Most Recent Uses For Preserved Food

So the DIY movement has swept you up. You've stocked your freezer and cabinet shelves with zip-top bags and lined up your canning jars in size order. Perhaps you even feel like you missed a bit of the supposed laid-back nature of summer. Now what?!

Now the fun begins. Time to use the fabulous food you put away. The secret is to think of your bulging storage as fodder for main ingredients as well as condiments to help take the hum-drum out of everyday. At Essen, the items we put up in our classes show up year round on our menus. We looked back on menus from the past couple months, remembered a few goodies in the past year, and scribbled a list of how we've been using all the goodies we put away with you in our Classes.

In no particular order, we present our Most Recent Uses for Preserved Food (preserved item is noted in parentheses):

1. Chicken Live Pate with Pickled Cherries (Pickled Cherries)
   
2. Coffee-glazed Grilled Duck Breast with Coffee Cherry Sauce (Cherry Preserves)
3. Peach Pudding Cake (Frozen Peaches)
4. Hand Pies (Assorted Preserves)
5. Turkey Shwarma with the Works (Pickled Eggplant)
6. Homemade Plum Soft Drink (No-cook Plum Syrup)
7. Bulgur Salad with Green Beans and Chick Peas (Pickled Onions)
8. Black Raspberry Margarita (Black Raspberry Shrub)
9. Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake (Frozen Shredded Zucchini)
10. Butternut Squash Risotto (Orange Mostarda)
11. Roasted Figs with Thyme and Honey (Frozen Figs)
12. Grilled Pork Chops with Rhubarb Chutney (Frozen Rhubarb)
13. Green Chile (Roasted Tomatillo Salsa)
    
14. Pasta with Oven-dried Tomato Pesto (Oven-dried Tomatoes)
    
15. Pistachio Coriander Mahi Mahi with Preserved Lemon Yogurt Cream (Preserved Lemons)
    
16. Potato Salad (Preserved Lemons)
    
17. Poached Halibut with Lentils and Fennel Salad (Preserved Lemons)

It's exciting to note that at least half of these items were taught in Classes within the past two months, including on of our all-stars, preserved lemons. Preserved in the gray of winter, their briny, deep flavor adds a bit of oomph to summer's plant-based bounty and reminds us that food preservation and use of said ingredients is a year-round event, not to be saved for the dregs of winter.

So, tell us, how do you use your preserved foods and what's your favorite?

Best Pie Story

Last month we asked for your favorite pie story in anticipation of Essen's "Summer of Pie." Thanks to everyone who shared their pie memories and congratulations to Janet S. with this gem. It's still about the story, after all.

"My husband's birthday was the day after Thanksgiving this year, which, as far as I can tell, is one of the worst days ever for a birthday. Nobody cares one bit about your big day because they are in a coma after eating all that turkey and pie.

In an effort to make his day a little less wretched, I always promise to make him a birthday pie. Not a birthday cake--a birthday pie. Because, as he explained, when people did remember his birthday (which was sometimes the day before Thanksgiving--or WORSE, the actual Turkey Day) as he was growing up, they would conscientiously produce a birthday cake for him to eat. And, he being the good boy that he was (due to the diligence of his parents), he would have to eat the cake. Not the pumpkin pie or pecan pie or apple pie or whatever other Thanksgiving indulgence everyone else got to enjoy. He'd have to eat the cake.

And it made him very, very sad.

Anyway, as I said, I always promise to make him a birthday pie.

This doesn't necessarily mean I always actually do it, however. I mean. It's Thanksgiving, for pete's sake. I'm kinda busy. --One year, I'm pretty sure I didn't get around to making the pie until January. Or maybe later. Or maybe not at all.

So, back to more personally-flattering topics, I usually make the man a pie. And it's usually something of his choice. Most often, that seems to mean Lemon Meringue. Which is delicious. But a total pain in the booty to make.

This year, however, his request was for Strawberry Rhubarb pie.

I gotta tell you, I didn't think it was going to happen.

I mean--Thanksgiving ain't exactly strawberry season. And it sure ain't rhubarb season.

But, lo and behold, the garden at my dad's house (where we spent the blessed holiday this year) just happened to have a few stalks of rhubarb lingering in the chilly weather.

JACKPOT!

So,only one day past The Man's birthday, I finally got around to making that pie.

And it was delicious.

I went a little nuts and made it with a crumb topping, which I must say was...mmm...magnifico!

