For now, I'll direct you to Kristina's account of our first fabulous day of cooking. Despite a full morning of air (Kristina) and road travel (me), we found our immediate way to the local market and then the Kroger, spent a happy hour catching up over an afternoon glass o' vino, and proceeded to heat up the kitchen to the tune of Cheddar Corn Chowder. To this initial evening's cooking venture, I have little to add besides: 1. Find this recipe and make it for yourself. It's a Barefoot Contessa; 2. Half the recipe unless you intend to feed a small army. Or if, like me, you plan to serve your family leftovers for the next week and a half (not actually a bad idea); 3. Consider leaving out the required cream addition - which, admittedly, is what makes it a "chowder." It is not necessary. The, um, butter, olive oil, bacon grease, creamy gold potatoes, sweet corn (especially if cut fresh from the cob), and generous portion of cheddar cheese are quite enough for fullness of flavor and texture. Look this recipe up now, immediately, while the first cool days of fall are inspiring you to eat hearty, comforting soups, and make it. You and your family can thank me later for how fantastically delectable your kitchen will smell.
On to Day Two of Kristina and Rebecca's Grand Culinary Adventures, Kristina's account of which I intend to supplement today with two relevant recipes: The Martins' favorite Granola and Rosemary-Balsamic Vinaigrette. Both are staples in the Martin household. Both are favorites of ours and relatively easy to make (if you don't mind a bit of a leftover mess). Both make me feel like I'm In Charge in my kitchen, which is a really good feeling, you know? So without further ado:
Granola de Martin
(adapted from Granola de la Arms, one of our favorite Charlottesville families. They follow the recipe pretty closely. I don't. And that's the beauty of this recipe for me.)
In large pot (5 quart +), warm over low heat, stirring periodically, till thin (without bringing to a boil):
1/2 c. light olive oil (or other oil with light flavor: canola, safflower)
1/2 c. to 1 c. honey or maple syrup, or combination of both
(note: I generally use a heaping 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. maple syrup for a lightly-sweetened-but-flavorful mix. The more honey or syrup added, the "bunchier" the granola will be; the less added, the more separated and dry/roasted the texture, the latter of which is our particular preference.)
Meanwhile, mix together in large bowl:
7 c. (generally 1/2 a large-sized oatmeal container) old-fashioned oats
1 c. wheat germ
1 1/2 c. flaked unsweetened coconut
2 c. nuts roughly chopped or crushed (whatever your preference! mine: pecan, walnut, almond)
optional: spices, to taste (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cocoa)
When oil-and-sweetener mix is thinned and blended together, remove pot from heat and immediately stir in:
1 T. vanilla
Then add:
Dry mixture, above
Stir until dry mixture is well-coated. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and divide and spread granola mixture evenly across both sheets. Bake on low oven heat (200 - 250, depending on how "roasted" you'd like the results to be). After the first 30 minutes, remove baking sheets and stir mixture, adding in (if desired):
optional: 1 c. dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, etc.)
Return sheets to oven and bake for 30 more minutes, or until granola reaches your preferred browned-ness. Remove granola from the cookie sheets to cool on the foil. Once cool, stir to break up larger pieces and roll the foil sides together to create a funnel for pouring the granola into an airtight container.
Makes: about 10 cups
Keeps: two weeks + in an airtight container
Optional adjustments:
- try this granola with more honey or syrup to result in a gooier, clumpier cereal;
- leave out the nuts, or leave nuts whole (or halved) for a crunchier granola experience;
- experiment with your favorite spices to larger and lesser extents (my favorite is a generous, several-Tablespoon inclusion of allspice);
- if you're short on the supplementary ingredients (fruits, nuts, coconut), bump up the spices (e.g. the granola Kristina had at our house and loved was sans nuts or fruits. To make it more interesting, I included all the spices generally used in gingersnaps: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground ginger, cocoa.).
Rosemary Balsamic Vinaigrette
(This recipe is non-too altered from an Everyday Food recipe, found in an early 2009 issue. I made it first at the beginning of summer when our CSA was bestowing upon us all things green and leafy, and my salad-consuming life has never since been the same.)
In a food processor, combine
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove
1 T. fresh rosemary leaves
2 T. water
1/2 t. coarse salt
1/4 t. ground pepper
Pulse steadily until smooth (though there may remain larger bits of rosemary leaves). With machine running, slowly drizzle in a thin stream:
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
(note: Drizzle/drip the olive oil as slowly as you can stand; I spend at least three minutes on this portion - after one impatient-and-thus-failed attempt involving pouring in the olive oil rather quickly; little emulsification resulted, the dressing was very separated. This dressing should be very smooth, requiring little shaking before use. To achieve that ideal consistency, be patient: drizzle the olive oil in sloooowly.)
Pulse steadily until creamy.
Makes: 3/4 cup
Keeps: 2 weeks + in an airtight container (I find that leftover jelly jars are ideal.)
