Restaurant Widow

Friday Pasta, aka Everything in a Bowl Pasta

Sometimes on Friday afternoons, there's a little bit of panic when I realize how much produce I have left in the fridge and the next day is market day.  It seems no matter how little I try to purchase, I always end up buying more than we can eat; especially if I well-meaningly planned meals while shopping at the market and then ended up eating out every other day.  It was no surprise to find myself standing in front of the fridge Friday, pulling out everything I could think of which would go nicely together.  It turned out quite tasty, and it's another example of using one basic recipe - pasta with butter or olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper - and adding to it as desired.  That's why I love pasta so much; it's a blank slate.  You can make it with nothing or pile things in and, as long as you cook your pasta properly, it's almost always good.  If you wanted to get in an extra bit of fiber, you could use whole wheat spaghetti without very much noticeable difference.

You can, of course, add or remove ingredients as suits your fancy.  For me, I was using everything from last Saturday's CSA box; it just so happened that everything fit together nicely.  I felt I was using such healthy ingredients that the good dose of butter, cream and Parmesan cheese was okay.  If you wanted to make this healthier, it's a cinch: substitute whole wheat pasta, leave out the butter and cream but add good, extra virgin olive oil (a good drizzle after the pasta is in the bowl); finely grated Parmesan can be used to good effect with under an ounce, so I leave it on even if I'm trying to watch the calories. 

I do recommend adding the greens - they are a great and sneaky way to get some extra nutrition.  I was writing an article on greens this week and was amazed to discover how good they are for you.  As I interviewed Sandy Sterrett of Elizabeth Telling, my CSA farmer, I learned she likes to pick the greens young, tender and delicious.  Just look at the picture below - can you believe how beautiful they are?  This is an assortment of Swiss chard, arugula, a few different varieties of mustard greens, and several other varieties I've completely forgotten.  You can buy greens now at the farmer's market; in the winter, they might be more difficult to come by, but you can almost always find kale, collards, arugula and mustard greens in the grocery store.  They aren't going to look like this, of course, but they'll still be good for you.  If you are using older greens, I'd recommend chopping them very finely to ensure they cook evenly. 

This is just personal opinion, but I like to cut all of my vegetables and put them in bowls or separated on a plate, and then cut the chicken last, even though I don't put it in last.  This is just so that I don't have to find a new cutting board and knife after cutting chicken.  Husband and I had (non-spinach related) food poisoning a few weeks ago and I can tell you, it's no fun.  So wash those chickeny hands and don't contaminate!

Friday Lunch Pasta - serves 2

6 ounces whole wheat or regular spaghetti, cooked according to package directions and set aside
olive oil
1 small onion, cut into half moons - or an assortment of sweet and other small onions, from CSA box, as I used
3 small shallots, cut into slivers
2 sweet red bell peppers - I used nice sweet Italian peppers from last week's market - cut into small dice and divided
1 large chicken breast, cut into 1/2" chunks and seasoned liberally with salt and pepper
4 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, shaved very thinly or minced
red pepper flakes
1/2 head broccoli, cut into very small florets
4 ounces shitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into slivers, or other mushrooms
1 large bunch assorted greens, picked over, chopped if big tough, and washed in several changes of water
1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
20 grates of Parmesan cheese - maybe an ounce or so, plus more for garnish (about 1/2 cup freshly grated)
salt and freshly cracked pepper
good, extra virgin olive oil, optional

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and add a little olive oil.  Add the onions, shallot, and half of the bell pepper (this is totally optional - I cooked half of the bell pepper down with the onions for taste and then added the other half later for texture) and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. 

Add the chicken and stir until it is cooked on both sides (it might not be cooked through yet, but it will be by the time you're finished), and then scoot everything to the top half of the pan.  Tilt the pan a little and add the butter; lower the heat a little, to medium-low, and add the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the garlic is soft, about 4 minutes (if the garlic is minced, only about 2 minutes), and then stir everything together; this is ensure the garlic is cooked without burning and the pepper flakes are soft.  Add the broccoli and cook until it begins to soften, a minute or so (this is why we cut it small), and then add the mushrooms and the remaining red bell peppers, stirring and tossing to make sure they get a nice bit of buttery goodness on.

Add the greens.  At this point, season everything liberally with salt.  Add the cream and turn the heat up; add the Parmesan cheese a little at a time, stirring to melt it into the cream as you go.  Stir everything together; the cream should coat everything with a little extra (to coat the pasta), everything should be cooked through but not mushy, and the greens should have wilted completely.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat.  Place in bowls and garnish with a little more Parmesan and a few good cracks of black pepper (cream just loves it!).

