Jumping ahead

Deborah

For anyone interested in getting a jump on holiday cooking I am devoting this entire week of posts to do-ahead Thanksgiving dishes that can be frozen. Thanksgiving seems to be one of the most laborious cooking holidays and I set aside at least two solid days of cooking for my own family's meal during that last week in November.
Many don't have the time nor the inclination for this kind of labor. In fact a reader requested that I come up with these freeze ahead recipes that can be tackled now and crossed off the to-do list for the big day.

I like to freeze things judiciously and find I rarely make meals in advance to be frozen because:
A- Then I have to remember to take them out of the freezer in time to get them hot for the meal and
B- I love cooking so much that it doesn't ever feel especially laborious to me to actually be doing it.

So the time crunch factor is what I am really responding to here. The recipes I am offering this week are not specifically designed to be frozen ahead, but if they strike your fancy, they can successfully be frozen ahead. I also encourage any one who can manage it to cook the day before Thanksgiving, allowing certain dishes to sit over night, where flavors can develop rather than making things weeks ahead and freezing. I'm just saying.

Hiking this weekend in Ellenville, trying not to think about Thanksgiving AT ALL!

I would like to come back to leeks because they are one of the real treats of Fall. This recipe, if I remember correctly, originated out of Gourmet magazine years ago and was adopted by my family as a "must have" every year. I usually figure on one large leek for two persons and I don't count the kids as people because I have yet to see any of them try one (I have four nieces, three nephews, two stepdaughters and two of my own children at the table every year, so I am an authority on generational divide when it comes to hot onions). Adults like this dish, but not the picky picky eaters. I LOVE IT. Good enough.

It is easy to prepare once you have cleaned the leeks and I am beginning to see the charm of being able to pull this out of the freezer Thanksgiving morning and shoving it in the oven without another thought. Other than trying to find oven space. Does it not seem that EVERY dish for Thanksgiving has to go in the oven and how the heck do you get everything in there and hot at the same time? Someone else will have to figure that out.

Amanda, what are we drinking?

Leeks Baked in Mustard Cream
for 8 non-picky eating adults

4 large leeks
1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

heat oven to 400F
Trim the green tops from the leeks and the root end till you have just the white and palest green stalks. Score a shallow cut lengthwise a few layers deep into the leek and then cut them into 2"crosswise chunks. Put the trimmed leeks in to a large bowl of water and swish them around to loosen any sand and dirt caught in the layers. Let them soak in the water 10 minutes or so until the sand and dirt sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Remove leeks from the water and drain. Butter a baking dish with 1 Tbs. of the butter. Place drained leeks in the buttered baking dish in a single layer. Mix the cream, mustard, s & p in a cup and pour over the leeks to cover. Top with the breadcrumbs and dot with remaining 1 Tbs. butter.
Bake for 1 hour until the leeks are tender when you pierce them with a sharp knife.
Serve immediately
OR allow to come to room temperature, cover with foil and either
refrigerate overnight  to serve the next day OR freeze.
Reheat in hot oven till warmed through (timing will depend on how many other dishes are crammed in there trying to get hot. Half hour maybe?)

Amanda
Thanksgiving is different when it comes to food and wine pairing. If you think about it, very few families are going to choose a different wine to go with each course. Yes, there might be wine-loving families who will do this. But the reality is, while you may have a few connoisseurs at your table, chances are the wine is not going to be the focal point of this favorite traditional feast. Take my family, for instance. They enjoy wine, but they are by no means "picky" and critical when it comes to my choices. (I am the wine provider at our family gatherings). No one is going to judge that a particular wine was great with the turkey but wreaked havoc on the stuffing. Or "how could she think that wine would work well with sweet potato topped with marshmallow"? To me, both avid food and wine lover, the gathering is more about the idea of enjoying a traditional meal with my family and close friends. In this case, wine takes a back seat. Don't get me wrong - I bring good wine. But I am less concerned with how it will "complement" the food. It's nice to take the time to perfectly pair recipes with wines, but only when you have a room full of people that are "into" this sort of thing. At Thanksgiving, most likely you will not need to ponder how the seasoning of the side dishes works with the wine. The majority of individuals are there for the food and the company, not a food and wine pairing. So, the pressure's off.


In the shop, we typically recommend wines that provide all-around enjoyment. Riesling is a "common" Thanksgiving wine. It's a very food-friendly, versatile white that can accompany a variety of dishes, which is really what you look for on Thanksgiving. It's a great wine to bring if you are the guest and are not sure how the Turkey will be prepared (if you eat Turkey of course). It could have a barbeque flare, as my brother's does, roasted on the grill and seasoned with coffee grinds and other interesting flavors, or it could be roasted with the traditional touches. Any way it is prepared, Riesling is a safe bet. Another sure hit is a white Burgundy. Stay away from over-oaked Chards from California which will be overpowering.


For red, there is the perennial favorite, Beaujolais. It doesn't have to be Beaujolais Nouveau which comes out every November just in time for Thanksgiving. If you are looking to impress, seek out a wonderful Cru Beaujolais. Still 100% Gamay, these wines are of higher quality and are still affordable, usually under $20. The Cru Beaujolais have more complexity and depth than a Beaujolais Nouveau or Beaujolais Villages. "Cru" means the wines are more site specific, which gives the wine higher status and assures the quality is superior. Pinot Noir is another Thanksgiving favorite. Soft, elegant, with a wonderful velvety mouthfeel, Burgundy is always a big hit. If you prefer something fruitier, and "bigger", and therefore probably more crowd-pleasing, look to California for this varietal.


