Signs of the Season

Two of my favorites enjoying the lights

Some of our favorite littles at the Tree Lighting  

Cask & Schooner - dinner after the Tree Lighting

Sharden's first hiding spot

Decorating 

The Good Apple and I made these for gifts in '99 

The Little Man's favorite part of decorating

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Nectarine Custard Pie

This summer we bought a beautiful flat of nectarines and it didn't matter how many we ate, there seemed to be more and more filling the box. Reluctantly, after we made jam and ate until we were afraid they wouldn't last, we sliced them and froze them in 1 gallon Ziploc bags. As the months passed, I knew they were there, but I didn't want to deplete our summer fruit just yet. I finally came to the realization that it IS December, not August. Time to break out the summer gold.

Last night we were having some of our favorite guests over for dinner and I knew they would be a good audience for an experiment. I wanted to make a pie. Every recipe I looked up didn't seem worthy of this precious summer fruit, so I created my own. I was really going out on a limb with this one, but in concept, it seemed like it would be delicious. It was a hit! It even got a "really good" review. So now, it is safe to share with you. Give it a try, let me know what you think and don't be afraid to go out on a limb, that is where the fruit is and it tastes best in a pie!


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Nectarine Custard Pie

Ingredients:
Pie crust for 10" pie
5 nectarines, sliced
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup of sugar
1 egg
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Crumble Topping:
1/3 c butter, cut into small chunks
2/3 c instant oatmeal oats
1/2c brown sugar
1/2 c pecans



Procedure:
Heat oven to 400.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream, sugar, egg, flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix with eggbeaters or immersion mixer until slightly frothy.

In a food processor or with a potato masher, mix topping ingredients. Texture should be slightly crumbly, if it isn't add oatmeal by the tablespoon. Place in refridgerator while assembling pie.

Place pie crust in pie dish and flute the edges.

Arrange slices in concentric circles,in the bottom of the dish and build up 2 layers along the edges.

Pour cream mixture over nectarines.

Cover edges of the pie with foil or a crust protector. Place pie in oven on the middle rack. Place a foil-lined cookie sheet underneath, in case overflow happens. Bake for 30 minutes. Take Crumble Topping and cover the top of the pie. Bake for another 20 minutes. Give the pie a gentle jiggle to make sure the center is cooked.

May be served warm & messy or chilled & neat with vanilla ice cream.
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Hello Winter

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Sharing Sunday: Teens Can Cook, Too!

Well I have to thank Twitter for this wonderful connection.  I saw one of Madison's posts and followed through to read her blog, Teens Can Cook, Too!...and I was blown away!!! At the ripe age of 13, she shows so much promise of what healthy eating can mean to today's youth.
Stop by and check out these yummy looking recipes or check out one of her many videos.

• Salmon Salad with Spicy Nuts and Cilantro Dressing
• Vegetarian Lasagna
• Honey Drizzled Apples and Pears with Melted Gouda
• Italian Salad with Asiago Cheese Crisps

We had a little Q&A so I could get to know her a little better. Here is what I learned:

How did you get interested in cooking?

I've enjoyed cooking since I was about six years old. I was a bit of a picky eater (Tillamook cheddar cheese chunks, grapes, organic cheerios, other fruits) and was beginning to branch out once I hit Kindergarten. At this point, I ate rice and mashed potatoes like any other normal kid, but I still had an aversion to soups and salads. My mom bought me a Rachel Ray kids' cookbook, and that cookbook was the instigator for my love of gourmet food. Once I got older, I wanted to gain independence in the kitchen. I tried to cook meals from various cookbooks on the weekends. After Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, I discovered that I was so passionate about his cause that I could make a difference through my own recipes. 

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging because of, again, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I was beginning to create my own recipes at that time and figured I could combine my enthusiam for healthy eating with my original recipes to create an accessible website.

How do you come up with your recipes?

You'd probably expect me to say I have a method for inventing recipes, but I don't. A lot of them come off the top of my head 3 hours before dinnertime based on a couple veggies we have in the fridge. Other times, my mom will make dinner from a Food Network recipe on weeknights (homework, theatre, dance and Girl Scouts get in the way a bit) and I'll feel inclined to modify the dish over the weekend. I pick up on subtle things that I would change to make the meal fresher, healthier and more suited to how I envision a complete plate of food. Eventually, the recipe has been changed so much that the basic foundations are barely present and the dish becomes my own. 

What influences / inspires your cooking?

I'm inspired by ideas I see on the Food Network or seasonal vegetables and fruits that keep popping up in the grocery store. During the summertime, I try to go with many ethnic cuisines (Italian, Mexican, Asian, etc.) because it is easier to access those types of ingredients in the summer in Washington State. In the fall, I rely heavily on seasonal produce and bold, fresh flavors to tie a dish together. There are so many different flavor combinations that can be tweaked to produce entirely different meals, and when I can tap into flavor incorporation my recipes come to life.

