Let the Locavores Eat Cake!
Moist, sweet and laced with tart cranberries, this healthy cake staved off my winter blues by perfuming the house with its spices. It’s a relative of pumpkin bread, but with the locavore edge —local butternut squash, eggs, butter, apple and regional cranberries—all widely available during the cold months. (I even threw in some local whole wheat flour from my grain CSA.) This rustic dessert is perfect for a buffet brunch, after school snack, or book group treat with a pot of tea. And don’t be put off by having to roast the squash, see the “Tips on Butternut” below.
—Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Spiced Butternut Cranberry Squares
1 2 pound (or more) butternut squash
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil)
3 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger and allspice
(or 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 apple, unpeeled, chopped
1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the whole unpeeled squash on a baking sheet until quite soft, 45 to 1 an hour. Slit lengthwise; remove seeds, stringy bits, and skin, then discard. (You can save the seeds, if you like. Just rinse, dry and toast in a dry pan until crispy. Serve salted.) Puree the orange flesh in a food processor. If you cooked a larger squash, measure out 2 cups for the recipe and enjoy the rest for dinner.
2. Mix the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add the squash and eggs, stirring well until thoroughly combined. Reserve.
3. Whisk together the flours, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt in another bowl.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet squash mixture and stir just until thoroughly combined. Mix in the apples and cranberries very briefly just to combine. (You can chop the apple in the food processor, if you like.)
5. Pour the batter into a lightly oiled and floured 8 X 8 baking pan. Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from pan, cool, then cut into squares to serve.
Tips on Butternut Squash:
For this recipe, you’ll roast the butternut whole, which I much prefer to peeling it, both for its flavor and ease of preparation. But it can take up to 1 hour to cook. So, if you’re short on time, roast it the day before. (If you can’t, peel, seed and steam it, then puree to make 2 cups.) The truth is, I’m always looking for good things to do with roasted butternut. It’s a staple that I like to keep around for soups or a seasoned side dish. My favorite is Easy Orange Mashers: Just mix the warm pureed flesh with a seasonings to taste—a touch of cayenne, salt, butter and ginger juice, made by generously grating unpeeled fresh ginger, then squeezing it through your hands or a cheesecloth.
So, while you’re roasting the butternut for this recipe,why not throw a buddy squash in the oven to serve later in the week?
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 03/11/10 at 08:20 AM • Permalink
Shu Mai On My Mind
Most of us are so used to frozen or defrosted shrimp that “seasonal shrimp” sounds as oxymoronic as jumbo shrimp. But they do exist. I recently found these Maine babies at the supermarket and at Rubiner’s in Great Barrington, where they should be available for another month or so. You can use them whole and unpeeled for a shrimp boil. However, with their softer texture and slightly sweet flavor, these winter gifts lend themselves beautifully to light and subtle dumplings.
Shu mai—savory fillings of fish, chicken or veggies, spiked with Asian seasonings and bundled in thin dumpling wrappers—have been in my recipe repertoire since my early 20’s. Once I even held a dumpling party for close friends. Guests made their own from a selection of fillings, then I steamed them and served them with a wok full of stir-fried veggies and plenty of beer. This recipe makes 25-30, serving 2-3 for dinner with vegetables or a salad, or many more as appetizers. —Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Shu Mai
1 lb shrimp
1/2 cup finely grated cabbage
1 scallion, white and green, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coarsely grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
l teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
Generous pinch sugar
¼ sea or kosher salt, or to taste
1 carrot, diced, optional
25-30 dumpling wrappers, round or, if square, with the corners cut off
Sauce
1/2 cup lemon or lime juice
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Generous pinch cayenne
l. Puree about 3/4 of the shrimp in the food processor until smooth. Remove with a spatula to a medium bowl. Add the rest of the shrimp and pulse to chop. Add to the bowl. Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the shrimp.
