Southern Garden History in Jacksonville, Florida

We have spent a week on the road driving towards Jacksonville, Florida for a Southern Garden and History Society meeting. We only joined this organization two years ago and missed last year’s meeting in Lexington, Kentucky.

We spent the night in Birmingham but much to my sadness we were there on a Sunday night and none of Frank Stitt’s restaurants were open. We had a gyro from Arby’s. (It wasn’t half bad.) After a few days working in Wilmington we moved on to Savannah for a one night stay. I love Savannah but never seem to have enough time there. We chose the Eliza Thompson House for our B&B but we were not really impressed with this choice. Our room was in the lower level (English basement) and not nicely decorated, but they did have wine and cheese between 5-7pm and there was dessert after 8pm; we enjoyed the wine on the patio, but we did not do the dessert. Breakfast was decent but began at 8am, so late for us. Grits and artichoke frittata and a biscuit were the main food items and they were done well, but this place was just not very good value.

Our dinner in Savannah was at the Ole Pink House, an old restaurant, rather dated and very noisy and we were not hungry. On our way to Savannah we had stopped at Graze, a restaurant in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (right outside Charleston) and pigged out on the pulled pork, collards, mac and cheese. (More about Graze later.) At the Ole Pink House we did have she crab soup, and two seared scallops on spinach. None of it really outstanding. You can skip this restaurant, there are better I am sure in Savannah.

Now Graze is a wonderful restaurant! I have talked about it before on a visit to Charleston. Their menu is so creative. We started with a cauliflower and green apple soup plus a Tuscan bean soup with truffle oil, then had their famous pulled pork with collards and mac and cheese (to die for); then being the big eaters we are we also had a soft shell crab sandwich (which we shared) but way too much food. I came home and did a cauliflower soup with green apple. Recipe below. I left my driving glasses at the restaurant and I called and they sent them immediately so I was grateful and impressed with their kindness as well as their food.

 

The Garden History conference in Jacksonville Florida was very good. The highlight was a visit to Glen Saint Mary Nursery. The nursery was started in 1882 by George Lindley Taber and it is still family run. Lin (GLT III) is 80. His son, Tab (GLTIV) runs the nursery and there is a George Lindley Taber V. The family was charming as they welcomed us into the nursery and their homes. Dinner was a barbeque spread on the porch of their Victorian home. We loved sitting in the porch rockers with our drinks before dinner.

 

Those of you who garden may recognize the Taber name. The Glen Saint Mary Nursery developed a new azalea and named this after the recently deceased George Lindley Taber in 1929. The Taber’s were kind enough to give all of us a rooted cutting of their azalea. I have potted them up and they are growing fantastically fast right now. They will take pride of place in the garden next year.

The meeting itself took place in a hotel on the St. John’s River. We had a lovely view off our balcony of the river, the centerpiece of Jacksonville. Of note Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental US in land area. We all know of the Spanish settlement in St. Augustine in 1565 but there was a French Hugenot settlement at Jacksonville on the St. John’s River in 1564! known at Fort Caroline. When the Spanish arrived they drove the French out.

 

Jacksonville flourished at the end of the 19^th century as a winter resort. Railroads spurred this growth and citrus became important.

We had a chance to visit several private gardens in the area. All were on the St. John’s River---the place to have your home and garden if you can afford it.

 

Since all the food at the meeting was just so-so, I would say the green apple and cauliflower soup was my takeaway from this trip. Easy to do and tasty and a little different from just plain cauliflower soup.

 

Green Apple and Cauliflower Soup with Pistachio Topping

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1 small cauliflower, chopped

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced

4 cups vegetable stock

½ cup toasted pistachios

Cooking Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan.

Fry the onion until soft.

Add the garlic cloves.

Add the chopped cauliflower.

Add the apple.

Stir and cook for a few minutes.

Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer.

Simmer gently for about 25 minutes before transferring to a blender.

Keep some of the mixture back if you want a chunkier soup.

Return to the pan to reheat.

Serve in four bowls and garnish with the toasted pistachios on top.