How did you learn about organic foods?

I've been eating organics my whole life, and once I was old enough to understand the difference between organics and naturals, naturals and junk food and so on, I began to learn more about them through documentaries, word of mouth and websites. 

What are you cooking next?

Honestly, I don't even know much about what I'll be cooking next; not many specifics, that is. I know I'll be highlighting seasonal vegetables and the use of canned items (organic beans, for example) for the holidays. I also want to nail down some healthier versions of holiday classics. 

What are your favorite foods to eat during the Fall/Winter?

I absolutely love pomegranates. They are so delicious. I also love eating plums, which are currently at the very end of their growing season. 

What are your least favorite foods?

I don't like seafood, olives or parsnips. Foods like scallops and lobster are much too squishy. I'm perfectly fine with moderately squishy foods like tofu, but seafood is just taking it too far. Other foods like white fish are too bland. To suit my taste buds, you have to blast the fish with an insane amount of flavor for me to eat a few bites. I'm only 13 though, so maybe my tastes will change and my aversion to seafood will dissipate over time. At least I like salmon! 

Where would you like your blog to take you?

I would love my blog to get thousands of pageviews and have hundreds of followers, but I'm not quite there yet. I really want my blog to be a helpful resource to families, kids and adults making a change in their eating. Not only that, but I hope my blog is an inspiration for other teenagers to take action and impact a community's eating habits. 

What is your favorite kitchen tool?

I absolutely adore my Vita-Mix. My family bought one a few years ago and it is fantastic! We make so many breakfast smoothies in it. I like to use it when I cook as well. I made a white bean dip in my Vita-Mix the other day, and it was super creamy and delicious. Although a Vita-Mix is quite the investment, it literally will last you a lifetime! I completely recommend that you purchase one.
     

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Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 8


Ingredients:
1 large acorn squash
¼ cup olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch
1 large onion, diced
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
10 (¼-inch thick) ginger “coins”
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp curry powder
6 cups chicken broth
3 tbsp milk
2 – 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste


Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the acorn squash in half. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your squash.


2. While the squash is baking, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions. Sauté until translucent. Then stir in the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, ginger coins, curry powder and diced sweet potatoes. Cook until sweet potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes on high heat. Remove from heat.


3. Using an immersion blender (also called a Bamix), puree the contents of the pot, and add milk. Once the soup has reached a smooth consistency, add the yogurt and mix thoroughly. Adjust salt and pepper one more time and serve.

Butternut Squash Risotto

My baby signed "more" today. Why you ask? She wanted more Butternut Squash Risotto.

The extra dishes and hour of prep and stirring were well worth it.

Last night, the Good Apple and I were watching Alton Brown's episode about rice.  He constructed this recipe while featuring the in's and out's of risotto. We watched it...twice, then we started talking. What would WE add? Which veggie? Which spices? Garlic? Of course. When would we eat it?

As the hour approached for GA to leave work today, I sent him a text. "Stop by store for Arborio and white wine?" His response, "yes". Done deal.

While making the masterpiece, we juggled kid duties back and forth. He felt this urge to keep taking the Dutch Oven off the heat. Ugh. Time for me to jump back in and... Put. It. Back. On. The. Heat.  "But Alton says...". Scoot over sweetheart, this is my recipe now. Said with a smile. Really. He can do his version someday, just not today.

This is a 3-pot-meal. One for the broth, one for the butternut squash, and one for the risotto itself. In addition, it is the frequent stirring that gives risotto it's creamy consistency that brought every family member back for more. This is not a dish where you can pop the ingredients into a pot and walk away for an hour. Watch it. Stir it. When the bottom gives you a little sizzley pop sound, it is time to add more broth.

Healthy. Affordable. Fills the belly. Perfection. Risotto. A new family fall favorite. More please.


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Butternut Squash Risotto

Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe as seen on Good Eats.

Ingredients:
8 cups organic chicken broth
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups Arborio rice
12 ounces organic butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 cup grated Parmesan

Procedure:
In a medium saucepan with a lid, pour 7 cups of chicken broth and keep it simmering.

In a small pot, combine butternut squash and remaining cup of chicken broth over medium heat until, squash is just tender then remove from the heat. Do not overcook or it will become mushy when mixed with the arborio rice.

In a large 3 to 4-quart heavy saucepan or Dutch oven,  melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the onions, basil and a pinch of salt and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the grains are translucent around the edges. Do not allow the grains or the onions to brown. Add garlic.

Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 cup of wine and some of your simmering chicken stock just to cover the top of the rice. Stir often with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula, until the liquid is completely absorbed into rice. Once absorbed, add enough broth just to cover the rice and continue stirring. Continue this process until you have used all of the broth. It will take approximately 45 minutes for all of the liquid to be absorbed. After the last addition of liquid has been mostly absorbed, add the butternut squash and broth and stir until risotto is creamy. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper until you taste perfection.

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