Tat Soi and Sugarloaf

My last article and recipes for the newsletter!

Tatsoi and Sugarloaf

Tatsoi is a popular Asian vegetable, also called flat or spoon cabbage. It is part of the brassica family, related to broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale and cabbage. This variety of tatsoi is like the tatsoi we grow for our salad mix, however in the colder weather it grows close to the ground for warmth and forms a beautiful, big rosette. It’s lush, dark green, spoon shaped leaves are mild in flavor with a hint of earthy sweetness. The stems are edible but will require a little longer cooking time than the leaves. I used scissors to snip the leaves from the rosette and washed them in cold water. 

Paying homage to its native land, tatsoi is especially good with Asian flavors and dishes.  Sautéed with soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and topped with sesame seeds tatsoi makes a great side for chicken, seafood or tofu. Or, break the traditional rules and served it wilted in a pasta with brown butter sauce, shaved Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice. It can also be used raw in salads, poached, steamed or added to soup and stir frys. Tatsoi can easily be substituted in recipes that call for kale, bok choy or spinach

Sugarloaf, also known by it’s French name pain de sucre, is a type of salad chicory that grows in upright heads and looks much like romaine with large leaves. It is the most mild of the radicchios and is slightly sweet with a pleasant bitterness that gives salads an instant boost! It is a handy green to have around when preparing winter comfort food and pairs well with pork and winter squash. Chopped leaves can be poached in seasoned broth or soup, or simply sautéed with olive oil, onion and shitake mushrooms for a healthy side dish.

Like any leafy green, both tatsoi and sugarloaf are loaded with vitamins, minerals and health promoting antioxidants and low in calories. Sugarloaf is especially high in vitamin K, fiber and potassium. Store these greens wrapped in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer and use within 1-2 weeks to ensure the leaves stay crisp!

Seared Sugarloaf with Balsamic vinaigrette

1 head             sugarloaf, outer leaves removed and quartered

2 T + ¼ c olive oil

2 T            balsamic vinegar

1 t            honey

1 t            fresh thyme

½ t             Dijon

tt            S&P

Heat 2 T of olive oil in a skillet. When pan and oil are hot, lay quartered sugarloaf, cut side down and sear until nicely browned, about 2-3 minutes. Turn to other cut side and sear in the same way.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk vinegar, honey, thyme, dijon and ¼ c olive oil. Add S&P to taste.

Drizzle vinaigrette over warm sugarloaf and serve with roasted beef or chicken.

Beans with tatsoi and crispy bacon

Great with chicken, fish or ‘breakfast for dinner’ with latkes and poached eggs.

1 can            Cranberry or azuki Beans

½ c            Beef or pork stock

1 T            Garlic, minced

¼ c            Onion, minced

tt            S&P

1 bunch tatsoi leaves, julienned

2 T             red wine vinegar

4-6 strips bacon

Cook bacon in a frying pan or bake in the oven at 400° until crispy (10-15 minutes). Allow to cool on a paper towel and chop.

In a large sauté pan, sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add beans and stock and cook until liquid reduces.

Add tatsoi and red wine vinegar and cook until tatsoi is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Add beans and tatsoi to a medium mixing bowl, discarding any excess liquid, toss with crisp bacon and serve.

Packer Fan

YESSSSS!!! it is officially my last day of work in Wisconsin!! I am finishing packing and heading east sooooon!!!!

**title disclaimer/clarification**
I am a fan of packing....not the packers.

NOOOO!

I have been awake for less then 20 minutes and already my day is ruined.

I was informed this morning that Ami is on the menu for lunch. Apparently, the boys wanted to do once last roast before everyone goes home and decided to pick the smallest goat in the pasture. Well, there isn't much meat on Ami so they had to kill another goat as well. lksdflkasnf lds why not just kill one flipping goat instead of my little Ami!?!??  I am very disappointed that I won't be greeted by him anymore. It also makes me incredibly sad that they will be gnawing on my poor little guy at lunch. It makes me want to go back to a vegetarian diet.

Surprise! It's winter.

Wisconsin is not so different than Michigan. Take a look at these pics taken within 24 hours of each other....

Tuesday....

...Wednesday.

What the french toast is this noise? Rumor has it that the 'snow' won't stick around, but the fact that is it is here at all, makes me less than happy.
 If this were snow, perhaps it would be acceptable, but the muddy, leafy ground is covered in a fresh layer of slush. Climbing up or down the hill to my wooden condo is a bit of a challenge. Walking on level ground is a bit of a challenge. I am not looking forward to marching lunch down to the barn.

