Masala Farm
Page 7
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeded and ribbed for less heat), or tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
3 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
1¾ tsp kosher salt
16 large eggs
10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Place the butter and pepper in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the oregano and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds. Add the onion and jalapeño (if using) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 1 tsp of the salt and cook until the mixture is somewhat dry looking, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and remaining ¾ tsp salt in a large bowl. Reduce the heat of the tomato mixture to medium-low and add the eggs to the pot in a slow and steady stream, stirring the mixture constantly until all the beaten eggs are added. Continue to cook while stirring until the eggs begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. They will be a very soft-set scramble. Stir in the basil and serve immediately.
Grandma Mae’s Biscuits
Once you have eaten these biscuits, there is no turning back. You will be hooked and spoiled for life, as I was, when my very dear friend Brett Bannon served them during a stay at our farm. Brett and his partner, Jon, are my saviors when I’m in Minneapolis, shuttling me to and from the airport and cooking classes that I’m teaching, taking me to wonderful restaurants, introducing me to friends in the community, and, above all else, welcoming me as a guest in their home. One morning, Charlie and I awoke to these biscuits, hot from the oven, pillowy tender, and as flaky and delicious as you can imagine. The recipe comes from Brett’s mother, who learned how to make them from her mother, Mae Norris of Jacksonville, Florida. Brett grew up eating these biscuits every morning, waking up not to an alarm clock but to the clinking of a knife working the butter into the flour. I’ve adopted the breakfast tradition at our farm and thank him, his mother, and Grandma Mae, of course, for this beautifully simple and incredibly delicious best-ever biscuit recipe. Leaf lard is the very best rendered and clarified pork fat you can buy and makes these biscuits light and fluffy. If you can’t find it, use lard, or substitute all butter as indicated in the ingredients.
Makes 11 or 12 biscuits
3½ cups/450 g self-rising flour
1 cup/225 g salted butter plus 5 tbsp/70 g leaf lard; or 1 cups plus 1 tbsp/300 g salted butter
1¼ cups/300 ml heavy cream, plain yogurt, milk, buttermilk, or any combination thereof
Good butter (like Vermont Butter and Cheese or Kerrygold), for serving
Crème fraîche, store-bought or homemade (see recipe), for serving
Seasonal jam, store-bought or homemade (see recipe), for serving
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Place 3 cups/385 g of the flour in a large bowl. Chop ½ cup/115 g of the butter into ¼-in/6-mm, pieces and add it to the flour along with the leaf lard (or additional 5 tbsp/75 g salted butter if not using leaf lard). Use a pastry cutter to work the fat into the flour until the mixture looks like cornmeal with pieces no larger than a small pea.
Pour half of the cream into the dry ingredients, using a butter knife to gently cut it into the dough. Add more cream, 2 tbsp at a time, until there are no more dry spots remaining (you may end up with a bit of liquid left over, depending on the humidity and the age of the flour).
Melt ¼ cup/55 g of the salted butter in a 10-in/25-cm cast-iron frying pan over low heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Melt the remaining ¼ cup/55 g salted butter in a microwave-safe bowl and set aside. Place the remaining ½ cup/65 g flour in a medium bowl. Break the dough into 11 or 12 golf ball–size portions, dust with flour, and gently flatten between your palms as if they were snowballs. Dip the top of each slightly flattened biscuit (mine end up in a somewhat hexagon shape) into the melted butter in the bowl and place in the frying pan. Place the biscuits close together so the sides are touching (don’t worry—they separate perfectly once they come out of the oven). If there is any melted butter left over in the bowl, drizzle it over the biscuits.
Bake until the biscuits are golden brown and nearly doubled in size, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes before using a cake server to remove the biscuits from the pan (the first one is a bit tricky to unwedge, but the rest pop out easily). Serve immediately, while hot, with plenty of good butter, crème frâiche, and jam.
VARIATION: BISCUIT ADDENDUMS
Grandma Mae’s original recipe calls for self-rising flour, but I get very close using all-purpose flour to which I add 1½ tbsp baking powder and ¾ tsp salt. On rare occasions when I crave a sweet biscuit, I’ll add 2 tbsp sugar and the zest of 1 lemon to the dry ingredients. To turn the biscuits into a more savory indulgence, I add 1 tsp ajwain seeds (also called carom seeds) and tsp cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients. Finally, if you are using sweet butter and not salted, add an additional ¼ tsp kosher salt to your dry ingredients.
Farm Yarn:
Teaching Kids to Eat Well
When we heard that proponents of the Salem Community Center wanted to include children from different towns and villages for the Lunch, Learn & Play Program, Charlie and I knew that we needed help.
