Category Archives: Recipes

Cream of Celeriac and Leek Soup

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  • 2-3 leeks
  • 1 1/2 Lb celeriac
  • 1 large potato
  • 3 Tbs butter
  • 4-5 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup light cream (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Wash leeks and slice until you have approx 2 cups.  Peel and chop celeriac into 1/2 inch cubes (3-4 cups).  Peel and coarsely chop the potato.  Melt butter in a large sauce pan and stir in the leeks, cooking until wilted.  Stir in celeriac and potato then add 4 cups of broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20-25 minutes.  Puree in a food processor or blender.  If very thick, thin with cream and additional broth.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cottage Cheese and Leek Pie

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  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 4 cups sliced leeks (3 or 4 leeks)
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp each salt, dry mustard
  • 1/8 tsp each nutmeg, pepper
  • 2 cups cottage cheese
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 single pie crust, unbaked

Sauté leeks in butter until tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in flour, cook a few minutes, add milk and cook till thick.  Add seasonings.  Cool to lukewarm.  Blend cottage cheese with eggs.  Stir into leek mixture.  Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 375º for 45 minutes or till browned.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Collard Greens Minerva

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  • 1 1/4 lb collard greens, halved lengthwise and stems and center ribs discarded
  • 3 slices bacon, finely chopped

Stack collard-leaf halves and roll crosswise into a cigar shape. Cut crosswise into very thin slices (no thicker than 3/4 inch) with a sharp knife.

Cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Add collards, tossing to coat, and cook until just bright green, about 1 minute. Season with salt and serve immediately.

From Gourmet, January 2001.

Chrysanthemum choy

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Chrysanthemum choy is a cultivated edible chrysanthemum, eaten before it blooms. The tough stems are discarded and only the top, tender stems and leaves are eaten. It is available at Oriental groceries.

  • 100 g /4 oz minced pork
  • 2 1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • fish sauce
  • 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1.5 litres chicken stock
  • 450 g/1 lb chrysanthemum choy
  • 2 spring onions, cut into 5 cm/2 inch lengths

Put the pork in a bowl with a pinch of black pepper, 1 teaspoon fish sauce and the shallot. Mix well, then leaves to stand for about 15 minutes. Shape the mixture into about 24 small balls, using about 1 tbsp for each.Put the stock in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the pork ball and boil for 12 minutes, then add the remaining fish sauce and black pepper to taste.Put the chrysanthemum choy and spring onions (scallions) in a warmed large soup tureen. Pour over the boiling stock and meatballs. Serve hot with rice and fish sauce.

Serve 4

Chocolate Beet Cake

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OK, for those of you that have been storing up all those beets, wondering when the right recipe would come along, this is it! It sounds weird, but it’s been a hit with our kids.

  • 1 ¼ c. beet puree (see below)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ c. vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¾ c. cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 ½ c. flour
  • 1 ½ tsp. baking soda

Beet puree can be made ahead of time. Basically, you need to cook beets until they can be easily pierced with a fork. You can roast whole in silver foil (this takes about an hour) or chunk and boil. Either peel before cooking (if boiling) or after (if roasting). Puree cooked beets in blender or food processor. You want the puree to be pretty thick, but you can add a touch of cooking water to make them whirl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bundt pan (or 8-9” square pan). In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in sugar, oil, vanilla, salt and beet puree. In a separate bowl, mixflour, cocoa and soda. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

From http://www.writerguy.com

Chicken Tagine with Sweet Potatoes and Celeriac

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  • 3 Lbs. chicken thighs
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ½ Tbs. ground cumin
  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 2/3 cup raisins
  • pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1 Lb. sweet potatoes or Kabocha squash peeled and cubed (1/2 inch)
  • 1 celeriac peeled and cubed (1/2 inch)
  • 1 Tbs. honey

Rub chicken pieces with salt, pepper and cumin.  If time allows, let stand for 1 to 2 hours.  Covering the chicken and refrigerating overnight would be best.  When ready to prepare the dish, heat the butter in a large casserole or Dutch oven and cook chicken in batches until golden on all sides.  Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add raisins, saffron, cinnamon and ginger and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Pour 2 cups water into the casserole.  Cover and cook the chicken for 30 minutes over low heat.  Add the sweet potatoes or squash and the celeriac along with additional salt and pepper.  Simmer the stew, covered 20 minutes.  Carefully stir in the honey, taking care not to mash the vegetables.

