Cooking with "Deep Run Roots" by Vivian Howard

MetsFan5 · August 17, 2017

21 hours ago, Shelby said:

You must be my twin. I read like that, too. I get lost in books. Two hours feels like two minutes when I'm reading.

You will not regret buying this book. Like @rotuts said, it's the best cookbook I've ever read.

Well, besides the White Trash cookbooks.......

Me too. I always re-read my books too, often up to 10 times. I bought my husband all of Bourdain's books for Christmas but he hasn't touched them yet. Bummer.

Does anyone recommend easy recipes to start with for someone who isn't an intuitive cook?

The book just came and it is HEAVY! But gorgeous.

Edited August 17, 2017 by MetsFan5 (log)

**Shelby** · August 17, 2017

2 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

Me too. I always re-read my books too, often up to 10 times. I bought my husband all of Bourdain's books for Christmas but he hasn't touched them yet. Bummer.

Does anyone recommend easy recipes to start with for someone who isn't an intuitive cook?

The book just came and it is HEAVY! But gorgeous.

Don't sell yourself short you will do great cooking from this book.

Do you have any fresh veggies that you can get or that are already in your kitchen? The squash pickle salad on pg. 343 is very good and refreshing and not difficult. Honestly, I don't feel like any of the recipes are difficult, but some are time -heavy and you need to plan ahead a bit.

kayb · August 17, 2017

I commend to you the eggs baked in stewed tomatoes. I didn't have country ham but I had proscuitto, which I laid out on parchment on a cookie sheet and baked until it was crispy, for the ham chips on top. Marvelous.

blue_dolphin · August 17, 2017

@MetsFan5, I agree with @Shelby that most of the recipes don't have a super high degree of difficulty. I recommend you peruse the chapters about in-season produce you especially like.

i liked all the salads I've tried. The one with blueberries and cucumber was interesting, pretty and tasty.

There are a number of multi-part recipes, so read them over carefully. For example, the scallops with cocktail tomatoes that Shelby recently made requires you to make the tomatoes at least a week ahead and also requires a batch of grits.

Recipes for preserved items like those tomatoes often make far more than needed for a single recipe. You can easily make smaller batches if you want.

i look forward to hearing about what you try!

Edited August 18, 2017 by blue_dolphin (log)

MetsFan5 · August 18, 2017

Thanks guys! I'm in New Jersey so the corn and tomato recipes are calling out to me now.

caroled · August 18, 2017

On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 3:49 PM, Shelby said:

I knewwwww it I knewwwwwwww it

Shelby, you are such an instigator!... I downloaded my copy onto my NOOK Tuesday night. ( I found my $150 stash of B&N cards i'd been given as gifts. So I spent some wisely!)

**Shelby** · August 18, 2017

1 hour ago, caroled said:

Shelby, you are such an instigator!... I downloaded my copy onto my NOOK Tuesday night. ( I found my $150 stash of B&N cards i'd been given as gifts. So I spent some wisely!)

I'm an only child....what can I say..I have to do all of my instigating here

Be sure and tell us what you think.

Anna N · August 18, 2017

7 hours ago, Shelby said:

I'm an only child....what can I say..I have to do all of my instigating here

And you do a fine job. So fine in fact I am thinking of having you appointed Chief Instigator.

**Shelby** · August 18, 2017

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

And you do a fine job. So fine in fact I am thinking of having you appointed Chief Instigator.

I would wear that crown with pride

blue_dolphin · August 20, 2017

Endive with Watermelon, Pine Nuts, Parmesan & Anchovy from Deep Run Roots p 92.

The recipe title lists pretty much all the ingredients except for lemon juice, orange juice and zest and a bit of dill. This is quick and easy to throw together.

