Create my meal – the game

[Lisa Shock]

Ok, so, the slaw had boiled dressing from the 1952 Joy of Cooking. It's Boiled Dressing #3. The instructions call for "juice" without specifying what sort, twice. I used lime juice for the main base, and at the end where it says to thin with more juice, or cream, I used cream. The finished dressing was very much like key lime pie, just not quite set as much. The wateriness of the cabbage cut the intensity of the dressing and it was really good. My mind kept expecting a bitter finish and it never came.

 

For the soup, I par cooked the beans separately. I sauteed the salted  leek and then the celery and added a couple quarts of water and let it simmer for a half hour. I found a partial can of tomatoes in the fridge, about a third, tossed that in, cut off a small cube of the parm and added that, then added the beans and simmered for another 20 minutes. I adjusted the salt, and added the pasta and cooked until done. The finished soup was nice and light, with good green flavor. I admit, I like adding a lot of pasta! I was surprised at how much flavor the cheese rind imparted, it was barely a cubic centimeter.

 

The Fekkas were pretty easy to make, but, I had to make a couple of recipe adjustments. I used THIS recipe, but never needed the 1/2 cup orange blossom water or milk. As a nod to it, I did put a teaspoon of orange water in with the eggs at the beginning. I soaked the raisins because several other recipes called for it, and I dislike burnt raisin rocks in my baked goods. I just used 10g of anise seeds. -I was measuring and 50-60g just seemed like too much; this dough has sesame seeds and almonds in it and I wanted to taste those too. This was a good move, the end result was a cookie that was lightly fragrant with anise. I made 5 loaves which all fit on one sheet pan, they only rose about 20%. On the second bake,  I wound up with two sheet pans jammed with cookies, next time I will slice them thinner and probably get 3 pans worth. Use a light hand and a sharp serrated knife when cutting. The bake time given, 5 minutes per side, was woefully inadequate, I wound up doing 20 minutes per side. The recipe writer is wrong: the bake time is more affected by how thickly you slice than oven temp variances. The fekkas are a dry crunchy cookie, a little like biscotti, but, more crumbly and less tooth-shatteringly hard. If I had to change anything, I would have more aggressively toasted my almonds before chopping.

 

Pictures credits: china 'Cameo Platinum' by Mikasa, flatware 'Balance' by Gourmet Settings

 

Edited July 20, 2016 by Lisa Shock (log)

[FauxPas]

That looks lovely, Lisa! 

 

OK we have a lot of appointments over the next few days, so any chance you would like to go next, @Smithy ? Please do, if you are up to it! 

 

Else, my list would contain fresh produce from our latest CSA farm box plus some stuff that needs to get used. 

 

 

 

 

[Smithy]

@FauxPas, I'm so terribly sorry! I'm called out of the house, quite unexpectedly, for a couple of days and won't be able to cook at all. It's too bad, because we have a bunch of stuff that needs ideas. @Lisa Shock, thanks so much for your elucidation on the food. Nicely done! I'm looking forward to trying fekkas for myself, soon.

 

[FauxPas]

OK, here goes. I really need to use up some fresh produce! Between farmers' markets and the CSA box, I am drowning in fruits and veggies. I'm cheating a bit by combining some foods to create a ten-item list. OK, I can't even stick to that, sorry!  

 

Fruit - blueberries, cherries, raspberries, peaches

onions with greens

cabbage

kohlrabi

red carrots 

lettuce - romaine + leaf

sugar peas

green beans

tomatoes 

new potatoes

cucumbers

cottage cheese, ricotta, water buffalo yogurt

Ribs -  either country-style pork ribs or beef short ribs

chicken wings

 

various pantry items like garbanzo beans, rice, panko crumbs, nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pecans) 

 

Edited to add: This would probably be for tomorrow's dinner as tonight's is already committed. I have an Instant Pot (pressure cooker + slow cooker) and also the Cuisinart steam-convection oven. Also a BBQ. Would prefer not to have to use a big oven, but will consider anything! Also, I'm not in Tucson right now, need to update my location in my profile. 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2016 by FauxPas (log)

[sartoric]

Chicken wings in a red sauce, slaw with cabbage, kohlrabi and carrots.

