Hounds In The Kitchen » Local Food

Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:38:26 +0000

Earlier this week, we were slated to bring a soup to family dinner with Alex’s parents. I spied our last local pie pumpkin languishing on the counter and thought of squash soup.

I typically make winter squash soup by oven roasting the squash, sautéing onions and garlic in oil, and then pureeing everything together. This time I was exhausted from another bout of sinus pain. I didn’t feel like dicing the onion and happened upon another thought – what if I roasted everything together?

The lazy girl’s inclination turned out to be a stroke of brilliance. Pumpkin halves, onion, garlic, and parsnip bathed in an oil-rubbed sauna for about 40 minutes while I put my feet up and watched a football bowl game. On the second rack of the oven, I roasted the pumpkin seeds.

Then I simply scraped all the slightly charred, softened vegetables into a pot and added stock from the freezer and herbs from the backyard. I whizzed the soup smooth with the immersion blender and topped with roasted seeds. The resulting soup is earthy and rich with caramelized flavors from the roasted vegetables.

I’ve been at this home cooking thing for a long time and I don’t usually change much about the way I make traditional dishes. But sometimes the simplest thing surprises me. I’ll never make squash soup the old way again.

Simplest Oven-Roasted Squash Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4

Serving Size: large bowls

Make this nutritious, flavorful soup with your favorite winter squash. Use a meatless stock for a vegetarian or vegan version.

Ingredients

1 hard winter squash (acorn, pumpkin, butternut, etc.)
2 small onions
3 cloves garlic
2 parsnips or carrots
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups poultry or vegetable stock - homemade method here
1 tablespoon fresh or two teaspoons dried herbs - I used thyme still amazingly fresh in the garden
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
roasted seeds for garnish (optional but you have the seeds and the oven on already, so why not?)

Instructions

Halve squash and remove seeds to a bowl. If roasting seeds, cover with water and set aside.
Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet.
Chop onions into quarters and peel garlic cloves and parsnip/carrots. Chop parsnip or carrots into rough 3 inch sections. Place all on the baking sheet.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables and place in a 325 degree oven.
If making seeds, remove them from pumpkin innards and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet now. Drizzle with soy sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper and/or your favorite spice blend. Place in the oven.
Every 10 minutes, stir vegetables and seeds. Cook vegetables until squash is soft, about 40 minutes. Roast seeds until they are crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the stove and allow vegetables to cool to the touch.
Scrape flesh from the skin into a medium pot. Add the onions, garlic, and parsnips and cover with vegetable stock.
Turn the heat to medium and season with herbs, white pepper, and salt. Allow to come to a boil.
Puree with an immersion or stand mixer. Do this carefully as the ingredients are hot and can burn. Return to the pot and continue cooking until service, adjusting seasonings as desired. Watch carefully as this thick soup has a tendency to burble and splatter.
Serve in soup bowls with a pile of roasted seeds on top to garnish.

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Added to Simple Lives Thursday #77.

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Simplest Oven Roasted Squash Soup {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:58:24 +0000

Skillet R.U.F. kale and sweet potatoes

Way back in August when the grass was green and the weather sticky hot, Flying J Farm opened its (barn) doors to host the Shake the Hand that Feeds You dinner benefiting Slow Food Columbus. Alex, Lil, and I attended with our Japanese exchange student Anna.

Chefs from Skillet Rustic. Urban. Food expertly cooked up much of the feast including a lingua appetizer sandwich that helped inspire our sweet heart charcuterie. The family-style meal included a whole roast pig, tomato salad, rosemary potatoes, braised cabbage, and our favorite dish of the night, sweet potatoes and kale.

Chef Casey’s pairing of my favorite vegetable, kale, and nutritious sweet potatoes was a new combination to me. Every time I eat at Skillet R.U.F. I am struck by their simple brilliance and want to recreate dishes at home.

Six months after the Flying J dinner, I chopped the last of our homegrown sweet potatoes to share with family on Christmas Eve. I prepped the vegetables early in the day and cooked them together just before guests arrived. I covered the dish to keep warm during cocktails.

