Ginger Spiced Summer

Ginger beer is one of my favorite things on earth.

Soda (Pop, Fizz) is something I steer clear of altogether. Commercially sold soft drinks are full of garbage we don't need and our bodies DO NOT want.

If it can take blood off of a highway and the rust off of a car bumper, I don't want it in my belly.

What the soft drink companies don't want you to know is how simple making this stuff really is.

Water + Sugar + Flavor + Bubbles = Bliss

For Podunk Fest (Melody and Matt's new annual festivus for the rest of us), I decided to bring the elements for one of my favorite cocktails, the Dark & Stormy.

Here is the process from beginning to end:

A rough chop through about 2 cups worth of ginger root.

Add half a vanilla bean and a few solid strips of lemon peel.

Then boil that son-of-a-gun in 6 cups of water. When the ginger is cooked through, add 4 cups of sugar.

Chilled and standing in the morning sunlight.

Well dressed and ready to party.

Now, in order to turn this sugar combination into fizzy lifting drink, we need to add club soda. In addition to that, some spiced rum helps a lot.  

Podunk Fest was an incredible time. Here is how the rest of the evening went. A big thanks to Melody and Matt for hosting everyone. Well done, you two.

A few delighted smiles. Now, where's the food?

Matt had the great idea to provide this crowd with a crawfish bake. This was the secret to success.

Glorious crawfish. Loads of them.

They're so purty.

Say hello to my little friend.

That's a hungry crowd.

That's a dog.

Our lovely host, enjoying local strawberries.

Mom's famous raspberry lemonade with a splash of ginger syrup. Delicious!

May all of your celebrations with friends and family be the stuff of vibrant and loving memories. xo

Catching flies with vinegar

"It's the dressing that baffles me." I hear that a lot.

Well, I'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist. I'm sure the dressing and marinade industry is making a killing off of people not being confident in creating their own flavor basis.

Lucky them. Now, lucky us.

What does it take? The following:

Fat:

You need a fat base. Olive oil is a standard, as is canola or vegetable oil, even sesame oil makes an appearance every once in a while. Sometimes it's mayonnaise, sometimes it's bacon fat. Either way, you need something to carry your flavors and create a nice mouth feel.

Acid:

That tangy bite we crave. Vinegar is the standard, as is citrus juice. The variety here is unbelievable. Take a waltz through your favorite grocery store or fancy foods store and find their vinegar section. Your head may spin. I like to keep several bottles on hand at all times ... for the most part they are: Soy Sauce, Balsamic, Red Wine, White Wine, Rice, Sherry, Champagne, Raspberry, Apple Cider, White. We always have lemons in the house, usually some limes show up ... grapefruit works, too. Oranges are a nice change every once in a while. If you have any of this sitting at home, you can make amazing meals with few other ingredients.

Aromatics:

Shallots do really well here. I use them in almost every dressing I make. Also garlic. Paste that stuff through a Microplane or other zesting/pressing tool and there is garlicky goodness throughout whatever it is you're mixing. Then there's herbs. The options here are as endless as the vinegar selection, so I won't bore you with semantics. All I ask is that you try any and all of them. Herb gardens are a great way to give your green thumb a trial run. They practically take care of themselves and many varieties are perennials.

Other flavor enhancers and aromatics include anchovies, citrus zest, chili peppers, black and white pepper, wine, juices ... let your imagination run wild. I love to add mustard- dijon or a stone-ground spicy something-or-other- which adds a thickness and a flavor that is hard to beat.

Balance:

 Sometimes you have to add a little something to manage all those flavors. Acid can create quite a bite and some sweetener helps bring your concoction from the brink. Maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, and agave syrup are favorites of mine. Sometimes all you need is just a pinch, but it makes such a difference. If you can't shake getting the shakes when trying your concoction, add some sweet.

