Avocado Sandwich / Grilled Cheese with Apple

This is the story of my giant loaf of bread. I have a fantastic loaf of whole wheat peasant bread from my local farmers market. I've eaten it fresh with butter, toasted with butter and honey, butter and jam, and butter and Marmite, (I think someone needs to take the butter away from me) and I still have half a loaf left. It's been unseasonably warm, so soup dunking is out. I rummaged around in my fridge, took an inventory of ingredients, and settled on a sandwich.

I wanted to make a sandwich that would highlight the wheaty flavor and chewy texture of my rustic loaf. (Too often whole wheat bread is just swapped with white, no consideration for the fact that they taste different.) You'll notice this casual lunch option is vegetarian, which just goes to show how easy it is to make a sandwich: meat, veggie or other, if you abandon the limiting concept that a sandwich is made with cold cuts, lettuce, tomato and mayo. There are really unlimited other ways to make a meal out of "stuff between bread."

One quick option that most vegetarians know is the avocado sandwich. It's hard to go wrong with an avocado, there are so many ways to prepare this savory fatty fruit. One common mistake is parring avocado with strong flavored ingredients like sharp cheddar cheese, if its really going to shine, you don't want to smother its subtle fresh green flavor. So if in doubt, keep it simple. While I've made much more complicated sandwiches with avocado, this is the bare bones version. Just a perfectly ripe avocado liberally seasoned with salt and fresh ground black pepper, some spicy mayo (mayonaise and Sriracha hot sauce) and sprouts on whole wheat bread. (If it hadn't been nearly 90 degrees, I would have substituted a fried over easy egg for half of the avocado, which is one of my favorite sandwich combinations.) A perfect balance of subtle flavors and textures: rich salty avocado, sweet spicy mayo, crunchy refreshing sprouts all on my nutty, sweet, chewy, soft wheat bread. It was gigantic, but I ate the whole thing and I felt great afterwords, no food coma, and energy all day. This satisfying sandwich is not low in fat, but its really good for you.

The next day the weather turned, my peasant loaf was yet to be finished, and a grilled cheese seemed like a no-brainer. Extra sharp cheddar has no problem standing up to my wheaty friend, but it needed something to lighten it up. I love the combo of apples and cheddar, and all I needed was a little tang to bring it all together. I made a quick relish of apples, cornichon pickles and raisins. The vinegary sweet filling went great with the cheese, almost like a raw chutney. It may seem like a wacky combo, but if you think about it; apples and cheese is a classic, and you often get cornichons, dried fruit and crusty bread with a cheese plate, put it all together and you get a gooey, crusty, salty, sweet sandwich. (If your not into the "chutney" idea you could easily make this sandwich with just cheddar and apple, maybe a little mustard.) Now, I better devise a fate for the remainder of my loaf; I'm thinking croutons. I know, not very glamorous, but I have a head of green leaf lettuce that is begging for some croutons and rich creamy dressing, mmmm...I'll keep you posted.


























Apple Relish:

3 small apples, cored and diced
4-6 cornichons, chopped
2-3 pickled onions, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp, chopped raisins

Combing ingredients and let sit at room temp for at least 10 minutes for flavors to marry. (Don't worry, the vinegar keeps the apples crisp and white)

Oatmeal with Roasted Apples / Banana Bread

A cool spring morning is a delight; and a unique opportunity to enjoy a hearty comforting breakfast without the accompanying bad weather. Here are a couple of breakfasts that will warm you up in the morning and keep you going all day. Before you know it - it will be too hot for any breakfast more substantial then a pint of fresh fruit, (strawberries are coming soon!) or a bowl of cereal. Meanwhile, warm up in the morning with these two wholesome breakfasts.

Oatmeal with the works! Steel cut oatmeal topped with bananas, raisins, cinnamon, milk, and Roasted Apples with Pecans. The picture you see here is the virtuous version; while hearty and scrumptious, definitely throw in a pat of butter and a generous sprinkle of brown sugar if your feeling at all indulgent.

