A Good Dish

making food simpler

Easy To Make Date Purée Is My Go-to Sweetener Of Choice

Ready to use date purée
Porcelain dish by Andrew Martin

I love sweets but I try to avoid using any refined or isolated sweeteners like sugar and agave, even watching my intake of honey, maple syrup and molasses. I have battled weight all my life and not only do sugars contribute to weight gain but also to inflammation, diabetes, elevated blood pressure, fatty liver and, perhaps, cancer. For years, I used sugar substitutes until we learned that they also cause health problems from weight gain (ironic) to cancer. Of course, I use or eat sugar sweetened foods on occasion but, for the most part now, I use dates, either whole or puréed, to sweeten foods and drinks. 

Cooked dates, lemon and cooking water
ready to blend

Dates are full of natural sugar but that is balanced by their fiber content so the sugar is metabolized more slowly and doesn’t cause the same blood sugar and acid spikes that refined sugar causes. They contain nutrients, like potassium, and insoluble fiber, which can help with high cholesterol. Dates are used as sweeteners in many countries where they are grown such as Syria, Turkey, Eygpt, Iraq and Tunisia. Natural but still relatively caloric, you have to limit the amount you consume if you are concerned with such matters. Fortunately with dates, a little goes a long way. 

 

Medjool dates seem to be the sweetest but many less expensive varieties (Bahri, Dayri, Halawi, Deglet Noor, Zahadi) are sweet enough to use in baking, drinks and sauces. Dates are native to the Middle East but are also grown now in California, Arizona and several other warm states and available in several forms. Dates sugar is simply dried, ground dates so it doesn’t melt in liquid the way sugar does but seems to work pretty well as a replacement for sugar in unfussy baking recipes (like fruitcake or banana bread) which don’t need to be light and fluffy. Date syrup is made of cooked dates which have been strained so have lost most of their fiber content. I prefer to use either whole (pitted!) dates (to sweeten a smoothie, turmeric latte or chopped in salads for sweetness) or a date purée which I make myself with a seriously simple recipe (for topping cereal, oatmeal or yogurt, sweeten salad dressings and teriyaki sauce and in some baking). It keeps for a month to six weeks in the fridge so I try to always have some at the ready. Sweet and nutritious!

Date puree
Slipcast porcelain dish
by Andrew Martin

DATE PURÉE 

  • 15-20 PITTED Deglet Noor dates (less if you use medjool)
  • 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups water (adjust amount for thickness preference)
  • 1/4 small lemon, seeded
  • Add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom or coriander if that is your jam.

Simmer in a small saucepan 15-20 minutes until dates are completely soft. 

Pour entire content into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Store in a glass jar or container in the fridge up to one month. Makes about 1 cup. 

(After you put the purée in a jar, there will be some left in your blender. Add kefir or almond milk, berries and ground flax or nuts and the residual purée will sweeten your smoothie).

Refrigerated purée keeps 4-6 weeks

 

Springtime pine growth

Love Rye Bread? It Is Easier Than You Might Imagine To Make It Yourself

Homemade seeded rye bread
Large blue and white stoneware bowl
by Wendy Goldsmith

I love rye bread, especially for toast and sandwiches. It has a specific flavor quite different from the more common wheat breads that derives not just from the rye flour but mostly from the caraway seeds. It is somewhat sour, somewhat sweet and just mildly salty. It is also one of the easiest yeast breads to make since the texture is dense and not as persnickety as sourdough, challah or sandwich loaves.

Brushing the loaf with lightly beaten egg white
makes the crust darker and glossy

Because it is so simple, the quality of your flour is important so it isn’t stale, rancid or devoid of nutrients. Buy fresh rye and wheat flour from good sources (King Arthur, Arrowhead Mills and Bob’s Red Mill are widely available but you may have a local (or near local mill) you shop) and keep it in your freezer if you don’t use it up quickly. Here is a list of excellent millers. The original of this recipe by Jeanne Heyerly of Chenoa, IL (from a community cookbook called Simply In Season) only called for 1 cup of rye flour in the sponge (the first step in bread making which starts fermentation) and 3 cups of bread flour to be added. Bread flour has higher protein than all-purpose so it forms more gluten, resulting in a better rise and texture. I tried to use equal parts whole rye, whole wheat and white flour to have more rye and more whole grain and it was good but quite dense. If you want to add some whole grain, try one cup of whole wheat and see what you think. The tiny amount of sugar is optional but I think the flavor of rye profits from a bit of sweetness. Honey, maple or date syrup, apple juice concentrate or agave are all usable.

