it is apple week...apple & pear crisp anyone?

a couple of posts ago, i told you that i made the desserts for a good friend's wedding reception. i mentioned that the bride & groom asked for pies, crisps and cobblers...and, of course, homemade vanilla ice cream. the pies? fresh peach with pecan/streusel topping. the cobblers? strawberry/blueberry with sweet cornmeal biscuits...and the crisps? apple & pear. since then, i have had many requests for the recipes...from wedding attendees, from blog readers, from friends. well...it is a big secret, but i can't share the pie recipe just yet...stay tuned as to why. the bride, my good friend brooke, asked for the cobbler recipe to post on her wonderful blog aficionada. i feel like it is "her" recipe now...after-all it was served at her wedding!! and, of all the desserts, it was her personal favorite. so i am happy to provide the link to her post...check it out to see why she picked cobbler as her fave...get the recipe...and be sure to take a peek at the wedding photographs for one of the most beautiful brides i have ever seen.
sometimes life delivers perfect timing because this week at fall fest we are spotlighting apples. how fall is that? what smells remind you of fall? for me, apples baking...either in pie or crisp...do it every time. so, even though it has been 100 degrees each day this week here in napa, (despite the fact that summer was actually very cool) the calendar tells me it is fall. and, since i have wanted to share this crisp recipe with you for weeks now...viola! the recipe follows. when brooke and i were discussing her menu i asked her if she had favorite fruits. her wedding was held on september 12, so we decided to stay "fruit flexible". the only non-negotiable for both of us was that the fruit be local, organic or sustainably grown...and delicious. happily, stone fruits and berries were still in season but...just to be safe...we also selected apples & pears as the combination for the crisp...but you can make it with all apples or all pears...any of the three options would be terrific.

apple & pear crisp
(makes one 9 inch deep dish pie pan. double ingredients for a 9 x 13 inch baking dish)

3-4 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3-4 pears. peeled, cored and sliced
(you want 3 1/2 to 4 pounds total fruit)
juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 cup c unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick very cold unsalted butter, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup rolled oats
pinch sea salt

preheat oven to 375 degrees. butter a 9 inch deep dish pie pan (ceramic if possible). place prepared fruit in medium sized mixing bowl. pour in lemon juice to keep fruit from browning. add 1/2 cup brown sugar and spices and stir to combine. set aside.

add flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar to work bowl of a food processor. pulse to mix. add cold butter and pulse until mixture is very crumbly. add oats and salt and pulse just to combine.

add fruit to prepared pie dish. sprinkle topping over fruit. bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. serve warm or at room temperature. terrific as is...even better with homemade vanilla ice cream or try pouring a bit of heavy cream over crisp....

since this is apple week, i am also adding the link to a few recipes i posted during the first fest two years ago. i included roasted apple and caramelized onion au gratin soup

salad with apples, cheddar cheese & walnuts and apple crostata with walnuts and dulce de leche sauce...all favorites in my home. what are your favorite apple recipes? please share....

this is the last post eligible for the free cookbook! remember when i told you that i had a recipe published in a new cookbook thinkfood, recipes for brain fitness? i was thrilled to receive a couple of copies in the mail. i am featured on page 47!! i have decided to give away a copy...my first ever contest. all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on one of my september 2010 blog posts. tell me in the comments that you would like to be entered in the drawing. i will announce the winner during the first week of october...so be sure to check us out to see if you win.

now it is your turn to participate in fall fest. simply leave your apple tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating fall fest 2010. as always...its been a blast...happy fall everyone..

