Warm beef on top of salad greens with a hint of gorgonzola -- ahh, summer

Finally dusted off the grill, and snapped back to attention here at Kitchenelly. My band, Border Radio, got very busy over the last month or so and I’ve been AWOL! We took a trip up to Northern California for some shows, recorded 5 new songs, taped a bunch of video, went down to San Diego, and wrote a few more tunes.

Singing with the band in San Diego at the Adams Avenue Roots Festival

But I’m back at the helm here, with a serious craving to get the grill going for some BEEF. That combined with a craving for tender salad after a wet winter filled with the super dark greens like chard and kale.

I love salad greens combined with something warm (I’ve lately been favoring putting my salad on top of my pizza). In this salad the juices from the warm beef combine with the vinaigrette to make a flavorful dressing that slightly wilts the tenderer greens. I recommend a combination of crisper lettuces, like romaine and radicchio, with tender leaves such as mache, arugula, frisee, and leaf lettuces. And instead of croutons I’ve made a garlicky crostata — the whole effect is like a fantastic steak sandwich completely deconstructed.

Here, along with the red onion and fennel for the grill, are romaine, red leaf lettuce, mache, radicchio, and basil

Warm Grilled Steak & Gorgonzola Salad | 4 servings

1 1/2 pound rib eye or other quality beefsteak (or 2)
1 large or 2 small red onions
1 fennel bulb
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1/4 head red leaf lettuce
1/4 head radicchio
Mache or arugula
Basil leaves
Ciabatta or other loaf bread
1 clove of garlic

For the vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon honey mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Small pinch of salt
Small pinch of sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Pinch of dried or fresh tarragon
Freshly ground black pepper

Pitted Niçoise olives
Several ounces gorgonzola or bleu cheese (crumbling type)

Light a charcoal grill. Remove the steak from the refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature while the grill is heating up. Slice the onion into thick slices. Cut the top off the fennel bulb, halve, cut out the solid core, and slice. Rub the steak and vegetables lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

I've sprinkled my steak with a little grill seasoning called "Chophouse Blend," made by Simply Organic

While the grill fires up, prepare the salad ingredients. Break the romaine and leaf lettuce into pieces. Thinly slice the radicchio. Wash all the greens and dry well, preferably in a salad spinner.

I love my salad spinner -- I also love salad lettuces broken into bite-sized pieces

Place the washed greens in a large bowl and cover with a squeezed-out dampened paper towel. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

The fridge keeps the greens crisp, and the dampened paper towel keeps them from drying out

Slice the bread into 1/2-inch slices and toast. Brush with olive oil on one side, and lightly rub the cut end of a peeled clove of garlic on the oiled side of the toast. Cut the toasts in half lengthwise and set aside until needed.

You will not need this whole clove of garlic, even for a dozen slices of bread -- raw garlic is strong so a little goes a long way!

Prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or measuring cup put the mustard, vinegar, salt, and sugar and combine. Using a small whisk, pour the olive oil into the vinegar mixture, whisking all the while. Add tarragon and pepper and set aside until needed.

I've used a Zinfandel vinegar here -- balsamic vinegar may overpower the honey mustard but feel free to get creative

The idea is to whisk constantly so that the oil and vinegar create an emulsion, and are in a suspended mixture -- use enough oil to have a rich, olive-y flavor, not too tart

The vinaigrette, properly emulsified, will be almost creamy

Now add dried or fresh herbs, like tarragon, a little pepper, salt if needed -- if it becomes separated just whisk it back together

When the coals are covered with ash but still glow red, grill the fennel and onion, covered, about 4 minutes per side or until browned.

Vegetables caramelize and brown beautifully on the grill

Remove the grilled vegetables and cook the steak over hot coals (open the vents completely), covered, approximately 5 minutes per side. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the steak.

A little char is great, but cover the grill to avoid burning the meat

Steak can overcook within a minute, so watch carefully -- the top will still spring back but it will feel more dense. Cook steak to 120°F for rare and then rest the meat under foil for 5 to 10 minutes -- it keeps cooking even after it's removed from the heat

While the meat is resting, slice the grilled vegetables into large pieces. Toss the salad greens with vinaigrette, taking care not to overdress the salad. Divide the dressed greens onto serving plates, and sprinkle with the grilled vegetables, olives and crumbled gorgonzola.