Roasted apples is more a technique then a recipe. (Depending on your taste, you can adjust the quantities and cooking times at will.) Roasting does not merely soften the apples, but rather transforms their texture from crisp, to softly chewy. Sprinkling them with sugar or honey, cinnamon and pecans creates a sort of "apple pie" topping that is great on oatmeal.

roasted apples with pecans:

apples
roasted pecans
butter, cut into small pieces
sugar (or sweetener of choice)
cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Quarter and core rinsed apples. cut into even sized 1 inch pieces. Mix with sugar and salt and spread on greased roasting pan. Sprinkle with butter, pecans and cinnamon and roast for approximately 45 minutes, stirring 3/4 of the way through. (If you like them with a bit more tooth resistance roast for 30 minutes, a bit softer: go for 60 minutes)

Another great breakfast treat (or anytime of the day treat) is banana bread. So fast to whip up, with such a delicious and long lasting payoff. Great hot out of the oven with butter (if your an early riser), but equally good toasted or cold, slathered with sweet and creamy butter. You'll notice I prefer my banana bread with butter, but this sweet, moist loaf can easily stand alone. I am not a baker, and so admit to getting the recipe for this banana bread from Simply Recipes. I've tried many banana bread recipes and this is the best I've made. I love when you make something, and it lives up to or exceeds all of your expectations. From the first bite I thought, " this is what I want banana bread to taste like." I should say I have yet to try baking my moms banana bread recipe, and would have to compare the results. So if your reading this mom, send me your recipe, and we shall see whose recipe takes the cake... er, bread.


(A few notes: I only altered this simple and great recipe with the addition of 1/3 cup roasted salted pecans. I used three large bananas and the full cup of sugar. Also, I took the loaf from its pan after removing it from the oven and let it cool on its side or bottom to encourage the development of a crust. It is also important to mix the batter gently, only until just incorporated, and bake only until just done)

Banana Bread recipe:
(from Simply Recipes)

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Composting

Yeah for compost! and WNYC!

As I dumped my compost into the drop off bin at the farmers market last Saturday, I was briefly interviewed by Amy Eddings from NPR's popular New York affiliate: WNYC. I was happy because I support composting, and I love WNYC! It was fun to hear she used a little part of our conversation in the intro for her piece about compost on the Brian Lehrer show this morning.

Check it out:

http://www.wnyc.org/flashplayer/player.html#/play/%2Fstream%2Fxspf%2F128918



If you want to learn a bit about composting, here are a few informative links:

http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/composting/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting

http://www.composting101.com/


If you have the space for your own compost project, or if you are lucky enough to have a farmers market with compost drop off, I highly recommend taking advantage of it. It's easy and rewarding (your garden and the environment will thank you.) Also, separating out all the organic material eliminates the possibility of a stinky garbage, (a major consideration in a tiny apartment), and prevents your leftovers from hanging out in a landfill tell the end of time.

Happy Composting!!

Black Beans with Mushrooms

I'm sure people who know me are surprised that this is the first bean recipe I've posted. Because, well; I love beans. This was not always so, in fact, growing up I hated beans. As was often the case, the issue was texture. I didn't learn to love beans until I cooked them myself from dried beans. The skins where soft, the interior creamy, and the flavor earthy and rich. Now I love beans any which way: in simple beans and rice, cold in salads, dissolving into an unctuous chili, adding body to a casserole, refried, mmm I LOVE refried beans..., I could go on and on. In addition to being delicious, they are extremely nutritious: high in fiber and complex carbohydrates and low in fat. While I think beans taste better when cooked from dried, I also respect the convenience of canned beans. I realize it is not possible in every situation to set aside a few hours to cook beans from scratch, and in these cases, I say open up a can. Any bean is better then none.

Beans are as ancient as civilization and intrinsic to most of the worlds traditional food cultures. They are most often served with grains, think: beans, lentils or tofu with rice; chili or baked beans with corn bread; succotash (lima beans with corn) and its Native American ancestor "the three sisters" (squash and beans with corn). Also: barley and lentils in Europe, pasta and bean soups in Italy, chickpeas with couscous in the Middle East and many others; even a peanut butter sandwich! And lets not to forget the innumerable "hippie" combinations dreamed up in the 70's that have a place in many households' meal repertoires. There is a reason for this pairing; grains and beans form a complete protein -- combined they provide all the amino acids we can't make ourselves. The possibilities are endless, delicious, and just happen to be cheap; a consideration new to many mainstream Americans. Also, if people would replace a portion of their meat consumption with beans they would be doing the environment a favor, as modern meat raising practices are more damaging to the environment then cars. (Buy local meat! know where your food comes from!) So if your not on the bean band wagon yet, wake up and smell the refried beans. (Ok, putting the soapbox away.)