 

Chicken Pockets and Black-eyed Peas

I like to look back at old cookbooks and see if I can find some good recipes that I have forgotten about. Such is the case with these recipes. I used Emeril’s cookbooks when he was in his prime and always liked his chicken recipe with goat cheese and chorizo over black-eyed peas. This dish feels old and new at the same time, since stuffing chicken pockets is really current and black-eye peas are so traditional. I had not done this recipe in years. But it needs a classier name, maybe Chicken Emeril?

This is a perfect company dish since the chicken breasts can be cooking while serving drinks and the black-eyed peas can be done a day ahead. I served some broccoli on the side. So try this chicken dish. It has a wonderful flavor and the peas are so flavorful with the tasso.

 

From Emeril’s N. E. W. New Orleans Cooking, 1993.

Makes 4 main-course servings

8 ounces (1 cup) chopped chorizo, the casings removed and discarded (I used smoked kielbasa and added some smoked paprika to give the chorizo flavor.)

4 ounces (1/2 cup) goat cheese, such as Montrachet

¼ cup roasted pine nuts

3 tablespoons chopped green onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

3 turns freshly ground black pepper

3 cups Southern-Style Black-Eye Peas (recipe below)

4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), pounded very thin

4 teaspoons Creole seasoning

2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

Combine the chorizo, goat cheese, pine nuts, green onions, garlic, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix until thoroughly blended. Makes 1 ½ cups of stuffing.

Spread the chicken breasts on a flat surface and sprinkle each, top side only, with ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning. Place a heaping 1/3 cup of the stuffing on half of each chicken breast and fold the other over the stuffing and pinch the edges together. Brush the tops with oil, using ½ teaspoon on each, and sprinkle each with ½ teaspoon of the remaining Creole seasoning.

Place the pockets on the baking sheet and bake until the chicken is golden brown, for about 18-20 minutes.

To serve, spread ¾ cup of the Black-Eyed Peas on each of 4 plates, and top with 1 chicken pocket.

 

Southern-Style Black-Eyed Peas

Makes 3 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup chopped onion

2 ounces (1/4 cup) chopped tasso or other spiced ham

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 ½ cups dried black-eye peas

1 teaspoon Creole seasoning

4 cups basic chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tasso, garlic, peas, and Creole seasoning and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, stir once, re-cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the salt, stir, cover again, and simmer for a final 10 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Remove from the heat.

 

Cooking Root to Stem

We all waste food! I am as guilty as anyone since I see the food I throw out because I could not get it cooked or just too lazy to try and use all the parts of the vegetables.

Carrot tops, cauliflower leaves, broccoli stems, onion skins, potato peels, and watermelon rinds, once destined for the garbage disposal or trash, now could be the inspiration behind your next meal. The root-to-stem movement is inspiring cooks to turn those carrot tops into pesto and that tired bunch of greens in the crisper into soup rather than simply tossing it out.

In the past 100 years, refrigeration, industrial agriculture, genetic modification, and the push toward economic development have caused people to lose sight of where their food comes from. They have less of a need to use up every bit of an ingredient.

At the core of the root-to-stem movement is the issue of food waste. About one-third of the 1.3 billion tons of food produced every year for human consumption is lost or wasted. In the United States, a staggering 40 percent of all food goes uneaten each year at an annual cost of $218 billion. Individual households are the biggest culprits and are responsible for 43 percent of the waste—more than grocery stores, farms and restaurants. In its campaign called Save the Food, the Natural Resources Defense Council reports that wasted food costs a family of four about $1,800 a year. All of this is going on while one on five American families doesn’t have enough to eat.

There seems to be a disconnect between people and where their food comes from. The fresh produce from supermarkets (rather than farmers market) has already been tidied and trimmed to make it look pretty and easier to handle. This display makes us forget what untouched vegetables really look like.

End Food Waste, a nonprofit started by food activist Jordan Figueiredo, launched a campaign called the Ugly Fruit and Veg Campaign to highlight that 20-40 percent of all produce that goes to waste is because of strict grocery store cosmetic standards. He successfully petitioned Whole Foods and Walmart to start selling less-than-perfect produce at a discounted price and adopt the philosophy that there is nothing wrong with “imperfect” produce.

