WINTERY LEEKS

Leeks, like onions and scallions, are part of the allium family and are considered root vegetables. Compared with onions and garlic they are expensive and less popular.  It seems many people don’t know exactly what to do with them.  One simple rule is to replace them with onions if you prefer a milder flavored onion, similar to shallots.  The gentle leek becomes even sweeter when cooked and its oniony-ness becomes subtler when cooked on a low heat setting.

(gorgeous long stemmed leeks) 

In early spring I can’t wait to have the garlicky-sweet smell of wild leeks (also known as ramps) tickling my nostrils – one of the sure signs that Spring is coming.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves …  winter is here for a while!

Snowy Preservation
Leeks can be found all year round but they’re best from fall to early spring.  My onion farmer Alex told me that during winter, when it snows, they dig out long stemmed leeks from under the snow layer to preserve them nicely so that the low temperatures do not overly expose these pretty sturdy vegetables.  (I always get the image of the wild bison in Yellowstone rooting through 8 feet of snow with their powerful necks for tiny grass shoots, but Alex might not like that comparison!)

(beautiful leek slices, the next step is to cook them slowly) 

Classic Leek Cooking
Many leek recipes can be found in old cookbooks.  When I trained as a young cook in Austria creating that famous soup “vichyssoise” was a big deal.  With a thick and rich consistency, this delicious soup is made with leeks, onions, potatoes and a touch of cream and is served cold or hot depending on the season. And certainly everyone has heard of Quiche Lorraine.  This dish was among the items on one of my first menus I designed for a restaurant.  The traditional quiche Lorraine is a savory piecrust filled with bacon bits, melted leeks set in an egg custard.  Still sounds pretty mouth-watering even if not so novel anymore.

Last But Not Least, Leeks Are Healthy …
Often overlooked in leeks is their important concentration of folate, a significant B vitamin that supports the cardiovascular system. Leeks also have a great deal of potassium important for maintaining the body’s fluid balance, nerve transmission and muscle contraction and for overall proper functioning of cells throughout the body.  Maybe consider a leek instead of a banana for your next workout?!

Not So Classic Potato-Leek Tart

Pie Crust
(makes one 9-inch pie dish)

1 stick butter (8 ounces)
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cold water

1.     Cut butter into ½-inch cubes and put into the freezer for 10 minutes – ice cold butter will make a flaky crust.
2.     Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add butter and pulse for 30 seconds – it should have a coarse texture at this point if not pulse for another 30 seconds. Add cold water and pulse for 30 seconds or until the mixture clumps up. If you don’t have a food processor you can incorporate the ingredients in a bowl with a fork or hands.
3.     Put the crumbly mixture into a bowl and knead with bare hands into dough working quickly. Don’t over-knead the dough it’s OK to still see small butter pieces in the dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4.     Dust a flat surface with flour, press dough to a flat disk and rollout to 1/8-inch thickness. Dust flour over the dough to prevent sticking.
5.     Line pie dish with rolled-out dough. Press pie dough with fingers into the pie dish. Freeze pie mold for 15 minutes.
6.     Line piecrust with aluminum foil and weight-down with pie weights or hold-down pie with a heavy object such as a pot.
7.     Bake pie for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes longer.  

(golden prettiness)

Pie Filling
(filling for one 9-inch pie dish)

1 pound leeks, green tops cut-off
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
10 grindings black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup milk
3 eggs
½ cup grated cheese such as Gruyere
1 teaspoon oregano leaves

1.     Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.     Cut leeks into ¼-inch thick slices then put into a bowl filled with water. Swish leeks with hands in water – this will release gritty soil particles.
3.     In a 1-gallon sized pot heat vegetable oil and add leeks. Season leek with ½-teaspoon salt pepper and nutmeg then cook for 30 minutes.
4.     Fill cooked leeks into the pre-cooked piecrust.
5.     In a bowl combine milk, eggs and ½-teaspoon salt with a wire whisk and pour over the leeks.
6.     Put pie into the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle grated cheese evenly over the pie top and continue to bake for five minutes longer.
7.     Check doneness by gently jiggling the pie, it should wiggle a bit in the middle.
8.     Cool for 30 minutes then cut into wedges. Sprinkle pie with oregano before serving.

