Cornmeal Souffle with Sage Browned Butter

Originally a failed recipe from Elizabeth Davis' book French Country Cooking, Gnocchi à la Romaine with sage brown butter sauce. I misread and used cornmeal instead of wheat semolina, therefore I feel like it has become it's own thing. A bit stodgy on its own, I've included a few suggestions for what could go well with it at the end of the recipe.

6 cups milk

1½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

¾ tsp nutmeg

3 Tbsp minced chives

12 oz (340g) cornmeal, fine or medium grind

⅓ cup and 1 rounded Tbsp (3oz/85g) butter + 2 oz butter + extra

⅓ cup and 1 rounded Tbsp (3oz/85g) + ⅓ cup and 1 rounded Tbsp grated Asiago or Gruyère

3 eggs, whisked

8 fresh sage leaves

1. This dish takes a long time since the cornmeal paste needs to cool completely, so make the paste in the morning for an evening meal. 
2. Put the milk in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3. As the milk warms, add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, chives, cornmeal and the first 3oz of butter. Stir constantly.
4. When it start to gently boil, turn down the heat. You'll likely have to stir vigorously to avoid getting burned by the bubbles popping in the thick paste. 
5. Stir until it stiffens to a consistency where a wooden spoon can stand in it. Remove from the heat.
6. Mix in the first 3oz of the cheese and stir until the batter is smooth.
7. Whisk in the egg until completely incorporated.
8. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread the paste to a thickness of 1⁄4" to 1⁄2" and set aside allow plenty of time for it to get cold in the refrigerator until very stiff.
9. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
10. Once the paste is cold and nicely stiff, grease a gratin dish (or a lasagna dish? Last time I really had to cram it in). Cut the lump of paste into 1½" diameter rounds or 1½" squares and arrange them in an overlapping pattern like fish scales.
11. Sprinkle the remaining 3oz cheese on top.
12. Put in the oven for 45 minutes to on hour, or until the dish is bubbling nicely all over.
13. Now, turn on the broiler and cook this way until the cheese starts to brown in spots.
14. Meanwhile, put the remaining butter in a small saucepan and melt at medium-high heat. 
1. The butter will start to froth and making crackling sounds. 
2. When the frothing stops and the crackling slows, look to the bottom of the pot and you will see the milk solids, which have separated and settled there.
3. When the milk solids start to turn golden brown, remove immediately from the heat source - this stage is quite quick when it comes, and left any longer the butter will be in danger of burning.
4. Add the sage leaves and leave for at least 5 minutes for the sage to infuse.
15. When the gnocchi is ready, remove from the oven and pour over the browned sage butter.
16. Serve immediately as a side or with something a bit tart or vinegary, such as a crunchy salad like Salade de Carrottes, or a selection of pickled vegetables like onions, beets and carrots or Pâtissons Gratinée (summer squash au gratin).

Quick Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage Meat Recipe

Since we've raised our own pigs I wanted to figure out how to make my own sausage, but that turned out to be more challenging than I thought. I haven't figured out a sausage recipe for the meat to have lovely, tender, succulent roasted fresh sausages, but I have figured out a quick herb and spice mix for Italian sausages that I can use ground pork with for braised recipes.

1lb ground pork (not lean)

1 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp brown sugar

1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1 tsp cracked black pepper

dash nutmeg (optional?)

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried thyme

1 to 2 Tbsps fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp dried basil

¾ tsp paprika

FOR HOT = ¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

1. Place the pork and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining ingredients. Knead until you can see flecks of spice evenly distributed through the meat.

Kitchari

This is such a soothing dish without skimping on lots of flavor. 

Timing: 45 minutes

1 Tbsp mild vegetable oil (sesame is good)

2 tsps whole cumin seeds 

2 tsps whole mustard seeds 

5 Tbsps (100gr) finely grated fresh ginger

2 carrots, sliced 

1 cup basmati white rice

1½ cups red lentils (or the more classic split yellow moong dal aka split mung beans)

½ tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground turmeric (plus more to taste)

1½ tsps sea salt (plus more to taste)

8 cups water

2-3 Tbsps tamari sauce (to taste)

FOR SERVING 

Chopped fresh cilantro

Lemon or lime juice 

1. Soak the lentils and rice overnight. Drain completely before using.
2. Heat the oil with the cumin and mustard seeds until the mustard seeds start to pop and the cumin is fragrant.
3. Add everything else EXCEPT for the tamari sauce.
4. Bring to a boil then simmer for at least 20-30 minutes or until the rice and lentils are completely cooked and tender. Leave it longer and it will break down more, which I personally quite enjoy. It's up to you, but keep in mind that you can't overcook it, unless you burn it!
5. Add the tamari sauce and taste to adjust the seasoning.
6. Serve and provide garnishes of fresh cilantro and citrus juice.