Anyway, last night as I was taking the pie out of the oven, George and the boys (including baby Finley) were sitting around the computer (awww...you thought I was going to say something cozy like PIANO or FIREPLACE, didn't you? Nope. Welcome to the future, my friends) listening to pretty much the best song in the world. --I'd never heard it before, but the big boys were singing along, George was bouncing the baby on his knee, and Finley was laughing his cutie-pie baby head off.

I fell in love with this song immediately, and have listened to it about ten times since then.

It goes a little something like this:

Well lately I've been thinkin' about some good home cookin', just like that I haven't eaten in the longest time.

Now I like potato chips, now please don't get me wrong. But I haven't tasted mama's rhubarb pie in so very long.

Rhubarb pie, in the summer. Rhubarb pie, made by my mother. Nothing better in the winter, than rhubarb pie after dinner.

And if you want to be in a good mood like me, can I just suggest that you click on this link to hear the actual song?

Oh, and then you'll want some pie.
So here's the recipe:

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with Crumb Topping
(Editor's note: This recipe has not been tested by Essen.)

Filling:
3 cups hulled and sliced strawberries
3 cups rhubarb, trimmed and cut into1-inch pieces
1 cup sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional, but I liked it)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Topping:
2/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/8 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pie Crust:
Use your favorite recipe here because I'm getting tired of typing.

Preheat oven to 400. Line 9-inch pie pan with the pie crust I was too tired to tell you how to make.

Combine ingredients for pie filling in a large bowl, allowing it to sit for 15 minutes before scraping into pie plate.

Combine topping ingredients in a food processor (add nuts by hand afterwards).

Pour filling into prepared crust. Scatter butter pieces over filling. Cover with topping.

Place in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue baking 30 to 40 minutes longer.

Allow to cool to room temperature so that juices have time to thicken, from one to two hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you have it."

(Essen note: Feel free to keep it seasonal and substitute other berries for strawberries.)

Facebook or Face-to-Face. It's About the Community.

"Desperately Seeking Kohlrabi" was the Facebook post. Not much of a reply. For days, repeatedly asked my local foodies, "Know anyone growing kohlrabi? We're pickling it in next week's "Road Trip" Class." "Not sure," was the reply, followed by "...but did you try [this person] or [that one]? I think they were talking about it."

Fast forward to a Saturday morning post-yoga stop at Eastern Market, a conversation with John and Karen from Lime Valley Mill Farm who referred me to a new farm down the line, Susquehanna Permaculture. Jackpot! They had considered harvesting that morning but wanted to give the globes one more week in the earth. They could surely pick 5 or so for our needs. Pick-up details loosely arranged and phone numbers exchanged. Success.

Throughout the weekend, I received follow-up emails from the handful of people I'd asked earlier in the week. Most had received Susquehanna Permaculture's wholesale list and read about the upcoming kohlrabi ... and took the time to pass the word along to me.

Not only was I appreciative of the guidance and support, but also tickled by the reminder of what this is all ultimately about. Sourcing food locally gives us a shared purpose, brings us out of the fringes, and provides a common platform we all can build upon. That includes you, it includes me and itsa all about Essen.

Sick of Strawberries?

A few weeks ago I asked my clients to share their favorite berry story. We were coming out of the dark days of winter and I joked how soon we'd actually find ourselves "sick of strawberries and begging to be done with asparagus." Here's what Sara B. of Lancaster had to say about that ...

"Sick of strawberries? It would take a ton ... When they are in season, I put them in everything. I will tell you that I will never again complain paying upwards of $5 a box for locals, though. Two years ago I spent an afternoon picking strawberries. It was a beautiful, clear day. And boy was it hot. It was tedious work and the next day I was so stiff. They were probably some of the best I ever tasted. I don't even remember what I made with them. Probably a biscuit-style shortcake. Served with milk. As dinner, not dessert. My husband, who is not a native Lancastrian, still finds it hard to wrap his mind around strawberry shortcake as dinner. To me, it is reminiscent of childhood. I love it. I'm always a little sad when the season ends, but by the peaches are on the way. Here's to seasonal eating!"

Thanks for sharing that wonderful story, Sara. To show our thanks, please accept a FREE Essen Class. As for shortcakes for dinner, I made a mega-shortcake last week, placed it in the middle of the table with 3 forks and walked away. Let's just say these non-natives have adopted a new tradition!

