Seasonal Ontario Food: Celery and Celeriac

Showing posts with label Celery and Celeriac. Show all posts

Monday, 28 February 2022

Stir-Fried Tofu "Noodles"

It's a basic dish of stir fried noodles and vegetables... without any noodles. I found tofu sheets in the cooler of an Asian market last time we were in Windsor. It's a big pity I cannot get anything like it around here. The local grocery has a few slabs of basic tofu; take it or leave it, and misses out on the huge range of shapes and textures available. This particular iteration is a large, thin, and rather dense sheet that cuts nicely into strips that have about the texture of cooked noodles, hence this dish. Ideal for anyone trying to avoid carbohydrates, like (*checks notes*) me. There are also dried sheets of tofu, but that's not what you need here. The refrigerated tofu sheets freeze really well, so next time we're in Windsor or some other civilized spot I intend to stock up.

Having said that, next time I might replace half the tofu with a square of ramen noodles; I do miss them even though this was really good. Unlike real noodle dishes, it would also be quite appropriate to serve this with some rice.

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) fresh tofu sheet
3 cups shredded savoy cabbage (or other cabbage or greens)
1 large carrot
1 large onion
1 or 2 stalks of celery
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
2 slices fresh ginger optional
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
1/4 soy sauce (light helps keep the salt down)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

While the tofu sheet is folded as it came in the package, cut it into 1/8" strips. Cut them in half again across the middle. This will leave you with a pile of noodle-like tofu shreds.

Prepare the vegetables; shred the cabbage, peel and grate the carrot, peel and cut the onion into slivers, wash and thinly slice the celery, and chop the garlic and ginger fairly finely.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften, then add the remaining vegetables including the garlic and ginger. Drizzle a couple tablespoons of water over them, and cook at high temperature, stirring and tossing constantly until the veggies are softened and the water is evaporated. Remove the veggies from the pan and set them aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Put in the tofu "noodles", and drizzle the soy sauce over them. Cook them, stirring constantly and turning until they are well mixed and heated, then add the vegetables back in. Continue to mix and toss until well blended and hot through, and all the liquid has evaporated. Drizzle with the sesame oil, mix well and serve.

Last year at this time I made Tomato, Macaroni, & Cheese Soup.

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Stewed Lamb Pie

You could, I suppose, serve the filling just as a stew, but somehow putting it in a puff pastry crust makes it clear just how special and delicious this really is. We got some lovely lamb from Wooldrift Farm this year, and this was our first big try-out, on Christmas day. It was definitely worthy of that special spot. We thought this hit the perfect spot between nicely seasoned, but letting the flavour of the lamb speak for itself.

I had made some lamb broth which no doubt added to the intensity of flavour, but if you can't get it beef or chicken broth would do. I also pre-cooked the lamb in our Instant Pot, but you could stew it slowly instead if you don't have one. Should I confess that I used the heart in this dish? Mr. Ferdzy "doesn't like it" but it's just a particularly tough cut of stewing meat, and if you order a complete lamb you will get one. I cut it to about 1/4 of the size of the other pieces and proceed - no one has yet detected them.

The filling should be warm when you assemble the pie - too cold and it will take a long time to bake, too hot and you will really struggle with the pastry, which will want to melt rather than fold around it. By using the full-sized sheets you will have eight points around the edge, which should be folded inward once tucks have been made in the upper sheet to seal the edges of the lower sheet.

6 to 8 servings

1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours to pre-cook the lamb - 30 minutes prep time

1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook the pie - 40 minutes prep time

Pre-Cook the Lamb:

1/4 cup barley or wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed savory

3/4 teaspoon rubbed rosemary

2 bay leaves

freshly ground black pepper to taste

900 grams (2 pounds) stewing lamb

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 cup lamb, beef, or chicken broth (can replace up to 1/2 with red wine)

Mix the flour and the spices in a mixing bowl, then gently toss the prepared lamb in it - the lamb should be trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1" cubes, and if at all wet patted dry with paper towels.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the floured meat in two batches to allow it to be well spread out in a single layer as it cooks. Put the browned meat into a large stewing pot or Instant Pot as it is done.

Add the broth or broth and wine. If cooking in a stewing pot, simmer gently for an hour to an hour and a half until tender. If using the Instant Pot, cook for 30 minutes and allow it to release naturally.

This can be done up to a day ahead and refrigerated; and it's a good idea as that will allow you to remove excess fat while it is congealed.

Make the Pie:

2 medium carrots

1 large onion

2 stalks of celery OR 1 cup peeled diced celeriac

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons lamb fat OR mild vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

up to 1 cup more lamb, beef, or chicken broth

450 grams (1 pound; 1 package) thawed from frozen puff pastry

Peel the carrots and cut them in dice. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the celery or peel and dice the celeriac. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery, and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes, until softened and tender. You may want to add a bit of water and broth to help cook the carrots, but not so much that it won't cook off in the allotted time.

Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar, and cook for a minute more, then add the stewed lamb along with any sauce that it is in. Add a little more broth if it seems dry. Heat the mixture through and simmer for a few minutes. It should be thick and saucy but not runny. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Gently roll one sheet of pastry to expand it slightly. Place it in a 9.5" pie plate. The short sides of the pastry should come most of the way up the sides of the pie plate, and the corners will hang over. Fill it with the warm lamb filling.

Roll out the remaining sheet of pastry in the same way as the first. Place it on top of the pie so that the corners of the top piece are in between the corners of the bottom piece. Lift them one at a time so that you can see the lower piece of pastry. Pull the lower piece of pastry away from the side of the pan and tuck the top piece down between them to seal it. The corner will stick up; fold it in over the pie. Repeat with the remaining three corners/sides. Cut some vent holes in the top of the pastry. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, in case of leakages, and bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden-brown. Let it rest 10 minutes before serving.

