Winter Gardening

Truly I'm a novice to gardening, winter or summer. I have been successfully gardening outdoors in the summers now for four years. There are good years and there are bad years, but every year I cannot get it together to plant for a winter garden. I really should have already planted, but we are seemingly having a longish warm season this year and fall has not completely arrived. I consider this a grace period. Today I readied one bed for winter planting. I only plan on using two beds so as to conserve water in our arid environment. I planted Swiss chard, spinach, and two types of kale (a dwarf blue curly variety and willy's). All of these greens dig cool air and can handle freezing temperatures. Some say the flavors even improve with a freeze. Last year I attempted a winter bed. The chickens ate it all. I was devastated, they were still hungry, go figure.

While cleaning the beds I was pulling out all the lettuce that I had let go to seed (see picture below). I always let the lettuce go to seed. A part of me likes to watch as they bolt, begin to flower in all directions, and then form tufts of white fuzz like dandelions so the wind can scatter their seeds in all directions. In fact, there are already some volunteer lettuce plants coming up. To encourage more (because they can also stomach the cold) I facilitated their spread by shaking, rubbing and scattering them throughout the newly turned beds.

I saved an envelope of seeds for next years planting. Mostly black seeded simpson but also some red and green curly leaf varieties that I cannot name. In the other bed I will plant other winter hardy plants like radish, carrot and beet. Looking forward to digging up my sweet potatoes! Until then...

Stir Fry Noodles

Who ever thought that one up? To stir fry your noodles? Delicious. Oily, crunchy, chewy, soft, crispy, tasty. The list could go on indefinitely but the point is: yum. I don't particularly care much for stir fries. I think it is a nightmarish recollection of my childhood. One of those meals that was a constant in our home but in my opinion never done right. Sure I was under the age of ten and had not developed any Epicurean sensibilities. Irregardless, I still cannot stand water chestnuts. That texture of waxy succulent and flavor of watery milk? Disgusto. Nonetheless I make exceptions for stir fried noodle dishes like pad Thai or drunken noodles. I particularly have a fondness for stir fried rice noodles and sometimes even crave them. I have had the hankering for them for the past week and have not felt inspired to drive up to Vegan Thai* or Siam Cafe and had most of the ingredients lying around so....I made them. And viola (repeat adjectives above)!!

Ok, this is how we do it... (or how I did it)


Ingredients

2 handfuls Rice Noodles (Typically the stir fry variety are bigger and flat)

1/4 block Tofu, cubed

1/2 large Onion, slivered

1 potato, cubed

Fresh Veggies (I used lettuce, basil, carrot and avocado)

2 Tbsp. Braggs
1 Tbsp. Saracha

1 Tbsp. Black Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Agave Nectar (could use sugar or any other sweetener if desired)

Put water onto boil while sauteing onions and potatoes in the olive oil (use a large pan so you can throw everything, aside from the fresh veggies, in the pan). When the water boils submerge noodles. When the potatoes are just about done throw in the tofu, 1 tbsp. braggs, and 1 tbsp. agave. Saute until everything looks cooked, about 5 minutes. As all is cooking chop up your fresh veggies so they are ready to go once everything is cooked. Once the noodles are "soft but firm" (whatever that means...this is what the package said...) drain and rinse with cool water. Put noodles in the frying pan with the remaining braggs, agave, black sesame oil, and saracha (hot sauce). Saute until the noodles are all coated in saucy-ness and have begun to burn a little. The burnt noodles are the tastiest!

When the noodles are irresistible to the point of your inability to stop testing them you may dish some into a large bowl and fill to brim with fresh veggies. Eat with braggs and saracha in case you desire extra saltiness or spiciness.

For your nutritional edification: Rice noodles are gluten free, fat free, high in complex carbohydrates (the ones that break down slower) and though not nutrient dense contain some B vitamins, iron and selenium. My opinion is that wheat pastas are eaten too frequently. You can find variations of pastas using all sorts of exotic flours from quinoa to brown rice at your food coop, specialty grocer or, if you are lucky enough to have one in your area, Trader Joe's. Although the rice noodle is largely devoid of fiber, unlike it's cousin, unhulled rice, you can still enjoy them as a carb that will leave very little residue in the digestive tract. Love them!

