Thanks Mate!

Deborah

A change in weather brings a change in ingredients. Summer vegetables may be disappearing from the farmer's markets but it is still possible to make a delicious salad from what is available. My trip to Union Square Green Market this weekend became a hunt for salad ingredients. I wanted something that would really express the season. Leafy greens love cool weather and my search was rewarded by a selection of gorgeous arugula varieties. The oak shaped leaves of a particular bunch won my heart and got dumped into my shopping bag. They were followed quickly by a really picturesque bundle of red and white radishes the size of my pinkie.

To round out the FALLness of this salad I decided to add some roasted sweet potatoes. Not long ago I cooked a buffet lunch for a wedding shower. The bride-to-be was marrying her Australian sweetheart and she wanted the menu to reflect his heritage. She asked me if I could prepare a spinach salad with roasted pumpkin, a recipe that for her typified Australian cooking. It sounded delicious to me and in fact the finished dish was very popular with the party guests. More recently, my friend Ruth who grew up in Australia, brought a big green salad studded with sweet potato cubes to a pot luck book group meeting we were attending. So there seems to be something to this Australian inclination.

Lemon vinaigrette with lots of garlic and ground black pepper seemed like a good way to dress this robust salad. I loved the contrast of textures and colors to the final dish. I added some peppitas (pumpkin seeds) as a crunchy garnish. The inclusion of the sweet potatoes turned this simple salad into a filling and satisfying meal. Any Australian wines come to mind Amanda?

Arugula Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes 

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 bunch arugula, washed (you could substitute spinach leaves)
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/4 cup toasted peppitas

Lemon Vinaigrette
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic finely minced
1/2 teas. dry mustard
1  1/2 teas. salt
1 Tbs. freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup good quality extra- virgin olive oil


Preheat oven to 425 F
Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and soy sauce and lay on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Set potatoes aside to cool to room temperature. Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients in a large bowl and add the cooled sweet potatoes.

Vinaigrette-
Combine the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, s & p and whisk together to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify.

Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss well to coat all the arugula leaves.

Serves 2

Amanda
Wow - this salad looks beautiful! I would definitely look to drink something with citrus notes and good acidity. These characteristics will work wonderfully with the lemon vinaigrette. A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc would do the trick. But, in keeping with the Australian theme, I might look to a Verdelho to complement this gorgeous salad. The earliest plantings of Verdelho can be traced back to Portugal in the 15th century. The varietal then first appears in Australia around 1820.


The grapes were typically used to make medium-sweet wines. However, modern winemaking techniques eventually helped unleash some other surprising characteristics of Verdelho. This varietal can also produce crisp, aromatic, fresh wines with  herbaceous, citrus notes.


Mollydooker is a terrific producer in Australia. Their wines are always highly rated by the most influential wine critics. (The price tags of these wines typically reflect this point, as they are not cheap). Their wines are given quirky names, like The Boxer Shiraz, Two Left Feet, The Maitre d Cabernet, The Scooter Merlot, Blue-Eyed Boy Shiraz...you get the picture. The Verdelho is called "The Violinist". It retails for about $25. This white has rich, round fruit with mouth-watering citrus and pineapple flavors. It's creamy and ripe, with floral aromas too.


Deb - I think this salad will pair perfectly with this wine. Again, if you can't find Mollydooker's Verdelho, ask your local wine retailer to recommend one from a different producer!

Dinner Simplicity

Deborah

Halloween is over and still the weather remains magnificent!

The sky was so clear this weekend it was impossible not to stay outdoors. We actually grilled lunch in our backyard on Saturday. After a long hike on Sunday dinner plans needed to be simple. Stir fry seemed to be the way to go. This is the perfect way to clear out all the odds and ends in the fridge and make everything palatable again.

I like to cut carrots into what I call a ROUGH julienne. Not so fussy as a classic julienne, but still with slim angular shapes. I decided to combine the carrots with a few leaves of swiss chard I had on hand.

Hot oil in the wok gets seasoned with chopped garlic and ginger (about a Tbs of each), then the carrots and roughly chopped chard gets a quick cook. I finished the dish with a drizzle of soy sauce, rice vinegar and a tablespoon of oyster sauce.

The chard really cooked down and the carrots kept their shape and firmness. This dish really tasted good and was very simple to prepare.

A large batch of fried rice is always popular with my WHOLE family. Amazing. I chopped up about a cup each of cabbage and onions. I had a half of a cooked sweet potato left over that got cubed up to be included in the mix.

