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Slow Cooker Goat “Bourguignon”

By on June 12, 2009 in Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Recipes

A few weeks ago, I picked up some goat meat on a whim at the Pearl Brewery farmer’s market in San Antonio. I had been reading a lot about it, but found it in local grocery stores. I’m so glad I tried it; I am now a total convert and preach the marvels of goat to anyone who will listen.

It was frozen (for food safety reasons, most of the meat sold at the farmer’s market is frozen), so using the slow-cooker was a great solution. If it wasn’t frozen, I would have browned the goat in some bacon fat before putting in the slow-cooker. This by no means is a traditional “bourguignon,” but it uses many of the same flavors. I kind of just dumped whatever reminded me of traditional boeuf bourguignon in the slow-cooker.

This is the kind of dish into which you can add whatever comes in your Local Box that week. Last time I made this with green garlic and red spring onions; this time I had a ton of carrots and used the pattypan squash. If you have mushrooms, those would be fabulous too. I’ve included the basic recipe, but the intent is that you improvise with whatever’s in season/on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of carrots, peeled and chopped into medium-sized chunks
  • 1 large onion or a few spring onions (either red or yellow, though I used red) chopped
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/2 bottle red wine (I used a French burgundy.)
  • 1-14 oz. can low-sodium beef stock
  • 1-6 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 lb. goat stew meat
  • 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper

Directions:

  • Put the chopped vegetables and the herbs in the bottom of the slow-cooker, then add the tomato paste and liquids and stir well.
  • Add the goat so that all of the pieces are covered in the liquid, then add the salt and pepper.
  • Cover and cook on high for 3 hours, then on low for 2 hours (alternatively, low for 8 hours — 9 if it’s frozen — would be okay also).

Verdict:
This was PHENOMENAL. I’ve made boeuf bourguignon in the slow-cooker before using a similar recipe, but the goat was much more moist and flavorful. The goat was more flavorful than beef, but not game-y at all. I served this with garlic mashed potatoes (saute ~3 cloves of garlic in butter, then add milk or buttermilk to the skillet to heat through, then add to the boiled potatoes and whisk everything in a stand mixer until smooth), so it was nice to have so much sauce with it, but if you want a thicker gravy, stir about 1 tsp. cornstarch into the beef stock before adding to the slow-cooker.

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Blackberry Ice Cream

By on June 11, 2009 in Desserts, Gluten-free, Recipes

We’ve been getting blackberries in our Greenling box for a few weeks now, and while they’re perfect just out of the box (literally, when it’s still in the green box), I’ve been trying to think of new ways to use them in recipes.

Since it’s been ice cream season (i.e., 90+ degree weather) here in South Texas for a while now, I thought I might use our blackberries to make my first custard-based ice cream. I’ve previously shied away from custard-based ice creams for a few reasons, namely because they’re so high in fat and because I thought they were tricky to make. Turns out that I was right on only the first count.

I halved the recipe to accommodate 1 pint of blackberries. If you have 2 pints, use the original recipe. What’s weird is that both recipes yield about 1 liter (I stored mine in one of those tall plastic containers that wonton soup comes in, so I’m sure about this). No idea how that happened.

I highly encourage you to check out the original recipe for this one; the pictures on Jen’s site are incredible.

Adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, via Use Real Butter

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 c. half-and-half
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 3/4 c. heavy cream
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3/4 c. strained blackberry puree (You can use 1 pint of whole blackberries. I highly recommend using a food mill for this, as blackberries have large seeds. It’s much easier than pureeing in a food processor or blender and then removing the seeds with a strainer.)
  • 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

  • Heat half-and-half and sugar over medium heat in a small saucepan.
  • While it’s warming, pour the cream into a bowl and place a strainer over the top. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Set both bowls aside.
  • When the sugar has completely dissolved into the half-and-half and the mixture is warmed through, slowly add the warmed half-and-half to the eggs, whisking constantly.
  • Pour the egg/half-and-half mixture back into the saucepan, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
  • Pour the egg/half-and-half mixture (now resembling a custard) through the strainer into the cream. Add the blackberry puree and the lemon juice.
  • Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 4 hours. (The mixture needs to be completely chilled before putting it in the ice cream maker to avoid overchurning, which leads to increased ice crystals and thus a less smooth texture [a tip from Alton Brown]. But the mixture should be used in 4 hours to preserve the fresh berry taste [a tip from David Lebovitz].)
  • Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After it’s finished churning, put the ice cream in a tupperware and cover it with saran wrap before sealing the container (a tip from Alton Brown). Freeze for 2 hours before eating.

Verdict:
This was my first attempt at custard-based ice cream, as I had (incorrectly) thought that it required a ton of work. It doesn’t! This ice cream has a beautiful pinkish-purple color and a wonderfully rich and decadent flavor without being overly heavy. This would be perfect with the blackberry-peach crisp I made a few weeks ago, and would be so easy to make a few days ahead of time for company.

