Gluten-Free Leek Fritters

So there would be a photo but we ate them all.  Whoops!

Ingredients

3 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only
1 1/5 c. gluten-free flour (we used Cup4Cup)
4 eggs
1 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. minced fresh or dried parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh or dried dill
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Clean and slice the leeks finely-- I cut them in half lengthwise, then slice them as finely and quickly as I can-- and reserve.

Mix together the rest of the ingredients with a whisk or a fork until well-combined, then fold in the leeks.  There should be roughly equal amounts of batter and leeks, and when mixed together, there batter should completely coat the leeks.

Heat oil in a pan or on a griddle until almost smoking and then drop in fritters-- you want to use a significant amount of oil, because these are honestly best fried.  Use about 1/4 c. of batter at a time.  When one side is browned, flip.  Remove to a plate with a paper towel on it and repeat until all the batter is gone.

Yogurt-Dill almost tzatziki sauce

1/2 c. plain yogurt
2 tbs. milk
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh dill
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix everything together.  Nom with the fritters.

Asparagus, Leek, and Sheep Cheese Risotto

The genesis of this recipe came from this week's farmer's market and Garden Variety Cheese-- we were tasting their samples and the woman working at the booth suggested that we make risotto with one of their cheeses: Hollyhock, which their website describes as "a raw sheep cheese aged for at least 8 months."  It melted into the risotto very well, and gave it a pleasantly mild taste.

I've found that while risotto isn't necessarily difficult, it does require a lot of patience.   I first learned to make it from my dad, who is in no way Italian-- so if this misses the "traditional" mark, I'm sorry!  The leeks I used (thick as my wrist and about four feet tall, including the ends of the leaves) are also his.

1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, washed and sliced finely
1 small onion, diced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh herbs, minced (I used oregano, thyme, and parsley from our garden)
1/3 c. dry white cooking wine or sherry
2 c. arborio rice
6 c. chicken broth (more might be necessary)
1 lb. skinny asparagus
about 1 c. grated Hollyhock cheese (you can use a similar sheep's milk cheese or parmesan if you can't find this one)
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Prep: clean and half-moon the leeks.  The easiest way to do this is cut off the tops and remove the outer layer, then cut in half and rinse under cold water.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic and herbs.  Snap the bottoms off the asparagus and then cut into one-inch pieces. 

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat; then, add the leeks, onions, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Cook all until the onions and leeks are limp and translucent.

Add the rice.  Stir continuously until the rice is just barely translucent around the outsides of the kernel-- you may need to add a bit more oil.  Once the rice is at that stage, add the cooking sherry and stir until it's fully absorbed.

The next step is to add the chicken broth: do so slowly, about half a cup at a time.  Each time you add broth, stir until the broth has been absorbed (but not so long that the rice gets dry).  This is the part that takes patience, so try not to get frustrated: it'll be worth it, I promise.

Once you have about half a cup of broth left, add the asparagus.  You can either add it directly to the risotto or sautee it briefly beforehand in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  If you choose to sautee it, don't cook for longer than 3-4 minutes-- it'll finish cooking with the rice, and overcooked asparagus isn't fun for anyone.

After all the broth has been added, turn off the heat and fold in about 3/4 c. of the grated cheese.  Garnish with the rest of the cheese and a little more minced herbs, if you have any left.

Serves 4-6 as a main course, or more as an appetizer/side.

News and Chili

So hi, it's been a while!  It's been nearly a year since I updated this thing-- and every time, I say I'll be better about updating, so really, who knows.

I've started a new job at River Cafe (not the one in New York), so I've been cooking a lot more, overall.  Mostly a LOT of sandwiches, because that's primarily what we serve, but also side dishes and breakfast burritos and I've actually learned to be pretty decent at making coffee drinks, which I suppose is a good skill to have, for all that I don't actually like coffee.

I've been experimenting at home with the crock pot more than I used to (which is to say, not at all), so tonight's recipe comes out of that.  My sister-in-law is gluten-free, so we've been doing a lot more wheat-free meals; we had this with cornbread made from a Gluten-Free Pantry mix (available here), which is deliciously buttery.  I had mine with strawberry jam I canned last summer-- we're just starting to get strawberries here, and I'm looking forward to making another batch of it soon.