2. Lay out about 10 dumpling wrappers at a time. Put about a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each. Bring the wrapper up on four sides to form a loose four lobed cloverleaf, then press each round lobe firmly toward the filling to form an open cupcake-like dumpling with the filling exposed at the top. Lift each and pat on the counter to create a base. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (Don’t worry, they don’t have to look perfect, just press around the sides so they won’t fall apart.) If you like, put one or more diced carrot pieces on the top of each dumpling.
3. Arrange the dumplings about 1/2 inch apart in concentric circles on an oiled or cabbage leaf lined steamer. Steam the dumplings over 1-2 inches of boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until just done. (Taste one to make sure the center is cooked.)
4. While the Shu Mai are steaming, combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. When cooked through, take the dumplings off the heat and let them rest for a minute or two. Drizzle each with a little sauce. Serve immediately.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 02/26/10 at 05:42 PM • Permalink
A Locavore Indulgence: Oysters on the Half Shell
It’s best to plan ahead with oysters. Although you can always find them in the fish department at Guido’s, I like to order them through .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). If you sign up for the Great Barrington grocer’s weekly fish newsletter, you’ll receive emails with a list of available fish and seafood every Monday. You respond by Wednesday and pick up your order Friday. The price is high, but so is the quality, and the staff is knowledgeable. I bought an excellent assortment that was well labeled. (You can pre-order oysters from B&G Wine and Gourmet in Hillsdale, too, but you have to call to find out what’s available: 518.325.4881) While I like oysters with just a squeeze of lemon, I know others are partial to old-fashioned cocktail sauce or the more sophisticated vinegar-shallot combination known as a mignonnette. For a recent celebration, I drummed up a locavore’s apple mignonnette, a New England riff on the classic. My favorite accompaniments: sliced baguettes with sweet butter and bubbly, such as a regional sparkling hard cider.
—Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Oysters with Apple Mignonnette.
Enough for 24 oysters
1/4 cup apple cider (not too sweet)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 tablespoons finely diced apple (I used Northern Spy)
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
Pinches ground black pepper, or more to taste (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons chopped parsley, optional
2 dozen of your favorite oysters or more, well rinsed
1. Mix all the ingredients but the oysters in a small bowl.
2. Shuck the oysters. It’s not difficult, but be patient. Think of the shucking as part of the fun. Set them in a bowl of snow if you have it on hand, crushed ice if you don’t or eat as you shuck.
3. Top each with a little of the mignonnette or another topping. Eat immediately.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 02/17/10 at 03:11 PM • Permalink
Winter Shiitake Mushroom Stew with Polenta
Here in New England where it’s been very gray or very white, my breezy old kitchen seems to shake in the winter wind, and the supply of local fare is dwindling. So it’s time to winter forage, throw a log on the fire, crank up the Billie Holiday, and cook up a warming mushroom stew. In this case, winter foraging means driving over to Leslie Taft’s Blue Moon Shrooms, which is tucked back from the road near the river in Housatonic, MA. The polenta is local, too (although it can be made from any coarsely ground corn.) For this recipe, I used freshly ground flint corn that was divinely corny, which I got from a new grain CSA, Pioneer Valley Heritage Grains. It’s a cool concept, and you should consider signing up for a share.
This stew is an extremely versatile recipe: You can serve it with thickly sliced and toasted peasant bread instead of the polenta. You can add more stock to make it a soup or even toss it over noodles. Serve the stew as is with soft polenta or let the polenta harden, then slice, oil and grill it. This recipe ,akes 2 - 3 main course servings, but it’s easily doubled or tripled. (And if you’re free on Friday, Febuary 5, at 7 p.m., come see me at the West Stockbridge Public Library.)
—Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way
Winter Shiitake Stew
Serves 2 - 3
4 dried shiitake mushrooms or 1-1/2 tablespoons dried mushroom powder
3⁄4 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
1/4 cup oven or sun dried tomatoes (optional)
1/2 cup chopped leeks
2-1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or more, to taste
2-1/2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or combined water and stock)
About 2 tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
Salt to taste, if needed
Freshly ground pepper to taste taste
About 3 tablespoons coarsely grated hard Parmesan-style cheese, preferably local
Chopped parsley leaves, optional
The Polenta
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably coarse
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or combined water and stock)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tablespoon butter (optional)
1/4 - 1/3 cup coarsely grated hard Parmesan-style cheese, preferably local
1. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water to cover. When they are soft, drain, rinse and chop the mushrooms. Reserve the strained soaking liquid and the mushrooms together. If you are using mushroom powder, soak it in about 1/4 cup water and reserve. If you are using the optional oven dried tomatoes, soak in hot water until soft, Drain and slice thinly. Reserve.
2. Cook the fresh mushrooms and leeks in the butter in a medium non-stick pot or skillet over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until the leeks are wilted but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the thyme and flour. Reduce heat to very low, and cook stirring constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, for about 2 - 3 minutes to cook the flour.
3. Turn the heat to medium. Pour in the stock, whisking as you pour. Add the Madeira or dry sherry, dried or powdered mushrooms and their liquid, the tomatoes if you are using them. (If you aren’t using homemade or low-sodium stock, substitute 1/4 cup of it with water to hold down the salt.) Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the texture of a thick soup. Season with salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add an extra splash more of Madiera or sherry if you like.
4. Cook the polenta while the stew is simmering. Add 2 cups stock and one 1 cup of water, the garlic and the cornmeal to a small non-stick pot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking occasionally until it begins to thicken. When the cornmeal starts to pull away from the sides of the pot after about 10 minutes, taste and add salt and pepper, if needed. (If not serving immediately, hold in a double boiler, stirring frequently to prevent lumps and adding water if necessary.) Before serving, stir in the butter, if you are using it, and cheese to taste.
5. To serve. Add the polenta to the bottom of a warm shallow bowl. Make a hole in the middle, then add the stew to it. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and parsley, if you are using it. Serve immediately.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 02/03/10 at 06:15 PM • Permalink
Sweet Simplicity: Black & White Truffles
These are extraordinary in their ease and simplicity — fresh local cream mingles with the best chocolate you can find. I used Belgium Callebaut chocolate with cream from Highlawn Farm, where the vista is classic New England and Jersey cows bat their long lashes. I couldn’t find local butter (but you can look for Ronnybrook’s from Ancramdale) but the vanilla is aged in wooden barrels at Baldwin’s right here in West Stockbridge, where I live. And so local meets global, which is the way of the world, even for a locavore. — Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way
Black & White Truffles
Makes about 40 squares (but I recommend doubling the recipe!)
7 ounces top-notch semi sweet chocolate , chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, sliced
1/3 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
A generous pinch cinnamon
The Coating
Confectioner’s sugar
Cocoa powder
1. Melt the truffle ingredients together in a double boiler or microwave, then whisk to combine thoroughly. Pour into a lightly oiled 8 by 8 pan and chill well.
2. Cut in half or into quarters. Use spatula to remove the squares of chocolate from the pan. (If you have any trouble removing them, run a very hot kitchen cloth over the bottom of the pan and a knife along the edges.) Cut each square into approximately even squares. (Your choice on size, but keep them small.) If the chocolate gets melty while you are working with it, return it to the fridge until firmer.
3. Add half the squares to a bowl with confectioner’s sugar and half to a bowl with cocoa powder. Toss to coat. (They coat best when they’re getting a touch soft, so wait if you need to.) Serve in truffle cups, stacked like tiles or any which way. (For later use, store in fridge. They also freeze great.)
Fun variations: Coat with any kind of toasted chopped nuts; shredded coconut (for an upscale mounds bar); a pinch of cinnamon or instant espresso added to the cocoa powder.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 01/27/10 at 10:43 AM • Permalink
Roast Chicken Chinese Style
Amy Cotler, who will be signing copies of her book The Locavore Way at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 23, at The Bookloft in Great Barrington, says:
You’re going to like this juicy bird, which will perfume your kitchen with ginger and anise and arrive well-browned with hoisin glaze. Ideally, you will make this with a local chicken, which can be 2 or 3 times more expensive than a convetional one. Fortunately for me, my neighbor Ruth raised chickens this year and now I’m the beneficiary. Hers were fed on whatever they could find around the yard during the warm months, along with grain raised up county so they’re local all the way. Even if you like convenient rotisserie chicken (and I admit I do), the clean flavor of local chicken leaves it in the dust and is worth the extra expense. Here’s an easy, hearty dinner you can eat with a clear conscience.