The salad is dressed and ready for the warm sliced beef

When the beef has rested for 5 minutes or more, thinly slice it, preserving the juices.

This is more toward medium-rare, but that's as cooked as I like it

Arrange the beef slices over each serving, and spoon some of the juices over each plate as well. Sprinkle with black pepper, arrange the garlic toasts on each plate, and serve.

Welcome grill, welcome summer.

Kelly McCune © 2011

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Thin, crisp on the outside, sweet flavors on the inside

The Husband is Jewish, so through marriage I’ve been pulled into the mystique of the latke. It is truly an irresistible food — so easy, really, but I was always timid about making them. After all, shouldn’t there be a bubbe somewhere in my kitchen, teaching me the ins and outs? Do I have the exact right grater? Flour or matzoh meal? I mean seriously! But the Husband has no demands latke-wise, and my mother-in-law lost the knack years ago in the shuffle of living in places like Seoul, Amsterdam, Manila, and Dallas. I’m on my own here.

I have made latkes in the past, but with regular potatoes. I have failed, however, to absorb the technique, so every year is like a new start — how long do you drain the potatoes? Well, Daughter #2 has been coming home every year from her school’s “Yam Festival” raving about the sweet potato latkes, so I decided to give them a try. Less pressure since they are less traditional. She was right, they are delicious, especially with some homemade applesauce and sour cream. And these are made with a lot less oil (shhh, don’t tell the bubbe!). So Happy Hanukkah, or heck, just make ‘em for any day of the week.

Granny Smiths and a couple of Honeycrisps

Homemade Applesauce | 2 cups

You may be wondering why in the world you’d make applesauce from scratch. The answer is that it’s fast and it couldn’t be simpler. You can season it, sweeten it, cook it down, leave it chunky, add herbs, add wine — all in under a half hour. Here’s the short version of the recipe: Peel, core, chop 8 apples, throw in a pot with sugar and seasonings and small amount of water, cook gently 25 minutes. Done.

8 tart apples
2 heaping tablespoons sugar or to taste
Cinnamon stick
1-inch chunk of fresh ginger
Small pinch of thyme (optional)
1/4 cup water

Peel and core apples and cut into large chunks.

I use a paring knife but if you prefer a peeler that's fine -- whatever is fast

I just cut the apple around the core into 4 hunks (rather than search the drawer for my apple corer)

Apple chunks, cinnamon stick, and ginger chunk (leave some peel on it so you can identify and remove it at the end -- !)

Put the apple pieces, sugar, cinnamon stick, ginger, thyme and water in a pot. Cover and cook gently for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and mostly falling apart. Let cool, remove the cinnamon stick and ginger, and serve.

This is cooked on the shorter side to make a chunkier applesauce

Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes | makes 24 to 28 latkes

Might as well invite people into the kitchen to eat these as you make them — it’s more convivial, and they are so good right out of the pan!

1 large leek
2 large sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons chopped chives (about 12 long chive stems)
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup canola oil, more or less
Olive oil

Trim the root from the leek and cut off most of the green tops. Cut in half lengthwise and rinse between the layers. Drain well and pat dry. Cut the leek into a fine lengthwise julienne.

Grit tends to collect between the leek layers, especially toward the top end, so rinse well

Cut the leek first into julienne strips...

...and then chop it down a little further for a fine shred like this

Scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Halve and coarsely grate. Chop the chives.

I didn't bother to peel the potato -- the extra color and nutrients are nice!

Nice color and flavor in the latkes

Combine the shredded leeks, the grated sweet potatoes, and the chives in a large bowl. Add the salt a little at a time, mixing well as after each addition. Mix in the beaten egg. Sprinkle in the flour, tossing the mixture to coat evenly.

Sweet potatoes are "dry" enough that they don't require draining for latkes like regular potatoes

Make sure the egg and flour are evenly distributed throughout the potato mixture

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with a rectangle of a paper bag, inside facing up.

Heat a thin layer of canola oil along with a few drops of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, form the latkes: on your hand, put a blob of potato mixture about the size of a golf ball. Flatten it against your fingers, and drop that right down onto the hot pan. Form another one and drop it in, repeating until you fill the pan. The latkes should sizzle but not smoke.

Cook the latkes on the first side until deeply browning and crisping, 2 to 3 minutes. The latkes cook fastest on the first side since there is more oil. Flip them carefully and cook on the second side until nicely browned, 4 to 5 more minutes.