Serves 4-6.

Adapted from Fooday.

Chicken Pad Thai

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  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1” cubes
  • 5 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Asian fish sauce
  • ½ lb. firm tofu, cut into 1/4” cubes (optional)
  • 1 c. water
  • 2 Tbsp. lime juice
  • 1 ½ tsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne
  • ¾ lb. linguine or chuka soba (chow mein noodles)
  • 3 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2/3 c. peanuts, chopped fine
  • 4 c. cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ½ c. lightly packed cilantro leaves

In a small bowl, combine the chicken with ½ tsp. of the fish sauce. In another bowl, combine the tofu (if using) with another ½ tsp. of the fish sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 5 Tbsp. fish sauce with the water, 1 ½ Tbsp. lime juice, the vinegar, sugar, salt and cayenne. In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until done. Drain. Meanwhile, in a wok or large frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil over moderately high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until just done, 3-4 minutes. Remove. If using the tofu, put another Tbsp. of oil into the pan, add the tofu and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove. Put remaining Tbsp. of oil in pan, add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the pasta and the fish-sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, until nearly all the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, tofu (if using), and 1/3 c. peanuts. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining ½ Tbsp. lime juice, cabbage, scallions and half of cilantro. Top with remaining peanuts and cilantro.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine’s Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook.

Chardonnay Cabbage

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  • 3 lbs. green cabbage
  • 3 cups California chardonnay
  • 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Cut cabbage into 3/4 -inch-thick slices.  Soak in cold water mixed with 1 Tbsp. coarse salt for 1 hour. Drain the cabbage and put it in a large heavy saucepan.  Barely cover with wine.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 hours.With a slotted spoon, remove the cabbage to a large bowl.  Mix with melted butter.  Quickly reduce the cooking liquid until syrupy and lightly browned.  Pour over the cabbage.  Add salt and freshly ground pepper.  Makes 8 cups. From Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold.

Chard Braise

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  • 2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 ½ cup boiling water
  • 1 lb. chard
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 medium white mushrooms
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place porcini in a medium bowl.  Pour boiling water over them and let soak until softened, about 30 minutes.  Separate chard leaves from stems.  Cut leaves crosswise into 1-inch strips and stems into 1-inch lengths.  Drain the porcini in a fine sieve lined with paper towel over a 2-cup measure.  Add water to the soaking liquid if necessary to measure 1 ½ cups total.  Rinse the porcini under cool running water.  Squeeze out any excess water and coarsely chop.  Chop white mushrooms into ¼-inch slices.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add white mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic, the chard stems and leaves, reserved liquid and chopped porcini; stir to combine.  Cover and cook until chard stems are tender, 8-10 minutes.  Uncover, increase heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid in reduced by half, 3-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

From Eating Well Feb./Mar. 2006.

Celery Root and Wild Rice Chowder

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  • 1/2 cup wild rice
  • 1 celery root (about 1 pound)
  • 2 large leeks, white parts only
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 celery rib, diced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced russet potato
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large thyme sprig
  • sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or water
  • 2 cups half-and-half or milk
  • truffle oil, optional

Cover wild rice with 5 cups water in small  saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower heat. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until tender.  Thickly cut away celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should
have about 3 cups. Chop and wash leeks.  Melt butter in a soup pot. Add vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add half-and-half and simmer until vegetables are tender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. To
give soup a creamy background, puree a cup of the vegetables and return them to the pot (don’t forget to remove bay leaf!). If soup is too thick, thin with rice water or additional stock.  Divide soup among 4 or 6 bowls and add a mound of wild rice to each. Garnish with parsley and a drop of truffle oil, if using, and serve.

From Local Flavors by Deborah Madison