I think this would have been better with a more flavorful watermelon. This one was beautifully red and crisp but not terribly flavorful. Still, there were plenty of flavors and textures in the mix with crisp and bitter endive leaves, salty and umami-filled Parmesan and anchovy, and sweet-tart citrus.

blue_dolphin · August 21, 2017

I finally got around to trying the Cocktail Tomatoes with Brown Butter Scallops (p280) that @Shelby reported on here. I mentioned earlier that I made a half batch and used smallish (2-2.5" diameter) Celebrity tomatoes and I peeled them first. With all the ground spices in the mix, I thought the jar looked more like an aquarium sludge science experiment than anything edible:

Looking directly down into the jar is a bit better

but still,, I was a little scared of it and with Shelby's slightly less than enthusiastic review, I ended up leaving them to marinate for 2 weeks before I was brave enough to cook with them and make the scallop dish.

Happily, I really enjoyed it. The tomatoes are sweet, spicy, garlicky and vinegary with the cumin and coriander flavors coming through clearly. The scallops get dusted with cayenne before being seared and are served over Vivian's foolproof grits which taste especially creamy as they are cooked in milk. I used stone ground white corn grits, hence the pale color. The creamy grits were the perfect balance to the vinegary tomatoes.

I've got a ton more of these tomatoes so I'll have to work on some other applications. I know they're called for in the recipe for Winter Caviar so I'll try that one of these days. They're supposed to be good for at least 3 months in the fridge so I have some time!

blue_dolphin · August 21, 2017

Perfect Peaches with Almond Pesto from Deep Run Roots p 448

Vivian says, "Because these peaches have only a few nuts to hide behind, don't make this if you don't have fragrant, ripe, perfect peaches." Happily, it's perfect peach season around here so I figured I should try it.

My almond pesto looks a bit darker and murkier than the version in the book but it still tastes delicious. In addition to the expected almonds, olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano, it's flavored with orange juice and zest, nutmeg, chili flakes, honey and lemon juice. I look forward to trying the leftovers with pasta.

The recipe says to toss the peach wedges with amaretto. I forgot but went back and drizzled some over the peaches and it adds a nice touch, as do the fried sage leaves.

Very nice with a glass of fino sherry.

blue_dolphin · August 22, 2017

More peach treats from Deep Run Roots - this one is the Country Ham-Wrapped and Roasted Peaches p 456.

Peach wedges get wrapped in thin slices of smoked country ham (I subbed prosciutto) and roasted. They're served on gingered goat cheese (goat cheese, buttermilk & grated, fresh ginger) with a drizzle of balsamic honey and a sprinkle of sweet & spicy pecans (the recipe calls for Viv's Addiction but I used my own pecans based on these Spicy Sweet Walnuts.

Very decadent.

kayb · August 22, 2017

On 8/17/2017 at 7:18 PM, MetsFan5 said:

Thanks guys! I'm in New Jersey so the corn and tomato recipes are calling out to me now.

Not a Deep Run Roots recipe (but I think Vivian would approve of it):

Slice an assortment of tomatoes, salt and put on paper towels to drain.

Cut kernels off three ears of corn. Mix with a half-cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream, some cumin, some chili powder, and a healthy portion of grated cotija cheese

Mix a half-cup of mayo with a cup of grated cheddar.

Brush a pie crust with olive oil. Add a layer of corn mixture, a layer of tomatoes, alternating until you've used them all or the crust is full. Top last layer of tomatoes with the mayo-cheese mixture. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly. Let cool to lukewarm. Try not to eat more than half of it at a setting.

blue_dolphin · August 23, 2017

2 hours ago, kayb said:

Not a Deep Run Roots recipe (but I think Vivian would approve of it):

Slice an assortment of tomatoes, salt and put on paper towels to drain.

Cut kernels off three ears of corn. Mix with a half-cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream, some cumin, some chili powder, and a healthy portion of grated cotija cheese

Mix a half-cup of mayo with a cup of grated cheddar.

Brush a pie crust with olive oil. Add a layer of corn mixture, a layer of tomatoes, alternating until you've used them all or the crust is full. Top last layer of tomatoes with the mayo-cheese mixture. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly. Let cool to lukewarm. Try not to eat more than half of it at a setting.

