Thanksgiving Menu

We will be alone for Thanksgiving this year. I am taking comfort in planning and cooking as if we weren't. Maybe we will will find a lonely college student in the next week, and just in case, this is what we will entice them with.

Thanksgiving Menu 2009

Cajun Spiced Cornish Game Hens with Cornbread Stuffing
Potato and Fennel Gratin
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Pistachios
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Cranberry Sauce with Orange
Crescent Rolls
Pumpkin Pie

There. I feel better.

Proto-Dough for the Proto-Purist, and Biscuits

I think I mentioned once before something about my romanticized fondness for sourdough. Cowboys, sagebrush, beans, mom's old green crock and pancakes all figure into the equation. But I have come to discover that the sourdough I grew up on is something which purists can not sanction. It is started, lo and behold, with yeast. Not wild yeast, but commercial yeast, and is therefore an animal of quite a different kind.

And I say to this (for now)...oh well. There are many other ways in which this sourdough seems to break the rules. It lives contentedly by itself in the fridge, developing an alcoholic blanket. If you are in need of it, it asks nothing more than to be taken out the night before, stirred, given a dose of flour and water, and left undisturbed until morning. Then it cheerfully surrenders itself to pancakes, or bread, or biscuits, and goes back to the fridge to await its next mission. Low maintenance doesn't even begin to describe it.

I was pleased to find that Alton Brown is also fond of this unassuming form of sourdough. He even coined a term for it. He calls it proto-dough, and while I still unabashedly call mine sourdough, I do think it is kind of catchy. I like his instructions for proto-dough, which are incredibly similar to how Mom taught me, and if anyone is overwhelmed by the thought of starting and maintaining a sourdough, then please, start with this. It does, with use, develop some wild yeast of its own, and though it is not incredibly tangy to begin with it will sour nicely with age. Here are his instructions, along with a link to a recipe for a Country Loaf, which I have tried several times in my bread machine and been quite pleased with each time. (Note: at least in my experience, sourdough bread may be different every time you bake it. It is part of the adventure.)

But let's not talk about bread. Sourdough bread is fine and all, but sourdough biscuits are something in a class all by themselves and I have never, ever, seen them anywhere but Mom's kitchen and my own. The recipe comes from an old, old western cookbook and you can't help but picture a Dutch oven full of beans when you see these particular biscuits. They are not the tall and fluffy biscuits made for a spoonful of jam or gravy. Sourdough biscuits are humble round disks, low-rising, with a chewy golden crust and and a substantial but tender inside. They are divine as breakfast sandwiches, with a fried egg and sausage tucked inside. They are wonderful with hearty soups, capable of swiping up the last best bites like a ciabatta, maybe, or focaccia. My parents use them for sandwiches when they have long days of riding, for they can endure a rough day in a saddlebag and still come up whole for lunch. They are, in my book, indispensable.

Old-Fashioned Sourdough Biscuits
(makes approximately 15 biscuits)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place a generous amount (about 3 tablespoons) of canola (or other) oil on a cookie sheet and tilt to coat the pan evenly.

Begin by mixing together thoroughly (if you don't you will have little brown spots in the biscuit from the sourdough reacting with the baking soda, but don't worry, the spots are harmless):

1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

In a medium bowl place:

2 cups sourdough

Add the flour mixture to the sourdough and mix lightly. Then start adding more flour until a soft dough is formed. The dough will pull away from the sides of the bowl and form a sticky but kneadable mound. The amount of flour you need will depend on the wetness of your sourdough. I usually end up using about 1 and 1/2 cups more flour.

Gently turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead lightly about 5 times. Roll out into a circle about 1/2 inches thick. Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut into biscuits. We like our baking powder biscuits small in diameter, but our sourdough biscuits large (about a 4 inch circle).

Take each biscuit and swirl in the oil on the pan, then flip over so that both sides get gently coated. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops slightly less so.
Cut open with a serrated knife and serve, or simply eat them as they are.

Pantry Dinners: A Roundup

I've commandeered the term "Pantry Dinners" to unite and identify two different species of meals. You are probably familiar with both of them, although some of you have probably banned the second kind from your kitchens.

First, there are the virtuous Pantry Dinners. You clear your mind, put on your apron, open the fridge and summon a decent meal from virtually nothing. Some of these are miracles of simplicity, others are skillful compilations and still others are what I like to refer to mercifully as "hashes". All of them are frugal and good for the spirit and the budget, if not the body.

Secondly, there are the not-so-virtuous Pantry Dinners. You flounce into the kitchen, open the cupboard doors, and nearly weep with relief when you see a convenient box and possibly a can sitting within your weary reach. These meals are sometimes frugal, nominally healthy, but always good for the mother who has reached the end of her proverbial rope.

I try to incorporate at least one of the first kind into my menus each week, whether that means actually putting it on the menu or just leaving it to chance on a Thursday night. The second kind often goes unmentioned but lurks (benevolently) in the shadows.