Restaurants are the second biggest food waste culprits with the average restaurant producing 150,000 pounds of garbage each year. France, Italy and Spain recently recognized the issue, requiring all edible food from restaurants and supermarkets to be donated to charities rather than sent to the landfill. Many local restaurants and grocery stores contribute food that’s just slightly past the sell-by date to food banks on a voluntary basis.

Chefs are creating new flavors and textures while dramatically reducing waste. From sautéing leafy green carrot and beet tops in olive oil, to dehydrating mushroom stems to turn into powders, or simmering celery back to life with white wine reduction and aromatics. Anthony Bourdain’s documentary “Wasted” The Story of Food Waste” features high-profile chefs like Danny Bowien, Massimo Bottura and Mario Batali highlighting the urgency of food waste and demonstrating potential ways to help solve the problem and continue the conversation.

Their collective message is to shop smarter. Plan meals ahead of time. Always shop with a list. Buy local, seasonal food. Cook at home. Choose ugly produce. Use scraps. Use the freezer. Compost leftovers.

What to do with those scraps:

Swiss chard stalks: Chop finely and add to stir-fries

Beet greens: Thinly-slice and add raw to a salad or add to soups and stews. They are great in green smoothies combined with zesty citrus fruits like pineapple.

Celery leaves: Chop up in a salad or add to smoothies and soups or any stock.

Corn cobs: Simmer with onion and carrot to make a great stock for corn chowder.

Broccoli stalks: Add to broccoli soup for additional nutrients and a pinch of bright green color. They can also be grated and tossed into slaw or sandwich wraps, or added to green juice.

Watermelon rinds: Pickle with orange rinds, cinnamon, vinegar, peppercorns and cloves.

Cauliflower leaves: Slice and sauté in butter or olive oil with diced onion for a delicious side dish, or use in stir-fried.

Onion tops: Sauté and use for stir-fries or toss them raw in salads or sprinkle on top of soups.

Potato skins: Bake to make chips. Scrub them well and spread the peel on an oiled cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 450 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

Asparagus ends: Use in cream of asparagus soup.

 

Recipe for Carrot Top Pesto

1 large bunch leafy carrot tops

1 small clove garlic

½ cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, etc.)

½  cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup olive oil

Pinch of salt

In a food processor; add the greens, garlic, nuts, cheese and lemon juice then pulse. Add the olive oil and blend together. Taste and season with salt and more lemon juice if needed. Serve with crudité, dollop onto pasta or spread onto crostini.

See how easy it is to make a great dish with something you would usually throw away!

 

 

French Onion Soup

French onion soup is delicious! If you don’t see cheese spilling over the bowl you have not done it right.

Historians have found soup making as far back as 6000 BC. In 1765 a Parisian entrepreneur opened a shop selling a highly concentrated soup called restaurant (meaning restoring (something). The soup was advertised as an antidote to physical exhaustion. This prompted the modern use of the word restaurant.

Legend has it that French onion soup was created by King Louis XV of France when all he found in his pantry after returning from a hunting party was butter, onions, and champagne. He combined these and created the first French onion soup. This could be fact or fiction but it makes a good story.

Another legend puts the origin of onion soup in the kitchen of LaPomme d’Or in Chôlons-en-Champagne. This was the hometown of Nicolas Appert, the father of food preservation and inventor of canning, who happened to be working at the hotel one night when the Duke of Lorraine, ex-king of Poland, Stanislas Leszczynski, stopped on his way to the Palace of Versailles to visit his daughter Queen Marie, the wife of Louis XV. The Duke found the soup Appert had prepared so mind blowing, he left his chambers in his bathrobe and descended to the kitchen to demand how the soup was made.

Whatever is true, French onion soup is based on meat stock, onions, butter, and usually some wine and herbs. The dish was improved by the French with the adding of bread and cheese. The dish went through a resurgence of popularity in the United States in the 60’s due to an interest in French cuisine.

This soup is hearty and comforting! It does take some time since you must caramelize the onions, but so worth it. Just the thing for a cold winter evening!

 

From ‘The Local Palate’ February 2017.

