All Saints'

Most people get excited about Halloween but November 1^st, is also an important day in the Christian world. All Saint’s Day is the day after Halloween and has been observed through the centuries with rituals celebrating life and death.

All Saints’ Day is usually a family event where entire families will come out to clean and whitewash the family tombs and bring food for picnics. The tradition continues with placing flowers, plants, and other mementos on the tombs and at the mausoleums of deceased family members. Perhaps the oldest holiday on the Western calendar, it dates back to 837, when Roman Catholics began honoring all saints, known and unknown, on the first day of November.

Rick Bragg writes in the latest issue of Southern Living, about seeing families in New Orleans dressed for church, filing through a cemetery gate with a picnic basket and an Igloo cooler. Later he saw people eating oyster po’boys and drinking root beer in the shade of a crypt. He saw fathers and sons toast grandfathers and great-grandfathers with a clink of Abita bottles. He felt that this was a lovely notion that you will be remembered, no matter what your faith, as long as someone is willing to come to see you.

In the latest issue of ‘Saveur’, there is a great article on Guatemala and how they celebrate All Saints’ Day. The families decorate their relatives’ graves with flowers and candles to guide the spirits back home. Food and drinks are left for souls famished from wandering in the netherworld. Many people stay by the graves, eating and drinking until morning and others take the party elsewhere. At the family’s home there are dishes of food covering the table and the centerpiece is an enormous composed salad—with dozens of ingredients in colorful layers. It is a salad called fiambre , which means “served cold,” and is only eaten in Guatemala on All Saints’ Day. Though its origins are murky, it is thought that families took dozens of little dishes to the cemetery and over time they got mixed together, resulting in this easier-to-carry creation. Fiambre can contain anything, with up to 50 ingredients and takes days to prepare. As the author of the article was leaving the Guatemalan home, one of the women preparing the fiambre said, ”Who know what the dead want?  With fiambre, they can pick their favorite thing.”

So get some good ingredients together and prepare this saintly salad for friends living or dead!

Fiambre

(Guatemalan Composed Salad)

Serves 12-16

¾ cup chopped parsley

½ cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp. capers, drained

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

6 scallions, roughly chopped

1 7-oz. jar pimientos, drained

1 clove garlic, sliced thin

1 1” piece ginger, sliced thin

1 cup olive oil

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and cut into 1” cubes

1 lb. medium head-on, unpeeled shrimp, boiled

1 lb. peeled Yukon gold potatoes, boiled and halved

8 oz. cooked uncured chorizo sausage, cut into ¼ “ slices

4 oz. green beans, trimmed and boiled until tender

3 oz. salami, cut into ½ “ strips

3 oz. ham, cut into ½ “ strips

1 cup frozen peas

4 medium carrots, cut into ½ inch rounds, boiled until tender

4 ribs celery, cut into ½ inch slices, boiled until tender

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, boiled until tender

4 medium beets, roasted, peeled, and quartered

1 small head green leaf lettuce, leaves separated

1 small head red leaf lettuce, leaves separated

8 oz. farmer’s cheese or feta

3 oz. mini gherkins, drained

3 oz. Spanish olives, pitted

5 radishes, quartered

4 boiled eggs, quartered

Puree ½ cup parsley, vinegar, capers, mustard, scallions, pimientos, garlic, and ginger in a blender.

Drizzle in oil until emulsified; season with salt and pepper and set vinaigrette aside. Toss chicken, shrimp, potatoes, chorizo, green beans, salami, ham, peas, carrots, celery, and cauliflower with ¾ cup vinaigrette in a bowl.

Toss beets with ¼ cup vinaigrette in another bowl. Cover both bowls; chill 30 minutes to blend flavors. Arrange lettuce on bottom of a large platter; top with marinated meats and vegetables. Garnish with beets, cheese, gherkins, olives, radishes, and eggs. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

If you haven’t had All Saints’ as a part of your family traditions, think about taking the family to the graves of the ancestors and introduce the children to the past members of the family and share some food with them as well.

The Stewart family cemetery at Holly Grove---in need of a clean up for All Saints'

Autumn Meal with Friends

When the weather turns cooler I like to have friends over for an autumn meal. I just enjoy food more when it is somewhat cooler. Since we live out in the country I invite people around 6PM, since I do not like staying up late. I guess you could say I am a party pooper!  But enjoying the remains of the day with good friends is one of the delights of life.  And if the friends haven’t been before or recently we usually start the evening with a tour of our Devon while it is still light.

I usually go back to my favorite chef in Alabama, Frank Stitt, for inspiration. I tried something new and something old for my menu. Oysters are in season so I started with an oyster course. I may have given this recipe before but it is worth repeating, since I think it is my favorite oyster recipe.  It is easy, but the ingredients just explode in your mouth and make for a wonderful appetizer. I bought some organic pork at Whole Foods, and decided to use it as my main course with some greens and polenta. Dessert was an Apple Crostata.  Since I have just done an article on apples I will not print this one, but it was wonderful looking and delicious.