Weekend Cat Blogging #71

First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their concern for Fluffernutter and her Snack Sized Fluffernutters.  I hope by now they have found good homes; when my neighbor (whose backyard they were camped in) took them in for spaying and shots, her vet felt certain she would be able to find them good homes, and so they stayed there.  I am happy for them but I really miss looking out the window and watching their antics.  But winter is on its way, and outside is no place for kitties, even big fluffy ones.

Today's picture is of Ike - it just so happened that today's silliness, so I think it fits.  Check out Rosa's for the rest of this weeks felines.  If you could see how big Ike is (16 pounds) you would realize how ridiculous he looks when he's rolling around or sleeping in this position:

What Should I do in Columbus This Weekend?

Well, I'll be working, but are a few suggestions for things you could do this weekend:

Shiny is an exhibit at the Wexner Center (OSU campus) which features, well, shiny works of art.  Who wouldn't want to see a 10 foot balloon dog?  I think this would even be fun for kids.

Shadowbox Cabaret (at Easton Town Center) will present the Rocky Horror Pictureshow (Sundays) through October 29th, and their seasonal show, Freakshow, other days.  I think this would be a fun date.

You can do all sorts of fun farm-related things at Fall Harvest Fun Days and Circle S farm in Grove City.  There's a maize maze! 

Centerstage Players are also doing Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Short North, but their haunted estate tour "the ExperiencE" sounds like a lot of fun.  The event takes place in Ostrander, OH, which is a bit of a drive from Ohio, but you can take the back roads and freak out your date with urban legends on the way.

CATCO will present a ghostly array of short plays by Ohioana playwrights at the Riffe Center (77 S. High) through October 29th.

Terror Park takes place at Cooper Stadium (1155 W. Mound) through October 28th.

BalletMet presents Dracula through October 21st in their new space in the Riffe Center (77 S. High).  I've always heard great things about it; the costumes are very interesting.

Er, the Columbus Marathon is Sunday.

Finally, something kind of food related - AleFest takes place Saturday at the Convention Center.  Tickets are $30; the event features all sorts of craft beers.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra will play Schubert's Mass N. 6 this Saturday & a rare Sunday afternoon show.

Fall Festival will take place on the Village Green this weekend in Worthington (adjacent to the Farmer's Market, just to the North).

The NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo takes place this weekend at the Convention Center, there are loads of free tests available as well as flu shots for $25.

If you are interested in botanical photography, you can take a class or a series of classes at the Franklin Park Conservatory.  Of course, the Conservatory is always a nice place to visit.

Must tell Husband about this one - Insect Fair at the Columbus Zoo, learn about insects and meet exciting entomologists!

Of course, the fall color is starting in full bloom this weekend, so you might want to get out of the city and drive to Yellow Springs, Old Man's Cave, Amish Country, anywhere to see the foliage.  For a far guide on where to go to see the pretty leaves, please visit Discover Ohio.

Get out there and do something!

Variation on a Sprout Theme

Yes, 2 Husband recipes in a row.  I haven't stopped cooking, I just thought his recipes proved some interesting points.  This one is how to improvise on recipes you already know.  Husband made these sprouts and fingerling potatoes with cider the other day to go with the aforementioned pork with arugula salad, basically using my Perfect Brussels Sprouts recipe.  Simply blanch the potatoes in heavily salted water for about 5 minutes, the sprouts for about 2 minutes.  Follow the Perfect Sprout recipe, but instead of using vinegar, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup apple cider, then add the sprouts and potatoes.  Cook on medium high heat until the cider has formed a nice glaze on the veggies and season to taste.  This is a good recipe for those of you (you know who you are) who are still afraid to try sprouts.  If you really don't like them, you can always just eat the potatoes.  This recipe, with the cider, goes really well with pork dishes.

Husband didn't cut these sprouts in half, using only the tiny ones I purchased this past week from Dearsman Farms (North Market Farmer's Market), but I would recommend cutting them in half, especially since I just learned this week, while researching greens, that the chemical in cabbage which causes bitterness is more heavily concentrated in the center of a cabbage or sprouts, and to reduce this bitterness, sprouts should be cut in half prior to cooking.  (go check out page 322 of Harold McGee's On Food & Cooking if you don't believe me).  The potatoes came from the last few fingerlings at Arbor Hill Organics (Worthington Farmer's Market).

