Mussels!

The other day I was at The Ramp, a restaurant here in San Francisco, when I was stricken with a major case of order envy.  My friend (the loveliest woman in the world, director of the co-op preschool my children attended when they were babes) had ordered steamed mussels and then shared one with me, thus casting a shadow over my poor selection.  Needless to say, I have been thinking of those mussels ever since...but it didn't occur to me until yesterday that I could make the mussels myself (I can be a bit slow).  So I bought a bunch of good looking mussels and gathered some friends to experiment on and this is now my favorite dish:

(They didn't photograph well, so I dropped a filter on the picture...pretty, no?)

(This is what they look like before steaming, minus the filter.)

Make sure you have lots of crusty bread to sop up the broth, for those so inclined.

Steamed Mussels

about 4 slices of prosciutto

3 large shallots, chopped fine

1/2 cup butter, sliced (1/3 cup olive oil would work for the dairy free)

1/2 cup champagne (white wine would work)

2 tbsp champagne vinegar

4+ lbs mussels, de-bearded and cleaned

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Cut up the prosciutto and sauté over medium for about 4 minutes. Set aside.  Deglaze the pot with a dash of champagne and then stir in shallots for a few minutes.  Stir in the butter and then add the champagne and vinegar and prosciutto.  Add mussels and cover, bring to a boil, shaking the pot a bit, until mussels open (5 minutes).  With a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to a bowl.  Strain broth through a cheesecloth and pour over mussels.  Sprinkle with parsley.  (I served it with the zucchini salad, as I will serve everything this summer with the zucchini salad.)

Scissors, a Cautionary Tale

I use scissors to cut just about everything in the kitchen.  Green beans, herbs, even chicken on the rare occasion I cook meat.  Thus, I thought it would be a good idea to invest in some heavy duty scissors and retire the ones I stole from my child and this happened:

The End.

Zucchini Salad with Mint and Parmesan

I am obsessed with this salad...who knew raw zucchini could taste this good?  I will be making this dish often throughout the summer.  Since I am boringly dairy free these days, my portion had no parmesan, extra mint.    

zest from one small lemon

juice from above small lemon

1 tbsp white wine vinegar (I used champagne vinegar, cause twas all I had.)

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp grape seed oil

2 tbsp finely minced shallot

sea salt and fresh pepper, to taste

1 lb zucchini, sliced thin on a mandoline

2+ tbsp thinly sliced mint leaves

1+ oz parmesan, shaved

Whisk lemon zest through shallots in a medium bowl. Gently toss in zucchini, salt, and pepper.  Refrigerate for 1-4 hours (important).

Using a slotted spoon, lift zucchini from marinade (shake a bit) and place on a serving platter and top with s&p, mint, and parmesan. (Discard extra marinade.)

*adapted from a recipe from Tante Marie's Cooking School

Carrot Pâté, Chickpea Cakes, and poor scheduling

Me calling Ted about a month ago: "Is there any reason I can not take a cooking class on June 2nd?"

Ted: "No.  Go for it."

Me:  "I feel like we have something that day and the class is non-refundable."

Ted:  "I don't think we have anything that day."

And that is how I ended up taking a cooking class at Tante Marie's Cooking School in North Beach on my youngest daughter's birthday.  To be fair, we did have a party for her on Friday at  Presidio Bowl, but it is still not one of my finer scheduling moments. The class was a gluten free cooking class taught by Chef Laurie Gauguin, in which we made 10 dishes (including desserts).  By the end of the day it was like a feast among friends.  I was responsible for the Carrot Pâté with Moroccan Spices:

(I did not think to photograph the final product till it was nearly gone...so this is me holding the last bite.)

The pâté is on a Seeded Almond Cracker...together it is almost a meal in itself.  I also helped with the Crispy Za'atar Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber and Feta Salad:

(The chickpea cakes would be a great veggie burger.)

We also had Parmesan Crusted Sole with Tomatoes, Fennel, Saffron, and Olives (yum), Chicken and Dumplings, Stir Fried Mung Bean Noodles with Pork (would be great vegetarian), Coconut-Lime Tart with Raspberries, etc, etc.  Again, it was truly a feast.

