Food, a miscellany thereof
May. 25th, 2006 01:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidYesterday I got up early to straighten the house (sorely needed, and finally done with the impetus of a parental visit in the offing), and finally felt like making food. Not food for work, unfortunately.
By the time I'd gotten to the farmer's market Tuesday, there wasn't much produce left. All that interested me was the rhubarb. I sliced up six long stalks of it, added that to a slosh of grape juice in a pot, and let it simmer while I did more house puttering. Once they were friendly, I cut up the strawberries from last week's Boston Organics delivery, now much sadder than when they'd arrived, alas. That cooked a while, then I added some sugar. There seemed to be too much liquid, so I tossed in a couple of handfuls of frozen cranberries (the tartness matching the rhubarb, and also high in pectin), and a bit more sugar to compensate.
Market Basket has started carrying organic produce, so when I saw a bag of organic lemons there I got one. I made a batch of preserved lemons, using a quart jar for the first time. (I don't usually buy quarts; they're too big for jam and chutney. I think this box was bounty from Queue's move.) I lightly juiced quarters of lemons into the jar, then salted them and put them in as tightly as I could manage. I used 9 lemons total, though 2 were just for juice (the bag had 8; luckily I had one already). One month until they're ready; it's hard to wait. (Note to self: do not go for so long without making another batch.)
After work, the plan for the evening changed slightly, with unanticipated extra guests, so dinner wasn't as I'd originally thought.
First up, soup: fish chowder with corn and potatoes (and onions, of course!), and pareve because plain full-fat soy milk makes excellent chowder, without the worries of boiling milk. I'd thought about adding in spinach, then remembered that one visitor isn't fond of fully-cooked spinach. Next time, though, I think a green chowder would be nice.
Then I made a bunch of sauteed broccoli with red onions and pre-sliced mushrooms (diverted from their original pizza-topping* destiny). I wasn't thinking quickly enough, so I forgot garlic. I couldn't use either the seitan or onion-garlic tofu I already had, so waited for plain tofu to arrive. When it did, I realized I haven't yet replaced soy sauce since Pesach, and the other condiments I would've used instead contained either known allergens or suspect ingredients ("natural flavors"). So, nude tofu went in with the broccoli. Not terribly exciting, but not bad, either.
*[Insert wild D/s food stories here.]
We tried the rhubarb, and it's wonderfully tart, just the right balance; I got lucky.
Dinner over, it was on to the main event for the evening: making ganache. The Truffle-ated One brought 60.4% dark chocolate chips and a pint of cream, heating the latter, pouring it over the former, and stirring until it was smooth. He added 2 T of triple-fold vanilla, stirred it smooth again, then poured the ganache into a silicone baking pan to set. Truffle dipping will happen before Shabbat.
Which leaves me with the classic question: what should I make for Shabbat dinner? There are lots of options, far too many of them dessert (which is unusual for me).
Dessert will include vanilla truffles, of course. There might be leftover rhubarb compote. The thing I've been thinkng about making for days is still calling me: caramelize bits of pear in brown sugar, add some minced lavender leaves and walnut bits, top with slightly sweetened drop biscuits (possibly made with non-white or non-wheat flour, possibly with a bit more lavender), and bake. I've also got the end of the mincemeat, so a mincemeat pie is an option too. And I have fresh strawberries and pineapple, which make a lovely fruit salad.
Other than dessert, challah's a given. I want to make milchigs, given the truffles for dessert. Current thoughts include:
- roasted salmon fillets with chutney
- green salad with mixed greens, halved grape tomatoes, shavings of Asiago, and caramelized onions
- roasted cauliflower
- broccoli sauteed with onion, garlic, ginger, and seitan/tofu marinated in Szechuan spicy sauce
- something with eggplant and zucchini (sauteed? roasted with onions and tomatoes?)
- roasted garlic
And it wouldn't hurt to make more, especially proteins (if there's time); leftovers are always useful.
(Just so the link doesn't get lost) This weekend may also include making a yogurt-based cake (with rose syrup) for a birthday person.
This morning, walking to work, I thought about truffle flavors. I definitely want to try Maraschino liqueur. I wonder if getting the 100% cranberry or blueberry juices from Trader Joe's and boiling them down would result in good, non-alcoholic syrups for truffle flavoring?
