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Eating Local: Harira with Spelt and Pumpkin Recipe from Kos Kaffe

By Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: , ,

 

This is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes from the cafe. It’s vegetarian but has a heartiness that satisfies meat eaters. It is heaven on a cold fall day and is very adaptable and easy to tweak as you go along. The only ingredient I find somewhat essential is the saffron. 

– Sarah

This is a very adaptable soup, so don’t fear if you don’t have it all on hand. You can easily use more lentils if you’re missing chickpeas, or more pumpkin if you’re missing lentils. You can even substitute another grain, such as freekeh or farro, for the spelt if you like.  

Makes 3 quarts to serve 8 

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed

2 medium onions (7 ounces), peeled and diced small

1 tablespoon fine sea salt, more as needed

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems separated

1 cup finely diced fennel, fronds reserved

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 1/2 tablespoons Baharat Spice Mix (see note)

1/2 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth, more as needed

1 1/2 cups spelt or freekeh

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained 

1/2 cup red lentils

Large pinch crumbled saffron, optional

2 1/2 cups peeled and finely diced winter squash 

Tangy plain yogurt, as needed

Aleppo pepper or hot paprika, as needed

1. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss onions with 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir into pot with 2 tablespoons water. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until very soft, 7 to 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking over medium-high heat until onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes more. While the onions are cooking, finely chop the cilantro stems. Stir stems into the pot, along with fennel and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in spices and tomato paste; cook until paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.  

2. Stir in the stock, 2 cups water, spelt, chickpeas, lentils and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Stir in saffron if using and reduce heat to medium. Simmer steadily, uncovered, 15 minutes. Stir in squash and continue cooking until spelt is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. 

3. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on top and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with cilantro leaves and Aleppo pepper.    

 Note: To make Baharat Spice Mix, in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons sweet paprika, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon allspice. Yield: 1/2 cup.

Olivia’s Kitchen : Spice Roasted Delicate Squash with Pepita Vinaigrette and Dried Cranberries

By Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: ,

 

preheat oven to 400 degrees

3 Delicata Squashes

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Pepita Vinaigrette

1/4 cup of toasted pepitas

2 teaspoons of ground turmeric

1 clove of garlic

1/8 cup of champagne Vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup of Dried Cranberries

Slice the delicata squash into one inch thick slices and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds.  Combine the sugar, spices, olive oil, garlic together.  Toss the squash with the spice mixture and spread out on a sheet pan.  Place in oven and roast until browned, approximately  15-20 minutes.

For the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a container and use a hand held blender to puree all of it, (or use a food processor or regular blender)

To serve place squash on a platter, drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with the dried cranberries.

Olivia’s Kitchen: Easy, Delicious Homemade Flat Bread Sandwich

By Filed Under: Olivia’s Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

It may sound intimidating to make your own flat bread but this recipe is actually incredibly simple and has a big pay off.  The recipe below is for a vegetarian version of a sandwich, but you can add some chicken or lamb with it for other delicious options.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Flour

2 teaspoons of Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon of Salt

1 1/4 cups of Whole Milk Greek Yogurt (it’s important to use full fat)

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

One medium Zucchini

One small Eggplant

One Red Bell Pepper

One Yellow Squash

Two Tablespoons of Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

One Clove of Garlic

4-6 large leaves of Fresh Basil

Hummus

 

Recipe

Place the flour, baking powder, salt and yogurt in a large bowl and mix with a rubber spatula until a moist, shaggy dough forms. Dust a work surface with flour. Transfer the dough onto the work surface, sprinkle with more flour, and knead until smooth, 8 to 10 kneads.Divide the dough into 4 portions and roll each into a ball about 3 inches wide. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes. Heat a griddle, grill pan, 12-inch cast iron skillet, or nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water immediately sizzles on contact. Meanwhile, roll out the dough.Generously dust a work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll 1 ball of dough into a 9-inch round about 1/8-inch thick, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking.Brush the pan with a thin layer of oil or use a paper towel to coat the pan with a thin layer of oil. Place the flatbread in the pan and brush the top with a thin layer of oil. Cook until puffed and golden-brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board.While the first flatbread is cooking, roll out the next ball of dough. Cook the remaining flatbreads, making sure to brush the pan and top of the flatbreads with oil each time.