French Onion Soup

Serves 6

6 tablespoons butter

6 medium-large Vidalia onions, peeled and thinly sliced (any sweet onion will do)

10 cups beef stock

1 bouquet garni (a couple sprigs of thyme, parsley, and rosemary, and 2 bay leaves tied together with kitchen twine)

1/3 cup cognac or sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

6 slices day-old sourdough bread

4-6 ounces gruyère or sharp cheddar, grated

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook for another 40 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are lightly browned.

Add stock and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Remove bouquet garni. Add cognac or sherry and cook for another 10 minutes uncovered. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Divide soup into six oven-proof bowls. Place a slice of bread on top of each soup bowl and divide cheese evenly among each serving.

Bake bowls on a baking sheet in middle of oven for about 10 to 12 minutes or until cheeses is bubbling and golden brown. Serve hot.

Calas

In the old Creole Vieux Carré, the musical cries of vendors, selling their wares or services, were heard at all times of day. The milk man, fruit peddler, the chimney sweep, knife sharpeners, and the cala lady had a loud and recognizable call, as they made their daily trek through the streets. Their calls were usually in French and often described how good their services or treats might be. The woman who carried a huge, cloth covered basket of freshly cooked rice cakes would be heard calling, “Belle Cala, Tout Chaud” (Nice Calas, Very Hot). Usually a black woman wearing a brightly colored (tin-yon) on her head, the “cala lady” would fry her cakes very early and wrap them in towels in her basket. Her call would bring servants running to buy the hot rice cakes to serve their “master” or “mistress” with morning coffee. Calas were also made at home, and, in addition to breakfast fare, were often served as a snack with hot chocolate or as a hot dessert, with plenty of powdered sugar or cane syrup.

I had been wanting to make some calas and finally got to business the other morning and made some. I found a recipe in the February 2018 issue of ‘The Local Palate.’ They are really a cousin to the beignet and perhaps are a mixture of a doughnut, hush puppy, and rice pudding. They are very good and pretty simple to make. So if you want to kick up your breakfast a bit some morning try this recipe.

From ‘The Local Palate’ February 2018.

Calas

Makes 3 dozen calas

Note: You will need a deep-fry thermometer for this recipe.

½ cup long grain rice (Mahatama brand is recommended)

Peanut oil for frying

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Steen’s cane syrup and powdered sugar, for serving

Bring 1 cup water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice, stir once, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan, cooking 18 to 20 minutes, or until the grains of rice are plump and can be fluffed with a fork. Turn rice out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and cool for 15 minutes, then transfer to a plastic container (don’t pack it in). Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 2 days.

In a large pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer over medium heat, pour peanut oil to a depth of 2 ½ to 3 inches. Heat until thermometer registers 350 to 360 degrees. Line a plate with paper towels and set aside.

While the oil heats, prepare the batter. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on high speed until foamy and tripled in volume, 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Sift in half the dry ingredients, add the salt, and mix on low speed until only a few dry streaks remain. Stir in remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed for a few turns, then add the rice and mix until the fritter batter just comes together into a loose, roughly textured ball.

When oil is hot, dip a teaspoon into the hot oil, then into the batter to scoop out a heaping teaspoonful. Hold the spoon close to the oil and let the batter roll into the oil.  Repeat with remaining batter. Using a slotted spoon, turn and baste fritters occasionally until they’re golden brown on all sides. (To avoid crowding the pot, fry in a few batches). Adjust heat as needed to ensure oil temperature stays at 350 degrees. Once fritters are golden brown, transfer them to prepared plate to cool slightly. Serve warm, drizzled with cane syrup.

 

Ginger-Scallion Steamed Cod

White fish is tricky since it is easy to overcook. In Southern China, cooks have a worry free method for perfectly moist, succulent fish: steaming. Aromatics such as ginger, scallions and cilantro simmer in the steaming water, imparting flavor.

The key to steaming’s success is the temperature. While frying and sautéing fish exposes its delicate muscle fibers to high temperatures causing the fibers to shrink and lose moisture, steam creates a gentle, consistent heat.  That mild heat firms the protein, allowing it to retain most of its moisture, resulting in tender, juicy fish.

