We have moved into full on root vegetable season and so it is time to pull out this favorite recipe of mine. They are a frequent item on my personal chef service menus.  Today it is carrot patties but any root vegetable that you can grate works beautifully. I have made them with celery root,turnips, parsnips, as well as a mix of several different vegetables including winter squashes. These are really a version of latkes which traditionally are made with potatoes. Today they have an Asian kind of flair. You can season them however you like – like Italian ? blend in some rosemary, oregano, and maybe even some parmesan cheese. Mexican ? use squash and add in some cumin and chili. Top with guacamole.

Root vegetables in general are a powerhouse of good nutrition. They are high in B vitamins. Since they grow IN the ground, they contain lots of minerals ( as well as energetics of the earth element). They are very high in fiber. This time of year, they are abundant and fairly inexpensive.

Carrots contain lots of anti oxidants, beta carotene, and Vitamin C. In the spring we enjoy eating the tiny new carrots ( the REAL baby carrots, not the designer ones in the bags in the store) and this time of year, go ahead and eat the big ones. They are perfect for this recipe.

This is one of those recipes that constantly evolves. I have blended information from several recipes over the years, combined with experience and what my current tastes and nutritional needs are. I love that about cooking. I look at recipes as guides, as a partially filled in canvas. Feel free to add your tastes to this one.

Carrot Patties

1 c. grated carrots ( or any combination of root vegetables or squash that you like)
2 T. coconut flour
2 T. dried seaweed ( I use either wakame or dulse)
1 tsp. or more of fresh grated ginger
pepper to taste
2 fresh eggs, from pasture raised chickens
1 T. melted butter or coconut oil, as well as more for frying ( a few tablespoons)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes while frying pan/griddle heats. Coat the pan with enough oil so patties don’t stick. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto hot pan. You decide if you want them small ( if you are having this as a side dish) or larger ( for a main course). Cook a few minutes on each side.

I have served them with a simple sauce of tahini and miso ( about 3 parts tahini to 1 part miso, mix in 2 parts water) and have also enjoyed eating them plain. I think they make a fabulous breakfast!

* The photographer in me feels compelled to apologize. The carrots were indeed a deep beautiful orange color. I have yet to master the art of using my phone camera for inside pictures. This process today has definitely inspired me to replace my non working ( non phone) camera.

First, my camera seems to be out of commission so I have scoured the archives instead of taking pictures at the market today.

Cabrillo Farmer’s Market ( today I went to the downtown Santa Cruz market, but you get the idea)

I have been out of town the last few weeks and eating other peoples’ cooking. Add to that the fact that summer produce is at its peak, I got a bit carried away today at the Farmers’ Market. I had two very full and heavy bags! My refrigerator is full and now I have to be on top of things so that none of it goes to waste. I thought I would go through my purchases with you and my plans for them.

I am hungry for fruit this week. I bought strawberries which honestly will probably just be eaten as is. I am surprised I didn’t eat all of them already! Windmill Farms of Live Oak has the best berries I have ever eaten! Yum.

I bought plums, a new to me variety called Yummy Giants and yes, they are. They are for a cooking trade with a friend and will become hand pies.

I bought lacinato kale, basil, cilantro, and cucumbers from Route 1 Farms. I ate some of the kale tonight with green beans also gotten at the market from Mell-o-dee Ranch, from whom I also got some eggs, corn,  and blackberries. The eggs are going into some homemade mayonnaise amongst some other things. Basil and Cilantro will become pesto, which I have written about here. Cucumbers are being combined with lemons from my tree to become soda. ( a future blog post there) The corn is being pickled tomorrow, based on a variety of recipes I found on the internet. ( also, a future blog post, provided I get my camera working!) Blackberries will be blended with some kefir tomorrow morning for a smoothie.

