RHUBARB: THE VEGETABLE

Rhubarb’s been a bright attraction at farmers’ market tables the past few weekends while many home gardeners are trying to unload some of the perennial’s abundant harvest. Unlike the prolific zucchini though, there’s only so much rhubarb one can eat. Perhaps it’s the puckering tartness that challenges our wince limit, or that we’ve just grown tired of the typical, sugar-laden rhubarb baked good. Inevitably though, to make rhubarb more palatable, most recipes call for adding equal parts of sugar.

Yet paired with sweet Vidalia onions, rhubarb offers a naturally pleasing, mellow flavor. This recipe for Braised Onions, Rhubarb, & Sausage is very

easy and truly delicious. It’s also versatile as you can serve it for a hearty breakfast with whole grain pancakes, or as an entrée accompanied by steamed asparagus and crusty bread for sopping up the vegetable juices. Yes, rhubarb is technically a vegetable, but since it’s been “sugarified” for dessert for so long, most mistakenly classify it as a fruit.

No matter –– rhubarb is a bountiful, inexpensive, and even nutritious plant, that’s high in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. Just don’t eat the leaves as they are toxic if consumed in large amounts. Choose firm stalks of rhubarb as if selecting crisp celery. Rhubarb will vary in color from mostly red to mostly green due to the variety, but its sour flavor is virtually the same.

A mandolin helps in slicing the onions very thin, but is not required. Both onions and rhubarb have a very high water content, that when braised together create a well-balanced relish to complement the spice and saltiness of the sausage. Excess rhubarb can be simply cut up, packaged, and frozen for use in fall or winter when the yearn for a taste of spring arises.

Braised Onions, Rhubarb, & Sausage

2-4 large stalks of fresh Rhubarb

2 medium-large sweet Vidalia or Cippoline onions

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

½ tsp ground Sea Salt

2 T. Pure Maple Syrup, preferably Dark or Grade B

5 large uncooked Fresh Sausage (I used Brookford Farm pork sausage –– pastured and woodland whey fed, skim milk supplemented http://brookfordfarm.com/)

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Slice onions very thin, preferably with mandolin

Slice rhubarb thin on the bias.

Toss onions and rhubarb together with olive oil, salt, and maple syrup.

Place vegetable mixture on bottom of large ovenproof casserole that has a lid.

Lay sausage on top of vegetable mix.

Bake covered for 30 minutes.

Uncover casserole and raise oven temperature to 400°F .

Bake for another 30 minutes or until sausages are browned.

This recipe was developed by Barbara Freeman, a talented architect and excellent home cook from Newbury, NH. I originally published it in the Spring 2010 issue of New Hampshire’s Edible magazine (no longer in circulation).  

Braised Greens & Cannellini Bean Panini

It will be another month or so before New England's spring asparagus is ready to harvest. Similarly, lettuce seedlings have several more weeks to mature. Fortunately, cold-tolerant greens are readily available (even locally). Dried legumes purchased from local farms continue to be a weekly staple. (Soaking dried beans does take more time, but you are rewarded with a much better taste and texture than canned beans. That said, legumes are so very nutritious-- if you don't have time to soak your own, there is no shame in using a can of beans. I keep several cans in the pantry for my own busy times.)


So when I stumbled across this recipe in the current issue of Eating Well, I  found it very appealing as I had the two main ingredients on hand, and I am always looking for the chance to enjoy a good, meatless lunch...something hearty enough to satisfy.

Basically, the greens are braised in a large stock pot or wok along with leeks, olive oil, spices, and vegetable broth. The beans are sauteed with shallots or spring onions, garlic, and white wine, then pulsed in a food processor to thicken before spreading onto a good, dense bread, topped with greens, and ready for the panini press. The recipe yielded quite a bit so I folded the greens into the beans the next day for an appetizer served with crackers. 