They should hold together but be fairly thin

A nice, deep flavorful brown -- the sweet potato caramelizes beautifully

Place the cooked latkes on the paper bag-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

The bag keeps the latke crisp, and still absorbs the excess oil

This is a great way to keep latkes warm — that is, if you have any that haven’t been snatched right off your spatula!

Happy Hanukkah.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Beautiful little buds clinging to the stalk

By “bring home the bacon” I mean not only are they cooked with bacon, they provide all the necessities of life — these little guys are nutritious. But let me take a moment on that bacon-larded idiom. It does mean to provide for, or earn the dough, but it is thought to have originated from the game of catching the greased pig, a popular county fair diversion in England and then in America. I guess if you snag and hold onto the bacon you can bring it home. Nice.

Brussels sprouts — from the broccoli family and yes, originating in Belgium — have both their fans and ardent foes. I’ll theorize, though, that those who hate them have not had them cooked properly. If overcooked, Brussels sprouts release a compound that to some smells sulfurous. They seem like tough, dense little cabbages, but in fact they cook rather quickly. Altogether, in under 10 minutes.

Brussels sprouts are very lovely in full stalk form. They are likely to be a little fresher that way, because you can see if the leaf bracts are wilting or not. They will last kept cool for a couple of weeks off the stalk, but they begin to get a woody flavor if kept too long.

Thanksgiving! These would be wonderful sidled up next to the bird.

Pan-seared Brussels Sprouts with Bacon | serves 6

A fresh stalk will yield 50 to 60 sprouts, and I usually allow about 6 per person as a side dish.

36 to 40 Brussels sprouts
3 slices thick bacon, diced
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
Small pinch of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth

Remove the sprouts from the stalk. Wash and drain, pat dry.

They snap off easily, but if one gives you trouble, use a small paring knife to cut it from the stalk

If you don't need all that the stalk yields, store the rest in fridge for up to 2 weeks

Trim the root end and pull off the outermost leaves, if loose or discolored. Halve the sprouts. Set aside until needed.

When you trim the root, the outermost leaves will pull off easily

I leave the garlic in the dish, but the halves can easily be removed before serving

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, gently cook the diced bacon until it is golden and crisp but not burnt. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside until needed.

Increase the heat slightly and add the butter. Add the garlic, cut side down, and cook for a minute or two to release the flavor. Then arrange the Brussels sprouts, cut side down, in the pan.

You may need to work in two batches if they don't all fit face down

Cook the sprouts for 5 minutes, or until nicely browned on the cut side. Turn.

They bounce around a little on this side

Cook the sprouts another minute or two, and then sprinkle with thyme and season with salt and pepper. Pour the chicken broth around the outside edge of the pan, give it a shake to distribute the liquid, and cover the pan. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. The sprouts should still be a little resistant when pierced with a skewer. Add the bacon and toss over the heat to combine. Serve immediately.

This was my grandmother's beloved serving dish and is at least 100 years old -- perfect for the Thanksgiving table

You’ll change the minds of the most adamant Brussels sprouts-haters (I’ve seen it!) — a conversion that really brings home the bacon.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

From a "head" of garlic come "cloves" -- a large clove of garlic on the left, and small clove on the right, and some of the "paper" of the garlic head has been peeled off

I love garlic. Just the right amount of garlic, that is. There is a restaurant nearby (or 100 restaurants) that has taken the public’s love of garlic to the extreme — they are quite simply overdoing it, and that gives garlic a bad name. They have gallons of pre-chopped garlic on hand, so the temptation to slop just a little more each time into that pasta dish or onto that pizza has resulted in a garlic knock-down, and you come out smelling like the stuff.

Rules of thumb: mince, chop or whatever you’re doing to the garlic just before using it. It’ll be fresher and less bitter. Resist the urge to go wild with it, and exercise restraint if you’re using it raw. Rub your fingers with a lemon wedge to get rid of the smell, unless you like it on your hands!

Raw garlic can have a caffeine effect on some folks, so keep it to a dull roar. I had just discovered the wonderful technique of rubbing the cut side of a garlic clove onto toasted and oiled bread, but I wasn’t given the instruction to use one clove of garlic for, say, 12 to 15 pieces of bread — maybe not even a whole clove is needed. Just a brush-by, not a grind. Anyway, I must have used several cloves, and wow, those crostini were crazy-strong. We ate ‘em up, and then I was awake all night with a very stimulated heart rate and some breath that would have been enough for any vampire.