Celery chopped on an angle helps it to stir fry quickly and still keep the crunchy texture.

I like to add something green to the fried rice. I used edamame rummaged from the freezer. Peas and green beans work well too.

Again, I season the oil with garlic and ginger, then add all the vegetables to soften up and get a little golden.

When the vegetables are about done I added cooked rice. After tossing the rice around for awhile I created a well in the center of the wok and poured in 3 beaten eggs which I quickly scrambled and then stirred to combine with the rice. To finish I added 2 Tbs. tomato paste, a splash of soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.

We ate really well and I managed to get a myriad of vegetables into everyone's belly with a minimum of fuss to boot. Is there a wine that would complement this meal Amanda? Alan had a glass of merlot, but we both agreed it was not a particularly inspired pairing.

Amanda

I would have to agree on the Merlot. It would not necessarily be my first choice. If red is the preferred wine for these dishes, I would recommend something a little lighter with plenty of fruit, like a Barbera from Italy. It is the most cultivated vine in the region of Piedmont. I would definitely go with a younger Barbera, which  typically has fresh and bright fruit. Due to the low level of tannins, the wine is soft, and elegant. Barbera is a very versatile, food friendly varietal and often results in easy-drinking reds. You can definitely find Barberas in a variety of price ranges, from $10-$30. There are plenty of well-made wines out there for under $15 though. Some of my favorite producers for this wonderfully food-friendly wine are Vietti and Giacomo Conterno.

So, Barbera would be my first choice for red. That being said, my personal preference would actually be Rose. Something again with an abundance of fruit. In my opinion, the ripe fruit flavor of the wines would create a nice harmony and balance with the saltiness of the soy sauce. One of my favorite Roses is the Crios Rose of Malbec from Susana Balbo. It is full, rich and loaded with fruit and spice. I think this would be the ideal match for these recipes.  Susana Balbo is one of my favorite producers from Argentina. She creates more expensive wines under her own name. The Crios wines make up her line of more affordable wines, though the less expensive pricetag is no reflection of quality. Her Crios wines typically sell in the $15 price range. Though the Rose of Malbec can be found for around $10. If you can find her wines locally, I highly recommend them. They are truly special!

Hurrah for the CSA

Deborah

My sister Denise and her husband are traveling in VietNam for three weeks. Denise is a great cook and a very adventurous eater. I cannot wait to hear about her travels when she gets home. Hopefully she will bring back some culinary tidbits and techniques from afar.  Graciously, while she is away I was given one week of produce from her CSA farm share. What a treat for me! I do not belong to a CSA which stands for Community Supported Agriculture, where you buy shares in a local farm and receive a percentage of their produce every week during their growing season. This arrangement provides cash to the small farmers up-front, a pre-sold market as it were, and gives the shareholders wonderfully fresh produce and direct access to their grower.

The Roxbury Farm delivers on Thursdays to the Upper West Side and I was told to bring my own bags. The fruits and vegetables were laid out in a small courtyard and each variety was labelled with how much you could take as part of your share. How fun!

As I expected for this time of year, there was kale and butternut squash, broccoli, onions, potatoes, loose lettuce and arugula and some beautiful pears. I thought I would try to come up with a recipe that used these ingredients and have a real farm fresh meal. My idea ran towards a gratin; layering the kale and the butternut squash and baking it in white wine and butter.

Filling my bag with goodies.

The Roxbury's kale was crazy fresh. It was so stiff and full and bushy I could have swept the floor with it! I knew I would have to cook it down somewhat before adding it to the gratin or it would be too tough. I did my usual saute with garlic and oil to add flavor and wilt it down a bit.

I wanted thin slices of the squash, so after peeling it I cut it into manageable chunks and pushed it through my mandoline . I have to admit this was a bit hair-raising as the squash is so firm you really have to push hard to get it through the blade. Here I was risking my fingers when I was really not sure how the dish would turn out.
My main concern was that the squash would be too sweet and over power the kale, so when I began to layer everything I decided to go light on the squash.
The results were good. As it turned out, it was the kale that really dominated with a very meaty, chewy texture. The butternut squash was quite mild but held its own. The kids ate a few bites and didn't hate it. I had leftovers today for lunch and actually liked it all the more the next day. As so often happens overnight, the flavors mellowed out and blended a bit. This dish became a really satisfying meal that was filling and very tasty. I would definitely make this for my vegetarian clients. What would you suggest for a wine pairing Amanda?

