Thayer in the Kitchen

This is one of my favorite times of the year for food. I read that in a food writer's column and I would have to agree. I just love all the winter squash, wonderful varieties of potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, cranberries, apples, pears, etc. I'm looking forward to going to the Westside farmers' market Saturday morning and checking out all the great food. Its such a temptation to buy lots of food, but since I'll be picking up my CSA box from Harmony Valley Farms, I'll have to keep my purchases to a minimum. We also belong to a fruit CSA and get locally grown certified organic apples and pears from Future Fruit in Ridgeway, Wisconsin. http://www.savorwisconsin.com/AllListings/detail.asp?recordid=646&table=producer I'll be picking up a box of fruit too. I definitley think an apple crisp will be on the menu this weekend. Time to cook our Kabocha Squash tonight. I decided to try this super simple recipe: Kabocha Squash With Sage and Leeks (adapted f

Time for more greens. Spinach tonight. We got spinach, potatoes and leeks in our CSA box this week. The makings of a tasty soup. Potato, Leek, Spinach Soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 large (14 ounces) leeks, coarsely chopped 2 large (1 pound) potatoes, coarsely chopped (I used Mountain Rose Potatoes, which are red, inside and outside--very pretty as potatoes go) 1 ounce garlic 5 cups chicken stock, more as needed to thin the soup 8-10 oz. spinach (other tender greens, such as saute greens can also be used) 1/4-1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil. Over medium-high heat, sweat the coarsely chopped leeks for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and garlic and continue to sweat 2 or 3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Pour in 5 cups stock, lower the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, 20-25 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook until spinach is wilted. With an

I wanted to get started on using the greens from our farm. They are the most perishable items and need to be consumed sooner than later. Veggies like squash, onions, potatoes, carrots and garlic will all keep very nicely for a long while. I made a new recipe tonight: Fresh Greens Enchiladas (adapted from a recipe on Care2 by Annie Bond) Sauce: For the sauce I used Salsa Verde that I made with a kit from our farm. The kit has tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro. You just need to peel and cook the tomatillos in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain the tomatillos and blend in a blender or food processor with the remaining ingredients. Adjust the heat by using more or less of the jalapeno with or without the seeds. You can make it as smooth or chunky as you like. I don't completely puree the mixture. I also add more cilantro than comes in the kit. Add salt and pepper to taste. As it sits it gets thicker but can be thinned with a little water if necessary.

Tonight I went to my Asian cooking class at MATC. Chef Ng was discussing purchasing "safe" food and changes that will eventually be made to the US food laws. I suggested purchasing locally was one way to avoid many of these foods containing dangerous substances. I haven't received any food from my CSA farm or meat suppliers with melamine lately! We made sushi rolls with sushi rice, pickled and fresh vegetables. They were OK. I think I'll continue to get my sushi at Sushi Muramoto (Hilldale Shopping Center, Madison) or Takara Japanese Restaurant. Supper tonight for Arthur consisted of vegetarian meatballs (out of a package), jarred spaghetti sauce and spaghetti. I guess this happens to all of us once in awhile.

Breakfast today was one of my favorite pancake recipes. Carrot Breakfast Pancakes (adapted from RecipeZaar) 1-3/4 cups milk 2 eggs ¼ cup butter 4 medium carrots 1¼ cups unbleached flour 1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional) 2 tablespoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon cinnamon Put milk in blender or food processor; add eggs and butter. Blend. Add carrots and blend well, until carrots are completely chopped with no visible pieces. Pour into a bowl and add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices until thoroughly combined. If you think the batter is too thin add a little more flour. Spray frying pan or griddle with cooking spray or oil lightly. Pour batter into pan using ¼ cup measure and cook until bubbles appear on top; turn and cook until golden brown on the other side. Serve with maple syrup. Sometimes I add a few pecans to the batter. Again this is optional. These pancakes are si