*Link to Thai Vegan: Check them out, and watch out for a restaurant review on your favorite blog...mine of course.

Summer is for Salsa!

...And for cooling peppermint lemon infused water! So that's what I made today: a black bean, roasted green chile, minced onion, cilantro and lime salsa as well as a peppermint lemon water to have on-hand chillin' in the fridge. Seriously, this is the only way to escape the unbearable, oppressive, over 100 degree heat wave that has swept over Albuquerque these past two days. I highly recommend stocking your fridge with fresh homemade salsas and cooling waters. So easy and so good.

Peppermint Lemon Infused Water

1/2 Lemon, sliced fine

Handful of peppermint spears

A gallon of filtered water

You get it right...put it all together and chill for a couple of hours...soon you'll be drinking plenty of water to beat the summer into fall.

Black Bean & Roasted Green Chile Salsa

1/2 cup black beans

4 large roasted chiles, retaining some of the seeds

1/4 large onion minced

small handful cilantro, chopped fine

juice of 1 lime

Roast the chiles, peel the chiles, remove the tops, sliver long ways, then chop the other way. (You could also roast jalapenos if green chile is not available in your locale...but be careful, they are a bit hotter.) Chop onions & cilantro. Stir in with the beans, chiles, onions, cilantro and lime juice. Add salt to taste. Salsa is also for chips. The happy medium (pun) is a blue corn tortilla chip. Perfect for this salsa and pretty too...though I am sure it would be equally tasty atop a quesadilla with a little fresh avocado..

Blue Potatoes, Flowers in the Salad & Willy's Kale

You have to love summer. Maybe not the temperature as much as you love your garden, that is, if you have a garden. I noticed my potatoes dying back last week, a sure sign that says "dig us up". So I did this morning. I had planted Adirondack blues, a small purple potato, back in March. I only dug a small section of the plant but was able to unearth 6 potatoes ranging in size from a thumbnail to a fist. I knew what was for breakfast!

But before digging the potatoes I had already picked some fresh lettuce greens and nasturtium flowers. Salad for breakfast? Hells yes!

While plucking the lettuce I had also picked a bunch of kale. It's a variety that goes by the name of "Willy's Kale" on the seed package but I have seen a similar looking variety at our Co-op labeled as "Red Russian Kale". Regardless of monikers, it is a beautiful curly leaf variety that ranges in color from purple to green. The leaves don't seem to grow as big as other varieties but that could also be the consequence of the soil. Gardening is an art and a science. There are so many fine details of chemistry and biology that I have reverted to good ole' fashioned prayer. You plant it, say a few kind words to it, and pray that it grows. Tends to work mostly.

So the next question for me, and you if you're perceptive, was greens for breakfast? Mmmmm hmmmm. This is not an uncommon breakfast side dish at my house. Both of us love greens. LOVE greens. We would eat them all day if I had grown enough.

So that was breakfast: purple fried potatoes, lemony kale and nasturtium salad. So yummy...so simple...so I'll give up the recipes.

Purple Fried Potatoes

A handful and a half of Adirondack blue potatoes, cubed

1/4 onion, slivered

Olive oil, just enough to coat pan

Salt, to taste

Pepper, the same

You know the deal: cut em' up, place in pan, turn on med-high heat and watch, stirring occasionally. The browning process is up to you. I like my potatoes a little crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I usually wait until I see some browning happening and then go about five more minutes. Always do a taste test. Mine were ready fairly quickly, perhaps because they were fresh. Different varieties have different cooking times so always taste test even if they look like they're browning. If they are burning and not cooking, turn it down, duh.

Nasturtium Salad

Greens from the garden

Nasturtiums, a couple for each salad

Olives, 2-4

Feta, sprinkled on top

No explanations necessary for salad right?

Dressing: Olive oil drizzle, olive juice from olives and fresh spritz of lemon.

Nasturtiums have been my favorite new addition to my garden this year. They add this festive neon orange, screaming firetruck red or mottled tie died peach and white to any salad (which you know is what you need to make it awesome). Aside from color, the taste is like a delicate petaled peppery radish. You can also eat the greens...bonus!

