More Adventures in Smoking: Bluefish

There are several truths in my culinary world: everything fried tastes better and everything smoked tastes better. Obviously, there are exceptions to the rule – thinking about all the fresh vegetables coming out of the garden and about that smoked oil.

Bluefish fits perfectly into that rule. Some people enjoy it fresh, but with a strong, oily flavor it’s better suited to smoking and more universally liked that way. I love having little snacks in the fridge for when unexpected guests come over, and smoked bluefish is a great option. Whole Foods sells smoked bluefish pâté but I was wholly disappointed to discover it contains high fructose corn syrup. The only solution is to make my own.

Smoked Bluefish Pâté
To smoke bluefish: Season ½ pound filet with salt, pepper and a little sugar. Start a charcoal fire on the grill. Meanwhile, soak wood chips in water. When charcoal fire starts to fade, prepare to smoke and move quickly: Drain wood chips and toss on top of the embers. Replace the grate on top of the grill and put the bluefish on the grate… away from the fire. Close the grill and the vents on top – leave the vents on the bottom open. Let fish smoke for 30 minutes or more.

In a food processor fitted with a plastic blade, combine bluefish with 4 ounces cream cheese, 1 tablespoon brandy, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Pulse to combine. Stir in chopped scallions. Serve with crackers.

All Purpose Autumn - Squash Puree

Acorn and butternut squashes are quintessential autumn. Not only are they delicious and nutritious, the burnt orange color beckons the crisp autumn air. My favorite preparation: pureed. In this form it is so versatile:
- Served as a side dish with pork, skate or duck.
- Thickened with parmesan and bread crumbs for a ravioli or cannelloni filling
- Thinned with chicken stock for a soup

Above, I served the squash puree with fried sage, seared skate, port wine sauce and the first of the season arugula and mizuna from the garden. As a soup, this recipe won second place at the locavore banquet last month. And it couldn’t be easier.

Squash puree
1 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
1 tablespoon butter
1 royal gala apple, cored and sliced
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Slice squash in half from the root to the stem. Put cut side down on a baking sheet with about ½ cup of water. Bake at 375F for 1 hour, or until squash are tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter and add the apples and onions. Saute until they start to soften and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 2 minutes more.
3. Remove squash from oven, scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop out the squash flesh and combine with apple/onion mix.
4. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
5. Adapt as desired.

That Extra Loving Touch:

• If making soup, thin with 1 quart chicken stock
• If making a filling, thicken with ¼ cup parmesan cheese and ¼ cup bread crumbs
• Either way, garnish with Fried Sage

Dina's Concord Grape Tart

I spent the Jewish New Year with Dina and her family. Dina, living up to her usual standard, created an impressive and delicious Concord Grape Tart. The recipe comes courtesy of Martha Stewart... but the decorative flourishes are all Dina.

Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch pie
• All-purpose flour, for work surface
• 7 1/2 to 8 cups Concord grapes, rinsed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 1/2 to 5 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 large egg

Directions
1. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 piece of pate brisee into a 15-inch round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing it into the edges. Trim to a 1-inch overhang all around. Crimp edge as desired. Cover with plastic wrap; chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat process for rolling out dough. Using a 4-inch grape leaf cookie cutter, cut out 4 leaves from dough. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove skins from grapes by pinching the ends of each grape, reserving both the pulp and skins separately, discarding any accumulated liquid.
3. Place pulp in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until the seeds separate from the pulp and the pulp breaks down, about 6 minutes. Strain mixture through a sieve into the bowl with the reserved skins; discard solids. Let cool to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove grape mixture from refrigerator. Stir in sugar and cornstarch. Pour into prepared pie shell. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush edge of pie shell with egg mixture, reserving any remaining mixture. Transfer pie to oven; bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, and continue baking until filling jiggles when shaken, about 30 minutes. Transfer pie to a wire cooling rack; let cool overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove reserved grape leaves from refrigerator and brush with remaining egg and water mixture. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack; let cool.
6. Before serving, place grape leaves on top of filling.

Challah Cravings

I woke up the other day with a phantom scent of Challah in the air – that sweet, yeasty aroma. And while drinking my coffee, I could practically taste it. Have you ever had that feeling before? I have… it was a few months ago when I was visiting the farm. Lucky for me, Brett had all the ingredients in the pantry: bread flour, yeast, oil and sugar. Eggs were out in the chicken coup. The two loaves of challah had barely come out of the oven before I began tearing into. I pretended to have made only one loaf because when Brett and Chris returned, that’s all that was left. It was so, so good that when I got home, I immediately stocked my pantry with bread flour and yeast.

Challah is not an easy craving to satisfy quickly. The dough itself only takes about 20 minutes to pull together, but then it must rise twice: first in a big mass of dough and then a second rising after the loaves are formed.

My patience paid off…. And those aromas wafting through my house are real. Mmmm….

1 package dry yeast
3 ½ cups bread flour
½ cup oil
¾ cup warm water
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
Poppy or sesame seeds

Combine water, yeast and ½ cup of flour in a mixing bowl (use the bowl of a kitchen aid if you have one). Mix to combine. Let sit for 20 minutes or until the slurry gets frothy.

Meanwhile, combine the oil, 2 eggs, sugar and salt. Add this to the flour/water/yeast mix and combine. Add the remaining flour and knead in a machine with a dough hook (10 minutes) or by hand (15 minutes).

