Salmon Chowder With Borage Flowers

It is well into fall; the trees are almost bare and the last leaves will be whisked away with the next winds. The air smells crispy and has a bit of a damp bite. Winter is just around the corner and I have comfort food on the brain. Rich, warm, high in calorie food that makes me feel like I've been wrapped in a blanket of love. Soup sounds good. Soup with salmon, potatoes, onions, cayenne pepper for a touch of heat and of course, don't forget the cream!

The borage that I planted last year reseeded itself in a few of the garden beds and some of the plants are still producing these beautiful blue flowers that have a slight cucumber taste making a bright and tasty garnish for this comforting dish.

Salmon Chowder Recipe

6 servings

3/4 lb salmon, skin removed and cut into 1/2" cubes

1 onion small dice

2 cloves of garlic minced

2 stalks celery small dice

2 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes

1 tsp fresh thyme chopped

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 C white wine

1 1/2 C water

1/2 C cream

1 C clam juice

1 bay leaf 

1 Tbls lemon juice

1/8 C fresh parsley minced

Sauté onion, garlic, celery, pepper and salt for about 6 minutes. Add the potato and continue sautéing for a few more minutes. Add the wine, thyme, cayenne, bay leaf, and water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the salmon, cream, lemon juice and parsley then turn the heat off. Let the soup sit for 5 minutes and the salmon will be cooked beautifully. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice as needed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Super simple and so delicious!

This post is included in Foodie Friday and Tasty Traditions.

Beet Kvass Recipe

This summer and fall I've been growing Red Ace and Touchstone Gold beets. I love beets roasted with olive oil, salt, pomegranate molasses and a few herbs from the garden. They are also wonderful for making kvass, a fermented drink that provides many nutrients, probiotics and cleansing properties to keep a body healthy.

Kvass has an earthy, salty, tangy flavor with a slight hint of sweetness. Then of course, the deep jewel-toned magenta color really appeals to me! Kvass is extremely easy to make and needs just a few ingredients.

Beet Kvass Recipe

1 gallon container with loose fitting lid
550 grams/1.5 lbs beets peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 T salt sea salt
1/4 C whey - you can drain the whey off plain yogurt or use a packet of kefir starter culture
6 1/2 C filtered water

Place all the ingredients into the gallon container and give it a gentle stir. Place the lid on and let it sit at room temperature for a week. Little bubbles will start to form as the fermentation takes place and you might notice a film forming on the surface of the liquid. Use a slotted spoon to gently remove the film. At the end of a 7 days, strain the kvass from the beets and pour into storage containers. Save the beets and 1 cup of kvass to use for one more fermentation cycle.

I enjoy my kvass chilled and drink a 6oz glass in the morning and a one in the evening. I also mix it with mineral water to give it some bubbles.

This post is also a part of Tasty Traditions , Simple Lives Thursdays and Foodie Friday.

yogurt with poached rhubarb and almonds

Yogurt is one of those foods that is satisfying any time of the day. It can be used in many sweet or savory dishes adding a rich tangy creaminess to everything. In my house we make yogurt several times a month and use it in smoothies, eat it with nuts, honey and fruit, and add it to blanched spinach for making borani.

This yogurt dish was inspired by the spring rhubarb plants in my garden that up until now I've had to leave alone to develop roots properly.  Poaching these new spring stalks in a simple syrup with some aromatic orange peel and a vanilla bean makes a wonderful accompanyment when mixed with fresh yogurt. I had wanted to make a rhubarb strawberry pie but we don't have strawberries yet so that will be a story for another time.

For crunchiness add toasted nuts and for a little more
flavor add a little of the sweet poaching liquid.

Yogurt is really very easy to make, so good eat and has the added health benefit of live cultures to help keep you healthy. I like to make yogurt two quarts at a time using a yogurt maker with a water bath incubator, that way I know the incubating temperature with stay constant no matter how cold the temperature of my kitchen.

Here is the recipe:

Slowly bring milk up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, the slow heating keeps the milk proteins from combining to make the milk grainy.

Let the milk cool to 120 degrees.

Use whole milk for richness

Add 1 tablespoon of room temperature yogurt culture for each quart of milk and whisk until combined.

I use plain Greek Gods Yogurt as a culture.

Pour 115 degree water in the incubator and place the milk container in the water.

The milk container sits in a water bath.

Cover and keep warm for about five hours or until set.

Plug this unit in to keep the water warm to promote milk fermentation.

Then you get yogurt!

