Restraint

Years ago now, my daughters made an unexpected, albeit emphatic, declaration: fruit is not a dessert! It was a step toward independence from their mother, me, who tried to make everything healthy, including dessert. I have learned, by some accounts slowly, that some things are simply not worth the effort. Chocolate defines dessert at my house. Can one argue with the reasoning that when one indulges, one ought to indulge decadently?

As a result, it should come as no surprise that my clan loves brownies, but I make brownies infrequently as no baked good tests our self control more. Nonetheless, I have a collection of wonderful brownie recipes and want to begin sharing them today. I thought it best to begin with a brownie recipe that might help you make a dent in a bumper zucchini crop harvest. Zucchini Brownies are made with whole-wheat flour and result in a dense, heavy, moist, and cake-like brownie. It is noteworthy that the zucchini allows you to cut the fat. Sugar? Not so much, but they are brownies after all and won't let you down, remaining both indulgent and decadent down to the last crumb. Restraint may not be necessary after all.

Zucchini Brownies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup shredded zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
3 tablespoons whole milk

1. Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with foil, letting it overhang on all four sides and coating with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add unsweetened chocolate and stir until melted. 
3. Add sugar and salt; stir until well combined. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, vigorously mixing after each addition.
4. Fold in flour until incorporated fully.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly.
6. Bake at 350 F until sides begin to pull away from pan and and middle is firm to the touch, about 30 minutes.
7. Let cool completely.
8. Melt semisweet chocolate in a small bowl in microwave at 50% power, being careful not to burn chocolate. Add milk and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth. Spread onto cooled brownies. 
9. Allow to set before cutting into squares.

Yield: 16 to 20 brownies

Shift

Suddenly, smatterings of color now dot the landscape. The hummingbirds are disappearing, migrating as soon as the days got cooler. The deer, squirrels and birds outside have altered their patterns of activity as well. The sun has shifted in the horizon as days are shortening noticeably. Change is in the air, and my habits reflect the arrival of fall which snuck up on me.

I call this the September shift. I am frenzied in the garden, working daily to clean up and complete an unrealistic list of projects. I begin to think of piles of wood for the fireplace, approaching holidays and accompanying lists, and preparations for nesting in colder weather in dress and bedding and decor. Most of all, I begin to crave hearty, warming foods to comfort the soul in the coming months.

In the fall, my cravings for salads turn from greens to beans and legumes. Great with soups or a thick slice of bread and a piece of cheese, these salads serve as sides or a meal in their own right. To make my Bean Salad, you can use black beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, or kidney beans as well as wax or green beans cooked tender crisp, depending on your preferences or what you find in your pantry. No matter the combination, Bean Salad is prepped quickly and tastes delicious.

Bean Salad

4 cups cooked or canned choice of two types of beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced red onion, soaked in cold water to take the edge off the onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Combine beans, bell pepper, corn, celery, onion, and parsley in a medium bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, oil, salt and pepper. Add to beans; toss to coat.
3. Chill salad for several hours to allow beans to soak up the flavor of the dressing.

Yield: 4 to 8 servings

Comfort

The weather in Virginia has turned considerably cooler than average for September, or so I am told as a newcomer to the region. I am not complaining as these are golden days of bright blue skies with warm, dry days and cool nights that permit us to open the windows to the bedroom. You can breath deeply and fully in this weather and fall asleep with full release.

My problem has become that I don't stay asleep but wake at 3:30 a.m. with my mind on full throttle. I tell myself to stay calm and carry on which I eventually do. These are challenging times, when gratitude for our current good fortune is front and center just as concern for neighbors near and far plagues the heart. In the kitchen, the tide is turning. The weather and fall harvest begin to change what I prepare. I am focusing on healthy, comfort food to nourish the body and soul.

To accompany the Red Berry Kissel in my last post, I made Rice Pudding in the Oven from Mark Bittman's Book, How to Cook Everything. Two aspects of this recipe are selling points in my mind. First, it is hands off. Second, it is flexible and open to numerous variations. I recommend you find your favorite, find calm, and eat on. If nothing else, rice pudding is a great place to start.

Rice Pudding in the Oven

• 1/3 cup any white rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 4 cups milk

1.      Heat the oven to 300°F. Combine the rice, sugar, salt, and milk in a large gratin dish that holds at least 6 cups. Stir a couple of times and put it in the oven, uncovered. Bake for 30 minutes, then stir. Bake for 30 minutes longer, then stir again; at this point the rice might be swelling up and the milk should begin to develop a bubbly skin (if so, stir it back into the mixture).

