Longing for Warmer Weather

Kiddos @ dusk--would have been out all night if allowed

Sunday evening we drove down to Grayslake, IL to share Sunday dinner with our friends who farm organically at Prairie Crossing.  We were joined by another couple of close friends from Chicago and their little one.  Great food (prepared by the men!), lots of healthy children running around, a tour of the farm and the kids' chicken coop all made for a lovely evenly.  We capped it off with dessert on blankets out of the lawn.  Ben signed up to make the final course and since he prefers not to "bake" I guided him towards a recipe that would fit my bill, use local ingredients, and go only as far as the stovetop.  He put together a delicious dish of home-canned peaches, vanilla ice cream (or coconut vegan "ice cream" in my case), and a maple brown sugar sauce.  It was wonderful to feel the warm air, sip the last of our wine, and watch the kiddos run up and down the gravel lane.  If only it could have lasted.  Where did that lovely warm weather go?  We knew it was too warm too soon so this week we've been back in jackets, hats, and layers with a new cold to boot (the LeForts just can't seem to shake it this winter no matter how much elderberry cordial we throw back.)  We really just need to ditch the forced air, fling the windows open, and spend the majority of our days out of doors.  V and I have spent a lot of time this week in the yard--even took a wheelbarrow ride yesterday as I was clearing last year's perennial growth out of the front yard.  But until it truly warms up, I'm still inside baking and cooking hearty meals to warm our bodies.

I have lots of recipes to share.  I almost added these to my last post, but it would have been way too long--at least when I think about my attention span for reading things online and keeping up with all of my favorite blogs.  Last week and this week thus far have been very productive in terms of recipe development.  I've included my favorites.

Bison Burgers That Can't Be "Beet"

Makes 3-4 burgers

Mixin' in the Cuisinart

I still had some local beets in my fridge until last week.  They always hold up extremely well if refrigerated all winter.  The tricky part about cooking these burgers is that because they are "red" from the beets, it may be difficult to tell when they're done.  Either take an internal temp. or cook for the recommended time below.

1/4 small onion, peeeld

1 T. nutritional yeast

1 t. salt

2 medium cooked beets, peeled

1/4 c. fresh parsley

1/2 t. granulated garlic

1 t. ground cumin

1 lb. ground bison

Grapeseed oil, for cooking

Combine all ingredients, but bison in food processor and process until somewhat finely chopped.  Add to bison and mix thoroughly--I think the hands are the best tool for this.  Shape and press into patties.  Heat cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add oil, heat.  Add burgers and cook covered about 5-6 min. per side.  Melt cheese on the second side, if desired.  Serve on bread or a bun and garnish with avocado mayo or your condiment of choice.  

My gluten-free, vegan explorations continue and as I find alternatives at the grocery store that I like--such as wraps and English muffins--I'm also realizing how expensive these products can be.  So I set to work making my own English muffins...and have plans to try a flour tortilla recipe soon.  

Gluten-Free English Muffins (GF, Dairy-Free, Egg-Fre)

Makes 6 muffins

Better than store-bought

Adapted from Better Hagman's The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread.  They were easy to make and better than the store-bought variety.  My favorite way to top them comes from an open-face sandwich my mom always prepared for us as kids--peanut butter, sliced bananas, honey, and sunflower seeds.

1 1/2 c. Featherlight Rice Flour Mix (see below)

1/4 c. garbanzo bean flour (also known as gram flour)

1 rounded t. xanthan gum

1 1/2 t. baking powder

2 t. unflavored gelatin

1/2 t. salt

1 T. almond meal

4 t. egg replacer

1/4 c. cool water

1 1/2 T. brown sugar, divided

1 c. plus 2 T. lukewarm water

2 1/4 t. dry yeast granules

1/4 c. nut butter (almond, cashew, sesame, peanut, etc.)

1 t. molasses

Place 6 English muffin rings on a cookie sheet and grease the rings with vegetable oil spray.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour mix, garbanzo bean flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, gelatin, salt, and nut butter.  Set aside.  Place the egg replacer in the cool water and whisk until it thickens to egg white consistency.  Measure 1/2 T. of the brown sugar into the warm water and add the yeast.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, place the rest of the sugar, dough enhancer, nut butter, and molasses.  With a hand mixer, beat slightly.  Add the egg replacer liquid, beat again.  Add yeast water, blend on low.  Spoon in half of dry ingredients and beat until smooth.  Add the remaining flour and beat with a spoon until blended.  Spoon into prepared rings, cover, and let rise for 45-60 min.  Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven for 22-25 min.  Remove the rings while still hot.   

