Baked Falafel

I have been avoiding making these for years.  It didn't make sense to me to make falafel in the oven when you get a deeper flavor and crispy crust on the stove.  Finally, I was roasting an eggplant on a hot afternoon and figured I would slide these on the other rack.

This version deviates from the standard raw chickpea version.  I'm par-cooking them because I wasn't convinced a half hour in the oven would take care of things.  It isn't long enough to make them mushy, and you still get a good texture in the patties.  I actually added a touch of lemon juice to smooth things out a bit.

*2/3 C dry chickpeas
*1/4 C fresh parsley
*1/4 C fresh cilantro
1/2 red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
*2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp each paprika, cumin, ground coriander, and salt
1/4 tsp pepper
*1 tsp lemon juice
olive oil for greasing

1.  Soak chickpeas in 3 C of water for 8-12 hours.  Drain, fill saucepan with fresh water, and simmer for one hour.  They should still be somewhat firm.  Drain well.

2.  Place chickpeas, onion, herbs, garlic, and spices in the food processor.  Pulse first to break up the larger pieces, then run into a chunky paste.  If you can't get a small handful to stick together, add lemon juice and pulse to distribute.

3.  Preheat oven to 375º and grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil.  Don't leave any naked patches.  I thought this was all going to fit in a 9x13, and wasn't going to get another pan dirty when I was wrong.  Did it in two batches instead.  On the other hand, if you want to make this into a falafel crust, it will line the 9x13.

4.  Scoop generous tablespoons of paste and form into patties.  Gently place on greased baking sheet.  Bake 30 minutes, until tops are starting to look browned and dry.  Carefully turn over and bake another 10 minutes.  Can be served hot or room temperature.

Serves 4-6

Difficulty rating  :)

Fall's Bounty

After a fairly blah summer, the garden really started to pick up when it got hot and humid at the end of August.  The past month has meant daily trips to see what needs harvesting.  Usually, that's cherry tomatoes, but other plants have been earning their keep.

I experimented with carrots in a pot that was too small for them, and they did very well.  I've been sowing carrots every couple of weeks in new spots to see what works, and the little pot and the pond have been the greatest successes so far.  I don't need a cellar-full of carrots.  They keep better in the ground.  It's just nice to be able to pull one when I forget to put it on the grocery list.  The pot will probably be for an herb once I pull the last one.

I pretty much ignored the green beans for two weeks.  It was close to 90º, monsoon humid, and I only had one day off work.  I saw the white buds peeking between the leaves when I was watering the pot, but it takes a couple of weeks for a bean to grow.  They blend in with the stems.  Finally, I decided to pick whatever was there to have with a chicken dinner.  Well...

I put them on the kitchen scale.  A quarter pound, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it was three servings.  And there are more flowers and baby beans.  They were just waiting for the right weather conditions.  These are all the bush variety.  There's one weak pole bean left, twining itself into the tomato plants and not producing any beans.

The pot next to the bush beans has been empty for a couple of months, since I harvested all the turnips.  I finally decided to put in some September peas.  I rigged up a trellis out of scrap wood and twine, and we'll see how many I can get before December.

Two or three days a week, I'm working to preserve tomatoes.  Since I don't need canned, some became freezer pasta sauce.  The excess cherry tomatoes are becoming either dehydrated halves if I have the 5 hours it takes to dry them, or confit if I only have a couple of hours.  The big guys are turning into pickles or oven-dried.  I'm trying to avoid freezing any, since that renders them only good for sauce or other uses when you want them to dissolve.

I'm trying to start the fall greens and herbs, but it refuses to stay below 80º.  I can't even do kitchen pots, since it's up to 85º inside half the time.  There's no point in germinating arugula or cilantro if they're going to bolt before they have enough leaves to harvest.  I'm on my third attempt at parsley and celery.  It's just a touch too warm.  If this one doesn't work, I'll reluctantly buy starts.  I did manage to get some leeks going inside.  They will be transplanted when they're strong enough.