The sweet, earthy, toothsome kale and sweet potatoes were a tasty accompaniment to our roast goose and mushroom pie. The leftovers kept well. Alex suggests that these kale and sweet potatoes topped with a poached egg would be an amazing simple dinner. I agree and know this dish will make its way onto a meal plan soon.

Rachel's kale and sweet potatoes

Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes
Time: 15 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking
Makes: 6 side dish servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced into two-inch pieces
2 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced into one-inch pieces
1 large bunch kale, leaves washed well, removed from ribs, and chopped/torn into large chunks
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
10-20 grinds white pepper (to taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and onions.
2. When onions have begun to turn translucent, add sweet potatoes and turn up the heat. Cook for 10 minutes, tossing or gently stirring regularly.
3. Add kale pieces, salt, and pepper. Stir gently and reduce heat back to medium. Cook for five minutes or until kale starts to wilt.
4. Pour maple syrup and apple cider vinegar over the mix. Continue cooking until sweet potatoes are cooked through. Serve warm.

PS. Need a little reassurance that summer will come again? Relive Shake the Hand that Feeds You through pictures.

Added to Simple Lives 76.

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Maple Cider Vinegar Kale & Sweet Potatoes ala Skillet {Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Holiday 2011 Gift Guide

Rachel — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:01:01 +0000

Need a gift for a person who appreciates the provenance of presents? Here are eleven fun, unique ideas from central Ohio:

1) Little Alouette makes the most beautiful baby gifts, period. This holiday they offer personalized teethers, rocking horses, and a stunning nativity set.

2) I picked up a Zeroz Wallet for myself this fall and I am totally in love with the ultra-simple, sleek, handmade-in-Columbus design. It seems unreasonable that someone could improve on something as basic as a wallet, but Zeroz has done it.

3) A week ago, Tulane Road Pottery delivered an invitation to their holiday open house. We walked all of four blocks to the backyard studio and admired the earthy, architectural ceramic ware. A Tulane Road handmade plate, bowl, mug or piggy bank would make a handsome gift.

4) Thurns Meat Samplers – This year Thurn’s Speciality Meats, 530 Greenlawn Ave., is offering gift packs for the holiday season, all under $20.00. Your choice of bacon, smoked sausage, jerky, or party sampler will include meats vacuum packed for easy transportation and packaged in a gift bag.

5) Did you know that central Ohio is home to a nationally recognized handcrafted stoneware manufacturer? Hartstone Pottery in Zanesville creates freezer-microwave-dishwasher-oven-safe dishes from USA clay and adds lead-free hand-painted details. I use my tall mug for coffee or tea every day. Visit their location for factory tours and a complete store or shop online with 30% off through next Friday.

6) If don’t receive a pair of foodie earrings from Sweet Stella Designs this xmas, I’m buying them for myself. Amy makes miniature confections out of polymer clay that look almost good enough to eat. Find a Sweet Stella dessert accoutrement at What the Rock?! and Wholly Craft, or the MAC Holiday Sale, see below.

7) Igloo Letterpress and The Hills Market collaborated to make a touching, limited edition, Hand that Feeds You poster. Pick yours up at either location for just $25.

8 ) For the sweets lover, grab a Sassafras Bakery Gift Package of handmade from-scratch cookies, brownies, or bars. AJ will be serving up her holiday menu through December 23 for pickup in Worthington or Gahanna or you can pick up individual treats at Bexley Coffee Shop, Market 65, or The Hills Market.

9) Anyone who loves dining out in Columbus needs Nick Decker’s book, Breakfast with Nick. In it, he profiles breakfast joints and places that serve coffee and eats all day.

10) Family and friends who appreciate fine drinks will certainly enjoy the best of central Ohio’s spirits. I suggest Watershed Gin, Brothers Drake Apple Pie Mead, or OYO Whiskey.

11) For the person who has everything, try a gift certificate to North Market, Franklin Park Conservatory,or Columbus Food Adventures or a gift basket from Celebrate Local or Hills Market. If you are feeling charitable instead of material, try a donation to Local Matters, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, the Mid-Ohio Food Bank or Slow Food Columbus.

