Thoughts on Thanksgiving Leftovers

Like many others who thoroughly enjoyed themselves cooking Thanksgiving dinner (note to self: need to post my Thanksgiving menu), I soon had the quandary of how to use the leftovers in a creative fashion.  My kitchen is certainly not the scale of Kitchen Stadium, where a recent Iron Chef America holiday showdown between three Iron Chefs and three chefs from Chopped had to battle it out using Thanksgiving leftovers, but I wanted to do a certain amount of experimentation rather than simply rehashing the original meal.

Again, like many others, I checked the "usual" sources for inspiration.  Last year, we enjoyed making and consuming Stuffing-Stuffed Mushrooms, and all it takes to make those is buying some large mushrooms suitable for stuffing, and having leftover stuffing on hand.  I am planning on making Turkey Bolognese using some of my roasted tomatoes along with leftover turkey, and I also think that some kind of Turkey Chili (recipe still to be determined) sounds pretty good as well.  We always enjoy making turkey soup, and this year's batch of stock from the carcass was particularly tasty.

Another leftover that was waiting for transformation inspiration was our green beans, using the recipe Green Beans in Creamy Mushroom Sauce.  Our daughter had chosen this recipe and prepared it herself.  She didn't want to include the dried mushrooms, and instead doubled the amount of fresh mushrooms.  It was tasty, but like everything else from our original menu, made lots of leftovers.  We've never made the traditional green bean casserole a part of our regular menu, but this recipe seems to be a close cousin.  So, when I saw the Second Day Turkey and String Bean Pot Pies recipe on the Food Network site, I thought this could work.  I already had puff pastry on hand, bought in order to make palmiers as an appetizer for Thanksgiving, which were then not needed when we found out that dinner would be just us three. 

So, here is my riff on the original recipe.  These mini pot pies were delicious, as well as being cute as a button!

Mini Turkey Pot Pies

Ingredients:

2 cups leftover green beans
2 cups mixed frozen vegetables (we used Cascadian Organic)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup leftover gravy
1 cup chopped turkey
1 tsp. dried tarragon
2 standard puff pastry sheets

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine leftover green beans, frozen vegetables, whipping cream and gravy, and cook over medium heat till vegetables have lost their frozen look.  
3. Add turkey and tarragon and stir till combined.
4. Cut the puff pastry into approximately 4" squares.  Lightly press a puff pastry square diagonally into a muffin cup, repeating till all muffin cups are filled.
5. Spoon turkey-vegetable filling into the pastry-lined muffin cups, being careful not to overfill.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until edge of pastry is golden brown.

Note: it is quite likely that you will have leftover filling.  When I made this recipe, I found that I had a bit more puff pastry than needed to fill the 12 muffin cups, so I made another small pot pie in an oval dish using 3 small squares in the base, filling, then 3 squares across the top.  I still had filling to spare, so this will probably become the basis for soup.

Makes 12 muffin-sized pot pies

A Happy Accident - Creamy Leeks with Noodles

I'm in the midst of cooking the remainder of Sunday supper - an easy slow cooker chicken recipe is ready and waiting - and thinking about the last time that I cooked Sunday supper for my mother-in-law and her houseguest, a recent widower.  We had brought over dinner already cooked, and one of the things that I made didn't end up able to be left as leftovers for them to eat, because the houseguest ate four helpings of the noodle dish.  I'm making a similar type of noodles tonight because they go so well with saucy chicken, and that got me thinking about the origin of this "recipe".  I'm putting recipe in quotes because I've made it so often that it has become a tried-and-true technique rather than an exact recipe to be followed.

I just looked up the original recipe that inspired our family favorite, and I was surprised that it was from September 2001.  Here's a link to the original recipe: Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Creamed Leeks and Apples.   I know what you're saying right now - "Oh, what a wonderful sounding dish for fall".  That's what I thought too, and decided to make to make it one weekend.  I don''t remember brining the pork, I do remember now nice the apples were with the pork, and though the pork chops were good, they weren't something that I thought I'd have to make again soon.  But, I had leftovers, which we decided to store separately.  From those leftovers, something wondeful was born. 

Another night soon after, we made some egg noodles, the kind that are kind of wavy and great for chicken soup and other homestyle dishes.  On a whim, we decided to throw in the remainder of the creamed leeks, and voila - Creamy Leeks with Noodles was born.  And, oh, how tasty that was -- to us, far better than the original dish of which it was just a component.

