La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch: Woods Creek Bean Soup

Oh, dear. I simply had my expectations too high on this one. I suppose it's because I was expecting it to be something it isn't, a creamy navy bean-style soup, like my grandmom's or my father-in-law's. I knew, looking at the recipe, that a single can of Great Northern beans for a soup recipe, in conjunction with 32 oz. broth, would not make that sort of soup. I forgot, however, and I think some part of my mind also expected the blender portion of the recipe to make a difference. It didn't. I am not usually a huge fan of broth bean soups, so it's not too much of a surprise that I found this one pretty meh. The recipe also calls for not salt at all, not one grain. I don't think most soups can stand without at least a smidge of salt.

This soup was certainly a good choice, however, for dinner with my mom, who avoids salt and fat as much as she possibly can. She liked it quite a bit, in fact. Since she's vegetarian, I subbed unsalted veggie broth for the fat-free chicken broth in the recipe, so it is very nicely adaptable for vegetarians. We used the turkey kielbasa normally cooked into the soup as an add-in at the table for the carnivores among us. The broth had good basic flavor (imparted by Italian seasoning), despite needing some salt, but if I am going to have soup that brothy, I want a good lot of vegetables in it, or some noodles. However, I did really like the idea of adding spinach to a bean soup and may use that in my usual bean soup, sometime in the future. The added flavor was a plus, for certain!

La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch: Cranberry Yam Bake

Cooked carrots are one thing. Yams are quite another. While I suspected I wouldn't eat much of the maple-glazed carrots, I knew for certain, that I wouldn't have more than the tiniest bite of the cranberry yam bake. In fact, I was quite relieved when I saw that the half-recipe I was making called for only 1 cup of cranberries---less tart deliciousness wasted by being polluted with yams. The wife, on the other hand, was dancing with anticipation at the yams and was dreading the sourness of the cranberries ruining her yams.

When my mom was a baby, my grandmother related to me, the only food she wouldn't eat was sweet potatoes. Me, I am like my mama. I have never liked yams or sweet potatoes. Nor, I suspect, could I tell you the difference between the two. I know I've heard that true yams are rarely sold in the States. Otherwise, I could muddle my way through a faked explanation, but it's better, if you're curious, to read this: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-yams-and-sweet-potatoes-word-of-mouth-211176. Me, I just know I don't like them.

Or do I? When I made the recipe, I felt revulsion at even putting my tongue to the little portion on my fork. Amazingly, it was delicious! Perhaps because it was more akin to dessert than to a vegetable, given the oat streusel both mixed in with the canned yams and sprinkled on top (under a layer of toasted mini-marshmallows)? Perhaps because I accidentally forgot to halve the amount of butter I put in the streusel topping, forcing myself to go back and add the other half of all the rest of the streusel ingredients, too, resulting in twice as much brown sugary, cinnamony goodness as the recipe actually calls for? Perhaps the fact that it was studded with jewel-like bursts of translucent cranberry zing in contrast to the yams' opaque richness? Whatever made the difference, I had a hard time stopping at one serving. My mom did, too. My wife? She loved it despite the (oh, horrible of horribles!) cranberries.

We'll be hosting Practice Thanksgiving on the 22nd and this dish is tops on my list of possible dishes to serve. It's a wonderfully different twist on the usual Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. And, if you get distracted by the making of another dish (apple raisin carrot salad, in this case) and burn the marshmallows during the broiling process, it's really easy to lift off the gooey, blackened mess and toss on another round of mini-marshmallows to try again. Paying attention this time.

La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch: Maple-Glazed Carrots

As I was preparing to make this dish, I was fairly certain I wouldn't be eating any of it. It violates one of my more firmly held food rules (no sweet with meat). Furthermore, I have a long history of greatly disliking cooked carrots on their own. Stick them in the oven with a roast, some potatoes, and onions and I love them. In chicken or veggie soup? Terrific. On their own? Nope. Mostly, though, I just like crunching on them raw, with or without dip. Jeannene, on the other hand, was thrilled. My wife loves sweet, soft veggies and is an avid dipper of sausage in syrup, which makes me shudder, if only inwardly, every single time. She never gets to have cooked carrots because I never make them. So, this cookbook project is quite beneficial to her.