@kayb - Love the corn/tomato combo! Have you tried the Roasted & Fresh Tomato Pie recipe from Deep Run Roots? I loved it, but it was my first and only tomato pie ! No corn in that one, but I'd love to hear your expert perspective if you've made it.

kayb · August 23, 2017

15 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

@kayb - Love the corn/tomato combo! Have you tried the Roasted & Fresh Tomato Pie recipe from Deep Run Roots? I loved it, but it was my first and only tomato pie ! No corn in that one, but I'd love to hear your expert perspective if you've made it.

I have eyed it, but not yet made it.

blue_dolphin · August 26, 2017

Dinner from Deep Run Roots.

Day-at-the-Beach Pork Picnic with Peach & Melon Salsa p 455

Corn on the cob - Boiled in a Big Pot with Coconut Ginger Butter p 226

Assorted Squash Pickle Salad p 343

I bought a pork picnic roast on sale and was going to cook it as I usually do in the Instant Pot. I bought the smallest one they had but it was still too dang big and I was too lazy to cut it up so I decided to try this recipe - 4-5 hrs in the oven, after seasoning with salt, brown sugar and ground cumin. No big revelation - came out nice and tender as nice fatty pork does I'll portion out the leftovers for pulled pork, etc.

The Peach & Melon Salsa is excellent. If your peaches and watermelon are really ripe, the salsa is not going to hold up for next-day leftovers but the flavors are great. I'd make this on its own to serve as a side or with chips. I might add a jalapeño instead of the chipotle pepper in adobo but it was great as is.

I didn't boil the corn in a big pot (for a small # of ears, I microwave in the husk) but otherwise followed the recipe. Perfect sweet corn doesn't need any adornment in my book but I still really liked this. The cooked corn gets tossed with a mixture of coconut oil, butter, fresh ginger, orange zest, lemon juice, salt and a little hot sauce plus a sprinkle of scallions and mint. All the ginger and other flavors complement the fresh corn rather than covering it up. A winner.

The zucchini pickles have been in the fridge for long enough that the color from the red onions has all vanished into the brine but it all still tastes good.

I wish I had some okra, I bet those Okra Oven Fries would have been just the ticket with this!

**Shelby** · August 28, 2017

Ok, so our garden finally produced some watermelon. I have not seen the inside of one but we gave one to the mother-in-law and she said it was wonderful.

So, I've just been perusing the watermelon section.

The pork shoulder steaks in red curry braised watermelon will be in the near future if I can find some red curry paste somewhere.

@blue_dolphin I have been looking at the watermelon rind pickles....my great gramma used to make these and I didn't really care for them, but then again, I was a little kid so my tastes have surely changed. Were these worth the hassle to you to make? My watermelon is pretty big and if it's not worth it then I'm not sure I want to wrestle with it to peel it lol.

blue_dolphin · August 28, 2017

40 minutes ago, Shelby said:

...

@blue_dolphin I have been looking at the watermelon rind pickles....my great gramma used to make these and I didn't really care for them, but then again, I was a little kid so my tastes have surely changed. Were these worth the hassle to you to make? My watermelon is pretty big and if it's not worth it then I'm not sure I want to wrestle with it to peel it lol.

Here's my 2 cents on the watermelon rind pickles. I liked them and will make them again. I liked the combination of ginger, star anise and citrus peel. Just used up the last of them on a sandwich: leftover Day-at-the-Beach pork roast, grainy mustard and watermelon rind pickle on a crusty roll. Yum! However, they are a sweet condiment and I recall your mentioning that you don't care for sweet pickles so it may not be your thing. Me, I like something like that with cured meats or spicy sausages.

If you decide to try them, consider just a small batch....maybe just enough to try those bacon-wrapped watermelon rind pickles over on the next page ?

When I make them again, I'll probably also do a small batch. Instead of peeling the melon, I'll cut it into good sized (3-4 inch thick) slices, cut out the flesh and then use a sharp knife to trim the green rind off the outside. I might not end up with the same sized pieces shown in the book, but I'm sure they'll be fine. When I made my first batch, I had a really thin rind (1/2" or less from the outer rind to the flesh) on my baby watermelon so I had to cut it into little flat slabs, maybe around 2" square and ~ 1/4" or so thick. They ended up being good to put on a sandwich just no good for wrapping in bacon!