This combination of savory mushrooms and meaty faintly sweet black beans is hearty, stick to your ribs good. Beans, caramelized onions and mushrooms form a savory base, while a light handed use of herbs and lemon and a garnish of sour cream round out the flavor. Add a generous shower of fresh ground black pepper and a side of rice and it brings to mind a kind of black bean stroganoff. This is a basic recipe that could be altered in many ways, and is just one of a countless number of dishes that can be made with this versatile staple. I used black beans because they are my favorite, but just about any kind of bean would work in this recipe, just adjust for cooking time. I made this pot of beans vegetarian, but they can alternatively be made with a couple of pieces of bacon chopped and fried in place of the cumin and chipotle pepper. Also the sliced mushrooms and herbs can be omitted and other veggies and spices swapped in to satisfy just about any flavor craving you can imagine.













































the recipe:

1 lb dried black beans, picked over and soaked overnight (or use quick-soak method*)
2 lbs cremini mushrooms, 4 ground or minced, remaining sliced
4 tbsp canola oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 small dried chipotle pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp rosemary, thyme or tarragon
1 tbsp sugar
1 lemon, juiced
fresh ground black pepper
salt


(* Amply cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour. Drain, rinse and use as soaked beans.)

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute half the sliced mushrooms until they have browned and their liquid has been cooked off, remove and reserve. Repeat with an additional 1 tablespoon oil and remaining sliced mushrooms. (Cooking the mushrooms in two batches prevents excess moisture from inhibiting proper browning.) Lower heat to medium and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Saute onions 10 minutes then add minced mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until well caramelized, about 20 minutes. (Near the end, stir often and lower heat if necessary.) Add garlic, cumin and chipotle and saute 2 minutes. Add remaining herbs, beans, and about 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and skim scum from surface. Simmer 2 to 4 hours, skimming surface often and adding water as necessary. (There is such a broad time frame because cooking time depends on the freshness of your dried beans. I recommend getting beans from bulk bins at busy stores, as they seem to be the freshest I've found, and cook much faster.) Once beans are soft add sauteed mushrooms and sugar, and liberally season with salt and pepper. (The unseasoned beans will absorb a lot of salt. For best results do not to salt until beans are soft. Early salting extents cooking time and creates a tougher outer skin.) Simmer 10 minutes for flavors to marry. Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasoning, and serve with rice, sour cream, fresh ground black pepper, and raw onion if you like. Serves 6-10.

Braised Cabbage and Purple Potatoes

Good Bye Winter! I like to think of this meal as my good bye winter dinner. (Although it's probably premature; we're still a month away from the spring bounty here on the east coast, and I'm sure there are plenty of potatoes in my near future.) It's easy to think of this less then glamorous dish as peasant or "recession" food, but the results are satisfying and full of pure flavor. Cabbage gets a bad rap, but really is versatile and delicious, ranging from fresh and crispy in a slaw or salad to meltingly soft and sweetly caramelized, which is the case in this simple recipe handed down from my mom. The Cabbage benefits from a slow braise in a covered pot to fully soften it, before the lid is taken off and the water is allowed to evaporate, saving all the flavor and nutrients that are lost when boiled. The real magic happens next, when you throw in a generous nob of butter, and let your cabbage wedge caramelize, bringing out its sweet and buttery flavor. This elevates a simple side to a "can't get enough" revelation. Paired with potatoes and in this case a sweet sausage, and you have a complete meal, that a polish grandma or gourmet chef would be proud of.

I also feel its necessary to address the issue of smell. I know a lot of apartment dwellers who would hesitate to make this for fear of being that person in the building; have no fear. I've made this many times, and it only ever smelled sweet and buttery. The sulfurous stink only shows up when cabbage is overcooked, or unwashed cooking dishes are left to sit. I highly suggest throwing your braising pot into hot soapy water as soon as you are done with it, and you will only have envious neighbors.



the recipe:

1 small head cabbage
2 large potatoes
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill
salt
fresh ground black pepper