RECIPE: Braised Greens & Cannellini Bean Panini
Adapted from March/April 2012 Eating Well Magazine


Braised Greens
1 1/2 pounds (about 2 bunches) hearty greens such as Kale or Collards
   (Hannaford market sells large bags of good kale, pre-washed in a pinch.)
3 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Leeks, sliced 1/4-inch thick (cut in half lengthwise and rinse out dirt)
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1 cup Vegetable Broth


Chop washed greens into 1/4-inch pieces, stalks and all
Heat oil in a large stock pot or wok.
Add leaks, stirring about 4-5 minutes.
Add salt and peppers. 
Add greens and broth.
Reduce heat and cook covered until most of liquid is gone, about 20-25 minutes.

Cannellinni Bean Spread
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Shallots or Spring Onion Bulbs, thinly sliced
2 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Dry White Wine
1 1/2 cups cooked Cannellini beans or one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
1/8 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper


Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots/onions and garlic and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add wine and cook until most is evaporated, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in beans along with salt and pepper and cook until beans are heated through for another 2 minutes or so. Lightly pulse/puree the bean mixture in a food processor.

Spread equal portions of bean spread topped with braised greens onto crusty-whole grain bread and place on pre-heated panini grill. 

For more interest, top with sliced fresh, or diced canned tomatoes, and an ounce or two of cheese. Top with another slice of grainy bread and press until hot and crispy. 

The next day I folded the leftover braised greens into the bean spread, warmed the blend lightly and served with crackers for an appetizer. This was a meal in itself! Delicious crackers from Brookford Farm, now in Canterbury http://brookfordfarm.com The crackers are made from their own grown and milled whole wheat flours, sourdough starter, butter, and salt.

Whaddya think?

The Elixir of Spring: MAPLE SYRUP

It doesn't get any more natural or local than Maple Syrup! This heavenly elixir delivers a robust, yet smooth sweetness to our palate along with a bit more nutrition than processed sugars and other sweeteners.  


Here in New England, sugaring season typically runs from late February until early April, but this year's mild winter and early spring onset may reduce normal sap flow and thus a lower syrup yield. New Hampshire Maple Syrup weekend will be held this year on March 24th & 25th. www.nhmapleproducers.com/

When I bake with Maple Syrup, I tend to substitute 2/3 cup for 1 cup of refined sugar. I also use Grade B syrup with has a richer flavor than the Grade A or fancy. Experiment with it when you make muffins or cookies.

Maple syrup is a good source of both zinc and magnesium, minerals essential for a healthy heart and immune system. It also contains many other antioxidants which can help delay or prevent diseases caused by free radicals, such as cancer. A tablespoon or two can certainly be part of a nutritious diet.
I typically make this granola recipe once a month for a healthy breakfast or snack combined with fresh fruit and yogurt or quark. Swwweeeeet!


FOUR GRAIN MAPLE NUT GRANOLA 
Makes 2 1/2 pounds, about 10 cups

3 cups rolled Oats (old fashioned)

3 cups rolled Barley Flakes (use all oats if can't find)

½ cup Wheat Germ

½ cup Ground Flax

1 cups Walnuts pieces

1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds or Pumpkin Seeds

1/2 cup Pecan pieces or other nuts

                                                                                                                                    

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Sea Salt

3/4 cup Maple Syrup, prefer B-grade dark for more flavor

1/4 cup organic Canola oil

Optional: 2 cups raisins or cranberries, or unsweetened coconut 

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly Oil two sheet pans.

2. In a large bowl, combine the barley/oats, wheat germ, flax, nuts, cinnamon and salt.

3. In a separate cup or bowl, whisk the maple syrup and oil, then pour over the oat mixture. Use a spatula to fold the ingredients together well.

4.  Divide mix between the pans and spread to an even layer.

5.  Bake the granola for a total of 45 minutes, stirring and rotating

the pans every 15 minutes. The granola will be dark golden brown.

6. Remove from oven and fold in dried fruit and coconut if you use. Let cool completely on pans before transferring to an airtight storage container. 