Either grinding your own or buying fresh, good quality
flour makes a big difference to taste and nutrition
The sponge is simply some flour, water,
caraway seeds and yeast mixed to start fermentation

Growing up, I used to go shopping with my mother at a grocery store that had an in-store bakery that made fresh rye bread. The bakery women used to give us (kids) a cookie with sprinkles or a candied cherry when we tagged along but the crusty end of the freshly sliced (in those amazing bread slicers I always feared would take off someone’s fingers) rye bread was my preference. I still choose bread over cookies and rye is one of my favorites, especially for avocado toast, smoked salmon, grilled cheese or a bbq tempeh Reuben. This recipe makes one big loaf or two smaller loaves, one of which you can freeze for up to a few months.

Because it is moist and dense,
this rye bread slices easily

I asked a bread-baking phobic friend to try this recipe and she had encouraging results. She used one cup rye and 2 cups whole wheat in her trial and she found she had to add a little more water in order to knead the dough, which was too dry. Her bread was dense but she likes it that way. I am so happy she is optimistic about continuing to bake bread. Whether you use all white bread flour or some combination of flours, I wish you the same results.

Smoked salmon and smashed avocado
are both delicious on rye bread or toast
Platter by Wendy Goldsmith
This bread makes great toast!
Platter by Wendy Goldsmith

SEEDED RYE BREAD

Sponge:

Mix in a large bowl and let stand 3-5 minutes to proof:

  • 1 cup/250 ml warm water
  • 1 TBs active dry yeast

Add and stir in:

  • 1 cup/250 grams rye flour
  • 1/4 cup/ 60 grams bread flour
  • 1 generous TBs caraway seeds
Cover with a tight lid or plastic wrap and let stand 2 hours (or overnight (in fridge if it is warm out) for “the sponge” to develop more flavor).

Next day, stir down the yeast sponge and add:

  • 3 cups/750 grams bread flour (or a mix of whole wheat bread and all purpose)
  • 3/4 cup room temperature water
  • 2 1/2 tsps salt
  • 1-2 tsps sugar (optional)
 Knead about 5 minutes (if too dry, wet your hands to add a bit more water until kneadable) and then place in a greased bowl, turning to grease all over.

Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about one hour.

Punch down and shape into one large loaf (tucking sides under to tighten the ball) or 2 small loaves, letting rise until doubled again.

Brush loaf with a lightly beaten egg white before baking and again 10 minutes before end of baking to promote a shiny crust. You can add more caraway seeds to the top if you like.

You can bake on a rimmed cookie or baking sheet or in a Dutch oven.

Bake in preheated oven (375F) for 35-45 minutes, depending on loaf size. Check for doneness by tapping on the bottom (it should sound hollow) or check temperature for 190F.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Note – When I bake bread, I usually measure in grams because it is more precise and baking is an exercise in precision. This recipe is so foolproof, however, that such extreme precision doesn’t seem necessary so I use cup measurements here for ease and because not everyone has a gram scale. I have included both measurements so use whichever you prefer.

Floral honeycomb platter
by Wendy Goldsmith
Wendy Goldsmith’s wonderful ceramics can be purchased on Ohanga.com and this summer at sales and festivals including The Art Drive
The beautifully finished underside of
Wendy Goldsmith’s beehive platter

Mushrooms And Beans Together For Dinner – Really? Really!

