(Wisconsin) Food Bloggers have the best recipes...

In my newness to food blogging, I think I neglected to search out food bloggers closer to home for too long. I remedied that last week when I googled Wisconsin food bloggers, and eventually found Peef and Lo at Burp! Where Food Happens. True to my form, I immediately found several recipes that I bookmarked for later uses, and some for beets that I couldn't wait to make. After my bean obsession weekend, I was happy for some veg food, and Sunday evening I decided to make the beet risotto from their site. (Note that you'll have to click a recipe link after reading the post! They are great cooks, and Computer Savvy!)

This photo was actually taken by me. Peef and Lo do have a similar one on their beet borscht post... I guess there are just so many ways to photograph a plethora of beets. I got these three varieties from Highcross Farm.

I couldn't wait to try this recipe. That Highcross Farm produce is so overwhelmingly lovely, I couldn't dream of tossing away the beet greens, and this recipe incorporates them all for what I'm imagining to be a super healthy, antioxidant red risotto. I opted for using toasted walnuts and blue cheese, but they list several nice parings for cheeses, we are in Wisconsin after all...

If you love beets, you will really love this dish! I love the combination that I used, and though I made it Sunday, it is still good today. I'm betting, I can get a couple more days out of the leftovers, and I'm glad I did have a taker for some of the bounty. Had I been in a beet loving household, I probably would have made this as a side alongside another dish, since it was so rich, but I'm not really sure what. It has such

a specific beety taste, that it would require something on the milder side to complement it. It was fantastic on its own.

I love how easy it is to connect to other foodies now that I decided to de-hermitize myself and go online. While I wouldn't

say I'm introverted, I do tend to stick to myself - and sometimes I feel a little bad about obsessing over food with my Husband, who tends to eat to get full (mostly on the non-picky side, and mostly on the non-veg side) and then prefers to obsess over sporting events. I'm glad that we are different, but I'm glad to share some of my excitement with others that appreciate it in the same way I do. I catch myself wondering if my little boy-o will take after me in the beet loving department, however. I would be so happy if he had a broad little palette in the near future... and I could have someone to eat beets and leftovers with.

We are heading into the great Northwoods tomorrow through the weekend to visit family. Cooking will most certainly ensue. I'm planning a couple of bring along suppers to share and a couple pounds of Alterra Coffee for my Uncle. It somehow always feels like I'm going home to enter the piney wilderness of my youth. It's funny that when I'm in the city, I love the benefits of grocery shopping and social activities...but give me two or three days back where I came from and I find myself aching never to return here. A paradox I think, but good to know that the wilds are still in me, somewhere. Even if most of the time, they are hidden from view.

The Christmas Lima: (or in Which I Confirm my Love of Rancho Gordo)

As promised, here is a photo-heavy documentation of my first encounter with Rancho Gordo beans. And let me tell you, they are worth the hype. I am known to read cookbooks like novels, and in this particular book (Heirloom Beans), Steve Sando states that he often lovingly refers to people like me as "bean freaks". Last week while perusing his blog, he mentioned that there are people on flickr posting photos of shipments of beans! Yes, I had to look. My favorite was a shot of a girl with a pound of beans on her head; one of the comments read, "And, um, you have beans. On your head. Isn't there a pool for that or something?"

Head over there and take a look, I'm not joking.

All obsessiveness aside, I received a pretty high accolade from my non-foodie Husband when he said that this was one of my top meals (actually, he added here, "EXCEPT for the BEANS", which I did see him eat some of, and he did go on to say the broth was excellent. I smugly noted that the broth would not taste like it did if not for the beans, so I'm counting it as a win.)

Since the recipe, as far as my short Google search is concerned, is not posted on the Internet and the recipe is actually gifted from Farm Restaurant at Carneros Inn in Napa, I don't feel entirely confident in recording it here. Instead, I'll urge you to purchase the book, either directly from Rancho Gordo or at Amazon. If the following photos look good to you, the book will most certainly be a welcome addition to your kitchen.

Now, on with the dinner!

Carneros Inn's Christmas Lima with Pork Chops, Cabbage and Asian Pear Relish

Yesterday morning, I actually got up when it was still dark, too excited to go and soak my beans that I couldn't go back to sleep. Bean Freak? Yes, I think so. I washed them thoroughly, and soaked them for about 6 hours. Meanwhile, I went to the last South Shore Farmer's Market of the season. While my beans were not local, most of the other ingredients were: Just look at this cipollini onion!