Soda Bread with Caraway Seeds

3 1⁄2 cups flour

1⁄2 cup sugar

1⁄2 tsp baking soda

2 tsps. baking powder

2 tsps. salt

2 Tbsps. caraway seeds

2 cups sour cream or yogurt 3.5%

2 eggs

Optional : 

1cup (2.5oz) sharp cheddar

3⁄4 cup raisins

1. Preheated the oven to 350ºF.
2. Combine dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. In a small bowl beat eggs and stir in sour cream.
4. Add the egg mixture optional ingredients, if using, to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.
5. Batter will be very thick and sticky.
6. Place batter in a greased 9 inch spring form pan.
7. If you find the dough too sticky, you can dust the top with enough flour so that you can pat the batter like a bread dough evenly in the pan without it sticking to your hands.
8. With a knife make a shallow crisscross on the top.
9. Bake for 50 minutes.

Hummus

Chickpeas are really easy to grow and are so cool! The leaves are tiny and covered in fine hairs that, even in drought conditions, capture moisture from the air so that if you touch them, your hand comes away wet. Each pod only contains 2 chickpeas but there are lots per plant. Apparently, we can also grow sesame for seeds on the West Coast, but the plants need a long growing period so have to be started indoors - and they prefer poor soil! I still have to do this successfully but it means I can cook with sesame if I want to cook what can be produced locally. And hummus is such a delicious, simple source of protein and calories.

1½ cups chickpeas, cooked (285g) (½ cup dried) 

½ cup + cooking liquid (save chickpea cooking water known as aquafaba)

3 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 2 lemons

½ cup Tahini

¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp salt

Black pepper, to taste

1. The day before, put the chickpeas in plenty of water and bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Allow to soak overnight.
2. Next day, cook until soft, about an hour.
3. Drain and keep ½ cup of cooking liquid.
4. Dump all the ingredients in a food processor and run until it becomes a smooth-ish paste. Add a little more cooking water if it's too thick.
5. With a spatula scrape down the sides and process again to get any bits that may not have gone through.
6. Taste to correct the seasonings.

Classic Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles appear to be much like peanut butter cookies in that there appears to be near universal agreement on the recipe. I was searching because this is not food of my people, but food of Ben's people. For years I thought it was a Christmas tradition for him to have snickerdoodles, but apparently I was mistaken and you can have them anytime. Therefore, I shall!

Cookie

1 cup (8oz/225gr) butter at room temperature

1½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsps. vanilla

2¾ cup flour

1½ tsps. cream of Tartar

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping

¼ cup sugar (2 Tbsps.)

1½ Tbsps. cinnamon (3½ tsps.)

1. Place oven rack in the top ⅓ of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1 to 2 minutes longer until you feel that it has fluffed up enough. 
3. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, just until combined. 
4. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. 
5. If time allows, wrap the dough and let refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.  
6. Roll into small balls (½ oz to 1 oz) until round and smooth. 
7. Drop into the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll to cover either half or the whole ball of dough. 
8. Place on the parchment paper lined baking sheet, cinnamon sugar-coated face up, and gently flatten to a thick 1¼" disc. 
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.  Let cool for several minutes on the baking sheet before removing from the pan. 

NOTE: Do not freeze, or freezing is not recommended - it changes the texture.

Summer Kitcharee

This is comfort food. The texture is creamy, the flavors are soothing (and a bit spicy) and the something is something. You know what I mean. Or you will once you eat some of this.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion (6oz/170g) chopped

4 carrots (12 to 15oz) chopped

4 large celery stalks, chopped (2 tsps. celery seed)

2 medium potatoes, quartered and diced into bite-size pieces

10 cloves garlic (40g), minced

3” piece of peeled fresh ginger, minced (about 25g)

1 tsp hot curry powder (pref. Madras curry powder)

1 tsp garam masala 

¼ tsp  turmeric

1 tsp salt, to taste

Pinch or 2 red chili flakes, to taste

1 cup split red lentils or split mung dal

½ to ⅔ cup white Basmati rice 

8 cups vegetable broth

1 large bay leaf

2 zucchini (400g), quartered, sliced

2 cups (72g) Swiss chard, stemmed and julienned (or other greens)

1 to 2 handfuls of fresh green beans, cut into 1" lengths

½ tsp salt, to taste

To serve provide the following toppings:

- plain yogurt

- Braggs Aminos

- steamed broccoli

- fresh lemon slices

- chopped cilantro 

- parsley

1. Cook the onion in the oil hot oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, until just starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add carrots, celery, potato, garlic and ginger. Stir to combine and cover and let the vegetables sweat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add the spices and mix in, cooking for about a minute.
4. Add the lentils, rice, broth, and bay leaf and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the zucchini squash and green beans and cover to cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until the pulses start to fall apart and the veg is just tender.
6. Stir in the spinach.
7. Turn off the heat. Taste and season with salt, as needed.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve with toppings as desired.