Kale and Butternut Squash Gratin
1 Tbs. Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
I bunch of kale trimmed of stems and roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
2 Tbs. butter
1 small butternut squash peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine
s & p

preheat oven to 350F

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic, cooking till golden, about five minutes. Add the kale and cook down for at least ten minutes till the kale begins to wilt and turn bright green. Add 1/2 cup of water to the kale and cover the pan and cook another 10 minutes till kale is tender.

First layer

Next time I will add add more squash to the top layer.

Butter a baking dish with 1 Tbs. of butter and layer in half of the butternut squash slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with a teaspoon of butter. Make a layer of cooked kale on top of the squash. Then add the top layer of squash, s & p and dot with the remaining butter. Pour in the white wine and bake uncover for 1 hour until the squash is tender when you pierce it with a knife.

I took a bite before I took a photo! Really tastes good.

serves 4

Amanda
Sounds like the perfect Fall dish! Kale, when very fresh, can have such big, savory flavors. I really wanted to come up with a wine that would result in an interesting flavor combination. The sweet and spicy flavors that kale can deliver immediately made me think of Gewurztraminer. One of my favorite varietals, it is often associated with flavors and aromas of lychee fruit. It is extremely aromatic and really thrives best in cooler climates. The wines are usually dry, or off-dry (meaning there is a slight touch of sweetness to the wine). Gewurztraminer is commonly paired with Asian cuisine. I absolutely adore the perfumed, flowery bouquet this delicious varietal gives off. It's wonderful! The wine can be lush and rich, which is exactly how I like it.


Gewurztraminer is certainly not a subtle wine, which is why I think it is a good match for the kale and butternut squash combination. It can be decadent and exotic as well - be sure to consider it for hard-to-match recipes. My favorite Gewurztraminer hales from Alsace, France. Favorite producers are Trimbach and Zind Humbrecht. Typically $15 and up,  (into the $50-$60 range for late harvest, sweeter versions) this is a wine that is absolutely worth the splurge! If you haven't yet tried this decadent white, I hope you will soon! I'd love to hear if you love it as much as I!

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!

A Little Comfort

Deborah

The weather is changing. The cheeks I am kissing are cool to the touch. It is officially fall. I am slow to accept this change. My garden looks awful. The mint looks mangy, my echinechia is black. I have been so busy cooking I have not had a chance to tidy up back there. I need some comfort food to console me for the inevitable farewell to backyard picnics for a while.

Comfort food for me is represented by one orange clogs wearing package, Mario Batali. Don't ask me why, I'm not Italian. Somehow Batali's food speaks to my inner soul. Simple yet rigourous cooking techniques combined with excellent ingredients is how I would characterize his style. I loved his TV show, I adore his cook books and I would eat in any of his restuarants anytime I am invited. :- )

It is always in the fall and winter that I turn to Battali's recipes. I am thinking now of a cauliflower soup I watched him demo on Molto Mario a few years ago. It was so basic and so smart and when I made it soooooooo good. Cauliflower is often a hard sell in my house, but this soup manages to woo even the most skeptical. The flavor is earthy and nutty, warming to the mouth and soul. When I make it for myself I sometimes leave out the tomatoes. I also don't always have homemade stock on hand and so will use store bought (with out compromising anything except bragging rights).

I did a little search on the web to see who else likes this recipe and it turns out just about everybody. Every cooking blog and cooking web site has it posted. Ok, maybe not EVERY site, but almost. Which just proves that it is GOOD! So give it a try and get yourself a little comfort.


(My version of) Mario Batali's
Cauliflower Soup: Minestra di Cavolofiore

2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound cauliflower, cut into florets
4 cups Brown Chicken or vegetable Stock
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bay leaves
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and add the cauliflower. Stir over high heat for 5 minutes, until the cauliflower is just beginning to get tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute till garlic begins to soften. Add stock, bay leaf, pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. Add water, if necessary, to ensure that all the cauliflower is submerged in hot liquid.
Add grated cheese to the simmering soup to finish cooking for one more minute. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little high quality extra-virgin olive oil before serving.

4 servings

I added some shredded collard greens that I had on hand. Batali's recipes are a reflection of peasant style cooking, and lend themselves well to an improvisational style where you use what you have.

