perfect for a 'snow day'

December 19, 2009Andrea

As I write this post snow is softly falling outside, turning my little city into a winter wonderland. In the five winters that Brian and I have spent in Virginia, we've never seen a snowfall like this. Its breathtakingly beautiful, the 22-inches we've received so far softening the landscape with a blanket of white, turning our street into an unrecognizable scene dotted with pedestrians in bright winter parkas out enjoying the snow.

Holed up inside for the day, I managed to pull myself away from the window for about an hour to satisfy the urge to bake. An urge that is unavoidable when your outside world is blanketed with snow and inside, curled up in your favorite chair, under a quilt, with hot coffee (and perhaps a splash of Bailey's Irish Cream...), you are toasty warm and feeling very domestic. I'll share the cake that I just pulled from the oven in the next day or two, but on this snowy afternoon I feel it appropriate to give you a recipe for some chewy ginger cookies. They feel so very 'snow day', the perfect snack waiting on the counter when you come in from making snowmen and snow angels.

Ginger cookies have been a longtime favorite in our household, but I do believe that this is the first time I've ever made them myself. I've helped my momma on many past Christmas Eves to roll out perfect little balls of ginger snap dough, the delightfully crunchy cookies a staple between meals on Christmas day. But last year Brian and I were introduced to a different variety of ginger cookie, one that was chewy rather than crispy in texture, and laced with chunks of crystallized ginger. Brian declared them his favorite cookie, ever, and I vowed to find a recipe to replicate them prior to the next Christmas. Lucky for me, Bon Appetit read my mind.

We love the soft, chewy interior texture of these cookies, complemented perfectly by the crunchy shell of turbinado sugar that coats the exterior. The bits of crystallized ginger throughout are wonderful surprises.

Triple Ginger Cookies

adapted from bon appetit, december 2009 Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
1-1/2 tsp finely grated fresh peeled ginger
1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (for rolling cookies in)

Method

Position 1 rack in top third of oven, 1 rack in bottom third; preheat to 350*. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, crystallized ginger, baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy and light in a separate bowl for about 2 minutes. Gradually add brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, molasses, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Beat to blend.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture in two additions, beating on low speed just to blend between additions.
Place 1/2 cup of turbinado sugar in small bowl. Measure 1 tbsp of dough (a 1-tbsp ice cream scoop works really well) and roll into a ball between palms of hands. Roll dough in sugar and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, spacing cookies 1-1/2 to 2-inches apart.
Bake cookies until surfaces crack and cookies are firm around edges but still slightly soft in center, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on sheets on rack.

categories baking, cookies, recipes
tags chewy, cookies, ginger, spiced

small packages

December 17, 2009Andrea

I’d been wanting some of these little tart tins for, oh, at least one year. Its not that I make a lot of tarts and require a variety of vessels for filling...it really comes down to the fact that I love the tiny proportions of the tins themselves. There's just something very appealing about baked goods in small packages. Although the tins aren’t that expensive, I hadn’t been able to justify purchasing them for their aesthetic appeal alone. I felt that I needed to have in mind a specific recipe that absolutely required the use of such tins. Or perhaps, at the very least, to have gone through some serious experimentation in the full-size tart pan that I already owned to justify my graduation to experimentation with its smaller siblings.

Lucky for me, my stepfather came to my rescue and put me out of my indecisive misery. While home for Thanksgiving, Joe took me shopping. For baking pans. Many, many baking pans. So many pans that Brian and I had to reorganize our entire kitchen. I now have my tiny tart tins, a beautiful tube cake pan, additional sheet pans and cooling racks, even some ice cream scoops for balling cookie dough. Suddenly recipe searching has taken on a whole new agenda, with me thinking “oh! I could use my new [insert baking tool here]!”.

And so, although things have been quiet on this little blog of mine this last week I assure you, I’ve been busy in the kitchen. And busy shopping. And busy wrapping. And busy writing out holiday cards. But mostly, I’ve been busy enjoying my new toys. I have a few recipes I still want to share with you prior to Christmas Eve and so, in the interest of getting all of the items on my holiday ‘To Do’ list crossed off [and therefore maintaining my own sanity...I'm just a little bit OCD...] I’m going to have to keep posts a bit shorter than usual. I hope you won’t mind. My guess is, you all are pretty busy too. :)

I was certain that the debut of these little tins would involve sharing something sweet with you all, and so was surprised when the urge to make a savory tart struck me first. The possibilities for fillings are endless, truly, but we were pretty pleased with the results of our first attempt, which I’ve shared below. I think they would be a great addition to the buffet table at a party, easy to pick up with one hand while holding your cocktail glass in the other.

Savory Winter Tarts

makes (6) 4-inch tarts Ingredients

9-inch pie crust dough (the rolled dough, not the kind in the aluminum dish)
1/2 pound bacon, fried
1 medium leek, light green part only, sliced
1 medium red potato, very thinly sliced
4 large mustard green leaves, washed and chopped finely
3-oz chevre, crumbled
2 eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
salt + pepper

Method

Thaw your pie crust dough according to the instructions on the package. Preheat oven to temperature indicated on package. Roll out the dough until it is 1/8-inch thick, and cut into roughly 5-inch by 5-inch squares. You'll probably only get 4 squares from this first pass. You'll want to gather the scraps, ball them up, and roll the dough back out to cut the remaining squares. Place a square of dough into each tart tin, pressing the dough into the bottom and sides of the tin. Trim the dough to be flush with the top of the tin. Place tart shells on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and bake according to the instructions on the dough package.
Gather your filling ingredients (other than the eggs, milk, salt and pepper) and set aside.
Whisk together the eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the tart shells from the oven once they are starting to turn golden brown. Set oven temperature to 400*.
Once the tart shells have been baked and cooled about 10 minutes, you can fill them. Fill tarts first with potatoes, mustard greens, leeks then bacon. Do not overfill the tarts, you may not use all of the ingredients.
Carefully pour the egg/milk mixture into each tart, dividing it evenly amongst all 6 tart tins, being careful not to let the custard overflow. Drop chevre on top of the tarts in bits.
Bake the tarts on the cookie sheet at 400* for 25-35 minutes, until custard is set and toppings are starting to brown.

*Note - Tiny tart tins aren't absolutely necessary for this recipe, (1) 10-inch tart tin will accommodate these ingredients. But, the miniature tins sure are fun...

categories baking, dinner, lunch, recipes
tags bacon, chevre, egg, savory, tart, vegetables

two local meals [and a side of cornbread]

December 01, 2009Andrea

December 1st...what? How did that happen? November rushed by as if being chased by a ticking time bomb and I have no doubt that December will disappear just as quickly. We’re coming up on the end of another year, one that I am not so sad to see put behind us as I hope for a happier 2010. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some really fabulous experiences in 2009 that I hope never to forget, many of them being food-related and therefore blog-related, and two of those having happened in November. I’ve been meaning to write this post since the 9th of last month, after an especially wonderful evening spent with dear friends at a favorite Charlottesville restaurant, and one week after an afternoon spent with the same friends at Double H Farm outside of Charlottesville. On both occasions we were immersed in a local food nirvana, surrounded by the people who produce a good portion of the food served on our household table and others who support their efforts. What follows is a pictorial tour of both events with some notes on the experiences. I feel that this post will be most enjoyed by those who live in the Charlottesville area and have no doubt eaten pork or eggs or arugula from Double H Farm, had a conversation with Richard and Jean at the Farmer’s Market and perhaps even participated in one of the Local Food and Spirits Nights hosted by Maya. But I hope that my non-local readers will enjoy it as well, and possibly be prompted to explore similar opportunities in their own localities. And, way down at the bottom of this post, there’s cornbread.

Double H Farm

Many, many thanks to Richard Bean and Jean Rinaldi for inviting us to their home. Double H Farm (which stands for Happy Hearts) provides sustainably raised pork and vegetables to Charlottesville-area restaurants and individual consumers. Richard is one of the only true butchers left in our vicinity, cutting meat on his farm after the pigs have been slaughtered at a licensed, USDA-inspected facility as required by Virginia law. You can read more about his process here.

The Berkshire hogs roam freely on a portion of the 32-acres at Double H Farm. They are curious about visitors at their fence and will come up to say hello if you're careful not to make sudden movements.

The chickens at Double H provide some of the best eggs I've ever tasted. Their yolks are a deep orange and add a luxurious texture to baked goods. The birds are free-roaming; their pen and hen houses are moved by tractor every couple of weeks to a new, fresh piece of land.

Goats. So cute, so friendly. I won't tell you about their fate as I prefer to think of them happily frolicking around their pen with the Great Pyrenees dogs that act as their protectors.

I just adore the spicy bite that arugula lends to salads and soups, and Richard and Jean grow some of the best around.

One of my favorite veggies - collard greens. I am a southern girl, after all.

Maya : Local Food and Spirits Night : November 9th, 2009

Each month Maya hosts a Local Food and Spirits Night. The restaurant offers a 5-course menu created using only locally-sourced ingredients, each course accompanied by locally-produced spirits. And, even better, the farmers, winemakers and brewers who make this special evening possible are invited to the event so that they may share and discuss their practices with the rest of the guests. Every item on the menu was local except for the sherry vinegar in the salad dressing and the pecans on the salad. The farmers and winemaker featured at the dinner we attended (along with their contributions) were: Richard Bean of Double H Farm - pork shoulder, sausage, greens, cornmeal Megan and Rob Weary of Roundabout Farm - vegetables Peter Hatch of Monticello Gardens - vegetables Tom Silliman of Sweet Dog Farm - poultry Rag Mountain Trout - trout Gabriele Rausse of Gabriele Rausse Winery - wine

With its dim lighting, exposed brick walls and tiny tea lights on the long community tables adorned with festive autumn leaves, the warm ambience of the upstairs dining room at Maya provided the perfect backdrop for the southern-inspired meal we were served. Outside the air was brisk but inside our bodies were warmed by a subtly smokey white bean soup with andouille sausage, chicken, kale and broccoli. This first course was paired with the Gabriele Rausse Bianco, a white table wine composed of 90% viognier grapes - my personal favorite - aged for five months in French oak barrels. This course fought hard to be my favorite of the evening, but in the end was over-shadowed by the braised pork shoulder. I guess I'm just a sucker for Double H Farm pork.