NOT Your Grandmother's Roast Chicken

Creative Seasoning & Recipes: 1 Chicken: 3 Meals

Roasting a whole chicken seems like a time-consuming dish reserved for special occasions. Often we buy just a couple of chicken pieces for easier cooking. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts have been over-touted as the best cuts for weight- and heart health-conscious eating. In turn, big agribusiness has responded by pumping poultry full of hormones and corn feed to produce huge chicken breasts for consumer appeal. 

In truth though, most of the fat in chicken skin is healthy, unsaturated fat; leaving the skin on when cooking allows for flavorful and tender meat. (Be mindful though that a healthy fat food is still high in calories, so limit yourself to just a small piece of that delectable, crispy skin!). Poultry's dark meat in the thighs provides a bit more iron than the lighter breast meat. 

Roasting a whole chicken provides for several versatile meal options over the course of a week and can be rather economical. The roast chicken served with vegetables is the primary meal; trimming meat from the bird and tossing it with whole grains or pastas provides for a second meal; boiling the carcass with water, herbs, veggies, and seasonings makes for a delicious, healthy chicken broth to be used for soup right then, or freezing the broth for another time. Note: If you don't have the time or inclination to boil the carcass when it's ready, you can freeze it to boil at another time.

The best roast chicken starts with a good bird, preferably from a local farm, raised humanely without antibiotics where the animal has been allowed to hunt and peck (grass fed). Poultry animals are true omnivores in that they eat worms and bugs, along with plant material. So don't be duped when the commercial poultry package you pick up claims the bird has been fed an "all vegetable diet". Most likely this means the poultry manufacturer has taken advantage of the cheap plethora of corn, and fed that soley to thousands and thousands of chickens in confined quarters (often unsanitary).

Local farmers will most likely have frozen birds for sale which will take some planning to defrost on your part for when you want to roast it. Many farmers markets in the region will have at least one farmer with frozen roasters for sale. Get to know your regional farmers who raise chickens to learn when they'll be ready for harvest and fresh for your use. If a local bird is not readily accessible, check food co-ops or green grocers for Vermont's Misty Knoll poultry www.mistyknollfarms.com/ or Murray's Chicken from Pennsylvania www.murrayschicken.com. Most likely you will pay more for these birds than supermarket specials, but you will get a much healthier product that will taste dramatically and distinctly better, AND, you will be supporting sustainable agriculture!

OK, now for a recipe! Over a year ago, I came across a great cookbook that offers 20 ways to roast chicken in addition to another 80 recipes for complimentary side dishes and soups to make from the roast chicken carcass. Mindy Fox's A Bird In The Oven And Then Some has truly made roasting a chicken a savoring event in my house! Some of the ingredients in her recipes may be new and different for you, but the end result is so worthwhile. Here's one I prepared recently, adapted from Mindy's book:

Tea-Brined Five-Spice Roast Chicken

This recipe may only look complicated, yet merely requires combining the seasonings to make a brine with tea and spices. Allow the chicken to marinate overnight in the brine. You will be in awe at how tender and flavorful it is after roasting!

8 cups Water

1 Orange

12 Plain Black Teabags 

or 1/2 cup Loose Black Tea

5 Whole Cloves

2 Cinnamon Sticks

2 Whole Star Anise Pods

1 tsp Whole Black Peppercorns

1 tsp Fennel Seeds

3 slices Fresh Ginger

(each ~ 1 1/2" long x 1/8" thick)

1/2 cup Kosher Salt

1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar

(I used Real Maple Sugar...mmm!)

1 Whole Chicken (4-pound minimum)

1.   In large stockpot, bring water to a boil.

2.   Zest the orange (avoid white pith)

3.   If using loose tea, spoon into filter bags or wrap in cheesecloth.

4.   When water boils, remove from heat and add orange zest, tea, spices, ginger, letting the mixture steep, uncovered for 20 minutes

5.   Remove tea and squeeze moisture from bags or cloth.

6.   Add salt and sugar, stir until dissolved, then squeeze juice from orange into mixture.

7.   Pull off any excess fat around bird cavity. Rinse chicken, pat dry and put in a large glass bowl.

8.   Pour marinade over the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 12-24 hours. During this time, turn the chicken a few times. (The longer brining time, the depper the flavor.)

