Stove-top Ratatouille

We moved to a small town in Northern Arizona

 about 18 months ago. 

I needed a change of pace and a better housing situation. I'm still close enough to the city that I can take a short day-trip if I need to be in Phoenix for work meetings or TV shoots, but far enough away from the crazy heat and hustle of the city to enjoy a more country life.  I've always been a very simple gal, and I don't really need anything fancy. It's been a perfect fit and we're thriving here. It's a whole new world.  We bought an acre and are really enjoying the cooler weather and totally different growing zone for our garden as well.

Many of you are aware of my avid love of gardening and this new part of the state has been just what this gal needs. We've had a couple of very successful gardening seasons compared to Phoenix where the heat is just relentless and well...evil. This year, around March, my youngest son (now 17 years old and in college) helped build a greenhouse to extend our growing season a lot and also to get experience with a greenhouse ecosystem. He's seriously considering a career in Botany and Horticultural Science...and I couldn't be more thrilled about that! So really the greenhouse is for school right? I mean I learn something everyday and this has been a learning experience for sure. 

So here's the journey. We started with a 16 foot by 20 foot greenhouse kit. Some good soil, 100 cinder blocks and lots of anchors (about 6K pounds worth of cord and screw-in-the-ground things) to keep it from flying away in our very, very windy mountain town. 

Face worked really hard to make this happen. 

Then we installed soak hoses and planted all the seedlings that we had been nurturing inside under the grow-lamps. We planted 3 carrot varieties, beets.  Peas that will climb. There are 25 varieties of heirloom tomatoes.  There are herbs like mad for my shenanigans in the kitchen including basil, cilantro, tarragon, dill, oregano, thyme, lemon balm, chives and 3 varieties of sage. I also wanted to try my hand this year with leeks. 

Things started to grow really well! 

We even put in solar powered lamps so I could just weed in the middle of the night if I wanted to do so. Don't judge me. I really love being in this place. Sometimes I say I'm weeding, but I'm just sitting out here reading a good book or listening to some good Gospel tunes. It's really good for my soul. 

Now everything is pretty huge! We had to take out the zucchini and we're putting in our second crops for Fall. Other things like the broccoli have bolted like mad, but I'm saving the seeds so I'm just using the extra leaves for coleslaw and low-carb enchilada or lasagna bakes. Our cilantro went to seed so I harvested the large branches with seed pods to dry for spices and also to replant seeds in the spring (or indoors during the winter). 

As our adventures in gardening continue I decided that I really needed to be a chef and actually make a version of Ratatouille that didn't require using and oven. I wanted one that also used a lot less oil than most traditional recipes, since they tended to be heavy. So with our Japanese eggplant, zucchini and honkin' huge load of heirloom tomatoes coming into full ripeness...this was a must! 

Pick the eggplants young and tender to avoid lots of thick seeds and to minimize the sponge effect it has on oil in cooking. If you aren't growing your own tomatoes, be sure to pick firm and ripe varieties. I used both large chopped tomatoes as well as the smaller cherry varieties. 

We have a few things outside the greenhouse too...

Face built a few grow-boxes in the yard. There is space for all his side projects. Yes. He built all of these from scratch. I'm so proud. 

Now. For the recipe...

My Stove-top Ratatouille 

1 medium globe eggplant, peeled, coarsely chopped

1 large zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 large onion, halved, sliced ½ inch thick

1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pints cherry tomatoes

2 large tomatoes, chopped 

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh torn basil leaves 

Directions:

Toss eggplant, zucchini, and 2 tsp. salt in a colander. Let sit 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. 

Heat oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high. Add eggplant and zucchini and cook, stirring constantly, until vegetables begin to take on color, about 10 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook another 5 minutes until clear. Add thyme and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Cover and slow cook on very low heat for 10-15 minutes more. 

Transfer to a serving platter and top with basil.

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Episode 41. We Grow Ours Radio Show!

This week I visited my friends  Nick and Don over at We Grow Ours (Episode 41)  and had a blast talking with them about the benefits of good food in your food storage. 

We Grow Ours radio show is centered around teaching people how and why to grow their own foods. Rabbits, Quail, Aquaponics, Gardens and many other methods. We talk to those doing this and learn new things everyday. Come learn with us as we look into food safety, NON-GMO foods, fun ideas and more. Preppers, gardeners, conservatives, and everyone. We all come together to rally around our food, and our food freedoms!

