Christmas Dinner

On the Menu

Herb-crusted Rib Roast
Mashed yellow potatoes and celeriac (from my CSA stash)
Roasted brussel sprouts
Broccoli sauteed with garlic and olive oil
Turnip and Potato Gratin
Arugula Salad with dijon vinaigrette

Ice cream and sherbet cake

Had a love-filled afternoon cooking with my Mom and then sharing this wonderful meal that we were all so grateful to enjoy.  Present were my Mom and Dad, Jim (my man), Jen (my sis), Johnny (her husband), August (my bro), Sandra (his wife), AJ (my nephew).  We celebrated being together and the spirit of the day.  Thank you all for such a wonderful day.

Here's a clip of the beef waiting to go in the oven:

Feast of the Seven Fishes or Two in Our Case!!

Well, I made it....the cooking and eating frenzy of the past 2-3 days is over for now.  I reflect on all the food my Nana used to make from the scores of baked goods to the multiple course dinners.  As you already know I am half Italian and those are the traditions that I carry forward.  As a young girl, I remembered my grandfather bringing home the salt cod and soaking it for what seemed like days, resulting in bacala (baacaaala as they pronounced it).  And let me tell you, it was gross.  As an adult, I still can't seem to stomach it.  So sadly, those memories will only reside with me...although, I think there is a salt cod story to be told.  My Nana also made stuffed calamari in "gravy" (code for "tomato sauce" in Italian-American households) and served over spaghetti.  Add fried scallops, flounder, shrimp cocktail and I am sure some other fishes.  This was the Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes.

Now that I am the lucky hostess for my family and friends, I can only take the feast so far, as I think it's important to enjoy what you eat.

Our Menu:

So I decided to make a lobster risotto and fried calamari with a caesar salad to celebrate Christmas Eve.  We had 14 people in total - it was simply lovely!!

Lobster Risotto

2-3 1.5 pound lobsters (have them steamed at the fish counter to save you a step)
7 cups chicken broth (heated)
1 stick butter
1 cup of shallots or onions
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
1 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped thyme
1/4 teaspoon of fresh pepper

Remove meat from lobster, cut into bite-sized pieces.

Heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add shallots and cook until tender.  Stir in rice and stir until coated with oil about 2 minutes.   Add the wine and stir until the wine is cooked off and absorbed. Add the broth one ladle at time, stirring constantly until the broth is absorbed.  (My Mom's hint:  It's time to add more broth when your spoon creates a track in the rice.) Continue adding broth until rice is fluffy, tender and creamy.   Next add the parmesan, lemon juice, pepper and thyme.  And finally, add the lobster until warm.  Enjoy!!  This will serve 6-8 people.

Here's a very homemade video:

Homemade Hostess/Holiday Gifts on Newschannel 13

When I was a making caramels, struffoli and spiced nuts yesterday and then packaging them prettily for the segment, my thoughts were all over the map..."hope they taste good - but wait - you can't taste things on TV, well then they have to look GOOD - oh, dear, I have to package all these goodies I just made..."  And of course it is that anxiety and adrenalin that propels me and prepares me.  It's like studying for a final exam - if you are prepared, you'll do OK.

And, so I present you with my most recent TV spot.  I had a blast.  Thank you Mom.  Thank you Jim for assisting me.  Couldn't do it without my "wing men!!"

Recipes for Newschannel 13 (Albany NY) - Saturday Morning 12/19 - Hostess Gifts

Here are the recipes for the spiced nuts, struffoli and caramels that I am (have) packaging(ed) on TV tomorrow morning December 19th at 8.40 - tune in if you can.  I will be posting video tips later along with the segment clip as well.  Wish me luck!!  Good night for now!!

Struffoli

Growing up in a three generation household with my Italian grandparents was a gift.  My Christmas time memories are so vivid.  My grandmother set up a round folding table with a green wool skirt with a beautiful green and red embroidered linen topper where she displayed all her Christmas treats.  I would sneak in and “steal” a ball off her honey wreaths and pray she wouldn’t notice.  I’m sure she knew but she never let on....

