2 C (200 ± g) lowfat or whole milk – do not use skim
4 egg yolks (200 ± g)
About 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBL beef or chicken roast drippings
(or 1 chopped piece of bacon in the bottom of the pan)
Optional: 1-2 TBL chopped thyme, tarragon or chives
STEP BY STEP
Use a sieve to sift the flour and salt into a bowl.
Create a “well” or a hole in the middle of the flour.
Break the eggs and place them in the hole.
Mix the eggs and flour thoroughly, but do not overmix
Add the milk. Try to make a smooth mixture with everything
Let mixture rest for 60 minutes in the fridge
About 25 minutes before serving, place skillet in a COLD oven
Preheat oven and large cast iron skillet to 450 degrees F or 220 C.
If using chopped bacon, keep an eye on it so it does not burn, but does completely render
If not using bacon, cover the bottom of a HOT cast iron skillet with 3-4 TBL roast drippings. Add butter if necessary.
Wait until the oven comes up to heat. CAUTION: Oil will be very hot.
Add the batter to the pan, filling to 3/4 from top.
It should sizzle as you pour it.
Close door and turn heat down to 425.
Bake for about 25 to 40 minutes minutes – until raised and browned
Let the pudding rise and get golden brown in color, but not black
Remove from oven and serve immediately.
If the pudding sits for a while or if you wait, the pudding may get soggy, and fall in the middle
Promotes healthy bones, teeth and gums, blood regeneration, tissue respiration, healing of wounds and resistance to infection.
Vitamin D
Sunshine and fish
Promotes healthy growth, strong bones and teeth, and facilitates the bodies use of calcium and phosphorous.
Vitamin E
It is found in many foods including vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and wheat germ oil.
In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are compounds formed when our bodies convert the food we eat into energy.
Vitamin K
Greens, carrots, kale, cabbage, tomatoes.
Needed for normal clotting of the blood and to prevent hemorage.
Make ahead, refrigerate overnight, bring to room temp before cooking
Grandpa’s Bread Pudding
Start with Grandpa’s recipe for BASIC CUSTARD, but use brown sugar, not white.
Bread Mixture: 2-3 C challah or brioche, mixed with 1/2 cup raisins, 1 chopped banana, and 1/2 C cottage cheese.
Once you have the custard liquid made, pour it over top of your bread mixture and let rest for 2-8 hours.
OPTIONS:
1 TBL oat bran
1 TBL wheat germ
1-2 oz dark rum or cognac
After Crisco, additionally coat ramekins with fine corn meal
Variations FILLING OPTION: Try combining with sausage, cheese, bell pepper, onion, ham, etc.
BREAD: Don’t use stale bread crumbs, but instead use Fresh hard bread like a baguette torn into rustic small pieces.
Use a firm bread. French Bread, Sourdough, etc. – DO NOT USE SPONGE BREAD – You can, however use Hawaiian Bread, Brioche or Hallah for a nicely textured bread.
Bake bread crumbs at 350° for about 10 minutes
Cover and soak golden raisins in bourbon over low heat
After 5 minutes at a simmer, drain bourbon into custard
Immerse bread crumbs gently into custard
Soak cubed bread crumbs in custard mixture for 20-30 minutes
Using slotted spoon, put bread crumbs evenly into lightly greased individual ramekins or baking dish
TOPPING OPTION: Toss bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese and butter.
Top bread pudding with this topping, then cook 5 minutes more.
Fill up with bread, then add remaining liquid
Bake 45 minutes at 350
– For large baking dish, increase this time to 50 minutes
. Cover with foil for first half hour
Meanwhile prepare topping. After removing foil, sprinkle toping and then continue cooking.
Remove and let set on counter for about five minutes
Run spatula around the edges
Topping
Pieces of butter
Add sugar and cinnamon
Cut together with pastry cutter
Gila Farm Cooperative CSA Delivery Newsletter April 3rd 2012
Pick up produce Tuesdays at 5227 N. 7th St. between 4:00 and 5:30pm
Week three of ten week CSA Spring Season.
Grandpa’s Cilantro Sauce
Cilantro Sauce is a great way to preserve your CSA cilantro for up to two months in the refrigerator.
Use this on your sandwich or with your scrambled eggs. It’s also great to add to salsa.
INGREDIENTS
For each 1 CUP of chopped cilantro add the following:
2 TBL olive oil
1 TBL white vinegar
1 tsp salt
zest and juice from 1 lime or 1 lemon
1 tsp Tabasco (optional)
STEP BY STEP
Take an entire bunch of cilantro (see note) and chop it as small as possible. A food processor helps a lot.
How much cilantro you have, dictates how much of the other ingredients you need.
Mix well and put in container. Store in refrigerator.
Note: The bottle shown is a cleaned and recycled Heinz 57 Chili Sauce bottle. The wide mouth makes it easy to fill, and it acts as a great dispenser too.
Gila Farm Cooperative CSA Delivery Newsletter April 3rd 2012
Pick up produce Tuesdays at 5227 N. 7th St. between 4:00 and 5:30pm
Week three of ten week CSA Spring Season.
Grandpa’s Green Feast with Baked Beets
Sometimes simple is called for. Here is a very simple meal that is just about as healthy as you can get.
