Chiles en Nogada

I just came back from San Miguel de Allende in Central Mexico where I enjoyed a classic seasonal Mexican dish called Chiles en Nogada.  Chiles en Nogada are roasted poblano peppers stuffed with picadillo, covered with a rich and creamy pureed walnut sauce, and garnished with parsley and pomegranate seeds.  The red pomegranate seeds and the fresh green parsley leaves against the creamy white sauce are said to symbolize the red, green and white of the Mexican flag.

Chiles en Nogada are often served cold or at room temperature, but personally, I prefer this dish warm.  It's a little bit of a production to make.  Fortunately, you can roast the peppers and make the picadillo ahead of time.  That way, you simply have to make the walnut sauce and assemble the dish.

Picadillo is a sweet-savory filling that's used in tacos and tamales as well as these stuffed peppers; and there are probably hundreds of recipes for picadillo.  It's typically made with ground meat, onions, garlic, raisins or currents, nuts, olives or capers, and spices.  I made my picadillo with ground lamb, but you can use ground beef or pork, shredded meat, or even tofu, if you prefer.

To roast the peppers:

On a gas stove with an open flame, lay the peppers across the burner in direct contact with the flame.  Turn the peppers as the skin blisters.  When completely charred, put the peppers in a bowl or paper bag until cool enough to handle.  Then rub or peel off the charred skin.

You can roast peppers on a barbeque grill or in a hot oven instead.  Follow the same steps as above, turning the peppers as the skins blisters and chars.  Cool before peeling.

Make a 2-3 inch lengthwise slit in each pepper and carefully remove the seeds without tearing the peppers.  Set aside or refrigerate for later use.

To make the picadillo (for 2-3 medium poblano peppers):

1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1/2 lb ground lamb (or beef)
1/2 medium Fuji apple cut in 1/4" dice
1-2 T chopped golden raisins
1 T chopped slivered almonds
1-2 T sliced olives (black or green)
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cumin
pinch ground cloves
1 T tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat olive oil in 10" skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and onions and saute until translucent.

2.  Add ground lamb and continue cooking, breaking the lamb into crumbles as it cooks.

3.  Stir in the diced apple, raisins, almonds, and olives and continue cooking until the lamb is nearly done.

4.  Stir in the spices and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.  Use immediately to stuff the roasted poblanos or cool, cover and refrigerate for later use.

To make the nogada sauce:

1/2 C roasted walnut halves and pieces
1/2 C milk
1/2 - 3/4 cream
1-2 T sherry
salt to taste
pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley for garnish

1.  Pour boiling water to cover over the walnuts.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Rub walnuts in a dish towel to remove their brown, papery skins.

2.  Soak skinned walnuts in 1/2 C milk for 1 hour.  Drain.

3.  Put walnuts and cream in a blender and blend on a low speed until the walnuts are pureed into the cream to make a sauce.  Be careful not to over-process to turn the cream into butter.

4.  Pour from blender into a small saucepan.  Stir in sherry.  Season with salt.

5.  Just before you're ready to assemble the dish, heat the sauce, whisking constantly.  If desired, you can reduce the sauce over medium-low heat to desired thickness.  Some people like to add a little cream cheese or goat cheese to the sauce for flavor.  Stir the cheese in while your heating the sauce and make sure it's fully melted and mixed into the sauce.

To assemble Chiles en Nogada:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  Stuff the roasted poblanos with picadillo and place in a shallow baking dish or on a baking sheet.  Cover with foil and bake for about 20-30 minutes, until heated through.

3.  Heat nogada sauce.

4.  Place a heated stuffed pepper on a plate.  Cover with the warm nogada sauce.  Garnish generously with pomegranate seeds and fresh parsley.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Green leaf lettuce, kale, cabbage, beets, and celery;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Leeks, tomatoes, green beans, winter squash, carrots, chard, mixed peppers, basil, and dill;

From K and K Ranch:  Grapes and pomegranates; and

From Silver Lake Farms:  Oregano and thyme.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Best Brownies Ever!

Locally-grown walnuts are a special fall treat.  An early sign of the approaching holidays, they make me think of all the goodies I'll be cooking up in the months to come - cookies, cakes, pies, and of course, these brownies - all with some kind of nut to add toasty richness.