Chili

1 can each pinto, black, and kidney beans (you can also cook these yourself from dry beans, but I didn't have time do do so).
2 tbsp. oil
1 small red onion, diced
3-6 minced cloves garlic, depending on how much you like it.
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. ground beef
2 chorizo sausages (about 1 lb. of meat-- I split the casings and just used the meat; you could also slice them once they're cooked)
1 12-oz. can tomatoes (or about 3-5 medium tomatoes, pretty much any variety)

Drain the beans of most of their liquid-- you will want some remaining (about 1/2 c.)  In a slow cooker set to low, combine the beans and stir together.  Cover and let warm.  (You could also do this in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over low heat.)

Heat the oil in a medium or large saucepan over medium heat; once it's warm, add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently until the onions are translucent, then add the ground beef and the chorizo.  Break up the meat and cook until it's no longer pink, then add the can of tomatoes.  Stir to combine, then add all of the meat/onions/etc. to the slow cooker.

Combine all ingredients and turn the slow-cooker up to high for an hour.  Turn to low and let cook for another hour.

Serves 8 (more if you're not super hungry, less if you are!) 

Lemon-Butter Chicken

Okay, so this is really incredibly simple, but it was also tasty and ended up fairly pretty, so have a recipe!  This would probably serve at least three, especially if it, you know, went with vegetables of some kind.

2 tsp. olive oil
1 small spring onion (about 1/3 c.), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small boneless/skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 lemon or 2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. white wine
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 sprig fresh thyme-- leave whole or strip the leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4-1/2 c. parmesan cheese, depending on how much you like cheese.

Pasta-- I used pappardalle from the Santa Cruz Pasta Factory

In a medium saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions are just starting to caramelize, then add the chicken, lemon juice, white wine, butter, salt, pepper, and thyme.  Simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the liquid has cooked down some.

Toss everything together and top with as much cheese as you feel like eating.  Enjoy!

Recipe: Nectarine Ice Cream

Nectarine Ice Cream

3/4 c. milk
2/3 c. granulated sugar
pinch salt
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
4 nectarines, peeled and diced

Chop the nectarines in a food processor until mostly smooth but still slightly chunky-- a smoother blend will give you smoother ice cream, but chunks of nectarine are pretty pleasant.

Mix the milk and sugar together until the sugar is mostly dissolved into the milk. Add the salt and the cream and stir until well-blended. Add in the processed nectarines and stir until they're incorporated.

Chill the ice cream in the fridge for at least half an hour or up to overnight, then freeze according to ice cream maker instructions.

You could probably add a few more nectarines, which would give it a stronger fruit flavor without affecting the texture that much.

There would be pictures, but we ate it all.

This is a modified recipe (originally for Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream, which I also made tonight) from the Cuisinart Ice Cream recipe book that came with my ice cream maker.

Apple-Fennel Crepinettes

On Friday, my local market had a sale on bulk meat-- I think we managed to buy nearly 25 pounds of meat for just under $50. I bought about 15 lbs. of pork shoulder to use in making sausages, with the intention of spending all weekend doing so. I haven't gotten hugely far as of yet, but I have made apple-fennel crepinettes and breakfast sausages. Today, I'm planning to make spicy sausages of some sort, as well as something that's more strongly cumin-flavored.

Last night's dinner was the apple-fennel crepinettes with farro and a salad, eaten entirely too late at night, because things always take longer than I think they will.

Apple-Fennel Crepinettes

2 3/4 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/3 lb. pork fat (I used belly)
2 small braeburn apples, peeled and cut into thumbnail-sized pieces
3 very small fennel bulbs (save some fronds for decoration, if desired)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 large shallot, cut into rings
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dill
1 sheet caul fat

Meat grinder
8- or 10-ounce ramekin, with straight sides

A note before we begin: it is very important to keep things cold when you're making sausages. Not only do cold ingredients and equipment give the sausage a better texture, you're working with raw meat. I stick my grinder in the freezer before I start anything else.

Chop the fennel into thin rings. Sautee over meduim heat until they are just starting to caramelize; add the apples and cook for another minute.

Remove the apples and fennel from the pan and set aside to cool. Do not clean the pan-- add the shallots, balsamic vinegar, dill, and cumin. Cook over medium heat until the shallots are limp and translucent.

Once the vegetables are cool, combine them with the shoulder, fat, and salt in a gallon-sized plastic bag. You can either mix everything together in a bowl and then transfer them to the bag, or start with everything in the bag, and mix it there, which is what I did.

Put the bag in the freezer for at least an hour, or until it the ingredients are cold through, but not all the way frozen.

