The seasons march on, but some foods stay the same.

Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of the summer dining season, if not the actual beginning of summer..  For some, this means picnic suppers. My summer begins when I can fire up the grill and start eating on a screened in porch with a view of the river.  I’d like to say that my summer begins with an early harvest, but the veggies are still tiny seedlings, the peas only 6 inches tall.

The garden is all potential now. My garden is all potential right now: a delivery of composted manure, a newly dug bed on a sunny slope, germinating beets, carrots, lettuce, and spinach.

What to eat on al fresco when you are still eating last year’s harvest?  Why baked beans, of course.  

Baked beans, hot dogs, cole slaw, pickles!

Baked beans are a picnic tradition in the Northeast.  They travel warm in a Dutch oven and can be made in advance or baked slowly underground in a bean hole. The bean hole is a well-established tradition in New England that may date back to Native Americans, who prepared beans seasoned with maple syrup, bits of venison, and bear grease.  They baked them in a pit dug into the ground. It is thought that early European settlers adopted the bean, which is a New World food, cooking it with molasses or maple syrup and salt pork. Beans baked in cast iron pots buried in the ground became a lumber camp specialty and remains popular in New England – and especially in Maine -- to this day, particularly for public suppers and community gatherings.

Vermont used to be a center of bean agriculture.  There were bean elevators north of Burlington in the same way that there are grain elevators in the Midwest.  Trains sent the beans to Montreal, Boston, and New York and returned with tourists, who even then enjoyed Vermont’s rustic charms. Then, during World War II, the government set bean prices at a low of $.85 a pound, to encourage meatless eating at a time when meat was rationed.  But there was no ceiling on milk prices, so Vermont farmers switched to more lucrative dairy.  Local bean growing is slowly returning as milk prices tank, but demand far exceeds supply.

Dried beans are a long-season crop.  They do best in the flatlands and valleys, not in my short-season, mountain-top garden.

For cooking baked beans, I prefer navy beans, though yellow-eyes, soldier beans, and Jacob’s cattle beans are popular choices around here. Navy beans soaked overnight. I don’t bother with a bean hole; a 300° oven does fine for me.  And what goes best with baked beans for a summer supper?  Why, hot dogs, of course.  And cole slaw.  Welcome to summer.  I’m feeling full of beans.

Sunday Supper Baked Beans
Makes 6 servings

The two-stage cooking process (beans are boiled, then baked) is necessary to achieve a perfect texture.  Once the bean comes in contact with the acidic flavorings (ketchup, coffee, and so on) the skins will soften no further, so they must be cooked to tenderness first. This is a fairly classic baked bean recipe, tweaked a little for greater depth of flavor.  In the vegetarian version below, chipotle chiles replace the bacon for a touch of smoke.

2 cups dried navy or pea beans, soaked overnight and drained
8 cups water
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brewed coffee
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
4 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced 

1. Combine the beans with the water in a large saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until just tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Skim off any foam that rises to the top of the pot.

2. Transfer the beans and their cooking water to a bean pot or covered casserole. Add the onion, maple syrup, ketchup, coffee, soy sauce, mustard, ginger, and bacon and mix well.  

3. Cover and bake at 300° F (no need to preheat) for about 3 hours.  Check occasionally and add more hot water if needed to make sure the beans remain moist. On the other hand, if the beans seem too soupy remove the cover during the last 30 minutes. Serve hot.
Vegetarian Baked Beans.  Omit the bacon.  Add 2 tablespoons chopped chipotles in adobo sauce and proceed as above.

Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman.  ©2010 Andrea Chesman.  All rights reserved.

Easy Pumpkin CakeI’m not talking about getting the kids or the neighbors or friends to help with big chores, like digging new beds or erecting fences.  I’m talking about volunteers, spontaneous growth of unplanned and unplanted vegetables.


Some people call them weeds.


You don’t have to be particularly inexperienced or particularly soft-hearted to think that volunteers are a good thing.  I rarely have to plant dill or cilantro because it just pops up near wherever it grew the previous year.  Tomatoes often volunteer and because I plant heirlooms, they breed true.  Last year we had a generous harvest from a single volunteer tomatillo plant (which was something of a mystery because I’ve never grown tomatillos).


