Plum Galette

I make quiches often. They're relatively easy, I can add whatever I have in the garden, and we usually have fresh eggs. It's a good fall back meal. Though while trimming the access pastry away from the crust, I end up with a small dilemma. There is often too much to throw away, but not enough to make another normal sized crust. So, I usually take the excess, form it into a small disk, wrap it up, and throw it in the freezer. Out of sight out of mind. Then I end up with a heap of mini pastry dough disks floating around aimlessly in the freezer.

This time I did something very unusual. I stepped out of my painfully predictable routine and restrained myself from adding another little disk to the heap. Here we have arrived at galettes.

The French use the term to describe a free form, flat, flaky pastry. They are a joy to eat, a tad disheveled, and at the same time, impressive. A wonderful use for extra pastry dough. You can fill them with almost anything you desire, savory or sweet.

I happened to have a handful of ripe organic plums, which thankfully offered their services. Apples, figs, peaches, pears or persimmons could have easily taken up the same role. Either way, it's difficult to go wrong.

Here is a link to Chez Pim, a blog I enjoy, with a brief video on making a galette with almond butter. I kept things even simpler by adding little more than a touch of butter, cinnamon, honey and pecans.

Plum Galette:

*Excess pastry dough from one quiche (see recipe below)

*1 organic plum, sliced in thin sections

*pinch of cinnamon

*1 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, divided into small pieces

*1 tsp. honey

*2 Tbsp pecan pieces

Basic pastry crust: (makes enough for one quiche, and one small galette, or one large galette)

*1 1/4 cups organic flour

*8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter

*1/2 tsp sea salt

*3-4 Tbsp ice water

Place flour and salt in a food processor fitted with a blade. Blend. Add the cold butter and blend to a course meal. With blade running, slowly add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until dough forms. Transfer dough onto a floured work surface. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Remove from freezer and unwrap. Return to floured work surface. Roll dough to desired thickness, about 1/4 inch. Place in a pie dish if making a pie or quiche and trim away edges. Use trimmings for a small galette or use entire pastry recipe for a larger version.

Preheat oven to 350. Reform dough into a disk (if using trimmings). Roll out to 1/4 thickness. Transfer to a small baking sheet. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon. Arrange plum slices in center of dough circle.

Fold edges inward toward the plums to create an outer crust. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon and bits of the tablespoon of butter. Drizzle with honey and top with pecan pieces.

Bake until fruit bubbles and crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Easy as. . .

one,

two,

three,

*Save the bones, heads, and any stray meat to make stock. Makes a beautiful base for chowders and bouillabaisse.

Savory Corn Pudding

I thought I was putting our corn up as a nice surprise for winter months to come, but I have already succumb to temptation, and dipped into the stash. It was worth it.

Savory Corn Pudding: (Adapted from my sister-in-law Chirsty's original recipe. Feeds a crowd)

*4 cups sweet corn kernels, fresh or frozen

*2 cups raw milk

*6 Tbsp high quality unsalted butter, melted

*1/3 cup raw honey

*3 fresh eggs

*3 Tbsp AP flour

*1 tsp sea salt

*black pepper to taste

*1-2 Tbsp. fresh chopped sage

*1 sweet onion, chopped

*2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place corn in dish. Set aside.

Blend remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Pour over corn. Bake until top is golden, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm.

Nut Butter Thumbprints

An image of a soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie hijacked my brain today, and I couldn't shake it. Occasionally when this happens, I throw a dog a bone. Or in this case, throw a gal a cookie. It keeps the thought from breeding itself into a massive beast with sharp claws and foam oozing from its mouth. Scary things lurk in the shadows of the subconscious.

I checked out some "natural" boxed cookies at the store, but seemed to run into an ingredient on every box that didn't sit well. So I went home and made a batch of something that would shrink the beast back into its cave. It worked. I have my brain back, and now I can think about what to make for dinner. . .

Nut Butter Thumbprints: (Makes 2 dozen)

*1 1/2 cups high quality flour

*1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder

*1/2 tsp sea salt

*1 stick organic butter, room temp

*1/2 cup organic peanut, almond or sunflower seed butter

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1 fresh egg

*2/3 cup raw cane sugar

*1/4 cup molasses

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Preheat oven to 375.

Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the butter, sugar, nut butter and molasses together with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add the egg followed by the vanilla. Slowly add the dry mixture, and mix until just incorporated.

Roll a tablespoon of the dough into a ball. Place on cookie sheet, and repeat spacing three cookies to a row. Place thumb in the center of dough ball, and press firmly downward to create a small well for the chocolate filling.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool completely before piping in the filling.

For Dark Chocolate Filling:

*1 cup cocoa powder

*1/2 cup raw cane sugar

*1 tsp vanilla

*1 tsp. unsalted butter

*1/2 cup boiling water

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Allow to cool. Transfer to a Ziploc bag. Encourage chocolate to one side of the bag. Cut off the tip of this side of the bag, and pipe a small amount into the thumbprint of each cookie.