And speaking of toasty, I've never met a nut I didn't like better toasted; so do go to the trouble of toasting them in a 350 degree oven for about 12-16 minutes after you shell them.  Watch them carefully.  There's probably not more than a minute between well-toasted and burned.

All nuts get rancid pretty quickly at room temperature.  Keep unshelled walnuts in a cool, dark place for no more than three months.  Personally, I like to shell walnuts and freeze them raw.  If you wrap them well, they'll keep in the freezer for six months or longer.  I like to toast them as I need them for cookies and brownies.  If you make a little extra, you can toss them into salads.

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked for this brownie recipe.  Every time I serve them or bring them to a potluck, folks ask for the recipe.  The best part is this recipe is super easy.  What's important is the quality of the ingredients, especially the chocolate.  These brownies will taste like the chocolate you use, so use something you like to eat.

1 stick unsalted butter
3 oz dark chocolate
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 C flour
pinch salt
1/3 C chopped, toasted walnuts

1.  Line the bottom of an 8x8-inch metal baking dish with parchment paper.  Butter the top of the parchment and the sides of the pan.  Set aside.

2.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

3.  Put 1 stick butter in a 1-1/2 qt heavy saucepan over very low heat.  When the butter is partially melted, add the chocolate and allow the chocolate and the butter to fully melt.  Stir gently to combine completely.  Remove from heat.

4.  Allow to cool slightly.  Add 1 C sugar and 1 t vanilla.  Stir well to combine completely.

5.  Mix in one egg at a time.  Stir to combine completely.

6.  Sift in 3/4 C flour.  Add pinch salt and nuts.  Stir to combine completely.

7.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Tester inserted into the center of the brownies should not come out completely clean, but not too gooey either.

8.  Allow brownies to cool in pan.  Turn out onto a cutting board.  Peel away the parchment and cut into desired sizes.

Makes 8 large brownies, 16 small brownies, or 32 bite-sized brownies.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  Green onions, cabbage, and red leaf lettuce;

From Jimenez Family Farm:  Strawberries, basil, cilantro, delicata squash, summer squash, chard, and tomatoes;

From K and K Ranch:  Walnuts, butternut squash, plums, and apples:

From Moua's Farm:  Long beans and Asian greens; and

From Silver Lake Farms:  Micro-greens.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Tarragon Chicken Salad

Tarragon is such a lovely and delicate herb.  Its faintly licorice flavor makes me think of it as anise light.  Tarragon is a truly versatile herb that tastes great in so many different dishes.  It's particularly good with chicken, eggs, and fish; and you can even use tarragon in some desserts, especially those with lemons or apples.

Today's recipe for Tarragon Chicken Salad is great dish for a summer picnic.  You can put it on a sandwich, or scoop it into a hollowed out tomato, or serve it with melon slices.

I like to saute boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can buy chicken that's already cooked or use leftovers from a roasted or grilled chicken as long as it doesn't have too many other flavors already cooked into it.  I also like to shred the chicken with a fork, but you can cut it into cubes, if you prefer.

To cook up chicken for this salad, take 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Rinse and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Heat a heavy skillet with a lid over medium heat.  Add 1-2 T olive oil.  When the skillet moderately hot, put the seasoned chicken breasts in the skillet, cover and turn down the heat to medium-low.

Cook the chicken over medium-low heat for about 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat.  Do not brown.  Turn the breasts over.  Cover and cook for another 4-6 minutes until a fork pierces the breast easily and the juices run golden as opposed to red or pink.  Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes.  When the meat is cool, you can chop it or shred it however you like.

Here's the recipe for Tarragon Chicken Salad:

1 lb. cooked boneless, skinless chicken meat, shredded or chopped
1/4 C chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 C chopped dried cranberries
1/4 C finely chopped celery
2 T finely chopped red onion
2-3 T coarsely chopped tarragon
3-4 T mayonnaise, or to taste
1 t horseradish (optional), or to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Toss the chicken, nuts, cranberries, celery and onion in a large bowl until well mixed.

2.  Add the tarragon, mayo, and horseradish and mix well.

3.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Substitute small red seedless grapes cut in half for the cranberries for a juicier variation.

If you don't eat chicken, tarragon is a lovely addition to egg salad.  Vegan?  Tarragon goes great with tofu, too.