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "

do you like us? really like us? then please join our facebook fan page& follow me on twitter
to receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...

so now it is spinach week...what would popeye say?

for some reason, we did not eat spinach often when we were kids. i don't know why... maybe it was not widely available unless you had a garden and planted your own? my mom rarely used canned vegetables...but every once in a while she would serve canned spinach. have you ever tasted canned spinach? if not...don't. it has been many years...but i still remember the slimy, metallic taste...ick! so i always thought i hated spinach. fast forward many years to my early 20's. spinach salads became very popular...remember? i discovered the taste of fresh spinach and fell in love. why would anyone eat the canned version? then i started sautéing spinach...all greens actually...and they became a staple in my home.

something magical happens when you sauté spinach...the sweetness intensifies. i heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet, add some minced garlic, a pinch of aglio-olio-peperoncino (or red pepper flakes), sea salt and black pepper...throw in the spinach...and sauté briefly, just until the spinach begins to wilt. delicious! it always amazes me how dramatically the spinach reduces when cooked. a huge panful becomes a pretty tiny serving...but that amount retains all the vitamins, minerals and fiber...how cool is that?

don't you love it when something that tastes good is actually really good for you? spinach (and all dark leafy greens) meets this criteria beautifully. spinach is an excellent source of niacin and zinc, and a very good source of fiber, protein, vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin e, vitamin k, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin b6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper and manganese.* so eat spinach...eat a lot of spinach...happily, it is spinach week at fall fest..so here we go...

*nutrient data provided by USDA SR-21

i took a different approach to my planter boxes this year. instead of all flowers, i plant mainly vegetables & herbs with a few flowers for color. (i already have a lot of rose bushes and hydrangeas so am well stocked with flowers for cut arrangements.) this fall i have added lettuce, spinach and kale to the planters...hopefully they will thrive and fresh spinach will be available whenever i wish...just a few steps from my back door.i am still getting a lot of zucchini and summer squash in my weekly csa box. i just harvested the last of the jalapeños from my garden...had some organic carrots on hand...so i created (inspired by bon appetit) a mixed vegetable fritter recipe...full of veggies & just enough flour to bind together...and served over a huge mound of spinach lightly dressed in a honey-mustard vinaigrette. perfect for the warm weather we are having the last day of summer.

mixed vegetable fritters on spinach with honey mustard vinaigrette
1 lb mixed zucchini & summer squash (1 lb total)
1/2 lb carrots
1 tsp kosher salt
1 jalapeño seeded and minced
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp unbleached flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch freshly cracked black pepper
grey sea salt
pinch aglio olio peperoncino (or red pepper flakes)
2 tbsp honey mustard
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 large handful per person organic baby spinach leaves

honey mustard vinaigrette
1/8 cup champagne vinegar
pinch grey salt
pinch black pepper
1 tbsp honey mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

make viniagrette... add vinegar, salt pepper and mustard to small bowl and whisk to incorporate. pour in e.v.o.o in a stream whisking constantly. taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. transfer to small mason jar with lid and set aside.

make fritters... preheat oven to 350 degrees. using the shredding disc with the largest holes on a cuisinart, grate the zucchini, squash and carrots. (alternatively, you can use a box grater...again, use the side with the largest holes). place the shredded vegetables in a colander set over the sink and sprinkle with the kosher salt. let sit for 30 minutes then pour onto a clean kitchen towel. tightly roll up the towel and let sit for another 15 minutes. squeeze the towel tightly to extract as much liquid as possible and set aside.

add flour, baking powder, pepper , aglio (or red pepper flakes) and a pinch of the grey sea salt to a mixing bowl and mix together. scrape in the grated vegetable mixture from the towel, the jalapeño and the mustard. stir until the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. add the feta and stir again.

add the grapeseed oil to large skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. using a ladle, drop the vegetable mixture into the hot oil and then flatten each fritter into a disk approx 3-4 inches in diameter. cook 5 minutes, or until side is deep brown and then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes. when done, fritters will be deeply caramelized brown on both sides. be careful not to burn. depending on the size of your skillet, you will have enough batter to complete this process 2-3 times. you can either serve the fritters as soon as they are ready, or place on a rimmed cookie sheet and keep warm in preheated oven while you finish the rest of the batter.

to serve... mix the vinaigrette by shaking the mason jar (ensure lid is tightly capped). place the spinach in a salad bowl and dress lightly with the vinaigrette, about 1 tbsp per serving. season to taste with sea salt and pepper. add the spinach to a serving platter and top with the fritters. serve immediately. (alternatively, create individual servings with a large handful of dressed spinach on a salad plate and top with 2-3 fritters per serving)

happy fall everyone...and happy spinach week. let me know what you think of the fritters...and, if you have any tips on growing spinach, please, please share...