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Zest of 1/2 orange

Pinch of salt

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla or grappa or limoncella

canola oil for deep frying (about 2 cups)

2 cups honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and add eggs and vanilla.  Slowly incorporate using your fingers.  Gather into a ball and let rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.  Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat (to test temperature - toss small piece of dough - when it sizzles vigorously - it’s ready!!) Grab a golf ball sized ball of dough and roll it between your hands so it forms into a rope about 1/3” in diameter.  Then cut rope into 1/3” pieces.  Fry the balls in batches.  Place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Once the balls are done, begin making the honey syrup.  Heat the honey, sugar and water in a large saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved then turn up the heat until the liquid boils and bubbls.  When the foam dies down and the mixture has darkened (all takes about 4 minutes +/-), take off the heat and add the fried balls.

Using a slotted spoon, remove honey balls and arrange on a lightly oiled piece of wax or parchment paper.  My grandmother used a glass to form the center of a wreath and put balls all around and then sprinkle with candied fruit or nuts.  She brought the struffoli wreaths to all her friends and relatives when they visited them during the holidays - a lovely tradition!!

Spicy Curried Walnuts 

These have been in my Mom’s and my stable of winners for years.  They make excellent bar treats, great hostess gifts and are fantastic in a salad.

1 lb walnut halves

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

First you need to blanch walnuts for about a minute in boiling water. Drain and toss well with sugar and oil. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Spread walnuts in a single layer and place in the middle of the oven. Check and turn the walnuts every 7-10 minutes until golden. I find the process is about 25 minutes but be careful - one extra minute can turn your golden nuts black. Remove golden nuts and put in a large bowl. Mix all spices and then toss with the warm nuts. Spread nuts in a single layer to cool. Once cool, store in a sealed container and Enjoy!!

Christmas Caramels

I am inspired this season to be a mad baker and maker of yummy edible gifts. I've got my plan and I will share with you as I prepare each goodie. But for whatever reason, I decided to go off my list when I was paging through December's Country Living Magazine and make Butter and Cream Caramels and yes they are an indulgence extraordinaire. I'll need to go for a good long jog to keep these off my hips...but what are the holidays if not for eating lots of amazing food!! Here's the recipe with my comments and tweaks, of course!!

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

canola oil for greasing

candy thermometer

Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and brush with canola oil.

In a medium saucepan over high heat cook the sugar without stirring until it begins to melt and boil at which time you can stir slowly with a metal spoon until melted (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and add cream. The sugar will harden almost immediately. Then add in the butter and corn syrup. Attach candy thermometer and return saucepan to stove over low heat, stirring occasionally for around 30 minutes until mixture liquefies. (This is a challenging spot as it seems as though it will never happen and then it just does.) Once that happens, turn the heat up and cook caramel mixture until the thermometer reaches 238 degrees F.

Remove from stove and stir in the vanilla. Then pour into prepared 8 x8 pan. Cool caramel for at least 30 minutes, lift from pan, remove foil and place on an oiled cutting board. Using an oiled knife, cut caramel into 1" squares. (I found it worked best when the caramel had sat for a while on the cutting board and when I ran my knife under hot water and then oiled it - the caramel did not stick to the knife.)

Wrap the individual pieces in 4 x 4 wrappers and then package them in a larger plastic bag with pretty ribbon.

Christmas Caramels

I am inspired this season to be a mad baker and maker of yummy edible gifts. I've got my plan and I will share with you as I prepare each goodie. But for whatever reason, I decided to go off my list when I was paging through December's Country Living Magazine and make Butter and Cream Caramels and yes they are an indulgence extraordinaire. I'll need to go for a good long jog to keep these off my hips...but what are the holidays if not for eating lots of amazing food!! Here's the recipe with my comments and tweaks, of course!!

1 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

canola oil for greasing

candy thermometer

Line an 8 x 8 pan with foil and brush with canola oil.

In a medium saucepan over high heat cook the sugar without stirring until it begins to melt and boil at which time you can stir slowly with a metal spoon until melted (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and add cream. The sugar will harden almost immediately. Then add in the butter and corn syrup. Attach candy thermometer and return saucepan to stove over low heat, stirring occasionally for around 30 minutes until mixture liquefies. (This is a challenging spot as it seems as though it will never happen and then it just does.) Once that happens, turn the heat up and cook caramel mixture until the thermometer reaches 238 degrees F.