2.      Cook until the rice plumps and starts to become a more noticeable part of the mixture and the skin becomes more visible and darker, about 30 minutes more. Now the pudding is getting close to done, so check on it every 10 minutes, stirring each time (it should reach the right texture in 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the kind of rice you used).

3.      The pudding will be done before you think it’s done. The rice should be really swollen and the milk thickened considerably but still pretty fluid (it will thicken more as it cools). Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Tips:

You’ve got to use white rice in this recipe, but you have some choices: Long-grain aromatic rice (like basmati or jasmine) will deliver the most delicate texture and fragrance. Short- or medium-grain white rice (like Arborio) will be more thick and chewy. Supermarket long-grain rices will be somewhere in between.

Variations: 5 Ways to Change the Flavor

1.      Substitute coconut, soy, rice, or nut milk for the milk.

2.      Stir in a piece or two of whole spice (cinnamon sticks, cloves, or nutmeg) at the beginning of cooking.

3.      Stir in a teaspoon of grated citrus zest at the beginning of cooking.

4.      Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract after cooking.

5.      Add up to 1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts right before serving.

Kissel

kissel (noun): a dessert made from fruit juice or puree, boiled with sugar and water and thickened with potato or cornstarch

While the berries are still flowing, I suggest you make a kissel and use it to top waffles or ice cream or pound cake, for example. Or, eat it alone with a dollop of whipped cream. Red Berry Kissel is a simple summer delight to help beat the heat and eat while lounging around. Absolutely.

Red Berry Kissel

2 cups berry, Concord grape, or raspberry juice

¼ cup granulated sugar or more, if desired

3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in additional ½ cup of above juice

5 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, or 20 ounces frozen whole strawberries

3 cups fresh raspberries or 12 ounces frozen whole raspberries

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large, nonreactive saucepan, combine juice and sugar. Pour dissolved cornstarch mixture into the saucepan and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat. As soon as it begins to simmer, stir for about 5 minutes until cloudy juice runs clear.
2. Stir in strawberries and raspberries and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into serving bowl or individual dessert cups.
3. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, serving chilled.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Courtesy of Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective

Note to self: Be sure to lounge around, Red Berry Kissel and spoon in hand, before the academic calendar kicks into high gear.

Back to School

With back to school just around the corner, a sense of excitement and dread begins to creep into our house. Overall, we are an academic family that loves to learn but the demands of schooling in regards to performance, schedule, and stamina can be daunting.

Getting prepared and organized can really help ease the worries and accentuate the positive. Of course, nothing beats shopping for school supplies, but I like to stock up on homemade snacks and easy meals as well so that we continue to eat healthy when crunched for time.

I love blueberry muffins and have tried more recipes than I can count. I have come to rely on this recipe from Ina Garten which produces a standard blueberry muffin I can rely on to be delicious every time -- not too sweet, not too dry. I also play with the recipe and alter it as highlighted in bold below, depending on what ingredients I have on hand. You can leave out the lemon zest or add cinnamon or top them with an easy struesel mix as well. Or, substitute another berry which goes over well at my house where my daughters aren't big fans of blueberries.

Confession: I do sometimes make blueberries muffins anyway, just for myself, and freeze them individually. I enjoy this snacking favorite with a cup of coffee in the afternoon for a boost as I get ready to tackle the rest of the day. Then, I head to the high school to pick up my daughter at the end of volleyball practice with enough energy to really listen to her and discuss her day on the ride home.

Blueberry Muffins

Courtesy of Ina Garten

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour or mix of whole grain flours and all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar or ¾ cup brown sugar or ½ cup either sugar and ¼ cup honey

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled or ¼ cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt or sour cream

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (half-pint) fresh blueberries or any other favorite seasonal berry

1.      Preheat the oven to 350° F.

2.      Line muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

3.      In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the flour(s), sugar (sugar and honey), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4.      In a separate bowl, combine the butter, eggs, buttermilk (yogurt or sour cream), lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

5.      Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, beat until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Be sure batter is completely mixed, but do not over mix!

6.      Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups until almost full.

7.      Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffins will spring back to the touch.

Yield: 12 muffins

Ten

The peach harvest in Virginia is in full swing, and I ordered ten pounds of peaches. Or, a quarter of a bushel of peaches. Or, a peck of peaches. Or, about 40 peaches. 