Cut all the vegetable into thin (1/4 inch) thin slices.   Crush the garlic clove.  Toss the vegetables, garlic clove and some salt and pepper in a bowl with the olive oil.  Spread out in one layer on a sheet pan and place in a 400 degree oven and roast until browned, turning once.  Should take between 15 and 20 minutes.

To assemble the sandwich spread a generous layer of hummus on the flatbread.  Layer the roasted vegetables on the hummus and top with the fresh basil leaf.

Eating Local: Four & Twenty Blackbirds: Strawberry Balsamic Pie

By Filed Under: Eat Local, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Let’s be honest — Whether you’re a fan of sweets or not, who doesn’t love pie? Four & Twenty Blackbirds has become a staple in the Gowanus neighborhood for both their savory and sugary concoctions. Owners Melissa and Emily, who learned the tricks of the trade from their Grandma Liz, got their start building custom pies out of their Brooklyn apartment before establishing a flagship location in 2010. Now, Four & Twenty Blackbirds is easily the top spot in Brooklyn for pies. 

As the weather slowly warms, the time proves to be more than perfect for a fruit pie. The ladies have shared their recipe for the Strawberry Balsamic Pie for us, whose combination of strawberries and balsamic vinegar prove to make for an overall mouthwatering, satisfying treat.

Makes one 9-inch pie

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and quartered (5 to 6 cups)

1 small baking apple (such as Northern Spy or Golden Delicious)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 dashes Angostura bitters 

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons ground arrowroot 

2 grinds fresh black pepper, fine setting

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Egg wash (1 large egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water and a pinch of salt)

Demerara sugar, for finishing

Recipe

· Have ready and refrigerated one pastry-lined 9-inch pie pan and pastry round or lattice to top (see page TK).

· Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar over the strawberries. Stir gently to combine and allow the fruit to macerate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

· Peel the apple and shred on the large holes of a box grater. Drain the strawberries of excess liquid and combine with the shredded apple. Sprinkle on the balsamic vinegar and Angostura bitters.

· In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, arrowroot, black pepper, and salt. Gently fold the sugar mixture into the strawberry mixture. Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie shell, arrange the lattice or pastry round on top, and crimp as desired.

· Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to set the pastry.

· Meanwhile, position the oven racks in the bottom and center positions, place a rimmed baking sheet on the bottom rack  and preheat the oven to 425°F.

· Brush the pastry with the egg wash; if your pie has a lattice top, be careful not to drag the filling onto the pastry (it will burn). Sprinkle with the desired amount of demerara sugar.

· Place the pie on the rimmed baking sheet on the lowest rack of the oven.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pastry is set and beginning to brown. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F, move the pie to the center oven rack, and continue to bake until the pastry is a deep golden brown and the juices are bubbling throughout, 35 to 40 minutes longer.

· Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

· The pie will keep refrigerated for 3 days or at room temperature for 2 days.

 

Olivia’s Kitchen: Comfort Chicken Stew

By Filed Under: Eat Local Tagged With: , , ,

As we move into the real heart of the cold and gray Winter months my thoughts turn to comfort foods. Nothing is more comforting than a rich creamy stew with nourishing vegetables. This recipe is simple, but rich, delicious and hearty. The rutabaga adds an unexpected element.