What local gifts are you giving this year?

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Holiday 2011 Gift Guide is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

The Lenghtiest Homegrown Staple: Dry Beans

Rachel — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:15:36 +0000

Have you ever made homegrown dried beans?

It’s a lengthy and annoying process, in my opinion. I do it every year because I just can’t stand to waste.

Here’s how it goes:

I try to pick fresh green beans I grow every few days. We like the little sweet ones.

Beans are prolific. The bright green leave camouflage the slender green sickles. I miss many that then grow too big for us to enjoy fresh.

What’s a lazy girl to do? Leave them on the vine, growing until they are full of fat beans. I leave them there while they whither. I don’t pick until the leaves themselves have withered and I’m tired of looking at the whole mess.

Finally, after a few days without rain, I pick all the pods. I dry them further outside (where sometimes I forget to bring them in and they mold, see the dragon tongue yield on right) or in the house in a big bowl.

Weeks later, or when I can’t stand the big bowl sitting around any more, I harvest the beans by hand. I crack each papery husk and remove the dry beans inside. It takes an hour or more to select the edible from the inedible. I leave them in open topped containers, stirring occasionally, to be sure the beans are truly dry before pantry storage.

The metal bowl above was filled to overflowing with bean pods and look at the tiny yield: a half pint jar of Kentucky pole beans, a half pint jar of another bean, and a scant few tablespoons of dragon tongues beans (left to right in top picture).

Harvesting homegrown dry beans, a timely process, makes me appreciate how inexpensive they are at the store. Freshly dried beans have fantastic texture and I will enjoy my tiny quantity. I just can’t see trying to grow them for dry storage in any quantity without processing equipment.

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The Lenghtiest Homegrown Staple: Dry Beans is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

How to Cook a Perfect Whole Bird

Rachel — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:09:08 +0000

Thanksgiving is a little over a week away. This week I’ll share some of my favorite recipes.

Cooking a whole bird is a beautiful thing. The cook has the ability to infuse the meat with distinct flavors and a whole bird can feed a family for many meals. Use these techniques for a perfect Thanksgiving turkey, family style chicken dinner, or delicate individual game hens.

Brine - A sugar/salt brine infuses the bird with flavorful juices. (2-18 hours)

Make one by boiling one half gallon (8 cups) water and adding one cup kosher salt and one half cup sugar, boiled to dissolve and then cool it with one half gallon (8 cups) ice. You can add aromatics such as bay leaf, peppercorns, whole allspice, or orange peels once the brine is made.

Soak the bird in brine for a time appropriate to the thickness of the breast. For a fresh (or thawed frozen) bird, leave the bird in brine for the appropriate length of time:
game hen – 2 hours, fryer chicken – 6 hours, roaster chicken – 8 hours, turkey – 12+ hours. Brine is optional but greatly enhances the flavor and juicy-ness of the bird.

Stuff - Add flavor to a bird by stuffing the cavity and skin with aromatics. Stuffing with bread filling is not recommended by the USDA and extends cooking time, which can dry the meat. (10 minutes)

Fill but do not over-stuff the cavity with quartered onions, fresh herbs, or citrus. Slide a finger between the breast and skin and place butter and/or herbs under the skin for a more delicious and juicy bird. Stuffing is totally optional.

Truss - Tie up the bird’s legs to cook evenly and not dry out. (5 minutes)

Using a 2 foot length of butcher’s twine or plain cotton string, tie the feet together. Push the tail fat under the legs inside the cavity. Then, drive a bamboo skewer between the two wings and through the bird so that they are held closely to the rest of the bird.

Roast Hot and Fast - Low and slow methods work well for fat-marbled meats, which turkey, chicken and the like are not. Instead, roast at a high temperature to brown the skin, reduce temperature and do not over-cook. NB: Fatty water fowl should be steamed before roasting. (1-3 hours)

Thaw your bird to room temperature. Place it atop a few chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, onion) or directly in a roasting pan, breast side up. Optionally, rub with olive oil or butter. Sprinkle skin with salt and pepper.

