Taming The Beast

June 23, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mmmmmmmm, mint.

Fresh, fragrant, bright and…..INVASIVE!

I am sure we have all made the mistake at some point in our lives of planting mint in the soil of a herb garden. It plays nice with its neighbors the first year, keeping to itself in its own corner. Next year, Mr. Mint is the mayor of herb town and cramping everyone’s space. I recently had to evict a rather large-sized gathering of mint from the corner of my walkway. But don’t worry, I made up by inviting  them over for dessert ;)

Mint, the garden bully

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, I strongly recommend grabbing one. You can make really great ice creams, sorbet and gelato with ease. It’s pretty affordable at around $50 for a machine and you can provide your friends, family and especially kids with really fun, delicious treats. Another great factor is that you control what is in it… that means no preservatives, added fillers or artificial junk.

There are many things you can do to tame your overgrown mint crop. Of course…  Mint Juleps and Mojitos. A lot of people would stop right there and call it a day. Go ahead, pour yourself a drink and let us continue. Something like and fresh? How about tabbouleh? Adding a big handful of mint to a potato salad gives a bright refreshing flavor. Try this carrot and mint salad, I warn you, its hard to stop yourself from eating the entire bowl!  Just remember, mint is very bright and fresh, balance that with stronger, heavier flavors; this is why the classic pairing of lamb and mint works so well. knowing all that, this is why mint ice cream works so well. The mint cuts through the richness of the cream and chocolate, creating a beautiful sensation of flavors in your mouth… Kind of poetic, eh? All that being said, this is not your average, out of the tub, supermarket ice cream, but something much more.

Fresh Mint and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients:

3 cups of fresh mint leaves (not stems), rinsed, drained, packed

1 cup milk

2 cups heavy cream (divided, 1 cup and 1 cup)

2/3 cup sugar

A pinch of salt

6 egg yolks

6 ounces semisweet  chocolate or dark chocolate (such as Calbaut), chopped fine, keep in the freezer until used

Directions:

Put the mint leaves in a heavy saucepan with the 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of the cream. Heat until just steaming (do not let boil), remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Reheat the mixture until steaming, remove from heat and let stand for 15 more minutes.While the mint is infusing, prepare the remaining cream over an ice bath. Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a medium size metal bowl, set in ice water (with lots of ice) over a larger bowl. Set a mesh strainer on top of the bowls; Set aside.

Strain the milk cream mixture into a separate bowl, pressing against the mint leaves with a rubber spatula in the sieve to get the most liquid out of them. Return the milk cream mixture to the saucepan. Add sugar and salt to the mixture. Heat until just steaming again, stirring until sugar has dissolved; Remove from heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly pour the heated milk cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm mixture, but not cooked by it. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan. Return the saucepan to the stove, stirring the mixture constantly over medium heat with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spoon so that you can run your finger across the coating and have the coating not run. This can take around 10 minutes.

Pour the custard through the strainer (from step 2) and stir into the cold cream to stop the cooking. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (at least a couple of hours) or stir the mixture in the bowl placed over the ice bath until thoroughly chilled (20 minutes or so). Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is ready to be removed, add your chopped chocolate and let it mix into the ice cream thoroughly. Put in an airtight container and place in the freezer for at least an hour, preferably several hours. If it has been frozen for more than a day, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it before serving.

Fresh Mint and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

The Great Scape

June 9, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 comments

Garlic is pretty cool.  

Why?   

4 reasons:  

1. Green Garlic (Young Garlic)  

2. Garlic Scapes  

3. Garlic bulbs  

4. Cause it’s friggin’ great!  

Christmas came early today. Laura, from Farm Girl Farm (one of the farmers we deal with a lot), just dropped off a  

Garlic with a scape.

 case of Garlic Scapes. Scapes, much like ramps, fiddlehead ferns and morels, are a fleeting specialty of spring. If you have ever poked around a farmers market in the spring, you may have noticed these spiralled green whips. Right now, the scapes are at their best: young, tender and sweet. In the coming weeks the garlic will become  fibrous and woody, still edible, but requiring more work to prepare. 

