Egg salad in winter

Once again I purchased my somewhat laughable but totally usable 5 doz. organic free-range eggs from the CSA on Saturday. $15 for 5 dozen eggs-you really can't beat it. And they're delicious. AND they're from PA! Telford, PA to be exact, but I would still consider that relatively local since its within a 2 hour drive. Anyway, the eggs are a great treat and have a shelf life of about 1 month. I gave a doz. to my mom when my parents visited this weekend, but have 4 doz. left to use. So last night I hard-boiled 6 of them and this morning whipped up some delicious egg salad for Jon and I for lunch! Some lemon juice, cider vinegar, mayo, dijon mustard, red onion, and salt and pepper. Delicious on rye bread. Bring on the spring weather and picnic food! (as I type this there is almost a foot of snow outside my window!)

What do I do with all that food?

I thought I would do a write-up on what made this week with the CSA crops I got on Saturday - I have to say at the start of the new year I've been slightly less than inspired to cook with all these winter veggies, but things like Florida grapefruit and baby cherry tomatoes are keeping me sane in the kitchen, while deciding how to use things I have for the week. Its also fun using veggies in sweet things, like I did with the zucchini when making chocolate-chip zucchini bread. I am definitely looking forward to spring foods!

Here's a rundown of what was in the box on Saturday. I also got 5 doz. local organic eggs - I know, a LOT - but I've pawned some off on friends and am still searching for ways to use up the rest in the next few weeks (eggs for brunch, perhaps a quiche?)

-sweet potatoes
-onions
-brocoli
-kale
-lettuce
-carrots
-zucchini
-parsley
-cherry tomatoes
-grapefruit
-kiwi
-apples
-bananas

Here's what I made this week:

-cous-cous with roasted sweet potatoes, onions and garlic, and diced apricots; with salad

-carrot soup with cardamom

-portugese chorizo potato stew with cherry tomatoes

-chocolate-chip zucchini bread

-macaroni and cheese with aged cheddar

-french lentils with kale and pulled chicken

And what's left for next week:

-1 grapefruit (they've been great for breakfast)
-a few apples
-2 kiwi
-a few brownish bananas
-brocoli
-sweet potato
-a few onions
-a few carrots

SO, in summary - I am looking for simpler. I liked everything that I made, but am definitely ready for a change of seasons (only a few more cold months!)
I am going to re-visit some of my older recipes, maybe cooked a dozen times years ago, but since forgotten about. I am craving lots of the familiar so will try cooking some of the old favorites!

A New, Really GOOD Granola

When I was at the MARTHA show a few weeks ago (not for the show but for other reasons) a few of the girls in the test kitchen gave me their recipe for granola, which I quickly polished off on the train ride home. It's so good. It's nutty, with maple and toasted coconut. I also enjoyed that it's made with extra-virgin olive oil. No fruit, but when I made it yesterday I added raisins. I also threw in some wheat germ. Enjoy!

Farmhand's Choice Granola
(makes about 7 cups)

3 C. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 C. raw pumpkin seeds
1 C. raw sunflower seeds
1 C. coconut chips
1 1/4 C. raw pecans, coarsely chopped
3/4 C. maple syrup, preferably Grade A
1/2 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C. packed light brown sugar
1 t. coarse salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.

2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Spread mixture in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake, stirring every 10 min. until granola is toasted, about 45 min.

3. Remove granola from the oven and let cool completely before serving or storing in airight container for up to 1 month.

Merry Christmas!