Put the pan in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 15-25 minutes until skin is browned. Drop the temperature to 350 degrees and continue cooking until the meat reaches 165 degrees F at the thickest part of the breast. Be sure you are not hitting bone when you measure temperature. Do not rely on pop-up gauges.

Rest - Allowing meat to rest is the most overlooked part of cooking. This step is absolutely necessary for the protein to cool and seize up the juices. (5-20 minutes)

A whole turkey should rest for at least 20 minutes, a chicken 10, and a game hen 5. Rest out of the oven on a cutting board.

Carve - Use a very sharp knife and bold strokes to carve a bird. (10-15 minutes)

First, break shoulder to wing joint. Carve through the wing at the shoulder joint to remove the wing. Split into wing and drum if you wish. Next, cut the breast pieces off, leaving skin in tact. Set aside and slice later. Then, remove the leg and thighs from the hip by breaking and cutting through the joint. If desired cut between leg and thigh at the knee joint.

Savor - The drippings and carcass of a bird can yield several more dishes. (20 minutes – days)

For gravy, skim fat from pan drippings. Heat drippings over medium heat. Add a slurry of water and flour slowly. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until sauce thickens.

Pick bits of meat off the carcass for making into salad, soup, or sandwiches.

To make stock, cover the carcass with water in a wide roasting pan with an onion, halved, celery chunks, and carrots. Cook at 200 degrees F in the oven for 8 hours. Strain the resulting stock, skim fat from top, and use in soup, risotto, or sauce. Stock can be frozen for up to one year.

This tutorial was part of the instruction at a recent cooking class. The participants there had plenty of questions. Do you?

Added to Hearth and Soul.

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How to Cook a Perfect Whole Bird is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Kokoborrego Sheep’s Milk Cheese Company {Farm Tour}

Rachel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:31:26 +0000

On a crisp day last month, I visited Kokoborrego Cheese Company at the Sippel Family Farm with friends Bethia Woolf of Columbus Food Adventures and Faith Durand of The Kitchn. We took the hour-long drive north of Columbus to discover more about Ohio’s first sheep’s milk creamery.

Why Cheese?

After many years running the popular Sippel Family Farm vegetable CSA, Lisa and Ben Sippel searched for an additional, less seasonal, artisanal product. At the same time, Lisa’s brother Ben Baldwin wanted to move out of the corporate restaurant management game. They found their calling to make cheese together at a workshop by Peter Dixon, a Vermont-based food educator.

The Sippels established a flock of East Fresian cross sheep in autumn 2010 and began their creamery in February 2011.

Ben Baldwin, primary cheesemaker, explained that “sheep’s milk more naturally wants to be a cheese”, which is why they turned to establishing a flock of sheep in addition to making cheese from a nearby family farm’s cow milk. Besides, no one else in Ohio is making sheep’s cheese and Lisa saw a market niche.

The name Kokoborrego comes from the Kokosing river headwaters near the farm and the Spanish word for sheep. Cheese variety names also reflect central Ohio terroir; Headwaters, Moraine, Whetstone, and Owl Creek all refer to local land and water features.

How the Cheese is Made

Ewes give milk twice daily in their 180-240 day lactation season from approximately March to September. At peak lactation, the Sippels get one gallon of milk per sheep per day. Ben Sippel is the primary milker. Ben also manages the grazing land for the ewes who eat local hay in the barn and spelt in the milking parlor.

With a heard of thirty five, Ben Baldwin makes small batches of cheese by hand three days a week.

The process begins when a culture is added to the raw milk and left to work its magic for one hour. During this time the culture multiplies and changes the flavor of the milk while dropping acidity. Lower acid milk has higher yield but if acidity dips too low, the flavor is off putting.

When pH reaches the cheese-maker’s desired level, Ben gently stirs in rennet. Rennet is a naturally occurring enzyme that flocculates or separates solids from liquids in the milk.