Amanda
I am going to make this tomorrow! I've been waiting for a wonderful, "fall" soup recipe to come into my life! But I must say, you had me stumped on this one. I was having a difficult time coming up with a wine to enjoy along side this soup. I had two things going against me: first, generally, wine is very difficult to pair with soup. Second, cauliflower is a tough match for wine. So, after tossing around a few ideas in my mind, I appealed to my boss, Chuck Russo, owner of Wine and Spirit World. His family has been in the wine industry for 60 years, so I figured if anyone had a recommendation, it would be Chuck. Definitely white, he suggested. We discussed a few options and finely decided that a nice refreshing white would be the best option. Spanish white, such as an albarino would work well. Godello would also be a delicious option. Godello is Spain's answer to Chardonnay. Rich and wonderful, it is one of my favorite white varietals. For producers, look for Val de Sil. They make a few different ones and all are in the $12 to $20 price range.

You Don't Have to be French to Love Leeks

Deborah
As the shadows lengthen into this fall season one particular crop is greeted with great joy in my kitchen. Leeks! I think of them as onions only better. Sweeter, more sophisticated, and milder than onions they are a real treat, but a total pain to deal with because they are so laborious to clean. The sandy layers require plenty of soaking before you can do any cooking.

I had my first leeks in a restaurant in France in the form of leeks vinaigrette. It seemed so audacious to my young 20 year old soul to have a salad made from what looked like a giant scallion. I still love this dish, but it is hard to come by outside of French menus. I guess it hasn’t quite crossed over yet.

As a member of the allium (onion) family leeks are supposed to be easy to grow. I will have to ask the Hook mountain Growers about this. When we get closer to Thanksgiving I will share my time honored recipe of baked leeks in a mustardy cream sauce, first encountered in an issue of Gourmet magazine back in the 90’s.

So with leek season upon us it was a happy discovery when I happened upon this recipe for leek fritters on a web site called Serious Eats. This recipe is right up my alley. Having tried it I have only made the smallest adjustment which is to cut the amount of eggs in half. I also added a few tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs. I am posting the original recipe here with my slight tweaks.

To accompany the fritters I made my own recipe of cardamom scented applesauce. I like to use a combination of different apples in my sauces to create some complexity in the flavor. Any combo will do. This morning I used macintosh and gala apples. I also like to season the applesauce to make it resemble the flavor more of a chutney than a traditional applesauce. This sauce is super easy to make. I like to leave the skins on the apples to add some color. I drop all the ingredients into a pot and cook slowly until nice and thick. If you want it a little fancy put the cooked sauce through a strainer or food mill to create a smooth texture and to remove the skins.

This delicious pair disappeared quickly once I made it. Really good with tons of fall flavor, it would be perfect for the holidays or, well, any time.

Micheal Natkins's Keftes De Prasa (Leek Fritters)
- serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer (about 16 fritters) -
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large leeks, white and light green parts only (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, sliced thinly and washed in 3 changes of water

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (for Passover, use matzo meal)

2 Tbs fresh chopped herbs (parsley, sage, chives, tarragon) (optional)
3/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

vegetable oil for shallow frying

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over a medium-high flame. (You can use the same skillet to finish the fritters.) Add the leeks and salt and saute for about 5 minutes, until quite wilted.
2. In a bowl, combine the sauteed leeks, salt, eggs, breadcrumbs and the Syrian spices if you are using them. Mix thoroughly. You should have a rather wet batter, not something that you could form into a ball, but with some body. If it is too thin, add a bit more breadcrumbs; or if it is too dry, add another beaten egg. If you are in doubt, fry a test fritter in step 3, then adjust.
3. Add about 1/4 inch of oil to the same skillet and again heat over a medium-high flame. When it is sizzling hot, drop in the batter about two tablespoons at a time, and flatten a bit to form small pancakes. Don't crowd the pan, just do a few at a time. Fry about 1 minute until golden brown on the first side, then flip and cook until the second side is done. Remove the fritters to paper towels and season with sea salt. Serve immediately.


Cardamom Scented Applesauce

3 apples, chopped
½ cup water
½ cup brown sugar
Juice and jest from ½ lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 slices of fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 20 minutes until apples break down and the sauce thickens up.