Last year at this time I made Braised Oxtail with Dried Tomatoes, Peppers, & Beans.

Monday, 17 January 2022

Korean Sweet Potato Noodle Salad

This is a perfect salad for the summer, being cool and refreshing yet relatively substantial without being heavy. But it is also a perfect salad for the winter, since it can be made with readily available winter vegetables. Carrots and cucumbers make a good foundation, then add such things and green onions, celery or celeriac, turnip or winter radish, bean sprouts or cabbage. I used a little cabbage; I had been thinking bean sprouts but whottasurprise, my local grocery store had none.

If you can't find sweet potato noodles (which generally seem to come in bundles of about 200 grams) then you could use mung bean thread noodles. They tend to come in bundles of about 50 grams, so you will need 3 or 4 of them. The treatment is similar, but do check the cooking time - I think they might need a little less.

I did not get around to making this as quickly as I intended (so just as well there were no bean sprouts) and my shiitakes got a little dried out. Therefore, I fried them briefly in a smidge of oil before adding them.

4 to 8 servings

Make the Dressing:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons sugar

1 to 2 teaspoons gochujang OR chile-garlic sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Put the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, hot sauce, and sesame oil in a small bowl or jam jar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

The sesame seeds don't go directly in the dressing, but now is the time to toast them - a few minutes in a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Stir them as they toast and be prepared to scrape them out at once onto a plate to cool - they will go from perfect to scorched very quickly.

Make the Salad:

150 grams to 200 grams sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon)

10 to 20 grams (1/2 ounce) dried wakame

8 to 10 shiitake mushrooms

1 medium carrot

1 or 2 small greenhouse cucumbers

1 cup other prepared vegetables (see introductory notes)

Put a fairly large pot of water on to boil. Boil the noodles as instructed on the package (probably for 5 minutes). LIFT them out of the water, keeping the water. Put the noodle in a strainer and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Chop slightly to make them more manageable, if you like.

Meanwhile, put the wakame into the boiling water and boil for 3 minutes. Turn it over as it cooks several times, to allow it to re-hydrate evenly. You will need about a 3" x 8" sheet. Drain the wakame well, shred it into long thin "noodles", then cut it into bits about 2" or 3" long.

Mix the noodles and wakame in a serving bowl.

Remove and discard the shiitake mushroom stems, and shred the caps into thin julienne strips. Peel and slice the carrot very thinly, then slice the other way thinly to form fine julienne strips. Wash and trim the ends from the cucumber(s), and slice in the same way. Any other vegetables used should also be cut in fine julienne pieces. Toss them all with the noodles.

Toss the dressing into the salad. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving (it can be kept for longer in the fridge) then sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over it and serve.

Last year at this time I made Jerk Sweet Potatoes.

Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Celeriac Fritters (& Oyster Plant Fritters)

As you can see, this is a quick and simple recipe - and yet, not so fast. I feel obliged to note that I had a terrible time getting the temperature just right. I would move the knob about a millimeter, and it would swing from "way too cool" to "way too hot" or back again. I mean, my stove does that all the time, but it seemed particularly egregious with these. Celeriac is a bit touchy, is what I'm saying. In the end, though, they were very tasty if not quite as beautiful as I would have liked.

The batter seems skimpy and runny, but persevere in mixing them as well as you can - once they are cooking it works just fine.

The bottom 2 fritters were not made with celeriac. They were made with oyster plant. This was the second year that we've grown some, although last time I just looked at them and thought, "Okay, now what?" Progress! With the spices, it was a little hard to assess their flavour. They are considerably milder than the celeriac, which was quite intense. They also had a softer and - I have to use the word - gummier texture than the celeriac. I quite liked it, but it is a texture more common in Chinese cuisine than in Western cuisine. They were more inclined to brown nicely without scorching, which I was also in favour of. I used 2 roots which yielded 1/4 cup each when grated. They wanted to discolour rapidly, so I threw them into some acidulated water while I finished mixing the batter.

6 to 8 fritters

30 minutes prep time

Celeriac Fritters and Oyster Plant Fritters

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1/3 cup potato starch

1 extra-large egg

2 cups peeled, grated celeriac

about 2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil to fry

Grind the spices together and put them in a small bowl with the potato starch and egg. Mix well, working out all the lumps.

Peel and grate the celeriac. Mix it into the batter.

Heat the oil on a griddle over medium heat. Spoon the batter into even portions onto it once it is hot. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until set and golden-brown. Add a little more oil when you turn them if it seems necessary.

Last year at this time I made Paprika Braised Cabbage.

Wednesday, 8 December 2021

Duck Strognoff with Celeriac Dumplings

Duck time! I slow-roasted a whole duck to start with, then this is one of the things I made with the leftovers. You could use sautéed sliced duck breast instead, but I looked at the price of 2 duck breasts versus the price of a whole duck, and basically I could have the legs and the rest of the duck thrown in for an additional cost of less than a quarter of the price of buying just the breasts. I just can't help being frugal even if it means I spend more money - after all, it also means I get more duck. Duck fat! Duck stock! Duck Stroganoff!

However you get your duck, this is a delicious way to serve it. I recommend adding the dill pickle, if you have it. I have to say I find I want a little sour note in my meat dishes more and more as I get older - it is so often exactly what they need.

We had a bumper crop of celeriac this year, so I am looking for things to do with it, but this would admittedly be just as good with noodles, potatoes, or rice.

