Pepita Coconut Granola

Just pumpkin seeds and coconut chips.  Amazing flavor and crunch!

The grain-free life feels too good to go back to blood-sugar-spiking grains and sugars.  But now and then I grow nostalgic for something toasty and crunchy. 

When thinking about this recipe, I had planned to add other things ... perhaps nuts or spices.  But this two-ingredient granola was so perfect that I just stopped! 

Just like with other granolas, it can be used to top a bowl of berries and yogurt, or to add crunch to a sliced banana.  You can douse it with Pure Eire milk or cream, if you eat dairy.  Or just eat the dang stuff by itself!

PEPITA COCONUT GRANOLA
You can adjust the amounts given to suit your taste.  Our local health food stores carry pumpkin seeds in the refrigerated section.  I find the coconut chips at Yokes in the Nature's Pantry section.

2 cups raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (also called coconut chips) or shredded coconut

In a large dry skillet over medium heat, toast pumpkin seeds, stirring/shaking frequently (read:  Don't walk away) until you hear one of the seeds pop. 

Add the coconut, stir, and continue toasting.  The seeds should continue to pop, and the seeds and coconut should become toasty golden brown.

Remove from heat and let cool completely. Store in covered container.

Alternatively, you can toast the pumpkin seeds and coconut separately, stirring watchfully until each reaches a perfect golden state.

2012: Winter CSA Boxes 6 and 7

Winter CSA Box 6

Winter CSA Box 7

Box 6 contained a gnarly horseradish root that I am still meditating about.  Beets, spinach, arugula, red delicious apples, chili peppers and lentils completed the lineup.  The lentils (petite brown) were gifted to a friend.

Box 7 delighted me with TWO bunches of organic lacinato kale. Kale chips, anyone? The farmer keeps experimenting with dried cannoli beans ... these are not too exciting.  But we have frozen tart cherries from a local orchard, a gorgeous selection of pear varieties, arugula, braising greens, and dried mint. 

After sorting and washing the braising greens, I tossed them into a pot with some ghee, chicken broth, store-bought spinach, and CSA kale, and simmered them for half an hour or so.  I love to tuck a little hank of cooked greens alongside a dinner entree on the plate!  Greens make me smile.

Some of the pears went into a new grain-free version of Leek, Pear and Goat Cheese Tart.  I altered the original recipe by using butter instead of olive oil, and a crust of nut flours and butter instead of wheat flours.

The arugula was snipped and tossed with a little bacon in a skillet of scrambled eggs.  Peppery, tasty and a beautiful.  And hey .... only a little over two months 'til the farmers' markets open!  I am hugely grateful for my CSA farmer, whose produce gets us through the winter so well. 

Kale Chips Redux

Lacinato kale chips baked to perfection.

The other day at the Northwest Food Hub, a new vendor stood proudly next to his baskets of organic kale chips.  Well, who can resist a kale chip?  One taste, and my mom and I experienced eyebrow-raising awareness that something about these kale chips was different.

I purchased a bag of the chips, and indeed, a perusal of the label showed that this creative chef, of Amerawcan Bistro, had used these ingredients:"Organic kale, organic yellow miso, organic garlic powder, organic onion powder, nutritional yeast."  Most notable was a missing ingredient:  oil.

One problem with kale chips I've made has been the greasy film they leave on one's fingers.  And oil oxidizes pretty quickly, leading to rancidity.  I thought oil was crucial to keep the seasonings on the chips.  But these new chips were liberally coated with seasonings that appeared to adhere just fine.  Closer inspection showed that the seasonings adhered in a somewhat droplet-like fashion, so I decided the seasonings were applied to wet kale leaves, and the moisture evaporated during baking but left the seasonings securely fastened to the kale. 

All these conclusions and prognostications proved correct.  So herewith a new and improved kale chip recipe.  As a general rule, I eschew soy in all its forms, and thus did not use miso; instead, I added some salt.

The only remaining problem with kale chips is their tendency to leave diminuitive pieces of kale in one's teeth, which can be a problem at social gatherings.  Does this mean kale chips should only be eaten when one is alone?  No!  Eat them with other kale chip afficianadoes, and all will be well.