Simple Pork with Arugula Salad

Husband cooked the other day, and I thought it was a very tasty example of how good the simple things can be.  So often we try to outdo ourselves and our last meal by adding more and more, making sauces, garnishes, adding too many flavors, etc., and I wanted to remind everyone how delicious things can been when the best ingredients are prepared in a simple way which allows their flavors to shine through.  This was something I noticed when I had my meal at the Chez Panisse Cafe - care was taken to showcase the individual greatness of each ingredient.  Of course, such simplicity doesn't work with grocery store tomatoes purchased in Ohio in January, mass-marketed beef from miserable feedlot cows, or greens which have traveled more than 2000 miles and 8 different middle men to get to your table 10 days after being picked (haven't we learned anything from the whole spinach fiasco?). 

The arugula salad makes a nice compliment to any rich meat, such as pork, veal or duck.  It's a refreshing side dish instead of something heavy, such as a mound of potatoes.  Although mashed potatoes are, of course, delicious.  Here, lemon juice plays the part normally played by vinegar in the light, tart vinaigrette. 

Husband's Pork with Arugula - serves 2

2 rather small pork chops, butterflied
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
salt and freshly cracked pepper
Olive oil

Pound the pork chops until they are about a centimeter thin - less than 1/2 inch; this is easiest to do by placing the each chop in a large zip top bag or in between sheets of plastic wrap and banging on them with a meat mallot.  Combine the flour and bread crumbs and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Dredge the pork chops in the flower and set aside. 

Heat a tbsp or so of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet (or use 2-3 tbsp in a regular skillet, ensuring your pan has heated for severa minutes before adding pork to avoid sticking) over medium-medium high heat for a few minutes.  When the pan is hot, gently place each chop in - if your pan is too small for both to fit with room to spare, you can do them separately and keep warm in the oven.  Cook for about 5 minutes without shaking or moving around - this prevents sticking and ensures nice browning), until you can see the cooked part showing through the top, then flip and cook another 2 minutes or until both sides are nicely browned.  Serve with the arugula salad.

Simple Arugula Salad - serves 2

1 large bunch arugula, trimmed of stems and washed in several changes of water
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small shallot, cut into small dice
3 Tbsp chopped capers
salt and pepper

Combine the lemon juice, zest, oil, shallot and capers and allow to stand for a few minutes - I think I've mentioned before that, in my mind, this allows the capers to "cook" a little and release a little of their onioniness.  Season with salt and pepper and toss with the arugula.  The salad might taste a little tart, but keep in mind it is to be eaten alongside the pork, in lieu of any sort of sauce or the like; it will go very nicely, trust me.

Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu

I'm a sucker for slick packaging.  It is nearly impossible for me to pass up something I think will be good if it is packaged artfully.  This is why, when passing Grapes of Mirth at the North Market the other day, I zeroed in on this fabulous bottle from about 30 paces away.  I'm also a sucker for great beer, so this was a natural.  And, it came with a cool story to boot. 

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery has something of a history of updating ancient classics, and when I say that, I really mean it.  They first produced the monster Midas Touch Golden Elixir, based upon scientific analysis of drinking vessels found in King Midas' tomb.  That beer boasts a whopping 300 calories per 12 ounce serving, along with a 9% alcohol content (most typical beers are somewhere around 150 calories and 4% alcohol).  That is why it is advisable to use caution when drinking Dogfish Head beers; they have a tendency to go straight to your head.

The newest creation, or shall I say re-creation, from Dogfish Head comes in the form of Chateau Jaihu.  In the Henan province of Northern China lies Jaihu.  Pottery found there was analyzed and revealed to have been used for a fermented beverage containing rice, fruit and honey more than 9,000 years ago.  Painstaking analysis has revealed much of the chemical content of the original beverage, and it has been closely recreated using a mixture of rice and barley malt, along with flowers, honey and hawthorn; then fermented with Muscat grapes (used to make very sweet dessert wines).  The result is a light, very sweet and extremely winey drink.  Although no alcohol content is listed (and, thankfully, no calories, either), I imagine it is probably in line with other Dogfish brews, somewhere around 8-9%.  The "beer" tastes amazingly light, considering its density (you will notice from the picture there's no seeing through), and is only lightly carbonated.  I could never drink the entire 750ml bottle, but it would make a nice pre-dinner quaff (taken in small doses so as not to fill up!).

Dogfish Head Chateau Jaihu can be found at Grapes of Mirth in the North Market for $8 a 750ml bottle.  Other good chances of finding it are the Anderson's General Store in Dublin or Weiland's Gourmet Market, although I couldn't say for sure.  Production is limited so buy it fast!