Lemony Kale

This has been my absolute favorite way to cook fresh greens this summer. So simple, so easy, so tasty that it almost requires no instructions like the above salad.

Bunch Kale, rolled up then sliced into centimeter slices

Olive Oil, enough to coat pan

3/4 of a lemon

Salt, to taste

Pepper, the same

Heat up the oil, place the kale in the pan, stir, add 1/2 a lemon and some salt and pepper. Cook this down until the greens have turned a forest green and look slippery. Do not overcook. Most people overcook greens and I think they are less tasty that way, plus some vital nutrients are probably cooked out. Turn off heat, squeeze the last wedge of lemon on, stir it up to evenly coat and of course enjoy.

Best Breakfast Ever!

Nutrition Factoid: Did you know one serving of potatoes has 100% of your daily recommended vitamin C? It does.

Two Recipes

Two common, yet amazing, recipes are following this sentence:

Cream of Radish Green Soup

and

Boule

Get psyched!!

In my last post I discussed the uses of radish greens. Yes the tops. If you can eat it, you should. (new motto)

The recipe is on tons of websites from Martha Stewart to well, mine.

Here she goes:

Tons o radish greens (bout as many as you can process)

Your heart (also as much as you can process)

6 cups veggie stock

an oninon

a couple potatoes (this makes things creamy, aside from the cream)

1/3 cup cream

Cook it like it sounds. Saute onions. Put in potatoes and radish greens, stir. Pour in stock. Boil for a while, cool, then blend. Add cream, stir, heat, eat. Oh, you might want to cut the onion...diced perhaps? Also, just a note: radish greens are very stringy, some recipes suggest straining, I strain through my teeth, you do what you want.

The Boule

Pronounced with a french accent, boule is a no fuss, no knead bread. Awesome! So simple you might wonder why you never thought of it before....or why they can get away with selling it for so much...not sure which is the better question... Let's wonder about that one together whilst we pour over the recipe:

3 cups warmish water

1 & 1/2 tbsp yeast

1 & 1/2 tbsp salt

6 & 1/2 cups flour (flowers)

basically you just mix it up. Don't worry about the salt killing the yeast because that actually does not happen. You should probably mix the first three ingredients first and then add the flour slowly. I only used 6 cups. Must be the altitude. Regardless, have 6 and a half cups on hand. As pictured, this is a very strong starter. We used it for bread (pictured) and pizza dough (sadly not pictured).

You best enjoy both recipes!!

Radishes!

We are up to our ears in radishes...really...no joke. We have three types: daikon or some other obscure Korean variety our friend Peter gave us, the red globe variety that is probably what you're used to finding in the grocery stores and watermelon radishes. I had high hopes for the last type...they're white on the outside and pink on the inside. The greens looked large and healthy but today I noticed they were starting to bolt. Upon pulling them I discovered that they were teeny-tiny. Oh well.

One thing I learned this season is that radish greens are not only edible but also delicious. My friend Peter (the same one who grew the daikons) informed me that in Korea (where his wife is from) many radish varieties are grown for the green and not the root. I'll be! So we've been cooking them up. We had radish green, Oaxacan cheese, blue corn quesadillas the other night...delicious. Some varieties have furry greens that are a little weird raw, so you might as well cook them. I'm going to experiment with a radish green soup tonight...I'll let you know how it goes.

Today though I am going to make a Remoulade, a french condiment that is mayonnaise or tartar sauce like. It can be made with a variety of key ingredients from pickles to curry. The recipe I found is from Marquita Farms. They have a lot of neat radish recipes if you're like me and am drowning in this early season veggie. Check them out at www.marquita.com/recipes/radish/html.

The recipe goes something like this:

Daikon Radish Remoulade

1 lb. daikon

3 tbsp. mustard

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. wine vinegar

1/4 cup minced parsley (I don't have this last thing so may add tarragon or mint...we will see)

Grate daikon. Mix mustard with 3 tbsp. hot water, whisk, add oil slowly, whisk until emulsified, whisk in vinegar and pepper to taste. Stir in daikon and parsley.