Creamy Leeks with Noodles

Ingredients:

4 tbs. butter
5 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
1 cup whipping cream
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked noodles, or other type of pasta - we usually use a package of egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are softened but not browned, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the whipping cream and stir, and cook until cream is warmed through.
4. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5. Combine with hot cooked noodles, and serve at once.

Serves 4-6, depending on appetite

Ranch Garden - Heirloom Tomatoes + Two Variations on Tomato Soup

This is the second year that we have planted tomatoes, and so far we have had more success than last year's crop.  The tomato plants are in large (emphasis on the large) black pots along the sunny side of the house.  We were concerned that the tomato plants were getting too much sun and heat last year in the late afternoon.  This year we have increased the frequency of watering, and we also added a brand new large pot.  The existing set of large black pots have some very packed-in soil at the bottom, with fresh potting mix added on top.  There was some variation in the depth of the packed soil, and this definitely has an effect on the success of the tomato plants.  The brand new large pot, full of potting mix and fresh soil, has had so much more growth and is producing more (and larger) tomatoes.  We are planning to empty out all of the old pots this season after the tomato plants are done producing.  This will also allow us to set up a better watering system before next year's planting.  We are also considering some kind of fabric shade over that portion of the garden wall/walkway to provide a bit more shade.

We like to grow heirloom varieties of tomatoes so that we can get the kinds of tomatoes that aren't available in the typical grocery store.  I don't have detailed notes for each plant -- just some highlights.  Here's what we have growing this summer:

1. Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter -- not living up to its description
2. Red Zebra -- very pretty, nice amount of fruit
3. Pruden's Purple
4. Aunt Ruby's German Green
5. Pineapple (my favorite)
6. Persimmon
7. Yellow Perfection
8. Japanese Black Trifele -- doing well, interesting shape
9. Garden Peach -- lots of little yellow tomatoes
10. Cuostralee  -- haven't seen much yet
11. Green Zebra -- doing very well
12. Old German -- doing very well

You might ask -- what are they doing with all those tomatoes?  Well, the honest answer is that the tomato crop isn't overwhelming us yet.  My routine when tomatoes start to produce faster than we can use them is to roast them in the oven, then freeze them for later use.   My method is to cut the tomatoes in half or quarters, depending on the size of the tomatoes.  Place them in a single layer in a baking pan, sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of good quality olive oil, then toss them to coat.  Add salt, cracked pepper and a pinch of herbs - herbes de provence, dried oregano, maroram work well.  Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes.  For more detailed instructions and a very good sounding recipe, check out this recipe on the Food Network website: Ina Garten's Roasted Tomatoes.

Now, on to the recipes.  Both of these recipes are easy and quick enough for a weeknight supper.  The first is a veggie-laden tomato soup with lots of basil, and it was particularly suited to a summer weeknight.  The second could be made in autumn or winter, when the fresh heirloom tomatoes are a memory but you can draw from your stash of frozen, oven-roasted tomatoes.

Garden Vegetable Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. butter
1 tsp. sugar
4 cups chopped tomatoes (heirloom if possible) -- we did not peel or seed them
3 cups chicken broth
2 tbs. whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
2. Add the onions, carrot, celery and bell pepper.  Stir well to combine.  Sprinkle with the sugar.
3. Cook until vegetables are softened, and onions are translucent, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, and cook another 5 minutes.
5. Add the chicken broth, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Use a food processor or hand blender to blend the soup to desired consistency.
7. Add whipping cream just before serving.  Adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves 4

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. sugar
1 12-oz. jar roasted peppers, drained (or you can roast your own)
1 cup roasted tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add onions, and sprinkle with sugar (aids in caramelizing).  Cook 10-15 minutes or until translucent and golden.
3. Add roasted peppers, tomatoes and chicken broth.  Stir well to combine.
4. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 10-15 minutes.
5. Use a food processor or hand blender to puree soup to desired consistency.
6. Add nutmeg and whipping cream.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serves 4

Beach House Menus + Thai Noodle Salad

One of my favorite things about going to Maine each summer with our great and good friends is the opportunity to plan the day around what we're going to cook for dinner.  Over the years, some dishes have become "must haves", things we make each year, but we also try out recipes from the summer crop of  cooking magazines.  I brought a stack of recent issues to go through, and had my recipe collection on my external hard drive to supplement where needed (and it wasn't needed this year), plus I had forwarded a couple of good sounding recipes to my friend ahead of time.

