Tuesday Twister

Each Tuesday, fellow blogger Wardee (aka the Dairy Diva) encourages us to take a look back at what we’ve had going on, twisting, in our kitchens over the previous week.  While I’ve been too busy to post a lot lately, I certainly haven’t stopped eating  🙂

1) Roasted Broccoli Risotto with homemade vegetable stock, asiago, safflower stamens and toasted pine nuts.  A Meatless Monday dish.

2) Criques au Caviar, light potato pancakes with spring onions, homemade crème fraîche and domestic caviar..

3) Tulsi Chai, ripped from the pages of The Herb Companion, a soothing and healing decoction of holy basil, green tea, fresh ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg with fresh milk and a touch of raw honey..

4) Adobo-fried Pork with salsa fresca and chunky guacamole.  Three cheers for an extended growing season!

5) Green Chili Stew with Fried Black Beans and Roasted Chicken, Hatch chilies and roasted tomatillos simmered in chicken stock thickened with fresh corn flour and served with cumin-fried black beans and garlic-roasted chicken..

6) Korean-style BBQ Short Ribs marinated in soy, sesame, fresh ginger and scallions, served taco-style in a butter lettuce cup with black bean garlic paste, fermented kimchi and Sriracha sauce.

So, there you have it.  What say we head over to the home of the Twister and see what wonders await..

Meatless Monday on Tuesday, the Twister Edition

As those of you who having been hanging out around here for very long already know, I usually eat a vegetarian meal once or twice a week, posting in support of Meatless Monday.  I also like to participate in adopted sister Wardeh’s weekly Tuesday Twister, wherein we take a look back at what’s been going on in our kitchens over the previous week or so.  This post is a bit of a mashup between the two – let’s call it Meatless Monday on Tuesday, the Twister Edition..

Mostly Local Cheese Soup with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower (serves 2)

1 cup fresh broccoli florets (Naeglin Farm)
1 cup fresh cauliflower florets (Finca Pura Vida)
1 bulb green garlic, trimmed (Green Gate Farm)
2 cups homemade vegetable stock
2 tablespoons pastured butter, melted (Pastureland)
1 teaspoon safflower threads (poor man’s saffron, optional)
6 oz raw, grass-fed cheddar cheese, grated (Veldhuizen Dairy)
2 oz raw, grass-fed parmesan cheese, grated (Veldhuizen Dairy)
freshly-grated nutmeg
pinch of cayenne
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Toss broccoli, cauliflower and green garlic in melted butter, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven until caramelized, about 30 minutes.  Turn the vegetables out onto a cutting board and allow to cool enough to handle, then coarsely chop and add to simmering vegetable stock.  Add safflower if using and allow to simmer 20 minutes, then slowly add in grated cheeses, stirring as you go until thick and smooth. Season with nutmeg and cayenne and adjust with salt and pepper as necessary.  Serve hot.

Recently..

1) BLTC;  smoked pork belly, arugula, Texas tomato and raw cheddar on wild yeast sourdough with homemade mayo..

2) Lamb Kefta Kebabs Local, pastured lamb is ground with cinnamon, coriander, cumin and mint before being skewered, seared and flash-roasted with fiery harissa..

3) Purple Corn Maque Choux, a southern Louisiana-style vegetarian dish of maíz morado, celery, onions, carrots, bell peppers and cajun seasonings..

4) Red Chile Pork, Local, pastured pork is pan-seared then braised until tender in a thin paste of red chilies, garlic, Mexican oregano and pineapple juice before being served on top of fresh corn tortillas, silky guacamole and fresh pineapple habanero salsa..

5) Pease Porridge, yellow and green split pease simmered in chicken stock with seasonal root vegetables, served over griddled boule..

Tuesday Twister

Real-food blogger Wardeh is hosting her weekly Tuesday Twister Blog Carnival, the purpose of which is to share through words and pictures what we’ve had going on in our kitchens this past week..

1) Smoked Duck Tostadas Thinly-sliced apple wood-smoked duck breast, toasted guajillo salsa, crèma Mexicana, pickled red onions & jalapeños, field greens with cilantro, fresh avocado, fried black beans and pumpkin-balsamic vinaigrette.

2) BBQ Pork Cheeks with Charro Beans and Vegetable Escabèche Heritage pork cheeks are slow-roasted with tomatoes, onions, peaches and chipotle and served with long-simmered charro beans and vegetable escabèche..

3) Chopped Beefsteak with Mushroom Gravy 70’s-style chopped beefsteak with mushroom gravy, real mashed potatoes and blue lake green beans.

4) Red Lentil Dahl with Spinach and Curried Yogurt Made with spices of Ayurvedic importance, this is a powerfully healthy and healing dish..