*Savor a couple and the rest can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer. Oh and. . . bid the dirty beast farewell.

Carolina Bison Stuffed Green Peppers

One of the easiest, and tastiest summer meals. You can stuff a variety of garden fresh peppers with an equal variety of garden fresh ingredients. My friend April is known for her roasted sausage and cheese stuffed green chillies; hot, smoky and incredible. From Mexico to the Middle East, you can find variations of this dish, highlighting the culture's regional abundance.

The WNC region happens to have more variety than I often know what to do with. Local grass fed beef, lamb, pork, goat, rabbit, hand crafted cheeses, locally grown grains, herbs, vegetables of all colors, flavors and sizes, and for this dish, locally raised bison.

The best part about stuffed peppers? You can mess with the filling until the cows come home, and then you can use the cow to stuff the next batch. Whatever you have a taste for, this is an incredibly versatile dish. Have fun.

Carolina Bison Stuffed Green Peppers:

*4 fresh green bell peppers, cored, seeds removed

*1 Tbsp. butter

*1 small onion, chopped

*2 garlic cloves, minced

*1 celery stalk, chopped

*sea salt and pepper

*1/3-1/2 pound local ground bison

*1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

*2 tsp. tamari or high quality soy sauce

*1 Tbsp. grainy mustard

*1 1/2 cups cooked brown or wild rice

*1 small tomato, chopped. *optional

*1/2 cup shredded raw milk cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Line a small baking dish with parchment.

Heat butter in a cast iron skillet. Saute the onion, garlic and celery until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Add the ground bison. Brown, stirring often. Add the cumin, tamari and mustard and chopped tomato. Gently incorporate. Add the rice, stir and remove from heat. Bison should be medium rare. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Stir half of the shredded cheddar into the meat/rice mixture.

Using a large spoon, begin stuffing each pepper with the filling, gently packing as you go. Top each pepper with the remaining cheddar. Bake until top of peppers are golden and bubbly, and pepper is just tender, about 20 minutes.

Top with chopped parsley and serve.

Eggplant Parmesan

If you are a fan of the eggplant parm at your local pizza dive, clear your mind of it's former associations, and think of this as a different dish entirely. Reminiscent yes, but lighter and tangier. Using the marinara sauce made from all the extra tomatoes in your garden, (see earlier post), and the eggplants passed on to you by your wonderful friend, (who is a member of a thriving CSA, but has never developed a taste for the nightshade), you may find an even deeper love for the combination.

Grab a block of high quality parmesan, some artisan cornmeal, and your practically there.

Eggplant Parmesan:

*4 small eggplants, sliced 1/2 inch thick, lengthwise

*3 cups prepared marinara

*2 cups cornmeal and whole wheat flour for breading

*2 eggs, beaten

*sea salt and pepper

*olive oil

*parmesan for topping

*fresh basil for garnish

Place eggplant slices in a bowl of cool, salty water for 10 minutes.

Remove, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry on a dish cloth.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Drizzle with olive oil to coat parchment.

Mix together the cornmeal, flour and a pinch of sea salt and pepper in a rimmed plate or shallow bowl.

Whisk the 2 eggs and a splash of water in a shallow dish. Working with one slice at a time, dip the eggplant into the egg and dredge in the cornmeal mixture, coating each side. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices.

Generously drizzle the breaded slices with olive oil. The key is to add enough oil to make the slices crispy, but not too much to turn the breading soggy. Bake until golden and crispy.

Arrange golden slices over the bottom of baking dish. Spoon marinara over top and sprinkle with shaved parmesan. Repeat creating as many layers as you have enough eggplant for, finishing with marinara and shredded parmesan.

Reduce oven to 350. Bake until top is golden and sauce bubbles. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Sprinkle with chopped basil.

*The Institute of Biology of São Paulo State University, in Brazil released a study showing eggplants effectiveness in treating high blood cholesterol levels. It is also a good source of folic acid and potassium, while proving to block the formation of free radicals in the body.

Botanically a close relative to tobacco, eggplant contains nicotinoid alkaloids concentrated in the seeds, creating a bitter taste. Thus the salt soak, which helps to draw out this flavor before cooking.

A Sense of Place

After returning home from a trip out West, I thought I would share some images of the Longmont Farmer's Market, in Boulder County, Colorado. I do believe there is no better way to experience the true substance of a place than by walking through it's local markets. Among my purchases: locally roasted coffee and handmade ravioli, filled with local "haystack mountain" chevre. Indescribably flavorful.

Grass fed chicken and beef, squashes and fruits, bread, cheese, the most beautiful broccoli you've ever seen, honey, handmade tamales, live music, brick oven pizza, and yes, even organic donuts, fried to order.

A delight for the senses!