It’s a sad fact that the school lunch offered during the academic year is often the most nutritious hot meal a child receives during the day. So when school isn’t in session—like during the summertime—children don’t receive those balanced and healthful lunches. Extending the Lunch, Learn & Play Program to the summer so children could continue to receive healthful and free lunches five days a week—even during school breaks—just made sense.
Through lots of hard work and fundraising, the Lunch, Learn & Play Program was extended to July and August, Monday through Friday. Best yet, kids may go to the Courthouse Community Center not just for lunch, but also for a full day of learning and doing. Arts and crafts, working in the Courthouse Community Garden, helping out in the local library, playing board games, participating in cooking demonstrations, and even growing peanuts are just some of the activities offered through this completely free program, funded entirely via private and corporate donations.
The program now serves up to one hundred children, mostly in kindergarten through third grade, getting them thinking about art, science, and, of course, food. In addition to helping out in the community garden, the kids often cook their own lunches at the Battenkill Kitchen. Through food demos and hands-on classes, the children are taught how easy it is to cook from scratch—and how good a home-cooked meal made from fresh produce tastes. To bring the lesson home, the kids are encouraged to enter a community-wide recipe contest, in which the children submit one of their family’s best recipes.
It’s wonderful to see the whole community coming together and getting involved. Everyone works alongside one another to make sure that the children have fun. The expanded lunch hours and the programming made all the difference: We saw enrollment increase drastically, and we hope that the program continues to get bigger and better every year.
Country Salad with Five Vinaigrette Variations
Charlie is the designated salad maker at the house, and his simple salad creations are a customary addition to lunches, dinners, and even breakfast. We love the tender organic greens we get from Seth and Martha at Slack Hollow Farm—they have so much flavor and vibrancy that all they need is a drizzle of fresh-made vinaigrette to make a superb salad. Of course, you can add other ingredients, like shaved pickled red onions, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced apples, toasted nuts, dried fruit (blueberries, cherries, and strawberries are our favorites), grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, fresh chèvre, or bread toasted with olive oil and herbs. But sometimes a bowl of pristine greens simply dressed is all you need to make a statement.
Our pantry provides the inspiration for making vinaigrettes. There we find ingredients that can be as interesting as the other flavors in the meal. Tamarind Chutney,
spicy Sriracha sauce, Dijon mustard, fresh ginger, and shoyu are all items we often have on hand that can lend uniqueness and vibrancy to a standard oil and acid vinaigrette. Charlie is great at ensuring that the dressing is interesting yet balanced—a play of sour, salty, sweet, bitter, and spicy tastes that, just like the underlying philosophy of Indian cookery, are as much about harmonious cohabitation as they are about singular nuance and personality. For us, salad is not about sacrifice, but is a celebration of clean flavors and simple executions.
Serves 8
8 cups/440 g tender leafy greens, washed and roughly torn if large
2/3 cup/150 ml vinaigrette or dressing (recipes follow)
Place the greens in a large bowl. Just before serving, toss with the vinaigrette or dressing of your choice and serve.
Ginger and Shoyu Vinaigrette
Makes about ¾ cup/180 ml
2-in/5-cm piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp good-quality shoyu (Japanse soy sauce)
1 tbsp grain mustard
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
Grate the ginger using a microplane or ginger grater. Collect the grated ginger in a soup spoon, hold it over a blender jar, and press on it with your fingers to extract the juice. Add the honey, olive oil, lemon juice, shoyu, mustard, and shallot. Purée in the blender until completely smooth. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. (Note that the shallot’s flavor will become stronger, and the ginger’s will become weaker, the longer the vinaigrette is kept in the refrigerator.)
North Country Balsamic Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup/240 ml
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp Herbes de Hebron or herbes de Provence
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot or small red onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove
½ tsp fresh oregano leaves or tsp dried oregano
½ tsp fresh rosemary leaves or tsp dried rosemary
¾ cup/180 ml exta-virgin olive oil
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, Herbes de Hebron, salt, and pepper in a liquid measuring cup and set aside. Place the shallot, garlic, oregano, and rosemary in a food processor and process until fine. With the machine running, add the vinegar-herb mixture and process until smooth, then slowly begin to drizzle in the olive oil. Stop processing once all of the oil has been added and the vinaigrette is emulsified. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. (Note that the shallot and garlic flavors will become stronger the longer the vinaigrette is kept in the refrigerator.)
