Week One

Well, the series begins! Despite the technical challenges we encountered with the video, I think we got off to a great start. I was able to hear what was on everyone's mind so I know where to focus the classes going forward.

One of the recurring themes I kept hearing had to do with finding affordable sources for organic, local (where possible) food. I rattled off several resources for local farmers, CSA’s, and online ordering sites, etc. which I will add to this blog.

I, myself, am trying to get out of the supermarkets and find better sources for local, organic food. This class has really motivated me to jump in and start contacting some of these resources. I have been amazed at the response I am getting once I explain these classes and what I am trying to do. I have talked with Tom at Parker Farms, Lee at Acme Grains, and a new subscription based delivery service for produce called Door to Door Organics (thanks to Lee!). I can't wait to share all of the information this Thursday with the class along with some free pastured eggs given to me by Tom Parker.

We will definately be watching Fresh this Thursday, so I hope to see you there! In the mean time keep checking this blog as I continue to update it with recommended books, websites, and other media.

Recipes from last Thursday night:

Chipotle Lima Bean Soup
adapted from www.101cookbooks.com

1 pound dried baby lima beans, picked over and rinsed
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock (you can use all water, but the stock improves the flavor)
6 cups water
1 head garlic, top lobbed off to expose the cloves and loose skins removed
2 tablespoons coconut oil (butter or olive oil work, as well)
1 onion, halved top to bottom and sliced into thin crescents
1 to 2 chipotles in adobo sauce (see note below recipe)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 teaspoons fine-grain sea salt
Squeeze of lime juice (optional)

Pick over the beans, looking carefully for any pebbles or dirt clumps; baby limas seem to be magnets for dirt. Rinse the beans, then combine them with the stock, if using, water and garlic in a heavy soup pot. You might think putting a whole head of unpeeled garlic in the pot is strange, but just go with it. Bring the beans to an active simmer and cook for 60 – 75 minutes, until just a touch al dente and not mushy or falling apart. Test their doneness by tasting; you really can't tell any other way.
Heat the oil (or butter) in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion, chipotles, and 2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce, and sauté over medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the onion starts to soften. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them, along with their juices, to the pan. Simmer for just another minute or two longer for the flavors to blend. You can always add more adobo sauce later for a spicier soup; just don't overdo it on the front end.
Add the salt and the onion-chipotle-tomato mix to the pot of beans and simmer gently for about 5 minutes. The broth should be thin, so add more water if needed. Add more salt and more adobo a bit at a time if the flavors aren't popping. Finish with a squeeze of lime if you like. You can remove the garlic or smash the cooked cloves into a paste and add it back into the soup (what I usually do).

Note: Chipotle peppers in adobo can be found in most grocery stores with the Mexican food. They are pretty spicy, so just remove 1-2 peppers and mince them up very finely so you do not have big chunks. You will not use the entire can for this or any other recipe. They will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

Original recipe: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/baby-lima-soup-with-chipotle-broth-recipe.html

Whole Wheat Fig and Rosemary Crackers

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup milk
4 dried figs diced small
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly dust with flour. Put flour, salt, cheese and oil in bowl of a food processor. Pulse until flour and butter are combined. Add about 1/4 cup milk and let machine run for a bit; continue to add liquid a teaspoon at a time, until mixture holds together but is not sticky. Form dough into a disk and allow it to rest 10 minutes.

2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1/2-inch thick or even thinner, adding flour as needed. Make it as thin as you can make it. If you are doubling the recipe at all, divide the dough into smaller pieces to roll it out to ensure the center is thin. Transfer sheet of dough to prepared baking sheet (drape it over rolling pin to make it easier). Score lightly with a sharp knife, pizza cutter or a pastry wheel if you want to break crackers into squares or rectangles later on. Sprinkle with salt or other topping if you like.

3. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. You don’t want to under bake these, as that will result in a softer cracker. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature or store in a tin for a few days.

Note: The basic recipe is the flour, salt, liquid (milk in this case, but you could use water), and oil (any type of oil can be used or butter). This would make a basic cracker. You can add or change the remaining ingredients, as desired. You could use cheddar cheese, a different herb, top with any number of seeds, garlic, etc. Use the quantities above as a guide for other variations you may come up with.

Chocolate Bark

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (JM: I used coconut oil)
6 tablespoons agave nectar
2 cups pecans
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups dark chocolate 73%

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and agave until bubbling
2. Add pecans and stir until they are well coated, then mix in salt and seasonings
3. Cook for 4 minutes, then remove pan from heat
4. Place nuts on a parchment lined baking sheet
5. Place sheet in a 400° oven and roast for 4 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely
6. In a separate saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate
7. Pour chocolate into a parchment lined 13 x 9 glass dish
8. Break up the pecans and sprinkle over the chocolate
9. Using a metal spatula, spread the mixture evenly back and forth to ½ inch thickness
10. Allow to sit out until set, 1-2 hours
11. Cut into squares and serve
Makes 32

Recipe from Elana's Pantry: http://www.elanaspantry.com/chocolate-bark/