My husbands Italian grandfather used to make a big batch of wings in the pressure cooker, lots of onions, garlic, tomato and chilli. He always served them with pasta, I like them with medium grain rice.

[Kerry Beal]

I'm thinking an 'everything' quiche or frittata (cottage cheese etc slipped in there), summer torte for dessert with all those berries, a salad of course!

[FauxPas]

I really like these ideas! We are going out for dinner with friends, so will check again later tonight. 

[Lisa Shock]

Not trying to win again, just trying to be helpful. In times of plenty of vegetables, I like to make vegetable korma and freeze it. Just don't use potato in the portions to be frozen -potato is great in korma, but does not freeze well. Generally, I freeze in rectangular containers, pop out the next day and then vacuum seal. That way, the frozen foods stack really well.

 

I'd also consider making some sorbet and putting that away for winter, you'll really appreciate it then.

 

One way to use up cabbage, plus other veg, is to make eggrolls. People don't think to make them at home, but, they are delicious. Just make sure to really get the water out of the filling before rolling. (I will often salt the cabbage a few hours in advance, the run it through a salad spinner to get rid of excess moisture. Thinly slicing then roasting in the oven prior to stir frying works, too.

 

BTW, the fekkas were great for breakfast. Lots of protein, kept me going all morning. I just ate a couple with tea. Tomorrow, i am going to try the children's breakfast of broken fekkas in milk.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Lisa Shock (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

If I didn't have a lot of time to cook, I'd put the country style ribs in my slow cooker with barbecue sauce and let them go on low all day. I don't know how this would work with a thick sweet sauce like most of the commercial ones, but it works great with Eastern NC style light vinegar based sauce. Then all they need is a quick run under a hot broiler or on a grill to crisp up and brown.

 

You could make a nice salad with your leaf lettuce, a little sliced green onion top, raspberries, and any of the other fruits you wanted. I like to dress this kind of salad with a light vinaigrette that's slightly sweet with sugar, honey or pomegranate molasses. I don't put herbs in a dressing intended for fruit. Toasted and lightly salted pecans would make a fine garnish.

 

Buttered new potatoes, which I hear are very good cooked in the steam oven, and sauteed sugar snap peas to round out the meal.

 

Edited to add a link to my recipe for Eastern style NC BBQ sauce.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Thanks for the Crepes (log)

[blue_dolphin]

For a first course, you could use the peaches, cherries, leaf lettuce and almonds or hazelnuts to make a variation of this CHEF CORINA WEIBEL’S BURRATA WITH ROASTED STONE FRUITS AND BLACK CHERRY AGRODOLCE.  Sub some of your ricotta for the burrata.

 

I'd rub the country-style ribs with smoked salt and cook them in the Instant Pot with a quick broil in the Cuisi or on your grill.  You could cook down a few of those berries or other fruit with honey or sugar and some fresh jalapeño or dried chili flakes to make a sweet-hot glaze to brush on before broiling.  Or grab some preserves from your pantry.

I'd make a slaw with the cabbage, kohlrabi and sugar snap peas (I'm assuming the sugar peas are of the edible pod variety) and some grated onion.

Cook some of the new potatoes in the IP and roast some green beans and sliced onions in the Cuisi and make a potato salad in a dressing that includes whole grain mustard if you have it.

 

If you don't do that first course, you could make some honey broiled peaches in the Cuisi steam oven like these nectarines I made for breakfast the other day and serve for dessert. Top with a little ricotta and a drizzle of honey or serve them with some vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of good balsamic vinegar.

Edited July 21, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[kayb]

I'd saute the country style ribs with onions in the Instant Pot, and then braise them on the slow cook function in some hard cider. Slaw in a honey mustard viniagrette with cabbage, kohlrabi and carrots. Warm potato salad with sugar snap peas and green beans, with a yogurt-lemon-dill dressing. Fresh fruit with creme anglaise for dessert.

 

[FauxPas]

You guys are amazing!!! What fun to participate in this and I am going to try some of those suggestions another time, but for tonight I am going with @Kerry Beal's suggestion, partly because I also have some eggs to use up. I think it's also the most manageable as I have to be out quite a bit today. 