Check them out here! Xoxo!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Comforting Farmer Beans and Greens with Cornmeal Mush

About this time last year I had been down and out with a horrible flu for several days.  I never really ask for help or dinners...but when a friend showed up out of the blue with a warm and comforting meal for my family it made a huge impact on me. One, because I am a huge push-over for a homemade meal and two, because it was an unsolicited gesture of good-will...towards me. I've spoken of Lisa often on the blog (yup she's the Lisa from evil tarts...), as we've gone through some of the same trials, experiences, and personal victories. I've seen her battle through some personal demons...and she's cheered me on when others have totally shunned me (for whatever reason).

Just saying...I'm thankful for Lisa's true heart and friendship.

 That's what this meal is about today. It is a warm and comforting reminder to me that no matter what, I have a recipe and a meal to remind me of friendships that are warm during the "winters" of my life.  I hope you have friends like that. I feel blessed that I do.

Today, out on the farm (Our Farm Adventures!), we have some great chard and greens coming into season. Arizona is awesome for this! We've also had some killer beautiful spinach.

 I've also been messing around with my favorite white beans of all time. Again. Still. Forever.
They just aren't leaving my kitchen. Ever.  They are called "Mortgage Lifters". Thank you Dove Creek Bean Company. I love you. They are available here locally at our Honeyville store in :Chandler, Arizona.

 By the way, those who are out of town, La Paloma does not have a website. You can order directly from the owner, Mike Coffey, 970-677-2445, PO Box 552, Dove Creek CO, 81324. They grow 10 different varieties of heirloom and antique beans. All of them are amazing!

...when they're cooked they are the size of my thumb. They taste like a giant navy bean.  Awesome for this recipe. Just awesome.

My Beans and Greens
3/4 lb spicy Italian sausage, crumbled out of casing (or 1 cup freeze dried sausage, hydrated with 1 cup hot water)

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 cup minced onion (or 1/4 cup dehydrated onion, hydrated)

2 1/2 cups cooked navy beans or Mortgage lifter beans ( 1 can, drained)

1 lb mustard greens, Swiss Chard, or Spinach ( washed and chopped)

1 cups diced peeled tomato (canned works) or 1/2 cup dehydrated tomato powder and 1/2 cup water

 Chef Tess Romantic Italian Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)

Directions: In a 12 inch deep skillet, cook the sausage until cooked through. Add the garlic and onions. Saute until the onions and garlic are clear, and lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Cook covered 10 minutes until greens are tender. Season generously with salt and fresh cracked red pepper to taste.

I serve them over this cornmeal mush. I love it instead of mashed potatoes...and it is perfect for this crazy cold winter.
 

Buttery Corn and Cornmeal Mush

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup cold tap water

1/2 cup sweet corn, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1T sugar (optional)
1/4 cup butter
3 cups hot tap water

Directions: In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and cold tap water. Meanwhile, in a 2 quart pan, combine the corn, salt, sugar, butter, and hot water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating, add the cornmeal mixed with the cold water. Combining the cornmeal with cool water before adding it to the boiling water keeps the cornmeal from lumping up when it hits the hot water.  When the water and cornmeal boil, reduce the heat to low. Allow the mush to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it is nicely thickened.

Serve a portion of the cornmeal mush topped with some of the Beans and Greens.

Top with shredded Parmesan cheese if desired. 

We served this dish in our bean class today and it was well received by all! That's a good sign darlings!

There you go! Have an amazing day. Think warm thoughts. Cook something comforting. Life's winter will not last forever. Love and friendship...well, if they are true...will never end.


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

 

Sweet n Hot Coconut Lime Saigon Wings with Peanut and Plum Asian Slaw

Monday is usually the day I outline a few amazing things you can do cooking with simple basic ingredients from your food storage of happiness. Today isn't an exception. I visited my parent's house in Utah and we had a wing "throw down" that was intense! My Brother in law's wings will be tomorrow...But today we'll be using some of the fresh stuff from my family's garden and some of the goodies we have tucked away to make this magnificent dinner o-glory and love. Yeah baby! It's a totally amazing twist on the normal hot wings we have and my gosh...I love how the crunchy smoky crusting melts into the tender savory Asian lime and ginger rubbed wings. It's a flavor fusion that even the kid liked! The kicker was the sweet kiss of honey and the heat of the chile...incredible!

 Couple that amazing Saigon wing symphony with this Peanut and Plum Asian slaw and you will just start dancing in your kitchen. It's got savory fresh fennel, lemon basil, green onion, cabbage, crunchy dehydrated puffed carrots and peanuts with a perfect balance of sweet from freeze dried pineapple, fresh plums and homemade peach jam. It's then finished with a nice coconut milk, lime and sesame dressing...Are you ready for this?

 Let's start with the wings.