Flexitarian: Semi-Vegetarian or Semi-Meat Eater?

One day last week I ran into a number of acquaintances and friends who shared their new year's commitment to healthier eating, "I've become a flexitarian," they told me one by one. A little more probing revealed a collective interest in getting more fruits, veggies and whole grains into their diets to benefit their own health as well as that of the planet. Sadly, they were all struggling to figure out how to do it. The perceived pressure to reduce, not eliminate, the amount of animal protein in their diet was creating more stress than would be reduced by the increase in healthier eating and moderate exercise.

The good news is there is no one right way to make these type of changes in how you eat. Mark Bittman, a well known food writer, advocates a "vegan before 6pm" regimen. Others may find the reverse works for them while yet another group begins to substitute oatmeal for bacon and eggs a couple days a week. The bottom line is moving yourself along the continuum of where the bulk of your calories come from. Currently, if 75% of your calories come from animal products, try increasing your intake of plant based foods to 30%. That may be the biggest hurdle of all and before you know it you'll find half of your calories come from plants. All of this adds up to real change over time, for yourself and the planet.

How to do it without the stress? The internet is a great resource and there are lots of books on this topic. And don't forget us here at Essen. While we may not use the specific term, an analysis of our menus over time speak to the philosophy: omnivores who cook primarily a plant-based diet with everything else in moderation. Deprived? Doesn't sound like it. Boring? Don't think so. Difficult? Definitely an adjustment of how we live which needs practice, planning and community support. Sounds like someplace familiar, huh?!

Last Summer's Jam

I'm unsure why, but it was only last month we opened the first of last summer's jam. Strawberry is always the one we start with. We use the Early Glows, they're first to ripen, petite, really sweet and my kids go crazy over them. The method we use to make our jam maintains the integrity of the fruit, think cutie strawberries in syrup rather than gelatinous, red globs. All it takes is the initial quick glance in the jar, that intense aroma that announces "summer's hear," if only for the time I'm having my toast and jam, to make any gray day shine.

Why am I telling you all this? It's amazing the change preserving food has had on me and my family. Are we self-sustaining? Not even close. Will I buy jam at the grocery store when we inevitably run out before summer? Begrudgingly. Do we eat fresh foods that are locally grown out of season? We try not to, hence the wonder of the homemade, homegrown strawberry jam in January. Do we eat things that come from more than 100 miles away. Yes, but we're conscious of each decision we make. Here's what I'm trying to say. Put away what's easy, what you like and what you know you'll eat. Don't stress about what you haven't done and savor every bite of what you did save.

About a month from now I'll start reminding my favorite strawberry farmer to save me the best Early Glows. Of course, his family always gets a jar from the first batch.

Holiday Disaster or Great Story in the Making?

Got the call around 10am a week ago Monday, "Betts, you're not going to believe this. In my effort to 'fit' in Thanksgiving, I lost a week and defrosted my turkey this past weekend. Help!"

Laura, a childhood friend, is used to planning life out by the quarter and the year due to the demands of her design business. With nuclear family spread out in three states and constant travel to keep up with everyone, it's easy to understand how uber-organization could seemingly turn into disaster. Thanksgiving is happening today with said turkey. We talked through the steps of roasting a quick and amazing Two Hour Turkey, as well as how to carve, plate, freeze and defrost the beast a week later. I'm sure they're kvelling this minute over the moist meat, given it's prolonged bath in stock.

Plan in place and nerves under control ("This actually sounds better because I won't have to deal with a greasy pan next week."), I reminded Laura of my family's best Thanksgiving "disaster" exactly nine years ago. We had the triple threat - a new house, in a new town, and a newborn - and family wanted to "give us a break" for the holiday and descend upon us ("It'll be easier to get tickets to the new Harry Potter movie!"). We also discovered our oven could not even hold a cake pan, let alone a turkey. Plan B was to borrow ovens of neighbors who were away for the day. Suffice to say, a few whirls around the neighborhood with a slathered bird on my lap and we were back home with a raw one. Plan C was to use the grill. Now newborn is screaming to be fed, so I threw the remainder of the flavorful paste on the bird and ran to my feeding post. My husband was now in charge of turkey duties.

Fast forward one hour. Gentle knock on the door, "Um, Betsey, we have a ... small...problem. Turkey caught on fire and uh, the siding's melted off the house." "Is everyone okay," I asked. "Yes, lots of yelling, lots of pictures and they're getting hungry." "Great, well at least we'll have a great story to tell about this Thanksgiving."

