Teitel Brothers

When I’m in New York, I love to shop at Teitel Brothers on Arthur Avenue, but last year I didn’t get up there. Because I was about to run out of dried porchini mushrooms, which I buy there by the pound ($39.00), I decided to see if they did online sales. They do! As I was looking through the offerings, I noticed they were selling bulk salted capers, which several of my newer cookbooks call for. They are $4.49 a pound at Teitel, whereas the small jars I’ve managed to find at Corti Brothers and Taylor’s Market in Sacramento are around $4 for a 2.2 ounce jar. So I bought two pounds, shown in the quart-jar on the left, plus a one-cup jar. (The small jar is in front.) The capers are kind of large, but I can always chop them if I want them smaller.

I also bought a pound of sun-dried tomatoes ($3.99, also sold loose), two cans of Italian tuna, and some risotto rice. The shipping charges were a bit steep ($16.73), but considering how much I would otherwise pay for salted capers or dried porchini mushrooms, the online shopping made sense. If you can get to Arthur Avenue, however, you should make the trip!

Turkey Soup with Barley and Wild Mushrooms

We've just about finished our Thanksgiving turkey, and one of the best things about the turkey is the soup you can make with the carcass. I've been making the same soup for several years, and this year it was great. And if you don't have turkey, this would also work with leftover roast chicken.

I like this soup best when it’s made with the carcass of a turkey that’s been brined and then cooked in a kettle-type barbecue, which gives it an intense, smoky flavor. But it’s also fine made with a plain roasted turkey or chicken carcass. In either case, browning the bones will intensify the flavor.

Remove the meat and place the carcass in a large soup pot and brown it in the oven for about an hour, with the vegetables below, if you wish.

To make the the Broth:
The browned turkey carcass
Water to cover
1 bay leaf
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, left whole
2 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil and then simmer slowly, covered for 1½ to 2 hours; strain and chill until ready to use. If chilled, all fat can be removed easily. You will probably have more broth than you need for the recipe.

For the Soup:
3-4 Tb. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp. marjoram or rosemary
½ cup barley, rinsed
2-3 quarts turkey broth (or more)
1 Tb. tomato paste
½ pound fresh mushrooms, quartered
¾-1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup very hot water or broth
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
Salt and ground pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
Cayenne pepper or hot sauce (if desired)
Sour cream

Cook the onions, carrots and celery in half of the olive oil for about 7-8 minutes, until lightly wilted; then add the potatoes and marjoram or rosemary and stir to coat the potatoes lightly. Add the broth, barley and tomato paste, bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour until the vegetables are fully cooked.

While the soup is cooking, soak the dried mushrooms for ½ hour, drain (saving the soaking liquid), and wash thoroughly. Chop and saute with the fresh mushrooms with the remaining olive oil. Strain the cooking liquid through cheesecloth (or a paper towel) into the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 minutes longer, then add the mushroom mixture to the soup. The recipe may be prepared ahead to this point.

Just before serving, add the cubed turkey to the soup and taste soup for seasoning. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, and cayenne or hot sauce, if desired—or pass at table. Stir in I cup chopped parsley and serve in heated bowl with sour cream.

More Goat!

We stopped by Mr. Bledsoe’s stand again this week and bought some more goat, this time a rack. It was about the same size as a large rack of lamb, and because we wanted to taste the goat flavor, I seasoned it only with ground salt and pepper and olive oil. Tim cooked it on the grill, and we ate it medium rare, with no sauce or adornment. It was delicious! Next time we will try some seasonings—I think just about anything would work! And next time, I’ll take a picture.

More Recipes from A16

Last week I made the A16 cauliflower and potato recipe, which I had previously done with broccoli, and it turned out great. I used about a half pound each of potatoes and cauliflower, since I was only cooking for two. I love the way capers change character when they are fried. I think it looked attractive with a mix of red, white, and purple potatoes (all unpeeled), but a bit of parsley may have been a nice addition. I may make it again tonight, with red potatoes. Here's what you need for 6:

1 lb. yukon gold, red or purple potatoes (or a mix, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets about the same size as the potatoes
1 red onion, sliced
1/2 tsp. dried chile flakes
1/4 cup anchovies, rinsed well
3 tsp. red wine vinegar
salt and ground pepper

Combine the potatoes in a bowl with 2 Tb. olive oil and about 1 tsp. salt. Toss well to coat and transfer to a baking sheet. Roast for about 35-40 minutes, until cooked through. Use the same bowl to coat the cauliflower in about 1/4 cup of olive oil with additional salt. Then brown them briefly in a large frying pan until lightly browned. Add them to the potatoes for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

In the remaining olive oil, fry the capers for about two minutes, until they become crispy. Stir in the pepper flakes and onion until the onion softens. Stir in the vinegar and remove from heat. When the potatoes and cauliflower are done, combine them with the onion mixture. Add additional seasoning or vinegar if needed, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Grilled Swordfish with Fennel and Tomato
The other night we tried another recipe from A16, this one for grilled swordfish. But if you’re not eating swordfish right now, this would work equally well another firm fish or with chicken or pork (or goat!). Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture.