I'd hoped I heard her wrong when she mentioned bacon as an ingredient, but when I got down to making these carrots, I saw that the recipe does, indeed, call for bacon. Oh, yuck. What ended up happening, though, was that it wasn't as abhorrent as I was expecting. Jeannene really loved it and I found that I could eat it and even sort of enjoy it. True, I gave myself more of the apple part than the carrot part, but I had an entire serving. I think any cooked carrot lover would be delighted with this recipe. It was good for me to stretch myself.

I'd worried that the carrots wouldn't be properly cooked in just 10 minutes, that Jeannene would be appalled at how crunchy they still were, but they softened up nicely (if you find that sort of thing nice). I mistakenly cut the apple into thin slices, rather than thin wedges, and I think it would be better with thick wedges to stand up better to the bulk of the baby carrots. The apple bits kind of became wisps. Next time, I will remember that. Next time? Really? Yes, because I love my wife.

Cuban Black Beans for Patti

While I was on my honeymoon in New Orleans, a blog reader named Patti commented on another post, asking if I have a good black bean soup recipe. It so happens that I do. I love black beans, either eaten from the bowl like a traditional soup or ladled over rice. I can't vouch for the authenticity of this, as I use canned beans, but it tastes pretty good. If you want it soupier, just add some beef broth to it. 

Cuban Black Beans for Rice

1-2 tbsp. Spanish olive oil (you can sub any extra virgin olive oil)

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (white vinegar is fine, too)

3 cans black beans (I like Goya brand)

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. cumin

Salt & pepper

Chopped onions, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Sauté onion & pepper in oil until softened & onions are translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute. Add vinegar, beans, bay leaf, cumin, salt, & pepper, mashing slightly with a wooden spoon to break down some of the beans. Cook about 25 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve over rice, with chopped onions and lime wedges. Serves 8-10. (sometimes I also squeeze a little lime juice and a little orange juice into the pan while this is cooking)

Sausage & Rice Casserole

Some nights are made for cozy dishes like casseroles. When my sweetheart arrived home from work, the kitchen was all full of good smells from dinner and candles glowed cozily in the living room. The temperature has taken a definite downturn and it feels unquestionably of Autumn beyond the confines of the house. This sausage and rice casserole is my adaptation of one from the classic River Road Cookbook, put out by the Baton Rouge Junior League and relied on by cooks throughout the South. I served it with lima beans & a green salad. Easy peasy.

Sausage & Rice Casserole

1 lb. sausage (I used Bob Evans pork sausage, but you could sub any sort of sausage---even turkey sausage or veggie crumbles)

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. rice (I used jasmine; brown rice would be great, as would wild rice, but cooking times would need to be adjusted)

2 c. beef broth (I actually used 1 can of the 98% fat-free, reduced-sodium sort with enough added water to make up 2 cups)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (again, 98% fat-free, reduced sodium is just fine)

2 cans cream of chicken soup (healthier is just as tasty, again)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the sausage. Drain. Add veggies & cook until tender. Meanwhile, bring the rice and broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 14 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir into sausage mixture. Add soups and stir well. Spoon into a greased (I use cooking spray) 13x9 casserole and bake half an hour. Serves 6-8.