I've never seen one larger than about a shallot, let alone the size of my hand! I love this farm, Highcross Farms from nearby Cambellsport, WI. I have to say that consistently they have the nicest and most reasonably price organic produce I've ever seen. I'm hoping to see them at the Winter Farm Market, and may even get a CSA share from them next year, and be done fretting about my sunless gardening efforts. I stocked up on the sweetest yellow carrots (which I roasted whole last week, and my Husband ate them and liked them!) as well. There was a carrot in the ragout.

I cannot remember the varietal of cabbage I got, I loved it though. The recipe called for Savoy, and this is related to the Chinese cabbage I think. I may braise the rest, since GOP did that the other day - and I was jealous, even though she though it made her house smell like a tenement building...

The easiest ever pear relish: chop one Bosc or Asian pear into 1/8 inch dice, add 1/2 t. lemon juice and some salt and pepper and chopped chives. I actually forgot to put in on top of our meals until after a couple of bites, and I was glad I remembered. It added a nice sweet dimension, and intensified the chestnuttiness of the Lima's.

It reminded me of one of my favorite appetizers this summer, when I was at Sasa's for dinner. She cut slices of ripe pear, and served them with Pecorino cheese. There happened to be a bag of Kettle Salt and Black Pepper chips on the table, and we ate them topped with the pears and cheese. Delicious!

When I threw the pork chops on the grill, I added the cabbage so it could wilt. I love the color of the bean broth, a deep chestnut red-brown.

A side note about the bread: Today is day 4 of this loaf, and it is still amazingly good. I really think that King Arthur mix I used on a whim is going to become a staple. It has got the nicest, deep grainy flavor, without being overly chewy. That is a good thing for a 3 year old, of whom I worry about choking hazards with. I was running errands the day I left it to rise, and it got enormous. Though it looks like it may weigh 5 lbs, it really was as light as a feather.

Very excited now, as the cabbage wilted and I added a bit more salt and pepper. Also, couldn't be more pleased with my gas grill which makes such an easy task of outdoor cookery. The last time I tried to use my charcoal grill, I was trying to light the silly thing for 90 minutes. That is not an exaggeration. I ended up cooking the food inside.

The finished dinner. Both of our plates were suspiciously clean after mopping up all of the juices with the bread. Jeff just had about 10 beans left in his bowl. I figure the nutrition was gleaned out of them, however.

And today for lunch I had the meat free version as promised to myself (though technically, there was a little bacon in the bean pot...) I scooped on a healthy amount of the pear relish, and I think it may have even improved overnight. I often think this is the case with beans, and they are really at their best at days 3-5 of their refrigerated residence. In fact, next time, I may even make the ragout one day prior, and just grill the meat the day of. Or, just eat it as a soup.

May you all be as inspired to eat beans, be they Rancho Gordo or not! I know that this is the tip of the proverbial iceberg for me concerning dear RG...with a whole new book full of inspiration. I forgot to mention that the book is published by Chronicle Books, one of my favorite publishers. They have the nicest photography and layouts, and those two things work well with cookbooks. Recent Chronicle cookbook favorites include The New Whole Grains Cookbook and Cupcakes!

I am so fortunate that this whole beany obsession hit just now when we are really in a cold Autumnal mood. What better way to take me through the winter than slow cooking. I love to press my hands to the top of the red Le Creuset as I pass by to warm up. Winter is the best time of year for us Kitchen Types!

Rancho Expectations

Yesterday, I got my first order of Rancho Gordo beans: and yes, I was actually looking out the window and saying "YES! The beans are HERE!!" when the UPS man came to the door. I was that excited.

It's no secret that I love beans. I grew up on pintos, mostly, but a bean of some kind was usually around in various soups and sides. For his birthday two years ago, I gave my little brother a brown t-shirt that says "Powered by Frijoles", and I have to say, I should have gotten myself one too, since I'm jealous when I see him in it.

GOP ordered the same gift box that I ordered, and got hers just slightly before mine. I'm guessing a friendly competition will ensue to see what we come up with. She is lovingly saving some beans for planting in the spring...but since I'm somewhat disheartened by the lack of sunlight (and thus growth) on my backyard plot, I don't know if I will be that virtuous.

Since I've been fortunately employed in the home for the past several years, I love experimenting with different methods of doing familiar things, and already the Heirloom Beans book has given me some good new things to try.

Indeed!

I think there are a lot of interesting places in the world, culinarily speaking, and if I were able to travel more, I think I would still have this opinion: We in the Americas have some pretty diverse and amazing foods! My Gram took that idea a bit farther when I remember her often saying "There's a little bit of all the world in Wisconsin." Maybe that is a little more true for the gardeners like her (that could even occasionally cultivate melons up in the high zone 4 region), since the heart of most places is directly related to the foods consumed there.

