Berries

Dewberries are in and that means it is really spring! Dewberries are a type of trailing blackberry that grows on long canes along fence rows and trellises. Some people find them superior to all other blackberries. My husband has been bringing me baskets of these dewberries from our pastures and fence rows. They are very good for you, but I do prefer them with some whipped cream to relieve the tartness.

In doing some research on berries, I learned the colonial settlers were unfamiliar with agriculture and did not recognize some of the wild berries growing in their new homeland. They found wild strawberries and raspberries, and were familiar with them. They also found wild blueberries, which were similar to the European bilberry (a smaller berry with a purple center). It was the Native Americans who showed the settlers how to use them. The Indians ate them fresh and cooked. The most useful trick the Indians taught the setters was how to dry berries for later use. They would dry them over a fire or in the sun. Then they would add the dried berries to make puddings, breads, and soups. Once the settlers knew how to use the berry plants, they harvested the woodlands and marshes and also began planting their gardens with berry plants. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had extensive plantings of berries in their gardens.

I did this dessert at a luncheon recently and it was just the perfect ending to a meal. Not so filling and the berries were so good. You could use dewberries here also.

From April 2012, ‘Bon Appétit’

Coupe Glacée Meringue

6 servings

Meringue

 2 large egg whites

2/3 cup sugar

1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 Tbsp. honey

Berries and Assembly

2 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries)

2 Tbsp. honey

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Vanilla ice cream

Fresh mint leaves

Meringue: Preheat the oven to 200ᴼF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites on medium-high speed in a medium bowl, until white and foamy. With mixer running, gradually add sugar by tablespoonfuls, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Add honey and continue to beat until seeds are evenly dispersed and no streaks of honey remain. Droop meringue by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.

Bake until dry and slightly golden, about 2 hours. Let meringues cool on sheet (they will crisp as they cool).

Berries and Assembly: Combine berries, honey, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow juices to form.

Coarsely crumble meringues. Divide berries and juices among small bowl. Scoop vanilla ice cream into each bowl. Top with crumbles meringues. Garnish with mint.

From the cookbook, The New Southern Garden Cookbook, by Sheri Castle, I did this recipe with dewberries. This dewberry roll is an old recipe according to Mrs. Castle, and is a takeoff of a cobbler but this fruit is wrapped up like a jelly roll. My mistake was not letting the butter be cold enough and it was hard to roll. So, just beware!

Dewberry Roll

Makes 8 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening or lard

1 large egg

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 cups fresh dewberries or other blackberries

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water, for egg wash

Ice cream or whipped cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 400ᴼF.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter cubes and drop the shortening in bits over the flour mixture and toss to coat. Use your fingertips to work them in until the pieces are the size of garden peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk, pour over the flour mixture, and stir with a fork or your fingertips until the dough comes together.

Pour the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment and gently knead until the dough is smooth, about 5 turns. Roll or pat the dough into a rectangle that is ½-inch thick, turned so one of the long sides is at the bottom. Spread the soft butter evenly over the dough. Scatter the berries over the butter, leaving the bottom 2 inches bare. Sprinkle the sugar over the berries. Starting at the top, roll up the dough toward you, making sure it is tight enough to hold the berries in place. It should look like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam and the ends closed. Transfer the roll (still on the parchment) to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the top and the sides with the egg wash.

Bake until the pastry is browned and any escaped juices are bubbling, about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with ice cream or whipped cream.

Venice Small Bites

I have had the pleasure of visiting Venice several times and love the city. I was reading an article in the March issue of ‘Saveur’ magazine and it just reminded me of the great food and my desire to go back one day. In my goal of trying new foods for the year, the little bites of Venice, called cicheti, seemed a good choice for the month.

Cicheti is a Venetian thing and like most things Venetian—water taxis, many species of fish, high-heel wading boots the women wear, and flood waters—these little bites are not like anything you will find anywhere else in the world. These foods might resemble Spain’s tapas or Greece’s mezedes in their size and variety, and they in fact stem from the same old tradition of offering quick bites while imbibing or doing business, but they belong to no place other than Venice. These bite size foods can be eaten as a snack or an appetizer, or just an impromptu meal with a friend.

