Random Food Fridays - Soup's on

Yay Fall! Yay soup weather! Yay sweet potatoes and leeks and tarragon - Oh My!

Eat soup!

Soup is good for you!

Soup is anything you want it to be!

YOUR soup is the BEST soup!

Try soup! You will not be sorry!

Golden Tarragon Soup
¼ cup olive oil
3 leeks, white and light green part only, sliced and washed
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large garnet sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 medium yellow potatoes, cubed
2 medium yellow crookneck squash, cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dried tarragon or 1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 cup of cooked chicken, cubed (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large stockpot and add the leeks, celery and carrots. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and stir to combine and coat with oil. Add the chicken broth, chicken, tarragon and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve with corn bread.

6 servings, 188 calories

Butternut Squash Pizza

Sometimes I hit one out of the park. This is such an occasion.

I write a recipe column for my department newsletter. Our deadlines are about a quarter ahead, so I've been working on seasonal recipes for the fall. My column includes a kid's corner with recipes intended to get families in the kitchen making foods that are fun and delicious. There are so many possibilities! I mean, fall is the harvest after all! What could be better for kids than pizza? And the kids get to mess around with their own dough and put on their own toppings. It's a sticky, delicious and edible craft project!

I tested this recipe this weekend and shared it with our friends Darcy and Mark. We had a great time noshing on pizza and a yummy tortellini salad (made by Miss Darcy) while we adventured in our roll playing game. At one point, Darcy said, "I can't stop eating this!" That's when I knew I had a winner! Mark even asked for the recipe! (Here you go!)

Butternut Squash Pizza
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup olive oil, divided use
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Mix the warm water, sugar and yeast and allow to rest until frothy. Using a spoon or mixer, add the flour and salt and 3 tbsp. olive oil. When the dough becomes stiff, change to kneading by hand or to a dough hook on your mixer. Knead until smooth and elastic - about 5 minutes by machine or up to 10 minutes by hand. Place the remaining olive oil in a large bowl. Add the dough and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and set aside as you prepare the topping ingredients. (The dough can also be stored in the refrigerator for future use. You will just have to take it out early enough for it to come to room temperature before making the pizzas.)

For the topping:
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (1/2 inch)
1 yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced
2 or more cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin
1 tbsp. or more fresh sage leaves, sliced into slivers
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 12 oz. package of Trader Giotto's Quattro Formaggio, or a blend of grated Parmesan, asiago, fontina and provolone cheeses to equal 12 oz.

Saute the squash, onion and garlic in the olive oil over a medium-low heat, until the squash becomes fork tender. This should take 10-15 minutes. Add the sage leaves and season generously with salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly.

To assemble pizzas:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Divide the dough into eight pieces, or make two large pizzas if you are in a hurry. Spray cookie sheets with non-stick spray or brush with olive oil. Flatten out the dough with fingers and place on the cookie sheet. Spoon some of the squash mixture on to each pizza and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake, one cookie sheet at a time, in the very hot oven until puffy and nicely browned on the bottom - 7 to 10 minutes. Allow the pizzas to stand for a few minutes before serving.

This makes two big or 8 mini pizzas. One serving is 1/8 of this recipe and is about 550 calories.

Pear Pie

I have a computer paper box full of pears on my kitchen floor. My mom and dad live in a gold rush era orchard. There are two very old house foundations, a cistern well and numerous fruit trees from the golden, olden days. Pears and plums are the most common and are still quite productive considering their age. This year's moist spring and mild summer made for trees loaded with fruit. In fact, most of the pears I collected came from a large branch that had broken and fallen to the ground. My mom says that it probably had an assist from the local wildlife who have also been enjoying this year's bounty.

You'll see the plums later when I process the 25 lbs. that are currently in gallon zip locks in the freezer. Plum and pineapple jam is one of my all time favorites. We haven't really made good use of the pears before now. I think the first time my mom tried to use them, they were full of ants and worms and she decided they were no good and assumed they would continue to be no good. On my last visit I picked one and started eating. My mom looked at me waiting for me to gag and spit. But, ahhhh, it was good. They are bumpy and funky, but not buggy or wormy. Now, they are rapidly ripening on my kitchen floor.


I want to get busy preserving these guys, but first, PIE. I got the idea for this pie from Farm Journal's Country Cookbook, but I didn't really didn't follow their recipe. They get the credit for the idea of crumb topping and flavoring the pie with orange. The rest is all me.