I treated myself to some raw cream from Claravale Dairy. I am lactose intolerant but occasionally I put raw cream in my coffee substitute drink in the morning and it doesn’t seem to affect me in the same mucus-y way that pasteurized dairy does. We are so lucky here in this part of California to have this dairy . Almost daily, I read on the internet stories of raw milk dairies being raided, shut down by the FDA. Please educate yourself on this subject and support your small local dairies.

I came home with a nice sized newly “processed” pasture raised chicken and a small bag of chicken feet from Fogline Farms in Soquel, Ca. I will roast the chicken and have enough for probably 4 meals. I am likely to eat the legs and thighs as is. I will make some chicken and fig salad from the breast. Then, the carcass and some of the feet will be turned into delicious chicken bone broth. That, in turn, will go in the freezer for future use.

I also got carrots and radishes which will go into salad and just for munching. Thanks, Blue Heron Farm.

A bottle of Mint Cooler from Creative Cultures rounded out my purchases. After momentarily forgetting where my car was parked and having to carry those heavy bags a few more blocks than planned, it gave me a boost for sure!

Please use the comment section to share what you have gotten recently at your farmers’ market.

I love figs. Their season is short as is their shelf life. They are best eaten or cooked on the day you buy them, if not on the day they are picked. They are a powerhouse of minerals and are very sweet. Some say that it was a fig and not an apple that was picked by Eve in the Bible story about the Garden of Eden.

I recently had a friend and business associate help me with some things who didn’t want payment. How rare and refreshing is that ? So, in return, I baked him and his family some fig and apple crisp. Oh, the house smelled delicious!

I was able to score some beautiful figs and apples at the farmers’ market this weekend and put together this riff on a recipe from www.ifood.tv.

Fig and Apple Crisp

12 fresh figs, quartered
2 apples, chopped into bite sized pieces ( I used MacIntosh)
3 T. organic sugar ( depending on sweetness of fruit and your taste, you might use less)
1/2 c. oatmeal ( not quick cooking or instant)
1/2c. whole wheat or spelt flour
1 tsp. 5 spice powder ( in researching, I just discovered that the 5 spices represent the five tastes – sweet, salty,sour, bitter, and pungent)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
2 T. coconut oil or butter

I buttered a small baking dish ( approx. 6″x6″) and filled it with the fruit. Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until everything is incorporated. Sprinkle over the fruit. Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister . Please head over there and check the other posts.

]]> http://forlifepersonalchef.com/2010/09/26/fig-and-apple-crisp/feed/ 2 http://forlifepersonalchef.com/2010/08/30/spicy-goat-stew/ http://forlifepersonalchef.com/2010/08/30/spicy-goat-stew/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:32:57 +0000 Charity http://forlifepersonalchef.com/?p=714 Farmers’ market in a bowl

My weekend trip to the Monterey Bay Farmers’ Market at Cabrillo College led to a marvelous bowl of Spicy Goat Stew. I have been meaning to buy some goat meat for some time and this time, things were in my favor. My last visit, there was none, and the visit before that, I didn’t have enough money. I have eaten goat meat before but never had cooked it. I utilized several other things from my market shopping as well ( celery, carrots, leeks, beet greens, garlic).

Spicy Goat Stew

1 1/2 lb. goat shoulder ( including bones) ( Trim  excess fat, leave some – I didn’t and wished I had)
salt and pepper
1 T. coconut oil ( you could use olive oil)
2 large leeks,cleaned and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs of celery, diced
3 inch piece of turmeric root, peeled and sliced
about 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, sliced
handful of kale, chopped
handful of beet greens, chopped
1 T curry powder
1T garam masala
1 small can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis
using the tomato can, 2 cans of water

Heat the oil in a deep saute pan. Liberally season the meat with salt and pepper. Sear the meat on both sides. Remove from pan and add leeks and garlic ( you might want a bit more oil). Cook until softened. Add the celery, turmeric, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes. Add the meat back in and add the remaining ingredients. Let simmer until meat is falling off the bones. This took mine about 4 hours. The sauce just gets better and better when you do it low and slow.