How do you grow garlic?  

You plant a clove of garlic before the first hard frost of the fall. When the snow just starts to melt, the garlic stem will shoot right up. You can harvest some of these “stems” at this point and use them like you would a baby leek, this is what we can “green garlic”. The aroma of green garlic is very strong, though the flavor is quite mild, I recommend adding to the dishes at the very last second. After about 6 weeks, a flower will begin to grow out of the stem; this is the scape. A few weeks more, the garlic will have formed into bulbs, ready to hang and dry.  

What exactly is a “scape”?  

A scape is simply the flower of the garlic plant. After time, before it flowers, you will want to break the scape off to ensure all the energy goes to the growth of the garlic bulb.  

When the scape is young, you can do lots of stuff with it. Many people prefer to make pesto with it, super easy and super tasty. Blend a good handful of scapes  in a food processor with parmesan, salt, pepper and olive oil. Toss with some pasta and chow down. Another way that’s nice is to cut the scapes in about 1 1/2 inch pieces, blanch in salted, boiling water for about 2 mins and treat them like you would green beans; creamy, sweet and a touch garlicky. Roasted, that are divine  and are great in stir fry.  When they hit their teenage years (in a few weeks), they are even better grilled and topped on a juicy burger, especially a lamb burger…mmmm.  

Scapes and garlic field

Bigger, woodier scapes fear not; you too still have a purpose. Larger scapes can be used for making deliciously creamy soups, and are still great for grilling. Additionally, scapes provide an interesting accent in flower arrangements. Finally, garlic also gives you the unique ability to uncover your true friends, the gift is called garlic breathe.  

So how about that? 3 great culinary things you can get out of one vegetable. Just remember, anything that goes great with garlic (which is just about everything!), goes great with scapes. Get em’ while they last!  

Garlic Scape in Bloom.

The Chicks Dig It

June 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We all know of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) dried and canned. However… how about fresh green chickpeas?? 

After hearing my market had gotten a case of these little green fellows yesterday, I had to investigate.  I love it when something comes back into season, or if you get really lucky like this, you get something new. I was anxious to get right to it. 

Fresh Chickpeas in the Pod

  The Chickpeas arrive in small little pods, containing 1-2 green edamame colored peas. Although easy to shell, I will admit, doing so was not all that fun. On the bright side, you can make it a real family affair and catch up with each other’s day. Plus, these really are well worth the effort.  

Shelled Fresh Chickpeas

 You are probably wondering “what is the difference from the Canned and dried versions? 

Fresh green chickpeas are harvested when they are immature. The canned and dried relatives are left to dry on the plant, in the pods. Fresh chickpeas are also higher in nutrients. These jolly green midgets are low in fat, high in protein and full of flavor;  buttery, slightly nutty and a tad sweet. The simplest way to prepare the peas are to blanch them in salted, boiling water for about 3-4 minutes, or until tender but not mushy. Then, drain and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and some lime juice or wine vinegar. Enjoy them as is, or toss them into some other veggie dishes. 

 You can treat the chickpeas much as you would fresh peas. You can even enjoy them the way you would edamame: Pan roast the chickpeas (in their pod) until warmed through, drizzle with olive, lime juice and sprinkle with coarse or flaky sea salt; then put to use your fingers and teeth. The first preparation I worked out was a “fresh” (yes…pun intended) take on an old classic: Fresh Chickpea Hummus. Looked a lot like guacamole, but tasted like hummus, a real  tromp l’oeil. 

Fresh Chickpea Hummus

The Fresh chickpea season is a short one, and the options are only limited to what you can think of. Come to the Market, grab and handful and get busy!

Perfect Pillows Of Delicious-ness

May 15, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

 

Gnocchi Batter

May 21-23 is Berkshire Grown‘s annual Farmed and Foraged event. In Celebration of wild edibles, locally grown produce, cheeses, meats and breads from the region; area restaurants will be creating prix fixe and ala carte menus. 

