Saturday, October 30, 2010

Subscriber's Exclusive - In Season


Photo By Mozarts Nose
Here's a peek at what my subscribers get each Saturday.  Email me at mozartsnose@gmx.com to join in!

~~~~~~


Whether or not you subscribe to a CSA, you'll get the best tasting of things by shopping seasonally.  Here's what I got in my CSA this past week, as well as some alongside inspiration. I'll be sending these out each week on Saturdays, so we can 
plan next weeks meals together.


Arugula - Pumpernickel Sandwich with Ham, Sweet Potato Apple Spread, Cheddar, Dijon and Arugula

Broccoli - Minced Roasted Broccoli with Walnut, Roasted Garlic, and Lemon Pesto over Spinach Salad

Bok Choy - Boy Choy Sauteed in Coconut Oil with Coconut Flakes and Raisins

Carrots - Savory Date Carrot Spread with Roasted Peanut Topping

Cauliflower - Wine and Sage Brown Butter Poached Salmon and Cauliflower

Delicata Squash
Garlic
Green Apples
Green Cabbage
Kale
Lettuce
Onions
Persimmons (Fuyu)
Potatoes
Spinach
Turnips, White
Raisins 
Rutabaga 

Want to see the rest? Email me at mozartsnose@gmx.com

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Acorn Squash Pesto Fingers

We got three acorn squash from the CSA this week. Here's how I made use of one of them. I'm throwing this into my Thanksgiving dinner recipe arsenal. If you get these from a farm, be sure to not only rinse them off, but use a vegetable scrubber to get in the ribs as dirt tends to build up there.  While minerals are an important part of dietary health, I don't recommend eating them as the ideal method of intake. Either way, rinse these well!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice acorn squash as shown below.  Be careful and use a sharp knife, the rind can be tough. Coast both sides with olive oil and S&P.

Photo By Mozarts Nose



Roast for about an hour, turning half way through. Then serve with your favorite pesto, store or home-made.

Photo By Mozart's Nose


Saturday, October 23, 2010

Subscriber's Exclusive - In Season

Here's a peek at what my subscribers get each Saturday. 

Whether or not you subscribe to a CSA, you'll get the best tasting of things by shopping seasonally.  Here's what I got in my CSA this past week, as well as some alongside inspiration. I'll be sending these out each week on Saturdays, so we can plan next weeks meals together.

Photo By Mozart's Nose
~~~~~

Acorn Squash - Baked with Sauteed Onions, Minced Roasted Turnips and Sweet Italian Sausage with Red Wine Vinegar Vinaigrette

Apples, Yellow Delicious - Yellow Grapes and Apples and Slivered Kohlrabi with Curry Yogurt Dressing over Green Leaf Lettuce

Almonds - Fresh Almond Meal and Orange Peel Scones

Arugula - Pomegranate and Roasted Beets over Arugula with Herbs du Provence dressing

Broccoli - Creamy Curried Broccoli Soup

Carrots - Carrot Salad with Red Onion Mustard Confit

Cauliflower - Brown Butter over Roasted Cauliflower with Cheddar, Beer, and Red Onion Fondue

Chard
Grapes, Yellow
Green Tomatoes
Lettuce
Kale, Baby 
Kohlrabi 
Onion, Red 
Pomegranate 
Potatoes, Purple 
Turnips 


Want to see the rest? Email me at mozartsnose@gmx.com to join in!


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Many Blessings Broccoli Pomegranate Salad

Many Blessings Broccoli Pomegranate Salad

Be sure to wear an apron when removing the seeds from the pomegranate fruit! I halve it with a knife and then, gently breaking apart and splitting open, remove the seeds as I go.

Photo By Mozart's Nose
Serves 2 (large portions)

2 cups of minced raw broccoli
2 handfuls of pomegranate seeds (one fruit usually has 6-8 of these servings)
4 cups of red leaf lettuce, in a rough and wide chiffonade

For the dressing

2 (really heaping) tsp lemon zest, from an organic lemon
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar, I use Fini brand
1 and 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp caraway seeds (aids digestion of the raw broccoli)
S&P to taste

Photo By Mozart's Nose
Mix half of the dressing with the broccoli.  In each bowl make a “nest” with the lettuce, add broccoli to the middle and sprinkle pomegranate seeds, concentrating some in the center of the salad.  Pour the remainder of the dressing around the edge of the lettuce “nest.”