PS: Daikons are really high in Vitamin C and low in calories so eat em' up!

Tomorrow Night...

Tomorrow night in our very own downtown Albuquerque at the historic Kimo theater:

"Do Something Reel Film Festival"

Double feature! Keep reading...

When

April 28, 2011

07:00 PM - 08:25 PM

Where

KiMo Theatre

423 Central Ave NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505-768-3544

Description

The Vanishing of the Bees (2010) Narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Ellen Page, this cautionary tale reveals the mystery of the disappearing bees, and the links to industrial farming and our attitude toward the natural world. Starring in this real-life drama is a commercial bee farmer who rang the alarm bell when his bee colonies collapsed and his business was decimated.

When

April 28, 2011

09:00 PM - 10:30 PM

Where

KiMo Theatre

423 Central Ave NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505-768-3544

Description

Planeat (2010) This visually stunning film tells the story of the scientists, farmers and chefs tackling one of the greatest problems of our age: Western culture's love affair with meat and dairy. Through an extraordinarily personal and mouth-watering culinary journey we discover the wide range of medical and environmental benefits of eating our veggies.

Vegan Mayonnaise & Deviled Eggs

Correction: Veganaise. Yummy not-so-gross mayo sans raw eggs. Curious? I was too. I thought Mayo required the use of eggs to get the fluffy texture. Not so, it is the whipped oils plus the soymilk that give it the fluff. We had been spending a small fortune on Veganaise, the brand, when lo and behold there was a recipe for a vegan mayonnaise on the back of the soymilk container. The container of Edensoy Soy and Rice Blend to be specific. The recipe was so simple that I had to see if it compared to our beloved veganaise. Surprisingly it does. Though I think we could have skipped the addition of mustard and instead opted for a mustard powder. I of course took the leniency of adapting the recipe from the box of soymilk and the one I followed is below.

Vegan Mayonnaise

1/2 cup Olive Oil

1/2 cup Grapeseed Oil

1/2 cup Soymilk

1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar

Freshly ground Black Pepper

Salt to taste

Recipe makes about a pint.

Though it may also be equally as gross to imagine consuming that much oil, it's not like you're doing it in one sitting. Whip the oils together with the soymilk until creamy, then slowly stir in the vinegar. It will appear to solidify but this is an illusion. Stir in the remaining ingredients and taste. MMMmmm Delicious.

Now you must make something with the vegan mayonnaise right? Well, here's another recipe to satiate that desire.

Deviled Eggs

1/2 dozen eggs

1/4 cup vegan mayo

1 tbsp mustard

dash hot sauce

1/4 tsp salt

Ethiopian spice blend (mostly paprika and cayenne toasted)

Halved green olives

Hard boil the eggs, peel, slice in half, remove yolks, mash with a fork or some other mashing implement, mix and mash with the mayo, mustard, hot sauce and salt. Spoon into the egg halves, sprinkle with the spices and press a half of a green olive on top. Enjoy.

Stay tuned for a post on homemade veggie burgers!

Helpful Hint Numero Uno

Ay yi yi! Only one post in February so far?? Wow. You can really tell when I go back to school. One day, I'll be out of school. And maybe also on that day I will have more time to blog about veggies...maybe. Well in response to my inability to blog consistently about what I'm cooking or interesting books I'm reading, I'm starting a section of helpful hints around your kitchen & beyond. Things I have learned that everyone should know..........................

Helpful Hint #1:

When you buy cheese from the supermarket or wherever, take it out of the cellophane wrap it comes in and re-wrap it in a plastic bag or plastic wrap. It will last much longer without molding.

The above hint is for harder cheeses like cheddar. Follow this link for other helpful hints on cheese storage:

http://www.laurawerlin.com/storingcheese.html

She even takes it one step further by suggesting parchment or wax paper between the cheese and plastic wrap. Probably a great suggestion considering how toxic plastic can be.

Tortilla de Patatas

Or Spanish omelet made with potatoes for those of you unfamiliar with the delicacy. Very simple and very satisfying.