Featherlight Rice Flour Mix

Makes about 3 c. flour

Equal parts rice flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch

1 T. potato flour

Combine all ingredients and store in a container until ready to use.

In case you have any local ingredients still lingering in your crisper drawer, cellar, or freezer now's the time to start using them up because the next season's produce is right around the corner, whether you believe it or not.  I had some cauliflower puree in my freezer and potatoes on my root cellar rack so I tried this recipe last week.

Curried Cauliflower and Potato Soup with Cilantro

Serves 6

Adapted from Fresh From the Farmers' Market by Janet Fletcher.

2 T. grapeseed oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1 lb. cauliflower florets

1 baking potato (8-10 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 c. vegetable stock

2 T. green curry paste diluted with 1/4 c. water

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 c. coconut milk

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft, about 10 min.  Add garlic and cilantro and saute 1 min. to release garlic fragrance.  Add cauliflower, potato, stock, 3 c. water.  Bring to a boil, then cover, adjust heat to maintain a bare simmer and cook until vegetables are tender, about 30 min.  Puree in blender in batches and return to pot.  Add salt, pepper, diluted curry paste, and coconut milk.  Reheat to serving temperature.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  

Breakfast Focaccia (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

Makes about 8 servings

My in-laws are kind enough to come up to sit for Vera once a month when Ben and I both work on a Friday.  I like to have some kind of breakfast goodies ready for them when they arrive at what seems like the crack of dawn.  Hopefully they will enjoy this choice that I adapted from Bette Hagman's The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread.

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. Four Flour Bean Mix (see below)

1 t. xanthan gum

1/2 t. salt

1 t. Ener-G egg replacer

1 t. unflavored gelatin

1/4 c. xylitol

2 1/4 T. almond meal/flour

1 t. dried lemon peel

2 1/4 t. dry yeast granules

Wet Ingredients:

1 T. + 1 1/2 t. Ener-G egg replacer diluted in 6 T. water (to make about 1/3 c. liquid egg replacer)

1/2 t. dough enhancer

1/4 c. coconut oil

3/4 c. warm water

Topping:

3/4 c. fruit preserves (I used homemade peach jam)

Grease a square baking pan.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the yeast.  Set aside.  In an electric mixer bowl, beat liquid egg substitute, dough enhancer, coconut oil, and water.  With mixer on low, spoon in the flour mixture.  (Should be the consistency of cake batter.)  Turn mixer to high and beat 3 1/2 min.  Spoon into prepared pan and smooth evenly.  Cover and let rise 20 min.  In the meantime, preheat the oven.  Bake 30 min., then gently spread fruit preserves onto top of focaccia and return to oven to bake another 10 min. until topping is nice and brown.  Serve warm or at room temp.

Four Flour Bean Mix

Makes 4 1/2 c.

1 c. garbanzo bean flour

1/2 c. sorghum flour

1 1/2 c. cornstarch

1 1/2 c. tapioca flour

Combine all ingredients, use as needed and store the remaining for another use.

Table for Two

Table for Two

This may have been the best Valentine's weekend ever.  Despite--or perhaps because of--our family's
conservative budget, I feel like it was the most fun I had celebrating the "day of love" in a long time.  Ben and I decided weeks ago that we would prepare dinner at home on the Saturday night before Valentine's Day.  We thought of it as "staying in for a date."  But before that we spent a rare Saturday together as a family.  It started with a leisurely breakfast of homemade (gluten-free) pancakes and local maple syrup; we warmed up with some coffee and hot tea.  Then we all bundled up and headed to Bradford Beach to check out the ice volcanoes, Daddy's idea to get us outside on such a gorgeous "warm" weekend.  We had some quiet time to read and knit while Vera napped then we all made holiday cookies together, which may have been my favorite part of the weekend.  I love seeing Ben in an apron getting his hands dirty in the kitchen.  To further stave off any lurking cabin fever we put together a jigsaw puzzle and made some stove-popped corn.  As Ben wound Vera down for bed I got dressed for our date.  I'd given Ben a heart-shaped invitation on Friday indicating that dinner would be around 8:00-ish (depending on V's bedtime).  It turned out to be more like 9 PM--thank goodness we had that late popcorn snack.  I covered the coffee table (for a change of scenery from the dining room) with a red