SAVORY KALE CHIPS

2 bunches lacinato kale or curly kale

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (from the health food store)
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

Mix the seasonings thoroughly in an empty spice bottle with shaker holes. 

Hold the kale firmly in its bunch form and slash off the bottom few inches of stem ... to just below where the leaves start.  Cut the thick stems from the center of each leaf.  With lacinato kale, this will give you long, thin chips.  With curly kale, your chips will be stubbier.

Rinse the trimmed kale pieces thoughly, with at least two changes of water.  Do not dry the kale leaves.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place wet kale leaves in a single layer (they can be very close together, but not overlapping) on two Silpat-lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle seasonings liberally over the kale.  You don't have to use all the seasonings, but the more you use, the tastier the chips will be.  Don't worry about puddles of water/seasonings on the kale.  It will dry in the oven.

Place baking sheets on two racks placed as near the middle of the oven as possible.  Bake for 15 minutes, then switch pan positions and bake 15 minutes more.  When most of the kale pieces are crispy (some may still be a tiny bit damp), turn oven off and let the pans sit in the oven for a while until all the chips are crispy.

Lacinato kale will take less time to bake and crisp than curly kale.

Grain-Free Almond Pancakes

Once you try these, you may begin to see the merits of eschewing grains.  Tender and satisfying, these pancakes actually are reminiscent of IHOP's famous Harvest Grain 'n Nut pancakes, with a slightly crunchy texture and an oh-so-nutty flavor.

GRAIN-FREE ALMOND PANCAKES
Cinnamon, grated orange peel, cardamom ... plenty of room for creativity here in spicing things up! 

2 cups almond flour
5 local grassfed eggs
1/2 cup coconut milk, milk or yogurt
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or not)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder (I use Hains or Rumfords)

Back four pancakes have been flipped; front four have not.

1/4 teaspoon salt

In medium mixing bowl, thoroughly whisk together almond flour, eggs, milk of choice, optional maple syrup, and vanilla. 

Heat griddle over medium heat, and swish some butter or coconut oil over it if desired.

Stir baking soda, baking powder and salt into batter.  Drop about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle; you want to aim for about 4-inch diameter pancakes. 

The pancakes won't take very long to bake.  After a couple of minutes, lift gently to check for browning.  I usually let a few bubbles form and begin to burst before checking.  When turning the pancakes, use two smallish spatulas ... one to flip and one to stabilize. 

Serve with berries or other fruits. I sometimes serve them with pineapple and sliced banana. 

Makes 16 4-inch pancakes.

Easy Almond Flour at Home

Because most baked goods are made with grains and sugars, and serve as vehicles for stuff we don't want to eat much of, like jams, syrups, frostings and other sugary toppings, we've been amazingly successful this past year in turning around the desire for baked goods.

Once in a while I'll whip up a batch of something made with almond flour, though, like pancakes.  They're scrumptious for breakfast with mixed berries atop.  I'll post the recipe.

But first, I urge you not to buy expensive, pre-ground bags of almond flour.  Once a nut is ground, the fats in it begin to oxidize.  You'll set back the oxidizing process enormously by using fresh, whole almonds ground the minute you want to use almond flour.

I've had some success making almond flour in a blade coffee grinder.  But I'm thrilled to report there's a new little food processor out, made by KitchenAid, that has a larger capacity than a coffee grinder and does a SUPERB job of turning out almond flour in seconds.  I think it's because they've raised the upper blade so that it catches pieces of nuts whirling around above the lower blade.

Many grain-free recipes call for blanched almond flour, but my whole, raw, unblanched almond flour performs wonderfully in every recipe I've tried.  A good source of almond flour recipes is Elana's Pantry.

EASY ALMOND FLOUR AT HOME

Start with whole, raw (not roasted) almonds, organic if you can find them.  Almonds aren't a local crop, so I'll get them at our local health food stores or order them from a highly satisfactory online vendor called Nuts.com.

If your almonds are frozen (I usually keep mine in the freezer), let them warm up a bit if you can.  It's easier on your grinder if the nuts aren't frozen.

For every cup of almond flour needed, use about the same amount of almonds.  For example, one cup of almonds will give you about one cup of almond flour.