Today we went to visit our friends Janine, Raj and 2 of their sons who live on a farm in New Glarus, Wisconsin. They have goats for milk, goats for wool, sheep, 2 pigs, a turkey, chickens and ducks. Janine is a great cook and planned a wonderful menu: Tex Mex Stuffed chicken breasts wrapped in bacon, homemade tortillas, black beans, coleslaw and pumpkin crunch for dessert. Pumpkin crunch is a truly decadent dessert. I brought Autumn Harvest Soup . This is adapted from a combination of several different recipes from A Veggie Venture, Recipe Zaar, and Meals Matter. 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (1 box organic) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter 2 apples, chopped (3 cups) 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup) 1 red pepper, chopped (1/2 cup) 2 carrots, peeled and diced (3 cups) 1 stick celery, diced 1 large Yukon gold potato, diced 1/4 cup currants (these were great, don't skip them, raisins would work too) 1 tablespoon curry 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1 bay leaf Salt & Pepper 1/2 -1 cup h

This morning I made breakfast before I went to work which is very unusual for me. I rarely give myself enough time. I made an omelet using the baby bok choy from our CSA box. I only got 2 so I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. Start with a large frying pan. Heat a little olive oil. Stir fry the following: 2 small red onions, chopped (yellow would be fine too) 2 mini red or yellow peppers, seeded 1 large clove garlic, chopped 2 small head of baby bok choy stir fry the stems first and add the chopped leaves at the end a little toasted sesame oil Add 5 eggs, beaten and let set before stirring so that you can fold in half a few chopped fresh herbs if available (not essential) salt and pepper to taste I served the omelet with some of the fruit cocktail scones that I made last night and hot coffee. For supper I made Broccoli, Walnut and Bulgur Salad . I doubled the recipe and it was too much, but I wanted to use at least 2 cups of broccoli. It turns out it w

Tonight I made the stuffed squash that I intended to make last night and then made a menu change. Nut-stuffed Delicata Squash (adapted from Sunset on the My Recipes site) 3 tablespoons butter 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 3 garlic cloves, minced 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage 1/3 cup chopped walnuts 1/3 cup chopped pistachios (I substituted cashews) 1/3 cup chopped almonds 1/3 cup chopped pine nuts (I substituted pecans) 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt 2 eggs, lightly beaten About 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese 2 delicata squash (about 2 lbs. total), halved lengthwise and seeded 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine yogurt, eggs, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Stir in nut mixture.

Decided tonight I needed to review the veggie situation in the frig and find out what needed to be used first. I found some broccoli which was more than I planned for. I found a recipe for a vegetable stew with onions, carrots, squash and broccoli with coconut milk. Coconut-Squash Vegetable Stew (recipe adapted from Vegetable Love cookbook) 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2 cups of onions, diced (I used red ones just because I happened to have a lot) 2 good sized carrots, sliced (1/2-1 cup) (I used more because the carrots from the farm are rather small) 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks (probably any winter squash would work)-Original recipe called for 6 cups. I didn't have that much 4 small white turnips (the original recipe didn't call for them, but they needed to be used) 5 cups chopped broccoli 1 can coconut milk 1/2 cup broth (whatever you have available) 1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom 1 tablespoon celery seeds Salt & Pepper to tas

Tonight book club was at our place. Since things are never too tidy I didn't have time to make dessert. I took care of the beverages and had apple cider and hazelnut decaf coffee. Lora made a delicious pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust. Very welcome indeed! After they all left a I made a batch of basil pesto with basil that I brought home from Tracy's in Chicago. I didn't use Parmesan in this batch. My basil is coming to the end. It hasn't been bitten by frost yet, but the leaves are looking sad. We had some green tomatoes from the farm that I needed to use so for supper I made Fried Green Tomato "BLT"s. I had a recipe from the farm but it seemed a bit complicated and made a huge amount. I used a recipe I found on the Kitchen Guy's website. This was for 2 large sandwiches: 3 or 4 green tomatoes sliced thick (you don't need this many for the sandwiches but you might as well make what you've got) fresh basil leaves 4 slices of bacon Sliced mozz

Tonight I went to a Asian cooking class at MATC downtown with a new instructor, Chef Ng. We didn't participate for the most part but watched him prepare a Vietnamese dish of noodles, stir fried vegetables, and beef in a sauce. It was quite good, but he doesn't believe in recipes so it would be next to impossible to duplicate the recipe. But since I'm a senior citizen it costs me next to nothing to take the class. I got to take a little bit home for Arthur but I knew it wouldn't be enough for him. I prepared Pasta with Uncooked Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Sauce (adapted from a Food Network recipe) 3/4-1# ripe tomatoes, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped coarse 1/4 pound mozzarella, diced 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound dried shaped-pasta of choice, I used macaroni In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella, oil, vinegar, sa