At my market we strive to get as much local items as we can. So taking part in the event really got me excited and thinking… 

Being a farmer is no small feat. It takes a certain breed to deal with all the curve balls nature can throw at you, especially in the Northeast. Short growing seasons, wacky weather conditions and long cold winters are just a few things that can plague the talented crafters of the soil. Not everyone is cut out to be a farmer however, but I thought it would be fun for everyday people to get a chance to craft something of their own. As far a flavor is concerned, you won’t find anything fresher than when you make it yourself, Case in point… 

Ricotta Cheese  

I am planning making gnocchi (an Italian dumpling) for this event. In the Berkshires, there certainly is no shortage of dairy products and eggs. Ricotta is one of the easiest cheeses to make, and one of the tastiest. Combined with a little flour, an egg, some Parmesan and a pinch of love;  this gnocchi will be on your tummy’s favorite list for a long time to come. 

Pillows

 

Ricotta Gnocchi and Fiddleheads in Lemon, Thyme and Butter 

Serves: 4 

Ingredients: 

For the Gnocchi:
1 lb fresh ricotta cheese
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
1/2 lb fiddlehead ferns
 
For the Sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tsp thyme leaves
2 tsp plus 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice 
 
2 tablespoon butter, divided    
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
 
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a light simmer. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, egg, flour and parsley. Stir to combine ricotta mixture and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn out the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 6-8 inch long ropes. Cut into 1 inch lengths and press lightly with the back of a fork. Cook the gnocchi in batches in a large pot of salted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon to an ice bath. Heavily salt and bring water to a boil. Pour in fiddlehead and boil for 5 minutes, remove ferns with a slotted spoon to a separate ice bath.
 
For the sauce:
Combine butter, thyme, 2 teaspoons lemon rind and lemon juice in a small pot; heat over low heat until butter is melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper, keep warm.
 
Drain gnocchi and fiddleheads and pat dry. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat. When butter begins to sizzle, working in batches, brown and crisp gnocchi on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove gnocchi to a paper towel lined plate. Next add the remaining butter and oil to the same pan. Add

Final Dish

fiddle head ferns and saute until warmed though, about 1-2 minutes. Pour gnocchi back in to the pan along with the sauce; heat until sauce is hot. Portion the gnocchi and fiddleheads into 4 bowls.

 Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and lemon zest, serve hot.

One of the Best Things I Have Eaten…

April 22, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The best pizza ever.

This past weekend I was pretty busy making Ramp pizzas for the market. After catching wind of the smells in the kitchen, I was informed by my girlfriend that we would be having that for tonight’s dinner. I was more than fine with that. But after making a large amount of the same kind of pizza, I needed to amp things up a bit.

Pizza is great because with just a few cheap ingredients you can get a pretty good pie.  You can however invest a little more and make something REALLY gourmet. Besides, it’s good to spoil yourself once and a while.

Point in case: Ramp, Asparagus, Fiddlehead Fern and Morel Pizza.

That’s about as much spring as one pizza can handle.

Ramp, Asparagus, Fiddlehead and Morel Pizza

Serves about 12

1 small frozen pizza dough, thawed (or homemade if you have the time) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 handful ramps, washed and roots removed

1/2 lb asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 pieces

3/4 lb fiddlehead ferns, washed and brown chaff removed

3 oz fresh morel mushrooms or 1 3 oz packaged dried

1 tablespoon butter

3 oz fresh mozzarella ball, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 510 degrees F.

Adjust oven rack to the bottom of the oven. You will want to add your pizza stone about 1/2 before sliding the pizza on to it.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ramps and cook for 1 minute. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and rinse with cold water. Bring water to a boil again. Add asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until crisp tender; drain and rinse with cold water. Bring water back to boil and add fiddleheads, cook for 5 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water. If using dried morels: empty dried morels into a small sauce pan and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from heat let steep for 5 minutes; drain, dry and roughly chop.  Heat butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt, sauté until soft; reserve. Dry all veggies as much as you possibly can.

