Geaux Saints Gumbo

One of my favorite things about Fall is the beginning of the football season. I happen to love watching the games and hosting parties to accompany them. Needless to say, this past Thursday was the kickoff of the season, matching last year's Super Bowl Champions (New Orleans Saints) against the Minnesota Vikings. I am a devout Packer fan; my husband and friends are Vikings, so it always sets the drama for an interesting matchup twice a year. So, with no emotional stake in this particular game, I could relax and enjoy. Having prepared the meal in advance allowed me the opportunity to share the cheers & jeers with my guests.

 

The game was held at the home of the Saints. It's fun to plan your menu with the regional cuisine of the hosting team, so Louisiana Cajun it was. The pre-game festivities on TV were like Mardi Gras, perfect to have in the background to set the mood. A spicy pot of Gumbo would be aromatic and easy to eat perched on the couch. To get started, you're going to spent a little time prepping and over the stove top so pour yourself a glass of wine, mine was Pierre Ponelle Pinot Noir.

 

Gather & dice (large bite size) the “Trinity” of Cajun-Creole cooking- bell pepper (1 green, 2 red), onions (2), and celery (8 stalks). Saute these vegetables in in a Dutch oven pot while making your roux. This is done by cooking flour in oil or butter until it turns nut-brown or darker. The roux provides flavor, color and thickening for the gumbo. Use equal amounts of each, 1/2 cup will be enough for this recipe, but while you're going through the effort, make more and freeze the remaining for later use. Heat the oil, I used duck fat for a richer flavor, then sprinkle the flour into the oil while stirring briskly with a wire whisk. The important thing to remember about roux is that you must cook it slowly over low heat, continuing to stir. When the roux is thick and caramel colored, not oily and rolls along the pan like bread dough, it is ready, usually the time it takes to drink a glass of wine or around 20 minutes.  Remove from heat. Add a large scoop full of roux into the Trinity that has been lightly cooked. Stir in 1 - 2 quarts of stock. I used truffle, but chicken or pork will work. Once it's all blended well, let it simmer while prepping the rest of the ingredients. 

 

Okra is where the thick soup gets it’s name. I know many don't like the slimey texture, but select small, young pods and cut with an extremely sharp knife that slices without crushing the okra and you will get the thickening and flavor without the goo. Carefully slice about 8 okra or use a bag of frozen if you have to. Throw into soup pot. Chop a few hands full of greens, I used collards, but spinach or swiss chard would work well. I also had a bundle of asparagus, so snapped that into small pieces and threw those in the pot. Give it stir and taste for seasoning. Minced garlic, cayenne pepper, thyme and smoked paprika was my addition.
Now for the meat...use the meat you like: chicken, sausage, shrimp, just not beef. I don't know why, but it just doesn't work. I added 4 sliced links of Andoulie sausage, 1 chunked smoked chicken breast and 6 slices of crispy fried pancetta. Throw it in the soup, cover and let simmer. It will get thicker and the flavors will meld the longer you cook it. Cook up enough rice for a scoop for every guest. Put the rice in a tubberware dish to warm later when ready to serve.

See how it cooks down..

A cheese tray for the appetizer and Banana Foster Bread Pudding in the oven for dessert and I was ready for football. An occassional stir and sample during commercials was all that was needed. I also added 2 lbs of shrimp about a half hour before we ate; that way it doesn't get overcooked and chewy. During half time, we warmed up the rice, put a scoop in the middle of a bowl and ladled the gumbo around it. Popped open a bottle of 1999 Chateau Ausone and back in our seats in time to watch the Saints beat the Vikings...sorry guys!!

Château Ausone St. Emilion 1999 was an amazing wine!!! I have to say it was definately one of the best wines I have had. Not only was the taste great but the aroma was complex and luscious, you just wanted to hold the glass to your nose forever. Robert Parker thinks it won't be ready to drink until 2015...can't even imagine it gets better than this. Thank you Terry & Lynette for sharing this bottle from your cellar.