We went through the cooking magazines, and found some good looking recipes, then counted the number of days we'd be having dinner at the cottage vs. going out (only 2 nights out this year), and the number of people we were likely to have for each meal.  We made up a rough menu by night, and came up with grocery lists for a couple of days at a time so that we didn't have to do all the shopping at once and fill up the fridge past capacity.  This meant a couple of extra trips up to town, but gave us flexibility where needed in terms of what looked good, what we were in the mood for, and whether we wanted to swap out any recipes based on available time or inclination.

So, for future reference, here are the menus from our week at Popham Beach.  I'm including links to the recipes themselves where possible.  Any items marked with an "*" are things that we tend to make every year.

Sunday

Chinese Chicken Salad * (I will share this recipe soon)
Fresh Corn
Bumbleberry Pie (from the farm stand)

Monday

Five-Spiced Grilled Chicken with Hoisin-Maple Glaze (Fine Cooking, July 2011)
Thai-Style Vegetable Rice Noodles (Cooking Light, June 2012)
Moroccan Carrot Salad with Spicy Lemon Dressing (Food and Wine, July 2012)
Bumbleberry Pie

Tuesday

Swordfish Marinated in Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki marinade (available at Trader Joe's)
Orzo with Dried Mushrooms and Country Ham (Food and Wine, June 2012)
Moroccan Carrot Salad (leftovers)
Bumbleberry Pie

Wednesday

Tandoori Salmon (Food and  Wine, June 2012)
Angel Hair Pasta with Creamy Pasta Sauce with Fresh Herbs (Silver Palate Cookbook) *
Grilled Broccoli with Chipotle-Lime Butter (Food and Wine, June 2012)
Mixed Vegetable Hash
Blueberry Pie (from the farm stand)

Friday

Steak Skewers with Scallion Dipping Sauce (Bon Appetit, July 2012)
Creamy Potato Salad with Tarragon and Chives (original recipe)
Green Beans with Parsley and Sesame Tahini Sauce (Fine Cooking, June/July 2012)
Moroccan Carrot Salad (leftovers)
Fresh Corn
Blueberry Pie

Others may disagree, but my favorites from this summer's menus were the Five-Spice Grilled Chicken, the Thai Noodle salad, and the Steak Skewers.  As you can see from our menus, we also really liked the Moroccan Carrot Salad, and thought that it improved with age.  Plus, it made quite a lot, so we had ample opportunities to use it for leftovers.

I am going to share my version of the Thai Noodle salad, along with the adjustments that I made to the recipe.  I can hardly wait to make it again -- it was that good!

Thai Noodle Salad
Adapted from Thai-Style Vegetable Rice Noodles (Cooking Light, June 2012)

Ingredients:

16 oz. uncooked flat rice noodles

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup sliced fresh basil, cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
4 tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tbs. Thai fish sauce

4 tbs. peanut oil
3 tbs. grated peeled fresh ginger
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 red jalapeno chiles,seeded and minced
1 cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

1 cup diced radishes (optional)

Preparation:

1.  Cook rice noodles according to package directions.  Drain and rinse under cold water; drain and set aside.
2. Combine rice noodles with green onions, basil, cilantro, mint, fish sauce and lime juice in a large bowl, and toss well.
3. Combine oil, ginger, garlic, and chiles in a large skillet over medium heat; cook for 2 minutes.  Add peanuts and cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add nut-chile mixture to noodle mixture and toss well.
5. Serve immediately.  Pass diced radishes as garnish, as desired.

Serves 8

Creamy Potato Salad with Tarragon and Chives

Have I told you about our passion for tarragon - aka, "the spice of life"?  I think I may have alluded to this when I last wrote about tarragon in my post about the herb garden at the ranch.  An update: the herb garden this summer is smaller than intended, and largely situated around the base of tomato plants.  Alas, no tarragon was available at the beginning of the season, so we will have to continue to buy tarragon at the grocery store.

Now to the inspiration for this recipe.  We were planning a Fourth of July barbecue, and wanted to have a potato salad as a side dish.  I generally don't care for potato salad unless I'm making it and know exactly what went into it.  I was thinking of a way to make potato salad that might taste like one of our favorite recipes, New Potatoes in Tarragon Cream (described in this post).  I searched through my recipe files on my computer, and found a recipe from Bon Appetit in the June 2007 issue that sounded good (Creamy Potato Salad with Lemon and Fresh Herbs).  Actually, I found several recipes that sounded good -- that, after all, is the reason I save them!  I made notes as I was cooking, and I'd have to say that this recipe is an "adaptation" rather than an "inspired by". 

Most importantly, this potato salad is really, really good!!  So good, I'm going to make it again next week when we're at the beach in Maine.  I want to share it with our good friends, and try it as a side for another great bbq main dish (or should I say "Maine" dish).


