Harbinger of spring

Fiddlehead ferns announce the arrival of spring. Their delicate spirals have an alien like appearance. Many years ago I read about the tender ferns but I never saw them in stores, until recently. Last year, my local grocer only had a small display but this year a pile of the bright green fronds spilled out of the basket.


Curiosity drove me to purchase some for tasting. I bought enough unfurled fronds to give each dinner a taste. The store offered cooking directions, so I happily took the recipe card.

1. Trim the ends, pick out any yellow leaves, and rinse thoroughly.
2. Fill a pan with an inch or two of water and place a steamer basket in the pan. Place the fiddleheads in the steamer and cook 10-12 minutes. When cooked they should be tender yet crisp.

Prepare a lemon garlic sauce while the fiddleheads cook.

1. In a small pan melt 2 tblsp butter.
2. Add one large clove of garlic, crushed, and cook until the garlic softens.
3. Add 1 tblsp vinegar to the butter and garlic mixture.

When the fiddleheads are done put them in a serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper then spoon the sauce over them. I think they taste like green beans. They are a unique addition to any diet.


FOLLOW UP: At the store, I noticed a sign warning people to cook the fiddleheads thoroughly,  10 minutes, if steamed and 15 minutes if boiled. The cooking instructions intrigued me. Why the fuss about cooking a vegetable? A few minutes of research guided me to articles proclaiming and complaining about the vegetable. 
1) In the animal kingdom, consumption of fiddlehead ferns is known to cause cancer. 2) Some varieties are toxic unless fully cooked. Scientists have not determined what causes the toxicity. 3)Experts disagree on a link between fiddleheads and cancer in humans. How Dangerous is the First Taste of Spring Yikes! Would I eat them again? Not likely.

Poblano Peppers stuffed with farro and cilantro cream sauce

This dish tastes smokey and has a gentle heat from the poblano peppers. The farro adds chewy texture and depth. Who needs meat?


Serves 6
400 degree oven

• 6  poblano peppers
• 4 shallots, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 cup of farro
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 16oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup parsley chopped
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
•  1 cup grated cheese

Prepare the peppers 

If you want,  bell peppers can be used instead of poblanos.

1. Place the poblano peppers under the broiler to blister and char the skin. Turn the peppers frequently to char all sides.
2. When the peppers are blackened on all sides, remove them from the oven and place in a paper bag for 5 minutes. This makes peeling the peppers easier.
3. After the peppers have set for 5 minutes peel the blistered skin off
4. Cut a slit into the pepper clean the seeds and ribs out. Place the peppers in a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Cook the farro

Farro is a grain that can be used interchangeably with barley. Sometimes it can be ground to use in bread or pasta. I think it is a nice alternative to rice.

Farro grains

1. In a medium sized pot place the farro, chicken stock, and diced tomatoes.
2. Season with thyme, oregano, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper then bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer 20 minutes or until the farro is tender.

 

 

 

 

Prepare the filling while the farro cooks

1. In a pan heat olive oil and saute the onion, peppers, and celery.
2. When the vegetable soften, add the garlic.
3. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. 

 

Stuff the peppers

1. Mix the vegetable with the farro. Combine well.
2. Gently open the slit in the peppers and spoon the farro vegetable mixture into the peppers. Place the filled pepper back into the dish.
3. Sprinkle grated cheese over the peppers.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with cilantro cream sauce.

Cilantro Cream sauce

• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of one lemon
• zest of one lemon
• 1 cup of cilantro leaves, pile it high!
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

1. In a food processor, pulse the garlic cloves.
2. Add the sour cream, cilantro, parsley.
3. Add lemon juice and zest
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Eet smaakelijk!

Baking Bread

I've never been fearful in the kitchen, I cut my teeth on Julia Child's "The Art of French Cooking", however,  baking bread scared me. Bread dough seemed so mercurial, proof the yeast, knead the dough, watch the humidity. The process of making the dough consumed an entire day: punch the dough down, let it rest, set in a warm place to rise for 2 hours then repeat the process.

The result after hours of work and being tied to the house did not appeal to me; just one loaf of bread, maybe two. If I slaved in the kitchen multiple hours then I expected something more filling, like pot au feu, and awe inspiring, like caramel cake with a hazelnut dacquoise and Italian meringue. Then I purchased a bread machine and the process was demystified. Now everyday is fresh bread day at my house.