Varietal Cabernet Franc, Merlot Category Red Wine Region France : Bordeaux : St. Emilion Producer Château Ausone Wine Advocate Is the 1999 Ausone the wine of the vintage? Dense purple color, a compelling bouquet of licorice, minerals, black and blueberry liqueur, extraordinary delineation, high tannin, superb extract, and phenomenal richness all are the stuff of a legend. This wine seems impossible to have emerged from a vintage like 1999. Proprietor Alain Vauthier produced only 20,000 bottles because he eliminated one-fourth of the tiny crop. The result is out-and-out fabulous, but the wine needs 12-15 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2050. Score: 95. —Robert Parker, Wine Spectator Solid for the vintage. Plenty of mineral, berry and cherry aromas. Full-bodied, with fine tannins and a very long and fruity finish. Very fine. Score: 91-94. —James Suckling, 2000.

Pickles in the 'Frig

I love pickles, all types of pickles: cornichons, kosher, dill, sweet, spicy. It all began with that first sour dill pulled out of the crock in my grandparents root cellar. Not even my fear of spiders could keep me away from a frequent raid of that moldy brine. As a grew older, dozens and dozens of glass jars would fill my counters. I experimented with different vinegars and spices. Unfortunately, my busy schedule caused an abrupt stop to my preserving. The search for the perfect store bought pickle was long and arduous, finding suitable pickles but none gave me the shiver of home-made. It took until the early 2000's to discover Rick's Picks. Rick Field grew up making traditional pickles with his family in Vermont and now produces a line of pickled vegetables full of flavor and imagination. His Smokra, Curried Green Tomatoes, Wasabeans and The People's Pickle are favorites of mine. Today as I stared at the row of his pickles on the shelf at "The Market", the urge to make my own bubbled to the surface. SeedTime & Harvest had delivered fresh produce this morning, so I ran home with a basket full of cukes, garlic and dill.

With no crock or jars and limited time, I decided to make refrigerator dills. A very simple way to create enough pickles to tame a few weeks worth of cravings without taking up too much 'frig space. The fresher your cucumber, the crisper they will be. Select ones that have "warts" and no yellowing. Throw in your sink and cover with ice water, this will further the crispness of your pickle. While they soak, peel your garlic cloves and trim the ends. You can mince them for a stronger garlic bite, but I prefer them whole for use in salads or bloody mary's at a later time. Mix equal parts vinegar & water, enough to eventually fully cover your cukes.  Experiment with your vinegars for different flavors, however, I do find that good old cider vinegar works the best. Whisk in a couple tablespoons of canning salt and a dollop of mustard (optional, but I love the extra bite it gives). Do not use table salt, it will turn your pickles dark, and the anti-caking agents may turn the pickling liquid cloudy.

Grab a glass baking dish or large bowl. Plastic and metal will re-act to the vinegar and cause a steely taste. Put down a layer of dill heads, half the garlic, a generous sprinkling of pickling spice and a hot pepper. Lay your cukes, fitting them in tightly. Tuck the rest of the dill, garlic and another pepper for a spicier bite on top. Pour in the brine, making sure the cukes are fully submerged. Top with a plate and a clean garden rock for weight. Into the 'frig they go for about a week. I like to shake and test every couple of days. Now we wait for that first delicious, mouth-puckering bite. For those with little patience, you can slice into rounds or spears to speed up the process, but then you miss that squirt in the face. Ahhh, the simple pleasures of life...