Remove from stove and stir in the vanilla. Then pour into prepared 8 x8 pan. Cool caramel for at least 30 minutes, lift from pan, remove foil and place on an oiled cutting board. Using an oiled knife, cut caramel into 1" squares. (I found it worked best when the caramel had sat for a while on the cutting board and when I ran my knife under hot water and then oiled it - the caramel did not stick to the knife.)

Wrap the individual pieces in 4 x 4 wrappers and then package them in a larger plastic bag with pretty ribbon.

I gave one to Jim to test and he's already addicted as I caught him taking a couple for "dessert."

Baking with Mom

I have always envied my Mom because she baked whenever she was stressed, worried, or frustrated. And the gorgeous and delicious goodies she produced were and still are phenomenal!! My Mom is a cookbook collector; she reads them as if they were page-turning thrillers. The by-product of such a habit is a stack of recipes that she must "try." And boy does she "try" them - she pretty much produces a picture perfect attempt every time. Some she discards as, "it sounded better than it tastes." And some become part of the recipe war chest. Her arsenal of winners. And lucky for me, I am related to a veritable test kitchen. I can just assume one of her tested recipes and whip it up knowing that it will be a success.

One of these recipes is a Nutella Pound Cake. Exactly, I know what you are thinking - could this really be that good. The answer - it is show stopping delicious!

Mom and I got together on Sunday to bake up some cakes (date nut spice and Nutella cakes) for client and hostess gifts.

Here's the recipe for Nutella Heaven as I have renamed it:

4 eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 stick butter, softened

1 13 ounce jar of Nutella

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan. Lightly beat eggs with vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a hand mixer in a large bowl until fluffy. At low-to-medium speed gradually beat in egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in batches, beating at low speed. Spread 1/3 of batter in prepared loaf pan, then spread 1/2 of Nutella on top. Repeat with another 1/3 of batter and the remaining Nutella, topping with the last 1/3 of batter. Lightly swirl Nutella into batter but be careful not to over mix. Bake cake 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes. Then remove from pan and let cool for another 2 hours on a wire rack.

And then ENJOY!!!!

Time Thief - How did 2+ months go by?

Ever wonder where the time goes? My mind is still in September but my body is in early December. Somehow I managed to operate at warp speed, get new clients, do another TV segment on WNYT - Newschannel 13 out of Albany, harvest our first meat chickens, attend my high school reunion, host the family for Thanksgiving, begin a jogging program along with a core strengthening pilates program...are you tired yet?

So how do I blog on a regular basis - how do I catch you up on all the yummy meals I have made in the last 2 months? Well I'll start with sharing my TV segment - Heirloom Trick or Treats.

Canning Workshop - Many Hands Make for Light Work

In the photo from left to right: Me, Jim Finnerty, Judith Lerner, Jacque Metsma, Carol Way, Kevin Charlton, Doreen, Sandy, DonaSenecal, Margot and Serene Mastrianni.

My grandmother's wisdom was evident on Thursday night (the 17th) when I hosted a canning workshop for Berkshire Grown's "Preserving the Bounty" month when 10 people diligently chopped, diced or minced 20 lbs of tomatoes, 5 lbs of onions, 10 green peppers, 20 jalapenos, 20 cloves of garlic and 2 dozen ears of corn in 30-40 minutes. If I had taken on the task by myself, which I frequently do, it would have been hours.

Anyhow, what fun we had! And the result was 40 pints of corn and black bean salsa. Here's the recipe for about 1/5 of what made:

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

4 lbs tomatoes, chopped and drained

2 1/2 cups onions, chopped

1 1/2 cups green peppers

1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 cup canning salt

1/3 cup vinegar

1 (15 ounce) tomato sauce

1 (12 ounce) tomato paste

1 (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh corn kernels

Equipment: boiling water canner,canning jars, canning funnel, rubber spatula, jar lifter and/or tongs

First, prepare your jars as follows:

Place cans on rack of boiling water canner, add water until the pint jars are about 2/3rds full. Cover and bring to a simmer. This process kills any bacteria. In a small saucepan, place the lids - the flat, round piece, cover and bring to a simmer. The screw bands do not need to sterilized.

Then, start your vegetables:

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occassinally for about 5 minutes.