want to win a free cookbook? remember when i told you that i had a recipe published in a new cookbook thinkfood, recipes for brain fitness? i was thrilled to receive a couple of copies in the mail. i am featured on page 47!! i have decided to give away a copy...my first ever contest. all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on one of my september 2010 blog posts. tell me in the comments that you would like to be entered in the drawing. i will announce the winner during the first week of october...so be sure to check us out to see if you win.

now it is your turn to participate in fall fest. simply leave your spinach tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating summer and now fall fest 2010. as always...its been a blast...happy fall everyone..

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "

do you like us? really like us? then please join our facebook fan page
& follow me on twitter

to receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...

you say potato?

ok...so i am cheating...but just a bit. and i have a really good reason. you see it is white (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) potatoes week at summer fest. each week of the fest i post a new recipe and tell you the story of how the dish came to be. this week i contemplated buying some potatoes and experimenting with a few ideas i have in the back of my mind....then real life intervened. a good friend asked me to make the desserts for her wedding (gulp!). she is from the south and planned a very southern menu...fried chicken, collard greens, grits, succotash...served with champagne and excellent wine. they did not want a traditional wedding cake...instead pies, crisps, cobblers and homemade vanilla ice cream were requested. now...i am so, so, so not a trained caterer...so making enough baked goods for 100 + people...not to mention the homemade ice cream... took a bit of logistical planning. the wedding was this past sunday...i went to the commercial kitchen at 6:00 am that day...prepared and baked everything!..delivered the 8 pies, 2 cobblers and 2 crisps (the ice cream was made earlier in the week)...showered, changed and then attended the festivities that evening!

pie photo courtesy julie dalrymple
potato photo courtesy suat eman
can i just say that two days later i am still exhausted?? i have an even greater respect for chefs, cooks and caterers...wow...you guys do that every day? so...enough with the wedding story...i will blog about the event...and share the recipes later (peach pie with pecan crisp topping anyone?) for now, i just must be honest and say i did not have the energy to create a new potato recipe...

happily, i have a number of favorite potato recipes from the past few years of blogging and i am "repurposing" three of my favorites. but first, i want to talk a bit about the nutritional aspects of potatoes. i have so many friends who...in the interest of health...are foregoing "anything white". no white sugar, flour, potatoes...etc. i totally get the first two...but potatoes? really? here are some potato facts from the washington state potato commission's website:

THE HEALTHFUL POTATO
Misinformation and misconceptions regarding the nutritional value of the potato abound. In fact, an average (~5.3 oz) potato with the skin contains:

45% of the daily value for vitamin C
620 mg potassium, comparable to bananas, spinach and broccoli
trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc

all for only 110 calories and no fat.
And potatoes with the skin on are an excellent source of fiber. In fact, with 2 grams of fiber per serving, a potato equals or exceeds that of many "whole" grain products-whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta and many cereals

Despite the popular notion, the majority of nutrients are not found in the skin, but in the potato itself. Nonetheless, leaving the skin on the potatoes retains all the nutrients, the fiber in the skin and makes potatoes easier to prepare.
how great is that? i love potatoes. i roast them all the time. diced, roasted with onions, evoo and sea salt, then topped with a poached egg...perfection. or check out my baked potatoes for dinner? post ...loaded with a delicious roasted vegetable mixture of broccoli, garlic, leeks and cremini mushrooms, tossed with e.v.o.o and seasonings... add a small salad and dinner is served.

i am a "potato skin" person...even in my mashed potatoes or, as i refer to them, smashed potatoes ...with e.v.o.o instead of butter and seasoned with a delicious roasted garlic puree...yum.
this is the perfect time of year to serve our napa farmhouse potato salad chock full of red skinned potatoes, fresh peas, green onion, red onion and kalamata olives tossed in a honey mustard vinaigrette.

see what i mean...potaotes are delicious, nutritious, inexpensive and incredibly versatile....what are your favorite ways to prepare them? and...that roasted potato/poached egg combo sounds like the perfect, easy dinner for tonight....off to the kitchen...

want to win a free cookbook? remember when i told you that i had a recipe published in a new cookbook thinkfood, recipes for brain fitness? i was thrilled to receive a couple of copies in the mail. i am featured on page 47!! i have decided to give away a copy...my first ever contest. all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on one of my september 2010 blog posts. tell me in the comments that you would like to be entered in the drawing. i will announce the winner during the first week of october...so be sure to check us out to see if you win.
now it is your turn to participate in summer fest. simply leave your potato tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating summer fest 2010. as always...its been a blast... one more thing...next week begins fall fest. same idea...new logo...