I feel so blessed this morning as I enjoyed a leisurely cup of coffee with some eggnog swirled in ... a bright, clear, crisp sky, and soon we'll pick Kev up from the airport and the family will be together! (Shan and Octavio you're there in spirit!!!) I did a short yoga session in my living room, meditating on how fortunate I am and what a blessing it is this Christmas to reflect on life and being present. Happy Christmas Everyone!!

extra apples? try this unusual snack

yum. i just made an impromptu snack of 2 of my favorites: sauteed apples and greek yogurt. oh, and a 3rd thing tossed in there because it's the holidays: disaranno. yes, the liquor. oh my gosh -- what followed from this combination was a light, delicious, slightly almond-scented treat. it's perfect for breakfast, after lunch, or as an evening snack. you only need a drizzle of disaranno but it creates such a fragrant, warming combination with the spiced apples and tart yogurt.

ingredients:

-sauteed sliced apples (i had a container full after cooking a bunch of them a few days ago in some butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and a pinch of salt)

-full fat greek yogurt

-disaronno

to do:

-in a saucepan, heat the apples to warm and pour over a 'healthy holidayish amount' of the disaronno liquor. let it lightly bubble in the pan for 3 min. or so, stirring ocassionally

-put the apples with juices in a bowl and top with a hefty spoonful of greek yogurt

HEAVEN!

kouign amann

On Sunday I made a recipe I'd been wanting to try ever since I read about it on David Lebovitz' site - Breton Butter Cake. It surpassed all ideas I had and was so delicious that we had it for dessert and the rest went directly into the freezer to have sometime later!

It's a butter cake, made with yeast, that takes a little while to make (between risings and restings) but is really worth it. It's a caramelized, buttery, sugary roll/cake that just tastes like the holidays. There are no added spices, but since I used European butter, Plugra (haven't used that since my days at L'Academie but man is it amazing), the real taste of the butter came through. Add lots of sugar and some crunchy salt and it really tastes like you're in Brittany sampling one of their finest creations.

I started it early afternoon, and after dinner and cooling for about 30 min. it was ready to eat. The only frustration was that our smoke detector went off every 3 min. since the cake bubbled over a bit in the 425 degree oven!

I highly recommend this one! Here's the original recipe:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2005/08/long_live_the_k.html

things lately

I am craving some Pinkberry fro-yo so I think this afternoon I'm going to make a stop there. It's like 68 degrees in NYC today believe it or not! Last time I had it was in LA visiting Shan and Octavio. Yum.

Some snacks that have been sitting in the freezer have proven to be welcome additions to the day. I always know I'll love having things onhand during the week when I don't feel like cooking but DO feel like eating. Some of the latest are:

-banana nut bread

-soft gingerbread

-chocolate-chip bars (aka congo bars - from David Lebovitz' Chocolate book.)
[Incidentally these were delicious to snack on while watching Glee last night!]

coconut tapioca

I thought I'd share my version of tapioca - I often use 2 egg yolks but lately add only 1 and it's just as good. Plain tapioca is the perfect comfort dessert or snack-similar to rice pudding but with a more interesting 'poppy' and 'toothsome' texture thats very appealing. You can use lowfat or whole milk. This coconut version is really good, but you can also do it without the coconut milk and just use 3 c. of milk.

coconut tapioca - awesome for breakfast, or an 11-am snack, or after dinner. good cold, room-temp or warm. makes about 4 servings.

ingredients:

• 1/3 c. tapioca (small pearl)
• 1/3 c. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3 c. milk (1 c. coconut milk)
• big handful of flaked coconut, toasted til light brown
• 1 egg yolk (or 2 if you want it extra creamy)
• 1/2 t. vanilla, coffee, or liquor of choice (optional) or 1/2 lemon zested - i like using a combination of zest and rum (if i don't have vanilla)

method:

• put tapioca in a pot with 3/4 c. milk and let it sit for an hour
• whisk in sugar, pinch of salt, rest of milk (1 c. coconut milk + 1 1/4 c. milk)
• on very low heat bring to barely a boil (this should take 15 min. or so) - stir constantly
• turn heat down to small simmer and stir until tapioca beads become clear. it will take about 20. min and become thicker. stir frequently or it may scorch.
• take off heat and stir in lemon zest and/or vanilla, coffee, liquor
• let it sit for 5 min or so and serve with toasted coconut on top