Mushrooms and beans
Stoneware bowl by Emily Schroeder Willis

You’ve heard me rave many times about Rancho Gordo (the Northern California company that sells heirloom beans). Their beans are fresher, tastier and cook better than most other dry beans I have ever bought (the only others that I’ve found that come close are Eden and local farmers market beans). Rancho Gordo has a bean club, a quarterly delivery of 6 pounds of beans plus recipes and a bonus. Well, after almost 3 years on the waiting list, I got in – woohoo! Now I have the pleasure of paying for and receiving their choice of beans 4 times a year. This means no decision making and trying new beans as well as receiving their newsletter and recipes. Plus it will prompt me to keep cooking beans so they don’t pile up in my cupboard.

My first bean club delivery

Cooking a pot of beans a week is an old trick for always having something to make for dinner. For example, I cooked the pinto beans that came in my first delivery and made this mushroom and bean recipe two nights in a row because they were so good. Once I served them with boiled Yukon Gold potatoes and the other time with rice, but I think they would be good with sweet potatoes or just with toast or greens. Then I used the rest of the beans to bulk up nachos on a cold day and ultimately made a bean dip (just blended salsa, cumin, garlic, cilantro and beans) with the remainder of the pintos. That was 4 generous meals from a pound of beans. Tasty, easy and super budget-conscious.

I used a variety of wild and cremini mushrooms
but any type will work
Minced garlic, shallots, herbs,
salt and pepper
Sauté a variety of mushrooms until they
start to release their liquid content

In my first delivery, along with the beans and bonus Stardust chili powder, was the recipe for mushrooms and beans, something I had never thought of making. I don’t know why but this combination had never occurred to me. It was simple (basically sautéed mushrooms to which you add cooked beans) and surprisingly delicious. I used mostly wild mushrooms, added a big splash of white wine for liquid, plus some minced shallot, additional thyme for more flavor and swapped the amounts of butter and oil. I also added some chopped cilantro just before serving (some green help to break up the brown/beige color) but parsley, pea shoots, frozen peas or arugula would have been fine alternatives. Red wine or balsamic or even cider vinegar could have worked too, for a different flavor. Any beans will work in this recipe. Along with some sautéed broccoli rabe, we are having mushrooms and beans for dinner for the 3rd time in 10 days. Really.

Mushrooms and pinto beans
Stoneware bowl by Emily Schroeder Willis

RANCHO GORDO SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS AND BEANS

  • 1/2 lb wild mushrooms, cut in bite sized pieces
  • 1/4-1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, cut in bite sized pieces
  • 2 TBs olive oil
  • 1 TBs butter
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (a heaping TBs)
  • 1 shallot, minced (a heaping TBs)
  • Splash white wine, white vermouth or sherry
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • Pinch cayenne (optional)
  • 2 cups cooked beans with some of the cooking broth (to make the consistency you like)
  • Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, arugula, watercress or pea shoots.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and warm the oil and butter together.

Add mushrooms, garlic, shallot and thyme.

Sauté, stirring often, until mushrooms soften.

Add splash of wine, salt, pepper and cayenne, if using, and taste for seasoning.

Stir in cooked beans to warm plus parsley (or whatever green you are using) and serve, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more black pepper, as suits you.

Stoneware “ice cream bowl” interior
by Emily Schroeder Willis

EMILY SCHROEDER WILLIS handbuilds pots that contrast sophisticated, minimal graphic imagery, colors and shapes with the overall textured surfaces created by the most basic of techniques – pinching. Her more recent work, like the small bowl here, incorporates more color and whimsy. She is a member of Objective Clay and her work may be found at Clay Akar, Schaller Gallery and Artaxis.

Stoneware mug
Photo courtesy of the artist
Handled Vase
Photo courtesy of the artist
Stoneware Mug
Photo courtesy of the artist
All kinds of Spring blues

Don’t Think You Have A Vegetable To Make For Dinner? Just Roast Carrots!

Roasted carrots
Involution bowl by Gwendolyn Yoppolo

When this time of year rolls around, I am just about out of ideas when it comes to vegetables. I try to serve 2-3 portions of veggies per meal (one might be salad) but by early spring, I falter. I’ve made all the cabbage and cauliflower and beets I can stand and my vegetable drawer is looking pretty sad. Then I remember carrots and I am up and running.

