Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard

[Anna N]

OMG @Shelby didn't think anyone could make collards greens look so DAMN good.  May have to dip my foot into the dark side of collard greens.   But I have a huge rutabaga that I am going to tackle this week.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

My copy is waiting for me at the library.

 

[blue_dolphin]

15 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

My copy is waiting for me at the library.

 

I look forward to your impressions.  I'm still rationing my reading to make it last longer.  I rarely read through the full text of all the recipes, even those that don't appeal to me, but I'm doing it here!

 

David Lebovitz features the Party Magnet (aka cheese ball) recipe on his blog today.  Coincidentally, I planned to make that one today and have the cheeses sitting out on the counter to warm up.

[blue_dolphin]

10 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

David Lebovitz features the Party Magnet (aka cheese ball) recipe on his blog today.

 

I made one recipe of the cheese ball and divided it into 4 little 2.5 oz balls.  Two were rolled in the butter roasted pecans and parsley as per the recipe and two had the pecans incorporated with the cheeses and were rolled in crumbled bacon and parsley.   

Here's a one of the bacon balls with some triscuits for scale:

The small size is nice.  I could put it out with some crackers and crudités before dinner for a couple of people without having it become dinner....not that there's anything wrong with that....

I liked the combination of cheeses, a little hot sauce, dates for sweetness and nuts for crunch.  Like a little cheese plate in a ball !

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I put All under Heaven temporarily aside and have been perusing Deep Run Roots.  I always love it when I am the first one for a new cookbook copy from the library.  No gravy stains so far.

 

Nice writing and Howard seems to be my kind of gastronome.  First ingredient she calls out for is Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.  Her dairy is whole fat!  Love her new word:  "acid-dicted" -- "I use a lot of vinegar and fresh citrus..."

 

Speaking as one whose groceries today included a bag of lemons, a bag of limes, and a liter of vinegar.  (If anyone cares, the other items were lettuce, a potato, and a bulb of garlic.)  Always a liter of vinegar on my table.

 

[Anna N]

So far all I have managed to make is the rutabaga using parmesan rinds rather than bacon.  After two weeks away I came back to two weeks that seem to be crammed with appointments that should take only an hour or so but end up eating up most of the day.   After the end of next week things should once again settle down and I can begin to do some serious cooking I hope.   In the meantime I will live vicariously. 

 Cheese Balls have never had the slightest appeal but every time I look at @blue_dolphin's interpretation I am ready to have my mind changed. 

[Smithy]

4 hours ago, Anna N said:

So far all I have managed to make is the rutabaga using parmesan rinds rather than bacon.  After two weeks away I came back to two weeks that seem to be crammed with appointments that should take only an hour or so but end up eating up most of the day.   After the end of next week things should once again settle down and I can begin to do some serious cooking I hope.   In the meantime I will live vicariously. 

 Cheese Balls have never had the slightest appeal but every time I look at @blue_dolphin's interpretation I am ready to have my mind changed. 

 

I already have a surfeit of new, basically unexplored cookbooks thanks to you enablers who routinely point out Kindle bargains. Had no intention of looking into this book, but I confess that I'm weakening.  The cheese ball looks wonderfully enticing to me (even as I wonder to whom I'd feed it) and the advocacy for acid, as well as the testament to her writing, makes me think I may need to look into this book.  I may be able to get past the ultra-specificity for things like sourced sea salt. Maybe our library has it.

[rotuts]

I don't think VH uses 

 

""  ultra-specificity for things like sourced sea salt. "

 

I looked up salt in the Index and got Viv's Addiction  a Rx for Salt and Butter Roasted Pecan's  pp. :  133

 

ingredient # 2 is  :  " 2 teaspoons salt "

 

[ed.: this is for 4 cups pecan halves or pieces , # 8 , and last on the Rx ]

 

Go for it !

[Shelby]

I'm tellin' ya, @Smithy, I have read every word in this book.  Her writing is captivating and real.  This is a book that one should have.  IMO.  I cannot wait until next summer when I (hopefully) have more veggies etc. to use.  This book will be front and center.

[blue_dolphin]

34 minutes ago, Smithy said:

 

I already have a surfeit of new, basically unexplored cookbooks thanks to you enablers who routinely point out Kindle bargains. Had no intention of looking into this book, but I confess that I'm weakening.  The cheese ball looks wonderfully enticing to me (even as I wonder to whom I'd feed it) and the advocacy for acid, as well as the testament to her writing, makes me think I may need to look into this book.  I may be able to get past the ultra-specificity for things like sourced sea salt. Maybe our library has it.

 

I enthusiastically second @Shelby's recommendation.  I've gotten equal enjoyment reading the book and cooking from it.  Last week, I was going in circles at the farmer' s market:  cucumbers! blueberries! figs! collards! corn! tomatoes! - everything reminded me of a recipe I wanted to try from the book.

 

I'd recommend you get the Kindle version (only $16.99 - such a deal ) so you can access the recipes when you are on the road and come across ingredients you'd like to try.  The book itself is just too honking big to haul around!

 

I tried the cheese ball because I liked her suggestion to double the recipe and freeze one ahead of holiday parties but also because I thought the flavor combination went above and beyond most that I've tried.  Indeed, the goat cheese adds complexity and the butter gives it that wonderful mouthfeel.  If you want to try it instead of getting the book, the recipe is here. 

 

The Guatemalan salt thing came from Taste & Techniqueby Naomi Pomeroy.  Vivian says she uses Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for most everything and occasionally uses sea salt for finishing.  

[Smithy]

Ah, no wonder rotuts was confused about the salt thing.  Thanks for setting me straight about that being a different book, blue_dolphin.  Y'all are making an excellent case for why I should get this (Kindle version) book!                   