Moderation = Love.

Roasted garlic = Passion.

I really want one to myself, but I will share

How to Peel, Chop, Mince, Paste and Roast Garlic

Regular garlic has smallish cloves, 12 to 15 of them per head. Look for a compact, firm, non-sprouting head for the freshest flavor. Elephant garlic is something between a leek and garlic, bearing some flavor resemblance. Its big cloves are milder but can be used in the same way.

If you need only a clove, peel away some of the paper and snap one off of the outside of the head. To break up the head, turn it to angle down against the board and give it a good whack. One way is to hold the heel of your hand against the garlic, and use the other hand as the “hammer.”

Turn the head at a downward angle to the board and give it a good smack with the heel of your hand

The cloves will easily break off the root. They can be used just like this — with the paper on — to roast with chicken or meat. Then you will squeeze the pulpy garlic out of the paper to eat with the chicken.

To remove the paper from an individual clove, place the flat side of a chef’s knife on top of the clove and give it (again!) a good whack to crack the paper. Depending on how hard you’ve whacked it, the clove will either be whole or impressively smashed.

Just a firm pop with the heel of your and will crack the paper

Trim off the root and pull away the paper.

This one I gave a mild whack, so the garlic clove is fairly intact but the paper peels right off -- when you trim off the root the paper will come away completely

Four degrees of strength applied to the whack on the knife gives you cloves ranging from intact to smashed

A whole, intact garlic clove can go right into a stew or sauce, which can be removed before serving. I like to split them so that the oils come through but they are still easy to find when I want to take them out. Cook whole cloves gently in butter and cream for half an hour to mash and add to mashed potatoes. Slice whole cloves for the basic Italian aglio/olio combination, which I use for pasta, boiled potatoes, and countless other dishes that would be good with some garlicky oil.

Make the classic pasta sauce, aglio, olio e peperoncino, by gently cooking sliced garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil

Cook it gently because garlic gets bitter if overcooked

From here, depending on how far along the initial smash takes you, you can chop (large dry chunks), mince (small dry chunks), or mince to a paste (gooey and pasty). The helpful ingredient in any of these processes is salt, which makes the garlic a little sticky and prevents the little bits from flying around on the board.

This is a medium-smashed clove of garlic -- sprinkle just a tiny pinch of salt on it before chopping

The salt makes it a little sticky and helps the garlic cling to the knife -- this is chopped and can be used in any recipe that calls for chopped garlic

Use the knife to "gather up" the garlic as you keep chopping it -- this is minced at this stage

To move to the paste stage, smash the minced garlic against the board with the side of the knife, breaking the chunks down, and then continue to chop it, alternating between the two

This is pretty pasty, and will melt nicely into a dish where you don't want the garlic to have an obvious presence

Roasting garlic renders it so tame and mild and sweet, a delicious condiment for a hunk of great Italian bread. Hard to say how many to make, but I would easily eat half a head of it, with no adverse effects.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line custard cups or muffin tin cups with foil (for easier cleanup). Use fresh, whole, intact heads of garlic. Peel away the outside papery layers, but leave the cloves attached. Trim just the top of the garlic head, leaving most of the cloves covered with their paper.

Some recipes instruct you to cut a lot off the top, but I like to let the garlic cook inside its own paper

Place the garlic in the cup and drizzle it with a teaspoon or so of olive oil, aiming for the spaces between the cloves. Rub the outside layers to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt and place a rosemary sprig under the head if desired.

Try to drizzle between the cloves

After rubbing with oil, sprinkle the garlic head with sea salt and tuck a rosemary sprig underneath

Cook the garlic for 34 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, checking to make sure it isn’t getting burned. Cover lightly with foil if it’s getting too brown.

Remove and serve on plate, drizzled with the olive oil that has collected at the bottom of the cup.

Garlic = Life.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

The perfect combination of crusty and creamy

This has to be one of my favorite ways to make potatoes. The whole family loves it, too, since it looks like pie. There is a decided pie-bias in this house — Daughter #1 requires it instead of birthday cake. This method avoids the cream and butter of mashed potatoes (not that I don’t love them, any day of the week) and it can be varied according to what’s on hand, in the garden, or in the imagination. The one I’ve made here is almost a stovetop potatoes au gratin, since I’ve used gruyere. I didn’t add cream, but one of these days I just might.