Carrot Pâté with Moroccan Spices

2/3 cup whole almonds

1 lb carrots (about 4 medium)

2 tbsp white miso

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup cilantro leaves (packed)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil 

salt to taste

Bake almonds on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 for 15 minutes.  Cool completely.  Peel and cut carrots into 1 inch pieces and steam for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.  

Place almonds, carrots, miso, spices, garlic, salt, and cilantro in a food processor.  Pulse while adding lemon juice and olive oil, scraping down the bowl and adding more salt if necessary.

Seeded Almond Crackers

2 cups almond meal

2 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp caraway seeds

2 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Mix almond meal through white pepper in a mixer.  Add olive oil and egg and mix on low till forms a dough.  Roll out between parchment paper sheets until very thin.  Discard top piece of parchment paper and bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Crispy Za'atar Chickpea Cakes with Cucumber and Feta Salad

Chickpea Cakes:

1 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 large egg whites

1/3 cup gluten free bread crumbs (about 3 slices)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1/4 tsp dry thyme

1 1/2 tsp sumac

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Cucumber Feta Salad

1 large cucumber, seeded and diced small

1 red bell pepper, diced small

3 tbsp finely diced red onion

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup crumbled feta

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Pulse chickpeas through salt in food processor till chopped, not pureed.  Add more salt to taste.  Form chickpea mixture into patties and cook in a skillet with olive oil about 5 minutes per side, or until nicely browned.

To make salad topping combine cucumber through lemon juice and then gently fold in feta and parsley.  Add salt (and pepper) to taste.

  

Spiced Cashew Cream Custard and other stuff

I have been missing in action.  Listing all that happens at the end of a school year could be considered a form of torture, so I will spare you all the gory details...but I do have to mention we had my eldest's high school graduation (gulp).  I truly feel as though I have run a marathon while planning a wedding and juggling plates. I have somehow kept dairy (and gluten) free and am happy to note my sinuses are no longer trying to kill me.  I even squeezed in an experimental Cashew Cream Custard (which turned out more like a pudding than a custard):

Which was topped with fresh stewed peaches:

Cashew Cream

1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews

water (divided)

ground cardamom 

dash-o-salt

Soak cashews overnight covered in water.  Drain and rinse and place in the Vitamix with just enough fresh water to cover by an inch, along with a dash of salt and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom.  Blend into submission.

Spiced Custard

2 cups cashew cream (I had to add a bit of almond milk to equal 2 cups)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup maple sugar

2 eggs and 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

Have eggs whisked in a bowl, and set aside.

Whisk cashew cream, maple sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow cream to boil a bit while whisking.

Remove from heat. Mix into eggs a bit at a time.

Return pan to heat and whisk gently until custard thickens. Do not allow to boil. Stir in vanilla.  Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Peaches

6-8 small peaches, pitted and diced (skins on)
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp+ water
dash of salt

Combine all of the above in a sauce pan and heat on medium until peaches soften.  Let cool and refrigerate.

Stuffed Mushrooms (gluten and dairy free)

I had bought some baby portobello mushrooms before going dairy free, intending to stuff them with a parmesan/artichoke stuffing so I had to come up with a new plan lest they go to waste (or rather, to the chickens).  I am a huge fan of stuffed mushrooms, they make me feel like this:

They are so 1980's...but in a good way, not like shoulder pads.  And I happen to have a bottle of balsamic from O&Co, which would make a piece of cardboard taste divine.  Thus:

(ok, I need to work on presentation)

12 baby portobello mushrooms, stems removed (and saved, chopped fine)

1 small onion, chopped fine

olive oil

balsamic vinegar (the thick, syrupy kind)

s&p

1 bunch basil

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Saute onions and mushroom stems in olive oil with s&p.  Place mushrooms in a baking dish and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with s&p.  Fill caps with onion mixture and drizzle with balsamic and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Place basil, pine nuts, and garlic (s&p) in a food processor and pulse with enough olive oil till smooth.

Top baked mushrooms with pesto and any juices from baking dish.