Eggplant Parmigiano

My husband anxiously awaits the cutting of the first glorious purple eggplant. Eggplant Parmigiano is one of his favorite dishes. Each time I prepare it, even though it changes depending what the garden tempts me with, he says it is the best ever. So, I will share recipe version 26 with you...
It all starts in my garden. If you don't have a green thumb, head to your local farmers market or a grocer who keeps fresh produce. Gather a medium sized eggplant, (not too soft, should have shiny skin), a few tomatoes, fennel bulb, a couple green or yellow bell peppers, chives or yellow onion, bulb garlic and fresh herbs (basil, thyme & oregano).
Start your grill while prepping the veggies. This step is optional, but a bit of grilled veggie taste adds to the balance of sweet and bitter. Cut the fronds off the fennel bulb and de-seed the peppers, rub with a little olive oil and throw on top shelf of grill. While they cook, slice the eggplant into thick rounds, about half a finger length. Coat the slices in beaten egg, then a mixture of equal parts of flour & cornmeal. generously sprinkle with garlic powder & pepper. Saute in olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Let cool. Perfect timing to go out and turn your veggies on the grill.
Finish prepping the other veggies, thinly slice the onion, the tomato a little thicker, peel the garlic bulbs and mince the herbs. Slice mozzarella, grate parmigiano regiano and ready your marinara (use your favorite brand (Rao's) or make your own). I mixed the "parm" with a little fresh cream and reduced into a thick alfredo-style sauce, but once again, this is optional. Rescue the grilled veggies, slice the fennel and chunk the peppers.
Now the fun begins...let's assemble.

Spray or lightly oil the baking dish, I prefer glass, it bakes more evenly and you can peek at the action as it bakes. Lay unbaked lasagna sheet ( I used Rossi Pasta Spinach & Basil flavor), it acts as a buffer and sucks up the moisure from the eggplant as it cooks. Obviously, the eggplant rounds are next, then tomato, pepper, fennel, onion ( I used a layer of fresh chives because they are so plentiful in the garden right now), a whole garlic bulb, thyme and basil. Then carefully spoon your marinara over the top. Finish with mozzarella round garnished with oregano and random spoonfuls of parm-cream. Bake until bubbly and golden. Don't overcook, you want the eggplant to still have texture and to be able to reheat the leftovers without that "burnt" flavor. Let it sit and cool a bit after taking it out of the oven to let the flavors set up.  Open a bottle of Italian Red or California cab and savor your labor!

Tribute to my Grandmother

My passion for food began as a little girl in my grandmothers kitchen.
Standing on a wooden stool, just tall enough to watch her drop ingredient
after ingredient into a pot, not all at once, but with some mysterious
timing only she knew. The cooper pots hung above our heads, the radio on the
mangle was barely heard above the sizzle and her apron pockets were filled
with matches, spoons for tasting and snips of herbs from grandpa's garden.
I was mesmorized by the aromas. She would put everything under my nose,
sometimes just one, then two combined..."See how they smell so good
together!", she would say. I couldn't wait until I was big enough to start
cooking, but I had so much fun being her "little helper" that the time
passed quickly before I had the honor of preparing a meal for her...

That morning was Mother's Day. Grandpa woke me up even before the robins had
starting singing. We quietly slipped out to the garden to cut rhubarb. He
shared his plan to surprise grandma with breakfast in bed. We would have to
work fast because she would be rising soon. After a large mess, we managed
to make rhubarb scones out of a recipe from the famous red & white checkered
cookbook, cooked bacon strips, carefully pouring the remaining fat into the
coffee can. I poured grapefruit juice into glasses, while he cut lilacs and
put them into a glass milk jug.

Once the tray was carefully arranged , I opened the door to their bedroom,
jumping on the bed. "Happy Mother's Day Grandma",I gleefully yelled,
"Wake-up, Wake-up!" The three of us sat under the covers together, dropping
crumbs all over the blankets. She gave me big hugs and kisses, saying how
proud she was of me. Even though I was really only Grandpa's helper this
time, and of course, Grandma faked she was still sleeping while we cooked,
to me, this was my first solo kitchen flight not under her wings.

This was a special Mother's Day for both of us. Years later, I would find
myself laughing with my own children as we shared a bedroom brunch. The
tradition continues....