Cookery Maven Blog

Curried Chicken Salad With Quinoa and Farro

In my quest to improve our eating habits at the Dougherty house and in direct response to the 15 pounds of bacon Ted bought at Jim's Meat Market last week- I made a relatively healthy dinner last night. About 8 years ago, we took Ted's Mom and Dad out to Stockton Island for the day. Ted's Dad, Frank, was possibly the most enthusiastic dinner/lunch/breakfast guest I have ever (or will ever) cook for and I knew he loved Indian curry. I was really into Ina Garten at the time and was inspired to make her curried couscous salad for our lunch on the dock that afternoon. I just ran across a picture from that lunch so long ago: Sadie was a nut brown four-year old, Will and Jack were shorter than me, Charlie was a sand covered toddler, Guinness, my Newfie, was standing watch at the beach and Frank was still with us. Everytime I make this salad, I travel right back to that afternoon. Sometimes a meal is so much more than just a meal- it's a key to unlock memories from the past. Since it feels like summer and I was thinking about Frank, I decided salad for dinner sounded like a grand idea. I had farro and quinoa in the cupboard, fresh curry powder from Ulf (read about the curry party here), olive oil from Tuscany and I unearthed some frozen chicken breasts in the freezer. The kids were excited about dinner until they saw the curry powder and craisins go in the bowl. I lost a good majority of my audience at that point but Ted and I had a nice, healthy dinner.

Curried Chicken Salad with Quinoa and Farro

3/4 cup non fat plain yogurt

1/2 cup good olive oil

2 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

3 to 6 tbsp curry powder (to taste)

2 cups quinoa, cooked

2 cups farro, cooked

4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 red pepper, chopped

8 green onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, peeled and minced

1/2 cup craisins or currants

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1/2 cup silvered almonds

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup chives, chopped

Mix yogurt, olive oil, salt and curry powder in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate for a couple hours to let the flavors develop. Serve cold.

Spring Equinox 2012

It's official, spring arrives at 12:14 am tonight. New beginnings and fresh starts- in the garden and ourselves. This has always been a time for reflection- where am I going, what do I want, how am I going to get there? I have a tendency to get wrapped up in endless minutiae and forget to pause, reduce the noise in my head and look around. Rainer Maria Rilke, in Letters to a Young Poet, said, "Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

Spring starts slowly (except this year). The garden, brown and littered with debris from the winter, starts to awaken and shake off her lethargy. As the days grow longer, she starts to gather steam and finally explodes in the chaotic riot of color and texture of August. But it all starts with a little green shoot in the spring. I want 2012 to be the year I decide to live mindfully, fully engaged in the present moment. I hope to hold the image of tender green leaves emerging from darkness into light and remember to gradually live my way into the answers.

Shorts At The Skihill & Swimsuits At The Beach...In March!

Saturday was the last day at Ashwabay for the season and we headed up to join the fun. There were cardboard box races (Charlie won third fastest and Meg's 'ride' never made it down the hill), an easter egg hunt, a costume contest, tubing down Portway (Ted took third place) and a water skipping event. It was 77 degrees and sunny- unbelievable! Charlie was skiing in his shorts, t-shirt and a smile from ear to ear. It was a surreal afternoon, my brain knew it was March 17th but the warm breeze and sunshine felt like June. We sat outside the T-Bar with friends, had a couple of beers and cheered on the water skippers- it was one of the best St Patrick's Day I can remember.

The summer in March fun continued today with the first beach day of 2012. It was 70 degrees on the beach with sunshine and a warm breeze. The kids went swimming, built sand castles, dug holes and took turns burying each other. Will awed and amazed Sadie with his one-handed cartwheels and George reprised his role as Retriever Extraordinaire with the Chuck-it. I sat on the beach, listening to the water and thanked every lucky star I could think of for this taste of summer.

All the sun and sand made me think about Florida, which made me think about key lime pie (I liked the pies from Publix), which led to a trip to the grocery store and pie for dessert. The kids had smores when we got home from the beach and I headed into the kitchen to whip up dinner (chicken fajitas) and the aforementioned pie. I am sure we will get another cold snap and maybe a snowstorm but this respite from the cold and damp has been a godsend. While I will miss braises, stews and soups, this weekend reminded me how much I love grilling, sitting around the fire outside looking at the stars and of course, key lime pie and smores!

Key Lime Pie

Pie Crust

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tbsp sugar

5 tbsp butter, melted

Filling

4 egg yolks

2 cans sweetened, condensed milk

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice or Nellie and Joe's Key Lime Juice

2 tbsp lime zest

Make Crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate.

Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack. Leave oven on.

Make Filling and Bake Pie

Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined. Add juice and zest, whisk until combined.

Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered. If you are in a hurry, you can put the pie in the freezer after you pull it out of the oven. It will set within a couple hours.

Sugarbushing

We spent Wednesday afternoon at Julie and Charly's sugarbush. It was warm, sunny and smelled like wood smoke and maple syrup. All in all, a glorious afternoon and evening. I grew up in Minneapolis and my experience with syrup involved a plastic bottle, shaped like a kind, matronly lady named Mrs Buttersworth. We had 'real' maple syrup at home but the über sweet syrup from the missus was my favorite. Fast forward 35 years to a bucolic piece of property near Lake Superior with buckets attached to spigots in trees- this is where 'real' maple syrup come from?? A revelation- sap from trees boiled (or evaporated) into syrup. I have to admit, I did know where syrup came from prior to my sugarbushing afternoon. However, this was my first opportunity to be a sap hauling cog in the syrup making machine. As I was emptying the buckets, I thanked the trees for sharing with us.

Of course, there was food. I brought a few of my favorites- Irish cheddar, Fromager d'Affinois, smoked salmon and chorizo from Northern Waters Smokehaus and prosciutto. The kids ate all the bread while we were hauling the sap but I was able to find a little piece in the bottom of the bag. Julie made chicken and wild rice soup (delightful), warmed up over a fire the kids made. We drank a little beer, ate good food and watched the sap transform into syrup.

The sugarbush is timeless. I was struck by the generosity of the trees, the elemental nature of sap turning to syrup and the blessing of friendship. The effort that goes into producing a quart of syrup is formidable but it is the effort that makes it special. In my mind, absolute perfection.

A Trifecta of Polar Plunging, Ribs and Big Break Zinfandel

It is a long winter in Bayfield. We have at least 5 months of cold and snow (hopefully) and what better way to raise money for the Bayfield Rec Center than jumping in the water on March 3rd? This was the second plunge for Sadie and I have to admit, my daughter is far more adventurous than me. After she climbed out the frigid water, Sadie wrapped herself in a sleeping bag and watched the other jumpers....while she was still soaking wet. In light of her heroic act, I decided to make one of her favorite meals for dinner- smoked pork ribs. As I am sure you are beginning to surmise, I am always looking for a reason to make a special meal or throw a party. Lord knows, jumping into freezing water with snow blowing sideways is enough of a reason for a rib dinner.

About 10 years ago, I decided I wanted to learn how to barbecue and smoke meat. Have you noticed the men 'manning' the grill are drinking beer, laughing and hanging out outside? That's for me, I thought. While I love time spent in my kitchen, there is nothing like starting the grill and cooking outside. I wish it was that easy for me. I have a tendency to complicate everything and research, pick apart and dive head first into the details of whatever it is I am fixated on. Let me tell you, there are a lot passionate barbecue pit masters out there with endless theories and rules for success. A couple of things I have learned: the rub matters, low and slow is the only way and sauce goes on AFTER the meat comes off the smoker. When we were visiting Ted's Mom in Alabama (a good place for barbecue research, among other things), we bought nearly every rub we could get our hands on. I settled on Bad Byron's Butt Rub as my favorite.

I put the rub on the ribs and let them sit for a couple of hours to let the salt and spices flavor the meat. I used my electric smoker, it is easier to maintain the temperature when it cold out than my Kamado grill/smoker. Since Sadie was plunging and I wasn't sure when we would be back, I smoked the ribs at 200 degrees for 3 1/2 hours and I wish I would have had the temperature at 225. The ribs were good but not as tender as I like. I put them in a covered Dutch oven and popped them in the oven for about 45 minutes. As I was pulling the ribs out of the oven, Bonnie Raitt's song, Angel From Montgomery, was on Pandora. It was a good omen for a good dinner.

Zinfandel is the obvious choice for barbecue. It just so happened, I had a lovely Zinfandel just waiting for the perfect opportunity to come to dinner. I must admit, I have a prejudice against 'supermarket wines' and I was not too keen on trying the Cline Big Break Zinfandel. I am glad I did; it is a spicy, complex, 100 year old vine zinfandel. The second glass was much better than the first, this wine definitely needs air and space to breathe in order to come to life. Zinfandel is becoming one of my favorite wines- I love its boldness and complexity.