Creamy Potato Salad with Tarragon and Chives

Ingredients:
3 lbs. red potatoes, peeled
1 tbs. grated lemon peel (from 1 lemon)
1 stalk of celery, minced (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup minced red onion
2 tbs. fresh tarragon, chopped
2 tbs. chives, minced
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I used a light mayonnaise)
4 tbs. rice vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring potatoes to boil in a large pot of water.  Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Make sure the potatoes are tender all the way through to the center, not just on the outside.
2. Drain the potatoes, and set aside until they are cool enough to handle.   (I did the chopping of the other ingredients as the potatoes cooled.)
3. Cut the potatoes into 3/4" cubes.  Place 1 layer of potatoes in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and salt and pepper.  Continue layering potatoes with vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Do ahead: this can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead.  The flavor improves upon chilling.

Serves 8

Central Coast Rancho Cooking - BBQ Tri Tip Chili

This post is long overdue, by my account, particularly since I have at least two other recipes that I'd like to share with all of you.

If you live on the Central Coast, as we do, you may sometimes find yourself with leftovers from a Santa Maria style barbecue.  Maybe you only barbecue for a crowd, or maybe you have a small family like we do, but sometimes there is leftover Tri Tip, and that can be the start of many new meals.

We recently did some grilling on a weekend, and we were planning ahead for leftovers.  We did a Tri Tip with Santa Maria Style Seasoning, and chicken legs and thighs with Strawberry Barbecue Sauce.  By the way, that recipe for Strawberry Barbecue Sauce tastes delicious, and it is a great way to use up strawberries when you buy too many.

We knew that we'd have a lot of Tri Tip left over after we had it for Sunday dinner, so I decided to make what I call a "weeknight chili".  This is the kind of chili that you can make on a weeknight, rather than the kind that is more of a weekend project, with all due ceremony of the chili aficionado.  Yes, it does have beans, but it also has tomatoes, which sometimes are not included in the serious chili recipes. It is spicy enough that you may want to have some kind of accompanying starch such as rice.  Back when we lived in Virginia, we'd sometimes make spoonbread to go with chili, and if you've never tried that combination, I'd recommend it.

BBQ Tri Trip Chili (version 1 - we'll be trying others)

Ingredients:

2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. Santa Maria Style Seasoning (see link above)
1 lb. cooked Tri Tip, cut into small dice
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
2 tbs. chile powder, medium hot
1 tbs. ancho chile powder
1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
1/2 cup red wine
1 28-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 tbs. sugar
1 tsp. minced dried garlic
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 14-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
Dash of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
 

Preparation:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the chopped onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the Tri Tip and the Santa Maria Style Seasoning. Add the roasted red pepper, chile powder, ancho chile, and cracked pepper.  Reduce heat to medium.
3. Add the red wine and the tomatoes.  At this point, you'll need to simmer, stirring periodically, for about 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.  This is a good time to prepare your accompanying starch (rice, spoon bread, pasta, etc.), and get toppings ready such as grated cheese or chopped onions.
4. After the chili has simmered for about 20-30 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings.  When we made this recipe, we added the sugar, minced garlicand seasoned salt at this point.
5. Add the black beans, and let cook for about 5 minutes to get the beans warmed through.  Add the nutmeg and tarragon, and do a final check for seasoning.

Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size (and appetite!)

Low Carb Experimentation - Lentil Salad with Ham,

I am currently on a low-carb/no carb diet in order to get ready for two very different beach vacations this summer.  Some things about taking up eating in a South Beach Diet Phase 1 friendly way (boy, that's a mouthful) are easy, and some things are hard: no white wine, no crunchy snacks.  I stocked up at our local Trader Joe's market on some basic components for cooking in this manner: canned beans, nuts, pre-cooked lentils, sausage, and lots of eggs.

I have lots of ideas in mind, and I've acted on two of those thus far.  One was a total throw together, using leftover chicken, a jar of Panang curry sauce, a can of chick peas, and some roasted veggies (diced carrots, butternut squash, and onions).  This actually tastes very good and made enough for 2-3 meals for one.

The other inspiration is what I fixed for lunch today -- a simple lentil salad. According to the Perfect Pantry's post on lentils,  lentils are a good source of inexpensive protein.  There are different varieties of lentils available, but French green lentils are the one most commonly used for salads since they hold their shape well.  See The Cook's Thesaurus for more information.