(the tart yielded +-12 portions my spouse and I managed to have four portions for the next day left over! Needless to say it tasted awesome)

Chef’s Tip: Serve tender baby greens such as baby spinach and/or arugula with the pie.

 

 

DAILY BREAD “FANCIFICATION”

Many everyday foods such as cereals, milk products, oils/fats, baby food and beverages are fortified with vitamins. What’s up with that – is it good or just a marketing plot? Let’s see…
A one-sided diet of too much corn, sugar and refined starches like white flour caused a spike in neural-tube birth defects already in the early 19 hundreds. In 1998 the government made it mandatory to add folic acid to bread. A study sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the addition of folic acid was at least partially responsible for a 25% drop in neural tube defect. That’s why many mommies-to-be consume rather high doses of folic acid during pregnancy nowadays or you can get your daily dose on lentils, broccoli or leafy greens such as kale.

(not re-fined Swiss chard bunches from a farmer's market) 


Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is often added to vegetable oils, cereals and dairy products. It is developed in our bodies by sun exposure and is often hard to come by – think of winter or someone who doesn’t do much outdoor activity! Luckily these days bone deformations due to vitamin D deficiency are a rather rare occurrence due to fortification.

(vitamins added A,D,B12 & calcium) 

(iodine in common sea salt) 

Iodine is a salt enrichment and is the most effective way of preventing mental deficiencies and aids in learning abilities. Find a better way to say learning abilities” it sounds awkward. A huge number of people worldwide still suffer from iodine deficiency and a tragically high number of babies are born with brain damage because of that. Deficiencies are clearly not the only reason why all those vitamin buzz words are highlighted on every foods - lots of sales language is involved here. All that enhanced food is not as impressive as the label might suggest and little research supports the health claims particularly when compared to wholesome, fresh cooked foods consumed in a balanced way.

Pick from the fortified menu…
Below find a few examples of how to build your daily menu fortified or natural.

A 2-tablespoon portion of peanut butter fortified with 100 mg of omega-3 fatty acids. Or what’s the point if you can get your dose by eating a 6-ounce portion of fresh salmon for dinner (~ 3000 mg omega-3 fatty acid) unless of course you are a vegetarian then you can eat vegetables such as cauliflower with mustard seeds and/or cabbage with a touch of cloves prepared with canola oil, sprinkle some oregano and pecans over that then you are in omega-3 heaven (all these veggies, spices, nuts and oils are particularly high in omega-3).




Kids are clearly happy with their ultra-pasteurized chocolate milk which is often vitamin D fortified and thickened with a touch of refined starch to make the texture more velvety. But don't overlook the sugar content, which is much higher than the vitamin content and hence not great for health. Instead consider organic milk thickened with carrageenan (a seaweed which thickens liquids/foods) and find your vitamin D from the sun or a natural product that is fortified like Rice or Soy Milk, with far less sugar.

We’ve all been there after a tough workout….you can chug a well known orange colored energy drink with the daily suggested dose of vitamin C (citrus flavor) and a long list of minerals added, sweetened with sugar (3-5 grams/fluid ounce) or saccharine. Or you can have orange juice, freshly pressed ideally or even a banana, which is loaded with potassium, so essential after or before exercise.

Ain’t nothing like the real thing
The refining and processing steps in food production destroys valuable vitamins and nutrients. Fortifying foods in some synthesized form is mostly a marketing tool and a quick fix to get your nutrients when you don’t have a choice, you’re in a rush or you’re in the middle of a marathon and they are offering that orange laboratory juice on the spot. It is not a way to build a healthy, sustainable diet and as the song goes “Ain’t nothing like the real thing.” Marvin Gaye said it before the soda company fortified the slogan.