Let rise for 4 hours on the counter, covered with plastic wrap, or in the refrigerator.
Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll out into strands. Make two loaves with 4 strands each. For tips on braiding challah, go here. You can also watch YouTube videos.

Make an egg wash with the remaining egg, and brush on top of the loaves. Sprinkle with seeds on top. Let rise for 1 hour.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Ideally, you should let it cool before eating, but you don’t have to.

Homemade Ricotta

It first occurred to me to make fresh ricotta when I was approached to teach a class at Williams-Sonoma. I was going to demonstrate how to make fresh mozzarella (which I learned at Restaurant Nora). To give the class a theme, we decided on “Homemade Cheeses.” I had never made ricotta before, but I was a quick learner.

Since then, I’ve revised my theme to “The Ultimate Homemade Lasagne.” With the exception of the parmesan, I can make everything from scratch: pasta, Bolognese, ricotta and mozzarella. I can even use the tomatoes and basil from my garden! It’s truly rewarding to do it! The satisfaction of making a meal entirely from scratch, but also how deliciously amazing lasagna can be… the ultimate homemade is really a different beast.

Ricotta is the simplest recipe of the whole process. And it doesn’t require any special ingredients: just milk, cream, salt and lemon.

Combine ½ gallon of whole milk with 1 pint of cream and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot, stainless steel pot. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat.

While the milk is heating, squeeze enough lemon juice to yield ½ cup. Line a colander with cheese cloth or coffee filters.

When milk starts to simmer, stir in lemon juice. Stir just enough to combine. The more you stir, the smaller the curds (which is a bad thing). Let sit for 20 minutes to let the curds separate from the whey. They whey will be a translucent, white liquid.

Scoop out the curds into the colander and let drain for about 1 hour, or until the curds are dry. Keeps for about three days. Yield: 3 cups.

Serving suggestions:

• Mix with basil and serve with crackers as an hors d’œuvres
• Use as a filling for raviolis or cannelloni’s
• Use as a filling for cannolis
• Make a sweet ricotta tart

CROSTATA di RICOTTA

Crust
1 cup sifted all purpose flour, plus extra for “dusting”
6 tbs. butter, room temp
2 egg yolks
4 tbs. sugar
4 tsp. Marsala
1/2 tsp. freshly grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp. salt

Ricotta filling

2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange peel
2 egg yolks
3 tbs. raisins, rinsed and drained
2 tbs. slivered, blanched almonds or pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Make the crust: In a large mixing bowl make a well in the flour. Drop in the butter, egg yolks, sugar, Marsala, lemon peel and salt. Mix the ingredients together, but don't overwork the dough. Roll out the dough on a floured surface until it is about 1” around wider than the pan, and about 1/8" thick.

4. Lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 9 1/2" false bottom pan. Carefully, press the pastry into the bottom of the pan and around the sides. Be careful not to stretch it. Trim excess.

5. Combine cheese with sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, grated orange peel and egg yolks; beat until they are thoroughly mixed. Stir in the raisins. Spoon the filling into the pastry shell and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the top with slivered almonds or pine nuts. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1/2 hour, or until the crust is golden and the filling firm. Remove from oven and let the pie cool before serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if you like.

Presto Pasta Nights, Part 2 & 3

I came home from school on Monday evening absolutely starving… and knowing that I had already devoured the chicken ragu with chick pea pasta, I scrounged around the fridge for something to eat. In the crisper drawer I discovered Tuscan kale, corn and pork sausage: I had gone to the market on Saturday knowing I wanted to make something for Presto Pasta Nights, but not really sure what, so I bought the makings for several different dishes.

Not wanting to waste food, I made two different pasta dishes that I can now eat throughout the week. Supplementing with tomatoes and basil from the garden, I made:

Pasta with Tomatoes, Corn and Basil tossed with Fresh Mozzarella


Pasta with Wilted Kale, Tomatoes, Spicy Sausage and White Beans


The only addition to the recipes other than the ingredients listed were a little garlic, shallots, salt and pepper.

Thanks again, to Psychgrad for hosting the party!

Chicken Ragu and Chick Pea Pasta

I’m not sure I fully understand, but I always love a party! Psychgrad over at Equal Opportunity Kitchen is hosting “Presto Pasta Night.” Presto Pasta Nights is a blog that features all forms of the beloved noodle – fresh, dried, wheat, rice, if it’s a pasta…. Ruth writes about it. And every week there’s a round-up of what other people are making. It’s a great inspiration if you’re looking for new recipes for pasta.

Sage continues to proliferate in my garden. I have so much that I’m on the verge of knocking on restaurant kitchen doors to see if I can sell them some. I donated one gallon of leaves to the Locavore Banquet (that’s part of the Energy Smackdown) and still the plants look as lush as ever. I could make a pasta with fried sage and parmesan, but that just doesn’t seem festive enough for a party… especially since I’ve seen the way Psychgrad throws a party. Instead, I opt for Chicken Ragu with Chick-Pea Papardelle. The chicken is seasoned with sage, tomatoes and cinnamon. The pasta dough is made with a blend of all-purpose flour and chickpea flour.



¼ cup olive oil
¾ cup diced onion
¾ cup diced celery
¼ pound bacon, diced
¼ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
4 – 5 chicken thighs
1 cup dry white wine
2 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tbs. fresh sage, chopped
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ pound grated Pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano.
1 tbs. fresh chopped parsley

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, dust with flour.

2. Heat a large skillet, add oil, and then the vegetable. Cook for a few minutes, or until soft. Add the bacon and continue cooking until bacon renders its fat.