While enjoying a salad of autumn lettuce, smoked trout, radish, apple and pecans, we learned about the history of the Gardens at Monticello and Thomas Jefferson's experimentation there. Megan and Rob Weary of Roundabout Farm described their sustainable farming practices and their appreciation of Peter Castiglione and Christian Kelly, owners of Maya, who once explained their desire to own a restaurant that "brings [local] food in the back door to sell out the front".

The evening continued with more wine from Gabriele Rausse and delicious food from the kitchen. We enjoyed chicken breast rolled with smoked ham, served with collard greens and an appalachian cheese sauce as we heard Tom Silliman of Sweet Dog Farm discuss the joys and challenges of running his family-owned farm and just how he had raised the chicken on our plate. Our party agreed that the third course of braised pork shoulder with mixed greens, gnocci and crumbled bits of bacon was the highlight of the evening, and cheered for our friend Richard as he expressed the importance of eating locally and asking the right questions. "Where does it come from? How was it raised? You've got to ask!" We finished the meal with warm apple tart tatin and the Collage dessert wine; our bellies full, our minds slightly fizzy and our mouths exclaiming that we'd be back again soon. For sure.

Cornbread, for me, is one of the most comforting recipes to make when the weather turns cold. This particular recipe I made with eggs and white cornmeal from Double H Farm and chives from our own garden. Its quite good with a bowlful of piping-hot chili on a frigid evening, a not-so-bad way to welcome Winter and a new year.

Cheddar Chive Cornbread

adapted from The Joy of Cooking Ingredients

1-1/4 cups stone-ground cornmeal
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1-1/3 cups milk (I used 1%)
3 tbsp melted unsalted butter
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese (this will very based on the strength of your cheese. I used 1/2 cup of cheddar, and wish I'd used more)
2 tbsp fresh chives, minced

Method

Preheat oven to 425*F. Butter a 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and the milk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Fold in the melted butter. Fold in the cheddar and chives.
Scrape batter into greased baking pan, tilting pan to level. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Invert the pan to release the cornbread and slice into 9 pieces. Serve warm.

categories baking, dinner, local, recipes, retaurants
tags charlottesville, cornbread, double h farm, maya

a place at the table

November 23, 2009Andrea

Across the country cookbooks and magazines have been poured through, pages dog-eared and marked with post-it notes of all colors as folks finalize their Thanksgiving menus. Lists are made, non-perishable foods have been purchased and trips to the grocery for fresh veggies and dairy products have been scheduled. Sweet potatoes are tucked away in dark pantries, waiting for hands to scrub, peel and cube them to boil, roast, mash or bake on Thursday.

Growing up, sweet potatoes were never an exciting part of our Thanksgiving menu. They made the occasional appearance and never left much of an impression on me. Brian and I have hosted Thanksgiving twice now since being married, and only once have they made it on our table after a guest offered to bring them with her to dinner. Its not that I have anything against the orange-fleshed tuber, in fact I purchase them throughout the year to eat baked and topped with steamed broccoli, kernels of plump corn and a generous sprinkle of sea salt. Its just that, traditionally, I enjoy them in savory form rather than sweetened as they are in most Thanksgiving recipes.

Not wanting to give up just yet, I decided to give sweet potatoes a try again this year. Originally I planned to find a savory recipe to test, but elected instead to give a sweet recipe another shot; to stick with tradition for at least one more year before abandoning the concept entirely. My momma sent me a classic version that she insisted I had liked in the past, one that she assured me was much more enjoyable than the soupy, marshmallow-topped dishes I described from my own memory.

The potatoes are boiled, mashed, whipped and sweetened, then smothered with a crumbly streusel-like topping before being baked until golden brown. The result is neither soupy nor pasty, is in fact pleasantly fluffy with the contrasting crunch of sugared pecans. It is quite sweet, so much so that I would probably categorize it as a dessert rather than a side, although my momma tells me that when paired with other savory bites on a Thanksgiving plate it is altogether balanced. No matter when it is served, this casserole deserves a place at the table.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (4 large or one 29-oz can)
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Topping

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped

Method

If using raw sweet potatoes, peel them as best you can and chop them into small chunks. Boil for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Mash until nearly smooth.
Mix in eggs, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt. Add cream slowly and blend until fluffy (use whisk attachment if using a stand mixer), stopping before potatoes become soupy.
Spoon sweet potato mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350*.
Mix together topping ingredients in a small bowl. Spread over sweet potato mixture.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until topping is deep golden brown.

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

2009 has been a tough year for many. Even though we've hit speed bump after speed bump, I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving:

Our family and very close friends, all of whom are so incredibly supportive of Brian and I.
My employers, for pushing through and doing all they can in a difficult time.
Brian, my love, who always knows how to make me smile when things get tough.

What, or who, are you thankful for this year?

categories dinner, recipes, vegetable
tags casserole, sweet potato, thanksgiving

5 weeks, 5 pies, 5 pounds

November 06, 2009Andrea

When we moved to Virginia 4+ years ago, my momma told Brian and I about an incredible pie experience she’d had years prior at a little restaurant in Staunton, about 45 minutes from Charlottesville. She waxed poetic about an apple pie better than any she’d ever had, including her grandmother’s recipe which had previously held first place on her pie-ranking list. We were encouraged to drive over the mountain chain separating us from Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant and Bakery one Saturday for a special treat, to indulge in one, or maybe even two slices of a pie that still had a mouth-watering affect on her all these years later. CC Pie-10

The restaurant and its legendary pie quickly slipped my mind as we moved into a house and started new jobs, busying ourselves with life in Charlottesville and the many culinary delights we have in this little city. I hadn’t thought of my momma’s story in 4 years, until I attended the C’ville Pie Fest and learned of Mollie Cox Bryan and the cookbook she’d written about Mrs. Rowe and her pies. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Mollie as I was busy photographing and she was busy judging, but we did get in contact with each other afterwards via Twitter and she generously offered to send me a copy of her book to aid me in the kitchen during Bella Eats Pie Month. CC Pie-20

The cookbook arrived on my doorstep a few days later, and I was delighted by what I found as I immediately began flipping through its pages. Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies is lovely with a simple, intuitive layout and beautiful photos of many of the featured pies sprinkled throughout. Mollie starts by introducing her reader to Mildred Rowe and the Staunton restaurant, describing the space and the woman behind it with clarity and detail that only someone who has spent much time there could. The reader is then taken through one section detailing pie-making equipment and another describing techniques for various crusts and toppings. While the Plain Pie Pastry and Vinegar Pie Crust recipes seem simple enough, Mollie points out that the light touch of an experienced baker can take years to master. I plan to continue practicing. CC pie merge 1

Despite its petite size, Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies is packed with useful tips and 65 recipes, some straight from Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant and Bakery and others from journals found during Mollie’s research. Restaurant favorites such as the Original Coconut Cream Pie, Chocolate Meringue Pie, Peanut Butter Pie and French Apple Pie are all present along with some classic Southern varieties like Shoofly Pie, Lemon Chess Pie and Blackberry Pie. Each recipe is accompanied by a small tidbit of history, a direct quote from a member of the Mrs. Rowe's team or a memory from a loyal customer. The book is personal; peppered with heartfelt writing and recipes that are sure to remind you of a special occasion in your life, when a certain pie was served to a table full of your closest family or friends. CC Pie-1

I chose to tackle the Original Coconut Cream Pie recipe rather than the apple variety my momma had raved about. As the best-selling pie at Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant and Bakery it seemed to be a safe bet. And, I really wanted to try my hand at meringue, a baking challenge I hadn’t yet subjected myself to. I found the recipe to be fairly easy to follow, although previous experience baking cream pies might have been helpful to me. Where the recipe called for a mixture of milk, sugar, cornstarch and egg yolks to be heated and stirred until "very thick", about 4 minutes, I had no frame of reference in mind for what that consistency should be. Having reached 6 minutes with a pudding-like consistency, I pulled the mixture from the heat thinking it would thicken up more when baked. No such luck. Upon slicing, the cream filling oozed from the center of the slice into a pool on the plate. Clearly my idea of "very thick" was not thick enough. The meringue, however, was absolutely perfect. CC Pie-2

Some Notes on Cream Pies and Meringue Tops

The runny nature of my pie was most certainly the result of my own lack of experience in cream pie baking and not the fault of the recipe itself. Here are my notes for the next time I tackle a cream pie.