Remove loose, dried or blemished leaves from cabbage, and cut into quarters lengthwise, leaving the base intact. In heavy bottomed pan with tight fitting lid place cabbage cut side down and fill with about 1/2 - 3/4 inch cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to water and exposed cabbage and sprinkle with dill. Cover and simmer until cabbage is nearly completely soft, about 15-20 minutes. Towards end test often with point of knife to prevent overcooking. (If lid is slightly loose, cover pan with foil, or rotate cabbage halfway through cooking, and add water if necessary.) Remove lid from pan and increase heat to medium-low, allow remaining water to simmer vigorously until completely evaporated. Add 2 Tablespoons butter to the pan, shaking pan gently to distribute butter evenly. Saute cabbage without moving until the bottom edges are beginning to brown. Spread additional 2 tablespoons butter on top and exposed side of cabbage wedge. Either caramelize on remaining side, or adjust salt, season with pepper and serve as is. Meanwhile, cut rinsed potatoes into wedges lengthwise, and boil in salted water until tender (approx 20-25 minutes), drain and reserve. When Cabbage is done, remove with spatula to warmed serving plates, and add potatoes and an additional 2 tbsp butter to pan, scraping up any browned bits and gently stirring until potatoes are well coated and heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cabbage. Serves 2-4.

Cheap Eating in NYC

So, the party is over and it's back to the grindstone. After three weeks Mom has headed home and I've hit the job hunt. We ate amazingly well and had a ton of fun on a tiny budget. Some of our tips for making the most of your dining dime: make your own coffee in the morning and don't eat out. I know this may sound like a cruel limitation in a city known for amazing food, but if you have culinary skills and a small budget, I found a "high/low" strategy was the best bet. We had amazing (and amazingly cheap) "street" food: pizza, papusas, and hot dogs, but made a constant activity out of sourcing the best raw materials to bring back to my apartment, and either eat as is, or cook up just the way we liked it; keeping the tip for ourselves. We feasted on cheeses and meats, fresh crispy bread, seasonal veggies and fruits, gourmet vinegars, oils, olives, spices, spreads and condiments, hand made candies and bakery, and of course inexpensive but delicious wine.
































































































































































































We spent a great day shopping in Grand Central Terminal. This may seem odd, but Grand Central is a great place for food shopping. There is an indoor market with everything you could need nestled into one long narrow corridor, just steps away from commuter trains heading up-state, and with easy access to the subway rumbling by unheard beneath your feet. One sees New Yorkers whizzing through the throngs, picking up what is obviously their dinner for that evening, before jumping on the subway home. We stopped at some old favorites, and found some new ones: At O & CO. we bought a great bottle of balsamic vinegar, and were steered towards two delicious cheeses at Murray Cheese by the helpful and genuinely nice staff. We bought some spices from Penzeys (and smelled just about all of them), got a fresh baguette, some spanish chorizo and some crazy good handmade candy from Li-Lac. We chose butter toffee and maple fudge and it was the best of either that I'd ever had. It was my first time stopping at this shop, and I will definitely be back.

One of our favorite food stops is always the Chelsea Market at 9th ave. and 15th st. an indoor market that houses food shops along a long rustically industrial arched hallway. Its full of great food, but we like it mostly for the vibe, its comfy and out of the elements, a good thing when its scorching hot or freezing cold: the latter on our day in Chelsea. You would think it would be swamped by tourists but it's blessedly a nice mix: tourists, locals and foodies. We picked up some soup, bread and bakery, and sat at one of the many tables along the corridor to people watch.

Another great day was spent in Williamsburg. We hit two vintage stores, and apparently a time warp. As we emerged onto the cold empty street at 11 pm, (yes, some stores stay open until 11, one of the perks of living in NYC) we realized we were famished. We walked a few blocks to the main drag: Bedford Ave, for a slice of pizza. I knew we were close to a great pizza place my friends and I used to go to in college at all hours of the night; usually after drinking all night. At least I was pretty sure it was great pizza, but it seemed a sober taste test was in order. Lucky for us, it was as good as I hazily recalled. It embodied everything that makes a New York "slice" the best pizza in America. What a masterpiece of simplicity; a marrying of soul mates: tangy sweet tomato sauce and salty melted cheese. A thin crust that's crispy and charred in spots, but chewy and plaint enough to crease lengthwise. This crease gives your giant floppy triangle the structural integrity needed to deliver your masterpiece the short distance from grease stained paper plate, to your eager smiling face.

My favorite day though, was a perfect confluence of planning and spontaneity, great art, great food, great weather and great company. We started our day getting up early and heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the upper east side. We picked a few new shows to scour in depth, and wondered through some old favorites, not really looking, just absorbing the "museum feel". As our appetite, and the temperature outside, peeked; we left the quite dimly lit interior for the bright and noisy New York sidewalk, and it was warm - balmy! It was The warmest day of the year so far and people were out in force: upper east side nannies with their charges, office workers: suit jackets draped over there arms, old ladies and poodles, local kids full of pent up energy, and clumps of teens loosed from school for the day.

