Cousin Andrea's Tart Aux Pommes

The fall season has come and gone. Although it is so short, I do think it is the prettiest time in Kent. Perhaps it was meant to be that way so we would appreciate the abbreviated season all the more. As nature starts to shut down for the year, we all adjust to the changes. The days grow shorter; we pull out the sweaters; baseball has turned into football, and our thoughts start to turn toward the holidays and cooking indoors.

While local corn, fresh-picked blueberries and strawberries, beefsteak tomatoes and ripe peaches are just memories of summer, nature has one last gift to offer cooks in the form of apples. And there are so many glorious varieties. The apples in markets that have been stored all year have been replaced by the new, fresh crop and the taste of these will quickly remind us of how apples should taste. 

I have written several times about family recipes and luckily, I have several family members who are really good cooks! All of this brings me around to the current recipe. I must confess that apples are not my favorite fruit. (I’m a blueberry boy.) And I do leave the desserts to my wife, Leslie. But recently, I had the pleasure of tasting the following delectable which was whipped up by my cousin Andrea at our cousin’s reunion. I was very impressed. Leslie snapped off a photo of it and urged me to consider it for the blog column. So with credit to my beautiful and talented cousin, here is her recipe for “Tart aux Pommes.”

Ingredients:

1 sweet tart pastry shell

6 apples, galas or golden delicious (about 2 ½ lbs.)

1 tbsp. butter

6 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. freshly grated lemon rind

2 tbsp. Triple Sec or Calvados

½ cup orange or apple jelly

Prepare tart pastry (listed below) and refrigerate for a few minutes.

Peel two of the apples, slice in half, discard core and stem and continue cutting crosswise into thin slices about one-quarter-inch thick. There should be about three cups.

          Heat the butter in a skillet and add the apple slices, sprinkle with three tablespoons sugar and add the grated lemon rind. Cook about three minutes stirring gently and shaking the skillet. Add the triple sec and remove from the heat. Pour the slices into a bowl to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Peel the remaining four apples, slice in half, discard the core and stem and continue cutting crosswise into thin slices, one-quarter inch thick. Put aside for a moment. 

          Take out the chilled tart shell and put the cooled, cooked apple slices into the bottom of the shell. Spread evenly. Take the remaining apples and begin placing them on top of the cooked apples. Work from the outer edge of the tart pan, toward the center, arranging the apples overlapping in a symmetrical circular pattern over the cooked apples.

Sprinkle the remaining three tablespoons of sugar over the entire surface of the tart. Place in the oven and bake for 60 minutes. Apples should be just brown on the edges. Remove and set aside to cool to room temperature

Heat the jelly in a small saucepan and using a pastry brush, spread the top of the apple tart with the jelly, just until the surface glistens. Serves 8 to 10.

Sweet tart pastry

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp. grated orange rind

4 tbsp. sugar

6 tbsp. cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces (hint use frozen butter that breaks into pieces as you cut it)

1 large egg slightly beaten just to mix it

1 tsp. orange juice

1 tsp. cold water

1 10-inch Teflon coated tart pan (non-sticking)

Combine flour, sugar, rind and sugar in a food processor. Use on/off pulse. When coarse and mixed, gradually add egg mixed with orange juice and water. Process only until a ball of dough begins to form. With floured hands, line tart pan with the dough. Be sure to spread dough evenly and up sides of tart pan. Chill in refrigerator while preparing the apples.

Family Recipes -- Potato Nik

          November in New England is special. Most of the leaves have fallen, the bird feeders are out (and busy with occupants), the skies are filled with migrating birds, porch furniture has been stored and we ready ourselves for the next beautiful season.

          This month brings the wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, a meal which brings family and friends together to sit down to enjoy those familiar dishes that change very little from year to year.

          Somehow, the best dishes are those made from recipes handed down from generation to generation. My grandmother made something she called “Potato Nick,” a potato-based bread. It was a big favorite for me. Sadly, Grandma passed on without passing on her secret for this delicious bread.

