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Chef Greg Christian: Street-Smart Sustainability

Chef Greg Christian: Street-Smart Sustainability

Versatile Veggie Tart

As an infant bride, I arrived in my tiny apartment kitchen with an arsenal of food knowledge acquired from generations of country cooks, ready to impress my new husband.  In the big city, I soon learned that my repertoire was limited to a few methods: bread it, fry it, boil it or if all else fails, cover it with gravy.  I did have a secret weapon given to me as a wedding gift that I looked to for inspiration, the local women’s cookbook given as a wedding gift, which was filled with casserole recipes based on Campbell’s cream soups and Cool Whip. Yes, I am poking a little fun at myself and presenting a very limited view of the fine cooking traditions of my hometown.  Like most people, the food I was raised eating is what I crave when I need love & comfort.  Well, that and cake… and chocolate… covered in gravy.  But I digress.

I’ve always loved cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables, but began seriously re-thinking the health implications of good ‘ole southern cuisine as I began my lifelong study of nutrition and all things related to food.  I was fortunate to grow up in a family that prepared and preserved a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits we grew ourselves.  As a young adult in Virginia Beach, I was delighted by the offerings at the Farmer’s Market and my favorite weekend activity was to spend the early afternoon scouting out the best produce and then heading home to cook Sunday dinner.  I wanted experiment with the preparation of these lovely treasures and so I ordered my first cookbook from one of the book clubs so popular at that time… Betty Crocker’s 40^th Anniversary Edition Cookbook.  Go ahead and giggle; Betty might not be terribly sophisticated, but she was a revelation for me! 

Leek & Mushroom Tart

The recipe I’m sharing today is adapted from that very cookbook, the pages stained and slipping from the broken binding.  (Let’s say that I’m far from the days when it was purchased).  As I promised in my last entry, I am going to give you a base recipe that you can alter based on whatever vegetables are in season and your own personal tastes.  Base recipes are perfect for everyday cooking because with a little know-how you’ve got the foundation for a variety of meals.  The base recipe and suggested variations and accompaniments are below to get you started.  Have fun with it and try bold new combinations.  Please note the picture is not mine because my tart was gobbled right up by my mother, sisters and me at brunch.  Serve with a fresh fruit or green salad & crunchy sesame breadsticks.  Enjoy!

Leeks- use only white parts!

Leek & Mushroom Tart

Adapted from Betty Crocker’s 40^th Anniversary Edition Cookbook, 1991

Ingredients:

Tart & Pie Dough (see below)

3 TB butter, olive oil or combination

2 cups sliced leeks (white parts only- about ½ pound)

1 cup coarsely-chopped shitake or other fresh mushrooms (about 3 oz.)

1 cup shredded white cheddar or cheddar cheese (4 oz.)

¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz.)

3 eggs

2/3 cup milk

½ TS salt

Shitake mushrooms

¼ TS ground nutmeg

Sprinkle of white pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Prepare pastry and ease into 9” tart pan or pie plate.  Bake as directed, cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.  Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook about five minutes or until softened.  Spread in tart pan.  Sprinkle with cheeses.  Beat remaining ingredients and pour over cheeses.  Bake about 35 minutes or until set.  6 servings

Variations:

Vegetables	Cheese	Flavorings (Use total of 1 TB fresh herb or ½ TS dried herb or spice)	Easy Serving Suggestions
Summer- thinly-sliced zucchini & fresh tomato (do not pre-cook tomato)	Mozzarella and/ or Parmesan	Basil and/ or Marjoram	Caesar salad & focaccia bread
Summer/ Autumn- eggplant & fresh tomato- can be brushed with olive oil & roasted for a deeper flavor (instead of sautéing).	Crumbled Feta	Basil and/ or Greek Oregano	Selection of good-quality olives & sautéed chard or spinach & garlic in olive oil
Summer/Autumn- caramelized onion & mushroom (sauté onions over medium heat until softened then lower heat, add white wine or sherry, mushrooms & stir until onions are very deep brown)	Gruyère or fresh goat cheese	Rosemary or Thyme (Rosemary is a strong herb so reduce amounts above by half.)	Green salad w/ light vinaigrette and country bread drizzled with olive oil
Spring- asparagus & leek (blanch the asparagus in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes before sautéing).	Fontina	Fresh Parsley or Fresh/ Dried Tarragon	Steamed & buttered tiny green peas and simple mixed greens salad.
Winter- butternut squash & onion (cube squash into very small pieces- ¼ inch)	Gruyère or Fontina	Sage or Rosemary	Baguette with butter & sautéed kale, garlic & olive oil

