Private summer cooking classes, part 1

A couple of weeks ago, I taught my first private cooking class. The hostess Monica had a fabulous kitchen and the 4 hours flew by, culminating in a delicious lunch. The menu included stuffed fresh grape leaves, made from Syrah grape leaves growing in my back yard. My special ingredient was a couple of salt preserved lemons added to the golden raisins, fresh mint and pine nuts. I demonstrated roasting a whole chicken in a terra cotta clay pot, and used the preserved lemons, chopped home grown fresh parsley and garlic, slipped under the skin. The 'students' made a fresh slaw with the last of the purple cabbage, fresh pineapple, orange bell pepper and celery. The simplest of dressing was balsamic syrup, and fresh ground pepper and salt. They grated several varieties of squash, we squeezed the water out and then stir fried in local olive oil, garlic and chopped fresh basil and thyme. We used the Donvier hand crank ice cream maker to freeze a delicious lemon buttermilk ice cream, served over Alice Waters' amazing almond cake and fresh berry coulis. I hope you enjoy these recipes and maybe we can cook and learn together in a private cooking class in your home.

Roasted Chicken in Clay w/ salt preserved lemons

3-4 slices of salt preserved lemons
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1+ teaspoons cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4 to 5-pound) roasting chicken

1. Chop the lemons slices. Combine lemon with all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

2. Immerse the top and bottom of a 2-quart clay cooking pot in water for 15-20 minutes. Empty pot, and drain well.

3. Remove and discard the giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

4. Rub lemon garlic herb mixture under and over the loosened skin. Tie ends of legs together with cord.

5. Place chicken, breast side up, in bottom of clay pot, and cover with top of clay pot.

6. Place clay pot in cold oven, and set to 450°.

7. Bake chicken for 20 minutes breast side up. Turn and cook breast side down for 20 minutes. Turn once more to breast side up and remove top. Leave the cover off and cook uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer registers 180°.

9. Carefully remove clay pot from oven. Remove chicken from clay pot. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. Discard skin.

Roasted apricots, yummy!

Apricots are here and you are likely to only find fresh apricots at your farmers market because they are fragile and do not ship well. Apricots are also one fruit that is better cooked than fresh. I figured out how to 'cook' apricots and freeze them when I was given about 15 lbs at one time! I wanted to cook them easily and quickly, so roasting them made perfect sense. Roasting will reduce the water content, intensify the flavor and reduce the volume thereby taking up less freezer space. A half sheet pan, pictured here will shrink down to fit into a 1 qt freezer bag.

I have used roasted apricots as a filling in between layers of an almond cake, a lemon cake, over vanilla ice cream, and best of all in apricot sorbet. Fresh apricots made into a sorbet tasted like baby food, but roasted, they were sophisticated and packed with tons of apricot flavor. So rinse, cut the apricots, remove the pits, place halves cut side up, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Then roast in a hot oven, about 450° (or gas BBQ with the middle burner off). Check after 20 mins and then add time as needed. Cool and place in freezer bags, flattened to stack easily in the freezer.

Bon appétit!

Spring Art Boutique Delights

For the past few years I have hosted a spring art boutique with my jewelry artist friend Tina St John. This year we invited a 3rd artist, Sam McKinney, who grows and makes lovely gourd pieces. During the school year when I'm teaching full time, I bounce between cooking in my small but efficient kitchen and working in my spacious new art studio. So alongside the dining room table laden with some of the recipes that follow, I'll have a few handmade journals, some prints for framing and hand printed cards. Tina hand makes beautiful jewelry and both she and Sam are part of the Art Co-op in Three Rivers, near the entrance to the Sequoia National Park.

Of course, I featured local spring fruits and vegetables. This included the previously posted Chilled Spring Pea soup with garlic cream and bacon crumbles. Everything tastes better with a little bacon, non? Our local Southeast Asian strawberry farmers have just opened up their roadside stands featuring the old fashion Chandler variety of sweet and red fleshed strawberries. These strawberries have a short shelf life and can't be shipped, so enjoy them now. When it gets hot, they 'll be gone until next spring. I served a Mediterranean Orange 'Salad" with Pomegranate Molasses topped with local pistachios, a platter of baby carrots and radishes to be savored with a yogurt green garlic dip, a cardamom Indian style carrot cake, a lemon butter cake layered with roasted apricots and an Asian Slaw.