Pear Pie
Two prepared pie crusts, unbaked
Filling:
8 cups peeled, cored and cut up pears
Zest and juice of one lemon
Zest and juice of one orange
1 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
Topping:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line two pie plates with the crust and set in the fridge to chill while preparing the pears.

Combine prepared pears, zests and juices, 1 tbsp. flour and 2 tbsp. sugar and stir to combine. Divide into the two prepared crusts.

For the topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter into small pieces and toss into the flour mixture. Combine butter and flour mixture until it resembles sand. This can be done by hand or in a food processor. Divide the topping between the pies and spread across the pears. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and bubbly.

No calorie calculation on this one. Enjoy!

PS. Fruit pies are breakfast approved.

Random Food Fridays - Jam Sauce

I had such big food plans for the week. Excellent plans, that included pictures and instructions, and I had hoped, inspiration. I got as far as this chicken on Tuesday night and the plans all changed. One quick trip to the ER later and serious cooking is off the table for a while. Here's the story: I sharpened my favorite knife to break down this chicken. I really like to cut up my own chicken. I hate the little shards that are left behind when the butcher does it with a saw. I got my chicken all seasoned and sauced and in the oven and was cleaning up when I cut my finger while drying the knife. I've never had any experience like this before. I'm very respectful of my knives. I'll be even more so now. I have three little stitches and will get them out in 12 days. Meanwhile, I'm at a negative for manual dexterity.

I'm really glad we saved the chicken. What you see here is a leftover plate, which I ate on Thursday. When I got my cut, I knew it needed medical attention, but my first thought was "I just put that chicken in the oven! What am I going to do!" I called Mr. Dwayne, who raced home from A-1 Comics before he even made his purchases. (You see how loved I am!) By the time he got home, the chicken only had 15 minutes to go. With this kind of injury, I expected to be stuck at the ER for hours. In the end, we decided to just wait for the chicken and eat before heading out. I can report that they got me in and out of the Morse Avenue ER in about an hour and a half, and Doctor Jim was awesome. He assured me that I did very well even though I am a big baby on the inside.

Enough about me and my damaged digit! We're here to talk food!

I have discovered that I can make a delicious and varied BBQ sauce by combining the following:

1 cup jam
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 tbsp. dried chopped onion
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

For the chicken you see above, I used my lemon, pineapple and rosemary marmalade as the base. I've used this same sauce on thick pork chops or country style pork ribs in the crock pot, but with my plum and pineapple jam. You can make any combination of meat and jam you like. Do season the meat well with salt and pepper. Add garlic powder too, if you like. I baked this whole, cut up, chicken in a 9 x 13 pan in a 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes. I love serving this chicken with fragrant brown Basmati rice. I think the jammed crock pot pork tastes great with mashed sweet potatoes. The sauce combines with the meat juices to make a tasty gravy.

Until we share a table again - Jam! It's not just for toast anymore!

Random Food Fridays - Taco Talk

Today I want to share what I call tacos. You will see that my definition of tacos is pretty loose. Like salad or sandwiches, tacos can be just about anything. I'm not even sure what defines something as a taco, once you take the tortilla away. Dwayne is my taco anchor, because no matter what crazy thing I do with my taco parts, he always has meat and cheese on a tortilla. These photos represent a few different taco nights at our house. Above is turkey taco meat, served over half of a large baked sweet potato. I've topped it with garden tomatoes, avocado, Trader Joe's Pineapple Salsa, grated cheddar, chopped cilantro, a dab of sour cream and plenty of Tapatio. This is crazy good. There is something magical that happens when you combine sweet potatoes or butternut squash with spicy tomato based sauces. I'm not pulling your leg. It's akin to port and chocolate - the total is greater than the sum of the parts. This fabulous meal only adds up to 440 calories.

On another evening, I had ground beef to use up and made this taco salad. This salad is similar to the sweet potato "taco" but it is mounted on romaine. The ground beef is higher in fat and calories, so I cut out the carbs. Still totally delicious.

We had leftovers of the turkey taco meat, so the next night I had a turkey taco sandwich. It's really just a spicy sloppy joe. That pineapple salsa is very close to BBQ sauce. (Hmmm...spicy pineapple BBQ sauce...)

Here is Dwayne's dinner on most taco nights. I angled the camera so I could show that he put some green stuff in there.

Here is how I season the meat when I make these dishes. It is not at all hot, but is very flavorful. Please add more of everything if you wish. If I were cooking this just for me, I would likely add a chopped jalapeno and maybe throw in some kidney beans. If you take nothing else away from this little love letter to all things taco, please consider sweet potatoes in your next spicy Mexican meal. Trust me. You won't regret it.

