FUEL2: June 2020

Sunday, June 14, 2020

PICKLED GREEN TOMATOES

Pickled Green Tomatoes

Active

Time Time

15 Mins 24 Hours

By ROBBY MELVIN

Total Time

24 Hours 15 Mins

May 2020

Yield

Serves 8

Chill

Enjoy tomatoes well past summer with a few jars of these tangy Pickled Green Tomatoes stored in your pantry. All it takes is a quick and easy brine and a little bit of jarring time. Made with six simple ingredients, this homemade vinegar mixture works magic in a canning jar to create a tomato pickle that would make your Grandma proud.

The tomatoes you select for canning are just as important as the brine. With farmers’ market stands drowning in tomatoes it’s important to bring home the right batch. When purchasing green tomato selections for pickling, choose ones that are about the size of a baseball or smaller. Larger tomatoes tend to be tough and

bitter and won’t absorb he brine as well.

If we’re being honest, the hardest part of the recipe may be portion control. Once your pantry is stocked, it’s almost too easy to pop open a jar and upgrade an everyday recipe. Toss them into a potato salad, turn them into a relish, mince them into a homemade salad dressing, or layer them into a sandwich or burger. Or, keep it simple and snack on them straight from the jar. As long as you’re actually using a clean fork, not your fingers, to fish them out of the jar, we won’t even judge if they don’t make it to a plate.

Ingredients

1 1⁄4 cups rice vinegar

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

How to Make It

Stir together 1 cup water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring

2 tablespoons kosher salt

3 basil sprigs

1⁄4 cup thinly sliced shallot (from 1 medium shallot)

1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 pound small green tomatoes (about 4), cored and cut into 1/3- inch-thick slices (about 4 slices each)

to a boil over high, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Place basil, shallots, crushed red pepper, and green tomatoes in a 32- ounce canning jar. Pour vinegar mixture over green tomato mixture in jar. Cover with a tight-fitting lid; chill 24 hours. Store in refrigerator up to 2 months.

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

Bread-and-Butter Pickles

Hands-on Time

55 Mins

Total Time

4 Hours 25 Mins

Yield

10 (1-pt.) jars

By SOUTHERN LIVING August 2019

When you’re craving a snappy bite or a couple of fresh slices to add some zip to a sandwich, you’ll want to reach for bread-and-butter pickles. While we’ve been known to shell out for a jar at the store, it’s much more cost- effective, delicious, and fun to make your own.

Once you try a bite of a crisp and flavorful homemade one, you’ll never go back to the store-bought stuff. Let us convince you: This easy pickle recipe will ensure you have a store of pickles ready to go for whatever occasions arise. Whether you’re packing sandwiches for a picnic, throwing together a quick dinner, or making a bite at lunchtime, these bread-and-butter pickles will be the

perfect complement for all your snacking this season and all year round. The recipe requires just a couple of steps and only eight ingredients, most of which you probably already have on hand. It will also use up all your leftover summer cucumbers, ensuring none go to waste. Hands-on time for this recipe is about an hour, and the pickles will be ready to nibble in just over four. This recipe makes a great summertime activity for the whole family—round everyone up in the kitchen and get to pickling today!

Ingredients

6 1/2 pounds small pickling cucumbers, cut into 1/4- inch slices (about 33 cucumbers)

How to Make It

Step 1

Combine cucumbers and onions in a very large Dutch oven; sprinkle with salt, and add water to cover (about 18 cups). Cover and

4 large sweet onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pickling salt

5 cups white vinegar (5% acidity)

4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seeds

1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

let stand 3 hours. Drain well. Rinse with cold water.

Step 2

Combine vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, turmeric, and cloves in Dutch oven; cook over medium heat 5

minutes. Add cucumbers and onion; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Step 3

Pack hot

cucumber mixture into hot jars, filling to 1/2 inch from top. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process, in 2 batches, in boiling-water bath 12 minutes; cool. Chill pickles before serving.

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Monday, June 8, 2020

THE SILVER PALATE APPLE CAKE

The Silver Palate Apple Cake

The Famous Silver Palate Apple Cake Recipe ~ Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso are the dynamic duo that wrote the definitive cookbook of the 1980s, The Silver Palate. The Silver Palate Apple Cake is one of the most beloved recipes from the book, and it just screams Fall.