Gajar Ki Cake- Carrot cake with pistachios

From Madhur Jaffrey's Spice Kitchen

Notes: Take the cardamom seeds out of the pods and grind the finely in a mortar. Cardamom is used like vanilla in Indian cooking.

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

4 Tbsp butter softened, plus about 2 tsp to coat the pan

1 cup unbleached all Purpose flour, plus 1 Tbsp for dusting the cake pan

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp table salt

2 large eggs

½ tsp ground cardamom seeds, see note above

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cup peeled and grated carrots

2 Tbsp chopped pistachios

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp golden raisins

DIRECTONS:

1. Rub a 9 " round cake pan that is 1 ½" in height with about 2 tsp butter, then dust very lightly with flour.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350°
   
3. Sift the flour, with the baking soda and salt, set aside.
   
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the cardamom, sugar and 4 Tbsp of softened butter. Keep beating until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
   
5. Add the sifted flour mixture to the large bowl and fold gently with a spatula. Add the carrots, nuts and raisins. Fold in gently.
   
6. Pour into the cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden red.
   

Oranges with Pomegranate Molasses and Honey

From Bon Appétit | December 2008

This light, bright dessert of oranges, dates, and cinnamon. is a great way to end a heavy meal,

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 large navel oranges (preferably Cara Cara), all peel and white pith cut away, oranges sliced into thin rounds
1/4 cup floral honey (such as tupelo or orange blossom)
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 large Medjool dates, pitted, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Arrange orange slices, overlapping slightly, on large rimmed platter.
   
2. Whisk honey, pomegranate molasses, ground cinnamon, and sea salt in small bowl to blend; drizzle evenly over oranges.
   
3. Sprinkle oranges evenly with chopped dates.
   
4. Variation: add chopped mint and pistachios as a garnish
   

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

* A thick pomegranate syrup; available at in Visalia at Mediterranean Market and Deli.

Asian Slaw

from the 'Chef' at Joseph Phelps Vineyards

serves 6-8 side servings

For Dressing:

5 oz.	Canola oil
1 oz.	Dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp	Lemon juice
1 Tbsp	Orange juice
2 oz.	Rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp	Minced garlic
1 Tbsp	Minced ginger
1 Tbsp	Soy sauce

For Slaw:

1/2 head	Green cabbage sliced very thin
1/2 head	Red cabbage sliced very thinly
2 lrg	Carrots shredded (grated)
3 Tbs.	Black sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Blend all ingredients for dressing (also great marinade)

Mix vegetables

Dress vegetables the season with salt and pepper to taste. Best dressed the day you are serving it.

Spring Chilled Pea Soup

Although our local farmers don't all grow sugar snap peas or Chinese edible peas in their pods, maybe like me, you have some growing in your yard. I swear they grow over night, because there are so many new pods each day! I adapted this recipe from Food & Wine magazine, and substituted Chinese peas for the sugar snap peas. My friends the Sommers share this with me last night and they agreed that the little bit of rosemary and garlic infused cream and bacon bits on top made it extra special. Prefect for a warm spring afternoon or evening. Happy Easter and spring! It will serve 6-8 as a first course.

Ingredients

8 slices of bacon

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 leek, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced

5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth

Two 4-inch fresh rosemary sprigs

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1/2 pound sugar snap peas, thinly sliced

16-20 ounce boxes frozen baby peas

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

½ cup heavy cream

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

1. In a medium soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate. Pour off the fat in the pot.
   
2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil.
   
3. Add the celery, onion and leek and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes.
   
4. Add the chicken stock, 4 slices of the cooked bacon, 1 rosemary sprig and a pinch each of salt and white pepper.
   
5. Simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bacon and rosemary.
   
6. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender or food processor.
   
7. Blanch the fresh peas for about 2-3 min. Remove and cool under running water. Add the frozen peas and parsley leaves to the pot of boil water. Heat for about 1 min, drain.
   
8. Add all the peas and parsley to the processor and puree. Adding a few Tablespoons of broth to loosen the soup.
   
9. Transfer the soup and reaming broth to a large bowl set in another bowl of ice water to cool.
   
10. In a small sauce pan bring the cream, garlic and rosemary sprig to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 5 mins.
    
11. Serve the chilled soup drizzled with the garlic cream and topped with the remaining 4 slices of bacon that have been chopped or crumbled.
    