Almond Milk, etc

Today is day one of dairy free me.  I was going to begin on Friday, but then I went to book club and someone derailed me by bringing the most divine ashy rind cheese and all bets were off.  I could have started the next day, but as my book club is more of a wine club, I ended up filling my face with crap (read: pizza).  SO.  Today is the day.  I have almonds soaking for almond milk:

And I off to the store for cashews to make cashew cream (quite an ambitious undertaking, as it is the Bay to Breakers race here in San Francisco and my neighborhood is filled with drunk and/or naked runners).  If dairy free does not free me from sinus pain, I plan to eat this:

(http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com)

So either way, I will be happy.

What makes me unhappy, (quite a segue, no?) is something is eating my carrots:

I was ready to set up a surveillance camera along with a bear trap to catch the offending party, but Ted put up netting instead.

What makes me happy, (ok, the segue barely worked the first time) is there are cucumbers on the lemon cucumber plant:

As well as blueberries on the blueberry bush:

(look closely...they are not yet blue)

Dairy Free Me?

My sinuses have been killing me lately.  At first I thought it might be pollen and whatnot, but now I am thinking it may have something to do with dairy.  I have been avoiding soy (to big of a topic to delve into here), and only a few cafés serve almond milk, thus I have been getting cow's milk lattes when I am out and about and now there is a mean little sinus man behind my eyes poking me incessantly:

(Apparently he looks a bit like a snowman, but don't be fooled, he is a total dick.)

Eating an entire wedge of Douceur du Jura (gorgeous french cheese) probably didn't help the situation.  Long story short, I am embarking on a dairy free experiment.  To be continued...  

Fish (not a recipe)

The kids have had a little beta fish for years...which means they were excited to get a fish but I have cared for the fish evermore.  The strange thing about this fish is that it has personality.  I know, I know, I am annoying myself right now.  But every morning when I walk up to the bowl, the darn thing starts wiggling like a dog about to go on a walk.  And if you put your finger on the bowl, this fish will rub up against your finger...or try to, as there is glass in between.  It is the oddest little creature.  The other beta (we acquired a second fish last summer, thanks Ted) was kind of stupid.  A slow swimmer.  Unquestionably depressed.  I am quite sure it jumped when I was trying to clean it's bowl, either to escape down the drain or commit suicide (I think it was the latter).  But the one we have had forever looks like this:

Leek and Ricotta Bread (GF)

While browsing through my lovely new cookbook (I have an addiction...need to be stopped...we are being over-run by cookbooks), Home Made Summer by Yvette Van Boven, I came across recipes for savory breads (she calls them cakes, but if it doesn't include chocolate it is not a cake in my book).  They included ingredients such as arugula and pine nuts or feta and olives, all of which I love, but none of which I had.  So I came up with this:

(this kicks banana bread in the ass)

1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour

1 tbsp aluminum free baking powder

1/2 cup olive oil (plus more for leeks)

1 cup ricotta, heaping

3 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped

salt and fresh ground pepper

Saute leeks in 1-2 tbsp olive oil till just soft, 3 minutes.  Whisk flour and baking powder in one bowl.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, olive oil, ricotta, salt and pepper.  Fold in parmesan and leeks.  Fold in flour mixture.  Pour into prepared bread pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.   

My Secret Revealed

We are having a heat wave in San Francisco.  To be clear, anything over 60 degrees is a heat wave here...so when it hits 80, people freak out.  (The same is true when the temperature drops below 50, you will actually see people in parkas.)  Because it so rarely gets hot in San Francisco, none of the houses have air conditioning, thus the only way to cool it down is to open windows and doors.  And if one opens said windows and doors, you will most likely host a party for little black hovering flies (I have searched in vain, and cannot identify them by name).  They are the most annoying little bugs on the planet.  They do not bite, they just gather together and fly in a circle in the center of the room.  If you are not careful, they will multiply into a little black cloud.  Hence:

(Do not let the cheerful color fool you, this is not a tennis racket.)

