You Say Potato, I Say Leeks

Another vegetable we were lucky enough to receive through our One Straw Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) this fall was leeks. While I used the mild, onion-flavored vegetable in a variety of dishes, my favorite recipes were the Roasted Potato Leek Soup below and "Rocket Pie" (recipe to be posted at a later date).

A Leek Cultural Connection:

• Due to my Welsh heritage, I was happy to learn the leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, traditionally worn along with the daffodil on St. David’s Day.
• Legend has it that King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd had his soldiers identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in battle.
• In Shakespeare's Henry V, Henry tells Fluellen (a Welsh captain) that he is wearing a leek “for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.”

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Recipe: Roasted Potato Leek Soup
adapted from Ina Garten, Back to Basics

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (This means you will need approximately 4 leeks.)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving (As I mentioned in a previous recipe post, when using wine in my recipes I rely on what was served or sold the prior day. For this particular recipe I used Essay's Chenin Blanc. Heck, even Robert Parker gave it a good review so make sure you plan ahead and drink a glass while you're cooking!)
• 6 to 7 cups chicken stock (Ina Garten recommends using homemade stock but as you can see below, I cheated with Swanson chicken broth. You could also easily substitute vegetable broth. I actually prefer to mix a little vegetable in with my chicken broth.)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Save some extra for garnish.)
• Crispy Prosciutto (Ina Garten recommends using Crispy Shallots - a great alternative for my vegetarian friends. We had leftover prosciutto that I wanted to use up so I heated some oil on medium and crisped up the prosciutto to use as a garnish.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

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3. In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings

4. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan. If using, top with crispy prosciutto.

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Fennel: A Delicious History Lesson

The best thing about joining our One Straw Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) this year was that we were introduced to fruits and vegetables we probably never would have even glanced at in the supermarket. As someone who likes to know what I am eating as well as the best ways to enjoy it, I started doing a little digging on my new find - fennel.

A Brief History of Fennel

• Fennel is an ancient plant from coastal regions around the Mediterranean. Roman warriors are said to have consumed fennel to make them strong.
• In Greek mythology Prometheus, who brought fire to mankind, concealed it in a stalk of fennel. Fennel's Greek name is marathon, which means "grow thin," and reflects the belief it suppresses appetite. The town of Marathon, site of the famous battle between the Athenians and the Persians, means "place of fennel." After the battle, the Athenians used woven fennel stalks as a symbol of victory.
  
• Charlemagne declared in 812 AD that fennel was essential in every garden because it had healing properties.

Tasting Notes for a Fennel Newbie:
Fennel has a slight anise or licorice flavor, and the crunchy texture of a fennel bulb makes an interesting combination in recipes. It was suggested to use fennel raw in salads and try roasting or braising it to serve as a side dish. Fennel can easily be substituted for celery, onion or bean sprouts, and is a welcomed addition in soups, casseroles and even lasagna.

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The Winning Recipe: Onion & Fennel Soup Gratin
adapted from Ina Garten, How Easy Is That?

• 4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 lbs onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (Ina recommends Spanish onions because they are sweeter and easier to slice; I used the onions I had received from the local CSA that week.)
• 2 lbs fennel, tops and cores removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup Cognac or brandy
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine (Ina recommends a Sauvignon Blanc; I ended up using what was left in my husband/wine salesman's bag from the day before - Honig's Sauvignon Blanc. And since one should always taste what they are cooking with I had a glass while I waited.)
• 8 cups beef broth (Of course, you could substitute vegetable broth but if you are not a vegetarian, go for it!)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small sourdough or white French boule, crusts removed and sliced 1/2 in thick, toasted (I used a French bread loaf from Whole Foods Market.)
• 4 to 6 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated (I substituted Swiss cheese here because I liked the mild flavor of the cheese with the beefy broth and hyped-up fennel and onions.)

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fennel, and cook over medium heat 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn golden-brown.
2. Add the sherry and Cognac, scraping up the browned bits in the pan, and simmer uncovered about 5 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes.
4. Add the beef broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. At this point you can also taste for seasoning.
5. Preheat the broiler with a rack 5 inches below the broiler and ladle the soup into oven-safe serving bowls. Top with the toasted bread, sprinkle generously with grated cheese, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot!

My Summer Plum Crumble

I think one of my favorite things to do when I get home early from work this summer (other than run around with the pups) is to check out Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) on the Food Network. I now own two of her cookbooks (Back to Basics and The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook) and am orchestrating my own little Julia & Julia experiment. Of course, I'm starting backwards... with dessert.

This week I tried her Plum Crunch recipe from Back to Basics. It was quick and easy to make and so far all my taste testers have reported back favorably. I'm thinking the plum mixture (plums, brown sugar, flour and creme de cassis) would be a perfect pie filling as well.

What dessert should I try next? I'm thinking Brownie Pudding.

Croissant Bread Pudding

My brother manages an Irish restaurant here in Baltimore and I usually have a hard time deciding whether I want the creme brulee or the bread pudding. Since I already had a creme brulee this week, I decided it was time to make my own bread pudding this weekend. Here is my adaptation of Ina Garten's (The Barefoot Contessa) classic:

Croissant Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
3 whole eggs
8 egg yolks (save the egg whites for low-cholesterol omelets!)
5 C half and half
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 croissants, preferably stale
1 C dried cherries*
1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

*Ina Garten suggested raisins but you could use any dried fruit. I am thinking my next test will be with dried blueberries.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk eggs, egg yolks, half and half, sugar and vanilla together in a bowl. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. I chose to also slice them in half again. In a 10 x 15 x 2 1/2 inch baking dish, layer the bottom halves of the croissants. Sprinkle layer of dried cherries and chocolate chips. Then add the tops of the croissants. (It reminded me of making a lasagna. I did a second layer of croissants and cherries.) Pour the custard mixture over the croissants and allow them to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently throughout the time.

Place the baking dish in a larger pan filled with an inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil and cut a couple vent holes into the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 40-45 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

The Barefoot Contessa suggested serving it with a rum-flavored whipped cream. We substituted the rum with an Irish Cream liqueur but it is not necessary. Enjoy!