Place almonds in your grinder of choice, paying attention to capacity of your grinder.  The little KitchenAid food processor above holds 2 cups, but the average coffee grinder will hold only 1/2 cup or so. 

Pulse a few times to begin breaking up the almonds into smaller pieces.  Then process constantly until you have a fine meal. 

The most important thing is to stop processing before you get almond butter!  But even if you do, almond butter is a wonderful thing, too.

2012: Winter CSA Box 5

Box 5 contained lovely romaine leaves, purple and green cabbages, turnips, thyme, russet potatoes, dried chickpeas, and huge red onions.  The chickpeas are resting comfortably while awaiting transfer to their giveaway winner!

I carmelized two of the onions in ghee, then added cardamom and chopped kale and apple in a loose adaptation (read:  too lazy to go look up the recipe) of this dish.  I love my local vegetables!

Legume Giveaway!

Why should the big name bloggers have all the fun?  As anyone reading Eating the Scenery knows, I no longer eat legumes.  But my CSA boxes have contained two lovely bags of them lately ... chickpeas and white lentils.

So ... why not a giveaway!

I assume that at least one or six Loyal Readers of Eating the Scenery do eat legumes.  Despite the strident tone of my sidebars (need to work on that), I try very hard not to be the Food Police.  Decisions about food are very personal.  Perhaps you eat legumes.  I have some I don't need.   Giving them to you doesn't mean I don't care about you.  I do hope you'll give some thought to preparing them, though.

That said, no hype, pressure or hypocrisy are involved when I say you won't find beautiful lentils and chickpeas like this anywhere but here ... southeast Washington State, the Fertile Crescent and Legume Capital of the Western World.  (Wait ... that might be hype.) 

Best of all, you don't have to like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter to enter!  (Heaven forfend.  This blogger is too busy in the kitchen to bother with most social media.)

Just be the first person to comment on this post, say that you want the legumes, and I'll either ship these puppies to you or bring them to you, depending on where you live.

I'll reply to the winning post.  If I don't know you, I'll ask you to e-mail your address to me at eatingthescenery@gmail.com.

If no one comments, I'll be really embarrassed, and perhaps give up blogging entirely. 

Bone Broth in the Slow Cooker

I've been picking up grassfed beef soup bones here and there for a while (okay, a couple of years) and finally got 'em all out of the freezer the other day.  Inspired by bone broth makers all over the internet, and with the hope of a hot, nourishing collagen grog, I was (once again) suprised at how easy it all was.  And from first to last sip, the bone broth was, indeed, wonderful!

A diversionary note:  If you have wonderfully marrow-y bones like this, you can actually roast them 'til the marrow is crackly and bubbly, then eat the marrow.  I tasted it, and it was heavenly.  Believe it or not, marrow bones, served with a cool and crispy parsley salad, are a hot ticket item at a high-end restaurant in New York City.

Okay, back to the straight and marrow.  I'll keep this as brief as possible, because there are recipes all over creation for this stuff.

BONE BROTH IN THE SLOW COOKER
These amounts make roughly 3 quarts of broth.

You'll need:

• Grassfed beef bones (about 4 pounds)
• Carrots
• Onion
• Celery
• Apple cider vinegar
• Bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Thaw your bones.  Rinse them well to remove any bone dust.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange bones on a baking sheet as shown.  At the last minute, I decided NOT to use the Silpat, so removed it and placed the bones directly on the baking sheet.

Roast for 20 minutes or so, then check to see how things are going.  The marrow should be sizzling, and any meat on the bones should be getting brown.  Keep roasting 'til things look nice and crispy and brown.  You can use unroasted bones, but roasting adds flavor and color to the finished broth.

While bones are roasting, cut up a few carrots, an onion, and some celery.  This is optional, but will make the broth tastier, I think.  Put the veggies in the crockpot, and add a couple of bay leaves and a few grinds of pepper.

Place bones in slow cooker.  Add water to a depth of at least an inch over the bones.  I used a 6-quart slow cooker for the bones shown.  Be sure to use quantities of bones, veggies and water that keep your slow cooker around 3/4 full ... that's what most manufacturers recommend, but mine was a tad more full than that and worked fine.  But don't fill it to the brim.  You'll need room for the simmering action.

Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker.  The wisdom here is that the acid will help release the calcium and other goodies from the bones.

Cook on low heat for 12 to 24 hours.  I cooked mine for 15 hours with great results.  I had read that I should skim the broth periodically, but honestly, there was nothing to skim.  If you have anything floating that doesn't look nice, you could skim it off.

At this point you have a decision to make.  You can remove the bones, strain the broth, then put the bones BACK in the slow cooker, add more water, and keep making broth (for days, even!) until the bones begin to dissolve.  I elected not to do that.

With tongs, pick out the bones and place them on a platter to cool and discard.  Set up a strainer over a heat-proof casserole large enough to hold your broth, then ladle out broth into it.  When the broth level gets low enough, pour the rest of the slow cooker contents into the strainer.  Remove strainer, and stir a teaspoon or two of salt into your broth.  You can also wait and salt the broth to taste when you use it in soups or for drinking.

Cover and chill the broth.  Remove solid fat from top, then freeze broth in containers of choice.  If using glass, leave room for freezing broth to expand.

 And don't forget to heat up a mug of broth for yourself!  You've earned it.

2012: Winter CSA Box 4

Box 4 contained the crispiest, freshest salad greens (mostly romaine) I've ever seen.  There was a bunch of kale to swoon over, a big blue-green squash, russet potatoes, a bunch of beets, dried oregano, two cobs of popcorn and a bag of white lentils.

I have been busy cooking simple food that doesn't require much in the way of recipes.  But a few new things are in the blog pipeline ...

Salmon and Red Curry Soup with Winter Greens

I thought Tom Yum Goong was the best soup ever.  But I have a new favorite!  The braising greens from Box 2 found their way into this soup, which I made a second time with Box 3's braising greens, and adjusted the ingredients and seasonings to perfection for your enjoyment.

SALMON AND RED CURRY SOUP WITH WINTER GREENS
If you keep the broth-to-vegetable ratio steady, you can substitute freely for veggies you might not have on hand. 

2-1/2 pounds wild salmon fillets, skin on (I use Costco Kirkland brand, from the freezer case)
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 small red onions, sliced
3 cups sliced mushrooms
4 (slightly packed) cups greens (braising greens, spinach, sliced chard, etc.)

2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
2 tablespoons grated or minced ginger
8 cloves garlic, chopped
A couple of slices of seeded jalapeno pepper, or to taste
2 cups small zucchini, quartered and sliced

2 cans (14 ounces or so) coconut milk (not  the "lite" kind)
2 cups fish stock (or cooking broth from salmon)
2 cups water
1 bottle (8 ounces) clam broth (optional)
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey

1 cup sliced basil
1 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

In large skillet, place salmon, wine, water and salt.  Simmer, covered, 20 minutes or so, until fish is cooked through.  Remove fish to plate, and remove skin.  Reserve cooking liquid.

While fish is cooking, heat coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add sliced onions, mushrooms, and greens.  Saute, stirring frequently, until onions and mushrooms begin to soften. 

Add curry paste, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and zucchini, and stir, then cook for about 2 minutes or until ginger and curry become fragrant. 

Stir in coconut milk, strained cooking liquid from salmon (or fish stock), water, clam juice, fish sauce, and honey.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or so.

Taste soup, and if needed, correct seasonings.

Break the salmon into largish chunks and add to soup.  Heat through. 

Serve in shallow bowls and top each serving with basil, cilantro and a lime wedge or two.

Serves four very hungry people.

2011: Winter CSA Box 3

That's a hunk of pink banana squash there.  Egad!  Braising greens, salad greens, two dozen eggs (my add-on), Delicata and acorn squashes, onions, turnips, leeks, dill, and some dried white beans.

Even though I was a little tired the night I picked up this box, its contents clearly were not going to wait for me to feel like dealing with them.  So onward I forged.

I washed the dill and put it to soak and revive.  Topped the turnips and leeks, cleaned up the onions, seeded and peeled and chunked the banana squash.  Realized I had some beets left from an earlier box, and so dinner began to take shape ... CSA Box Emergency Borscht.