Breakfast for Dinner: Scrambled Eggs, Sweet & Spicy Bacon, Cheddar Muffins

Breakfast for dinner is quite popular at my house, as I expect it is at many of your homes. Sometimes when we have it, it's because other plans fell through, because nobody really feels like cooking, because I forgot to thaw the chicken for the stir-fry we'd planned to have. Other times, breakfast for dinner is 100% planned and intentional. This particular one is that sort of meal. However, it really doesn't take long to pull together and you likely have most of the ingredients already on-hand. It really is a scrumptious combination, especially if you like cornmeal muffins (if you don't, just sub all white flour)! I assume y'all have your own preferred way to make scrambled eggs. They were the very first thing I learned to make all by myself, standing on a chair in our tiny kitchen at the age of 5 or 6. So, I will leave you to your own methodology (or to Google) on that.

Cheddar Muffins

1 c. flour

1 c. cornmeal

1/4 c. sugar (me, I would go a little scant on this)

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (and I would lean more toward the 1/2 tsp. personally)

2 eggs, beaten

1 c. milk

1/4 c. butter, melted

1 c. shredded cheddar

Toppings (I left some plain---with a little extra cheese on top---and put pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds on others---not all together, but that'd probably be great)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 12 muffin tin cups. Mix the dry ingredients and make a well in the center. Mix the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Add to the well in the dry ingredients, then stir in. Add cheese, mixing well. (if you'd like, it wouldn't hurt to add some chopped scallions) Stir until just smooth. Fill muffin cups almost to the top. Sprinkle with desired toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes. Cool on racks 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet & Spicy Bacon

1 lb. thick-sliced bacon (I used center-cut)

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne

1 tsp. crushed rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bacon in an even layer on a baking sheet (rimmed, please!) and cook 10 minutes. Combine the other ingredients until well-mixed. Turn over bacon and sprinkle evenly with the mixture. Cook until crisp & browned, another 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven and drain on paper-towel-lined plate. 

La Luna Cooks Gooseberry Patch Fall, Family, and Friends: A Beginning

So, I dumped the Amish cookbook. I just couldn't do it. But, with undampened enthusiasm for the idea of cooking all the way through a cookbook, I decided to choose another. My friend, Matteo, who lives in Italy and posts gorgeous photos of the food he is making, photos of which I am intensely jealous because I want to be able to create such beautiful photos, too (I suspect having the Italian countryside for a backdrop might help inspire me), gave his humble take: go out & buy the best ingredients you can and find recipes to go with them, rather than going about it the opposite way. My wife thinks he is right, with the added advice, "Buy whatever's on SALE." I love his idea, myself. The truth is, I am not so good at doing it that way. I lack the imagination. Not to mention that I love the idea of cooking through the whole dang thing. The problem has never been that I don't know how to figure out what to cook. I do just fine there. It's that I need a cookbook that won't make me groan at the thought of cooking 8 potato salad recipes, most with very little variation.

I decided that I would simply use my newest cookbook, purchased a little over a week ago and untried. It's the Gooseberry Patch Fall, Family, and Friends cookbook, a collection of harvest season recipes collected from folks around the country---but, presumably, tested prior to publication so I don't end up with 3 tbsp. lemon juice in my peanut butter pie or a recipe that stops after the making of the batter. I'm all excited about the project now and can actually picture myself not only eating the food I make, but really enjoying it!

I dipped my toes in the water on September 29th with a recipe that, it turned out, completely skewed me out. Ha! So much for brilliant new starts! It should have been delicious, a cinnamon-maple nog, warm milk, sweet syrup, & autumn spices for a bedtime treat. I made a mug for each of us and neither of us could drink it. The flavor was A-OK by me, but something about the heating of the milk and the addition of the ground spices (cinnamon & allspice) make the beverage kind of grainy and weird. My sweet wife simply didn't like the cinnamon flavor. I might try it again using only whole spices and see if that is better. For Jeannene, I will simply heat milk with a little vanilla and a little syrup.

I've been really busy in October, making preparations for a secret & huge project, serving as matron of honor for a friend's wedding, and visiting my mama in West Virginia, so I haven't been working through the cookbook. Once we return from New Orleans, though, expect to see me blogging my way through this project!