Wonderful recipes & helpful techniques

Tart and Pie Dough

Adapted from The Art of Simple Food.  Waters, Alice.  2007

Note: Recipe below is for one tart or pie crust.  The recipe can be doubled or quadrupled to make 2-4 pie crusts, which can be frozen for quick use on busy days.  I try to make 2-4 pie crusts at a time for the convenience of “ready-made” pie crusts.

Ingredients:

¼ cup ice-cold water

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour or whole-wheat pastry flour

¼ TS salt (omit if using salted butter)

6 TB cold butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°.  Line the tart pan or pie plate with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Mix together the flour and salt (if using) in a medium bowl.   Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or work into flour with your fingertips, leaving some of the butter in fairly large, irregular pieces.  (Or mix no more than 1 minute at medium-low speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.)  Pour in three-quarters of the water, stirring all the while with a fork until the dough begins to form clumps.  (In the mixer, turn the speed to low and port the water down the sides of the bowl, mixing for 30 seconds or less.)  Keep adding water if needed.  Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic.  Compress the ball and flatten into disks.  Let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour or longer.

Remove the dough from refrigerator and let soften for about 10 minutes if it has been refrigerated for more than a couple of hours.  While still in plastic, flatten the dough you’re your hands, pinching the edges to seal any cracks that may appear. Lightly and evenly dust a counter with flour and place the unwrapped dough in the middle.  Generously dust the top of the dough with flour.  With the rolling pin, tap firmly across the top of the dough a few times to flatten the disk even more, then begin to roll out from the center, being careful to pinch together any cracks that form in the edges.  If the dough sticks to the counter, use a pastry scraper or butter knife to gently slide under the edges to loosen the dough from the counter.  Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness for a tart or a little thicker for a pie plate.  Make sure the dough is evenly rolled out and brush off excess flour.  Fold in half two times and transfer to pie plate and unfold.   Center dough in pan and trim dough around edges of tart pan or flute, crimp or trim the edges of dough to fit pie plate.

To prebake, line the shell with a piece of foil or parchment paper, then fill will dried beans or pie weights (keeps crust from shrinking).  Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edge.  Take the tart out of oven and remove the beans and foil.  Return to the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes, until the tart is an even light golden brown.

Draft Declaration For Healthy Food & Agriculture

Draft Declaration

A Spicy Bite with Middle Eastern Flair

Green Goo (horrible name!)

I realized the other day that it has been months since I last bombarded ya’ll with cooking experiments and offbeat details from my life.  Have I stopped cooking… never!  There would be mutiny among the many males in this household.  Think boys marching with a stick-impaled pig’s head à la Lord of the Flies!  But I diverge from the subject at hand…

Delicious food that happens to be healthy makes me really happy…   I’m thinking of all the goodness in chocolate, red wine and tomatoes!  The realization that became increasingly apparent in my search for the perfect balance of nutrition and tasty goodness is that many of the best flavors were developed by ancient cultures around the world… hence, the menagerie of ethnic flavors that I’ve included in this initial series.

The following scrumptious meal evolved from my desire to make a really good hummus with a bag of chick peas cluttering my pantry.  (Confession: I have been cooking almost totally based on the ingredients hanging out in my crowded kitchen in an effort to clean it out so I can justify my impulse purchasing of more ingredients that I have no idea how to use).  The recipe below is quite good and far superior to packaged hummus.  However, this recipe makes about 3+ cups… so I would suggest halving the ingredients unless you are feeding a large and hungry crowd.  And I would reduce the amount of tahini a bit, too.