Now you are ready to start canning your salsa:

One jar at a time, remove from canner, pouring hot water back into canner, place jar on flat heat-resistant surface. Ladle salsa into jar leaving about a half inch of headspace, wipe the rim and threads with a paper towel. ( This is important to make sure vacuum seal can occur). Lift a hot lid with your tongs and place on jar and then screw the lid with your fingertips until tight. Place back in canner with tongs. Repeat until done.

Cover all jars with additional water by an inch or so. Cover canner and bring to a boil. The boiling must be continuous and rapid for 15 minutes. Remove lid, let sit for about 5 minutes or so. Remove jars without tilting, place jars on a towel in a draft-free spot and allow to cool for 24 hours. Store in a cool dark place for up to a year.

This recipe will yield about 6 pint jars. Enjoy!!

Here's my Corn Relish News Clip

I had a ton of fun preparing and then being on a news segment on Channel 13 in Albany, NY.

What was quite interesting was that when I arrived in the studio at 7.30 in the morning lugging all my props - pots, ramekins, all stages of corn relish, I was actually expecting to get some guidance. They pointed me to the studio kitchen, and told me to go ahead and get set up.

So I diligently got everything staged, styled and ready. I had marked each of my ramekins with masking tape and the amount of the ingredients so if I got "stage fright" I would be able to sail through without a hitch. But I kept waiting for the producer or someone to come over and tell me what they would like to cover, how much time we had etc. So I stood there with all my nervous energy, waiting and wondering when it would be my turn.

And then, someone came over and gave me the microphone. I thought, "Ok, next someone will give me a little coaching." Then the bright lights were pointed at me, the camera rolled over and there was a commercial break. The news anchor came over, asked me how to pronounce my name and a little about Preserving the Bounty and 4,3,2,1..."Welcome back to....we've got Carole Murko in the studio with us today - tell us what do you plan on showing us"...and I was off ...winging it, having fun, answering questions, trying to do a food demo... and in what felt like 10 seconds it was over...."but wait, I'm not done!" I am thinking....

So, enjoy the clip - it was actually more like 4 minutes, not 10 seconds and I loved every minute of it. Hope they ask me back to do more!!

Am I Nuts?

Maybe yes, maybe no? But I am always willing to try new things and explore the possibilities that an opportunity may be right around the corner. I guess that is what makes me both an optimist and entrepreneur. So when my friend Joanna Roche asked me to help out one of her clients who has a neat line of handbags (some even for knitting and needlework projects) I had to help out. (check out www.lexiebarnes.com) Lexie was debuting her bags at Fashion Week in NYC and needed sponsors and support for her "press lounge" where she hosted a "knitting lounge." So I had to come up with something for the goodie bags well knowing that the rail thin models and weight-obsessed industry would be at the receiving end. So nuts seemed to fit the bill. And I, of course, thought this could be a fun way to get the word out about Heirloom Meals and my quest for sponsors or strategic partners. Finger are crossed for Lexie and me - two independent, creative women with a dream!!

By the way - my nuts are hardly dietetic - but a small bag is really quite satisfying.

So here's my recipe for Spicy Curried Walnuts. They make excellent bar treats, great hostess gifts and are fantastic in a salad.

1 lb walnut halves

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

First you need to blanch walnuts for about a minute in boiling water. Drain and toss well with sugar and oil. Let stand for about 10 minutes.

Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper. Spread walnuts in a single layer and place in the middle of the oven. Check and turn the walnuts every 7-10 minutes until golden. I find the process is about 25 minutes but be careful - one extra minute can turn your golden nuts black. Remove golden nuts and put in a large bowl. Mix all spices and then toss with the warm nuts. Spread nuts in a single layer to cool. Once cool, store in a sealed container and Enjoy!!

Preparing for my News Spot - Corn Relish

Saturday, September 5th is fast approaching and I am diligently preparing for the food demo I will be doing on NBC's Albany affiliate Channel 13, WNYT - the morning show with Jessica Layton at 8 am.

Here's a sneak peek at my recipe. I am doing a batch today for practice and propping - you know - the magic of television.