A big chopping session ensued, and most of the onions and turnips and all of the dill and leeks went into a pot with a pound of Baron Farms pastured pork sausage, some cabbage, and some chicken broth.  And you know what?  By the time the soup was simmering nicely, I felt re-energized!

The cubed squash went into the fridge for another day, when I tossed it in coconut/sesame oil, coated it with Rogan Josh seasoning, and roasted it.  Divine! 

Sometimes the CSA boxes seem like a lot of work.  But we enjoyed the soup for several days, and the roasted squash was delicious.  Totally worth the effort!

Kale, Cranberry and Blood Orange Salad

Because I'm usually the only cook around our house, I think constantly about faster ways to get things done in the kitchen and still end up with tasty, attractive results.

I don't know why it took me so long to figure out that kale salad is way easier, and even tastier, made in the food processor instead of with laborious stacking and slicing.  You can, of course, stack and slice for a different effect.  This method produces a more relish-like salad that is, I think, optimally flavorful and easy to eat.

KALE, CRANBERRY AND BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

If you don't have Perol blood orange vinegar, just use orange juice instead of the apple juice, use your usual vinegar, and stir in a little grated orange peel just before serving.  Or use other citrussy or fruity vinegar.  The object is to get a fruity taste in there!


1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple juice

1 bunch Lacinato kale
1 small shallot

2 tablespoons Perel blood orange vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

In food processor, chop shallot finely.

In small saucepan, combine apple juice and cranberries, and heat gently to warm.  Add chopped shallot, and remove pan from heat.  Set aside.

Wash kale, spin dry, and remove thick stems.  Place stemmed kale in food processor (in batches if too crowded) and chop coarsely.

Place chopped kale in medium bowl.  To juice mixture in pan add vinegar, olive oil and salt.  Stir, then pour dressing over kale and mix well. 

Just before serving, stir in walnuts.

Makes 4 servings.

2011: Winter CSA Box 2

My mother-in-law called one day, and chatted with Mr. Eating the Scenery.  She must have asked how I was doing, because Mr. ETS said, "Oh, she's having lots of fun with fruits and vegetables."

And so it is that we acquire, by virtue of that which engages us, a certain identity.  So be it.  I can think of worse things to be associated with!

The second Winter CSA box's largesse included salad greens, braising greens, spaghetti and acorn squash, broccoli, green cabbage, daikon radishes, onions, taters, and Brussels sprouts.  And yes, I'm having fun with them.

A Turkey in Two Hours

The original article from the Tri-City Herald.

Tried and true recipes, dogeared and written-on (try that on an iPad or Smartphone!), are still alive and well in many kitchens.  Years ago I started keeping these gems in a three-ring binder so as not to lose them ... and to experience again and again their consistently wonderful results.

Such a recipe is "A Turkey in 2 Hours" from a long-ago edition of the Tri-City Herald.  The technique is from Chef Wil Masset, then owner and master chef of Birchfield Manor in Yakima.  He is still there, though his son is now the chef and owner. 

My turkey weighed 15 pounds, and was Organic Prairie brand from Fred Meyer.  Blue Valley Meats offered local turkeys, but I didn't decide on the menu this year soon enough to order one from them.  I sincerely miss my former turkey providers, Russ and Laurie Stasska, who moved to North Carolina.  Happy holidays, you two!

A TURKEY IN TWO HOURS
from Chef Wil Masset, Birchfield Manor, Yakima

You will need:

• Turkey
• Sharp knives
• Paprika
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Carrots, Celery and Onion

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Position rack low enough so the oven can accommodate the roaster and turkey.  Remember the turkey will be on its side, and thus perhaps a bit higher than if it were lying flat.

Prepare your seasonings and oil in little bowls so you have them all ready for when you begin to massage the turkey. For my 15-pound turkey, I used 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 5 teaspoons paprika (2 sweet, 2 smoked, and 1 hot).

Cut off the turkey's crop skin at neck, and cut off wings at second joint.  Remove giblets.  I placed the neck in the roasting pan to use in stock.

Place the bird in a large roasting pan on a bed of chopped carrots, celery and onion.