3. Remove the vegetable, and set aside. Turn the heat to high and add the chicken. Brown on both sides.

4. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add the vegetables back to the pan, along with the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the Pecorino and parsley. Cook covered for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is tender.

5. Shred the meat and continue cooking, uncovered until the sauce is reduced and thick

6. Serve with Pasta. Sprinkle cheese and parsley on top.

Chick Pea Pasta Dough
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus ¼ cup for dusting
½ cup chick pea flour
2 -3 large eggs as needed
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

1. Sift flours onto a clean counter. Make a well in the flour, and add the eggs, olive oil and the salt.

2. Beat the eggs with a fork, gradually bringing in the flour from the sides of the well, until the paste has thickened enough so the liquid will not run onto the counter. Switch from a fork to a pastry cutter. Bring all the flour into the already wet part and cut through the dough several times until it is evenly moistened. Start kneading with your hands until the dough forms a ball and looks homogenized, about 8 minutes.

3. If the dough becomes stiff, and refuses to bend, rub in a little of the remaining egg. If the dough becomes too moist, add a bit of the flour.
Work the dough by machine:

4. Divide the dough into 3 balls, and let rest under a damp towel for 20 minutes. (This is a good time to make the rest of the recipe). Start working the dough through the pasta machine starting with the widest setting. After running it through the machine, fold it into thirds, and run it through again. When the dough is smooth, run the dough through the machine through successively smaller settings. The dough will stretch out, and be rolled very thin.

5. When you have achieved thin sheets, you can let the dough rest for a few minutes before filling or cutting.

6. Cook in a pot of salted, boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and toss with sauce.


Thanks to David for taking pictures!

Burning Down the House

In my past life, I used to lead Interactive dinner parties. I would go into people’s homes and give a cooking demonstration while preparing a gourmet, three-course dinner. I had relationships with my clients similar to what a bartender might have with his customers. People let me into the hearth of their homes and cook for them. It’s a convivial relationship.

And new clients always ask for stories about past clients.

Client Tina thought I was infallible. I had been helping her with dinner parties and giving her private cooking lesson for years. She had never seen me burn, undercook, over-season or otherwise screw up a dish. Boy, did I have her fooled! It’s especially surprising since she had a challenging, albeit fancy, kitchen. The burners were induction and her oven was Gagganeau. The burners required practice to learn how to control the heat. And the oven…. Well the ovens had a series of marking – lines and squiggles – that were supposed to indicate the basic functions: bake, broil and convection.

For Valentine’s Day one year we planned a special meal for her and her husband, including a salad with croutons. We diced some bread, tossed it with melted butter, salt and pepper and put them in the oven. Since I didn’t understand the markings on the oven, I can only tell you it was set to 400F.

After 10 minutes, I started to smell something burning. I opened the oven and the croutons inhaled just enough oxygen that they immediately burst into flames. I guess I had unknowingly broiled them. And thankfully, Tina got a good laugh in knowing that, in fact, I’m not perfect… not even in the kitchen.

I wish that were the only time I had set fire in a client’s kitchen. (yes, I did have insurance). Again, it was the fault of the client’s equipment (it’s never my fault). And again, it was in the oven. This time it involved gougères – cream puffs with cheese folded in. This time, though, I was able to read the markings, and accurately set the electric oven to bake at 375F. I piped out perfect little rounds of dough onto (the client’s) cookie sheet, and put them in the oven. The sheet buckled in the heat and all the gougères slid off and onto the electric coil, igniting instantly.

Unlike the first time, when I could grab the tray of croutons and quickly run outside, this was a little trickier to salvage. But with a quick cut of heat and dousing of salt, the fire quickly extinguished.

Thanks to Kristen at Dine & Dish for conjuring up these memories.

Gougères are a great hors d'oeuvre. Be sure, when baking them that you have a high quality, thick bottomed cookie sheet with sides.

Gougères
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup water
4 tbs. butter
4-5 eggs
½ cup grated or cubed gruyere cheese.

1. Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Stir in flour all at once and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly.

2. Beat in eggs, one at a time into flour mixture. Do not add next egg until first one is fully incorporated.

3. Spoon (or pipe) 1” round mounds onto a baking sheet, and bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and cook for 25 minutes more.

Preserving Summer: Cucumbers

When I visited Ed Bruske’s urban garden, I sampled several varieties of his homemade pickles. He had an impressive array of sour, dill, Cajun, bread and butter. Pickles are one of the few things I’ve never made before, so I decided that this summer I would try my hand.

I decided to start with the Bread and Butter variety (it was either that or the dill). I really like pickle relish in my tuna and egg salads, so this seemed like a good beginning. Ed has a wonderful primer with recipes on his website that I used as my guide.

Since I didn’t have pickling lime, which seemed to be a key element in his recipe, I combined the salt ratio for the basic dill with the ingredients of the “bread and butter.” I cooked the pickles for half the recommended time in hopes of preserving the crunch. And if you can believe, I couldn’t find celery seed at the Whole Foods, so I used celery growing in the garden. The flavors came out wonderful. The texture was somewhere between firm and crunchy. I’ll leave full-on crunchy for the experts.

This is what I came up with:

Bread and Butter Pickles
4 cucumbers, sliced into ½ inch wheels
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1 1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 tbs. mustard seeds
1 celery stalk
¼ tsp. turmeric
1/8 tsp. clove
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
Black Pepper, freshly ground

Put everything in a stainless steel (or non-reactive pot). Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes. Let pickles stand overnight. They will keep for 2 weeks this way or you can can them.