Gruyere has such a nice, mellow nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with potatoes

Typically a galette is a free-form tart made with a crust of some sort, a quick, low-skill wrap-up of crust and filling. It has come to also refer to a pile of potatoes in a pan, cooked enough to have a crust and resemble a pie. It’s a wonderful side to roasted meat or sausages, or with a fried egg on top for breakfast or brunch. Even by itself it’s a hearty dish.

Potato Galette with Gruyere | 4 to 6 servings

I like a basic Russet for the galette, since it browns nicely and gets tender and melting on the inside.

3 large baking potatoes, such as Russets
1/4 pound gruyere
1/2 white onion, minced
5 to 7 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Thoroughly rinse and pat dry the potatoes. With a sharp knife, thinly slice into rounds.

The trick to nice slices is a sharp knife -- put an edge on yours just before slicing, or use a mandoline slicer

Grate the gruyere. Mince the onions, and chop the sage leaves.

The onions and sage give the potato pie a rustic depth

Heat the olive oil in a large pan, preferably non-stick. Using a little more than a third of the potato slices, make the first layer.

Start from the center and work your way to the outer edge

When the first layer is complete, press firmly on the layer to flatten it. Distribute half the onion, cheese and sage over the first layer. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

This helps to press the potatoes flat onto the pan, making a nice even crust on the bottom -- which becomes the top!

Distribute the onions evenly over the layer

Again, a nice even distribution

Using half of the remaining potatoes, make another layer. Press to flatten. Distribute the remaining onion, cheese and sage over the layer, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

This is the second potato layer

And this is the remaining cheese, onion and sage

Make a final potato layer and press firmly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Potatoes absorb salt, especially, like a sponge

Cover the pan and cook the potatoes over medium low heat until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Give the pan a firm shake to loosen the bottom crust. Invert onto a plate.

Place the plate over the pan and invert quickly and decisively!

Serve hot. And hey, it’s almost pie.

Warm layers of potato and melting gruyere

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

The whole meal in one lovely little packet

I had lost track of this cooking method for some years until a couple of weeks ago. Melissa Clark wrote about cooking asparagus in parchment in the New York Times, and it was like running into an old friend. I had gone through a period of heavy experimentation with cooking en papillote — in a parchment pouch — but I’d filed it in the deep drawer, so to speak. Cooking this way can be so satisfying. It is limited only by your tastebuds, it’s easy to clean up, can be low fat, and it absolutely complements fresh ingredients by heightening rather than hiding their flavor.

Parchment paper used to be somewhat difficult to get your hands on, usually requiring a trip to the cookware store. That may be why I experimented heavily some years back (when I worked in a cookware store) and why it fell by the wayside (when I didn’t). Reynolds now makes parchment paper rolls, widely available in most grocery stores.

Classic en papillote cooking is done in a very hot oven (400°F) for a very short time (10 minutes). The well folded edges keep in the air, which works like a pressure cooker inside the packet. Here I’ve used low heat (200°F) for a long period (1 hour), which I think is lovely and keeps things tender and juicy. I plan on getting back into experimentation, though, so I’ll be writing more about it. I want to try sweet things, and I also remember making packets that were individual servings, which guests got to break open at the table. I’ll definitely be returning with more on this subject!

I started out with a whole chicken breast — a rather large one — that needed to be split into two half breasts and then further cut down. I will continue to carp about overly large chicken breasts until producers do something about it. The flavor and texture just aren’t quite as good, even if it is organic or free-range. Anyway, I wanted to combine my chicken with what I had on hand, and that leaned toward Asian flavors since I had fresh ginger, shitake mushrooms and asparagus. I made rice to go with it, but nearly the entire meal is contained in the packet.

Many, many combinations will work

Chicken Breasts Cooked in Parchment | 4 servings

2 large or 4 small chicken breasts halves, boneless and skinless
3 large shitake mushrooms
2 or 3 green onions
12 asparagus spears
3 carrots
1 slice prosciutto
1 large garlic clove
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt
8 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus some for garnish

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Beginning on the thick end of the half breast and holding the knife blade parallel to the board, cut the breast into two equal pieces.