9.   Remove chicken from brine and pat dry inside and out. Set bird on a rack and return to refrigerator, uncovered, to allow to dry more for crispy skin.

10. Heat oven to 450F with the rack in the middle. Put an 8- to 10-inch cast iron skillet, or heavy roasting pan, into the heated oven for 10 minutes.

11. Carefully remove hot skillet from oven and immediately place bird, breast side up in skillet and into oven. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn breast side down and roast for another 20 minutes. Then return bird to breast side up and roast until the juices run clear when thigh is pricked with fork, about 20 minutes. Allow bird to rest in pan for 15 minutes before carving.

DELICIOUS!

Kale Chips: They're Really Good! 

(No, REALLY!)

This week my travels took me to the Upper Valley Co-op in White River Junction, Vermont, a small, but well-stocked market with competitive prices. www.uppervalleyfood.coop The photo at the header of this blog page is of a display table at the UV Co-op overflowing with fresh winter greens for sale, most organic, and some local. I zoomed in on the curly green kale which is really nice for making kale chips, similar to potato chips, but a zillion times more nutritious. 


Kale is loaded with vitamins, minerals, key antioxidants, and fiber while being low in calorie, and always has a spot on those top super-food lists. Eating kale or similar greens --- swiss chard, collard greens --- just gives your body a nutrition boost every time you eat it!


Kale chips are super easy to make and allow for savory snacking on something crunchy and satisfying sans all the calories and starch of typical munchies.

Kale Chip Recipe

There are several different types of Kale you can use. 

I prefer to use the curly kind, red or green, because the chips crisp up nicely.

1. Trim the end stalks off a bunch of kale, wash, and spin off water, then place the curly leaf side down on clean, large cotton towel for 15 minutes.

2. Hold corners of towel and shake kale around in towel to remove any excess moisture which might cause them to wilt, not crisp. Tear big chunks of kale away from the center stem at the bottom of each leaf and place in large mixing bowl. It's OK to keep the stem intact at the top of the leaf. Drizzle 3 Tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil over the torn kale pieces.

3. Using both hands, toss kale in bowl as if tossing a salad. Massage oil over each leaf.

4. Sprinkle 1/2-3/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt over the oiled kale and toss gently with a rubber spatula. Split the kale over two cookie sheets and bake in a preheated oven at 300F for 7 minutes. Gently toss the chips on the pan, increase oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 7 minutes. (If your oven has convection setting, use that.)

5. Transfer chips to a basket or plate lined with a paper towel or napkin. Munch away! Chips best if eaten the same day. If making day in advance, keep in off oven or cabinet overnight as enclosing in a sealed container makes them wilt and chewy.

I'd love to know how you like these!

A recipe in New York Times suggests sprinkling the cooled chips with lime zest and chili powder for added flavor. 

P.S. EAT MORE KALE!   http://eatmorekale.com/

Chocolate For Heart

Chocolate is good for the soul, good for relationships (think Valentine's Day), and yes, it can even be good for the health of your heart. To benefit and enjoy a truly delicious taste, you need to select the good stuff!

DELICIOUS Cocoa Brownies are Heart Healthy Too!
(recipe below)

A little background: Chocolate originates from Cacao beans that grow on trees in tropical climates. Cacao beans are slow-roasted at low temperatures to bring out their flavor and aroma. The outer shell of the bean is cracked and discarded, leaving broken cacao "nibs". The nibs are then crushed and ground into a thick paste called chocolate liquor (does not contain alcohol) which is rather bitter by itself.  The chocolate liquor can then separated into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. 

Cocoa butter is the naturally occurring fat with a relatively good fatty acid profile. Food manufacturers often add milk fat to chocolate as it is less expensive than the cocoa butter. Unfortunately, milk fat is artery clogging.

