Grow. Cook. Eat. – Page 27 – Julia Shanks Recovering Chef and Urban Gardener

September 2, 2009

Grow Your Business

This summer, I introduced a new course, Financial Accounting for Food Professionals, at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. The class was highly successful and well received. As such, I’ll be offering it again in this fall. The four week course is open to the public, and is designed to give the food professional a deeper understanding of financial statements so that they may make better business decisions.

We will offer two sessions starting the week of September 14th:
Wednesday, 10am – 1pm
and
Thursday, 6pm – 9pm

Click on the links to register for the class. And please forward this to anyone you think may be interested in this class.

Here's the course description:

The food industry experiences razor thin profit margins. Owners and managers can increase their profits by effectively analyzing their financial statements. The income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement are primary sources of information about a restaurant or catering company, and using that information in decision-making is an essential, everyday dimension of running a business.

The objectives of this course are for you to achieve a thorough understanding of the concepts and mechanics that underlie financial statements and to develop the skills needed to analyze and interpret financial statements effectively. Topics include the preparation of the three basic financial statements – income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement – and understanding the fundamental structure that connects these three statements. We will also discuss financing your business and creating financial projections for potential investors and lenders.

Using a variety of financial statements from actual food businesses, you will develop your knowledge of financial statement and ratio analysis to evaluate a restaurant or catering company’s financial performance.

Mastering financial accounting does not require sophisticated mathematical skills, but it does involve the kind of analysis you would bring to a simple solving-for-x algebraic problem or a crossword puzzle. At the same time, it requires the practice and flexibility needed to achieve fluency in a language—the language of business.

August 31, 2009

Eggplant Extravaganza (recipe: baba ganoush)

Did you know that blackening the skin of eggplant over an open flame gives the meat a smoky flavor? And did you know that if you don’t prick little holes in the skin, the steam inside builds up and creates a big explosion?

Not that this has *ever* happened to me. I’ve only read about it. Really.

And that old-wives tale about salting the eggplant before cooking to remove the bitterness… For some varieties (like the big American eggplants) this is important. The smaller Asian varieties don't have the bitterness. Nonetheless, it's a crucial step for any recipe that calls for frying eggplant slices. The salting prevents the eggplant from absorbing the oil like a sponge. You'll use the less oil and the eggplant will be less greasy. Win-win, if you ask me.

___________________
I returned from the farm with a car-load of tomatoes and more produce to enjoy at home, including several varieties of eggplant. And much to my (pleasant) surprise, my garden had not wilted in the heat, and in fact I had a bumper crop of eggplant.

The fastest way to process (and preserve) the eggplant was to make baba ganoush and an eggplant chutney.

For the eggplant chutney, (after salting the slices) I fried it in a blend of canola and olive oils until very dark brown.
I chopped it up, tossed it with lemon and basil. Depending on your taste, it could use an extra shot of salt and pepper.

Baba Ganoush is a traditional Middle Eastern dip made with eggplant and sesame seed paste (tahini). Typically, it's served with pita. At Oleana, they garnish braised shortribs with it.

Baba Ganoush
Traditionally, raw garlic is added to the dip, but I prefer the flavor of roasted. If you like raw garlic, reduce the quantity to one clove.

4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium eggplant
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 lemon, juiced
salt and pepper
parsley or scallions for garnish

1. Prick whole eggplant with a fork. Place directly over a fire…

…and cook until blackened on all sides and the flesh is tender. Let cool.
2. In a piece of tin-foil, wrap up the garlic and olive oil. Roast in 350 oven for 30 minutes, or until the garlic is soft and golden brown.
2. Peel the black skin away and discard.
3. Put the eggplant pulp, tahini, cumin, garlic and lemon juice in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Garnish with scallions or parsley

August 27, 2009

My Happy Place (Recipe: Gumbo)

My friends refer to Even’ Star Organic Farm as my happy place. When I need an escape or simply reconnect with the land, I retreat to the farm. And if I’m feeling particularly stressed (as I was when I had a corporate job), Brett will send me immediately to the fields to pick okra: my sanctuary within my happy place.

How could you not love a vegetable that looks this beautiful when it’s growing?

Life is peaceful in the okra patch and I can hear myself think.