I'll spare you the details of the next few hours. Let's just say everyone enjoyed the meal to remember and we got the kitchen renovation we had wanted. And the kids have one more wonderful story to tell every year at Thanksgiving.

Enjoy a peaceful and bountiful life, filled with laughter.

Never Too Many Pumpkins

Once in a while, we each discover one of those grand slam recipes - cleans out the fridge, is healthy and delicious - in one crunchy bite. Sunday was my lucky day.

I had leftover, uncooked kabocha squash from a cooking demonstration. What to do with it? When in doubt, roast. This way I could use the squash more ways than I could imagine, little-by-little. High heat, a dash of salt, a little water as I didn't want the squash to brown too much and 20 minutes later I was ready for the week ahead. Pumpkin muffins for my daughter's birthday snack? Set. Pumpkin risotto with dinner (will also use up leftover sparkling wine)? Set. Oh, yes!, the pumpkin granola recipe I had found through a link on Food in Jars. Psych set.

The premise was that pumpkin puree and applesauce replace the fat - all of it. Yes, this is granola without any added fat. While the "pumpkin" in the title primarily refers to the "pie spice" combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger (and I added ground star anise, because it was screeming to me from the shelf), like using zucchini in chocolate cake, you're adding nutrients and a new food group. And if you have homemade applesauce to spare, you're that much further ahead in the whole food game. How's that for a power breakfast?

I didn't love the large amount of brown sugar and that rolled oats were the only grain. So I took my favorite every day granola recipe, loaded with a variety of grains and seeds and without processed sugars, swapped the olive oil for the pumpkin and applesauce, replaced the brown sugar with my honey/maple syrup blend and decreased the usual amount of cinnamon for a pie spice mixture.

All-in-all, I was thrilled with the results. The texture is a bit chewier and a little less crunchy than the usual, but it's a trade off I can get used to. Check out Pumpkin Granola here.

Back to (Cooking) School

I love this time of year. I admit it, I'm a creature of habit and routine of some sort suits my personality. It's almost like a mini-new year, without having to publicly state a resolution I may or may not be able to follow through. I can finally conquer my to-do lists and catch up with everything set aside during the summer. More often than not, the catch up includes experimenting with a few new cooking techniques or unfamiliar ingredients.

Which got me thinking. While I'm not alone in my risk-taker status in the kitchen, I'm aware I'm not in the majority. Clients tell me all the time how their high interest in cooking is trumped by an overwhelming fear. The first time I heard this, years ago, I was shocked. Afraid to cook? My escape, my love, my creative outlet, my place ... to be ... fearless. Afraid? Huh?!

I recently came across the following list, "Why We're Afraid to Cook," submitted by the readers of Smitten Kitchen and compiled by the blogger. I could have paraphrased, but it hits the high notes so beautifully, I'm sharing the whole list (read it, you'll like it):

1. Our mother or mother-in-law cooks it better: Whether it is out of respect, deference or certainty that your version will pale, it seems that there are many of you who don’t even want to touch dishes that are others’ signatures.

2. The Food Police scared us: They’ve struck an absurd amount of fear into our hearts, now our panic over undercooked chicken and eggs or imperfectly canned food is so great, we cannot approach either calmly or rationally. (Don’t worry, I’ll get to all of these in time.)

3. It went really badly the last time (or times) we made it: So you’ve responded by keeping your distance. Had I not been actually forced by the deadline of the wedding and my desire to make a specific frosting for the wedding cake, I would have taken a year to get back to Swiss buttercream. At least.

4. We jinx ourselves: Failure is so often a self-fulfilling prophesy, wherein we are so certain something is going to go wrong, we indeed make some futzy errors. (This would be me, with phyllo, every single time.)

5. It’s hard to get our head around the steps: I admit, I feel more confident when I can remember a recipe without even looking back at it, because it is simple, or proceeds in logical steps. I always forget that I’m only expected to do one thing at a time.

6. There’s a very specific deal breaker: It requires pig’s blood, will stink up your apartment or serve 24 people. Kim Severson discussed these in a funny article in the New York Times last month, and she’s absolutely right. It only takes one word of some of these for me to flip the page and call out “next!”