While I may feel a slight pang of guilt from the ordering the local foods of California instead of Wisconsin, I am still overwhelmingly happy to support Rancho Gordo on the quest to propagate more people into the bean eating population. And not to over look the completely amazing packaging!

Those Christmas Lima's in the upper left are my first project, I'm planning them for dinner tomorrow with pork and savoy cabbage, an amazing looking recipe from the book. Sometimes, I think an obsession with an otherwise overlookable thing is just what I need. The Rancho Gordo descriptions of beans online do not fully compare with the natural pattern and beauty of the real thing. A true miracle to find the flat, purple and cream beans actually in my hand.

My next order of business will be to order a clay pot cooking vessel. For some reason, it is infinitely easier to depart with my money for this kind of thing, than for say, clothes or plastic trash bags. I have the same t-shirts and jeans for the past 5 years, and while that sometimes is frustrating, I just have to buy BEANS! and now CLAY POTS! Please check out the Rancho Gordo blog for some great links to clay pots from a couple of recent posts - I'll probably end up ordering from one of his recommends. For now, I'll have to be satisfied with my my LeCrueset 5 1/2 quart round oven... which I do love, and use almost daily. I'm sure an obsessive and pictorial tale will follow my first dining experience with Rancho Gordo, so stay tuned. I know I'm not going to be disappointed.

Quickbread (part one.)

Yesterday, I searched for a better Banana Bread recipe. This happens a lot, since I have all the intentions of eating bananas, then before I know it - they are spotty and black and begging for a new life in quick breads. Last week though, I made them into Nikki's Healthy Cookies, from food blogger 101 cookbooks. I have them frozen for moments of cookie needs... and they are users of 3 bananas, and no refined sugar. See? I really am trying to be better.

So, after much searching, I finally found this recipe for Whole Wheat Banana Bread: and I came across it in a strange manner. Every recipe I perused up to this point had lots of butter. I love butter, but I was searching for healthier options. All recipes also seemed to have way too much sugar as well, which I don't normally have a problem with, but you know, I'm trying to be Better.

It helps too that my Mom is looking for baking recipes that are using less or no refined sugars. I have a task, and I am up to it! I found a forum of people discussing healthier banana bread options at seriouseats.com. A commenter included a link for the following recipe. I did alter it slightly, so I am posting my version below. My little picky boy-o loved it, and I loved it. Better yet, absolutely no guilt is involved.

Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Bread

1 loaf

  • 1/3 c. oil (part can be converted to applesauce,according to a poster at serious eats, but I used canola oil)
  • 1/2 c. brown rice syrup
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 mashed bananas
  • 1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour (King Arthur, of course)
  • 1/2 t. kosher salt
  • 1 t. baking soda dissolved in 1/4 c. hot water
  • 1/2 c. chopped walnuts.

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat oil and honey together in a large bowl. Add eggs and mix well, then stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt, then add baking soda to hot water and stir into batter. Fold in chopped nuts.

Spread batter into "prepared" pan (I opt always for cooking spray with flour. Normally, I am against such things, but it really does make life so much easier.)

Bake for 55-65 minutes, until tester comes out clean. Try to wait at least a half hour before cutting into it.

I think in the next occasion of overripe bananas, I will tweak this recipe using my two favorite additions from the Alton Brown banana bread recipe. To date, his is by far my favorite. (All about Alton has the recipe by weight: Bread of Life has it listed by measure.) He uses oat flour in his, which is a miracle, I think, for adding softness. But the true marvel is that he also adds almonds and almond extract which is seriously my favorite flavor ever. If you are looking to impress, and not eat healthy in the privacy of your own home...make Alton's banana bread.

I think the whole wheat version is really delicious however, and the brown rice syrup is the key I think. If you were to use honey, as the original recipe wished, I think it would be too sweet. I love honey, but if I was going through the trouble to make a healthier recipe, I figured why not try the brown rice syrup? It is made (according to the Lundberg Farms label) by simply boiling down brown rice. It is great, and really does taste a little like sweet, nutty brown rice.

I originally bought it for making Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Peanut Granola, which is very tasty and perhaps my third batch after watching that episode is happily residing in my freezer.

I hope you have luck with this healthy version of banana bread. I am actually going against all my personal thoughts on cake and bread storage and storing this, wrapped in foil, in the refrigerator. It is just so moist, that I can't see getting my normal 6-7 days out of it! I'm also planning to toast some, since I think that the almost pudding like interior will stand up to it.