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Bruschetta

By on June 9, 2009 in Appetizers & Snacks, Recipes, Vegan

Tomatoes have started to make their appearance here in South Texas, and I couldn’t be happier. To me, the first bruschetta of the season is what really kicks off the summer. I picked up the tomatoes and basil (I bought a pot of basil for $4. It’s a steal if I don’t kill it before next week, which, given my very black thumb, might actually happen.) at the Pearl Brewery farmer’s market, and the garlic comes from Greenling.

Bruschetta was one of the very first things that I learned how to make. I think my original version came from my mom’s Silver Palate cookbook, but now, it’s sort of a taste-as-I-go kind of thing.

Most people eat it as a topping for crostini, but I eat mine as a side with dinner. It’s a salad, but the vinegar ensures that it holds up to even the heartiest of meats.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint of tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes that I quartered this time, but any ripe tomato will do. If you’re using whole tomatoes, remove some of the juice and seeds before chopping them up.)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced finely (After tasting it, I actually added another clove for a total of 4. I’m a bit of a fiend for garlic though.)
  • 1 shallot, minced finely
  • 6 large basil leaves, chiffonade(d?) (To chiffonade, just stack up the leaves, roll them up, and mince. It looks like long strings of basil when you’re finished.)
  • 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • (Lots of) salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust as needed. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before eating.

Verdict:
Like I said, I could (and do) eat this with a spoon — no crostini necessary. Do be liberal with the salt; tomatoes are one of those foods that is made so much better with the addition of good kosher salt. These classic flavors compliment a variety of dishes. I served this alongside rack of lamb, but I’m planning on eating the leftovers with some pasta for lunch this week.

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Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

By on June 8, 2009 in Gluten-free, Main Dishes, Recipes

My delivery day is Thursday, so often times we get subs for certain items. This week, instead of green beans, we got peas in our Local Box. I wasn’t complaining, as I love adding peas to stir-frys.

My husband’s favorite dish when we go to PF Changs is ginger chicken, so I wanted to make it for him at home, too. This version is a little different (I feel like PF Changs uses a ton of high-fructose corn syrup in theirs), but he still likes it.

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. + 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 Tbsp. cardamom
  • 1-2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger, depending on how gingery you like it (or 1 tsp. ground ginger)
  • 1.5 lb. chicken breast or tenders
  • 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/3 c. mango jam. (The original version calls for mango chutney. I used the rest of the peach-mango jam that I made last week.)
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic

Directions:

  • Chop the light and dark green tops of the onions and set aside. Trim the peas and set those aside as well.
  • Combine the white wine vinegar, olive oil, cardamom and ginger.
  • Trim the chicken of fat and cut it into small cubes. Add to the ginger mixture. Marinate for 15-30 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil to a pan over high heat. When the olive oil is hot, 1/2 c. of the green onions and the peas to the pan. Saute for ~4 minutes, until the peas are al dente. (If the peas are very large, you might want to blanch them instead.) Remove the onions and peas from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the remainder of the green onions to the pan. After about 30 seconds, add the chicken and the ginger mixture to the pan. Brown over high heat.
  • While the chicken is browning, combine the chicken stock, mango jam and garlic in a small bowl. After the chicken is browned, add the chicken stock mixture to the saucepan. Reduce the heat, add the peas to the pan again, and simmer for 3 minutes.
  • Serve with white rice and broccoli.

Verdict:
The peppery bite of the ginger combines nicely with the sweet mango jam in this dish. It’s a quick, healthy dinner that’s always a winner in our house. The great thing about stir-frys is that you can add whatever veggies you want in here. If you don’t have peas, asparagus, string beans or squash would be good additions as well.

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Oven Fried Green Tomatoes

By on June 5, 2009 in Recipes, Side Dishes

Fried green tomatoes are the epitome of southern cuisine, right? I had actually never seen them before they came in our local box this week. They were a bright, light green color and were quite firm.

Adapted from Bakingsheet

Ingredients:

  • 2 large green tomatoes
  • 1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I used panko for some crunch.)
  • 3/4 c. cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. garlic salt (The original recipe uses celery salt.)
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt (my addition — you can never have too much salt on tomatoes, in my opinion.)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk (I used a scant 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes before using, rather than purchase buttermilk just for this recipe.)
  • Pam spray

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (The original recipe broils these, but I made meatloaf at the same time, so I had to compensate for the temperature difference.)
  • Slice the tomatoes into 1/4″ wide rounds.
  • Combine the breadcrumbs, cornmeal, garlic salt, paprika, pepper and kosher salt on a plate.
  • Combine the egg and buttermilk in a small bowl.
  • Soak the tomato slices in the egg mixture, then dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture. Set aside on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Spray the tops of the tomatoes with Pam also.
  • Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the tomatoes and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for an additional 2 minutes to brown and crisp on top. (Additionally, broil for the entire time for 4 minutes per side.)

Verdict:
I served these with meatloaf for a meal of true comfort food. Inside, these were soft and tangy (with a mildly sweet flavor, too!) and the outside was crunchy and salty. I was surprised at how juicy the inside was, but the breading held up nicely. Though I’m sure deep-frying these would be fantastic, oven frying was a healthy, light solution!

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