Ben's "Flowers" at our Valentine's table

 vintage cloth, set out wine glasses, our wedding china, and candles.  We sat almost tatami-style around the table and enjoyed a dinner of Tart Cherry and Dijon Smothered Pork Chops, Roasted Jerusalem Artichokes, and Sauteed Green Beans and Red Peppers with local ingredients from our larder.  Dessert was a Salted Caramel and Chocolate Layered Shortbread.  Ben was asked to bring a bottle of wine (handpicked from our basement wine rack) and some "flowers," which turned out to be some of his gorgeous prairie photographs interspersed with family head shots placed delicately on skewers and stuck in a bud vase.  (My intention for this assignment was not only to save money on real flowers, but to stretch my husband's right brain.  His interpretation of a centerpiece was extremely creative and absolutely delightful.  We savored our meal, enjoyed dessert, and lingered over a bottle of Rhone as we reconnected and listened to my homemade "jazz" mix on the iPod.  We actually made it until 11:30 PM, which is LATE for us.  Today the family time continued and we took a snow walk through the Seminary Woods then watched a kid-friendly movie this afternoon.  It was exactly the kind of weekend I wish we had more often.  I realized that as we consciously kept it low-budget, we unexpectedly slowed down, created quality family time, and connected with nature.  It reminded me of some recent inspiration I got after reading Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology by Eric Brende.  When we're not all racing around trying to make money in order to keep racing around to keep up with everyone, we actually enjoy life more.  We should really do this more often.

Ice Volcanoes at the Lakefront

"Look, over there!" (snow walk through the woods)

Holiday Maple Cutout Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Adapted from The Gluten-Free Almond Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam.  We embellished ours with a little sparkling sugar (or "magic sprinkles" as I call them) and dried cranberries (after they came out of the oven so the cranberries woudn't burn).  I expected these cookies to be crumbly, but they were surprisingly stable. 

2 1/2 c. blanched almond flour

1/2 t. sea salt

1/2 c. grapeseed oil

1/4 c. maple syrup

1 T. vanilla extract

Daddy and Vera Rolling and Cutting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats.  In a large bowl, combine almond flour and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk oil, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined.  Place the dough in the freezer for 1 hour.  Roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness between 2 sheets of parchment.  If the dough is sticky, dust with almond flour.  Remove the top piece of parchment and cut out the cookies with a holiday cookie cutter, dipping it in cold water after cutting each cookie to prevent sticking.  Transfer the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.  Bake for 7-10 min., until lightly golden.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 1 hour, then serve. 

Cherry Dijon Smothered Pork Chops

Serves 2

Adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal.  I used home-preserved tart cherry jam and boneless pastured pork chops.

1/2 c. cherry fruit-only jam

1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1 T. grapeseed oil (more if chops are extremely lean)

2 boneless pork chops, about 8 oz. each--patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper

salt and pepper

2 t. balsamic vinegar

Combine cherry jam and Dijon mustard.  Put oil in a saute pan and heat over medium-high heat.  Add chops and quickly brown on both sides (about 3 min. per side).  Reduce heat to low, spoon jam/mustard mixture over chops.  Cover and cook at a slow simmer about 20 min.  Remove chops to warm plate, and cover with tented foil.  Bring heat up to high, add balsamic, and stir. Cook at a steady fast simmer, stirring continuously, to reduce sauce to thicker consistency.  When it's thickened to consistency of nice rich gravy, pout it over the chops and serve.

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Layered Shortbread

Makes 9-12 squares

These are very rich!  I adapted a couple of recipes to fit my dietary bill--one was from the February/March 2011 issue of ReadyMade magazine, the other from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam.  I drew some additional conclusions after preparing it (see *notes.)

Shortbread:

Gooey Layered Shortbread!

2 1/2 c. blanched almond flour

1/2 t. sea salt

1/4 t. baking soda

1 c. pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1/2 grapeseed oil

5 T. maple syrup

1 T. vanilla sugar

Salted Caramel:

1 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

3/4 c. coconut milk

6 T. coconut oil

1 t. crushed sea salt

Chocolate Topping:

10 oz. dairy-free chocolate

For the Shortbread: 

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, and pecans.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, and vanilla sugar.  Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined.  Press the dough into a disk, cover and place it in the freezer for an hour or until firm.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a square glass baking dish.  Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan and prick all over with a fork.  Bake for 10-12 min. or until lightly golden.  Let cool slightly then prepare the caramel.