And trust your palate. Don't be afraid to try new things. Here are some old standbys of mine (keep in mind, oil:vinegar is equal to 3:1):

Lemon-Anything (This shows up in a lot of my cooking):

Olive oil
Lemon juice
Garlic
Shallots
S&P


Red Wine & Herbs (Very flexible, works great on grains)


Red Wine Vinegar
Shallots
Garlic
S&P
Thyme
Parsley


Latin Flair


Canola Oil
Lime Juice
Garlic
Shallots
Cilantro
S&P
Red Pepper Flakes
Agave Syrup


Asian Invasion


Soy Sauce
Sesame Oil
Toasted Sesame Oil
Ginger
Garlic
Red Pepper Flakes
Black Pepper
Brown Sugar


Balsamic Standard


Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic
S&P
Maple Syrup


Like I said, sky is the limit. Just keep these rules in mind and you're golden. Marinate meats and veggies, dress salads and sides, roast anything and everything with these guys and you're made in the shade.

Tasting for quality is a metaphor for life, just remember that it is easier to add an element than it is to take it away.

xo

I make it grain

I've been saying a lot lately- here and there (Facebook, actual face-to-face time)- about how dearly in love I am with whole grains.

No, seriously ... I have.

There's so much out there that I have yet to add to my master list. It seems like new grains come to my attention just about every day. It's funny to call them "new" since most have been enjoyed by ancient civilizations for centuries, but have been lost to our society through methods of commercial agriculture and monoculture.

Sorry, this isn't a soap-box posting. It's an ode ... to heart-healthy, belly filling, blood sugar stabilizing, freaking-delicious grains.

Even these guys want in on the action, though they don't have a chance of having those begging glances being rewarded.

 

That's Jackson on the left, Bear on the right.

My dad is one of the hardest people to convert to the whole-grain bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, he's a healthy-ish guy ... whole grain bread products are a standard in his house, but he hates rice, quinoa ... really anything of that ilk that has a "grainy" texture.

I get it. He's not alone in his plight. Lots of people can't get beyond the look of the stuff, let alone eat it.

That's when my job gets interesting.

 

That right there is a Bulgar salad. Zucchini, summer squash, broccoli, feta, pancetta.

When something like this hits the table and there are skeptics about, your offering needs to taste good- nay, *great*. Plus, I had to compete with a cobb salad surrounded by deviled eggs. No joke.

 

See?? That's some serious competition!

Needless to say, a little bit of cheese and a little bit of bacon (traditional, Italian, Canadian, it doesn't matter) makes everything taste better. I consider using bacon a cheat. It really isn't good for you at all, but its horrible attributes can be overlooked if we're trying to overcome a textural aversion.

My salad got two thumbs up (in the form of a second helping on Daddy-O's plate) and that felt great. Grains are a blank canvas to apply flavors to. Sure, some of them have their own curious flavor profile- quinoa and amaranth certainly have something going on- but that doesn't mean you can't delight your taste-buds. Here are some tricks to help you ease into grain-laden-bliss:

Rinse and/or Toast: Toasting grains helps their flavor develop. Rinsing makes a huge difference with lots of these guys. A quick wash in some cheese-cloth goes a long way (colanders are a decent idea, but their holes are often too big for this purpose).

Stock: Veggie, chicken, veal, beef ... forget the directions on the box/bag, cook grains in stock instead of water and you're headed down the road to success.

Flavor Enhancement: Acids and oils can take you places without adding too much salt or fat to the mix. Lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, rice vinegar ... do I really need to go on? Olive oil and sesame oil certainly do the trick. Any combination works well, just be sure to mix your vinaigrette in a separate container before splashing it all over your grains. Quality control, folks ... quality control.

Hot and Cold: I love that you can eat this stuff either way, but keep temperature in mind when you're serving. Temperature will change the texture of your dish and that can make a huge difference to any eater.

If there's a grain you're dying to try, TRY IT! There are so many resources out there to help you find the perfect recipe, you really can't go wrong. Your heart, belly and mind will thank you.

Happy eating. xo

No rest for the wicked.

Memorial Day weekend was a delightful patchwork of cooking, growing, building, shoveling, chasing, eating, drinking, parties, more cooking ... Mark and I got everything checked off of our list and I helped out some clients in between. All-in-all, a very satisfying turn of events.

I'm pretty sure this was on our way to grab a pick-up-truck's worth of compost from Lewis Farm in Concord. They're a favorite local grower of ours and their compost is dynamite.

Compost led to garden beds. We finally have a spot to put all those heirloom tomatoes we bought on impulse.

Our newest family members arrived courtesy of our amazing friends Bob Jones and Abby Tomich. They hand-raised these little guys for us *and* Bob built their coop. I will forever attempt to repay their kindness. I worry I may always come up short.