Lentil Salad with Ham

Ingredients:

1 17.6 oz. package of refrigerated Steamed Lentils, about 2 1/2 cups (available at Trader Joe's) ** 

1 cup diced cooked ham

1/4 cup diced pickled carrots (I used Tillen Farms brand)

1/4 cup diced fennel

1/3 cup diced celery

2 tbs. minced parsley

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tbs. good quality vinegar (I used a cider vinegar with pear)

1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine lentils, ham, carrots, fennel, celery and parsley in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour dressing over lentil mixture, stirring well to combine.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning.

** If you'd prefer to cook lentils on your own, here are some instructions.  Bring 3 cups of water and one teaspoon of salt to a boil.  Add 1 cup of lentils, cover and return to a boil.  Adjust temperature to maintain a slow simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until lentils are fully cooked but not mushy.  Drain and proceed with remainder of recipe.

Serves 4-6, depending on portion size 
 

Central Coast Rancho Cooking - Macaroni and Cheese

Last week, I didn't set out to work on another Central Coast Rancho style recipe, really.  My in-laws have recently returned home from a rather lengthy hospital stay, and we've been helping with cooking and running errands as well as generally keeping an eye on them.   This has been keeping us busy, hence for the long delay in posting.

One of the things I made for them was some individual meatloaves, packaged so that they'd be easy to freeze and use later.  I had been thinking that some macaroni and cheese would go well with the meatloaf, and I had seen a recipe from America's Test Kitchen that looked especially good.  In addition, it made a large amount, and I thought it would be definitely make enough to share.

Despite checking the recipe to see what I'd need to purchase (lots of shredded cheddar, for example), it turned out that I was missing one of the ingredients for the original recipe.  I had one can of diced tomatoes, but it wasn't big enough.  Here's where necessity being the mother of invention comes in.  I did have a couple of cans of enchilada sauce left from buying the makings of Central Coast Rancho Style Beans.  So my substitution yielded inspiration, and a new take (to my way of thinking) on macaroni and cheese.

Another inspiration for this recipe is related to the recipe that had first caught my eye, the Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes from America's Test Kitchen, which actually turns out to be from the Cook's Country website.  My grandmother used to make a very different version of macaroni and cheese that is nothing like what comes in the box.  She would cook the macaroni in the usual way, then add cubes of extra sharp cheddar, chopped onions, and a can of tomato sauce.  The combination of the tomato sauce and sharp cheddar smelled so good as it was baking! 

So, I've also tapped into the memories of my grandmother's recipe and added caramelized onions to the newly adapted recipe.  I hope you like it as much as we did.

Central Coast Rancho Macaroni and Cheese

Inspired by Cook's Country Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

Ingredients:

16 tbs. (2 sticks) of butter, divided
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1 lb. of pasta (elbow macaroni preferred)
1 14..5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 19-oz. can enchilada sauce
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. Santa Maria Style Seasoning
4 cups half and half
1 cup chicken broth
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used a triple cheddar blend from Kraft)
2 cups Mexican Four Cheese
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  
2. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt when water is boiling and add pasta.  Cook until just al dente, about 6 minutes.  Be very careful not to overcook.  In fact, you may want to undercook the pasta since it will continue to cook as the pasta bakes.  Drain pasta and return to pot.  Add 1 stick of butter, cut into smaller slices, and stir until butter melts.
4. Add diced tomatoes and enchilada sauce to cooked pasta, and stir to combine.  Cook briefly over low heat, until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.  Set aside.
5. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  When butter is melted, add onions and reduce heat to medium low.  Add sugar.  Cook onions, stirring frequently, until golden brown and caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.
6. Add flour and Santa Maria Style Seasoning to onion-butter mixture.  Continue cooking, over medium-low heat, till golden brown.
7. Slowly whisk in the half and half and the chicken broth until smooth.  Increase the heat, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.  
8. Remove mixture from heat.  Stir in the cheeses, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper until the cheeses are melted.  
9. Pour sauce over pasta and stir to combine.
10. Pour into baking dish, and place on a rimmed baking sheet (in case of spills) in the oven.  If you'd like to prepare this dish in advance, lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the pasta, let cool, then refrigerate for up to 2 days.  When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 15 minutes, until top of pasta is beginning to brown.
11. Bake until the top of the pasta begins to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.  Let sit 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Crafting a New Style

Earlier this week, I had plans to make a baked bean dish for what is known as "Tech Feed", an event sponsored by the Friends of PCPA (Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts).  A "Tech Feed" is timed to coincide with the tech rehearsal for each show, and this week the show that is opening is Romeo and Juliet, and the menu was build your own Taco Salad.  I thought that a southwestern style baked bean dish would make a great component, and would have the added benefit of being vegetarian, or even vegan friendly if done correctly.