First season the swordfish with salt and pepper and coat it lightly with olive oil. The topping, which can be made ahead and reheated is a mixture of onion, fresh fennel and cherry tomatoes, seasoned with crushed whole allspice (a first for me in a savory dish) and fennel seeds. For a pound of swordfish you will need the following:

c cup olive oil or more
½ red or yellow onion, finely chopped
½ fennel bulb, finely chopped
½ tsp. crushed fennel seeds
2 or 3 whole allspice, coarsely crushed
½ pint cherry tomatoes (cut in half, if large)
2 Tb. red or white wine vinegar
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Sauté the onion fennel, fennel seeds and allspice in 2 Tb. of the olive oil for 7-8 minutes over low heat until the vegetables are softened, but not browned. Raise the heat and add the vinegar and cook until it has evaporated. Add the tomatoes, season, and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes skins begin to split and the tomatoes release their juices. Set aside until ready to use; this sauce may be served hot or at room temperature.

Goat!

As I was walking through the farmer's market last Saturday, I noticed that Mr. Bledsoe, the pork and lamb guy, had goat advertised on his board, so I bought a package--a bit less than two pounds. It was cut up as stew meat, with some small bones, so I decided to use the recipe in my new A16 cookbook. The recipe was very simple, the result was quite delicious, and it did not even require browning the meat first! I used mixed cherry tomatoes and regular canned ones (for some extra juice), but otherwise followed the recipe pretty closely. If you can find some goat, I'd highly recommend this preparation; we served it with a faro pilaf.

Greek Baked Vegetables

I enjoyed the article in the NY Times food section this week that had several variations on ratatouille. I had already made a “layered” ratatouille a couple of weeks ago, with grilled eggplant and squash, more or less based on a Chez Panisse recipe, and a “Layered Vegetable Torte,” also from the Times, cooked in a spring-form pan and then unmolded was terrific too.

Last night, however, I tried one of the new recipes from the Times—a Greek Briam. I couldn’t resist altering it somewhat, and it turned out great—and is quite a bit easier than a traditional ratatouille, since the vegetables don’t all have to be browned. Here’s the recipe, as I made it; it would serve four as a main course and 6 or more as a side dish.

1 small eggplant, halved lengthwise and then sliced ¼ inch thick.
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large garlic clove finely chopped
½ pound red potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
½ pound summer squash, sliced ¼ inch thick
1 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste
10-12 ounces tomatoes, chopped, or a 16-ounce can, drained
Salt & freshly ground pepper
¼ pound sliced mushrooms
2-3 Tb. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2Tb. chopped marjoram or oregano, or 1 tsp. dried.

1. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and put on paper towels for 30 minutes. Thinly slice the onions, peppers, and mushrooms and chop the garlic. Cut the potatoes and squash into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Squeeze excess water from eggplant and pat dry.
2. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onions. Cook until tender and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add a salt and pepper, then stir in the garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Cook for another minute or two, until mushrooms are lightly browned and peppers begin to soften. Sprinkle herbs on top of mixture, reserving about 1 Tb for the top.
3. Lightly oil an earthenware baking dish or a Dutch oven. Put the tomatoes in a bowl and season liberally with salt and pepper. Stir 2 Tb. of olive oil. Spread a thin layer of tomatoes in the baking dish or Dutch oven and top with one-third of the onion mixture. Top with half the potato slices. Layer half the zucchini slices over the potatoes, then layer on half the eggplant. Season with salt and pepper between layers. Layer another third of the onions over the vegetables and top with half of the remaining tomatoes. Repeat the layers with the remaining vegetables, ending with a layer of the onion mixture topped with the remaining tomatoes. Sprinkle the top with any remaining herbs. Pour any juice from the tomatoes over the mixture and add additional olive oil, if desired.
4. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for 1 hour. Press the vegetables down into the juice and bake another 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Let stand for ten minutes or cool until warm before serving, or refrigerate overnight and reheat

Herbed Olive Oil

A couple of weeks ago I decided to make some herbed olive oil, with basil, rosemary, thyme, and sage from the garden, along with some of Costco's extra virgin olive oil. It tasted good, but it doesn't keep well (vinegar would work much better), so I had to use it up quickly--the basil for salads mostly, and the others for marinades, green sauce, etc. But don't they look pretty?