By the time I'd gotten to the farmer's market Tuesday, there wasn't much produce left. All that interested me was the rhubarb. I sliced up six long stalks of it, added that to a slosh of grape juice in a pot, and let it simmer while I did more house puttering. Once they were friendly, I cut up the strawberries from last week's Boston Organics delivery, now much sadder than when they'd arrived, alas. That cooked a while, then I added some sugar. There seemed to be too much liquid, so I tossed in a couple of handfuls of frozen cranberries (the tartness matching the rhubarb, and also high in pectin), and a bit more sugar to compensate.
Market Basket has started carrying organic produce, so when I saw a bag of organic lemons there I got one. I made a batch of preserved lemons, using a quart jar for the first time. (I don't usually buy quarts; they're too big for jam and chutney. I think this box was bounty from Queue's move.) I lightly juiced quarters of lemons into the jar, then salted them and put them in as tightly as I could manage. I used 9 lemons total, though 2 were just for juice (the bag had 8; luckily I had one already). One month until they're ready; it's hard to wait. (Note to self: do not go for so long without making another batch.)
After work, the plan for the evening changed slightly, with unanticipated extra guests, so dinner wasn't as I'd originally thought.
First up, soup: fish chowder with corn and potatoes (and onions, of course!), and pareve because plain full-fat soy milk makes excellent chowder, without the worries of boiling milk. I'd thought about adding in spinach, then remembered that one visitor isn't fond of fully-cooked spinach. Next time, though, I think a green chowder would be nice.
Then I made a bunch of sauteed broccoli with red onions and pre-sliced mushrooms (diverted from their original pizza-topping* destiny). I wasn't thinking quickly enough, so I forgot garlic. I couldn't use either the seitan or onion-garlic tofu I already had, so waited for plain tofu to arrive. When it did, I realized I haven't yet replaced soy sauce since Pesach, and the other condiments I would've used instead contained either known allergens or suspect ingredients ("natural flavors"). So, nude tofu went in with the broccoli. Not terribly exciting, but not bad, either.
*[Insert wild D/s food stories here.]
We tried the rhubarb, and it's wonderfully tart, just the right balance; I got lucky.
Dinner over, it was on to the main event for the evening: making ganache. The Truffle-ated One brought 60.4% dark chocolate chips and a pint of cream, heating the latter, pouring it over the former, and stirring until it was smooth. He added 2 T of triple-fold vanilla, stirred it smooth again, then poured the ganache into a silicone baking pan to set. Truffle dipping will happen before Shabbat.
Which leaves me with the classic question: what should I make for Shabbat dinner? There are lots of options, far too many of them dessert (which is unusual for me).
Dessert will include vanilla truffles, of course. There might be leftover rhubarb compote. The thing I've been thinkng about making for days is still calling me: caramelize bits of pear in brown sugar, add some minced lavender leaves and walnut bits, top with slightly sweetened drop biscuits (possibly made with non-white or non-wheat flour, possibly with a bit more lavender), and bake. I've also got the end of the mincemeat, so a mincemeat pie is an option too. And I have fresh strawberries and pineapple, which make a lovely fruit salad.
Other than dessert, challah's a given. I want to make milchigs, given the truffles for dessert. Current thoughts include:
- roasted salmon fillets with chutney
- green salad with mixed greens, halved grape tomatoes, shavings of Asiago, and caramelized onions
- roasted cauliflower
- broccoli sauteed with onion, garlic, ginger, and seitan/tofu marinated in Szechuan spicy sauce
- something with eggplant and zucchini (sauteed? roasted with onions and tomatoes?)
- roasted garlic
And it wouldn't hurt to make more, especially proteins (if there's time); leftovers are always useful.
(Just so the link doesn't get lost) This weekend may also include making a yogurt-based cake (with rose syrup) for a birthday person.
This morning, walking to work, I thought about truffle flavors. I definitely want to try Maraschino liqueur. I wonder if getting the 100% cranberry or blueberry juices from Trader Joe's and boiling them down would result in good, non-alcoholic syrups for truffle flavoring?