Now, on to the adventurous part… to make the most heartwarming meal, you need to roll and grill your own pita bread.  I know...  I really do know all the reasons that store-bought pita would work better for you, but this is too fun and tasty to resist.  Not to mention the sweet yeasty aroma enveloping your home.  Glade can’t compete, I promise!

Hummus swirled with Green Goo

Hummus w/ Green Goo

From Insalata restaurant in San Anselmo, CA

HUMMUS:

            2 cups dried garbanzo beans (chick peas)

            ½ cup tahini (nut butter made from sesame seeds)

            ½ cup fresh lemon juice

            2 teaspoons salt

            1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

            1 cup reserved cooking water from beans

“GREEN GOO” TOPPING:

            ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (the flat-leaf variety)

            1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper (about 1 pepper; discard seeds)

            2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic (about 2-3 cloves)

            2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

            Salt & freshly-ground black pepper to taste

To make the hummus, cover the dried garbanzo beans in a large bowl with 6 cups of water for at least 3 hours or overnight.  Drain the soaked beans and transfer to a medium saucepan.  Add enough water so that level is at least two inches above beans.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook gently until very soft, about 45 minutes.  Make sure that the garbanzos are fully cooked and soft or you will have an undesirable coarse-textured hummus.  Drain the cooked beans.  Transfer the beans to the bowl of a food processor, and process with the lemon juice, salt and 1 cup of water until as smooth as possible.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the olive oil and tahini, and process again until completely smooth and creamy.  If the hummus is too thick, add a little more water.

To make the green goo, combine the parsley, jalapeno pepper, garlic and olive oil in a medium bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, drizzle the green goo over the hummus in a decorative bowl.  Serve at room temperature with soft or toasted pita bread or crudités.



Warm & Lovely Pita Bread



Pita Bread

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups warm water (105-115°)                   

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for griddle

2 ½ teaspoons (or 1 envelope) active dry yeast      

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon honey or barley malt syrup                  

 ½ cup wheat bran

1 ¼ teaspoons salt                                                    

 2 cups bread flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

Put the water in a large mixing bowl, stir in the yeast and honey, and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. 

Stir in the salt and olive oil, and then beat in the whole-wheat flour and bran until smooth.  Add the bread flour in small increments until the dough is too heavy to stir.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until you have a smooth supple dough, adding more flour as required.  Oil the mixing bowl and add the dough, turning to coat, then cover and set aside until doubled in bulk, 50 minutes to an hour.

Punch the dough down and divide into 10 pieces for 8-inch breads.  Roll each piece into a ball, and then cover them with a damp towel.  Allow to rest for 15 minutes, then roll each piece into a circle about ¼ inch thick.  Only roll the number of breads you can cook in one batch.  Don’t stack the rolled breads. Meanwhile warm the griddle or cast-iron skillet is warming over high heat. 

When hot, turn the heat to medium, and then brush a little oil over the surface.  Set circle(s) of dough on the surface and let sit for 30 seconds, and then turn it over.  Slowly bread should begin to puff.  You can encourage its puffing by gently pressing the bubbles to spread the hot air outward.  Once the bread has swollen, after a minute or two, turn it over to brown the top side- another minute or so.  Put the finished breads under a towel to keep warm.

Spicy Little Falafels!

Pita with Falafel & Lemony Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

INGREDIENTS:

Prepared Falafel Mix (or make from scratch if you’re in a groove)           

Pita Bread                                                       2 ripe tomatoes, diced

Yogurt Tahini Sauce (below)                         Shredded lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS:

Make the falafel according to package instructions.  Spread a little of the sauce on a pita bread, then add the falafel, tomato and lettuce.  Drizzle more sauce over the top.

Serves 4-6





Yogurt Tahini Sauce (my favorite!!!)