The word cicheti is in the Venetian dialect; some think it stems from the French word chiquer, “to chew”; others believe its root is the Latin ciccus, meaning “trifle.” Servings of cicheti cost no more than a few euros, but the dishes speak of the city’s rich history as a culinary crossroads, when trade on the Grand Canal brought spices and exotic ingredients from all over the world.

Many of these dishes use seafood since sardines and octopus are plentiful in the lagoons. What is so appealing is that these dishes speak to the seasons. Artichokes are used often when in season, often fried or marinated and stuffed with anchovies, or wrapped in pancetta.

I think this is a wonderful way to entertain friends. I have chosen three of the dishes from the article to get going on my menu. Of interest, Venetians love the use of squishy, white bread, leftover from the English tradition of tea sandwiches. They use it as a canvas for all kinds of seasonal fillings like arugula, asparagus, and more. I do like Bunny bread for some little sandwiches!

Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches

(Mozzarella in Carozza)

Serves 4

Canola oil, for frying (I used peanut oil and it worked fine)

6 oz. sliced mozzarella

8 slices white sandwich bread

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup plain bread crumbs (I used panko crumbs or Japanese bread crumbs)

Pour oil to a depth of 2” in a 6-qt. Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350⁰F. Divide mozzarella slices among 4 slices bread; season with salt and pepper, and cover with remaining slices to make 4 sandwiches. Trim crusts; halve sandwiches diagonally. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in three separate bowls. Dredge sandwiches in flour, coat in eggs, and coat in bread crumbs; fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (I used leftover white bread which had been in the fridge for several days and it was just perfect to hold the sandwiches together). This was a wonderful little sandwich.

Shrimp with Pancetta and Rosemary

(Gamberi al Rosmarino)

Serves 4-6

Serve these garlicky shrimp with lots of crusty bread.

8 oz. pancetta, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly chopped

16 medium shrimp, deveined

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup white wine

2 sprigs rosemary, stemmed

1 medium tomato, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

Crusty bread, for serving

Heat pancetta and oil in a 12” skillet over medium-high heat; cook until crisp, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a plate.  Add garlic to skillet; cook for 1 minute. Season shrimp with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Cook until pink, about 2 minutes. Add wine, rosemary, and tomato; cook until wine is reduced by half, 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with pancetta.

This dish was also delicious. I like shrimp and rosemary together.

Bacon-Wrapped Artichokes

(Fondi di Carciofi)

Serves 6-8

Canola oil, for frying

2 14-oz. jars artichoke hearts

8 slices bacon, halved crosswise

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tbsp. ground black pepper

Pour oil to a depth of 2” in a 6-qt. Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 350⁰F. Place each artichoke heart on one end of a bacon slice, sprinkle with some of the Parmesan and pepper, and roll up; secure with a toothpick. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain.

Buon Appetito!

Carrots

Carrots are a challenge when you only like them raw. They are some of the first root vegetables of spring. My husband has been bringing in some really pretty ones and so the hunt has been on for new recipes.

As I was digging for information about carrots, I found that the earliest carrots were appreciated more for their leaves and seeds, which the Greeks and Romans used to flavor their dishes. By the 12^th century, the roots of purplish red and yellow carrots were eaten in Andalusia (the other one), and the vegetable’s popularity spread throughout Europe. A biennial member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes parsnips and celery, the carrot (Daucus carota) today comes in shades ranging from white—the color of most wild varieties—to purply black.

I actually found some really good recipes for carrots. My favorite is this carrot sandwich which is delicious. We think it is a ‘keeper.’  Be forewarned, those dollops of yogurt  tend to squirt out.  Have a napkin at the ready.

Taken from ‘Food and Wine’, March 2012

Spicy Carrot Sandwich

4 servings

Coarsely grate 2 large carrots. In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the carrots, 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds; season with salt and crushed red pepper. Cook until the carrots are just wilted, 4 minutes. Spread 4 slices grilled sourdough bread with ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons hummus. Top with the carrot mixture, dollops of Greek yogurt and cilantro leaves; season with black pepper and serve. I ran out of carrots and used pea sprouts and it was good but the carrots were better. I have also substituted tzatziki sauce for the yogurt and like that combo as well.

These are some ideas from ‘Saveur’ magazine. May/June, 2002.