That, my friend, is an electric fly swatter.  Yes, this (mostly) vegetarian, tomato growing, chicken raising, soon-to-be-bee-keeper is a hover bug assassin.  I am obsessed.  I will stand in the middle of the room, arms akimbo, just waiting for one to come within my reach.  I whisper threats, curse when I miss, and acknowledge defeat "well played, little fly...but you will be mine."

Quick Mushroom and Leek Tart

Roll out circles of puff pastry and top with ricotta mixed with egg and freshly grated parmesan, as well as leeks sautéed in a bit of olive oil with mushrooms and fresh thyme. Season each step with salt and pepper and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375 for 20 minutes.

Egg Ideas

The chickens are back on track, meaning 4 eggs a day:

  (In the winter they were laying a bit less.)  

But I am in desperate need for some new egg recipes.  I am soooo tired of frittatas:

(Though this asparagus one was tasty.)

And my kids turn their noses up at scrambled eggs in the morning.  Maybe an egg custard pie?  To be continued...

GF Pea Pancakes

Sunday we walked to the farmer's market on 9th and Irving (in the lot across from Arizmendi Bakery) and got a huge bag of english peas.  I planned to bring them home, shell them, and make pea pancakes, but they were polished off on the walk home.  So this morning on my jog I stopped at four, yes four, little markets in my neighborhood and could not find english peas.  I had to settle for sweet peas:

Which, when shelled, produce very little peas:

But they definitely live up to their name...sweet and delicious! I unfortunately lost half of them down the drain when I was rinsing them in a tippy colander (I lost a beta fish down the drain last Saturday, but that is a whole other story that involves the tears of my youngest daughter), luckily I saved enough to (finally) make my pancakes:

(made with lots of egg and ricotta and very little flour)

1 cup shelled fresh peas

1 tsp sea salt

3 large eggs

1 cup fresh ricotta 

1/4 cup all purpose gluten free flour

2 tbsp grape seed oil (plus more for the pan)

1/4 cup cup finely minced onion

Bring small pot of water to a boil and blanch peas for 3 minutes, drain.

Puree eggs, ricotta, flour, grape seed oil, and salt in a blender until smooth.  Fold in onion and peas.  Heat a bit more oil in skillet over medium and pour on batter, roughly 3 minutes per side.

*adapted from Bon Appettit

Wasted Day

Yesterday I wasted a great portion of the day on this:

Well, not on a sofa as pretty as this one (that was my choice for the front living room) I was outvoted during the sofa selection debate, thus spent the day on an oversized red sectional from Pottery Barn (it fits the whole family!).  Point being, it took less time to draw a sofa than the hours I wasted on a sofa and as of today, Monday April 15th 2013, I vow not to waste away a day like that again.  Although, I did watch a very interesting documentary on Venus and Serena Williams...they clearly never waste a day on the sofa.

Mushroom Polenta

This post should be titled "very badly behaved dog for sale."  I am serious...anyone need a mutt?  Last night I made this mushroom polenta...

...and set it out on the dining room table and our wicked dog, when no one was looking, jumped up on the table and ate it!  Luckily I snagged a portion before this happened, but I am still bitter as I had envisioned this as my next day's lunch as well.  Here is a mugshot of the thief:

(don't let her cuteness fool you...she is a shameless bandit)

Here is the recipe, but hide it from your dogs, apparently they love mushrooms and taleggio cheese!

1 cup polenta (traditional, not instant)

2 cups veg stock

2 cups water

1 tbsp grape seed oil

3 oz parmesan, grated

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

3 tbsp olive oil

4 cups mushrooms, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

salt and pepper

4 oz taleggio, cut into slices

Bring stock, water, and grape seed oil to a boil and slowly stir in polenta.  Turn down heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan and rosemary, then spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet to cool:

(after it cooled a bit I popped it in the fridge)

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and add mushrooms for about 6 minutes...don't stir 'em and they will brown better...then add garlic, tarragon, thyme, and s & p.

Take polenta from fridge (remove parchment paper) and top with taleggio and put under the broiler (not too close) until cheese bubbles and browns a bit.  Take out and add mushroom mixture (can top with a bit more parmesan) and return to broiler for a couple minutes.