CSA & Market Report for October 6th

The morning started out cool - I spent the 10 minutes before leaving the house searching in vain for a scarf - but it ended up being quite a lovely day.  I got to Worthington by 8:30 and there was not a crowd to be seen; it was a little sad, no one was enjoying breakfast on the patio of La Chatelaine, I had to begin to ask the farmers how much longer they thought they would be coming to market; the season is coming to a close.  Just for the record, the Worthington Market will continue until October 28th; many of the farmers I spoke with intended to stay until the end as long as the weather was nice.  The North Market may continue another week longer, with several farmers I spoke with remaining only a few more weeks; for a few farmers, this past week was it.

That isn't to say there was nothing to buy!  The nice thing about things which grow this time of year is they tend to last awhile - hardy squash, garlic and onions, potatoes - it's time to think about stocking up for the winter.  At Garden Patch Produce, I bought a few staples - onions, lots and lots of garlic, and some nice Italian sweet peppers (in our house, this means pasta for lunch every day):

I could hardly pass up the display of cauliflower (pictured at the top of the post) at Wishwell Farms, they were beautiful.  They also supplied some nice redskin potatoes:

 
I stopped by Zemnicki for some apple cider (the very taste of Fall), broccoli and leeks; they also had lovely tiny little cauliflower heads but a girl can only eat so much in a week.  I bought a quart of the fleeting and delicious Fall season strawberries from Crum's Strawberry farm.  They are unbelievably sweet and tiny:

My CSA box this week contained carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, squash, eggs, red bell peppers, lettuces, and greens (mustard/Swiss chard mix); I also bought a few more of those lovely carnival squash and some scallions.

I stopped by Toby Run Growers to have one of my last boxes of shitake mushrooms for the winter, and breezed through Dearsman farms for some more Brussels Sprouts - and yes, they were selling them either on the stalk or in a box, $2.50 either way.  There's still time to convince yourself they're delicious!

I have so many things on the slate to cook this week I don't know how we'll find the time to enjoy everything!  I still have a few things from last week I haven't told you about, and I am in the process of reviewing a great Columbus restaurant (last week it was great, we'll see how it goes tomorrow night); I have new beer to tell you about, and we're about to get back into baking season!

Get out there and enjoy the fall color!

Weekend Cat Blogging #70

Abe crawled into the light box and gave me a good opportunity to get some close ups of his cute face. 
 

"weekend cat blogging 70"

Calico Hash

There is an old American breakfast tradition called "Red Flannel Hash."  This consists of corned beef, beets, potatoes and other bits.  Its origin seems to be surrounded in mystery, but I've always imagined it as something served in a logging camp.  Maybe because it's called "red flannel," and I associate red flannel shirts with loggers.  At any rate, I decided to make a nice mellow hash, a kinder, gentler, non-meat hash, full of the ingredients from my CSA box, especially since I finally received some tasty carrots.  I would hate to deride the superior soil of central Ohio (alliteration rules!), but I was beginning to think we were simply incapable of growing sweet carrots.  Every carrot I've purchased this year has been really bitter.  Fortunately I received some in my CSA box last week which were deliciously sweet.  Maybe they just needed cooler growing conditions. 

You'll probably have the best success with this dish if you use a nonstick pan; otherwise the potatoes might really stick.  If you choose not to, be sure your pan and oil are fully heated before adding anything.  This dish could be modified with any autumn veg - celeriac, sweet potatoes, squash, etc.  I have tried to properly indicated cooking times here, but in truth I employed one of my favorite timing methods, which is this: prepare the veg which takes the longest to cook and put it in pan, then prepare the next longest veg and put it in pan, and repeat until you are down to the quickest - cooking ingredient.  It works really well if you have a prep area within pan-shaking distance.