In retrospect, I wish I would have added about 1/2 cup ( or more) of hearty red wine to this. As I said above, I didn’t trim the fat and there really was too much. Fat is good but this only really made me wish I had some pieces of French bread to dunk in and soak up all that juicy fatness. This stew was good by itself but would be fabulous over polenta. Alas, I am experimenting with the rules of food combining which say that eating protein and starches together is not good for one’s belly as they digest at different rates but when I make this again, I might just have to break the rules.

It was VERY spicy, which I like. If you don’t want it so spicy, use plain tomatoes and add a few pinches of dried red pepper to taste.

I will be having leftovers tomorrow and plan to add some more veggies – more celery and carrot, some parsley, and some more greens.

It is good to try new things. Cooking is all about experimenting, changing things up, “tweaking” recipes to suit your taste and mood.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s Real Food Wednesday. Please check out the other interesting posts and blogs.

Who has been cooking anything interesting lately ? I have made a few interesting things which I will share.

At the farmers’ market last weekend, I found some locally grown capers. How cool is that ?

My first adventure with them was simple yet so delicious. Caper Butter. I took a small handful of capers, soaked them in cool water as per the bottle’s directions. Drained them, chopped them a bit, added to melted butter. Yummy on julienned carrots ( the julienne peeler is my newest kitchen gadget love), topping a baked potato. Drizzled on some broiled or grilled fish would be fabulous!

I also experimented more with fermentation and made some Fruit Kimchi. I got the recipe from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz. It is awesome!

Fruit Kimchi

makes 1 quart

1/4 pineapple
2 plums, pitted
2 pears, cored
1 apple, cored
1 small bunch grapes, stemmed
1/2 c. cashews or other nut of your choice
2 tsp sea salt
juice of 1 lemon
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
1 to 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
1 to 2 hot red chilis, fresh or dried
1 leek or onion, finely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 T. or more grated fresh ginger

Chop fruit into bite sized bits. ( I didn’t use the pear or apple to keep things seasonal, and added some blueberries and raspberries instead). Leave grapes whole. Add nuts. Mix together in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. ( I forgot the cilantro. I won’t next time)

Stuff kimchi mixture into CLEAN quart sized jar. Pack it tightly, pressing down to make it juicier. If necessary, add some purified water until the liquid level is even or almost even with the fruit. ( I also added about a T of whey) Seal jar with the lid. Let it sit on your countertop in a cool dark place for up to a week. Check several times a day to make sure fruit is submerged in liquid. ( I turned the jar upside down and back). Check the taste after a few days with CLEAN spoon or fingers. Putting the jar in the refrigerator will stop the fermentation process. I opened mine and ate some after the 3rd day as I was not brave enough to wait the whole week. It was delicious and next time I will let it go longer and see how that is. Boy, was it bubbly and fizzing and hissing when I opened it. Yum. I have had it with yoghurt, and by itself. A friend, to whom I gave a jar, cooked it with chicken.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Real Food Wednesday. Please head over there and check out the other posts.

I just came home from a fabulous trip to Alaska.  I am full of negative ions from the waterfalls, full of beauty from the sights and sounds of the whales, eagles, and ravens, cleansed by the rain, filled with the magic of the rainforest and the light of the almost endless days of this season, and most particularly for today’s post, filled with delicious, fresh off the boat salmon. Our cook took a boat out to the fishing boat, negotiated with the fishermen, brought home some fish, and a few hours later we ate it. It absolutely doesn’t compare to anything that we can get from any grocery store. Salmon live here, in the Monterey Bay off the coast of Santa Cruz, but the season is very short and it is very expensive. Fresh salmon season runs from early summer to early fall.  I usually buy my salmon frozen from Trader Joe’s, which is wild from Alaska and frozen right on the boat so a good choice.  There is a lot of farmed salmon available. Please, please, do not ever buy farmed salmon. The fish are fed so poorly, and they use pesticides and herbicides to keep the water “clean”. That runoff goes into our watersheds. The fish sometimes escape ( and who would blame them!) and weaken the natural fish population. Let’s support the fishermen who use wise sustainable practices and we will have salmon to enjoy and eat for many years to come. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an excellent website with much information about sustainability and which fish we have the green light to eat.