...EATING WHEN IT'S THAT COLD - the blog

We have had some biting cold days in January so far here in the northeast. Most people I know tend to eat differently at these frigid temperatures compared to when the thermometer is in the warm zone. Stews or braised dishes are definitely popular in cold weather because it’s simply more warming and at the same time it’s heartier.

(cranberry bean salad with cilantro, sweet peppers with citrus vinaigrette)

Salads become more robust too since that tender petaled lettuce is nowhere to be found until sun rays give us the pleasure again when spring cracks open.
 
(wheat berries and mint and sun-dried tomatoes)

It doesn't always have to be lettuce
I like to incorporate grains and beans into salads which give your salads that stew-like satisfaction.  Millet, cranberry beans, wheat berries, buckwheat are some great grains and can even server a main course if necessary. Variations are endless when you take advantage of the winter pantry - think of adding spices such as black sesame, Hungarian paprika or spicy chili peppers. Nuts are a great addition in grain salads as they add texture and richness so the oil content in the dressing can be minimal.  And speaking of dressing citrus fruits such as Meyer lemons or Cara Cara oranges give a bright note to your mixtures. If the salad seems a little too robust add chopped mustard greens, winter salad to it or even your orange slices to it. I love adding plenty of herbs – your taste buds will appreciate it and they are visually satisfying too. 

The following is my basic grain salad recip.  I switch out grains depending upon what’s available at my local market.

(borlotti beans chilling for the salad)

Grain Salad

(recipe yields four servings)

3 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper, to taste
1 cup millet
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 green apple such as Granny Smith, cored and diced into 1/8-inch cubes (skin-on)
1 bunch or two cups chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup hazelnuts (with skin), toasted then crushe
2 lemons such as Meyer lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil (melted) or extra virgin olive oil may be substituted 

1.     In a 1-gallon sized pot combine water, ½-teaspoon salt, 5 grindings pepper then bring to boil on high heat setting.
2.     Add millet and thyme and switch heat setting to low. Cook millet covered with a tight fitting lid for 25 minutes. Try millet for doneness -- it should be soft, if it’s not continue to cook for 10 more minutes.
3.     Spread millet onto a cookie-like sheet pan and leave on the kitchen counter for 10 minutes then transfer into the refrigerator to cool completely.
4.     In a bowl combine apple cubes, chopped parsley, crushed hazelnuts, lemon juice and oil. Incorporate all ingredients with a table fork and season with black pepper to taste.

 

OATMEAL FOR BREAKFAST, DESSERT & STAYING POWDER - the blog

When it comes to oatmeal people have their preferences and there are certainly differences between steel-cut, rolled, instant and quick cooking oats.

(steel-cut oatmeal) 

(choose organic for an unadultered taste) 

Steel-cut oats are whole grains; they are the inner portions of the oat kernel. These kernels look similar to long corn rice and are processed into two or three pieces. Rolled oats start with the same kernel then get rolled and steamed between heavy wheels and this flattening and steaming makes it quick cooking. Steel-cut oats take about 30 minutes of cooking time versus 5 minutes with rolled oats. There is an even quicker oat-cooking product known as oat flakes and here all you need to do is bring water to boil and pour in the oat flakes and the meal is done.

Compared with other hearty breakfast options like bacon & eggs, ham, pancakes, French toast etc., oatmeal is the best  go-to option since it stuffs the belly and has a lasting effect until lunch hours and the best part is it keeps you slender and guilt free.

Usually I’m in the camp of give me what I want as quickly as possible - but in the case of oatmeal patience actually pays of totally. I recommend cooking the steel-cut version. Steel cut oats take longer to cook than the other more broken down kind. In my opinion steel-cut oats score better on many levels because they’re wholesome, rich and nutty with a slight chewy texture.  The only down side is the longer cooking time but there are ways to get around it.  Let’s face it not too many of us want to get up half an hour earlier to cook oatmeal.  So I suggest cooking oatmeal sometime during the day, whenever it suits your schedule in larger quantities and you can portion it into smaller containers for the next days to come. It can be re-heated simply with a few tablespoons of liquid of choice such as milk, nut milk, soymilk etc. The re-heating can be done either in a pot or in the microwave.