 You will find a variety of machines on the market. When I bought my first machine it made vertical loaves that insulted my sense of how bread should look. By the time I was ready to upgrade I knew enough about bread machines to make a more intelligent decision. Fortunately, the bread machine market had improved to offer better machines with usable features. My second bread machine came from Zojirushi. I consider it the king of bread machines because of its versatility and smart design. Here's what I like about it:

• Horizontal loaf up to a 2 lb loaf of bread
• Wheat and white cycle
• Personalized cycle
• Dough cycle, 2 hours
• Quick dough cycle, 45 minutes
• Beeps when it is time to add things to the dough (raisins, sun dried tomatoes, seeds, herbs)
• Timer for delayed start (best feature ever!)

Crockpot specials

     Crock pot meals require a certain finesse, in my opinion. I've had amazing success and dreadful inedible failures. Some food, like chili, is perfect for a crock pot and cold weather comfort foods are the epitome of crock pot meals.
     Tell me your crock pot tales. Check out the Recipes page and post your favorite recipe.

Porcupine balls

A ONE PAN WONDER  

  Time to start thinking about what to have for dinner - ugh.

I don't plan my evening meals every week. Usually, I check what is fresh and seasonal and then I plan a few meals. Sometimes I make something, like roast chicken, and reincarnate the meat into different dishes until my husband and the kids scream "No more chicken!" A stir-fry is a great way to use up the lone carrot, 1/2 an onion or pepper, and the odd broccoli crown. I like to prepare something the night before and finish it when I get home from work the next day. That makes  me feel like I saved time even though I stayed late in the kitchen to prepare today's meal.

      One of my favorite things to do is to have a single pan meal. Skillet lasagna, rice cooker chicken biriyani, Indonesian nasi, or porcupine balls taste good and free me up to do more things. These dishes please kids and my husbands refined palate.  Tonight we are having porcupine balls.

Local Farmer's Market

     The Cascades Market Place Farmer's Market in the Potomac Falls, VA is small but has a good variety of products. Several stalls sell fruit and vegetables that fill your mouth with the taste of sunshine.  Grass fed animal products sell out quickly; the sausages are out of this world! A few bakers sell delectable cookies, cakes, and bread. There are a few unique vendors like the dog treats bakery and the shitake mushroom farmers Vera & Floyd Blethen from F & V Farm in Lovetsville, VA, fandvfarm@yahoo.com.
     Out of curiosity I bought a pint box of shitake. The price made me raise an eyebrow but I considered the purchase a privilege to support a local farmer.  When you eat a shitake from F & V farm prepare for a flavor explosion!  I think shitake have a flavor that is earthy and complex, but these shitakes revised my idea of what a mushroom is. Woodsy, earthy, firm and delicious, these mushrooms didn't need meat to shine. My children willingly ate these mushrooms. After eating them I was disappointed that I had to wait 7 days to get some more. Next time, I will let these mushrooms stand on their own in glory; sauteed in olive oil with garlic and shallot finished with a dry white wine and a pat of butter.
     Floyd told me that it takes a year to grow his mushrooms. He uses organic spawn (there must be a more marketable word than spawn) and grows the shitake on oak logs. The flyer he gave me states that shitake were reserved for Emperors only and guarded by the Samurai. Well, the secret is out and we can all eat like kings but only if we go to the Cascades Market Place Farmer's Market every Sunday, through November 1 and buy F & V Farm's shitake mushrooms. 

Eet smakelijk!

Tasty treats

I went to West Chester, PA on the 4th of July weekend and for the first time I ventured in the old section of town. This town is so charming! The wide streets and old store fronts reminded me of old-town Alexandria, minus the stuffy antique stores and money burning restaurants.
My two favorite stops of the day:

Honey Ginger Aged Balsamic Vinegar

1. The Amish market. This is what I bought homemade cheese, thick-cut bacon, beautiful hand-made soaps and sun-drenched veggies.
2. A Taste of Olive shop. What an incredible place! Flavored vinegars and olive oil. The quaint shop looked like something in Sienna, Italy. Metal casks of oil and vinegars artfully arranged in an antique building. Customers are encouraged to taste everything with chewy Italian bread or straight up in little cups. I got Honey Ginger Aged Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Balsamic Vinegar. If you order or visit don't forget to keep the keep the bottles. The store reuses the bottles and gives you a recycling discount! I didn't get the frequent buyer card, but I will next time. A Taste Of Olive