Many cream pie recipes call for the use of a double boiler when heating and thickening the cream mixture. A double boiler is basically two saucepans that fit together, allowing water to boil in the larger pan with your cream mixture heated in the smaller pan set just above the boiling water. I realized after this latest pie-making adventure that my "double boiler" is not really a double boiler in the traditional sense. I think it hindered my process rather than helped it, and believe I would have been better off setting a large stainless steel bowl containing my cream mixture over a large saucepan containing boiling water. If you're shopping for a double boiler, find one that looks like this, rather than like this. Or, just set a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan. When heating and thickening the cream mixture, the texture is more important than the time it takes to get to that texture. As I learned, all stove tops and double boilers are different, so it could take more or less time to reach the desired consistency depending on your situation. You're going for a thick, custard-like consistency. It shouldn't be runny at all, should fall from a spoon with a thick "plop" rather than run off of the spoon with any resemblance to liquid. Don't let the milk actually come to a boil as you're heating it, you don't want it to scald. Your meringue will take more or less time to come together depending on your environment. Mine took about 10 minutes of consistent beating with a stand mixer (whisk attachment), on a cool, rainy day. When making your meringue be sure to add your sugar slowly, as it is important for all of the sugar to dissolve into the egg whites between each addition. Meringues are subject to "weeping", when the sugar solution comes out of the meringue in little droplets. This happened with mine, and after a little research in The Joy of Cooking I discovered that it is more likely for a meringue to weep on a humid day. It still tasted delicious, there were just small droplets of liquid sugar sprinkled across the surface of the meringue, and it wasn't as dry to the touch as you would expect it to be. Be sure not to overfill your pie crust with your cream filling. Leave at least 1/4-inch of the crust exposed to be sure your filling doesn't overflow. Also, when you add your meringue to the top of the filling it can cause overflow, so it is good to have a little bit of wiggle room as you design your topping. Meringue can be shaped with a spatula in any way you wish. Smooth it over, swirl it around, form fancy little peaks. Let your inner artist shine! Seal the edges of your meringue by wetting your finger with cold water and running it over the rim of your crust. Press the meringue down into your crust to help prevent weeping and potential filling overflow.

Original Coconut Cream Pie

from Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies by Mollie Cox Bryan, pg 64 I've written the recipe as it appears in the cookbook, but see my notes above to learn from my mistakes. makes one 9-inch pie Ingredients:

1/2 recipe plain or vinegar pie crust (I used this one because I had it in my freezer already), prebaked
3 large egg yolks (be sure to reserve the whites for the meringue, below)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
3 cups whole milk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 recipe Mrs. Rowe's Meringue (below)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325*.
Stir together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and just enough of the water to make a smooth paste.
Heat the milk in a double boiler set over simmering water. (Or, place a medium-size stainless steel or glass bowl into a large saucepan filled with a couple of inches of simmering water.) When the milk begins to steam gradually whisk in the egg mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut, the butter and the vanilla. Set aside.
Make your meringue, see below.
Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and top with the meringue. Seal the edges well by wetting your finger with cold water and running it along the edge of the crust, pressing the meringue into the crust as you go. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup coconut over the meringue.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the meringue is golden brown and its firm to the careful touch (its easy to poke a hole in the meringue). Cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Mrs. Rowe's Meringue

makes enough to cover one 9-inch pie Ingredients:

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp granulated sugar

Method:

Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a chilled bowl and beat with an electric mixer on slow speed. Gradually increase the speed as the egg whites thicken, eventually landing on medium speed. Beat until soft peaks form. Add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating for about a minute after each addition. Beat until stiff peaks form, but not so long that the peaks become dry. The meringue is now ready to pile lightly over the pie.

And that concludes Bella Eats Pie Month! 5 weeks, 5 varieties, and 5 pounds later, I've learned so much and hope you have too. Please write and tell me about any of these or other pie recipes that you try out this holiday season. I'd love to hear from you. While I'm ready to take a short break from pie, as are all of our friends and co-workers, I look forward to continuing my experimentation and sharing more pie recipes with you in the future. Here are a few more on my list to try: Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie Key Lime Pie Bourbon Peach Hand Pies Lemon Meringue Pie Pear Cranberry Pie

categories baking, local, pie, recipes
tags bella eats pie month, coconut cream, cookbook review, pie

happy birthday bella eats!

October 31, 2009Andrea

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Across the nation, many dining tables have looked like this over the last week: pumpkin merge 1

Today, Brian and I will join a few friends and make a similar mess as we celebrate Halloween and Bella Eats' First Birthday! There will be pumpkin carving and fondue making, apple dipping and kettle corn popping along with a tad bit of hard apple cider drinking. We'll front porch-sit and hand out candy bars to costumed kids (from our friends' house, as the kiddos seem to skip our street every year) as we, or maybe just I, marvel at how quickly the last year has gone by. swiss pumpkin-4

I find it pretty hard to believe that it has been one year since I, on a whim one Friday evening, decided to start Bella Eats. How time flies. Thank you to all of my old friends, those of you who stood by even after the big change from food diary to recipe blog. Thank you to new friends, those who found their way here via Tastespotting, Foodgawker, and other esteemed food blogs. Thank you to my family and local Charlottesville friends, many of whom have only recently learned of Bella Eats because for so long I was too shy to share it with you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing your comments. Thank you for being here. swiss pumpkin-5

For you, dear readers, I have a recipe that you simply must make this Autumn. In fact, I hope that you will read this in time to carve out a spare pumpkin today, on Halloween, to fill with strong swiss cheese, bread and heavy cream. Its a grown-up spin on a classic favorite, warm and gooey and eye-rollingly good. It is absolutely a dish that one shares with friends - nothing this good should be kept to oneself. Enjoy, and have a Happy Halloween! pumpkin merge 3

Don't forget to save your seeds. They are delicious toasted with a dash of cayenne pepper for a little kick. Pumpkin Fondue from Gourmet, November 2008 serves 8 as an appetizer or side dish - the recipe is easily cut in half if you want to use a smaller pumpkin Ingredients:

1 (7-lb) orange pumpkin
1 (15-inch) piece of baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (6 oz)
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Emmental (6 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Mathod:

Place rack in lower third of oven. Preheat to 450*.
Toast baguette slices on a baking sheet until tops are crisp (bread will be pale) for about 7 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Cut a 3-inch diameter hole from the top of the pumpkin. Scrape the seeds and any loose fibers from the interior of the pumpkin with a large spoon. Save the seeds for another purpose if you wish. Season the inside of the pumpkin with 1/2 tsp of salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mixed together the grated cheese.
Place a layer of toasted bread in the bottom of the pumpkin. Cover with about 1 cup of grated cheese and 1/2-cup of cream mixture. Continue layering bread, cheese and cream until the pumpkin is filled to 1/2-inch below opening. Make sure to use all of the cream mixture, but you may have some bread and cheese left over.
Cover pumpkin with top and place in foil lined roasting pan. Rub the outside of the pumpkin with olive oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, 60-90 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving, making sure to scrape some pumpkin flesh into bowls with the bread/cheese mixture.

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds Ingredients:

fresh pumpkin seeds, rinsed and dried
spray oil
sea salt
cayenne pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 375*.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread seeds over foil and spray with oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Stir with spatula and spread seeds evenly across sheet.
Toast seeds until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes.

categories dinner, recipes, snacks
tags fondue, gourmet, pumpkin, seeds, swiss cheese

lunch of choice

August 27, 2009Andrea

I try to keep things pretty simple around here. Its not too difficult, since Bella Eats truly is a reflection of mine and Brian’s life. We both work full 40-50 hour weeks, getting home around 6:30 each evening ready for a glass of wine and a quick, delicious meal. By the time we change out of our work clothes, play with the pups and perform a little garden maintenance, its nearly 7:00 and the sun is starting to sink behind the trees. To avoid eating at ridiculously late hours (which does still happen on occasion) we must keep our weekly dinners as uncomplicated as possible. Hummus Merge 1

I take pride in the fact that we don’t keep a lot of pre-packaged food in our house. If you open our freezer you’ll find some vegetables, a TON of fruit (blackberries from our garden and peach slices from the local orchard), some veggie scraps and a pork shoulder bone waiting to be made into broth, homemade everything bagels, a few varieties of muffins and a loan box of Kashi 7-Grain Waffles (a vice - I love them). What you won’t find are Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine or Skillet Sensations dinners. I firmly believe that everybody has time to make a quick, healthy and delicious meal for themselves and their family, if you just keep your fridge and pantry stocked with some key items. I won’t list those items in this post (are you even interested?!?) but I will give you links to a few of the quick, simple meals we’ve made in the past: Vegetable Fried Rice Trio of Salads and Whole Wheat Flatbread Pasta with Sausage and Greens Crockpot Minestrone Chicken Tostadas Raw Kale Salad with Roasted Vegetables Hummus-4

This simple approach to evening meals extends to lunch as well. On most days, Brian and I will come home to eat. We are lucky enough to live just 2.5 miles from the office where we work (yes, together!) and enjoy the afternoon break from our computers almost as much as our dogs enjoy being let out for some mid-day fetch. Sometimes we’ll have leftovers from the night before, but more often we’ll make ham sandwiches or simple PB + J’s with our plethora of jam. Lunch at home is relaxing and much less expensive than anything we could purchase from the many restaurants downtown. Hummus-6

Lately, my lunch of choice has been tomato and hummus sandwiches served on rustic bread, occasionally with a slice of high-quality ham from Double H Farm or some cured meat from Feast. But really, all you need is the good bread, fresh summer tomatoes and homemade hummus to make a very satisfying sandwich. This is special hummus though, blended with mustard flavored by spicy chipotle peppers. The mustard I used is a Saucy Mama product, and I think it has been our absolute favorite of all the condiments sent to us for the recipe contest I am participating in. We’re almost out, and will definitely be purchasing more when it is available in our area. I love that it still holds the tanginess of the classic yellow spread, but adds a spice very unlike the creole and dijon mustards we typically have on our refrigerator door. Hummus-3

Maybe I shouldn’t call this condiment hummus, since it does not contain any tahini. Perhaps “chickpea spread” is more appropriate. No matter what you call it, I hope you’ll make it. Its simple, quick, healthy - and more than likely you've got all of the ingredients on hand. If you try other mustards, please let me know how they turn out. I’ve been pretty hooked on this one and haven’t been able to stray... Chipotle Mustard Hummus Ingredients:

1 (15oz) can of garbonzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp Saucy Mama Chipotle Mustard, or other spicy mustard
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Place garbonzo beans, mustard and lemon juice in the small bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to chop garbonzo beans. Scrape down sides of bowl. Turn processor on and slowly add olive oil while continuing to process. Turn off processor and scrape down sides of bowl. Process again, continuously, for 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth, creamy consistency.
Serve on tomato sandwiches or enjoy alone with crackers.