4 servings

30 minutes to prepare and cook the celeriac

45 minutes prep time to finish the dish

Make the Celeriac Dumplings:

1 1/2 cups mashed boiled celeriac

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups whole spelt flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel the celeriac, putting the prepared pieces into a bowl of cold water with a bit of vinegar or lemon juice added to it. Once it is all peeled, cut it into evenly sized chunks. Cover with water and boil until tender; about 20 minutes but depending on the exact size of the chunks.

Lift the cooked celeriac into a bowl with a slotted spoon, saving the cooking water in the pot. Add a bit more water if it is not enough to cook the dumplings.

Mash the celeriac thoroughly. This can be done up to a day ahead.

Cream the butter and work the celeriac into it. Measure the flour and mix the baking powder, salt, and pepper into it. Work it into the celeriac to form a fairly stiff dough. If it is too stiff you may moisten it with a spoonful of the sour cream, but it should be about the texture of pie crust. Form the dough into 32 ping-pong ball sized dumplings. (Divide into quarters, then each piece in half, half again, aaand half one more time.)

Bring the pot of celeriac cooking water back up to a boil. Boil the dumplings for 10 to 12 minutes until firm and cooked. Drain and serve with the Stroganoff; either separately or added to their serving dish just before they are served.

Make the Stroganoff:

1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon rubbed savory OR thyme

2 cloves of garlic

225 grams mushrooms

1 large leek

2 duck breasts OR 3 cups diced cooked duck meat

2 to 3 tablespoons duck OR bacon fat

2 cups duck OR chicken stock

1/2 cup sour cream

1 medium dill pickle, diced OPTIONAL

Mix the flour and seasonings in a small bowl. Peel and mince the garlic and add it.

Clean, trim, and chop the mushrooms. Wash, trim, and chop the leek.

If using raw duck breast, cut them into 1/4" slices, and saute them in a tablespoon of fat until nicely browned on both sides. Transfer to a dish to wait. Otherwise, check your duck meat that it is free of bones and cut into neat bite-sized pieces.

Heat the fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and toss them into the fat, then let them cook for several minutes until they begin to brown. Add the leek and reduce the heat slightly. Continue to cook, stirring regularly, until the leek softens and reduces slightly in volume, but don't let it brown.

Add the little bowl of flour and seasonings, and mix in well until no white can be seen. Slowly mix in the stock, then add the duck pieces and let the mixture simmer until thickened. Mix in the sour cream (and the diced pickle, if desired), and let it heat through, but do not allow it to simmer again. Serve with the well-drained dumplings.

Last year at this time I made Lemon-Mustard Brussels Sprouts.

Friday, 12 November 2021

Cheesy Brussels Sprout Soup

This is very like the ever-popular Broccoli & Cheddar Soup, only with Brussels sprouts instead of broccoli. It's just as good, and if you are a sprouts lover, maybe even better! It's pretty rich and filling, so a little bread and butter will round it out and make it a complete meal.

Leftovers will be fine the next day, heated gently, but like a lot of green vegetable soups it doesn't keep as well as some other soups; so do not make it too far in advance. Fortunately it's a pretty quick and simple soup to make.

4 servings

45 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

Prepare the Vegetables:

2 large shallots

1 medium carrot

1 stalk celery

5 to 6 cups chopped Brussels sprouts

Peel and mince the shallots. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the celery. Set them aside together.

Wash, trim, and chop the Brussels sprouts. Set them aside on their own.

Prepare the Seasonings:

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons barley (or wheat) flour

Peel and mince the garlic, and put it in a small bowl. Grind the rosemary leaves and peppercorns with the salt, and add them to the garlic. Add the flour.

Make the Soup:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 cups water OR vegetable broth

1/2 cup 10% cream

1 1/3 cups grated old Cheddar

2/3 cup grated old Cheddar to garnish

Heat the butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, and celery, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly reduced. Add the Brussels sprouts and raise the heat slightly. Cook for another 6 to 7 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are well wilted down and lightly browned in spots. Add the bowl of seasonings, mix in well and cook for another minute or so until no white flour can be seen.

Add the water or broth and mix well. Reduce the heat to low, and let the soup simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the cream and the cheese. Stir in until the cheese is melted, and the soup is steaming hot. Serve at once, with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top of the bowls.

Last year at this time I made Quinoa Salad with Hazelnuts, Red Cabbage, & Parsley.

Monday, 30 August 2021

Confetti Potato Salad

Here's a nice straightforward potato salad, but the addition of lots of other vegetables makes it prettier and more interesting than most. And dilutes those potatoes; not the best thing for me to eat.

I made this for a picnic, and it was lovely to dish it out of a cooler in the trunk of the car, and then sit and admire a lovely lake view while we ate.

6 to 8 servings

45 minutes prep time

Make the Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

the juice of 1 large lemon

Put the mayonnaise in a small mixing bowl or jam jar. Mix in the mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly mix in the lemon juice, keeping the texture of the dressing smooth and free of lumps.

Make the Salad:

900 grams (2 pounds) potatoes

3 cups diced green beans

1 cup (2 medium stalks) celery

1 cup (1 medium) diced or grated carrot

1/2 cup diced red, orange, or yellow pepper

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup minced parsley

Put the potatoes in a pot with water to cover them well, and boil for 20 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool completely. Peel them, cut them into dice, and put them in a mixing bowl.

While the potatoes cook, wash, trim, and cut the beans into dice. Add them to the potatoes when they have about 6 minutes to cook; they should be drained, rinsed, and added to the mixing bowl with the potatoes.

Wash, trim, and dice the celery. Peel and dice or grate the carrot. Trim, de-seed, and dice the pepper. Peel and dice the onion. Wash, dry, and mince the parsley. Add these all to the salad. Toss with the dressing and keep chilled until serving time.