*adapted from Yotom Ottolenghi's "Plenty"

I Cleaned my Desk and Found my Camera

Me.  With my neglected (crappy) camera because:

A)  I haven't been cooking.  At all.

and

B)  I use my iPhone for photos now. 

Feed, Venice LA

I think I have found my favorite restaurant in California: 
http://feedbodyandsoul.com/

Sent from my iPhone

Petersen Ranch, Somis

I think I forgot to mention we are on a little trip in our own state. We spent a night in Morro Bay (spooky town), a weekend in Santa Barbara, and we will finish the trip in Venice Beach.  On the way from Santa Barbara to LA, we drove through the valley (miles and miles of lemon trees, orange trees, and other produce) and came across this gem of a fruit stand.  Not only was the fruit fantastic, the man who runs it is a character.  Definitely worth a stop.

Larner Rose

This (unsuccessfully) staged photo was to remind myself where I bought my new favorite rose (Los Olivos General Store) on the way to Santa Barbara.  Check it out: www.larnervineyard.com

Odds and Ends Juice

This morning I made a (surprisingly very tasty) juice from left-over bits in my veg drawer:

1 orange, peeled
3 carrots
1/2 a meyer lemon, with peel
1/2 a large cucumber, with peel
1 two inch piece of ginger

It is not a pretty juice, but I would make it again on purpose.

Poquito

Last night my youngest had a friend's birthday party at one of those jumpy places far far far far far away from our home in an industrial area of San Francisco.  Thus, my second born (who came along to keep me company) and I had time to kill and not a lot of options.  After some wandering, we made our way over to Dog Patch (yes, that is the name of the neighborhood) and stumbled upon quite a few good looking restaurants (it seems the hipsters have revitalized Dog Patch...too many ironic beards to count).  We settled upon Poquito, a latin tapas place, and we were not disappointed: 

(Empanadas with pickled onions and tomatoes...also came with spicy green aji)

(I can't remember the latin name...essentially a beet salad, yum!)

(Arepas con queso and more pickled onions...love)

Rice Noodle Salad

So.  I bought some smoked tofu from Tofu Yu in Berkeley with no idea what to do with it, when voilà...I stumbled upon this recipe! Again, it is adapted from Vegetarian Times, but this is the last one (mainly because I am not well versed in copyright laws).

(It is official, I need new serving plates...hint, hint my potter brother-in-law Greg Miller :)

Rice Noodle Salad w/Smoked Tofu and Herbs

8 oz. dried rice noodles

juice from 3 small limes

3 tbsp dark brown sugar

3 tbsp tamari

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage

1 shredded carrot

1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, cut small

1 8 oz. package of smoked tofu, cut small

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (not pictured, because I forgot, then added them to each individual plate, oy)

Place dried noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water, cover, and let stand 5 minutes.  Rinse well under cold water and set aside.  Whisk lime juice, brown sugar, tamari, and garlic.  Set aside.  Toss cabbage, carrot, cucumbers, tofu, mint, and cilantro...toss with half the lime juice mixture.  Place noodles on a serving plate and drizzle with other half of dressing.  Top with veggie mixture.

Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Chicken Liberation

Yesterday, two little leprechauns helped me re-pot my tomato and cucumber plants:

It looks like the plants are going to make it even though I started them wayyy too early in a fit of spring fever.

On a side note, my chickens were trying to escape under the fence yesterday as well:

(look closely)

Seriously, they were at it for an hour or more and then gave up and took a rest in that same spot.  Normally if I am in the yard, they hover around my feet tripping me:

I sense a coup d'état...

Cabbage Rolls (are tasty...truly)

This morning I was trapped in Sacramento for an hour or so before my daughter's soccer game...the actual game itself was exciting, as they won (and Helia scored a goal!)...but the hour or so beforehand was killed by perusing magazines.  Long story short, I came across a recipe for cabbage rolls in Vegetarian Times and had to give it a go when I got home.  The recipe called for savoy cabbage leaves, but I only had red cabbage:

(Do not be scared, it turns the blanching water blue!)