We passed by the two busy hot dog carts near the Met stairs and headed south a few blocks before picking up our "dirty water dogs", as the classic cart food is sometimes "lovingly" referred. I highly recommend grabbing a good friend and building up a good apatite; enough to ask for a slew of dogs, and a card board box to serve as make shift park furniture. I ordered us four with kraut, ketchup, and mustard. We found a bench in the sun just inside Central Park, and feasted in comfort with our cardboard tabletop and a great view of the action: jubilant New Yorkers shaking off cabin fever, plunging into the park smiling and chatting: all with a knowing glint in their eyes: every one of them knows - this is one of those days you wait for all winter.

The day was so beautiful, we spent the rest of it "bench hopping" our way down the east side of Central Park down to the south corner at 59th street. We got an ice cream and watched grubby bottomed kids feeding a goose, ambled along the edge of a man made lake, and walked through the Central Park Zoo(closed for the season). As we neared the end of our walk and the sun was going down over the buildings fringing the park and the gilded yellow light glinted through the bear branches, I knew without a doubt, this was the best day I had ever spent in the park, and I was lucky enough to share it with my favorite person, my Mom.


p.s. Happy Birthday Mom!!

Fort Greene Farmers Market # 2

It's spring! (even though it doesn't feel like it yet). I've been very busy since returning to Brooklyn a few weeks ago, but not to busy to stop and smell the roses, well actually; pussy willows, crocuses, and tulips, some of the harbingers of spring in in my neighborhood. I know its some time before spring veggies hit the farm stands, but by the time they do, the anticipation will make them all the more appreciated. Meanwhile, I'm making the most of stored veggies: onions, potatoes, carrots, cabbages and beets, as well as apples, and green house gems like baby greens, herbs, and cut flowers. This is a great time of year to explore the farmers markets "other" offerings, those that often get overlooked during the height of summer and early fall, when you are inundated in more types of gorgeous fruits and vegetables then you can even eat in a week. (Its best under those circumstances to just go for the gold and eat as much seasonal produce as you can before it is gone.) Now the pickings are slimmer, but sometimes limits can be liberating. Now is the time to try the different cheeses, meats, fish and eggs; jams, jellies and juices; fresh bread, pies muffins and cookies, not to mention mushrooms my very favorite year round "veggie". I'm looking forward to ramps, fiddleheads, asparagus and rhubarb, but until then, I'm enjoying the ingenuity of my local farmers. This weeks favorite: a cheddar cheese and mushroom loaf, that was moist and eggy, while being light as air. I sliced it thick and toasted it before spreading with butter, mmmmm, I know I said I wanted to try different things, but I might have to just buy this one again next week.

Fort Greene Farmers Market

The first really warm day of the year: 70 degrees! and my first time back at the my local Farmers Market! There are few things I like better then perusing the stalls of a good farmers market on a sunny day; nothing else to do but dig through bins of veggies, taste some farm fresh cheese, smell seasonal fruits and talk to farmers about the formative days of my cherished new acquisitions.

My Mom and I had so much fun basking in the sun eating our breakfast of apple cider donuts, talking with friends we bumped into, and buying much more then we needed. Some standouts included: insanely good, sweet Italian Sausage from Wilklow farms. I believe my Mom said "this is the best meat I have ever had", I'm not kidding. It was the first time I had purchased meat from them, and it was amazing. The other star of our market binge, was one of my all time favorites: a jar of strawberry jam from Red Jacket Orchards. I love the people who work at this stall, they're so nice, they always tell me which apples are the crunchiest, they have fantastic fresh cherry juice (which they were sadly out of this Saturday), and the best jams, my favorite being the Strawberry; it's out of this world. We made grilled cheese with bread and cheese from the market and slathered it with this fresh, intensely fruity, mildly sweet jam. At that moment I couldn't think of a better food to be eating. But the best value of our trip was actually the little patch of perky, vividly green wheatgrass we took home for a paltry three dollars, which has been brightening our spirits and keeping me sane until the arrival of the first bright green buds of spring.









































































































































































































































































































Farmers Markets are a great way to do your part; help make this world a better place to live; Find one near you, and support your local Farmers!