Saturday we were in Chicago for the christening of Arthur's twin niece, Stacy and nephew, William. It was at a large Greek Orthodox church in Glenview followed by a reception at country club in Wilmette. The club was right on the lake and we had a lovely view from the windows. I went out to dinner with Tracy and Kenny to a good sushi restaurant on Saturday night. Sunday we met Paul, Jenny, Jake and Roberta for brunch at Rose's Wheat Free Bakery & Cafe in Evanston. Jake doesn't tolerate glueten or casein well, so this is a great choice because he can have almost anything on the menu. I had a very tasty vegetable quiche and fried potatoes with good coffee. http://www.rosesbakery.com/cafe.html By Sunday evening we were back home. I made: Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes, and Onions (adapted from Recipezaar.com) 1 lb potato, cut into 1 inch chunks 1 green bell pepper, cored,seeded,and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 red bell pepper, cored,seeded,and cut into

We planned to drive into Chicago on Friday night, so I wanted to make something simple and still use some of our veggies. I made: Garlic-Tarragon Eggs on Salad Greens (adapted from Care2) This deliciously sophisticated herbed version of deviled eggs makes a lovely salad served on a bed of fresh mesclun greens. 8 large eggs 12 cloves mild garlic, peeled or less if the cloves are very large 3 teaspoons drained capers 4 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste Baby salad greens or torn leaf lettuce 1. Place the eggs and garlic in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer 10-12 minutes. 2. Take the eggs out of the saucepan and immerse them in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic from the saucepan and set aside to cool. 3. Drain the eggs, remove the shells, then slice the eggs in h

I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home from work and picked up some wild caught salmon that was on sale for dinner tonight. Sesame Salmon Fillets and Bok Choy (adapted from Recipezaar) 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1/2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 # salmon fillets 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 4 or more cups thinly sliced baby bok choy 1/2 sweet red pepper , diced 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil In shallow dish, combine sesame seeds, grated ginger, peppercorns and salt. In another dish, lightly beat egg. Dip each salmon fillet into egg, letting excess drip off. Gently press into sesame mixture, turning to coat. In large nonstick skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat; cook salmon, turning once, for 4 to 8 minutes or until golden. Depending on how thick the fillets are, it may take a bit longer. Transfer to plate. Add bok choy, red pepper, vinegar, soy sa

These are some of the websites I refer to on a regular basis to get ideas for how to use my CSA produce: Cook’s Thesaurus is a cooking encyclopedia that covers thousands of ingredients and kitchen tools. Entries include pictures, descriptions, synonyms, pronunciations, and suggested substitutions. http://www.foodsubs.com/ A Veggie Venture http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/ American Institute for Cancer Research Recipe Corner http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dc_rc_veggies Recipes from Debbie’s Kitchen Online, Live Earth Farm CSA (including pictures of the vegetables) http://www.writerguy.com/deb/recipes/keyingred.html Vegetarian Recipes around the world (searchable by ingredient) http://www.ivu.org/recipes/ Cookie and Kate - Whole Foods and Vegetarian Recipe Blog  www.cookieandkate.com Simply Recipes Food and Cooking Blog   www.simplyrecipes.com  ( A family cooking and food blog with hundreds of healthy, whole-food  recipes  for the hom

After a couple of nights of leftovers from our dining extravaganza, it was time to cook and get busy trying to use the produce from our CSA box. Greek Style Spinach Omelet (adapted from Weight Watchers) 8 cups spinach (baby leaves) or chopped if large leaves 4-5 medium scallion(s) (trimmed, sliced) 1-2 tablespoons fresh dill (minced) 8 large egg(s) Salt to taste Black pepper to taste 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt Chopped fresh tomatoes Coat a medium nonstick skillet with cooking spray or little olive oil. Add spinach, scallion and dill; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until greens are limp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat eggs, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and pour over greens; cook until eggs are set, about 5 minutes. Spoon yogurt down center of omelet; fold over and serve with tomatoes on top. I served the omelet with whole wheat toast.