 

I really appreciate the suggestions for the country-style ribs as my husband won four packages of them at a meat draw. Four generous packages, at that. So I will be coming back for those. 

 

Every one of you gave me things that I think I could make and enjoy. Thank you so much! 

 

So @Kerry Beal, if you can find time in that busy schedule, give us your list!!! 

[Kerry Beal]

I'll get Anna working on the list as this will be a joint effort!

[Anna N]

So it was a joint effort

 

Way too much whey

Fruit:. Sour cherries, blueberries, red currants, raspberries, mango

Frozen scallops and a very few shrimp

Cheeses of the world - no blue I ate it all!

1 corn cob

Lettuce

Couple of tomatoes

Fresh garlic

Kimchi

Eggs, butter, milk, cream

Bacon

Baby and sweet potatoes

Usual pantry items

 

Instant Pot

Ciusinart Steam Oven

Thermomix 31

2 Anova

Stand mixers, immersion blenders - most usual kitchen gear

Mini-green egg

 

Kerry may want to amend when she gets a minute. 

[Shelby]

22 hours ago, sartoric said:

Chicken wings in a red sauce, slaw with cabbage, kohlrabi and carrots.

My husbands Italian grandfather used to make a big batch of wings in the pressure cooker, lots of onions, garlic, tomato and chilli. He always served them with pasta, I like them with medium grain rice.

More details on the wings, please  .  Brown them first?  When you say chili, you mean they were spicy?  I need to make this.

[sartoric]

I don't bother browning them, just sauté onions, garlic and chilli (flakes, powder, paste, whatever you have) add fresh or canned tomatoes, salt, pepper and water. Simmer long and slow, or use the pressure cooker for a faster result.

[Lisa Shock]

How about 'Mato Sammidges'?  With german potato salad, and pastry cream tossed with fruit for dessert?

[FauxPas]

@Anna N, too bad you don't have more shrimp to make a seafood stock. You could make a nice seafood chowder, perhaps? A creamy one with the scallops, shrimp, corn, potatoes, garlic, bacon. And isn't whey a pretty good addition to some stocks? (I don't know much about using it, I'm afraid, but read that it's good in stocks somewhere.) 

[sartoric]

Scallop mornay, warm potato salad with bacon, green salad. Crusty bread, you might have to bake it...

[kayb]

Bacon-wrapped grilled scallops with a brandied cherry sauce on the side; green salad with tomatoes; cheese course with some of Kerry's chocolate for dessert!

[FauxPas]

I'm really falling asleep right now, but wanted to at least post the dinner pics.

 

We started with a basic salad with red-and-green butter lettuce, kohlrabi, cucumber, sugar peas, radishes, tomatoes. 

 

Instead of an egg-based casserole, I went with a layered veggie casserole based on a Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I added a tomato layer, and used the herbs I had (basil and parsley). Served this with some green beans cooked with onion, garlic and tomatoes. Neither of these look very pretty in the pics, but they were both very tasty! 

 

I made a berry torte for dessert, it was lovely! Based on a King Arthur Flour recipe. I used raspberries, blueberries and cherries. Delicious, we had it with a bit of ice cream. 

 

I feel like I made a pretty good dent in all the produce I had around! Thanks again! 

 

[Okanagancook]

Nice job.  Looks pretty 'adequate' to me!

[lindag]

I'm jealous that you have red snapper available where you are.  When I lived in Portland it was plentiful; not so in Montana.  I've never seen red snapper here, even at Costco which has an abundance of fish at all times.  I wonder why.

 

[Kerry Beal]

Sartoric - need a ruling according to Hoyle. Can we take one idea from one person and another from another?

 

 

[FauxPas]

8 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

Sartoric - need a ruling according to Hoyle. Can we take one idea from one person and another from another?

 

 

 

Don't see why not, Lisa did that and it worked out really well. It gave either Smithy or me the chance to do the next turn and Smithy was busy with some stuff, so I went next. But I defer to Sartoric's rules!  Ha.