The Search Regionally raised chickens that are not battery bred, but raised on small sustainable farms, can be hard to come by. Try co-ops, farms winter farmers markets. Berkshire Grown lists 7 farms that produce chickens. Some other favorites: Herondale Farm in Ancramdale, Moon in the Pond in Sheffield, Northwind Farm in Tivoli, Turkana Farms in Germantown, Whippoorwill Farm in Salisbury. Local chickens are generally frozen this time of year. Don’t be put off, a local frozen chicken is still extraordinary.
The Price We are used to cheap chickens that are raised in ways too grotesque to review in a recipe blog. But farming fresh chickens in a humane manner with wholesome feed on a small, unsubsidized farm is not cheap. Ruth bought her chickens from a hatchery in Pennsylvania through the US Postal Service, as there were no local sources. Twenty-five chicks cost her only $65, but feeding them well is expensive, even on local grain that is not organic, because meat birds eat about 2 pounds of feed each week. and it takes about 10 weeks to raise a 4 pound bird. Chick to table, my 4 pound bird cost Ruth $14, which is exactly what she sold it for. My advice? If you want to eat clean meat, eat less of it!
The Bird Ruth wanted to raise The Delaware, a breed developed before factory birds. But they were sold out, so she went for the Kosher Kings, which are gray and white with bright yellow feet. They’re not the classic Tyson “cornish” hybrid, which apparently don’t care about moving around. But these meat birds eat mostly grains and rejected other food like apples, which Ruth’s egg birds devour. Next year she’ll try The Delaware, who are more likely to enjoy food scraps, grass and grubs, which, Ruth says, will add to their flavor.—A.C.
Chinese Style Roast Chicken
Serves 4 - 5
4 pound chicken
l/3 cup hoisin sauce
l/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons flavorless oil
2 tablespoons coarsely grated ginger
l/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1 garlic bulb, cut in half
sesame seeds, optional
1 large bunch scallions, optional
l. Wash and dry the chicken. In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, combine the soy sauce, hoisin, oil, ginger and anise seeds.
2. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture inside the chicken cavity. Truss with a string, or at least tie the legs together. Add the chicken to the bowl and turn it a few times to coat. Marinate 3 hours to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Stuff the garlic inside the chicken. Place it on a rack in a roasting pan filled with about 1⁄2 inch of water. Reserve the marinade for basting.
4. Roast breast-side up for 15 minutes. Baste with the reserved marinade, then turn onto one side. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and roast for another 15 minutes. Baste again, and turn onto other side. (You can stick a wooden spoon inside the cavity to turn it.) Roast for another 15 minutes. Cover the top with foil if skin starts to get too dark. Return to breast-side up, baste again, and continue cooking for another 45 minutes, until the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a knife or the thigh is 175 - 180 degrees. Note that when you baste, don’t leave the door open too long, as it lowers the temperature radically. So baste and turn it quickly, or take the bird out of the oven and close the door, then baste and turn it before returning it.
5. When chicken is done, sprinkle with sesame seeds and garnish with grilled scallions, if you are using them. (To grill the optional scallions first remove their root ends. Toss the whole scallions with a touch of oil and salt. Grill using grill pan, outdoor grill or broil, turning once until soft, a bit browned and very wilted.)
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 01/20/10 at 11:09 AM • Permalink
Healthy & Hearty French Toast
“Challah makes a great French toast, but the old hippie in me always tends towards whole grains,” says Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food. “The recipe developed because I had guests coming and I wanted to serve a festive breakfast with what I had on hand—nutty whole wheat bread, local eggs, maple syrup, apples, cider, milk and regional cranberries. You can use any type of whole grain bread you like. I’m not picky about it. It makes a denser meal than white bread, and that’s the story of whole grains!”