Put the sugar and coconut milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan set over low heat.  Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon as it comes to a boil.  Once it is boiling, add the coconut oil and stir.  Bring the caramel back to a boil and let it bubble gently for 5 min., stirring occasionally.  Take the caramel off the heat, add the salt, and stir vigorously to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed in.  Then, working quickly, pour the caramel over the shortbread.  Put the pan in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool.  (*Notes:  Next time I would use raw granulated sugar.  I found that the caramelization process of "white" sugar is essential to   knowing how long to cook this caramel.  With brown sugar, it's hard to know how "dark" it is, but with white as it caramelizes, it becomes the proper consistency to stand up firmly on top of the shortbread.)

Once caramel has set, melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour on top of the caramel, spreading evenly with a spatula.  Allow to set before lifting shortbread out of the pan and cutting into squares with a hot knife.  These squares will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days (if they don't get eaten first.)

    

A Fresh Start

Our new year's celebration was fairly quiet and low-key.  A few friends came over with their children, we enjoyed good food and beverages, played games, conversed, then rang in 2011 after the kiddos had turned in for the night.  We popped open the mysterious magnum of Asti that's lived in our basement since before we bought the house almost five years ago.  We decided we had nothing to lose by uncorking it.  As you can imagine, it was flat (and very syrupy) though I can likely still cook with it.  Fortunately, we had a backup bottle of Lambrusco so we still got to toast with a little bubbly--or at least "fizzy"--at midnight.  Our Chicago-area friends stayed overnight with their kids and we had a nice breakfast in the morning, which allowed me to try my hand at slow-cooked oatmeal.  I mixed everything together in a crock-pot the night before and was able to easily and quickly serve it first thing when everyone woke up.  It was great for the kids who rolled out of bed and immediately asked, "what's for breakfast?"  No eggs to crack, bacon to fry, or pancake batter to mix.  I put the crock on the table with some additional toppings and gave everyone a clementine to peel.  Easy and delicious.

Slow-Cooked Oatmeal
Serve 6-8

Adapted from a recipe from the Outpost Exchange "Pantry Raid" column.  They advise putting this together at night and turning on the slow-cooker before going to bed.  A sweet-smelling breakfast will await in the morning.  If you're serving "picky" kiddos, I suggest not stirring before cooking, then you could scoop the plain oatmeal from the bottom.


1 c. almond milk (can sub. any kind of milk)
1 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. sucanat (or brown sugar)
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. regular rolled oats (Note: steel cut does not work for this recipe)
1 c. finely chopped apple
1 c. dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates
1/2 walnuts or slivered almonds
1/4 c. flax seeds

Grease the inside walls of the slow cooker with oil.  Put all ingredients in and mix to combine.  Cover and cook on low heat for 8-9 hours.  Go to bed and eat in the morning.  Serve with pure maple syrup, toasted pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, and warm almond milk or whatever other toppings you can imagine.

Here we are about the start the first working week of the New Year.  Ben will return to work tomorrow and Vera and I will get back to reality and our weekly routine.  Even though it will mostly be the same old-same old, there is still something special to starting a new year.  It's a chance to set goals, write down new ideas, and clean the slate from the past season.  I don't have any resolutions, per se, but I do intend to continue my new eating plan and dive feet first into fresh culinary waters.  I will spend probably at least a couple of months re-teaching myself how to cook.  I am also hoping to get more involved, as Vera permits, with some organizations dedicated to economic and social justice.  As I've attended the Transition Milwaukee meetings over the past several months I can't help but thinking that all the great ideas everyone has including community gardens, reskilling, solar energy, etc. will only get us so far unless we make them accessible to more people of diverse cultures and economic levels.  Our church is linked to some of these groups around the city like MICAH.  If I can get involved in at least one event this year that will be a start.  Let's hope it goes farther.  I'm also hoping to continue powering down.  I feel like I go in fits and spurts with it, mostly in the warmer months, but it's important to commit year round.  I'm hoping to find a quiet break this week to reflect a bit on 2010 and get excited about 2011.

Have a Happy New Year!

Frozen lake of yesteryear

We've not quite made it through the holidays, but the seed catalogs are already pouring into my mailbox.  I can't believe it's time to start garden planning again.  Our season was so long this year that I feel like I haven't had an appropriate break yet.  But I truly am excited to begin thinking about my plot for 2011.  I may save the catalogs for a cold, dark day in January or February when the beautiful colors and varieties of the vegetables pictured will brighten my day.