Mojitos were a hit at the Robfoustinson house. I made a mint simple syrup, and all we had was dark rum. No matter, they still tasted great.

Hannah and Melissa joined forces to create this beautiful endeavor. There's St. Germaine liquor in the strawberries AND the whipped cream. Everyone in the room was floored.

These came from a client and very good friend's garden. They are currently perfuming the entire kitchen. I must grow peonies immediately!

So it seems I've gotten into the habit of over producing particular recipes for weeks at a time. Currently, No-Noodle Lasagna is in the lead:

Ingredients:

3 to 4 zucchinis, washed and cut into thin strips (I find a long blade paring knife works great for this job)

Tomato sauce of your choice, though from scratch is always best

1 cup ricotta cheese (whole milk tastes best)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 small package of frozen spinach, thawed

1 lb turkey or pork sausage, cooked through

The key to this recipe is layering ... we've all had lasagna, we all know the fundamentals. Mix the cup of ricotta and one cup of the mozzarella together with the spinach (be sure to squeeze the water out of the spinach first). I layer like this:

Sauce, zucchini strips, cheese mixture, sausage, more zucchini, more sauce ... until whatever pan you're using is totally full. Top off with the remaining cheese and bake at 350 for 30 or so minutes. If it's bubbling frantically, it's done. And it's delicious!!! You'll never want the pasta version again, I swear. I've all but ruled it out, myself.

Another frequent that I fall back on this time of year is Lemon Anything Chicken. I call it that because you can literally pair it with any herb and it still tastes great. 

Ingredients:

3 full chicken breasts, butterflied into 6 servings

zest of one lemon

juice of two lemons

1/3 cup olive oil (the good stuff)

2 large garlic cloves, pressed or microplaned into a paste

1 Tbs salt

1 Tbs fresh ground pepper

Any fresh herb you choose ... dill, basil, tarragon, oregano, chive, seriously anything will work here.

Hence the name "Lemon Anything Chicken" ... mix all of these ingredients together in a heavy duty plastic bag- freezer bags usually do the trick- and allow it to sit for a bit, anywhere from a half hour to an hour ... don't let it sit longer than that, though ... lemon juice will cook the proteins in the chicken while it sits there.

I recommend grilling this outside or on a grill pan on the stove top. With that option you get the added benefit of delicious kitchen smells.

I would serve it with some orzo tossed with tomatoes, kalamata olives, and feta cheese, with a bit of lemon juice, zest and olive oil to keep things interesting.

There you have it, two amazingly easy and oh-so-tasty options for a summer meal this week.

Aren't you glad you bothered to read another one of these posts? I'm sure glad you're here. I hope everyone had a stellar holiday. 

May all your meals be celebrations. xo

Recipe Onslaught

Growing season is upon us.

It's a big deal.

This year Mark and I will have our garden on our property, which means greater success and less water to lug (dragging 30 gallons a day over two miles to our last site started to feel more like a chore than glorious growing).

We made a trip out to Murray Farms Greenhouse in Concord last weekend and had to cut ourselves off after 6 heirloom tomato varieties, a handful of eggplants and more jalapenos than you can shake a stick at.

Hello, lovelies.

I find Japanese eggplant varieties to have some of the most beautiful foliage. 

Don't you agree?

So, it isn't safe to put anything in the ground yet. Which is frustrating, because I just want to start gardening already! In the mean time I've been trying to get my veggie fix in new and different ways. Asparagus has been almost an every day thing in my world, which is great because the stuff is delicious. For a client of mine who is adverse to peas, I've used it as the veggie in my Spring Pasta with Chicken to great success:

Spring Pasta with Chicken

Serves 4 (give or take, I eye-ball everything)

One bunch of asparagus, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces

4 Chicken Breasts

1 cup of frozen peas (optional)

1/2 cup diced Pancetta

2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 cup heavy cream

3 cups whole wheat pasta

Salt and Pepper to taste

First things first: season and brown the chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet with a quick spray of canola oil. Finish them in a 350 degree oven until cooked through. Cube and set aside.

While the chicken is cooking, start a pot of boiling water and cook pasta according to box directions.