I like to hang the yogurt to let the whey drain out to get a thicker consistency.  Then place the yogurt in a bowl and whisk until smooth. If you want, use the whey to braise or lacto-ferment vegetables and fruits or as a liquid substitute in baking. 

Use a muslin bag or strainer for hanging yogurt

Poached rhubarb recipe:

2 C rhubarb 1/2" pieces

1 C sugar

1/2 water

3 strips of orange peel about 11/2" wide each

1/2 vanilla bean and seeds

Place sugar, water orange peel and vanilla bean pod and seeds in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil then add rhubarb. Turn heat off and let the mixture sit for an hour and a half. Strain the rhubarb and keep in a covered container until read to use. Save the liquid for more poaching or drizzles a little on top of your yogurt.

This post is shared on Simple Lives Thursday, Tasty Traditions, and Fresh Food Wednesday.

asparagus prosciutto egg and home made noodle sheets

Spring is here and so many good things are starting to happen in the garden. One of the first vegetables to popup out of hibernation is the asparagus and the hens are in full swing laying eggs.  With these welcome taste of spring I was inspired to make this dish of asparagus with prosciutto, poached egg and home made noodle sheets.

This is really a simple combination of ingredients. The noodle sheets are made from a simple pasta dough and instead of cutting the dough into slender noodles, I cut them into small rectangles. Blanch the asparagus in a little salt water, poach an egg, add a little thinly sliced prosciutto and finish it off with olive oil, salt and pepper. Once you break open the egg, the yolk will add rich creaminess to these wonderful spring time flavors

For the pasta:

210g semolina flour

3 lg egg yolk room temp

1 lg egg room temp

1 tsp olive oli

11/2 Tbls water

Mix all ingredients and blend in a mixer with a paddle attachment for five minutes. Gather the dough together in a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Roll the dough through a pasta machine or hand roll. Cut into 3 inch by 5 inch sheets. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender.

For the asparagus:

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and blanch asparagus until just tender. Remove from water and cool. 

For the poached egg:

Bring a pan of water to a boil, turn heat off and gently drop an egg in the water. Cover and let cook for about 3 minutes. Remove egg with slotted spoon.

For the prosciutto:

A couple of slices of a delicious prosciutto

Assemble everything on a plate or in a bowl and enjoy!

This post is included in Simple Lives Thursday, Tasty Traditions and Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up.

Cranberry Meyer Lemon Scones

I love scones and I also love anything with cranberries and citrus. Here is a modified scone recipe from  Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour bakery cookbook.  These scones have lots of cranberries in every bite, and the fresh citrus flavor and aroma from the Meyer Lemons adds a nice zippy twist. Top them with the sweet and tangy glaze for the perfect treat with a cup of coffee or tea.

Scone Mix

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C sugar

1 T baking powder

3/4 t Kosher salt

zest from 2 Meyer Lemons

6 T unsalted butter cut into pea size pieces

1 1/2 C dried cranberries

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1/2 C cream fraiche

1/2 buttermilk

Glaze

juice from the 2 Meyer Lemons

1/3 C sugar

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together eggs, cream fraiche and buttermilk.

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and cranberries in mixing bowl and mix on low speed until ingredients are just combined.

Add the butter and mix until incorporated.

Slowly pour the egg, cream fraiche and buttermilk mixture into the flour and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. There will be dry ingredients on the bottom of the bowl and which can be incorporated by gently turning the dough over by hand and lightly kneading it in the bowl.

Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and press the dough out into an eight to nine inch disc. Cut the disc into 8 pieces and move them apart. Place the parchment paper with scones onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. When done, cool and brush with lemon glaze. Please enjoy!

Asparagus With Mushroom-Cream Sauce

Asparagus is one of my favorite spring time vegetables and this month it has started arriving in the stores. Yea! I found this asparagus with mushroom-cream sauce recipe in the cookbook Simple to Spectacular, by Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman. This book is about starting with a simple recipe and then expanding the basics into more elaborate creations. As an evolving cook, I have found this recipes in this book easy to follow and feel more confident with my everyday cooking. I do love exploring recipes in the book!

Start with these ingredients and in a matter of 15 minutes you get this! I served this delicious dish with a roasted chicken and a glass of wine. This was definitely a comfort meal for me and fitting as we are still being snowed upon in Seattle.