Lightly flour work area and work pizza dough out, getting it as thin as possible. Use a rolling pin to help this.  Brush lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle mozzarella, asparagus, ramps, fiddleheads, morels and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Slide pizza on to the pizza stone using either a peel or inverted cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, or until edges are puffy and browned. When done, remove from oven and slide on to a wire cooling rack; let cool slightly.

Then…

Get after it!

“What Do I Do With…”

April 11, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ramp and Asparagus Pizza

As you may have noticed, I recently posted a blog about Ramps. Followed by a demonstration I did yesterday (Ramp Pesto with Fresh Tagliatelle and a Ramp and Asparagus White Pizza) which went over very well. A lot of people hadn’t ever tasted, let alone heard of them. I was able to introduce something new into someone’s life, while teaching them an easy and delicious way to prepare it. I really love that and I get the feeling I am not the only one having fun.

There as so many things to discover or learn something new about in the food world.  So I was thinking this morning: why not  ask you folks if you have any particular food curiosities? Maybe you have seen something at your market that you have always wanted to try, but didn’t know what to do with it. Maybe you make something all the time and want to put a fresh spin on it? These are just some ideas.

I am always trying to find something new to write about and demonstrate. Put it on the back burner of your mind and let this simmer for a bit.

If something comes to you, email me at jgop711@yahoo.com.

Springing A Leek

April 8, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 6 comments

 

 

Ramps in the wild
 

Spring is here! The forest floor is proof of that. Chris Masiero (Co-Owner of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace and ramp picking maestro) took me on a trip today to gather a short lived, North Eastern buried treasure.

Green leaves covered the ground as far as the eye could see, I felt like one of those kids inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Wasting no time, we dug and pulled and yanked for about an hour. The dirt flew and the sweat beaded, chatting about all the ways we like to prepare them. There we stood at the end of it, hands and shoes smeared with dirt, looking at the 18 lbs of ramps we just foraged. We couldn’t be happier.

I love my job.

Cleaned Ramps

  

 

 

Ok, so what are ramps and what’s the big deal?

Ramps are wild leeks. Their growing season is fairly short, starting rapidly around the first couple of weeks in April and ending in just about 3 weeks. The ideal time to get them is when theyare young and tender. older ramps tend to become woody and their leaves yellow. Their flavor profile consists mainly of sweet spring onion and has a fragrant aroma of garlic.

 
 How do you I cook with them?

You may use ramps in place of scallions and onions, but that is really just the beginning.  Nothing should go to waste when preparing ramps. Try Grilling ramps, making a bright green pesto, they are an exceptional topping for a white pizza, great in risotto and make a nice compound butter to top a steak with. Since the season is so short, try pickling ramp stems to have them a bit longer. Many chefs consider the combination of ramps, asparagus and morels to be a “Holy Trinity”. What grows together, goes together.

Along with fiddle head ferns, local asparagus and morel mushrooms, the idea of ramps helps me get through the long winters. The light at the end of a very long, cold tunnel. These are the first signs of many exciting things to come.

Ramp Pesto with Tagliatelle

Photos courtesy of Jamie O’Brien

Cooked Cream: A Dessert Love Story

April 2, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 comments

Panna Cotta (PAHN-nah KOH-tah): 1. Italian for “cooked cream“,  a light, silky custard dessert made with a cream as a key ingredient; served cold, accompanied typically with fruit or chocolate sauce 2. One of the easiest dessert you will ever make.

Last week at my market we had the once a month event we call “Thank You Thursday”.  The theme for the event was green (eco, color, spring, etc.). So, my challenge was to come up with a menu based on that. I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to do for the main course and vegetable, but the dessert…

A while back I had some old, ragged basil kicking around. So, I did what I normally do with sad looking produce: throw it into a protien shake! I gotta tell you, The creaminess from the whey, the slight sweetness of the honey and the floral shot and color of the basil…

Magic.

