Dark Days Challenge

I wasn't sure if it would happen again this year, but an email landed in my inbox last week from Laura over at (not so) Urban Hennery. An informal poll of previous participants was being done to gauge interest in a dark days challenge for this year. The response I saw was overwhelmingly positive, so The 5th Annual Dark Days Challenge is on!
All of the info is available at the above link, which also contains the signup info. In short, the signup is located at (not so) Urban Hennery and the challenge will be hosted by the excellent and insightful collective blog Not Dabbling In Normal . There are even rumblings of theme weeks and prizes, which is a new twist to the challenge for me!!
The rundown on the challenge:
Dates: 11/27/2011 - 3/31/2012
The challenge: Cook one meal each week featuring SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) ingredients and document the experience.
What is local??: There is a great deal of contention about that, but for the purposes of this challenge many (including this blog) will be using a 150 mile radius. There are some exceptions to the local requirements, oils, chocolate, spices, and coffee, but it's up to each individual participant what they consider local and what exceptions they are making. Part of the challenge is trying to find the ingredients locally, or if necessary, coming up with substitutes that can be sourced locally.
Again, all the details and sign up info can be found at (not so) Urban Hennery.

For Gail and I we use a radius of 150 miles, and take exception for oils, chocolate, spices, and coffee, though I will be making an effort to source my coffee from local roasters, and even use local chocolate companies like Taza when affordable. Part of the fun of the challenge is coming up with interesting meals, so I'm not blogging about soups and only soups, though there will be some delicious soups in our future. Last year we made it from 12/1/2010-3/15/2011. Two of my favorites were my first-attempt at roasting a whole chicken with buttermilk rolls and root veggies and a great salad  with apples and radish with chipotle cheddar grilled cheese.

150 miles radius from our condo.

Above you can see what constitutes a 150 mile radius from where Gail and I live. Lucky for us there are a number of local producers that fall within this ranger that will make parts of this challenge easier (King Arthur flour, and a number of small batch honey, grain, pasta, cheese, and coffee roasters in particular). Before the challenge gets underway I will post a list of what we've put up that is in our kitchen along with some of the sources I except to be using for much of this challenge.
I hope some of you will take up the challenge (whether you blog about it or not), and that all of you will follow along with me and the other participants around the Internets and at Not Dabbling in Normal! 

November 2011... in progress

November 2011... in progress
Not entirely food related.. Trying something different here.
11/5-11/12
reading
Second Nature- Michael Pollan
Diary of a Very Bad Year: confessions of an anonymous hedge fund manager
Lucky Peach Issue # 1
Beer & Bullets to Go: Ancient 'takeout' window discovered - LiveScience
Eat Local, All Year Long - Handcrafted with Altitude (this is such an awesome idea, and if there was something likes this in my area I would sign up or participate any way I could)
Because I Can - Dabblings and Whimsey (a really awesome ode to canning)
Charcutapalooza (with candied bacon recipe) - Heather Atwood, Gloucester Times

glancing at:
Flour cookbook
lots of blogs
King Arthur Flour catalog
50 Best Restaurants - Boston Magazine

listening to:
Podcasts: WTF with Marc Maron w/Chris Rock, girl on guy podcast with neil fallon of clutch
clutch (because of the girl on guy podcast, I went back and listened to lots of clutch this week)

Baby Making Music playlist by Staff Meal 
Grateful Dead 1/17/70 Springers Inn Portland, OR - great bar band type show from the dead.


watching:
modern marvels - salt
Mumuration - really fun video.

happenings:
baking & a little bit of canning
new fall menu at American Craft - Pork & Beans was outstanding!

Cranberry-Apple Sauce

Gail and I  also looking into incorporating jam or jelly into our wedding somehow, and I am currently looking for recipes with a certain color, in conjunction with thanksgiving on the horizon, means now is the perfect time to stock up on cranberries and try some new recipes. I've been on the hunt for a good Cranberry Sauce recipe and came across Marisa from Food in Jars awesome recipe for Apple-Cranberry Jam. The only alteration to the recipe was just a little bit of extra cranberries, not much at all though. 

I let it cook down to the consistency of a cranberry sauce instead of a jam and promptly processed it.

Cran-Apple Sauce

The result was a great tasting beautifully burgundy cranberry apple sauce that isn't overly tart or overly sweet. A perfect test batch with enough jars to share with friends and family before thanksgiving!