After thirty minutes or so, the milk has flocculated and it’s time to cut curds. When curds are fully developed, Ben stirs the cheese for approximately thirty minutes to develop texture.

Next Ben drains the whey and forms cheese into molds. He presses the molds in the devise pictured above to further release liquid. After a few hours in the molds, the cheese is released and aged for up to six months in a climate controlled room.

Future at Kokoborrego

The Sippels are concerned with making their farm a sustainable system and providing unique high quality products to the market. They hope to double the size of their sheep flock and make cheese more frequently in the next year.

They are adding pigs to the farm. Pigs will eat the whey (which is now poured on compost heaps) and eventually be processed and sold as artisanal pork.

While the current Kokoborrego cheese lineup is very successful, the cheesemakers are experimenting with Parmesan, Manchego and feta style cheese. A small supply of brie sold out in short time this summer.

Food lovers in Columbus can find Kokoborrego at several grocers and restaurants. Distributors in Cleveland and Chicago make the cheese available beyond central Ohio.

Bethia details more about the cheese styles and where to find them in her article Kokoborrego Cheese Company on Columbus Food Adventures.

Have you tried Ohio’s first sheep’s milk cheese?

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Kokoborrego Sheep’s Milk Cheese Company {Farm Tour} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Local Thanksgiving Turkeys & CSAs 2011

Rachel — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:00:16 +0000

Are you planning turkey day already? You can bet I am!

I know friends are too because the questions about ‘where can I order a turkey?’ are pouring in. Here are the best local options I am aware of:

Turkey

Bowman and Landes – I grew up visiting my grandmother who worked at Bowman and Landes farm in Springfield, OH. The turkeys have ample room to roam and the meat is free from hormones and antibiotics. There’s even a family legend that my parents fell in love the summer they slaughtered and plucked turkeys at B&L. Locally-owned grocers Hills Market, North Market Poultry and Game, Huffman’s and Weilands offer these toms for pre-order around $3 a pound.

Speckled Hen Farm – Turkeys from Speckled Hen are fed locally grown grains and allowed to free range. Order via the web for $2.79/pound and pick up in Worthington.

Tea Hills Pastured Organic Turkeys – Hills Market carries these top of the line heritage breed birds at $5.19/pound or you can order directly from the farm.

OSU Poultry Science Club – Ohio State University sells free range, antibiotic free turkeys as a fundraiser. Order your bird online for $2.59/pound and pick up on the Columbus campus.

CSAs

Wayward Seed – Need something more than a bird on the table? Wayward Seed organic farm offers a box of vegetables, herbs, and fruit to feed a crowd. With a turkey, the cost is $160; with a winter squash, the cost is $130. Read the details and ordering info on their blog.

OSU Student Farm – Support Ohio State University students in their sustainable farm efforts by purchasing a $35 share of sweet potatoes, herbs, squash, garlic and more. Quantities are limited.

Clintonville and Worthington Farmer’s Markets will host pre-Thanksgiving markets on November 19. Pick up mushrooms from Swainway, root vegetables, greens, herbs, apples eggs, and more to fill your menu with local treats.

Did I miss your local favorites? Let me know in the comments!

PS. Alex’s mom Deb made the apple pie with the turkey. Isn’t it cute? She’ll be sharing fiber artistry at next weekend’s Clintonville Arts Guild Holiday Show & Sale at Whetstone Recreation Center.

PPS. I am closing the Hounds in the Kitchen annual reader’s survey on Sunday. I would really appreciate you sharing your opinion before then if you have a few minutes.

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Local Thanksgiving Turkeys & CSAs 2011 is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

The Coop {Food Truck Review}

Rachel — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:41:53 +0000

A food truck with a name dear to our chicken-loving hearts opened recently in close proximity to our house. Alex visited first, took pictures, and wrote this review:

Clintonville is seeing an influx of food trucks recently. Despite the objections of various stick-in-the-mud types, the diversity is only growing.

The Coop is the latest truck to arrive on the Clintonville scene. As the name suggests, it is a poultry-themed establishment and happens to have thrown out a shingle on the corner of Indianola and Cliffside. As this is only a few blocks from our house we had their fare (one of each thing on the menu) for our Wednesday family dinner.

