Rhubarb Rosemary Ice Cream, By Genevieve.

http://hamsandwichindicted.blogspot.com/2011/06/rhubarb-rosemary-ice-cream-ah-may-zing.html

SALAD AS A MEAL: Four week challenge recap

I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Salad as a Meal challenge and having the opportunity to connect with the other bloggers who are wonderful food-loving writers. I'll list the links to their food blogs at the end of this post. Though the end draws nigh, I am not sad because I'll continue to use this amazing cookbook and blog about the recipes.  My favorite recipes to date have been the Vietnamese Chicken, Socca and the Potato Galette. I was most surprised with how filling the Rancho Salad is and that I took a liking to peas because of the Spring Salad. There's a dozen more recipes I intend to make throughout the summer using herbs and vegetables from our garden. Watch for future Salad as a Meal blogs, but for now, I have an idea.... read below to learn what the next round of blogging entails.  

 Thanks everyone for following and commenting. And don't forget, Sunday April 17,  I'll be posting the final winner of a copy of Salad as a Meal. Good luck!

And the winner is.... Deborah Thompson

Good Narrative. Good Recipes.

I love stories. Especially when they involve food and/or travel. In my opinion, a good cookbook MUST have a good story behind it.  If it doesn't, I lose interest in everything about it, including the recipes.  One thing I'm most fond about Patricia Wells's cookbooks is their readability. She's a fine story teller and goes to length to include the history or background of a dish. Her opening narratives are welcoming, as if she is having you to dinner, yet still read like fine prose. Not what one might expect from your average cookbook, but something I've come to appreciate and admire about hers.  

I've been enamored with Patricia Wells's cookbooks for the past decade. They've taught me a lot about technique and the reasons why it is important to do things certain ways. Some techniques stick, others... well, let's just say I'm not always good at following directions. But I'm getting better. The first of her books I purchased 14 or 15 years ago was Simply French. I love French cuisine, but let's face it. French cooking comes across rather intimidating, especially to novices.  Wells spent several years in the kitchen of the great, Michelin-laden Chef Joel Robuchon, translating his craft into recipes that can be used in "everyman's" kitchen. This everyman has used every one. Successfully and unsuccessfully. Simply French taught me the processes and principals of cooking, which help make complex recipes more approachable. I read this cookbook years before I ever owned a copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. So to my mind, Patricia taught me to cook. I am presently revisiting this cookbook because my culinary skills have significantly evolved since I first bought it. Not to mention, I'm better at following recipes.  I'll probably end up blogging about this.

At Home in Provence, a collection of farmhouse recipes is indeed my favorite of her cookbooks. It squashes that idea that French food should be drowned in oil and heavy sauces. They can be, but not always. The cookbook is loaded with flavorful, aromatic, homey recipes and luscious photography. She also uses an occasional rebellious technique, as far as traditional French cooking goes. My kinda cooking!  Chapters are dedicated to pastas and salads and breads, proving that French cuisine can be relaxed, yet abundantly flavorful. This particular book inspired a series of classes my sister and I will teach this spring and summer at Upper Arlington's Lifelong Learning; one of the country's largest adult enrichment programs. View the link here, if you'd like to register.

One of the more recent additions to my cookbook collection is, Bistro Cooking, which was published way back in 1989 and contains 200+ recipes from bistros and small family run restaurants throughout France. It's a simple, well-written cookbook with recipes that exude the warmth and coziness brought to mind by the word "bistro." I embrace Wells's preference for hearty, homier recipes and this book does not disappoint. I'll be trying my hand at a ratatouille recipe this weekend. The first I'll be making since buying the cookbook, because I have been busy for the past month participating in a cookbook challenge celebrating Patricia Wells's new book, Salad as a Meal. 


I just participated in a month long challenge making at least three recipes per week for four weeks from the Salad as a Meal cookbook (SAAM). I will not go into too much detail here as there are about a dozen blogs just prior to this entry about the extremely fun and gratifying experience that I and seven others were selected to blog about.  Like her other cookbooks, SAAM offers a fun, story-telling narrative with stories about each recipe, where they came from or a little about the region. Overall this cookbook's recipes show a huge range in the definition of salad, with which I wholeheartedly agree after making nearly twenty of them. When it comes to fabulous story telling and darn good recipes Patricia Wells continues to be my culinary hero(ine)!!
SALAD AS A MEAL challenge wrap-up tomorrow!