(plenty of stee-cut oatmeal for the next couple of days) 

Oatmeal Variations
I have become bored with diner style oatmeal because usually it’s tasteless and seems like grown up baby food.  I have been testing many oatmeal recipes for restaurant breakfast menus and want to share a few favorites:

(certainley not dull...oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches with hot chocolate) 

Basic Oatmeal
(recipe serves four)

5 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
2 pinches of salt
1 pinch cinnamon powder

1. In a 2-quart sized pot bring water to boil and add the oats, salt and cinnamon.
2. Cook mixture on low heat setting for 30 minutes.

I actually love oatmeal for a dessert course, it reminds me of rice pudding and I give it a similar treatment. Warm oatmeal with cocoa powder and a dash of heavy cream, garnished with ice-cold butter flakes. If you have leftovers pop them into the refrigerator and eat it cold the next day which catapults the dish to a pudding like experience.

An unusual version creating different layers of temperature won many fans in my past.  Sweeten basic oatmeal with honey and add one tablespoon of milk per person and fresh plump blueberries just before serving. I recommend ladling this oatmeal mixture over a spoonful of rich Greek-style yogurt in a bowl. The eating experience of scalding hot blueberry flecked oatmeal with chilled yogurt beneath is interesting and refreshingly good.

Soak nuts like pistachios, cashews or almonds in water for two hours and add this with a heaping tablespoon of raisins to the basic oatmeal recipe.

(power breakfast; oatmeal with wheat grass, sprouted cashews and rich Greek yoghurt) 

For the health nut in you I have some special tricks for you to experiment with -- add dehydrated wheat grass, sprouted chia seeds or powder, and extra virgin coconut oil for an all day boost. These ingredients are interchangeable and the amounts can vary but add it at the end to the basic recipe so the nutritious value can shine.

 
(...and for the New Years Eve menu; oatmeal broth with chantarelle mushrooms and black truffles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOING IT LIKE THE FRENCH - the blog

Pearl onions are not particularly in season right now put it’s on the top of my list for winter vegetables.  This time of the year is not much else going on since the soil on local fields is starting to freeze. You might know them pickled resurfacing in your dirty martini. I remember them from younger years as a young cook in France you could encounter them just about on every menu seeming like a default vegetable a few ones in a classic beef bourgiginone dish, stacked up artfully next to a roasted loup de mer fish dish , nestled into a vegetable casserole and so forth.   

How to gratin
Since I have been in the Francophile mood for the last few days I created an onion gratin dish. Tiny pearl shaped onions which were naturally sweet like candy were the right fit. Well, the peeling step was painstakingly longwinded and defiantly needed patience but was balanced with a few simple recipe steps afterwards. * For starters a few pinches of cayenne and grape-seed oil with fresh bay leaf was all what was needed. I browned the onions on the stove top on low heat setting in a heavy skillet and shook it once every five minutes in this way the pearl onions did not burn and caramelized evenly - the natural sweetness of the onion was enhanced by doing so. A few dashes of aggressively acidic Champagne vinegar balanced that sweetness and gave the little balls a shiny glaze. I transferred the onions into an ovenproof dish and sprinkled with a special reserve Comte cheese over it. I had pre-heated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit were I melted the cheese over the onions – voila

(pearl onions from raw to done)

Chef’s note:
Comte cheese is made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. It is produced in the Franche-Comte region in France.  I love the velvety nature of the cheese when melted and the sharp, nutty scent. 

(pearl onions with cheese just before they're put in the oven) 

Gratin & Co
I served the pearl onion gratin next to tender leafed, buttery, pale-green bibb lettuce dressed with a classic vinaigrette and croutons – doesn’t sound much of a meal but was a perfect fit for a light Sunday evening dinner with a lovely glass of red Bordeaux.

 *There is a quick no-pain way of peeling the little suckers; bring water to boil and drop the unpeeled onions into it. Transfer the onions after 30 seconds with a slotted spoon to an ice water bath. Cut root-top from onions and squeeze on other end – this will pop the onion right out.