It’s quiet because no one else likes picking okra. At the first hint that I’m willing to take over this job, the crew runs as fast as they can to other chores. To them, picking okra is only one step better than cleaning the chicken coop. The stalks are fuzzy like a peach with enough prickle to make the skin itch. To add insult to injury, the harvester must don a long sleeve shirt and nitrile gloves. With temperatures reaching into the 90s, the last thing the crew wants is to put on more clothes.

I still love it.

The okra has a cult following at the farmers market, and Brett must ration how much he gives away to the crew. My reward for picking is that I can take as much as I want!

Recipes come courtesy of Even' Star Organic Farm's Summer Cookbook.

REFRESHING CHILLED OKRA

An excellent light appetizer to serve guests or yourself, especially when the heat of summer makes heavier foods less appealing.

1 heaping pint fresh tender okra
ice water bath in a medium bowl
2 or 3 t of any good vinaigrette

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Steam or boil the okra until the color just changes from bright green to darker green, about 3 minutes. Immediately drain the okra and as fast shock them, by dumping into the ice water bath. Swirl okra in bath until cold, then drain again. Place onto a serving platter or into a pretty bowl. Chill. Drizzle vinaigrette onto the okra about 5 to 20 minutes before serving.

EVEN’ STAR GUMBO
A deeply flavored stew of summer vegetables that mandates okra, one of whose African names is “gumbo” and the seed of which was carried to this continent by the slaves. Once made, the thick base can be frozen, to be thawed in deep winter, and simmered with poultry, seafood, sausage, or with only vegetables.

3 T oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ onion, chopped
2 mild green peppers, chopped
2 c ripe or overripe tomatoes, puréed
4 c water or chicken or vegetable stock
I pint fresh okra, sliced into 1/4” rounds
1 to 1 ½ qt. water or stock (chicken, vegetarian, or seafood)
2 t dried thyme or 1 ½ t fresh thyme or oregano
2 t gumbo file powder (optional but very good)
2 T flour
Salt, pepper, and hot pepper to taste
Chopped green onion or parsley as final garnish

The omnivore options: Shrimp, chicken, game, scallops, crab, oysters, andouille or other sausage, or pork chunks
The vegetarian options: sweet corn kernels, tempeh, vegetarian sausage, and/or fresh mushrooms

1. In 1 T of the oil and in a large stainless or cast iron pot, sauté the garlic, onion, and peppers until soft.

2. Add the puréed tomatoes and water or stock; simmer 10 more minutes.

3. Add the okra, herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2 more minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings to taste.

4. If you want a thicker gumbo, make a roux by cooking the remaining two T oil with 2 T flour in a separate pan on moderate heat. One minute after it starts bubbling, add into the larger pot of gumbo, beating vigorously with a whip to prevent lumps. Simmer another 5 minutes, and again adjust seasonings to taste. This base may be frozen or used immediately.

5. To complete the gumbo, add whatever omnivore or vegetarian options you want, but be sure to add long-cooking items like chicken or sausage way before foods like shrimp or scallops that need only the briefest of cooking. Simmer all together until the brief-cookers are just tender.

6. Gumbo is nearly always served with cooked white rice, a spoonful in the center of each diner’s bowl. This may be the best and only use for a converted rice like Uncle Ben’s. Alternately, a crusty French or Italian bread does well. Sprinkle each bowl with the chopped parsley or scallion at tableside. Excellent with a chilled white wine, any beer except stout or porter, or even a red wine (Portuguese or Spanish) or a moderately chilled Pinot Noir.

August 25, 2009

Tales from the Farm (Recipe: Crab Scallion Pancakes)

Last week's New York Times featured a terrific article about Brett and his winter-hardy greens. For those of you who received seeds from me from the give-away several months back, these are them!

Thursday was the big canning day!

While Brett drove into DC to deliver the weekly CSA boxes, I got myself organized. Brett had set aside 60 pounds of tomatoes for me. Early in the week, I trimmed, cut and then smoked 30 pounds, and diced another 30 pounds. The outdoor kitchen was set up: a steam kettle to fit all 72 jars, a propane cook-top to sterilize the tomatoes and a 6 foot work table.

The steam-kettle was wood-powered. We built a fire in the furnace below, and waited patiently for the water to boil. I put all the jars in the water, and set aside the lids. The smoked tomatoes fit perfectly into the 3-gallon rondeau pot I brought down with me from Boston.

After the water boiled (with the jars) for 10 minutes, the jars were sterilized. I carefully pulled out each jar, poured out the water and laid them out on the table. One by one, I filled the jars with tomatoes, then wiped clean the rims, put a lid on and screwed the top on. Back into the water they went.