**Shelby** · August 28, 2017

7 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Here's my 2 cents on the watermelon rind pickles. I liked them and will make them again. I liked the combination of ginger, star anise and citrus peel. Just used up the last of them on a sandwich: leftover Day-at-the-Beach pork roast, grainy mustard and watermelon rind pickle on a crusty roll. Yum! However, they are a sweet condiment and I recall your mentioning that you don't care for sweet pickles so it may not be your thing. Me, I like something like that with cured meats or spicy sausages.

If you decide to try them, consider just a small batch....maybe just enough to try those bacon-wrapped watermelon rind pickles over on the next page ?

When I make them again, I'll probably also do a small batch. Instead of peeling the melon, I'll cut it into good sized (3-4 inch thick) slices, cut out the flesh and then use a sharp knife to trim the green rind off the outside. I might not end up with the same sized pieces shown in the book, but I'm sure they'll be fine. When I made my first batch, I had a really thin rind (1/2" or less from the outer rind to the flesh) on my baby watermelon so I had to cut it into little flat slabs, maybe around 2" square and ~ 1/4" or so thick. They ended up being good to put on a sandwich just no good for wrapping in bacon!

Ok, thank you! Good to know. Thanks for the tip about peeling the melon. I've never done that before.

I really don't care for sweet pickles but I do like the squash pickles--I've made 3 batches this summer so far. And, yeah, the only reason I would make the melon pickles is to try the bacon wrapped ones

blue_dolphin · August 28, 2017

On 8/17/2017 at 3:52 PM, kayb said:

I commend to you the eggs baked in stewed tomatoes. I didn't have country ham but I had proscuitto, which I laid out on parchment on a cookie sheet and baked until it was crispy, for the ham chips on top. Marvelous.

Following @kayb's recommendation, I made the Stewed Tomatoes (p 270) and used them in the Stewed Tomato Shirred Eggs with Ham Chips (p 55)

I completely concur with her recommendation. I also used the recommended substitution of prosciutto instead of country ham. Aside from my usual difficulty of overcooked yolks in baked eggs, this was excellent!

My prosciutto took about 20 min to reach that shatteringly crisp stage vs the 12-15 min in the book. And the eggs were more cooked than I wanted when I checked them at 7 min into the 10-12 min cooking time, maybe because I used steam-bake in the CSO instead of a regular oven.

The stewed tomatoes taste great. This recipe absolutely shows off the flavors of good summertime tomatoes. I peeled the tomatoes (not mentioned in the recipe) and diced them (per the recipe) and since I had lovely ripe tomatoes, they pretty much disintegrated into a chunky sauce. Next time, I may dice a few and leave some in larger chunks. Or not - it's a nice sauce, just not exactly what I expected.

You can tell in the jar that I used a mix of yellow and red tomatoes:

I'm tempted to try a batch with just yellow tomatoes although yellow tomato stuff sometimes looks insipid instead of special!

Edited August 28, 2017 by blue_dolphin
to add photo of stewed tomato jar (log)

Martin Fisher · August 29, 2017

9 hours ago, Shelby said:

watermelon rind pickles

We snarfed down a HECK of a lot of then when we were kids!!!

Thanks for the Crepes · August 29, 2017

The watermelon pickles are intriguing to me. I've never had them before, and would be even more amazed that the rinds are edible except for the fact that I've been offering many, many pounds of them to my raccoon buddies over the years. They efficiently snarf them down to the green peels over a few days. I mean these peels look like they have been scraped with a sharp knife. It's astounding, but raccoons will eat many things that at least this human turns her nose up at.

Martin Fisher · August 29, 2017

I'll have to ask my mom exactly how she prepared them, I've forgotten.

They certainly were a cheap homemade treat for kids—or even adults.

:smile:

Thanks for the Crepes · August 29, 2017

11 minutes ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

I'll have to ask my mom exactly how she prepared them, I've forgotten.

They certainly were a cheap homemade treat for kids—or even adults.

You are very lucky to be able to ask your mom, and I'll be interested in her answer.

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