I first had a tortilla de patatas in Spain (of course, what did you expect? I'm cultured.) Rachel, my friend from college, lived in Spain for five years after we graduated. I did no such thing, maybe it's her that's cultured and not me. Anyways, her roommate Karina, was shocked that I had never heard of, much less eaten, the common breakfast food of Spain. Convinced I needed to try it, we set about making one. Hers, though delicious, was a little greasy. Probably because it was the first time she had ever made one. I made sure to avert this problem by recalling her error. I think you should use the same judgement when adding the oil for the potatoes.

The Recipe

1 large potato

3 tbsp. olive oil

1/2-1 large onion (I used yellow & 1/2)

9 eggs*

1/4 cup cream

1 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper

The rest of the ingredients are not required, I was using my leftovers up...you can add anything. It's an omelet. Experiment.

1 large portabello mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup provolone cheese, cubed

*My eggs come from my chickens who just started laying so they are probably a bit smaller than the ones you would find in the store. Start with about 6-7 whipped with cream, pour in at the appropriate time and if it isn't enough to cover, pull from heat, whip a few more and fill in the gaps.

Start by slicing the potatoes thinly, not grated but sliced. I usually half the potato, then halve it the other way and then slice. Saute with sliced onions over a medium flame until the potatoes are soft enough to eat. You are not making hash browns so do not brown.

Whip eggs, cream, salt and pepper.

You want layers with a tortilla de patata, the patatas y cebollas (potatoes and onions) will form the bottom layer so keep this in mind. When the potatoes are done, spread the mushroom and cheese evenly on top to form the next layer. Then pour in the eggs. They will trickle down and create the omelet, no need to coach them.

Cook over a medium-low flame until the top of the omelet is set. Flip onto a wide plate. (You may need to use your spatula around the edge to loosen it. If you use a non-stick pan you should have no problems, however, if you use something else you might. Do your best to get it out whole). The bottom will be browned. This creates a nice chewy texture that unlike normal omelets is desired. Invert and place in pan to cook the other side. With the omelet mostly set you won't have to cook it for very long. This is just to make it almost brown on this side too and to ensure it is completely cooked.

Re-invert onto the same plate. Slice like a pie and enjoy! Serves 4-6.

Entertaining Part Deux, continued...

Ay, yi yi. I thought I was over blogging malfunctions. Sigh. Apparently not. I apologize for the possibly mistaken post of just a title (it won't let me see my blog so who's to know..) and I also apologize for the font. I try to stick to one type but under "edit", as opposed to "compose", you can't change your font. Silly computers and silly computer programmers. Why can't you predict what I want and need? Anyways, enough of my tangent. Wait no, one more apology--I forgot to photograph the event. Woopsie.

The Menu

first course: mixed green salad with a lemon poppy seed agave mustard dressing

second course: french onion soup with asiago and toasted french bread

third course: steamed artichokes with a garlic lemon butter sauce

fourth course: marinated portabello steaks with provolone

fifth course: pumpkin mousse

There was a bit of shuffling about trying to entertain guests whilst cooking but as long as you are committed to making an evening of it there is nothing wrong with slow food. It gives one time to digest, make room and get hungry again. In fact, there is probably something wrong with fast food, but I digress.

Everything was simple to prepare so there really wasn't a whole lot of kitchen time. Really you are just making sure the onions don't burn as they caramelize, making sure not to over steam or under steam the artichokes, and creating fantastic concoctions of dressings and marinades--the rest practically cooks itself.

The Dressing:

It's not so much what's in the salad sometimes but what it wears. My salad was just mixed greens, red leaf lettuce, grated carrot, black apples (a new type, not old), and feta.