I used a cod fillet for this recipe which has a mild flavor and flaky texture. Cod is easy to find in the market but any white mild fish like haddock or halibut can be used. Since fillets vary in thickness, a general guide is to steam them for about 8 minutes per 1-inch thickness.

This recipe was really delicious. I used my big pot with a basket for steaming. Covered with cabbage leaves, it protects the fish. The oriental flavors worked so well with this fish. This is good enough for company.

 

From ‘Milk Street Magazine’ March-April 2018.

Ginger-Scallion Steamed Cod

Serves 4

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus ¼ cup whole leaves, divided

6 scallions, 3 minced and 3 thinly sliced on bias, divided

2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided

3 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil, divided

Four 6-ounce skinless cod, haddock or halibut fillets

6 large green cabbage leaves, plus 2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage leaves

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 serrano chili, stemmed and sliced into thin rings

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

In a wide shallow bowl, stir together the chopped cilantro, minced scallions, ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil. Add the fish and coat well. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Place a steamer basket in a large Dutch oven. Add enough water to fill without reaching the basket. Remove the basket. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Don’t let the steaming water reach a full boil. A gentle heat cooks the fish slowly and evenly, helping it stay moist.

Line the basket with 4 cabbage leaves. Place the fillets on the leaves, then cover with remaining 2 leaves. Turn off the heat, then set the basket in the pot. Cover and return to a simmer over medium. Steam until the fish flakes, 8 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, the rice vinegar, sugar and pepper. Transfer 3 tablespoons to a medium bowl, add the sliced cabbage and toss. Arrange on a serving platter. Reserve the remaining dressing.

When the fish is ready, discard the leaves covering it. Use a spatula to set the fillets over the cabbage. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and the serrano.

In a small skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil until starting to smoke. Pour the oil over the fillets. Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve with the reserved dressing on the side.

Sides for Easter

Easter is this Sunday and that is hard to believe. Easter is spring to me and the weather is wonderful these days and the produce is beginning to come in the garden.

I found an Easter menu in the new ‘Fine Cooking’ magazine and thought I would try the two sides suggested to go with  the ham and they were very good choices. The menu starts with a spring salad with strawberries, then a roasted uncured ham with a mustard crust, and ending with a strawberry-rhubarb blitz torte. The two sides were creamed potatoes with spring onions and a rainbow chard Parmesan crisp. Instead of the chard I used collards since that is what I had in the garden and it worked out fine. The menu just reminds me of the freshness of spring and makes me think about all the delicious meals to come.

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

 

From April/May 2018, ‘Fine Cooking’ Magazine.

Creamed Potatoes and Spring Onions

Serves 6-8

Look for potatoes with a uniform 2-to-2 ½-inch diameter. Cooking them whole with the skins until just tender helps keep their shape when they are added to the sauce.

2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes

Kosher salt

12 spring onions or 24 scallions (about 13oz.), trimmed, greens thinly sliced

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

¼ dry white wine (optional) I used it

¾ cup heavy cream

Freshly ground black pepper

Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender enough to pierce with a small sharp knife, about 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a plate and let cool completely (do not rinse).

Cut the green portions from the onion bulbs; reserve the greens. Put the onion bulbs in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of cold water and ½ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce the heat and simmer until the onions are tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes for spring onions and 4 to 5 minutes for scallions.

Transfer the onions with tongs to a plate, and then boil the cooking liquid until reduced by half (about 1 ½ cups), about 2 minutes. Pour the onion broth into a liquid measuring cup and cover to keep warm. Reserve two whole onion tops for garnish, and then finely chop enough of the remaining greens to get a generous cup.

Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions greens and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, 1 minute. Add the wine, if using; and cook, stirring, until nearly evaporated about 20 seconds. Gradually whisk in 1 ½ cups of the reserved warm onion broth, and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the cream. Continue whisking until the mixture simmers, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Season with 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. white pepper, and remove from the heat.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Peel the cooled potatoes and cut lengthwise into quarters. Add the potatoes and whole onions to the sauce and toss to coat. Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish, and bake until hot, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved onion greens on top and serve.

Note: The dish can be prepared but not baked up to 3 days before. Cover and refrigerate, then bring to room temperature before baking.