Serve a glass of champagne with your oysters and a red wine likes Côtes du Rhône for your pork. Enjoy the evening! I like a desert wine with the apples but you may want to end with coffee.

Taken from Frank Stitt’s cookbooks, Southern Table and Botega Favorita

Spicy Baked Oysters with Caramelized Onions

Serves 4

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Rock salt for serving (I usually serve on oyster plates.)

24 oysters (can use freshly shucked and served in oyster shells that have been washed) 1 pint of oysters will be enough for 4 people

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

Coarsely ground dried hot chili or cayenne pepper to taste

6-7 very thin slices pancetta, cut into twenty-four 1 ½ -inch squares, or 6 slices bacon, preferably center-cut, cut into 4 pieces each

1 cup medium-coarse bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 450⁰F.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Make a bed of rocks salt on a baking sheet and arrange the oysters on top. Top each with a little of the sautéed onion-just enough to cover. Place a teaspoon of butter and a good pinch of chili on each, then top with a square of pancetta (or bacon) and a scattering of bread crumbs to finish.

Bake until the pancetta is slightly crispy, the bread crumbs golden, and the oysters heated through, 10-12 minutes.  I transfer mine to the oyster plates, six each.

Pork Scaloppine with Greens and Polenta

Serves 4

2-3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed

1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Maui Maui, sliced

2 garlic cloves, 1 crushed, 1 minced

1 thyme sprig

4 cups roughly chopped turnip greens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

Eight 3-ounce slices pork loin, pounded to 1/8 inch thick

1 shallot, finely minced

¼ cup dry Marsala

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

3 cups creamy polenta (can make from scratch or buy the log to reconstitute) one could also use grits instead of the polenta

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the onion, crushed garlic, and thyme sprig and cook until the onion is lightly colored, about 12 minutes. Add the chopped greens, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes, or until the greens are soft. Then season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and set aside to cool. (Set the pan aside.)

Season the flour with salt and pepper; spread on a plate.

Return the pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Dust each scaloppini with flour, shaking off any excess. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the pork to the pan and cook until browned on both sides and medium-rare, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the slices to a rack as they are done and cover loosely to keep warm; add more oil to the pan as necessary.

Add the minced garlic and shallot to the pan and cook for 1 minute more. Add the Marsala and simmer to reduce by half.  Add the stock and reduce by half. Whisk in the cold butter bit by bit, and season to taste. Remove the pan from the heat.

Spoon a portion of the soft polenta into the center of each plate, place 2 scaloppine on top, and ladle the sauce over the pork. Serve with a generous spoonful of the greens, garnished with the pine nuts and cheese.

We had our dinner party last evening and I thought everything went very well together. My friends enjoyed it also and did not leave until 10:30PM. I will need a nap today!! (But I usually have an afternoon siesta.)

Apples

The apple is a “good guy” when it comes to nutrition. The variety of health benefits supplied by apples is huge and very encouraging. This fist-sized snack needs little preparation, is very portable, and easy to consume.

It is important to keep in mind that a lot of the goodness of apples is consumed in the skin. If eaten whole, they need to be washed carefully---right before being consumed. On the tree, apples have their own natural coating to protect them. This is removed when they are cleaned for production, and a new artificial coating is applied for shipping them. This artificial coating can be washed off using warm water and a fruit and vegetable cleaner. Organic apples don’t always look as good as other apples, but they are the safest choice if there is concern about pesticides and preservatives.

How an apple is eaten is important---especially when eating them with the skin on. Each bite of apple needs to be chewed until it is practically mush. Then the digestive enzymes can do their work of extracting the nutritional components from the apple as it passes through the digestive system.

Some of the reported benefits or apples are: a rich source of flavonoid and polyphenols, both powerful antioxidants; eating 100g of apple can give an antioxidant effect equal to taking about 1500 mg of vitamin C; apples contain a large amount of minerals and vitamins that can strengthen the blood; apples contain malic acid and tartaric acid, that can help prevent disturbances of the liver and digestion; apple cider vinegar when used as a beverage can help to prevent the formation of kidney stones; eating an apple daily can lower cholesterol and reduce skin diseases.

The markets are full of different varieties of apples these days so bring home some new varieties and eat some raw and cook some and enjoy the benefits of this healthy fruit.  Unfortunately here in the deep South we do not have much in the way of apples.  We’re still working on growing some low chill varieties here on the farm.  If you are traveling to the mountains this fall to see the foliage, you should stop at one of the roadside stands and get some of their local apples.

Taken from ‘Southern Living’, September 2011 issue.

Fresh Applesauce

Makes 10-12 servings

For the best taste and texture, use a variety of apples.

12 large apples, peeled and coarsely chopped (6 ½ lb.)

1 cup sugar

½ lemon, sliced

Bring all ingredients to a light boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring often, 25-30 minutes or until apples are tender and juices thicken. Remove and discard lemon slices. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature (about 2 hours). Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Apple Brown Betty

Serves 6-8

4 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into ¼ -inch-thick wedges

1 cup apple cider

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together breadcrumbs and melted butter. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Place half of apple wedges in a lightly greased 11x7-inch baking dish; sprinkle apples with half of brown sugar mixture, and breadcrumb mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining apples, brown apple mixture, and breadcrumb mixture. Pour apple cider over top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

From the cookbook, Harvest to Heat, comes this apple soup recipe.