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp agave

juice of 1/2 lemon

water to thin

The Marinade

Again, always a hit and always similar to previous recipes but yet different. Let's see if I can remember it.

braggs

olive oil

red wine

lemon juice

agave

cock sauce

basil

chives

parsley

water

I really have no clue what the proportions were or if I am missing something. I usually just pour it all in a bowl, mix it around and douse whatever needs to be marinated generously--the recipe is always slightly different. Be bold, experiment. Empowerment is guesswork with confidence. But no, if I had to guess proportions I would say in descending order: 3 tbsp, 3 tbsp, 3 tbsp, 1/2 lemon, 1 tbsp, 2 tsp, dash, dash, dash, 3 tbsp. Place the mushrooms in the pan you will cook them in, gill side up, pour on top, and let them absorb the marinade. When you are ready to cook them (about 20 minutes before serving) turn them gill side down and cook over a medium flame. When the mushrooms just begin to wrinkle on top they are ready.

Do not buy mushrooms from two different stores. This I sadly discovered to my chagrin. The fresher the mushroom the longer the cooking time. Oh well. Watch for the wrinkles, but not too many because you want a consistency that is at once soft, delicate and sliceable but yet not soggy or overcooked. There is a difference.

Recipe for French Onion Soup in another earlier post, and I won't be going over the Artichokes here...next time.

Pumpkin Mousse

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/pumpkinmousse.htm

I got this from another site (shock!!). Address listed above. I followed it almost accurately, but surprisingly it was the only recipe I could find that was vegetarian (shock!!). But really they all call for gelatin, and we know what that is. Uh huh, ground up horses hooves (gross!!). Never eating jello again right?

I also used my homegrown frozen pumpkin. Because it was homegrown, and because I never put it through a blender or food processor it was a little stringy for my taste.

I have never made mousse before (shock!!), but thought that it would be easy. Maybe I whipped the cream a bit too fiercely but it was too airy for the mousse you get in the restaurants. Do you think they're using gelatin? Another thing for further investigation.

Until then I'll leave you with the mousse recipe I followed:

1.5 cups cooked pumpkin

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup turbinado

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

cook over a medium flame for 5 minutes. cool.

add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.

whip 2 cups whipping cream, to stiff peaks

fold the two mixes together, chill for at least an hour. Serve cool.

Entertaining Part 2

Again tonight we will be entertaining some guests. I'm thinking a meal of courses...an app., a salad, a soup, a main course and a dessert. Does that make five courses? Regardless, I'm not going to try to stick to what's in my fridge because there's nothing in my fridge. As of now all I know is my friend Tara likes red wine, chocolate mousse, steak (clearly not in this establishment) and sweet potato fries. Not much to go on but I will do my best.

Vegetable Oil(s)

I don't really know a lot about vegetable oil and was beginning to become suspicious. If you're reading this, you must have had some of the same paranoia: What is it? Is it edible? Is it safe? So I did some research for us, the paranoid food consumers, label investigators, and overly conscious foodies. Where? Wiki of course. Ok I started there and much of the page was incomprehensible sciency stuff so I read other webpages about vegetable oil and have condensed it here for those of you, like me, who are needing to know what's really up with the ambiguously named vegetable oil.

First of all, check out the label, become a detective. Check ingredients and check out how the oil is processed. Sometimes the label will be just as ambiguous as the name of "vegetable oil" revealing nothing of any use--a blend perhaps, or the clever use of commas and "or". However, sometimes they'll just come right out and tell you it's soybean or some other such oil that doesn't have the same ring of health as "vegetable". I also shall warn you to never buy the cheap stuff. I used it for years in baking but now I know better. That stuff is extracted using a petroleum derivatives, hexane, and some fishy chemical process. Stick to the processing that has been used for centuries, pressing the seeds until the oil comes out.

And that hydrogenated stuff? Another big no-no. Never touch. Lard is probably healthier than that. Though of course I am not advocating for lard. I once was forced by a boss of the local B&B I was working at to use lard in her "traditional family recipe" for biscochitos. I gagged almost the entire time and tried using gloves, to no avail. I touched it. Slimy and disgusting. Never do that either. Back to hydrogenated oils: you can't digest them, they'll make you fat, and there is another ridiculously complicated processing that goes on in production that includes atoms (hydrogen clearly), chemicals and very high heat making this clearly very unnatural and something to be scared of.