Grated Carrot Salad

This is a French bistro classic. Whisk together 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp. lemon juice. And 5 tsp. peanut oil in a bowl. Add 5 medium grated trimmed peeled carrots and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Toss well. Serve garnished with Bibb lettuce, tomato wedges, and parsley. Serves 2.

Glazed Carrots

Use carrots with tops attached for this dish. Trim off all but 2” of green tops of 12 peeled medium carrots. Put carrots, 3 tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. sugar, ¾ cup water, and salt to taste into a large skillet. Cover and boil over medium-high heat until nearly all liquid evaporates, 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook, shaking skillet over heat, until carrots are glazed, 1 ½ -2 minutes. Serves 4.  (I did this recipe and it was rather good for a cooked carrot).

Japanese Carrots

Serve these carrots hot or at room temperature, with steamed rice, if you like. Heat 3 tbsp. vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 medium julienned trimmed peeled carrots and cook until limp, 2-3 minutes. Add ¼ cup sake, ¼ cup soy sauce, and 2 tbsp. sugar. Cook until liquid evaporates, 4-6 minutes. Stir in ½ tsp. dried red pepper flakes. Serves 4-6.

Moroccan Carrot Salad

Boil 12 medium sliced trimmed peeled carrots and 1 peeled crushed garlic clove in a pot of water over medium heat until soft, 6-8 minutes. Drain; let cool. Transfer to a bowl, add ¾ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. paprika, 3 pinches cayenne, 2 pinches ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice. 3 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, and salt to taste, toss well. Serves 4. ( I did this recipe also and thought the cinnamon took over the taste so maybe if you are not a cinnamon fan cut the portion to 1 pinch or even eliminate it.)

This is a very good pasta recipe using carrots. Children would probably eat this.

Pasta with Carrots, Risotto Style

Serves 4-8

8 cups chicken stock

5 tbsp. butter

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 lb. penne (uncooked)

8 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed, and diced

½ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Leaves from 4 sprigs parsley, chopped

Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low to keep stock hot.

Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and carrots and cook, stirring often, until pasta is lightly toasted, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the hot stock at a time to the pasta, stirring constantly; wait until almost all the stock has been absorbed before adding more. Continue cooking and adding stock (you may have some stock left over) until pasta is tender but firm to the bite, 10-15 minutes.

Remove pot from heat and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp. butter and the parmigiano.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with parsley. Serve with more freshly grated parmigiano, if you like.

And then there is my husband’s favorite carrot recipe that we found several years ago and enjoy regularly.

Gujerati Carrot Salad, Gajar ka salad from Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking

Serves 4

350 g (12 oz) carrots, trimmed, peeled and coarsely grated (I often cheat and buy them grated.)

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a bowl, toss the grated carrots with the salt. Put the oil in a very small pan and set over medium heat.  When the oil is very hot, put in the mustard seeds.  As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop-this takes just a few seconds---pour the contents of the pan---oil and seeds---over the carrots.  Add the lemon juice and toss. Serve at room temperature or cold.

April in Paris

I have always had the fantasy of going to Paris in April but have never made it. I have been to Paris many times but in the summer or fall and winter. But every April I always think about what it would be like to spend a month in Paris.

I just finished reading a book by David Lebovitz called, The Sweet Life in Paris, published in 2009. David is a pastry chef and was for 12 years at Chez Panisse, the famous restaurant created by Alice Waters in California. He has written 5 dessert cookbooks and writes for major food magazines and has a Paris-based blog. He decided to just up and go live in Paris and did not know the language at all. His stories about getting into Parisian living are superbly funny and I found myself laughing throughout the whole book. He also has some recipes at the end of every chapter, mainly desserts (which one would expect) but there are some  main course dishes given as well.

David has some good advice for those planning to visit Paris. The French do judge you on how you look and present yourself, even if you are dumping your garbage. In Paris the rules dictate one should not dress in grungy jeans and a ripped T-shirt. Since only 20 percent of Americans have passports, we don’t get out as much as we should, and our dealings with foreigners are usually on our own turf. Most Americans complain about such things as, “Why is there no ice?” “Why don’t they have doggie bags?” “Why can’t I pick something up off the store shelf?”, or “Why is that waiter having a cigarette when we asked for our check over thirty minutes ago?” This is France after all!