Also, I have two more bottles of Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade to give away! To my two readers who won the last give-away, your sauce is coming. I promise. For some reason I’ve had a difficult time making it to the post office lately... If you are interested in trying out this great sauce, leave a comment before my next post. tostada1

categories jams + spreads, lunch, recipes
tags garbonzo beans, hummus, mustard, sandwiches, saucy mama

bella terra: pick-me-up

August 25, 2009Andrea

When I bought three raspberry plants (two red, one golden) from my local nursery last year I had no idea what to expect. We’d had mixed luck with berries - the blackberry bush we’d planted the year before was showing a lot of promise for its second summer but the blueberry bush we’d put in 3 years prior hadn’t grown a bit and typically yielded a harvest of only one dozen berries each season. I was taking a chance, but the raspberry plants were inexpensive and I was determined to have long branches loaded with berries twining through the fence surrounding our garden. RasMuffins - Merge 1

We got lucky. Their first year the raspberries didn't do much. We were rewarded with a couple of small handfuls of fruit - really only enough to snack on as you wandered through the garden checking on other plants, certainly not enough to actually do something with. But this year - the berries' second year - has been quite the surprise. Maybe its because I wasn't expecting much from them, or maybe its that their location in the garden is a bit out of the way, but just a few weeks ago I was shocked (shocked!) to discover that the raspberry branches had reached clear out of their intended boundaries and were loaded (loaded!) with plump berries. I wish I could show you photos of their progress, but the general unruliness of the garden has left me embarrassed to share the evidence. RasMuffins-8

Its hard to not get excited about being in the kitchen, concocting new recipes when your fridge has a constantly rotating bowl full of red raspberries, golden raspberries and blackberries. Unless, like me last week, you come down with a bug right in the middle of berry season. It was nothing too serious, but provided enough sour feelings to keep me completely out of the kitchen and away from the blog. I had no interest in cooking food, writing about food or editing images of food for five full days. It was all I could do to get the tomato soup post up Tuesday night, and the next day I couldn’t even bring myself to read comments because the mere thought of tomatoes gave me a queazy feeling. Finally, on Saturday, as I was laying on a towel in the middle of our living room floor after a particularly hard 4-mile run, thoughts of homemade muffins popped into my head. RasMuffins-4

I jumped up, so excited to have the urge to bake without a queazy feeling following along behind that urge. It was getting worrisome, this lack of desire to stand at my kitchen counter, because I had promised some dear friends that I would make cupcakes for their daughter’s third birthday party the next day. And, we had raspberries. Several bowls of raspberries freshly picked from our garden just waiting to be folded into muffin batters and buttercream frostings and made into jam (peach + raspberry = yum!). The opportunities were endless, yet until Saturday I’d done nothing to seize them. RasMuffins-7

These little raspberry almond muffins pulled me out of my funk, with some help from Ellie Krieger, whose book I had picked up at the library a few weeks prior. They are hearty, made with a mix of all-purpose and whole-grain flours, and pack nice little raspberry punches into each bite. Made moist by applesauce instead of butter, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon and almond topping, they provide an adequate amount of sweetness countered by the slightly tart raspberries - a sure pick-me-up for any slow morning or afternoon. I've frozen a bunch of them to use as my own little weapon against future kitchen blues... RasMuffins-5

Raspberry-Almond Muffins makes 16 muffins adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, Apple-Pecan Muffins, pg 22 Ingredients:

3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped finely
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fat free buttermilk
1 cup fresh raspberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400*. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray, along with 4 wells in a second muffin pan.
In a small bowl, mix together 2 tbsp of the brown sugar, the almonds and the cinnamon. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar and the oil until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the applesauce and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined. Gently stir in the raspberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling each about 2/3's full, and sprinkle evenly with almond mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

What about those cupcakes I mentioned before? Well, I made these again, along with a vanilla version for the adorable 3-year-old's birthday party. They were a big hit with the young-uns, but I think the adults enjoyed them even more... Cupcakes-Merge

Other Bella Terra posts this season: Bella Terra: Preparation Bella Terra: Chives Bella Terra: Herbs Bella Terra: Sugar Snaps Bella Terra: Red Beets Bella Terra: Kale Bella Terra: Cucumbers Bella Terra: Blackberries Bella Terra: Tomatoes, Part 1

categories baking, bread, breakfast, garden, recipes
tags muffins, raspberries, whole grain

the best of summer

August 10, 2009Andrea

After asking you all what your favorite summer produce is (as part of the Saucy Mama Giveaway - see bottom of post) Brian and I had a discussion to sort out our favorites. I didn’t realize what a tough decision it would be to make! There are so many options, and I feel that my mind changes every few weeks as a new fruit or vegetable ripens into its season. We settled on tomatoes and peaches as our top two, and an entertaining debate ensued. In the end Brian’s number one was tomatoes and mine was peaches, and although the results are questionable (peaches and tomatoes are at their peak right now which brings up the issue of bias...) we each appreciated the merits of the other’s argument. peach bread merge 3

I’ll spare you the tomato argument today - it will have its place in the weeks to come, I promise. Instead, lets focus on peaches. Those perfect, plump, juicy globes with all the colors of the sunset splattered across their fuzzy skin. I love them - absolutely and with all the fervor deserved after waiting ten months for their reappearance in my daily diet. In their season, allowed to ripen on the tree and consumed within a couple of days of picking, fresh summer peaches are nothing like the bland, grainy imposters that fill bins in the supermarket during the off-season months. peach bread merge 2

The peaches themselves played strongly into my final decision. Those flavorful bites - sweet with a little bit of tart - that result in juice running down your arms to your elbows are pretty hard to beat. But the clincher, that final argument that sealed peaches firmly into the number one position on my summer produce scale, was their procurement. The actual act of wandering the orchard, ducking into the dappled shade provided by row after row of trees, finding the perfect peach and picking it with my own hands. Brian and I have been to Chiles Peach Orchard three times already in the six weekends that pick-your-own peaches have been available, coming home with 25 pounds after each visit. Peaches01

What does one (or in this case, two) do with 75 pounds of fresh peaches? Many wonderful things, dear readers. You’ve already heard about one, the slow-rise peach pancakes that graced our table one Sunday breakfast. There have been peaches in smoothies, oatmeal and on top of cereal. They’ve been baked in the folds of buttery pastry, grilled to perfection on the grill and simmered with blackberry puree’ to form the most delicious jam. I’ve even frozen half-a-dozen quarts for future cobblers and milkshakes during the off-season. I hope to share all of these recipes with you, but for now, I leave you with my newest addiction - Peach Bread. peach bread merge 5

I’ve made variations of this recipe several times in the last few weeks, tweaking a bit each time until declaring this final version my favorite. It is based loosely on a recipe of my momma’s, with a bit of influence from Molly’s banana bread in A Homemade Life and a lot of gut instinct. Dense and moist with an almost cake-like crumb, this bread has all the flavors of a classic peach cobbler. I love it icy cold, taken straight from the fridge and paired with a cup of coffee for breakfast, but it is also delicious for dessert after being warmed briefly and topped with french vanilla ice cream. Peach Bread2

Peach Bread makes 1 loaf Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I used 0% fat Oikos Greek yogurt)
2 cups peaches (about 2 large peaches), peeled and diced
1 large peach, peeled and sliced thinly (for top of bread)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup dried ginger, chopped finely (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.
Cream the butter . Gradually add sugar and mix to combine well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in yogurt and diced peaches.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in medium bowl. Add ginger, if using. Add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring until just blended.
Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Place peach slices across top of batter, in decorative pattern. Bake at 350* for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes on wire rack. Remove loaf from pan and let cool completely before slicing.

Saucy Mama Giveaway!

Congrats to Shelby of La Belle Vegan and Rose of On A Lobster Placemat for being the winning commenters picked by Random.org! Send me an email at bellaeats@gmail.com with your full name and address so that I can get your Lime Chipotle Marinade out to you. Congrats ladies!

categories baking, bread, recipes
tags bread, ginger, peaches

summery tostada and a giveaway

August 04, 2009Andrea

Its August 4th. Can you believe it? If the summer season were a train, loaded down with multi-colored heirloom tomatoes, plump red bell peppers and blackberries the size of my thumb, I’d be the overwhelmed woman running after it, trying desperately to catch up while grasping wildly at any produce falling off the back. That’s how I feel when I go to the farmer’s market, visit our garden or just take a peek at the bella eats drafts folder. tostada merge 2

I’m feeling very behind, watching a pile of seasonal recipes I want to share grow taller and taller and realizing that I’ve been spending a lot of time in the kitchen and behind the camera but not enough at my computer. There are simply too many wonderful foods in season right now and not enough time in the day to cook all of the recipes I’m itching to try, let alone write about them. tostada merge 1

I was so overwhelmed last weekend that instead of sitting down to write in order to relieve some of the pressure, I simply closed the lid of my MacBook Pro, poured a lovely glass of vino verde and started baking. It did help, my de-stress baking (or maybe it was the effervescent white wine?), and made me realize that more important than giving you long, wordy posts is sharing with you the quick, simple and healthy meals we've been having at our house. tostada4

That is what summer is all about, right? Wonderful, fresh, delicious produce cooked simply and paired with other whole, healthy (hopefully local!) ingredients? If you're on board with that thinking then I have a nice little recipe to share with you. This one was a collaboration between Brian and I, thought up shortly after visiting our farmer's market and coming home with a basket full of local produce and even some locally made chevre. We happened to have a bottle of Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade in the pantry (for the recipe contest I am participating in) and decided that the tangy, smokey, pleasantly spicy sauce would pair nicely with roasted peppers, sweet corn and creamy goat cheese. Toss it all on top of a toasted whole wheat pita and you've got yourself a delicious, fast and filling summer meal. tostada6