There is a reason to be suspicious. In my opinion, cough up the extra few dollars and get yourself a quality oil. Some oils are better for high heat, like coconut, palm and butter. (One day I will do a whole entry extolling the wonders of butter but for now, you must simply forget everything you've ever heard about it being unhealthy and just trust me. Food of the Gods.) Some oils you should never really heat at all like flax oil (see below). Everyone's favorite, EVOO (or extra virgin olive oil for those of you not in the foodie acronym know, elite class) should really only be used at medium heat. If it starts popping at you, it's too high.

Then there's the debate of saturated versus unsaturated. Some saturated fat is probably good for you. I mean, butter and coconut oil is saturated *gasp*. You can't possibly tell me that coconuts are bad for you. It's kindof like when these pharmacy students gave a presentation in our health theory class about the horrors of natural remedies, like grapefruits? Give me a break. People are just scared of getting fat, and no wonder with the obesity epidemic. Then there's also the "polyunsaturated" versus the "monounsaturated". Apparently both will lower your cholesterol, so you probably shouldn't worry about the nuances of specifics. And then there's HDL versus LDL cholesterol, and then I'm just confused. I think the real trick here is to go with what seems the most natural and least processed.

Another important oil related topic is omega 6s versus omega 3s. Most experts (I should ask for their credentials or maybe read their studies because it is a bit fishy) say we need 3s and 6s in equal proportion. Apparently omega 3s are not found in the oils we consume when cooking or baking which are omega 6. Omega 3s are mostly found in fish, but the catch? One would have to consume four pounds of fish daily to consume 3s and 6s in the same proportion. And unless you're a pescaterian (which I am not) that would be really hard to do. The only solution: flax oil. Flax oil is a vegetarian source of omega 3 fatty acids but it tastes slightly revolting and you can't cook with it as it turns rancid. When I was consuming it on a regular basis my skin was literally sparkling. The oil would seemingly seep out of my pores and catch the light--never had better skin in fact. Then my stepmother told me that some famous actress used flax oil to gain weight for some movie and that was it. I couldn't consume it with the same health enthusiast vigor. I now take capsules and notice no real effects on the skin. It's really just a nod to doing the right thing, I don't think one flax oil pill in the morning could possibly do much. (I was consuming about 2 tablespoons a day).

The skinny? Do: pick natural products (no crisco for instance), make sure the processing is also natural (pressed for instance), consume all types of oils, choose reputable brands, read labels and spend the extra buck for a quality product that won't clog your arteries. Don't: consume hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils, lard, four pounds of fish a day (because that's gross), or worry so much about getting fat from oil consumption (as long as it's quality and you're cooking it correctly you have nothing to worry about).

Politics & Policy

Follow this link for a witty and informative year-end piece on food and the inherent impact getting it to our tables by Ari LeVaux, a Placitas, NM resident.

http://www.hcn.org/wotr/2010-the-year-of-food-politics

Entertaining Continued

My friend Ivy says, that the Chinese say, that whatever you do on the first day of the New Year will be what you will be doing the whole year. I sure hope this is true, because I cooked a delicious meal, shared it with friends, made new friends, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. (I know what you're thinking--the Chinese have a totally different calendar...how can you transfer their superstitions? Well, mostly because I've heard it before and second because it encourages us to set an intention or tone for the year to come.)
The challenge was to not buy anything other than what we had in the fridge. Marcos did go out to buy a bottle of wine but that doesn't count because we weren't cooking with it. The menu was stacked polenta with portabello mushrooms, roasted red bell pepper and three cheeses, with a spinach salad on the side. Simple yet elegant. Wouldn't be in the kitchen all day, in fact only started cooking 2 hours before their arrival, and only because I was making the polenta from scratch.

Polenta

I use thick ground corn grits from South Carolina...if you don't have access to such delicacies there is usually a thicker grind grit, hopefully yellow corn, available at your gourmet or natural grocer. When I don't have any available from SC, I either call my Dad to send more or buy them in bulk from my local coop.