Smoky Pork and Apple Soup with Mustard

Serves 4

Use any apples that you like, and for a variation in flavor, add a dash of allspice or nutmeg.

For the stock:

1 ½ pounds ham hocks (about 2)

2 ¾ cups apple cider

1 red onion, cut in half

For the soup:

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

7 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

3 small onions, cut into ½-inch dice

1 ½ pounds medium potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, cut into ½-inch dice

1 medium head garlic, peeled around the outside but kept whole

3 apples, preferable Granny Smith, cut into ½ -inch dice

2 tablespoons mustard, preferable Dijon

Coarse salt

Make the stock: In a large stockpot, combine the ham hocks, 3 quarts water, the apple cider, and red onion halves; simmer over medium heat for about 3 ½ hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone. When cool enough to handle, remove the ham hocks and pull the meat off the bones and set aside; discard the bones. Reserve the cooking liquid (you should have about 2 quarts).

Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; add the carrots, parsnips, and onions, and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, garlic, apples, ham, and reserved liquid (if you do not have 2 quarts then add enough water to equal 2 quarts) and cook until the vegetables are tender about 10 minutes. Stir in the mustard and season to taste with salt. Serve immediately.

Tailgating

It’s football season and fans are in a frenzy. Football fans go to great lengths in preparing food and libations for their pre-game festivities. Grills and barbecue pits billow smoke and enticing aromas, and huge pots of simmering gumbo, chili, and jambalaya sit atop butane-burners. Tables are usually laden with chips and dips, cheese and crackers, and plenty of tasty desserts.

For tailgate gatherings, either at home or on-site, organization is key. Offerings can be as simple and thrown together as fried chicken or pizza, store-bought chips and dips, and pies from the frozen food section of the supermarket. However, to make an impression it is necessary to get in the kitchen and take out the pots and pans. Tailgating offers an ideal opportunity to show off your culinary skills, because anything goes.

Recipes are takes from the October issue of Louisiana Cookin’  (LSU is doing ok.)

Mexican Cheesecake

Makes about 16 appetizer servings

¼ cup crushed tortilla chips

2 tablespoons butter, softened

8 ounces cottage cheese

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 large eggs

8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

1 4.5 ounce can green chilies

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces jalapeño Cheddar cheese dip

Chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, chopped green onions for topping

Preheat oven to 325⁰F.

Combine chips and butter and press into the bottom of 9-inch spring-form pan.  Add cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs (added one at a time), Cheddar cheese, and green chilies to a food processor and blend thoroughly.  Pour into spring-form pan and bake until set, about 1 hour.  Set aside.

Combine sour cream and cheese dip and spread over cheesecake. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Before serving, sprinkle top with tomatoes, black olives, and green onions. Cut into thin slices to serve.

Make–Ahead Pasta Casserole

Makes 10 servings.  Carry this along to the party packed in one of those insulated food carriers or shove in the oven at home at half-time.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds lean ground beef (preferable grass fed)

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped green bell peppers

1 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

2 1-pound cans whole tomatoes, mashed with liquid

2 7-ounce cans sliced mushrooms with liquid

1/3 cup dry red wine

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

½ teaspoon dried basil leaves

1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta, cooked and drained

½ pound grated Cheddar cheese

½ pound grated American cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add beef and cook, stirring often, until all pink disappears, about 15 minutes. Add onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until very soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, mushrooms, and red wine. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.

Season to taste with salt and cayenne . Add oregano and basil and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally,

To assemble, lay one-third of the pasta on the bottom of a large greased casserole dish. Spread one-third of the tomato sauce evenly over pasta and sprinkle with one-third of each of the cheeses. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. Casserole may be frozen at this point. Defrost completely before baking.

Bake uncovered, until bubbly and hot, 30-40 minutes.

World’s Best Brownies

Makes about 16 brownies

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 sticks salted butter

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350⁰F.

Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil. Melt chocolate and butter together in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.

Place sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and pour in chocolate mixture. Using an electric mixer, combine until blended, scraping sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add vanilla, reduce mixer speed to medium-low and add eggs 1 at a time. Add flour and mix. Stir in pecans.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake on middle rack of the oven until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut in squares.

May your team win!

Labor Day 2011

Labor Day is an American national holiday designed to recognize the achievements of workers and their accomplishments. This day also traditionally marks the end of the summer season as well.  (We, in the deep South know better.)  I think it is the perfect time to serve those vegetables left in the garden such as peppers, zucchini, peas, beans, okra and corn. I have decided to grill a steak, hamburger, or a piece of fish and serve these side dishes using what is left in the summer garden.