The recipe also called for French lentils, but I only had red, which turn yellow and require much less cooking time, so the recipe is quite a bit adapted:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 small garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup red lentils, rinsed

3 cups water

1/2 cup white wine

10 red cabbage leaves

1/4 cup dried currants

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (heaping), quartered

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 26oz Pomi Marinara Sauce 

Heat oil in a saucepan on medium, add onion and cook for 4 minutes.  Add garlic for 2 minutes.  Add lentils and water and wine for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring a big pot of salted water to boil and blanch cabbage leaves for 6 minutes, rinse under cool water and lay out on paper towels.  Drain lentils and mix with currants, olives, and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper.  Spread a bit of sauce on the bottom of an 8x11 baking dish and preheat oven to 375.  Spoon 1/3 cup lentil mixture in each cabbage leaf, folding in ruffly sides, then hard rib end in, then roll over placing seam side down in baking dish.  Cover with remaining sauce and bake, covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10 more.  Top with remaining lentil mixture.

Sweet Potato "Chip" with White Bean Dip

I made a tasty snack last night, in that time after dinner but before bed when you are not really hungry but could eat something. I had three large sweet potatoes from Planet Organics staring at me every time I go in the kitchen, so I put them to use:

1 cup Cannellini Beans
3 small garlic cloves, divided
1/4 cup fresh parsley
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp ground cumin
dash of cayenne
salt and pepper

1 sweet potato
olive oil
salt and pepper

Soak beans for at least 4 hours (I made beans a day before). Drain, rinse, and cover with fresh water (or half water, half veg stock).  Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tbsp olive oil and simmer until tender (1-1.5 hours...be sure to skim).  Add big pinches of salt in the last 15 minutes of simmering.

Place 1 cup cooked beans in food processor along with parsley, remaining garlic clove, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, cayenne, and salt & pepper.  Pulse till roughly blended.  Cover and refrigerate until chips are done.

Peel sweet potato.  Slice on a mandolin into a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425 for 4-5 minutes.  Turn each chip over and bake again for 4-5 minutes.

Assemble!

Boulettes Larder

I am usually not a fan of going out for breakfast because a) we have chickens to whom I feed a very healthy diet to get very tasty eggs, and b) most breakfast places believe more is better (more cheese, more salt, more meat).  But this morning I had the most memorable breakfast I have ever had at Boulettes Larder in the Ferry Building and it was comprised of just 4 ingredients:  

Apparently if you add fresh goat cheese, lemony olive oil, and sea salt to eggs, magic occurs (adding a cup of Blue Bottle coffee doesn't hurt).

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter Experiment

So.  I have lived in San Francisco for roughly 18 years and I have not yet learned how to bake a decent sourdough bread.   Thus, I went to Sour Flour, a sourdough starter workshop, and came home with a traditional (10 yr old!) starter:

(she isn't pretty, but she makes AMAZING bread)

I plan on keeping this starter alive for years to come (for the non-gluten-challenged portion of my family).  However, I also plan on experimenting with alternative flours (for the gluten free portion of my family) using:

garbanzo bean flour and oat flour

filtered water

and a red cabbage leaf (to kick start the bubbling)

To be continued...

Gluten Free Crepes w/ Leeks, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

This morning I saw I had a log of goat cheese left over from our Oscar "party" (party is in quotations because it was just us and another family half-heartedly trying to watch the awards over the noise of the kids).  So I put said goat cheese to use in a crepe for lunch:

For the crepe:

1 1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

3 tbsp melted butter (unsalted)

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour

Whisk all of the above (or toss it all in a food processor and pulse till fully blended).  Pour on an oiled, heated crepe pan and cook till browning on both sides.  Set aside.

For the filling:

1 leek, halved, cleaned, and sliced

1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp nutmeg

dash of cayenne

S & p

plain goat cheese

Saute leeks and spinach in olive oil over medium heat (6 minutes).  Add spices and salt and pepper.

To assemble place a scoop of leek mixture and some goat cheese in the center of the crepe, fold edges in then bake on a parchment lined baking sheet (seam side down) at 350 for 15 minutes.