I'm not going to grow kale next year.  For one thing, chard tastes better.  Mainly, I'm tired of fighting the bugs.  If I take a break, the butterflies will forget and go somewhere else.  I'm also going to skip that space hog broccoli.  It's cheap in the market.  I can grow four types of lettuce, about six turnips, or a dozen carrots in the space it takes to grow one broccoli, and lettuce can survive the flooding if it rains a lot this winter.  There's going to be a shocking amount of square footage once the determinate tomatoes come out.

Beef and Eggplant Rolls

This is actually about using more tomatoes, if only for the sauce.  Something similar came up in my YouTube feed, so I went looking for recipes.  My recommendations are now eggplant cooking channels.  Sigh.  Many of the recipes were by Jewish bloggers, serving this on the High Holy Days.  Good timing.  Ok, I decided to top them with mozzarella, so this version is no longer kosher, but everything up to that point is.

While I didn't grow the 50 pounds of tomatoes it would take to break even on the new pots and soil, I probably grew 10 lbs of them.  That's more than I was expecting.  I wouldn't have spent $3 per pound on vine-ripened tomatoes for this, but it was a great way to use a sudden glut off several plants, plus some of the tomato paste pucks I had frozen.

I don't shop often at Trader Joe's, but went over to the eggplant barrel while I was there for some olives and an apple.  They were huge and half the price of everywhere else, so I got two for this recipe.  Did not take into account that they were too wide for the V-slicer.  Even slicing imperfectly by hand, I only needed one for this recipe and ended up roasting the other into baba gannouj.

This recipe has a lot of components.  Wish I had thought that through and made some of it in advance.  You could also use a small jar of pasta sauce instead of making your own.  Again, every recipe for the foreseeable future is going to be tomato-related.

*1 lb lean ground beef (90% or higher)
kosher salt and cracked pepper as needed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp allspice
*1/4 C chopped parsley
*1/4 C chopped cilantro
1 Tb fresh or 1 tsp dried mint
*2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large or 2 medium eggplants
olive oil as needed
*1/2 red onion, diced
*1 carrot, diced
*1 rib celery, diced
*1 Tb fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
*1-1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes, diced, or one 28 oz can crushed
*2 Tb tomato paste
*2 Tb Marsala or Port, optional
1 C shredded mozzarella, optional

1.  In a bowl, knead together ground beef, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, paprika, cumin, allspice, chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, mint, and one minced clove of garlic.  Refrigerate for an hour while you do the rest of the prep.

2.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Cut off the cap of the eggplant and slice lengthwise into slabs less than half an inch thick.  Ideally, you will have 8 slices so each gets 2 oz of meat.  Lay on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Brush lightly with olive oil, bearing in mind that eggplant is a sponge and you don't want to add too much.  Flip and do the other side.  Then sprinkle lightly with salt.  Roast for 15 minutes, flip the pieces, and roast an additional 5 minutes.  You want them flexible and only half cooked.  Set aside to cool.

3.  While the eggplant is roasting, start the sauce.  Drizzle about 2 Tb of oil into a saucepan and heat over medium.  Add diced onion, celery, and carrot and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add one clove minced garlic, the basil, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Bring to a low boil and cook until everything softens together into a sauce, about half an hour.  If desired, use an immersion blender to smooth it out.  Add wine, if using, and allow the alcohol to boil off.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

4.  To assemble, turn the oven down to 350º.  Ladle half a cup of the sauce into a 9x13 casserole and spread it around to coat the bottom.

5.  Divide the meat into however many slices of eggplant you have.  Spread thinly and cover as much of the eggplant surface as you can.  Roll up from the cap end to the round one and place, seam-side down, in the dish.  Repeat with all the slices and meat.

6.  Pour remaining sauce over the rolls.  Bake until a thermometer reads 165º when inserted into the thickest roll, about 40 minutes.  If desired, pull the casserole out when they reach 140º and sprinkle with cheese.  Replace and continue to bake to temp.  Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving.