Corn and Zucchini Orzo Salad

 Serves 6

6 medium zucchini, diced (You can use different summer squashes; mix them up to give more color.)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound orzo

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cups corn kernels (from 6 ears of corn)

1 small red onion, chopped

1 Jalapeño seeded and diced

1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)

1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

4 ounces feta, crumbled (2 cups)

Place zucchini in a colander and toss with salt. Place colander in sink and let sit 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking; transfer to a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 4 minutes. Add to pasta along with zucchini, 3 tablespoons oil, onion, jalapeño, and lemon zest and juice; season with salt and pepper. Stir in basil and feta. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Three-Pepper Slaw

Serves 4

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 medium bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 2 green), stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 celery stalk, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise

¼ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add bell peppers, celery, and thyme; toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

I did this recipe from Frank Stitt’s cookbook, Southern Table. At that time I sautéed a piece of white fish and placed on top of the succotash. The succotash was so good we ate it as a salad the next day. A piece of grilled fish or meat would be great in top of this lady pea succotash.

Lady Pea Succotash

Serves 4

½ small red onion, cut into 1-inch-thick slices

1 cup cooked lady peas (or substitute pink-eyes, crowders, or cranberry beans), ¼ cup pot liquor from the peas reserved.  We grow both Pink-eyed Purple-hulled and Whippoorwill peas.

2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice

2 ears corn, husked, boiled for 4 minutes, and kernels off the cob

½ small shallot, finely chopped

4 basil leaves, torn into small pieces

4 sprigs dill leaves, coarse shopped

A few chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling is desired

To make the succotash, prepare a hot grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the onion slices, turning once, until lightly charred on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into ¼ -inch-dice.

In a large bowl, combine the charred onion, peas, tomatoes, corn, shallot, basil, dill, and chives. Stir in the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

This can be served at room temperature or heated through before serving.

This a great little find for an okra recipe. Found it in Southern Living, August 2011 issue. It would be great for an appetizer.

Nutty Okra

4 servings

1 lb. fresh okra, cut into ½-inch pieces (1 16-oz.) package frozen cut okra, thawed, may be substituted

1 tsp. salt

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 cup all-purpose baking mix

½ cup finely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts (Pulse in the food processor)

½ tsp. pepper

Peanut oil

Toss okra with salt, and let stand 20 minutes. Add egg white, stirring to coat. Stir together baking mix and the next 2 ingredients in a large bowl.  Add okra, tossing to coat;  gently press peanut mixture onto okra, shaking off excess.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet; heat to 375 degrees. Fry okra, in batches, 2 to 4 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels.

Have a good weekend.  We’re looking for some much needed rain here.

Scotland 2011

We so enjoyed the cool weather in Scotland last summer we went again this year.  The scenery is great so we drove all over.  Driving on the left side of the road and shifting with the left hand is not so bad.  What is scary is their narrow roads—no shoulder, none whatsoever and here comes this big lorry barreling down the road. And I love the signs, “Oncoming traffic in the middle of the road.”  Single tract roads, at least, usually means minimal traffic (sheep excepted) but still if the curve is blind---just pray the oncoming vehicle is not going too fast to stop.

We visited a few castles and country homes, took another whiskey tour.  I think the best tour was Balmoral, the Queen’s summer place.  We heard she wasn’t staying at the castle this August but in another cottage on the estate and let the tourists continue to pay to see the castle.  We were there the weekend that the Queen’s granddaughter, Zara Phillips got married in Edinburgh.  Another castle we wanted to see was the Castle of Mey on the far north coast, the summer home of Elizabeth, the late Queen Mother.  It was closed.  Prince Charles was to be in residence after the wedding.

Where we stay and what we eat is as important as what we visit.  Two places were the inspiration for the recipes below.  We stayed at the Darroch Learg Hotel in Ballater after our visit to Balmoral.  It turned out to be our best meal.  The mushroom soup with puff pastry was just a lagniappe, not even on the menu.  The chef had been at the hotel for 20 or so years.  My husband loves the ‘full English breakfasts’ that are usually offered at every stop.  Here we had our eggs scrambled with smoked salmon for breakfast.

Master recipe for the mushroom soup is from Julia Child’s, The Way to Cook.

Velouté Soup Base

For about 2 quarts

4 Tbs butter

¾ cup to 1 ½ cups minced onion and or white of leek—the amount depending on your other ingredients

¼ cup flour

7 to 8 cups liquid: chicken or fish stock and/or milk or vegetable cooking liquid—of which at least 1 cup is hot

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Set a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over moderately low heat, add the butter, and, when melted, stir in the onions. Cover and cook slowly 7 to 8 minutes, or until the onions are tender and translucent. Blend in the flour. Stir slowly for 3 minutes, to cook the flour without letting it color. Remove from heat, and in a few seconds, when bubbling stops, pour in 1 cup of hot liquid all at once, whisking vigorously to blend smoothly. Whisk in 6 more cups. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and simmer 10 minutes—stirring frequently to be sure the soup is not scorching on the bottom of the pan. The soup base should be slightly thickened, enough to coat a spoon lightly. Add dollops of liquid if too thick. Correct seasoning, and continue as your recipe directs.