Last year at this time I made Batter Pizza with Squash Blossoms.

Monday, 23 August 2021

Eggplant Caponata

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian eggplant dish, and apparently sufficiently precise in the ingredients called for that any variations can usually be traced to a particular location. However, since I am nowhere near Sicily, as usual I don't much care about that, and put in all the features that sounded good to me.

The result is a tasty dish with sweet and sour tang and a salty hit from the capers or olives. It looks stewed - it is stewed, really - but it is served more as a salad, or you can pile it on nice crusty bread. It's popular to serve it with tuna, to make it more of a main dish. In that case I would omit, or at least reduce, the capers or olives. Ideally, it should be good tuna packed in olive oil, but if not, drain it well and drizzle it with a little olive oil, then mix it into the caponata.

6 to 8 servings

1 hour prep time - allow time for cooling

450 grams (1 pound; 2 medium) eggplant

2 stalks of celery

1 medium onion

1 small yellow or red pepper

2 or 3 medium tomatoes

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons raisins

1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon capers OR 2 tablespoons chopped olives

Put a pot of water on to boil. Wash, trim, and cut the eggplant into smallish bite-sized pieces, and put them aside.Wash and trim the celery, and chop it. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, core, and chop the pepper. Put these 3 things aside as a group. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for one minute, then rinse them in cold water. Peel them and chop them, keeping them separate. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet. Toss the eggplant in it and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly browned. Once it is going well, drizzle over another tablespoon of olive oil. I found it helpful to add about a quarter of a cup of water in the middle of the process to help it cook down. This will take about 10 minutes. When the eggplant is well cooked, transfer to a bowl. Wash out the pan if it is very brown and crusty.

Heat the final tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and pepper, and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. Again, I added a quarter cup of water to speed the process and keep things moist. While this cooks is a good time to clean and shred the basil leaves.

Add the garlic and mix it in for about a minute, then add the tomatoes and mix them in well. Let them cook in for several minutes then add the vinegar and raisins. Mix in, and cook for another couple of minutes until the raw vinegar odour is cooked off. Everything should look well-done and quite amalgamated. Transfer the caponata to a storage container. Mix in the basil and capers or olives, and let the caponata cool to room temperature. It can now be served, or keep it refrigerated until wanted and bring it back up to room temperature before serving.

Last year at this time I made Broccoli Salad with Vaguely Thai Peanut Dressing.

Friday, 2 April 2021

Celeriac & Mushroom Soup

Feeling a little more wintery with this recipe; but that's spring for you - up and down it goes like a yo-yo. Also, this one wins popularity more through its delicious personality than through good looks, it has to be admitted.

There's a certain amount of peeling, grating, and chopping but once that's done this is a quick and simple soup.

4 to 6 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

1 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) celeriac

1 medium carrot

450 grams (1 pound) button mushrooms

2 large shallots

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed thyme OR savory

a good grating of nutmeg

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon sherry

Wash, peel, and grate the celeriac. Peel and grate the carrot. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Peel and mince the shallots and garlic.

Heat the butter over medium-low heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the celeriac, carrot, mushrooms, and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until well cooked down and softened. Add the seasonings, the garlic, and the flour, and cook for another few minutes.

Add the chicken stock and mix it in well. Simmer very gently for another 20 to 30 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool enough to work with, then run it through a food processor or blender until it has a relatively smooth texture. Return it to the pot, and add the cream and sherry. Heat through, but do not allow it to simmer. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Clapshot Roasties.

Friday, 12 March 2021

Two Potato & Celeriac Salads

These are both salads I found in old cook books. The first one was from an Edwardian era Jewish cook book; this is the one that calls for the pickled red cabbage posted earlier this week.

The second was from the same era but French. It was called Salade Malgache, meaning Madagascar Salad. There is nothing about it that has to do with Madagascar other than that the French would have recently invaded and colonized it. Presumably the author of this cook book aimed at middle-class households approved. I have corrected the title to reflect those things. It is a nice little salad of northern European winter vegetables, and deserved better.

In spite of how pretty these two salads look together, I would in future not be inclined to serve them at the same time, given the overlap of the two main ingredients - they are a little too similar.

4 servings each

45 minutes to boil the vegetables

30 minutes to assemble the salads

Country Salad:

1 cup peeled and diced boiled potatoes

1 cup peeled and diced boiled celeriac

1 cup quick pickled red cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons red cabbage brine, lemon juice, OR apple cider vinegar

a few hydroponic lettuce leaves

Boil the potatoes until tender, with the skins on. Cool them in cold water, then drain them well and dice, peeling them if you are so inclined.

Peel the celeriac and cut it in slabs 1/2" to 3/4" thick before boiling them until tender. Cool and dice like the potatoes.

Toss the potatoes, celeriac, pickled red cabbage, oil, and brine, lemon juice, or vinegar together and arrange the salad over a few clean lettuce leaves.

Salade Bourgeoise Impérialiste:

1 cup peeled and diced boiled potatoes

1 cup peeled and diced boiled celeriac

1 cup peeled and diced boiled red beets

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 or 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

a few hydroponic lettuce leaves

Boil the potatoes until tender, with the skins on. Cool them in cold water, then drain them well and dice.

Peel the celeriac and cut it in slabs 1/2" to 3/4" thick before boiling them until tender. Cool and dice like the potatoes.

Boil the beets until tender, about 45 minutes. Cool them in cold water, peel, and dice.

Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and lemon juice together. Mix the vegetables and toss them with the dressing and half of the walnuts. Arrange them over the lettuce and sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top. (I left the beets out, and sprinkled them over the top too, to keep more contrast in the presentation; but it's up to you.)

Last year at this time I made Baked Kibbeh.

Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Bachelor's Baked Hash

This recipe turned up in a Nova Scotia cook book from 1939. Mom came over to help us eat it, and she liked it a lot - I think it reminded her of food from her childhood. We liked it, too; it's just some good, tasty comfort food. And presumably easy enough for even a bachelor to make; huh. Although the original had the ingredients put through a meat grinder, which thing most people no longer have, and I would think that cleaning it afterwards would eliminate any advantage that it would have had over just chopping and grating stuff.

Anyway, parsley and celery aren't in season at the moment, but if you have them, put them in; they do improve it. Otherwise feel free to season it up to your taste - I put in savory and paprika, but my favourite Polish seasoning would have been good too. If you are using a regular fat ground beef put in the low amount of stock; if your meat is lean or cooked you should add more. It will be a bit of a judgement call, but the end goal is to have a hash neither soupy nor too dry.

4 servings

1 hour 20 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

3 medium carrots

1 large onion

1 stalk of celery (optional)

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed savory OR thyme

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

OR other seasonings to taste

500 grams (1 pound) ground beef OR chopped cooked beef

1/3 to 1 cup beef OR chicken stock

3 medium (500 grams; 1 pound) potatoes

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons butter

Wash, peel, and grate the carrots; put them in a mixing bowl. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the the celery and parsley, if using. Add to the bowl, along with the seasonings. Crumble in the beef and mix by hand, until everything is evenly distributed and the mixture has a loose, crumbly texture.

Lightly oil a 9" x 13" or similar shallow 3 litre (quart) baking (lasagne) pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Wash, trim, and dice the potatoes. Put about 60% of them over the bottom of the prepared pan. Mix the remainder into the hash, and spread it out over the potatoes evenly. Pour over the stock.

Butter slices of stale bread well and cut it into fine crumbs, then rub the butter through them until it is evenly distributed and they are all moistened with the butter. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs evenly over the pan of hash.

Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, until the top is crispy and the broth is absorbed or evaporated. Let the hash rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Last year at this time I made Red Cabbage, Apple, Celeriac, & Belgian Endive Slaw.

Monday, 25 January 2021

Chicken, Leek & Mushroom Pie

After I made the Cheeseburgers Wellington I still had some frozen pastry, as well as some leeks and celeriac to use up. This classic pie seemed an excellent choice to put them all to work. Given how much we all liked it I have to say it's a classic pie for a reason.

I like a proper meat pie with a proper undercrust, but if you wanted to put only the one crust on top, there is no reason you couldn't do that. Maybe start checking it about 10 minutes earlier in that case.

6 servings

2 hours - 45 minutes prep time NOT including thawing pastry

450 grams (1 pound) frozen puff pastry (for top and bottom crust)

450 grams skinless, boneless chicken

3 medium leeks

1 medium carrot

1 cup peeled, grated celeriac OR 1 celery stalk

125 grams (1/4 pound) button mushrooms

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/3 cup 10% cream

Thaw the pastry according to directions. (Usually overnight in the fridge, or 2 hours on the counter.)

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Wash, trim, and slice the leeks. Peel and grate the carrot and celeriac. Clean, trim, and chop the mushrooms. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10" pie pan. Line it with one of the pieces of pastry. (Or not; see introduction.)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the leeks, carrot, and celeriac for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes. Add the garlic during the last minute of cooking, along with the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining butter to the pan, and cook the chicken in it until just seared. Sprinkle the flour over it and cook until no white remains. Slowly mix in the stock until you have a thick sauce. Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.

Layer half of the cooked vegetables in the prepared pastry. Layer the chicken over them, then top with the remaining vegetables. Cover with the remaining pastry, trimming off any excess. You can use the trimmings to decorate the pie. Poke it with a fork in a few places.

Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, until nicely browned. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Last year at this time I made Cream of Belgian Endive Soup.

Monday, 9 November 2020

Acorn Squash Soup

This is as simple a little soup as can be made; but serving it in the squash shell makes it look much fancier. I am ridiculously attracted to twee little presentation tricks, but have long since realized that while most of them look good in a photograph, they tend to interfere annoyingly with the actual eating. I'm happy to report that this is an exception. They must be handled carefully while being put in individual bowls, but even if the bowl does not fit the squash super snugly, they don't move around as I was afraid they might while they are eaten. Still, if you have a fairly snug fitting bowl, it will be better. When you are slicing the squash, be sure you are doing it at an angle which will allow the pieces to sit well and be stable.

It is important to use a good quality, home-made stock for this soup, given how simple it is, and there is no reason not to add more seasoning than I did. My home-made stock had enough good flavours in it that I didn't want to add more, but you must assess your situation. In spite of the smallish quantities involved you will likely have a little more soup than will fit in the squash shells; but leftover soup is not exactly bad news.

2 servings

1 hour 30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

1 450 gram (1 pound; medium) acorn squash

1 small stalk celery

1 small carrot

1 shallot

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 cups chicken OR other stock

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out and discard the seeds and loose pulp. Rub the cut edges with a little oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and finely chop the celery and carrot. Peel and chop the shallot. Peel and mince the garlic.

When the squash has about 30 minutes left to cook, heat the oil in heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the celery, carrot, and shallot for 5 to 10 minutes in it, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced in volume but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the stock. Simmer gently until the squash is cooked.

Scoop out the flesh from the cooked squash, leaving about 1/4" left on the shells, and being careful to keep the shells whole. Dice the flesh and add it to the soup. Let is simmer for just a minute or two, then ladle the soup into the shells and serve. If not serving the soup right away, return the squash shell to the oven to keep warm.

Last year at this time I made Braised Pork Ribs & Squash.