Now, as much as I appreciate Saucy Mama asking me to participate in their contest and as much as I really, really, love each of the products I've tried, the purpose of this blog is not product advertisement. So, while I do recommend the Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade, I know that you can make this recipe with other sauces as well. Look for something tangy with a nice spice that hits you at the sides or back of your mouth, not right at the tip of your tongue. And, two lucky readers will actually get to try out the Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade! Just leave me a comment telling me about your favorite summer produce by Sunday, August 9th Monday, August 10th at 6pm EST. I'll announce the winners at the beginning of next week. I'll be hosting one more giveaway, courtesy of Saucy Mama, during the month of August so stay tuned... Summery Chicken Tostadas serves 4 for a light dinner Ingredients:

3 medium-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Saucy Mama Lime Chipotle Marinade, to marinate chicken in and also to drizzle on top of tostadas
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and sliced into strips
1 medium onion, sliced into strips
2 ears of fresh corn, corn removed from husk
2 tbsp olive oil
salt + pepper
4 oz chevre (goat cheese), crumbled
4 whole wheat pitas (8"), brushed with olive oil and toasted in oven

Method:

First, turn your oven on to 350*. Coat chicken breasts with marinade and let sit in small glass dish for 10 minutes.
As the oven preheats and the chicken marinates, chop up your veggies and toss in a 9x13 glass dish. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place in oven and set timer to 30 minutes.
When oven timer has 20 minutes remaining, pour excess marinade out of chicken dish. Bake chicken for remaining 20 minutes at 350*.
Pull chicken from oven and bump oven temperature up to 400*. Stir veggies and let roast for an additional 5 minutes, while chicken cools slightly. Place pitas directly on rack to toast, turning halfway through 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, shred chicken with a fork. Pull pitas and veggies from oven. Place one pita on each plate and top with shredded chicken, roasted veggies and crumbles of chevre. Drizzle Lime Chipotle Marinade over top of tostada, to taste.

categories dinner, healthified favorites, meat, product review, recipes
tags chicken, corn, goat cheese, healthy living links, peppers, pitas, tostadas

slow-rise sunday morning

July 28, 2009Andrea

Well, slow-rise for my pancakes that is. I, on the other hand, have changed things up a bit since my last Sunday Mornings post. You see, I’ve started running again. Not that I ever really stopped, I just slowed down a bit and wasn’t serious about increasing my mileage or training for any races. If you’ve been reading for awhile, a long while, you may remember when bella eats was a food and running diary. If not, and you’re interested, you can read a bit about my running story here and here. pancakes 1

I don’t know what it is about running, but I feel like I have a little addiction to it. The funny thing about that is that I don’t particularly like to run. And I always seem to injure myself, which to me seems like a sign that maybe my body doesn’t like for me to run either. But I keep coming back, and every few months I get the urge to sign up for a big race to motivate me to increase my mileage. This time it started innocently enough, with registration for the Charlottesville Women’s 4-Miler on September 5th, which I run every year. From there it was easy to say “Hey! Why not go ahead and run the Pepsi 10K 2 weeks later?” And now, my crazy little head is thinking that maybe a half marathon isn’t all that bad, and the one in Richmond on November 14th is timed pretty perfectly... pancakes 2

Its enough to make a girl feel a little crazy - all this back-and-forth, love/hate relationship with running stuff. But you have to understand that I read some pretty inspiring blogs, written by some ladies who until the last couple of years weren’t runners but have still managed to run half and even full marathons. Add to that my over-achiever personality and the fact that I haven’t yet completed a “long” race even though I’ve trained for two, which doesn’t sit well with me. And the last motivator is, well, food. I eat a pretty healthy daily diet full of veggies, whole grains and limited animal products but, as you’ve seen here at bella eats, I also really like to bake. And I really really like pancakes. pancakes 3

Because Saturday mornings are reserved for the farmer’s market and a vinyasa yoga class, I’ve made Sunday mornings my long run days. This has been tough for me, as Sunday mornings have historically been leisurely, quiet and full of baked goods. I’m slowly adjusting, but have decided that recipes that can be started the night before (and the bloggers / chefs that share them) are going to be my new best friends. I tried my first last weekend, courtesy of the amazingly creative Vegan Yum-Yum blog, and was doubly motivated to finish my run in good time as I thought about the pancake batter coming to room temperature in my kitchen. Like a carrot being dangled in front of my nose, the promise of fluffy, yeast-risen pancakes embedded with slices of fresh-from-the-tree peaches kept me chugging along. pancakes merge 1

Once home I switched on the stove to heat my griddle, added some cooking spray and slowly ladled pools of the yeast-full batter I’d made the night before. As the batter set I added the peach slices and waited for the tiny bubbles forming on the surface of the ‘cakes to start to pop, then flipped them over to reveal the golden brown surface below. I woke Brian, who quickly went to get us coffee (since I broke our french press carafe last week, sob), and we settled around the table no later than usual. The only difference this Sunday morning had to those of our past was that post-run, an indulgent Sunday breakfast is so much more satisfying. One bite in and I knew that these were the best pancakes I'd had. Ever. Light and fluffy, with a nice yeast-y tone, they were complimented beautifully by the sweet peaches and real maple syrup. We had leftovers, and they kept very well in an airtight container in the fridge until I re-heated them in the oven for breakfast this morning. Slow-Rise Pancakes adapted from Vegan Yum-Yum makes (12) 4-inch pancakes Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1-1/2 cups milk (I used plain almond milk)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup milk, for thinning if desired

Method:

Mix together the dry ingredients.
Add the milk (not the 1/3 cup), vegetable oil and egg and mix until combined well.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, thin the batter if needed. Let sit on the counter for 30 minutes before making pancakes.
Heat your non-stick pan over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray or rub with butter.
Using 1/3-cup measure, begin making pancakes. I laid peach slices in mine once the batter was set, but feel free to add apples, bananas, dates, etc. If you'd like to add blueberries, currants, chocolate chips (anything small) I usually add them directly to the batter in the bowl.

categories breakfast, recipes
tags pancakes, peaches, yeast

bella terra: just can't keep up

July 26, 2009Andrea

I feel like I am so behind on bella terra posts that I've got to give you another immediately following my last. Its the time of year, I suppose - even the farmer's market has exploded with dozens of options for fresh local produce. So many things are happening in the garden that I am having a very hard time keeping up. In fact, as I write this, the very last cucumber that we will get this year is ripening on the vine, and I haven't even shared a recipe with you yet! The rest of the cucumber plants have started browning from the ground up, wilting away in the high-80* heat we've had these last few weeks. Soon their place will be taken with new plantings of fall crops...once I figure out what those will be. cukes merge 1

We enjoyed an abundance of cukes this year, many more than we've been able to handle gracefully. I've shamelessly offered them to anybody who will take them, and am usually met with a pleased-yet-baffled look as I hand over an armload of huge cucumbers and am asked "any suggestions"? Salads, of course. Lots and lots of salads. cukes 7

Maybe this one - even though cucumbers aren't listed in the ingredients I think they would make a fine addition. Same goes for this one, which you're probably already making what with all the beets showing up in farmer's market booths and grocery stores this time of year. Throw some cucumbers in, they'd be great mixed with those golden globes, purple cabbage and just-off-the-vine tomatoes. But if you're looking for something new, something with a fresh California-inspired, deconstructed guacamole flavor, I've got just the salad for you. cukes 8

It screams summer, with its refreshing bites of cucumber and juicy tomato. The red onion adds just the right amount of bite that is tempered slightly by the creamy avocado. Take it to a picnic, a backyard fiesta or an evening dinner on a friend's front porch. Margarita not required, but definitely recommended. cukes 2

Mid-Summer Cucumber Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette vinaigrette from emeril via food network Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 small red onion, diced finely
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped to 1/2-inch dice
finely chopped cilantro, to taste (I find that everybody's tolerance for cilantro is a little different, so use as much or as little as you'd like)
1/4-cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp minced shallot
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt + pepper

Method:

Peel cucumbers and slice them in half length-wise. Scoop seeds out with a spoon and cut cukes into 1/2-inch slices. Place cukes in colander in sink and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss to coat and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing very well.
Combine vinegar, honey, shallot, mustard and garlic in food processor. Slowly add olive oil and process until smooth. Salt + pepper to taste.
In a large bowl, toss rinsed cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro together. Add dressing to taste. You will have dressing leftover, and it should be used within 1 week.

categories dinner, garden, lunch, recipes, salad, vegetable
tags avocado, cucumber, salad, tomato, vinaigrette

farmers' market frittata

July 21, 2009Andrea

Even though we've only lived here four years, Brian and I have fallen completely in love with Charlottesville. One of the things we enjoy most about this little city is the strong local food movement. We visit the farmer's market each weekend during the season to gather our meat, eggs and produce for the week (whatever we're not growing in our own garden) and have long conversations with our favorite farmers. We get to see photographs of the chickens who lay our eggs pecking the ground in their grassy field, the cows and their new calfs, and the bee hives housing the bees that are pollinating the plants from which our vegetables grow. fritt merge 1

It is undoubtably our favorite part of the week, and we make sure to leave ourselves with plenty of time to talk to Richard about the problems we are having with our own tomato plants and to gush to Jean about the magic of her hens’ eggs. We have a direct connection to the people who supply the food on our table, something that I think the majority of the world population doesn’t have and may not understand. fritt 3

I know that we're very fortunate, and was reminded of it again last week when I made this vegetable frittata. As we sat down to eat I realized that every single ingredient, except for the parmesan cheese and olive oil, was locally grown. The eggs, milk, bell pepper, leeks and zucchini all came from the farmers' market, and the herbs were grown in our own garden. How cool is that?!? I'm not trying to rub it in, I'm really not, I just had to share with you all the amazing feeling that I had knowing that our dinner was not only delicious, but also supporting our local farmers. fritt 4

With Food, Inc. just out (which I haven't seen yet, gasp!) I've read a lot more chatter in the food blog world about being aware of where our food comes from. Its exciting, and I'm so glad to see bloggers with serious readership and influence supporting the cause. To join in, I wanted to share a couple of sites I've recently read about that may help you discover local food providers in your area. And, for my Charlottesville readers, I've added a new local page to the top bar. I know that I am probably missing a lot of great resources so if you have any to add, please leave a comment!