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "
do you like us? really like us? then please join our facebook fan page & follow me on twitter

to receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...

it is garlic week at summer fest...so what is pan amb tomaquet?

so...garlic week at summer fest...hmm! this one is a bit more difficult for me than the other weeks. tomato week? focus on tomatoes...easy. corn week? lots of main dishes featuring corn. but how do you focus on an ingredient you use all the time? i add garlic to everything. garlic, onions and extra virgin olive oil make an appearance almost daily.

i am sure there will be many recipes for garlic soup, garlic chicken, roasted garlic etc. in the postings. i decided to take a bit of liberty with the theme...and promote garlic as an essential ingredient for today's recipes. actually, "recipe" is a bit of a stretch...technique is more accurate. so...how about pa amb tomaquet? (and what is it anyway?)

pa amb tomaquet is one of the dishes from gott's restaurant that i mentioned a few posts ago. as chef rick robinson says:
"less a recipe than a technique, pa amb tomaquet is a traditional catalan tapa. grilled bread is rubbed with a cut garlic clove, then a ripe tomato half is vigorously rubbed against the bread, almost like a hard cheese on a cheese grater. top it off with excellent olive oil and good sea salt for a perfect starter!"
chef gott recommends this as an appetizer...honestly, i can make it the meal...sometimes i grate some parmigiano-reggiano on top...perfect with a glass or two of wine. i know this sounds really simple...you may be asking "what's the big deal?" let me respond by saying "big deal...a really big deal". however, as with every dish i talk about, the quality of the ingredients makes all the difference & takes something simple and pushes it over the top. i use amazing bread from model bakery here in napa. the olive oil is my favorite...extra virgin, from hudson ranch in the carneros region. the tomatoes are heirloom, local and organic. the salt is a grey finishing salt. a key ingredient is the fresh local & organic garlic rubbed on the grilled bread. garlic rubbed on grilled or toasted bread is one of my most favorite things.
easy garlic bread in my home is simply grilled bread (i use my panini press when it is off season for the outdoor grill)...rubbed with a garlic clove and drizzled with the evoo...and, of course, sprinkled with sea salt. sometimes i top with chopped italian parsley and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano.
another way to use the bread, tomato, garlic, salt combo is making a quick topping of chopped tomato, chopped garlic, chopped italian parsley and chopped basil tossed with some of the olive oil & sea salt and then mounded over the garlic bread. for a jazzed up version of this, try heirloom tomato tapenade with bruschetta with olives, red bell pepper, capers, red pepper flakes and sherry vinegar added to the mix.
so...when it is garlic week i stick with garlic bread and variations of that theme. what are your favorite garlic recipes? and, if you do not like garlic (shudder!)...please tell me why?


want to win a free cookbook? remember when i told you that i had a recipe published in a new cookbook thinkfood, recipes for brain fitness? i was thrilled to receive a couple of copies in the mail. i am featured on page 47!! i have decided to give away a copy...my first ever contest. all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on one of my september 2010 blog posts. tell me in the comments that you would like to be entered in the drawing. i will announce the winner during the first week of october...so be sure to check us out to see if you win.

now it is your turn to participate in summer fest. simply leave your garlic tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below, and then go visit the collaborators listed on the blog away to garden and do the same.

the cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. yes, copy and paste them everywhere! that way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

always...much thanks to margaret roach and deb puchalla for coordinating summer fest 2010. as always...its been a blast...

best and happy cooking!
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™ "live a green life of style™ "

do you like us? really like us? then please join our facebook fan page & follow me on twitter

to receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...