Difficulty rating  :-0 ( :) if you use a jar of sauce)

White Bean Stuffed Tomatoes

Yes, I planted too many tomatoes, but I didn't think they'd do this well.  Also, the Monster variety lived up to its name for the first time.  The Beefsteak were the smaller ones.  This is after I processed the case of Romas, since I didn't plant any of those.  I don't need more canned tomatoes this year.

With "white bean" as my meal plan protein, I googled "tomatoes stuffed with white bean" and found a trove of Italian-inspired recipes.  They largely matched up with what I had in mind, which was slightly more Turkish or Lebanese.  This hybrid recipe is being tagged as non-American primarily because there's no rice or breadcrumbs in it.  That would be an American touch.  I did make some herbed rice to serve with it as the starch, and opened the last jar of asparagus from last year as the vegetable.  Just about any pasta would also go well, but I'm having pasta with my next recipe and I try to limit how much I have per month.

I tried to cook the beans in the Crockpot.  It was a hot day and I didn't want to leave the stove on for hours, especially if I was going to be using the oven later.  It didn't work.  At least, not in the 5 hours I gave it, even on High.  I had to simmer them for an hour before I could start.  Time to can up some more beans so I have them ready to go again.

*2/3 C dry white beans such as Navy or Great Northern (or not quite a can)
2+ Tb olive oil
1/2 red onion, diced
*1 rib celery, diced
*2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb olive oil, plus more for brushing
*4 large or 8 medium round tomatoes (not Romas)
1 Tb Italian seasoning or 1/2 tsp each rosemary, parsley, and basil and 1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
*2 Tb parmesan cheese, optional
fresh herbs to garnish

1.  The night before or early in the day, sort and rinse beans.  Soak in water to cover by 2 inches for 8-12 hours.  Drain.  Bring to a simmer in fresh water or vegetable broth to cover and cook until tender, 2 hours.

2.  While the beans are draining in the sink, drizzle oil in the pot.  Heat over medium.  Cook onion and celery until tender, 5 minutes.  Add garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant.

3.  Fold beans into mixture.  Stir in balsamic vinegar.  Set aside while you prepare the tomatoes.

4.  Preheat oven to 400º (can be while stovetop items are cooking).  Drizzle a bit of olive oil to grease a casserole big enough to hold the tomatoes.  Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and scoop out the insides with a melon baller.  I kept and froze the insides to be part of sauce later.  Lightly salt the insides of the tomatoes, turn upside down, and roast for 10 minutes while the filling is resting.

5.  Turn oven down to 350º.  Turn tomatoes back over with tongs (careful, they're hot and squishy).  Fill with bean mixture.  Sprinkle tops with cheese, if desired.  Roast again until tomatoes are done, about 30 minutes.  Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with herbs if desired.

Difficulty rating  :)

Chicken Gravy for Biscuits

If I don't home-can chicken again, it will only be because I don't use it as much as I expected.  I really thought I was opening a can per month, but I'm not quite done with the ten jars I made last July.  Or, I could just make smaller batches.  Maybe five pounds instead of nine.  The taste is fantastic, and the texture is much better than commercially canned meat.

This chicken and biscuits recipe was one of the alternate breakfast ideas I had when eggs were super expensive.  I didn't get around to making it until now.  It's just like making sausage gravy, except you have to add more herbs and spices to make up for them not being in the meat.  You do benefit from not having to spend time cooking the meat, and you can adjust the seasonings to your taste.

*1 10-12 oz can chunk chicken
1 Tb flour
1 Tb margarine
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp each sage and thyme
1 C milk, or less for thicker sauce
*biscuits for serving

1.  Add chicken and its juice to a saucepan and heat over medium-low.  Add margarine and let it melt, then sprinkle with flour and stir until it cooks and starts to thicken the pan juices.

2.  Stir in some salt and pepper and the herbs.  Begin to add the milk a few tablespoons at a time, stirring and allowing each addition to thicken the sauce.  Continue until you reach a desired consistency.  Taste and add seasonings if needed.