I challenge you all to make this frittata and try to include at least one local ingredient, even if it is just herbs from pots on your porch. Every little bit counts! Feel free to switch up the veggies, the recipe is very versatile. And delicious too, I might add. Farmers' Market Frittata Ingredients:

8 large eggs
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (for a silkier texture) or 1/2 cup whole milk
4-5 good grinds of sea salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped to 1/4-inch dice
1 zucchini, chopped to 1/4-inch dice
1 leek, white and pale green part only, halved then sliced thinly
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and yogurt or milk until smooth. Add minced herbs and stir well, set aside.
Heat oil in 10 or 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, zucchini and leek. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until veggies are tender.
Increase heat to medium-high. Pour egg mixture over veggies evenly. Cook on medium high for 3-4 minutes, tilting pan and lifting edges of frittata to allow raw egg to run underneath.
Lower heat to low, cover pan and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes, until frittata is mostly set. Shake pan occasionally while cooking. Meanwhile, place a rack at the top of the oven and turn broiler on to high.
Remove frittata from stovetop when it is mostly set. Sprinkle cheese across top and place in oven, under broiler. Broil for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to not let it get to brown. You just want a few spots of brown across the top, and bubbly cheese.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan for about 5 minutes. Remove to cutting board or large plate, cut into wedges and serve.

categories breakfast, dinner, lunch, recipes, vegetable
tags bell pepper, egg, frittata, herbs, leek, local, summer, vegetable, zucchini

its not the flavor i'm after...

July 16, 2009Andrea

Zucchini has been gracing the booths of the farmer’s market for several weeks now. I’ve picked some up each Saturday, usually to use in simple pasta dinners or grilled alongside chicken or fish. This week I decided it was time for some zucchini bread, and knew just the recipe I wanted to modify to accommodate the green squash - Molly Wizenburg’s banana bread from A Homemade Life, which I made several weeks ago. zuke merge 1

Now, admittedly, I didn’t substitute zucchini in this recipe for its flavor. Its so mild on your palette that the stronger flavors of dark chocolate, ginger, cinnamon and cloves overpower its delicate scent. What I wanted from the zucchini was the moisture that the banana typically provides without adding an additional competitor to the mix. You see, while Molly’s recipe was quite good, for me the combination of banana, chocolate and ginger was a bit overwhelming. Maybe its because I am a banana bread purist, and want the banana to be the center of attention even when complimented with another ingredient like apples or dates. zuke 3

I did, however, love the idea and taste of chocolate and dried ginger combined together in a loaf, and decided to seek out another way to utilize it. Enter the zucchini, and a few other substitutions that I like to make to any bread recipe I re-create. White whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose, turbinado sugar in place of refined, fat free greek yogurt in place of regular whole milk yogurt. Throw in a couple of additional spices (cinnamon and clove) and a 12-cup tin instead of a loaf pan and the result is a muffin that is perfectly moist, not too sweet, hearty enough for breakfast yet satisfying as a dessert with a tall glass of milk or hot cup of tea. zuke merge 2

Because these muffins are very moist, I suggest eating them within 3 days if you’re going to keep them on your countertop in an airtight container. Refrigeration would probably save them from mold for a few days longer, but I didn’t try that so I can’t tell you what happens to their texture. I did freeze 1/2 the batch though, and am hoping that Molly’s claim that her bread freezes extraordinarily well will extend to my muffins. If you’re interested in the original banana bread recipe, you can find it reviewed here. zuke 6

If you fill the cups to the tip-top, you will be left with 12 delicious yet oddly-shaped muffins. Fill them 3/4’s of the way full, and you’ll probably have enough batter left for two additional muffins if its worth it to you to dirty another pan. I didn’t mind their appearance, since they were just for Brian and I to share. Zucchini Muffins with Dark Chocolate and Ginger adapted from the banana bread recipe in A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenburg, pg 26 Ingredients:

6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup turbinado sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped dried ginger (not crystalized, although I'm sure it would work fine too)
2 large eggs
3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)
5oz container of fat free vanilla-flavored greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350*. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray or butter.
In a small bowl, microwave the butter until just melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground cloves. Add the chocolate chips and ground ginger and stir well to combine.
In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the yogurt, melted butter and vanilla and mix well. Add the zucchini and stir to coat.
Pour the zucchini mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Make sure to incorporate all flour but do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into wells of muffin tin, using spoon to pack it down. If you don't want your muffins to overflow like mine did, just fill the wells to 3/4 of the way to the top. This will leave some batter leftover, but only enough for maybe 2 muffins. If you don't mind oddly shaped tops, just fill the wells evenly until you've used all of the batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine took 28 minutes), until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan to cool completely on rack.

categories baking, bread, recipes
tags chocolate, ginger, muffins, zucchini

bella terra: bridging the gap

July 14, 2009Andrea

Would you look at that? The garden has gone wild! To enter one must blindly reach through the blackberries to the latch on the gate and, once the latch is found and opened, duck underneath the new growth that won’t bear fruit until next summer. Tomatoes have broken free of their cages, the strawberries are taking over our pathway, herbs are spilling out of their raised bed and the blackberry bush has exploded with just-ripe fruit. beets merge 4

Once inside you embark on what feels like a treasure hunt, pecking through the ever-bearing strawberry patch for the tiny, sweet fruit and pulling blackberry branches aside to reveal purple berries as big as my thumb. The tomatoes are plump and just starting to ripen, moving from a deep apple green through shades of yellow, peach and pink before finally settling into deep rosy reds (romas and brandywine), golden yellows (hawaiian pineapple) or dusty purples (cherokee princess). beets merge 2

The cucumber vines have been prolific, providing us with more bounty than we’ve been able to handle, and the okra is just starting to bear its strangely-shaped pods. We’ve definitely moved from spring crops into summer, having already said our goodbyes to the sugar snap peas and lettuces and stored away the last of the spring onions. The crop we've been enjoying most recently, the one that bridged the gap between spring and summer and would have provided a harvest for even longer if we'd just planted another succession, are the red beets. beets 6

Beets are a newly acquired vegetable on my list of top ten favorites. I was introduced to them just a year or two ago, in the roasted form and mixed with a medley of potatoes, carrots, pearl onions and brussels sprouts. Having only had experience with the canned and pickled varieties in the past, I was pleasantly surprised when I took my first bite of fresh roasted beet and discovered its delightfully sweet flavor and firm texture. Ever since, beets have made it into most of our roasted veggie dishes and made select appearances in salads containing goat cheese and toasted nuts. beets merge 1

Most recently I tried beets in a creamy risotto, and was extremely pleased with the final result. I based the recipe on a butternut squash risotto that I've been making for many years, thinking that the beets would make an easy substitute in level of sweetness and overall texture. The beets do take longer to tenderize than butternut squash, so my method resulted in a creamy risotto with bits of slightly firm beets. If you'd prefer your beets to be very soft, I suggest roasting them with a splash of olive oil for 10-20 minutes before adding them to the skillet. Oh! And if you're lucky enough to purchase (or grow!) beets that still have their greens attached, and those greens are still crisp and brightly colored, cook them up like you would kale, swiss chard, or collard greens. They are delicious. beets 3

I think that barley would be a fantastic whole-grain substitute for the arborio rice in this recipe, we were just all out. Make sure to use pearl barley if you try it - quick-cooking barley doesn't allow for the slow release of the starches that provide the creaminess risotto is known for. Red Beet Risotto serves 4 as a main course Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (or enough tiny onions to equal about 1 cup diced)
3 medium-sized beets, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 2 cups)
2 cups arborio rice (or 1 cup pearl barley)
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups chicken stock, heated over medium heat
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted, for sprinkling on top

Method:

In a large skillet with tall sides, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and beets and cook until the onions ahve softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until toasted and opaque, 3-4 minutes.
Add the wine to the toasting rice and then add a 1/2 cup of stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding stock by 1/2 a cup at at time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy, yet still a little al dente, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the butter and cheese until well mixed.
Serve immediately with toasted walnuts crumbled on top.