Fruity Whole Grain French Toast
2 - 3 servings, easily doubled
1 large egg
1 egg white
1/2 cup milk
4 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon butter, or more if needed
about 1 tablespoon sugar
about 1 teaspoon cinnamon
about 3 tablespoons of apple cider
1 large tart apple, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 - 3 tablespoons fresh cranberries
confectioner’s sugar, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, and place a large ovenproof plate or small platter inside.
2. Whisk together the eggs and milk in a plate with a lip (or shallow bowl). Pour half of the mixture into a second plate. Soak a slice of bread in each plate, turn. Then repeat with the second two slices of bread until all four slices are well coated.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet large enough for all four pieces over a medium-high heat. (Work in batches if you don’t have a large pan.) When the skillet is hot, use a metal spatula to carefully add the bread. Sprinkle the top of the slices evenly with about half of the sugar and cinnamon. When the first side is well browned and crisp, 2-3 minutes, turn, and cook the other side, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon and cook, until it is well browned, crispy, and firm, about 2 minutes more. (If you are working in batches, repeat with the second 2 slices of bread.)
4. Remove the French toast to a platter in the oven, cutting it in half and overlapping it if you wish.
5. Add cider, maple syrup and apples to the skillet. Boil until the liquid is reduced to about half. Remove all but 1 - 2 tablespoons of the liquid to a small bowl and place in the oven. Add the cranberries and cook shaking the pan, until they are coated with syrup and start to pop, about 1 minute. (Taste one, if it isn’t sweet enough on the outside, add a little more syrup.)
6. Remove French toast from the oven. Pour the maple-apple sauce down the center or around the sides. Sprinkle with the candied cranberries. Dust with confectioner’s sugar, if you like.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 01/13/10 at 09:47 AM • Permalink
Tropical Butternut Bisque
On a snowy day, this soup reflects my locavore’s craving for the Caribbean — coconut with a touch of fiery ginger and cayenne pepper party with butternut’s sweet silky texture. The Berkshires and Hudson Valley produce fabulous butternut squash, and happily the local stuff is still around. Roasting it whole makes it effortless to peel. If you can, use local onions and milk (High Lawn, Ronnybrook or Hudson Valley Fresh) if you can.
—Amy Cotler, The Locavore Way
Tropical Butternut Bisque
Makes 4-6 servings
1 3-pound butternut squash
1 medium onion, diced
1-1/2 tablespoons coarsely grated ginger
1 tablespoon butter
About 3 cups milk
1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock or water
A pinch of allspice
Salt to taste
About 1 cup coconut milk
Cayenne pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Roast whole uncut squash on a baking sheet until it can be pierced easily with a fork, about 1 hour.
2. While the squash is cooking, in a skillet, cook onion and ginger in the butter over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are
tender but not brown.
3. When the butternut is cooked, slice in it half lengthwise, then spoon out the fibrous pulp and discard, reserving the seeds, if you wish to toast them later. Discard the skin. Puree the orange flesh in the food processor until smooth, then add to a medium soup pot.
4. For the garnish, remove about 1/3 cup of the puree to a glass measuring cup or microwave proof bowl. Mix it with 1/2 cup stock or
water, a generous pinch of allspice, and salt to taste, if needed. Reserve.
5. Puree onion mixture in the processor a some of the milk, as needed, to make it very smooth. Add to the squash with 3/4 cup of the
coconut milk and as much of the milk as needed to reach the consistency of a thick bisque. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to
taste. (It should have a little kick.) Simmer, but do not boil, for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors.
6. To serve, heat butternut-allspice mixture in the microwave. Ladle the butternut squash into warm bowls. Drizzle the butternut-allspice
mixture and then about 1 teaspoon coconut milk over each bowl.
Variations: For a lighter and brighter soup, substitute half the milk with stock and eliminate the coconut milk.