Next up, the diced tomatoes. Again, I boiled the tomatoes for 10 minutes, boiled the jars for 10 minutes, and then filled them just as I did for the smoked tomatoes.

With all the jars were filled, and back in the kettle, I covered the pot, refueled the fire, and let them pressure cook over-night. This final stage serves two purposes. First, it kills any remaining bacteria or live spores remaining inside the jars. Second, it creates a vacuum seal which prevents any future aerobic bacteria from developing.

For more details about canning you can read about last year's canning.

When Brett returned from his delivery, we were both exhausted. He from waking at 2 am to load the truck with the 300 boxes (each weighing about 15 – 20 pounds), driving to DC to deliver (and unload) to 7 different sites and then returning back to the farm. It feels lame to put my exhaustion in the same category as Brett, but I was tired from working in the hot, 90+ degree sun over an open fire stove.

Needless to say, we both needed a restorative. With cocktails in hand, we headed back to the Chesapeake Bay to check on the crab pots and take a swim. We had 6 keepers.

For the past several evenings, we had enjoyed the crabs as a little snacking, picking the meat from the shell. On this night, I shelled all the meat and made Korean style scallion pancakes with Crab and a Soy Dipping Sauce (Pa Jon or Pa Jeon). I generated about 2 cups of meat

PaJeon with Crab
These pancakes are thicker and doughier than the Chinese counterpart

1 cups rice flour
2 cup A/P flour
2 cups water
2 eggs
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 pound crab meat
1 tbs. cooking oil (canola or peanut)

Dipping Sauce
½ cup soy sauce
2 – 4 tbs. rice vinegar (depending on taste)
1 tbs. sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh sesame seeds
2 tbs. scallion rings
1 tsp. chili paste (more or less to taste)

1. In a bowl, whisk together the rice and A/P flour. Stir in the water and eggs to combine. Finally, gently mix in the salt, crab and scallions. Let rest.

2. In a separate (serving) bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Adjust to your taste with vinegar, sugar and chili paste.

3. Heat a large, cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Pour in a scant cup of batter and smooth out to 6 inches around. Cook until the edges crsip up. Flip over, and cook for 2 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel. Repeat this process, replenishing the oil in the pan as necessary, until all the batter is used.

4. Just before serving, you can spread out the pancakes into a single layer cookie sheet and reheat in a 450 oven for 10 minutes.

5. Cut into pie wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

August 24, 2009

A Salad to Stop Traffic

Aunt Ruby's German Green: a sweet juicy tomato with a piquant bite. The heirloom is a large beefsteak type tomato that, when ripe, is a pale green color with a hint of yellow striping. The large tomato often weighs one pound or more. Aunt Ruby’s German Green has the wetness of a melon and can give a deep flavor explosion. It is generally used in salads, but is also a wonderful tomato to fry
(Description from Slow Food USA)

Yellow Star: this odd little joy is plain yellow to yellow-green, slightly flattened like a mini pumpkin, and with dimensions of 1 ½” or 2” and only about ¾” high. But what flavors! Tart and exciting, extraordinarily juicy, not for everyone’s palate, and with tropical nuances that no other tomato can approach. Best for salads.

Pruden’s Purple: really complex flavors, excellent texture, and only moderate acidity make this a worthy competitor to the venerable heirloom Brandywine. Pruden’s is a bright pink to mottled purple, often large, and nearly as funny looking as Cherokee Purple. It has such nuance and superior slicing texture that it remains a favorite, year after year.

August 22, 2009

Crabs: Girls and Boys

When I arrived at the farm, I was hot and tired from 9 hours of driving. Even with the A/C working in the car, the sun beating on me and the aggressive drivers wore me down.

The first order of business: check the crab traps and swim in the Chesapeake Bay.

The Bay is 1,500 feet to the east. His neighbor has graciously allowed Brett to hang 4 traps off his pier. When I visited last October, we only caught one crab – and she was a she. And in order to help preserve the crab population, the females are tossed back.

This time, we caught about a dozen. We still threw back the females, unless, of course they had just shed their shells, and we would enjoy them as soft shell crabs. The males were steamed and enjoyed simply.

It’s easy to distinguish between the females and the males: the apron on the underside clearly shows which is which.