Multicolored carrots can be a fun change

Roasting carrots became a habit back when I first learned to roast a chicken. You just put them in the pan under and around the bird and they soak up all the flavor of the drippings. You can choose traditional orange carrots or select mixed for a range of color. But carrots are delicious roasted on their own with just a bit of oil and a sprinkling of herbs. Use the traditional herbs like thyme and rosemary or try a variation zhuzhed up with cumin and cayenne for a change. 

Carrots ready to roast
Cumin/cayenne on left
Thyme/rosemary on right

Even simple carrots with just oil and salt and pepper taste good roasted. Za’atar, curry powder, cardamom and coriander are all possible substitutions. And if you really like them sweet, add a touch of sugar, honey or maple syrup with the oil. Use what you like and they will taste good to you. A hot oven does all the work—it is almost too easy to even call this a recipe. If you put them in the oven a little over a half an hour before you want to serve your meal, the carrots will be caramelized and yummy when you are ready to eat. 

Multicolored roasted carrots
Porcelain bowl by Gwendolyn Yoppolo

ROAST CARROTS

  • 1-2 lbs carrots, washed and scrubbed (If organic, you don’t need to peel unless really funky)
  • 1-2 TBs olive oil
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp rosemary, chopped
  • (Alternately 1/2-1 tsp cumin and a tiny pinch of cayenne in place of herbs)
  • Sprinkle salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Cut carrots into 3” pieces and then halve each piece vertically. If thick, cut into quarters vertically to get carrot sticks.

Toss carrots with oils and then herbs and salt and pepper.

Place in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan (I use parchment paper to make cleanup easier but I think they actually brown better without the paper).

Bake 30-45 minutes, turning once, until softened and browned.

Serves 4 or leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days.

              *                    *                  *                    *                   *         

I can’t say enough good things about Gwendolyn Yoppolo’s work. The glazes are not only rich and complex but so well researched that they are completely stable. I never worry about crazing or staining. And did I say beautiful and wonderful to use? I am a huge fan.

Involution bowl with crystalline glaze
by Gwendolyn Yoppolo
Harbinger of Spring

When You (Or Others)Are Stressed And In Need Of Clarity and Comfort, Try Cooking

Kitchari, tortilla, cornbread, baked beans (clockwise)
Melissa Weiss, Jen Allen, Wendy Goldsmith, Paul Eshelman

One of the things I love about cooking, beyond the edible results, is the ability the process has to get me out of my head. Like making art or exercise or a good conversation, preparing food takes planning, mental concentration and some physical exertion. So when I am worrying about an ailing parent or ill siblings or a struggling friend, I cook. I look through recipes, make lists, procure ingredients, measure, chop, grate and mix in order to prepare something for my family or friends to eat. The process requires focus to do well, thereby getting me off the worry wheel. 

Curried cabbage with cashews
Porcelain bowl by Jim Makins
Simple roasted potatoes
Bowl by Michael Connelly

Cooking not only relieves mental stress but gives me the satisfaction of a job well done while providing nourishment and, hopefully, pleasure to those I love. Soup is my go-to but sometimes a salad is needed, especially when people have been too busy to cook healthfully for themselves. The bean soup mix I posted a couple of months ago is a good example of a gift for someone with limited time and ability. But if someone is ill or mourning, bringing a prepared pot of soup or a big roast veggie platter or a long lasting salad, like carrot or fennel, is a better gift. When a new baby is born, I love to prepare a complete dinner (rice and beans, a batch of pesto, soup and cornbread, or roast chicken) because who can think about cooking with a newborn?

Miso soup
Lidded Jar by Gay Smith
Black beans and rice
Square bowl by Joe Pintz

Sometimes I make a frittata/tortilla when I feel frazzled and don’t know what else to cook. The chopping of the vegetables is soothing and the resulting meal is satisfying, not too heavy and can provide leftovers. Other comfort food favorites are kitchari, a simple pasta with peas or greens, curried cabbage with cashews, miso soup and lava bread. They are all easy, soothing and tasty, the winning triumvirate of stress cooking. And when even simple cooking is too much, there is always avocado toast!

Avocado toast on lava bread
Plate by Aysha Peltz