serve warm or cold with fritters

Amanda
Deb, the pictures are beautiful! Everything looks great - no wonder they disappeared quickly! My husband eats apple sauce with everything - literally. His plate is always sure to have a heaping mound of Mott's Apple Sauce, no matter what the meal. Perhaps I'll surprise him with the "real deal" with this recipe!
 I love leeks too, but I have always had a difficult time cleaning them. So, let me get this straight - they should be sliced up first, and then washed? I think this dish would make a wonderful "side" or starter for Yom Kippur "break the fast"!  As for wine, my first inclination would be to go for a crisp, dry, lively Riesling. Definitely a white for this one. The flavors and complexity of the different apples, along with all of the various Middle-Eastern seasonings would pair perfectly with the apple, pear and spice flavors of the wine. For those of you unfamiliar with Riesling, it is an extremely accomodating wine for spices and foods with challenging flavor profiles (an important tip to be aware of!).  Riesling is so versatile, and is made in a variety of styles that you can most definitely find one to match any type of cuisine, be it Mexican, Indian, Chinese, or Moroccan. This grape can produce wines ranging from dry to very sweet, and light to medium-bodied. For this particular recipe, I would choose a dry, light-bodied style. Look for a "Kabinett" from Germany, or a dry Riesling from Alsace, France.

Let's Do Lunch

Amanda
So, lately I've been in the mood to entertain. Not to a huge group, but rather a very small group, perhaps at the table outside on the patio. A beautiful, crisp Fall day calls for it. I'm in the mood. And, I've come up with a plan. My five and a half year old son started Kindergarten two weeks ago. So far, so good. He loves it! But, he is longing for his pre-K friends of days gone by. They, too, have embarked on their journeys through the education system. I have decided to plan a "reunion" for him and his pre-K friends, so they can "discuss" their kindergarten experiences thus far, two weeks into it. It is going to be a "How is Your Kindergarten Going?" party. (mom's included). For lunch, kids will dine on pizza from a local pizzeria. But I am thinking of the moms. I love preparing meals for my girlfriends. The party is on Sunday, and I am looking to do something "brunch-ish". Just one course, with a pretty, tasty Fall salad. I will have some greens with a little blue cheese, cranberries and pear, topped with a vinegarette made with walnut oil. I've made it before and it is delicious. Deb, what do you think would be a good dish to serve my girlfriends? Something straightforward yet impressive, that will be nice plated with this side salad? Perhaps, we might open a bottle or two of Prosecco, if the ladies are up to it!

Deborah
Ooooohh, that salad sounds delicious! What a nice idea for a party. An early fall brunch makes me think of Strata, which is basically a savory bread pudding meets quiche. And like quiche you can add any number of ingredients to make it your own. The classic combination of spinach and mushrooms is great this time of year.

I first encountered Strata a few years ago when a client asked me to make one for a weekend brunch she was hosting. It was the perfect dish for me to prepare a day in advance and then have the hostess bake off on the day of the party. A satisfying dish, it can be really easy to prepare. Or complicated, depending on how ambitious you are feeling. I like to add lots of flavor to this casserole so I add a few extra steps sautéing different ingredients to build flavor and complexity. I try to simplify a bit by using the same pan for all the sauteing, removing one cooked ingredient and adding the next with out washing the pan in between. 

The easy part comes the next day when all you have to do is throw the cassarole into the oven. A fruit salad goes great with this dish. A simple green salad would also work really well. Combining fruit and greens as you are doing with the cranberries, pears and greens in your salad is perfect! Are you going to share the recipe?

Spinach Mushroom Strata
3 Tbs butter (plus 1 Tbs to butter baking dish)
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 large onions finely chopped
10 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic finely minced
2 lbs fresh spinach, washed and stems trimmed and finely chopped or 2 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and finely chopped
8 cups cubed (1 inch) Sourdough, Hallah or whole grain bread (1/2 lb)
6 oz grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 1/2 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
In a large sauté pan melt 1 Tbs butter and 1tbs olive oil. When the fats are warm and bubbly, add the chopped onion and cook for 10 minutes until onion is translucent and golden, as the onion cooks add salt and pepper to taste. Remove onions from pan and set aside.

Melt another 1 Tbs butter and 1tbs olive oil in the same pan (no need to wipe it out). When the fats are warm and bubbly, add the sliced mushrooms. As the mushrooms cook add salt and pepper to taste. Let mushrooms cook in pan with out tossing around, for 3 minutes until they start to brown and caramelize. Turn gently and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pan and add them to the onions.

Melt another 1 Tbs butter and 1tbs olive oil into the same (dirty!) pan. When the fats are warm and bubbly, add the chopped garlic. Cook garlic till it is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, and s & p to taste and cook till spinach is wilted and soft, about 5 more minutes. Remove from pan and add spinach to the onions and mushrooms. Mix well to combine.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, milk and nutmeg together.
In a shallow buttered baking dish spread one third of the bread, then one third of the spinach mixture, then one third of the grated cheese. Repeat two more times ending with cheese. Carefully pour the egg mixture on top of the bread in an even layer and let egg custard soak into the bread. Tightly wrap baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

prereheat oven to 350°F. Take strata out of the fridge and allow to come to room temp. Unwrap and bake in oven for 50-60 minutes till golden and puffy.