    
    

Braised baby carrots and leeks

I was inspired by the baby leeks and amazing baby carrots in our market this spring. No need to peel the tiny carrots, I use new clean scrubby pad to remove the hairy exterior. This past week farmer Becky Terry brought in colorful varieties of French baby carrots, (mais oui, elles sonts rouge et jaune), in shades of orange, yellow and even red! They were all sweet and petite! If possible use small and tender leeks, all about the same size in this dish because they will cook more evenly along with the baby carrots. If you aren't able to find small leeks, cut the large ones into quarters. This was delicious served with clay pot baked lemon roasted chicken, which I will post soon.

INGREDIENTS:
12 small leeks

6-8 small (or more baby carrots), with green tops, about ½ lb

3 cups chicken broth

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Trim the leeks of all of the dark green stem; trim the root end, and remove and discard the outer leaves with a sharp knife, Split the light green part lengthwise and rinse well under running cold water.
   
2. Trim the carrots and peel if using larger ones; or scrub the smallest baby carrots. Trim the tops leaving about 1"
   
3. In a large skillet add the broth and leeks and carrots. Bring to a simmer and cook partial covered for 10-20 minutes or until tender. Remove the vegetable to a side dish, cove and keep warm.
   
4. With the remaining braising liquid in the pan, bring heat up high and reduce to about 1 cup. Whisk in the butter and taste adding salt and pepper as need.
   
5. Cut the larger carrots and the leeks in half lengthwise. Serve, spooning some of the butter braising sauce on each serving.
   

Lemon Upside-Down Cake

My spring seasonal table class made the upside down lemon cake pictured here. We used a cast iron pan and the last of this season's Meyer Lemons which are sweeter than other varieties of lemons. You can use any oven proof 10-12" pan with a metal handle. This cake is going to be a favorite because its not too sweet, doesn't require frosting and its lemon, one of my favorite flavors! Make one 10" cake, to serves 8+

Ingredients:

2 lemons

¾ cups (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp finely grated lemon peel

2 large eggs, separated

¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

½ cup milk

¼ tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat oven to 350°F

Trim the ends off the lemons and cut the fruit into 1/8" to ¼" slices with a very sharp knife or mandoline. Discard the seeds.

Melt ¼ cup of the butter with the brown sugar in an ovenproof non-stick 10in skillet (or well seasoned cast iron pan) over medium heat.

Add the lemon slices, increase the heat to high and boil stirring for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and arrange the slice in an orderly pattern in the bottom of the skillet.

Sift the flour baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

Beat the remaining ½ cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the granulated sugar and zest, beat scrapping down the sides of the bowl until the batter is light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks and vanilla; beat just until blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition and beat just until blended.

Beat the egg whites with clean beaters on medium speed in a large clean bowl until just foamy. Increase the speed to medium high, add the cream of tartar and beat just until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Add one quarter 1/4^th, of the whites to the batter and fold in using a rubber spatula. Continue to gently fold in the whites, 1/4^th at a time. Be careful not to over mix.

Pour the batter over the lemon slices and gently smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the cake with a rubber spatula all around, invert onto a heat proof serving platter and leave the pan over the cake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan, cut into wedges and serve the cake warm.

Easter cookies with a twist

Use a basic sugar cookie recipe, see Alton Brown's recipe below. (Or in a pinch use a refrigerator package of sugar cookie dough, like the one by Tollhouse.)
Using your un-Christmas cookie cutters like a bunny, chicken, etc cut out the shaped dough. You can make an egg shape out of cardboard and using a paring knife cut out egg shapes to decorate. Use powdered sugar instead of flour as you roll out the dough to keep them from sticking and to keep the flavor crisp.

Healthy trick: Instead of using frosting after the cookies are baked and cooked, try an egg white wash on the unbaked cookies and decorating with colored sugar and sprinkles, then baking. This makes the cookies less of a sugar bomb but you will still have fun decorating and they look pretty too.
The busy bee cookies were decorated with this frosting less technique and they were yummy and cute too!

Happy Easter gardening, cooking and baking!

Sugar Cookies
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown Makes about 3 dozen-2 1/2 inch
Ingredients
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla
• Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Directions
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine.
Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.
Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar.
Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill.
Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time.
Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or decorated as described above.
Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.