Cream of Mushroom Soup with Puff Pastry Dome

For about 2 ½ quarts, 6 servings

Ingredients for the preceding Velouté Soup base, made with 1 cup of hot chicken broth and 6 or more cups of milk

1 quart fresh mushrooms, trimmed, washed, and diced

¼ tsp dried tarragon leaves (I used 2 sprigs of fresh from the garden.)

½ cup or more sour cream, heavy cream or crème fraîche, optional

Salt, and freshly ground white pepper

Drops of lemon juice, if needed

Sheet of puff pastry for dome

Bring the soup base to simmer, and fold in the mushrooms and tarragon; simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Stir in the optional cream, simmer a moment more, and carefully correct seasoning, adding a few drops of lemon juice if you think they are needed.

Have the puff pastry unthawed and roll out the amount needed to cover each soup bowl. Bowls should be oven-proof. The oven should be preheated to 400 degrees. Put the puff pastry over each bowl of soup and heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry if golden. Serve immediately. It is delicious.

From The Dower House. I have no real recipe so I came home and made my own. The Dower House is a repeat for us.  It is just a couple who manage the whole affair.   Mena officiates and Robyn cooks.  Drinks in the parlor before dinner.  Scotch seems appropriate there.  We had Talisker, a smoky single malt from Skye.  Robyn did a risotto also last year using beets that I shared with you.

Risotto with Smoked Haddock and Squash

Serves 4

Cook risotto according to package directions. I use the classic risotto recipe which uses some onions, wine, chicken broth, and parmesan cheese. You could use the basic recipe given on the package also. I used 1 cup risotto for this recipe for four.

When my risotto  was almost finished cooking, I added I zucchini and 1 yellow squash that I had cut into small pieces, I also added about 6 ounces of diced smoked whitefish (could not find smoked haddock) to the risotto. This too was a delicious meal.  You can do it as a starter as Robyn did or the main course if eating light.

We traveled on the western isles by several ferries.  One stay was on the small isle of Gigha (pronounced gee-ah) where we stayed at a country house, Achamore.  Its garden is the principal attraction of the island.  This western part of Scotland is usually frost free because of the Gulf Stream and the plantings are tropical to subtropical.  Here we ate at a small café at the ferry landing where we had the local catch of scallops and lobster.

We tried to have the local seafood wherever we were but Scotland has some good beef, lamb and venison as well.

But we are now back in the heat.  Even with air, our house is not as cool as Scotland.  It was 40’s to 70’s there most days and we didn’t have much rain.  It was raining the afternoon in Gigha and we spent the afternoon is the island’s only pub with a house full of locals.

Devon at Holly Grove

When we bought this farm in 2005 we bought a beautiful old house, but what to do with the land?  My husband started researching.  Being more a horticulturist he looked at grapes/wine (“Do you realize that takes a few million?” said our son who was at the time an architect designing wineries in Sonoma California.), starting a nursery (The book So You Want to Own a Nursery soon discouraged that.) a market garden (too much work), growing truffles (the land isn’t right).  The land was in pasture.  Why not use it for that?  Pasture what?  Chickens need daily attention; sheep die too easily; goats would eat the privet encroaching on the pasture but then they climb trees and fences.  Cattle?  What kind?  Research first led us to Pineywoods.  Covington County even has one of the few herds left, but a visit I made to a sale, and a comment by Covington County Agent, Chuck Simon, that they are only good for hamburger led us in a different direction.  We found the North American Devon Association, founded only in 2006, promoting Devon for grass fed beef.  We read and went to the meetings and became convinced that grass fed (finished) beef is healthier and Devons are the best on grass.

One producer of grass fed beef (albeit not Devon) notes, “It is a healthy alternative to grain fed beef, lower in fat and calories, and also higher in body beneficial Omega-3s and Beta Carotene.”  We have been led to believe we need to eat vegetables (which we do) and forgo red meat.  A more enlightened version is eat the right red meat---grass fed.  I know somebody is thinking; “Aren’t all cows fed grass?”  The catch comes when the calves are sent to the feed lots to be finished on grain.  This all began after WWII when we had surplus corn and cheap fuel and cheap fertilizer. The farmers and ranchers chased this model to their, and our detriment.  Grain finished beef is marbled and tasty but not healthy.  And we are learning that buying fertilizer, equipment to spread it on the fields, equipment to cut hay and fuel to do it, the fuel and hauling fees to someplace far away to finish the cattle on the corn (also expensive to produce with fertilizer to grow, fuel to plant, harvest, haul) and then hauling the cattle again to a packing plant and hauling the beef to the supermarket is labor and fuel intensive. (That was a long convoluted sentence and that is the idea.) And the product produced is not as healthy. I read this morning that 2/3 of fruits and vegetables sold in the supermarket are from abroad. 

