of French Cooking, but found those recipes a little tedious (iykyk) and not what I was looking for when it comes to cooking my first goose - I needed something.. gentler. I watched a few YouTube videos and came across a Gordon Ramsay video that stood out to me in both its presentation and feasibility, so I went with that. I served the goose with a deliciously sweet and velvety date sauce, and rounded off the meal with green beans sautéed in goose fat and cornbread dressing with chestnuts (yes, those chestnuts) and cranberries.
Roast Spiced Goose (serves a dinner party up to 10 people)
Ingredients:
(1) 11 pound young goose
2 lemons
1 orange
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons Chinese five spice
Honey
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, zest the skin of the lemons and the orange reserving them for later. In the same bowl add the salt and the Chinese five spice. Using a spoon, press and smoosh everything together until it becomes almost a paste of sorts. Set aside.
2. Pat the goose dry using paper towels. Score the goose beginning at the bottom of breast and across, over the back bone, to the other side, all the way until just before the opening at the end. Repeat this step on the opposite side. Be sure to score with enough pressure to just puncture the skin being careful not to expose any of the red flesh underneath. When finished, you should have a diamond designed pattern across the top of the goose. Alternatively, if you prefer something easier, simply pierce the goose skin all over the top with a fork, with enough pressure to just puncture the skin and again being careful not to expose any of the red flesh.
3. Throughly rub the goose all over with the zest and spice, being sure to get every crevice. The goose can marinate with the spices up to overnight. When ready to place in oven, quarter the lemons and orange and stuff inside the cavity of the goose.
4. Preheat oven to 465 degrees F. The goose will release a lot of fat in the cooking process and I recommend using a roasting pan with a rack. When ready, place goose in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 370 degrees F and cook for 70 minutes.
5. Remove goose from oven and very carefully drain the excess fat into a heat proof dish. Reserve for later recipes. Generously drizzle the honey over the goose. Using a knife, slice between the legs and the breasts (to ensure a more even cooking of the different meats for the last few minutes).
6. Place goose back in oven and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes. For me, this turned out to be medium rare/medium.
7. Remove goose from oven, cover with foil, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Carve goose similarly to what you would carve other poultry.
Date Goose Sauce
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
alternatively: 2 1/2 cups boiling water with 2 1/2 teaspoons Better than Bullion Chicken
1 cup red wine (something you like or would drink, not sweet)
3 tablespoons port wine
3 tablespoons balsamic
1/2 pound of Dates, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions:
1. Combine chicken stock, wines, and balsamic in a saucepan. Over high heat, boil down by 2/3 which will leave you with 1 cup. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water and then pour boiling water over the dates and let them soak for 5 minutes, drain. Add the dates to the reduced wine. Simmer slowly for 3-5 minutes, the sauce will thicken. Off heat, add two tablespoons of butter and swirl.
Roasted Green Beans in Goose Fat
Ingredients:
3 pounds whole fresh green beans, stems trimmed
1/2 of a lemon
salt, pepper
reserved goose fat
Instructions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Carefully add in the green beans. Gently boil the green beans for 8 - 10 minutes, enough that they are soft but still have a slight crunch. When ready, strain and run cold water over them. Set aside until ready to move on to step 2.
2. On a sheet pan, spread out the green beans. Toss with a tablespoon or two of the goose fat. Squeeze the lemon over the green beans, and season the green beans with the salt and pepper to taste. Toss a final time.
3. Cook the green beans in a 370 degree F oven for 15 minutes, just enough to heat them through and bake them slightly.
Cornbread Chestnut and Cranberry Dressing
Ingredients for Cornbread
1 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup melter butter
1 large egg
1 cup milk
5 sage leaves, minced
Instructions for Cornbread
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 in. round cake pan or cast iron skillet.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add to it the wet ingredients. Mix until the ingredients are just combined - it will still have some lumps. Pour the batter into the greased baking dish.
3. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean.