David tells of cooking his first dinner for some French friends in his little kitchen. He assumed that half a chicken would be the right amount for each person, American-style. But he finally cut back on his shopping since the French are content and patient enough to fuss endlessly with a lone chicken leg for much longer that he thought possible. He derived endless fascination from watching them extract each and every morsel of meat from a bony wing with finely honed, surgical precision. Of interest on this matter, I was reading the latest issue of ‘Garden and Gun,’ and Julia Reed, a writer from New Orleans, was bemoaning the fact that some of her fancy friends had begun sucking on the chicken bones to get the marrow out of them. Julia was shocked and so was I when I read this. So, maybe the French are way ahead of us on a good thing!

I decided to do David’s first meal for his French friends. The French have taken a liking to North African food so he did a chicken tagine with apricot and almonds. It was wonderful and so tasty with all the different spices. It was so good I actually thought about sucking on the bones. My husband says the spicy sauce is a keeper.

Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds

Tagine De Poulet Aux Abricots Et Aux Amandes

Makes 4-6 servings

4 ounces dried apricots

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, and each beast cut in half crosswise, leaving wings attached)

I bought an organic chicken from Whole Foods; free range would be even better.

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons paprika

½ teaspoon saffron threads (did not have any)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons coarse salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cups chicken stock (if using canned, use a low-salt brand or water)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a bit extra for garnish

1 tablespoon honey

Juice of ½ lemon

3/4 cup blanched almonds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 375ᴼF.

Put the apricots in a small bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the ginger, turmeric, paprika, saffron, cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or similar ovenproof casserole. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes, turning the pieces with tongs to release the fragrance of the spices. Pour in the stock, add the cilantro, and cover.

Bake for 50 minutes, turning the chicken pieces once or twice while they’re braising.

Remove the casserole from the oven. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a deep serving platter, then cover with foil. Return the casserole to the stovetop, add the honey and lemon juice, and reduce the sauce over medium-high heat by about one-third. Taste, and add more salt if necessary.

Return the chicken to the pot, add the almonds, and reheat in the sauce. Transfer the tagine back to the serving platter. Drain the apricots and spoon them over the top, then garnish with additional cilantro.

I served this with cous-cous which you can buy at all stores.

If you want to know how to behave and where to go in Paris I would suggest you buy this book by David Lebovitz.  It is in paperback and was on the New York Times bestseller list. The recipes are excellent, so you get a good story and some ideas for food also.

Eating Out

We have been on the road a lot here lately and have tried several new restaurants. Some were good and some not so good. My husband and I always order way too much food, but you know I just want to try everything!

We were in New Orleans just for the day and our son Luke suggested we meet him at a new restaurant called Root. Now you know all children want a “free” meal, so we said ok and met him there. He had heard that it was good. It is on 200 Julia Street, close to the convention center and has been opened for about 4 months. Philip Lopez is the co-owner and executive chef and his goal is to source, prepare and combine fresh and interesting ingredients, in an ingenious, often playful manner. This restaurant is a keeper. I had a stunning course of smoked cornmeal encrusted Louisiana oysters with Andouille spoon bread and Manchego foam. Now I am not really into foam on my meal, but this was good. It was a dish of great texture and flavor. A lacquered pork belly with charred eggplant puree, stewed local greens, pickled figs, coriander scented grilled Gulf fish, caramelized Brussels sprouts with Benton’s bacon was also on the menu. You get the drift; it was worthy of another visit!

If you subscribe to ‘Garden and Gun’ (a great little magazine) you would have found an article on Wilmington, NC. Wilmington has never been out front in the world of food like Charleston and Savannah, but things are getting better there. Keith Rhodes, who was on this past season of Bravo’s Top Chef and a James Beard Award semifinalist, is trying to put Wilmington on the map. He opened a restaurant called “Catch” a few years ago and it did very well. The seafood was always so fresh. He moved that restaurant to another location and opened a new restaurant in the old location called “Phun Seafood Bar.” That is pronounced “fun.” We have eaten there twice and the food has a lot of great flavors taken from Asian cuisines. I will go back there any time. It was Phun!