If leftovers, store the broccoli mix and pomegranate seeds separate from lettuce.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Cold Comfort Chicken Soup ~ For Cary

This is a soup that you save up for during the year. Three chicken carcasses stewing across the day. For me food nourishes more than body; it also feeds soul and spirit - the bones boiling for each. Light a candle to sit out and burn all night, making this soup with bones saved.

3 chicken carcasses with meat like leftover legs and other dark meat
3 quarts of water
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
2 small bay leaves
1/2 onion, cut into several chunks
2 large carrots, broken in three
3 garlic cloves in their skins
1/2 tsp whole pepper, wrapped in cheesecloth so its easily removed before serving

Photo By Mozart's Nose
Combine everything, bring to the boil.  Simmer for three hours, remove everything from stock.  Pick off meat from bones, set aside.  Continue to simmer for one hour, till reduced by half. Add -

1 small onion, diced - Simmer until translucent, approx 15 min. Add -

3 medium carrots, diced - Simmer approx 10 min until just about soft. Add -

1/4 cup of small pasta, Simmer approx 10 min, until done. Add -

1 tsp Chili Powder
1 bouillon cube, preferably Rapunzel brand.
Cayenne Red Pepper, to taste
S&P, if needed.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Chinese Five Spice Baked Apple Sauce

Photo By Mozart's Nose
I love baking apples - I don't have to "watch the pot" and it concentrates the flavors.  This apple sauce is great on pork, as a side, or as dessert.

This is enough for two good sized servings. Our family is still small!

2 apples cored - one good for sauce, one good for baking
This way its a good mash, but still a little chunky with bites of apple.


1 T water or apple juice

Bake at 350 degrees for approx 30 min., longer if you like more mush.

Then out of the oven (or toaster oven, in my case) -
add 1-2 T salted butter (I lean towards two, but I always lean towards a bit more butta), maple syrup to taste and Chinese Five Spice, approx 1/4 tsp or to taste. Depending on the apple, you'll want more or less maple syrup, but TASTE as you go, because you can't go back!

Salt if needed.

If using this on pork or other savory dish, add a bit of dijon mustard!

Monday, October 4, 2010

The Best Broccoli Salad

Photo by Mozart's Nose
I just came up with something tasty and darkly beautiful - red leaved lettuce and balsamic vinegar contrasting with the fresh calm greening of raw broccoli. The dressing is olive oil, balsamic vinegar, caraway seeds, coriander, lemon zest, and S&P.  So easy and surprisingly, almost floral, but still with the front of the tongue zing.

I'm supposed to be working on other things today, but I couldn't help but share my discovery. Now back to work...formal recipe and picture to come...


First Laureates!

Mozart's Nose has its first Laureate members, Holly and Winston! For their donation they will get a "blog book" - a full color printing of the last year's worth of Mozart's Nose posts. They also receive premium benefits off and on the site and priority access to me in my personal chef capacity.

With their donation I have purchased the domain name mozartsnose.com.  We are so much more than a blog!  I am also commissioning business cards, I hope this will help Mozart's Nose have a more localized reach.

Want to know more about being a Laureate?  Look for a post coming soon or contact me directly by writing to Kate at mozartsnose@gmx.com!



Sunday, October 3, 2010

Subscriber's Exclusive - In Season

Photo by Mozart's Nose
Here's a peek at what my subscribers get each Saturday.  Email me at mozartsnose@gmx.com to join in!

~~~~~~


Whether or not you subscribe to a CSA, you'll get the best tasting of things by shopping seasonally.  Here's what I got in my CSA this past week, as well as some alongside inspiration. I'll be sending these out each week on Saturdays, so we can plan next weeks meals together.




~ Carrots - Mashed Chili-Style Carrots
~ Corn - Fresh Corn Polenta with Basil and Goat Cheese
~ Cucumber - Cucumber Creme Fraiche and Summer Sausage Tea Sandwiches
~ Eggplant - Roasted Eggplant, Garlic, and Bacon Crostini
~  Grapes - Grape and Orange Peel Compote over Pork Tenderloin

...