Calico Hash - serves 2, but can easily be increased as needed

olive oil
1 tbsp butter, plus more as needed
4 medium potatoes - Yukon Golds are nice, because they will hold their shape without going mushy - peeled, rinsed, and cut into small dice - 1/4" dice
6 small or medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice
2 medium shallots, peeled and cut into tiny dice
1/2 small onion, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, peeled (it's kind of a pain but worth it) and cut into 1/4" dice
salt
freshly cracked black pepper
nutmeg

Heat a tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet.  Add the butter and melt.  Add the potatoes, salting liberally.  Shake the pan and stir the potatoes around, allowing them to brown slightly, for about 5 minutes, repeat with the carrots - cooking 5 minutes, add butter as necessary if things begin to dry out.  Add the onions, cook about 2 minutes (you still want to onion to have a little "tooth."  Add the garlic.  Taste a potato; if it is soft, add the bell pepper.  If not, continue cooking another 5 minutes or so, then add the bell pepper.  Season the entire dish with salt, pepper, and about 4-5 grates of fresh nutmeg (or a tiny pinch of ground nutmeg - less than even 1/8 tsp).  Toss everything to coat and serve immediately.  The whole process should take around 20 minutes, and the potatoes and carrots should be soft but still have structure.  Serve with chicken, port, or anything you like.  Maybe even with a fried egg on top . . . hey, that just gave me an idea . . .

Everything in this dish, exept for the oil, butter and spices, came in my CSA box from Elizabeth Telling Farms.  Even the arugula I served alongside.  Sandy sells most of these products (except her eggs, too bad for you) at her stand at the North Market Farmer's Market.

Carnival Squash with Pumpkin Seeds, Butter & Sweet Things

This lovely little squash is the squash which has greeted you for a few weeks when you visit my website.  I received him in my CSA basket a few weeks ago, and placed him on the counter as a decoration.  Fortunately for me, a kind reader and CSA helper wrote to inform me that I should actually be eating, and not merely admiring what I thought was a little pumpkin.  I'm so glad she did.  This might be the most delicious squash I have ever eaten; my only regret is I have only one left, and who knows if they will still be available at the market on Saturday?  This squash, which, after a little research, I have identified as a Carnival Squash, is absolutely divine with nothing on it - I promise.  Of course, to celebrate the season, I thought a smattering of pumpkin seeds and the like wouldn't hurt.  And who wouldn't be delighted to be served this little guy as a starter, perhaps filled with soup or served alongside some nice pork?  or duck, rabbit or chicken?  As the farmer who grew it said, "it's just the perfect size for one, and it bakes right up in the oven."  True words, I tell you.  And now for the recipe - this would work with any sort of squash, of course, and you don't have to use pumpkinseed oil, although if you can find it, I think you'll discover it adds the warmth of autumnal memories to anything, especially anything containing squash anord pumpkin (which are the same thing, those of you from the land down under and elsewhere).  Pumpkinseed oil is meant as a flavoring agent, and should not be used for cooking; add it just prior to serving, wherever you plan to use it.  Pumpkin seeds are a natural pairing with squash of all sorts and add a nice crunch to the sometimes baby-food soft texture.

Carnival Squash with Pumpkin Seeds, etc - serves one, especially nice when it is cold, raining, and hailing golf balls outside, as it was last night, when I was eating it.

1 small squash such as carnival, dumpling, kobacha, delicata, or butternut (which will, of course, be bigger.)
1 tbsp really good butter
1/2 tbsp golden syrup (or brown sugar)
pinch good cinnamon
tiny pinch salt
1/8 tsp, or just few drops pumpkinseed oil
1 drop vanilla extract - just a tiny, tiny bit from a toothpick
1 tbsp roasted, salted pumpkinseeds

This is my method for cooking any kind of squash - preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Depending on your type of squash, cut either lengthwise (for delicate, butternut, or any long squash) or horizontally (for dumpling, acorn, carnival, etc) and scoop out the seeds and pulp.  Place in a shallow baking dish (such as a cake pan), cut side down, and fill with about 1/2" water (one fingertip length or so).  Bake for 20 minutes, and then check on it; some squash take up to 40 minutes - this carnival squash did, but the same method used for sweet dumpling took only 25 minutes. 

While the squash is baking, melt the butter, salt, cinnamon and golden syrup or brown sugar over low heat in a small sauce pan (or in the microwave).  Remove the squash from the oven, carefully place it in a bowl and place the butter mixture in the cavity, then add the pumpkinseed oil and vanilla.  Sprinkle with pumpkinseeds and enjoy.  Of course, you can skip the melting part and just put all of the ingredients inside the squash cavity, cover it up and wait for it to melt on its own.  This makes it an almost effortless dish.

Did you know?  1 cup of squash provides over 200% of your daily vitamin A, over 30% Vitamin C, and 37% of your daily potassium?  (source)

1 ounce of pumpkinseeds provides 23% of your daily iron along with 9 grams of protein, 22% of Vitamin K, and is a great source of other minerals.  (source)  This is why some foods, although high in fat, should still be consumed - such as nuts, olive oil, and avocados.