[Shelby]

23 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Ah, no wonder rotuts was confused about the salt thing.  Thanks for setting me straight about that being a different book, blue_dolphin.  Y'all are making an excellent case for why I should get this (Kindle version) book!                   

*Chanting*

 

Go, Smithy, Go!

Go, Smithy, Go!

Go, Smithy, Go!

[Shelby]

I'm hoping that my mom isn't reading this.  I really want to get this for her for Christmas....she will love it, but she might beat me to it and buy it for herself.

 

DON'T READ THIS MOM LOL.

[rotuts]

Lets Review , @Shelby :

 

Buy now , Card Later.

 

I just made that up Now.  Right off the Top of my Head   [ed.: pls see SNL  ' Debates " ]

 

exhausting work.

 

might be time for a little M.R,

[blue_dolphin]

I was telling my cousin about all the recipes I've made and she asked for the book for Christmas.  I'd like to give the Kindle version to my brother so I'll have to figure out how to do that.

I have a group of friends that I usually exchange gifts with and I'd love to give them the book along with something I've made from it, like a jar of the jalapeño-peach glaze or a cheese ball but the book is a little pricy for me to do that.  Maybe I'll give them the food item along with a strong suggestion that they treat themselves to the book !

[rotuts]

@blue_dolphin  

 

I think something you made from the book ( or any book ) is a far better gift than something that show up from Amazon, et.al

 

it shows you've spent your own time with something they might appreciate.

 

just consider adding the Rx  jpg  and a jpg  of the Front cover for them

 

then its up to them !

 

your are sending the them both the  Gift of your Time , and your enthusiasm for This Book

Edited October 20, 2016 by rotuts (log)

[Anna N]

 Was gifted some lovely collard greens and just picked up a ham hock. Have the ingredients, just hoping somebody will gift me the time. After tomorrow it looks like I might have few free days. 

[blue_dolphin]

10 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Was gifted some lovely collard greens and just picked up a ham hock. Have the ingredients, just hoping somebody will gift me the time. After tomorrow it looks like I might have few free days. 

Collards do keep pretty well.  I suspect they will wait for you.  

[chefmd]

Don't know if this was already posted, but here is the link to PBS website where they have a good number of her recipes posted.  I was happy to see recipes for mashed rutabaga and tomato pie.  Oh my!

 

http://www.pbs.org/food/features/a-chefs-life-recipes

[blue_dolphin]

17 minutes ago, chefmd said:

Don't know if this was already posted, but here is the link to PBS website where they have a good number of her recipes posted.  I was happy to see recipes for mashed rutabaga and tomato pie.  Oh my!

 

http://www.pbs.org/food/features/a-chefs-life-recipes

 

The tomato pie is killer!

[Shel_B]

If you've been enjoying Vivian's book and, perhaps, watching her show, maybe you've cultivated a curiosity about southern cooking. 

Here, also on PBS, is a season of Mind of a Chef devoted to Southern Cooking.  This show is an excellent compliment to Vivian's show.

[Anna N]

 

 Doesn't look nearly as good as @Shelby's creamed collards. Stewed the collards yesterday and made the pickled stems so this was easy to pull together tonight.  Inevitably it closely resembles the kale and sausage soup I have had for a few days in a row.  The pickled stems were interesting but I found them to be too sweet. Probably would not make this again but I would no longer run away from collard greens and their liquor   but my drink of choice will remain a 12-year-old  Balvenie.  

[Wayne]

 

I finally made cabbage rolls substituting collards for the cabbage. Leaves were trimmed, blanched and shocked. The filling was rice, ground beef and pork, onions, herbs and seasoning. Simmered, in this version, for 45 minutes in a tomato based sauce.

Sorry no photo.

This worked really well. Collards were tender yet retained enough structural integrity for slicing. I think I prefer the collards to cabbage (better flavour).

A keeper.

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

The recipe titled "Breakfast in the Car" makes a vanilla pecan butter that's used to make roll-ups with flattened whole wheat bread and sliced banana.  

Since I didn't need to eat this in the car, I toasted the multigrain bread and added a drizzle of hot honey to my version.  

Today's second breakfast:

Tasty stuff, that vanilla pecan butter!

Edited to add that I made the nut butter in my Blendtec with the Twister jar.  It's a perfect tool for nut butters.  The recipe called for 1/2 a vanilla bean.  I can taste the vanilla but wouldn't mind more.  No doubt this is partially due to a measuring issue that could have been avoided with weights instead of cups.  The recipe called for 2 cups of pecans.  I had pecan halves and pieces so I used a little less but still wound up with a full cup of nut butter when the recipe estimated a yield of 1/2 cup.  Finally, pecans are rather pricy these days (I notice Trader Joe's is offering only 1/2 lb bags, no doubt to lessen the sticker-shock) so pecan butter is unlikely to become a pantry staple for me but I'll enjoy this while I have it.  Should be delish smeared on tart, crisp apple slices.

Edited October 25, 2016 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Okanagancook]

Page 412, Gumbo Sauce with shrimp and grits.

I just made the gumbo sauce sans le shrimp seeing I plan on freezing the sauce and then cooking the shrimp fresh when I pull it out to use.

This is a very easy recipe and the flavours are as she describes, fresh and light for a gumbo.

My okra weren't cooked after the directed 20 to 25 minutes and my sauce wasn't reduced enough....perhaps I did not simmer it hard enough.  Anyways, I cooked it all at a higher simmer for a further 30 minutes and everything was perfect.

Here are a few picks of the mis en place, the onions and peppers cooking and the almost final product....it boiled for another 10 minutes after this picture.

 

And I have my eye on the red pea and onion gravy on page 162.  Looks intriguing and is a unique idea to incorporate more dried peas, beans and lentils in ones diet seeing this is forefront in Canadian news these days.