Devon is an old breed, recorded in 23 BC in Devon in England, possibly brought to England from North Africa.  The first Devon in America came on the ship Charity with the Pilgrims.  Three Devon heifers and a Devon bull were sent from Devonshire to Edward Winslow, the agent for the Plymouth Colony in 1623.  The breed was dual purpose: providing milk and meat, and the steers were the oxen work force for the farm.  They prospered.  As interest in breeds increased in the late 19^th century the American Devon Cattle Club was founded in 1884 and the official herd book was begun.  Devon did well until the grain finishing model began in earnest in the later part of the 20^th century.  Devon did not do well in feed lots and the breed began to decline and presently there are fewer than 3,000 registered Devon in the entire country, although they are prominent in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and England.   With the scarcity of stock, the registered Devons are being used to add Devon genetics to commercial herds.

We were fortunate to get a start with some registered Devon at reasonable prices.   And this past summer an old doctor outside Vicksburg was selling out---a pure bred Devon herd of 15.   We now plan to be one of the few who can sell grass fed Devon to eat.

What about taste?  I’ve heard the complaint that grass fed is tougher.  Not necessarily!   A recent study in Argentina noted that when age at slaughter is similar and a minimum fattening  target is reached, objective tenderness (shear force) is not related to the finishing  system.  Therefore, grass fed beef is not likely to be less tender than grain fed beef as is commonly thought in North America.  Actually, they found a far greater influence of animal genetics and animal chronic stress on meat toughness than any other factor, including age.  They noted the major problems with grass fed beef comes when it is not finished (fattened) before harvest and is sold too lean echoing what the President of North American Devon told us when we visited his farm is southern Georgia (east on Hwy 84) this past summer.   Grass fed fat will always be at least slightly yellower than grain fed.  This denotes more carotenes and antioxidant lipid soluble compounds---good.   I also thought interesting in the Argentine study, among North Americans, the ones who selected flavor as the most relevant fact to beef choice often selected against pasture finished beef because of excessive beef flavor!  And younger people preferred the blander, less flavored beef.  They have grown up eating our bland antibiotic, hormone enhanced factory farmed chicken, beef and pork.  What do we expect?

Organic is good but it is not grass fed.  Finding grass fed beef and pastured pork, chicken and eggs and milk is difficult.  Some stores do sell grass fed beef but to most it is only available by order from a distant provider.  We have access to some grass fed at a couple of farmer’s markets and Whole Foods.  When talking with the butcher we learned that Whole Foods is now getting its grass fed beef from Texas as opposed to New Zealand when we last asked.  If there is a demand, more stores will carry these healthier products.  Healthier food is more expensive but may help save on all those drugs we buy to counteract our poor living and eating habits.

Meatballs with Tomato and Pimiento Sauce, from Claire MacDonald’s Scotland, the Best of Scottish Food and Drink

Serves 8

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 ½ lbs. of minced (ground round) beef

1 1/3 cups fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sunflower or olive oil for frying

Tomato and Pimiento Sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 sweet red pepper, core and seed removed, chopped

1 large garlic clove, peeled and chopped

12 fresh ripe tomatoes, halved, or two 14 oz. cans

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

For the meatballs, heat the oil in a wide saucepan and cook the finely chopped onions for about five minutes.  Let the onions cool completely before mixing with the meatball ingredients.  Form into small balls, the size of a walnut and put the balls on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  These can be frozen.

To make the sauce, heat the oil and add the chopped onion and red pepper.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the chopped garlic, tomatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Simmer the sauce gently for 25-30 minutes.   Liquidize and sieve the sauce and reheat when ready to serve.

To cook the meatballs, heat the oil in a frying pan to a depth of ¼ in.  Fry the meatballs until they are well browned all over.  As they are cooked keep warm on a kitchen paper on a serving dish in a low oven.

For this dish the ground grass fed beef will be cheaper than other cuts.  Maybe you can even find some of the local Covington County Pineywoods.

Claire MacDonald recommends serving with mashed potatoes and a stir fried green vegetable.

Gourmet Beef on Grass

We recently spent 3 days at a conference of the North American Devon Association with the title ‘Gourmet Beef on Grass’. This was our fourth conference with the Devon folks and we have always found them informative and interesting. This one took place in Rock Falls, Illinois, so we drove the 14 hours from our home and saw a lot of cornfields. We spent one day at a Mennonite member’s farm, and listened to the owner tell how he worked his pastures with his many Red Devons. He was the one who had purchased the $34,000.00 Devon in the cow sale last year.  Now that we have our own 22 Red Devon, the conference means more to us. Ours, I might add are not so expensive.

Of interest, we learned Ronald Reagan was born in this area of Illinois. I had forgotten that fact, but Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois in 1911. We took a little time off from the conference to visit his birthplace which was a three bedroom apartment over a store on main street in the small town of Tampico. The guide had lived in Tampico all her life and loved talking about her subject. She told how Ronald and his mother went to the Church of Christ and Neal, Ronald’s brother, and his father went to the Catholic Church.  The plane carrying Reagan’s body back to California flew over Tampico and tipped its wing to the town where Reagan began.