Males:

Females:

August 20, 2009

Down on the Farm (recipe: sun-dried tomato pesto)

Every year I make a pilgrimage to Southern Maryland to can tomatoes. Perhaps it seems silly (and environmentally unfriendly) to drive 500 miles each way, but I treasure the time I spend with my friend Brett – harvesting, cooking, fishing, eating and drinking. And we always have much to chat about – whether it’s the tomato blight or the antics of his work-crew.

When Brett started Even’ Star Organic Farm twelve years ago, he wanted to be known as the “Tomato Man.” He pledged to only sell tomatoes that had truly ripened on the vine, unlike the commercially graded “vine ripens” which need only show the slightest blush of pink to garner that label. Unfortunately, after the first year, he discovered that the fully ripened tomatoes were too fragile, and his customers wanted a product with a longer shelf life – 2 days instead of 2 hours. Now he picks them two days from perfection, still more ripe than his commercial counterparts.

Over the years, and through some research I did for him, he realized that the tomatoes were a loss leader – he only makes about $1 per case profit. This is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and he uses the tomatoes to lure customers and relies on other crops to make his money.

This year, Brett is up to his eyeballs in tomatoes. And coming from New England, where entire tomato crops have been wiped out, this is a welcome sight! Hundreds of cases of tomatoes fill the storage room. His CSA subscribers are getting seven pounds a week.

He will not be able to sell all the tomatoes, so he will preserve them to sell with his winter CSA subscription. In addition to canning for his home-use, some tomatoes will be truly sun-dried. The tomatoes are sliced thickly and laid out on trays in the greenhouse (where temperatures can exceed 150F) to sun-dry.

If you are in the DC area, you can purchase his tomatoes at the Chevy Chase Farmers' market on Saturday mornings from 9am – 1pm, at the corner of Broad Branch and Northampton Sts., NW, DC.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup olive oil
2 tbs. pine nuts or almonds
1 tbs. chopped garlic.
2 tbs. parmiggiano reggiano
¼ cup basil leaves
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

1. Rehydrate tomatoes in olive oil: Combine in skillet over medium-low heat and cook until the tomatoes plump and are pliable, about 5 minutes.

2. To the tomatoes, add the garlic and nuts, and continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until garlic is lightly golden and nuts are slightly toasted. Immediately remove from heat.

3. Strain oil and reserve. Put tomato/garlic/nut mix in a food processor. Coarsely chop. Then slowly drizzle in reserved oil and process for 1 minute more. Add parmesan and basil and pulse until incorporated.

4. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

August 17, 2009

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

Early in the summer I began noticing worms in the soil. I knew the soil started out in excellent condition, 3 summers ago, when I imported 5 tons of compost, but worried that I hadn’t sufficiently amended the soil in the subsequent seasons. The worms told me that I was doing okay.

Over the years, I have tried and given up on growing heirloom tomatoes. I’m lucky if I harvest one tomato at the end of September. Despite my track-record, I plant at least one heirloom every year. This year, I planted three. And so far, I’ve had 10 tomatoes! It must be the worms.

The threat of blight still looms. I regularly trim back any yellow spotted leaves that show signs of disease. The foliage is thinning, but the tomatoes stalks are heavy with fruit.

And I’m tense. Because, in fact, they are too heavy. The plants are drooping, bending the stalks despite all my efforts to stake them.

I wonder if the tomatoes will get the required nutrients and energy from the plant with a weakened structure.

The tomatoes still ripen on the vine (i.e. they don’t rot), so I continue to enjoy them: lots of tomato/mayo sandwiches and a few tomato sauces.

Mediterranean Eggplant and Tomatoes
With the glut of eggplant and tomatoes, I made a Mediterranean style dish. With basil, it takes an Italian bent and pairs beautifully with grilled steak and potatoes. With dill, the Turkish inspiration takes over making it perfect with mackerel and basmati rice. The dill is in short supply and I’m reserving it for pickles. I decided to lean Italian.

¼ cup plain oil
5 Japanese eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons currants or raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts or pistachios
1 tablespoon butter
¼ cup white wine
1 shallot, peeled and diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and diced
2 cups diced tomatoes – whatever you have in your garden
2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet heat oil over high heat. Add eggplant to pan, cut side down, and cook until a deep brown. Flip over and cook on the other side until the eggplant is soft, about 1 more minute. It’s important to cook the eggplant in a single layer, so you may need to cook them in batches. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt.