They arrived in a box and I placed them in a red and green basket on the counter for one day. Then, I got to work peeling and slicing, half one day and half the next. First, I prepared a batch of freezer jam, yielding approximately six pints, four for us and two to gift. Then, I whipped up a batch of peach pie filling, two quarts of pie filling for two pies which I froze and enough left over to make one small pie to devour today. 

I try to plan ahead in my cooking as I have time and this varies year to year and season to season. I make my best attempts to stock the larder and ease the burden of cooking down the road. I like having freezer jam or pie filling on hand and ready for unexpected guests. Or, for when the house is about to be full over the holidays but life has been crazy, and I haven't had time to get ready as I would like. Or, for a last minute gift for a friend who needs a lift or a token of appreciation. Don't get me wrong, I serve numerous meals and gift plenty of food that didn't come from my kitchen, too. I simply aspire to prepare what I can and let go of the rest.

Let me recommend Freezer Jam as a homemade staple at your house -- so simple, so versatile, so delicious. The hardest part is the peeling and chopping with stone fruits, but I turn on the radio or a a podcast and the time passes quickly. Better yet, employ some helpers and you will be done in no time. If you make a berry freezer jam, the prep work is lessened considerably.

Freezer Jam

5 cups peeled, pitted, sliced and crushed plums, peaches or nectarines (about 3 pounds) or 5 cups crushed berries (about 2 1/2 pounds)

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons, depending on size)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup (1.75 ounces) powdered, instant, low-sugar pectin

1. Sterilize 3 pint-sized plastic freezer containers or glass jars with tight-fitting lids.
2. In a large pot, combine fruit and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk together sugar and pectin; add to fruit, stirring until sugar mixture dissolves and fruit returns to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute; then, remove from heat.
4. Transfer to containers or jars, leaving a 1/2-inch head space. Seal and let sit at room temperature until jam is set or 2 to 3 hours.
5. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Yield: 3 pints jam

For full disclosure, I also left about a dozen peaches out to be enjoyed fresh. The peaches are so good right now that a big bite right down to the pit nearly melts in your mouth and drips down your chin. As a result, I eat one right over the kitchen sink nearly every day, making such a mess that my hands are coated in peach juice by the time I am done. I extol the virtues of fresh fruit for my health, but eating peaches just harvested and straight from the farm is nothing less than a gift to one's taste buds. If food tasted this good every day of the year, we wouldn't appreciate the gift; I simply wish I could share this gift with everyone! In the dead of winter, Freezer Jam will keep you holding on and will remind you of what is to come once again in just a few months. So worth it.

Herbs

I just snipped some fresh basil and Italian flat-leaf parsley from the pots on the deck as I prepared dinner. I always feel such joy as I breath in their fragrances and am reminded how fresh herbs speak of summer, adding so much flavor to the current harvest of fresh produce. Moreover, herbs are incredibly easy to grow on a window sill, on a deck or patio, or integrated into a garden bed. Many like oregano and thyme are deer resistant. Rosemary can be well established in the summer and then brought inside for the winter. 

Still, I tend to freeze some of summer's harvest of fresh herbs to add to soups, sauces, and dishes of all sorts in the winter. In this way, I know I will have the herbs on hand when I need them. Moreover, they are already chopped and ready to add to the other ingredients in our favorite hearty winter recipes. Freezing fresh herbs allows me to add a touch of summer to even the darkest, coldest days of winter cooking, spreading their joy year round. 

Freezing Fresh Herbs

Chop leftover fresh herbs, transfer by the tablespoon full to ice cube trays, and top with water to cover.  The standard ice cube tray takes two tablespoons chopped herbs and 1 tablespoon water.  Freeze the trays for at least four hours.  Transfer to a zipper-lock plastic bag and seal.  Store until you want to add them to sauces, soups, stews, or any other cooked recipe.  Enjoy all winter long!

Humble

I can never say the word humble without thinking about Charlotte's Web. Humble is one of the words that Charlotte weaves into her web to describe Wilbur in a desperate attempt to save the pig's life. From the very first sentence, E.B. White wrote a classic book about friendship with drama and warmth and humor and offers the reader a glimpse into rural, farm life in the post-WWII Midwest . I remember reading Charlotte's Web myself as a child as well as with my own children and couldn't pass the opportunity to read it once again with the student I am tutoring in English. This is a book that keeps on giving.

I feel the same way about pound cake. Pound cake is humble and reliable and versatile. You can add lemon and blueberries to it or glaze it or serve it with macerated berries and whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. As I remember, my aunt made it nearly every week to serve to anyone in a large extended family who might show up at her table for coffee and cake on the weekends. She was the family matriarch, who learned to cook and bake at a cooking school in Gdansk as a young woman. I was fortunate enough to have asked her to show me how she made it once and she obliged. I tried to write down a recipe but she never used one and really taught me more about technique to get the right texture and flavor.