7. We’re afraid of wasting an expensive ingredient: Many of you mentioned this in reference to large cuts of meat and good fish, where the price of making an error seems so steep, a flop is that much more of a risk. I totally get it as when I blow it on a pricey dish, I feel that much more awful about it.

8. Our skills aren’t where we wish they were: Recipes that require poached eggs, when you’re terrible at poaching eggs, just seem easier to skip. So can instructions that demand a fine brunoise or long, thin juliennes if you haven’t taken a semester of knife skills, or have a natural finesse in the area (or a really good mandoline, at least in the case of juliennes).

Sound familiar?

Enough of the diagnostics. We're here with the solution. Join us this fall for a new class, Six Basic Cooking Skills. We'll start with the biggies, including those knife skills, as well as the oft-mentioned, cooking with leafy greens. We don't know how you've lived without them this long (so sad).

We've also expanded our schedule and will offer the class on 2 separate dates, September 30 and October 20, 2010. Finally, in an effort to increase access to Essen, we've added a new tier to our pricing structure, Pay What You Can. We'll try it out for the September Class and see how it's received.

Let us know how these additions meet your needs. Enough with the reading. Get up and into the kitchen. We're here for you. Just sign up already!

Take the Kohlrabi Challenge

I'll be on location this Friday night at Expressly Local, a downtown Lancaster destination food store for folks who want an extensive selection of delicious, wholesome, locally produced fresh and prepared foods. Previously, I had mentioned my interest to the store owners in sharing recipe ideas for unfamiliar ingredients.

Karran and Cheryl, the store proprietors, took me up on my offer a few days ago when I received my cooking orders. Would I take the Kohlrabi Challenge?

I've used kohlrabi. It's part of the cabbage family and just like a turnip. Let's face it. My family is never exactly begging for turnips and they're definitely not urging me to pile the kohlrabi on their plates. (Me: "Need anything from the store?" Them: "Oh, yeah, we're clean out of kohlrabi." Huh?!)

The more I thought about it, it hit me once again how food is the metaphor for life. It's not about the kohlrabi, it's about getting out of our comfort zone, opening up our minds to exploring what's around us and finding the "yum" in what instinctively may make us feel "yuck."

I can't wait to share just two (practicing self-control is a part of the deal) of the kohlrabi preparations I came up with for this Friday. Ground breaking? Not really. Easy and delicious? If you have to ask the question ...

Call It What You Want

A free, quarterly kids' cooking magazine, "Chop Chop," was launched this week, on the premise that teaching kids how to cook is the best tool to fight childhood obesity.

Jamie Oliver's reality show, where he takes on a West Virginia town to actually cook the food they eat, launched last Friday night and was second in ratings only to the NCAA Tournament.

Michelle Obama's anti-obesity campaign was pivotal behind the president's proposal submitted to Congress to spend a record $10 billion more on child nutrition programs over 10 years, including school food. While a Senate committee has already slashed the request by half, the bill's $4.5 billion increase would still be a historic improvement.

And the list goes on. And we're saying, "Hallelujah." "Finally." and "We are here teach you how to do it."

Essen's goal from day one has been to get communities excited about the multitude of benefits of scratch cooking. We teach all of you, kids, adults and families, how to leave the intimidation factor at the door and enjoy the process as much as the outcome. Cooking fresh ingredients is not hard, and it definitely gets easier and faster with practice (to paraphrase our dear Julia Child) and planning.

Questions? Shoot it to us. Schedule too hectic? Set up a private session. Battling your kids to try new foods? Reserve a spot at Camp.

We're not the first to say it, but we live it every day at Essen. F-U-N. Food is serious stuff AND it is unbelievably fun. Why would you leave it out?

Kitchen Hardware

Essen Classes are based on the premise the freshest ingredients, combined with the best one knife and pan you can afford and solid cooking techniques, will put a quick and delicious meal on your table day after day.

Winter is definitely our major "pots and pan" season, when I receive the most questions about how to select cookware. Every pot and pan in your kitchen should do at least three things:

• Conduct heat evenly without hot or cold spots. Pans made of copper, aluminum and cast iron, at least 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick are the best heat conductors. If the heat conducting metal is sandwiched between other materials, the conductor needs to come up the sides of the pan, not be just a disc on the bottom.
• Protect your food from discoloring or developing off tastes. Stainless steel, enamel and tin work best here.
• Go from stove to oven thanks to heatproof handles. This is key to minimizing the number of pans you need to use and speeds cleanup. I also prefer those pans whose handles stay cool on the stovetop. Major convenience and fewer burns.