Luckily, my Aunt Pauline (Grandma’s youngest child—my mother was her oldest child) had a version that I think comes pretty close to Grandma’s. My cousin Andrea recently requested I send her the recipe. Hence, I am motivated to share it with you. Mark Bittman of the New York Times also published a version in 2005 that he called “Potato Nik.” Both recipes are potato-based, but one is baked and uses yeast while the other is cooked in a frying pan. I will share both so you can compare.

Grandma Singer’s “Potato Nick”

Ingredients

·        4 lbs. potatoes (Idaho or russet)

·        2 large eggs

·        ¾ c oil (vegetable or canola)

·        2 packages dried yeast

·        “enough flour to make a paste”

·        Salt and pepper to taste

Directions (note: Aunt Pauline’s directions are a bit vague and leave room for interpretation)

1.     Grate potatoes—Grandma did it by hand and using a food processor is not quite the same.

2.     Add eggs, salt and pepper

3.     Melt yeast in ½ cup hot water (I believe she meant to dissolve it)

4.     Add enough flour to make a paste and mix all ingredients well.

5.     Place in a bowl and place in a warm place

6.     Let mixture rise until it fills bowl (about two hours)

7.     Grease well a 9x12 inch baking pan

8.     Knead dough well and place into the pan in which you plan to bake it.

9.     Let the dough rise again (about one hour).

10.                        Bake in a 350° pre-heated oven “until it’s done.” (note : when the top is nicely browned, you are very close to finished)

Good luck.  I wish Grandma were here to help.

Mark Bittman’s “Potato Nik”

Time:  About 40 minutes

·        About 2 pounds baking potatoes, like Idaho or russet, peeled

·        1 medium onion, peeled

·        2 eggs

·        Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

·        2 Tbsp plain bread crumbs or matzo meal

·        Neutral oil, like corn or grape seed.

1.     Grate potatoes and onion by hand or with grating disk of a food processor; drain in colander or strainer. Combine potatoes and onions in a large bowl with eggs, salt, pepper and bread crumbs or matzo meal.

2.     Put about 1/8 inch oil in a large, deep skillet, either nonstick or seasoned cast iron; turn heat to medium-high. When oil is hot (it will shimmer) put all the batter in pan and smooth the top. Cook, shaking pan occasionally; adjust heat so mixture sizzles but does not burn. Continue until bottom is nicely browned, at least 15 minutes.

3.     To turn, slide cake out onto a large plate, cover with another large plate and invert. Add a little more oil to pan, if necessary, and slide pancake back in, cooked side up. Cook 15 minutes longer, until nicely browned. Serve hot or warm.

Let me know about your experience, especially if you try Aunt Pauline’s recipe. You can e-mail me at chefricklevy@hotmail.com.

Rick's Chicken and Vegetable Soup

I taught (substitute teacher) first grade here in Kent a few weeks ago, and, as usual, came home with a cold. Those beautiful, sweet kids seem to be a breeding ground for cold germs just laying in wait for me. I don’t know how the regular teachers manage to stay healthy.

          So I came home and went to my freezer to find the chicken soup I had made some time ago. The hot soup and a Matzoh ball brought me back to life! This comfort soup is amazing and I always keep several portions in my freezer to give to my ailing friends who need that special pick-me-up that only chicken soup can accomplish.

After many requests and with some reluctance to reveal my secret recipe, this post is for my special treatment of an old Jewish dish. It’s a perfect soup for winter nights and seems to really help when you’re down with a cold or just down in spirits. It has been called “Jewish penicillin” by some, and also lifts your spirits as you smell and taste this old, proven recipe.

Before beginning, here are some hints for full enjoyment of cooking and eating.