I was inspired by a recipe that I had made in early February called Kahlua Baked Beans from The El Paso Chile Company's Burning Desires, which we served at a barbeque for an international workshop on the SPS-ALPHA project at our ranch..  This recipe went very well with grilled Tri Tip and we had very few leftovers.  I already knew that it would work for a crowd.

But, something else struck us (my husband loves tweaking seasonings and spices until a recipe tastes just right) as we were tasting the beans, and it really hit home when we were thinking about a name for this "new" recipe.  These beans were not your typical baked beans anymore.  The original recipe had a twist that differentiated it from the normal kind of beans, and so did ours.  There are influences from Santa Maria Style Barbecue (I'll dedicate a separate post to that topic soon), since beans are a traditional part of that style of cooking.

The haciendas in Early California were known for their hospitality, and a barbecue style menu such as the one we had for our SPS-ALPHA workshop is well suited to making guests feel welcome.  You can grill one or more entrees, and round out the buffet with casual appetizers, salsa, salads, baked beans, and other vegetable dishes.


There is an architecture style authentic to California — a mixture of Native American, Mexican, Mission, early California ranch and Spanish Colonial styles.  This  hacienda style needs land to accommodate its horizontal layout, I wish our house at the ranch reflected this, but we're still working on it.  In thinking about the baked bean recipe and its transition from traditional to a new cooking style more in keeping with today's hacienda style hospitality, I can't help thinking that we need to layer in the flavor of the Central Coast, so we're thinking that we should call this style "Central Coast Rancho", and this recipe represents a starting point.

Central Coast Rancho Style Beans
Inspired by The El Paso Chile Company's Burning Desires

Ingredients:
10 15-oz cans pinto beans, drained (liquid reserved)*
2 medium onions, chopped 
1 tsp. sugar (as needed)
1/4 cup butter
12 oz.. enchilada sauce
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, preferably with chipotle
1/2 cup Tequila
2 tbs. hot taco sauce 
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cracked pepper
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup of cooked rice (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium eat.  Add onions, and cook until golden and translucent, about 10 minutes.  You may wish to add a teaspoon of sugar to help caramelize  the onions.
2. While the onions are cooking, get the beans ready.  I'd recommend draining the beans over a large mixing bowl using a strainer.
3. In a large slow cooker (or Dutch oven, if you'd rather bake this dish in the oven), stir together the beans, 2 cups of reserved liquid, the caramelized onions, enchilada sauce, barbecue sauce, Tequila, hot taco sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours if using a slow cooker.  If you are baking the beans in  the oven, you'll need to bake them for about 2 hours at 350 degrees.
5. Taste for seasoning (checking salt and pepper) and add the nutmeg.  If you find that the beans are too spicy for your taste, you may want to add some cooked rice to tone down the heat.

Note:  I made this recipe with canned beans, but the original recipe from which I drew inspiration made use of dried beans.  It called for 1 1/2 pounds of dried navy beans, which were placed in a large bowl and covered with water and left to soak for 12 hours, then drained.  The beans were then put into a large pot, covered with cold water and heated over medium heat till the water came to a boil.  Then the heat was reduced to a simmer, and the beans were cooked for about an hour, depending on the age of the beans, until they were tender.  The conversion from dried to canned beans is 1 pound of dried beans to 3-4 cans of beans, as a reference.


Serves about 16 to 20 as a side dish.
  

Let the Central Coast Rancho cooking style experiment begin!

Ranch Herb Garden - Arugula

When I wrote my post on planning the herb garden, I originally omitted arugula in my list of herbs.  I don't know how I could have forgotten this!  I'm glad I realized my mistake and corrected the list.

For anyone not familiar with arugula, it is a peppery green with a nutty flavor.  It is very popular in Europe, and may also be known as rugula, roquette, or rocket.  It is frequently used in salads (try adding some to your next mixed green salad), and I like to substitute it for spinach.   It can also be used to make pesto, for those who like intense flavors.

According to the entry on growing arugula on the Gardening Blog, arugula can be grown in either full sun or partial shade, in loose soil.  It is a good choice for containers as well.  It needs frequent and regular watering, so probably will not be as happy during the hot days of summer.  Though arugula is not a perennial, it will self seed so a few plants will return each year without new planting.  Once the arugula goes to seed, the leaves will be too bitter to eat.

If you don't want to grow your own, you can find baby arugula at Trader Joe's markets, or at many grocery stores.