Give your knife a good sharp edge before splitting the breasts this way

Slice the shitake mushrooms. Trim and chop the white part of the green onions and several inches of the green. Trim the bottom of the asparagus spears and with a vegetable peeler, peel the bottom third of each spear. Trim, peel and slice the carrots lengthwise into sticks. Chop the prosciutto. Peel and smash the garlic. Peel and thinly slice the ginger into matchstick pieces.

Have everything all ready before putting it all together on the paper

Tear off a piece of parchment twice as long as a baking sheet. Lay the chicken in a single layer down the length of the parchment. On top of the chicken place the asparagus, carrots, mushrooms, prosciutto, garlic, and ginger.

This will be a long, narrow packet, so leave plenty of room on the sides to bring the paper up together to fold

Drizzle the olive oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame over the top. Toss with your hands to coat.

Olive oil may seem wrong with Asian flavors but I like its depth

You don't really have to measure...

Coat the vegetables and chicken well and then pile the vegetables back on top

Sprinkle with salt. Distribute the chopped green onions evenly and place the cilantro sprigs on top.

This dish is fun to make

The cilantro won't be pretty when it's cooked but it adds wonderful flavor

Bring the long sides of the paper together and crease and fold over on each other. Then crease and fold again and staple.

The goal is for a tight seal

Melissa Clark is to thank for the stapler idea

Crease and fold up the ends of the paper several times. Staple the ends.

The package is now ready for, if not the US mail, then the oven

Place the packet on a baking sheet and cook for 1 hour in the preheated oven.

The paper has barely colored in such a low oven

Just before serving, tear open the paper and remove the cilantro. Serve over rice with the accumulated juices.

Spoon the juices right over the top

Even better than those care packages you used to get at camp.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Step away from the mashed potatoes

My last post was for Braised Short Ribs, which I pictured nestled on a cushion of puréed carrots. I really expected to show the ribs perched on a Half Smashed with Garlic Baked Potato, which is how I served them recently. But I was sidetracked by the impulse to bring a bright color to the plate, and as it turns out the carrots have a gentle sweetness that goes really well with the beef. This couldn’t be easier, and different, and flavorful, and good-for-you, so it has a lot going for it. An elegant base for roasted chicken, grilled lamb, a pork chop. I may have just caused a potato unemployment problem in my kitchen.

Silky Carrot Purée | 6 servings

10 to 12 large carrots, approximately 2 pounds
1/2 large white onion, minced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 6-inch sprig fresh thyme or a pinch of dried thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons heavy cream or half & half
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel the carrots and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds. Mince the onion and set aside until needed.

Slice the onion into thin strips lengthwise, hold the onion together and slice crosswise -- an easy way to mince

Bring the chicken broth and water to a boil and drop in the carrots and thyme sprig.

The chicken broth deepens the flavor of the cooked carrots

Cook the carrots until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and wilt the onions, about 5 minutes.

Cook until tender but not browning

Add the drained carrots and cook another 5 minutes.

Cook the carrots another 5 minutes, just to caramelize them a little

Put the carrots and onions in the bowl of a food processor and purée until quite smooth, adding only enough of the reserved liquid to get a smooth purée. Add the cream and combine.

Drizzle in the cooking liquid to get a nice smooth texture that's not overly wet

Season the carrots with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Step aside, potatoes.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Taking the baked potato to a new level

I made short ribs the other day for guests, and was looking for an interesting potato preparation to go along with them. I considered mashed potatoes, then garlic mashed potatoes, then baked potatoes, and even scalloped potatoes. I finally landed on the idea of a combination of all of those things, a sort of deconstructed version of mashed, scalloped and baked.

Baking the potato allowed me to serve only half on each plate — with the creamy garlic sauce and the short rib that seemed rich enough. I’m starting with the baked potato here, and I’ll have the short ribs in the next post. This is so simple and low maintenance, but it raises the baked potato far above its humble station. By the way, everyone ate the potato skin, it was that good.

Baked Potatoes with Garlic Cream | 4 to 6 servings

This serves six eaters if everyone gets a half potato. There might have been a call for seconds if the main dish wasn’t rich. Russets are great for baking since the flesh becomes light and fluffy when cooked, perfect for the garlic cream.

3 large russet potatoes
4 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Minced parsley

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Scrub the potatoes and pierce them 5 or 6 times with a skewer.