INGREDIENTS
Carrots – Freshly picked from CSA
Green onions – Freshly picked from CSA
Radishes – Freshly picked from CSA
Lettuce – Freshly picked from CSA
Celery – From the grocery store
Tomatoes – From the grocery
Cooked Beets – Freshly picked and baked (recipe below)
STEP BY STEP
Toss the lettuce in your favorite salad dressing and use as a bed for all other vegetables.
Cut veggies however seems “pretty” and arrange on top of the lettuce.
Optional: Serve with a side of salad dressing for dipping.
BAKED BEETS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Peel beets and discard skins
Cut into 1/2 – 3/4 inch squares – try to keep them all about the same size
Toss pieces in 1 TBL olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt
Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes until fork tender
This is an authentic, hearty and flavorful stew. Serve it over rice, quinoa (which is incredibly nutritious), or couscous (which is a traditional North African accompaniment).
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons water for sautéing
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see below)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
One 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch squares
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1/2-3/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter (crunchy works great, too)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons light brown sugar
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
STEP BY STEP
Heat the water in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the bell peppers, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Stir in the peanut butter, and distribute it evenly throughout.
– You may want to thin out the peanut butter first by mixing it with some water in a small bowl before adding it to the pot. It will make it easier to incorporate it into the stew.
Add the sweet potatoes, kidney beans, and tomatoes, and stir to coat.
Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.
Taste and add salt, if necessary.
Serve in individual bowls, and top with chopped nuts and cilantro, if desired.
Start with Grandpa’s recipe for BASIC CUSTARD, which is a standard recipe that everyone should try. The recipe for BASIC CUSTARD is repeated within this recipe for your convenience.
You can make this with or without a crust, but if you make one with a crust, PRE-BAKE the crust at 425 for about 10 minutes.
Use commercial pie crust in place of Step 5 of the Basic Custard recipe, or MAKE YOUR OWN
4 Eggs and 4 TBL Sugar creamed together
Dash Vanilla
Cinnamon
Grated nutmeg
Merest dash of salt
Zest and juice from one orange or lime
1/2 C whole or lowfat milk – NOT skim, because you need the fats to gel properly
1/2 C Cream (Traditionally you should use just cream * I substitute 2/3 more milk instead of cream to keep it healthier)
1/2 CU frozen spinach (thawed)
1/4 onion – chopped small, minced or grated
2 cloves garlic – minced
1/2 C cheddar cheese – shredded
1/4 C grated Parmesan
STEP BY STEP
Cream together eggs and sugar
Mix in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and orange
Mix with milk and cream
Wash spinach in standing water to remove all grit
Remove stems
Steam leaves until soft ( or use frozen – this is what I do – SEE NOTE BELOW )
Chop into small pieces and S-Q-U-E-E-Z-E the water from them
Chop squeezed pieces again to make sure they are really small
Add all other ingredients to the minced greens
Mix gently
Put loosely into your greased ramekins, and drizzle the custard into the mix
Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes
Let it sit for about five minutes before serving
Using frozen spinach is much easier and gives you more consistent results. Just make sure that when you thaw it, you squeeze all of the extra water from it between two paper towels.
Why the word LASAGNA?!? There are several theories, but they all boil down to one central idea. A lasagna is kind of like a casserole in that it is a general description, rather than a specific dish. A lasagna is made up of layers of ingredients, the most common being pasta. Here is Grandpa’s take on a healthy lasagna using the cruciferous greens that we get in our weekly allocation from the Gila Farm Cooperative.
INGREDIENTS
Eggplant (peeled and sliced extremely thin)
Lasagna pasta noodles (cooked for about 15 minutes)
Layer all other ingredients (alternating) until all are used up
Don’t put ingredients in too thickly, repeat if necessary
At this point, you can refrigerate for up to a few days
Let warm on counter 1 hour (if refrigerated) before step #5
Put into a hot oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
Let cool 8-10 minutes before cutting
Published in Grandpa’s Corner – IRC Volume 1, Issue X
YouTube Videos
The IRC Farm Tour last weekend was an astounding success. There were several dozen people working and helping to prepare the soil for the next crop.Grandpa (me… from Grandpa’s Corner) was there with his video camera rather than his shovel. I recorded a 20 minute tour of the farm led by Tim Olorunfemi. That video is now on for those of you who could not attend the work day and tour.The video can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/irc2012b or by using the links on this page
Chiffonade washed and dried mustard greens, set aside
Beat egg until thoroughly mixed
Cook eggs over low heat until “soft” scrambled
Add mustard greens and continue to stir (occasionally) until greens are wilted
Add salt and pepper (to taste) and plate
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve with wedges of flour tortilla and a spoonful of diced green chilies or jalapenos.
For the heat-intolerant, thinly sliced tomatoes would also go very well on this plate.
NOTE
A CHIFFONADE is a technique in which larger leafs (spinach, basil, mustard greens) are efficiently cut into long, thin strips. You should stack the leaves and roll them tightly, then cut across the rolled leaves every 1/16 inch or so with a sharp knife. Gently fluff the cut pieces which will give you a lot of thin ribbons.
Published in Grandpa’s Corner – IRC Volume 1, Issue 7
