Day 136 Blackberry Crisp

Blackberry Crisp

The Fruit
4 Cups Blackberries
1 Tablespoon Flour
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Rind of 1 Orange, grated

Preheat oven to 375F.  Toss the berries with the flour, sugar and orange rind.  Place them in a glass pie pan.  Prepare the topping and distribute over the berries.  Bake 30 -40 minutes.

The Topping

1/2 Cup White Flour
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons Earth Balance

Combine all of the dry ingredients.  Cut the Earth Balance into small pieces.  Work it into the flour with a pastry cutter and/or your fingers until well distributed.

Serves 4

Soundtrack Violent Femmes - The Violent Femmes Collection

Day 135 Wild Rice and Brown Rice Pilaf

Wild Rice and Brown Rice Pilaf

1/2 Cup Wild Rice
3 Cups Water
Salt
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Carrot, peeled and diced
1 Onion, finely diced
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cup Brown Rice
2 Cups Green Stock, heated

1.  Rinse the wild rice.  Bring 3 Cups Water and 1/2 Teaspoon salt to a boil.  Add the rice.  Cook slowly uncovered for 1/2 hour.

2.  While the wild rice is cooking, prepare the vegetables.  Add the olive oil to a large pot.  Add the carrot, onion and bay leaf.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Add the brown rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the stock and bring to boiling. Add the wild rice, reduce heat and cover the pan.  Cook for 45 minutes.  If the rice dries out, add some of the cooking water from the wild rice.

Goes well with Artichoke and Fennel Stew

Pairs well with 2012  Pinot Blanc  from Alsace

Soundtrack - Day of the Dead by various artists

Day 134 Brown Rice Casserole

Brown Rice Casserole

4 Cups of Cooked Brown Rice (Day 133, you will need to double the recipe)
8 Ounces Extra Firm Tofu, cubed
1 Onion, chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Zucchini, chopped
1 Summer Squash, chopped
6 Ounces Mushrooms, sliced
1 or 2 Collard Greens Leaves, sliced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds, ground
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Stock
6 Ounces Vegan Cheese, shredded
Pepper to taste
Oregano and Rosemary to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F. Heat the olive oil and Earth Balance, and fry the onion over medium heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, yeast, salt and cumin.  Stir until blended and cook one minute.  Add the carrots, and green pepper.  Add 1/2 cup of stock, cover the pan and braise the vegetables for 5 minutes, or until soft.  Add the squashes, collards and mushrooms and cook another 10 minutes.  Add the remaining liquid.

2.  Combine the vegetables with the rice and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix in the tofu.  Add the herbs.  Cover the dish and bake for 45 minutes.

Works well as a breakfast dish when camping.  Just reheat in an oiled skillet.

Pairs well with a mimosa (Day 124)

Soundtrack Woody Lissauer - A Guest in the House of the Wind

Day 133 Perfect Brown Rice

The stock gives the rice a really rich flavor.

Perfect Brown Rice 

1 Cup Brown Rice, long grained
2 Cups No Beef Stock (Day 109)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Rinse the rice well and drain it.  Put it in a heavy saucepan with the other ingredients.  Bring to a boil; then cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to low.  Cook the rice for 45 minutes without disturbing it.  If the lid is opened, the steam which cooks the rice will be lost.  Just before serving, fluff the rice with a fork.

Soundtrack - Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit

Day132 Artichoke and Fennel Stew

Artichoke and Fennel Stew

The Sauce
2 Tablespoons Earth Balance
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
1 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seed, ground
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Dry Vermouth
3 Tablespoons Flour
3 Cups Green Stock, heated (Day 126)
1/4 Cup Parsley Leaves, chopped
Pepper to taste

Sauce ingredients

Heat the fats in a medium pot, then add the onion, thyme, oregano, fennel seed, bay leaf, and salt.  Cook until the onion is golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Pour in the vermouth and and let cook for 3 minutes.  Stir in the flour, cook for one minute.  Whisk in the stock a half cup at a time, adding more as the stock thickens.  Add the parsley and cook for 15 minutes.  Add pepper.  Keep warm and covered till needed for the stew.

The Stew
6 Leeks, cleaned and chopped
8 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
12 Ounce Jar Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
2 Fennel Bulbs, trimmed and chopped
4 Tablespoons Earth Balance
1/2 Cup Water
8 Ounces White Mushrooms, sliced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Handful of Fennel Greens
Cream Cheese Pastry (Day 130)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Melt the Earth Balance in a large pot.  Add the leeks, artichokes, and fennel.  Cook for 5 minutes.

2.  Add the water, mushrooms, garlic, lemon juice.  Cook until the mushrooms soften.

Ready to add the crust

3. Fold in the sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes. Add the fennel greens, salt and pepper.

4.  Pour the stew into a large casserole or ramekin dish. Roll out the crust and cover the top of the stew.  Cook for 45 minutes.

Goes well with Brown and Wild Rice Gratin

Pairs well with Chenin Blanc

Soundtrack - Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Wig out at Jagbags

Day 131 Butter Lettuce and Spinach with Citrus and Avocado

Butter Lettuce and Spinach with Citrus and Avocado

1 Head Butter or Bibb Lettuce
1 Small Bunch Young Spinach Leaves
2 Ruby Grapefruit
2 Avocados
4 Teaspoons Sherry
2 Teaspoons Raspberry Vinegar
1 Shallot, finely diced
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
7 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Springs Mint, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Chives, sliced
Mixed Peppercorns to taste, ground

Ingredients

1.  Sliced the lettuce and remove the stems from the spinach.  Combine in a large bowl.

2.  Peel the grapefruit with a knife so that all the white pith is gone.  Using a sharp knife,  cut each segment from the membranes over a small bowl to catch the juice.  Cut each section into 2 or  pieces and add the lettuce mix.

3.  Add the sherry, vinegar, shallot,salt, oil, mint, chives and pepper to the bowl with the grapefruit juice.  Whisk well.

4.  Slice the avocado.  Place the lettuce mix on a plate, add some avocado slices and the vinaigrette.

Goes well with Cheese and Nut Burger.

Pairs well with 2014 Dry Creek Heritage Zinfandel.

Soundtrack Joe Bonamassa - Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks

Day 130 Cream Cheese Pastry

Cream Cheese Pastry

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoons Earth Balance, cut into small pieces
5 Tablespoons Vegan Cream Cheese

Almond based cream cheese

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.  Work in the butter using a pastry blender, then your fingers.  The flour should resemble cornmeal.  Add the cream cheese and incorporate it into the flour with your fingers until the dough comes together and form into a ball.

Incorporating butter into the flour

2.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and press into a disk.  Refrigerate at least 15 minutes before using.  Roll into a crust when ready to use.

Ready to chill

Goes with Artichoke and Fennel Stew.

Soundtrack - Center Stage Music from the Motion Picture