(In mostly short sentences, with largish pictures and a link or two.)

I went here.

Instead of taking 880 to 17 to the always impossible 1 interchange, I took 101 down to 152 and west over the Hecker Pass; a winding road with redwoods and parks and a winery or two and some wonderful vistas when half the state isn't on fire and the vistas aren't obscured by smoke.

It's a bit better today, but still pretty hazy, so I didn't stop to take pictures.

At the Gizdich Ranch, I bought two olallieberry pies (one for us, one for a neighbor), one raspberry pie (for my neighbor across the street) and, having called ahead (which means these were picked just for me after I called), two flats of these:










Well, first I stashed them in my trunk, then stopped at the grocery store for sugar and pectin and jars (because most of my canning jars "disappeared" the last time Tim cleaned out the garage - *sigh*).

Seven hours later I had sixteen quarts of this:





I will buy another couple of flats of strawberries and do this again. I will also buy a couple of flats of raspberries when they hit their peak in a week or two.

Tired now. Very glad the temperature dropped, which meant my kitchen wasn't totally unbearable with batches of jam and the canning kettle going for several hours. I smell like strawberries. This is not a bad thing :).

Buy my photos!

Trying out Imagekind. I have some of my latest photos up for sale. Posters, prints, greeting cards, framed art prints? Check it out!

Slow-Roasted Pork Burritos

I didn't get a chance to get a lot of pictures. Having guests for dinner makes it a little hard. But next time I make this (and there will be a next time), I will chronicle it all in photographs. I *did* get a picture of the roast just before it went into the oven. But then events overtook me and I didn't get a chance to record the rest of the process.



I did the black beans in my cast iron skillet and let those cook on the gas grill because I have only one oven, and that was taken up with the pork roast. I also made lime-cilantro rice, guacamole and pico de gallo. I bought the largest flour tortillas I could find, some sour cream and a package of 4-cheese Mexican Blend.

Oh. My. God. Five of us ate, and there was enough meat left for another five people. I still can't believe I paid only $.99/lb for that beautiful piece of meat.

The beans, by the way, were *outstanding*, and could easily be made vegetarian with a good vegetable stock without any loss in flavor. The chipotles brought a nice depth and smokiness, and just the right touch of heat.

This is also great party food, because everything can be done ahead of time, including slicing up the meat. It can be kept warm without any loss of quality. Then just put everything out and let folks build their own burritos.
This evening we used up the leftovers.

The Recipe

From Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World website.



Steve Els's Slow-Cooked Pork Shoulder Burritos

MAKES 15 BURRITOS
TIME ABOUT 3-½ HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED, PLUS OPTIONAL MARINATING TIME

This may sound oxymoronic, but the best fast food can take a while to make. Take Steve Els's killer burritos. Once you've prepared the components, the burritos themselves takes about a minute to assemble. But the reason they'll be some of the best burritos you've ever eaten is that the pork shoulder (one of my favorite cuts of meat) has spent three hours in the oven, getting tender and developing a swoon-worthy crust. The black beans get the oven treatment, too, which makes them unusually smoky and delicious.


2 tablespoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon pepper or to taste
5 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 (4- to 7-pound) pork shoulder (picnic or Boston butt), trimmed of excess but not all fat
1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dried black beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked in water overnight
1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 dried bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
15 flour tortillas

1. Combine the salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the chopped chiles. Pierce meat all over with the point of a knife. Rub the chile mixture all over the exterior of the pork; if time allows, wrap in plastic or place in resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. If not, proceed.
2. When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 450 F. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the thyme leaves all over the pork. Put the pork on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side down, and put in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the pork begins to brown, then lower the heat to 350 F and add one cup water to the bottom of the pan. Continue to roast, basting the pork with the pan juices and adding water to the bottom of the pan if it threatens to dry out, for about 3 hours, or until the interior temperature of the pork reaches 150 F on an instant-read thermometer. Let the pork rest for at least 45 minutes. (Or longer, since it is best served warm or at room temperature.)
3. While the pork cooks, prepare the beans. Put a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown. Add the oregano, remaining ½ tablespoon of thyme, chile puree, and bay leaves, and stir. Then add the beans, stir, and add the stock. Put skillet in oven, and cook until beans are just tender, at least 1 ½ hours. The meat should be so tender that cutting it into uniform slices is difficult; rather, cut it as thinly as possible so that the meat is almost shredded.
4. Warm the tortillas, either by wrapping them in foil and putting them in a 300 F oven for ten minutes or by heating them individually in a large skillet over medium heat, flipping them when they begin to blister. Spread a portion of the beans on each tortilla and top with a portion of the pork. (You can add rice, sour cream or Mexican crema, guacamole, and pico de gallo, as you wish.) Roll up and serve.

Crab Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salad

Crab Cakes

1 lb lump crab meat
4 medium scallions, sliced thinly
2 tblsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1-1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

(note: if you can't get fresh lump crab, Costco sells 1 lb cans of Phillips brand lump crab for a very reasonable price, and it works beautifully in this recipe.)

Gently mix crab meat, scallions, parsley, Old Bay, bread crumbs and mayonnaise, being careful not to break up the crab meat. Gently fold egg into mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and form into cakes. Place on cookie sheet covered with waxed paper or parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

Put panko crumbs on a flat plate or pie plate. Press crab cakes on both sides into panko crumbs. Heat oil in non-stick pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry crab cakes until hot through, crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes each side.