First, be flexible when it comes to ingredients. You might want to add (or substitute) things like cabbage, leeks or other vegetables. Second, I use a whole chicken because my wife prefers white meat, but legs and thighs with their sweet dark meat are just fine. Third, I use College Inn low-fat chicken broth (instead of water) which results in a much richer soup. Fourth, true Matzoh balls are made with chicken fat, but I use vegetable oil as a nod to my cholesterol challenged friends. Fifth, remove all exposed fat from the chicken and cut most of the skin off, leaving just enough for flavor. Sixth, make enough to freeze as it will stay in your freezer for months and it tastes even better when defrosted and heated.

One last point is to serve the soup very hot and give your nose a chance to enjoy the soup, too.

Ingredients

1        2 ½ - 3 ½ lb whole chicken cup up (or parts equal to 3 lbs)

4        stalks celery (include tops) coarsely chopped

5        carrots – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2        medium onions – peeled and quartered

3-4    parsnips – peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2-3    medium turnips – cut into 1-inch chunks

1        “Bouquet garni” – prepare by taking 3-4 sprigs parsley, 1-2 bay leaves, 6-8 peppercorns and wrap these ingredients in cheesecloth, tie with string and put into pot

3        quarts chicken stock

1        tsp. salt

Preparation

          Place all ingredients in a large pot. Cover with chicken stock (3 quarts). Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for one hour.

          Remove chicken parts with slotted spoon, set aside to cool, and continue to simmer stock and cook the vegetables for another hour to hour and a half. When chicken has cooled, tear the meat into small, bite size pieces and return this to pot for last few minutes.

          Set a colander over a large bowl and pour contents of pot into the colander to separate the stock from chicken and vegetables. Remove Bouquet Garni and discard. Put vegetables and chicken in a container, cool, and refrigerate overnight.

          Cool the stock. In the winter, I put mine right on my screened-in porch. When cooled, refrigerate overnight. The remaining fat will rise to the surface and congeal. It will be easy to remove the next day by scraping it off. Discard chicken fat, unless you intend to use it in the Matzoh balls.

          Combine de-fatted stock, vegetables and heat. If you are adding Matzoh balls, be sure to heat them in the soup so they absorb some of the flavor.

Matzoh Balls, Optional

          Some say the soup is perfect as is, but I prefer to add a Matzoh ball to each portion. 

Ingredients

2        eggs

2        tbsp. vegetable oil (or rendered chicken fat, if you dare)

½       tsp. salt

½       tsp. nutmeg

1        cup Matzoh meal

2        tbsp. chicken stock or water or club soda

          Mix eggs, oil, salt, nutmeg and Matzoh meal together. Add 2 tbsp. stock (or water or club soda). Mix and refrigerate for one half hour.

          Wet your hands and form balls that are approximately one inch in diameter. I use a small cookie scoop. Roll the ball gently in your wet hands and drop it into two quarts of boiling water. Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add the cooked Matzoh ball to the soup.

          Every family has its favorite version of this recipe. Give mine a try and see if it doesn’t become your favorite.

Penne with Tomatoes, Olives and Two Cheeses

Sharing recipes – a while back, while at our post office, I ran into Katie Moore who was nice enough to tell me she enjoyed my little cooking column. (The Kent post office is the best place in town to find out what’s happening.) Katie asked if I was interested in one of her favorite recipes and I said I would be happy to pass it on as this month’s column.

All of us, who enjoy cooking, are always looking for new things to prepare and different techniques. When I have dinner parties at my home, I am always flattered to be asked for my recipe for whatever I serve. It’s easy to pass on the ingredients and directions, but the “personal touch” makes each finished recipe a little different. When dining out, I often ask the restaurant for their recipe for something I particularly enjoyed. Most times it is impossible to duplicate from the information they share – they always leave out something to insure my return. However, once dining at the old Inn on Lake Waramaug, I asked for their recipe for their delicious Indian Pudding.  I was told to look on page 1024 in the Joy of Cooking! So much for gourmet cooks.