Rosemary Shortbread

Last year I wrote about picking up Joanne Chang's Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe. Gail has successfully mastered the Oreo's from the book, and we've tried a few others. I found myself at home and in between two kitchen tasks so I whipped up a batch of this wonderful Rosemary Shortbread. They are buttery and have a perfect crumb. The recipe was easy enough without a stand mixer (though the recipe calls for one) and I will certainly be making these again soon! Great with a cup of coffee or tea!

rosemary shortbread, dried rosemary sprigs & fresh cranberries

Rosemary Shortbread from Flour by Joanne Change
makes 12 to 15 cookies
1 cup (2 sticks/228 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 cups (210g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (65g) cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder


Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attached (or a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon), cream the butter on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and pale. (This step will take 3 to 4 minutes if using a handheld mixer and about 5 minutes if using a spoon.) Add the sugar and beat on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. On low speed, add the egg yolk and rosemary and beat for about 1 minute, or until thoroughly combined.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder. On low speed, slowly  add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and then mix just until the flour mixture is totally incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed. stop the mixer several times to scrape the bowl and the paddle to free ant trapped flour mixture.
Scrape the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, pressing down to form a disk about 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. refrigerate the dough about 20 minutes, or until it is firm enough to roll out.
Position rack in the center of oven, and heat to 325 degrees.
On a floured work surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12 by 10 inches and 1/4 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 to 15 uniform pieces-rectangles, triangles, or cookie-cutter shapes-and arrange them on a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. (At this point, the cookies can be tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Bake as directed directly from the freezer. you may need to add a few minutes to the baking time.)
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are medium golden brown all the way through. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Though the recipe leans towards a stand mixer I did the whole thing by hand with no issues. I used the lid of a ball 1/2 pint canning jar as the cookie cutter and got great looking circles. Really easy recipe, one that I would make ahead of time for the holidays when people might unexpectedly stop by you can throw them right in the oven!

Brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts & bacon w/ squash ravioli

I 'm not gonna lie. I don't like Brussels sprouts. I should because they would do really well in the south eastern New England climate and growing them would be pretty easy, but I've never liked them. Enter the magic ingredient: BACON! In an effort to enjoy Brussels sprouts more I've gone for a simple recipe that calls for garlic, salt, pepper, evoo, and bacon (or pancetta). Very little effort was involved in these easy side and I found that I really enjoyed the mix of flavors. The Vermont Smoke and Cure unsmoked bacon was a perfect edition to the Brussels Sprouts and I will definitely make this recipe again as I try and eat more Brussels sprouts! This is the perfect recipe to ease me into it!








Roasted Brussels sprouts with Garlic and Bacon (or pancetta)
serves 3 well or 4 as a small side
1 lbs Brussels Sprouts trimmed and cut in half
2 oz bacon (or pancetta) minced
1 garlic clove minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
water
Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss all ingredients together except water in a baking pan. Spread mixture out in one layer in baking pan. Roasting stirring once or twice for 22-25 minutes until edges are brown and sprouts are as tender as you like. Stir in a little water, less then 1/4 cup, stir and pour contents into a bowl, mix well & serve

Making & Storing Horseradish

 The photo on the left shows the biggest or gnarliest pieces of horseradish I pulled from the ground. I tucked away more then enough root stock to replant some fresh in the spring, and have been making batches of horseradish here and there with different meals. It's a ridiculously easy process. If you are use fresh dug horseradish I recommend peeling the larger pieces and rinsing them small ones as best as possible.
Horseradish root is really interesting. If you manage not to pierce the outer skin of the root you will barely notice an aroma. Once you cut, grind, or expose the root it starts to breakdown and the cells release an extremely pungent and flavorful oil we know as horseradish!

diced horseradish ready to be ground

Homemade Horseradish:
3 oz horseradish root. cleaned and diced.
white vinegar I used 2.5 tbls
Place diced horseradish into food processor or mixer & grind and chop until the desired consistency is achieved. Add vinegar to neutralize the smell. The longer you let the ground horseradish sit before adding vinegar the stronger 'horseradish' flavor there will be. For a light flavor add more vinegar right away & for a strong flavor wait 4-6 minutes and add less vinegar.(note: make sure you are in a well ventilated room with a fan going and a window open, as the aroma given off is EXTREMELY strong. Strong enough that, like an idiot, when I disregarded this warning and took a big huge whiff off the lid of the grinder after running it, and resting it for 3 min. I instantaneously let out a huge yell and ran from the room. My sinus' haven't been that clear since my disco days!) Once vinegar added briefly process again. Pour off excess liquid and refrigerate.  The longer the horseradish sits the 'weaker the taste will be. However the 2-3 months at most it will be in the refrigerator shouldn't see much loss of flavor. It's great to mix with a favorite mustard or mayo to give it that extra zing!