Now, rub the turkey (and the wings) with a mixture of salt, pepper and paprika, inside and out.  Then rub olive oil into the turkey.

Arrange the turkey on its side, propping it up securely with the wings.  Placing the turkey on its side better uses the oven heat and speeds cooking, preserving the moisture in the meat.

Place the prepared turkey on its side.  This is important.

Place bird in oven and roast for about an hour and a half.  At this point (approximately three quarters of the way through the cooking time), carefully turn the turkey over.  Don't use forks or other implements that could pierce the skin and cause a loss of juices.  You can use clean potholders or dishcloths, or large tongs you can clamp between the cavity and the bird's skin surface, while stabilizing the bird using your protected hand on the other end.

Re-stabilize the turkey (remember to place it on its side) with the wings.  You can turn the wings, too.

Return turkey to oven and continue roasting for another half hour to an hour ... until juices run clear when meat is pierced at the thigh joint near the body.  A thermometer placed there should read at least 160 degrees.

My 15-pound turkey, which was completely thawed, took 2-1/2 hours to roast. 

If the breast meat is done but the leg/thigh joint needs more time, you can either cover the breast with foil, or slice off the breast meat, and roast the rest of the bird some more. 

This method produces a juicy, flavorful turkey, and the carcass/bones make a splendid stock.  I used the drippings to make a gravy using almond flour and arrowroot, from a recipe in this cookbook. 

My thanks to Wil Masset for taking the guesswork out of turkey cooking, thus adding a certain serenity to my holiday meal preparations. 

A 15-pound bird will easily serve 8 to 10 people.

2011: First Winter CSA Box

As a kid, I used to watch Monte Hall on "Let's Make a Deal."  He would stand there bemusedly, patiently holding his microphone, while contestants literally would jump up and down, going seriously delirious just to have the opportunity  to choose "one of the three doors where Carol is now standing!"

At the time, I was somewhat puzzled that people could behave so in public.  But last Tuesday I definitely had the urge to do a little dance on the sidewalk when I picked up my first Winter CSA box.  It's nice to know the simple things in life can still thrill:   turnips, cabbage, beets, squashes, cranberries, tomatoes, braising greens, salad greens, and radishes.  All insanely fresh.

Spanish Garlic Soup with Saffron and Cumin

It's gray and blustery outside.  It's the day after Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's a Sunday night.  Whatever.  You just don't feel like cooking!  But you feel better if you have a real meal instead of a snack, however healthy the snack might be. 

Dragging yourself to the fridge, you open it.  Maybe there's some leftover turkey or other meat in there.  You keep local eggs on hand, right?   If you're a foodie, you'll have saffron and smoked paprika on hand, too, and broth in your pantry or freezer.  If not, go stock up ... you know  you're going to have one of these moments this winter!

Traditionally, this soup is topped with a hefty number of white-bread croutons.  Trust me, diced avocado is way  more satisfying.

SPANISH GARLIC SOUP WITH SAFFRON AND CUMIN

Sopa española del ajo con azafrán y comino

2 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 small onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (reserve for egg frying)

1 teaspoon ground cumin seed

2 cups diced cooked meat, optional (turkey, chicken, pork, beef)

1 quart homemade chicken or turkey broth

1 teaspoon saffron threads*

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter or ghee

2-4 eggs (depending on number of servings you are making)

1 avocado, diced

In medium-sized pot, heat butter or ghee over medium heat.  Add onion and chopped garlic.  Cook, stirring now and then, for about 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften.

Sprinkle cumin over onion mixture and cook briefly, stirring to slightly toast it.  Mmmmm!

Add meat, broth, saffron, paprika and crushed red pepper.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes or so. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon ghee or butter in small skillet.  Add the minced garlic, then immediately fry the two eggs in the butter/garlic mixture, turning eggs once.

Taste soup; add salt and pepper to taste. 

Ladle soup into bowls.  Top each bowl with a fried egg and some diced avocado.

Makes enough soup for four small or two large servings.

*Reasonably priced saffron is available at the European Market on Huntington Street (across from GESA) on Huntington Street in Kennewick.  They keep it behind the counter, so you have to ask for it.

Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Yams

For some reason, I 'm always astonished when I discover a simple, easy way to cook something.  We do tend to over-complexify sometimes, don't we? 

Organic yams and sweet potatoes, looking very fresh and wholesome,  have been appearing regularly at my local Yokes Fresh Market.   I recommend preparing more than you'll need for one meal ... they reheat beautifully and can be sliced or diced and fried to make a lovely hash with leftover duck, turkey or pork.

When peeling yams,  be sure to peel through the light-colored layer just underneath the skin, to the darker orange layer underneath. 

SIMPLE ROASTED SWEET POTATOES AND YAMS
I recently learned that yams and sweet potatoes are "cured," which means allowed to dry a bit after harvesting. Because of that, yams and sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place, and not in the refrigerator. I've tested this new bit of knowledge, and it seems to be true!

You'll need:

Yams and sweet potatoes
Coconut oil (you could probably use butter or olive oil; I haven't tried it yet)
Salt and pepper

1)   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2)   Peel your yams and sweet potatoes and cut into roughly same-sized chunks.  They'll cook more evenly that way.

3)   Melt some coconut oil (I used 1/4 cup for 2 yams and 2 sweet potatoes) and pour it into a mixing bowl. 

4)   Add the yam and sweet potato chunks and toss to evenly coat.

5)   Tip yams and sweet potatoes onto a baking sheet (I used the bottom of a broiler tray).

6)    Sprinkle with salt and pepper, or herbs, spices and seasonings to taste.

7)   Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, testing near the end of the roasting time to see if the thickest pieces are tender through.

Serve, or place in casserole and cover to keep warm until serving time.

Grassfed Chuck Roast, with Leeks and Fennel, in the Slow Cooker

Remember Crockpots?  Who doesn't have a Crockpot story to tell:  "It tipped over in the car on the way to a potluck!  The beans hadn't even begun to get soft after 12 hours of cooking!"  My personal stories are more along the lines of special dinners being ruined because the slow-cooked entree was ... ah ... not so much cooked as poached in a sea of simmered sludge.

But no more.  Crockpots (generically known as slow cookers) are back with a vengeance.  After all, we're all busy.  We still want, as we did in days of Crockpot yore, to return home on a blustery fall evening to the savory smells of a dinner that is ready to eat.

Creative cooks have worked hard to achieve this renaissance in slow cooking.  Having been intrigued by a number of their cookbooks, I decided to jump into the fray with Liana Krissoff's Secrets of Slow Cooking, and Costco's offering of a sleek, modern, 7-quart Crockpot. 

The ancient 4-quart Crockpot I received as a wedding present in 1978 still works fine, but I was interested in the larger capacity, and ... the new digital controls!  Essentially the same as older models (high and low settings), but now the hours count down so you know just how much time has elapsed, and when the hours you set are reached, the unit switches to "keep warm" mode.

For this, my first slow cooking foray in a couple of decades,  I decided to stick with a simple beef dish.  I thawed a Thundering Hooves grassfed chuck roast (Blue Valley Meats bought the inventory when Thundering Hooves went out of business) and checked out a slew of recipes in books and online.

I drafted up a unique recipe of my own, but when I started to prepare it, I found that my carrots had frozen in the vegetable bin, and I had no onions but did have a fennel bulb.  Hence, the recipe I intended became this recipe instead.  And when, five hours into the cooking process, I discovered two large leeks lurking in the fridge, I sliced those up and tossed them in.  The result was so amazing that I'll definitely re-create this re-created recipe next time. 

SLOW COOKED CHUCK ROAST WITH LEEKS AND FENNEL

A splendid, satisfying winter dish.  I served it with a deep green kale salad with dried cranberries and walnuts, and spaghetti squash.  Winter dinners don't get much better than this.

One 4-1/2 pound grassfed chuck roast (or smaller roasts to total about 4 pounds)

3 tomatoes, diced, or a can of diced tomatoes
1 7-ounce jar or can tomato paste
3/4 cup red wine
1 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (about 10 cloves)
1 fennel bulb, diced
2 large leeks, sliced (or put them in at cooking midpoint*)
1/4 cup oregano
1/4 cup thyme
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 bay leaves

Cut roast into even pieces (I cut mine into three chunks) and place them in the slow cooker.