Here's a really tasty recipe from another of my favorite cookbooks, The New Basics, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.  I've made it for dinner parties as an appetizer, serving it alongside crostini or grilled bread.  It also makes a wonderful topping for pizza.

Tomato Arugula Provencal

Ingredients:
20 ripe plum tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 large bunch arugula, well rinsed and patted dry, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
15 sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained and coarsely chopped
3 tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and leave for 20 seconds.  Then drain and cool under cold water.  Peel, core, and seed the tomatoes, and coarsely chop.  Note: you may be wondering whether you could use canned tomatoes.  You could, but it would not taste nearly so good.  In fact, you may want to make this recipe using heirloom tomatoes (preferably homegrown) instead of the more readily available plum tomatoes.  If you'd rather use a shortcut, you could substitute 2 large cans of diced tomatoes (without seasonings), drained.  I'd go with the fresh tomatoes unless you're trying to make this in the dead of winter.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook another 5 minutes.  Then add the arugula, mix thoroughly, and remove from the heat.
3. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese to the mixture, and gently fold together.  Let the mixture rest, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving (if you can wait that long).  This dish may be made up to 2 days ahead.

Makes 4 cups.

Starting from a Not So Blank Slate

It is a very different experience working with an existing landscape rather than starting with a new landscape in a new development.  When we moved to our house in Northern Virginia, it was newly built and had only minimal plantings provided by the builder.  The house at the ranch, on the other hand, has a yard that has been around since the 1930s.  The yard includes an orchard, with trees in various stages of production, and also has areas which were previously used for growing berries, corn, beans, and peas.  I remember seeing the yard in full swing during early visits to the ranch when we were first married, and we always went back home with something delicious.

Now, the yard has been in a state of disarray for several years before we moved here.  Long gone are the berries and vegetable crops -- the only traces of them were the iron rods which acted as stakes.   There are signs that someone liked daffodils, since there are a number of naturalized bulbs throughout the yard, as well as geraniums.  Also, my husband's grandmother was very fond of amaryllis and they can be found around the edges of the yard and under the fruit trees.

Our early efforts largely amounted to keeping cattle out, and keeping grass and weeds at a manageable length.  The local fire department paid us a visit the first summer and explained the requirements that all tall grass be trimmed within 50 feet of the house.  This trimming is easy when you allow the cattle to graze anywhere they like, but requires some effort when humans are wielding the weed whacker.  Here's a picture of what the yard looked like that first spring:

Since that time, I've had daydreams that we'd enter America's Most Desperate Landscapes, or run into Yard Crashers at our local Home Depot, but so far neither of those things has happened so we are on our own.  The scale of what needs to be done to make over the front yard is rather overwhelming so we are trying to figure out some baby steps and some short term goals.  I will try to share the thought process in later posts.

So, in keeping in with the thought that it is best to figure out what you can do while making the most of what you have, I'd like to share a soup recipe that works well as a foundation for what you have on hand.  It begins with the Vegi Soup Mix from Bob's Red Mill, and some vegetables that we always have on hand.  The soup mix contains split peas, barley, lentils, and vegetable pasta.  From this beginning, it can be tweaked to suit whatever leftovers and/or seasonings that strike your fancy.  I'll provide the basic recipe and the version that we made for dinner the other night.

Basic Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix
4 cups water, chicken broth, or beef broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large stockpot, heat butter or olive oil over medium high heat.  
2. Add chopped onions, carrots and celery and saute till onion is translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add vegi soup mix and stir to combine.  Add liquid, and reduce heat to simmer.  
4. Add salt, desired seasonings, and optional additions (see below).
5. Cook for approximately one hour or till all ingredients are soft.
6. Check seasoning, and serve.

Optional Additions:

You can add other vegetables (cut into roughly the same size/shape of the onions, carrots and celery), or leftover chopped meat as desired.  This soup has the tendency to take on the characteristics of whatever you add to it. 

Example: we used leftover broth from cooking corned beef as part of the cooking liquid.  We then added about 8 ounces of diced grilled steak, a teaspoon of Santa Maria Style seasoning,  a tablespoon of sugar, and a teaspoon of seasoned salt.

Ranch Herb Garden - Tarragon

My husband likes to refer to tarragon as the "spice of life" since we are so fond of it.  We had it in our stone step garden in Northern Virginia, where it continued to come back each spring, regardless of winter conditions.  Tarragon is a great herb for snipping whenever the mood strikes. 

According to the Garden-Helper page on tarragon, the botanical species name of tarragon is a French derivation of the Latin word for dragon.  This seems highly serendipitous to me, since I was a French major who also studied Latin, and our whole family loves dragons.