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 15 mins

Course: DessertCuisine: American Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground mace I used nutmeg
1 1/4 c. walnuts chopped
3 tbsp. Calvados I used brandy because they didn't have one of those cute tiny bottles of Calvados at the liquor store
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. whole wheat flour sifted
3 1/4 c. coarse chunks of peeled apple

glaze

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Calvados or brandy
1/4 cup sweet cider
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F
Grease a 10" round cake pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the vegetable oil and sugar until thick and opaque. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together all-purpose flour, cloves, cinnamon, mace, baking soda, and salt, then stir in whole wheat flour.
Add the dry ingredients to the oil mixture and blend. Stir in walnuts, apple chunks, and apple brandy. Stir to distribute pieces evenly.
Pour into a greased 10 inch round cake pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake rest for 10 minutes, then unmold and pour glaze over warm cake or cut cake and pour glaze over slices. (note: I used a 9 inch spring-form pan and cooked it almost 10 minutes longer)
To make the glaze, mix the ingredients together in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and cook 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour while still warm over warm cake.

SILVER PALATE GINGERBREAD

Silver Palate Gingerbread

1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsps baking soda

1 1/2 tsps ground ginger

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl. Add egg, sugar, and molasses. Mix well.

Pour boiling water and the oil over mixture. Stir thoroughly until smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Set on the middle rack of oven and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top springs back when touched and the edges have pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan.

Lemon Glaze

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Mix together (don't cook) and pour over warm cake.

If you're not a fan of lemon glaze, dust your cake with confectioner's sugar and a dollop of whipped cream.

Or, if you want to take this to the ultimate level, candy some lemon zest, and top the lemon glazed cake with a dollop of whipped cream and some candied lemon zest.

Here's Martha Stewart's recipe for Candied Lemon Zest

Ingredients:

6 lemons, scrubbed
2 cups sugar

Directions:

Using a vegetable peeler, peel zest from lemons. Use a knife to remove any white pith; cut zest as thinly as possible.
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add zest; blanch for 1 minute, drain, and rinse under cold water.
In another medium saucepan, combine sugar and 2 cups water; bring to a simmer. Cook until sugar dissolves completely, about 2 minutes. Add lemon zest. Simmer until translucent, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; let zest cool in syrup. When cool, transfer zest and syrup to an airtight plastic container.

Makes 1 cup

Can be rolled in sugar for sparkly zest.

THREE ONION CASSEROLE SILVER PALATE

Three-Onion Casserole (adapted from The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, 1985)

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

4 leeks, tough green ends cut off, well rinsed and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups grated Havarti (I used Dill Havarti and enjoyed the extra boost of herbs. I was unsure of how much solid cheese to buy at the store, but found that a smallish 1/2-pound block of Havarti made more than enough)

2 packages (5 oz. each) Boursin, crumbled

1 1/2 cups Gruyere, grated (one 1/2-pound block was enough; I couldn’t tell and bought two, which cost me dearly but gives me an excuse to make fondue soon)

1/2 cup dry white wine

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13″ baking dish with 1 Tbsp of the butter. Layer a third of each of the onions in the bottom of the dish and season with salt and pepper. Top with the grated Havarti. Create another layer of onions, seasoning again with salt and pepper. Top this layer with the crumbled Boursin, distributing it as evenly as possible. Layer the last third of the onions and leeks on top and top with the grated Gruyere. Dot the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter on top and pour the white wine over all. Bake for 1 hour, covering the dish with aluminum foil after 30-45 minutes or when it is sufficiently browned to prevent the top from burning. Serve immediately (but makes fabulous leftovers).

MOKA DUPONT FRENCH ICEBOX CAKE

Moka Dupont: A French Icebox Cake By Dorie Greenspan

YIELD 8 servings

30 minutes, plus at least 3 hours chilling

When my Paris friend, Bernard Collet, told me about this cake, a favorite for over 60 years in his family, I was expecting something tall, soft, frosted and fit for candles. I expected a gâteau but got an icebox cake: four layers of cookies held together with four layers of frosting. The cake, originally a back-of-the-box recipe, was created for a French tea biscuit called Thé Brun, but I could never find them, so I used Petit Beurre cookies. Lately I can’t find them either, so I use old- fashioned Nabisco Social Teas. You can use whatever cookies you’d like, but they should be plain, flat, square or rectangular. Depending on the size of your cookies, you might need fewer of them; depending on how big or small you make the cake, you might need to juggle the number of layers or the amount of frosting. It’s a recipe made for improvisation.

TIME

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature

1⁄2 cup/100 grams plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 large, very fresh egg (preferably organic, since it will not be cooked)

3 ounces/85 grams bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1⁄2 cup/120 milliliters hot espresso (made fresh or with instant espresso powder)

64 Nabisco Social Tea Biscuits (from 1 12-ounce package), or other plain, preferably flat cookies

Grated chocolate, for decoration

PREPARATION

Step 1

Before you start assembling the cake, decide on the size you want. I make a cake that’s 4 cookies wide, 4 cookies long and 4 layers high. Choose a plate to build and serve the cake.