 

Rainbow Chard (or Collards) Parmesan Crisp

Serves 6-8

2 bunches rainbow chard or collards (about 1 ¾ lb.)

5 Tbs. unsalted butter

4 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise (about ¾ cup)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups lower-salt vegetable or chicken broth, warmed

1 8-inch-long baguette piece, thinly sliced crosswise

½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano (about 2 oz.)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Strip the leaves off the chard stalks, and set the stalks aside.

Fill a large saucepan about two-thirds full of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add half of the chard leaves and cook, stirring until wilted about 1 ½ minutes. Collards may take somewhat longer. Remove the leaves from the water with a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl, and repeat with the remaining leaves. Rinse the leaves under cold water; then, working in two batches, squeeze the leaves with your hands to remove excess water (do not wring in a towel). Coarsely chop the leaves. Rinse out the pan.

Thinly slice the chard stalks crosswise. In the same pan, melt ½ Tbs. of the butter over medium heat, add the stalks, and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes; spread in the bottom of a 1 ½ quart casserole.

Melt 1 ½ Tbs. of the butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper, and cook, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until thickened slightly, about 1 minutes. Gradually whisk in the warm broth. When all of the broth has been added, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped chard leaves and cook, stirring, until heated through and the liquid is slightly reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the chard mixture evenly in the casserole.

In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 3 Tbs. butter. Put the bread slices in a medium bowl and drizzle half of the butter on top; toss well and repeat. Sprinkle the cheese on top and toss again. (You can prepare the casserole to this point two days ahead. Cover the casserole and bread topping separately and refrigerate. Let the chard stand at room temperature before baking.)

Arrange the cheesy bread on top of the chard in the casserole; sprinkle any cheese remaining in the bowl on top. Bake until the bread is nicely toasted and crisp, about 20 minutes. Tent loosely with foil and bake about 5 minutes more, or until the center of the chard mixture is piping hot.

 

 

Nola Tricentennial

New Orleans is 300 years old and the New Orleans Collection and the City of New Orleans 2018 Commission Cultural and Historical Committee presented a 4 day symposium called ‘Making New Orleans Home.’ The great treat is that it was all “free.” We heard Cokie Roberts speak at Tulane University on Thursday evening to kick off the event. She is known for her many books and as a political commentator on NPR. She said she always considered New Orleans home even after living in Washington most of her life. Both her parents represented Louisiana in Congress. Her mother lived on Bourbon Street in the middle of it all for many years.

The conference took place at three other locations, the Monteleone Hotel, Xavier University, and the University of New Orleans. It let us go to places we had never visited before. For three days we heard professors and experts speak on music, architecture, food, voodoo, religion, immigration, and the slave trade as it related to New Orleans. It was a lot to take in. The other keynote speaker besides Cokie Roberts was Isabel Wilkerson, who wrote, “The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.” She took 15 years to write the book and has been on a speaking circuit for years about her book. So a wonderful weekend---- and also some new restaurants.

In the Xavier University area we found Rosedale. This is Susan Spicer’s three year old restaurant in a converted police station. Now I must say I was not impressed with the location. The building is nondescript and you would miss it if you were not looking hard, but Susan said the building spoke to her. She was there cooking on a Saturday and I got to talk to her. We ate on the patio and the surroundings were the Metairie Cemetery and railroad tracks so not outstanding but her food was very good. She had simple food like Shrimp Creole and I had a delicious pimento cheese sandwich. The cheese just ozzed out! We had a broccoli side which was fabulous so I have given the recipe below. Not that expensive and Bloody Mary’s were only $4.00. I would definitely go back.

On Sunday we were in the City Park area close to the University of New Orleans, and chose to go to Ralph’s On the Park. It is a Brennan restaurant, but I would say not one of the best. It has a great location on the park but the food was just not that delicious. We had turtle soup which had a very weak flavor, not big and bold like Commander’s turtle soup. We had a crawfish salad which was all lettuce and 4 crawfish, not great for $14.00. It has been in business since 2003 so somebody likes it, but not a great value for your money and there are so many more places to eat.