Plain ol' russets make the best baked potato

I have a metal skewer that I always use for piercing potatoes, but any skewer will work just fine

Place the potatoes right on the rack in the preheated oven. Cook them for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This makes a nice crunchy skin.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the garlic cream. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife and peel away the paper. Trim the root.

This is an easy way to remove the paper -- it cracks away from the garlic clove when you give the side of the knife a good thump

Melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook the garlic cloves over very low heat for 30 minutes. They should not burn or even brown — only color slightly.

I bent an ordinary fork to make this task easy -- shows how often I cook garlic like this in my little saucepan

Smash the soft garlic with a fork or masher. Add the heavy cream and salt.

Sometimes heavy cream is just what works best

Mix well and continue cooking at a very low simmer over low heat for another 15 minutes. The cream will reduce slightly.

When the potatoes are done, slice them in half lengthwise. Mash them slightly with a fork and spoon some of the cream over the top.

Just three or four mashes to open the potato up for the cream

Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

(Next time I think I’ll try them with chives…)

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

Deep satisfaction in deep winter

I’ve had my share of winter this year. Okay, I know here in Southern California it’s nothing compared to what my pals in North Carolina, D.C., and even Dallas (8 inches!) have had to contend with. I did dip into it, though, with two trips to Oklahoma, each time blanketed by a “freak” snowstorm that was getting less and less unusual. And back here at home we finally have rain.

It was on one of those rainy days that I pinned down this butternut squash tart idea. A friend and I were talking about it (she’d had a good one at a pastry shop and we wondered how it was made), but I had a non-meat eater coming that evening for dinner so I needed to work it out. My mind will often go completely blank when I have to cook for a particular diet (like the time I could only think of beef stew with stout or coq au vin for my teetotaling friends…it’s like a tic! Don’t even ask me to cook for Passover — all I can think of is dairy, dairy, dairy). This is a savory tart, like quiche, but made with ricotta and goat cheese rather than egg, cream and cheese. It has the rustic flavor of something comforting for a cold winter night — the ones we have left, that is.

Butternut Squash Tart | 1 tart

I think you could make this with an acorn squash, but I haven’t tried it yet.

1 unsweetened pie crust (make the Slightly Sweetened Pie Crust but omit the sugar)
1 small butternut squash, about 2 1/4 pounds
Olive oil
Small pinch of herbs de Provence
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 or 4 large shallots
1 15-ounce container of ricotta (whole milk or part-skim)
1 egg
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Small pinch of dried thyme
1.5 ounces plain goat cheese
2 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds

Prepare the pie crust, and have the prepared crust in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Trim the bottom of the squash, scoop out the seeds, and slice into 1/3-inch rounds.

Trim off the bottom end of the squash

Scrape out the seeds and pulp

Slice into rounds -- use a large and sharp knife

Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and lightly oil each slice. Sprinkle with herbs de Provence and salt and pepper.

Oil each slice, top and bottom, to keep it from sticking to the pan

I often use (recycled!) foil or parchment to keep my clean-up to a minumum

Roast the squash in the preheated oven until browning, about 20 minutes.

Squash is done when it is tender and browning, particularly on the pan side

Set aside until needed.

Line the cold pie crust with parchment or foil and weight with pie weights, rice or dried beans. Cook in the 400°F oven for 8 minutes.

I still haven't gotten pie weights, which I think would be worth it

Remove the weights and prick the par-baked crust several times with a fork.

This keeps the crust from distorting, and par-baking it prevents it from getting soggy

Cook another 5 minutes. Set aside the partially baked crust until needed. Reduce the heat to 375°F.

Peel and thinly slice the shallots. In a skillet, heat a little olive oil and cook the shallots until soft and coloring, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook them just until they get a little color

Spread the cooked shallots on the bottom of the par-baked pie crust.

Shallots have such a nice flavor -- something like a combination of garlic and sweet onion

In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, cream, egg, and thyme and season with a little salt and pepper.

Beat together until well blended

Spread the filling over the shallots. Break off small blobs of goat cheese and press them into the filling at regular intervals.

Your fingers are the best tool for this task

Arrange the roasted butternut squash on top of the filling.

Cover the top of the filling

I like the roasted rings on top, but any arrangement is fine

Press the squash gently down onto the filling. Bake in the 375°F oven for 35 minutes.

While the tart is cooking, toast the pumpkin seeds: coat them lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast in the hot oven for less than 5 minutes. When they begin to pop they will only need a minute more.