My family enjoys wine, but they don't care if it's Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. So I don't put a great deal of thought into it. I buy something fun and different, that will please a variety of palates and I think they will enjoy. That's as far as I take it. And every year, we have a blast!

Not all bad

Deborah
So many fall lovers have been extolling the pleasures of the season to me since my last post. Don't get me wrong. I really do love fall, all those crunchy leaves underfoot, long shadows on the streets, sweaters out of the closet finally. My problem seems to be that my little backyard just doesn't have much pizzazz this time of year. It looks so dreamy in the Spring with pale green shoots and flowering bulbs. And in Summer while I don't get enough sun for a satisfying vegetable garden, my plants stay green and cool even on the hottest summer dog days. I tend to have more passion than skill when it comes to gardening, but I'm working on it.

Not every garden in Queens is as pitiful as mine this fall. 

Don't those kale leaves look wonderful? Perfect in soup!

Fall brings finality to all my summer garden ambitions and then there are those darn short days. BUT change is good and fall recipes are great! Sticking to the theme of soup this week I am offering up my lentil soup recipe. This is one of those recipes that can accommodate massive improvisation. I urge anyone who tries this to have fun and play, yes play with your food.

I think of the recipe in four stages:

One- vegetables/aromatics that get gently softened in oil.  This would include onions, garlic, celery, carrots, fennel, celery root, bell pepper, leeks, etc. These are the vegetables that won't completely fall apart or be grossly mushy after an hour of cooking.

If you like things spicy, why not add some chili peppers like these beauties growing at Stone Barns Center for Agriculture

Two- the liquid and seasonings get added now. For liquids think of vegetable or meat stock, tomato juice, tomato paste, or even water.  For seasonings I might add herbs or curry powder or chili powder, what ever I'm in the mood for. Again, you can play and experiment.

Three- When the liquid is simmering I add the lentils, along with maybe rice, potatoes, cubed pumpkin. This is the starchy stuff that will thicken the soup.

Four- Finishing the last 5 minutes of cooking with green vegetables like chopped swiss chard, green beans, broccoli florets, anything that will taste good with a brief blanch in the soup liquid and will add color or a little crunch of texture.

Even pale wax beans will look pretty in the soup


Depending on the flavor direction I have been going in I will also add any of the following: some grated cheese, a splash of vinegar or lemon juice, a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of olive oil.

Four steps with lots of chopping may seem like a lot of work, but you really don't have to pay much attention to what you are doing (not that I'm advocating inattention at the stove). The recipe is very forgiving. Lentils cook quickly and they have a very comforting earthly flavor. This soup will happily feed a crowd, is very cost effective and it can be eaten all week.

I love to serve this soup over macaroni or noodles, which I cook separately.

I am going to sit in my backyard with a bowl of lentil soup and warm myself in the beautiful October sun.

Lentil Soup 
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, peeled or scrubbed and chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic finely minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. tomato paste
4 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup lentils
1/2 cup diced potato
1 cup chopped swiss chard
1/2 cup green beans cut into 1" lengths
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs grated Romano cheese
1 Tbs high quality extra virgin olive oil

Part One:
Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan and add the onion, celery, garlic and carrots, the salt and pepper. Gently sweat vegetables till they begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.

Part Two:
Add the tomato paste, the thyme and the bay leaf and cook with the vegetables for about 30 seconds to mix well. Add the stock and raise heat a bit to bring to a simmer.

Part Three:
When the liquid is simmering add the lentils and the potatoes. Cook at a simmer for about 25- 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Part Four:
Add the chard and the green beans and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes till the green vegetables are cooked but not mushy. Finish with the vinegar, cheese and a drizzle of good quality of extra virgin olive oil.

serves 4 and can easily be multiplied

Amanda
I have to say that each post and each recipe sounds better than the last. This presents a bit of a problem for me. Case and point: Yesterday, I went to the market and purchased the ingredients to make the Cauliflower soup (I also added Kale to the mix). My plan was to make it this evening. This Lentil Soup recipe just about resulted in the abandonment of the said previous plan. I was on my way to the store this afternoon to pick up what I would need to make the Lentil Soup this evening, when it occurred to me there was an expectant head of cauliflower and bunch of kale in my fridge eagerly awaiting my return home from work.  "One thing at a time" I convinced myself, and ultimately decided to let the Lentil Soup wait a few more days.

But - I do at least have a wine (or wines) in mind. Definitely not too big or too bold for this meal. (Remember - it is difficult to pair wine with soup...) My thoughts immediately turn to red - something earthy, perhaps mushroomy, light-medium bodied with soft fruit and spice. Pinot Noir, maybe? Not the big, ripe, highly concentrated Pinots from California. I'd like to say Burgundy, and I know it would work well. However, though I'm confident this meal is wonderful, does it merit the high price demanded by Burgundy? Wines simply labeled "Bourgogne" can include grapes from all over the region and typically run between $15-$25. This would be the best bet for Burgundy. Even so, it's not cheap for a bowl of Lentil Soup (even a spectacular one at that!)

The Marlborough region of New Zealand provides an alternative. The wines typically have bright red fruit flavors, but also a smoky, herbal quality that would work well here. In the wines from this region, there is a similar "terroir" characteristic as is found in Burgundy, as well as those funky, earthy, savory flavors. When I think of lentils, I think of similar flavor descriptives, so I think this would be a match made in legume heaven!