The big find for the weekend was Sac-A-Lait. This restaurant was created by the Carroll’s who had a restaurant in New Roads, Louisiana called Hot Tails. Their menu is based on fishing, hunting, faming, and changes often. I found their menu so creative with such things as: bluefin tuna, venison sweetbreads, fermented pepper, lemon olive oil-Tartare; smothered duck hearts, seared goat cheese grits prickled turnips; cast iron seared venison tenderloin, chimichurri, duck fat potatoes, horseradish-Backstrap; roasted mushrooms, pepper meringues, sauce chasseur-Hen of the Woods. It is good to share the meal and we did with our son and this way we got to taste many things. I found everything just fabulous and the service was wonderful. Go to this restaurant. Look on line to see all they have to offer.

We visited our local favorite, Paladar 511, and they had some new items on their menu. One was roasted asparagus with mascarpone and pesto. My husband loved it and I did come home and tried to duplicate it. Recipe below. They also had a pasta stuffed with crab which was delicate and not heavy with sauce. I had my favorite two dishes fried arancini and yellowfin tuna crudo. I am a creature of habit!

My take on a broccoli side dish from Rosedale.

1 bunch broccoli grilled or roasted in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

In a small saucepan heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and I clove minced garlic.

Heat until warm and pour over broccoli.

Shave 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over the broccoli and serve.

Serves 2

Roasted Asparagus from Palladar 511

Roast or grill 1 lb. of asparagus or roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons pesto (can make your own or purchase in the store). Palladar used a sorrel pesto, two tablespoons mascarpone cheese. Heat this in the microwave for 40 seconds. Pour over asparagus.

Sprinkle sunflower seeds over (I used black walnuts). Delish!

Serves 2 or 3.

Sri Lanka

We finally made our trip to Sri Lanka. It was two years in coming, since two years ago my husband fell off a ladder and we had to cancel.

Why Sri Lanka? Well, we like to go to a warm place in the winter (even though it turned out to be a warm week here) and my husband was interested in the grand hotels built during the British time there, so our stay was planned around them. We bought a book, Asia’s Grand Hotels, at a yard sale in New Orleans last fall and used it to plan our trip.

We flew Emirates to Colombo, and since we had a 9 hour layover booked a hotel and spent a few hours in Dubai. I lived in Dubai for four years and have been back since, but it was fun to see all the glimmer of Dubai at night. So much building going on, and Dubai does try to be the center of the universe! I preferred the old days myself when camels were seen in the streets on my way to school. Anyway, early in the morning we left from Dubai airport for Colombo and had our first curry for breakfast. How does curry and red wine go together? Not well, but it was the beginning of our days of eating curry three times a day.

Arriving in Colombo was easy, since we had gotten our visa early on and there was no problem with immigration. Our trip had been planned around train travel around the island but we could never secure a first class ticket and being in third class might mean standing for hours. So upon arrival we decided to do a ‘car and driver’ which was the smart thing to do and not that expensive.

Our first grand hotel was the Galle Face in Colombo, established in 1864, the oldest of all Asia’s grand hotels (It seems the date depends on what you mean by first.). It faces Galle Face Green on the Indian Ocean, although the green is so used it is mostly brown, the grass having been worn down. Here we began the custom on arriving of being invited to have a seat while drinks are served. They take your passports and complete the check in. We later enjoyed cocktails on the veranda overlooking the iconic checkerboard tiles on the main lawn and the ocean. We later had dinner there as the sun set over the ocean. Breakfast was our introduction to hoppers.

The next day we met our driver and began a lot of driving in a never ending traffic jam. We spent most of the day winding our way into the cooler hills, up past Kandy and on to Nuwara Eliya at about 6,000 feet and 20° cooler to the Grand Hotel, established 1826 as the Governor General’s summer residence. Here we were welcomed with hot tea. All our rooms were huge and here one really felt a part of the past. More curries and hoppers were to be had for our dinning pleasure.

We traveled the next day down the winding road past innumerable tea plantations back to Colombo. Ceylon is famous for its tea and is the world’s fourth largest producer. We bought some cashews from a roadside vendor as these are another crop produced in Sri Lanka. We also bought several boxes of tea, Dilmah, a prevalent brand recommended to us.

