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My love is like a red, red...

Beet? Apparently. Check out my latest piece for Rural Intelligence, right here.

Pear and Ginger Crisp, courtesy of Bobby Flay

It's anything goes on the weekly recipe round-up over at A Way to Garden and Dinner Tonight, and since lovely Margaret said she was going for pears, I'm going for copycat. (Hey, imitation, flattery, and all that, right?)

This is a recipe I've been making forever (really) based on one that was first published in New York magazine nearly 20 years ago (see? Forever.) It came from Bobby Flay, long before the Food Network was even a glimmer in a media exec's eye, back in the days when Martha was still catering weddings in Connecticut.

This is a great dessert for a party buffet this time of year. It's lovely straight from the oven, but equally good at room temperature or cold from the fridge for breakfast the next morning. Alongside, serve some sweetened whipped cream into which you've stirred a pinch of cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg and ground (dried) ginger.

I was in charge of desserts for a fundraising dinner for a local arts organization earlier this fall, and this is what I chose for the event's harvest theme. It was devoured. You'll thank me (and Bobby, too.)

Pear and Ginger Crisp
serves 10-12

Don't think of substituting anything for the grated fresh ginger: neither the jarred stuff nor the dried will achieve the same flavor. I find it easiest to grate the ginger on a Microplane.

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 T sugar
pinch cinnamon
kosher salt
9 T unsalted butter, room temperature (softened)
2 T fresh ginger, peeled and grated--about a four inch long piece, give or take
juice of 2 lemons
10 medium pears, peeled, cored and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Make topping: toast pecans in a small saute pan over medium heat until they become fragrant--just a few minutes. Don't let them burn! Mix flour, brown sugar, 2 T sugar, the cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. Using a spoon, slowly stir in butter--the mixture will be crumbly and bumpy--and then stir in pecans.

In another larger bowl, gently stir together ginger, lemon juice, 3 T sugar, another pinch of salt and the sliced pears. Turn the fruit into a baking dish, and cover with the topping mixture. Bake until topping is crisp, about 50 minutes.

Welcome, EverydayFoodDeb fans!

Lovely Deb Puchalla of Everyday Food was kind enough to single out my recent article about pressure-cooker comfort food (via her Twitter identity, everydayfooddeb,) and I see by my many new visitors that others are inclined, as I am, to follow her (excellent) advice.

So, welcome to The Bountiful Harvest--while the focus is on eating seasonally and well in New York's beautiful Hudson Valley, I have recipes and ideas that work no matter where you live--hope you'll be back for more seasonal deliciousness to come...next up, butternut squash risotto (and yes, I'll be making in my pressure cooker.)

Apple of my eye

This is one of my favorite desserts for this time of year: super simple, gently flavored, every bit as good as what you put into it. (In other words, a strong, sweet-tart apple with no mealiness or mush.) And how can you resist something with the French name Gateau aux Pommes de la Reine des Pommes? (in French, the Apple Lady is promoted to the Queen of Apples--good for her!) It's almost a cross between cake and clafoutis, with an eggy batter just enveloping sliced and peeled apples. You could dress it up with a homemade caramel sauce and some whipped cream, or enjoy it warm from the oven a la mode; it's great cold, too.

Patricia Wells' "The Apple Lady's Apple Cake" from The Paris Cookbook

1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1/8 t fine sea salt
1/2 t vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 T vegetable oil (I use canola or grapeseed)
1/2 cup whole milk (if you only have lowfat around, that's fine)
4 large or 6 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges (about 2 lbs. total)

The topping:

1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Butter a 9 inch springform pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and sea salt, and stir to blend. Add the vanilla, eggs, oil and milk and stir until well blended. Add the apples and toss to coat thoroughly with the butter.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven until fairly firm and golden, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping by combining all ingredients in a small bowl, and stirring to blend. Set aside.

When you remove the cake from the oven, pour the topping mixture over it and return to the oven for another ten minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown. The cake should feel quite firm when pressed with a finger.

Cool in pan on a rack for ten minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the pan, and release and remove the springform side, leaving the cake on the pan base. Serve warm (not hot) or at room temperature in thin wedges.