Today's bounty included:

From Jaime Farms:  White corn, leeks, tarragon, and baby dill;

From JR Organics:  Watermelon, early girl tomatoes, and red leaf lettuce;

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Bag chantenay carrots, romanesco squash, arugula, and salad mix;

From Silver Lake Farms:  Basil seedlings;

From Sweet Tree Farms:  White nectarines and dino egg pluots; and

From Weiser Family Farms:  Melons, baby beets, and laker baker potatoes.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Sorrel Pesto

I love the vibrant lemony flavor of fresh sorrel.  It grows well in Southern California.  My plants stay green and thick all year.  The easiest way to use sorrel is in a salad.  Tear up some sorrel, arugula, and lettuce for a bright and spicy salad mix.  A classic sorrel dish is cream of sorrel soup.  However, my favorite sorrel recipe is sorrel pesto.

Sorrel pesto is a cinch to mix up and has myriad uses.  It's wonderful as a sauce for grilled shrimp, salmon, or chicken.  It's a great garnish for boiled, sliced potatoes.  And you can toss it with hot pasta and mild goat cheese to make a delicious and creamy entree or side dish.  I particularly like using orecchiette or shells, but you can use shape you wish.




4 C loosely packed sorrel (about 12-14 medium leaves)
1/2 small shallot
scant 1/4 C toasted walnuts
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
1/4 t salt, or to taste

1.  Wash the sorrel leaves well.  Remove the stems and chop the leaves coarsely.  Measure 4 C chopped leaves.  Set aside.

2.  In a food processor with the motor running, drop the 1/2 shallot and walnuts into the work bowl through the feed tube.  Process until finely chopped.

3.  Scrape the corners of the work bowl to loosen any nut mixture that's stuck there.  Add the sorrel leaves and process using an on-off technique until chopped.

4.  Then, working quickly with the motor running, add 1/4 C olive oil through the feed tube and process until a green paste forms.  Add a little more oil if desired.

5.  Add salt and process for 1-2 seconds to mix.

If you don't have a food processor, you can make this pesto with a mortar and pestle.  It's just a little more labor, but well worth the effort.

Today's bounty included:

From Weiser Family Farms:  French baker potatoes;

From Jaime Farms:  Radishes, golden beets, green scallions, free-range eggs, hot-house peppers, dill, basil, Tuscan kale, and mint;

From JR Organics:  Sugar snap peas and sorrel;

From Sage Mountain Farm:  Red sails lettuce, spinach, strawberries, and mustard.

Enjoy!

Shelley

What to Do with Red Kuri Squash

Six different farmers and a shareholder provided today's bounty. Here's what was available at the Silver Lake pick-up this evening:

From Underwood Family Farms, there were valencia oranges, spaghetti squash, romaine lettuce, fennel, kale, and boy choy or boy toy or bok choi (depending on where you're at in life)

Tierra Miguel Foundation provided red kuri squash, horehound mint (native to California), cilantro, dill, beets, chard and carrots.

From Weiser Farms there Russian banana potatoes, brown onions.

Winnetka Farms provided salad greens.

Rancho Santa Cecilia in Carpenteria provided limes, Satsuma tangerines, and Hass avocados.

Shareholder Brian Lee provided beautiful and fragrant guavas from his garden. Thank you Brian!

Silver Lake Farms provided delicious microgreens: arugula and pak choi.

Also this week, there were 2 special items: Sriracha sauce "made with jalapeno peppers exclusively grown by Underwood Ranch" and cured, smoked and carmelized pork belly from the fabulous Rashida Purifoy, chef/owner of Cast Iron Gourmet.

I'm fine with the swine, so I couldn't wait to get home to open my container of carmelized pork belly. In fact, I had to exercise extraordinary will-power not to eat the entire container before pulling into my driveway!

I met Rashida Purifoy, chef/owner of Cast Iron Gourmet, at the Eagle Rock Brewery recently where I tasted (and purchased) her fine pork products. In fact, I had some delicious Cast Iron Gourmet bacon for breakfast this morning. I cooked the thick slices crisp and served them with fresh eggs I got from my chickens. Earlier this week, I served her divine bacon chutney on crackers to a visiting friend. What a treat!


Red Kuri Squash

If you're wondering about red kuri squash, so was I. I've seen it in stores, but never cooked with it. So, the first thing I did when I got home was cut it in half, seeded it (compost those seeds) and roasted it in the oven (along with an acorn squash I had in my fridge) until it was soft, about an hour.