So much so that this combination deserved it’s own dessert, and now was the time to unleash it. Panna Cotta came to mind, light yet rich: the perfect transition dessert for spring. So it was settled, Basil Panna Cotta with Mashed Berries, Honey and Pepper. Pepper? Oh yes.

If this recipe takes you more then 10 minutes to make, then there is something wrong. I love panna cotta because it’s delicious and anyone can feel like a rock star-chef making it. It’s also incredibly versastile. All you have to remember is that 1 packet of gelatin will work for 16 oz (2 cups) of liquid, the rest is all imagination.

Here are some of my ideas:

Earl Grey Panna Cotta with Crumbled Amaretti Cookies and Honey

Serves: 4

1 packet gelatin

16 oz (2 cups) half and half

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons or 4 packets Earl Grey Tea

Amaretti cookies, crumbled

honey for drizzling

Sprinkle Gelatin over 6 tablespoons cold water in a large bowl, let stand for 5-10 mins until fully absorbed.

Heat half and half and honey over medium heat until just simmering. Have Early grey tea ready in bowl, pour hot half and half over tea, cover and let steep for 5-7 minutes. Drain into the bowl with gelatin, stir until gelatin is dissolved. Ladle Earl Grey into 4 4 oz ramakin and chill until set, about 1 hour. Invert and dislodge panna cotta, sprinkle with crumbled cookies and drizzle with honey. for all you foodies out there. Earl Grey Panna Cotta with Crumbled Ameretti Cookies and honey or Coconut Panna Cotta with Key Lime Marmalade and Fresh Mint.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Key Lime Marmalade and Fresh Mint

Serves: 4

1 packet gelatin

1 13 oz can organic coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons water

key lime marmalade

handful fresh mint leaves, lightly chopped

Sprinkle Gelatin over 6 tablespoons cold water in a large bowl, let stand for 5-10 mins until fully absorbed.

Combine the coconut milk, sugar, and water into a small pan, bring to a simmer over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and stir into the bowl with gelatin, stir until gelatin has dissolved. Laddle mixture into 4 4oz ramakins, chill until set, about 1 hour.

Invert panna cottas and serve with a few tablespoons of marmalade and sprinkle with chopped mint leaves.

Fool around with these recipes, come up with your own and share them with me in the comments!

Adventures In Your Kitchen: Part 1

March 10, 2010 in Uncategorized | 1 comment

Due to our current economic climate, most of us aren’t really going out to eat that often anymore. However, a lot of us are starting to pick up old cook books that until a year or so ago, were just collecting dust on our shelves. In doing so we are getting back to our roots. We’re finding that when we buy (for instance) a couple of pounds of ground meat, we can create great meals that feed our families for a few days, in different ways.

Well today that is what we are going to take a look at: experimenting in the kitchen.

Today’s test: Fresh made ravioli, cheaters style.

Traditionally, to make ravioli you would have to make your dough by hand, kneading and resting included. Sound like something you want to do when you get home? Didn’t think so. Don’t get me wrong, that is probably something I would say yes to, but I’m a fool like that, a glutton suffering for my craft.

At Guido’s we are lucky to have our fresh pasta sheets made just about every day (if you can’t make it to Guido’s, wonton wrappers make a great stand in). I  call this recipe “cheater style” because you won’t have to worry about making your own pasta, taking about an hour off your time. Sound good so far?

Let’s shave some more time off.

You can pick up some pre-made tapenade (for my ravioli I chose an artichoke and lemon tapenade). Or the beauty of this is, maybe you already have some things in your house you can put to use in a new way. Maybe you have a left over stew or braise? Jarred artichokes, olives or left over vegetables from last night’s dinner? Maybe just plain cheese with herbs? If you choose the option of leftovers, put them in a food processor and pulse coarsely, season with salt, pepper and maybe some spices. Note: You don’t want to make anymore then about a cup of leftover “puree” for filling.