To the skillet, add the pancetta. Removed the cooked bits and set aside. Add the cut asparagus to the skillet and cook until bright green. Add the asparagus to the chicken. By this time your pasta should be finished. Add the pasta to the asparagus and chicken, with a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Mix together.

Next add the parmesan cheese, reserving 1/2 cup for garnish. Add the heavy cream and mix it all together. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Garnish the pasta dish with remaining cheese and the pancetta bits.

This stuff is a knock out and it's super easy to throw together.

Something that also happened recently- I hung out at Cole Gardens for an afternoon helping CYPN with a Lunch and Learn event. I gabbed about pantry items to keep on hand in preparation for drowning in veggies come July and August. I also handed out a bunch of recipes to folks that can help them make the most of their harvest. And here they are:

Basil Pesto

2 to 3 cups basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup extra-version olive oil, divided

Salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Combine first three ingredients in a food processor and pulse until coarsely combined. Add ½ cup of the oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.  While processor runs, add remaining oil until a smooth consistency is achieved. Transfer to a serving bowl and combine with parmesan cheese.

Pesto is easily frozen in ice cube trays and can last up to 90 days in your freezer!

Quick Cherry Tomato Sauce

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced or minced

Flavor enhancer: anchovies, pancetta, sweet bell pepper, hot chili pepper, whatever you have on hand.

Enough cherry tomatoes- cut in half- to fill a large sauté pan.

1 Tbs chopped fresh basil

1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano

Salt and Pepper to taste

Additional garden veggies of your choice- the sky is the limit.

Saute garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Before the garlic browns, add any flavor enhancers you want. Anchovies are a great idea for a salty and savory sauce, as is pancetta. For a sweeter sauce, red bell peppers help. Allow your flavor enhancer to cook for a few minutes before adding the cherry tomatoes. After the tomatoes simmer long enough to start to break down, add any additional vegetables you would like in the sauce. Allow to simmer for a few more minutes, and then add herbs to finish. Enjoy with pasta, chicken, fish, really anything you want an acidic and delicious kick with.

Tarragon Grilled Shrimp

Dozen Jumbo Shrimp, shells on

Juice of one lime

¼ cup Olive Oil

2 Tbs Tarragon

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper to taste

Allow shrimp to marinate in mixture for at least two hours, tossing once to recoat the shrimp. Grill shrimp on a hot grill until just pink on either side. Serve with lots of napkins. This appetizer is delicious, but very messy!

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup of plain yogurt

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 small garden cucumber, diced

1 Tbs fresh dill, mint, or parsley, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or run over a microplane

Salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for an hour. Serve with meat, vegetables, pita bread … this sauce is good on everything!

Zucchini Pasta with Fennel

2 lbs zucchini squash

I bulb of fennel, thinly sliced, with one table spoon of fronds saved, chopped

Juice of one lemon and 1 Tbs lemon zest

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Using a vegetable peeler, thinly slice zucchini to produce pasta like strands. Transfer pasta strands to bowl and combine with remainder of ingredients. Toss together and serve.

BAM! There you have it, more recipes than I've ever posted before! And just in time for you to pull on the gardening gloves, pick up your favorite shovel, and start dreaming of all the delicious things you can grow.

When in doubt, start an herb garden. Not sure how to go about it? Call me. I'll set you up for $60, plus the cost of herbs. Then you can pretty much ignore them for the rest of the summer and reap the amazing benefits.

Trust me. It's worth it.

Another thing I wanted to mention: the fantastic annual Merrimack County Savings Bank Rock 'N Race for Concord Hospital's Payson Center for Cancer Care. This was my fourth or fifth year participating and I have to say it just gets bigger and better every year. I finished in 29 minutes, which isn't my best time, but it also isn't my worst. Truly, I was hoping for better. There is always time. My future goals are to run farther distances. I could use some LSD in my life (Long Slow Distance). I consider running my time to meditate and it has helped me keep my mind and body right among the stresses of starting and maintaining a business. So far, so good. So happy, so healthy.

Reach for the sun, ya'll. And happy Friday! xo

Run. Don't walk.