Summer Tisane Vinaigrette
Makes about 2/3 cup/165 ml
3 fennel fronds
2 dill fronds
1 sprig fresh basil (preferably variegated)
1 sprig fresh lavender
1 sprig fresh marjoram
4 fresh lemon verbena leaves
Juice of 2 lemons
¼ cup/60 ml tea oil
2 tbsp maple syrup (preferably medium-amber)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground mixed or black pepper
Pick the leaves off the fennel, dill, basil, lavender, and marjoram and finely chop along with the lemon verbana leaves. Transfer the herbs to a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, tea oil, maple syrup, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Tangy Buttermilk-Tarragon Dressing
Makes 1¼ cups/300 ml
½ cup/120 ml full-fat buttermilk (like Kate’s Creamery)
½ cup/120 ml crème fraîche, store-bought or homemade (see recipe)
Zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh lemon thyme
Whisk together the buttermilk, crème fraîche, lemon zest and juice, sugar, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the tarragon, chives, and thyme and whisk to combine. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Southeast Asian Dressing
Makes 1 cup/240 ml
½ cup/120 ml Tamarind Chutney
¼ cup/60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
½ tsp Sriracha hot sauce
¼ tsp sea salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup/10 g finely chopped fresh cilantro
7 fresh Thai basil leaves, very finely chopped
6 fresh mint leaves, stacked, rolled, and thinly sliced crosswise
1 Thai green chile, finely chopped (optional)
Whisk together the chutney, olive oil, lime juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cilantro, basil, mint, and chile (if using) and whisk to combine. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Cabbage Slaw with Fresh Herbs and Peanuts
Made with absolutely no oil or mayonnaise, we make this tangy-spicy-crunchy-herby slaw year-round, but it’s especially great as a picnic salad in the summertime. It’s quite nice with heavy summer fare like fried chicken and barbecue.
Serves 6 to 8
A ¾-in piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
Juice of ½ lime
1½ tsp citrus vinegar or white wine vinegar
1½ tsp sugar
¾ tsp chaat masala
¼ tsp Toasted Cumin
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground peppercorns
9 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño (seeded and veined for less heat), finely chopped (optional)
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
½ head green cabbage, halved, cored and finely sliced
¾ cup chopped roasted peanuts
In a large bowl, whisk together the ginger, lime juice, vinegar, sugar, chaat masala, toasted cumin, cayenne, salt, and peppercorns. Add the scallions, jalapeño, tomatoes, cilantro, and mint leaves and toss to combine. Add the cabbage and toss with your hands, making sure to coat it thoroughly with the other ingredients. Sprinkle with the peanuts and serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, sprinkling with the peanut just before serving.
Chunky Eggplant Dip
One summer night, Stuart Ziehm, a local dairy farmer, and his fiancée, Jennifer, stopped by. Neither could say whether they were fans of eggplant before sampling the dip, but about fifteen minutes after I set it on the counter with toasted pita triangles, half of it was gone! It’s so cooling, refreshing, and healthful that this dip doesn’t just taste good to eat, it feels good to eat, too. I usually char the eggplant right on my gas stovetop. It does make a bit of a mess, though, so feel free to cook the eggplant on a gas or charcoal grill instead.
Serves 8
2 eggplants (about 1 lb/455 g each)
1 red onion, halved and finely chopped
1 tomato, cored, halved, and finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (seeded and ribbed for less heat)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups/480 ml plain yogurt
½ cup/20 g fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp Aleppo pepper
1/8 tsp sumac
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 pita breads, warmed in the oven or over a burner and sliced into quarters, for serving
Place a whole eggplant on a
gas burner, and set the flame to medium-high. Char the eggplant, using tongs to turn it often (I turn it every 2 minutes or so), until the skin is completely black and papery and the eggplant is deflated, about 10 minutes total. Transfer it to a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside until the eggplant is cool enough to handle, then halve it, scoop out the pulp, roughly chop it, and place it in a large bowl. Repeat with the second eggplant.
Add the onion, tomato, jalapeño, and olive oil to the bowl and gently stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cilantro, lemon juice, Aleppo pepper, sumac, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the eggplant and toss to combine. Serve immediately with pita bread, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
RECIPE NOTE
The eggplant can be roasted in the oven instead of on the stovetop (you won’t get the incredible smoky flavor, though). Preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C/gas 10. Prick the eggplant a few times with a fork, and then place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until it is blackened and deflated, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set it aside until it’s cool enough to handle, then proceed with the recipe.
Simple Marinated Peppers
This is an easy but versatile preparation for roasted peppers. I love roasted pepper strips on a freshly toasted baguette with chèvre, or puréed with cream for a simple pasta sauce. I’ve been making roasted peppers for ages, but when my upstate neighbor Lisa Padgett showed me her straightforward and tasty method (learned from friends in Spain), I changed my ways. Seasoned with balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic, the marinated peppers can even be a side dish to scrambled eggs, quiche, pork chops, or just about anything, really. Roasted garlic makes all the difference, but fresh garlic (use half as much) works, too.