glacier grist
Issue #48 • Saturday, November 14, 2009
Concord pears were developed in England as a cross between the Conference and Comice varieties. Concorde pears do not dramatically change color as they ripen, retaining their green color even when ripe. How do you know when it is ripe? Just apply gentle pressure to the neck of the fruit. When it gives to gentle pressure it is ready to enjoy.
The Concord’s dense flesh makes it an ideal pear for cooking as the fruit holds its shape and flavor in baking, poaching or in jams and preserves. Concordes are very slow to oxidize when cut so they are great to use in salads and desserts. They are tasty to eat out of hand as well!
Pinova apples are excellent to eat and cook with. It has a nice balanced sweet/tart flavor. It is a cross between two European varieties (the Cox Orange Pippin and the Duchess of Oldenburg) and a Golden Delicious. Sometimes you will also see them called Pinata.
Frisee is that lacy, frilly looking green in your box. It does have a delightful edge of bitterness to it. You can use it alone or mix it with other greens. You can also quickly sauté it in olive oil and garlic as well. You will sometimes see it called curly endive.
PICK UP SITE- DO’S AND DON’TS
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ALWAYS REMEMBER that if you are not happy with something in your box, please let us know right away. We are dealing with Mother Nature and sometimes she throws us a curve. You have to tell us! We will make it up to you in your next box.
recipes
for glacier grist Issue #48
scarlet carrot soup
(contributed by Nancy)
From Gourmet Magazine, November 2009 issue. They give credit to Chef Paul Grimes. I changed very little to this recipe, just adding a little extra zip with the addition of lemon juice and that was done at the table. As you can imagine, the combination of carrots and beets yield an incredibly beautiful soup. It is easy to put together and tastes fantastic! You can easily make half of the soup since this original recipe serves 12. I ran out of carrots and did not do the ribbons, but next time I’ll be sure to have enough on hand.
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted and cooled
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup sliced shallots (or sliced onions)
3 large thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or to taste
3 lbs carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 lb trimmed beets, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
8 cups water plus additional if needed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
¼ lemon per serving
1. Grind toasted coriander in mortar and pestle or grinder.
2. Heat oil in a 5 quart heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook shallots with thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes.
3. Add carrots, beets, 2 teaspoons coriander, 2 teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and water.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.
5. Discard bay leaves and any tough thyme stems. Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth.
6. Return soup to pot. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and additional water if needed.
carrot ribbons
You can make the ribbons while the soup is simmering.
1. Heat 1 inch of oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a 3 quart pot over medium-high heat.
2. Peel carrots, then continue making thin lengthwise ribbons with peeler until you reach core.
3. Toss ribbons in flour, shaking off excess, and season with salt.
4. Fry ribbons in a 3 or 4 batches until golden along edges, about 1 minute per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with some of remaining coriander. Return oil to 350 between batches.
Carrot ribbons can be fried 2 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at warm room temperature.
Place carrot ribbons on soup just before serving. Add ¼ lemon slice on the side for individuals to use if they wish to season the soup.
The soup can be made 2 days ahead. Reheat gently.
white vegetable puree
(contributed by Nancy)
Looks like mashed potatoes, but has such a complex flavor. I have done it with and without turnips, substituting cauliflower. It is a rather forgiving recipe. This is my take on the recipe from Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Cookbook.
2 potatoes (can be any type of potato)
2 pounds celery root (approximately)
8 medium turnips
3 cloves garlic
2 small onions
bouquet garni: 4 thyme sprigs; 1 bay leaf; 2 cloves garlic; 6-8 parsley sprigs; 10 black peppercorns
¼ pound unsalted butter
about ½ cup heavy cream
salt and pepper
1. Peel potatoes, celery root, turnips, 3 cloves garlic and onions.
2. Chop the vegetables roughly.
3. Make a bouquet garni of the thyme, bay leaf, garlic, parsley and peppercorns by placing them in a big tea ball or cheesecloth tied with a string.
4. Put the vegetables and the bouquet garni in a pot with lightly salted water just covering vegetables.
5. Cook, covered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.
6. Remove the bouquet garni, drain the vegetables, and puree them.
7. Put the puree in a double boiler over very low heat and stir in ¼ pound butter cut into bits and about ½ cup heavy cream and season with salt and pepper.
Cook’s notes: I have used less butter and cream with good results.
ginger-lime yams
(contributed by Alison)
This recipe was given to me by my good friend Lisa, who baked this beautiful casserole for a Christmas Eve dinner several years ago. I make it every holiday season—I think you’re going to love it as much as I do, with the sparkle of ginger and lime to liven up the sweet, rich yams!
1/3 cup flour
10 cups peeled and thinly sliced yams (about 3 pounds)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil or butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
zest and juice from 1 or 2 limes (how zesty do you want it? You decide!)
zest from 1 orange
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine flour and sliced yams in a large bowl; toss well.
3. Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook for 4-5 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the yam slices and toss well.
4. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray or oil. Spoon the mixture into the dish. Cover and bake for 55 minutes or until tender.
curly endive salad with hot bacon dressing and goat cheese
(contributed by Nancy)
From French Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis. This is a classic French salad and I have also seen it served at breakfast with the addition of a poached egg on top. I know, sounds a little weird, but the poached egg, when you break it in the salad, it turns it into an unctuous, light dressing. If I do this for breakfast, I usually omit the garlic and shallots.
1 bunch frisee (you can also combine it lettuce)
½ shallot, peeled and cut into paper thin rounds
1 clove garlic, peeled, and diced
2 small rounds of goat cheese
1-2 slices bacon
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
toasted bread (your choice)
1. Fry the bacon until crispy and remove bacon from the pan. Depending upon how much fat is rendered from the bacon, add olive oil to make 1 ½ tablespoons of oil. Add the vinegar, standing back as it gives off steam. Stir, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, then pour over the salad. Toss thoroughly, seasoning generously with pepper and salt if necessary and toss again.
2. Crumble bacon on salad and place cheese rounds on top of salad, and one piece of plain toast on each side of the plate.
Serve immediately.