3.  Spoon over split and toasted biscuits.  (I used some sweet potato biscuits I forgot were in the freezer.)  Serve hot.

Makes a generous 2 C of gravy

Difficulty rating  π

Spinach and Eggplant Frittata

Breakfast for dinner isn't only about pancakes.  There are plenty of brunch foods that are great for a late-summer dinner.

This was a fantastic idea on a hot day until I realized I like to finish my frittatas under the broiler.  Yes, I could have skipped that step, but it toasts up the cheese and makes sure the middle sets.  By then, I had cracked all the eggs, so it just happened.

The additional sides in this mezze meal that I didn't blog this week were tomato and garlic confit to zing up the frittata and pickled tomatoes (not green, about half ripe) as a way to cut all the oil in the rest of the meal.

Olive oil as needed
1 C diced onion
1 small or Japanese eggplant (8 oz), grated
1 C frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 tsp dried tarragon
*1/2 tsp dried cilantro
4 eggs
1/2 C milk
*1/4 C grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

1.  In a 12" skillet, drizzle about 2 Tb olive oil and heat over medium.  Add the diced onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes.  That will give you time to grate the eggplant.  I fully intended to do it on the box grater, then realized I was getting out the processor anyway for the dip and put on the shredding disc.  Same amount of time, when you consider washing the extra blade and lid, but easier on my arm.

2.  Add eggplant and spinach to the skillet.  Sprinkle with the salt and tarragon.  Allow to cook, stirring frequently, until the eggplant has wilted and most of the liquid is gone.  Set aside.

3.  In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.  Frittatas traditionally have less milk in them than you would expect.  They also are not beaten very much.  Just get them to evenly mixed.  If they're frothy, the whole thing will rise, collapse, and get rubbery.

4.  Add the slightly cooled vegetable mixture to the eggs and stir to combine.  Wipe out the skillet and drizzle with oil to coat the bottom.  The nonstick on my 12" is shot, so I did it in two batches in the omelette pan.  Preheat over medium-low and get the oven broiler going.

5.  Add mixture to the warm skillet.  Once it starts to set, cover and cook for 10 minutes.  It can still be slightly wet on top, but should not jiggle excessively when shaken.  Remove lid, sprinkle with cheese, and place under the broiler for 5 minutes, to toast the cheese.

6.  Remember to wear oven mitts when you remove the pan from the oven.  Allow to cool in the pan a few minutes, to set the egg, then loosen with a spatula before sliding off onto a board.  Cut into wedges and serve.

Difficulty rating  :)

Easy Kidney Bean Dip

This has been a cool-ish summer in my area.  That ended in late August, so I made a cold dinner.  Several of the mezzes did involve cooking and the oven, but they were do-aheads.  This protein dip is a simple food processor recipe that can be done in five minutes.

While some of my recipes have skewed quick and easy lately, I found this idea on a blog devoted to simplicity, It's Not Complicated Recipes.  I've jazzed it up a smidge, but it's still everyone in the processor, scrape down, and adjust seasonings until happy.

1 15 oz can red kidney beans
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sumac or paprika
2 Tb fresh parsley, or 2 tsp flakes, plus more for garnish
1 clove garlic
1 tsp white wine vinegar
3 Tb olive oil
water as needed for consistency, about 1/2 C

1.  Drain and rinse beans.  Add to food processor with salt sumac (or paprika), parsley, garlic, white wine vinegar, and olive oil.  Pulse a few times, then run for about 15 seconds into a rough paste.

2.  Scrape down and run again, slowly adding water until desired consistency is reached.  Taste and adjust seasonings, then pulse a few times to distribute.  If it seems bland, try more salt and vinegar first.  They will heighten the other flavors.

3.  Transfer to a serving dish.  Chill until ready to serve.  Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.

Makes about 1-1/2 C

Difficulty rating  π

Flatbreads with Tarragon

When did pitas get expensive?  Granted, I only buy them when I have a coupon to make them $2, and have no idea what full price is.  Ok, fine, I'll make something to have in an impromptu mezze meal.  It wasn't supposed to get this elaborate.