Meanwhile, before I get to Katie Moore’s contribution which she adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, here are some quick hints from me:

1.     You can use your favorite tomato sauce or even a ready-made brand name sauce from a jar, if you’re in a hurry. But Katie’s tomato sauce is very simple to make albeit time consuming.

2.     Havarti and Parmesan work great! Using real cheese as opposed to commercially grated cheese will only enhance your finished dish.  Invest in a nice grater ($10-$15) and splurge on a chunk of genuine Parmesan-Romano cheese. You can also mix other semi-hard cheeses if you can’t find Havarti.

3.     As Katie says, add fresh basil leaves at the last moment. I find chopping fresh basil leaves to be rather messy.  A better way is to roll the leaves up (several at a time) and then cut them with your kitchen shears to make nice ribbons.

4.     This is the season for ripe tomatoes and this recipe works best using fresh fruit. Our friend Rudy is complaining that he’s got too many tomatoes!

Ingredients

·        6 Tbsp olive oil

·        1 ½ cups chopped onion

·        1 tsp minced garlic

·        3  cans (28oz each) Italian plum tomatoes, drained

·        2 tsp dried basil

·        1 ½ tsp dried crushed red pepper

·        2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

·        1 lb penne

·        2 ½ cups packed grated Havarti cheese

·        1/3 cup sliced Kalamata olives

·        1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

·        ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is translucent, about five minutes.  Mix in tomatoes, dried basil and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Add broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium; simmer until mixture thickens to chunky sauce and is reduced to six cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat over to 375º. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Return pasta to same pot. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Pour sauce over and toss to blend. Mix in Havarti cheese.  Transfer pasta to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with olives, then Parmesan cheese. Bake until pasta is heated through, about 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with fresh basil.

To round out this menu, a tossed green salad and Italian bread make good accompaniments.

Enjoy!

Rick's Seafood Paella

This is a special dish for a very special occasion. It takes time to make, requires careful shopping, and is a little expensive. But it looks fantastic when brought to the table and tastes even better.

This dish originated in Spain and gets its name from the traditional large, shallow pan, i.e., paella or paellera. This special pan works best, but I have made this dish in a large, oven proof skillet and have even used a medium, shallow lasagna casserole. The traditional dish was made with chicken and beans, but I prefer this version which can be made all year—either indoors in your oven or outdoors on a gas grill with a decent thermometer.

Let’s address the shopping. The basic ingredients are:

1.     Shrimp, use 16-24 to the pound

2.     Mussels—be sure to clean well, remove the “beards” where necessary

3.     Clams—I like to use small clams, either little necks or mahogany

4.     Scallops—either bay or sea will do, but sea scallops tend to get lost among the other ingredients

5.     Lobster—1 ¼ lb (optional)

Figure two to three per person of each of the above—more scallops if you use bay scallops. Other options include crawfish (which look nice but not much to eat), lobster tails (cut into one-inch chucks), diced chorizo sausage and chicken. Even andouille sausage will work but as this is primarily a seafood dish, use sausage sparingly.

Ingredients (serves eight)

1       medium onion, chopped

2       small bell peppers, chopped (red or yellow)

            1     medium tomato (or one cup canned), chopped

            1     tablespoon minced garlic, more to taste

            1     teaspoon dried thyme or one tablespoon fresh thyme

            6     tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

         3-4     cups medium grain or Arborio rice

         5-6     cups chicken stock, simmering *

            ¼     teaspoon saffron

            ½     cup frozen peas (optional)

                   Shrimp (shelled), clams, scallops, mussels (allow 2-3of       each per person)

                   Lemon & parsley for garnish

            1     glass of white wine to be consumed by chef while cooking

*Note:  I like to use my homemade lobster stock but chicken stock or a combination will work. Perhaps you could use some of the liquid from the steamed clams and mussels. Use approximately 1 ½ cups broth to 1 cup of rice.