So last year when a volunteer winter squash popped up in a corner of the garden, we—my son and I—allowed it to spread across the lawn.  We couldn’t guess the variety until it had fruited, so against my better judgment, we let it grow.  I knew it was likely to be some ancient winter squash throwback, some variety whose genes were mixed into a hybrid variety for a single characteristic like color, or days to harvest, but not necessarily fine flavor. It certainly grew vigorously and fruited copiously.  


The harvested squash turned out to have no verifiable identity. It looked like a green pumpkin, with paler flesh.  “Can I compost it now?”   I asked throughout October and early November.  “No, no, don’t throw it out!  Cook it.”  Who throws away good food?  Not me.

Spaghetti squash and no-name squash/pumpkin harvest

I cooked the odd squash and found the flavor insipid but not bad.  The flesh was watery, perhaps by nature but perhaps because it had been such a wet growing season. Whatever it was, I put by several quarts in the freeze because I’m not the type to waste food.  I figured even weird, watery, no-name squash would be fine in this foolproof recipe for pumpkin cake


Now it is time to use up the old harvest to make way for the new.  And I still have several containers of this squash. 


This quick and easy recipe is perfect for using up pureed winter squash or pumpkin—frozen or canned, insipid or inspiring. I topped it with chopped pecans and sent it off to the refreshment table for the May Ripton Community Coffeehouse concert with Dollar General.  It was eaten and I heard no complaints—sugar fixes what nature doesn’t. 

Easy Pumpkin Cake

Serves 12 to 15

At my children’s elementary school, this recipe was passed from mother to mother and from class to class.  It was featured at the school’s annual Thanksgiving feast, a meal prepared by parents and school children and shared with all the school families and the town elders each year.  It has become the cake I am most likely to whip up when a bake sale or potluck dinner catches me unprepared.  And it is absolutely foolproof.

First I drained the squash puree so it would be less watery.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

1 3/4 cups cooked and mashed pumpkin or winter squash puree 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 to 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.
 

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and oil and beat until light.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the pumpkin.  Add the flour mixture and beat just until thoroughly blended.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched.

5. Cool completely on a rack.

6.  To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla.  Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.  If the frosting is too thin, add the additional 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.

7. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.

From Serving up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman.  © 2009 Andrea Chesman.  All Rights Reserved.

Now that it is March, Lauren’s supply of the vegetables she grew herself has dwindled. So she proposed a contest to help her come up with a localvore-inspired recipe for the next market, with extra brownie points (literally, meaning she would include brownies with the prize), if the recipe included onions or garlic, her last remaining vegetables.

 Red onions. Photo by Lauren Slayton

Onions don’t get enough love.  They are a workhorse in the kitchen, the backbone flavor note in many, many soups and sauces.  I don’t think my mother ever cooked a single dinner than didn’t start with “first you sauté an onion.”  But beyond French onion soup and batter-coated onion rings, there aren’t a lot of classic onion dishes.  So Lauren’s market regulars might have been stumped by the challenge.  But I wasn’t.

Just that week, I watched as my last pint jar of Rosemary Onion Confit was opened and consumed on biscuits with some nicely aged goat cheese from Twig Farm in Cornwall, Vermont.  I knew that onions can be the star of the show, so I sent her a recipe that will appear in The Pickled Pantry, which will be out in June.  The recipe makes a delectable, savory-sweet jam or rosemary-scented caramelized onions.  I’ve enjoyed it on turkey sandwiches and used it to as a filling for a pork tenderloin.

 Rosemary Onion Confit on a biscuit

Lauren used the confit as a filling for a rustic tart.  What will this relish inspire you to make?

Photo by Lauren Slayton

Rosemary Onion Confit

Makes 3 pints

            . 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 pounds onions, chopped

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, reduce the heat to low, and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are brown and meltingly tender, about 30 minutes.