_______
The garden continues to proliferate cucumbers. With early success in the first pickle venture, I decided to try again with half sour dills.

This time I followed Ed's recipe more closely.

Half-Sour Dill Pickles

For every 2 cups of water, add 1 tablespoon of salt. Use enough water to cover cucumber wedges. Add crushed garlic, fresh dill and black pepper. Let sit for at least 24 hours to ferment before storing in the fridge or canning.

Preserving Summer: Fresh Herbs

All summer, the herbs in my garden have been prolific. It’s been a wonderful treat to go into the yard, snip a few herbs and enhance whatever meal I was making – a little tarragon for egg salad, some parsley and arugula for an artichoke pesto, thyme for roasted portobellos and mint for mojitos, tossed with grilled zucchini or with bacon on grilled trout. Chopped scallions garnished the grilled miso eggplant. And the basil went into Fred Flintstone’s sauce or simply in a salad of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. As hard as I tried, I was not able to use all the herbs… even with many gifts to friends and neighbors. Now I must think about how to capture that summer burst through the winter.

Tarragon and Thyme dry well. With the warm autumn days, and nary a drop of humidity, they will sun-dry easily. I can save them in the freezer (just to be safe). The basil can be pureed with oil and frozen in ice cube trays, or made into pesto as PsychGrad suggests.

I had thought I would make mint jelly with the overgrown patch. This seemed like a particularly good idea since Farmer Brett is giving me half a lamb as compensation for all the work I’ve done for him this summer. But the prospect of more canning is overwhelming. The batch of tomatoes (smoked, stewed and ketchup), which yielded 48 jars took many hours over the course of three days. I decided instead to freeze it. I will make a mint syrup that I can use for either mojitos or a la minute mint jelly. I will make a second batch of mint-jalapeno syrup to use the hand full of peppers in the garden.

Mint Jelly or Mojito Base
3 cups mint leaves
3 cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 jalapeno, sliced in half (optional)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add mint and cook for 30 seconds, or just until bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. In a sauce pot, combine sugar and water (and jalapeno). Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature.
3. Put mint in a food processor and coarsely chop.
4. Combine mint and sugar water and refrigerate for 24 hours. Discard jalapeno.
5. Freeze in 1 cup containers

Tips for making Jelly or Mojitos:
1. When you make jelly, you will need pectin. Be sure to follow the directions on the box – each kind of pectin reacts differently and needs different amounts of pectin for the same amount of liquid.
2. This recipe has half as much water as necessary for jelly, but the proper amount for mojitos. As such, you will need to dilute the syrup before making the jelly. For every 1 ½ cups of syrup, add ½ cup water.
3. You will want to add a few drops of lemon juice for jelly and lime juice for mojitos.


Early in the season I blathered on about the sage. Even in April, before any other crops were up, I was up to my eyeballs in sage. The pungent flavor makes it difficult to use in copious amounts, unless you fry it. I started the season with 5 plants and it got so out of control that I dug up one completely and dried it, and moved another to the front yard to become “ornamental.” I know this will last through the first frost, so I use more as fall meats and vegetables pair so beautifully. In the meantime, I continue to shear the plant and dry sprigs tied into bundles. Burning sage, the lore suggests, rids a room or a house of evil spirits. These will be housewarming gifts to friends.

What Every Omnivore Should Eat -- According to Andrew

Over at Very Good Taste, they have a little challenge. They put together a list of 100 foods that they think every good omnivore should try at least once. I could add a few things to this list -- based on strange, and usually unfortunate things I've eaten -- like beaver, cow's foot or steak and kidney pie.

Want to play along? Here’s what you do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (Julia’s note: I’ll try anything once… at least a small bite)
and let me know the things you think are missing from the list!

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison (I even have a few pictures of the deer, but I don’t think you want to see them J)
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (probably when I was 19)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (see below for my recipe)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (yummy, creamy, salty goodness)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (and I don’t particularly recommend it)
19. Steamed pork buns (best part of Chinese Dim Sum)
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - I’ve eaten other varieties raw.
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut – though I do prefer my Reuben’s with coleslaw.
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O (I’m thinking I had one during my college years, but I must have black it out)
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (- chipolines in Oaxaca Mexico)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I must have had one when I was in junior high school)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
A most unfortunate experience. The durian barely hit my tongue before I spit it out.
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
So close, I had a tasting menu at Le Bristol in Paris, only a two star restaurant
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam – I’m proud to say no!
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake – In the bayou country of Louisianna

For a grand total of: 81!
What's your score?

1 lb. cauliflower, separated into florets
3 tbs. ghee
½ tsp. brown mustard seed
½ tsp. cumin
pinch fenugreek
½ tsp. turmeric
3 slices fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 fresh green chili, sliced
½ tsp. salt
Heat ghee and fry mustard seeds until they start to pop. Add cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, garlic and onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are soft.
Add cauliflower, and stir until well coated. Add tomato, chili, 1/4 cup of water and salt, and cook covered for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

Beer Can Chicken

Last week Dina called to say she was having a few people over for dinner and had bought 2 whole chickens to roast. I’m not sure how I got to be so bold, but I suggested she make Beer Can Chicken. Great, she said, as long as you’re the one to do it. Not sure how my day would progress, I tentatively agreed.