The basic pound cake recipe I use and consider a homemade staple at my house is from King Arthur Flour and made with brown sugar and sour cream. It comes closest to the taste I remember and certainly ought to be passed on. Pound cake might be considered humble simply because it is so easily overlooked. Yet, it may be served more often than not right alongside the most elaborate of dishes and the most challenging of cakes and completely satisfy. I assert that one could ask nothing more of any recipe than this.

Brown Sugar Sour Cream Pound Cake

16 tablespoons (1 cup) butter, at cool room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.      Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9- or 10-cup Bundt pan.

2.      In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars at medium speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be light and airy, and will have lightened in color.

3.      Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute or two between additions. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat briefly to recombine any residue.

4.      Add the baking powder, salt, and baking soda, then gently beat in half the flour.

5.      Gently mix in the sour cream and vanilla, then add the remaining flour, mixing just until blended.

6.      Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7.      Remove the cake from the oven. Cool it in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack to finish cooling. Cool completely before slicing.

 Yield: 1 cake or 16 slices

Preservation

Nothing means home to me more than food and putting food by. Food preservation has been on the back burner in our two year transition as we settled into our new home in Charlottesville. In addition, harvests arrive here sooner than I am accustomed, growing up in the Midwest and living in the Northeast. So, I was only able to freeze a few packs of strawberries and rhubarb this year.

People usually love or hate rhubarb. I happen to have a fetish for the vegetable. In part, I owe this to the rhubarb plant my parents have in the corner of their vegetable garden which was likely planted shortly after my father purchased it in 1970. It remains a prolific producer and grows immense in size. I am hoping to duplicate its production at Nara. Note to self: top priority next spring is the planting of a rhubarb plant!

So, I prepared a batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce this week, utilizing the stores in the freezer, producing four small containers to enjoy sparingly but with great enthusiasm. The sauce can be enjoyed warm or cold with waffles or pancakes, ice cream or yogurt, and cakes of all sorts. The sauce is vintage, old school perhaps, but speaks to the palate and yet never fails to impress. Be sure to taste the sauce as you cook and adjust the sugar to your liking as the sweetness of strawberries can vary greatly.

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

1 pound rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

2 cups strawberries, hulled, rinsed, and halved

¾ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons water

1. Combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook, stirring frequently, until rhubarb is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. You may refrigerate sauce for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months for long-term storage.

Conversation

I celebrate myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belongs to me as good belongs to you.
~ from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

The other day, I was called up to the first cashier to check out with my purchases. As I walked up, I noticed that the bright pink color of the shirt I was purchasing matched the background color of the hijab the young woman was wearing at the register, except hers was patterned with small white flowers. I smiled and said, "I see we like the same color."

Genuinely joyous, her face lit up, "Today is New Years Day for us." She explained that she was originally from Afghanistan, and it was 1396 by the Persian calendar. Slight in stature, she was radiant with beautiful dark skin and eyes and a tremendous smile, and she had clearly dressed well in celebration.

I asked her how she would celebrate. She shared that after work she had classes at the community college as she prepared to be a dentist, but she would join the celebration afterward. After the community prayed together, there would be food and more food and music and dancing.

I laughed and added, "Every holiday is about the food, isn't it? What will you eat?"

We were running out of time, but she did share the tradition of eating seven dried foods like dried nuts and fruit. I wish we had had more time to talk. She enjoyed sharing, and I enjoyed learning.

I have never appreciated more that conversation is about the other, taking the focus off of ourselves to really listen and learn from another. I have had more life changing conversations across cultures recently -- my ESL student from the Dominican Republic, the Mexican cook at the local diner, the Irish bagger at Trader Joe's. And, of course, what is a better conversation starter than food? It never fails me. Funny thing: we all eat.

When I take the time to see another, to hear another, to know another, I see another version of myself. We share atoms and DNA and carbon and air and water. Why should it be any harder to share conversation when we have the same fundamental human needs and desires? So, as I see it, these times call for extra measures of kindness as everyone has a story and everyone has something to learn. Who know what can bloom with a bit of humility, a measure of kindness, and an attentive listener?

By the way, if you want to learn a little bit about Persian cooking and Iran, you might read Maman's Homesick Pie: A Persian Heart in an American Kitchen by Donia Bijan which is on my bookshelf and includes recipes.