Last Day at the Star

This last Saturday was my last day at L*. Even though I am looking forward to moving home next week, it was still a bit sad to leave the kitchen that night. Through the ups and downs of life on the line, I grew strangely attached that group of guys (and gals) in the past 6.5 months. The thing about working in a kitchen is, you spend the better part of your days in a confined space with the same 8 people day after day, week after week. You come to depend on each other rather quickly. Through it all you become much like a family. A completely dysfunctional family. No matter how busy you are, you have to be able and willing to drop what you are doing to bail someone out of the weeds. And no matter how far in the weeds you get, someone will be there to pull you out of it. And when Dad comes home you better have your homework done, a clean station and sharp knives. As in any family, nicknames are given, traditions and lessons are passed down, stories of 'how things used to be' are told, the littlest brother gets picked on relentlessly,  and tempers can rise. But at the end of the day (or service) you know everyone is going to kick back and grab a drink before heading home.

While communication can a weakness in some families, the opposite is true in the kitchen. If there is one thing we can (and must) do well is communicate. At any moment through the day I can tell you where either of my station partners are and what they are doing (although, sometimes I'd rather not know). We try to use as few words as possible to convey the most information. Whole sentences are often whittled down to single words.  The most commonly spoken words in the kitchen are: behind, hot and open. "Behind" means, "hey, I'm walking behind you, so don't make any sudden movements." "Hot" means, "Hey, I'm walking with something so hot it will burn the flesh right off your body so, don't make any sudden movements." And "open" means, "Get out of the way now, I need to open this oven/cooler". In an atmosphere where things come down to the second, the pleasantries are deemed a waste of time and thrown out the window. On occasion even words take too much time. Stephen once slide a squeeze bottle toward me, looked at me, then the bottle, then the jug of oil on top of the line.

This over communication is necessary for a kitchens success, but at times can get a little annoying. Yes, I know I have to keep agitating the potatoes running under cold water. I knew that when I walked into this kitchen, and have been told by three different people today to remember to swish around the potatoes whenever I walk by them. And yes, I know I have 2 minutes to put up these plates because 30 seconds ago you told me I had 3 minutes. But, understanding that it is better to be over informed than under, I just keep my snarky comments to myself. Every once in a while, usually after the fifth time someone says 'behind' in 20 seconds, I find my self unable to control it any longer and a "Please, keep my posted of your where-abouts at all times" will escape my mouth.

On my last day, I listened as these single words were firmly stated throughout the kitchen and plans for service where discussed. In the back ground the hood fans whirled, saute pans were dropped into hotel pans, and knives chopped away on cutting boards. The topic of conversation is always the coming service and idle chat is reserved for the after work drink. I was pretty nervous when I saw the reservations for the night were already pushing 150. I hadn't worked in a week and the usual Saturday night team was incomplete. I wanted to go out on a good note and Chef Dunn's words echoed in my mind, 'As a chef, you are only as good as your last plate'. I certainly felt the pressure for a perfect service.

Amazingly, service went smooth. Almost too smooth. I kept waiting and anticipating some sort of mini disaster. But it never came. At the end of the night, I sighed a sigh of relief. No disasters. Whew.

To all of you that I worked with at L*, I will miss spending every weekend with you. Working in the kitchen is a unique experience and I'm glad I got to share it with you. If you ever find yourself on the other side of the lake, hit me up!

I am thankful for all amazing opportunities I was given this summer at L* and I look forward to returning to Madison often.

Some family pics!

Cheese Terms

Here is my article from last week's cheese newsletter.

With Halloween behind us, it's time to take down those spooky decorations and start considering family gatherings, dinner parties and gift exchanges. One of my favorite things about visiting my brother's family in France, especially during the holidays,  is that no matter how many courses or dishes are served up there is always a cheese plate. No exception. Wedges, wheels and bricks are arranged on the platter and presented simply with bread and yet another generous pour of red wine. C'est la vie!

If you find yourself hosting a holiday dinner party in the next couple of months, a cheese platter will appease your guest's growling bellies and buy you some time while you put finishing touches on the meal. Or it can serve as a fuss-free 'dessert' course. Putting together a plate is easy and requires almost no prep time! If you are attending a dinner party, specialty cheese also makes a great gift for the host or the foodies on your holiday shopping list.

For a cheese plate worth gathering around, follow these simple rules.

1.Keep it simple. Stick with 3-5 types of cheese, too many may become overwhelming to your guests. Plan on about 3 oz of cheese per guest as part of a meal or 6 oz if the cheese is the main event!

2.Variety is the spice of life! Choose a selection of milks, regions, textures and styles. Pick a few crowd pleasers and also a couple interesting or wacky cheeses, just to keep the party interesting.

3.Label them. People like to know what they're digging into. Many cheese are packaged beautifully, if you can, salvage the label and tape it to a tooth pick or simply write on a small piece of index card and display near each cheese.

4.Garnish your plate with a few accompaniments. Most cheeses pair well with sliced apples and pears, figs, grapes, dates, berries, chutneys, jams, nuts and honey. Also serve some simple bread or crackers. 

The hard part making a confident purchase when faced with heaps of cheese.  The first challenge may be, finding a store with a decent selection. Do an internet search for specialty cheese stores in your area. Once inside, you might find yourself staring blankly at the selection. Or, read a label only to realize you have no clearer understanding of what lies beneath the waxy rind or parchment wrapping. Never fear! Use this list of defined terms to help you gain an understanding of the tasty morsel you hold in your hand!