I don’t typically buy beer at Whole Foods (much less any beer), but I was there for other things so I thought I’d just buy it there. I was perusing the beer case, when a “team member” offered assistance in my search.

“I’m looking for a beer to make beer can chicken with,” I said.

“What???” he replied.

“You’ve never heard of beer-can chicken??” I asked stunned.

“Nope, what is it?”

“It’s when you stick a can of beer up the chicken’s bum and cook it on the grill,” I answered.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

We settled on Narragansett Bay. The cans were a bit tall, but the flavor profile was just right for such a dish.

Back at Dina’s house, dinner preparations were a bit harried. I didn’t arrive until 6:30 and guests were expected at 7:30. The chickens were still in their packages. No time for any sort of marinade or brine. So I pulled the skin away from the meat and rubbed salt and butter on the meat. I smoothed the skin back over.

Half way through the cooking, we took the chickens off the grill, put some wood chips on the embers, and finished the chickens with a little smoke.

Cooking for Fred Flintstone

Last summer, I dated a man I affectionately called Fred Flintstone. He garnered this nickname because of his caveman-like eating habits. He had many wonderful virtues, but his palate was not one of them. His diet consisted of three things: chicken parmesan, pizza and kung pao chicken. Since eating out is one of my favorite pastimes, I wanted to expand his repertoire and expose him to new flavors so we could eat together at a greater variety of restaurants. I had a plan: start with the basics and refine them. I thought, “I’ll make him the best friggin’ chicken parm he’s ever eaten!”

Off to Whole Foods: I bought organic, free range chicken, fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, and brioche for homemade bread crumbs. For the sauce, I had organic, heirloom tomatoes that I canned. I proudly served him my masterpiece: The chicken was cooked perfectly, properly seasoned and juicy. The mozzarella had a light golden crust and the crunchy bread crumb crust with seasoned with the parmesan cheese and olive oil. He said, “Your sauce could use a little tomato paste.” He ate more broccoli than chicken, which was a particularly bad sign since vegetables were not part of his regular diet. I was thoroughly demoralized.

I wouldn’t tell him this, but he wasn’t completely wrong. The sauce was watery. Tomato paste was not necessarily the answer but it did need thickening – either by longer cooking or by using a less juicy tomato.

Out of this came a new way of making tomato sauce that does not require long simmering and stirring. I roast roma tomatoes, sliced in half, with garlic cloves and shallots. When everything is slightly browned and caramelized, I puree it all with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs.

Why did we break up, you ask? Because he was a hopeless caveman, and I couldn’t convince him to try foods beyond his basic three dishes. Perhaps, I had diminished his culinary trust in me with watery tomato sauce.

He never did try the improved version. But I have a new red sauce recipe to remember him by.

Fred Flintstone Tomato Sauce
3 pounds plum tomatoes, cut in half, lengthwise
2 shallots, peeled and cut in half
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2-3 stalks fresh thyme
½ cup olive oil
2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 sprig basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Toss tomatoes with shallots, garlic, thyme and oil.

2. Roast the tomatoes in the oven for 30 minutes at 400F or until tomatoes are tender and the garlic is lightly browned.

3. Puree the tomatoes with garlic and shallots in a food processor. When smooth, add basil and puree for 10 seconds more just to chop. Adjust seasoning with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Broccoli that even a Caveman will eat
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1//4 teaspoon chili flakes
1 squeeze lemon juice

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and chili flakes. When garlic starts to brown add broccoli. Stir to coat in olive oil and garlic. Add ¼ cup of water to steam broccoli. When water evaporates and broccoli is bright green, season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Garden Updates and Confessions

Each morning, while savouring my first cup of coffee, I inspect the garden for what’s ready or near ready to harvest. It’s been an exciting week: 3 Chinese eggplants, 2 Italian eggplants, 5 cucumbers, 4 tomatoes, 3 kohlrabi and lots of herbs. I had wanted to take a photo of the bounty, but I’ve been eating everything just as quickly as I harvest. The cucumbers are surprisingly sweet. Cut in half or sticks, they make a great snack. I’ve sliced tomatoes with the intention of making a sandwich, but with a little sprinkle of salt, I can’t get them from the cutting board to a plate without “tasting” them first. Needless to say, I have yet to make a sandwich or collect enough cucumbers to make pickles.

The eggplant is too bountiful to consume on my own. On Thursday evening, my neighbors (who have since returned from vacation and reclaimed their CSA subscription) and I combined the corn from their farm share with my eggplant for a Japanese-inspired vegetable feast: Miso-Rubbed Grilled Eggplant and Chile Glazed (think Spicy Tuna Roll sauce) Corn on the Cob.

Last week, in a fit of discouragement, I started yanking up the non-zucchini producing zucchini plants to make room for my fall lettuces and broccoli raab. As I inspected the plants for squash blossoms that would be worth saving, I discovered that I had been premature: the plants had *finally* started to produce fruit. I immediately stopped, and now have two or three zucchini-ettes well on their way to become a full-grown zucchinis.

Miso-Rubbed Grilled Eggplant
(inspired by Nobu)

3 Japanese Eggplant, sliced in half lengthwise
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 cup white miso
½ cup sugar
¼ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
¼ cup sake

1. Finely chop garlic. Toss eggplant with garlic and oil to marinate.

2. Combine remaining ingredients in a sauce pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until completely combined and sugar has dissolved.

3. Prepare a charcoal grill. Grill Eggplant, cut side down, for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Flip over and brush with miso paste. Cook for 2 minutes more. If you’d like, flip again to char the miso paste onto eggplant.