Step 2

Make the buttercream frosting: Put the butter in a small bowl, and beat it with a flexible spatula until smooth. Add 1/2 cup sugar, and beat again with the spatula until it’s thoroughly incorporated. Separate the egg, putting the yolk in a cup and the white in a small bowl. Whip the white until it holds soft peaks using a mixer or, for a short but strenuous exercise, a whisk. Give the yolk a quick whisk, just to break it up, then stir it into the white.

Step 3

Add the egg to the bowl with the butter, and using the spatula, stir and fold until blended. Scrape in the melted chocolate, then stir and fold again until the frosting is homogeneous. (It won’t be perfectly smooth.) Taste the buttercream, and you’ll feel grains of sugar on your tongue — that’s the way it’s meant to be.

Step 4

Pour the hot espresso into a wide, shallow bowl, and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Step 5

One by one, drop each cookie into the espresso, count 3 seconds, flip it over, count 3 seconds more, then place the espresso-soaked cookie on the serving plate. Continue until you have your first layer of cookies in place.

Step 6

Using a small offset spatula or a table knife, spread a quarter of the buttercream over the cookies, working the cream to the edges of the cookies. Build 3 more layers of dunked cookies and smoothed buttercream. Top the last layer of buttercream with grated chocolate.

Step 7

Refrigerate the cake until the frosting is set, at least 3 hours. The cake can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Once the frosting is set, the cake could also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. To serve, simply let it defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or at room temperature for about 1 hour.)

OVEN FRIED PATATAS BRAVAS WITH TWO SAUCES

Oven-Fried Patatas Bravas (Crispy Potatoes With

Two Sauces)

By David Tanis

Y I E L D 4 appetizer servings

30 minutes

Served with spicy salsa brava and garlicky allioli, crispy hot patatas bravas are traditionally served in tapas bars throughout Spain. The salsa brava is made with pimentón, the smoked Spanish paprika sold as picante (hot) and dulce (sweet). Some cooks include a lot of chopped tomato, but my friends in Madrid tell me they prefer this version, which looks a bit like rusty gravy. As for the allioli, you can mount it by hand with a whisk, or use a stick blender as most Spaniards do. Though patatas bravas are typically pan-fried on the stovetop, I came up with this easier, oven-fried method. The potatoes emerge beautifully browned and crisped, and their flavor is sensational cooked in extra-virgin olive oil. This is not fancy fare. Grab a fork and dip the hot potatoes in both sauces for the optimal experience.

TIME

INGREDIENTS FOR THE POTATOES:

2 pounds yellow-fleshed or russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks

Kosher salt

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 head garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

FOR THE SALSA BRAVA:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon pimentón dulce, or use sweet paprika

1 teaspoon pimentón picante, 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

PREPARATION

Step 1

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put potato chunks in a large bowl, season generously with salt and toss to coat. Leave for a few minutes to let potatoes absorb salt. Add olive oil and unpeeled garlic cloves and toss to coat well. (Don’t skimp on the oil; it can be strained and saved after cooking for future use.)

Step 2

Transfer potatoes (and garlic cloves) and oil to a large cast-iron skillet or heavy roasting pan. Make sure to have potatoes in a single layer without crowding. (If necessary, use two pans.) There should be a good 1/2-inch oil in the bottom of the pan. Add more if required.

Step 3

Place pan in oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until potato chunks are well browned on the bottom. With a metal spatula, carefully turn chunks over. Reduce heat to 400 degrees, and continue roasting until potatoes are well browned and crisp, about another 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 4

While potatoes are roasting, make the two sauces: For the salsa brava, put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and let sizzle without browning, then stir in flour and let mixture

1 cup chicken broth or water 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar Kosher salt

FOR THE ALLIOLI:

2 egg yolks

4 garlic cloves, pounded, finely minced or grated

1 1⁄2 cups extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and black pepper

sizzle. Stir in tomato paste, pimentón dulce and pimentón picante, then add chicken broth gradually, stirring well as the sauce thickens. Bring to a gentle simmer, add vinegar and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has a gravylike consistency, but isn't too thick. Thin with a little more broth or water, if necessary. Season with salt to taste.