Pantry Dinners of the First Kind: The Roundup

Southern Cajun Rice
A tip from my dear cousin Sarah in Houston. She said, and I quote because I like it, "With ANY leftover cooked meat, from chicken to roast, steak, pork chops, sausage, you can brew up a beautiful pot of jasmine rice, chop up the meat or meats, saute it with onion and garlic, and toss all together with a generous dollop of cajun seasoning and salt, and it is DELICIOUS!" Somehow I had forgotten how much I like jasmine rice. And Cajun seasoning. And meat. Why have I never put them together?

Pizza and Quiches
This is what my friend Katy makes for pantry dinners (who, by the way, is the only friend I have who is actually LIVING the dream that so many of us talk about...she milks goats, grows a gorgeous garden, preserves food, raises chickens, teaches her brilliant son Sam and just had a new baby girl two days ago...I miss you Katy!) As she reminded me, you can make pizza or quiche out of anything, and if you have a bread machine to make your pizza dough for you then it requires a tiny bit of foresight but very little work. (Pie dough, however, is quite another story for quite another post.)

Fried Rice
A suggestion from Lisa, and one which I need to remember more often. My favorite one involves simply rice, peas, onions, garlic, parmesan and lemon zest, with a little bit of egg. I usually have all of these things in the pantry.

Egg Foo Yong with Rice
Speaking of eggs, this was a treasured meal from my childhood, straight from the battered pages of Betty Crocker. Beat eggs (about 1 1/2 per person) thoroughly and add some salt, some onion and some bits of this and that (finely chopped pork, diced peppers, bean sprouts, whatever you have around). Heat some oil in a skillet (medium heat) and pour about 1/4 cup of the egg mixture into the skillet. Gently push it into a thin patty as it cooks. When the eggs are set flip it over and cook until the other side is brown. Serve on a bed of rice with the following sauce: combine 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute, until thickened. Sauce serves 2, so multiply if necessary.
Trust me, this is delicious.

Fried Egg Sandwiches
Notice how eggs figure so heavily in this list? Nothing is better than a lightly scrambled and fried egg on fresh bread with lots of butter, mayonnaise, raw onion, freshly ground pepper and salt.

Poached Eggs over Sauteed Greens (with Polenta, or Toast, or Baguette, or Fried Potatoes)
Once again, the inevitable egg. Thank you, Lord, for chickens.

Stewed Tomatoes and Macaroni
This is another childhood meal, one that we would have when Dad was gone, as he was not particularly enthusiastic about it! Mom canned her own stewed tomatoes, so she would simply boil some macaroni noodles, heat a can of tomatoes, and serve with toast and parmesan cheese. Mmmm.

Biscuits
Yes, that's right. Just biscuits. I'm indulging in a little reminiscence now, and biscuits were my specialty as a young cook. Actually, it was the only thing I knew how to cook. So Mom would let me make biscuit dough and then improvise with whatever I could find (not much) to create a multi-course meal of...biscuits. Biscuits with specks of cheese. Biscuits with dollops of jam. Biscuits made into cinnamon rolls. You get the idea here. A patient mother, hungry siblings, and a dad very fond of raw biscuit dough. It was an amicable arrangement.


Pantry Dinners of the Second Kind: A Confession
(and no, Trader Joe's is not paying me...)

TJ's Organic Shells with White Cheddar combined with TJ's Turkey Chili

TJ's Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup combined with TJ's Tomato-less Sweet and Spicy Corn Salsa

Annie's Mac-n-Cheese with Peas

Note: this list serves partly as a recommendation of these tasty dishes and partly as a testament to the success of Trader Joe's sample program. It's a cautionary tale.

A Few Things

First, this article about feeding a family on a food-stamp budget in Baltimore. I continue to be very interested in the idea that eating nutritiously (and deliciously) must be possible for everyone, regardless of their budget. I also recognize, however, that it is not without a significant investment of time, thought, effort, and yes, money to accomplish this, particularly in the urban environment.

Secondly, a question of paradigm. Is it better to make a menu, then a list, and go to the store to buy what you need for that particular menu? Or is it better to have a well-stocked pantry from which you cook, ad lib, and replenish as needed? I think that I am trying to find that place in the middle, as usual.

Thirdly, I am compiling a list of "Pantry Dinners". The things that you cook to fill in a Sunday night or to balance an expensive dish on the menu or to pull together a meal when there seems to be nothing else to eat. Things like fried egg sandwiches. I would love your suggestions.

Bounty

Last week, just after writing the post about stocking our pantry and finding good food sources, I took myself to the Waverly Farmer's Market and thought that I had gone to foodie heaven. It was astounding. I found everything: meat, dairy, eggs, mushrooms, beans, flowers, vegetables, fruit and even a table selling spices in one-ounce bags. Even more serendipitously, I ran into a woman from our church who knows much about finding real food in Baltimore. She had loads of helpful advice for me and reassured me that the market is open year-round, although it becomes a little smaller in the winter. Basically, I'm saying, this market just might be the answer.

This Saturday morning was our inaugural visit, armed with lists and bags and my entire grocery budget in cash. We got some coffee, a muffin, and a delicious loaf of sourdough wheat and settled David and Rowan on the grass near the outskirts. Then I began what I like to call my Babette-act. I pretend that I am a wise and discerning French woman, basket in hand, boldly and confidently choosing the best from the bounty of produce around her. The truth is a bit more complicated (cash falling out of pocket, bags hanging off of tired arms, ten trips back and forth to decide what vendor to buy a tomato from...) but I find that the imagery helps. And boy did I have a good time.