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

INGREDIENTS:

1 garlic clove                                                  

1 cup plain yogurt (I used nonfat)

Salt                                                                 

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Tahini                   

Grated zest of one lemon

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pound the garlic and ¼ teaspoon of salt together to make a mushy paste.  Stir in the tahini, then gradually stir in the yogurt and lemon zest.  Season with lemon juice to taste… I used every drop and it was perfectly tangy which balances the spiciness of the falafel.  Enjoy, my friends!

Next up, I will be focusing on standby recipes every cook needs in their repertoires to whip up easy, delicious and healthy weekday meals for family and friends. 

Now, in the words of my soft-spoken sisters, “Tootle-loo, Blue Dogs!”

The Search Is Over- Kurbiskorn Brötchen!!!

Greetings from the 'burbs!  A rare treasure is yours for the taking because my five-year search for kurbiskorn brötchen(pumpkin seed rolls) from Germany has finally paid off!  I first encountered these delectable whole-grain rolls at a sumptuous breakfast buffet at the Hotel Berlin.  It quickly became my morning ritual to enjoy kurbiskorn brötchen with a bit of butter, strawberry preserves and café au lait.  (Okay, so I tried many of the other delicacies, too, but the seeded brötchen was my favorite and seemed a healthier option).  After each trip to Berlin, I would spend the following weeks searching out and trying recipes to duplicate these treasures at home, but the results never compared favorably to my beloved brötchen.  Soon, I would give up and forget about them until I visited Germany again.  Same story, same dismal results.  Until now!

This recipe for kurbiskorn brötchen yields 20 delectable rolls, golden and crusty on the outside and chewy goodness within.  I highly recommend serving them with fresh butter and fruit preserves or local honey for a breakfast or tea-time snack.  Additionally, my friend Monique made incredible sandwiches for us to pack for picnic lunches.  Just spread with butter or a little herbed cheese spread, your favorite deli meats & cheeses and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes.  Don’t be discouraged by the long list of directions… it is easier and faster to make these rolls than it appears.  Baking bread is a relaxing way to spend a weekend morning and your loved ones will certainly appreciate your efforts! 

A word of wisdom if you are new to bread making: use a thermometer to test liquids, which must be between 105-115° F.  Otherwise, you will go to a lot of effort and the bread will not rise because the yeast is either not activated at temperatures less than 105° F or the yeast is killed at temperatures greater than 115° F. (I have ruined many recipes because I didn’t know these facts… and just assumed that I was doomed to making flat breads only).

Kurbiskorn Brötchen
Adapted from www.food.com

Ingredients
2 (1/4 oz) packages of active dry yeast
1 TB sugar
1 cup warm water (must be between 105-115° F to activate & not kill the yeast)
1½ cups light rye flour
1 cup warm low-fat buttermilk (105-115° F - see above)
2 ts salt
½ cup steel-cut or regular old-fashioned oatmeal
½ Soya Granules (available from whole-food markets)
1½ cups whole wheat flour
3-3½ cups bread flour
½ cup sunflower seeds, unroasted and unsalted
1½ cups of pumpkin seeds, unroasted and unsalted
2 TB whole flax seeds
½ cup very hot water
Soy flour, for dusting

Instructions

1.     Place the sunflower seeds and ½ cup of the pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder or food processor and pulse until seeds are about half the original size.

2.     Combine chopped seeds and whole flax seeds in a bowl and pour ½ cup of very hot water over them.  Let set for a couple of hours until most of the water is absorbed.

3.     In a large bowl, whisk the sugar in 1 cup warm water until the sugar is dissolved.  Sprinkle the yeast over the water and sugar mixture and let set about five minutes, until foamy (this indicates that the yeast is active…if no foam, the yeast is bad).

4.     Blend in ¾ cup of the rye flour, cover with a clean dry cloth, then set in a warm spot for 20-25 minutes until mixture is light and spongy.