Note: If you want to keep the seeds, they’re tasty toasted. Remove the seeds from the slimy stuff. Rinse and dry. Toast in a tiny bit of
oil in a skillet, over medium heat, shaking frequently, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Salt to taste.
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 01/03/10 at 09:59 PM • Permalink
Last Minute Latkes for Locavores
You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy these potato pancakes, using local apples, parsnips, onions, sour cream and potatoes—if you can find them. (I had trouble, but don’t get me started; I’m proof that it’s not always easy to practice what you preach!) The parsnip adds a touch of earthy sweetness to the traditional flavor of the potatoes, and fresh apple sauce is an under-appreciated condiment that always tastes heaven sent. I use thick sour cream by Hudson Valley Fresh that is shockingly rich, but just a touch is all that’s needed. Of course, latkes are best served hot from the skillet by a grandmother who runs back and forth to the table, but they may be kept warm in the oven, then served at once.
—Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food
Latkes for Locavores
Makes about 24
4-6 apples
fresh lemon juice
sugar, optional
4 medium russet (baking) potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
1 small parsnip, peeled and grated
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper
vegetable oil
sour cream or creme fraiche
1. Quarter the apples. Simmer, with just a splash of water, covered, stirring ocassionally, until they are very soft. Put through a food mill. If you don’t have a mill, peel and core them before you simmer, then puree in a food processor or with a masher. Add lemon juice to taste and sugar, if needed. Set aside.
2. Grate* the potatoes into a colander. Let sit. After they have turned a brownish-pink, about 15 minutes, rinse them thoroughly. Press down in the colander to remove any excess water. Lay potatoes in one layer on a kitchen cloth. Roll and squeeze out any remaining liquid. Repeat if still wet.
3. Combine the potatoes with the onion, eggs, salt and generous grinding of pepper in a medium bowl.
4. Coat the bottom of a large skillet, preferably non-stick, generously with vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Carefully spoon about 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of the batter into the pan. If you like, spread each a little thinner with a fork.
5. Cook over medium heat, until crispy brown, turn carefully with a spatula, then brown the other side, about 6 minutes total. Work in batches, adding oil to the pan if needed.
6. Serve immediately or remove to a newspaper on a large baking sheet, held in a 200 degree oven. Accompany with a bowl of sour cream and apple sauce. Or, using two spoons (or a finger and a spoon), top each with a little bit of apple sauce and sour cream.
*Of course you can use a food processor, but when you grate them by hand they’re better. They just are, but watch those knuckles
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Posted by Dan Shaw on 12/15/09 at 10:02 PM • Permalink
Comforting Cabbage for a Snowy Day
You don’t have to be Irish to think of cabbage as comfort food. Amy Cotler, author of The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food happens to be married to an Irishman who loves nothing more than cabbage (and potatoes), which are locavore staples. One of Cotler’s goals is to make locavorism easy, accessible, and affordable—and recipes like this prove that she can.
Weekday Noodles and Cabbage with Caraway
Exact measurements aren’t necessary for this dish. Use whatever seasonal cabbage is on hand and any kind of pasta, though I find egg noodles especially cozy. And you can easily leave out the carrot and dill if they’re not around. In other words, you can’t go wrong!—A.C.
Makes 2 portions
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
About 5 cups or 10 oz shredded cabbage
1 carrot, cut how you wish, optional
Salt, preferably kosher or sea salt
About 8 oz dried egg noodles, medium or large
Generous amount of freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh dill, optional
1. Melt the butter and set aside. Make sure the caraway, cabbage and carrot, if you are using it, are ready. (To shred cabbage, simply cut across it in thin slices.)
2- Bring about 2-3 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt and noodles. Cook until al dente, cooked but slightly firm to the touch, adding cabbage and carrots to the pot a minute or two before it is done. Drain, leaving some of the water still clinging to the noodles.
3-Toss the noodle mixture with the butter and caraway. Add a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately in warm bowls, sprinkled with dill, if you are using it.
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