Week Who the Heck Knows--Bountiful indeed

This week's haul: 2 huge butternut squash, 2 bunches arugula, onions, potatoes, kale, field greens, and braising greens, too, plus my absolute favorite: rapini, or broccoli rabe. Tonight I'm going to try making risotto with some of that squash in my new pressure cooker. Maybe I've been watching too much Mad Men and I'm going all retro? Entirely possible. Stay tuned for the recipe and the results. And tomorrow, it's apple madness with A Way to Garden and Dinner Tonight,
so watch for a couple of pomme-y favorites.

A chicken in every pot?

Check out my latest post on Rural Intelligence--thanks to the divine Mark Bittman, a wonderful, comforting, Chinese take on poached chicken.

Welcome, A Way to Garden-ers!

I've noticed a fair number of new, albeit invisible, faces around here, thanks to my dear friend Margaret Roach, she of the incredible gardening blog A Way to Garden. So, to you all, welcome! Though gardening is not my strong suit (just ask Margaret--she'll tell you!) I do raise some lovely chickens (see the fruits of their labor on the left.) And I'm pretty good at helping you figure out what to do with your lovely garden haul (or if you're like me, your farm share.) So look around, say hello,and do tell me what your recipe needs are--even as we head into fall, the harvest and the creative ways to enjoy it in the kitchen are still bountiful.

Long time gone

These weeks of silence just crept up on me. A week of missing share day here, a family visit there, and before I knew it, this blog had been sorely neglected. The good news is, I have been doing some foodie writing work. Check out my Rural Intelligence articles, here, and here, and here, and here, and here!

And stay tuned for updates--at my house this week, it's all about turning summer into winter, that is: making tomato sauce and pesto to freeze. Mine is truly tomato sauce for the lazy, and even so--it's delicious. I use it as is on pasta, or as the base for a meaty sauce for lasagne.

Lazy Girl Tomato Sauce

2 T extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 onion, chopped
1 t dried oregano
2 t dried basil
4 lbs. tomatoes, very ripe, chopped into 1-1/2 inch or so chunks
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat and add the garlic. Allow it to soften and grow slightly golden, and then add the onion. Saute five or so minutes, until beginning to soften, and add the dried herbs. Stir a minute or two to allow their flavors to seep in, then add the remaining ingredients. Keep over medium heat, stirring to keep anything from scorching on the bottom. When it's good and juicy, turn the heat down to a very slow simmer, partially cover, and allow to cook for up to two hours--checking it occasionally so that it doesn't dry or burn. When it's reached a consistency you like, turn off the heat and allow to cool. Run through a food mill if you like (to remove most of the seeds and skins) and then freeze--for a taste of summer mid-winter.

Mad for Mado

I have a new article up today on Rural Intelligence, a profile of the lovely new Chatham, NY bakery, Mado. Check it out!

You say....

In trying to plan for today's tomato party, I came to a realization: I can't play favorites when it comes to the love apple. I have never turned up my nose at a tomato, save a really mealy, really big-agriculture-mass-market tasteless and sad specimen decorating a salad at a bad restaurant. Anything farm grown, ripe and lovely, I like, and always have. In my family, the taste isn't so developed, perhaps. My husband only really loves tomatoes in a caprese salad, and everything, as it should be, must be just so: the mozzarella warmed slightly in water before slicing, so that its flavor is optimal; the tomato and basil both absolutely fresh; the extra virgin olive oil bright and fruity. No vinegar to mar these flavors, but a bit of coarse salt makes them sing. My kids confine their tomato appreciation to catsup and pizza, but they're young. They have time.

The rest of us, we don't have so much. Time, that is. Did you feel the cool air last night? Fall is coming. Eat tomatoes while you can. Don't waste a moment playing favorites. Eat them every which way. Try my corn and tomato salad, my potato and tomato gratin, my squash gratin with a simple salad of chopped tomatoes served alongside, and you'll savor this moment.

Week Ten--home again

I made it to the pickup yesterday, after missing two weeks in a row, the first due to absentmindedness, and second due to a detour to Maine. But we're back, and so's the glory of the farm. Romaine lettuce, eggplant, cucumbers, bell peppers, garlic, carrots and ah, tomatoes. The carrots were well-timed, as my son's seventh birthday was today and his favorite cake? You guessed it. The recipe for my favorite version is here. And tomorrow, in honor of Margaret and Deb--some ideas for those tomatoes, ripening on my counter as I type. Lovely.

