cooksome

farmers market special

our farmers market special cooking class yesterday turned out to be sensational.  one of the things i like best about these classes is seeing how a diverse group of folks come together and really enjoy each other.  it happens almost instantly.  they walk in the door, there is a smile, an introduction and suddenly a joint purpose.  food does that.  it brings people togther.   

the menu for yestereday's class was based on using the very best of what was available at the farmers market. our menu was:

classic gazpacho

panzanella

nicoise salad with basic vinaigrette

caprese with a flavored vinegar and a flavored oil

pesto

 we brined two chickens and two pork tenderloins and later some shrimp.  i think everyone walked away from the class that day with a complete understanding and appreciation for that technique.  we put the pesto under the skin of the chicken and then we grilled everything.  the beauty of this menu was that everything could be mixed and matched.  you could serve any of the protiens with any of the dishes.  we tasted some great wines, my absolute favorite being the Pares Balta Blanc de Pacs.  it's a still cava.  it matched well with all the dishes.

crispy potatoes and smoked tomato sauce

currently one of my favorite cook books is The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen.  it's an amazing book filled with the kinds of food i love to cook.  not fussy or pretentious but simple fresh and full of flavor.  i tell you this to give credit to two of the recipes i am about to divulge.  both are based on recipes from this book.

in spain they are called patatas bravas and are considered the quintessential tapas.  done simply and precisely they are fantastic.

12 or so small yukon gold potatoes

salt

really you can cook as many as you like here i promise they won't go uneaten.

cook the potatoes in salted water until just done.  it is important not to over cook them.

drain, cool and slice into wedges.

toss the potatoes in olive oil and salt

spread out onto a sheet pan and place in a 450 degree oven

roast 35 to 40 minutes or until browned and crispy

at a wine tasting i recently catered i ran into some good fortune. One of the guests showed with a smoked duck breast from a small smokehouse in Connecticut.  after searing it off i was left with some delicious duck fat which i then used in place of the olive oil on my potatoes.  needless to say they were fantastic.

accompanying these potatoes was a smokey tomato sauce

olive oil

1 cup diced onions

3 or 4 clove garlic sliced

saute the onions and garlic until cooked but not browned

season with 

1 tsp cumin

 2 tsp smoked paprika

a crushed dried chili pepper

saute briefly then add 1  28 oz can of diced tomatoes.  (juice and all)  i use nature's promise  or muir glen brands.

simmer for a half an hour or so and season with 

1 tb sugar

splash of vinegar

puree in a blender until smooth

taste and re-season if necessary.

in spain these potatoes are classically served with allioli which i did as well.  mine was a version made with roasted garlic.  ms brezem gives several recipes as well as several variations in her book.

what else was on the plate?  pistachio mint sausage but that's for next time

Falafel Snackdown!

Intrigued by the Banh mi Snackdown by Eating Asia I pondered what local delicacy could elicit the same kind of salivatory response.  Like a brick hitting my head it came to me....the Sunday market Falafel....the finest street food Baltimore has to offer all dolled out between the rich and the homeless.

The guy that runs this stand goes around before the market opens and buys the best local stuff he can get his hands on.  So every week it's a new falafel!  A few weeks ago, at the peak of summer, my falafel had raw beets, raw corn, peaches, greens, squash, and my favorite hot and spicy pickles from a stand around the bend.

Last week it was filled with fresh pea shoots, and the peaches had morphed into apples.

I get my falafel "with everything" which includes yogurt sauce, hot sauce...

and the secret ingredient, honey.

smoked tofu tostadas

I am locked in a constant personal dilemma.  I am an avid animal lover.  As such I have a deep respect for all things living.  So how then, I ask myself, can I justify eating meat.  My favorite meat used to be lamb, that was until I ended up living across the street from a sheep farm.  The baby lamb's were so unbelievably cute.  I did not eat lamb for 6 years.  So a couple of years ago, I gave up meat entirely. Well almost.  I continued to eat fish and seafood.  and once in a while mashed potatoes with gravy.  I lasted about a year.  It ended at the same time as I was taking my first Thai cooking class.  Kasma is fairly vocal about her disdain for vegetarians and anyone that won't eat fish or fish sauce.  You can't really blame her.  Fish sauce is the foundation of Thai food.   

So what did I get out of my year of meatlessness?  I doubt I saved any money.  I hope I spared a few animal lives.  All in all I think the single biggest gain from my experience was my invention of the smoked tofu tostada.  

This is how it starts.  

1.  salsa- this time of year, I make my own

Chopped tomatoes

Cilantro

S & P

Chilis

lime juce

red onion

garlic

It's a basic recipe made to highlight the flavor of the tomatoes

2.  Then I make guacamole

avocadoes

cilantro

sambal

cumin

garlic

lime juice

S & P

3. Put your tostada shells in the oven at 200 degrees

4.  Spread your favorite cheese on the tostadas (I used goat)

5.  Top with guacamole

6.  Then comes the smoked tofu ( weighted and drained on paper towels and then smoked)

(I use the stove top smoker)

Top with the salsa

completely guilt free eating.  No dead animals, mostly good fats, and awesome flavor

Grilled Portobella and Goat Cheese Salad

Even though it's only early June, we are in the middle of a sweltering heat wave.  Tonight's dinner will be from the grill and definitely in the form of a salad.  We are trying to cut back on the meat anyway so meaty mushrooms, here we come.

Toss Portobellas with:

olive oil  

balsamic

 s & p

fresh thyme

rosemary

sliced fresh garlic

I got some spring onions at the market on Saturday so I'm going to throw those in with the mushrooms and grill them as well

Grill mushrooms 2 or 3 minutes on each side.  Grill onions till they get some good color.

Slice mushrooms and fan out over greens, topping with the onions

Crumble some goat cheese on top.

I have some roasted beets in the fridge that are going to be perfect with this salad.  The key to salads like this is use what's on hand.  If you have no greens, don't sweat it, go without them.  Stress creates heat and it's just to hot for that.   Just clear out the fridge for salad garnishes.

The dressing is almost a repeat of the mushroom marinade with the addition of some dijon.

2 Tb balsamic

1 heaping tsp of dijon

2 - 3 oz Extra Virgin olive Oil

s & p

fresh thyme