Tarragon can be grown in either containers or in-ground.  We plan on in-ground, in the raised bed, and expect it to reach about 3 feet in height. It should not be over-watered (that will be easy!), and may need to be cut back in fall if you're in a colder climate.

Another source of information on tarragon can is The Perfect Pantry's blog entry on tarragon.  This blog contains over 250 favorite pantry ingredients, with recipes for each.  If you haven't checked it out previously, I'd highly recommend it.

Here is one of my favorite recipes using tarragon, and therefore my primary motivation for having tarragon in my garden.  This recipe is from my well-loved copy of Greene on Greens, and I've made it so often it is more of a technique rather than an exact recipe.


New Potatoes Sliced in Tarragon Cream

Ingredients:
2 tbs. unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon (I usually use more), or 1/4 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 lb. new potatoes, red or white (I usually use Yukon Gold), sliced 1/8" thick
1 cup heavy or whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dash of freshly ground nutmeg (optional - my addition)

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tarragon and potatoes.  Toss to coat the potatoes with the butter.
2. Pour the cream over the potatoes.  Heat to boiling; reduce the heat.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, 18 to 20 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add a dash of nutmeg if desired. 

Serves 4.

Welcome Spring

I may be just starting this blog, but spring at the Ranch is well underway.  For us that means thinking about working on the garden, particularly planning a kitchen garden.  We have a raised bed that was build by my father-in-law that is right off the patio, next to the french doors coming out from the kitchen.  Last spring, that raised bed seemed like the perfect place to get our feet wet (and muddy!) as we began a journey of transformation in our front yard.  I should mention that the term "front yard" is a bit of a misnomer when you have no direct neighbors and your overall property is 160 acres.

Back to the raised bed - we cleared it out and designed a layout for a kitchen garden.  The plan was to have it look something like this: Fenced Vegetable Garden from This Old House.  Unfortunately, last year we did not yet have the yard completely enclosed, so the cows were able to stroll through the front yard and sample whatever appealed to them along the way.  Needless to say, my meager collection of must-have herbs were pretty tasty.  I ended up salvaging a couple of basil plants, some Mexican oregano, and some pineapple sage.

This year, the yard is completely enclosed.  However, due to recent rains, the raised bed is now filled with more native flora which I'm in the process of removing.  I'd still like to work from my original plan and have herbs and possibly salad greens there.  The dirt inside this raised bed is very hard and needs an infusion of potting soil along with a lot of digging to loosen things up. 

There is one other feature of this raised bed, which I originally thought was a problem but turned out to be an unexpected bonus later in the season.  There is a moderately sized tree in one corner of the raised bed which yielded a tremendous number of plums (more on that topic later).  This tree provides a bit of shade for the raised bed, and at the moment it is sporting some nice blossoms and baby leaves.

So, the planned seasonings to be provided in this raised bed include:

• Basil (as many varieties as I can find here on the Central Coast)
• Tarragon
• Arugula
• Cilantro
• Parsley (Italian and regular)
• Chives
• Pineapple Sage
• Mexican Oregano
• Lemon Thyme
• Rosemary
• Chervil
• Summer Savory

Note that this list does not include mint.  Mint will be housed in a separate container, elsewhere in the garden so that it does not take over this or any other bed.  I'm fond of mint in cooking, but I've learned my lesson the hard way about where it can be planted.  And, don't get me started about lemon balm, the bane of my previous herb garden.

In addition to sharing my thoughts on the early planning for our kitchen garden, I'd like to share a recipe with you.  This recipe is from my "tried and true" folder on my computer.  I'm not sure where I originally found it, and I've made some changes along the way.  This is a great go-to recipe for a light supper, using ingredients that I tend to always have on hand.  The herbs can be a combination of whatever strikes your fancy as you go out with some scissors to your kitchen garden (or what looks good at your local farmers' market or grocery store).

Alsatian Onion Tart

Ingredients:

One prepared pie crust to fit a 9" pie dish

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I usually use sweet onions)
1 1/2 tbs. butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbs. freshly chopped thyme (see note above)

Preparation:

If needed, defrost the prepared pie crust until it is pliable enough to lay out in pie dish.  Gently lift the prepared pie crust and line a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish.

Saute the onions in the butter over medium heat until golden brown and translucent, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Mix the sauteed onions together with the eggs, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and thyme.  Pour the filling into the prepared pie dish, and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the filling is set.

Note: I've added sliced mushrooms and diced cooked bacon to the filling on occasion, and both additions proved very tasty.