Corn Relish

4 cups white wine vinegar

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 Tbsp salt

8 cups corn kernels, either fresh or frozen

4 cups red and green pepper, seeded and diced

1 3/4 cups celery, diced

1 cup onion finely chopped

2 Tbsp dry mustard

2 tsp celery seeds

2 tsp ground tumeric

2 Tbsp Clearjel (a thickener) Available on www.kingarthurflour.com

1/4 cup water

Equipment: boiling water canner,canning jars, canning funnel, rubber spatula, jar lifter and/or tongs

First, prepare your jars as follows:

Place cans on rack of boiling water canner, add water until the pint jars are about 2/3rds full. Cover and bring to a simmer. This process kills any bacteria. In a small saucepan, place the lids - the flat, round piece, cover and bring to a simmer. The screw bands do not need to sterilized.

Then, start your vegetables:

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Next add the corn, peppers, celery and onion. Continue stirring and keep the mixture boiling. Stir in the mustard, celery seed and tumeric. Separately, in a small bowl, make a paste out of the water and Clearjel and then add it to corn mixture. Stir frequently and gently boil until it mounds on your spoon (about 5 minutes.)

Now you are ready to start canning your relish:

One jar at a time, remove from canner, pouring hot water back into canner, place jar on flat heat-resistant surface. Ladle relish into jar leaving about a half inch of headspace, wipe the rim and threads with a paper towel. ( This is important to make sure vacuum seal can occur). Lift a hot lid with your tongs and place on jar and then screw the lid with your fingertips until tight. Place back in canner with tongs. Repeat until done.

Cover all jars with additional water by an inch or so. Cover canner and bring to a boil. The boiling must be continuous and rapid for 15 minutes. Remove lid, let sit for about 5 minutes or so. Remove jars without tilting, place jars on a towel in a draft-free spot and allow to cool for 24 hours. Store in a cool dark place for up to a year.

This recipe will yield about 6 pint jars. Enjoy!!

Preserving the Bounty

I have exciting news!! As many of you know I am on the board of Berkshire Grown. (www.berkshiregrown.org). Berkshire Grown has designated the month of September to "preserving the bounty" and many of the restaurant members and myself agreed to host workshops. My workshop is on September 17th and we'll be making corn and black bean salsa and, warm bath preserving kale or other fall greens. As part of the promotion, Channel 13, the NBC Albany affiliate, will be doing 2 segments. And, here's the news, I will be doing a 4-5 minute demo on air this coming Saturday, September 5th at 8 am.

I am gearing up and trying to hone in what I will do on the segment. I am most comfortable with tomato canning and was reminiscing about last year's tomato harvest and my jars of tomato sauce, salsa and ketchup so I thought I would share my tomato sauce recipe for old times sake:

Nana's Basic Tomato Sauce

Rule of thumb - 5lbs of tomatoes yields one quart of sauce.

Other tools: boiling water canner,canning jars, canning funnel, rubber spatula, jar lifter and/or tongs, fine sieve or food mill

Citric Acid (available where you buy canning supplies)

Wash and cut up tomatoes, place in stainless steel saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon crush tomatoes to release juices. Boil until tomatoes are soft and then remove from heat. In batches, press tomatoes through a fine sieve (what my grandmother used) or a food mill (what I use) which removes the seeds and skin. Return the skinless, seedless tomatoes to the saucepan over medium to high heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 for a nice medium thick sauce.

Meanwhile, you can be getting your cans ready - place cans on rack of boiling water canner, add water to until the pint jars are about 2/3rds full. Cover and bring to a simmer. This process kills any bacteria. In a small saucepan, place the lids - the flat, round piece, cover and bring to a simmer. The screw bands do not need to sterilized.

Now you are ready to start canning your sauce. One jar at a time, remove from canner, pouring hot water back into canner, place jar on flat heat-resistant surface. For a quart, add 1/2 tsp citric acid, then place funnel in jar, ladle sauce into jar leaving about a half inch of headspace, wipe the rim and threads with a paper towel. ( This is important to make sure vacuum seal can occur). Lift a hot lid with your tongs and place on jar and then screw the lid with your fingertips until tight. Place back in canner with tongs. Repeat until done.

Cover all jars with additional water by an inch or so. Cover canner and bring to a boil. The boiling must be continuous and rapid for 40 minutes. Remove lid, let sit for about 5 minutes or so. Remove jars without tilting, place jars on a towel in a draft-free spot and allow to cool for 24 hours. Store in a cool dark place for up to a year.

Invite friends as the process is fun but laborious. My grandmother used to say many hands make for light work. We didn't add seasoning as my grandmother liked to use the basic sauce as her blank canvas to embellish as she used it for different dishes.