Wednesday, 4 November 2020

Duck Red Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage rolls are excellent for stretching a little meat a long way. I had a large cabbage, and so made 4 large cabbage rolls, but red cabbages are often fairly small and you may need to make more but smaller rolls.

It's a bit tricky removing the leaves from a raw cabbage, but I prefer to do that if it's possible, as it leaves (ha ha) the remaining cabbage in the best condition for using in other dishes. If you are desperate, though, you can put the head of cabbage into a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, then lift it out, rinse it in cold water, remove a leaf or two, and repeat as necessary. This will also take the place of the par-boiling; you just need to shave down the stem and you are ready to go.

Everything should be quite finely chopped in order to make a cohesive mixture. I think next time I might actually do the chopping and mixing in a food processor, to make it a little smoother. They were delicious in any case, and the creamy mustard sauce added just the right finishing touch. Wild rice cooked 3 cups of salted water to 1 cup of wild rice - in the rice cooker, of course - made the ideal accompaniment. It really needs a little bit of greenery by way of a parsley garnish to look really finished.

If you are just a shade short of the required amount of duck, it could be stretched with a few slices of bacon, chopped and fried with the vegetables.

4 servings

1 hour 20 minutes - 40 minutes prep time

Make the Cabbage Rolls:

4 to 8 outer red cabbage leaves

2 shallots

1 small stalk of celery

1 small carrot

1 tablespoon duck fat

2 cups diced cooked duck meat

2-3 slices (90g or 3 oz) dark rye bread

1 large egg

2 tablespoons rye flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Polish seasoning

1/4 cup duck stock

1/2 cup duck stock

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Carefully remove the leaves from the cabbage, being sure not to tear them (much). It may help to slice each one at the base to remove it from the cabbage as you work. Shave the thick stems down to a similar thickness to the rest of the leaf. Drop the cabbage leaves into the boiling water and boil for 4 minutes until softened. Rinse in cold water and drain well.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan that will hold the finished cabbage rolls snugly - probably 1.5 to 2 quarts.

Peel the shallots and chop them very finely. Wash, trim and chop the celery finely. Peel and grate the carrot. Heat the duck fat in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the vegetables until softened and reduced in volume; about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the duck meat very finely. You can use some of the skin; up to about 10%. Put it in a mixing bowl with the rye bread, also chopped or crumbled finely. Break in the egg. Add the flour and seasoning, and mix in. Mix in 1/4 cup duck stock.

When the vegetables are ready, let them cool for a few minutes then mix them into the filling. It should be thoroughly combined, malleable and cohesive.

Lay out each cabbage leaf and put an even portion of the filling in the lower centre. Fold up the bottom of the leaf to cover, then fold in the sides and roll up. Put each finished cabbage roll into the prepared pan. When they are all in, pour the remaining 1/2 cup stock over them. Cover the pan with foil (if it doesn't have its own lid) and bake for 40 minutes.

Make the Sauce:

1 tablespoon duck fat

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup duck stock

1/4 cup light cream

parsley to garnish

When the cabbage rolls have about 10 minutes left to bake, start the sauce. Heat the duck fat and flour in a small skillet over medium heat. When they are sizzling, mix in the mustard and add salt and pepper to taste. Be mindful that there is a certain amount of salt in mustard, and the stock and duck fat may also be somewhat salty. Mix in the duck stock a little at a time to make a smooth sauce, then stir in the cream. When the mixture is thickened, and steaming hot, it can be served over the baked cabbage rolls. Don't forget the parsley!

Last year at this time I made Leeks Stuffed with Ham, Cheese, & Mushrooms.

Wednesday, 28 October 2020

Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds, & Parmesan

It isn't often that I make somebody else's recipe almost exactly as written, but I couldn't resist this one when I saw it at Bon Appetit. As I was making it I realized it's actually my favourite salad formula: fruit, nuts, cheese, and oh yeah, something green to hold it all together. This is a particularly nice iteration. I cut it in half since there were just the two of us, and had a slightly heavy heavy hand with the dates and the lemon juice. We thought this was delicious, even Mr. Ferdzy who does not particularly love dates. Had been hoping to steal a few back from him, but no such luck.

They are a bit dismissive about celery at the Bon Appetit recipe. It's true that celery has ended up as an inevitable hanger-abouter in people's vegetable drawers, but it doesn't get a lot of love or respect, it seems. Too bad. Like cauliflower, it was once a very high-status vegetable in part because it was both seasonal and hard to grow, but modern agriculture has rendered it ubiquitous and familiarity seems to have bred contempt. As this salad shows, it can still really shine.

2 to 3 servings

20 minutes prep time

Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds, & Parmesan

1/4 cup almonds

3 to 4 stalks of celery, with leaves

4 large medjool dates

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (to taste)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons walnut OR hazelnut oil

30 grams (1 ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese

Chop the almonds coarsely, and toast them in a skillet over medium heat. Turn them out onto a plate to cool when lightly browned and fragrant.

Wash, trim, and slice the celery thinly. Use the leaves. Put them in your salad bowl, then pit the dates, chop them, and add them along with the almonds. Season the salad with salt, pepper, and Aleppo pepper, and toss with the lemon juice and oil.

Shave the Parmesan, and fold it gently into the salad. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Kohlrabi Soup.

Wednesday, 14 October 2020

Koresht Karafs - Persian Celery Stew

Like cauliflower, once upon a time celery was a glamorous and expensive vegetable. Then modern agriculturists figured out how to churn it out all year round. Its season here in Ontario is still relatively short, from late summer through to early winter, but its ubiquity means it rarely gets treated with much respect. Here it steps forward from it's role as supporting bit of crunchy umami, and steals the show.