Provençal Ham & Cheese Bread - by Mandy Jones

My sister, Mandy (with whom I teach cultural-culinary classes) ended up getting a copy of the Salad as a Meal cookbook and (aside from the socca and chicken salad we made together two weeks ago), her first go at a recipe was the Provençal Ham and Cheese Bread, which has been on my radar from the start. She has so kindly sent over her pictures and comments for blogging purposes.  In her words:

It was a cinch to make...took about 5 minutes to prepare and get into the oven.  I set the time for 25 minutes like the book called for but it took an additional 5-7 minutes longer.   We used low sodium ham because of my diet restriction and it was still yummy, but the lack of extra salty flavor was obvious.  Next time, I'll use regular ham.  The olives gave it a nice kick against the subtle Petit Swiss Cheese. For a little extra zing, my husband Brian added a splash of Tobasco to his piece. Because of its egginess, it seems like a breakfasty type of bread to me. However, I'm eating it for dinner!  And we're drinking a California zin with it... The Prisoner.  OMG...such a heavenly wine. It's so bold, but smooth.  Love, love, love it!  My new fav!!

Thanks Mandy, for participating in the challenge! I will eventually make this bread and will be sure to use regular ham. Also, I believe I saw a picture of a bottle of The Prisoner on one of my fellow blogger's site. Beth- from Dining & Dishing- apparently likes it too.  

Click here to purchase: 

Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season [Hardcover]

Week Four of the Salad as a Meal Challenge: Hummus

I HEART HUMMUS and have made it countless times over the years, so to whip up this recipe was going to be a cinch...   or so I thought. Once again, it was the pilot and not the plane. The recipe is fabulous, but I overloaded the blender with too many chickpeas and realized I didn't have my food processor handy, so it turned out really thick initially. However, after packing it up in containers, taking it home and reprocessing it with the proper blending tools, the hummus turned out DELISH.  Suppose you'll see a theme this week too. I've been on a chick pea kick and made the Socca (chick pea crepe) recipe from Salad as a Meal cookbook.
One thing I can say is that I enjoyed following the recipe for a change. In a decade of experimenting with hummus, I've made really good batches and some awful ones.  In my early hummus making days, I often went too heavy on the garlic but we've remedied that.  Sometimes, in the summer, I make it very lemony. A personal preference. This time I just followed the firections and it turned out traditional and beautifully smooth and tasty. Drizzle a little oil on top with some cilantro. Just add pita. Perfect for dipping. I saved some of the thicker hummus from the early batch to use as a spread on pita pocket sandwiches, which went over well. I'll certainly use this Salad as a Meal recipe as the base for my future hummus endeavors-- of course, adding more lemon at times and possibly adding bits of chopped roasted peppers or garlic.

This is one the recipes several of us latched onto. Click my fellow bloggers names to see how their versions of hummus turned out: Hillary Davis of  MarcheDimanche and our lovely Beth of Dining and Dishing.

Socca It To Me: Chick Pea Crepes

Photo: Mandy Jones. All rights reserved.

Socca (chick pea flour crepes) transports me to another time and place. Anyone who has eaten Socca somewhere in the French Riviera will admit the regional specialty can become seriously addicting. I can't imagine a better way to spend an hour than sitting in the Nicoise market with a pile of peppery socca and a goblet of local rose. 

In fact, all I spoke of before our trip to Nice this past December was how I can't wait to have socca. I now chastise myself for waiting almost the entire first week before indulging in some (although I was feasting on other fabulous delicacies- like duck terrine). But, we more than made up for it in the subsequent 2 weeks.  I lived and studied in Nice. Travel to Nice for vacation. Conduct tours through the French Riviera and Provence.  I've eaten socca all over the region and well into Italy. It's not all the same. My favorites remain in Nice.  

Nothing beats a plateful of ragged torn-up bits of socca from Chez Thérésa in the Nice flower market. Her famous crepes are made a few blocks away in the restaurant and carried via bicycle to her fire breathing 50 gallon drum from which she serves eager customers until they run out. Then there's Lou Pilha Leva, tucked in the heart of Old Town, where tourists and locals chow socca and pissiladiere (onion tart) while sitting elbow-to-elbow at picnic tables. It's an authentic street food experience, but the best socca (in my opinion) in Nice, is Chez Pipo, near the marina, where they serve massive soccas 'raked' across the top for extra crispiness. Worth the effort to visit.

Socca is traditionally baked in a huge copper pan in the oven, which is why they aren't commonly made at home. Also, socca are much crispier than regular crepes, therefore no filler required. I would describe them as thin pancakes with crispy (sometimes even burnt) edges and burnt bits in places. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a heavy handed dose of course, ground black pepper.  Let there be socca.

Photo (steel pan): Mandy Jones.

Photo (steel pan): Mandy Jones.

I was excited to see this recipe in Salad as a Meal. Before reading Patricia Wells's description of salad, I might not have ventured to refer to socca as 'salad', but with her expanded definition, I agree this is a light and refreshing meal. No matter how full (or not hungry) I might be, there's always room for socca. I enlisted my sister Mandy, who also has been to Nice, to help whip up a few batches. She and I are teaching a series of cultural-culinary courses at Upper Arlington's Lifelong Learning this spring and The Great Crepe Escape (register online) is our first. Socca is on the menu, so this was good practice. We'll likely use the SAAM recipe in class.