result: 1 full jar + some extra

I store the extra horseradish wrapped in some newspaper in the freezer. When I need some I pull it out, peel  and dice what I need and return the rest to the freezer. I also have more then enough 'seed stock' to plant some of my own and pass a few off on others. I planted 5 of those things in a really small space, probably where I should have planted 2 or 3 tops so I got a good mix of big and small pieces. I cut some down to size and set them aside as seed stock after we initially harvested the 4 plants. 1 more is over wintering under straw in the hopes that I can dig some up fresh in April for Passover!
I cannot stress enough the warning that you should be in a very well ventilated room and preferably wearing a mask or dishtowel over your mouth and nose. When I got a big whiff of just the cap I screamed holy fuck that is hot and ran away in real pain. don't be like me, at least cover your mouth and nose with a t-shirt. you will smell the horseradish but it won't be nearly as painful.

November 2011... in progress

Not entirely food related.. Trying something different here.
November 2011
(re)reading:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick
Second Nature- Michael Pollan
Jose Andres Wants to Feed the World (and you) - Wall Street Journal
200+ piece haul of viking jewelery and coins found - Daily Mail
glancing at:
Stir cookbook
King Arthur Flour catalog
Edible Boston Fall 2011
listening to:
Blitzen Trapper-American Goldwing
Neil Young-After the Gold Rush
Ella Fitzergald & Duke Ellington-Ella and Duke at the Cote D'Azur
Podcasts: nerdist & you made it weird, men in blazers
watching:
good wife, big bang theory, 30 rock. daily show, colbert
Doctor Who series 6
Champions League Football
Hasan Elahi - FBI, here I am
Stefan Mancuso - plant intelligence

happenings:
engagement photos
big celebratory gathering 

Resurrecting Sourdough Starter

My sourdough starer has been sitting the back of the fridge, totally neglected since spring. While I garden I don't bake much because I am too busy outside!... It had been a while since I thought about the starter in it's beautiful ceramic container. It's gotten much cooler and I'm back to baking. It was time to raise the starter from the dead!

From this...

No problems! I poured of a little of the liquid, stirred up the starter in a bowl, added some lukewarm water and flour and let the starter sit for 10 hours. By then it was quite bubbly and active and had a nice tangy smell. Not wanting to waste the 'discard' before I re fed the starter I pulled up this basic and easy recipe from King Arthur Flour. The bread had a light tang and wasn't too dense, as I stuck on the lighter side of the required flour.

... to this!

The purpose of resurrecting the starter was to make a true sourdough or something equally delicious, which is what is on deck for the weekend.  

Are you doing more baking now that it's fall??

Quick Bite Done Right!

I was tasked with cooking dinner for myself on Tuesday night. I am fortunate enough to work from home twice a week which affords me the opportunity to tidy up, do laundry, and work on cooking projects.  After a busy day of work and laundry, I found myself standing in the kitchen alone, waiting on another kitchen project without a strong desire to cook anything to complicated.
With a quick bite in  mind I whipped up some mini-sandwiches & kale chips for a fast and relatively easy dinner on the go.

quick bites done right.

The mini-sandwiches are made with leftover feather bread, Smith's Farmstead garlic gouda, turkey kielbasa from Bob's, wax peppers from the garden which I had frozen in strips, and homemade horseradish mayo, with the leftover horseradish mayo topping the kale chips.

Not too shabby for a hastily thrown together dinner for 1!

Preserving Herbs: Drying & Freezing

Last year I managed to dry some thyme successfully and ruin some chives in an attempt to preserve both. This year the results were far more tangible.

back: dried sage, marjoram, & rosemary.
front: ground sage, mint, &  rosemary in jars

Michael Ruhlman's simple tip to place herbs in a wooden bowl and let the air circulate and dry them, naturally works incredibly well. We've got little buckets of sage, marjoram, rosemary (see above photo) along with jars of dried mint, ground sage, rosemary, and a rosemary/marjoram mix. This also works well with thyme and oregano.

Along with drying herbs we even freeze some. Granted herbs taste MUCH better when they are fresh with over 1.5 lbs of chives harvested this year, there is no way we could eat all them as we picked them. Throughout the season as I would cut chives I would freeze them in individual layers on cookie sheets and then put them in a freezer bag. We also freeze dill, a tip from my mother, which is great for soups and hearty potato dishes and freeze easily.

We keep a jar of 'fresh' pesto in a bit of oil in our fridge, but we also have baggies full of both basil and garlic scape pesto cubes that we freeze and use all year round. They are a great attention to fresh and canned tomato sauces!

What other herb preservation methods do you use?? Add them in the comments section, if I get a good list going, I will post it for posterity.