Yes, there's an overwhelming selection out there. Best thing is to shop live and actually touch and feel the cookware. This is a major investment, meant to last decades. Get out and handle some pots this week. You won't be sorry.

Happy Birthdays

Confession: I'm the mom of a 12 year old - for one day.

This isn't going to be one of those sappy entries about how time flies (which it does), it seems like only yesterday he was sleeping on our chest (it does and he still would), and how we have to make each day count (we should and we try). This is about cake.

Confession: I love food. I don't care much for cake.

Birthdays in our family are special days, but dessert was either grocery store cake or dessert at a restaurant. I reasoned that at a young age kids didn't know the difference and wouldn't value a really. good. cake. It helped that cake doesn't do much for me. "Why invest the time if the outcome won't be valued?" I reasoned without guilt. But this year I was about to have a 12 year old. Who really likes cake. And not that much else. It's never too late to begin a new tradition.

From this birthday forward, I'll ask my kids to choose their homemade birthday cake. They already pick their dinner, why not the cake? (For my daughter, this will be broadened to dessert as she's like me when it comes to cake.) It's one more piece to the traditions and history we've been creating since long before they were born.

I took his order the weekend before the big day - chocolate layer cake. With ice cream. I had been paging through a new cookbook from a fabulous bakery in San Francisco, Tartine and stumbled upon a recipe for Devil's Food Cake. Fast forward past baking the cakes, making the caramel twice as I burned it the first time, the ganache with so much left over I'm making truffles tomorrow and the toasted crumbs, a to-die-for new trick up my sleeve, and let's just say we've got a new tradition underway that will not fall by the way side. Yes, I invested some real time this week pulling it off. Yes, I may have been frustrated when I burned the caramel very late at night and hadn't a clue when I'd be able to make another batch. But the look on my son's face and the peaceful, happy silence filling the kitchen when everyone's devouring "the best cake they've ever had" makes it all worth every bite.

"3R's" Gift Giving Guide

We're all trying to be more deliberate, more green, more local in our gift giving. At the end of the day, there are so many choices wherever you look, it's just overwhelming.

For the past few years, my family has extended the "3R's" (reduce, reuse, recycle) into our gift giving choices. Here's how we're applying it this year:

• Reduce hunger: We've identified organizations that are working to eradicate hunger. We've picked one operating in our community, The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and one working globally, Mazon, and will donate at least one or two nights of money that would have purchased Chanukah gifts to those causes. I also make donations in lieu of hostess gifts and present the host with a note informing them of the honor.

• Reuse prepared food: One-third (that's not a typo) of the food we purchase goes to waste. Make tonight's leftovers tomorrow's lunch in style with bento boxes. Laptop Lunch has a great selection.

• Recycle your stuff: All the etiquette mavens claim regifting is so okay as long as you let the recipient know, "Sarah, I received this beautiful, skunk-scented candle and already have one too many. I know how much you adore stinky candles and instantly thought of you. Please enjoy it." Consider hosting a post-holiday "junk or treasure?" party. Everyone will go home happy.

Finally, ditch the pretty paper. As one who's incredibly fond of a "ta-da" presentation for all things in life, it's unfathomable the amount of landfill created each December with wrapping paper. Reuse one of the those pretty gift bags you stashed away.

Happy holidays to you and yours. Whatever you do, make it delicious!

Thanksgiving Feast Class - Hear All About It

Haven't found time to experience an Essen Class? Read about Janice Henry and her sister, Jeanne Nokes, first-hand experience at our annual blow-out Thanksgiving Feast. Thank you, Janice and Jeanne!

Since my one-and-only sister, Jeannie, lives in England, we don't have the opportunity to get together very often. But when we do, we try to plan something special for just the two of us -- and we really scored a winner this time! The Essen Classic Thanksgiving Feast class sounded like the perfect opportunity to spend four hours of quality time together while learning new recipes and tasting delicious dishes. And we weren't disappointed. Betsey's style of presentation and instruction was informal yet informative, and provided an atmosphere where learning is fun. The recipes were well presented, easy to follow, and yet just different enough to add a special twist to some time-honored favorites. Turkey with garlic pine nut paste? Who would'a thought?? But it was absolutely delicious! Our only disappointment was that Jeannie's husband Roger, the one who does all of their cooking, was at home in England missing out on all the fun.