The green bean party

I'm a little late in joining up with Deb and Margaret, but that won't keep me from posting. I am one of the people who loves, loves, loves green beans. My kids gag at the sight of them, and my husband pushes them around his plate, except when I serve him this warm salad, which I make even in the depths of winter, with the (really quite good) frozen organic green beans available at Trader Joe's.

Warm Green Bean Salad

1/2 lb green beans, blanched in boiling water until tender (usually 2-3 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the beans) and then refreshed under cool, running water
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup shaved parmesan (easiest to use a vegetable peeler
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 t champagne vinegar
2 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 t dijon mustard
1 T chopped fresh tarragon (optional, but makes it great)
1/8 t lemon oil (optional, but as above)
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

Combine the olive oil, vinegars, mustard, tarragon, lemon oil, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper in a jar with a lid; close and shake to emulsify; transfer to a small bowl.

Toast the walnuts in a small saute pan over medium heat until they are hot and fragrant but not burnt; add to the salad dressing and stir to combine. Pour the warm dressing/nut mixture over the beans and toss gently. Sprinke the cheese over the top and serve.

For another idea for using green beans, read this post from earlier in the summer.

What's cooking

No one has much of a reason to leave the Hudson Valley in the summertime. And yet, many of us do just that. We find ourselves drawn towards even bigger waters: the Cape, an Island or three, or in my case, Maine. In a few days, we depart for a brief visit with friends in their seaside summer idyll, a lobster-indulged, oceanic-viewed version of what I luckily live year round. And so--it's time to clean out the fridge and the larder.

Tonight, to that end, I concocted yet another gratin, an adaption of one I enjoyed earlier this year from Suzanne Goin's Sunday Suppers at Lucques. I added some eggs and cheese, but otherwise this is quite similar to the one that appears in that fantastic book. (Really, just buy it already. If you are at all experienced as a cook, you won't regret it. If you're just starting out, you might curse me while you're cooking, but not when you finally sit down to eat. Your call.) Alongside, I served the last of the latest planting of mache and arugula from my sorry excuse for a garden, in a salad made with the first local corn I've bought this season and some more tomatoes (nearly as local as it gets, save from one's own garden: from an honor system roadside stand just down the road.)

Not a bad way to clean house.

Tomato, Onion and Potato Gratin

4 large onions, sliced thinly
3 T extra virgin olive oil
2 t dried thyme, divided
kosher salt
4-5 large red potatoes or small-medium Yukon Golds (mine were reds, from the CSA)
3 medium tomatoes
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of cayenne
1/4 c freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat--I like to use a cast iron one, and prepare the dish start to finish in it. Add the onion, stirring frequently as it starts to brown. Add 1 teaspoon of the dried thyme and a pinch of kosher salt. Turn the heat down to low, and continue to cook and stir, adding water (maybe, say, a quarter cup) if they start to stick too much to the pan. Continue cooking until they are soft and caramelized, stirring occasionally. When they are evenly browned and soft, remove from the heat. Add the pinch of cayenne and stir thoroughly. (Omit the cayenne if it scares you.)

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch thick (thinner is fine, if you can manage it!) slices, either by hand or on a mandoline. Don't bother to peel them. Core the tomatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Combine the beaten eggs, the cream, the remaining teaspoon of thyme and the potatoes and stir to coat the potatoes thoroughly.

Remove half the onions from the skillet and spread the rest evenly over the bottom. Put in haf the potatoes, arranging them in a layer, and then half the tomatoes. Then make a final layer that nicely alternates potatoes and tomatoes--pour over any cream mixture remaining in the bowl. Top with the grated parmesan and a grating of fresh pepper and cover tightly with foil. Turn the oven down to 375 and bake for 90 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft (test by poking with a paring knife.)

Remove the foil, and turn the oven up to 450 F. Return to the oven and cook for ten more minutes or so, removing when the top is nicely browned. Serve hot, warm or cold.