....but what shall I do for the demo - beets? raspberries? Stay tuned!!

Broccoli Harvest and a Cool Day

Nothing like a raw, unseasonably cool day to make me want to make soup. And fortunately, I had every single ingredient I needed on hand AND it was farm fresh....broccoli we just picked from our garden, leeks, carrots and garlic from the CSA and High Lawn Farm heavy cream. I even had vegetable broth in the freezer awaiting just this confluence of events. So, I figure when the food gods line up like that then I have no choice.....

Here's the recipe for Cream of Broccoli Soup - out of my Mom's archives of recipes with a note on top that says, "excellent." Oh and Julia Child would be proud - I used butter and heavy cream :-)

9 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups leeks, minced

1 1/2 cups carrots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 1/2 heads broccoli, cut into small florets

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 pinches cayenne pepper or to taste

1 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, garlic. Cook until tender but be sure not to brown (about 5 minutes).

Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli. Cook 8-10 minutes until the broccoli is tender.

Pour the soup into a processor (may need to do in batches) and process until veggies are finely chopped but not pureed. Pour soup back into pot. Stir in cream, celery seed and salt and pepper. Reheat before serving or freeze in batches as you await another cool day!!

Enjoy!

Serves 8-10.

ps You can leave out the cream entirely or exchange it for half and half or milk. When using great ingredients it's divine any way you eat it. I've got my 13 year old step son that prefers the heavy cream!!

Blueberry Indulgence

These past two weeks are among my favorite - the pick your own blueberry farms are open and blueberries abound at most farm stands and farmer's markets.  And of course I stuff my face until my mouth is blue, reveling in all the antioxidants this dark super food is delivering to my body. But I also love to bake with them.  One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid in the summer was to bake blueberry muffins or blueberry coffee cake.

Here is one that uses yogurt for an even more healthful indulgence:

Blueberry Yogurt Coffee Cake

This recipe has been in our stable of recipes as far back as I can remember. My Mom and grandmother made certain there was always yummy homemade baked goods in the house. This was a special weekend breakfast treat.  I used to view it as breakfast dessert.  We were big yogurt eaters so it’s not surprising that we baked with yogurt. I now love the new flavors like banilla that add a special twist - but plain usually does the trick!

For the Topping

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut up

For the Cake

8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9 x13 baking dish.  Using a fork, blend topping ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Cream the butter, brown sugar and egg (I do it by hand with a fork, but a mixer works wonders!) Add baking soda, flour, yogurt and vanilla and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.  Pour cake batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle berries over top and gently push into batter and then sprinkle sugar topping over all.

Bake 45-50 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Life on the Farm

I have been absent from my blog for a few weeks.  I have so much to report. Some happy, some very sad.  I'll start with the sad.  Around midnight Sunday, my border collie, Burtee began barking which alerted me to some banging in the barn.  I got my flashlight and saw my horse Valkyrie rolling furiously.  And I knew it was colic....Jim and I rushed to the barn to get her up to no avail. We called the vet (Dr. Stephanie, a beautiful compassionate young woman) who was out on another emergency and said she could come right over.  She arrived around 1 am and we tried a stronger muscle relaxer and pain killer and got Valkyrie up.  The Doc did not like what she found when she did the internal exam and suggested emergency surgery.  Alas with no trailer available at 2.30 am and a 2 hour drive to Tufts, we were disheartened and confused. Our only option was to keep her pain free and pray that she would feel better.  Dr. Stephanie left us with medicine to help us get to daylight and to reach my friend with a trailer.  She returned at 7.15 am and Valkyrie had gotten worse.  It pained us to see her suffer for one more minute and we had to make the decision to euthanize her.  It was truly one of the saddest heart-breaking moments that I have had on this farm or in life.  I have had a heavy heart for the last few days. I pray that my dear sweet Valkyrie lives on in the divine world from where horses are known to come.  

I observed the other horses were painfully aware that something happened to their friend and one's mother. The baby (who is now three) whinnied for her mother and the other two horses expressed such compassion and love.  They circled Gaefa, kissed her, groomed her and have not left her side.  The herd is in mourning but they are supporting each other - their behavior has helped lift my sadness.