My roasted kuri squash had a rich and slightly nutty flavor. It was less sweet and more starchy than the acorn squash. It reminded me a lot in texture of potato, so I mashed it with butter and a little milk and seasoned it with salt, pepper and freshly-ground nutmeg. It turned out to be a wonderful alternative to ordinary mashed potatoes and would make a deliciously different addition to the Thanksgiving table.

Red kuri squash is a variety of winter squash, so called because unlike summer squash, you can store it for many months. Most winter squashes can be used interchangeably, so you can certainly substitute red kuri squash for the butternut squash in the recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup I posted on October 15; and you can probably use red kuri in shareholder Christina's Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe that was posted on January 11, 2010.

More Thanksgiving Sides: Sauteed Kale and Orange Fennel Salad

Sauteed kale and/or chard make a wonderful side dish for Thanksgiving. Here's a quick recipe using several of today's CSA products:

Chop 1/4 onion finely and saute in a heavy skillet with a lid on low heat in 1 T olive oil or bacon grease. Add 1/4 to 1/2 C chopped carmelized pork belly. Cook until onion is translucent and pork belly is as soft or crisp as desired. While onions are cooking, chop the kale and/or chard (leaf and stem) cross-wise into 1/2 to 3/4" slices. Add to skillet and cook slowly on low heat, covered, until desired doneness. I like my kale to be soft, but some folks like it with a little bite. It's up to you. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

If you're looking for a tasty salad, try this Orange Fennel Salad:

2 bunches arugula
extra virgin olive oil
white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2-3 fresh oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise, save juice
chopped walnuts or pinenuts (optional)

1. Wash arugula, spin dry, remove stems and compost them. Put dry arugula in a large bowl.

2. Mix together 2-3 T olive oil, 1-2 t white balsamic and 1 T reserved orange juice. Drizzle over greens, reserving 1-2 t dresseing. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat.

3. Arrange greens on a platter. Arrange orange and fennel slices over dressed greens.

4. Drizzle remaining dressing over salad and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

Enjoy!

Shelley

Waldorf Salad

Here's what Farmer John had for us at the Silver Lake pick-up this week:

Carrots
Celery
Baby bok choy
Young red onion
Green garlic
Arugula
Tat soi
Red leaf lettuce
Curly mustard
Chicoria (dandelion greens)

It's hard for me to imagine a world without celery. Celery's distinctive flavor plays an important supporting role in so many dishes from pot roast to chicken soup, from vegetable stock to egg salad. In addition to the ubiquitous stalks, celery root and celery seeds are delicious ingredients in their own right.

This week's recipe for Waldorf Salad is an easy dish where celery is part of an ensemble of more or less equal players. Waldorf Salad is a great winter salad. Even though apple season is over, apples keep well in cold storage for months and are a good seasonal winter fruit. Choose a crisp red apple, such as honey crisp or gala. The red color contrasts nicely with the pale green celery

Waldorf Salad

4 ribs celery
3 medium crisp red apples
1/3 C toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 C mayonnaise
1-2 T fresh lemon juice
1-2 T apple juice, optional
freshly grated nutmeg

1. Wash and trim celery ribs, removing the leafy tops and peeling any tough, stringy parts, if desired. Put the trimmings in the compost.

2. Thinly chop the celery crosswise (about 1/8 inch).

3. Quarter apples lengthwise. Core and seed apples, but do not peel. Compost the cores and seeds.

4. Cut quarters in half again lengthwise and then chop each piece into 1/2 inch chunks.**

5. Mix the dressing by combining 1/4 C mayonnaise with 1 T fresh lemon juice (or a little more, if desired). For a sweeter dressing, add 1-2 T apple juice or a teaspoon of sugar.

6. Combine the celery, apples, and chopped toasted walnuts. Pour dressing over and toss well to coat.

7. Grate fresh nutmeg to taste over salad and toss again.

8. Serve immediately or refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Serves 4-6

**To prevent chopped apples from turning brown while you work, it helps to put them in a bowl of cold water with a little added lemon juice once they're chopped. Drain and dry before mixing them into the salad.

Fresh mint is a nice additional flavor for a Waldorf Salad. If you have some fresh mint in your garden, consider adding it to this salad.

Enjoy!

Shelley