Tomato and Corn Salad

2 or more handfuls of salad greens--enough to form a nice base for the corn and tomato mixture
1 medium tomato, diced
2 ears of corn, kernels sliced off (easiest to do this by holding the ear of corn vertically in a shallow bowl, and slicing down its length with a short paring knife.)
1 T each chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and basil, or whatever fresh herbs you like: dill, chives or even cilantro, if you like it, would be tasty
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
Maldon salt & freshly ground pepper

Lay the greens in your serving bowl. Combine the corn, tomato and herbs in another bowl, and add the oil and vinegar. Toss to combine. Place the corn mixture on top of the greens, and serve a bit of each (corn mixture and greens) when ready to eat. This salad can sit for a bit in the fridge, since you haven't dressed the greens with the vinegar--they won't get soggy as fast as if they, too, were tossed.

Not Cheesey

My friend Cupcake Show (she has a real name, but I so like her nom de blog) spent part of her weekend doing something I've never done and cannot wait to do--making her own fresh mozzarella. Check out her experiences here, and let me know if you've ever done this--my husband is somewhat horrified by the cheesemaker fantasies he knows I harbor (and which portend the eventual arrival of beautiful goats to our little farm...)

Happy happenings

While I may have forgotten my pickup this week (and I'm still a little mystified as to just how that happened) I have been cooking and writing up a storm. Check out my new recipe (and new gig) over at Rural Intelligence. And, if you've found the blog via that story, welcome, and I hope you'll let me know what you think, and come back!

Cukes and Zukes; The Big Roundup

Inspired by the massive enthusiasm around last week's Pesto Party, I decided to join in the multi-blog cooking party started by Margaret of A Way to Garden and Deb of Everyday Food's Dinner Tonight blog.

This week, the theme is cukes and zukes--the things we all have spilling from our CSA baskets and crisper drawers. I've posted before on some of my favorite ways to use zucchini (and will be doing more next week) but for today, here's a recipe that uses both of these over-bounteous veg to great success.

Lentil Salad

1 c. French green or beluga lentils, rinsed and checked for small stones
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
1 chile de arbol (optional)
1/2 c. chopped parsley
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch dice
2 medium zucchini, grated in the food processor or julienned on a mandoline
1 T chopped mint
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped into 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup cubed feta cheese
1/2 cup Kalamata olives (dry cured are my favorite)
2-3 roasted peppers (jarred are just fine) chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

Layer the grated zucchini in a colander, alternating each layer with a pinch or two of coarse salt, and then set over the sink to drain. Allow to drain for around 30 minutes while you prepare the lentils as instructed below.

Put the lentils, the bay leaf, 1-2 t salt and a few grinds of pepper (and the chile if using) into a small saucepan. Cover generously with water and bring to the boil, then allow to simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm--around 30 minutes.

When the lentils are done to your satisfaction, drain them.

Squeeze as much liquid as you can from the zucchini (you may want to use a salad spinner to remove some of the liquid, but don't make yourself crazy--you just don't want it overly wet.)

Combine the warm lentils with all the other ingrdients and toss, gently, to blend.

Then dress with the following dressing.

Spicy lime dressing

Grated zest of 2 limes
3 T fresh lime juice
2 T chopped shallot or scallion
pinch cayenne
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. dry mustard
1/3 c. olive oil
2 T. chopped cilantro

Put all in a jar and shake to combine. Toss with the lentil salad, and then add salt and pepper as necessary to taste.

This recipe is adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, a book that, indeed, everyone should own!

What does it mean?

When the author of a CSA-centric blog is so off-center that she completely, entirely forgets to go make her pick up? Nothing good, I'm certain. I'll check in with the farmers via email to get the list, and I'll do a jokers wild farmer's market shop on Saturday instead. Meanwhile I'll have news soon about a new venue for my take on ingredients, cooking, restaurants, cooks, food literature, and just about anything else gustatory that you can think of--as long as it has to do with the beautiful region that I am lucky to call home.

Trip to Bountiful....

Is now The Bountiful Harvest. That's the only change...for now. Watch for breaking news, and someday soon, a new platform. Open source, here we come....

I love tools

Seasonal Ingredient Map: “Epicurious has created a handy, interactive map of seasonal produce by state. Select a month, hover over a state, and a list of in-season ingredients is displayed with links to the ingredient descriptions and recipes….

Thanks to Brian the Food Geek (check him out!) I discovered this map of seasonal produce, across the country. Why didn't I think of this! No matter, the good folks at Epicurious did, and I am grateful.