4. Serve with rice, or shrimp or grilled corn.

Seed Management

There are three big reasons why Even’ Star Farm’s produce is superior to its competitors. Since it’s organic, we know that it has not been grown with synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilizers. This does not necessarily enhance the flavor, but it protects the environment and our natural resources. More importantly, because they sell only to local markets, the produce is able to ripen on the vine instead of in the back of a truck. The produce develops sweeter flavors and better texture. Most importantly, though, is how farmer Brett protects his gene line of seeds.

When I start my garden in the summer, I purchase seeds and seedlings from random suppliers. I still have the advantage of growing all-natural and fully ripening on the vine, but am beholden to their quality control.

Seed management is a rather straightforward process. For every crop, you save the most flavorful, hearty plants and harvest the seeds for the following year’s crop. The sheer volume of seeds necessary for production farm like Even’ Star means that one person could work solely on this project, and work full time. Further, the seeds are harvested when the farm is in peak production – essentially doubling an already full workload. In the midst of harvesting tomatoes, okra, eggplant and watermelon, the crew generates hundreds of pounds of seed!


Each crop has different criteria for ideal. For the ancho chilies, it’s the size, shape (perfect conical) and color (evenly red ripe). Meredith, who was charged this week with harvesting the breeders, had to taste each pepper to make sure the heat level was appropriate. Brett wanted just the slightest hint of spice. For the arugula, the seeds are saved from the hardiest plants that survive cold, frost and wind. The peachy mama’s which have an obscenely long maturation time, are bred to shorten that span. The tomato seeds are selected from the healthiest, disease-resistant plants. After several years of picking the best seeds, the gene lines get better and better. So good in fact, that Brett sells his seeds to Fedco in Waterville, ME – a national, highly regarded seed supplier. Even’ Star seeds sell for 4 times more than the equivalent “generic” variety.

You may recall that earlier this season, I harvested some of my broccoli raab seed for Brett. Because the raab had “wintered-over”, that is, it re-grew after being buried for 5 months under a blanket of snow and ice. Should Brett be able to grow raab from this seed, the plants will be more tolerant of cold weather.

To keep the workers/crew happy through all this work, I usually make them special lunches when I visit. One of their perennial favorites is arepas. The corn comes from Alan Sivak, whose farm is just 2 miles down the road.

Arepas

1 – 1 lb. bag hominy
4 ears corn
1 tbs. chopped garlic
4 scallions, chopped
2 tbs. chopped cilantro *or more
1 – 2 cups grated jack cheese
3 tbs. butter
salt and pepper
plain oil


3 green tomatoes or tomatillos, finely diced
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 tsp. Tabasco (or more to taste)
1 smoked tomatoes, chopped
1 tbs. lime juice
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbs. chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook hominy according to package directions.
2. Heat a large skillet. Melt butter. Add the corn, then the garlic. Cook over medium heat until the corn begins to roast and brown.
3. Drain hominy. Grind with a medium hole. Grind corn and garlic mixture as well.
4. Mix in by hand the jack cheese, scallion and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Form patties with dough. Pan fry in plain oil until crispy on both sides.

Farm Share Thursday

My neighbors were on vacation this week, and they offered me their weekly CSA subscription box. The vegetables come from Parker Farm. I knew Steve Parker back when he used to deliver to restaurants. He also used to be a fixture at the Central Square Farmer’s Market, but this year he’s only at the Saturday’s Market in Union Square, Somerville. I especially like to support the farmers I know.

In the spirit of Farm Share Tuesday, I invited a few friends over to enjoy a dinner in the garden eating farm fresh food. In my box this week: yellow carrots, cucumbers, corn, sweet onions, radishes and arugula. To add to the bounty, I still had a few things left from my visit to the farm: Cherokee purple and turtle gold tomatoes, eggs and new potatoes. And to round out the offerings: fresh herbs and celery in the garden.

With Dina in the house, I had to make my now famous Smoked Chicken Salad¸ tossed with celery, carrots, and onion tops, mixed with mayonnaise. I canned peachy mamas at the farm, which made a lovely hors d’œuvre to accompany the chicken, served with crackers. Or if someone has celiac disease, you can use cucumber slices instead of crackers.

The main meal, which coincidentally was gluten-free, manifested itself into:

Arugula, Tomatoes and Cucumber, Simply Dressed with Basil, Lemon and Olive Oil

Creamed Corn – the surprise hit of the night

Tortilla Española with Homemade Smoked Tomato Ketchup

Ginger Marinated Salmon with a Vietnamese Coconut Crepe and Radish Salad

And to top it off, Mint Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Ice Creams from Christina’s.

Vietnamese Crepes
(Makes 16 8” crepes)

1/2 Pound Rice Flour
2 Ounces Corn Starch
2 Eggs
1 ½ Cups Coconut Milk
1 Cup Water
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 Pound Carrots, Peel, Julienned Or Shredded
6 Red Radishes, Julienned Or Shredded
½ Cup Mint Leaves, Julienned
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Cup Vinegar
1 Cup Sugar
Pinch Chili Flakes
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

Method

1. Combine corn starch, rice flour, salt and turmeric in a bowl. Stir in eggs, coconut milk and water. Add more water if the batter is too thick, more rice flour if too thin.

2. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high flame. Add 1 tbs. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 1/3 cup batter to pan, swirl around to create a thin layer.