Winter fun in the snow

Last night we returned from visiting my family in east-central Illinois.  The highlight of the trip was sledding.  We crossed the icy lake where we once skated and played hockey, traversed the field where I used to walk home from school, and finally reached a nice broken-in sledding hill at my old grade school.  Everyone took a turn, even my parents.  In fact, my mom and I doubled up on the inner tube and were, as the song goes, "laughing all the way" until we skidded into the brush at the edge of the woods.  With my brother in his too-tight snow pants, me sans proper footwear sporting my mom's leather fashion boots, and Vera running around like little brother Randy from A Christmas Story in her snow suit, it couldn't have been more fun.  My mom, being the former teacher, also had a craft ready for the kids.  We made bird feeders using plastic canvas, peanut butter, and a couple different types of birdseed.  Of course, Vera's didn't look like the picture and her 6-year-old cousin was the first to point that out, but she had a blast sprinkling seeds and licking pb and bird food from the spreader.

Bird Feeder Crafts

For the Birds

We have one more party to go as we plan to entertain a few close friends and six children tomorrow night for New Year's Eve.  It's the fifth event/meal we've hosted since Thanksgiving, but it's been a pleasure.  And we're looking forward to a lively evening of eating and game playing with a chorus of children laughing and running around in the background.  Amazing how our New Year's Eves have changed in the last decade.  Today I was thinking back to the NYE house parties on the east side during college breaks, progressing in later years to condo parties and bar hopping...one year I was almost convinced to take the Polar Plunge the next morning.  And now here we are about to quietly celebrate another year with children and a few friends all around.  Honestly, I wouldn't have it an other way.

Leaving you with a favorite recipe that I've been making all season.  Raw truffles--they satisfy my sweet tooth without all the forbidden ingredients.

Heaven
Makes about a dozen truffles

Adapted from my Holistic Moms Network annual cookbook.  You can take liberties with different nuts and even substitute peanut butter for the honey.


1/2 c. mixed nuts (almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts, etc...or a mixture of these)
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. cacao nibs
1/2 c. raisins
2 T. cocoa
1/4 t. cinnamon
Pinch salt
4 T. honey

Chop nuts in the food processor.  Add cacao nibs and process until crumb-like.  Add raisins.  Mix cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and honey in a small bowl.  Add to dry mixture in food processor then scoop and roll into small balls.  Store in fridge--they last weeks and make a handy protein snack for children of all ages.

Let it Snow!

Vera enjoys poking the pizza dough.

It's December now so it's "officially" winter.  That's according to the local weatherman because this is the beginning of the four months in which they record snowfall.  I guess I'm ready.  A couple of weeks ago I saw news hour scenes of heavy snow in Minnesota and actually, for the first time in my life, winced and covered my face.  Now that Thanksgiving has passed I suppose it's okay to see a few flakes though I'm ambivalent about the snow this year.  On one hand I'm excited to take Vera out in her sled or boots to play in the white stuff.  On the other hand I don't like to shovel (though Ben usually does more of the winter outside upkeep whereas I do the summer, right B?)  I think what makes me most hesitant is the idea of cabin fever--being cooped up inside in a small place with a youngin' who currently only focuses on one activity for about 10 minutes.  Of course, we'll
manage, but not without some challenges, I'm sure.  Time to get creative.

We got out of Dodge for a pre-blizzard day-trip already this week.  On Wednesday we headed down to Chicago to visit a girl friend I've known since grade school and her two young children.  We spent the day hanging out with the kids and catching up after not having seen each other in about three years.  She's a fellow nutrition major so we always have some sort of food conversation.  This time we talked about the challenges of getting our kids to eat veggies (especially green ones) and the joys of Community Support Agriculture.  She's motivated to expand her vegetable garden next year, which is a fantastic opportunity to have even a postage stamp size yard right in Chicago.  I realized how amazing it is to have friends who have known me so long.  I am lucky to have maintained several of those relationships and do my best to keep in touch.  Sounds like the beginning of an ongoing resolution for the New Year.

So, in case you're still nursing some Thanksgiving turkey, I have a couple more recipes.  Today was day seven--by restaurant sanitation standards, the last day I could hang on to my turkey.  It was time to use it or lose it.  We're just about turkeyed out after this week so I trimmed a bit more dark meat off the bone and threw the rest (two legs and a large breast) into a freezer bag.  It's the turkey that never ends!  Earlier this week I made an Asian-inspired turkey salad, which I served over a local spinach salad.  I was lucky enough to find mint and cilantro still surviving in the garden.