Mild & Multi-Purpose Taco Meat

1 lb. ground turkey

one red onion, chopped

1 large cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. each salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, coriander and garlic and herb seasoning

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Brown meat, onions and garlic. Add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce and cook on medium low heat for 5 - 10 minutes to blend flavors. Stack up with your favorite taco fixings.

Random Food Fridays - Salad Days

It's the salad days of summer! Everything is fresh and delicious. I'm always especially fond of summer foods. It's my favorite time of year. Nothing beats those long Sacramento evenings, with the cool delta breezes and long shadows. Whether I'm on my bike, strolling the neighborhood, or just sitting on my porch, I love, love, LOVE it! Summer foods seem to be special and associated with time-limited pleasures. Maybe I'll feel that way about all seasonal foods, once I eat more seasonally around the calendar, but I think things like ripe apricots and cool sweet watermelon will always thrill me.

It seems like a lot of my Random Food Fridays offerings are quick and easy weeknight dinners. I like to cook, but not when I'm tired and starving. Also, have I mentioned we don't have a dishwasher? (She went away to college - Ba-dump-bump!) These kinds of meals don't make much mess. I do most of my food prep on Sunday afternoons, after the Farmer's Market, so they also come together almost instantly.

The above salad features romaine, an Asian pear, a nectarine, some chopped turkey, goat cheese, a few sliced toasted almonds and Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette. TJ's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette is great for salads that combine fruit with vegetables and other savory ingredients.

I often make marinated beets on Sunday and eat them throughout the week. I boil the beets, chop them roughly and combine them with balsamic vinaigrette and some sliced red onion. The skin of the beets doesn't bother me, so I leave it on. I understand that's where all the cool nutrients live. This salad blend was especially good. Along with the beets, I have sliced radishes, goat cheese and some of the best cherry tomatoes I've ever tasted. They were grown by my friend Paula, and think I will be growing this variety in my own little garden next year. I will let you all know the name of the variety once I find out.

Until we share a table again - eat your beets!

Tomato and Fruit Ketchup

When I came up with "Random Food Fridays," it was because I thought I wouldn't have any time to can. Well, I really don't. But the siren song of the steaming water bath called me into the kitchen even though it would have been more responsible to do other activities. Produce available at last weekend's farmer's market convinced me it was time to make this ketchup. My Grandma Betty made it at least once. I remember eating it at her house, and I hand-copied the recipe. Sadly, at this time, Grandma does not remember this. Many of the recipes I get from her contain a lot of sugar and often contain convenience foods. The 50's were modern times after all! Her recipe was much more like traditional ketchup with little bits of canned pear and peach in it. I wanted to duplicate her flavors but avoid using canned produce. I used a combination of her recipe and one I found online. I used Grandma's spices and proportion of vinegar and sugar, and used fresh produce proportions from the other recipe. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. I think I might cook it a bit longer next time.

This was my first experience with canning tomatoes. I hope I can put up something that will resemble those "ready-cut" tomatoes later this summer. I've been trying to avoid using acidic commercially canned foods. I used the nifty basket from my Ball small-batch canning kit to dunk the tomatoes into boiling water to loosen the skins. I then plunged them into ice water. I used Roma tomatoes. They were easy to work with and start out with less liquid than other varieties. I simply quartered them, then pulled out the seeds and slid off the skin.

For the fruit, I used beautiful Gala apples, Asian pears and some rosy, ripe peaches. I didn't catch the variety of the peaches. Three each of these fruits came out to about 9 cups, peeled, cored and chopped.

Here is one application: Meatloaf. This is turkey meatloaf with some of this ketchup on the inside and on top. I added some Worcestershire sauce to the ketchup used on top. It is a good addition and I may add it to the main recipe in the future. Along side the meatloaf,
we had roasted potatoes and shallots and a salad of cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden. Yum!

Tomato and Fruit Ketchup

6 cups of prepared tomatoes - skinned, cored and chopped
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
3 each large apples, pears and peaches, peeled, cored and chopped (about 9 cups)
3 cups red onion, peeled and chopped
3 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
t tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tbsp. pickling spice wrapped in a cheesecloth

Wash and prepare 5 pint jars and lids. Prepare boiling water bath.

Combine all ingredients and a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until desired thickness is reached - two to three hours. (I think I would like to try this in the crock pot next time. I bet all day on low would do the trick.) Partially puree mixture by using a stick blender, or puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Leave a few chunks. Carefully ladle into jars, wipe rims and seal. Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.