The dishes were:

French Omelet BLT sandwich - Delicious folded omelet with thick-cut bacon and fresh veggies on white bread. The whole thing melted in your mouth and was done exceptionally well.

Udon noodles with duck – This was probably the standout dish of the evening. The noodles were well cooked, the duck was delicious and it was all complimented wonderfully with a hot and sour broth. This was a fabulous dish that I could eat every day. Of course, as with their other dishes, it was topped with an over-easy egg.

Chorizo Hash – Exactly what the name describes. Very nicely done with chopped up bits of corn tortilla incorporated into the mix. The over-easy egg made for a delicious sauce over the hash after the yolk was broken open.

Roasted Chicken Quarter (thigh/leg) over Corn with Parsley and Parmesan - This was a very simple presentation that pleased the ever-picky Lillian. The chicken was cooked very well and the corn mixture was creative and delicious.

Overall, we left full, satisfied and with a very favorable impression of Coop. It’s not the cheapest food truck out there, but come on, you can order duck on the side of the street. Give it a try, you definitely won’t be disappointed.

I couldn’t resist Alex’s raving and took our family on the short walk to the vintage cart on October 13. Here’s my take:

Alex wrote ‘delicious’ four times in his review. While it is the most over-used adjective describing food, The Coop might be deserving of the quadruple praise.

The chef/owner of Coop, Angela Theado, is a restaurant veteran. She features local ingredients including Ohio eggs, meat, greens and fruit in from-scratch recipes.

The menu changes often to reflect what is seasonally appropriate and available. Beverage options are Clintonville-roasted Thunderkiss coffee, Coke, and San Pellegrino. The Coop uses Eartha Limited eco-friendly serving dishes and offers recycling bins for patrons. Two picnic tables are available for seating and there is parking for at least four cars in the lot.

We tried the duck leg ($10, a steal) for Lillian. Cooked in fat as confit first and finished in the oven, the meat was fall off the bone delectable. Lil gobbled it up while I savored the kale. Dressed lightly when raw, the tender leaves wilted slightly under the heat of the duck. Not wanting to upset the picky kid, I ate the pepper giardiniera on the side. This was the right choice for our family – Lil would have balked at the heat – though I can taste how well it would pair with the succulent duck meat.

I ordered the Omelet BLT ($7) after hearing about it from Alex and several friends. This high stacked sandwich layers bacon, arugula, tomato, and a gently cooked egg and cheese omelet between two slices of grilled Texas toast. It is saucy but manages to hold together for eating. Some don’t enjoy the intrusion of soft egg in a BLT but I liked how The Coop transformed a summer tradition into a more filling meal.

My sister Megan has become a regular at The Coop. By happenstance, she pulled up just after our food was served. She ordered the Chorizo Hash ($8) and ran off to work before I could taste it. I snapped a few pictures to capture the sweet potatoes covered in Ohio bison chorizo sauce, egg, and cheese.

Angela told me that The Coop will continue operating until the water lines freeze. Water lines for a food truck? Yep. One difference between The Coop and many other food carts is that it has a full dish station to handle the skillets in which Angela prepares each dish to order. While having to hook up to water makes this truck less mobile than some, a fresh skillet for each patron means that The Coop can accommodate food allergies and play with a wider range of ala minute cooking styles than those carts with a grill top alone.

More than the local sourcing, delectable dishes, and sustainable practices, what diners will like enjoy most about The Coop is the care with which the menu is planned. Rich duck confit needs a zesty accompaniment like citrus dressed kale. Sweet potato hash begs for a balance like spicy chorizo sauce to come off as a pleasant savory dish. Dishes include vegetables as thoughtful components. And everything IS better with an egg on top.

The Coop
Current location: Cliffside and Indianola, 43202, look for the sweet blue pickup or yellow lights after dark
Cash or credit accepted
Website
Facebook

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The Coop {Food Truck Review} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Waste Not, Want Not Squirrel Rillettes {Charcutepalooza}

Rachel — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:59:41 +0000

When you think of squirrel, what comes to mind?