Last week we did a trip to Natchez to get a truck fixed and decided to drive up the Natchez Trace while we waited, stopping at the markers along the way. You should do that if you are ever near the Trace which runs from Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee. A volunteer at one information site told us about a good restaurant called “The Old Country Store” which was nearby.  This place had been written up in ‘Southern Living’ in 2006. It is an old general store with its 100 year collection mostly intact and with about 20 tables covered with tablecloths. The old store is known for its fried chicken and since I never fry chicken I was excited. Well, the chicken was ok, but the rest of the meal was just terrible and gave me heartburn. The greens were from a can and had no flavor. The dirty rice was soggy and tasteless. Also, something new to us was the use of cinnamon in cold slaw. Why ever would you do that? Well, we paid our bill and slunk out, really disappointed. Don’t bother stopping there. There are other good restaurants in Natchez.

On a happier note, I got to Birmingham last week. Yes, back to the Highlands Bar and Grill after three years. It was just as good as I remembered. We took our usual seat at the bar. The gin martini was cold with the slivers of ice making it delicious. My husband and I ordered oysters on the half shell (as always) and we ordered the same meal. We get so upset when one might have something better that the other! We had yellow fin tuna with an avocado mousse with a salad of celeriac and shrimp in a leaf of radicchio. Our main course was veal medallions in a wonderful sauce of potato puree and foie gras. I was in heaven!

If you take Southern Living, the April issue, gave out the votes for the South’s Hottest Towns. Birmingham, Alabama was in the list and Frank Stitt was given a whole page with a picture of his staff. Our waiter from the previous week was there and I was so proud of Frank Stitt. He worked in the south of France in 1978 and came back to Birmingham and changed the culinary landscape of the South. His recipe for Highlands Baked Grits was printed in the magazine and is in his first cookbook, Southern Table. It is a winner just like Mr. Stitt’s restaurants.

Highlands Baked Grits

4 servings

Grits

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup uncooked yellow stone-ground grits

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

 ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 large egg, beaten

Sauce

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup sherry vinegar

1 oz. country ham, diced

2 shallots, minced

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1 Tbsp. heavy cream

½ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Hot sauce

Mushroom topping

½ cup assorted fresh mushrooms, cut into 1-to 2-inch pieces

2 oz. country ham, cut into thin strips

1 shallot, minced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Prepare Grits: Bring salt and 4 cups water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Gradually stir in grits. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring often, 45 minutes to 1 hour or until grits are thick. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 Tbsp. butter, ¼ cup cheese, and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Stir in egg until blended.

Preheat oven to 375ᴼF. Divide grits among eight to ten (4-to 6-oz.) buttered ramekins; place ramekins in a 13-x9-inch pan, and add hot water to pan halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for about 20 minutes longer, or until the tops are crusty and beginning to brown. (I had to cook them 15 minutes more to brown).

Meanwhile prepare sauce: Combine wine and next 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, 5-7 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 Tbsp. Reduce heat to low; stir in cream. Gradually whisk in cubed butter, 1 cube at a time, whisking until blended after each addition. Remove from heat.

Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Add the Parmigiano and season with salt and pepper, lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste. Keep warm.

Prepare Mushroom Topping: Sauté mushrooms and next 2 ingredients in hot oil 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are just tender.

Unmold grits onto serving plates, and serve with sauce and mushroom topping.

This is truly a delicious appetizer. Very Southern but with a little extra finesse.

Happy eating at home or on the road.

Slow Gardening, Foraging, Eatint Green on St. Patrick's Day

Recently we attended a seminar at Sligo Plantation (outside of Natchez) on slow gardening and foraging. There are so many interesting things to attend around here it is hard to get it all in. This turned out to be a great day with the morning speaker being Felder Rushing, who has several books to his credit and a public radio show here in Mississippi (some people in west Alabama can get him on Mississippi public radio). His book Tough Plants for Southern Gardens has as a sub-title, ‘Low Care, No Care’---my type of gardening. He is an interesting guy, very pragmatic.  When people get technical about planting, he puts them down with “Dig a hole, green side up.”  And he likes tough plants. He’ll talk about plants that dead people can grow---those found in cemeteries.

The afternoon was spent foraging for edible plants with Dr. Charles Allen, a retired professor of biology at the University of Louisiana.  We nibbled our way through the lawn ‘weeds’ and then had samplings of various herbal teas.  Tea and the fireplace were welcome treats on that particularly windy cold day.  I bought a book of his that I hope will be helpful to me in finding some interesting nibbles—Edible Plants of the Gulf South.

Our lunch was just the best and I was able to get two recipes from the lunch. Christina Johnson, the owner of Sligo Plantation, prepared the food and most of it was grown in her garden.

