A Dish For Every Season

Perhaps I only hinted at it last week, but I can see no good reason to delay sharing my #1 food mantra (besides "Deliciousness") any longer.  So here it goes...

*drum roll*

EAT FRESH.

All right, all right.  Maybe that is not the savviest food mantra *ever* for the Savvy Chef, but it certainly is one I have become very passionate about.  Why buy jarred tomato sauce when you can buy tomatoes, garlic, salt, olive oil, and herbs, and make tomato sauce from scratch, knowing *exactly* what is going in?  You want cookies?  Blend flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and whatever else you like together, and voila! you have cookies.  Need some salad dressing to toss your greens with?  Combine red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, herbs, and olive oil, and you have fresh dressing.  I could keep going, but I know you get the point. One thing, however, that I am not so sure everyone fully realizes about freshness though has to do with what I find to be very interesting "food times", specifically, here in the good ole U S of A.

Thanks to a bustling import business, we can buy grapes, mangoes, tomatoes, pineapples, lettuce, asparagus, and SO much more 365 days a year.  Despite the culinary flexibility this provides (that is to say, we're not restricted to curred meats and hard squashes throughout the entirety of winter), a few mealy apples and flavorless tomatoes got me questioning how great this hyper-availability truly is.

From watching "foodie shows", reading, and talking with people from around the world, I have come to realize rather quickly that, outside of Western Europe, few other countries have the same magnitude of food options year round as we do.  Tanzania; Cambodia; Nepal; Thailand; and even part of Italy...nope. 

Now don't get me (and my conversation and experience-based facts) wrong.  Sure, you can walk to the neighborhood 7-11 convenience store in Bangkok (really; you can) and pick up a bottle milk and an apple from The Netherlands any day of the year.  But what you cannot do year round is expect to find the same vegetables being stir fried by the street vendors in Bangkok; a full basket of beautiful zucchini blossoms for sale in a Tuscan market in Italy; or a giant, magenta-colored pile of dragon fruit being sold roadside in Nepal.

What are they doing that we, generally speaking, are not?

The answer is: they are eating what is in season.

I think that few pleasures in life can be compared to the joy of plump, ripe, amazingly scented tomatoes in the summer; heaping piles of tender arugula, so beautifully peppery and bitter throughout the summer; big, deep green, crunchy peppers late summer and early fall; bright orange, tender, and sweet butternut squash in the fall and winter; and...and...and... (*taking a deep breath and controlling my food-citement*) 

Although it would be a beautiful part of my fantasy life living on a hillside in Tuscany, I would be lying to you if I claimed that I only ate seasonally.  What I can tell you though is that I try my best to savor what is best when it is best, and to make experienced-informed food shopping decisions the rest of the year (like avoiding peaches 49 out of 52 weeks of the year).

In honor of the joy of eating seasonally, I have compiled four recipes, "a dish for every season", if you will, that you can happily make year round without fearing for the taste of each should-be good bite.

So with this brief post that should provide you with plenty of time to test these and other recipes, I bid you a friendly, "get cookin'!".

May your mousse remind you of blooming daffodils; your salad be cool and crisp like you would want on a hot summer day; your risotto have "a bite" just like cool Autumn air filled with the earthy scent of changing seasons; and your soup warm you from head to toe (or cool you as they believe in the East).

SPRING

Lemon Mousse

There are several steps to this recipe.  It may take a while, but I promise you that it is not difficult to make.   I saw Ina Garten, "The Barefoot Contessa" preparing it one summer afternoon and after the show was done, I immediately went to the store to purchase what I needed and then came home and made it.   Based on my experiences making it, my recipe is an adaptation of hers, which can be found in her really great and fresh cookbook Back to Basics.  Below, I have divided up the ingredients by their respective steps, as well as summed all of the ingredients for ease of grocery shopping.

Custard:

-6 large eggs (3 whole eggs; 3 egg yolks, saving the egg whites for the meringue below)*

-1 cup granulated sugar

-2 Tsp lemon zest

-1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

-pinch of salt

Tools:

-wooden spoon

-double boiler (or a "double boiler")

-whisk

Meringue:

-1/2 of the 3 large egg whites from the custard*

-pinch of salt

-2 Tbsp granulated sugar

Tools:

-rubber spatula

-electric mixer (hand or upright)

-large mixing bowl

Whipped Cream:

-1 cup cold heavy cream

Tools:

-rubber spatula

-electric mixer (hand or upright)

-same large mixing bowl used for the meringue

Lemon Curd Filling:

-1/2 cup lemon curd

Sweetened Whipped Cream Topping:

-1 cup cold heavy cream

-1 Tbsp granulated sugar

-1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

Tools:

-rubber spatula

-electric mixer (hand or upright)

-large mixing bowl

Summary List

-6 large eggs

-2 cups heavy cream

-1 cup + 3 Tbsp granulated sugar

-2 Tsp lemon zest

-1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

-1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

-2 pinches salt

-1/2 cup lemon curd

Custard:

1) Place water in a pot, either the bottom of a double boiler or in any pot you have that a heat-proof bowl, like a pyrex bowl, will sit evenly in.  Bring to a simmer.