Asparagus With Mushroom-Cream Sauce
From Simple to Spectacular by Jeans-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman

20 asparagus spears (about 1-1.5 lbs)
1 Tbls butter
1 Tbls olive oil
1 lb shiitake mushrooms chopped
2 shallots peeled and minced
1 C heavy cream
2 Tbls dry (fino) sherry
Chives for garnishing

Cream Sauce:

Heat a skillet to medium-high then add the butter and oil. When the butter is melted add the mushrooms, shallots and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mushrooms until they have sweated out their liquid and it begins to evaporate. Add the cream and boil gently, stirring until it becomes thick.

For the asparagus:

Bring a pot of salted water (salty like the sea) to boil. Blanch the asparagus until almost done. Drain and keep warm. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the asparagus and sprinkle with chives.

I hope all of you enjoy this very tasty spring time dish!

This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday.

When Life Gives You Eggs

Now that the chickens are in full swing egg production mode, I've pulled out my Henry Thiele's German Pancake recipe to enjoy a tasty memory from my childhood.

Henry Thiele's was a restaurant in NW Portland many years ago.  My mother use to take us there to eat when we were kids. I was completely surprised when I found the recipe in the Seattle Times in 1992 and am glad to have it today. When eating these, I can remember the delicious smells of the restaurant, the color of the light coming through the windows, the table juke boxes and the warm company of my family.

The ingredients are basics that are easy to find; eggs, cream, flour, salt, butter, powdered sugar and a lemon.

Mix it all together and enjoy!

My pancakes don't turnout quite as fluffy as they should and next time I'll be playing with the amount of cream I add to see if a thinner batter will help the pancakes to rise more. They still taste as good as they did when I was a kid, nostalgia at it's best.

Best Blueberry Muffins Ever!!

I'm in the process of using up my remaining blueberries before the new crop sets in this summer. Muffins are my favorite thing to make with home grown blueberries, and while I have made many a blueberry muffin I have not yet found the perfect recipe, that is until now. My most recent cookbook addition is the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook, by DeDe Lahman and Neil Kleinberg. In it is the most delicious blueberry muffin recipe in the world. I mean IN THE WORLD! There is just enough sugar, a beautiful cake like texture, perfect moisture content, a lightly crunchy topping and plenty of fruity flavor. When you eat one of these muffins you can't help but smile and shake you head in total happiness.

There are also many other wonderful delights is this terrific book!

Just look at all the berries!

Blueberry Crumb Muffins
From the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook

Makes 10 muffins

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (add while frozen)
10 tablespoons Crumb Mix

Crumb Mix

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 stick butter

Place the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, then add sugar, and vanilla.  Add the egg and blend until combined. Add half of the sour cream and mix lightly, then add half of the dry ingredients and mix lightly. Repeat the same process with the remaining sour cream and dry ingredients. Be sure to end with the dry ingredients. Fold in the blueberries until just incorporated and evenly mixed. Spoon the mixture into muffin tin and top each muffin with one tablespoon of the Crumb Mix. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 


This post is part of “Simple Lives Thursday”. 

Dark Days Challenge Lunch - Winter Squash Soup

My first Dark Days Challenge was a simple one. Butternut and acorn squash soup with some homemade bread toasted with cheese. The acorn squash and herbs came from my garden, the butternut squash from a local farmer, with the cream and cheese bought at the Puget Sound Consumer Co-op, I must admit I did used the prepackaged organic chicken broth that I had sitting on my storage shelves in the garage. I feel it is necessary to use what I have on hand before spending money on the local foods. On to the soup!

I recently learned how to peel a butternut squash. The key is to use the tip of a very sharp kitchen knife. It is much easier to guide the tip around the contours of the squash using the end instead of the middle of the knife. Once you get the hang of it, the done can be done quite quickly.

Put the ingredients are in the soup pot and it's about 20 minutes until done!

In the kitchen we have this hand blender that my husband insisted that he have. I thought is was a waste of valuable space and completely unnecessary....until now. This little blender does a fantastic job of pureeing squash for soup and may just become the newest best tool in the place.

Broil the bread, sprinkle with cheese and then enjoy lunch.

This challenge is really making me think about the our food distribution chain and how I, as a consumer need to control my own choices about what I purchase. Thank you Laura at (not so) Urban Hennery for inspiring us with the Dark Days Challenge.

Winter Squash Soup


Adapted from Bon Appétit, December 1996

Serves 8

Soup


1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter


1 large onion, finely chopped


4 large garlic cloves, chopped


3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth


4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme


1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage


1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin


1/2 teaspoon ground ginger


1/8 cup whipping cream

For soup: Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. (This is were I used the hand blender and left the soup in the pot) Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)