This is a basic lean dough recipe.  Water, sweetener, yeast, oil, flour, salt.  And, in this case, some dried tarragon.  Because why not.  It was going in the main-dish frittata anyway.  If you want it a bit richer, use milk instead of water.

1/2 C 100º water
1 tsp sugar, honey, or *date syrup 
1/2 tsp yeast
1-1/2 C flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 tsp salt
*1/2 tsp dried tarragon
olive oil as needed

1.  Stir together water, sugar, 1 tsp oil, and yeast.  Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2.  In a small bowl, combine water mixture and 1/2 C flour.  Stir into a batter.  Add another half cup, the salt, and tarragon and stir into a shaggy dough.

3.  Pile half a cup of flour on a work surface and pour the dough onto it.  Knead until smooth, adding flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking, about 10 minutes.  Whenever I do a small batch by hand, it reminds me why I use the stand mixer to make yeast doughs.  Turn over dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place 90 minutes.

4.  Punch down dough, divide into 4 portions by weight, form into balls, and allow to rest 10 minutes.  Start to heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat.

5.  Once the ten minutes are elapsed, turn down the heat to medium and add a light drizzle of oil to the pan.  Swirl to coat.  Roll out each ball into a 6" circle, lightly dusting it and the board with flour to prevent sticking.

6.  One at a time (or get multiple pans going) cook the flatbreads in the skillet for about 5 minutes per side.  They may form an uneven pocket, but I deflated all of those.  This isn't supposed to be a pocket bread.  Place finished pieces on a plate and cover with a towel between batches.  Add a smidge more oil to the pan between breads.  If making ahead, store warm flatbreads in a plastic bag in the fridge to keep them soft.

Difficulty rating  :)

Southwest Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

This might be the last salad for a while.  I'm kind of salad-ed out, even though the cherry tomatoes keep coming in.  Nice problem to have.

I'm not a huge fan of Southwest salads, mainly because I don't really like mayo.  It may be the same texture issue that keeps me from using avocado.  So, what do I put on this...  I decided to make the dressing for this one a vinaigrette and serve it over the rest of the greens from the box I bought.

This recipe is largely opening cans.  They do have their place.  Some days, you just don't feel like putting in the effort.  It looks like you did, though.  I forgot to buy tortilla chips and got out the rest of the Hawaiian rolls.  They actually were very nice with it.

*1 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed, or 2/3 C dry soaked, cooked, and cooled

*1 15 oz can kernel corn drained or 2 C frozen, thawed

1 small can sliced black olives

*1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes, or 1 15 oz can diced, drained

*2 green onions, finely sliced

*1/2 bunch cilantro

3 Tb olive oil

*2 Tb lime juice

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

*4 C mixed greens, rinsed and dried

*Cotija cheese and avocado chunks for garnish, optional

1.  In a bowl, combine beans, corn, olives, green onions, and tomatoes.  If the tomatoes are bigger than bite-sized, cut in half.

2.  In a blender or processor, combine cilantro, oil, juice, salt, and chili powder.  For a spicier dressing, add red chili flakes.  Pour half of the dressing into the bowl and toss.  Up to this point can be done a few hours ahead and kept in the fridge.

3.  To plate the salad, put a handful of greens first.  Spoon a portion of the bean mixture on top.  Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing.  Top with avocado and/or cheese and serve.

Difficulty rating  π

Tattie Scones

I had never heard of these Scottish favorites until they came up on my YouTube feed.  I made a double batch of mashed potatoes for a cottage pie just so I would have leftovers to try the recipe.

They're super basic.  Potatoes, butter, salt, and flour.  If you don't use self-rising flour, then baking powder.  The recipe I'm using from Christina's Cucina has it as a simple ratio.  I ended up with 3/4 pound of mash, which made 12 scones the size I cut them.  Maybe they're supposed to be smaller.  Dimensions were not given.  I'm calling a pound of potatoes 8 servings.  So, cut this in half if you want four servings.  I put the rest in the freezer.