3. Cook crepe until crepe is crispy and brown on the bottom. Fold crepe in half. Repeat process with remaining batter.

1. Mix carrots and radish with salt and let rest for ½ hour, or until carrots are soft. Add mint.

2. Combine remaining ingredients for sauce in a stainless steel sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat

3. Combine carrots/radish with sauce.

4. Serve crepes with salad.

Preserving Summer: Tomatoes

All year, I wait with anticipation for the August tomato – firm and sweet, and slightly acidic, with juice that drips down your chin with the first bite. The varieties of heirlooms available at a “commercial” level are astonishing – satisfying every palate and culinary need. For the sandwiches, there’s Brandywine or Pruden’s purple, for salads, Cherokee or cherry tomatoes. If you prefer an acidic tomato there’s black krim and a sweet tomato, gold turtle egg.
After that first bite, I swear I will never eat a mealy, bland, rock-hard winter tomato again. Of course, come winter, I’m craving a rich osso buco to take the chill off winter. My favorite recipe calls for… you guessed it… tomatoes. It’s a vicious cycle.

The only solution is to preserve the peak summer tomatoes and then store them for winter. It’s a win-win situation – the tomatoes are the most flavorful and cheapest in August. And as a bonus, I can sneak in a visit to Even’ Star Organic Farm in Southern Maryland, where farmer Brett grows an abundance of heirloom, organic, truly vine-ripe tomatoes.

There are two basic options for preserving: freezing or canning. Freezing has one obvious (and big) advantage: it’s a hassle-free process. The primary disadvantage is that you need excess freezer space. And if there’s a power outage, you risk losing your entire stash. Canning has an obvious disadvantage in that it’s a hot, laborious, time-consuming process. But in the end, you don’t need to worry about storage space – the jars can be buried in the basement or in the back of a closet. Climate control is unimportant. Either way, you need to first process the tomatoes.

Plum tomatoes are the classic stewing tomatoes because they have a drier, firmer texture. Alas, their flavor doesn’t compete with other varieties such as Brandywine or Pineapple. Optimally, you can use a 50-50 mix of the two to get the right balance of flavor and texture.

When I can tomatoes for the winter, I usually process 50 pounds or more. For this reason, I take short-cuts on skinning and seeding the tomatoes. I would rather remove the skins as I use the tomatoes (one jar at a time) if at all.

Stewed Tomatoes
This can be as basic or complex as you like. Either way, start with cleaned tomatoes. Take out the core, cut out any bruises or blemishes and cut into chunks. If you’d like, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil. When the onions are soft, add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes. You can also add basil sprigs, and season with salt and pepper. When the tomatoes are cooked you can freeze them in one pint containers or can them (see below).


Smoked Tomatoes
This is a personal favorite. A little smoked tomato adds an unexpected depth to almost any recipe. You don’t need a smoker – a regular ole charcoal grill works fine. Wood chips are available at Whole Foods or at a hardware store.

For a Charcoal Grill:
You will need 2 cups wood chips (hickory or apple is great, mesquite is okay) soaked in 4 cups of water or cheap white wine. Drain just before smoking. And, of course, plenty of San Marzano Plum tomatoes, cut in half.

Prepare a fire as you normally would. When the fire is on its last legs (there are still some red embers) get ready to move quickly. Toss the wood chips on the fire. Put the grate on top, and place the tomatoes on the grate, ideally skin side down (should the skins burn, you can remove them, if the flesh burns…). Cover the grill with the lid, open the vents only ½ way. Let the tomatoes smoke for 1 hour.

Puree them for a sauce for lamb or steak, or add them to your favorite recipe for a little zip.

For a gas grill:
Follow the directions as above. Except: Put the drained wood chips in a disposable aluminum tray, and place it directly on top of the gas flame.

Canning Tomatoes
The one thing to remember when canning tomatoes is that you need to boil everything. Boil the jars, boil the tomatoes, boil the tomatoes in the jar. The first two boil are necessary to sterilize the jars and the tomatoes, the third boil is to create a vacuum seal in the jar.

So to be clear, the process goes like this:
1. Purchase canning jars. I prefer the wide mouth because they are easier to fill. Consider buying a variety of sizes. Even if you are only canning one kind of sauce, the variety will enable you to maximize your tomatoes – if a recipe calls for a small amount of tomato, you open a small jar, instead of opening a large jar that may not be completely used. Also, buy a pair of “canning tongs”. These tongs are specially designed to lift the jars out of the water.
2. Wash the jars. Put the lids in one pot and the jars in another pot. The pot for the jars should be deep enough that the jars can be covered by at least on inch of water.
3. Cover the lids completely with water and put them on the stove. Bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Let them sit in the water until you’re ready to use them.
4. Cover the jars completely with water and bring htem to a boil. Continue boiling them for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring the tomatoes to a boil, and continue cooking them for at least 10 minutes. Even if you smoked the tomatoes, you still need to boil them.
6. Remove the jars from the water, draining the water out. Fill each jar with tomatoes, leaving about ½ inch at the top. With a clean towel, wipe the lip of each jar clean.
7. Drain the water from the lids and cover each jar. Seal with the metal band.
8. Return the jars to the boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the water and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the band and test the lids – if it comes off easily, then the seal did not work and you must repeat the process. If the lid is tight, then you are all set!

This year, I canned 12 pints of stewed tomatoes and 12 pints of smoked tomatoes. Alas, I processed more tomatoes than I had jars. I bought more jars and made ketchup with the remaining tomatoes.