We made several batches in a variety of pans able to withstand 450 degrees in the oven.  The best success came with our regular steel crepe pans, which we heated for 5 minutes in the oven before pouring the batter. KEY--- a sizzling hot pan ensures even cooking.  That's they way they do it in France. We also tried a using less and more batter. Our third batch turned out quite good and we chose to cut the socca neatly into triangles (as the Italian do) rather than tear it apart.

EXPERIMENTAL BATCH IN A PAELLA PAN

Photo (Paella pan): Shawnie Kelley

As I read the intro to Patricia's recipe, I learned she uses a custom made copper socca pan, about the same size as a paella pan. Light bulb! I have one, so I made a batch in our paella pan, which would have turned out good had there been more batter to make it slightly thicker and pancake-like. Edges crisped up nicely and it tasted OK, despite being too thin. 

Photo (Paella pan): Shawnie Kelley

I've used several socca recipes over time and the Salad as a Meal recipe turns out as tasteful as those you can buy in a Provençal market. It might take trial and error to get them to the proper consistency, but it's a worthy and delicious undertaking... 
 * Find chick pea flour at Whole Foods or Indian grocers, like Patel Brothers on Sawmill Road here in Columbus.

My fellow bloggers who also made socca are Kate Kurtz of Urban Food Producers and Hillary Davis of Dimache Marche, who also made the falafel from the cookbook. It all turned out lovely.... Shelby Kinnaird of DiabeticFoodie blog had to trek far & wide to find chick pea flour, but has joined the Socca Club with a blog offering the most nutritional information of us all. 

Click here to purchase: 

Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season [Hardcover]

On the Eighth Day of Salads...

One of my fellow bloggers, Hillary Davis of MarcheDimanche made this recipe and took the mouthwatering pictures. Click here to read what Hillary had to say, but I'm thinking this might be a great recipe to use up Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.

Photo by Hillary Davis. all rights reserved

Poached Turkey Breast Salad

with Lemon, Capers, Cornichons &Mint

My good friend Carol Allen so raved about this cold marinated turkey breast, I had to ask for the recipe! I have  adapted it a bit and find that the simplicity and ease of poaching a whole turkey breast makes it ideal for salads for a crowd. And if you are not a crowd, a portion of the poached turkey can be sliced thinly and dressed while the rest can be cubed and used in any recipe calling for poached or roasted chicken. Serve this with a simple

tossed green salad.

12 SERVINGS

EQUIPMENT: A 6- QUART STOCKPOT; AN ELECTRIC MEAT SLICER OR A VERY SHARP

CHEF’S KNIFE.

1 boneless turkey breast (about 4 pounds)

1 large onion, halved (do not peel) and stuck with 2 cloves

3 carrots, chopped

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

2 tablespoons coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

A 1- inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled

4 plump, moist garlic cloves, peeled, halved, and green germ removed

6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Marinade

Grated zest of 2 lemons, preferably organic

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup extra- virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon imported French mustard

6 small spring onions or scallions, white part only, trimmed, peeled, and cut into very thin slices

12 Cornichons (page 290), thinly sliced

1/2 cup Capers in Vinegar (page 289), drained

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, cut into a chiffonade, for garnish

1. Place the turkey breast in the stockpot and add enough cold water to cover by

1 inch. Remove the turkey to a platter. Add the onion, carrots, bay leaves, salt,

peppercorns, ginger, garlic, and vinegar to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Carefully lower the turkey into the pot, reduce the heat to a bare simmer, and poach,

covered, for 1 1/4 hours.

2. Remove the pot from the heat and let the turkey cool in the liquid, uncovered, for

30 minutes.

3. Drain the turkey and discard the poaching liquid and solids.

4. Prepare the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, juice, oil, and

mustard. Stir in the spring onions, cornichons, and capers.

5. Place the turkey in a sturdy resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade into the

bag. Seal the bag and turn it back and forth to coat the turkey. Refrigerate for at

least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

6. At serving time, remove the turkey from the bag, reserving the marinade, and place

it on a cutting board. With a meat slicer or a very sharp chef’s knife, cut the turkey

into paper- thin slices. Arrange the turkey slices on a platter. Moisten the turkey with

the marinade. Garnish with the mint, and serve.

WINE SUGGESTION: I enjoy a lively Chenin Blanc here, such as the Vouvray from Domaine

Huet.


Click here to purchase: 

Salad as a Meal: Healthy Main-Dish Salads for Every Season [Hardcover]