Gluten/Egg/Dairy Free

Sweetheart Tart: Red Berry and Custard (Gluten-, Dairy- and Egg-Free)

February 10, 2023

When I hear, “Valentine’s Day,” the queen of hearts rhyme I learned as a tot, always pops to mind: “The queen of hearts, she made some tarts, all on a summer’s day, The knave of hearts, he stole those tarts, and with them run away…” (I think the illustration of the skinny-legged “knave” running off with the tarts in the nursery primer was what fascinated me most.) Anyway, thinking about the verse recently, I poked around and discovered it was written by an anonymous poet in the 1700s, who added three more scandalous stanzas that definitely wouldn’t fly in the nursery. I’m guessing you’ve never heard them either, so here you go:

The queen of hearts, she made some tarts, all on a summer’s day,
⁠The knave of hearts, he stole those tarts, and with them run away:
⁠The king of hearts call’d for those tarts and beat the knave full sore;
⁠The knave of hearts brought back those tarts, and said he’ll ne’er steal more. (continued through link)
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Vintage Veg

Cauliflower Bacon + PepperJack Gratin

January 18, 2023

Step aside, mac and cheese! This saucy cauliflower bake, with bacon, onion, and pepper jack cheese under a crisp crumb topping, is vegetal-ly better. Quite literally edible flowers, heads of cauliflower are the mildest-flavored members of the cruciferous vegetable family.

Yes, bacon, cheese, mustard-cream and Panko makes this comfort food—but with vegetal benefits. Like its more aggressive sibs, cauliflower is full of antioxidants, essential vitamins and minerals, anti-inflammatory compounds, fiber and more.

To make the gratin, you’ll simmer the cauli-florets with bacon and onion in chicken stock and milk, make the sauce, top with panko, and bake until bubbly. We like to serve the gratin with freshly sliced tomatoes and steamed green beans, but it works well as a side for roast chicken. If you have any leftovers, the gratin keeps well for second-day service.

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Happy Holidays

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Grapes, Pomegranate, Fingerlings & Shallots

December 19, 2022

I often hum in the kitchen, especially when the meal prep is for a special gathering. For this delicious pork loin dish–with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme all fragrantly present, the tune had to be Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair.”

I first encountered a version of this recipe 17 years ago, in acclaimed chef Suzanne Goin’s James Beard Award winning cookbook, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques.” Goin’s Los Angeles restaurant Lucques lasted for nearly 21 years, closing in 2020, but the beautiful recipes in her cookbook live on! The New York Times did a version of the loin 16 years ago, replacing spring onions and haricot verts with shallots, grapes and fingerling potatoes, which I liked very much. To give the dish a holiday slant that goes very well with the pork, ours has a tart/sweet sauce made with fresh-pressed pomegranate juice and white wine.

Honoring Goin’s practice of using best possible ingredients, I make this with farm-sourced produce, and use French Dijon for the mustard marinade (Maille is good—Bornier, even better!) I use champagne grapes, but seedless red grapes (choose small, firm ones) works as well. Continue Reading…

Hannukah

Classic Braised Beef Brisket with Caramelized Onions + Vegetables

December 18, 2022

Evanston-based poet and accomplished home cook Ori Fienberg likes Hanukkah latkes just fine, but his feast food favorite is most definitely a beautiful beef brisket. Fienberg, who calls cold weather “the braise days,” says his best tips for making a perfect holiday brisket are, “One: Don’t fear the fond. (The brown bits that form on the bottom of the pot when you sear the meat and cook the onions.) And two: Make a LOT of caramelized onions.” Continue Reading…

Vegetarian

Heirloom Squash Medley with Arugula-Tahini Vinaigrette, Fried Sage, Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds

November 23, 2022

I love winter squash–so sweet and nutty, rich and warm. Simply roasting the many varieties will give you a platter full of deep flavors and silky textures. But adding Chef Sarah Stegner’s brilliant green arugula-tahini vinaigrette, plus fried sage leaves, pomegranate, and pumpkin seeds puts this dish in another realm of delicious: Perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

“There are so many kinds of squash to work with!” says Stegner of Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook, IL. “Each of the local farms I source squash from seems to have one type it specializes in: Froggy Meadow grows beautiful Black Futsu and Blue Hubbard. Three Sisters does giant Butternut. And Nichols—while offering some of the more traditional squashes such as Acorn and Delicata, also grows Butterkins with really intense flavor.” 