Not Your Grandmother's Rosh Hashanah

Deborah
Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year being celebrated this weekend, has been explained to me as an occasion to consume things sweet and round to represent good luck and sweetness in the coming year. Two recipes come to mind that suit this criteria perfectly. One is a roasted acorn squash where thick slices of squash are roasted in a balsamic honey glaze. The naturally scalloped edges of the squash are so pretty and the golden amber color of the squash-flesh screams Autumn. I don't peel the squash which adds more color and simplifies preparation. The glaze is super easy and the dish is prepared in a flash. I will bring this dish to my dearest Mother-in-law's house for Rosh Hashanah dinner. Her name is Honey so I think this is the perfect homage to her wonderful cooking!

The other dish I am thinking of is a brown rice pilaf with toasted nuts, sauteed nectarines and dried cranberries. There are so many enticing new brown rice blends on the market these days, featuring different types of rice; red, black, brown, short grain, basmati. In addition to brown rice this blend contains black rice, buckwheat, millet, barley and oat.

This is a great way to move into the fall season, sampling some of these nutty, earthy flavors as pilaf dishes. The nectarines and dried cranberries bring some tartness along with their sweet fruitiness and will create the balance of flavors I am looking for. Firm, unripened nectarines will hold their shape and add color and flavor to the dish

This dish is a little more time consuming. I cook the rice separately from the other ingredients and mix it all together at the end. That way I can control the texture of the dish. I think a good kosher wine (Amanda?) is all that is needed to toast the New Year.

Happy New Year!

Acorn Squash in Balsamic Honey Glaze
2 acorn squashes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
4 Tbs. Honey
1 Tbs. vegetable oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the squash in half and with a large spoon carve out the seeds. Slice each half into 1 1/2 inch slices. Mix the vinegar and honey together in a small bowl. Grease a baking sheet large enough to hold all the squash in a single layer. Dip each slice of squash in the glaze to cover on all sides (don't worry about the skin side). Arrange squash on baking sheet and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Turn squash over and bake another 10- 15 minutes until squash is tender.

serves 8 as a side dish

Brown Rice Pilaf with Nectarines and Dried Cranberries
1 cup of brown rice or a brown rice blend cooked according to package directions
1 Tbs Vegetable oil
1 shallot finely minced
2 firm nectarines unpeeled, cut into 1 " cubes(use fruit that is still a little firm so that it will hold up to a saute)
1 celery stalk chopped
1/4 cup of *nuts (cashews, pecans walnuts)
1/3 cup of dried cranberries, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained
3 Tbs. chopped parsley

*I have read that some families avoid nuts at this holiday, so feel free to leave them out or add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds as a substitute

Heat oil in a small pan. Add shallots and cook until they begin to brown and get a bit crispy. Add the nectarines and the celery and toss in pan till they begin to brown and soften at the edges about 10 minutes.

In a separate pan, toast the nuts on medium heat for a few minutes till you start to smell them and the color just barley begins to darken, then remove from heat. Add the nuts, the fruit mixture, the parsley and the drained cranberries to the cooked rice and toss well to combine. Serve immediately or transfer to a baking dish and heat in a hot oven for 15 minutes before serving.

Amanda
There are so many wonderful Kosher wines in today's marketplace that would beautifully complement these dishes. Kosher wine, in the past, has had a not-so-great reputation. Today you can find very impressive Kosher wines from all over the world, made from all different varietals. At the wine shop, we even have a Kosher Pinotage from South Africa, made by Backsberg Vineyards. There are some wonderful Riojas available as well, and a wide variety of delicious Kosher Italian wines too.
For these recipes, I would go with some straightforward, always reliable wine from Baron Herzog. Herzog makes a very approachable Cabernet Sauvignon from California's Central Coast. The wine is light to medium bodied, with lots of berry and plum flavors - ideal for the pilaf. Herzog also makes a Chardonnay, made with grapes from the Central Coast as well as the Russian River Valley. The Russian River fruit is barrel fermented, which gives the wine its roundness. With tropical fruit flavors on the palate, the wine is a good match for the squash, and will also complement the pilaf. Herzog wines should be available in most shops that carry Kosher wines. So, these wines should not be hard to find. To those who will be celebrating this weekend, Happy New Year!