Cocoa powder is rich in naturally occurring, heart healthy antioxidants called flavanols that help to lower blood pressure and relax blood vessels. (You want your blood vessels to be flexible like a rubber band for expanding and contracting for blood flow.) Since natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic tasting, food manufacturers Dutch-process it with alkaline, which unfortunately destroys most of the beneficial flavanols. 

Bottom line when buying chocolate:

1. Look for Cocoa butter as the main source of fat.

2. Avoid chocolates and cocoa that have Dutch or Alkaline in ingredient list as they won't contain the healthy antioxidant flavanols.

3. Skip milk chocolate: go Dark! Although, there is no true definition for Dark Chocolate here in the U.S., select based on the higher percentage of cacao in the ingredient list. Go for at least 55-60% cacao when selecting chocolate. Some brands go up to 80-90%.

4. Enjoy in moderation, an ounce or two (small pieces). Chocolate can still be high in calories and quite a bit of sugar can be added to offset its bitterness.

Double Chocolate Good Heart Brownies

In addition to the antioxidants in both the cocoa and the chocolate chips, these brownies contain heart healthy flax and walnuts, both sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. The flax adds quite a bit of moisture to the brownies, so that only a small amount of healthy canola oil is needed. 

2/3 cup Bittersweet or 55% Cacao (or higher) Dark Chocolate Chips

1/3 cup Organic Canola Oil

2/3 cup Turbinado or Raw Sugar

2 large Eggs at room temperature

2 tsp pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour 

    (I was lucky to have some from Brookford Farm, NH on hand http://brookfordfarm.com/)

1/2 cup Ground Flax or Flax Meal

1/2 cup Natural Dark Cocoa Powder (I used King Arthur)

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup chopped Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 

2. Melt dark chocolate chips in a medium-large glass mixing bowl.

3. Add Canola oil to chips and blend well. Let oil from measuring cup drip into an 8" square pan.

4. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla to chocolate/oil mixture and whisk together well.

5. In smaller separate bowl, mix together flour, flax, natural dark cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Blend dry ingredients well with a wire whisk.

6. Add dry ingredients to wet until blended. Fold in walnuts.

7. Use wax paper to spread oil from measuring cup around the baking pan.

8. Bake brownies about 20  minutes and allow to cool before cutting

Happy Valentine's Day!

Fiber Facts: Today, the Center For Science in The Public Interest www.cspinet.org/ has petitioned the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to stop manufacturers from mislabeling foods as "Whole Grain" when they're really not. For example, EGGO Nutrigrain Whole Wheat Waffles contain more refined white flour than whole wheat. Often companies add caramel coloring to give their products that more beige, whole grain look. If a package boasts "Whole Grain" on the front, look at the list of ingredients on the back to make sure the first ingredient really is Whole, not just wheat or enriched.


Sometimes just as confusing is the labeling of Fiber on food labels. Natural fiber is derived only from fruits and vegetables along with the whole intact of grains, which includes the outside bran, the inside endosperm and germ. Fiber is then classified as Soluble or Insoluble which merely refers to its ability to dissolve in water.


Soluble Fiber, such as the kind found mainly in Oats, Apples, Nuts/Seeds, Legumes, Berries,  and more, helps to lower blood cholesterol. Insoluble Fiber helps move wastes through the digestive tract to maintain regularity, and reduce potential toxins from hanging around and being absorbed. Sources of Insoluble Fiber include Whole Wheat Bread, Barley, Carrots, Tomatoes and more.

But don't get hung up so much on whether you're eating Soluble or Insoluble Fiber as most plant foods contain a mixture. The key rather, is to enjoy a diet rich in whole fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts,  and whole vegetables. The goal is to get about 20 grams of total fiber daily. (The average American only consumes about 10.) For example, a whole apple contains about 4 grams, a 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, about 3, and a 1/2 cup cooked legumes contains about 7 grams. What's on your plate today?