Raw/unpasteurized: milk has not heated above 100°F and cheese was aged for at least 60 days.

Pasteurized: milk was heated between 144° and 160°F for a period of time to kill bacteria

Aged: cheese was stored in certain conditions to allow the product to mature or ripen. The longer a cheese has aged the stronger and more complex the flavor will be.

Paste: the interior of the cheese beneath the rind. It will be described as hard/firm, semihard/firm, semi soft or soft. These describe the texture of the cheese and refers to the amount of moisture in the paste.

Washed Rind: a cheese which has been washed or rubbed with brine, wine, beer, cider or brandy which will impart flavor.

Bloomy Rind: a cheese that is ripened from the rind inward. Achieved by spraying the cheese with a mold. Cheeses like camembert and brie are examples of bloomy rind cheese.

Natural Rind: the rind that formed naturally, without the ripening agents or washing.

Bandaged: a cheese that has been wrapped in cloth or dipped in wax during the aging process to protect the cheese and manage moisture loss.

Double or Triple cream: at least 60% or 72%, respectively, butter fat in the milk solids used in the cheese making.

Turophile: a lover of cheese...that's you!

Even with these terms confidently under your belt, choosing can be a task. There is an infinite amount of variation between cheeses made in similar styles. Depending on how the animals were raised and what they ate will affect the flavor of their milk. Cheeses aged for the same about of time will taste different depending on the temperature, humidity and facility in which they were aged. Two cheeses that have been cloth bandaged can nothing like the other depending on the type of milk, length of aging, and environment. My policy to taste everything at least once. Use the labels as guidelines to make educated selections, but tasting is the only way to know for sure.  As always, be resourceful! If you have questions, get a hold of someone who can help! Employees at specialty shops are more than egar to give suggestions.


Tonight's dinner menu:
potato soup with celery root, parsnip and apple topped with caramelized apple and toasted pecans
whole wheat dinner rolls with fig butter
sausage stuffed portabella

Mon Ami

This is my favorite little, farm goat whom I have affectionately named, Ami.

mon petit ami

He arrived on the farm by a bit of a mystery. One day I noticed him out there, obviously different from all the other goats. I asked where he came from and no one had an answer. It seems someone just dropped him off one night!

I think he is adorable and unlike the other goats, would come right up to the fence to get some lovin! I dedicated my granola stash to him and feed him a few handfuls whenever I am around.

This morning, he heard or saw me coming out of my condo and ran up to the gate, stuck his little head through, bleated at me and wagged his little tail. Where ever I was headed could wait, I couldn't resist going down to pet him.

From a few weeks ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other goats are pretty mean to my little friend and he is more or less an outcast of the herd. They bully and butt him all day. :( I wish I could take him home with me. How do you think the city of Grand Rapids would like Ami in my backyard???

Extreme Condo Makeover

Not so much a 'makeover' as it was a 'clean and tidy'. After moving out of my apartment in Madison last weekend, I have quite a few more things to fit in my tiny, wooden condo. Today was dedicated to organizing and cleaning. Success!

before

after

I also got myself in this little predicament today.

I took the first step to descend the ladder from the loft and it slid off and fell....leaving me in the loft with no way to get down. For those of you who know the story, I reacted much like Jonah did when his book fell off the bed. I leaned over the loft, surveyed the scene and said, 'uh-oh.' Luckily, I have practice jumping from high places (Jenna, you know what I'm talking about). So I threw all my pillows and blankets on the ground, swung my legs over the ledge, and with all my extreme upper body strength, 'gracefully' lowered myself to a safe dropping distance. No broken legs or shattered ankles. whew.

Who says there's not excitement and suspense in the valley??

Cripsie and Crunchy

 First frost of the season...I think. In my book it is the first. 

Woke up to this scene out my window.

Persimmon Bread

I have never worked with persimmon, but when they arrived in last week's fruit delivery, I had to look up some recipes and give them a try! They are naturally very sweet and tropical tasting.

Here is a recipe I made last week, adapted from (James) "Beard on Bread".
It is super moist and delicious! Great for with coffee or chia for breakfast or as a late night snack!


2 c APF
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
1 c brown sugar
4 oz butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
1/4 c brandy
1 c fuyu persimmon bread (about 4 blended)
1 fuyu persimmon, diced
1 /2 c pecans, walnuts or hickory nuts toasted and chopped
1/4 c coconut shavings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together: flour, salt, soda, spices and sugar.
Combine: butter, eggs, brandy and puree.
Stir wet ingredients into the dry and thoroughly combine.
Fold in diced persimmon, nuts and raisins.
Pour into a greased loaf pan and top with coconut.

Bake for 50-60 minutes. Lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top to prevent the coconut from over browning. Test center of bread with a skewer. Bread is done when the skewer comes out clean.