I thought today would be the appropriate day to share these green recipes with you.  Try them instead of green beer and Happy St. Patrick’s Day.

Parsley Dressing

Take a bunch of parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, about ½ cup of nut oil (I used walnut), a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, about ¼ cup raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar, the juice of two tangerines, and puree all these ingredients in the food processor. Ingredients are not exact but this would be enough dressing for 4 salads. Instead of parsley one can use basil when it is in season in the summer. I found the dressing to be really good and easy, and a ‘keeper’. This was served with different greens from her garden and some mushrooms.  I’ve been making the dressing a lot as we eat our salad greens from the garden which are even now going to seed.

Christina Johnson served a green soup garnished with crème fraîche she had also made.  Homemade bread and these two courses was all that was needed, although she had a mushroom lasagna as well.  She had adapted her recipe from Lynne Rosetto Kasper.

This recipe is from Eating Well by Anne Thomas, published in 2011. Tweak it as you like. Christina had changed it some and I added a bit more hot pepper than called for, to give it a little more zing.

Basic Green Soup

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 50 min

Total time: 1 hour

8 servings

To make ahead: Prepare through Step 4 (omitting the lemon, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Season with lemon just before serving.

This chard and spinach soup gets complex flavor from slowly cooked onions and lemon juice; while a sprinkle of rice gives it body and a velvety texture. Serve with a swirl of fruity, fragrant extra-virgin olive oil for richness or serve with a tablespoon or two of crème fraîche. I really like the crème fraîche with it.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 teaspoon salt, divided

¼ cup Arborio rice

1 bunch green chard (about 1 pound)

14 cups gently packed spinach (about 12 ounces), any tough stems trimmed

4 cups vegetable broth, store-bought or homemade

Big pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring frequently until the pan cools down, and then occasionally, always covering the pan again, until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 3 cups of water and ¾ teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven; add rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Trim the white ribs out of the chard (save for another use; such as to add to a stir-fry or other soup). Coarsely chop the chard greens and spinach.

When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, stir in a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the rice along with the spinach, broth and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth or in a regular blender in batches (return it to the pot) Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil or crème fraîche.

Bon appetite viridis (as Dr. Allen signed his book)

Deviled Eggs

Over the five years since I have been writing this column, I usually think of deviled eggs for Easter since there are usually so many hardboiled eggs to use. I am always amazed that of all the foods I prepare for coffee hour at church, the deviled eggs are the first to go. They are just the perfect two-bite hor d’oeuvre for any gathering and they are easy to make and highly portable. I have recently bought my own special container just for my deviled eggs.

Where in the world did the term “deviled” come from? I found that it dates back to the 18^th Century, referring to the use of hot spices in cooking.” Devil” in the Oxford English Dictionary became a verb, in its referral to various highly-seasoned broiled or fried dishes. Contemporary versions of deviled eggs may include garlic, horseradish, chutney, capers, salsa, hot sauce, wasabi, spinach or sour cream. Some of these are not hot. Some parts of the United States such as the South and Midwest refused to use the term “deviled” and would call the eggs “salad” or “dressed” eggs.

Some of the people down South only use Duke’s mayonnaise and some people use pickle relish. The ones I made used firm yolks combined with mayonnaise, mustard and a little bacon fat. You can finish the eggs with toppings of paprika, caviar, or as I did, use the bacon for a topper.

Bacon Deviled Eggs from ‘bon appétit’

Makes 24. Skip the bacon if you like and substitute 2 Tbsp. melted butter instead.

Place 12 large eggs in a saucepan; add water to cover by 1”. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water and let cool completely, about 10 minutes; peel. Halve lengthwise and remove yolks. Coarsely chop 3 slices of bacon. Cook in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned and crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels. Strain drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Add melted butter if needed to measure 2 Tbsp.

Finely mash reserved yolks, bacon fat (and /or butter), 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, and 1 heaping Tbsp. chopped scallions in a medium bowl; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer to a large re-sealable freezer bag, then cut 1/2 “ off  1 corner. Pipe into whites; garnish with thinly sliced scallions and reserved bacon.

This is a new twist with deviled eggs, using salmon in the filling. I tried these and they are keepers.

Taken from the April 2012, issue of ‘Food and Wine’.