That night we spent at Mt. Lavinia, established 1806, built by Sir Thomas Maitland, a Lt. General with the East India Company, becoming governor in 1805. He built this beachside mansion for his lover, a mixed race dancer of notable beauty who had captured his heart. The hotel, though grand, was a little faded. But cocktails and dinner were had on the beach at a table set in the sand and lit by candles and flares after the sun set over the ocean. Here we enjoyed a notable lobster dish. One went to the fish bar and picked out the fresh fish or seafood that the chef would prepare as you wished. I thought this was our best meal. Breakfast was again a big buffet with everything. We had hoppers again and my husband repeated his curry and rice as well.

The next day we drove south along the beach to Galle. Along the way we visited a ‘homemade’ tsunami museum. On December 26, 2004, a tsunami struck in Asia, killing about 300,000 people. Indonesia lost 220,000 and Sri Lanka, 50,000. Near the site of the museum 1200 people were taken when the tsunami carried off a commuter train. People died as far away as the east coast of Africa.

Galle, near the southern tip of Sri Lanka, is believed by many historians to be the Tarshish of Biblical times, from which King Solomon obtained gems, spices and peacocks. Marco Polo claimed to have stopped there in 1299. The Portuguese landed in 1505. The Dutch captured Galle in 1640. The British took control in 1802. Independence was granted in 1948. Our hotel here, Tamarind Hill, was built by Don Johannes Amarasiri, a Sri Lankan aristocrat in the Dutch period over 250 years ago. It was later the official residence of the British Admiral of the Peninsula and Orient Steam Navigation Company (the famed P&O Line). Here on a hill overlooking the Ocean we were welcomed with an appropriate drink, tamarind iced tea. Here we also enjoyed one cocktail hour on our private veranda overlooking the courtyard and the ocean during an afternoon thunder storm. We watched the monkeys scurrying in the trees and enjoyed the rain from a safe dry location. The old hotel had several leaks. It seems the monkeys are tearing up the roof tiles. I was glad I didn’t have to worry about repairing it. Breakfast on the dinning veranda was more hoppers while we watched the peacocks strutting.

To and from Galle we stopped at two gardens owned separately by the Bawa brothers. Geoffrey Bawa, an internationally renowned architect had his home at Lanuganga near Bentota and not far away was his elder brother, Bevis’ garden named Brief (He was a lawyer.) These men were flamboyant denizens of the end of the British era and the new republic and their gardens and homes reflected this.

One new food experience for us was a Sri Lankan egg hopper. Hoppers are considered a staple of Sri Lankan cuisine and can come in many forms. It is much like a savory crepe with a soft boiled egg in the middle. It is served with caramelized onions, toasted coconut meat and Sri Lankan spices, sambal, and you can eat it like a taco (which we did not know at the time). I really liked them and learned to eat a runny egg inside the hopper. The recipe below is simple but needs a proper hopper pan to make it correctly. I have purchased one and it is in the mail. You can find one on amazon.com.

Sri Lankan Egg Hoppers

2 cups rice flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 ½ cups coconut milk

¾ cup water

1 tablespoon dry active yeast

1 ½ teaspoon warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

¾ cup cooked basmati rice

1 ½ cups coconut milk

Fresh eggs

Combine the first four ingredients (flour, sugar, coconut milk and water) in a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a separate container, proof the yeast in the warm-water sugar mixture until it triples in volume, about 10 minutes.

Blend the rice and remaining coconut milk in a blender at high speed to form a thick paste. Combine the yeast mixture and contents from the blender with the other ingredients. Using a whisk, stir until no lumps of flour remain. Place in an oven with the pilot light on for about three hours. The mixture should double in size.

Heat hopper pan over medium-high heat. Swirl batter in the pan and crack an egg in the middle. Cover and let cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Loosen hopper with a knife and serve.

Don’t forget the caramelized onions and some sambal.

Violence erupted shortly after we left between Buddhists and Muslims (70% of Sri Lankans are Buddhist, 10% Muslim, 13% Hindu, 7% Christian) and a curfew was established in the Kandy area. And fortunately the winter storms hitting the northeast of the US held off until we got home, the first time in our last four trips that we came back home on our scheduled flight.