1 cup polenta, dry, thick ground corn

Salt (the water and the grits to taste)

Garlic (I used only what was available to me...the innards of a bulb of garlic, just enough:)

Basil, dried about 1 Tbsp

1 quart water (start with 2 cups though and slowly add more)

Boil two cups of water with a couple dashes of salt. When the water is boiling stir in the grits. It is important to stir because if you forget this step your polenta/grits will be lumpy. Add in the garlic, minced. Add in the basil and more salt. Stir again. The water will be absorbed quickly. Add more, stir. Continue adding more water and stirring when necessary. If you don't stir your grits/polenta will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Taste them and add enough salt to make it hard for you not to eat them all right now. Let them stand to cool and dehydrate. Cooking time is about 30 minutes but if you want to cook them a little longer they'll taste even better. You want them to cool and dry out as much as possible so forming them into cakes is easy, also if they're a little too wet the oil will splatter and pop in the pan. Cooking them at night and then refrigerating yields the best results. You can even put them in plastic cylindrical containers that will help form them into the classic polenta shape. Don't use glass because you'll have a time getting them out and the shape thing won't work out. I didn't do this because I wasn't sure what I was cooking exactly...and it was tasty nonetheless.

Now you have to fry them. Simply shape them into cakes, heat the oil in the pan (olive, medium heat, bout a tablespoon), drop them in. Make sure you're wearing an apron to prevent the splatters from marring your clothing. This part will take longer than you think. Don't flip them until they start to brown around the edges and hold together. Don't overcook either as they won't still be moist in the center. But they'll taste great regardless, and your friends will be impressed that you made your own polenta.

I roast my bell peppers over the open gas flame of the stove. If you do not have a gas oven then you have to broil them in the oven. Once the skin starts to blacken, remove from flame and let cool. Remove the skin either by hand or in a brown paper bag (by shaking), do not run them underwater as that removes some of the oils that are so tasty.

Pictured here are also two of the three cheeses I used. Tucumcari Feta and Tucumcari Green Chile Jack. (Both made in Tucumcari, New Mexico) The third was an Amish Blue, quite tasty as an accent cheese.

Sorry for the hand blur in that picture...obviously I wasn't taking the pictures this time, for the most part. You must marinate the mushrooms, this makes them juicy and delicious. I marinated mine in the following..

Mushroom Marinade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 heaping teaspoon of garlic chile oil

3 tbsp. braggs

3 tsp. agave nectar

Lemon juice

2 teaspoons marjoram

water

splash leftover NYE champagne

I think that's all I used. I usually just mix stuff together following the Ayurvedic principles of taste: something salty, something sweet, something spicy, something bitter and something astringent. Works like a charm. Make sure you pour the marinade over the gills of the mushroom and then cover it. I usually have them marinading in the frying pan I will use. You will also cook them in the marinade making them extra tasty. Marinade for at least 20 minutes, cook for about 10 minutes over a medium flame.

Spinach

Spinach was my first layer, the bed of greens. I simply wilt the spinach in a bit of lemon juice, the water left on the leaves from washing and salt and pepper. Make sure to cover the leaves while they cook to maximize the steam. I typically will throw in some garlic but I had already used my supply in the polenta. Oh well, I didn't miss it anyways. Also the wilting of the spinach is only a matter of minutes, if you steam them too long they will start to deteriorate. Wilt only until they all begin to turn a darker green.

Polenta, Portabella, Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Three Cheese Stack

At this point you've done all the prep work and you can just stack it up. Start with the bed of greens, stack one polenta cake, layer with the green chile jack, then the portabella, next feta, then the bell pepper, then the Amish blue, then, if you're a New Mexican, strips of roasted green chile, finally top with another polenta cake (this may not fit exactly so just tilt it onto the side of the stack). If you like your food steaming you should throw the stacks into a warm oven before serving. So tasty...wish I had some pictures that weren't blurry :(

Spinach Salad (per each)

A handful of washed spinach

Chopped carrots

slices of pear

crumbled feta

halved walnuts

Drizzle with olive oil, braggs and cider vinegar for dressing

I know it sounds like I was in the kitchen all day but I wasn't. Started cooking at 5, guests arrived at 7, exactly when I was ready to plate. It may seem like a lot of steps but it's worth it. I even forgot the onions. In the past I have sliced onions so that the circles remain in tact, then fried them on a low heat to caramelize them. This adds a nice slightly gourmet touch. enjoy!