Rule Number 19: Never walk away from roasting nuts or seeds -- they burn when you turn your back!

Sprinkle the toasted seeds over the cooked tart. Serve warm.

Takes that leaky roof right off my worryin’ mind.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.

A play on shapes: long & skinny, little ovals, and rectangles

The phrase “company’s coming” used to be popular when dinner guests were expected. Was that just Oklahoma? I don’t hear it said any more, but we do have “people over.” And there is usually a buffer snack, designed to stave off hunger if the thing in the oven is taking forever to cook and to provide a window for latecomers. But I’ve been fretting about this pre-game warm-up for a while now, since I’d found myself in a decided rut. I had slipped into the soft cheese/hard cheese/crackers array, with a possible olive or nut mix tagging along. Don’t get me wrong, I love to nibble exactly those things before dinner, especially washed down with a crisp but not too dry white wine. But something was missing.

I feel like a middle-schooler here, trying to justify why only the Converse® Design Your Own sneaker will do. I can give you soooo many reasons why I need something new:

1. I’m sure I’ve served the exact same cheese 10 straight times
2. My living room sofa is challenging since it’s really a day bed and one can’t lean in to the cheese board like they might want
3. I have only one cheese slicer

4. Even I am getting sick of that Spanish nut mix from Whole Foods
5. I can’t leave well-enough alone
6. I have some cool little wooden plates that are languishing in the cabinet

So out came the plates. I decided to arrange the appetizers on the plates and serve them that way; now everyone could have their own small plate to ponder, replete with goodies to nosh on at will. Sometimes it’s nice not to have to share.

Individual Appetizer Plates | 6 plates

The plates above are composed of breadsticks, roasted Lacinato kale (I like this variety for its mild flavor and non-fibrous rib), goat cheese “olives,” real olives, pan de higo and seared halloumi cheese with sage. Play with shapes and flavors and textures — but do join me out here, up and out of that rut. And on the day bed.

1 bunch Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Parmesan or Romano cheese
8 ounces chevre
1 tablespoon zahtar
1 tablespoon smoked bittersweet paprika
8 ounce package (approximately) Halloumi cheese (sheep and goat milk cheese from Cyprus)
8 fresh sage leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Pan de Higo (Spanish fig & almond cake)
Breadsticks
Assorted olives

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Rinse the kale, trim off part of the stem, and dry well.

This variety is beautiful -- a deep blue-green

Use a paper towel to dab the kale as dry as possible before coating it with oil -- this keeps it from steaming rather than roasting

Rub oil on your hands and then coat the kale lightly with the oil

If you have a oil sprayer, use that to lightly coat the leaves

Sprinkle the kale with salt and roast in the oven until very crisp and dry and slightly browning, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and set aside until needed.

The kale browns slightly but maintains its great color

Press a spoonfuls of chevre into oval shapes, making 12 “olives.”

Goat cheese is crumbly but it will hold its shape if you press it together

Put the zahtar on a flat surface and roll 6 of the goat cheese olives in it until coated. Use more zahtar if needed.

These make delightful little bites, and no crackers are needed

Coat the other 6 goat cheese olives with the paprika.

Smoked paprika has a wonderful depth of flavor and a slight sweetness

Prepare the halloumi last, since it is best served warm. The other elements can be made in advance.

Halloumi comes packaged in a block of approximately 8 ounces -- it has a salty, feta-like flavor and a texture something like mozzarella

Slice the halloumi into 1/3-inch slices. You will have 6 to 8 slices

Trim the end pieces so they will lie flat in the pan

Heat a large pan, either cast-iron or non-stick, over medium heat. Have a sage leave ready for each slice of halloumi.

Place the sage top side facing out -- it will attach to halloumi as it cooks

Place the cheese, sage leaf side down, in the hot pan.

No need for oil, since the halloumi cooks in its own brine

Brown the halloumi, sage side down, for about 4 minutes, checking to make sure it doesn’t get too brown. Turn and cook another 4 minutes.

Halloumi has a high melting temperature, which is why is can be pan-seared or grilled

Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and serve warm. Slice 6 pieces of pan de higo. Arrange each plate with a breadstick, a piece of roasted kale, 2 chevre “olives,” a couple of actual olives, a slice of browned halloumi and a slice of pan de higo.

Pass the vino, per favore.

Kelly McCune © 2010

©2012 Kitchenelly. All Rights Reserved.