But before all this sadness, new living creatures have joined life on the farm.  On June 27th we welcomed three Scottish Highland cattle - Julia, a three-year old, Delilah, a 9 month old and an unnamed 9 month old bull.  I will write more on our new herd, our intention to raise grass-fed beef and the experience of this new journey.  And last Tuesday the 7th we got 12 new egg layer chicks and 12 broiler chicks.  

Life on the farm places the realities of the cycle of life front and center.  I am not sure that I factored that into our decisions to get farm animals, but it has both sobered and strengthened me.  Somehow I think the barnyard has a lot more yet to teach me.

Concocted a Roasted Turnip Soup for These Cool June Days

The CSA's are turning out a fine crop of spring harukai turnips and swiss chard and I thought I would take a page out of my grandmother's book and concoct a recipe for turnip soup.  You can use the basic premises of this recipe to turn many veggies into soup. Give this one a try - my family gobbled it up and I need to make more!!

Roasted Turnip Soup with Swiss Chard

4 Harukai Turnips - the root part only, sliced

6 Shallots - diced

4 Cloves Garlic - minced

1-2 Teaspoons fresh thyme - minced

Salt and Pepper to Taste

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 Cups chicken or Vegetable Broth

1/4 or so Half and Half or Heavy Cream - depends on how indulgent you want to be

1/2-1 Cup of Swiss Chard - chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine first six ingredients, place in roasting pan and roast for 25-30 minutes until tender and golden.  Transfer into saucepan, add broth.  Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat to a simmer and puree until smooth with an immersion blender if you have one. (Otherwise use a blender or a food processor.) Add in half and half and finish off with the chopped swiss chard. Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.

Hint:  If you can resist not eating it immediately, the flavors really meld together nicely overnight for an ever tastier treat the next day!!  Make enough and freeze for cool fall day.

Enjoy!!

Broccoli Rabe and Bitter Greens - the Italian Way

Ever since I was a little kid, there was one aroma that suggested healthy. That aroma was the combination of olive oil, chopped garlic and broccoli rabe or bitter greens.  And believe you me, it smelled oh so good.  Sadly for a kid, the taste of bitter greens did not measure up to the tantalizing aromas that sent my olfactories into sensory overload.

Fast forward to adulthood -  I can now appreciate the double sensory pleasure of the aromas and the taste.  And 'tis the season for such indulgences.  I picked up beautiful bunches of broccoli rabe and bitter greens from both of the CSA's to which I belong (www.indianlinefarm.com and www.farmgirlfarm.com).

Here's a quick and easy way to whip up those flavors and aromas yourself:

Broccoli Rabe or Bitter Greens

1-2 T Olive Oil

2-3 Cloves of Chopped Garlic

Pinch Red Hot Pepper Flakes

2-3 Bunches of Broccoli Rabe or 1/2-3/4 lb Bitter Greens

For the Broccoli rabe, my Mom always stripped the leaves and flowers from the stem as she found it hastens the steaming time (and the stems are often tough.) 

Wash thoroughly but it is not necessary to dry.  Place sauce pan on medium flame, heat the olive oil, add  garlic until lightly golden (watch not to burn the garlic), then add your pinch of red pepper flakes and then the greens (broccoli rabe or bitter greens).  Stir gently and place lid on pan to steam for 15-20 minutes.  If it looks too dry, add a little water so it steams nicely.

Serve with a couple of nice pieces of italian bread and enjoy!

Food, Inc. - It's time to go back to the old ways

I am not a movie critic.  What I am is a home cook and a consumer of food.  As you get to know me, you will learn that my childhood upbringing has deeply impacted my attitudes about food.  My grandfather was a butcher in the 1940's and 1950's. I remember the McDonalds jingle, "McDonalds is my kind of place, it's such as happy place" and their plea to look for the golden arches.  As kids we so wanted to go to McDonalds.  But my grandfather did not allow us to eat McDonalds (and we felt like outcasts).  He said with a distasteful look on his face, "It's not real meat - it's worse than horse meat."  How lucky I was to have him!! What a sage man.  He knew. He witnessed how the meat industry had changed.  He was no longer connected to the farmers that provided meat to his shop so he closed his shop. He knew.