Ingredients for Dressing
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 medium yellow onion
3 celery stalks
1 clove of garlic
1 piece of thick cut bacon, cut into lardons (small strips)
Goose, or other poultry, giblets (optional), chopped
(1) 7oz bag chestnuts, chopped (something like this)
alternatively if you have fresh chestnuts, you can roast them yourself and use those
1/4 cup fresh sage, minced
1 teaspoon dry sage
6 oz. cranberries
1 cup chicken stock
1 9-inch pan of cornbread, cubed
Salt and Pepper
Instructions for Dressing
1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 in. baking dish or cast iron skillet large enough to hold all of the cornbread.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium low heat. When melted, add the onion, celery and garlic and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Add the bacon and giblets and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Lightly season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the chestnuts, cranberries and sage, and cook another 3-5 minutes until warmed. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
3. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with the chicken broth, add the additional dry sage. Gently fold in the cornbread cubes until everything is coated and combined. The mixture will be slightly moist and crumbly, with both small and big chunks.
4. Put the dressing mixture into the baking dish and dot with the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, until the top is browned and the edges are slightly crispy.
The Story of a Carrot Bandit
Every year since the pandemic, so I guess that’s three summers now, I’ve planted a small garden in the backyard. I don’t think I’m unique in that endeavor, I saw many people online doing the same thing. Had it not been for the pandemic I might not have started the garden or begun cooking as much as I have been. Despite the gloom that was the pandemic, I guess you could say one silver lining (a dull silver, though) was finally having the time to do something I’ve always wanted to do.
This year I grew green beans which are honestly such an easy vegetable to grow and really not at all fussy. You can put the seeds right in the ground and have green beans to eat in a few weeks. Unfortunately, as unfussy and easy as they are, they died early on because they didn’t get watered for almost three weeks while we were on vacation. Whoops. Nothing survives the sweltering hell scape of Kansas summer without water.
I also grew corn, leeks, various herbs (they also died..), tomatoes, and, unintentionally, basil. Basil is a wild herb, and I mean wild as in shocking. I haven’t actually planted a basil plant since 2020, but every year the basil grows everywhere. As summer has come to a close and fall is upon us, the basil has sprouted, matured, flowered, died, and new seeds have begun to sprout again. It’s all over the garden, it grows in between the other plants, in any pot near enough for the seeds to have been carried to by wind, and would certainly be growing in the yard if it weren’t for the lawn mower. I’m not complaining though, the aroma of fresh basil has perfumed our patio for months and attracted all varieties of bumble bees and butterflies.
The real stars of this year’s harvest though were the carrots. Last year when I planted them I didn't get as many as I would have liked and I pulled them up too early. I stuck them back in the ground after pulling them up with the hope they might magically acclimate back in their surroundings and continue growing, as if ripping something from its warm home in the earth wouldn’t have had any negative affect. Turns out that doesn’t work. With that lesson learned, I was ready to give carrots another shot this season. I waited much longer this year to pull them up to the point that they started to flower and the leaves were looking less vibrant than they had a few weeks prior. I’m not sure when to actually harvest carrots, but that seemed like a good time. They certainly did not disappoint - I had over three pounds.
Now, you might be wondering where in this story the bandit comes in. Maybe you even guessed who the bandit was. Well, look no further.
In the true nature that is Pax, it was not even a full thirty seconds after uprooting the first carrot that he had it his mouth and was running around the yard with it. You know how dogs put something in their mouth completely aware that it’s something they shouldn’t have, so they look at you like “what about it mf"?” and then run around when you attempt to retrieve the item? This was one of those moments. He doesn't even like carrots so he clearly took advantage of a moment to antagonize me. Cute little jerk.
Bandit Carrots, aka Saucy Carrots (serves 4)
1 1/2 cups hot water with 1 1/2 teaspoons Better than Bullion
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled, quartered and cut into strips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper (you can use less, I just like pepper)
salt and pepper
parsley, crossly chopped
Sauce Thickener
1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan combine the water with billion, carrots, sugar, butter, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, and turn heat down to low. Slowly simmer carrots for around 25 mins, or until carrots are tender and easily pierced with a fork. When finished, remove carrots with a slotted spoon to a side dish. Boil down the remaining liquid over high heat for a minute. Off heat, beat in the sauce thickener and briefly return to heat and stir - the sauce should immediately thicken. Check for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Add carrots back to pan and gently coat with the sauce. Return carrots back to side dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.