Simply Organic (11 page)

¼ cup vinegar, such as balsamic, rice wine, raspberry, or sherry wine vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the oil until well blended.

VARIATIONS

Once you have the basic recipe, experiment with variations by adding different herbs, spices, or condiments. Here are a few of my favorite combinations.

Asian:
Omit the salt; add 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.

Creamy blue:
Add ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt and 4 ounces Gorgonzola or another blue cheese, crumbled.

Honey-mustard:
Add 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.

MAKES
8
SERVINGS

The roses and basil in the batter of this angel food cake create interest as well as a lovely flavor.

1 cup sifted cake flour

½ cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ cups egg whites (about 12 large eggs), at room temperature

1½ teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons chopped purple basil or regular basil

1 cup chopped organically grown rose petals

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until glossy, stiff peaks form and the sugar dissolves. (To be sure that the sugar has dissolved, rub the beaten whites between your fingers. They should not feel granular.)

Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg white mixture in 4 stages. When the last bit of flour mixture is to be folded in, add the basil and rose petals.

Gently pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and invert the pan on a bottleneck, such as a wine bottle, and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. When the cake is cool, run a thin knife between the cake and the pan. Turn out onto a plate.

KITCHEN TIP

For an extra-spectacular dessert, glaze the cake with a combination of 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. Add the milk gradually until the glaze has a spreadable consistency. Glaze the cake and garnish with additional organic rose petals.

MAKES
8
SERVINGS

I find this cake somewhat whimsical—a simple spice cake studded with juicy blackberries. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or slightly sweetened whipped cream.

2 large eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1½ cups whole grain pastry flour

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 pint blackberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch cake pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and yogurt. Stir in the brown sugar.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Form a well in the center and add the yogurt mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in the blackberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan and tap it on all sides to loosen the cake. Invert onto a serving plate.

KITCHEN TIP

You can substitute frozen berries for the fresh ones. Instead of mixing them into the batter, scatter them on the bottom of the pan before baking. When you invert the pan, the juices will act like a glaze.

MAKES
10
SERVINGS

Rice pudding is one of my favorite desserts. It takes me back to the nights when my dad would make me a snack of milk and rice with a little sugar and vanilla. My love for rice pudding led me to this wonderful, rich, uncomplicated way of taking something humble and making it extraordinary. It’s a great way to use up leftover rice.

2 cups half-and-half

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1½ cups cooked rice

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten

1 cup raspberries

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a large baking pan with 2 cups water. Have a 1½-quart baking dish ready, but do not grease it.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the half-and-half and chocolate, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the rice, ¾ cup of the sugar, the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk the half-and-half mixture into the rice mixture.

Pour into the baking dish and place the baking dish in the pan with the water. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, put the berries in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vinegar and mash with a fork. Serve the sauce over the pudding.

MAKES
5
TO
6
SERVINGS (10 TO 12 CRÊPES)

If it is early in the season and the fruit in your area is still on the tree or vine, use organic frozen, dried, or canned until fresh ripe food is available. With this approach, you can enjoy fruit-filled crêpes year-round. Sometimes I like to finish off crêpes with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, especially now that it is available in organic form.

4 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups cut-up fresh fruit, such as cherries, apricots, or strawberries; or rehydrated dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, figs, peaches, or nectarines

Combine the eggs, ½ cup water, the salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor or blender. Process until well blended. Gradually add the flour and milk and blend well. Add the melted butter and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche or sour cream, mint, brown sugar, and vanilla. Refrigerate until ready to use. To make the crêpes, heat a well-seasoned skillet or a crêpe pan over medium-high heat. Pour a scant ¼ cup of the mixture into the pan, rolling it back and forth quickly in order to cover the surface thinly. Cook for 1 minute, or until the underside is brown, and invert onto a flat surface. Continue until all the crêpes are made. Just before serving, toss the cut-up fresh fruit with the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar. Mix and mash just a bit to release juices. (If you’re using rehydrated fruit, taste and add the sugar only if needed.) Place about 1/3 cup of fruit on the uncooked side of each crêpe and fold into thirds to cover the filling. Serve with a dollop of the crème fraîche.

KITCHEN TIP

If you feel up to it, double the recipe for the crêpe batter, and freeze half of the crêpes, laying sheets of parchment paper between them.

pioneer profile
MARIN SUN FARMS

It is more important than ever to choose our meat carefully, to know where it is grown and how it is processed. With the industrialization of the natural food industry, the reality of the terms
organic, pasture-raised, free-range, grass-fed, hormone-free,
and
antibiotic-free
must be questioned. There are many companies doing a great job right now, and it is up to you to examine their approach to animal husbandry and their use of growth hormones or antibiotics so you can decide which type of meat is best for you and your family.

Both small and large producers are adopting more sustainable practices as the demand for safe meat increases. Coleman Natural Meats is a great example of a larger company that offers beef, pork, lamb, and poultry that is completely natural. Niman Ranch has made a name for itself lately, producing pork and beef that is grown on small family farms throughout the United States.

The best choice is to buy locally and to support your neighborhood meat producer if you are fortunate to have one nearby. Marin Sun Farms is a meat producer close to my home and restaurants—a farm that, from start to finish, walks the walk when it comes to growing healthy animals and processing nourishing meat, while supporting the local environment and their community. Nestled in the rolling grasslands of the Point Reyes National Seashore in Northern California, Marin Sun Farms is committed to producing locally grown pasture-based food for the San Francisco Bay Area. To that end, they raise 100 percent grass-fed beef, lamb, goat, and pasture-raised chickens. Plus, they sell simply the best eggs you’ll ever taste.

Owner David Evans is a staunch activist in the meat industry. He sees his farm, production, processing, and distribution as an effort toward a more sustainable food model. Marin Sun Farms is locally based, marketing its products within a 200-mile range. It supports its own community and economy by responsibly stewarding a sense of place by selling to nearby farmers’ markets, restaurants, and grocers. Ultimately, the farm wants to have a connection to the people who buy and cook each juicy steak and succulent lamb shank. The ultimate result is a direct line from the ranch to the kitchen. They know their meat, poultry, and eggs end up nearby, on the tables of people who live close enough to visit the farm if they choose to. In essence, they are contributing to the overall health of the land, the water, the animals, and the people who enjoy the efforts of their ranching.

When the cooks in my kitchen at Flea St. Café start pleading for fresh tomatoes, I know summer has begun. After being deprived of sun-ripened tomatoes since mid-October, their patience has disappeared. Whether the early summer is warm or not, they want—even demand—tomatoes, symbols of the start of consistently warmer days. With the influence of Mediterranean cooking in our cuisine, tomatoes, as well as other summer vegetables, play important roles in our entrées. I But early summer is just that—early. The sun is just beginning to bathe heat-loving plants, such as tomatoes, in its warmth. It is a time of tiny but tasty foods. The tomatoes that we use during this season are cherry tomatoes, pint-size and delectably sweet. They make their way into salads, quick sauces, and sandwiches. I Mushrooms, herbs, potatoes, onions, squash blossoms, early eggplant, and peppers are also available. Stone fruits such as peaches, cherries, and apricots as well as blueberries and strawberries are in abundance and at their tastiest. We use fruits frequently in savory and sweet dishes. To support your organic kitchen, use this time to freeze as many fruits as possible for use later in the year. I My cooking takes its cue from the weather shifts common in early summer. As you will notice, this chapter offers quick, easy, and light recipes as well as those that take more time and warm up the kitchen. The real heat of summer is just around the corner.