First prepare the “sofrito.”  (Sofrito is a Spanish word that refers to a combination of aromatic ingredients cooked together very slowly) Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in heavy skillet. Add onion and cook, stirring for 4-5 minutes. Do not burn, just soften. Add tomatoes, garlic and thyme and continue cooking and stirring for another 4-5 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated.

Heat oven to 400˚.

          After cleaning the clams and mussels, steam them for 3-5 minutes until they open. Discard the ones that remain closed.

          Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in your paella (or substitute) pan on your stove top over a medium flame. Combine onion/garlic mix, rice and saffron and sofrito. Add simmering stock slowly and bring to a boil over high heat.  Remove pan and season with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

          Remove from oven and add shrimp and scallops, tucking them into the rice mixture. Distribute clams and mussels and tuck them into rice, as well. **Sprinkle peas on top and bake for 10-15 minutes more until all the liquid is absorbed. Add some stock if it seems to be drying out too quickly.

Let paella stand loosely covered with foil for five minutes or so. Garnish with parsley and be sure to show the finished product to your guests before serving. A pitcher of sangria goes well with this special dish. Dig in and enjoy.

**Note:  I find the secret to a moist paella is preparing it in steps. The whole operation takes about 18 minutes beginning with the addition of stock to rice and sofrito mixture. Cook in oven for 10 minutes. Then add uncooked shrimp and scallops, tucking them in with your fingers. Cook another 5-6 minutes, then tuck mussels and clams into mixture and sprinkle peas over dish. Cook an additional 5-6 minutes.

          If you want some special “eye appeal,” add a pre-cooked lobster on top for the last 5 minutes to heat the lobster. After you present the dish, remove the meat from the lobster, cut into bite size pieces and tuck into the rice mixture.

Bailey’s Backyard Watermelon Gazpacho

In this blog I do not review restaurants, but I will make an exception here in light of an interesting dinner I had recently. Planning to meet a friend for evening repast in Ridgefield, I found a new (to me) place with a very diverse menu. It’s called Bailey’s Backyard and I think you will find the ambience and food to be very inviting. What intrigued me about the menu were the creative combinations of ingredients in many of their dishes. I love to try new mixtures and the chef at Bailey’s seems to agree.

          I started the meal with a “watermelon Gazpacho.” Their dish combined three types of melon and no tomatoes, the latter of which are found in most gazpacho dishes. I asked my waiter if the chef would share his recipe and, sure enough, I received an e-mail with his “secret.” My first attempt was a failure because I used a whole lime instead of just the juice. Their recipe did not give quantities, so I had to experiment to get it just right. I finally succeeded in making a reasonable facsimile.

          Their recipe was a smooth, cooling soup. But my wife insisted on a bit more spice and texture in mine, so I made my version of watermelon gazpacho, which is a bit different, but quite nice. Both versions make a nice watermelon gazpacho shooter—perfect for a summer cocktail party or soup starter. (By the way, in between the time I requested the recipe and the few days that elapsed before the chef e-mailed me, I was eager to find a workable recipe and Googled watermelon gazpacho recipes. The result was 324,000 entries!)

          I have asked restaurants several times for their recipes and it has led to some interesting and amusing responses. Some years ago, I asked the chef at the Inn on Lake Waramaug (for those of you who remember that wonderful gathering place) for his recipe for a particularly tasty Indian Pudding. He shared his “secret.” And I quote, “you’ll find it on page 1024 of the Joy of Cooking.” So much for being unique.

          And now I will share with you

Bailey’s Backyard Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:

·        Seedless watermelon

·        Ripe cantaloupe melon

·        Ripe honeydew melon

·        Juice of 2 limes

·        Handful of mint (optional)

·        Note—While they did not give amounts, I found that a combination of half a watermelon, half a cantaloupe and half a honeydew melon is about right.

·        This will serve 4-6 as a starter soup.

