Tangy Parsley Sauce

Am I the only one who sometimes ends up with way more of an herb than I needed? In this case, it’s because my mom’s CSA box (which is wonderful in nearly every aspect) has a chronic tendency to send her massive bunches of fresh herbs, including parsley. We’ve been experimenting with a lot of ways to put it to good use over the last several months, but this is definitely my new favorite method. Nearly 3 cups of parsley leaves blended down into 2/3 cup of delicious sauce, ready to be spooned over chicken, fish, or roasted vegetables. Give it a try the next time you have an overabundance of parsley in the fridge.

This recipe calls for an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, a food processor will work as well but you won’t get the same texture.

Ingredients

2 3/4 packed cups of parsley leaves

3 large cloves garlic

2 tsp grated ginger

5 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp white balsamic

Directions

Combine 1/2 cup of the parsley leaves and the other ingredients in an immersion blender. Blend until the parsley leaves are fully incorporated, then add remaining leaves one handful at a time and blend to smooth.

Mulled Wine

Well, it’s been quite a while since our last update to this blog! The holidays seemed like a perfect time to get back in the habit, and I wanted to start with one of my new favorite winter beverages: mulled wine. As the nights get longer and colder, and we’re all staying at home trying to get this global pandemic under control, this is a wonderful drink. If enjoying it for your pre-dinner cocktail hour, fix yourself a plate of cheese and crackers. It also pairs wonderfully with any of the shortbread, gingersnaps, or chocolate cookies you’ve been making, buying, or receiving during the holidays.

The recipe below makes 6-8 servings. Depending on how large your shelter-in-place household is, you can easily cut it in half.

The most important note is that the type of wine you use will have a dramatic impact on the flavor and how much of the additional ingredients you should use. As such, I’ve written the amounts for the spices and honey as “at least”, rather than providing exact amounts. Start with what’s listed here, and be sure to taste as I’ve described below!

Ingredients

2 bottles (1500 ml) red wine: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, red blend, or similar

At least 1 orange, cut in half, or a mix of oranges and lemons

At least 3 oz high quality honey

At least 2 short cinnamon sticks

At least 1 small handful each: star anise, whole cloves, cardamom pods

6 oz brandy (preferred) or whisky

Directions

Add wine, orange, honey and spices to a large pot. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium/low heat, stirring occasionally to let the honey dissolve.

Let simmer 20 minutes, then remove a small portion and taste. Add more honey, orange or spices as needed, return to a simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Remove a small portion and taste, adding more honey, orange, or spices as needed. Add brandy, return to a simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Do a final taste, then ladle into mugs, adding some of the whole spices to each serving.

Eggplant Parm Lasagna

Several weeks ago, I made some extremely delicious stuffed eggplant parmesan boats (using this recipe from The Kitchn). By far, my favorite part was the cheesy, tomato-eggplant filling. I ended up with more than fit into the eggplant boats, and happily ate it for several meals as a sandwich filling and on pasta.

So, when I finally decided to indulge a long-simmering hankering for lasagna, I had to see if I could replicate that filling.

Enjoy with a side salad and a hunk of crust bread to sop up all the tasty sauce!

Ingredients

1 medium onion

5 tbsp olive oil

2 medium eggplants

3 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tbsp urfa chile flakes

26 oz marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara)

1 cup shredded or grated Parmesan

3 cups shredded mozzarella

No-bake lasagna noodles (6-8)

Directions

Finely dice the onion. Add to a large skillet with the olive oil, then cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.

Peel and chop the eggplants.

Add tomato paste to the onions and cook until fragrant.

Add the eggplant, salt, pepper, and urfa chile. Cook until the eggplant is tender, stirring frequently.

Reduce heat to low, then add the marinara and stir to combine. Depending on how sweet your sauce is, you may want to add a dash of red wine vinegar. Add 1/2 of the Parmesan and stir until melted.

Spread a thin layer of the sauce in a 9 by 12 casserole dish. Add a layer of noodles, then another layer of sauce. Top with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Repeat, then top with the remaining Parmesan. Let rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the noodles.

Once the lasagna has rested, heat oven to 375. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly (and noodles are cooked through).

Serve hot!

Ham and Barley Soup

It’s finally feeling like fall here in Monterey! I woke up this morning to misty coastal fog in every direction, and started craving soup.

Enter this ham and barley soup. With some veggies in there for additional nutrition, it’s everything you need on a cool fall evening. Whip up a batch on a weekend afternoon to share with friends, or enjoy for dinner all week.

Ingredients

1 onion

1/2 head of garlic (3-5 cloves)

2 large carrots

1 celery heart (8 stalks)

2 tbsp olive oil

3.5 cups chicken stock

1 cup pearled barley

16 oz smoked ham

Directions

Finely chop the garlic and onion. Add to a large pot with the olive oil. Cook over medium heat until the onion starts to brown, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the carrot and celery. Add to the pot, then continue cooking over medium heat until the onion and celery have started to soften, 3-5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and pearled barley, stir to combine.