Spicy Thai-Style Turkey Salad
Serves 4-6

Mix the first five ingredients and use it as a marinade for chicken breasts as well; serve on baguettes with the fresh herbs.

Turkey Salad over Spinach

2 hot chilies, seeded and minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 T. lemon juice
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. sesame oil
1/2 c. homemade mayonnaise (see recipe below or sub. store-bought)
3 c. chopped turkey (or chicken)
1/2 c. chopped curried pickled vegetables (I used homemade pickled summer squash), optional
1 T. dried basil leaves
1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 c. fresh mint leaves

Whisk chilies, garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and mayo in a medium bowl.  Add turkey.  In a food processor, chop the herbs thoroughly then fold into turkey mixture.  Serve on a sandwich or salad.

Easy Homemade Mayonnaise
Makes about 1 c.

Recipe from my 2010 Holistic Moms Network Cookbook.  I like this mayo recipe because it uses both the egg yolks and white.  


1 organic egg, room temp.
2 T. red wine vinegar, room temp.
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. dry mustard
3/4 c. neutral oil (I recommend grapeseed, sunflower, or olive oil...you could also add a little flax oil)

Place raw egg, wine vinegar, salt, and dry mustard in food processor (or blender at low speed) and add 1 T. of oil.  Blend and then add remainder of oil in a slow steady stream until thick.  Refrigerate.

Mayonnaise

In keeping with our regular Friday-homemade-pizza-night we used a little more turkey for this week's pie.  I finally found a gluten-free crust recipe I can enjoy in the Gluten Free Girl and the Chef Cookbook.    It doubles as a gluten-free cracker recipe.  I pulled Vera up to the counter in her "tower" and she had fun "helping" roll out the dough.  (It looked more like throwing flour around and eating the dough to me, but she had a great time.)

Napa Cabbage and Sunchoke Pizza
Makes one 12-inch pizza

We used sunchokes from our garden and our first harvest of Napa Cabbage, which I saved from the freeze.  Though sunchokes have a very earthy flavor, this "sauce" turns out to be slightly "sweet."


1 lb. sunchokes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper
2 T. ghee
1 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 lb. Savoy or Napa cabbage, finely shredded
1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1 c. diced turkey
1/2 lb. prepared pizza dough
Flour for dusting
1 c. shredded cheese--Swiss, mozzarella, your choice
3 T. freshly grated pecorino cheese
1 T. chopped thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.  Preheat a pizza stone for 45 min. or generously oil a large baking sheet.  Boil sunchokes in milk over moderate heat until tender, about 15 min.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a food processor.  Add 1/4 c. milk and puree.  Return puree to pan and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until reduced to 1/2 c., about 3 min.  Season with salt and pepper.  In a large, deep skillet, heat ghee.  Add onion, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 min.  Add cabbage, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 min.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roll out pizza dough and slide onto pizza stone.  Dock.  Prebake until slightly golden, about 5 min.  Remove crust from oven and spread the sunchoke puree over the round, leaving 1/2-inch border.  Add cabbage/onion mixture, mushrooms, turkey, cheese.  Bake about 10 min. or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and sprinkle pecorino and thyme on top.  Serve hot.

The First Celebration

People always say that time flies when you have young children, but that really couldn't be more true.  Over the weekend we celebrated Vera's first birthday.  It was one year ago that she was born upstairs, right on our bed.  And one year ago we were challenged with figuring out how to nurse, when to sleep, how to keep ourselves fed, and how to care for mommy post-partum.  As difficult as many of the past 365 days may have seemed, we all survived!  We celebrated the big day with a gathering of family and close friends.  I prepared a meal and we squeezed nine adults plus Vera around our dining room table.  I thought it was lovely.  I decided to serve some sort of egg and spinach dish each year to remember her birth day.  When I woke up with contractions one of the first things I thought was how I was supposed to pick up a delivery of eggs and winter spinach from a farmer that morning.  When our doula arrived she called the farmer and he ended up delivering these goodies just 30 minutes before Vera arrived.  We always say, "it was a good day for deliveries."  Something I love about Vera being this young is that her birthday is an opportunity to start new traditions.  It's a fresh beginning.  So much for her to experience still.  The second year will hopefully be a joy.