As for the taste, they're a lot like pan-fried gnocchi, or very soft naan.  The limited gluten keeps them from being too much like a biscuit.  You can definitely taste the potato.  I wouldn't call them scones in the traditional sense.  They're more like a great way to turn leftover mashed potatoes into a breakfast bread.

1 lb russet or Yukon potato
1/2 C self-rising flour, or A.P. flour + 2 tsp baking powder, plus more for the board
2 Tb unsalted butter, room temperature, cut in cubes
1/2 tsp kosher salt 

1.  Peel the potatoes.  I don't peel anything unless I have to, but this really does help the consistency.  Cut into 1/2" cubes and place in a saucepan with water to cover.  Bring to a low boil, lower heat to just over a simmer, and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.  Drain.

2.  You can rice the potatoes if you want, but I always mash as whipped potatoes in the stand mixer with the paddle.  This can even be done by hand, if the potatoes are done enough.  Add the salt and butter and mix until smooth.  If you want to add any seasonings or herbs, this is the point you would do it.  I made this first attempt plain.

3.  Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, stir in the flour (and baking powder) until incorporated.  Knead slightly to create a smooth dough.  Divide into 4 portions and start heating a dry skillet over medium-high.

4.  Lightly flour a work surface.  Roll each portion out into a disc 1/4" thick, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep the rolling pin from sticking.  Cut each round into 4 or 6 pieces, according to your preference.  Carefully move the wedges to the skillet and cook in batches, about five minutes on each side, until golden.

5.  You can serve the tatties as is, but it is traditional to reheat them in the grease from your breakfast meat.  I put a dab of bacon grease in the pan in the morning and reheated them that way.  Simply toasting is fine.

Serves about 8

Difficulty rating  :)

Assorted Food Preservation Projects

During August, the Three Rivers Homestead channel on YouTube tries to do some preserving every day called the "Every Bit Counts Challenge".  She's a stay at home, homeschooling mom with a mini farm, so a lot of these projects count as education for the kids.  I don't have that kind of time or energy.

But I have gotten into the habit since early this year of doing at least one preservation project per week.  It could be hanging herbs to dry one week and putting them away two weeks later.  Maybe dehydrating celery leaves or kale.  I even consider baking for the freezer to be a form of preservation, since I'm making something for a later date.  Not all preservation involves hauling out the pressure canner.

The easiest one was trimming the basil to dry on a cabinet handle.  The plant needed pruning, so up it went.  Basil doesn't take well to forced-heat dehydrating, so I always hang it.  Two weeks later, it was dry enough to put in the jar with the rest of the leaves.  The bonus is creating a healthier basil plant for fresh use.

My 13 tomato plants picked up their production, faster than I could put the cherry tomatoes (6 of the plants) in omelettes.  Those were cooked into confit and stored in the freezer until there was a meal to use it.  One of the Monster tomatoes split on the vine before it had finished ripening.  I salvaged it by turning it into pickles.  I was not about to waste a half-pound tomato if I could help it.

All the tomato peels and guts from canning day went through the food processor until smooth and were scooped out into one ounce portions to use as tomato paste, then frozen.  The larger portions in the silicone muffin cups will probably turn into tomato soup.  All a soup would need is water, seasonings, and a quick run through a strainer.  That got me roughly $10 in tomato products out of the "waste".  Remember, the case cost $15.  Today, that same case at the same store is $21.  Calling that a win.

I picked up some ground turkey at 30% off.  That became sausage patties to have for breakfast.  Sort of a mix of meal prep and freezer banking future meals.  I was able to make this from-scratch item, meaning far healthier than convenience sausage, as a do-ahead and for slightly less than buying it.  That counts as preserving.

Until about a hundred years ago, preserving the harvest and preparing for the scarcity of winter was an annual event.  Even in cities, certain foods were only available in season, so you had to figure out how to preserve it if you wanted it at other times.  Today, we have the advantage of reliable freezers and imported food.  It can still save money to preserve in season.  Plus, you know what's in it and get bragging rights.