I am overstocked at the moment with sweet peppers from the farm so I made Mexican Pepper Casserole to use up some of them. It would also make a good brunch dish. Mexican Pepper Casserole (from Astray recipes) About 3 cups of Red and green bell peppers 1½ cup Thinly sliced onion 2 tablespoons Butter 2 tablespoons Olive oil 1 teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon Cumin 1 teaspoon Coriander ½ teaspoon Dry mustard ¼ teaspoon Black pepper ¼ teaspoon Red pepper 2 tablespoons Flour 6 ounces Colby cheese; thinly sliced (or whatever cheese you have available) 4 large Eggs 1½ cup Sour cream, lite is fine Paprika, smoked paprika is tasty if you have it available Preheat oven to 375 F. Slice the peppers in thin strips. Heat butter and olive oil together in a heavy skillet. Saute onions and garlic with salt and spices. When onions are translucent, add peppers. Saute over low heat for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour. Mix well and saute until there is no extra liquid. Butter a deep casserole. Spread in

Tonight was the night of our gourmet group dinner. Jim E. was the host and the theme was soul food. Lora made: Down Home Green Beans and Potatoes, Chicken 'N Dressing, Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie Mollie made: Country Pinto Beans, Scalloped Potatoes, Blackberry Cobbler Victoria made: Bourbon Pork Roast, 3 Bean Casserole, Pickled Black-Eyed Peas, Cucumber Salad Frankie made: Banana Pudding Edith made: Kentucky Country Ham Salad, Southern Fried Chicken, Fried Green Tomatoes, White River Cornbread (Arkansas style cornbread recipe from The Cornbread Gospels by Crescent Dragonwagon ) Jim provided great wine to accompany our dinner as well as sliced tomatoes & onions & hot pepper sauce. The ham salad was made with candied apples and pecans, salad greens, watercress, ham, Port Salut cheese and a dressing with balsamic vinegar and sour cream. The recipe I used for fried green tomatoes can be found on the Food Network site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/fri

Tonight I went to a cooking class taught by Marge Snyder, president of the Madison Herb Society in her home. The title of the class was Cooking with Herbs. There were ten of us in the class. First we toured her garden and then had some Honeyed Feta Cheese with herbs & Bread while Marge talked about herbs and making your own blends. Then we were off to the kitchen to make Herbed New Potatoes, Oven Roasted Vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, parsnips and brussel sprouts), Baked Tomatoes (this is what I worked on), Spice & Herb Rubbed Pork Tenderloin and Quick Fruit Turnovers. Baked Tomatoes 4 tomatoes salt 4 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup minced shallots 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 cup panko crumbs 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs or 1 1/2 tablespoon dried 1-2 tablespoon fresh parsley , minced Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a shallow pan with aluminum foil. Halve tomatoes and remove the seeds. Lightly salt and drain upside down on paper

I had to make cookies for lunch bunch tomorrow. I'm still dealing with quite a bit of leftover granola from when we volunteered with Bike the Barns. So I decided granola cookies were the way to go. CRUNCHY DROP COOKIES (adapted from The Recipe Link website) 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 egg 3 tbsp. milk 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups granola Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; mix well and set aside. In large bowl, beat together brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy; blend in egg, milk and vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in cereal. If the dough doesn't seem firm enough add a bit more flour. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. OK so this took care of lunch bunch on Wednesday but not our dinner. I bought raspberries on sale so I decided to try a Raspberry Patch C

Tonight I had an herb society board meeting after work. I was tired by the time I got home and so I made grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. Very simple but with good Hook's cheddar cheese, fresh farm tomatoes and whole wheat bread, it was quite a nice meal.