A few things before I begin:

1) I'm sorry it's been so long since my last entry. Business is gaining at a good clip, and who am I to hinder progress?
2) I am IN LOVE with the blog of Geoff Nicholson: Psycho-Gourmet. Read it, but not at work. Some of his stuff isn't safe for the boss to walk in on- including his "Nudie Foodies" entry recently. Hilarity ensued.
3) My computer died. She's currently on life support and the unit I'm typing on now is on loan from my sister (she has a few as it stands). We're tempted to upgrade to full-on iMac status (big ol' screen and everything), but hubs and I are still brewing on it.
4) I haven't been taking enough food pictures lately, especially at events. I need to get on that.
5) I'm trying a hibiscus margarita next weekend. I'm very excited about it.

Alright ... sooooo ... what's new?

CYPN. No, the Concord Young Professionals Network is not new, not at all, but my involvement with them is. And I'm having a fantastic time. I love working with such motivated and dedicated people. They make me a better business owner.

So we had an annual event called the Philanthropy In Your Community Summit- such a great idea, too, considering everyone should be doing a bit of volunteer work as part of their work experience. I offered to cater the event, which went great! I was thrilled with the results and did enough apps to sate well over 100 people. Family and friends participated to show their support. Most of them found a new cause to support. Mission accomplished.

Also, very excited about the Women's Club of Concord. Being still naive about my favorite town, I only just discovered them through another great group, Let's Have A Net Lunch. Funny how the universe has all sorts of plans for us when we continue to put one foot in front of the other. I see great things once I'm finally brought into the fold of this strong and motivated group of women.

That is the Reader's Digest version of recent days. There is much more to share: new clients, new menus, new races to run, new allergies to work around ... but all in good time, which I don't have much of at the moment.

For now, I say adieu. But not for long, I promise.

Here's hoping you all find time to feast, even during your busiest days. xo

Food and Music. They might be one in the same.

I'm learning more about myself as I continue to cook for clients.

My time spent in people's homes is primarily silent. The music I move to is the sounds produced by hissing pans, popping sauces, the crack of fresh produce. I am vigilant when it comes to what I feed people- it requires full concentration and fine-tuned ears. I may speak to myself every once in a while, but it's only to curse if I've forgotten an ingredient or a piece of equipment or I'm missing something- anything- and I'm put into a panic. This does not happen often. I'm usually quiet for hours on end.

I can tell when it's time to lower the temperature on a reduction ... when the bubbles move too quickly, they get a violent sound to them.

I can tell when the browning on a pork chop or chicken breast is almost done. The sizzle and seer starts to fade, moving toward charcoal instead of caramelization. The sound of food burning has a dull, dead sound. It's almost vacant.

Tomato sauce and stock should have a "blub blub" sound instead of fast paced popping and splashing.

All of this is learned over time, the more you cook the more you can recognize the familiar sounds of the kitchen. So many times I intend to let Pandora carry me to a place of effortless time-travel. When the right music is playing, time is no longer an issue. I could sway in the kitchen for hours, not noticing where the sun sat in the sky. I could only tell time by how many songs have passed and where the bread was at for rising. I suppose there is a worse existence.

Tonight I'm making chicken cordon bleu. We have so much ham in the house from Easter dinner that I have to find some way to use it every day. This seems like a nice use of a few ingredients.

Mark and I rarely ever eat poultry unless it's eggs. We only eat beef because we have a barter system with Miles Smith Farm. Fish is something I can make an exception for every once in a while, but it's once in a great while.

So I'm off to wander in the grocery store. Usually when I go there I have an agenda, a long list to fulfill. There is no room to ramble, but I will take advantage of this open afternoon to make dinner special. Mark goes in for surgery on his wrist tomorrow morning (finally!) and he won't be able to eat after 6pm tonight. I better make every bite count! There will be wine involved.

Since I've spent so much time talking about the music of food, I'll leave you with a handful of videos of songs that have been stuck in my head this week. I hope they lull you into a comfortable place- be it cooking, dancing, or walking through the grocery store.

Jack White's new one ... Love Interruption. He makes me swoon.

My sister got this one stuck. Gotye, Somebody That I Used To Know. I almost like Kimbra's part better than the rest of the song.

A sped up version of one of my favorite songs ever. Mark Bronson's spin on Amy Winehouse, Valerie. Alas, Amy isn't in this. I miss her.

I like to think of myself as a Down Home Girl ... Old Crow Medicine Show makes it sound so desirable.

Happy listening, happy eating. xo