Most of the recipes I referred to for this said that the longer this cooks, the better. After even one attempt I can say I disagree. I cooked mine (the celery part) for somewhere between 40 and 45 minutes, and that bordered on too long for me. As far as I'm concerned,while the celery should absolutely not be crunchy, it should also not be mushy, and a few pieces were definitely heading in that direction.

With that noted, this was surprisingly delicious. I was a bit dubious about the amounts of mint and parsley in addition to allll that celery, but it worked out beautifully. This is generally served with a Persian rice pilaf, although we had plain steamed rice. Yogurt is a nice accompaniment as well.

Authentically, this is made with dried limes. I just laughed, and ordered fresh ones. People in more civilized locations who can get dried limes should use 2 to 4 of them, and they would go in as soon as the liquid is added to the celery. They are then squeezed and removed before serving.

4 servings

2 hours - 1 hour prep time NOT including cooling time

Pre-cook the Meat:

500 grams stewing lamb OR beef

OR bone-in chicken pieces

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups water

Check and trim or cut the meat as necessary, and pat it dry with a paper towel. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, and brown the meat pieces all over. Season with the salt as they cook. Once they are browned, add the water and simmer until cooked and tender; about 20 minutes for chicken and up to an hour for beef or lamb.

This can be done in advance, and allowing the beef or lamb to cool before continuing will make it more tender.

Prepare the Seasonings:

3-4 pods green cardamom

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

4 to 5 cloves of garlic

Crush the cardamom to remove and discard the green papery husks, then grind them with the cumin, pepper, and salt. Put them in a small bowl with the remaining spices. Peel and mince the garlic, and add it to the spices.

Finish the Stew:

1 small head (6 to 10 stalks) celery

1 large onion

1 cup loosely packed mint leaves

1 cup loosely packed parsley

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

the juice of 1/2 large lime

lime wedges to serve

Separate all the celery stalks, wash them, and trim them. Cut off the leafy parts but keep them. Cut the stalks in halves or thirds lengthwise, then across into pieces about an inch to an inch and a half in length. Set them aside. Peel and chop the onion, and add it to the celery.

Wash, dry, and pick over the mint and parsley. Discard any damaged leaves and tough stems, and chop them roughly, along with the saved celery leaves. Keep a few sprigs of the herbs aside to garnish the dish.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot, and add the celery pieces and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, until softened and wilted but not browned, stirring regularly. Add the herbs, and cook for another few minutes until well wilted. Add the spices and garlic, and mix in well for just a minute or two, until well combined and fragrant. Add the broth from cooking the meat pieces, and simmer the stew for 15 minutes.

Now add the meat pieces back in and simmer for another 15 minutes. The meat should be hot through, and the celery should be tender but not soggy. Mix in the lime juice during the last few minutes of cooking.

Serve the stew garnished with the reserved herbs, and pass the other half of the lime as wedges, for anyone who wants it a bit more tart.

Last year at this time I made Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Plum Sauce.

Monday, 21 September 2020

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

An extremely classic soup, but things become classics for a reason. This is a lovely way to have cauliflower. And we seem to be well into soup weather these days, I have to say.

As an excellent variation, omit the cheese and add 1 to 2 teaspoons very good quality sweet Hungarian paprika with the rest of the seasonings. Use sour cream instead of the 10% cream.

We had this for lunch with my favourite Oatmeal Farls. Don't forget, if you want to make them too, that they need to be started the night before.

4 servings
45 minutes prep time

1 small carrot
1 stalk of celery
3 or 4 shallots
2 tablespoons finely minced chives
4 cups (1/2 medium head) finely broken up cauliflower florets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon rubbed thyme OR savory
3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock
2 tablespoons arrowroot or potato starch
1 cup 10% cream
1/2 cup grated old Cheddar cheese (optional)
a few sprigs of parsley or more chopped chives to garnish

Peel and grate or finely dice the carrot. Wash, trim, and finely chop the celery. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Wash, trim, and mince the chives. Break up the cauliflower into small florets; slice any stems.

Heat the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, shallots, and chives, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until well softened and reduced a little. Add all the seasonings. Stir in the cauliflower until all the butter has been absorbed by the cauliflower florets and other vegetables.

Add the chicken stock and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until the cauliflower is quite soft. Mash it a little with a potato masher.

Meanwhile, have the cream ready with the starch stirred well into it (lump free). Mix it in and allow the soup to almost but not quite simmer for a few more minutes until it has thickened. Stir occasionally.

Serve the soup with a couple tablespoons of grated cheese sprinkled over each bowl, and a little finely minced parsley or chives for colour.

Last year at this time I made Blackberry Walnut Salad with Herbs.

Friday, 18 September 2020

Beet Salad with Red Onions & Parsley

Beet salad with no fruit or nuts or cheese; is that even possible, never mind legal? Apparently! Without those things this is a light accompaniment to other things rather than the star of the show. However, it does that well, being light, refreshing and simple to do.

Our beets seem to have survived the early summer difficulties in the garden and there are now quite a few looking very good. I'll be looking for more things to do with them.

4 to 6 servings

1 hour to cook the beets
20 minutes to make the salad

Cook the Beets:
450 grams (1 pound) beets

Wash the beets and put them in a pot with plenty of water to cover them. Bring to a boil, and boil gently, covered, for 40 minutes to an hour, until tender. Drain and let cool. This can be done a day ahead.

Make the Dressing:
the juice of 1/2 large lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil OR olive oil

Put everything in a small bowl or jam jar and whisk or shake until well blended.

Make the Salad:
1 medium large red onion
2/3 cup finely chopped parsley
2/3 cup finely chopped celery leaves

Peel and chop the onion, fairly finely. Salt it and leave it in a strainer to drain as you prepare the rest of the salad.