Smoked-Salmon Deviled Eggs

8 large eggs

½ cup finely chopped smoked salmon (2 ounces)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 cornichons, cut into ¼ -inch dice plus 2 teaspoons pickling liquid from the jar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt

Old Bay seasoning for sprinkling

In a large saucepan, cover the eggs with water and bring to a vigorous boil. Cover the saucepan, remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Drain off the water and shake the pan gently to crack the eggs. Cool the eggs slightly under cold running water; then peel them under running water. Pat dry.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Transfer the yolks to a bowl and mash well with a fork. Stir in the salmon, mayonnaise, cornichons, cornichon liquid, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt. Mound the filling in the egg-white halves and sprinkle with Old Bay. Serve slightly chilled.

Even if you do not like the contents of a deviled egg, the plain hardboiled is good for you. Of course the best eggs to buy are the pastured or free range, but they are pricey and hard to find. The organic indicates cage free and free of hormones and antibiotics. They would probably be next best. The cage free means they were not confined to cages but they may never have left the crowded barn. The natural label means nothing since every raw chicken egg is natural. Just read your labels. I’ve come a long way in my understanding of where my food comes from.  On a trip to England in the 1980’s I remember seeing a sign ‘free range eggs.’ Great, free eggs!

One large egg weighs about 2 ounces, has 74 calories and is made up of many interconnected parts. The yolk delivers three-quarters of the egg’s calories and nutrients and contains the proteins that create emulsions like aioli. The white is 90 percent water, the remainder is mainly protein. The inner white of the egg cushions the yolk and will appear cloudy when very fresh.  The outer white will cook more quickly than the inner (as in a fried egg). Older eggs have a higher proportion of this thin white. It is good to remember that the yolk and white go together just like peanut butter and jelly.

Happy Easter! Enjoy the eggs!

Crawfish

It is that time of year when you can buy fresh crawfish. I like to buy some pounds of boiled crawfish and just come home and eat them even though they are messy. A pound of boiled crawfish is about $3.69 this time of year but they will get cheaper. A pound of fresh crawfish tails, are running about $14.99, so that is rather expensive also, and about $2.00 more than last year.

Perhaps the best crawfish étouffée recipe that I have found is from John Besh’s cookbook, My New Orleans. Étouffée means smothered, and this dish is smothered both with a lid and with the holy trinity of vegetables: onion, celery, and bell pepper. The essential flavor is taken from the crawfish tails which are used to make the stock. (Recipe below). The crawfish should be added near the very end so they do not become tough. The velvety texture of the étouffée comes from browning the flour in oil in the early stages; this makes our roux, the base of this classic dish.

Basic Shellfish Stock

Makes 6 cups

½ cup canola oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 leek, white part, coarsely chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 pound shells from shrimp, blue crab, crawfish, or lobster

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Heat the canola oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Cook the onions, celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic, stirring often, until they are soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the shells from the shrimp, crab, crawfish, lobster, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and 3 quarts water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, until the stock has reduced by half, about 2 hours.

Strain through a fine sieve into a container with a cover. Allow the stock to cool, cover and refrigerate, then skim off the fat. Freeze the stock in small batches to use later.

Crawfish Étouffée

Serves 6

3 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons flour

1 small onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

Half a red bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 quart Basic Shellfish Stock (above recipe)

3 tablespoons butter

1 pound peeled crawfish tails

2 green onions, chopped

2 dashes Worcestershire

2 dashes Tabasco

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 cups cooked Basic Louisiana White Rice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk the flour into the very hot oil. It will immediately begin to sizzle and fizz. Keep whisking and reduce the heat to medium. Continue whisking until the roux takes on a gorgeous dark brown color, about 15 minutes. Add the onions, reduce the heat, and cook until the onions caramelize. If you add all the vegetables at the same time, the water that results will boil the onions and their sugars won’t caramelize.

When the onions have turned the roux shiny and dark, add the celery, bell peppers, garlic, thyme, cayenne, and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and the Shellfish Stock and increase the heat to high.

Once the sauce has come to a boil, reduce the heat to moderate and let simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Be careful not to let it burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter. Add the crawfish tails and green onions. Season with Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, and black pepper. Once the crawfish tails have heated through, remove the saucepan from the heat.

Serve in individual bowls over rice.