Can't wait for my next email from Essen to see what course I can take next!
Cheers,
Janice Olsen Henry

What are you waiting for? Sign up for Holiday Classes and order your holiday gifts today. Check out our NEW! Monthly Clubs. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving.

Party's Over. Now what?

Yesterday was my daughter's birthday party. Standard invite-the-school-class-to-go-bowling type of party. Lots of fun with minimal stress.

Families were encouraged to stay and join the fun. As one who often likes to complement my snack chips and pizza with fresh produce, I served store bought fruit and veggie trays. Totally a big hit - with adults and kids.

Of course, I had way too many leftovers of fine-not-fabulous veggies (let's not talk about the fruit that needed to be tossed). What's a frugalista to do?

I came up with four different uses and saved myself from throw away peril:
• Grape tomatoes and celery sticks became crudite for pre-dinner munching. I made a quick dip with leftover pesto vinaigrette mixed with some mayo.
• Bell peppers (red, yellow and green) were added to onion saute for Turkey Chilaquiles. Email for recipe - great post Turkey Day leftover idea!
• Broccoli and carrots were tossed with ground cumin, honey, olive salt and coarse salt and roasted at 400F for 20 minutes. Great companion to our Turkey Chilaquiles.
• Cauliflower and cucumbers were magicly transformed into Cauliflower Pickles. Can't wait to devour them tonight while making dinner.

What have you done with your leftover veggie or fruit trays?

Make UR Own Convenience

I just finished putting away the latest additions to this season's puttin' up - 7 quarts of applesauce - made together with a couple of friends the other day. About 1/3 of the apples are still left, so we'll each get another couple of quarts on our own. I've already got 10 pints in the freezer, made one night while cleaning the dinner dishes. Didn't impact my life too much in exchange for the wide smiles on my kids' faces when served homemade applesauce.

As I glanced into my little canning cupboard, I felt pride, satisfaction and a sense of being part of an age-old tradition. Do I spend entire weekends shucking and blanching corn? Doesn't suit my personality. Do I enjoy pulling out a special jar of this or a freezer container of that when we're weary of the roots of winter - absolutely. I've come to view food preservation more as a way to have a small pantry of convenience foods rather than a tedious obligation that takes me away from enjoying summer with friends and family. Now let's face it, we have more food choices than the times when you had to put up the bounty or it was a cruel, hungry winter. So this year, consider getting rid of the guilt, do what you're in the mood to do, and you'll enjoy every mouthful on that cold, gloomy January day. No matter what.

CSA. Yea or Oy Vey?

I have a confession to make. This is my eighth year as a CSA member (we’ll ignore the first failed attempt four years earlier) and only in the past couple of years have I felt like I figured out how to really make my weekly haul work for me.

The first five years I split my share with a friend. Neither of us fed our families fresh produce exclusively from our share as the yield was too small. And still, I found myself throwing things away. Huh?! We kept up our membership because we both liked the sense of belonging to a community, biweekly trips to the farm for our young children (the rope swing in the barn was a huge draw), and just feeling like we were doing the right thing. After all, we do live in Lancaster county!

By year six, my family had dramatically increased their fruit and vegetable consumption. I had set a personal goal of 10 servings of produce each day and while rarely reached, it gave me a mighty place for which to aim. Upgrading to a full share was a no brainer, right? And yet, what would even I do with all the big, beautiful, bountiful kale and chard?

Through the years, I’ve found a small handful of tips and techniques make all the difference between an empty fridge looking forward to being restocked with each week’s surprises and harboring a feeling of dread because you’re out of space and just can’t look at one more beet.

Tip One: Celebrate the homecoming. Carve 15 – 30 minutes into your schedule within 24 hours of your pick-up day to really check out the week’s bounty. Unfamiliar with an item or four? If your CSA has a newsletter, place it in the bathroom you use most often to ensure it gets read ASAP. Your farmers have probably given you information about these items as they want you to enjoy everything you bring home.

Tip Two: Do something with your stuff. Time is usually our biggest challenge to using all the items. For example, my husband and I love beets. To ensure they’re ready-to-eat when we are, I turn on the oven the minute I walk in the door with fresh beets. While the oven preheats, I unpack my food, cut the greens off the beets (more on them to follow), wrap each one on in reused aluminum foil, place them in a baking pan and pop the beets in the oven for about an hour. The beets cool in their packets, which are then placed in the fridge for when I need a couple. My farmer friend Amy washes and dries all her greens, then stores them in towel-lined plastic bags. Those that are usually cooked, like kale and chard, are stemmed and quick-cut into thick ribbons before hitting a baggie, stems in one bag, greens in another. She also dices any onions and stores them in a refrigerator container. WOW! We’ve been home 15 minutes and are practically ready for the week.