Besides being delicious, salmon is so good for us! Low in calories, high in protein, it also contains a proper ratio of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, which our bodies need for heart health, for inflammation control, etc. I think, too, there is something so powerful in the energy of the salmon. It is sacred to the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest and Ireland. We can learn from the salmon’s journey, that difficult struggle to spawn, to get back upstream, to get home.

There are many many delicious ways to prepare salmon. It can be eaten raw ( when you are absolutely sure it is fresh) as sushi, sashimi, tartare. It is good cold in a salad, mixed with mayonaise or not. I like it for breakfast mixed with eggs and scrambled. Smoked Salmon is widely available and also good in many ways. Fresh salmon can be grilled outside, broiled, baked. It combines nicely with so many vegetables and pairs nicely with a glass of Pinot Noir.

Here is a recipe to try from Eating Well Magazine.

Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon

makes 6 one-cup servings

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3c. chopped fresh dill

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup diced seedless cucumber

1/2c. finely chopped red onion

3 cups of cooked brown or green lentils

1 1/2 c. flaked cooked salmon

Whisk lemon juice, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently.

I serve this on a bed of greens, either raw spinach or lightly cooked kale.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Real Food Wednesdays. Please head over there and read the other interesting posts.

Fresh Arugula Pesto

In my For Life! personal chef business, I really focus on making my clients’ meals from seasonal and local produce and products. Well, you cannot get much more local than one’s own backyard! I don’t have a great place for a garden bed. Where there is room, there isn’t full sun. So, I have a couple small garden boxes. Sadly, only one of them is productive at the moment, but, as always, in the garden, there are plans and time for planting the other one. Today I noticed that my arugula is starting to bolt ( flower) and is getting eaten by some critter, so it needed to be picked and eaten. Not a difficult or painful task. I do eat a salad every day but I wanted to do something a bit more interesting with today’s harvest. Aha! Arugula pesto. The word “pesto” comes from the Latin, meaning to crush. It is Italian in origin though they have a version, called “pistou” in France. It is usually made from basil, but essentially any green herb will do. I have made pesto from basil, arugula,parsley, or cilantro. It is combined with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, pine nuts, and parmesan cheese. You can substitute any nuts. When I used the cilantro, I used macadamia nuts and it became ” Hawaiian Pesto”. Walnuts are excellent to use in this way, especially if you are a vegetarian and want to ramp up your Omega 3 fatty acids. Originally, pesto was crushed with a mortar and pestle. Thankfully now we have food processors. If I had an Italian nonna ( gramma) by now she would be rolling over in her grave as she sees me moving away from the traditional basil/pine nut blend. I will shock her further by telling you that is is perfectly ok to leave out the cheese and make it dairy free. Mamma mia!

Arugula Pesto

2 cups fresh arugula, washed and dried

1 garlic clove, smashed and roughly chopped

1/4 c. toasted pine nuts ( you can toast them in a dry skillet over medium high heat. Watch carefully, and toss them around a few times. It doesn’t take long)

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil ( use the best organic oil that you can find)

1/4 c. grated Parmegiano Reggiano cheese ( grate your own. it tastes ever so much fresher)

Place all of the ingredients except the cheese in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped and blended. Put in a bowl and mix in the cheese.

Pesto is so versatile. Have it on a salad. It is a great topping for meat ( steak as I did, or chicken, fish). Toss it with some pasta. Use it in an omelet or as a pizza topping. I so appreciate recipes with multiple applications. If that Italian nonna has gotten over her shock, I am sure she would tell us to “Mangia bene!” Eat well, and enjoy the freshness of good healthy local organic food. And don’t worry about garlic breath.

This post is part of GNOWFGLINS Tuesday Twister and Real Food Wednesdays. Make sure you check out the other participants.