We had dinner at a event sponsored by Slow Food Madison. It was pouring rain but they had canopies up which really helped. These are the details from the Slow Food's website: CELEBRATE AUTUMN once again at picturesque CRAWFORD FARM with SLOW FOOD MADISON Members and Supporters SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2008 guest chef Tracey Vowell returns to prepare an all-inclusive family-style meal featuring goat slow-cooked in the wood fired pit. In addition to the Basque-Inspired Pit-Roasted Goat served with Pan Juices flavored with Tomato, Onion, Paprika, Thyme & Rosemary, we will have as starters Fried Almonds Tossed with Sea Salt & Lemon Juice and Mixed Olives Marinated in Red Wine with Fresh Thyme & Savory, Lemon, Garlic & Onions Cabbage Soup with Tomato, Carrot, Garlic, Chives & Cilantro, Dutch Oven Bread with Wisconsin Sweet Butter, Slow-Braised Mushroom Stew with Fire-roasted Mild Green Chile, Red Wine, Bay Leaves & Oregano Potato Salad with Butler Farms Farmstead She

I had dinner at my daughter, Victoria's, this evening. My daughter, Tracy, and her partner Kenny were visiting from Chicago. Victoria & Mike served excellent grilled wild salmon; corn, black bean, tomato salad; green salad and focaccia. I brought over a couple of Festival squash that I got in my CSA box. Victoria baked them. Unfortunately there was something wrong with the squash and they were incredibly bitter and inedible. The farm thought they might have cross pollinated with gourds. I brought over apple crisp for dessert: Apple Crisp with Granola Topping. The recipe was adapted from a food and wine website recipe. 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter 2 cups granola 3 1/2 pounds apples, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces, tart crisp varieties work well. I used a mixture of apples from my Future Fruit box 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon fresh lemon j

Arthur works every other Friday from 11:30 PM until 11:30 PM on Saturday night. I usually try to prepare something that he can stop in, pick up and take with him. Tonight I made Mixed Vegetable Curry from the cookbook Six Spices by Neeta Saluja and a brown/wild rice combination. I won't post the entire recipe because its rather complicated. I used a combination of green beans, yellow summer squash, carrots and potatoes. The seasonings are onions, garlic, fresh ginger, Indian red chili powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin and cilantro. Its intensely flavored and very tasty. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in somewhat simplified Indian cookery.

I made a recipe that our CSA farm, Harmony Valley Farm, posted in one of their newsletters: Tofu Broccoli Cashew Peanut Madness (originally appeared in MACSAC’s A-Z Cookbook) 1 Tbsp butter or oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, cubed 2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce, divided ½-¾ cup peanut butter, preferably crunchy 1 cup or more water 2-3 tsp lemon or lime juice ¼ teaspoon cumin or more to taste Cayenne to taste 1 medium head broccoli, peeled and chopped Hot, cooked brown rice (I used a combination of long grain brown & wild rices) Handful of roasted cashews, chopped Heat butter or oil in skillet; add onion and garlic; sauté until soft. Add tofu and 1 Tbsp tamari; sauté until brown. Remove from pan. In same pan, mix peanut butter, lemon juice, remaining tablespoon tamari, cumin, and cayenne. Thin with 1 cup water to obtain gravy like texture. Stir in tofu mixture. Steam broccoli. Serve sauce over broccoli and brown rice,

I mentioned I was going to a CHEW meeting before I went home last night. I did some shopping at Willy Street Co-op http://www.willystreet.coop/ Its a great resource. I purchased a couple of deli items for my lunch, Curry Cashew Chicken Salad and Caribbean Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad. I'd really like to get the recipe for the sweet potato salad. The presenters at the meeting were Joe and Ruby Cabibbo who run Cabibbo's Bakery. Their main products are biscotti and other Sicilian breads. www.cabibbosbakery.com They had lots of good samples at the meeting. When I got home I roasted the last of the corn on the cob that we got at the farmers' market. I roasted it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You just put it on the oven rack without husking. Its very tasty and super easy to do. I finally made the Turkey Salad with Cranberries and Pecans (adapted from a recipe from an American Institute for Cancer Research newsletter) 2 cups (8oz.) diced cooked turkey bre

Last night I made a tasty chicken stew with lots of vegetables for dinner. The name of the game is use those veggies! Chicken Fricassee with Green Peppers and Tomatoes (adapted from LifeScript website) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup red wine (white would be fine too) 1 large yellow onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 medium carrot, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with their juice 12 ounces hot, cooked pasta of your choice I made Trader Joe's multi grain rotini with flax 1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil heats, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and brown on all sides. As the chicken pieces finish browning, transfer them to a plate and set a