Reduce heat to low, then cover and simmer until barley is tender (30 minutes). Chop the ham and set aside.

Once the barley is cooked, add the ham and kale. Stir until the kale has begun to wilt.

Cover and let simmer 10 minutes. Serve hot with crusty bread to sop up any bits of soup left in the bowl!

Spring Grain Salad with Asparagus and Snap Peas

Aah, spring. New vegetables at the farmer’s market call for light, fresh-tasting (but still substantial) meals. Enter the grain bowl.

Pearled barley, spring veggies, mint, feta and a healthy dose of lemon combine to produce this tasty grain salad. Delicious warm or at room temperature, it’s the perfect meal-prep meal to satisfy no matter what the weather decides to do that day.

Makes 5-6 generous portions. So invite some friends over for dinner or enjoy it for lunch all week!

Ingredients

2 cups pearled barley 

4 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper (fresh-ground)

2 large bunches of young asparagus (with slender stems) 

1 lb snap peas

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed 

2 Meyer lemons

3 tbsp olive oil 

8 oz feta cheese

Directions

Rinse the barley under cold running water. Add to a pot with the water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender but still chewy, about 30 minutes.

Remove the tough ends of the asparagus, then slice into 1-inch long pieces. De-string the snap peas, slice in half. Set aside. 

Steam the asparagus until crisp-tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Steam the snap peas until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. 

Thinly slice the mint leaves into ribbons. 

Once the barley is done, add it to a large bowl. Zest and juice the lemons, then add to the barley with the olive oil and stir to incorporate. Crumble the feta, then add with the veggies and pepper to the bowl. Stir to combine. 

Potato Soup with Roasted Garlic

Cool, foggy days in Monterey just call for soup. And this is a great one for using up the extra random leftover ingredients you’ve got lying around. Potatoes from the Costco-sized bag you bought to make scalloped potatoes for Christmas dinner, celery and carrots leftover from making King City Pink Bean soup, arugula from the salads you made for lunch last week. It all goes in, and it’s pretty darn tasty.

Ingredients

3 medium russet potatoes

1 1/2 heads garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 celery heart

2 carrots

1 onion

1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Cut the top off the whole head of garlic. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, then drizzle olive oil over the cut portion. Wrap in the foil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Once the garlic is done, open the foil packet and set aside to cool.

Peel the potatoes, then cut into large chunks. Boil in well-salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Chop the celery, carrots, onion, and remaining 1/2 head of garlic.

Add butter to a Dutch oven or soup pot; let melt over low heat. Add in the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Stir several times to coat the vegetables in the butter, then let cook until aromatic (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Carefully pop the roasted garlic cloves out of the papery shell and set aside.

Add the broth, wine and heavy cream. Bring the soup to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the garlic cloves, potatoes, and cheese; stir to combine. Let cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender (or, after transferring to a blender), purée until mostly smooth. Return to pot and put on low heat.

One handful at a time, stir in the arugula until wilted.

Simmer for 30 minutes, until the bitterness has faded. Serve hot.

King City Pink Bean Soup

Last year’s Christmas ham was delicious, to be sure. (And from local artisanal meat production company California Kurobuta). But for me, the best part of cooking a ham is the ham hock that’s leftover, because it’s time to make some King City Pink Bean Soup.

Slow cooked beans, tasty bits of ham – what more do you need to create a satisfying winter soup?

The quantities below make 2-3 generous servings – just enough to have a friend or two over for dinner. You can easily double or triple the recipe though!

Ingredients

4 celery stalks

4 medium carrots

4 garlic cloves

1/2 large onion

2 1/4 cup dry King City pink beans (can substitute pinto)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 ham hock

8 cups water

Directions

Soak beans overnight (or at least 8 hours), then drain and set aside.

Dice onion, garlic, carrots, celery. Add to large soup pot with olive oil; sauté 5-10 min until aromatic.

Add the beans, ham hock, and water.

Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer until the beans are just tender (2-2.5 hours). The total cooking time will depend on how fresh the beans are and how long you soaked them.

Let cool, then scrape the meat from the ham bone and stir to incorporate and serve warm.

Holiday Cookies Part 2: Biscochos

New Mexican style shortbread rolled in a spiced sugar mixture . . . these are definitely my favorite holiday cookie! This year we got a little more ambitious than usual and rendered some California Kurobuta leaf lard at home, but you can definitely buy lard from the grocery store.