Custard being made in a "double boiler":
a pyrex bowl over a pot of water.



2)  Whisk together the 3 large eggs, 3 egg yolks*, 1 cup of sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt either in either the double boiler upper pot or in the heat-proof bowl.

3)  Stir the mixture constantly with a wooden spoon for approximately 15 minutes until it begins to thicken.  To prevent it from clumping, switch to a whisk when it begins to thicken and continue to cook for approximately 5-10 more minutes until it is thick like pudding.

4)  When thick, remove the pot or bowl from the heat, let it sit in a cool area for 15 minutes, and then cover it with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate it until it is completely chilled throughout, for approximately 1.5 hours.

Meringue:

1)  In a medium-sized bowl, combine half of the 3 large egg whites, 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt.*



Egg whites that have been beaten
into meringue.  The meringue should be shiny
and have stiff peaks when done.



2)  Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on high speed until peaks form in the meringue that are stiff and shiny (like an icing coated little mountain that has been dusted with snow).



3)  When stiff, fold the meringue into the chilled custard with a rubber spatula by slicing through the custard, lifting a pile of custard, and turning it over the meringue.  Continue to fold in the meringue until evenly incorporated.  Do NOT stir/mix or the meringue will lose its stiffness.

Whipped Cream:

1)  In the same bowl that the meringue was made in, add the 1 cup of heavy cream.  Beat the cream with the electric mixer until the cream forms stiff peaks and is thick.



Fold the meringue, whipped cream,
and lemon curd into the custard gently.

2)  Fold the whipped cream into the custard/meringue mixture.

Lemon Curd Filling:



1)  In a small bowl, measure out 1/2 cup of lemon curd (which is essentially a more flavor-concentrated custard made from citrus fruits) and stir well to make it smooth.  Otherwise, when added to the custard/meringue/whipped cream mixture it will clump.

2)  Fold in to the custard/meringue/whipped cream mixture.

3)  Place the entire mixture in a serving bowl of the size and shape of your choice, and put in the refrigerator.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:



Beat the cold heavy cream on
high until stiff peaks form.



1)  In a clean bowl, combine the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sugar.

2)  Beat on high with the electric mixer until stiff peaks form and the whipped cream is thick.



3)  Place the whipped cream in a piping bag.  If you don't have one (which I do not), place the mixture into a plastic Ziploc bag, isolating all of the whipped cream to one corner of the bag.  Twist the bag around to create a tight twist that the whipped cream cannot escape past.  Snip the corner where the whipped cream is isolated with a pair of scissors and voila! you have a piping bag.

4)  Smooth the top of the mousse with a rubber spatula and then cover the top evenly and smoothly with the sweetened whipped cream from the piping bag.

Lemon Mousse

5)  You can serve the lemon mousse this way or decorate the top with fresh fruit, like slices of lemon, sliced strawberries, or whole blueberries.

*The best way to separate eggs that will be used raw is to crack the egg and place it in your clean hand over a bowl.  The egg whites will separate from the yolk due to gravity and fall in to the bowl, leaving the yolk in your hand to place in a separate bowl.

SUMMER

Apple Walnut Cranberry Blue Cheese Salad

Salad:

-1 head of Romaine lettuce (per 2 people)

-1 Gala apple (or other sweet, red apple)

-palmful of dried cranberries or dried tart cherries

-palmful of walnuts

-palmful of blue cheese crumbles

-salt and pepper

Dressing (per head of lettuce):

-2 small or 1 large shallot

-3 Tbsp olive oil

-2.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

-2 Tsp honey

-salt and pepper, to taste

1) Rinse each Romaine leaf under cold, running water.  Then break (by hand) into bite-sized pieces and dry (do I dare to mention a salad spinner again?).  Chill lettuce in the refrigerator until ready to mix

2) Toast the walnuts by placing them in a saute pan over medium heat and tossing them (moving/shaking the handle enough to get the nuts moving in the pan) occasionally until they start to become fragrant (you can smell a warm, nutty scent coming from the pan, which you will *definitely* be able to distinguish from a burning smell).  Allow them to cool and them chop them coarsely (run your knife through them without any particular thought to the size or shape of the chopped up pieces).

Prepare the dressing:

3) Mince the shallots (remove the skins by slicing off both ends, and then running the knife lengthwise down the shallot so that you can easily peel away the outer layer of skin and flesh (like taking off a jacket)).

4) Whisk (with a whisk or fork) the vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper together until combined.

5) Add the shallots and mix together.  Then stir in the cranberries or cherries.

6) If you bought a block of blue cheese, make crumbles by breaking it apart with your fingers, or by sticking a fork into the block at various points and angles to make pieces fall off the block.  (You can also buy blue cheese crumbles, but I find that they are dried out compared to a whole block).