Interested in reading other posts about our garden? Bella Terra: Preparation Bella Terra: Chives Bella Terra: Herbs Bella Terra: Sugar Snaps

categories dinner, garden, recipes
tags arborio rice, beets, garden, greens, risotto

bella terra : an earthy risotto

May 10, 2009Andrea

Its been awhile since I've had a bella terra post and I am WAY overdue. Things are actually happening out there in our 20' x 20' patch of veggie heaven and its not just about herbs anymore. But, because I'm behind and because spring herbs should be prolific pretty much everywhere right now, I'm going to give you another herb post. But don't worry, not only did we plant tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers today, we also harvested our first spinach and bibb lettuce as well so you should be seeing some diversity around here very soon. risotto-merge-1

The chives are in full bloom...aren't they lovely? I clip them to put in vases around our house, not only because I love their color but also because if the flowers are left to reach full maturity in the garden we will have chives popping up in every nook and cranny next year. They are incredibly hardy and reproduce like crazy - we divide them to give to friends each year just to keep things under control. Luckily, we are big fans of cooking with chives in our household so those we keep rarely waste away in the garden. We've also recently discovered that thyme is a very useful herb in a variety of dishes. Keep it whole in soups or as a bed for baked white fish or salmon (it will infuse the fish with a delightful flavor and scent). Or, gently pluck the leaves from the stem and stir them into a buttery barley risotto, our newest discovery and one that fast-tracked its way to the top of our favorites list. risotto-2

This meal is one that I concocted while sitting at my desk in the office, waiting for the last 30 minutes of the work day to tick by. My mind tends to wander towards food often, especially when dinner is eminent. On this particular day I realized that things were getting a little sparse in our refrigerator, other than a little baggie of brussels sprouts I'd picked up at Whole Foods the weekend before that needed to be cooked as soon as possible. We always keep a variety of grains in our pantry and luckily so because on this day, thoughts of risotto topped with golden brussels sprouts danced into my head and refused to be silenced. risotto-4

I wanted a risotto heartier than the typical white rice variety so chose to use barley instead. If you've never tried using barley in risotto I insist that you do, as soon as possible. Barley adds an earthy depth to the dish that is especially good with herbs, spinach or mushrooms. It may take a bit longer to cook than the traditional rice dish but it is more flavorful and filling*. risotto-merge-2

Brian and I ate in complete silence this night, save the occasional "this is SO good" or "I could eat this EVERY night" comments. The thyme complements the barley and the brussels sprouts beautifully, and the high-quality butter was worth the extra splurge. I used Heidi's recipe for the brussels sprouts, which never disappoints. They were perfect. I'd like to say something about risotto. Not only is it delicious, its relatively simple. I think it gets a bad rap because of the rather lengthy period of stirring that it takes to reach perfect creaminess, but if you've got someone to hand the spatula over to every now and then and a glass of white wine to sip when its your turn, the task really isn't that daunting. And it is completely worth the effort. risotto-7

Buttery Barley and Herb Risotto with Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts serves 3-4 Risotto:

4 cups chicken or veggie broth (I used Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base)
4 tbsp good-quality european butter, divided (I used Plugra)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 [heaping] cup of pearl barley, rinsed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme
2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
salt + pepper, to taste

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts: [from 101 Cookbooks]

24 brussels sprouts - rinsed, stems removed, chopped in half
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
salt + pepper
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Method:

Heat the broth in a small saucepan over medium heat and keep at a low simmer.
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large, heavy-bottom saute' pan. Add the onion and garlic and saute' over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the barley and stir to coat with the butter, about 1 minute.
Add the white wine to the pan and stir briskly to deglaze. When the wine has evaporated add 1/2 cup of broth to the pan. Stir until the liquid has been absorbed and repeat. Stir often, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and letting it absorb before adding another. You may not use all of the broth, but you'll know the risotto is done when the barley is tender but not mushy. The risotto should be creamy and hold together without any liquid around the edges.
Stir in the remaining 2 tbsp butter, parmesan cheese and herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.
While risotto is cooking, prepare the brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts should be rubbed in olive oil before being added to the pan. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in large non-stick pan. Place brussels sprouts, flat-side down, in pan and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove a sprout from the pan after 5 minutes and test for tenderness. If tender, remove cover from pan and toss sprouts to quickly brown on round side, about 2 minutes.
Dish risotto immediately onto plates. Top with brussels sprouts and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.

*Don't get me wrong, I love a good arborio rice risotto as well, but I typically reserve it for when the risotto is a side rather than the centerpiece. Arborio rice has a milder flavor and is tasty with butternut squash or other sweeter vegetables like beets.

categories dinner, garden, recipes
tags bella terra, brussels sprouts, chives, risotto, thyme

keeping it simple

May 04, 2009Andrea

Oh my, what a weekend. With our deadline at the office behind us Brian and I were finally able to relax for Two. Whole. Days. We took advantage of the sunshine on Saturday with a trip to the farmer’s market and tasks in the garden, while Sunday’s rain allowed time for baking and reading to the mellow sounds of some favorite bands. We even entertained Friday night. As far as weekends go, this one was definitely good for our mental health, and much needed.

pasta-1

Our kitchen finally feels loved again, as do our stomachs. Simplicity was key to most of what was prepared and consumed because we were still in recovery from the weeks of late nights and take-out food (sadly, crockpot minestrone only lasted for a couple of days). After that long of a hiatus one really doesn’t want to rush into anything too complicated too quickly, and we were in need of some instant gratification. pasta-2

So many good, simple recipes came from the grill, oven and food processor that I had a hard time deciding which to share first. Ultimately I decided on this one because it was the most recent of my options and looking at the photographs caused my mouth to salivate at the memory they evoked. Also, I love that the simple pasta dish uses fresh ingredients purchased at the farmer’s market Saturday morning - sweet Italian sausage from one favorite farmer and tender mustard greens from another. If only I’d stopped by the Everona Dairy booth I’d have had local sheep’s milk cheese to use instead of store-bought parmesan. Next week... pasta-3

Spring greens are abundant right now and any variety would do, but I think that the spicy bite of the mustard greens really makes this dish shine. If you decide to use a milder green such as kale or swiss chard, you might want to kick up the flavor with hot Italian sausage instead of sweet, or some red pepper flakes tossed in the skillet with the onion and garlic. pasta-4

Pasta with Sausage and Spring Greens serves 3 Ingredients:

3/4 lb brown rice pasta
1 bunch mustard greens (about 1 lb), leaves separated from stems and rinsed well (stems discarded)
1 lb sweet italian sausage, removed from casing and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded parmesan, plus extra for topping
1 tbsp fresh parsley
salt + pepper

Method:

Boil pasta, drain, return to pot and set aside.
Rinse mustard greens and drain.
Saute' sausage in non-stick skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and onion and continue to cook until sausage is browned.
Add mustard greens to skillet and cover. Cook mixture, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted (4-5 minutes).
Meanwhile, heat chicken broth over medium heat in small saucepan. Whisk in 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Add fresh parsley and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour parmesan broth over cooked pasta. Add sausage/mustard green mixture and stir well.
Serve immediately with parmesan shaved over the top.

categories recipes, dinner
tags broth, brown rice pasta, mustard greens, parmesan, sausage, spring greens

bella terra: the first to show

March 19, 2009Andrea

There have been a few small changes in the garden since my first bella terra post. The thyme, sage and oregano are starting to show some green. The blackberry and raspberry vines have tiny bits of new growth. And the weeds are popping up with a vengeance. Brian (my hubb) and I have big plans for the weekend. Some fence repair, re-mulching the paths, weeding and seeding. In just a handful of days (7-10 to be exact) we should have broccoli, peas, beets, lettuce, kale and spinach poking out of the rich compost. I can't wait. :) Here, the blackberry vine... blackberry-1

The very first signs of life I see in the garden each year are chives. Beautiful green shoots that peek from beneath the blanket formed by last year’s growth, the late-fall crop that laid down their lives with the first hard frost to protect the next generation. They were already popping up two weeks ago when I ventured into the garden for the first time since fall. The new chives are thankfully resistant with help from the old - they managed to survive the late snow we had just last week. When I visited the garden after work one evening to check their progress I was pleased to find that they were ready for me to cut. here, on march 7th... garden-1

see how they've grown? chives-1

Chives are one of my favorite herbs to use in the kitchen because they are so versatile. Toss them with fingerling potatoes to roast, sprinkle them raw over top of an omelet, fold them into batter to be baked in cheddar biscuits...their mild, onion-like flavor allows for endless possibilities. I’d bookmarked this NY Times recipe for an herb frittata earlier this month and knew as soon as I spotted those lovely bits of green from over the fence that the time had come to try it. frittata-1

I'd never made a frittata before. It seemed to me that it would be a difficult task and, having never read a frittata recipe before, I assumed that it would contain whole milk and cheese (similar to a quiche) and not be terribly productive to my weight-loss efforts. Boy was I wrong, on ALL assumptions. For one, the process was really easy. As long as you have a decent non-stick skillet and some patience, this dish really couldn't be easier. And I used just two dishes to make it...two! I really like a quick and simple recipe, but add "very little clean-up" to its list of attributes and I am in love. frittata-2

Second, the frittata is much healthier than any quiche recipe I've made. The main contributor to its healthfulness? A lack of crust. That's right...no crust. And...no cheese. The greek yogurt makes the consistency so creamy that you'll never miss it. Plus, this particular recipe is loaded with spinach and herbs, not to mention heart-healthy walnuts and yummy mushrooms. frittata-3

I was so impressed with my first frittata experience that I've already been dreaming up new combos of flavors. I can't wait until that pile of herbs and spinach pictured above is all home-grown from my garden, maybe with some bell peppers and tomatoes mixed in. Oh, what a glorious summer it will be... frittata-7

Spinach, Herb and Mushroom Frittata 258 cal, 19g fat, 6g carbs, 1g sugar, 2g fiber, 11g protein [nutritional info from thedailyplate.com] recipe adapted from the NY Times Ingredients:

12oz baby spinach
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped chives
8 fresh cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
8 large eggs
1/2 cup thick Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon salt, preferably kosher salt (more to taste)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), green stems removed, finely minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons if you don’t have a nonstick pan)

Method:

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the spinach to the boiling water and blanch for 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer to the ice water to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop finely.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the yogurt, walnuts, salt and pepper. Add the spinach, herbs and garlic, and mix together well. Adjust salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms.
Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Drop a bit of egg into the pan, and if it sizzles and cooks at once, the pan is ready. Pour in the egg mixture, scraping every bit out of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Roll the pan to distribute the eggs and filling evenly over the surface. Shake the pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while lifting up the edges of the frittata with the spatula in your other hand, in order to let the eggs run underneath during the first few minutes of cooking. Turn the heat down to low, and cover the pan. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan every once in a while, until the frittata is just about set. Meanwhile, light the broiler.
If the frittata is not quite set on the top, place under the broiler, about three inches from the heat, for one to two minutes, watching closely, until just beginning to color on the top. Do not allow the eggs to brown too much or they’ll taste bitter. (I wound up leaving it under the broiler for about 4 minutes total, until just starting to brown).
Remove from the heat, allow to sit in the pan for five minutes or longer, then carefully slide out onto a platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