5.     Heat the buttermilk in the microwave on high power for 1 minute, then by 30-second intervals, stirring often, until the correct temperature is reached.

6.     Stir down the sponge, mix in the warm buttermilk, salt, oatmeal and soya granules.

7.     Stir in the remaining rye flour, the whole wheat flour and enough of the bread flour to make the dough manageable.

8.     Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead hard for 5 minutes.  If you have a heavy-duty electric mixer with a hook attachment, knead at speed 2 for 5 minutes (and thank your lucky stars because this recipe is going to be a lot easier!).

9.     Shape the dough into a ball and place in a well-oiled bowl, turning once to oil the top surface of the ball.  Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm dry spot, away from drafts, for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

10.  Punch down the dough.  It should be moist and tacky.

11.  Turn the dough onto a well-oiled surface (a large, hard cutting board works well) and with oiled hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes.  Knead in small amounts of bread flour if the dough is too sticky to manage, but avoid too much flour as it will make the rolls tough and dry.

12.  At the end of kneading, lift the dough and sprinkle the board with ¼ cup of bread flour.  Flatten the dough into a large oval.  Drain any remaining water from the seed mixture and spread seeds over the dough.

13.  With well-floured hands, gather up the edges of the dough into a bundle and gently knead the seeds into the dough, distributing them as evenly as possible.  Use additional bread flour if needed to manage dough, but keep it as moist as you can. 

14.  Divide the dough in half.  Lightly sprinkle the bread board with soy flour, then using your hands, pat each half into a 6” X 10” rectangle.  Sprinkle the top side of the dough with flour, then use a sharp knife to cut each rectangle into 10 rolls.

15.  Scatter remaining pumpkin seeds on a dinner plate.  Brush the tops of the rolls with water, then gently press each roll into the pumpkin seeds and return them to the bread board, pressing the seeds further into the dough with your hands.

16.  Cover the rolls with a clean towel and let rest 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly risen and puffy.

17.  Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and pre-heat to 400° F.  Place an aluminum pie pan on the bottom rack and pre-heat it as well.

18.  Use a spatula to transfer the rolls from the bread board to the pre-heated baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, then drop 4 or 5 ice cubes into the aluminum pie plate and close the oven door immediately.  Bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.  The steam from the ice will give the rolls a crispy exterior.  Do not open the oven door during baking or the steam will escape.

Soup Nirvana

Greetings friends!  I am the kind of happy and contented that is the result of an exceptionally good culinary experience.  In fact, I am so excited that I came straight from the dinner table to the computer to post this recipe so you can experience the endorphin rush, too. 

This soup makes a perfect light dinner for a winter's night... it took me about 35-40 minutes and I served it only with crusty french bread and a glass of good Riesling (thank you, Sean!).  The flavors are definitely Thai, but even if you are not a fan of curries, I urge you to try this recipe.  Though I'm a proponent of substitutions, I recommend using the exact ingredients, even if you don't like a particular one.  It is the blend of flavors that are so phenomenal.   I almost cried with the first taste... It's what my brother-in-law calls a "Butter Rush".  Perfection!

Chicken Curry Soup with Coconut & Lime Adapted from Bon Appétit: Fast & Easy, 2001.

4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 14 ½-ounce can chicken broth
1 13 ½- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
½ TB curry powder
1 Jalapeño chili, seeded & minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 TB fresh lime juice
Salt & Pepper
¼ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup freshly cooked white rice
Lime wedges
Instructions:
Spray a heavy medium-sized saucepan with cooking spray. Sauté the chicken until no longer pink.  Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and chili and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook until chicken is just done, about 5 minutes.  Stir in lime juice.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and add a scoop of the rice.  Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro and serve with a wedge of lime.  (Since I have picky kids, I let them serve themselves.  They put butter and sugar in the rice and fished the chicken out of the soup and dipped it in ranch dressing.  But they do have the excuse of being kids... You HAVE to try this with all the goodies!).

Now, I must lie down and enjoy the last of the warm rush.  Go forth and cook soup!