Mix all remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.  Pour the red wine into the empty tomato paste jar, cap and shake to rinse all the last bits of tomato paste out.  Pour the sauce mixture over the roast, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

My roast (4-1/2 pounds) was tenderly, meltingly perfect, at 8 hours.  I removed the meat to a casserole, then poured the sauce into a deep saucepan, where I used my immersion blender to turn it into the most amazingly delicious (and starch-free) gravy. 

This recipe easily would serve 8 people.

*It's a myth that removing the slow cooker's cover during cooking releases epic amounts of heat.  You could even leave the lid off and get great results.  So, poke, prod and add to your heart's content!

Tom Yum Goong

This incomparable Thai soup requires a trip to your local Asian market, but after that initial effort, it's quick to prepare.

Tom Yum Goong is a magical soup.  It soothes.  It warms.  It invigorates.  I have theories as to why this is so, but it's more satisfying just to enjoy the soup than to talk about it.

Thanks to Michele, the lemon grass is local!  She gave me a lemongrass start which I am nurturing indoors this winter and will set out in Spring.  Lime leaves, lemon grass and tamarind freeze quite well, so keep some on hand to make this soup when you need it most! 

TOM YUM GOONG

There is room for you to alter this recipe to suit your tastes, but do be careful of the broth-to-seasonings ratio.  I combined many recipes and adjusted until I found perfection. 

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste

6 cups Oriental or chicken stock
4 cloves crushed or chopped garlic
8 kaffir lime leaves
15 inches of lemon grass, cut into 3-inch lengths
8 slices galangal or ginger
1/4 cup tamarind paste (if it has seeds, soak paste in water and strain into soup)
2 cups regular coconut milk (not "lite")

2 cups mushrooms, quartered
2 cups cabbage, cut in 1-inch chunks
2 cups broccoli, separated into florets

12 ounces tail-on shrimp, thawed or fresh
2 medium tomatoes, cut in wedges

Green onion and cilantro to garnish

Combine lime juice, fish sauce and curry paste in small bowl.

Bring stock to boil.  Add garlic, lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal or ginger, tamarind paste and coconut milk.  Boil for 3 minutes.

Add mushrooms, cabbage and broccoli.  Boil for another 3 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to be tender.

Add shrimp and tomatoes.  Cook just until shrimp turn pink.

Stir in fish sauce mixture.  Serve in bowls.  Top each bowl with green onion and cilantro.  If you like, you can swirl in more curry paste before garnishing, to raise the spice-heat level in individual bowls.

Makes 6 large or 8 smaller servings.

A Visit to the Northwest Regional Food Hub

For a while now, you've been seeing that little notice in the upper right side of my blog recommending the Northwest Regional Food Hub's "Shop the Northwest" website for placing your order for local products, to be delivered to their store for you to pick up.

Today I actually visited the Northwest Regional Food Hub. 

I get positively giddy when I think about how fortunate we are to have such a varied and vast lineup of truly exceptional food producers in our area.  As a farmers' market junkie, I droop in spirit a tad when the markets end, then perk up when my bi-weekly Winter CSA deliveries start. Now I can get my local food fix in between deliveries.

A refrigerator case of Pure Eire ... pure dairy bliss!  

The Northwest Regional Food Hub is located at 603 Goethals in Richland, and is part of a larger movement to provide improved customer access for small and mid-size producers of fresh food and other products.   At last ... something in our crazy world that makes sense!

As you might guess, people like those who run the Food Hub have a definitive interest in health and clean eating. I had a great discussion with one of them today. She's been grain free for more than three years, and it seems there are actually (!) people interested in learning how to cook for the grain-free lifestyle.   In a moment of crazy enthusiasm, I shared my blog link and said I'd help with that.

Local onions and pumpkins.

The Hub has tastings, classes, farm tours, celebrations, and other events. The best way to keep up with the goings-on at this bustling mecca of local goods is to drop them a note here and request their e-newsletter.  You must do this to stay up to date; things are changing rapidly at the Hub.

For hours and events, check their facebook page (link at top right on my blog) and their website. 

Moxie Organix skin care products:  "Courageous skincare with a heart."