Step 5

For the allioli, put egg yolks and garlic in a mortar or small bowl and whisk together. (Alternatively, use a mini food processor or stick blender, see note.) Add oil a few drops at a time, whisking vigorously with each addition. As the sauce thickens, add olive oil a teaspoon at a time. If the aioli gets too thick, whisk in 1 tablespoon water, then continue to whisk in remaining oil. The finished sauce should have the consistency of softly whipped cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 6

When potatoes are ready, use spatula to transfer to a pan lined with paper towels to blot, then to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve warm with the two sauces.

Tip

To make in a blender or food processor, use 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk instead of only yolks. Drizzle oil in a thin stream with motor running until the sauce thickens, which takes only a minute or so. Transfer to a small bowl, then thin with a little water and season with salt and pepper.

LEMON-BLACK WALNUT BREAD, SILVER PALATE

Lemon-Black Walnut Bread

This recipe is from The Silver Palate Cookbook, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins (Workman, 1982).

Mike Petrucelli for NPR

Makes 2 loaves

1/2 pound (2 sticks) sweet (unsalted) butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated lemon rind

3 cups cake flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

Pinch of salt

1 cup shelled black walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter two loaf pans (9-by-3 inches) with 3 tablespoons of the butter.

In a mixing bowl, cream together remaining butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then stir in 1/3 cup of the lemon juice and the grated lemon rind.

Combine cake flour with baking powder. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Then add half of the milk, another third of the flour mixture, remaining milk and remaining flour. Do not overmix.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites and pinch of salt together until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites and black walnuts gently into the batter.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake on the middle oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean.

Cool bread slightly, remove from pans, then cool completely on a rack.

Boil the remaining 1/3 cup of the lemon juice, water and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar together in a small saucepan for 2 minutes.

Drizzle the lemon syrup over the loaves and let them cool completely before wrapping.

SILVER PALATE EASTER CHEESECAKE

EASTER CHEESECAKE

FOR THE CRUST:

1 cup graham crackers crumbs (prefer fresh)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:

2 cups sour cream

3 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature

3 eggs, lightly beten

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of 1 orange or lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

Combine the crumbs, walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add butter (might use a little less) and toss to combine. Reserve 3 tablespoons of graham cracker mixture for the top of cheesecake and press the remaining evenly into the bottom and 1 1/2-inches up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

Process the sour cream, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and salt in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Add vanilla and orange or lemon zest and process just to blend.

Bake the cheesecake for 50 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved topping over the cake and bake until the filing is firm and top is lightly golden, 10-15 minutes more.

Let cool completely. Remove side of pan and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 10-12 servings

Source: Silver Palate Good Time Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

CORNBREAD DRESSING

Cornbread Dressing

Easy to make buttery Cornbread Dressing is LOADED with flavour! Deliciously moist, light and fluffy with a perfect crispy, golden crust.

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

55 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

1 batch cornbread
4 slices day old bread cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 pound (250 g) sage pork sausages casings removed and crumbled (optional -- substitute with chicken)
7 ounces (200 g) brown mushrooms sliced
1 large onion chopped
4 stalks celery chopped
1 green bell pepper (capsicum) seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
5 large cloves garlic, minced (or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup butter melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Chop pre-baked cornbread into 1-inch pieces. Place into a large mixing bowl; set aside.
Heat half of the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the sausages over for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the cornbread.
In the same pan, add the remaining oil and add the mushrooms, onions, celery, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
Transfer mixture to the bowl with the cornbread. Add the stock and melted butter, mixing really well with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has been absorbed.
Pour the dressing into a 9x12-inch baking dish.
Cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

SILVER PALATE POT ROAST

Silver Palate Pot Roast

3 1/2 lbs Beef Shoulder or cross-rib roast, rolled and tied

1 Tsp freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 Tbl best quality olive oil

1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock

2 Cups dry red wine

1 bunch of parsley, chopped fine, plus additional for garnish

1 Tsp salt

7 Whole cloves

2 1/2 Cups corsely chopped yellow onions

2 Cups peeled carrot chunks, 1-inch chunks

8 Medium size potatoes scrubbed and cut into thirds

2 Cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, with juice

1 Cup diced celery

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Rub roast with pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy casserole, sear roast for several minues on each side, browning well.

3. Pour in stock and wine and add parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper and the whole cloves. Stir in onions, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and celery. Liquid in casserole should just cover vegetables. Add additonal beef stock, if necessary. Bring to a simmer on tope of the stove, cover and bake in center of oven for 2 1/2 hours.

4. Uncover and cook longer, until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours, basting frequently.

5. Transfer road to a deep serving platter and arrange vegetables around it. Spoon a bit of sauce over all and garnish the platter with parsley. Pass additional sauce in a gravy boat.