In the Blog World... Tina at Carrots 'N' Cake has released a call for guest bloggers...how fun! If you haven't checked out Tina's blog yet you really should. She's got great daily tips for creating a healthy lifestyle through good eats and exercise. Guest blogging is a great way to spread your blog words to further reaches, so consider sending her an email with some ideas! Two Spoons made a savory version of my scones! Yum...the possibilities are endless. :) Ryan at Chasing Daylight made bella eats enchi-ritos! So glad you enjoyed them, Ryan! Jennifer and Jessica of Keep It Simple Foods have been enjoying my dark chocolate PB and strawberry breakfast combo...glad you're liking it ladies! Mmmm...a little french inspiration in the morning is a great start to any day! :) If you've tried a recipe you've found on bella eats, let me know! I'd love to read your thoughts on it and send others your way. :) Who else is THRILLED that tomorrow is Friday?!?!?!? :)

categories dinner, garden, recipes
tags chives, egg, mushrooms, parsley, spinach, walnuts

bella terra : preparation

March 08, 2009Andrea

We had perfect weather in Virginia this weekend. 75*, sunny, a light breeze. The kind of weather that makes you believe that Spring may finally be here, that leads to lovely outdoor runs and white wine on the deck. The same weather that in years past has caused you to put your cold-sensitive plants outside because "they'd like a little sunshine" only to have them frozen by a freak late-March storm (not this year my friends...I won't be fooled again.) It was the kind of weather that got me thinking about our vegetable garden, and how the time for sowing seeds is just around the corner and I still hadn't amended the beds with fresh compost. garden-2

It was perfect weather for wandering around the local garden center, picking up spring-harvest seeds and dreaming about how, if only I had my own cold-frame set up in the backyard, I could already have baby lettuce peeking out of the soil. Hmm...maybe next year. This will be our third year with the garden, and over the last two we've started to sort out which veggies work and which don't. There were disappointments last year...the Virginia heat was too much for the brussels sprouts to handle and the squirrels got 75% of the corn. We unearthed the secret to keeping flea bugs off of the eggplant and had an abundant harvest, only to discover that there are really only two eggplant recipes that we like and the farmer's market can more than provide the fruit needed for those. No need to take up valuable garden space. garden-3

On Saturday I bought lettuce and spinach, beets, peas and broccoli, all seeds that can go in the ground in the next couple of weeks and provide a harvest in as few as 45 days. In May, after danger of Virginia frost, I'll be sowing green beans and okra seeds to be harvested in July. Baby tomato, cucumber, bell pepper and squash plants will go into their assigned beds and parsley, basil and dill will join the perennial chives, thyme and oregano already starting to show some green. broc-1

I think I am most looking forward to growing our own broccoli, although each veggie has a special place in my heart and becomes my instant favorite the minute it is ripe. But broccoli...it gave us trouble last year, or at least the squash bugs that enjoyed most of the harvest gave us trouble. And I enjoy a challenge. We will persevere with broccoli this spring and when we do we will make it this way, at least once. broc-2

There are a few things about this recipe that I need to share, things I will do differently when I make it again. First, I used whole coriander but will definitely use ground next time. Biting into the occasional coriander seed was an intense, unpleasant experience for me. If you love coriander feel free to use whole seeds, but I think spreading the flavor more evenly by using ground would be more enjoyable. broc-3

Second, the tofu needs to go in the oven first. I put the tofu and broccoli in at 425* together, and the broccoli was done well before the tofu. To speed things up I wound up removing the tofu from the oven and quickly pan-frying it, but I think it would be really good roasted. I've specified in the recipe below to put the tofu in first and roast it until golden brown on one side before flipping it and adding the broccoli for the last 20 minutes. broc-6

Roasted Broccoli with Glazed Tofu inspired by the wednesday chef, via orangette serves 2, with a portion leftover for lunch the next day Ingredients:

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground...i'll use ground next time)
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground...i used ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1/8 teaspoon hot chili powder
12 oz firm tofu
1 1/4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
1 tbsp honey
lemon wedges, for serving

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Slice tofu into eight 1/2" slices, then slice again on the diagonal to make 16 pieces total. Place on paper towels and press for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, honey, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and whisk together.
Individually rub each piece of tofu with the oil/lemon/honey mixture. Place on a baking sheet and bake until top is golden brown. Pull baking sheet from oven and flip tofu. Add broccoli to baking sheet, spreading in a single layer. Put pan back in oven and roast for 10 additional minutes. Stir broccoli and roast for another 10 minutes.
Serve over rice, with fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

A few notes: First, my cousin Kelly (Meghann's sister) was in a scary accident this evening while riding her bike. Thankfully she was wearing a helmet and is going to be ok. I'll let Meghann give us details if she wishes, but I do want to stress how important it is to wear a helmet. Kelly's may very well have saved her life. Second, I'm going to make bella terra posts a regular occurrence, to share with you all the happenings in the garden and recipes to go along with harvests. I don't yet know the frequency, but I hope that by this summer they will be weekly. I'd love any feedback you have or suggestions for content. What would you like to see? Third, thank you all for your continued support! I'm so pleased with the feedback I've received regarding the new format and am so happy that you all seem to be open to whatever direction I go. I will say that I've enjoyed my week of recipe-based posts and would like to continue with them, although I wouldn't be surprised if a food diary post pops up every once in awhile. I just can't help but to take pictures of my daily food, and I still have overwhelming urges to share them with you. So I think that I'm not going to set any rules, not limit the blog in any way. I'm going to let the day and life and food inspire me and see where it goes, and I hope you'll all continue to follow. I welcome all constructive feedback and would love to hear more from you. Have a great Monday! :)

categories dinner, garden, recipes
tags broccoli, garden, lemon, tofu

cabernet + apple slaw

March 01, 2009Andrea

Have I mentioned how much I love this community? Because I do. You all are so kind! Thank you for all of your sweet comments and concern - you have no idea how much I appreciate it. I'm sorry for my doom and gloom post yesterday, and for leaving you all hanging. I've spent the weekend going over things with my hubb and am feeling much better about the whole situation. I should know more tomorrow or Tuesday and can share then, but I'm starting to see the positive side of things and do believe that everything will be for the better. Most of my eats this weekend weren't that exciting...some leftover red beans, some Five Guys (I know...shocking!!! My once every 6 months burger...), banana pancakes and lots of Ben + Jerry's. Can we say comfort food?!?!? But I did spend this afternoon in the kitchen making my hubb's birthday cake (which I will share with you tomorrow!) some potato salad for a pot luck dinner (which I will also share sometime this week) and this yummy cabbage + apple slaw, which paired perfectly with the bratwurst my hubb pan-fried for sandwiches. 090301-d1

I haven't done much with cabbage in the past...mixed it with greens in salads, boiled it down with potatoes, carrots and ham for a New England Boiled Dinner, shredded it up to make a filling for potstickers. Although slaw is an obvious use for cabbage I have somehow managed to escape these last few years without ever experimenting with it. 090301-d3

I've seen a few cabbage slaw recipes pop up in the blog world over the last couple of weeks, but decided to try out my own. We had some bratwurst in our freezer from Babes in the Wood, and my hubb was just saying that we don't make sandwiches for dinner often enough. I grabbed a couple of apples from our fruit bowl and the open bottle of cabernet on the counter. I was hoping for something sweet and tangy, a nice compliment to the spiciness of the brats and the dijon mustard I knew my hubb would pair with them. 090301-d4

Oh sweet [and tangy] success. This sandwich was so delicious and satisfying, and the slaw was the star of the show. I suggest a ciabatta roll and butternut squash fries on the side...YUM. 090301-d6

Cabernet + Apple Slaw Ingredients:

3/4 head of red cabbage, about 2 pounds
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tart apples, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt + pepper

Method:

Remove all tough outer leaves. Quarter cabbage through stem, remove core of cabbage. Slice cabbage into thin strips.
Heat oil in large soup pot. Add onion and saute until tender and golden, 5-6 minutes. Add sliced apples and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute an additional 1 minute.
Add cabbage, cover and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add wine, cover and saute for an additional 10 minutes. When cabbage is tender, remove lid and turn up heat to cook off the last of the liquid.
Remove from heat and toss cabbage mixture with vinegar and salt + pepper to taste.
Top with toasted pine nuts.

Tomorrow is my hubb's birthday and we're having a little party at his office. I am so excited to try the cake I baked today...my first ever from-scratch, made on my own cake. Only the best for my love. Here's a little preview... cake-13

That's raspberry puree' oozing from between layers of decadent chocolate cake. And right after I took this picture I covered the whole thing with chocolate ganache. Oh yes I did. :) Have a lovely Monday, everybody!

categories dinner, recipes
tags apples, cabernet, red cabbage, sandwiches, sausage, slaw

Contact Us

Blog

December 19, 2009Andrea

Triple Ginger Cookies

December 17, 2009Andrea

Savory Winter Tarts

December 01, 2009Andrea

Double H Farm

Maya : Local Food and Spirits Night : November 9th, 2009

Cheddar Chive Cornbread

November 23, 2009Andrea

Sweet Potato Casserole

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

November 06, 2009Andrea

Some Notes on Cream Pies and Meringue Tops

Original Coconut Cream Pie

Mrs. Rowe's Meringue

October 31, 2009Andrea

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

August 27, 2009Andrea

August 25, 2009Andrea

August 10, 2009Andrea

Saucy Mama Giveaway!

August 04, 2009Andrea

July 28, 2009Andrea

July 26, 2009Andrea

July 21, 2009Andrea

July 16, 2009Andrea

July 14, 2009Andrea

May 10, 2009Andrea

May 04, 2009Andrea

March 19, 2009Andrea

March 08, 2009Andrea

March 01, 2009Andrea