7) Quarter the apple by cutting it in half from stem to core end (lengthwise), and then cutting each half through the core again.  Cutting lengthwise and at an angle to the apple, cut away the rough core and seeds.  Then slice each quarter into thin slices (about 1/8-inch thick).  You do this later in the preparation process to keep the apples from browning.

8) If you plan to eat all of the lettuce, which often happens if this dish is served as a main meal, in a large serving bowl, combine all of the lettuce with all of the dressing and toss well to coat the leaves.  (If you plan to only eat a portion of lettuce, do not coat all of it with the dressing as it will make the leaves soggy when you go to eat the rest another time)

9) Top the salad with the apples, blue cheese, walnuts, and additional cranberries or cherries if you like.

AUTUMN

Mushroom Risotto with Sweet Peas and Parmesan

-6 cups stock (beef or vegetable)

-2 cups chopped mushrooms, either brown baby bellas or white button mushrooms

-1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

-2 cups finely chopped onions

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-2 cups Arborio rice

-1 cup dry white wine

-3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

-1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1)  In a pot large enough to hold all of the stock, heat the stock over medium heat.

2)  In a large, heavy pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

3)  Add the onions and saute for 8-10 minutes until golden and tender.

4)  Add the chopped mushrooms and garlic to the onions and cook for approximately 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the juices they let out evaporate.

5)  Turn up the heat to medium-high and add stir in the rice to coat it well.

6)  Add the wine and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until it is all absorbed.

7)  Add 1 cup of hot stock to the rice, mixing well, and then allowing it to cook until all of the stock is absorbed, stirring often to prevent the rice from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

8)  Continue adding 1 cup of hot stock at a time until you have added 4 cups of stock, each time allowing the rice to cook and absorb all of the liquid before adding more stock.

9)  After 4 cups, add the hot stock in 1/2 cup increments, as the risotto should be getting closer to being done (approximately 15-20 minutes of hot cooking time).

10) At 5 cups, add in the thawed peas and freshly ground black pepper.  Taste the rice to see where it is at.  Finished risotto is cooked all of the way through, so that there is NO gritty, chewiness.  It does, however, have a little bite to it, meaning that it is firm and has good texture, not mushy, but also not uncooked in any spots.  If you are nearing the end of your stock and the rice is not done yet, heat more stock (or water if you are out of stock) and add only ladlefuls (about 1/4 cup) of stock at a time.

11) As soon as the rice is done, remove from the heat, add salt, more peppers, and stir in the Parmesan cheese, mixing quickly so that the cheese does not clump and reserving a little Parmesan to top the risotto with when it is served.

12) Serve in a warm bowl (heating a bowl with hot water is a great way to warm it up; dry before adding the risotto).

WINTER

French Onion Soup

(this recipe makes 4 good-sized servings; I typically double or triple the recipe and freeze the leftover soup, which reheats beautifully for a fast, healthy, and delicious dinner months later!)

-2 Lbs onion, a combination of both yellow and sweet

-6-10 springs of fresh thyme

-3 bay leaves

-4 cups low sodium stock (either beef or vegetable)

-1 cup dry white wine (Turning Leaf Chardonnay is inexpensive and has great flavor)

-2 cups water

-4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter

-2 Tsp flour

-lots of freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

-French bread

-Gruyere cheese

1)  Slice the onions lengthwise (from root to the stem) and thinly.

2)  Melt the butter over low heat in a large stock pot.

3)  Add the onions, thyme, bay leaves, and a 1/4 Tsp salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper.



Slice your onions very thinly. 
Doubling the recipe makes for plenty of leftovers.



4)  Cover the put and cook the onions for 15 minutes, stirring every so often.  After 15 minutes, uncover and continue cooking the onions uncovered for another 20-30 minutes (depending on how many onions you used) until they are amber in color and exceedingly soft.

5)  Add the flour and cook with the onions to slightly thicken the juices for 2 minutes, just long enough to eliminate the raw taste of flour.



Cook the onions until they are exceedingly soft and golden/amber in color.



6)  Add the white wine and increase the heat to medium-high and cook for 3 minutes, or until the wine is happily bubbling.

7)  Add the stock and water, more freshly ground pepper, and cook covered for 30 minutes on medium-low.  When finished, remove the bay leaves and thyme stems.

8)  Taste the soup and add plenty of freshly ground pepper and salt to your taste (for this quantity, I add about 1.5 Tbsp salt).



After adding stock and water,
cook the soup for 30 minutes.



9)  Slice the French bread into 1.5-inch thick slices, 1 or 2 per bowl, depending on the width of the loaf and the size of the bowl.  The slices should cover the majority of the surface.

10) Place the slices on a baking sheet and broil them on each side until they are lightly golden brown.  After toasting the second side of the bread, remove the baking tray from the oven and cover the top of the bread entirely with thin slices of Gruyere cheese (however much you like!).  Place back until the broiler until the Gruyere is melted completely and bubbling.

11) Place soup in your bowl(s), add the Gruyere topped bread to the soup, cheese side up, and serve immediately.

French Onion Soup with Gruyere Croutons.