2. When eggplants are cooked, pour off the oil from the pan. Return the pan to a medium heat. Add the pine nuts and raisins and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, or just until the pine nuts start to brown. Remove from heat and drain.

3. Wipe the pan clean, return to medium high heat, and add the butter. When the butter melts and shallots and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the wine and reduce. Add the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes have released their liquid and start to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Just before serving, stir in the fresh herbs.

When serving, sprinkle toasted pine nuts and currants on top.

August 14, 2009

Size Matters

Forget what your girlfriends told you, size does matter. Too small and they’re bitter. Too large and they have a tough skin.

Cucumbers.

Every morning, I forage through the dense cucumber foliage looking for perfectly sized specimens. The way the vines spread and crawl across the garden, cucumbers can be spotted as far as 10 feet away from the original seedling, and buried under another plant’s leaves. Sometimes, I get overzealous and pick them when they’re too small. And I’m usually disappointed: the small ones are bitter and would have benefit from an extra day on the vine. Just as often, I discover a cucumber that I somehow missed in my regular morning inspection and is now too big for my taste.

For a cost-benefit analysis, it would make sense to let the cucumbers grow as large as possible. After all, it doesn’t cost any more to leave them on the vine – no extra resources are required. Nor does letting them grow longer hinder the prolific production rate of the plant. However, as they grow the skin toughens, the seeds overtake the flesh and the insides become watery. I may have more volume by letting them grow, but this would be a case of diminishing returns.

That sweet spot is about 5 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. The cucumbers are sweet, crunchy, firm and refreshing. Delicious! I usually eat 2 or 3 a day, just as a snack. With the remainder, I’m making pickles.

Dill Pickles
The recipe for dill pickles is mostly technique with a splash of precision.

For every quart of water (4 cups) dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt. To that, add crushed (fresh) garlic, dill sprigs and black pepper (and jalapenos if you’d like).

Cut cucumbers lengthwise into wedges. Submerge in above salt bath. In order to fully submerge cucumbers, you may need to weight them down with a stainless steel sieve or a plate.

Let them sit at room temperature for 48 hours to ferment and turn slightly sour.

To stop the fermentation, refrigerate them. Enjoy within 2 weeks.

August 11, 2009

Summer Trilogy

One of the best parts of summer (right behind the Crane's Beach and fried clams on the Essex River) is all the fresh produce available at farmers' markets and from my garden. I could subsist on tomatoes, corn and fresh herbs.

The garden tomatoes are still producing (and as I back-up, the farmers' at the weekly markets still have field tomatoes). My romas are a bit mealy — is it the variety or all the rain we've had this summer? Whatever the reason, they are better for cooking anyway. And the cooking changes the texture so that mealiness disappears. I slow roast them in the style of Fred Flintstone tomato sauce.

Grilled corn is wonderful, but I also like it sauteed in butter with a touch of cream and a pinch of curry powder.

And to make the trilogy pop with color, I saute zucchini with fresh mint.

In the summertime, my cooking simplifies. While baked salmon doesn't have the crispy brown skin that's only achieved from sauteing, it's so much easier. I cover the fillets with fresh basil and tarragon, and layer lemon slices on top. The flavor is wonderful, the fish is moist and delicate and the presentation's okay too.

Roasted Salmon with Creamed Corn, Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini

6 – 8 oz. filets of salmon, skin on
3 ears of corn, kernels cut off
1 tbs. butter
5 shallots, diced
5 cloves garlic, diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp. curry powder
4 roma tomatoes, cut in half
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tablespoon fresh mint
2 lemons: 1 juiced, 1 sliced thinly
1 fistful of fresh basil and tarragon
plain oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss tomatoes with 1 tbs. olive oil, thyme, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Roast in 450F oven, until tomatoes begin to brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss with fresh basil.

4. Melt butter in a skillet. Add corn, 1 tbs. chopped shallots and 1 tsp. garlic. Cook until garlic and corn begin to brown. Add curry powder and cook for 1 minute more. Add cream, and cook for 5 minutes, or until cream is reduced by 1/2. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

5. In a skillet, heat remaining oil on high heat. Add zucchini and garlic slices. Cook until the zucchini turns bright green and the garlic browns. Season to taste with mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

6. Season salmon with salt and pepper. Cover the fillets with fresh herbs and layer lemon slices on top. Roast in 375 oven for 10 minutes, or until cooked to desired doneness. Garnish with corn, tomatoes and zucchini.