2.  Stir in the sugar, cider vinegar, rosemary, and soy sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

3.  Pack the onion mixture into clean hot pint jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.  Remove any air bubbles and seal.

4. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.  Let cool undisturbed for 12 hours.  Store in a cool dry place.  

Recipe from The Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman.  ©2012.  All rights reserved.

Steamed Chinese Greens

Serves 4

It doesn’t get any simpler than this, and this way of preparing greens is simply perfect.  It is terrific with kale, especially lacinta kale, and most Chinese greens, including baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, and Chinese or napa cabbage.  It is also an excellent method for preparing regular broccoli and broccoli rabe.  

1 1/2 to 2 pounds greens, tough stems discarded

Soy sauce

Asian sesame oil

Chinese black vinegar

1.  Fill a saucepan with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil.  Put the greens in a steaming basket and steam until tender, about 5 minutes.

2.  Arrange the greens on a platter.  Drizzle generously with soy sauce and sparingly with sesame oil and vinegar.  Serve hot.

Kitchen Notes: For an extremely simple meal, steam cube silken tofu and place over the greens before drizzling with soy sauce, sesame oil, and vinegar.  Serve over rice.

From Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman.  ©2010.  All rights reserved.

Portuguese Kale Soup

Serves 4 as a main dish

Caldo verde (“green soup”) is considered one of the national dishes of Portugal. I like it best when it is kept simple, made with homemade chicken stock, potatoes, sausage, and kale.  The only seasoning needed is salt and pepper.  Don't confuse dried, cured Portuguese or Spanish chorizo with fresh Mexican chorizo -- they are very different in flavor.

1/2 pound Portuguese or Spanish chorizo, sliced

8 cups chicken stock or broth, preferably homemade 

3 to 4 medium-sized potatoes (1 pound), peeled and diced

12 ounces kale, stems discard and leaves chopped (8 cups lightly packed) 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the sausage and stock in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the potatoes. 

2. Combine the potatoes with water to cover in a medium-size saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Boil until tender, about 8 minutes.  Drain and briefly mash with a potato masher for an uneven, lumpy texture.  Add to the chicken stock along with the kale.

3. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the kale is quite tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

4.  Serve hot.

Adapted from Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman.  ©2008.  All rights reserved.

Steamed Chinese Greens

Serves 4

It doesn’t get any simpler than this, and this way of preparing greens is simply perfect.  It is terrific with kale, especially lacinta kale, and most Chinese greens, including baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, and Chinese or napa cabbage.  It is also an excellent method for preparing regular broccoli and broccoli rabe.  

1 1/2 to 2 pounds greens, tough stems discarded

Soy sauce

Asian sesame sauce

1.  Fill a saucepan with a couple of inches of water and bring to a boil.  Put the greens in a steaming basket and steam until tender, about 5 minutes.

2.  Arrange the greens on a platter.  Drizzle generously with soy sauce and sparingly with sesame oil.  Serve hot.

Kitchen Notes: For an extremely simple meal, steam cube silken tofu and place over the greens before drizzling with soy sauce and sesame oil.  Serve over rice.

Adapted from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman.  ©2010.  All rights reserved.

Crappie is in the sunfish family and very popular among sport fishermen because it is delicious, with mild, sweet white flesh.  Other names for crappie are strawberry bass, speckled bass, speckled perch, and calico bass.  In Louisiana, I’ve been told it is called sac-au-lait ("bag of milk").  But around here it is called crappie, so crappie for supper it is.

In the sunny climes of California, fish tacos with grilled fish was invented.  It is typically accompanied by a sour cream and lime sauce, pickled red onions, and cabbage, which I think makes it perfect for whipping up in the middle of winter, as long as you skip the grill.

Winter Fish Tacos
Serves 6
In summer, I would probably add cilantro the fish marinade and sour cream sauce, but the dish is just fine without it.  Fresh corn tortillas are the preferred wrap, but flour wrappers do fine, especially where fresh corn tortillas aren’t available.
  