 

Ingredients

6 Chicken Thighs

1 leek

1/2 cup white wine one rutabega, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons of roughly chopped tarragon

8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, quartered one bunch of purple kale, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Recipe

In a dutch oven brown the chicken thighs and remove. Cook leek in dutch oven until beginning to soften and then pour in wine to deglaze the pot by stirring and scraping anything stuck to the pot. Add back in the chicken thighs and add just enough wine to reach half way up the thighs. Cover and cook over very low heat for one and a half hours. Remove chicken and add rutabega to the liquid in the pot and simmer until soft then add in the cream and kale and continue simmering to reduce liquid. Saute the mushrooms with a bit of butter until nicely browned. When the cooking liquid and rutabega and kale is reduced by half add back in the chicken, the mushrooms and the tarragon. Stir to combine and serve by itself , or oven rice or pasta.

 

Olivia’s Kitchen: Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna

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I have no memory of where I got this recipe in the first place but I scribbled it on a piece of Japanese stationary at least 12 years ago and have tweaked it over the years to work perfectly for sweet shortcakes. Every time I look at that greasy beat up piece of paper I think “I gotta write that down somewhere where it can’t get lost”. So, now I am…

 

Recipe-

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna
Toss 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces with a coating of olive oil and spread in single layer on a baking sheet.  Salt and pepper the squash and then roast at 400 degree oven until soft and golden.
Mash the cooked squash with a half cup of water and some freshly grated nutmeg
Mix 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese with 1 cup heavy cream, 2 large eggs and salt and pepper.
Using no boil lasagna sheets layer the squash mixture and ricotta in a baking dish.  The last layer should be a dry sheet of pasta.  Drizzle another 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  Place leaves of fresh sage on top of the cream and then sprinkle 1/2 pound of grated Parmesan over in an even layer
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown on top.

Blueberry & Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Caramelized Peaches and Whipped Cream Recipe

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One of my favorite memories growing up was my family’s annual camping trip to the Poconos in August. The highlight of the trip was hiking with my older sister through the woods and down to the lakeside where the blueberry bushes were laden with plump berries at their peak. We’d spend the afternoons getting lost in the thick going from one bush to another, picking until our gallon jugs were full and we were thoroughly exhausted from the heat and mosquito bites.

Gorging ourselves on handfuls of berries on the hike back was the immediate reward, but the ultimate payoff was waking up the next morning to our mother’s blueberry pancakes sizzling in a cast-iron pan on the campfire.

This summer nostalgia is recaptured in this recipe adapted from local personal chef, Olivia Williamson as a rustic buttermilk cake, brightened with lemon and complemented by grilled peaches—bringing those summer campfire flavors full circle.

To find the best summer fruit, head straight to any one of the local greenmarkets where bushels of peaches and cartons of blueberries are in abundance come August. Blueberries will not ripen after harvest, so be sure to look for cartons of dark, firm berries with no red tinges. Avoid ones with soft, watery, or moldy fruit. Ripe peaches should yield slightly to a gentle squeeze and have a delicate, flowery smell and skin without green patches or wrinkles. Peaches will continue to ripen after they are picked, so if you plan on making the recipe the same day, opt for the juiciest, as they will have the most sugar and caramelize the best.

Blueberry & Lemon Buttermilk Cake with Caramelized Peaches and Whipped Cream Recipe

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Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup for peaches
1 cup room temperature unsalted butter
4 large eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Zest of one lemon
Juice of two lemons
One pint of blueberries, cleaned
4 peaches
Whipped cream (optional)

For the Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Liberally grease a bundt pan with butter.
Beat sugar and butter in a standing mixer until light and creamy.
Add eggs one at a time to butter-sugar mixture, allowing each egg to incorporate completely before adding the next.
In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients.
In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and zest.
Begin adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, alternating 3 times until all are combined.
Gently fold in the blueberries by hand using a rubber spatula.
Pour batter in a bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. The cake is done when a skewer comes out clean.

For the Grilled Peaches:
Clean and wedge the peaches and dust them in sugar. Slowly caramelize the peach segments on medium-high heat until browned to perfection. (Alternatively, you could grill the peaches over an open flame, using the same method.)

To Serve:
Once the cake has cooled, slice and serve with grilled peaches and a dollop of whipped cream.
Serves 8.