Tip Three: Try one new technique, item or recipe each week. Your weekly CSA newsletter will probably feature a recipe or two, most likely focused on those items that may not be as familiar. Consider investing one or two vegetable-focused cookbooks (Deborah Madison’s work for me) or utilize your favorite search engine – you’ll be amazed at how many easy, flavorful things you can do with the same old zucchini or potatoes.

Don’t underestimate the power of your knife. It’s amazing how different zucchini can taste if sliced really thick versus really thin. The former performs like a superstar on the grill, the latter transforms itself into silky sheets of “pasta” and requires zero cooking.

Tip Four: Don’t forget about your freezer. Planning for the off-season is a great habit to develop. Some weeks, I’ve had my fill of beet greens, yet can’t bear to toss them out. Tossing the bag of beet green ribbons in the freezer gives me hope of fresh greens smack in the middle of winter, when I will really be craving that dose of fresh. Keep in mind this treasure chest is also great for leftovers, too much soup, and so many odds and ends we often toss in the compost bin.

Tip Five: When in doubt, make soup. Whether faced with an overabundance of one item or too much of everything, there’s no such thing as too much soup (except for cream and/or potato-based soups, which don’t freeze well). Refer back to Tip Four when you’re unsure what do with extras.

Tip Six: Just say no. Some weeks, I take the beets without the greens as I know the farm or another shareholder will do something wonderful with them. If I’ve got a crazy week and just don’t want to deal, I simply don’t show up. I let the farmer/CSA manager know so others will benefit from my break. For my family, doing something for the greater good is one of the greatest benefits of membership. And we eat incredibly well to boot.

My family has come to look forward to the 20-odd weeks each year we pick up our weekly offering. Like market days, we’ve developed a rhythm to our week that is out-of-sync when affected by work, school and travel schedules. Enjoy the connections, let go of what you can’t get your hands around, and share the extras. You may find this becomes part of you, too.

Will. U. Be. The Next Essen Kinder Cook?

Teen Week kicked off our "Potpourri" themed summer of kids' cooking camps. We cooked. We laughed. We spilled. We cleaned up. We ate. And we ate some more.

New this year was an "Essen Chef Cooking Challenge." The first few days of the 5-day camp focused on specific techniques and categories of food, including things you spread and dip, dough, comfort foods and special occasion meals. The final day brought it all together with a team challenge to develop a menu and prepare a sandwich, a side dish and a dessert. Both teams accepted the challenge and cooked above and beyond their wildest dreams. We can't wait to see what the young cooks come up with in July and August. YUM!

Have you met my friends, Berry and Barb?

Frankly, I've been a bit manic lately. First came the greens, dark, light, curly and smooth. Rhubarb followed, finally, and I could handle it. Then, asparagus. Next were peas - shell, sugar snap and snow. And 2 weeks ago it happened. Strawberries. After months of longing for the fresh tastes of spring, we settle into the overwhelming excitement of "the season." Too busy with end-of-school year commitments? Too bad. Strawberries are here and they'll be done and gone by the time things have calmed down. Eager to put up tons of everything? Better do it because the corn wave will be here by the time you return from the beach.

I've been channeling this energy burst in the kitchen and have had a blast reacquainting myself with old favorite recipes and playing around with new techniques and flavor combinations. While a rotating mix of all these foods have brought us instant gratification, appearing on our table at most meals, I've focused a lot of energy on saving some for later. With success and some outright disasters, here's a snapshot of what the Essen Studio Kitchen has smelled like over the the past month:

• Rhubarb Dried Cherry Chutney
• Lentil Soup with Rhubarb
  
• Gingered Rhubarb Sorbet (to-die-for)
• Rhubarb Honey Rosemary Preserves
• Rhubarb Mustard (still working on it)
  
• Asp Kickers (pickled asparagus tips ... counting the days to local bloody Mary mix is ready)
• Strawberry Preserves
• Stawberry Leather
• Strawberry Tarragon Preserves

Stay in touch as you never know what'll come out of our kitchen, straight into yours.