Dinner was a hit. We turned off all electronic devices and sat around the kitchen table. Of course, there were ten different conversations going on at once, George was making the rounds begging for scraps and Ted announced, 'I bought a vintage lifeboat on Craigslist today.' It was a typical Dougherty dinner.

In Like A Lion On Leap Day

Mussels with Bacon, Cilantro and Tomato

What is the first thing I do when I hear a snow storm is coming? I start planning dinner. I collect cookbooks and there is a series I am particularly fond of- The Best American Recipes. They were published annually and included the best recipes from newspapers, magazines, books and the internet. You can pick them at used book stores or Amazon.com, I believe they are out of print. I pulled the 2003 - 2004 cookbook off my shelf and ran across the perfect snow storm dinner- Mussels with Bacon, Cilantro and Lime. Although, the snow didn't start until well after dinner, it was the perfect precursor to the biggest snow storm we have had all winter.

After dinner is situated, the next hurdle to the perfect snow storm experience is the wine. I need to stop here and explain my deep and profound love of wine. There is something about uncorking (or unscrewing) a bottle of wine- you are unleashing the winemaker's intentions into your kitchen, dining room, sauna, etc. Think about it, winemaking is a little like raising a child- you tend the vines, pick the grapes when you think they are ready and hopefully create a wine that is meaningful and resonates with the wine drinker. The beautiful part of winemaking is that is a leap of faith- you provide the raw materials for greatness but it is what happens in the bottle and environment that ultimately determines the outcome. How can you not be awed when you have that first sip and it hits you, 'this is something special'. Don't get me wrong, I am a mere babe in the woods when it comes to wine knowledge. There is so much more to learn but like all good students, I have a healthy amount of awe and appreciation for the teachers and subject. Now back to the snow storm dinner. When I came in the kitchen, Ted had opened a bottle of wine. I have to admit, I was a little flummoxed. First of all, he is a resolute amber-colored liquor imbiber. Secondly, I am a little controlling when it comes to what we we drink with what we eat. He opened a bottle of 2008 Bogle Phantom- a gnarly blend of old vine zinfandel, petite sirah and old vine mourvedre. Outstanding choice for the mussels with tomatoes and bacon. Bogle Phantom is one of my favorites- it definitely needs times to 'gather itself' but once it unwinds- it is a great wine. If I had the self-control, I am sure it would improve with age in a cellar.

When we woke up on the 29th, the snow was just starting. It was one of the best days we have had all winter. The freedom a snow day gave us was a gift and we made sure to enjoy every minute.

Mussels with Bacon. Cilantro and Tomato

1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (use the best bacon you can find)

2 large shallots, thinly sliced (I substituted yellow onion)

1 large jalapeno, thinly sliced (I used the seeds)

14 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup butter

Cook the bacon in a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the fat. All the shallots and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Increase the heat to high and add the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, lime juice and cilantro and serve with crusty bread.

Traditions and Birthdays

The two girls not only share a bedroom, they nearly shared a birthday- Sadie's is February 16th and Meghan's is February 18th. This year, they decided a trip with friends to the Mall of America would be a good way to mark Sadie's thirteenth year and Meg's ninth. To be honest, the thought of spending more than 15 minutes in the Mall of America is enough to give me hives. However, the thought of my very first 'girl's weekend' with my girls (and a night at the Marquette) was enough to fortify my reserve.

Prior to departure, we needed to have a family dinner and cake served on the "You Are Special Today' plate. My Mom brought home the first 'You Are Special Today' plate about 25 years ago. Every since that day, nearly every piece of birthday cake in my family has been served on that plate. Prior to Jack's first birthday, I purchased my very own plate and we have used it ever since. Traditions are important- they offer a chance to bring the past forward and give a foundation for the future. This year, Sadie decided to eat her dinner on the red plate. I guess 'You Are Special Today' applies to dinner or dessert.

As for my first all 'girls weekend' with Sadie, Meghan and pals, it is a tradition in the making!

Who Can Turn The World On With Her Smile?

And So It Begins

I have to tell you, writing the first blog post of your very own blog is a little mind bending. Where should I start? A funny aside about my food obsessed yellow lab, George? A touching story about taking my two daughters and their friends to Minneapolis for the weekend? A tidbit from our family archive when we took our five kids across Lake Superior, in a boat, to Isle Royale? I opted to keep it short and simple. A first blog post should be a little like cocktail party conversations- a brief overview, a funny anecdote and a promise to get together soon. Here are the players you will get to know over the course of my blogging adventure. Trust me, they are a brilliant bunch of people, critters and places.

Ted- captain of the ship, leader of the pack and the man with a plan.