Pickled Red Onion
1 small red onion, halved lengthwise, cut thinly into slivers
1/2 cup rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of hot pepper sauce

Fish and Marinade
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 pounds fresh mahi mahi or other white fish fillet

Sour Cream Sauce
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Pinch of salt
Dash of hot sauce

Tortillas and Garnishes
18 small flour or corn tortillas
2 cups shredded green cabbage
Salsa

1. To make the pickled onion, combine all the ingredients in a small nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving bowl, and let cool.
 2.  To prepare the fish, combine the oil and lime juice in a large shallow glass baking dish.  Add the fish and turn to coat in the marinade.  Set aside and let marinate for 15 minutes.
 3.  To prepare the sour cream sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside. 
 4.  Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the fish from the marinade and place in the hot pan, skin side down. Cook the fish for 4 minutes on the first side and then flip and drizzle with the marinade.  Cook on the second side for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.  Let rest for a few minutes, then flake the fish with a fork.
 5.  To warm the tortillas, stack them between damp paper towels and microwave for about 60 seconds.
 6.  Serve the warm tortillas, fish, cabbage, pickled onions, sour cream sauce, cabbage, and salsa in separate bowls and allow the diners to assemble their own tacos.

From Recipes from the Root Cellar.  ©2010 Andrea Chesman.  All rights reserved.

It was around my dinner table—I can’t remember the menu at this point—that a casual conversation about the dearth of venues for singer-songwriters morphed into the idea of starting a once-a-month coffeehouse series.  Eighteen years later, the Ripton Community Coffee House is still going strong.

There’s a dedicated volunteer crew to keep the organization going.  I feed the performers and crew who come early for set-up.  I got that job because I live closest to the venue, and not because I am a cookbook writer.  The musicians expect dinner made by the executive director’s wife.  Expectations are low.

My expectations are high, however, and I like to please.  Still, the menu can be a problem.  Inevitably there is a vegetarian in the group. Vocalists want to eat lightly and never want cheese before they sing.  Male instrumentalists eat hearty, the younger the heartier.

The dishes I choose must be ready by sound check time for the crew, but hold up for the sound man and the performers, who will eat a bit later.  The meal must be portable, because half will be served at the venue and half at my house, where the performers can relax. 

Lately, my go-to meal is Chinese sesame noodles, accompanied by Sweet Spicy Thai Slaw.  Sometimes I’ll roast some tofu to add protein.  The great thing about Sesame Noodles is that it can be adapted to what is in season and what is in the fridge.  In this week’s version, I swapped in a handful of chopped cilantro for the leek.  Scallions can replace leeks; cilantro is always a good addition.  During the gardening season, summer vegetables replace the carrots and daikon radish. 

In a DIY world, musicians should always eat free (see my favorite DIY blog, Cold Antler Farm.com) and recipes should be freely adapted.

Sesame Noodle Salad
Serves 4 to 6

 An arsenal of Chinese condiments combines to make the spicy dressing for these noodles.  Serve as soon as you combine the noodles and dressing.  If you want to make this dish ahead, cook the noodles and toss with sesame oil, assemble the vegetables, and make the dressing.  Refrigerate separately and combine just before serving.

1 pound dried vermicelli
1 leek, very thinly sliced
3 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or to taste
1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 to 2 teaspoons Chinese chili paste with garlic, or more to taste
2 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
1 carrot, finely julienned
2 turnips or 6-inch piece daikon radish, peeled and finely julienned

 1.  Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water according the package directions until tender but firm to the bite. 
2.  Place the leek in the colander.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the noodles by pouring into the colander; the hot water will cook the leek.  Rinse with cold water.  Transfer the noodles and leek into a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil.
 3.  In a blender, combine the garlic and ginger and process until finely chopped.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil, tahini, water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, black vinegar, 1 teaspoon chili paste, and sugar.  Blend well.  Dip a noodle into the sauce to taste for seasoning, and add more soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, or chili paste, as needed. 
 4.  Toss the noodles with the carrot and turnips. (If you can’t serve immediately, cover and refrigerate the noodle mixture.  Hold the dressing at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Just before serving, add the dressing to the noodles and toss well.  Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve immediately. 

Recipe from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman. ©2010.  All rights reserved