Stegner created this medley as the opening course for a special dinner celebrating Native American Heritage Month.  Simply roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, the squash is very easy to make at home.  So is the vinaigrette and garnish.  

“A lot of home cooks shy away from fresh sage because it has such a powerful flavor,” notes Stegner. “But frying it transforms the herb and perfectly mellows it.” Continue Reading…

Vintage Veg

Verdant Veg + Chevre Tart

November 4, 2022

I love vegetable tarts—so versatile and pretty. I first made this one with brilliant yellow and green zucchini, patty pan squash, uncured garlic tops, sugar snap peas and tarragon—plus fresh farm eggs and chevre from the cheesemonger. But it works just fine substituting green onion for the uncured garlic tops, and omitting the patty pan, for fall and winter brunch or lunch.  Serve the finished tart hot or room temperature. I like to add a little smear of Dijon mustard, and a fresh lettuce salad. Continue Reading…

Festive Roast

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Grapes, Shallots, Fingerlings, Pomegranate & Herbs

October 20, 2022

I often hum in the kitchen, especially when the meal prep is for a special gathering. For this delicious pork loin dish–with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme all fragrantly present, it had to be Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair.”

I first encountered a version of this recipe 17 years ago, in acclaimed chef Suzanne Goin’s James Beard Award winning cookbook, “Sunday Suppers at Lucques.” Goin’s Los Angeles restaurant Lucques lasted for nearly 21 years, closing in 2020, but the beautiful recipes in her cookbook live on! The New York Times did a version of the loin 16 years ago, replacing spring onions and haricot verts with shallots, grapes and fingerling potatoes, which I liked very much. Ours has a tart/sweet sauce made with fresh-pressed pomegranate juice and white wine to go over the top.

Honoring Goin’s practice of using best possible ingredients, I make this with farm-sourced produce, and use French Dijon for the mustard marinade (Maille is good—Bornier, even better!) I use champagne grapes, but seedless red grapes (choose small, firm ones) works as well. Continue Reading…

Hot Stuff

Chile Rellenos (Stuffed Poblano Peppers) with Rojo Sauce

September 26, 2022

Chile relleno, that egg-puffed, cheese-filled, roasted poblano marvel, is what I order when we get special Mexican food-to-go. But stuffed peppers taste best when they’re minutes out of the fryer, and to-go anything is often lukewarm by the time you get it home. So last week, finding great green stacks of perfect poblanos next to the tomatoes and garlic at the farm stand, I headed back to the kitchen to make this dish. Continue Reading…

Vintage Veg

Spinach Souffle

September 9, 2022

As a child, the dreaded words, “Eat your spinach!” had me pushing the boiled mass around on my plate, trying to figure out how to slip it into a napkin and beat a hasty retreat before being found out 🙂 But as an adult, I learned spinach could be quick sauteed with garlic (delicious!) eaten fresh in a salad, swirled in a soup, tucked into spanikopita, or folded in a fluffy omelet. So much better than boiled! This gluten-free souffle is another way to work spinach magic and is a more lightly textured alternative to creamed spinach.  It does have 1/3 cup of half-and-half in it, but that scant bit of dairy is balanced out by 12 cups of fresh spinach and there is no egg yolk, flour or cheese in the recipe. Three whipped egg whites give the souffle its lift. As it bakes, the souffle will puff up a bit, and crown. It makes a good side dish with poultry or roast beef. I like to make it in 2, two-cup casserole dishes, but you can put it all in one 4-cup baking dish if you prefer. Continue Reading…