You will need:

2 lbs chicken wings, skins removed if possible

 Wayzata Bay  Saigon Seasoning 

Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East Spice Blend

3T honey

2 tsp sesame oil

smoked paprika

1/2 cup coconut flakes (unsweetened)

You will also need a Large sheet pan and a metal oven proof rack that fits the pan. 

Wayzata Bay Saigon Seasoning is available at Honeyville Farms stores. I fell instantly in love with it!

 I can't be sure if it was the lime and coconut combination in conjunction with the ginger, anise and coriander...or if it was just a brilliant cousin to my Wise Woman blend...

However...these two together proved to be a brilliant match for flavor.

Sprinkle generous amounts of the Saigon seasoning on the chicken and lightly dust with my seasoning.  Place on an metal rack on top of a sheet pan (with sides to catch the drippings). I bake my wings and I find this method helps keep them really crisp.

Drizzle the seasoned wings with honey...

Sprinkle with sesame oil. Sesame oil adds a bit of a smoky flavor...so you don't want to substitute here. It will totally change the flavor. In fact, when you taste a smoky hint in Chinese food...this is usually the magic ingredient. Mmmm. Sesameeeee.

Look at those babies! I'm seriously drooling. I shouldn't drool this long after making them but honey...they were so good!

Sprinkle with smoked paprika if desired.

Then take a few teaspoons of coconut and use the honey as glue to hold the coconut to the wings.

Bake 400 degrees 35-40 minutes until cooked through and crispy. We made the salad while they baked. It worked out perfectly.

Now for the magical dancing slaw of happiness...

Peanut Plum Asian Slaw
1/2 cabbage
3 fresh plums
1 small fennel bulb, sliced fine
1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped rough
3/4 cup  Honeyville Dehydrated Carrots  
1 cup Honeyville Freeze Dried Pineapple  
Dressing:
1/3 cup lime juice and zest of one lime
1/3 cup  Lucero Crushed Mandarin Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2/3 cup soy sauce
2 T Sesame Oil
1/3 cup peach jam (we used homemade)
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped cilantro and 1/4 cup chopped lemon basil
1/2 bunch green onion
1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed

 It started with a short trip out to the garden where we got crazy! Thank you daddy for having this ready for me to play with. I love visiting a home where the grocery store lives outside the back door! Don't you?!

We pulled some green onions and jalepeno and some herb-age.

 The cilantro was a little loved...but we got what was left!

Dad had some gorgeous fennel bulbs going strong. They are perfect thinly sliced in an Asian slaw...and I couldn't stop myself from ripping this bad-boy-bulb out of the earth. Loooook at it. It's like a bulb-acious-babe. Wow. I just coked my head to the side like on Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and said, "Bulb-acious-babe." Now...how odd is that? Don't answer. For Pete's sake...I'm totally aware of how odd I am.

Oh...and a moment of silence for home grown lemon basil of happiness. It made my heart sing. Ya know, like Elvis singing Now or Never...but to a plant. "Oh lemon basil...you are the queeeeen. Kiss me my darlin'. Be mine tonight!" Resist the urge to put this between your teeth and do the fandango across your kitchen floor...or not.

 The fresh plums came to us straight from Bountiful Baskets via Honeyville Farms in SLC. Thank you Lisa Barker for setting that up for me! Xo. They were gorgeous...oh...and the cabbage came from them too.

So...thinly slice the cabbage. Thin...because nothing ruins a slaw more than surfboard size cabbage planks. Yikes.

 Baby fine slices on the fennel bulb-acious-ness as well. Ya know...because we want it to be a garnish not a hair-do. We want it to mingle like a suave French-man at a swanky party...but in your salad...and without any random kissing on ladies.

 Combine all the salad ingredients in a large bowl... including the dehydrate carrots (yes I know they're dry...but the Honeyville ones are crispy and fluffy like carrot candy...so they won't break a tooth.)

You can add the jalapeno to the salad dressing or to the salad. It's your choice.

 Look...Isn't it pretty already?

Bwahaha! Now add the plums...

and the peanuts...

Now...the Freeze Dried Pineapple you can do one of two ways. You can  re-hydrate the pineapple separate in a bowl with hot water...or you can do what I do.

 Mix the dressing ingredients with a whisk:

Add the dry Freeze Dried Pineapple and let it soak up the dressing to hydrate it. UM yum. The coconut milk with the pineapple and the...oh...dang it...I popped.

Mix into the salad. Very technical-wizard-like...but I think you can do it.

Serve with the wings....and pass out too. 

There you go! Excellent food storage and fresh garden fusion 101. Keep on cookin' folks.
Your friend,
Chef Tess.