Corn and Avocado Salad

2 ears fresh corn; steamed, roasted or grilled, then cut from the cob
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 scallion, green and white, thinly sliced
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Chill.

I took two ears of white corn and trimmed the tops and bottoms, then grilled over high heat on the gas grill, in their husks, for about 20 minutes, turning every five minutes, until the husks were charred. Cooled until I was able to handle them, then stripped the husks and silk, then cut the corn from the cob, then added to the bowl after the kernels cooled.

Grilling added a bit of smokiness to the corn. I think next time I'll shuck the corn and grill, letting the corn brown a bit. But this version was pretty good; the corn was sweet but still crisp, and it went beautifully with the crab cakes.

Seafood Pasta

I had sea scallops. I had prawns. I had spinach fettuccine.



Measurements are approximate.

1 lb sea scallops
1 lb raw prawns, shelled and deveined
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced (or 1 tbsp dried)
3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, minced
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup sherry, shao shing wine, or dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
9 oz fresh spinach fettuccine
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Season scallops with salt and pepper. Sear scallops in olive oil, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add butter to hot oil. When foam subsides, add prawns, garlic, basil and 2 tbsp parsley. Sautée prawns until nearly done. Remove from pan and keep warm. Deglaze pan with wine. Add lemon juice. Cook down until syrupy. Whisk in half-and-half and bring to a boil. Cook down, whisking occasionally, until sauce begins to thicken. Add lemon zest and pepper flakes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta. As soon as pasta goes into the water, return scallops and prawns, along with any accumulated juices, to pan. When pasta is nearly done, using a pasta fork or skimmer, add pasta to pan with sauce and seafood and toss together until pasta is coated with sauce. Remove from heat and toss with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Garnish with remaining parsley. Serve immediately on heated plates.

Cioppino

Well, it's been awhile. Hi!

CIOPPINO
adapted from a recipe at epicurious.com

Makes 6 servings.


4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice


2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 (28-oz) can whole plum tomatoes, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 cup chicken broth




1 Dungeness crab, cracked and cleaned (I used the legs only; the body meat went for a crab cocktail appetizer)
18 small (2-inch) hard-shelled clams (1 1/2 lb) such as littlenecks, scrubbed
1 lb halibut fillets, skin removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 lb large shrimp (16 to 20), shelled (tails and bottom segment of shells left intact) and deveined
3/4 lb sea scallops, tough muscle removed from side of each if necessary
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil





Cook garlic, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and red pepper flakes with salt and pepper in oil in an 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil until reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, clam juice, and broth and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning.



Add clams to stew and simmer, covered, until clams just open, 5 to 10 minutes, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring opened clams to a bowl with tongs or a slotted spoon. (Discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes.) Add crab legs, fish fillets, shrimp, and scallops to stew, then simmer, covered, until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf, then return clams to pot and gently stir in parsley and basil.

Serve cioppino immediately in large soup bowls. ( Next time I'll add a bit of lemon zest at the end.)

Happy Autumn

Autumn is in the air. Pie pumpkins are plentiful. I wanted a soup that was rich, flavorful, and filling enough to be a main course. So I went searching, and wound up taking the best of several recipes to come up with dinner.

Served with freshly-baked Challah (recipe below). Several hours later my house still smells heavenly.

Creamy Pumpkin and Bacon Soup
6 servings









6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small pie pumpkin (about 1-1/2 lbs), roasted (see notes)
2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp chicken demi-glace
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream and fresh sage leaves for garnish
Pan-toasted pepitas for garnish (see notes)

Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pot and drain on paper towels. Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Add the onion and garlic and olive oil to the pot. Cook until onion is translucent. Add potatoes. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, then stir in the chicken stock, demi-glace and pumpkin. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender.

Remove soup from heat and puree using a stick blender or in batches in a jar blender. Return soup to heat and stir in bacon, herbs and cream. Heat gently and season to taste.
Garnish with with sour cream, sage leaves and pepitas.

NOTES:
To roast pumpkin, remove stem and cut pumpkin in half. Scoop out seeds and string. Place cut side down on cookie sheet or shallow roasting pan and roast in 350F oven for an hour or so, or until very soft. Let cool, then scrape pulp from shells.


For pan-toasted pepitas, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to pan. Cook and stir until most of the seeds are lightly browned and they're popping. Remove from pan to paper-towel lined plate and let cool. Snack on them while making soup, but be sure to leave enough to sprinkle on top. (These can also be done with the addition of chili powder. Be warned, in either case they are extremely addictive. Trader Joe's sells 1lb bags of organic raw pumpkin seeds. Just sayin'.)





Challah
From The KitchenAid Cookbook
Makes 2 loaves





4-1/2 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 package active dry yeast
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup very warm water (120F to 130F)
3 eggs, room temperature
1 egg white, room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon cold water
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Place 4 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in bowl. Attach bowl and dough hook. Turn to Speed 2 and mix 15 seconds. Combine butter and water. Gradually add warm liquids to bowl and mix 1 minute. Add eggs and egg white and mix 2 minutes more. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans side of bowl. Knead on Speed 2 for 2 minutes longer. (At this point I turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead by hand for a minute or two until really silky.)

Place in a well-buttered bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk; about 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide in half. Divide each half into three pieces. Roll each piece to a 14-inch rope. Braid three ropes together, tucking ends under, and place on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover, let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk; about 1 hour.


Beat egg yolk and water together. Brush loaves with mixture and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 400F for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from baking sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.