The trick with these cookies is to roll them in the sugar mixture RIGHT after pulling them out of the oven. If they aren’t hot enough to burn your fingers, the sugar won’t stick to the cookie. After many, many years of singed fingers, I finally decided to try coating the cookies while wearing my mandolin gloves and it made a huge difference. If you have a pair, I definitely recommend giving it a try.

These cookies are much better 5-7 days after you make them, and keep for several weeks as long as they are stored in an airtight container away from any sources of moisture. So, make them well ahead of your holiday festivities to enjoy them at their best!

Ingredients

1.25 cups white sugar

1 lb lard

2 eggs

7 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp cloves

4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup dry red wine

Directions

Cream sugar and lard together in a large bowl. Add eggs, mix until fully combined.

Add 2 cups of flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cloves to a medium bowl. Stir well.

Slowly add the flour mixture and the wine to the wet ingredients. Mix until fully combined, then add the third cup of flour and mix until combined.

Starting with the fourth cup of flour, mix by hand with a wooden spoon. Stir until fully combined, then add the next cup of flour until all 7 cups have been incorporated. It will get harder as you keep going!

5 cups of flour

6 cups of flour

7 cups of flour

Put one quarter of the dough on a well-floured cutting board.

Roll until 1/2 inch thick, then use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into 2-inch diameter circles.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 25-30 min. The bottom of the cookie should just be starting to brown.

While the cookies are baking, mix 3/4 cup sugar with 1 tbsp cinnamon and 1 tsp each ground nutmeg and cloves in a small bowl. Set aside.

Once the cookies have just started to brown on the bottom, remove them from the oven and start placing them in the sugar mixture. They need to be very hot for the sugar to adhere properly. Place them rounded side down in the bowl, then rotate a few times before placing them sugar side up on a wire rack to cool.

Wipe down the cookie sheet with a paper towel and repeat until you’ve used all the dough.

Holiday Cookies Part 1: Persimmon Cookies

Oh, holiday baking. In the last couple weeks of December, it seemed every other day someone at my office was bringing in cookies or quick breads or caramels or fudge. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to doing my baking until the weekend before Christmas (sorry office-mates), and didn’t get around to posting the recipes until the New Year!

When I was growing up, we made several types of cookies every holiday season and distributed them to friends, family, teachers and coworkers. This year, we stuck to two of our classic recipes, one from each side of the family. First up is persimmon cookies!

These are almost cake-like, and by varying the amount of frosting on top you can make them more or less indulgent. Without the frosting, they make a reasonably healthy morning snack (but who doesn’t want frosting on their cookies?!).

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup persimmon pulp

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

1 egg

2 cups flour

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb (about 3 3/4 cups) powdered sugar

3-4 tbsp milk

1 tsp artificial rum extract

Directions

In a small bowl mix the persimmon pulp and baking soda, set aside. Let rest for 10 minutes, until pulp mixture has firmed up.

Chop the walnuts, set aside.

Add the sugars, 1/4 cup butter and shortening to a large mixing bowl.

Using an electric mixer, blend until a smooth paste forms. Mix in the egg. Add in the persimmon.

Mix until persimmon is fully incorporated.

Combine the flour, spices and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the persimmon mix, combine until smooth. Stir in the walnuts and raisins.

Without touching the dough, scoop spoonfuls out into a cookie sheet, leaving an inch of space between each cookie.

Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely.

After the cookies have cooled, mix together the powdered sugar, remaining butter, milk and rum extract. Adding more milk if needed, blend until the frosting has a smooth, spreadable consistency. Frost the cookies, then let the frosting set until almost hard to the touch.

Autumn Vegetable Soup with Barley

It was too good to be true when an enormous quantity of carrots and a substantial butternut squash showed up in my CSA box. The warm September weather has finally begun to transition to cool, misty evenings, and I’ve been craving soup. And what better soup for October than an orange soup?

The original recipe from The Kitchn (one of my favorite sources for culinary inspiration) called for sweet potatoes and sorghum (rather than butternut squash and barley), but the warming spices still do the trick. The next time I give this a whirl, I think I’ll add some smoked paprika to give it a bit of a kick, but the flavors as is are still nicely balanced.

Make a batch of this over the weekend, and enjoy the benefits all week long.

Ingredients
1 cup pearled barley
1 medium butternut squash
2 bunches carrots (about 15 medium)
1 onion
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ground coriander

Directions
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add barley, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 30-40 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

While the barley is cooking, peel and cube the butternut squash. Rinse and chop the carrots. Peel and dice the onion.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat, then add the onion. Cook on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the fennel and cumin seeds, cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes).  Add the squash, carrots and remaining olive oil. Stir until well mixed, then cook for 5 minutes.

Add the broth, bay leaf and coriander; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender (about 30 minutes).

Before cooking

Ready to purée!

Purée the soup until mostly smooth, in batches if necessary. Stir in the barley and serve hot!