Do you picture a cute fluffy tailed animal, some backyard wildlife? Or is your vision something more sinister? Are your squirrels tomato thieves, bird feeder destroyers, and dog taunters?

Is anyone thinking savory and delectable? I am.

About Squirrel Meat

While squirrels are ubiquitous in most American neighborhoods, they are almost never on the dinner table. Why? It has nothing to do with the outstanding dark meat, smooth textured, rich taste.

Squirrels are tiny animals when skinned, about 3/4 of a pound including bones. Though ‘tree rats’ are more numerous than HRC stickers in my liberal neighborhood, harvesting and processing enough to feed a crowd would be arduous.

Speaking of the bones, they are numerous. Wine braised squirrel is every bit as tasty as duck (I swear) but eating around the needle thin skeleton is a royal pain.

Then there’s the concern about safety. Could something that runs around alleys, tree lines, and lawns be good to eat? I myself wouldn’t touch the first few squirrel Alex made.

After a whole summer witnessing the beasts steal my garden produce and hang off bird feeders, it hit me: squirrels eat very well. They are not rats eating trash at all – they scavenge abundant wild nuts, seeds, and veggies. Most of what they eat is as untouched from chemicals as the pasture ranged meats I pay so much for at local markets.

Stretching

The October Charcutepalooza challenge was to make an appetizer of rillette, confit, gallentine or roulade, to stretch a single cut of meat into a dish that would feed many. I extended the stretching theme to include my food budget. What delicious small bite could I create without purchasing ingredients?

I immediately thought of squirrel because 1) we had one in the freezer and 2) making it into confit and then rillette would be the perfect way to enjoy the meat without the annoyance of the bones.

Alex flavored a backyard harvested squirrel overnight with garden herbs and garlic. Next, I put the squirrel in goose lard from last year’s Xmas Eve roast with a few end bits of pork belly leftover from making bacon for a long warm bath. Alex picked the meat, pulsed it quickly in a food processor, and packed it into containers. He capped the rillette with excess goose fat.

To serve the rillette, I continued with the waste not, want not theme. I made homemade crackers with the amount of sourdough starter I would have discarded when feeding the fermented goodstuff this morning. Home grown, home canned cornichons and homemade cranberry sauce completed the platter.

Would you try a bite?

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Waste Not, Want Not Squirrel Rillettes {Charcutepalooza} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
If you like what you read, please consider supporting us with a donation or visit the Hounds in the Kitchen shop for ebooks and favorite tools. Thanks!

Apple Crisp {Ratio Recipe}

Rachel — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:00:47 +0000

Apples are abundant in our house after our trip to Lawrence Orchards. When the oven was on for family dinner roasted potatoes last night, I couldn’t help but whip up an apple crisp.

I use a simple crumble topping ratio that is adaptable to the ingredients I have on hand and needs of my guests. I can use white flour, white sugar and butter for a traditional crisp. More often I choose oats, whole wheat flour and unrefined sugar for a healthier crunch. Coconut oil or vegetable shortening work when you are out of butter or want to avoid dairy.

I spice unsweetened apples (a variety of types works best) with freshly ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. You could use pears or plums if you have them and change up the spices to your taste. The topping is intentionally un-spiced because I like to let the fruit flavors shine through the crisp.

For the pictured pie pan of eight medium sized sliced apples, I used one cup flour and oats as my measure. For a 13×9 inch pan, I would use twice that amount.

Apple Crisp Ratio Recipe

1 part flour, oats, or a mix
1/2 part sugar (white, brown, or turbinado)
1/2 tsp salt per cup flour
1/3 part solid fat (butter, coconut oil, or vegetable shortening)

1. Stir together flour, sweetener, and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Cut fat into mix until no distinct pieces remain.

3. Spread evenly over a pan of sliced and spiced baking fruit.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until fruit is soft and topping browned.

Added to Simple Lives Thursday.

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Apple Crisp {Ratio Recipe} is a post from Hounds In The Kitchen.
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