So, as I sat through the movie, in tears at times, enraged and disgusted at other times, I knew I wanted to write about it. It hit many of my pet peaves like "there are no seasons" in the grocery store and tomatoes are ripened with ethylene gas, not the sun.  Monoculture factory farms are horrifying and the treatment of the animals and the laborers beyond words.  It made me feel happy and proud about my choices to be a member of 2 CSA's (community supported agriculture), grow a vegetable garden, can and preserve the local harvest, buy local grass fed beef and lamb from farmers that I know on land where I can see their livestock graze. 

It has also made my conviction about Heirloom Meals even stronger.  The US may not have a food culture but most of us had/have a food culture handed down to us through the generations. Dust off those recipes, talk to your grandparents, great aunts and uncles, parents. Let's get back to the home cooked meal with real ingredients.  Let's demand that food stores provide those choices.  I agree with Gary Hirshberg of Stoneyfield Farm Yogurt - we should all vote with our purchases at the grocery store.  Choose organic or locally grown.  Choose healthy eating and sharing meals.  And demand to know your farmer!!  

Please see this movie.  You can see the trailer here.

Eggs-A-Plenty - And Happy Chickens produce Amazing Eggs!!!

One of my favorite chickens is named the “Growler” for her distinct growly voice. She has found her own nightly perch in the rafters of our horse shelter. She lays blue eggs. Upon rising, she jumps down and greets me at the back door for her special treats – stale bread, strawberry hulls etc before I open the chicken house and feed her sisters (all named, of course).

The Growler and her sisters roam freely (at their peril) all day – scratching the underbrush, eating bugs in my flower garden, and in particular, love the horse pasture – especially the worms in the manure. They run up and down the hills, take long luxurious dust baths and drink from a natural spring. 

Why do I tell you all of this? Because real free-range chicken eggs (better stated as "pasture-raised" chicken eggs) are AMAZING!! Their flavor is robust; their yolks the color of the setting sun; and their shapes, sizes and color are all unique.

Try one of my favorite recipes handed down from my mother: Cheese Soufflé 
Ingredients: 
1lb grated cheese (preferably cheddar)
4 oz. flour
12 oz. milk
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
4 oz. butter
salt and pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make a white sauce with the flour and milk. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl. Then add the yolks 2 at a time to the cheese mixture. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Place in a buttered soufflé pan. Place pan in another pan of hot water and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Excellent with a salad.

Heirloom Meals is a Tribute to my Mom and Nana

Today is a special day for Mother's and their children. Just preparing this inaugural blog post has brought a flood of tears to my eyes. I grew up in a family where the kitchen and food was the center of the universe, and would ultimately be the place that I am the most happy and comfortable.

Of course, I didn't know that growing up. I took handmade food for granted, doting parents and grandparents as a nuisance and their food as overkill (typical kid, right!) Despite that, I was forever in the kitchen, watching and helping Nana making ravioli from scratch, stirring the pots, making sauces and treats because I did really want to be just like them!!

So as I navigate through adulthood and have sampled several careers from finance to interior design, it is the kitchen that beckons. And it is a craving for those meals and those memories that has brought me to the development of Heirloom Meals - a soon-to-be TV show/series,cookbook and website that provides a culinary journey into the kitchens and gardens of anyone who has a treasured family recipe(s) with the goal of exploring our diverse culinary history and preserving our ancestors’ tried and true recipes and dining traditions.

My goal is to only use local and in season ingredients. We will explore old wives tales leading to some of the great recipes and concoctions and explore the connection between food, farming, the earth, nutrition and family life.

This a show dedicated to my grandmother and my mother, my teachers. There wasn’t a day in my life growing up that fresh home-cooked meals were absent. As a very young girl I would stand by my grandmother’s side and watch her make pasta from scratch, roll it out, cut it into ravioli, spaghetti etc, make manicotti crepes that are so light and fluffy you might think they were French crepes – I think there’s an episode here! When I grew up in the late 60’s and even the 70’s there was still a butcher shop where we would go for the freshest of meats and poultry (owned by my grandfather’s cousin, Johnny Pippi) My grandfather was a butcher at one time and before that he owned an apple farm in Claverack NY, which he lost during the Great Depression.

My point with all this is that they didn’t teach me per se; - I observed, participated, listened and learned by being part of the process of cooking the family meal.

Come along on the journey while I raise the funds to produce the show, write my cookbook, post to this blog and develop the website. And please send me your recipes and stories so I can share them and build them into the content.

Thank you and Enjoy!!