Peel and dice the cooked, cooled beets. Put them in a salad bowl. Wash, dry and chop the parsley and celery leaves. Add them. Rinse the onions and drain them well, and add them to the salad.

Toss the salad with the dressing.

Last year at this time I made Vegetable-Laden Grilled Cheese.

Friday, 21 August 2020

Broccoli Salad with Vaguely Thai Peanut Dressing

We went on a pic-nic! It was an adventure; we had forgotten that not a pic-nic table in the province has been put out, and also it was a midweek day but it was an August midweek day, and the day-trippers were swarming like mosquitos.

I was sure I could take a photo of our pic-nic salad at the actual pic-nic, but just in case I took a few photos at home before we left. Good thing! We ended up eating standing up, out of the back of the car. We were pretty happy though. This salad was made the night before, apart from the onion and parsley being added in the morning, and it stood up to that and to being hauled around in a cooler for half the day just fine. Some cold baked chicken and some muffins rounded out the menu and we came home feeling like we had had a worthwhile trip; traffic, maskless crowds, table-less parks, and all.

4 to 6 servings
45 minutes prep time

Broccoli Salad with a Vaguely Thai Peanut Dressing

Make the Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce
the juice of 2 to 3 limes
a few tablespoons water to thin

Measure the peanut butter, tahini, and sesame oil into a small mixing bowl.

Peel and finely mince the garlic, and add it. Add the remaining ingredients up to the juice of 2 limes. Mix well and taste the dressing; add the juice of up to another lime if you think it is required. This is also the time to adjust the chile garlic sauce, and anything else, really. Thin the dressing with a little water, mixing well after each spoonful, until it is about the consistency of mayonnaise. Keep in mind that dressing should be pretty sharp in flavour - it has a fair bit of territory to cover once it goes on the salad. This can be made up to a day in advance and refrigerated.

Make the Salad:
4 cups finely chopped broccoli florets
2 stalks of celery
a medium carrot
1/4 orange or red bell pepper
1/2 medium sweet onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro OR parsley
1/2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts

Put a pot of water on to boil to blanch the broccoli. Wash and trim the broccoli, and cut it into fairly small florets. When the water boils, boil them for 1 to 2 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water until they are cool. Drain very well, then add it to your salad bowl.

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and chop the celery. Peel and grate or shred the carrot. Trim, de-seed, and dice the pepper finely. Peel the onion, and chop. I like to salt mine and let it drain for a few minutes before rinsing it and adding it to the salad. Wash, dry, and finely chop the cilantro or parsley - I think cilantro is the best choice, but there wasn't a leaf to be found in the garden, so parsley it was - and add that to the salad along with the peanuts. You can toss it with the dressing - although you may not wish to use all of it - or pass the dressing separately.

Last year at this time I made Greek Feta-Stuffed Peppers.

Monday, 17 August 2020

Yogurt Baked Bulgur & Vegetables

There is a somewhat surprising - to me, anyway - number of recipes for bulgur in Hungarian cuisine. This is one of them. In spite of the yogurt and egg this still seems pretty light, and I would say it needs to be served with some kind of protein. However, it does provide both the starch and the vegetable dish very nicely. There's a fair bit of chopping at the beginning, but once that's done there is no more fussing with this, which is also convenient. I find it too easy to end up with too many dishes that require last-minute work just before serving. We had some ham with this and there was nothing to distract me from carving it.

You could, no doubt, switch around which vegetables you use. I would always be inclined to keep the onion, celery, and carrot, but the beans and zucchini could be swapped out with broccoli or cauliflower, for instance.

We re-heated the leftovers in the microwave, which worked just fine.

4 to 6 servings
1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep

Prepare the Bulgur & Beans:
125 grams (1/4 pound) green beans
1 cup bulgur
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash and trim the beans, and cut them into bite-sized pieces (an inch or less in length). Put 2 cups of water in a large pot and bring it to a boil. Add the beans and cook them for 1 minute. Add the salt and the bulgur, and boil it for 1 minute more. Then, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let it rest for 30 minutes as you prepare the other vegetables.

Make the Casserole:
1 medium onion
1 stalk of celery
1 medium carrot
1 medium zucchini
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon rubbed thyme OR savory
1 teaspoon rubbed basil
1 teaspoon rubbed oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup thick yogurt

Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the celery. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and grate the zucchini. Wash and dry the parsley, and trim off any coarse stems. Mince well. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery, and cook for about 5 minutes until softened and reduced in volume, stirring regularly. Add the carrot and zucchini, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring regularly until they, too, are softened and reduced in volume. Sprinkle the seasonings over them for the last few minutes of cooking.

Mix the vegetables into the prepared bulgur. Add the minced parsley. Whisk the eggs, then whisk in the yogurt. Mix this into the bulgur and vegetables. Lightly oil a 9" x 13" shallow baking (lasagne) pan and spread the mixture evenly in it. Bake for 30 minutes until firm and lightly browned at the edges, and serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Tomato Egg-Drop Soup.

Monday, 28 February 2022

Wednesday, 19 January 2022

Monday, 17 January 2022

Wednesday, 12 January 2022

Wednesday, 8 December 2021

Friday, 12 November 2021

Monday, 30 August 2021

Monday, 23 August 2021

Friday, 2 April 2021

Friday, 12 March 2021

Wednesday, 24 February 2021

Monday, 25 January 2021

Monday, 9 November 2020

Wednesday, 4 November 2020

Wednesday, 28 October 2020

Wednesday, 14 October 2020

Monday, 21 September 2020

Friday, 18 September 2020

Friday, 21 August 2020

Monday, 17 August 2020

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