Hope you are enjoying this winter weather. Seems to be staying, so let’s do some cool weather cooking. Definitely not the time for cold food! The cold, wet weather is making it hard to source some of our standard local items. We usually have strawberries by now, but not this year. They are just not sweet and ripe. Gives me a little sympathy to cold winter cousins, and makes me realize why Southern California is such a food wonderful place to live.
Gaytan Family Farm
Brussels Sprouts
Tomatoes
Spinach
Broccoli
Kale
Carrots
Romaine Lettuce
Onion - Yellow and Red
Fox Farm
Blood Oranges
Pomelos
Tangerines -Assorted varieties
RFC Add-In
lemons
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The potatoes add creaminess, but can be left out.
Creamy Caramelized Broccoli Soup
From Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa Clark. Serves 4 to 6.
Ingredients
8 tbsp. olive oil
2 heads broccoli (about 2 lbs.) separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large Spanish onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
8 oz. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Flaky sea salt for serving
Directions
In a large soup pot, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over high heat. Add about a third of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without crowding. Cook the broccoli without touching it (no stirring!) until it is dark brown on one side only (leave the other side bright green), 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a large bowl, and repeat with the remaining broccoli, adding another 2 tbsp. oil for each batch. When all of the broccoli has been browned, season it with 1 tsp. salt.
Reduce the heat under the soup pot to medium-low. Add the butter and remaining 2 tbsp. oil. When the butter has melted, add the onion, garlic, pepper, chili flakes, and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Then add the potatoes, 4 cups water, and the remaining 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and cook until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the broccoli, cover again, and cook until it is tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.
Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo
From Pinch of Yum.com. Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and diced
half of an onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
7-10 cups chicken broth
1 cup DeLallo whole wheat orzo
3-ish cups cooked chicken (I use shredded rotisserie chicken)
3 eggs
juice of 3-4 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
a handful of fresh spinach
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
as much fresh dill as you can handle
Directions
Base: Heat large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic. Saute until fragrant and tender, about 10 minutes. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.)
Orzo: Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the orzo and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the chicken and remove from heat.
“Pot Stuck” Brussels Sprouts
From The Heart of the Plate by Molly Katzen. Serves 2.
Ingredients
½ pound medium-sized Brussels sprouts, quartered
2 tablespoons to 3 extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup finely diced onion
½ lemon
1 pinch salt, to taste
Directions
Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Blanch your Brussels sprouts for 30 seconds, drain, and dry thoroughly.
The key to getting a good char on your Brussels sprouts is making sure they don't crowd. If you're working with a large pan (e.g. a 10-inch cast iron skillet), cook them all at once. If your pan is smaller, fry in two batches. Heat oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add one sprout, cut-side down; if it begins to sizzle immediately, add the rest. You want most of them to land cut-side down, but don't drive yourself crazy.
Let your sprouts cook, untouched, for a minute or so, and then check them. If they're white or light brown on the bottom, let them cook a bit more. You want to wait to flip them until they are charred and almost black. Once they are, flip to the other side, and wait for side two to cook until crispy. Add salt, toss a few times, then move them all to the edge of the pan.
Add your onion (or half of the onion, if you're working in batches) to the pan. If it looks very dry, add a touch more oil. If you're worried about them burning, turn the heat down a bit. Let them cook for a minute or two, stirring lightly, until they soften slightly.
Toss onions and sprouts together; let them cook for 30 more seconds. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, allow everything to steam for a moment, and then you're done! Taste for salt. Fry your second batch now, if it's still waiting for you.
Note: This tastes great at any temperature, so don't stress about timing.
For a decadent, wonderful treat to make use of the beautiful blood oranges, try this pudding.
Blood Orange Pudding
From Food 52. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
2 eggs, lightly beaten
scant ½ cup sugar
Pinch fine sea salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice, strained if you'd like (about the amount from one blood orange)
1-2 blood oranges, peeled and sectioned
Directions
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until smooth and well blended.
In a medium bowl or two-cup measuring cup with a spout, mix the cream, half & half, and eggs.
Put the pan on medium heat and add the egg/cream mixture, whisking to prevent lumps. Once the two mixtures have been combined, stir constantly until the pudding thickens. This will take about 7-10 minutes. Don't let it boil and be sure your spoon reaches all corners of your pan. A wooden spoon is my favorite tool for this, but a heat-resistant spatula or thin whisk is great, too.
When the mixture thickens, turn off the heat, add the blood orange juice and mix thoroughly. Pour into individual ramekins (or a single 3-cup container) and place blood orange sections on top. Refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve.
And, from my favorite guide to fermentation, here is a simple recipe for a probiotic drink.