Directions:

·        Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds. Do this in batches if necessary.

·        Chill for several hours before serving.

Chef Rick’s Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:

·        8 cups seedless watermelon

·        1 medium sized cucumber peeled and seeded

·        ½ red pepper, seeded

·        ¼ cup parsley (I prefer the Italian variety)

·        3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

·        2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

·        ¾ tsp. salt

Note—The amount of watermelon is not exact. You can add/substitute cantaloupe and/or honeydew, but do not exceed 10 cups.

Directions:

·        Cut melon, cucumber and pepper into medium chunks.

·        Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender for 30 seconds until all ingredients are smooth. (I use a blender.)

·        Chill for a few hours before serving.

Let me know which version you prefer. Write to chefricklevy@hotmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Stay cool.

Mediterreanean Lamb Stew

I often read a recipe while visualizing how it might taste (and look) if I just “tweaked” it a bit. Sometimes, a little experimenting makes a good dish REALLY good. You should not be handcuffed to exact measurements given but adapt according to your tastes, substituting ingredients for a new twist or adding or subtracting measurements. Other than baking, exact measurements are not as crucial in making dishes such as this marvelous lamb stew.

It started with a recipe from the New York Times (full disclosure here) and after three or four tries, I came up with this version, which, I believe, is even better. You can call it “Lamb Stew—My Way” and if you have a better version, please let me know so I can try yours.

Here is my “Mediterranean Lamb Stew” with notes on some changes I made from the original.

Ingredients:

·        2 lbs. boneless leg of lamb (The New York Times called for lamb shoulder, but I found it to be too fatty and less meat per dollar)

·        1 tbsp. unsalted butter + 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (NYT called for 2 tbsp. butter but my goal is to use less fat in my diet—more on that later)

·        1 small onion, grated

·        6 cloves minced garlic (NYT called for 4 cloves, but I find garlic becomes very mild when used in stews)

·        1 tsp. each salt, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin (Note: these were amounts in original recipe, but I used two tsp. cinnamon and one heaping tsp. garam masala to give the dish that unique Mediterranean flavor)

·        ½ tsp. red pepper flakes—use a bit more if you like a bit more bite

·        ¼ cup apricot preserves (I tried orange marmalade and it works well, too!)

·        1/3 cup red wine vinegar

·        1 20-oz can. drained and rinsed chick peas (I tried garbanzo beans once—not bad)

·        1 ½ cups chicken stock (NYT called for two cups, but I found this made the dish too watery)

·        1/3 cup dark raisins (NYT called for ¼ cup—I also added a handful of dried cranberries, which was a nice touch)

·        ¼ cup chopped parsley

·        2 tbsp. lemon juice

·        Cooked cous cous for serving (I tried orzo and it’s good, too. Rice is another consideration.)

Directions:

A)      Now that you have all of your ingredients ready, here comes the most difficult part—trimming the meat. Open the boneless leg of lamb and cut into large, manageable pieces. Using a sharp, smallish knife, trim all of the fat you can see and cut the meat into bite-size pieces (1-1 ½” each).

B)      In a large, heavy bottom pot, melt the butter, add the oil and the lamb, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, spices, preserves and vinegar. Keep stirring (6 minutes or so) until the aroma is strong.

C)      Add the chick peas and stock. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Reduce heat to just a simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour 15 minutes. If you have less than two pounds of meat, cook for an hour.

D)      Add raisins and craisins and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and lemon juice and you are almost finished.

E)      Make the stew the day before and you will be ready to serve. After cooking, place dish in the lowest shelf of the fridge. When ready to re-heat, remove from fridge and scoop out the congealed fat that has risen to the top with a slotted spoon. After removing the fat, you will be left with a healthy, delicious dish fit for the nicest occasion.

Let me know how it works for you or what changes you have made to enhance the recipe. I can be reached at chefricklevy@hotmail.com.