The Devon conference is about cows and farming but much more. I spent an entire day at the conference listening to Jerry Brunetti, who has a book called ‘Cancer, Nutrition and Healing’. His main topic for the day was why modern medicine myths are making us ill. We have all been told that fat is bad, but in truth, good fat is the best thing we can eat. The carbs which equals sugar is what is making us sick. Americans are eating 150 pounds of sugar a year, 200 pounds of refined grains, and 365 cans of soda. Mr. Brunetti feels that cancer feeds off sugar, but good fat helps protect the cells. Good fats come from eating things such as olive oil, avocados, and the fat from grass fed or pastured or wild animals, and fish . Sugar is in almost everything, and one should read the contents on the back of cans and avoid canned goods and refined foods as much as possible. The chips, crackers, white bread, salted meats, and any processed foods need to be eliminated from our diet.

Dr. Weston Price, an American dentist, did a study in the 1930’s looking at people’s diets all over the world. He established 6 food groups, and they are rather interesting.

--seafood , fish and shellfish- fish organs, sardines and anchovies

--organ meats from wild and grass fed animals

--Insects-such as grubs

--fats of birds-sea mammals, hogs, bear and guinea

--whole milk-cheese-butter made from grass fed animals

--egg yolks—from birds and chickens

Now the insects are a turn off, but we have all been told to drink low-fat milk and stay off eggs. Even now, we are learning that eggs, eggs from free-range chickens, are an excellent source of omega 6’s and 3’s. The brain is 60% fat and yet the children who are on the WIC program only get low-fat milk. Wonder how that helps their brain development in the first 2 years of life? Americans are obese and the increase of diabetes is stunning. We are obviously eating the wrong things.

What can one do? It is really hard to find the good foods out there and they do tend to be a little more expensive. But there are certain things one can do. Go for the dark fruits such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cherries and do not eat as many bananas, mangoes, and oranges since they tend to have more sugar. Eat dark greens such as kale, broccoli, chard, Brussels sprouts, spinach, asparagus, and lettuces. Drink the whole milk not the low-fat. It is better for you and the cream in the milk is good for you.  There is growing demand for raw milk, but it is hard to find.  In many states it is banned. Butter is good, but grass fed butter is hard to find. Never use margarine. Spices are really good for us so use turmeric, cumin, basil, thyme, and any herbs that you like. Drink green tea.  One glass of wine a day is not bad and dark chocolate is good, but just a small piece. Try to buy your fish wild caught, buy grass fed beef and buy chicken from local farmers who raise the chickens free-range.

Hippocrates said, “All diseases begin in the gut.” What you eat does not solve all health problems but it is certainly a given that what you eats does make for a better or poorer life. I have decided to do better with my diet. As one participant said, ”I eat right 85% of the time.” Perhaps that gives us a little leeway to eat that cookie or that special dessert when we feel the need to be a little naughty!

Fermented foods are good for you. I got my new ‘Saveur’ magazine and there was an entire article on fermentation. This fermentation brings to mind things like fish sauce, soy sauce, Marmite, fermented beans, and sauerkraut. I thought how fermented cabbage has been a life sustaining bridge between the fall harvest and the first shoots of spring in many countries. I am going to give this recipe a try as soon as I can. Cabbage is one of the good greens and fermented it may be even better for you!

Spicy Sauerkraut

Makes 6 cups

To ferment cabbage, you have to thinly slice and massage it with salt to force the water out of the vegetable and create a brine. Within a few days, the acidifying activity of several strains of bacteria (including Lactobacillus) will start transforming it into this sweetly sour and spicy condiment. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup 1”-long matchstick carrots, 1 tbsp. kosher salt or sea salt, 1 tbsp. dried oregano, ½ tsp. crushed red chili flakes, 2 medium red onions, very thinly sliced lengthwise, and 1 large head (about 2 ½ lb.) green cabbage, cored and shredded, and massage ingredients with your hands until the cabbage begins to release its liquid. Transfer cabbage mixture to a sterilized 1-quart plastic container with a large mouth, such as a cleaned plastic yogurt or sour cream container. Place a plate small enough to fit inside the container over the cabbage and place a heavy can or weight on top to keep cabbage mixture submerged in liquid. Drape a large kitchen towel over container and let sit at room temperature (ideally 70-75 degrees) for 3 days. Uncover and transfer cabbage mixture to a sterilized 1-quart glass jar, cover with lid, and refrigerate for 1 day before serving. The sauerkraut will keep for 1 week stored in refrigerator.

Jody's Anniversary

My husband’s niece, Jody, decided to celebrate her 45^th wedding anniversary in New Orleans. She and her husband spent their honeymoon at the Royal Orleans 45 years ago and she thought it was time to go back and revisit this city with her friends. She was afraid she would not make it to her 50th anniversary, but knowing Jody, I am sure she will. She planned this almost a year in advance, and it turned out to be a hot but memorable weekend.

We started out Thursday night with a small group of early arrivers, with dinner at Cochon. This is a Donald Link restaurant and is well worth a visit. Cochon means ‘pig’ in French, so there were pork cheeks and pork belly on the menu. One of our favorite items was a salad made of zucchini, cucumber, onion, feta cheese, and some small pecan pieces with a pecan dressing. I did it upon returning and it was just as easy as it sounds. Slice the zucchini, cucumber and onion very thin; marinate in the pecan dressing for a while before serving.  Make the dressing with pecan oil, chopped pecans and a little vinegar, if you like; I didn’t use vinegar.  Sprinkle with feta. Salt and pepper.  Another way to serve your excess squash.  Growing up, squash was always cooked but I have learned it is great raw as well.