5) Thought you might like to see this almost foot-long sweet potato that showed up in my bushel today.  Big enough to feed a small army!

6) This is fresh pork belly that was braised for 1/2 day in stock, aromatic herbs and vegetables, bay, salt, orange and cinnamon.  After it chills overnight in the braising liquid it will be ready for any number of different recipes.

Texas Sweet Potato

It was a pretty OK week but oh, man, that beefsteak sure tasted like home.
I’m off to Twisterville to get some ideas for next week. See ya!

Tuesday Twister

Each Tuesday, fellow blogger Wardeh encourages us to share a bit about what sort of GNOWFGLINS have been twisting in our kitchens during the past week.  What are GNOWFGLINS you ask?  They are God’s Natural, Organic, Whole Foods, Grown Locally, In Season.  You know, real food!

1) Wild Halibut en Persillade Thick-cut wild Alaskan halibut with a light coating of homemade coarse mustard and a persillade of chopped parsley and bread crumbs..

2) Wild Blueberry Biscuits with Maple Sugar and Rosemary A little savory and not too sweet. Good any time of day..

3) Pan-Roasted Moulard with Blackberry/Cranberry Chutney Succulent, aged Moulard duck breast with thyme, bay and a hint of freshly-grated nutmeg is pan-seared, then quickly roasted to a perfect medium-rare.  Served with Armagnac-flamed pan juices, asparagus with garlic and parsley root, and gingered wild blackberry and cranberry chutney..

4) Lobster Bisque Maine lobster, cream, dry sherry, aromatic herbs and vegetables and shaved black truffles.  A classic..

5) Fig Jam with Vanilla and Brandy Turkish figs, brandy, vanilla bean, fresh lemon and wildflower honey..

6) Curried Two-Pea Soup with Toasted Garlic and Crème Fraîche Split green and yellow peas are simmered in vegetable stock with Madras curry and fried onions, then topped with crunchy toasted garlic, Maldon sea salt flakes and a dollop of crème fraîche..

7) Poached Pear with Dark Chocolate, Creme Anglaise and Balsamic Port Reduction Organic Starkrimson pear poached in Tawny port wine, vanilla and peppercorns and served with dark chocolate, crème anglaise and a balsamic port reduction..

8) Conchiglie con Salsiccia di Pollo Coarsely-ground pastured chicken, spinach, sweet onions, garlic and yellow tomatoes tossed with conchiglie pasta, cream, saffron, Grana Padano and fresh herbs..

Wild Blueberry Biscuits with Maple Sugar and Rosemary

So, that’s what my week looked like.  Let’s head over to Wardeh’s house to see what wonders await..


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Tuesday Twister

Each week, fellow real food-blogger Wardeh encourages us to take look back and share a little about what’s been twisting in our kitchens over the last week.  Pastured beef and lamb prevailed for 4 days here, along with a savory vegetarian meal and couple of not-too-sweet treats..

1) Stash Cookies Cultured butter, papelón, piloncillo oscuro, raw cacao beans and wild cinnamon.  Oh, my.

2) Mesquite Grilled Beef Heart Burrito Grass-fed beef heart is marinated  and grilled over a mesquite fire before being simmered with tomatoes, garlic and smoky chipotles en adobo.  I missed an opportunity to do something interesting with all the blood, but a couple of real-food bloggers come to the rescue on that score.

3) Ancho-Grilled Sirloin with Avocado and Papaya Pesto Grass-fed sirloin is dry-rubbed with freshly-ground ancho chiles, roasted paprika, cumin, smoked pepper and sea salt and then pan-grilled and served with a raw avocado oil-based pesto containing cilantro, garlic, bits of dried papaya, macadamia nuts and chipotle powder.

4) Rosemary and Garlic Roast Leg of Lamb with Minted English Peas Local pastured leg of lamb is coated with fresh rosemary, garlic, coarse salt and cracked pepper then slow-roasted and served au jus with fresh peas, spearmint and fried shallots.  The leftovers went became Lamb Vindaloo two days later..

5) Cultured Ginger Peach Smoothie Home-cultured milk, fresh ginger, peaches, lemon and raw wildflower honey make a powerfully pro-biotic, anti-inflammatory and warming beverage.

6) Savory Bread and Cheese Pudding Sprouted wheat and wild yeast sourdough bread, pastured eggs, fresh milk, spinach, onions, garlic, sweet peppers and aged cheeses..

Stash Cookies with papelón, piloncillo oscuro, raw cacao beans and wild cinnamon

I’m off to gnowfglins.com to see what else has been twisting these last few days before Thanksgiving..