While the meat is chilling, soak your caul fat in luke-warm water.

Grind the meat in a meat grinder (I use an attachment for my stand mixer, which works well but isn't ideal). If it's as warm as it was yesterday, set the bowl you're grinding into in ice to keep things chilled as you go. If the meat gets warm while you're grinding, chill it again in the freezer before continuing.

Line the ramekin with caul fat-- you'll want to get as many crepinettes out of the sheet as possible, so start near an edge and work your way in. Place a small piece of fennel frond in the center of the ramekin, then fill to the line with ground meat-- it should be about 1/2 cup, perhaps slightly more. Trim the caul fat around the edges, about half an inch from the top of the ramekin, and fold it over the meat. Be careful with the fat and don't pull it to hard, as it can tear.

Flip over the ramekin and tap on the bottom to loosen the crepinette. You should be able to get at least eight crepinettes out of this; I ran out of caul fat before I ran out of meat.

If you don't have a grinder, buy ground pork and chop the apples, fennel, and shallots finely before adding them to the meat.

To cook the crepinettes, I am going to direct you over to El Salchichero, which is where I bought both the belly and the caul fat: cooking directions here! They are genuinely good people, and they carry truly awesome meat. I bought a duck from them last weekend, and it was one of the more delicious things I've eaten recently.

A note on caul fat: I am lucky enough to have a butcher who is willing to sell me sheets of caul fat. I know that you can order it online.

Lemon-Ginger Sorbet

This is posted by request!

Lemon-Ginger Sorbet

2 c. sugar
3 c. water
juice of 7 lemons (or thereabouts-- enough so that it's as tart as you like it)
1 tbsp. honey
1/4 c. candied ginger

Combine the sugar, water, and honey in a pan over medium heat; cook until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and the candied ginger. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is just bubbling.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer and chill the liquid. Reserve the ginger from the strainer and, once cool enough to handle, dice it.

Once the liquid is cool, follow the directions on your ice cream maker. Add the diced ginger just before it is done freezing. Enjoy!

Makes about 1 quart sorbet.

(No pictures, because it will likely be gone before I get it and my camera in the same place at the same time.)

DDC, Week Six: Braised Goat Shoulder

Okay, so there's totally a post that should go before this (scrambled eggs with chanterelles, shallots, and goat cheese), but I have to write down this recipe before I forget it. This is heavily based off of this recipe.


2 lb. goat shoulder, bone-in
2-3 tsp. olive oil
4 medium carrots, diced
3 medium parsnips, diced
1 medium cippolini onion, cut into strips
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. red wine (I used a 2007 Zinfandel from Heart's Fire Winery; it looks like they're closed now, but it's really kind of amazing.)
4 c. beef broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the goat shoulder with the olive oil in a dutch oven. Once the meat is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan. De-glaze the pan with the red wine, then add the vegetables. Cook over medium heat until the onions are just barely soft. Add the meat back to the pan-- nestle it in to the vegetables. Add about 2-3 cups of the beef broth, until it the meat is about 2/3 covered. Make a parchment lid for the dutch oven, and put it in the oven. Cook for two hours.

At the two hour mark, take the dutch oven out of the oven and check to see how much liquid remains-- mine was pretty dry, so I added more beef broth. Baste the meat. Cook for another hour (or until the meat is falling off the bones) at 300 degrees, basting occasionally.

Remove from the oven, let rest in the dutch oven for about 15 minutes. This is not a very pretty meal, but it is a very, very filling one: serves 5 (if they're not very hungry) or fewer.

It tastes almost like the best pot roast I've ever eaten. My temporary-housemate Sydni has been telling me for months that I really ought to cook goat, and was she ever right. I think that this is something I will cook even after the challenge is done-- it's amazing. Pictures will be going up later (ETA: they're up now!)


Goat shoulder: Old Creek Ranch, Cayucos (just barely inside my radius)
Olive oil: Bariani, Sacramento
Carrots: Lakeside Farm, Watsonville
Parsnips: from SV Saturday Farmer's Market-- I don't remember which farm, unfortunately!
Onion: Happy Boy Farms
Garlic: I really don't remember-- I'm fairly sure it was a FM purchase, but I've had it for a while.
Salt: Farmhouse Culture, Santa Cruz
Red Wine: Heart's Fire Winery, Campbell
Beef broth: home-made; beef from TLC ranch w/local vegetables