 On Friday everyone arrived (most from the Nashville area but some from as far as Chicago) and Jody had booked a private room at Broussard’s for a “meet and greet” session with cocktails. Now cocktail hour lasted two hours with some pickup appetizers. I was curious how much that bar bill might have been for 50 people! I did not ask!

After the two hours of cocktails, everyone was on their own for dinner. We chose Arnaud’s since we like the old dining establishments and try to support them. We were to eat with Jody’s brother and his wife, but as they were leaving the Nashville airport, they got a call that their son’s wife was in labor so they did not make the Arnaud’s dinner. We had dinner with one of our sons, my husband’s sister, and Jody’s son and wife. It was easy to get a replacement couple for Arnaud’s! A great meal was had by all with Oysters Arnaud for starters, and Pompano Duarte for the entrée. Jane Casbarian, the owner, is a friend of the couple who did not make it, but treated us to after-dinner drinks anyway.

My husband’s sister treated us for lunch at Galatoire’s on Saturday morning before the big event on Saturday night. We spent three hours there, but many people spend the day and stay for dinner. We had all our favorite things: Crabmeat Maison, Shrimp Remoulade, and Oysters en Brochette. Our main course was a pompano with lump crab on top. What a wonderful meal!

After a small rest, we all dressed for the main event. A sit down dinner at Emeril’s Delmonico!  The cocktail hour was only an hour this time, so at 7PM we all sat down in the upstairs of Delmonico for our four course meal. The meal was served to perfection by the wait staff.  We had choices for our courses, but everything was so good. I chose a filet for the main course and it would melt in your mouth. I would highly recommend Delmonico for one of your next meals in New Orleans.  Delmonico opened in 1895, seventy years after the original in New York. It was opened by Anthony Commander, the younger brother of Emile who opened Commander’s Palace in 1880.  Emeril Lagasse took over in 1997 adding Delmonico to his already successful Emeril’s and NOLA.

A few pounds heavier, we waddled home. But thank you Jody, for a weekend to remember! I think we should get together next year. What do you say?

Emeril’s Delmonico served an appetizer of crab cakes with a chili-lime dressing, and a mango-cucumber relish. This is worth repeating. Jody gave all of us a gift of the Delmonico cookbook. So I did this recipe  from my new cookbook, Emeril’s Delmonico, Restaurant with a Past. It is as pretty as it is good.

Pan-Fried Crab Cakes with Chili-Lime Dressing, Mango-Cucumber Relish, and Mixed Greens

Makes 4-8 servings

4 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3 tablespoons Mayonnaise

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped green onions (green parts only)

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

6 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 ½ cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

½ cup vegetable oil

1 recipe Mango-Cucumber Relish (recipe follows)

1 recipe Chile-Lime Dressing (recipe follows)

1 cup mesclun or assorted baby greens, for garnish

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine the butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, green onions, chives, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and process until well blended and slightly thickened. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne and process for 15 seconds to blend. Transfer to a medium bowl with the crabmeat and bread crumbs and fold gently to mix, being careful not to break up the lumps.

Form the crabmeat mixture into eight 2 ½ to 3-inch-round cakes, about 2 ½ ounces each, and pack gently but firmly. Place on the prepared baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, 1-2 hours.

Place the flour in a small shallow dish. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make an egg wash. Place the panko in a third shallow dish.

Dredge each crab cake in the flour, then in the egg wash, and then in the panko crumbs, shaking to remove any excess breading. (Note that the crab cake mixture will be slightly wet and should be handled carefully. If the crab cake becomes too loose during the breading, they can be refrigerated again until firm.) Set aside.

Heat ¼ cup of the vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry the crab cakes 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, about 4 ½ minutes per side. Add more oil as needed. Drain the crab cakes on paper towels.

To serve, arrange 2 crab cakes on each of 4 plates and top with 2 tablespoons of the Mango-Cucumber Relish. Drizzle the Chili-Lime Dressing around the crab cakes, garnish each plate with greens, and serve immediately.

Mango-Cucumber Dressing

Makes 1 ¼ cups

½ cup peeled, seeded, and diced mangoes

½ cup peeled, seeded, and diced cucumbers

¼ cup seeded and diced red bell peppers

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Place the mangoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers in a medium bowl and toss gently with the vinegar and oil to coat. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (The relish can be made up to 2 hours in advance.)

Chili-Lime Dressing

6 tablespoons chili garlic sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted

¾ teaspoon sesame oil

¼ cup olive oil

Combine the chili garlic sauce, lime juice, sesame seeds, and sesame oil in a medium bowl and stir well to combine. Whisking slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to serve. (The chili-lime dressing will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

As our host said Saturday night, “Laissez les bon temps roulez!”