Here is the bounty, in a long, long sentence of food affection: huge, yellow onions; fresh mint and thyme; tomatoes specifically chosen by the vendor to last until Thursday; precious, little cucumbers; garlic; heirloom apples; rainbow chard; turnips; red potatoes; carrots; celery; sweet, Italian eggplant; cream-top whole milk; ground lamb; eggs; a three-pound chicken and one of the most beautiful bouquets I have ever seen. Dare I say what it cost? I'm still debating whether it is the cheapest way to go, but I think that it was definitely one of the most pleasurable ways I've ever spent sixty dollars on groceries. We still had to go to Trader Joe's for a few more standard items, although I could have gotten cream and yogurt and butter right there at the market as well. In the end, we landed within our budget for the week (although our budget is bigger than I would like) and I have already schemed how I can stretch some produce with a few pantry items that I have been needing to use (quinoa, black beans, azuki beans and rice). Once again, I'll let you know how it goes.

Cravings

Currently craving Yeasted Popcorn and Sliced Apples and This.
I think our Friday night just got planned.

Roasted Things

Sometimes I feel very grateful for my life. Last night was one of those times.

It was a beautiful fall evening, just a little bit crisp around the edges but warm enough to stay outside until the sun went down. We had delightful people at our house, some new friends and and some old, filling our porch with laughter and patiently playing cars with Rowan. They were drinking wine and eating some pretty fantastic eggplant dip from Sarah. But I, I was the lucky one. I was cooking...slowly chopping vegetables, tossing them with olive oil and kosher salt, lining them up in the hot, hot oven to roast until they took on a sweet life of their own. As far as earthly happiness goes, my cup was pretty full. A little music, some happy and hungry people to feed, a few vegetables from the farmer's market and a big pot of polenta...I can't think of much that I like better.

Should you have such a fall evening and a few friends of your own to feed, here are the guide lines - I really can't even call it a recipe - for Roasted Vegetables and Polenta. (Keep in mind that all of the vegetables can be changed up. These just happen to be what we ate last night. The only thing you have to remember is that the root vegetables take the longest, so put them in the oven first.)

Roasted Vegetables, Sauteed Greens and Polenta
Serves 6

1 medium winter squash (butternut, acorn, kabocha...)
1 pound carrots
2 crisp apples
2 red onions
1 pound green beans
6 heads of garlic
2 pounds of kale (or spinach, or chard)
1 lemon
Kosher salt
Olive oil


6 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups of stoneground cornmeal
8 cups water
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary


Begin with an oven heated to 425 degrees.

Squash: cube into 1-2 inch pieces, place in a large mixing bowl, toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt, spread in a single layer on a heavy cookie sheet or roasting pan, and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until they are tender and browned around the edges.
Carrots: cut into slender sticks (as uniform as possible), then treat them exactly as you did the squash only they will probably only need about 45 minutes.
Garlic: remove excess skin from the outside of the whole heads. Slice off the top of the heads, exposing a bit of the cloves inside. Set on a sheet of aluminum foil, cut side up, drizzle each head with a bit of olive oil, wrap up rather tightly and put in the oven to roast directly on the rack. They will be done when the cloves are soft and slightly brown, about 45 minutes.
Apples and Onions: cube the apples and cut the onions into wedges, toss and roast together on another pan for about 35 minutes. The apples will be soft and the onions should be soft with a little bit of color on the edges.
Green Beans: trim and leave whole, toss and roast for about 30 minutes until they are crinkly and brown in spots.

Here's the thing about roasting vegetables. Roast them until they taste good. They taste good when they are right on the edge of being overdone. Don't worry too much about exact times because it will change with the oven and the vegies. If you have to take some out before others, just pop them back in for a couple of minutes before serving to crisp them up.

MEANWHILE, as all those vegetables are roasting merrily away, make your polenta, which will take about 40 minutes to cook. Melt the butter in a large stockpot and add the cup of chopped onion. Saute the onion until it is beginning to color, then add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating, mix 2 more cups of water with the 2 cups of cornmeal. Whisk this mixture slowly into the boiling water, then lower to the heat to medium low. Watch and stir often, lowering the heat if it is violently sputtering or sticking to the bottom. You want it to bubble cheerfully and mildly as it gradually thickens for about 25 minutes. It is done when it holds its shape as a plump spoonful (it will thicken somewhat more as it cools). Add the parmesan cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.

ALSO, as the vegies roast and the polenta bubbles, heat some olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Trim the kale of its thick stems and coarsely chop the rest. Add to the heated oil and saute (if you have more greens then your pan can hold just wait a minute...the greens will shrink and then you can add more). Salt lightly, then add a tablespoon of so of water and cover for a few minutes until the greens are tender but still bright and fresh. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice before serving.

FINALLY, serve each plate with a big scoop of polenta, a forkful of greens, and a big helping of roasted vegetables. And as always...bread and wine are never out of place...