To start this, you will want to get a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Next, you will need some ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup) and a lightly beaten egg. Put your filling into a large mixing bowl with 1/2 cup of ricotta. Fold mixture together, season with salt and pepper. Now move on to making the ravioli . Lightly flour your work surface and lay the pasta sheet down. Using about 2 teaspoons of filling, drop the cheese mixture onto the pasta leaving a 1 inch border all the way around the filling. Continue this process until you can’t fit anymore. Using a pastry brush (or in a pinch you can use your finger), lightly brush the lightly beaten egg around all the edges of your filling. Now lay the other pasta sheet on top and carefully work all the air out from around the filling, pressing firmly to assure a good seal. If you have a cool pasta cutter, now is the time to use it; if not, a kitchen knife does the trick just fine. Cut your ravioli out. Now, drop them all into the boiling water, stir gently once and let cook for 2 minutes. Carefully remove them to a strainer. Put a few onto a plate, drizzle with olive oil and parmesan cheese, or lemon zest as I did, and eat up. If you realize you have too much ravioli after cutting, freeze some before you cook them for an easy dinner another night. This is a great recipe to make with the whole family, experiment and have fun!

A couple of other ideas:

Sweet Pea Ravioli with Lemon and Mint

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Creamy Ricotta Ravioli

Special thanks to my buddy Jamie O’Brien for the photos.

A Meal To Warm These Cold Bones

January 25, 2010 in Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 comments

Okay, so the Holidays are over, now what?

Another couple of months of pesky, chilly weather.

The cold can tend to lose a lot of its romantic charm without the thought of looking forward to jolly ol’ Saint Nick sliding down your chimney. Growing up in the Berkshires my whole life, I know this. So, I started studying a certain technique to help all of us winter warriors out there. I have one word to warm up those cold bones…

BRAISE

Combining both moist and dry heat, braising is a holy union of the two most mouth-watering techniques; roasting and stewing. Taking relatively cheaper cuts of protein, you can produce results that are exceptionally delicious, yielding melt in your mouth meat and a sauce that is the liquid essence of contentment. Not to mention braising is almost self sufficient, making it such a favored technique worldwide.

The French have Cassoulet, Italy has Osso Bucco and the Middle East lays claim to the great Tagine. Why not prepare one of these famed dishes or develop one of your own? In addition to being almost effortless, braising is versatile. Try braising leaner varieties of protein like chicken and fish for even faster evening dinners.

Basic Preparation of a Braise

You will need:

A protein: beef, pork or chicken  (I would recommend chicken for a beginner)

salt

pepper

A medium-sized cast iron dutch oven, or medium thick bottomed casserole pot with lid

Mirepoix (Equal amounts chopped carrot, celery, onion)

About 2 1/2 cups of water, stock and or wine (liquid should just cover 1/2 – 3/4 of the protein, but not swimming in it)

Aromatic herbs (1 bay leaf, 3-4 sprigs thyme, 1 rosemary sprig, whole black peppercorns)

An oven

Optional but recommended, a baguette (for mopping up the sauce of course!)

Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees

Next, season your protein with salt and pepper. Now heat some fat (butter or oil) in your dutch oven, over high heat. Lay your meat into the dutch oven and sear on all sides, make sure to get it good and brown. Once done, remove meat to a plate and toss in your mirepoix (veggies). Reduce heat to medium and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 -7 minutes. Put your meat and any extra juice thats on the plate back into the pot. Pour in your liquid (stock, water, or wine) and herbs, bring liquid to a boil, cover dutch oven with lid and place into oven. Braise for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Test the meat by using a fork, it should JUST collapse as you poke it, or just slide off the bone (if you’re using a cut with a bone). Let cool slightly, remove meat and spoon sauce over meat. Reduce sauce if not to desired thickness. Lastly, don’t let any of the sauce go to waste! Sop it up with your baguette, please. Also good news, braises are even better the next day, so make extra!

As they say, your imagination is the limit with braising, and for all cooking in fact. Some things will work, others won’t, just have fun with it!

For dinner last night we had Milk Braised Pork Tenderloin with Hazelnuts and Pepper…  If you ask nicely, I might let you in on the recipe ;)

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