Homemade Ketchup
8 cups stewed tomatoes
1 onion
½ cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons salt

Puree onions and tomato. Combine in a stainless steel pot. Cook over medium heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally to keep tomatoes from sticking to the bottom.

This will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator or you can jar the tomatoes.

Tales from the Farm - Early August

Brett called two weeks ago to let me know that the plum tomatoes were in full production! He knows I plan an annual visit to the farm with the sole goal of canning tomatoes to last me through the winter. He suggested I come for a visit soon, lest I suffer the same fate as last year: my timing was off and the varieties available, though more flavorful than the plums, were too juicy for preserving. By the time I arrived this week, he had set aside 50 pounds of #1 plum tomatoes, plus another 20 pounds of #2 Cherokee purples which would add depth of flavor to my sauces.

The guise of my trip was to can tomatoes, but in truth, I cherish every opportunity to visit. In an era of high fuel costs and rising food prices, where the average food travels 1,500 miles from the field to the plate, I take a special pleasure in harvesting my food just hours before eating it. A typical meal on the farm has less than 10 food miles. Lamb comes from Donna and Cameron, just a few miles down the road in Lexington Park. Friend Bob fishes in the Chesapeake Bay, 1,500 feet from the farm – sharing his catch of Cobia, Bluefish or Striper. Vegetables, chicken and eggs come from the fields less than ½ mile from the house. The Mennonites raise livestock for milk and cheeses about 15 miles north in Leonardtown. Deer prance in the fields surrounding the farm, occasionally venturing into the fields and eating the watermelon. “Crop management” means we occasionally eat venison, too!

The farm is at peak production now – harvesting several varieties each of tomatoes, okra, red peppers, cucumbers squashes, eggplant, watermelon and okra. Meals are abundant, but so is the work.

The watermelon and okra coexist nicely on the south fields, neither encroaching on the others space. Unlike some of the other crops, the watermelon doesn’t mind the shade that the okra creates from its talk stalks. And in fact, it’s a good thing… when the crew harvests the watermelon, they leave them in the shade of the okra until they come with a truck to gather them all.


Neither is fun to harvest. The obvious challenge in watermelon is the weight. The crew will harvest one ton each week – 5 pounds at a time. After passing through the patch, snipping the ripe ones from the vine, the crew will pass through a second time with a tractor – one person driving the tractor off to the side and two others gingerly setting each watermelon in its hopper. The okra’s spiny stalks prickle as you harvest. To make the task palatable, the crew wears long sleeves and gloves – necessitating an early morning harvest before it gets too hot in the fields, making the protection as unbearable as the spiny stalks. With proper protection, I love picking okra. The abundant flowers are beautiful white with a purple center; they smile at me. Brett usually hoards the okra for market, but my reward for harvesting is as much okra as I can eat. I usually make a succotash for one meal and deep fry some for a second. In fact, market demand is so strong, Brett doesn’t eat okra until September.


On the north side, with all the tomatoes, is my favorite chili – affectionately named “Peachy Mama.” Typically, it’s a sweet pepper with floral undertones. But since they are planted so close to the spicy chilies, they sometimes get cross-pollinated and develop a little kick. Unlike other chilies that are equally delicious red-ripe or green, the peachy mama is only good when it’s fully ripe -- a pale orange. Harvesting is tricky… the brittle branches lose their flowers (the predecessor to the chili) easily. Each pepper must be carefully inspected for ripeness, but a clumsy touch means fewer chilis in subsequent weeks.

SAUTEED OKRA WITH TOMATO AND CORN

1/2 pound fresh okra
1 medium vine-ripened tomato – Cherokee Purple or San Marzano
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 peachy mama pepper or ½ small red bell pepper
1 ear corn, kernels cut from cob
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 tbs. fresh Genoa or lemon basil
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Cut okra into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Chop tomato. Dice onion, chop garlic and cut corn from cob. In a heavy skillet heat butter over medium-high heat. Add the corn in a single layer and sprinkle the onions and garlic on top. Do not stir for a few minutes until the corn develops a sweet, roasted aroma. Stir, and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the okra and pepper, stirring occasionally, until the okra is bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato and basil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes, until everything is heated through. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

When Life Gives You Lemons… OR squash blossoms.

… Make Tempura!

I know that the zucchini plants yield about 1 fruit for every 8 flowers, or so. Given those odds, I planted about 20 plants hoping to optimize my potential for zucchini. So far, no luck, but I have plenty of blossoms.

The blooms need to be picked at about 5pm the day before they bloom. This will yield the largest flower – the better for stuffing. The flowers open up first thing in the morning, and close after about 2 hours. Once they’ve opened, they rot pretty quickly. But if you catch them before they open, they will last about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Given that, I started harvesting 3 days out for a dinner party on Tuesday. I yielded about 18 blooms, enough for a generous appetizer.

Stuffed-Fried Squash Blossoms with Roasted Tomatoes

18 squash blossoms, stamen removed
¾ cup fresh ricotta cheese
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs. fresh basil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

½ carrot, peeled and diced
½ celery stalk, diced
½ onion, diced
1 tbs. butter
2 cups chopped tomatoes
½ cup white wine
½ cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup flour
½ cup corn starch
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
½ cup ice cold soda water

1 cup plain oil

Mix ricotta, parmesan and basil together. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Gently stuff each squash blossom with about 1 tbs. of filling.

Meanwhile, sauté carrots, onions and celery in butter. After 5 minutes, add wine and tomatoes. Simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.